Q and A: Week of Aug. 19

Q: Can you tell me what Mary McCormack has been doing since “In Plain Sight” ended? — Paula S., via e-mail

A: You can catch Mary now in the independent film “Escape from Polygamy,” which premieres Saturday, Aug. 24 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Lifetime. Beginning Oct. 3, Mary returns to series television in the new NBC single-camera comedy “Welcome to the Family,” which also stars Mike O’Malley (“Glee”), Ella Rae Peck (“Deception”) and Ricardo Chavira (“Desperate Housewives”). “Family” gets a prime spot, airing after NBC comedy mainstay “Parks and Rec,” hopefully helping to fill the void that “The Office” has left in the network’s Thursday night comedy block.

Q: A while back you mentioned “Witches of East End” was going to be a series on Lifetime, and I wondered if you had any more information on it? I loved the book, so I am curious about the series. — Annette D. in Connecticut

A: Lifetime recently announced a premiere date for its newest drama, which features an all-star cast headlined by Emmy Award-winner Julia Ormond, Madchen Amick, Jenna Dewan Tatum and Rachel Boston as a family of witches living in the secluded seaside town of East Haven. “Witches of East End” will cast its spell beginning Sunday, Oct. 6, at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Also set to star are Eric Winter, Daniel DiTomasso, Jason George and Academy Award and Golden Globe nominee Virginia Madsen.

As you mentioned, the series is inspired by Melissa de la Cruz’s best-selling novel “Witches of East End,” and centers on the mysterious Beauchamp family: Joanna (Ormond) and her two grown daughters: Freya (Dewan Tatum) and Ingrid (Boston), both of whom are unaware that they are witches. Freya is recently engaged to the man of her dreams, wealthy playboy Dash Gardiner (Winter), but when she finds herself inexplicably drawn to Dash’s troubled, enigmatic brother, Killian (DiTomasso), bizarre occurrences begin to manifest in her life. Joanna’s long-estranged sister Wendy (Amick) shows up, forcing Joanna to reveal to her daughters they are immortal witches who possess great untapped powers.

Q: I thought Tom Cruise was passing the “Mission: Impossible” mantle to Jeremy Renner. Now I hear Tom will star in the fifth movie. Is that true? — Gerald L., via e-mail

A: Yes and no. Tom will star in “Mission: Impossible 5,” which is scheduled for a 2015 release (most likely summer). Jeremy will be his co-star, but he was never brought on to replace Tom; he was added to the roster to partner with him. And as long as Tom keeps drinking from the Fountain of Youth, I say they should keep him on as long as they can.

Q: Is “Poltergeist” being remade? — Linley J., Harrisburg, Pa.

A: Details are sketchy about the new project, but I can tell you that an updated “Poltergeist” is in production, with Sam Rockwell in talks to co-star with Rosemarie DeWitt, according to “Variety.”

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Q and A: Week of Dec. 3

Rachel Boston

Q: I was an ardent fan of “In Plain Sight,” and I especially liked one of the series’ co-stars, Rachel Boston, who played Det. Chafee. Can you tell me what else I can see her in now that the show is no longer on the air? — Betty W., via e-mail

A: Rachel, 30, most recently starred in the Lifetime original movie “Holiday High School Reunion,” which aired in November (check your local listings for possible re-airings). As I type this, Rachel is shooting something else for Lifetime — this time it’s a pilot for a new show, which will air this summer if the network decides to pick it up for a full-season run. It’s called “Witches of East End,” and Rachel told me about the show when I spoke with her recently.

“I am working with such an amazing group of women! Julia Ormond plays my mom and Jenna Dewan-Tatum plays my sister. When we were born, our mom cast a spell so we wouldn’t know we are witches. Through a chain of events, we discover who we are and how we can help protect each other and our town.”

Go here to read my full interview with Rachel.

Q: Is there a new “Wizard of Oz” coming to theaters? I thought I saw a preview for it online — the special effects looked excellent. — Bret A., Pittsburgh

A: On March 8, 2013, “Oz: The Great and Powerful” will be coming to a theater near you. Here’s the official story line: “Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz. At first he thinks he’s hit the jackpot — fame and fortune are his for the taking. That all changes when he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who aren’t convinced he’s the great wizard everyone’s been expecting.”

Q: Do you have any news on “Downton Abbey”? I can’t wait for the new season! — Donna B., Oklahoma City, Okla.

A: While season three has already aired in the U.K., we’ll have to wait until Jan. 6 to see it here in the States. Also, I recently learned that the show’s creator, Julian Fellowes, plans to create a “Downton Abbey” prequel, which will focus on the courtship of Lord Grantham and Cora.

Q: In the 1960s there was a TV show whose characters and story line were similar to the upcoming flick “Django Unchained.” The main character went by the name of Jemal David. What was the show’s name? — Sid D., via e-mail

A: You are thinking of “The Outcasts,” which aired on ABC for one season from 1968-69. “The Outcasts” and “Django Unchained” both were inspired by Sergio Corbucci’s 1966 spaghetti Western, “Django.” “The Outcasts” co-starred Don Murray and Otis Young, and is most notable for being the first television Western with an black co-star, as well as featuring the first biracial Western action team.

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Interview: Rachel Boston — Coming into Her Power

Last week, I interviewed Rachel Boston for my other King Features column, Daytime Dial (see interview here). We discussed her trip back to high school — via Lifetime’s original movie “Holiday High School Reunion.” In “Holiday,” Rachel starred with such industry vets as Marilu Henner and Harry Hamlin.

But Rachel is no stranger to working with Hollywood heavy-hitters. Right now she is shooting a pilot for Lifetime called “Witches of East End,” with Julia Ormond (“Legends of the Fall,” “Sabrina” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”) and Jenna Dewan-Tatum (“Step Up” “American Horror Story” and wife of People’s Sexiest Man Alive, Channing Tatum). When I interviewed Rachel recently, she told me all about her exciting new project, which will hopefully have a long life on Lifetime. Rachel can’t wait for viewers to see her latest project, which is due to premiere next year.

Celebrity Extra: You are working with Lifetime again, shooting a pilot called “Witches of East End.” This intrigues me, as I’ve always been a huge fan of supernatural storytelling. What can you tell me about it?

Rachel Boston: I am working with such an amazing group of women! Julia Ormond plays my mom, and Jenna Dewan-Tatum plays my sister. As the story goes, when we were born, our mom cast a spell so we wouldn’t actually know we are witches, but we can sense that we are different. Through a chain of events, we discover who we are and how we can help protect each other and our town. Maggie Friedman wrote the script and is such an amazing voice for women. It’s also a story about intuition, trust and love, and I pray we get to tell this story for years to come.

CE: Tell me a bit about your character, Ingrid.

RB: I play Ingrid Beauchamp, and I live with my mom and sister in the small town of Fair Haven. Ingrid is a delightful soul but very insecure about certain areas of her life. She works at the library and has been hiding in her books, but she is about to have to step into her power and become the woman she is destined to be.

CE: You’re shooting in Wilmington, N.C. (whose big Hollywood claim to fame is as the location for filming “Dawson’s Creek”), which is gorgeous, especially this time of year. How has the shoot been so far?

RB: I love Wilmington! The people are so kind, and the beaches are gorgeous. We have a wonderful crew.

CE: If the show gets picked up, do you know when it will begin airing?

RB: Summer 2013!

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