tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6524405363181519042024-03-14T01:30:25.460-07:00Scifi 411: The BlogThe Scifi 411 blog is a collection of review, interviews, and news about the best science fiction out there.Marx Pylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16796337484101466880noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652440536318151904.post-50887275427848260322008-12-28T21:48:00.000-08:002008-12-28T21:51:30.469-08:00Marx Madness Is Here!Hello world,<br /><br />My new entertainment blog over at NEWS 25 is now live. You'll find all sorts of news including science fiction and fantasy news. I will still post here from time to time, but most of my posting will now be there.<br /><br />Here is the link, please check out the blog: <a href="http://marxmadness.news25.us">http://marxmadness.news25.us </a><br /><br />Until next time... Marx out.Marx Pylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16796337484101466880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652440536318151904.post-40547389170662913442008-10-04T00:27:00.000-07:002008-10-04T00:35:07.895-07:00Casting Call: 'Stargate Universe'<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wRwm16PjQW8/SOccLa9ruiI/AAAAAAAAAIk/L6mx_qLN4Sw/s1600-h/stargateuniverselogo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wRwm16PjQW8/SOccLa9ruiI/AAAAAAAAAIk/L6mx_qLN4Sw/s200/stargateuniverselogo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253198472893151778" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal"></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The official call sheets for the upcoming <i>Stargate Universe</i> series is being passed around on the web.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Casting calls are those breakdowns given to casting agencies to entice actors to come in for auditions. They also give us a nice sneak peak to what the main characters will be like.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Stargate Universe</i> will premiere on the Sci Fi Channel in summer 2009. Shooting begins February 4, 2009. Sadly it will be replacing <i>Stargate Atlantis</i>, which will be transitioning to TV movies.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Colonel Everett Young:</strong><em><span style="font-style: normal;"> 40’s handsome, capable, former SG team leader. Like the Jack O’Neill of ten years ago, but Young’s edges have tended to sharpen over time. He requested permission to serve the remainder of his commission on Earth upon marrying his wife, Hailey, two years ago, but for now he’s temporary commander of a secret off world base. The loss of two members of his team several years ago has taught him never to take anything for granted, and be prepared for anything. He stays on top of his team so they stay alive. STAR NAMES ONLY. SERIES REGULAR<o:p></o:p></span></em></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Tamara Jon:</strong><em><span style="font-style: normal;"> 20-25, all ethnicities (Asian Preferably). SGC Field medic, Captain grade. Off world experience. Beautiful, tough, smart, capable. Paramedic level training. Able to triage serious injury. Modest background. Dreamed of being a doctor but couldn’t afford medical school and the Air Force was her best option. She ends up being the most medically inclined person on the ship but is overwhelmed by the lack of knowledge and experience treating seriously wounded and ill patients. She also lacks the medicine and supplies and has to make do. SERIES REGULAR </span></em><i><o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Chloe Carpenter:</strong><em><span style="font-style: normal;"> 20ish. Stunning and sexy. Daughter of a U.S. Senator. Silver spoon upbringing and a little spoiled but not stupid either. Politically and socially savvy. Dreams of following in her father’s footsteps but for now she’s a bit of a party girl in her first year at an Ivy League school. Her father’s tragic death and the dire circumstances of being trapped on a spaceship seriously tests her character. SERIES REGULAR</span></em><i><o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Eli Hitchcock:</strong><em><span style="font-style: normal;"> 20-25. Total slacker. Utter genius. Mathematics, computers, anything he puts his mind to. Acerbic sense of humor. A social outcast. Comes from a broken home. Lacks confidence because his true intelligence has never really been recognized like Matt Damon’s character from Good Will Hunting with a little Jack Black thrown in. SERIES REGULAR</span></em><i><o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Lt. Jared Nash:</strong><em><span style="font-style: normal;"> 20-25. Junior SGC team member. Officer material but green and rough around the edges. Every teenage girl’s fantasy. Like a college quarterback thrown into his first pro game, he is thrust into the role of leader well before he’s ready for the responsibility and must learn to take command, earn respect through action, and manage the diverse personalities on the ship to keep everyone alive. Like Jason Bourne, he is skilled and well-trained however he is mentally unprepared for the urgency of the situation. SERIES REGULAR</span></em><i><o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Ron “Psycho” Stasiak:</strong><em><span style="font-style: normal;"> 20, all ethnicities. Marine. Big, strong, silent. You want him on your side. You don’t want him mad at you. Lacks control over his temper in non combat situations. His past is a mystery but it’s clear something dark formed the hard shell around him. Yet, there must also be some moral center because otherwise he’d kill everyone around him. Think Eric Bana’s character “Hoot” in Blackhawk Down. SERIES REGULAR.</span></em></p>Marx Pylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16796337484101466880noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652440536318151904.post-70603575844901457352008-10-03T00:46:00.000-07:002008-10-03T22:35:31.188-07:00AMC Journeys to 'Red Mars'<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wRwm16PjQW8/SOXPj5USRmI/AAAAAAAAAIc/1cxB7h2hsPs/s1600-h/redmars.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252832755985827426" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wRwm16PjQW8/SOXPj5USRmI/AAAAAAAAAIc/1cxB7h2hsPs/s200/redmars.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Cable network AMC is going scifi on us, with a new series based on Kim Stanley Robinson's 1992 novel, <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Red Mars</span>. <p class="MsoNormal">Writer/executive producer Jonathan Hensleigh (<i>Armageddon</i>) wants to bring the first book of Robinson's Mars Trilogy to TV. The book chronicles the first colonial voyage to Mars with the crew of the "First Hundred" colonist.</p>"This fits in with our bigger vision of wanting series that feel like cinematic one-hour movies," Christina Wayne, senior VP original series and miniseries at AMC, told <i><span style="font-size:0;"></span>The Hollywood Reporter</i>. "We're always looking for big genres but to do them in slightly different ways so they feel fresh and new,"<br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span>Hensleigh will executive produce with Michael Jaffe and Howard Braunstein of Jaffe Braunstein Entertainment and Vince Gerardis, Ralph Vicinanza and Eli Kirschner of Created By. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span>AMC is also developing a miniseries remake of the 1960s sci-fi series The Prisoner, starring Jim Caviezel and Ian McKellen.</span></p>Marx Pylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16796337484101466880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652440536318151904.post-56621396680382635582008-10-02T00:02:00.000-07:002008-10-03T22:36:05.165-07:00An Actors Strike Inches Closer To RealityRemember the Writer's Strike that caused many of your favorite TV shows to air short seasons, be delayed, interrupted or postponed last year? Well, another strike may be about to happen in Hollywood. This time it's the actor's turn. <p class="MsoNormal">The Screen Actors Guild negotiating committee has called for its board to support a strike authorization vote. They are saying it "is necessary to overcome the employers' intransigence."</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="header1">Contract talks have been going nowhere since the last contract expired on June 30th. Currently actors are working under the terms of the old deal.<?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="header1">A strike authorization vote needs the approval of 75 percent of the guild's approximately 120,000 members.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="header1">Most of us learned what the WGA were striking over, but what is SAG threatening to strike over?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="header1">Similar to the WGA strike, the big issue is how royalties from sales through new media methods are being handled. But it isn't just royalties from online distribution services like iTunes, but also DVD sales. None of these are currently written into actors' contracts.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">I don't think I need to tell you how a strike would affect the film industry. The 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike lasted four months and cost the Los Angeles economy somewhere between $380 million to as high as $2.1 billion (depending upon which report you read).<br /><br />Lets hope that things get worked out before another strike happens.</p>Marx Pylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16796337484101466880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652440536318151904.post-32708545723296393802008-10-01T23:39:00.000-07:002008-10-03T22:36:35.658-07:00Holy 'Graysons' CW!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wRwm16PjQW8/SOR7tPG6KJI/AAAAAAAAAIM/AzBB697jXfY/s1600-h/grayson3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252459082500679826" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wRwm16PjQW8/SOR7tPG6KJI/AAAAAAAAAIM/AzBB697jXfY/s200/grayson3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="header1"><?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p></o:p></span><span class="header1">I don't think anyone would be surprised if this turns out to be the last season of <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Smallville</span>. Nothing confirmed mind you, but I've been hearing for over a year now that many of the people that work on the show are growing more and more tired of it.<o:p></o:p></span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="header1">So, that leaves one to wonder if The CW will try to spin the series off (like the once rumored <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Supergirl </span>series or the fan demanded <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Justice League</span> series) or perhaps find something else with a similar tone to keep that audience. Well, it looks like they may now have a plan and it has been revealed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="header1"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Variety </span>reports that The CW has committed to a pilot for a series called <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">The Graysons</span>. Yes, you Batman fans can probably already guess what I'm talking about, but for those of you puzzled I'll explain further.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wRwm16PjQW8/SOR1unytZbI/AAAAAAAAAIE/2tyDtnpUdIs/s1600-h/grayson2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252452509236946354" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wRwm16PjQW8/SOR1unytZbI/AAAAAAAAAIE/2tyDtnpUdIs/s200/grayson2.jpg" border="0" /></a>Dick "DJ" Grayson was the first young man to become Batman's sidekick known as Robin. In the comic books Grayson was a young acrobat, a member of his family's act called <i>The Flying Graysons</i>. Sadly, he became an orphan when a mafia boss kill his parents. Bruce Wayne takes him in as his ward and costumed sidekick. Eventually Grayson goes solo as Nightwing and leads the Teen Titans. He forever leaves behind the role of Robin, which is filled in over the years by other teenagers.</p><p class="MsoNormal">This proposed series, similar to <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Smallville</span>, would follow Grayson before his eventual destiny of becoming Robin.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>Smallville</i> executive producers Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson, as well as <i>Supernatural</i> executive producer McG are developing the project.</p>After the success of <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Smallville</span>, with 8.4 million viewers for the pilot, Warner Brothers has tried to duplicate that achievement. But, they have yet to accomplish that goal. The short lived <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Birds of Prey</span> was cancelled after 13 episodes and 2006's <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Aquaman </span>never made it past the unaired pilot. <span style="font-size:+0;"><span style="font-size:+0;"><br /><br />If this concept was "The Waynes" I think they would have gold, but I'm a little skeptical that a pre-Robin series would work. But maybe they will surprise me.</span></span>Marx Pylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16796337484101466880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652440536318151904.post-78518304361234244282008-09-28T23:55:00.000-07:002008-09-29T00:26:25.600-07:00Kenneth Branagh May Direct 'Thor'<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wRwm16PjQW8/SOB-gLVrQBI/AAAAAAAAAH0/nPzqbrvWcLI/s1600-h/thorcover.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251336256778616850" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wRwm16PjQW8/SOB-gLVrQBI/AAAAAAAAAH0/nPzqbrvWcLI/s200/thorcover.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="header1">Marvel Studios has an aggressive schedule of film releases planned for their Marvel Universe characters. Besides the various Spider-Man and X-Men related films they have a number of films in the works (that they have greater creative control over) that are all linked together in the same continuity, a first for the big screen superhero genre. Although it sounds like DC & Warner Bros may have now been inspired to do the same thing.<br /><br />Marvel already released <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Iron Man</span> and <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">The Incredible Hulk</span> this year. They plan on releasing <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">The First Avenger: Captain America</span> in May 6, 2011 and team-up a number of Marvel characters together with The Avengers in July 2011. In the middle of all that we will get <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Iron Man 2</span> (April 2010), possibly an <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Ant-Man</span> film and yes, everyone's favorite Norse god turned superhero...<span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Thor</span>. <?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p></o:p></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="header1">And now it looks like Thor may have a director.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">According to <em>Variety</em>, Emmy Award-winning, Academy Award-nominated director and actor Kenneth Branagh<strong style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"></strong><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"> </span>is in talks to helm the big screen adaptation of <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Thor</span>.<span class="header1"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span class="header1">Don't know who Branagh is? Well, his directorial debut was <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Henry V</span>. </span>The last film he directed was <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Sleuth </span>starring Jude Law and Michael Caine, which grossed $703,000 worldwide. Some other films he has worked on include <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">The Magic Flute</span>, <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">As You Like It</span>, <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Hamlet </span>(1996), <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Frankenstein </span>(1994), <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Dead Again</span> and <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Much Ado About Nothing</span>. </p><p>Not exactly the first guy that jumps to your mind for a superhero film, but remember Marvel did say they wanted it to be less superhero and more fantasy. I am a little worried though that he hasn't directed an action film for 19 years. But Marvel usually makes good director choices, so I'm hopeful that it will be a good match.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="header1"></span>The script is written by Mark Protosevich (<span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">The Cell)</span>. It is about a disabled medical student named Donald Blake, who can change into the hammer-wielding Norse god Thor. The arrogant thunder god Thor is forced to learn humility by his father Odin by sharing the body of Blake. <span style="font-size:+0;"></span><span class="header1"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Thor is scheduled for a June 4, 2010 release.<span style="font-size:+0;"></span>Marx Pylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16796337484101466880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652440536318151904.post-24642411856014411832008-09-27T23:15:00.000-07:002008-09-27T23:28:17.559-07:00'Sanctuary' Talk From Amanda TappingAmanda Tapping recently talked about <span style="font-style: italic;">Sanctuary </span>at a <span name="intelliTxt" id="intelliTxt">digital press event in </span><span name="intelliTxt" id="intelliTxt">Colorado </span><span name="intelliTxt" id="intelliTxt">courtesy</span><span name="intelliTxt" id="intelliTxt"> of the Sci Fi Channel. Don't forget, this web series turned TV series will air on the Sci Fi Channel this Friday, October 3rd.<br /><br />Thanks to </span>Cinema Blend for providing these embed video clips of the event.<br /><br /><embed src="http://cdn.springboard.gorillanation.com/storage/xplayer/ci001.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" swliveconnect="true" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" flashvars="e=4bffc0037b3a3a49328d685cccfc7c21cc002973d57a44951a38fddf065f5c696a66be9b89ee2d2f0947d4e15d253124c7d296b9a2a5d695fdd446d15f64f11765e48a3169f68732f2c4c70b1d8962a02723d09accafe3f4ff&width=518&height=457&autostart=false&allowscriptaccess=always&usefullscreen=true&autoscroll=true&thumbsinplaylist=true&trueurl=http://www.cinemablend.com/television/Amanda-Tapping-Talks-About-Sanctuary-12460.html" height="357" width="418"></embed><br /><br /><embed src="http://cdn.springboard.gorillanation.com/storage/xplayer/ci001.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" swliveconnect="true" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" flashvars="e=4bffc0037b3a3a49328d685cccfc7c21cc002973d57a44951a38fddf065f5c696a66be9b89ee2d2f0947d4e15d253124c7d296b9a2a5d695fdd446d15f64f11765e48a3169f68732f2c5c70b1d8962a02723d09accafe3f4ff&width=518&height=457&autostart=false&allowscriptaccess=always&usefullscreen=true&autoscroll=true&thumbsinplaylist=true&trueurl=http://www.cinemablend.com/television/Amanda-Tapping-Talks-About-Sanctuary-12460.html" height="357" width="418"></embed>Marx Pylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16796337484101466880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652440536318151904.post-20342477598410954822008-09-27T22:57:00.000-07:002008-09-28T17:28:58.833-07:00Sci Fi Channel Gets Real With 'RelicQuest,' 'Estate of Panic' & 'Cha$e'<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wRwm16PjQW8/SN8e6AmbaiI/AAAAAAAAAHs/U5GxhyErSX4/s1600-h/scifilogo.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250949672479713826" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wRwm16PjQW8/SN8e6AmbaiI/AAAAAAAAAHs/U5GxhyErSX4/s200/scifilogo.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Love it or hate it, the SCI FI Channel is adding more Reality TV to its programming. <p class="MsoNormal">Today it was announced that three new reality shows were given the green light.</p><p class="MsoNormal">First up is a search around the world for famous historical relics and artifacts. The working title is <i>RelicQues</i>t and it sounds a little like <i>Destination Truth</i>.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Here's SCI FI's description:</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote>“<span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">RelicQuest</span> is an action and adventure series that travels the globe in search of some of history's greatest relics and artifacts. British filmmaker Bruce Burgess guides the viewer in a first-hand exploration down mysterious roads to uncover objects fabled to hold hidden powers and mystical significance for both ancient and modern cultures."</blockquote><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Documentary filmmaker Bruce Burgess will host and six episodes have been given the green light. Burgess will investigate stories about Moses and the rumored healing powers of the Holy Grail of the Cathars.</p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">From the production company that gave you <i>Fear Factor</i> comes <i>Estate of Panic</i>. The show has actor <strong><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">Steve Valentine</span></strong> (<em>Crossing Jordan</em>) as the host. It has also been given a six-episode order.</p><p class="MsoNormal">In each episode, huge amounts of cash are hidden in an immense estate and seven strangers are tasked to find the money. The contestants will be challenged to overcome their terrors throughout the mansion. After each challenge, two are eliminated and their winnings get added to the prize pot. The last contestant left standing faces the final challenge in the Vault Room.</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p>From our friends in Japan comes a new Americanized Japanese game show called <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Cha$e</span>. It's sort of like a video game in the real world. Contestants, called runners, are given equipment (<span id="intelliTxt" name="intelliTxt">a backpack, an iPhone, a compass, a flashlight, and other necessary items</span>) as they get power-ups and try to stay away from the hunters all in the attempt to stay "alive" long enough to win the 50 thousand dollar grand prize. The show is hosted by <span id="intelliTxt" name="intelliTxt">Trey Farley and also has a six episode order.<br /><br />Uh oh, that makes three orders of six episodes each. I've been watching <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Supernatural</span>, I know the end times are coming. This is a sign of what many have suspected for a long time... that Reality TV will bring the Apocalypse! ;-)</span><i><br /><br />Cha$e </i>premieres Tuesday, November 11<i> </i><span id="intelliTxt" name="intelliTxt">at 10pm EST. </span><i>Estate of Panic </i>will premiere Wednesday, November 12 at 10PM ET/PT. You can expect <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">RelicQuest</span> to premiere in early 2009.Marx Pylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16796337484101466880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652440536318151904.post-57714692768582276142008-09-26T23:48:00.000-07:002008-09-27T00:12:50.467-07:00A Look Inside 'Pushing Daisies'ABC was kind enough to offer us a video that gives us a behind-the-scenes look at <span style="font-style: italic;">Pushing Daisies</span>, with interviews from the cast. Season 2 of <span style="font-style: italic;">Pushing Daisies </span>premieres on ABC October 1st. Enjoy!<br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxva3FwxwWBaLYz07i8o8dMYqxXt-VZGH9Z4_27nG50vdZ2nQULljgL5g0hZ-ITmC6DqmuDHjrni2GRZgmhBw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Related Stories:</span><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://scifi411.blogspot.com/2008/09/and-winner-is-pushing-daisies.html"></a></h3><a href="http://scifi411.blogspot.com/2008/09/and-winner-is-pushing-daisies.html">And The Winner Is... Pushing Daisies!</a>Marx Pylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16796337484101466880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652440536318151904.post-89430258378924888912008-09-26T23:00:00.000-07:002008-09-27T13:04:15.684-07:00Mark Millar's 'War Heroes' Gets Picked Up By Sony<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wRwm16PjQW8/SN3muBO0XaI/AAAAAAAAAHk/t-4WR5_MO0k/s1600-h/warheroes.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wRwm16PjQW8/SN3muBO0XaI/AAAAAAAAAHk/t-4WR5_MO0k/s200/warheroes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250606418862824866" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal"></p> <p class="MsoNormal"></p><span>Even if you don't read comic books you may already know Mark Millar's work. His comic book <span style="font-style: italic;">Wanted </span>was adapted by Universal into a popular film this past summer. It grossed $293 million worldwide so it should be no surprise that there is already a sequel in the works.<br /><br />But now Sony hopes to bring to life another of Millar's comic book creations. According to <span style="font-style: italic;">Variety</span>, Sony's Columbia Pictures has picked up the Image comic book series <span style="font-style: italic;">War Heroes</span>.<br /><br />The books, created by Mark Millar and Tony Harris, are about "an experimental military program that gives ordinary soldiers superpowers. When a small group of recruits break off to use these powers for a criminal enterprise, a hero rises from their ranks to prevent catastrophic results."<br /><br />Apparently a number of studios were "at war" over the rights. Millar and Harris are executive producing with Zach Schiff-Abrams (<span style="font-style: italic;">Domino</span>)<br /><br />Millar's Icon comic series <span style="font-style: italic;">Kick-Ass</span> is another of his books that has already been picked up. It just began filming with director Matthew Vaughn and stars Aaron Johnson, Nicolas Cage and Christopher Mintz-Plasse.<br /><br /></span><span style=""></span>Marx Pylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16796337484101466880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652440536318151904.post-60056495071765014762008-09-21T23:07:00.000-07:002008-09-21T23:34:52.097-07:00And The Winner Is... Pushing Daisies!<span class="header">The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS)</span> <span class="header">rarely give out their little statuettes for science fiction/fantasy programs, but yesterday they did give a prime-time Emmy Award to ABC's <span style="font-style: italic;">Pushing Daisies</span>.<br /><br />On September 21st the fantasy TV series won the award for outstanding directing for a comedy series. The award was given to director Barry Sonnenfeld for the pilot, "Pie-Lette."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><span style="font-style: italic;">Pushing Daisies </span>was sadly the only <span class="header">science fiction/fantasy program to win a prime-time Emmy. But a number of other shows won at the </span>2007-2008 Creative Arts Prime-Time Emmys that took place a week earlier. Including, <span style="font-style: italic;">Pushing Daisies</span> winning two technical awards: outstanding picture editing for a comedy and outstanding music composition for a series.<br /><br />Other SF winners include:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Battlestar Galactica: </span>Winner for outstanding special visual effects for a series ("He That Believeth in Me") and for outstanding special class--short-format live-action entertainment programs (<span style="font-style: italic;">Razor</span>).<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tin Man: </span>Winner for outstanding makeup for a miniseries or a movie (non-prosthetic).<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lost: </span>Winner for outstanding sound mixing for a comedy or drama series (one- hour).<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chuck:</span> Winner for outstanding stunt coordination.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Smallville: </span>Winner for outstanding sound editing for a series.<br /><br />Congratulations to all the winners!<br /><br />I hope that next year the prime-time Emmys will consider more science fiction/fantasy programs. I mean, they are more than just a pretty face (aka - special effect, makeup, stunts, editing, etc), they also have a brain (aka - excellent writing, acting and directing).Marx Pylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16796337484101466880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652440536318151904.post-68445673940972561332008-09-20T21:38:00.000-07:002008-09-20T22:02:17.448-07:00The 'Supernatural' Boys Go Back To School<span style="font-weight: bold;">WARNING: Spoiler Time!</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wRwm16PjQW8/SNXTCBLJPqI/AAAAAAAAAHU/1IlailivXYs/s1600-h/supernaturalpic.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wRwm16PjQW8/SNXTCBLJPqI/AAAAAAAAAHU/1IlailivXYs/s200/supernaturalpic.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248332972398558882" border="0" /></a><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2008/09/ask-ausiello--2.html#more">The Ausiello Files</a> over on <span style="font-style: italic;">EW</span> had a small spoiler on an upcoming <span style="font-style: italic;">Supernatural </span>episode called 'Afterschool Special.'<br /><blockquote>"Coming up in the middle of the season, there's an episode titled 'Afterschool Special' in which the boys investigate a haunting at one of the high schools they attended as kids," exec producer Eric Kripke tells [Ausiello]. "As they investigate, we'll see flashbacks to what high school was like for Sam and Dean." Sounds fun, right? It won't be. Adds Kripke: "It wasn't pretty."</blockquote>Meanwhile Ausiello gave out a few more tidbits on some scifi shows...<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Fringe </span>is adding to their cast with "an as-yet-unchosen actor to play the recurring role of Ian Spencer, a twenty-to-thirtysomething hipster whose forensics expertise comes in handy on tough cases."<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Smallville</span>'s episode 10 of season 8 will have the return of Lana and well-known comic-book writer Geoff Johns will be writing episode 11 .<br /><br />The struggling <span style="font-style: italic;">Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles </span>will have Stephanie Jacobsen (Kendra Shaw of <em>BSG: Razor</em>) joining the cast as a love interest for Derek (Brian Austin Green).<br /><br />OK, this is old news but I somehow missed it... Jim is going to die on <span style="font-style: italic;">Ghost Whisperer</span>! Wow, first her best friend and now her husband. That girl is cursed.Marx Pylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16796337484101466880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652440536318151904.post-64801728495610137582008-09-19T23:54:00.000-07:002008-09-20T22:40:26.618-07:00SCI FI Channel Will Open 'Warehouse 13' To Viewing Audience<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wRwm16PjQW8/SNXcfTcD8VI/AAAAAAAAAHc/Z71Sy2Ftvl8/s1600-h/warehouse13.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wRwm16PjQW8/SNXcfTcD8VI/AAAAAAAAAHc/Z71Sy2Ftvl8/s200/warehouse13.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248343371122209106" border="0" /></a><br />SCI FI Channel has been working slowly on a number of pilots. One such pilot, <span style="font-style: italic;">Warehouse 13</span>, was given the green light last year.<br /><br />Apparently The Powers That Be liked what they saw from the two-hour pilot, because SCI FI has ordered 11 more episodes of the dramedy that has been described as part <span style="font-style: italic;">X-Files</span>, part <span style="font-style: italic;">Raiders of the Lost Ark</span> and part <span style="font-style: italic;">Moonlighting</span>.<br /><br /><i>Warehouse 13</i> stars Eddie McClintock (<span style="font-style: italic;">Bones</span>), Joanne Kelly (<span style="font-style: italic;">Vanished</span>) and Saul Rubinek.<br /><br />Two Secret Service agents find themselves suddenly "promoted" after saving the life of the U.S. president. They are transferred to Warehouse 13: a massive top-secret storage facility that houses every strange artifact, mysterious relic, fantastical object and supernatural souvenir ever collected by the U.S. government.<br /><br />The caretaker, Artie (Rubinek), charges rule-bender Pete (McClintock) and by-the-book Myka (Kelly) to search the country for several missing objects while monitoring for reports of supernatural and paranormal activity that could indicate the presence of other objects they must retrieve.<br /><br />Production will begin in February in Toronto for a July 2009 premiere.Marx Pylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16796337484101466880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652440536318151904.post-44740969674576063982008-09-19T23:52:00.000-07:002008-09-20T22:03:53.242-07:00Super Ratings For 'Supernatural'<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wRwm16PjQW8/SNSgQBcEMOI/AAAAAAAAAG4/q7DxZetHIGU/s1600-h/supernaturalposter.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wRwm16PjQW8/SNSgQBcEMOI/AAAAAAAAAG4/q7DxZetHIGU/s200/supernaturalposter.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247995662917972194" border="0" /></a><br />I'm a big fan of The CW's <span style="font-style: italic;">Supernatural </span>and I loved the season four premiere. Apparently I wasn't the only one. The ratings for that September 18th episode were the best ratings that the show has had since 2006, with an impressive (especially for The CW) 4 million viewers.<br /><br />The season four premiere is called <span style="font-style: italic;">Lazarus Rising</span>. It picks up three months after Dean's death and descent into hell. But hey, in this genre nobody stays dead. Dean returns, but the big questions are how and what else may have hitched a ride out?Marx Pylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16796337484101466880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652440536318151904.post-38480960355368483152008-09-18T22:43:00.002-07:002008-09-19T00:42:02.335-07:00ABC Plans To 'Flash Forward'<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wRwm16PjQW8/SNNXuWPLUjI/AAAAAAAAAGw/uo4pNWK9kTY/s1600-h/flashforwardbook.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wRwm16PjQW8/SNNXuWPLUjI/AAAAAAAAAGw/uo4pNWK9kTY/s200/flashforwardbook.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247634444571595314" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="header">It appears that ABC may be close to ordering a new science fiction pilot that was originally being developed for HBO. ABC envisions it as a companion to <span style="font-style: italic;">Lost</span>.<br /><br />According to <span style="font-style: italic;">The Hollywood Reporter</span>, ABC may order a pilot for <span style="font-style: italic;">Flash Forward</span>, a proposed series by filmmaker David S. Goyer (<span style="font-style: italic;">Blade</span>) and television producer Brannon Braga (<span style="font-style: italic;">Star Trek</span>).<br /><br />The pilot is based on Canadian author Robert J. Sawyer's novel, which</span> was first published in 1999. The book <span class="header">chronicles the chaos that occurs after everyone in the world blacks out for 2 minutes, 17 seconds, and has a mysterious vision 21 years in the future that changes lives forever.<br /></span><br />The creative team first met on the CBS series <span style="font-style: italic;">Threshold</span>. This time around, Goyer will direct the pilot and executive-produce with Braga, Jessika Borsiczky Goyer, Vince Gerardis and Ralph M. Vicinanza.Marx Pylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16796337484101466880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652440536318151904.post-71265777330306829262008-09-18T22:43:00.001-07:002008-09-20T22:08:25.122-07:00Pilot Season 2008 Winners Announced!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wRwm16PjQW8/SNNA9-30VyI/AAAAAAAAAGU/NeQ6JUc66nU/s1600-h/twilightguardian.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wRwm16PjQW8/SNNA9-30VyI/AAAAAAAAAGU/NeQ6JUc66nU/s200/twilightguardian.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247609424410072866" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wRwm16PjQW8/SNNAxdq3vTI/AAAAAAAAAGM/BTdnLPRP5H4/s1600-h/genius.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wRwm16PjQW8/SNNAxdq3vTI/AAAAAAAAAGM/BTdnLPRP5H4/s200/genius.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247609209338969394" border="0" /></a>The two winners of Top Cow Production's 2008 Pilot Season have been officially announced!<br /><br />Congratulations to the creative teams of <span style="font-style: italic;">Twilight Guardian</span> (writer Troy Hickman and artist Reza) and <span style="font-style: italic;">Genius </span>(writers Marc Bernardin and Adam Freeman and artist Afua Richardson).<br /><br />Fans voted for their favorite 2008 Pilot Season one-shots. This is the second year for the annual event. Last year's winners were <span style="font-style: italic;">Cyblade </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">Velocity</span>. Both of which will debut with new series later this year. 2008’s winners will debut with their new series sometime in 2009.<br /><br />The winners beat out <span style="font-style: italic;">Urban Myths (</span>by Jay Faerber and Jorge Molina), <span style="font-style: italic;">The Core</span> (by Jonathan Hickman and Kenneth Rocafort), <span style="font-style: italic;">Alibi </span>(by Joshua Hale Fialkov and Jeremy Haun) and <span style="font-style: italic;">Lady Pendragon</span> (by Matt Hawkins and Eru).<br /><br />I actually reviewed the two winning titles back when they first hit stores. Click here to read my review of <a href="http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/121182645733730.htm"><span style="font-style: italic;">Twilight Guardian</span></a> and here for <a href="http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/121423862589539.htm"><span style="font-style: italic;">Genius</span>.</a>Marx Pylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16796337484101466880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652440536318151904.post-5413652573755457362008-09-18T22:43:00.000-07:002008-09-19T00:44:09.788-07:00Welcome to the new blog!Hello world!<br /><br />Welcome to the relaunch of the Scifi 411 blog. This is the first step in what will hopefully be a face lift for the larger Scifi 411 website.<br /><br />You can find my personal blog, <span style="font-style: italic;">Ramblings of Marx </span>(much of which has been archived on this site), over here: <a href="http://ramblingsofmarx.blogspot.com/">http://ramblingsofmarx.blogspot.com/</a><br /><br />The new <span style="font-style: italic;">Scifi 411</span> blog will have news & reviews from the Scifi 411 writing staff.<br /><br />Enjoy!<br /><br />Marx PyleMarx Pylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16796337484101466880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652440536318151904.post-80981809895859234472008-05-19T00:19:00.000-07:002008-09-20T00:20:36.956-07:00Gotham Underground #8I have a new review up at Comics Bulletin.<br /><br /><blockquote><a href="http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/121123918041722.htm">Gotham Underground #8</a> (3 out of 5)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_wRwm16PjQW8/SGctNTmi8lI/AAAAAAAAADI/PwTnqe4ljh4/s1600-h/gu8.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_wRwm16PjQW8/SGctNTmi8lI/AAAAAAAAADI/PwTnqe4ljh4/s200/gu8.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217188399955505746" border="0" /></a>It's Batman versus Vigilante while Gotham City is falling apart from gang war. Johnny Stitches pulls the rug under Penguin by chopping people up, threatening to chop up family and getting a reluctant ally to leave Penguin's side. Things aren't looking good for Penguin or Gotham, but Batman is finally back and I'm left wondering...where the crap did Spoiler go??? <a href="http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/121123918041722.htm">[more]</a></blockquote><br /><br />Until next time... Marx out.Marx Pylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16796337484101466880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652440536318151904.post-41779340368642498372008-04-08T00:14:00.000-07:002008-09-27T00:15:28.391-07:00Survivor: The Sci-fi/Fantasy TV Series Edition<span style="font-weight: bold;">Update (April 20, 2008):</span> Fox has renewed <span style="font-style: italic;">Terminator: The Sarah Connor</span> Chronicles!<br /><br />It is that time of the year again when we find out which of our favorite shows are getting a new season and which are getting the axe. <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It gets a little tough to do this since networks and cable channels handle their shows differently, but here is where we stand so far.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I've included my "weather" prediction of those shows whose fates are yet unknown.<br /><strong></strong></p><p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Returning</strong><br />Ashes To Ashes (BBC), Chuck, Doctor Who, Ghost Whisperer, Eureka, Heroes, Lost, Medium, Pushing Daisies, Smallville, Stargate Atlantis, Supernatural, Torchwood<br /><!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br /><!--[endif]--><strong>Canceled</strong><br />The 4400, Battlestar Galactica (currently airing the last season), Bionic Woman, The Dead Zone, Flash Gordon, Jericho, Journeyman</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Status Not Officially Known</strong> (With my percentage chance of returning.)<br />Moonlight (75%), New Amsterdam (85%), Reaper (60%), Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (90%)<br /><br /><strong>Possible New Shows</strong> (...but don't be surprised if that changes.)<br />99 Stories (in development; AMC), Caprica (SciFi Channel), Captain Cook's Extraordinary Atlas (pilot order; ABC), Children of Men, Cupid (pilot order; ABC), Dollhouse (Fox), Eleventh Hour (pilot order; CBS),<span style="font-family:Georgia;"> </span>Fear Itself (NBC), Fringe (pilot order; Fox), Gods Behaving Badly (in development), Inseparable (in development; Fox), Johnny Dynamite (pilot ordered), Knight Rider (NBC), Life on Mars (in development; ABC),<span style="font-family:Georgia;"> </span>The Listener (CTV), The Meant To Be’s (pilot order; CBS),<span style="font-family:Georgia;"> </span>The Oaks (pilot order; Fox), Merlin (NBC), Middleman (ABC Family), Miracle Man (pilot order; ABC), My Own Worst Enemy (NBC), Mythological X (pilot order; CBS),<i> </i>Patient 2344 (pilot order; HBO), Preacher (no news since the WGA strike; HBO<i>), </i>Revolution (pilot order; SciFi Channel),<span style="font-family:Georgia;"> </span>Ripper (rumored; BBC), Rockville 2020 (in development; ABC), Sanctuary (13 episodes; SciFi Channel), Section 8 (6 episodes; ABC), Stargate: Universe (in development; SciFi Channel), Star Wars, Them (pilot finished; Fox), True Blood (HBO), Virtuality (two-hour backdoor pilot; Fox), Wizard's First Rule (syndication)<br /><br />So, what do you think? Which of the possible new shows sounds best? Check out the details on these at: <a href="http://scifi411.com/upcomingtv.html">http://scifi411.com/upcomingtv.html</a>, which is currently being updated.<br /><br />Which canceled show will you miss the most…or the least?</p><br />Like this post? Then please... <a href="http://digg.com/television/Survivor_The_Sci_fi_Fantasy_TV_Series_Edition">Digg It!</a>Marx Pylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16796337484101466880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652440536318151904.post-80723263965947730572006-02-01T00:17:00.000-08:002008-09-27T00:17:40.975-07:00Smallville “Reckoning” 100th EpisodeOr…I reckon this one was 50% good.<br /><br />Do not read further if you don’t want to be spoiled by moi, ok.<br /><br />First off, I want to say that this has been the best season of <i>Smallville</i> so far. I’ve always watched this series off and on through the years, but usually only found the season premieres, season finales, and a handful of episodes in-between to be anything special. This season, we have seen Clark and his friends head off to college, battle Brainiac, and Lex show his true colors.<br /><br />Oh yeah, and Clark got laid.<br /><br />But, alas, all good things must come to an end. This 100th episode (that I was actually looking forward to) greatly disappointed me.<br /><br />Sniff, sniff. Not just because I’m sorry to see Jonathan Kent die. But, I must endure more of the Lana/Clark/Lex triangle. Grr, Argh. Make it stop!<br /><br />I was nearly blown away during the first half hour (get it?…”I reckon it was 50% good”). We had Lana learning the truth (Finally! How dense is she anyway?), Clark proposing (Unexpected – well except one of the commercials showed it, but it led me to believe they might actually have the hazelnuts to kill her off.), and then Lana’s death (booyah!). This blew me away…I thought, “Wow, they actually went against canon. They completely surprised everyone. Did Joss Whedon write this episode?” Then I thought, “Wow, until this moment I didn’t realize how perfect it would be if Lana died. Clark would never want to tell his secret to someone else he cared about. No more Clark angst about Lana, someone who is starting to look really stupid for not figuring this secret out yet. And now a perfect reason for Clark to hate Lex and a tragedy that would drive Lex completely to the darkside.”<br /><br />Ah, but who knew that the writers would pull a page from <i>Star Trek</i> or <i>Witchblade</i>. Clark whines to Jor-El about how unfair it is that Lana is dead (this is when I started to get worried). I thought, “No, don’t you dare.” Then Jor-El does the whole, “gee there is this crystal that can turn back time” thing. You see, he has been saving it for a special occasion. Saving his people from his homeworld BLOWING UP didn’t really count, but I guess saving Clark’s girlfriend would be the right time. Frak! What can’t Jor-El (aka Mr. Deus Ex Machina) not do? He can take Clark’s power away. He can give Clark’s powers back. He can give powers to other people. Oh, and he can turn back time…I don’t buy it.<br /><br />So, then time reboots. Lana is saved, but breaks up with Clark because he won’t tell her his secret. Clark’s dad dies from that pesky heart damage. The only way, this episode’s <i>Tru Calling</i> moment could have worked was if Lana died in the end anyway. Man, that would have been shocking and would have made this episode the best of the whole series. Instead, I feel that Jonathan’s death is trivialized because of the time restart gimmick.<br /><br />So, on one hand the writers made me care enough about this season that I truly got angry by this episode (kudos), but if they don’t shape up and either get rid of Lana or have her learn the secret, I don’t think I will stick with the series next season. Hey, why don’t they hook Clark up with the mermaid chick that was his college sweetheart in the comics? I’m just so tired of this Lana/Clark mess. Could you tell?Marx Pylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16796337484101466880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652440536318151904.post-15726443476274803492006-01-09T22:43:00.000-08:002008-09-19T00:06:55.937-07:002006 Predictions: Part IV (Kill Switch / Midnighters / Pretty Little Liars / Pen and the Sword / Warehouse 13 / Skrull Kill Krew / Torchwood)<strong>Kill Switch<br /></strong><br />The unlikely duo of Mark Cherry (<em>Desperate Houswives</em>) and Don Mancini (<em>Child's Play</em> - yes I said <em>Child’s Play</em>) are creating this pilot for ABC. No, the series won’t be about Desperate Killer Dolls living on Elm Street. Cherry describes the one-hour SF drama, <em>Kill Switch</em>, as <em>Touched by an Angel</em> meets <em>Quantum Leap</em>. An odd writing combo, with an odd example series amalgam, indeed. I would have personally stayed away from the <em>Touched by an Angel</em> example. I wonder if <em>Tru Calling</em> meets <em>Quantum Leap</em> would work? That is what I think of when I read this description: The series centers on a woman who is executed for killing her daughter's murderer and then enters a type of purgatory. Every episode she finds herself in the body of someone about to be killed. She must figure out who the murderer will be and prevent it from happening.<br /><br />"Instead of a whodunit, it's a who-will-do-it," Cherry said. The series supposedly will have a tone similar to <em>Desperate Housewives</em>. "The tone isn't exactly like <em>Desperate Housewives</em>" he said. "But it has humor and wit in it. [It] seemed like something in his wheelhouse." I’m not sure how to take this one. This could be really, really campy or interestingly different. I would normally give this a low chance of making it, but <em>Desperate Housewives</em> is big - like Godzilla standing on King Kong’s shoulders big - so ABC will probably take a chance on it. Hmmm…lets give it a 75% chance of being picked up.<br /><br /><strong>Midnighters / Pretty Little Liars<br /></strong><br />The WB is so pleased with <em>Supernatural</em>’s performance that two new one-hour supernatural dramas are in the works. The WB has ordered scripts for both of them. <em>Pretty Little Liars</em> revolves around four 16-year-old girls whose fifth best friend went missing two years ago. The girls then become haunted by messages that start appearing from her. <em>Midnighters</em> revolves around teens who were born at the stroke of midnight who have gained access to a 25th hour of the day. Both series are being adapted from their Alloy book series published by HarperCollins.<br /><br />To early to give a prediction on either one of these yet, but I’ll keep my eye on them.<br /><br /><strong>Pen and the Sword / Warehouse 13<br /></strong><br />Ronald D. Moore (<em>Battlestar Galactica</em>) is developing these two series for NBC and the Scifi Channel. <em>Pen and the Sword</em>, being developed for NBC, is about a young man working in a building that is a portal to a medieval alternate universe. <em>Warehouse 13</em>, being developed for the Scifi Channel, centers on a pair of government officials that are banished to a storage facility in North Dakota in which every item has a supernatural or fantastical backstory.<br /><br />It is waaaay to early too tell if these will make it, but with Ronald Moore’s success with <em>Battlestar Galactica</em>, I would be surprised if we don’t see one of these soon. I predict a 50% chance.<br /><br /><strong>Skrull Kill Krew</strong><br /><br />There is little detail on this live action TV project at this time, except that Marvel mentioned it was in the works. I’m not sure who thought about this one. Of all things to pick, this wouldn’t have been my first choice. But, perhaps with a good showrunner, this project could be successful, or at least fun to watch. It could be sort of a funny version of <em>Invasion of the Body Snatchers</em>. Hmmm..I don’t know about this one.<br /><br />But for those of you (which are probably many) who have never heard of <em>Skrull Kill Krew</em> here is a run-down on the comic. <em>Skrull Kill Krew</em> was a short lived 1996 Marvel comic book series. The comic book was created by Grant Morrison, Mark Millar, and Steve Yeowall. This comic book focused on a team of humans with the viral affliction Skrullovoria Induced Skrullophobia (SIS). The characters were infected with this virus after eating beef from Skrull alien shape shifters that had been trapped in cow form. Now, they have varying degrees of shape shifting powers and can recognize a Skrull no matter what form it takes. Unfortunately, the virus also damages their brains causing progressive episodes of neurological disease. The <em>Skrull Kill Krew</em> would travel across America, killing any Skrull shapeshifters they find in an attempt to stop them from taking over the Earth. Members include: Ryder (leader of the Krew with the ability to animate his dreadlocks and teleport), Catwalk (Kimberly Dee - a former supermodel with the power to take the form of a feline-human hybrid), Dice (Rob Fortune - surfer dude from LA with the power to transform his hands into various types of weapons), Moonstomp (a skinhead white supremacist from the UK whose skin is turning black), and Riot (Heidi Sladkin - a punk-rock chick that can turn into a giant insectoid creature).<br /><br />It is still in the very early stages, but for now I have to predict a cloudy 30% chance of making it to TV.<br /><br /><strong>Torchwood</strong><br /><br />The BBC has ordered 13 episodes for a spinoff series of its new <em>Doctor Who</em> series that will air on the BBC Three network. The new series, from Russell T. Davies, is called <em>Torchwood</em>—an anagram of "Doctor Who"—and will feature the character of Captain Jack (John Barrowman), a swashbuckling spacefarer who was introduced last season on <em>Doctor Who</em>. The series is set in modern-day Cardiff. Torchwood will launch in the Christmas special and second season of <em>Doctor Who</em>. The series will center on Torchwood, a renegade group of investigators. No stories will cross over between <em>Torchwood</em> and <em>Doctor Who</em>, the BBC said. "<em>Torchwood</em> is a British sci-fi paranoid thriller, a cop show with a sense of humor," Davies said in a statement. "It's dark, wild and sexy. It's <em>The X-Files</em> meets <em>This Life</em>. It's a stand-alone series for adult audiences, which will have its own unique identity. I have just begun working on the scripts with a team of writers and cannot wait to see the results."<br /><br />I, like so many of my American friends, have not seen much of the new <em>Doctor Who</em> yet. Darn you DVD Regions! I’m eager to see it and hope to pick up the DVD in February. Sigh, but until then, what can I say? British SF is apparently taking an upturn with the success of <em>Doctor Who</em>, now this spin-off, and the recently announced <em>The Prisoner</em> remake. I look forward to hearing more about <em>Torchwood</em>, though, and chances are good it will do well. But I doubt it will ever make it to America’s (sometimes nationally egotistical) airwaves.<br /><br />Hmmm…perhaps the British could remake Blake’s 7. Imagine that airing back to back with Battlestar Galactica.<br /><br /><strong>The End...</strong><br /><p>That's all of my 2006 predictions for now. How many of these shows do you think will actually make it? Goodbye, paalom, hasta la vista, lehit, bai bai, tchau...later.</p>Marx Pylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16796337484101466880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652440536318151904.post-65883488888858681502006-01-06T22:43:00.000-08:002008-09-19T00:05:45.802-07:002006 Predictions: Part III (Eureka / Dresden Files)<strong>Eureka<br /></strong><br />"...federal marshal Jack Carter (Colin Ferguson) wrecks his car in the town of Eureka while transporting a teenage fugitive. Stranded, Carter quickly discovers that Eureka is not all it appears when a child vanishes in the catastrophic aftermath of an accident caused by a creation of one of the town's eccentric residents. Instinctively, he inserts himself into the investigation, working alongside the town's sheriff (Maury Chaykin) and an agent from the Department of Defense (Richardson-Whitfield). As the case unfolds, Carter is let in on one of the country's best-kept government secrets: Eureka is a haven created for the world's greatest minds to live, work and create. But, unknown to most, mystery, conspiracy and long-simmering secrets lurk just beneath the surface of this seemingly idyllic town." (The description given by the SciFi Channel on 9/28/05.)<br /><br />SCI FI Channel has given a green light for the production of 13 episodes for a summer 2006 premiere. This series will be executive-produced by Andrew Cosby (<i>Haunted</i>) and co-executive-produced by Jamie Paglia.<br /><br />I don’t know what to think about this one. When I first heard this I pictured a half campy SF show like <i>Invisible Man</i> (which I really enjoyed) or the even more campy <i>Tremors: The Series</i> (which I didn’t like so much). But as more info comes out, the more unsure I am about what kind of series this will be. For SCI FI Channel to give it a green for 13 episodes means someone thinks it has potential. SCI FI has become notoriously gun shy on new series. I wish they had been that way when someone green lighted <i>Black Scorpion</i>…yikes. Hopefully, this will usher in the return of more SF series on SCI FI Channel. Believe it or not, in Fall 2005 ABC was airing more new SF drama series than SCI FI (<i>Lost</i>, <i>Alias</i>, <i>Night Stalker</i>, and <i>Invasion</i>). SCI FI just has Scifi Friday, but perhaps I should count <i>Tripping the Rift</i>…maybe. Either way it is far from the high point, which was 2000-2001 I believe, when SCI FI was airing <i>Black Scorpion</i>, <i>The Chronicle</i>, <i>Farscape</i>, <i>First Wave</i>, <i>Good vs. Evil</i>, <i>The Invisible Man</i>, <i>Lexx</i>, and <i>The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne</i>. Not that all of those series were great, mind you, but it is nice to have choices. By the way, my favorites were <i>The Chronicle</i> (canceled far too quickly and seemed to reach a wider audience than the typical SCI FI Channel series), <i>Farscape</i> (classic, need I say more?), and <i>The Invisible Man</i> (season two’s writing was weaker, but the series had a great cast and a uniquely fun feel to it).<br /><br />But we are now seeing advertisements for Eureka. It isn’t enough to get a real good gauge on it, but it is peaking my interest. This is an obvious 100% chance of being aired. The real question now is if it is good enough for a second season.<br /><br /><strong>Dresden Files</strong><br /><br />This two-hour back-door pilot is scheduled to air summer 2006 on SCI FI Channel.<br /><br />"Based on the best-selling 'Dresden Files' novels by Jim Butcher, this 2-hour backdoor pilot film will be executive produced by Academy Award(R) winner Nicolas Cage and Norm Golightly of Saturn Films. Erik Dresden is a detective with extraordinary powers, the kind that could belong only to the descendant of a long line of wizards. Where others see the typical crimes of assault, kidnapping and serial killings, Erik sees otherworldly forces at work -- which only he knows how to combat. Whether consulting for the police on inexplicable crimes or following his own cases, Erik has a unique outlook on the world, and wields a wry sense of humor as one of his most potent weapons. The project is produced by Lions Gate Television and Cage's Saturn Films (<i>The Life of David Gale</i>, <i>Shadow of the Vampire</i>), with Morgan Gendel (<i>Law & Order</i>, <i>Star Trek: Deep Space Nine</i> and <i>Star Trek: The Next Generation</i>) writing; Gendel and Anthony Peckham (<i>Don't Say a Word</i>, <i>5 Days to Midnight</i>) are executive producers." (The description given by the SciFi Channel.)<br /><br />Another book series adapted for television. In the past these haven’t fared well (at least in the eyes of the PTB), like Scifi Channel’s <em>Anonymous Rex</em> or <em>Riverworld</em>. But I feel good about this one (70%-80% chance of series pick-up). I can easily see this making it. In many adaptations for novels the author isn’t pleased, but at least it appears that the <i>Dresden Files</i> is the exception.<br /><br />"I saw the clips [of the movie] and thought my jaw was going to fall off my skull," Butcher said. "I'm very pleased with how well [screenwriters] Robert [Hewitt Wolfe] and Hans [Beimler] get the whole wizard detective concept, and I liked the movie script very much."<br /><br />Butcher added, "I am in regular contact with Robert Wolfe, the show's producer, who has been great about letting me suggest things here and there and about asking for my thoughts on things."<br /><br />Paul Blackthorne (<i>24</i>) has been cast as Harry Dresden and Valerie Cruz (<i>Nip/Tuck</i>) “…will play a hard-nosed Chicago police detective who handles violent crimes and works side by side with Dresden."Marx Pylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16796337484101466880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652440536318151904.post-11187967362761779362006-01-05T22:43:00.000-08:002008-09-18T23:50:59.167-07:002006 Predictions: Part II (Blade)Spike TV has ordered a two-hour movie that will act as a pilot for a series based on the Blade movies. David S. Goyer is producing and co-writing the pilot with Geoff Johns.<br /><br />“Tenacious vampire slayer Blade forms an odd alliance with Christa Starr, a woman who wants revenge upon the vampires' House of Chthon, and the powerful Marcus, for slaying her fraternal twin brother. But while Blade battles the vampires from the outside, Christa battles them from within -- after being changed into a vampire herself...”<br /><br />It is believed that the pilot picks up where Blade Trinity left off. But don’t expect to see Abigail Whistler and Hannibal King; new supporting character will be introduced. Shen (played by Nelson Lee) will be making Blade his wicked vamp slaying weapons, while Christa will be working from inside Marcus Van Sciver’s vampire House of Chthon.<br /><br />I’m eager to see what this series is going to look like. With David S. Goyer at the helm, it has potential. Although it won’t be as gory as the films, supposedly Goyer’s crew are going to try their best to get as close as they can. I don’t really care about the gore, I just want the martial art moves and overall action to still be there.<br /><br />Wesley Snipes will not return as Blade, so success could hinge on his replacement. It has to be someone who looks and acts similar to Snipes’ Blade, but can add new layers to the character and make him his own. But hey, if James Bond can go blonde, then anything is possible. Recently, the actor/rapper Kirk Jones, aka Sticky Fingaz was chosen to be everyone’s favorite daywalker. Jones was last seen on television as a soldier in F/X's Over There, which I haven’t seen. What saye you? Is Jones a good pick? Other castmembers for the pilot include Jill Wagner, Neil Jackson, Jessica Gower and Nelson Lee.<br /><br />I’m sorry to see them not use Abigail Whistler and Hannibal King. Even if they couldn’t get the actors back, it would have been nice to have continued developing these established characters.<br /><br />So, will Blade slay the competition or be slayed? I’m forecasting 75% chance of the television movie being picked up as a series and clear skies tomorrow (somewhere in the world)...Marx Pylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16796337484101466880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652440536318151904.post-88579137231156772962006-01-03T22:43:00.000-08:002008-09-18T23:49:34.385-07:002006 Predictions: Part I (Aquaman)In previous postings (“<em>Six and Counting</em>” & “<em>The Lucky Seven</em>”) I spoke about the new SF series and the other ongoing SF series on TV. Fall 2005 introduced 6 new SF series. What is the count now? Two down (<em>Night Stalker</em> and <em>Threshold</em>), one in danger (<em>Surface</em>), and three likely to survive for the sequel (<em>Supernatural</em>, <em>Ghost Whisperer</em>, <em>Invasion</em>). But, except for possibly <em>Supernatural</em>, I am not sure how many seasons they have in them. And, except possibly for <em>Supernatural</em>, none of them have franchise potential like <em>Star Trek</em> or <em>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</em>. So, what will next season bring us? I have gathered together some of the most buzzed projects. I’ll even give them my “forecast” for success, just like a weatherman or psychic…same thing really.<br /><br />To keep updated on the latest news on them or other possible future SF shows, I would suggest checking out my <em>Upcoming TV Shows</em> page on <a href="http://scifi411.com/">Scifi 411</a>.<br /><br /><strong>“Aquaville” aka Untitled Al Gough and Miles Millar</strong><br /><br />The WB has made a pilot commitment and casting has begun. Who knew that Aquaman’s guest apearance on <em>Smallville </em>would lead to his own spin-off? But spin it has. No title yet, but the word “Aquaman” will never be uttered in the series. (It is rumored that the Producers will cut off the hand of any character who dares speak this cursed word). Producers Al Gough and Miles Millar (<em>Smallville</em>, <em>Spider-Man 2</em>) are creating and executive-producing this action drama series about a twenty something Arthur Curry, aka Aquaman. Greg Beeman (<em>Smallville</em>) will be directing the pilot. Alan Ritchson, the actor who played Curry on <em>Smallville</em>, will not play the role for the series. Which is probably for the best. I thought he did find, but I couldn’t see him being the lead for a series. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one.<br /><br />"He did a wonderful job on the show, but this is going to be a different version of the 'Aquaman' legend," Gough told Variety . The pilot "will be different than what you saw on <em>Smallville</em>. That was our out-of-town trial version."<br /><br />The casting call is: "Arthur Curry (aka Aquaman): 18-24 years old. Blond or light brown hair, drop dead handsome with an incredible swimmer's body...SERIES REGULAR" Curry will be able to breath underwater and have super-strength underwater, but he is only just beginning to understand his powers. Millar also told <em>Variety</em> that they hope to create "a grounded version of the Aquaman mythology," focusing on an Arthur Curry, who "knows what he wants to do with his life, which is protect the oceans."<br /><br />Gough and Millar had actually been considering a Lois Lane series. But "this was the first idea where we really thought we had a franchise, where we could see 100 episodes.” Probably for the best, really. I like Erica Durance as Lois Lane, but I just don’t see how a Lois Lane series would work. Lois Lane without Superman, is like Superman without Lex Luthor.<br /><br />But Clark has krypto freaks to fight every week. What the heck is Aquadude going to fight?<br /><br />"There's a mystery surrounding the disappearance of (Curry's) mother and the Bermuda Triangle," Gough told <em>Variety</em>. He added that other weird occurrences related to the Triangle will provide many of the plotlines and Curry will be living with his adopted father.<br /><br />Oh. Well that sounds kind of interesting. Since I recently saw Scifi Channel’s <em>The Triangle</em> mini-series (which was pretty good by the way), the Triangle spin actually sounds interesting.<br /><br />Anyway, here is the casting call (who would you pick for these roles?):<br /><br />[RACHEL STARLING - SERIES REGULAR] 18-24 years old. Rachel is a natural beauty with a radiant face and the perfectly toned body of an athlete. She has a sharp mind and a killer sense of humor. But if you look beyond her warm smile, you'll find something haunted about her. A drowning accident as a teenager has scarred her. While enjoying a "Semester at Sea", the boat capsized and she was stuck below deck. Although she blacked out, that last thing she remembers is being pulled free by a mysterious young boy wearing a seahorse necklace. Rachel comes from a well-heeled New York family. Her father was a successful newspaper editor, but he died when she was 14. She took his death very hard and decided to embark on the "Semester at Sea" as a way of getting over her grief. Her relationship with her mother, an award winning Broadway playwright, has remained strained. Her mother is an ultra liberal and doesn't approve of her joining the military. When she was selected to train at the Liberty Key West Naval Air Station, she achieved her dream of becoming a Top Gun, but she also has to face the fear of returning to the same area as her boating accident. Although there is a mutual attraction between Rachel and A.C., their relationship is complicated by the fact that Rachel is secretly engaged to another naval trainee, JESSE HICKS. Rachel finds herself torn between the safety and security that Jesse offers and the danger and mystery that seem to define A.C.<br /><br />[JESSE HICKS - SERIES REGULAR] 18-24 years old. He's an incredibly good-looking, Top Gun hot shot. Jesse grew up in suburban Texas and was a high school football star. His father is a decorated three star General who is currently serving in Iraq. Jesse never considered any other career; he always knew he was destined to fight for his country. He fell in love with Rachel the very first time he saw her. Defying the rules, they embarked on a passionate affair. Jesse proposed a few weeks before the pilot episode and Rachel accepted his offer. They have to keep their relationship secret or face possible expulsion from the Top Gun program. Highly ambitious and competitive, Jesse is the kind of guy who wins at any cost. He is also reckless and sometimes dangerously aggressive.<br /><br />[EVA TORRES - SERIES REGULAR] 18-24 years old. A fiery Cuban beauty. Eva hasn't exactly had an easy life. When she was six she fled Cuba with her family on a raft, which sank a hundred miles off the Florida coast in a devastating storm. She was the sole survivor. Although she was rescued, she has struggled to make a life for herself in America and was bounced from foster family to foster family. It was only when she finally turned 18 that she finally felt free. She came down to the Keys for a short break and never left. She manages a local dive shop, "The Old Man and The Sea" and counts A.C. as one of her best friends. Although they are from wildly different backgrounds they both felt an instant connection. Independent, sarcastic, strong-willed, Eva isn't afraid to express her opinion, even when no one's asking for it.<br /><br />[MCCAFFERY - SERIES REGULAR] Star Name preferred. It's difficult to say how old McCaffery is. If you were to look at him, you'd probably guess 60ish. But you'd be way off. That's because McCaffery is from Atlantis. Since coming to the surface world, McCaffery has led a largely reclusive life as the lighthouse keeper at Atlas Point. He has watched A.C. grow up from afar, but always knew that one day their lives would intersect. This encounter leads to a long lasting friendship. McCaffery takes A.C. under his wing and explains not only his true origin but also his destiny. He is Obi Wan to A.C.'s Luke Skywalker. He is the voice of wisdom and experience who acts as a guide and mentor to the often hotheaded A.C. McCaffery is always bailing A.C. out of trouble and is someone A.C. can turn to when it comes to all things nautical. Having grown up underwater, McCaffery knows all the myths and legends of the ocean. He's also familiar with the creatures, both known and unknown to man, that inhabit the ocean's dark waters. Highly intelligent and fiercely loyal, McCaffery possesses an acerbic wit and doesn't suffer fools lightly.<br /><br />[TOM CURRY - SERIES REGULAR] Late 30s to early 40s, A.C.'s stepfather. He was born and raised in Chicago but fell in love with Keys while he was a student at the University of Miami. He was an outstanding athlete and was a member of the gold medal winning US Water Polo team at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. He joined the Coast Guard in 1986 and has made a good career out of it, rising to the rank of Captain. While he was still a rookie Coast Guard his life took a dramatic turn. While out on a routine night patrol he came across three people bobbing in shark-infested waters -- a woman, a baby and an old man. There was no sign of a boat or plane and the water was mirror still. When he got them back to land he discovered they had no ID and nowhere to go. Taking pity on them, Tom took them home. Tom quickly became enchanted with the beautiful woman, ATLANNA, and her baby son ORIN. Within a year Tom and Atlanna were married and Tom adopted her baby son as his own. They renamed the boy ARTHUR. The old man, McCAFFERY, took a job as the Atlas Point Lighthouse keeper, a position he still holds to this day. As Arthur grew up, Atlanna made Tom promise not to tell him about her connection to McCaffery. He reluctantly agreed.<br /><br />I give this a 90% chance of being picked up. Reason: Smallville is doing great on the WB this season and “Aquaville” could be an excellent companion series. Plus, there is growing positive buzz about this project. Personally I would have gone with a Flash series, but I’ll give the fish whisperer a try.Marx Pylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16796337484101466880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652440536318151904.post-4688556567199217752005-11-08T22:43:00.000-08:002008-09-18T23:48:23.647-07:00The Lucky Seven… (Part II)<strong>Battlestar Galactica</strong><br />(Marx gives it an A)<br /><a href="http://scifi411.com/Shows/battlestargalactica2.html">Battlestar Galactica Episode Guide<br /></a><br />Dude, this is <em>so</em> not your father’s <em>Battlestar Galactica</em>. Whether that is a good thing or not matters if you like your <em>Battlestar Galactica</em> with light action/adventure, mostly just heroic guys, and shallow robotic aliens that hate humans, or if you like your <em>Battlestar Galactica</em> with dark gritty action/adventure, more women heroes, and complex religiously fanatical robots that hate humans.<br /><br />This series has some of the best writing, acting, directing, and special effects ever seen on a television SF series. It may be just too dark or too different from the original for some, but I am really enjoying this series. I waver back and forth on whether the characters are too flawed. But they do seem real or at least highly developed, don’t they? They are much more complex than your general heroic SF character. With the mid-season finale, “Pegasus,” I just can’t wait to see how they conclude that story arc. Few other shows make me feel that way anymore. (<em>Lost</em> is one of the few.)<br /><br />This series will have many more seasons to go and I can’t wait to see them. I just hope they are sure to balance the feel of the series, so it doesn’t get to depressing.<br /><br /><strong>Lost</strong><br />(Marx gives it an A)<br /><a href="http://scifi411.com/Shows/lost.html">Lost Episode Guide </a><br /><br />Wow, last season was great, especially the last few episodes. This season, the first three episodes blew me away. Now we know something about this island they are on. But there are still so many more secrets to learn. What is that creature? Who are the Others? What will happen to Walt? What happens if they don’t push the button? How does Eko know all of this stuff?<br /><br />I have only one big gripe this season. Dude, the flashbacks are starting to get weak. I don’t mind some important, revealing ones dealing with Jack, Locke, Kate, Walt, or Sawyer. But the rest just don’t have anything new to tell (unless they have an unsuspecting secret…hmmm). Sure, seeing how Michael fought legally for Walt or how Sun and Jin first met is touching, but is it important enough to eat up a huge chuck of an episode? Let’s cut back on the flashbacks or stick to really important ones, like Jack’s from “Man of Science, Man of Faith.” I would really like to see flashbacks for some of the new characters, too. Like Eko or Ana-Lucia. These new characters have secrets to tell, so let us see them. The flashbacks worked great on so many levels last season, but they just seem like formula filling this season. Hmmm…perhaps I’m being to judgy or just nit-picking so I can find something wrong with this excellent series. A few more episodes of flashbacks should give us a better idea whether are not they have any new master plans for this season’s flashbacks. Actually, I’ve recently seen some rumors of things to come, which lead me to believe that these flashbacks may start to improve.<br /><br />With that said, this is still, in my humble opinion, one of the best shows on television. Unless they totally jump the shark this season, <em>Lost</em> is destined to become an iconic series in SF history, like <em>Star Trek</em> and <em>X-Files</em>.<br /><br /><strong>Medium<br /></strong>(Marx gives it an A)<br /><a href="http://scifi411.com/Shows/medium.html">Medium Episode Guide<br /></a><br /><em>Medium</em> has grown into a very, very strong show. Yes, the Force is strong with this one. The acting is fantastic (even the kids do a great job) and the writing is twisted (in a plot twist sort of way, although some of the twists are dark indeed). <em>Medium</em> is a strange, but highly addicting mix of family life with psychic investigations into terrible violent crimes. I’ve also heard about an upcoming 3D episode…<br /><br /><strong>Stargate SG-1</strong><br />(Marx gives it a B)<br /><a href="http://scifi411.com/Shows/stargatesg1.html">Stargate SG-1 Episode Guide<br /></a><br />I love <em>Stargate</em>. I so love this franchise. This truly is the new <em>Star Trek</em> for my generation. This season is in hiatus until January (darn you Scifi Channel!), but half of the 9th season (can you believe it has been nine years?) has aired thus far. We are introduced to a new threat (about time), the Ori. “Hallowed Are the Ori” I thought I should throw that out in case they are real. Please don’t kill me, Ori! These guys are scary cool and still very mysterious. What kind of ships will they use to invade? How can the Stargate dudes & dudettes hope to defeat them? Will the Jaffa ever get over their dependency issues?<br /><br />First off, I loved Claudia Black as Vala. Her character really added something. I will admit that she was a little overused. I kid you not, I told my significant other that I thought she was getting so much air time because the writers wanted us to like her before they killed her. I was unfortunately right. Darn you Marx for your genius! It’s rough I tell ya. But it looks like the writers liked her too much and will bring her back. I really cringed, though, when I saw how they saved her. A little too Deus Ex Machina for me. But I really hope that they bring her back and make her part of the team. What rule is there that SG-1 can only have one woman? The humor she adds and the synergy she has with Daniel Jackson is just too good to let go. When she “died” it really took the oomph out of this season.<br /><br />I also like the new general, Henry "Hank" Landry, played by Beau Bridges. The new doc played by Lexa Doig is good too. Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell, played by Ben Browder, is excellent. But, except for the first episode of the season, “Avalon,” Mitchell has been way underused. That is until “Babylon.” But, then back to underuse. I think the writers just haven’t figured out yet what they are going to do with him, but having him learn those Jaffa martial art moves was a real good step.<br /><br />This season has breathed a new life in this long-running show. So much, that the writers almost changed the title of the series to Stargate Command. But, I can tell that the sense of adventure isn’t there as strongly as in the past. (Something to be expected with such a long running series.) But if they can pull off this new team and new threat, then I feel good about another season (or more) of <em>SG-1</em>.<br /><br />Oh, and if you haven’t heard yet, <em>SG-1</em> and <em>Atlantis</em> have been renewed for another season. This new direction is still a little rough around the edges, but there are so many new possibilities for stories with the introduction of these new characters, the aftermath of the fall of the Goa'uld, and the introduction of the Ori. Let’s hope that the writers figure out how best to use them.<br /><br /><strong>Stargate Atlantis</strong><br />(Marx gives it an B+)<br /><a href="http://scifi411.com/Shows/stargateatlantis.html">Stargate Atlantis Episode Guide </a><br /><br /><em>Stargate Atlantis</em> is doing anything but sinking. Although the Wraith are starting to get a little old, overall the season is much stronger than the first. Who knew that not only Ford vehicles could be turned into death machines, but so could Atlantis’s Ford? This turning Ford into a Wraith juice (yuck) addicted super Ford is an ultra cool twist for his character, and far better than the typical useless death of many a SF hero (Yar got killed by an oil goo monster, Fraiser didn’t duck, don’t get me started on the Lone Gunmen, and Anya got skewered – don’t worry Anya…it isn’t that Xander didn’t cry because he did not love you, he didn’t cry because he only has one eye for crying and…well…you know what happened to it).<br /><br />The new character Ronon Dex (aka their Wolverine) is an excellent addition to the cast. Shepard is becoming a stronger character. So is McKay, but the writers do sometimes get a little carried away with him. Teyla is now the only weak link in the cast. Not necessarily because of the actress, but because the character is written just to perfect. She is a diplomat and a warrior. She is calm, patient, attractive, etc. The only thing wrong with her? She has inherited abilities giving to her from Wraith experimentation on her ancestors, but that wasn’t her fault. Some of the Stargate people don’t trust her. Yet again, not her fault. Lets see, Shepard doesn’t always follow orders, Ronon has a temper, and McKay is McKay (cowardly, egotistic, and a bit of a geek). Let’s see some depth to Teyla.<br /><br />But otherwise, this season is shaping up nicely. It currently, to me at least, is beating out its older brother <em>Stargate SG-1</em>. There is just more action, adventure, and freshness. I have no doubt that we will see two or more seasons before this series ends.Marx Pylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16796337484101466880noreply@blogger.com0