We left last night’s Dexter episode salivating for details on the finale. And while  Showtime’s trailer made it clear that the Season 5 ending is gonna be amazing, it’s E!’s Watch With Kristin that really delivered the goods.

Check out this interview with Jennifer Carpenter about the finale and her role in it as Deb Morgan:

Asked how good the finale will be, Carpenter said nothing fans imagine can top the work of Dexter’s writers: “All the time you put in [episodes] one through 11 watching the show, you’ll be glad that you did in 12. Everybody matters in the end. Everybody matters. We all had to be there to shoot the finale.”

The finale leaves Dexter wide open for Season 5, she said: “I know the mold is sort of breaking and that’s an exciting thing. I think people are kind of getting comfortable sitting in their living rooms with a serial killer, and my hope is to make him more dangerous.”

As Deb gets closer to learning about Laura Moser, Carpenter wouldn’t say if she connects the dots this season: “I feel like a lot of viewers are waiting for the big payoff, the big reveal when Deb finds out, but I think it will be more exciting and feel more dangerous if the blanket’s not just ripped off the secret, if it’s slowly discovered. So I guess we’ll all get there someday.”
And what about that other secret Dex has been hiding? Will Deb eventually learn that her brother’s a serial killer? “I’m ready to go in any direction that they tell me to move, but I don’t think you can tease an audience the way we have about her getting close to it without giving them the payoff, whatever it is.”

Tune in Sunday night for the Season 4 finale!

Photo: Randy Tepper/Showtime

Post from: Showtime Fan

The Producers Guild of America announced its picks for top TV shows this week, and Showtime led all other networks with four nominations.

Weeds and Californication made the short list for comedies, while Dexter got a nod in the drama category and This American Life received spot on the list for non-fiction television.

The winners will be announced at the PGA Awards ceremony on Jan. 24 in  Hollywood.

Check out the PGA’s full announcement of the nominees after the jump.

Images: Courtesy of Showtime

TELEVISION SERIES AND NON-FICTION TELEVISION NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2010 PGA AWARDS

Nov. 30, 2009

announced today the nominations for Television Series and Non-fiction
Television categories that will advance in the voting process for the
21st Annual Producers Guild Awards. The PGA Awards television categories
include: Danny Thomas Producer of the Year Award in Episodic Television,
Comedy; Norman Felton Producer of the Year Award in Episodic Television,
Drama; PGA Producer of the Year Award in Non-Fiction Television; and PGA
Producer of the Year Award in Live Entertainment and Competition
Television.

The nominated shows are listed below in alphabetical order by category:

Danny Thomas Producer of the Year Award in Episodic Television – Comedy

NBC’s “30 Rock”

Showtime’s “Californication”

HBO’s “Entourage”

NBC’s “The Office”

Showtime’s “Weeds”

Norman Felton Producer of the Year Award in Episodic Television – Drama

AMC’s “Breaking Bad”

Showtime’s “Dexter”

ABC’s “Lost”

AMC’s “Mad Men”

HBO’s “True Blood”

PGA Producer of the Year Award in Non-Fiction Television

CBS’s “60 Minutes”

Discovery Channel’s “Deadliest Catch”

A&E TV’s “Intervention”

Bravo TV’s “Kathy Griffin: My Life on the ‘D’ List”

Showtime’s “This American Life”

PGA Producer of the Year Award in Live Entertainment and Competition
Television

CBS’s “The Amazing Race”

Fox’s “American Idol”

Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report”

Bravo TV’s “Project Runway”

Bravo TV’s “Top Chef”

Nominations for PGA Awards in the Theatrical Motion Picture and Longform
Television categories will be announced on January 5, 2010, along with
the individual producers in all categories.

The winners in each category will be announced at the PGA Awards
ceremony on Sunday, January 24, 2010 at the Hollywood Palladium.

About the Producers Guild of America
The Producers Guild of America is the non-profit trade group that
represents, protects and promotes the interests of all members of the
producing team in film, television and new media. The PGA has over 4,000
members who work together to protect and improve their careers, the
industry and community by providing members health benefits, enforcing
workplace labor laws, the creation of fair and impartial standards for
the awarding of producing credits, as well as other education and
advocacy efforts. The PGA hosts important industry events including the
annual PGA Awards and the Produced By Conference.

Post from: Showtime Fan

Toni Collette’s character on United States of Tara has many alternate personalities, but it will take a new friendship for Tara to see how her life path could have been different.

In Season 2, Tara will meet and befriend a free-spirited artist who reminds her of the life she could’ve had if she hadn’t move to the Kansas City suburbs to raise her family, Collette recently told Entertainment Weekly.

As we reported this summer, the artist will be played played by Oscar nominee Viola Davis (Doubt), shown here at the Law Abiding Citizen film premiere last month. She will appear in six episodes.

The experience “is like holding up a mirror of sorts” for Tara, Collette said. “They have an elusive, mystical bond.”

Season 2 of United States of Tara premieres March 22 on Showtime.

Image: Fame Pictures

Post from: Showtime Fan

As Dexter has grown as a character and a series over the last four seasons, director Kevin Gordon has been along for the ride. He’s helmed episodes in each season, including tonight’s jaw-dropping installment.

Before the show airs, get a load of the knowledge Gordon dropped in an interview with Shock Till You Drop. We’ve excerpted some of the best stuff below, but if you’re a die-hard fan, you’ll want to read the full Q&A here.

On how the show handles Dexter’s voiceovers: When we film it on set, there’s no narration. Michael often does it on his own. While I’m working on one episode, he goes into his trailer with a high end recorder and does the narration. He does it so well and nails it. He’ll often do it out loud during rehearsals just to time it in his head and so I know if we need to move the camera, where I should be ending. He’s such a technically precise actor, if he does the narration and it’s going to be about eight seconds, you can be sure he’s going to act out the scene and have it be eight seconds.

On how he gets the most out of a phenomenal cast: It’s so easy when you’re shooting a TV show this fast to fall into a rhythm. I find the best scenes are when you get out of the rhythm. I was really proud of Jennifer in “Dirty Harry”, episode five of season four where she had the breakdown in the parking lot while talking to Dexter. She just completely falls apart. It was a scene she’d been nervous about and it was about saying let go of all your previous ideas and let it happen. Those scenes, again two people, great actors that could do that. When you get someone like Michael and John Lithgow in a room, anything can happen.

On changes to come: One of the other things that’ll be interesting next year is that Clyde Phillips is leaving the show. He was the showrunner since the beginning and that’s obviously going to affect the show. He just wants to get back to living with his family at this point because they live on the East Coast (note: Dexter is mainly filmed in Long Beach, Calif., with establishing shots taken in Miami)

On his favorite seasons: I don’t think anybody would kill me if I said personally season three, while I think it’s great, to me was not up to the level in terms of impact and emotion and intensity as season’s one, two and now four. Three was a little bit of a dip, but that’s still a pretty good batting average. I think what they’re getting back to in season four is the complexity of Dexter’s psychology. Three shared a similar theme to two in that in season two he never had a friend and then there was Lila, and in three he never had a friend and there was Jimmy Smits. Now I think he’s questioning things on a whole level. The idea of can I be a normal person and a killer? Where does that leave me? What are my moral standards? Does Harry’s code apply to me anymore?

Don’t forget to watch Gordon’s episode, “Lost Boys” at 9 p.m. Eastern, tonight on Showtime.

Image: Newscom

Post from: Showtime Fan

He’s always the voice of wisdom on Dexter, so it’s not all that surprising that James Remar has been cast as the patriarch in another series that dabbles in the supernatural.

When he’s not playing the ghost of Harry Morgan on the Showtime series, Remar will guest on The CW’s Vampire Diaries, TV Guide reports.

The two shows had a behind-the-scenes connection in Marcos Siega, who has directed episodes for both series, Remar said. That’s how Remar ended up being cast as the Civil War Era aristocrat Giuseppe Salvatore, father to vampire sons Stefan and Damon.

Before then, Remar hinted that he’ll have a big part to play in the Season 4 finale of Dexter, coming up on Dec. 13.

Whether it’ll be more bloody than his role on Diaries remains to be seen. “I can’t say anything out of respect to the audience,” he told TV Guide. “But watch!”

Photo: Randy Tepper/Showtime

Post from: Showtime Fan

Showtime viewers, why brave the craziness of Black Friday when you can load up on stocking stuffers from your favorite series in the comfort of your own home?

Shop Showtime’s online story today through Nov. 30 and **you can get 20 percent off.**

Here’s a peek at the goodies awaiting you in the Showtime Holiday Shop:

• Dexter action figures ($15.99)
• Californication Hank Moody bobbleheads ($9.99)
• The L Word complete series DVD box set ($169.99)
• Weeds “Mom baked goods” coasters ($7.99)
• The Tudors 2010 calendar ($9.99)

There are tons of other gift ideas to fit all budgets, so get your shop on today.

Happy holidays from Showtime Fan HQ!

Post from: Showtime Fan

Count winter 2009 as an “on” moment in the on-again, off-again relationship between Tudors star Jonathan Rhys Meyers and his beauty-industry mogul girlfriend, Reena Hammer.

While rumors swirled that Hammer dropped Jonny Boy after his rough patch with drinking (and the arrest that followed), Reena recently said she’s standing by her man — and has been for some time.

“We have been together through everything in the past five years,” she told The Telegraph.

In fact, Hammer, who at 23 years old runs the creative arm of Urban Retreat, the beauty company founded by her father, said she’s considered getting hitched to her Irish bad boy.

“Marriage has come up a few times as we have been together for so long: it would be lovely,” she said. “I am still young and there is no rush, but you never know.”

While that doesn’t sound too serious, consider this: The couple, shown here kanoodling on the red carpet at the Rome Film Festival in 2007, will be entertaining both of their families this Christmas at their London home.

“I will be cooking for 10 people, which is quite scary,” Hammer joked.

Image: Newscom

Post from: Showtime Fan

Demian Bichir, who we’ve come to love/hate as Mexican politico and drug boss Esteban Reyes on Weeds, has two film projects in the works. One would cast him as a Mexican revolutionary, the other as an American involved in organized crime.

Bichir recently started shooting the Mexican film Hidalgo-Moliere, about the father of the Mexican independence movement. He’s also in talks for a lead role in an as-yet-untitled drama about South Florida gang leader Leona Sanchez, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The movie follows the rise of a young Colombian woman who becomes the leader of a South Florida gang, Los Curramberos.

In the Sanchez film, Bichir would likely play Pedro, the gang leader who takes Leona as his girlfriend without realizing that her aspirations may outstrip his own.

Ernest Dickerson, whose credits include HBO’s The Wire, is set to direct. Shooting could begin in early 2010 in Alicante, Spain.

Along with his recurring role on Weeds, Bichir, shown here at the opening night of the 13th Annual Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, played a young Fidel Castro in Steven Soderbergh’s Che. He’s also set to appear in the the indie film The Runway, which is currently in post-production.

Image: Fame Pictures

Post from: Showtime Fan

With the Dexter Season 4 finale coming up in just a few weeks, Showtime has revealed some great news for fans of the show.

Dexter is teaming up with the Harlem Children’s Zone and will be auctioning off props seen in Season 3 to fans.

A portion of the proceeds will go to the Harlem Children’s Zone, a community-based organization that has been offering education and social-service programs to families since 1970.

The Children’s Zone’s goal is to break the cycle of poverty that often passes from generation to generation. Its services are free to the children and families of Harlem, thanks to donations from companies and individuals.

Now, Showtime’s making it easy to support the organization, and to score some awesome memorabilia for yourself or for a holiday gift to the Dexter fan on your list.

Here are a few of the items being auctioned off:

• Dexter’s arm cast, seen in the Season 3 finale
• Miguel Prado’s El Royale Cigar Box
• Dexter and Rita’s wedding pillow for the ring bearer at their ceremony
• Dexter and Rita’s wedding invitations (6 invitations and 25 envelopes, most with addresses)
• Blood spatter photos
• Crime scene photos
• Sadie’s Donuts boxes (Dexter’s favorite prop!)

The Dexter auction goes live today. Post your bids here. And don’t forget, Showtime Fans, there are just a few more episodes before the season finale on Dec. 13!

Image: Courtesy of Showtime

Post from: Showtime Fan

As The Tudors readies for its fourth and final season, star Jonathan Rhys Meyers has filled his slate with plenty of other projects.

The Irishman is getting ready for the premiere of From Paris with Love, a thriller set in France in which he co-stars with John Travolta.

The spy drama drops Feb. 5, according to Irish Central.

JRM also will begin production on another film with a Hollywood veteran attached. He’s set to appear opposite Kevin Bacon in Whole Lotta Sole.

In the comedy, he’ll play a thief who tries to rob a fish market and ends up taking Bacon’s character hostage, according to Entertainment Tonight. Sole will be shot in Belfast, keeping JRM on his home turf for a while.

That’s good news for his on-again, off-again romance with girlfriend Reena Hammer. As you can see from this photo, the couple was spotted looking happy(ish) together last week at the annual Rainforest Project event, hosted by Prince Charles in London.

Post from: Showtime Fan