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Back in 'Dallas': TNT's drama is bringing back an old flame

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Author: 
Andrew Warren / TV Media
Linda Gray and Emma Bell as seen in “Dallas”

Linda Gray and Emma Bell as seen in “Dallas”

Back in "Dallas": An old flame is heading back to Dallas.

TNT's revival of "Dallas" has been on a mid-season hiatus, but the third season returns to the small screen the evening of Monday, Aug. 18. All the backstabbing, manipulating and romance will be back on TV, and a romantic partner from the original series will be reappearing in the Ewing family's lives.

Fans of the original series should remember Tracey McKay, Bobby Ewing's (Patrick Duffy, "The Bold and the Beautiful") girlfriend and the daughter of the Ewing family's bitter enemy. The younger Tracey was played by Beth Toussaint ("Savannah," "The Young and the Restless"), and this time around she'll be played by the beautiful Melinda Clarke.

Clarke's a bit of a TV darling, and she'll be a welcome addition to the cast of the iconic "Dallas," even if it isn't as a major character. She got her start in "Days of Our Lives" back in the late 1980s, but is probably best known for her roles as Julie Cooper in "The O.C." and as Amanda in "Nikita."

She's also had smaller roles in "Entourage," "The Vampire Diaries," "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" and "Vegas."

It probably shouldn't come as a huge surprise that, after being absent from Bobby Ewing's life for so many years, Tracy is headed back into it. Earlier in season 3, her son Hunter (Fran Kranz, "The Cabin in the Woods," 2012) showed up on the scene.

She'll join a cast that includes Duffy, Jordana Brewster ("As the World Turns"), Emma Bell ("Gracie," 2007), Linda Gray ("Models Inc."), Jesse Metcalfe ("Desperate Housewives") and John Henderson ("Over There").

With the complicated relationships the Ewings have long had with the McKay family, their return can only herald more drama and maybe even some steamy romance. "Dallas" fans won't want to miss the second half of the revamped drama's third season, premiering Monday, Aug. 18, on TNT.

 

"New" competition: Looks like the new girl herself is going to have to work for her supper.

"New Girl," the backbone of Fox's Tuesday night comedy lineup, ended its third season with an emotional breakup, but its fourth is promising to bring back the loftmates' old antics.

Premiering Tuesday, Sept. 16, season 4 will deal with the fallout from Jess' (Zooey Deschanel, "The Happening," 2008) and Nick's (Jake Johnson, "21 Jump Street," 2012) relationship that spanned -- and ended in -- season 3.

When the newly single Jess sets her sights on a cute guy, though, she'll be reminded that the competition in the dating world can be mighty fierce.

Jessica Biel has signed on to guest star in an episode of "New Girl," taking on the role of Kat -- "the hottest scientist in the world" -- who competes with Jess for the attention of a cutie at a wedding.

Although she's a big-ticket movie star these days, Biel is definitely no stranger to TV. Her time in "7th Heaven" was her big break that helped launch her career, and since then she's established herself as a movie actress, starring in big-budget films such as "Total Recall" (2012), "The Illusionist" (2006) and "The A-Team" (2010).

Also joining the cast, albeit in a more permanent role this season, is Damon Wayans Jr. ("Happy Endings"). Longtime fans of the show will recall that his character, "Coach," was one of the original loftmates in the show's very first episode before moving out, and that he's made frequent guest appearances throughout the show's run.

As of the end of season 2, Coach has moved back in with the gang, and when "New Girl" returns, he'll be back as a full-fledged cast member. Watch for him and Biel when season 4 premieres on Tuesday, Sept. 16, on Fox.

 

Back from the dead: A Northern Irish actress who's been getting a lot of attention lately is headed to ABC.

"Resurrection" was a pleasant surprise on ABC last season, adding a dose of mystery and the supernatural to Sunday night TV. With its sophomore season scheduled to premiere Sunday, Sept. 28, actress Michelle Fairley has signed on to the series.

Fairley's been seen a lot on TV lately. She starred in a major plot arc in season 3 of "Suits," in which she played Dr. Ava Hessington; she was a major player in Fox's "24: Live Another Day" earlier this year; and she played the long-suffering mother Catelyn Stark in HBO's fantasy epic "Game of Thrones."

She'll be joining Omar Epps ("House M.D."), Frances Fisher ("The Lincoln Lawyer," 2011), Matt Craven ("L.A. Doctors"), Devin Kelley ("Covert Affairs") and Sam Hazeldine ("The Monuments Men," 2014) in the mysterious supernatural drama.

"Resurrection" follows the lives of residents of a small Missouri town whose loved ones make sudden reappearances -- loved ones who have long been dead. Fairley will be playing one of these resurrected ones, Fred's (Craven) mother who has hidden knowledge of the family's dark past.

Watch for Michelle Fairley when "Resurrection" returns Sunday, Sept. 28, on ABC.