Back to the A list for McAdams and Kitsch with ‘True Detective’?

‘True Detective’ starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson (official Facebook photo)

TORONTO — Canadian actors Rachel McAdams and Taylor Kitsch could recover some lost cred when they star in the second season of the buzzy HBO drama “True Detective.” Or, if the new season disappoints, they could have trouble getting work.

That’s Indiewire’s take on the big news that McAdams and Kitsch will get leading roles in the off-kilter crime drama, which starred Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson in its debut season.

Both Canadians have seen their star power dwindle in recent years, says Indiewire, even though they’ve delivered strong performances in lower-key projects.

“True Detective” could ensure they’re marketable as true A-listers once again, writes TV editor Ben Travers.

“(McAdams) needs a hit. She needs one bad, but thankfully, she doesn’t seem to want to sell out to land one,” writes Travers.

“With ‘True Detective,’ McAdams will have a chance to flex her acting talent in what’s now a widely-respected series with the pedigree of HBO dramas behind it and a smash hit in the ratings to boot. It’s exactly what she needs, and also a great grab for HBO, talent-wise.”

Travers also compliments Kitsch’s acting chops but says “True Detective” might represent a do-or-die role for him.

“Despite having his face on the poster of an Oscar-nominated drama with a $125 million domestic haul, Kitsch is still labelled as box office poison thanks to blockbuster flops like ‘John Carter’ and art house duds like Oliver Stone’s ‘Savages,'” Travers writes.

“We all know from watching Kitsch play Tim Riggins on ‘Friday Night Lights’ that the man has talent — why else would studios like Disney and Universal even take a risk on him. Kitsch can absolutely get the job done if the writing is there and the character strong.”

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“The Walking Dead” has been a smash hit over the course of its five seasons and has rarely misstepped.

But show creator Robert Kirkman says he does have one big regret, which dates back to the end of the first season.

“If I had to do it again, I wouldn’t have done the CDC episode,” Kirkman tells the Hollywood Reporter.

In that dramatic season 1 finale, it’s revealed that the mysterious zombie contagion has spread globally, leaving little hope that life could eventually return to normal.

“It possibly gave away too much information and was such a big change very early on in the series,” says Kirkman.

Besides getting to see another season of the show, fans have something to look forward to in 2015.

It’s expected that a “Walking Dead” spin-off will premiere sometime in the new year. The Hollywood Reporter suggests it could be a prequel that takes place in another part of the world as the zombie outbreak is beginning to spread.

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The network that gave us unforgettable original comedies such as “Seinfeld,” “30 Rock,” “Scrubs,” and “Community” seems to be going in another direction.

Having passed on Tina Fey’s upcoming comedy “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” which instead will be hitting Netflix, it’s clear that NBC is keen to play it safe going forward, reports Variety.

“Advertisers are putting more money into down-homier fare,” writes Variety of NBC’s strategy to move away from edgier or less-conventional fare.

“The market for NBC’s brand of comedy seems to have grown more niche.”