On the TNT series Leverage, about a crew of high-tech crooks who steal from wealthy criminals and corrupt businessmen, in order to level the playing field for people whose lives have been destroyed by the rich and powerful, actor Aldis Hodge plays Hardison, the team’s miracle worker when it comes to hacking.  With the relationship between Parker (Beth Riesgraf) and Hardison heating up, and a secret shared between Hardison and Nate (Timothy Hutton) that the rest of the team isn’t privy to, it will continue to be a season of new adventures and uncharted territory.

During this recent exclusive phone interview with Collider, Aldis Hodge talked about the changes in Season 5, finally getting the pay-off for the Hardison-Parker relationship, how the secret shared between Hardison and Nate won’t be revealed until the end of the season, his favorite episode, getting to play so many different characters within his character, how he would still like to explore more about Hardison’s background and family, and who’s the goofiest and who’s the most serious on set.  He also talked about his role in the upcoming film The East, from writer/director Zal Batmanglij and writer/actress Brit Marling, and his desire to establish a career behind the scenes as well.  Check out what he had to say after the jump.

TNT apparently knows drama, and part of that knowledge entails splitting up their seasons between summer and winter. For fans of Leverage, The Closer, Rizzoli & Isles and Southland, the network has just announced when each series will return this winter. In addition, TNT is also hitting the TV movie circuit hard this year with a whole slew of cable movies being released as part of their new TNT Mystery Movie Night, a new showcase of contemporary procedural dramas set to launch Tuesday, Nov. 29, at 9/8c in an attempt to bring back the power of the made-for-TV movie. For a rundown of when your favorite TNT series returns this winter and the line-up of Mystery Movie Night flicks hitting the small screen, hit the jump.

TNT apparently knows drama and TBS loves stuff that’s very funny, and now the two networks have just unveiled their development slate as they continue to illustrate those claims by way of their original programming. First up, with series renewals, TNT seems to be the only network out of the two announcing returning series with Rizzoli & Isles, The Closer, Men of a Certain Age, Leverage, HarthoRNe, Memphis Beat and Southland all returning for another season. Frankly, the only show that’s caught my interest out of these series is Men of a Certain Age, and I’m glad to have it around for another season.

As for new series that have been ordered, TBS has greenlit a one-hour comedy called The Wedding Band starring Brian Austin Green (Beverly Hills, 90210, Desperate Housewives), Harold Perrineau (Lost, Oz), Peter Cambor (NCIS: Los Angeles, Notes from the Underbelly), Derek Miller (Secret Girlfriend) and Melora Hardin (The Office). Smallville producer Mike Tollin serves as executive producer while South Park writers Josh Lobis and Darin moiselle scripted the series about the misadventures of four friends who spend their spare time performing in a band. Meanwhile, TNT has ordered Perception, a series starring Eric McCormack (Will & Grace) as a neuroscientist who works to solve complex criminal cases and a spin-off from The Closer called Major Crimes, starring Mary McDonnell as Brenda Johnson’s nemesis, Capt. Raydor.

The two networks also revealed a whole slate of series currently being developed, so if these two networks consistently have shows you love, you can find details what news stuff they have in store after the jump.

The TNT crime drama Leverage returns on December 12^th with its remaining episodes for Season 3. The hit series follows the adventures of a highly skilled team – made up of former insurance investigator turned con-man Nate Ford (Timothy Hutton), grifter Sophie Devereaux (Gina Bellman), retrieval specialist Eliot Spencer (Christian Kane), gadget and technology wizard Alec Hardison (Aldis Hodge) and professional thief Parker (Beth Riesgraf) – who are out to settle scores against those who use power and wealth to victimize others.

With a holiday episode and a two-part finale left, the stakes reach an all-time high, as Nate and the team must finally encounter the big bad (Damien Moreau) that the entire season has been leading up to. During a recent interview, co-stars Timothy Hutton and Beth Riesgraf talked about how much fun they have playing such challenging roles, the outrageous stunts they sometimes have to do and how their characters compare to them in real life. They also gave some hints about what viewers can expect from Season 4. Check out what they had to say after the jump.