In Sci-Fi TV this week we have our usual update on all the LOST news and previews. Plus there is hope (and previews) for Chuck, lots of Who-verse news (including the death of Torchwood USA), more details on that Star Wars comedy animated series, and more. Plus all the latest television ratings, casting bites and new images and video previews.
GENRE TV NEWS
LOST: Final cast photo/poster + other news
"LOST" is off this week, but there’s still some news to report. First up, ABC has released a new poster/final cast photo, and it’s missing a key character:
The first episode back is called "The Candidate":
JACK IS SUSPICIOUS OF LOCKE’S INTENTIONS WHEN HE’S ASKED TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON A DIFFICULT TASK
Jack must decide whether or not to trust Locke after he is asked to follow through on a difficult task.
Jorge Garcia teases episode 15 – "Across The Sea" (which has been buzzed about for months because there are no series regulars) [E! Online]:
"Episode 15 is on the level of what ‘Ab Aterno’ was like this season. People who were big fans of ‘Ab Aterno’ are going to love this," he promised. "Total movie quality. It’s such a huge piece of mythology that is a big, big, big story. It was just such a great read. It was almost like not even reading an episode of Lost."
Looking back on last week’s episode "The Last Recruit", here’s how Daniel Dae Kim (Jin) recaps the Sun/Jin reunion [TV Guide Magazine]:
"Not only was the audience waiting for the reunion, but the actors were as well, and when it happened, it was significant for us," Daniel says. "The one dynamic of that scene that we felt was interesting was that it happened amidst so many other people. (Indeed, besides Charles Widmore’s crew of baddies, Sawyer, Kate, Hurley and Claire were looking on.)
"On the day, I realized it was important to see other characters’ reactions to these two lovers re-finding one another," Daniel tells me. "It added an interesting dynamic because so much of what happens between Sun and Jin also effects the other characters on the show, and I hope that added to the significance and impact of the scene."
"LOST" bites:
- Cynthia Waltros will reprise her role as Libby in one more episode. [TV Guide]
- Mark Pellegrino (who plays Jacob) will play a central role in episode 15 ("Across The Sea") as well as in the episode the following week, which is the penultimate episode of the series ("What They Died For"). [TV Guide Magazine]
- Boone (Ian Somerhalder) will reportedly appear in the series finale… [Ian Somerhalder via Zap2It]
- …And Francois Chau (who plays Pierre Chang) was in Hawaii filming for the finale. [Lyly Ford Blog]
- Check out a leaked two-page call sheet for the series finale which has been confirmed by ABC to be genuine and "contains elements of truth". [Gawker]
Promotional stills for episode 6×14 – "The Candidate" [more at TV Overmind]
Promo for "The Candidate" [YouTube]
Interview with Josh Evangeline Lilly [E! Online]
Watch interviews with Josh Holloway and Jorge Garcia here
Renewal chances improve for Chuck
"Chuck" had a strong start to the new season when it premiered this past January (drawing 7.7M viewers and a 3.0 A18-49 rating for its first hour), but ratings have been declining rapidly ever since and it’s renewal hopes have declined. However, Michael Ausiello of EW is reporting that renewal prospects are "looking good" again:
After two anxiety-inducing weeks at “could go either way,” I’m happy to report that Chuck is back to being a “safe bet.” A well-placed source close to Team Bartowski whose name is not Josh Schwartz (scout’s honor!) tells me “it’s looking good” that NBC will do the right thing and renew the show for a fourth season.
- Co-creator Chris Fedak talks about the second-half of the third season in an interview with TV Squad.
- Zachary Levi took pole position in the 34th annual Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race last Friday and finished in 3rd among the celebs, and 6th overall in the race. [ChuckTV.net]
- Check out an interview with former "Star Trek: Voyager" star and current "Chuck" producer/director Robert Duncan McNeill at io9.
Chuck previews:
Promotional stills from episode 3×15 – "Chuck vs. the Role Models" [more at SpoilerTV]
Preview from episode 3×14 – "Chuck vs. the Honeymooners" [NBC]
Sneak peek from "Chuck vs. the Role Models" [YouTube]
Fox kills U.S. Torchwood + Doctor Who news bites
Fox and BBC have killed plans to make a U.S. version of the "Doctor Who" spin-off series "Torchwood":
"BBC Worldwide Productions and the FOX Broadcasting Company have mutually agreed not to progress together with a 13-episode serialized ‘Torchwood’ format," said BBC Worldwide in a statement. "We are currently in discussion with several interested networks."
Note that BBC still appears interested in making an Americanized version of the hit spin-off, they just won’t be working with Fox to make that happen. And are a few "Doctor Who" and "Sarah Jane Adventure" bites:
- Matt Smith will appear in a two-part episode of the "Doctor Who" spin-off series "The Sarah Jane Adventures", to be written by former ‘Who’ showrunner Russell T. Davies. Katy Manning, who played the Doctor’s companion from 1971-1973 will also appear in the episodes. [BBC]
- The first episode of the PC/Mac videogame "Doctor Who: The Adventure Games" will be made available on the official Doctor Who website beginning on June 5, 2010. The first part is called "City of the Daleks"… [BBC]
- Check out an interview with writer and new showrunner Steven Moffat at Newsarama.
- The latest "Doctor Who" ratings figures — for the U.K., U.S. and Canada — can be found further down in the column.
DVD art for season five, volume one [details at Blogtor Who]
Promotional posters [The Doctor Who Site via SpoilerTV]
Promotional stills from episode 5×04 – "The Time of Angels" [more at Den of Geek]
Introduction for "The Time of Angels" [YouTube]
Clip from "The Time of Angels" [YouTube]
Watch two more clips: 1 | 2 | 3
Clips from "The Time of Angels" and 5×05 – "Flesh & Stone" [Blogtor Who]
Taken from the BBC America documentary "Doctor Who: The Ultimate Guide"
Promo for "Flesh & Stone" [Blogtor Who]
Q&A with Matt Smith and Karen Gillan [Blogtor Who]
Frank Darabont talks The Walking Dead
Frank Darabont spoke with FEARNet about AMC’s six-episode TV adaptation of Robert Kirkman’s zombie-themed graphic novel series "The Walking Dead". Here are a few excerpts:
"Robert Kirkman’s comic book series, the graphic novel series, is very much a template for us, and it’s a tremendous opportunity to take the subject as serious as possible, and really as a long-term exploration of characters, which is what television does best when television is really working. That’s our goal, so gosh, I really don’t think that Zombieland is any competition for us nor are we for them."
"It’s really going to be I think two different animals. We’re much more beholden to Kirkman, which is a comfortable place to be because he has blazed a fantastic trail for us to follow. We will take detours along that path – we will take steps off the trail – but always wind up veering back onto the trail that Robert provides for us, because it’s fantastic stuff."
In related news, Darabont also revealed that Jeffrey DeMunn has been cast on the show:
"We are right now looking to cast the two female roles in the ensemble. We’ve also just gotten Jeff DeMunn. I’ve always said Jeff DeMunn is my good luck charm, and I can’t make a film without him. We’ve just gotten him on board as one of the ensemble members, which is a great joy for me."
Original trilogy characters in Star Wars TV comedy?
The recently announced comedic animated "Star Wars" TV series may include characters from the original series, something George Lucas has indicated wouldn’t be the case with his proposed live-action TV series. The revelation comes courtesy Steve Sansweet, LucasFilm’s Director of Fan Relations while taking part in a Q&A at C2E2:
…Steve Sansweet, LucasFilm’s Director of Fan Relations, revealed that this new animated series would feature the post-Return of the Jedi adventures of the original characters. It happened when a fan asked, "I would really love to see new adventures after Jedi with our favorite characters Luke, Han and Leia," to which Sansweet replied, "And you will, in the new animation."
Over 2 million tune in to Syfy miniseries Riverworld + Other Sci-fi ratings news
The Syfy original miniseries "Riverworld" drew an average of 2.1 million viewers during its four-hour telecast last Sunday. The movie drew an average 1.03 million Adults 25-54 and 733,000 A18-49 rating along with a 1.6 household rating, giving Syfy its most-watched Sunday primetime of 2010. From the press release:
Riverworld also soared +60% in HH rating, +62% in total viewers, +57% in Adults 25-54 and +50% in Adults 18-49 compared to Syfy‘s average delivery in the 7-11PM timeslot in the prior four weeks.
SCI-FI RATINGS (Based on final national numbers unless otherwise noted) [@TravisYanan]
Last week’s (4/16/2010) episode of "Stargate Universe" drew 1.42 million viewers and a 0.5 A18-49 rating. That was down -11% in viewers and 1/10 or -17% in A18-49 rating from the last original episode (1.60M / 0.6 rating). That brings the season 1 average down to 1.88 million viewers and a 0.8 A18-49 rating through 11 episodes. Lead-out "Merlin" dropped to 1.13 million viewers and a 0.3 A18-49 rating, which in turn was down -18% in viewers and 1/10 or -25% in A18-49 rating from the episode prior (1.37M / 0.4 A18-49 rating). The current season is averaging 1.27 million viewers and a 0.4 A18-49 rating through three episodes. [@TravisYanan]
"Ghost Hunters" drew 2.27 million viewers and a 1.1 A18-49 rating, that was up +6% in viewers and +10% in A18-49 rating from the week prior (2.15M / 1.0 rating). Lead-out "Destination Truth" drew 1.86 million viewers and a 0.9 A18-49 rating, -4% in viewers and even in A18-49 rating from the week prior (1.86M / 0.9 rating). [@TravisYanan]
After a one-week hiatus, "Legend of the Seeker" drew a season-low 2.02 million viewers, down a steep -17% from the episode prior (2.44M). "Legend of the Seeker" has averaged 2.38 million viewers through 16 original episodes so far this season. [TV by the Numbers]
"The Beast Below", the second episode of the fifth season of "Doctor Who", drew 8.42 million viewers (7.93M on BBC One and 494,000 on BBC HD). Meanwhile, preliminary numbers for episodes three ("Victory of the Daleks") and four ("Time of Angels") have also been released: 6.2M and 6.8M, respectively. Final numbers for the two episodes — which will include BBC HD and time-shifted data — will be made available over the coming weeks. We also have numbers for the U.S. and Canada season five premieres: 1.2M on BBC America and 470,000 on Space. [The Doctor Who News Page, (2), (3), (4), (5)]
Don’t forget to check the bottom of this week’s report for the latest weekly broadcast chart.
Previously on TrekMovie.com: Brannon Braga Signs On As Showrunner For Spielberg Time Travel/Dinosaur Series
It looks like veteran Star Trek writer/producer Brannon Braga is returning to the world of time travel, but this time he is trading in starships for dinosaurs. A new report says that Braga has joined the Steven Spielberg produced prehistoric show Terra Nova. [CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE]
PREVIEW Videos & Images
Ashes to Ashes
Promotional stills from episode 3×04 [more at Den of Geek]
Eureka
Sneak peek at season three [SCI FI Wire]
FlashForward
Promotional stills for episode 1×19 – "Course Correction" [more at SpoilerTV]
Fringe
Promotional stills from episode 2×19 – "Brown Betty" [more at FringeFiles]
Promo for "Brown Betty" [YouTube]
Featurette: "The Beginning of the End" [YouTube]
Haven
Interview with Emily Rose [SCI FI Wire]
The Phantom
Trailer [YouTube]
Smallville
Promotional stills from episode 9×20 – "Sacrifice" [more at The ODI]
Promotional stills from episode 9×21 – "Hostage" [more at SpoilerTV]
Stargate Universe
Promotional stills from episode 1×15 – "Lost" [more at MGM]
Supernatural
Promotional stills from episode 5×20 – "The Devil You Know" [more at SPNSite]
Promotional stills from episode 5×21 – "Two Minutes to Midnight" [more at SPNSite]
Promo and sneak peek from "The Devil You Know" [YouTube]
Watch another sneak peek here
True Blood
New season 3 poster [EW]
Season 3 promo: "Waiting Sucks #5" [YouTube]
V
Promotional stills from episode 1×10 – "Hearts and Minds" [more at The V Files]
Promotional stills from episode 1×11 – "Fruition" [more at SpoilerTV]
Promo for episode 1×09 – "Heretic’s Fork" [YouTube]
Watch another promo here
The Vampire Diaries
Promo for episode 1×20 – "Blood Brothers" [YouTube]
Sneak peek from "Blood Brothers" [YouTube]
Watch another clip here
TV BITES
- The six "True Blood" minisodes will begin running May 2… [True-Blood.net]
- …Check out a projected schedule for the third season at The Futon Critic…
- …And the title for episode 10 has been revealed to be "I Smell a Rat". [SpoilerTV]
- WildStorm will publish a new comic series combining "The X-Files" and "30 Days of Night". [Facebook]
- Someone of significance is expected to die in the season finale of "Fringe": "[I]f my mole is correct about the identity of the soon-to-be deceased, fans of the show will be apoplectic." [TV Guide]
- There’s still no deal in place for Allison Mack to return as Chloe in the 10th season of "Smallville", however a source says they’re "sure she’ll be there", however there is "no chance" at seeing Kristin (Lana) in season 10 and there’s no new news to report on Michael Rosenbaum (Lex Luthor) returning. [E! Online]
- Summer Glau ("Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles", "Firefly") talks briefly about her role in the NBC superhero pilot "The Cape". [Fancast]
- Here are the titles for the final three episodes of the first season of "FlashForward": 1×20 – "The Negotiation", 1×21 – "Countdown" and 1×22 – "Future Shock"… [MSN]
- …And the season finale of "V" is called "Red Sky". [MSN]
- There’s still no word on a second season of "Human Target", but executive producer/showrunner Jonathan Steinberg says he would like to spend more time in season two exploring the history behind Guerrero (Jackie Earle Haley) and Chance (Mark Valley) as well as continue delving deeper into the mythology of the show. [iFMagazine]
- Here are some press releases/synopses from the various shows we cover:
- "Smallville" – 9×22 – "Salvation". [SpoilerTV]
- "Supernatural" – 5×22 – "Swan Song". [KSiteTV]
- "Doctor Who" – 5×06 – "Vampires of Venice". [Doctor Who News Page]
- "Chuck" – 3×16 – "Chuck vs. the Tooth". [ChuckTV.net]
- "Fringe" – 2×20 – "Northwest Passage". [Fringe Television]
- "FlashForward" – 1×19 – "Course Correction". [The ODI]
- "Stargate Universe" – 1×15 – "Lost". [IGN]
- "V" – 1×10 – "Hearts and Minds". [The V Files]
- "V" – 1×11 – "Fruition". [The V Files]
CHART (4/12/2010 to 4/18/2010)
.jpg)
Follow Russ on his blog: Your Entertainment Now and on Twitter: Twitter.com/YourEntNow.
Glad to hear Fox will not be doing Torchwood. If it has to happen, hopefully on a better network. Also happy to hear Chuck might get renewed for another season. Haven’t watched too much Human Target, so I’m on the fence there. I wouldn’t mind seeing FlashForward ending if they can write a satisfactory conclusion, and I hope V squeaks through with a renewal.
Who is the worst actress on television? Three guesses!
Human Target is not that good. It’s all violence and explosions, no plot.
V and Fringe are on the top of my charts.
And WHY are they doing more Star Wars animation?! It’s going to be overexposed and will die promptly within a few years.
Fringe and V are the best!
Smallville has really crashed down there. It was popular a long long time ago. Its time toe end the show !
5
See post #2 for a big reason why.
@ 6
I also think its because the whole premise of the show is really old. SmallVille is still a show about a farmboy/superman in a small town. I think its time he moved out of the town and ended the show already. There’s already been a superman in the city show (Lois and clark and the new adventures of superman). They need to give Superman on TV a break. Similar to what their doing with Star Trek. Star Trek needed a HUGE break from TV. I think trek still needs a break from tv. They overdid it on tv for 18-19 years straight non-stop on tv for trek.
I’m just lovin Doctor Who. It’s funny, each season there’s always something that happens with clues left along the way, but it seems I need to re-watch the series, as there’s bigger things happening since day 1 with Eccleston’s Doctor, right up to now. It is most intriguing!
# 5 – they moved the show to Friday, so of course ratings are going to slip from previous seasons. What do ratings matter anyway, they’ve already secured the 10th season..
@ 9.
Yea, you have a point. But i just wish they would sorta change the show. Their audiences are dying and the stories are getting lame. I use to like SmallVille about a decade or 6-7 years ago. I stopped watching it after season 4-5 i think. They need to bring in new writers, etc. Similar to what they did with Enterprise during its last season (Brought in Manny Coto, etc)
@10
You know…I think one of the series best seasons is actually season 8. I liked seasons 5-8 better than the high school years, frankly. I disagree with the opinion that Erica Durance is a terrible actress. I enjoy her Lois and certainly like her WAY better than the one in the most recent film. Granted, I haven’t seen season 9 yet…but I imagine that they will use season 10 to, finally, have Superman come to light. I get the feeling that this season has been a sort of creative circling pattern waiting to figure out whether or not they get a 10th…now that they know, they have all summer to put together a plan for a concise, calculated, and exciting conclusion to this story. I’d bet it’ll be their best season and I imagine they will find a way to bring Lex back into the picture.
V and Flash forward are my two Favs on Prime time along with Stargate Universe and SmallVille. V is getting better and better and I hope it can continue. Flash Forward is also getting better. Scifi looks like there trying to come up with some decent Movies but please stop with the monster Movies. River World I thought was good. I hate that Scify is going to show WWE Wrestling. I think they need to show Series like Babylon 5 and other great Sci Fi Shows from the Past. Lost is the Best Show On Tv and only N.C.I.S is in the Same League.
Does anybody else find this new Dr Who actor more than a little challenging to look at? His odd face is all I can see. In fact it isn’t, as I can’t watch it because of his challenging visage.
#13 Yeah. I love Doctor Who but I can’t bring myself to look at the new one because he reminds me of Bill Nye the Science Guy. But Bill Nye is slightly better looking.
And the Eleventh Doctor just doesn’t seem like he will rise up to epic proportions like the Tenth Doctor did. He was hilarious to watch and I had gotten very comfortable with him during his run but now I just get upset every time I look at the Eleventh Doctor.
…Also this new Doctor looks kinda like one of those people with shaved eyebrows.
#13-#14. Have you seen any of the Doctors before Tennant?
Thank god we finally have an actor who’s good and also properly looks the part — Tennant was fine, I guess, but was too pretty and too hammy of an actor. Matt Smith is great so far, and has that slight oddness that all the best Doctor Who actors have had (Tom Baker, Patrick Troughton, Chris Eccleston, etc.)
@13
“…his challenging visage.”
You sir, are a wizard with words. Lol.
#16 Of course I have. And I could look at them quite fine. I thought the Tenth Doctor’s actor was great and every Doctor before that was amazing. But this Doctor just rubs me the wrong way. Like I said it is like staring at Bill Nye the Science Guy. It is awkward in the wrong way.
I’m nto bashing the man’s acting though. I think the Eleventh Doctor’s acting is great, but not his face.
For Fri nite I say Dr. Who and as Mike said. Run the great scifi classics we know and love. SYFI clean up your act!
“I’m nto bashing the man’s acting though. I think the Eleventh Doctor’s acting is great, but not his face.”
I agree he s not your average looking guy but if you can watch the show because of his face you have serious issues. Only four episodes in and I already prefer him to David Tennant.
I think Matt Smith is working out just fine. No, he’s not Tennant, but who is? Remember- these are just his first few eps. One thing’s for sure- the guy can act. And he captures the Doctor’s “character” perfectly.
As long as the writing is there, I think his reign will be spectacular.
(Observation: Richard Hammond from Top Gear sort of looks like Tennant, but sounds like Matt Smith… whatever that all means.)
#20 There no problem in not watching something because of the actor. I can’t help it if I can’t make myself watch a show with an actor whose face bothers me. For me, the reason is valid. I’m not saying I won’t ever watch it. I just can’t bring myself to right now. It is like asking a person who doesn’t like fish to eat a piece of a fishstick! (Ironic because that is what the Eleventh Doctor eats in the first episode)
#2 & #5 Harry, if you made these constant comments about Zoe Saldona then you would be labeled a racist. Instead you are allowed to have a forum for a hate campaign against a single actress. We’ve had fun with this in the past, but come on. Give it a rest. You’ve been racking Erica Durance over the coals on this site for years now. I still think your secretly John Glover.
Can Not STAND the new ‘doctor.’ Isn’t it time to regenerate? comments here are first I’ve heard in favor. OH well- back to DVDs~
@13, 14: Well, if Matt Smith was more conventionally handsome, people would be complaining about him being too much of a prettyboy.
I’m having some trouble warming up to the new Daleks. They look plastic-y. The previous versions looked legitimately like tanks that could slug it out with the most powerful race in the universe; these… not so much.
The Star Wars sitcom sounds… perversely fascinating.
#24 “comments here are first I’ve heard in favor.”
You mustn’t have met many Doctor Who fans then as the Eleventh Doctor has had a massively positive reaction not only from fans but also the public, the Eleventh Doctor is EPIC!
David who?
#13: “Does anybody else find this new Dr Who actor more than a little challenging to look at? His odd face is all I can see. In fact it isn’t, as I can’t watch it because of his challenging visage.”
Who’s (no pun intended) is looking at the Doctor?? His companion is a DOLL!!
23
Lore, in all fairness, I never mentioned Erica Durance’s name in my post, so I don’t know what you’re talking about. If you, and other people, jump to the conclusion that I’m talking about HER, then I think that speaks volumes about who is perceived, generally speaking, as the worst actress on Smallville when asked.
I always get Black Dog stuck in my head when I’m perving on that redhead from Doctor Who.
I don’t understand why so many people bash Erica Durance, she’s a very good Lois Lane.
For me she embodies everything the character should be, she’s intelligent, resourceful, annoying at times and lets not forget she’s HOT!
New Doctor Who I absolutely love, I think that RTD’s writing was turning more and more into fanfiction and I’m glad it’s been made fresh again. Matt Smith is superb and Karen Gillam is great as Amy Pond, very good character and she’s HOT! What can I say? I’m male.
However, another Star Wars Animated series, isn’t it about time we put George Lucas in a box where he can’t get access to the end of the world? Any creativity he ever had was lost long ago.
“end of the world” should be “rest of the world”
That is all!
Wow. i never knew that the folks who make film, tv etc used printed forms that remind me of fight orders in the military. pretty cool…
Every Who incarnation should keep certain characteristics from previous Doctor’s for continuities sake. With that said they should also find new ones to make their portrayal unique. I can see a bit of Troughton and Davison in Smith’s so far but he is also becoming his own version as well. I’m enjoying this new series (except for the new Daleks). Smith’s gonna do fine.
Because he’s ugly some of you can’t watch and support the series anymore?
As stated above, Hartnell, Troughton, Pertwee, Baker, Colin Baker, McCoy, and Eccelston (skipping the pleasing to look at Doctors here) were all not exactly models. What the difference is the acting skills and the idea and essence of the doctor portrayed in those era’s far exceeds the need to have a good-looking doctor.
I, for one, am absolutely floored by Matt Smith’s performance and I’m hooked. I was also hesitant when he was announced that he would be terrible but after the Eleventh Hour I couldn’t believe how wonderful he eased into the transition of capturing the Doctor (Well.. knowing that the first episode was filmed later on after he got used to it but after seeing Time of the Angels which WAS the first episode filmed I stand firm).
I don’t believe those who can’t watch it because he’s ugly are true WHO fans. This season has been epic so far.
I have been enjoying the Eleventh Doctor’s run as well. I could care less as to how he appears, what matters are the stories and how the actors pull them off. So far I think Matt has done an excellent job pulling off the doctor, even with weaker stories like the Beast Below (which isn’t the worst Who story by any means either, but to me it’s the weakest of the four eps that have aired so far).
I hear ‘Legends of the Seeker’ has been cancelled. I’ve never gotten the opportunity to see the show.
Is it any good?
Keeping on the Fringe bandwagon!