Adrian Pasdar Joins Marvel's 'Agents of SHIELD'

Not content with bringing in Bill Paxton to play Agent Garrett, Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD is welcoming another familiar face to the series. Adrian Pasdar has been tapped to play Major Glenn Talbot in at least one episode of the ABC freshman drama.

Talbot is known to comic book fans as one of the many military menaces to the incredible Hulk, and Pasdar told Marvel.com that he’ll be equally problematic to Agent Coulson's (Clark Gregg) team of SHIELD agents. “Every show needs a jerk,” he said, “I guess I’m that guy.”

STORY: It’s Official: Stan Lee to Appear on ‘Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD’ (Exclusive Photo)

Agents of SHIELD is far from Pasdar’s first project with Marvel. Although he remains best known for his work in Profit and NBC’s Heroes, the actor has recently voiced Tony Stark (and his armored alter-ego, Iron Man) for multiple Marvel animated projects including Ultimate Spider-Man, Hulk and the Agents of SMASH and Avengers Assemble.

Currently, Talbot is only officially scheduled for one episode of Agents of SHIELD, but the actor is teasing a return down the line. “As willing as I am to jump when Jeph [Loeb, Marvel TV president] calls, there had to be a little bit more in it than just an episode for me,” Pasdar said. “I can’t say much more but the mustache is in a locker and it’s being taken out and prepped as we speak for next week.”

Pasdar’s first episode as Glenn Talbot will air in April. A specific date has yet to be determined. Agents of SHIELD airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on ABC. 

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'The Voice' Recap: New Words and Donuts Close Blind Auditions

The final night of The Voice blind auditions was somewhat sweet -- thanks to the donuts -- but still a little spicy and, arguably, bland.

PHOTOS: 'The Voice': Meet the Season 6 Singers

With all the teams entering the episode at 11 singers each, Tuesday night's episode found Blake Shelton, Usher, Shakira and Adam Levine supporting each other once their slots were filled -- which means that there was very little tug-of-war bickering in the three weeks of auditions.

But hey, that's what next week's battles and steals are for, right?

Until then, meet the final recruits of season six:

Kaleigh Glanton
Song: "Have You Ever Seen the Rain"
Coaches who turned their chairs: all four
The daughter and duo partner of a professional classical guitarist, the fitness fanatic from Kansas auditioned with the Creedence Clearwater Revival classic. While Levine strategically criticized her and prematurely said, "Welcome to Team Adam," and Shakira said that two quirky girls should "quirk up," Glanton joined Shelton's team.

STORY: Shakira Sings Country Duet With Blake Shelton: 'I Was a Little Tired of L.A.'

Brittnee Camelle
Song: "Skyscraper"
Coaches who turned their chairs: Usher, Shakira
The biracial nursing student from Georgia maintained control throughout the Demi Lovato ballad, and though Usher pointed out that she didn't hit the high note just right, he offered his support, while Shakira played the female card hard. When Camelle said she wants to inspired people, Usher said of Shakira, "She understands that, I overstand that," while Levine shouted, "He made up a word!" It was enough to join Team Usher.

Lindsay Bruce
Song: "Even If It Breaks Your Heart"
Coaches who turned their chairs: Levine, Shakira
The California native, who lost her uncle in the 9/11 attacks, went for the Eli Young Band track. Shakira again touted that her guest mentor for the season is Miranda Lambert, which turned Bruce into the final member of Team Shakira.

STORY: 'The Voice': Usher's Blind Audition Strategy, Mark Burnett on Cee Lo Green's Exit

Caleb Elder
Song: "Groove Me"
Coaches who turned their chairs: Levine
The self-taught instrumentalist put his audio engineering studies on hold to pursue music, and supports himself by working at a donut shop. Once Levine – his dream coach and the only available coach – turned his chair, Elder lost it little bit on the King Floyd track, but jumped around plenty onstage in celebration. "We're gonna eat donuts on my team!" shouted Levine.

The Voice battles – with guest mentors Lambert, Aloe Blacc, Jill Scott and The Band Perry – begin Monday at 8 p.m. on NBC.

Which blind audition was your favorite? Whose battles are you excited for most? Sound off in the comments below.

Email: Ashley.Lee@THR.com
Twitter: @cashleelee

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Bill Paxton, Brendan Fraser Among History's All-Star 'Texas Rising' Cast

History Channel has set an all-star cast for its upcoming Texas Rising miniseries.

From the producers of its ratings juggernaut Hatfields & McCoys, Emmy nominee Bill Paxton, Brendan Fraser, Ray Liotta, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Thomas Jane, Olivier Martinez, Chad Michael Murray, Michael Rapaport and Max Thieriot will star in the new drama, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. Oscar nominee Roland Joffe (The Mission, The Killing Fields) will direct.

The eight-hour "event series," from A+E Studios and ITV Studios America and produced by Thinkfactory, hails from Hatfields' Leslie Greif, who will executive produce the mini. Rising, which will premiere in 2015, will detail the Texas Revolution against Mexico and the rise of the legendary Texas Rangers, the oldest law enforcement group in North America. Part one is written by Greif, Darrell Fetty and Ted Mann, the latter of whom co-wrote Hatfields for History. Nights two, three and four will be written by Greif and Fetty. 

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Paxton, who earned an Emmy nomination for his role in Hatfields, will star as Sam Houston, the "father" of Texas. Fraser (The Mummy) will play Billy Anderson, a Texas Ranger with Comanche Indian Ties. Liotta (GoodFellas) is set as Lorca, an Alamo survivor seeking brutal revenge. Morgan, is was one of pilot season's most in-demand actors, is "Deaf" Smith, a deaf and grizzled veteran Texas Ranger with an advance case of consumption. Jane (Hung) will portray James Wykoff, a homesteader who finds himself living in the middle of hostile Indian territory. Martinez (Before Night Falls) will be President Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, the tyrant dictator of Mexico. Murray (One Tree Hill) will play Mirabeau Lamar, a spirited Texas soldier who helps win the battle of San Jacinto. Rapaport (Justified) is Sgt. Ephraim Knowles, a would-be deserter and coward-turned-hero. Thieriot (Bates Motel) will play Jack Hays, a volunteer freedom fighter who becomes the youngest Texas Ranger. Additional castings are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

“From Hatfields & McCoysto The Bible to Vikings, History has made a major commitment to high-quality scripted historical dramas,” History exec vp and GM Dirk Hoogstra said. “The Texas Revolution is one of the most gut-wrenching and inspirational events in our history. Doing the story justice will be a massive undertaking and we’re excited to begin production with one of the best teams in the business.”

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Added Greif: "It's exciting to be back working with History and Bill Paxton, a team that made television history with Hatfields & McCoys. The battle for Texas independence was epic and really the battle for the future of America. We have Academy Award- and Emmy-nominated talent, a stellar ensemble cast is being set, and with this team, we will seek to even further redefine and elevate the term 'event television.’ "

Greif will exec produce for Thinkfactory, while Hoogstra, Elaine Frontain Bryant and Julian P. Hobbs are set to exec produce for History.

The three-part Hatfields mini broke basic cable ratings records for History in 2012, wrapping its run with 14.3 million total viewers. The mini earned 16 Emmy nominations (including best mini) and took home five, including lead actor for Kevin Costner. Cable networks including History and Discovery have turned to the miniseries as a way to expand into original scripted territory. History has also found success of The Bible, which paired with Hatfield, helped revitalize the mini and "event" series. The success has helped broadcast and cable networks alike lure top-name talent to more limited run fare. For its part, Rising will be a closed-ended eight-episode series, despite its billing by History as an "event" series a la CBS' Under the Dome, the latter of which was renewed for a second season. 

The casting brings Paxton back to History after he earned an Emmy nomination for his work in Hatfields. The Big Love alum is repped by UTA and Bloom Hergott.

STORY: Executive Quiz: What's the Difference Between a Miniseries, Limited or Event Series?

For Fraser, the role marks his biggest TV commitment to date and comes more than a year after he exited the starring role in TNT's Howard Gordon drama Legends. He's repped by CAA, Brillstein Entertainment and Felker Toczek.

Liotta is repped by UTA and Untitled; Morgan (Magic City) is with UTA, Precision Entertainment and Bloom Hergott; Jane (61*) is with Paradigm; Martinez is represented by Resolution; Rapaport is with Resolution and Brillstein; and Thieriot is with Gersh and McKuin Frankel. Greif is with Kleinberg Lange.

Here's History's official description of Rising: "In 1836, if west of the Mississippi was considered the Wild West then Texas was hell on earth. Crushed from the outside by Mexican armadas and attacked from within by ferocious Comanche tribes -- no one was safe. But this was a time of bravery, a time to die for what you believed in and a time to stand tall against the cruel rule of the Mexican General Santa Anna. From General Sam Houston, to rag tag Rangers to the legendary 'Yellow Rose of Texas -- this is a story of the human spirit rising in the face of insurmountable odds and claiming a piece of history for all eternity."

Email: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
Twitter: @Snoodit

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Olivia Wilde to Co-Star in HBO's Jagger-Scorsese-Winter-Mastras Rock 'n' Roll Drama

Olivia Wilde is returning to television.

The House alum has booked a co-starring role on HBO's untitled rock 'n' roll drama pilot from executive producers Martin Scorsese, Mick Jagger, Terence Winter and George Mastras, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

Set in 1970s New York, the pilot explores the drug- and sex-fueled music business as punk and disco were breaking out, all told through the eyes of a record executive trying to resurrect his label and find the next new sound.

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Bobby Cannavale stars as Richie Finestra, the founder and president of a top-tier record label (American Century Records) with a great ear for discovering talent who undergoes a crisis of character when confronted with a life-altering decision.

Wilde will play Devon Finestra, Richie's wife. She's a former actress/model who lived a Bohemian life in 1960s New York. Richie's crisis causes strain on their family and propels her to re-immerse in her former lifestyle.

The role marks Wilde's return to the small-screen after she starred as Remy "Thirteen" Hadley on seasons four through eight of Fox's House. Her credits include The O.C. and featuresIn Time, Rush, Tron: Legacy, Cowboys & Aliens, Rush and Her. She's repped by WME, Untitled, Hamilton Hodell and Ziffren Brittenham. Wilde next appears in Reed Morano's Meadowland.

STORY: Bobby Cannavale to Star in HBO's Jagger-Scorsese-Winter Rock 'n' Roll Drama

The drama hails from Boardwalk Empire's Winter and Scorsese, the latter of whom will direct and executive produce. Winter will pen the script and exec produce alongside Mastras, who will serve as showrunner.

The project is based on an idea from Rolling Stones frontman Jagger -- who conceived the entry as a film first at Disney and then at Paramount. He will exec produce with his Jagged Films partner Victoria Pearman, and Scorsese's manager Rick Yorn and Emma Tillinger Koskoff. The drama marks a reunion for Scorsese, Jagger and Pearman, who collaborated on the 2008 documentary Shine a Light.

Production will likely start in early summer 2014.

Email: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
Twitter: @Snoodit

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TV Ratings: 'Glee' Sinks Low, 'Agents of SHIELD' Improves

Much like on Monday, The Voice saw a sizable week-to-week drop on Tuesday night. The one-hour episode was down seven-tenths of a point, averaging a 3.4 rating among adults 18-49. With the softer lead-in, About a Boy (2.1 adults) dropped four-tenths of a point. Growing Up Fisher (1.8 adults) only fell by a tenth, and Chicago Fire (2.0 adults) improved by the same measure. NBC averaged a 2.4 rating among adults 18-49, topping the night, and pulled 9.2 million viewers -- just shy of CBS encores.

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ABC saw improvement for most of its block. Agents of SHIELD (2.0 adults) rose two-tenths of a point before a steady Goldbergs (1.5 adults). Trophy Wife (0.9 adults) was up by a tenth, and Mind Games (0.9 adults) grew by three-tenths. ABC averaged a 1.4 rating among adults 18-49 and 3.97 million viewers.

Glee hit a new series low on Fox. The show, which moved from Thursdays just three weeks ago, fell a tenth of a point from last week to a 0.9 rating in the key demo. New Girl (1.3 adults) and Brooklyn Nine-Nine (1.2 adults) were also down, falling a respective two-tenth and one-tenth of a point. Fox pulled a 1.1 rating and 2.4 million viewers for the night.

The CW, which may be slightly skewed by basketball preemption in Chicago, saw The Originals (0.9 adults) grow by a tenth of a point from last week.

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Naomi Campbell's 'The Face' Lines up Several Brand Partnerships

Naomi Campbell's modeling competition series The Face has lined up several brand partnerships for its second season.

Oxygen Media and Shine America on Wednesday said that Pamella Roland, Alex and Ani, Liebeskind Berlin and Tweezerman have joined grand-prize partner Frederic Fekkai and editorial partner Elle Magazine as beauty brand partners.

The exclusive brand partnerships have both on and off-air extensions including in-show integrations, online cross promotions, the launch of consumer products and branded video content.

“What makes The Face so great is its authenticity and real life challenges, which allow us to integrate top fashion and beauty brands organically into the series” said Jane Olson, senior vp marketing and brand strategy at Oxygen Media.  “These partnerships extend beyond the TV screen, giving viewers new ways to engage and interact with the show and providing our partners a unique level of exposure and awareness with our young female audience.”

Added Vivi Zigler, president of Shine 360° at Shine America: "As our audience watches The Face they will see these world-class fashion and beauty brands come to life as our contestants get real-world experience working with them, just as our supermodel coaches have mastered. And since young women love to shop, bringing these products into the marketplace is a natural extension to create an enhanced experience for our viewers."

Produced by Shine America, The Face returns at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Wednesday, March 5, with executive producer Campbell as a supermodel coach along with two new supermodel coaches, Anne V and Lydia Hearst and host Nigel Barker.

More details from the release:

Consumer product partnerships include a pamella roland “The Face” co-branded tote bag available March 5 exclusively at pamellaroland.com, Liebeskind will launch a limited-edition “The Face” bag available at the company’s New York City SoHo location and online at usa.liebeskind-berlin.com April 1st, and licensing partner Tweezerman will have products featured in the show.

pamella roland, Alex and Ani and Liebeskind will each be featured in unique episodic challenges that put the modeltestants to the test to see who has what it takes to walk away with the ultimate grand prize of becoming a spokesperson and ambassador for Frédéric Fekkai’s 2014 national ad campaign. 

Designer pamella roland will make a special appearance to judge a challenge where modeltestants are charged with modeling her newest “pamella by pamella roland” cocktail and evening dress line that will launch in March, 2014 at fine department stores and specialty store locations.The episode is scheduled to air March 19.

Alex and Ani CEO  Giovanni Feroce, will be a guest judge as the modeltestants compete to record a 30-second seamless video promoting the lifestyle brand. The winning team’s video will appear on the Alex and Ani website after the episodes scheduled March 26 airdate. Throughout production of “The Face,” modeltestants were also given 24/7 access to the “Alex and Ani Bangle Bar” to accessorize their looks.

Liebeskind president U.S.A, Nathalie Sears, will be a guest judge and put modeltestants to the test as they must create a viral video that will be featured on the company’s website. The challenge winner will be flown to Germany to tour the Liebeskind headquarters and participate in shooting the next Liebeskind lookbook campaign. The episode is scheduled to air April 2.

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