• Former Saturday Night Live star Tracy Morgan has sued Wal-Mart over a highway crash involving one of its drivers that left him seriously injured and a fellow comedian dead. The lawsuit, filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in New Jersey, claims Wal-Mart was negligent when a driver of one of its tractor-trailers rammed into Morgan's limousine van June 7. The complaint claims the retail giant should have known that its driver had been awake for more than 24 hours and that his commute of 700 miles from his home in Georgia to work in Delaware was "unreasonable." It also alleges the driver fell asleep at the wheel. Morgan's lawsuit seeks a jury trial and punitive and compensatory damages. The wreck on the New Jersey Turnpike killed 62-year-old comedian James McNair, who went by the name Jimmy Mack. Comedians Ardley Fuqua and Jeffrey Millea, who were injured as passengers in the limo, also are named as plaintiffs. Morgan, the former 30 Rock star, suffered a broken leg and broken ribs in the crash and was released from a rehabilitation center Saturday. Fuqua is recovering from crash-related injuries.
• Michael McKean is joining series star Bob Odenkirk in AMC's Better Call Saul, the much-awaited prequel to Breaking Bad, with Jonathan Banks, another star from that wildly popular drama, also set for the new venture. Best-known from the film This Is Spinal Tap, McKean will play the brother of Saul Goodman, the character originated in Breaking Bad by Odenkirk. Banks will continue in his role as "fixer" Mike Erhmantraut. Other cast members announced Friday at the summer TV critics' tour include Rhea Seehorn, Patrick Fabian and Michael Mando. Better Call Saul takes place in 2002, about five years before the starting point of Breaking Bad. It vaults wily lawyer Saul Goodman from supporting status as the counselor for meth dealers Walter White and Jesse Pinkman (who were played by Breaking Bad stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul) into the series spotlight. But when Saul viewers meet him, the man who will become criminal lawyer Saul Goodman is known as Jimmy McGill, described as "a small-time lawyer searching for his destiny and hustling to make ends meet." On the heels of Breaking Bad, which concluded its AMC run in September, Saul is set to premiere in January for a 10-hour first season. A second, 13-episode season has already been ordered.
A Section on 07/13/2014