TV
Did the “Salem” Witches Spread the Plague?
A new video featurette introduces the idea that the witches of “Salem” may have been the reason for the black plague and smallpox that wiped out millions of people.
“Salem”, a bold re-imagination of the infamous 17th-century witch trials, returns for season two at the dawn of a Witch War. As the disease and devastation unleashed by a deadly supernatural ritual spread through the war-torn village, Salem’s most powerful witch, Mary Sibley, must face off against adversaries old and new who are vying for her throne.
“Salem” is a gripping one-hour drama that boldly re-imagines the infamous 17th century witch trials in colonial Massachusetts. The series stars Janet Montgomery, Shane West (“Nikita,” “ER”), Seth Gabel (“Arrow,” “Fringe”), Ashley Madekwe, Tamzin Merchant (“Jane Eyre”), Elise Eberle (“The Astronaut Farmer”) and Iddo Goldberg (“Mob City”).
Lucy Lawless (“Xena: Warrior Princess”, “Spartacus”) and Stuart Townsend (“Betrayal,” “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen”) joined the series for season two. Lawless joins the cast as “Countess Marburg,” one of the last remaining survivors of the legendary line of ancient German witches and Townsend portrays English aristocrat “Samuel Wainwright” – a doctor looking to uncover the secrets of “Salem” and keep his own from those who would seek to discover them.
“Salem” returns Sunday, April 5 at 10pm ET/9pm CT.
Himesh Patel (Tenet, Don’t Look Up) will star opposite Danielle Deadwyler (The Woman in the Yard) in Ryan Coogler’s reboot of “The X-Files“, which has wrapped filming on the pilot.
Patel confirmed the news in a chat with The Direct, while reiterating that he and Deadwyler play new characters.
“I don’t want to say anything that’s going to get me disappeared. Needless to say, myself and Danielle Deadwyler are playing completely new characters, and we just wrapped on the pilot. If we get to do more… we’ll see where we go from there,” Patel said.
That last sentence is noteworthy, as Patel is reminding that Hulu has only ordered the pilot so far. A full series order has yet to be greenlit.
It’s a good reminder, considering that Hulu also ordered a pilot for the “Buffy: New Sunnydale” reboot that was filmed and delivered earlier this year, only for the streamer to send shockwaves when it opted not to move forward with the series.
As for “The X-Files” pilot, Sinners filmmaker Ryan Coogler writes and directs the pilot. Jennifer Yale (“The Copenhagen Test”) serves as showrunner.
Himesh Patel and Danielle Deadwyler play two highly decorated but vastly different FBI agents who form an unlikely bond when they are assigned to a long-shuttered division devoted to cases involving unexplained phenomena.
Patel and Deadwyler previously co-starred together on “Station Eleven.”
Other actors who have signed on for guest roles include Amy Madigan, Steve Buscemi, Ben Foster, Devery Jacobs, Lochlyn Munro, Tantoo Cardinal, Joel D. Montgrand, and Sofia Grace Clifton.
“The X-Files” originally ran for nine seasons between 1993 and 2002, with two additional seasons arriving in 2016 and 2018. 218 episodes were produced in total, along with two feature films: 1998’s The X-Files: Fight the Future and 2008’s The X-Files: I Want to Believe.
Himesh Patel in “Station Eleven”
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