It an ironic twist of fate, on the same day ABC renewed its first batch of series for next season, the network’s long-forgotten freshman Pam Am won the best series category at this year’s Rose d’Or awards, considered Europe’s top television honors. On this side of the pond Pan Am was not among the seven scripted series renewed by ABC today. It is unlikely to be among the second wave of the network’s renewals tomorrow either, though ABC has not officially passed on the series, which started off great but quickly lost traction with viewers.

Unless it has a change of heart, ABC is poised to officially cancel Pan Am, but that may not be the end of the period drama about the iconic U.S. airline. As evident by the Rose d’Or award, it enjoys strong popularity in Europe and has been a big international seller for producer Sony TV, which would love to see it continue. I hear there is a potential cable play eyed for the series if/when it is released by ABC. Unless European broadcasters swoop in and pick it up. If only they could afford it….

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ABC’s Pan Am has finally been officially grounded.

On the heels of ordering nine new series Friday, the Alphabet officially canceled the high-flying 1960s soap after pulling it off the schedule in February after airing only 14 episodes.

Fall TV Scorecard: Which shows are returning? Which aren’t?

In addition to axing Pan Am, ABC also canceled freshman series GCB, The River and Missing, according to TVLine.com. GCB, starring Leslie Bibb and Kristin Chenoweth, was touted as the heir to the Desperate Housewives throne, but was only able to attract an average of 5.9 million viewers and a 1.9 in the adults 18-to-49 demographic.

Likewise, serialized dramas The River, a horror thriller produced by Paranormal Activity’s Oren Peli, and Missing, starring Ashley Judd as an ex-CIA agent searching for her son, pulled in weak audiences of 4.7 million viewers and 7.9 million viewers, respectively and were among ABC’s lowest-rated dramas.

In addition to the new series ABC ordered, the network officially renewed dramas Private Practice, Body of Proof and Scandal as well as first-year comedy Don’t Trust the B—-in Apartment 23.

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Fairies, skip hence! The Classic Stage Company production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, starring Bebe Neuwirth and Christina Ricci, begins previews on April 4. Tony Speciale directs the production, which will open on April 29 and run through May 20.

Joining Ricci as Hermia and Neuwirth as Hippolyta/Titania are Jordan Dean (Demetrius), Nick Gehlfuss (Lysander), David Greenspan (Flute/Fairy), Halley Wegryn Gross (Helena), Anthony Heald (Theseus/Oberon), Erin Hill (Starveling/Fairy), Chad Lindsey (Snout/Fairy), Taylor Mac (Egeus/Puck), James Patrick Nelson (Snug/Fairy), Steven Skybell (Bottom) and Rob Yang (Quince/Fairy).

Several stories interlock as the wedding day of Theseus, Duke of Athens and Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons approaches. Four young Athenian lovers steal away into the forest while six amateur actors prepare a play for the upcoming nuptials, and both stumble into the realm of the fairies.

The production will feature scenic design by Mark Wendland, costumes by Andrea Lauer and original music and sound design by Christian Frederickson and Ryan Rumery.

The child actor who grew up in the glare of the cameras is a tricky interview, but it’s worth persevering with Christina Ricci, star of Bel Ami. Just watch out for her death stare

Certain words crop up again and again when it comes to Christina Ricci. The actress walked on to her first film set at the age of nine and has been described as dark, quirky, edgy, angsty, indie, alternative, and just plain weird pretty much ever since. For some, she is the female Johnny Depp, Hollywood’s It Goth Girl, the one who took over from Angelina Jolie when she crossed over to the light side. For others she is more like Marilyn Manson.

We don’t really like our child stars to grow up. Even though it’s been more than two decades since Ricci played Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family, that pale-faced precocious child continues to haunt her at 32. So to us Ricci is still “creepy and kooky, mysterious and spooky, altogether ooky” just like the theme tune promised. And it must get really boring when you’re expected to be a weirdo all the time. When Ricci was introduced on The Jonathan Ross Show last month and everyone started snapping their fingers and chanting the first verse of The Addams Family theme tune, she looked utterly unimpressed.

“I think sometimes I have a dark sense of humour, but who doesn’t these days?” she says when we meet in London. “And quirky? I feel like everybody is. Who is normal? What is normal? I feel like these catchphrases don’t mean anything.” Does it annoy her? “Personally I think it’s funny,” she replies, though, I note, without a twitch of a smile. “I make fun of it all the time. I joke about being a goth because any real goth would spit at me. Look at me. I’m really not goth. I like hearts and sparkles.” A stony silence ensues. Not for the first (or last) time I seem to have offended her. We move on. (more…)