ANCIENT ROME SITCOM "PLEBS"! CHAD MICHAEL COLLINS IN "ONCE UPON A TIME"! CW'S "BOOKCLUB" SHOW! NEW CAST IN "BLACK SAILS"! MATTHEW MACFADYEN'S "RIPPER STREET" SERIES GOES TO USA

Ah, people, we're having a TV day today at HOLLYWOOD SPY with a bunch of television updates: it seems that after they've prematurely killed two of ONCE UPON A TIME's major hunks, Jamie Dornan as sheriff in the first season and Julian Morris as Prince Phillip in the second one, the show is getting a new hunk material beside Josh Dallas as prince Charming: young Chad Michael Collins will play Gerhardt, the brother of Dr Whale (David Anders). Gerhardt will be a good natures military veteran and will appear for the first time in the 12th episode. You've seen Chad Michael Collins before in BH 90210 and in freshly cancelled LAST RESORT over at ABC.

ANCIENT ROME SITCOM

Oh, my, this certainly sounds hilarious: according to "Digital Spy" British ITV is preparing a super fun comedy PLEBS which will be the

 first sitcom set in Ancient Rome, believe it or not :) The six-part series will see Tom Rosenthal and Joel Fry playing the owners of "a lazy slave with a major attitude problem" named Grumio, played by Ryan Sampson (Doctor Who). The gallery of characters will also have 'sexy newcomer' Cynthia (played by Sophie Colquhoun) and her sarcastic slave Metella (Lydia Rose Bewley), who move into the 'flat' next door. The sitcom will follow the "three desperate young men from the suburbs as they try to get laid, hold down jobs and climb the social ladder in the big ancient city".

TELEVISION HEADLINES

In other TV news today, here's something delightful for all my book lovers: CW is developing BOOK CLUB drama. According to "The Hollywood Reporter" it will be based on the documentary from Hope Hartman, and

will centre on Emma, a 23-year-old New Yorker who forms a book club with her three unique friends, her career oriented mother and her eccentric grandmother. The project would follow their adventures, loves, losses and careers as seen through the "book of the week," which serves as a thematic mirror reflective of their lives. "Sherlock Holmes" producer is producing the show. Meanwhile, our favourite of the upcoming shows, pirate epic show BLACK SAILS, which hits small screens next year at Starz and has Tobey Stephens as Captain Flint and Tom Hopper as his right hand, with Hannah New as brothel owner and Jessica Parker Kennedy as a prostitute, has new cast members: Australian actor Luke Arnold (MCLEOD'S DAUGHTERS) will play young John Silver,

 while Zach McGowan (SHAMELESS) will play Captain Charles Vane, arival pirate captain to Captain Flint. Gorgeous Clara Paget (FAST AND THE FURIOUS 6) will play Anne Bonny, a female member of Captain Vane's crew. As you know, Michael Bay's show will follow the adventures of pirate captain Flint as a prequel to famous novel TREASURE ISLAND.

RIPPER STREET

And to end our TV day in the same manner, here's a trailer for BBC's show RIPPER STREET which will start airing in USA at BBC America January 19th next year. The show has already scored success over in United Kingdom with Matthew MacFadyen in the lead role. Set in the

19th century, this period series has eight episodes and the story follows London's H Division as it navigates grisly crimes in the wake of Jack the Ripper's tear through the city.The show will try to follow the huge success of BBC America's first original series COPPER which became one of the most viewed series of the new season.