Lily Munster Cast--Sort OF!

NBC’s Mockingbird Lane, Bryan Fuller’s re-imaging of the classic 1960s monster sitcom The Munsters, is almost ready to begin production with just one key role to cast, that of Lily Munster, Herman’s vampire wife. Fuller wants Mariana Klaveno, who is perhaps best known for her role as Lorena Ball (Krasiki) in HBO’s True Blood. But Klaveno also recently played a role in Devious Maids, a pilot for an ABC series that may or may not be heading to one of ABC’s cable networks rather than the over-the-air parent.

Because of the Devious Maids pilot Klaveno is still under contract to ABC, which has until the end of the month to choose to pick up her option for Devious Maids. NBC wants to get cracking on its Mockingbird Lane project, and according to Deadline, has even offered to allow Klaveno to have a recurring role in Devious Maids as long as the peacock net can have her for Mockingbird Lane.

So far ABC has refused to budge, so we still aren’t sure who will end up playing Lily Munster, who was portrayed memorably by actress Yvonne DeCarlo in the original series. Stay tuned for confirmation one way or the other.

HBO Renews hit series True Blood for 4th Season

HBO has renewed the hit show TRUE BLOOD for a 12-episode 4th season, it was announced today by Michael Lombardo, president, HBO
programming. Created by Alan Ball, the series will begin production of new episodes next year in Los Angeles, with debut set for summer 2011.

“The new season of TRUE BLOOD is off to a terrific start, as enthusiasm for this unique show continues to build among both subscribers and critics,” noted Lombardo. “We’re looking forward to more chills from Alan Ball and his gifted team next year.” “I am beyond thrilled to be able to continue working with this amazing cast and crew,” says Ball. “This is the most fun I have ever had.”

Mixing romance, suspense, mystery and humor, TRUE BLOOD takes place in the not-too-distant future, when vampires have come out of the coffin, thanks to the invention of mass-produced synthetic blood that means they no longer need humans as a nutritional source. The show follows the romance between waitress Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), who can hear people’s thoughts, and her boyfriend, 173-year-old vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer), who went missing at the end of season two, and is now the object of a frantic search. Alan Ball created and executive produces the show, which is based on the best-selling Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris.

The 12-episode third season of TRUE BLOOD, which launched June 13, has already inspired critical raves, with Entertainment Weekly calling it “faster, sleeker, more vicious, more fun than it already was,” as well as “summer’s best TV.” USA Today hails the show as “fabulously wild,” while the Washington Post describes it as “electrifying.”

"True Blood" Comics

IDW announced at WonderCon this weekend that it will produce comic series based on the HBO series True Blood in partnership with HBO. True Blood #1, the first issue of a six-issue miniseries, will launch in stores and at San Diego Comic-Con in July.

The story is by True Blood series creator Alan Ball, along with series writers Elisabeth Finch and Kate Barnow, and co-written by David Tischman and Mariah Huehner. Interior art is by David Messina; covers by J. Scott Campbell.

The comic series will be available both in print and digital formats

IFC Preps "Anita Blake" Movie

,According to The Hollywood Reporter, cable network IFC in conjunction with Lionsgate is producing a feature length movie based on Laurell K. Hamilton’s series of Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter novels and plans to broadcast the film in 2010. Glenn Morgan (The X-Files) is writing the screenplay for the first Anita Blake movie.

Given the success of True Blood on HBO, the development of similar programming based on Hamilton’s 16 Anita Blake novels (#17 is due out in June) seems like a no-brainer, and cable, rather than network TV, would appear to be the right small screen destination for this sexy sleuth of the supernatural. According to THR IFC and Lionsgate are hoping that this will be the first in a series of Anita Blake movies.

Marvel Comics has adapted the first two Anita Blake novels, Guilty Pleasures and The Laughing Corpse, into the comic book/graphic novel format (the first graphic novel collection of The Laughing Corpse is due out in late May), so any further exposure of character should only help increase sales of Anita Blake novels and comics in both the direct and bookstore markets.