Sci-Fi TV Tuesday: Smallville, Chuck, Fringe, Doctor Who, Torchwood + more

In Sci-Fi TV this week we have Smallville season 10 news and images, an online version of Chuck, Torchwood details, an award for Doctor Who, a new adventure show for ABC, and lots more news. Plus we have a bunch of new previews, including a ton of stuff from Fringe. All that plus casting bites, ratings and more.

 

 

GENRE TV NEWS

Aquaman cast for Smallville season 10 + Season 1 through Season 9 recap

Alan Ritchson has signed on to reprise his role as Arthur "AC" Curry / Aquaman in  "Smallville". Ritchson will appear in the ninth episode, which is scheduled to air during November sweeps. The episode will mark the first time we’ve seen Aquaman since the eighth season premiere.

With the 10th season just a little over two weeks away, now may be a good time to get caught up on what has happened over the course of the last nine seasons. To that end, The CW has released a lengthy season 1-9 recap:

The end of the beginning starts here. Taking flight in its tenth and final season, this modern retelling of a hero’s legendary origins continues to blend realism, action, heart and humor as Clark Kent (Tom Welling) soars toward claiming his birthright.

Clark has emerged from his darkest hour, only to find the path to his destiny blocked by ghosts from the past – shadows in the present tempting Clark toward the darkness at every turn. Despite insurmountable odds, is Clark strong enough to step into the light and claim his rightful place as Earth’s mightiest protector?
[Click here to read the entire recap]

"Smallville" kicks off its 10th and final season on Friday, September 24, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.

Set images [more at DTTW via SpoilerTV]

WB launches online Chuck series, "Buy Hard: The Jeff and Lester Story"

Warner Brothers has announced a new online original series "Chuck Presents – Buy Hard: The Jeff and Lester Story". The five two-three minute episode series debuted today — Tuesday, September 7 — on TheWB.com and select "Chuck" fansites (a launch at Xbox.com/halo and Xbox LIVE is expected shortly after debuting on TheWB.com):

In the season three finale of “Chuck,” Jeff (series star Scott Krinksy) and Lester (series star Vik Sahay) think they’ve burned down the Buy More, and they take off in their van, in a panic. Now, fans can catch up with the hilarious duo in five original webisodes (two-three minutes in length), as they hide out in the van, on the lam but still obsessed enough with videogames that they embark on a quest to track down a copy of the new Halo: Reach. Their search takes them to the Encino Buy More, where they inadvertently run into Big Mike (series star Mark Christopher Lawrence). Will their mission be a success? Log on for “Chuck Presents – Buy Hard: The Jeff and Lester Story” to find out.

Here’s the schedule:

  • Tuesday, September 7: Webisode 1 (premiere) debuts online
  • Wednesday, September 8: Webisode 2 debuts online
  • Thursday, September 9: Webisode 3 debuts online
  • Friday, September 10: Webisode 4 debuts online
  • Monday, September 13: Webisode 5 (finale) debuts online

…all timed to coincide with the release of "Halo: Reach" on the Xbox 360 at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, September 14 and the season four premiere of "Chuck" on Monday, September 20 on NBC at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Season three DVD – "Gag reel" [YouTube]

Season three DVD – "Declassified scenes, Part 1" [YouTube]

Watch Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4

+

Check out more DVD special features via SpoilerTV

Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars wins Hugo Award

The 2010 Hugo Awards were announced on Sunday in Australia and "Doctor Who" won Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form for the TV movie "The Waters of Mars" written by Russell T. Davies. "Doctor Who" actually dominated the category, with three of the five entries from the series — including "The Next Doctor" and "Planet of the Dead". The two other shows nominated were "Dollhouse" (for "Epitaph 1") and "FlashForward" (for "No More Good Days", which was written by Brannon Braga and David S. Goyer). The complete list of winners can be found here.

More Who news:

  • Filming on the sixth season of "Doctor Who" started on Monday morning in Cardiff, UK… [Doctor Who News Page]
  • …Speaking of "Doctor Who", Steven Moffat is saying that although work has not completed on the 2011 season, The Daleks are not currently expected to make an appearance: "There will be a Dalek story when we’ve got a good idea for a Dalek story. [When that happens], there will be lots of different kinds of Daleks." [Digital Spy]

Finally, check out this custom-built TARDIS made entirely out of LEGO Bricks [via Blastr]

Jane Espenson talks about writing for Torchwood’s new season

Jane Espenson ("Battlestar Galactica", "Caprica") was recently announced as one of the writers for the new season of "Torchwood" and Espenson told Blastr she will be writing three episodes of the fourth season. Espenson also talked about her writing style and how she’ll approach "Torchwood":

I love blending tones—mixing the broadly comedic moment in with the darkly dramatic one can heighten both. Torchwood is a show that welcomes that kind of moment. I’m also really eager to play with all the culture-clash material that comes naturally out of the show’s pedigree. And I’m especially eager to write material that pushes the boundaries of what can ordinarily be done on television.

The 10-episode fourth season, which carries the title "Torchwood: The New World", will premiere on Starz in 2011.

Fall 2010 new Sci-Fi/Genre show survival odds

The fall TV season officially gets underway this week ("Nikita" debuts this Thursday). With that in mind, Marc Berman of MediaWeek has posted his Odds of Survival for the new shows. Here are the sci-fi/genre shows — based on a scale of 1-1 to 10-1 — [premiere date in brackets]:

"The Event" (NBC): 4-1 [September 20, 2010]

"Nikita" (CW): 4-1 [September 9, 2010]

"Undercovers" (NBC): 7-1 [September 22, 2010]

"No Ordinary Family" (ABC): 8-1 [September 28, 2010]

For those interested, Berman has the William Shatner sitcom "$#*! My Dad Says" (CBS) at 5-1 odds of survival. Bob Orci and Alex Kurtzman’s Hawaii Five-0 reboot (CBS) is getting good marks with odds of 3-1.


ABC picks up Amazon River Adventure Show

ABC has picked up "The River" from "Paranormal Activity" director Oren Peli. Described as a "cinema verite-style thriller drama," the series centers around a mysterious river and follows "a famed adventurer/TV personality who goes missing and is presumed dead deep in the Amazon. His friends and crew go to look for him on their state-of-the-art research vessel." [Deadline]

PREVIEW Videos & Images

Battlestar Galactica

"Battlestar Galactica: The Exhibition" (Opens October 23, 2010) [YouTube]

Beast Legends

Sneak peek at the series premiere – "Kraken" [Syfy]

Destination Truth

Sneak peek for the season premiere, "Poltergeists of Pompeii/Nandi Beast" [Syfy]

The Event

Promotional cast stills [more at SpoilerTV]

Promotional stills for the series premiere – "I Haven’t Told You Everything" [more at Pizquita]

Fringe

Promotional stills for the season three premiere – "Olivia" [more at SpoilerTV]

Season three TV spot [FringeTelevision / YouTube]

Sneak peek at the season three premiere [YouTube]

Featurette – "Just the Facts: The Coming War" [YouTube]

Interview with Joshua Jackson [Zap2It]

Interviews with Jasika Nicole [YouTube]

Ghost Hunters

Sneak peek at "Uninvited Guests" [Syfy]

No Ordinary Family

Interviews with Julie Benz and Jimmy Bennett [ABC via SpoilerTV]

The Sarah Jane Adventures

Season four promotional cast still [Blogtor Who]

Season four trailer [YouTube]

Stargate Universe

Promotional stills for episodes 2×01 – "Intervention" and 2×02 – "Aftermath" [more at SpoilerTV]

 

Season two TV spot [MovieWeb]

Supernatural

Set images [more at Nigel Horsley | Flickr via SpoilerTV, (2)]

Season six promo [YouTube]

True Blood

Promotional stills for the season three finale, episode 3×12 – "Evil Is Going On" [more at Daemon’s TV]

Promo for "Evil Is Going On" [HBO]

Set images [more at Nigel Horsley | Flickr and Elizabeth-Mitchell.org via SpoilerTV, (2)]

Note: the second batch of photos are very spoiler heavy

The Vampire Diaries

Promotional stills for episode 2×02 – "Brave New World" [more at Vampire-Diaries.net]

Official soundtrack CD cover [Vampire-Diaries.net]

Season two promo [YouTube]

The Walking Dead

TV spot: "Hospital Corridor" [AMC]

Watch two more TV spots here

Warehouse 13

Sneak peek at episode 2×10 – "When and Where" [Syfy]

TV BITES

  • Aaron Douglas revealed that before he landed the role of Chief Tyrol on "Battlestar Galactica", he had auditioned for the roles of Lee Adama and Lt. Gaeta. Douglas also revealed that he wasn’t officially told that he would be a Cylon until the day before the episode was shot, however he found out about it several months earlier. [CNN]
  • Interested in finding out which characters will be back for season four of "True Blood"? Head on over to E! Online.
  • NBC has partnered with DreamWorks Animation for half-hour holiday specials based on "Shrek" and "Kung Fu Panda". The two projects will be called "Scared Shrekless" and "Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special" and air October 28, 2010 and November 24, 2010, respectively. [the live feed]
  • The fourth season of "The Sarah Jane Adventures" premieres on CBBC on Monday, October 11, 2010. [Blogtor Who]
  • Syfy has teamed with Billy Ray Cyrus and his son Trace for "UFO: Unbelievably Freakin’ Obvious", a new reality series "in which conspiracy theories involving unexplained activity and paranormal phenomena are investigated." The pilot will be shot in a few weeks. [Variety]
  • Check out an interview with new ‘Vampire Diaries’ writers Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain at the Kansas City Star. [via Vampire-Diaries.net]
  • Check out an interview with Matt Lanter, who voices Anakin Skywalker on the hit Cartoon Network series "Star Wars: The Clone Wars". Season three premieres on Friday, September 17, 2010. [IGN]

EPISODE TITLES/SYNOPSES

  • "Chuck" – 4×01 – "Chuck vs. the Anniversary". [ChuckTV.net]
  • "Fringe" – 3×01 – "Olivia". [SpoilerTV]
  • "The Event" – 1×01 – "Pilot". [SpoilerTV]
  • "Supernatural" – 6×01 – "Exile on Main St." [SpoilerTV]
  • "The Vampire Diaries" – 2×03 – "Bad Moon Rising". [SpoilerTV]
  • Episode 2×15 of "Stargate Universe" will be called "Seizure". [SpoilerTV]
  • Episode 1×07 of "No Ordinary Family" will be called "No Ordinary Mobster". [SpoilerTV]

CASTING BITES

  • Kevin Weisman ("Alias") will guest star on an upcoming episode of the Fox series "Fringe"… [Kevin Weisman | Twitter via SpoilerTV]
  • …Also guest starring on the show will be twins, Shawn and Aaron Ashmore. Their episode will air in November. No further details are known, although Shawn spoke highly of the script and show: "…the quality of ‘Fringe’ is really high and the episode is done well and our characters are intelligent…" [Chicago Now]
  • Cybil Shepherd has been cast as Barbara Crane, the mother of Julie Benz’s character, Stephanie in the ABC drama "No Ordinary Family". [TV Guide]
  • Episode 6×06 of "Supernatural" will feature a character called "Robert", who is "meant to be a Robert Pattinson type" along with a character called "Boris", who is described as a "large and frightening Vampire". As previously announced, the episode will be called "Live Free or Twihard". [SpoilerTV]
  • Thomas Jane, who worked with "The Walking Dead" director/producer/writer Frank Darabont on "The Mist", has seen the series and wants to do a guest spot: "That show is going to be a big f***ing hit. I’ve seen it and is fan-f***ing-tactic…I’m going to come on and do a guest thing…Maybe play a bad guy." [PopCornBlz via IGN]

SCI-FI RATINGS (Based on final national numbers unless otherwise noted) [@TravisYanan]

Warehouse 13

Episode 2×09 – "Vendetta" was up slightly from the week prior, drawing 2.40 million viewers (+2%) and a 0.7 A18-49 rating (n/c). The season average is now 2.52 million viewers and a 0.8 A18-49 rating.

Stan Lee’s Superhumans

After weeks of highs, "Stan Lee’s Superhumans fell to a series low 1.14 million viewers (-27%) with a 0.5 A18-49 rating (-17%). The season average is now 1.33 million viewers and a 0.5 A18-49 rating.

Doctor Who

The special "Doctor Who Prom" was watched by 520,000 people according to preliminary numbers. [Doctor Who News Page]


CHART (8/23/2010 to 8/29/2010)

Follow Russ on his blog: Your Entertainment Now and on Twitter: Twitter.com/YourEntNow.

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First!

Will BSG be travelling???

Please make real Doctor Who Lego….its about Time! (And Relative Dimension(s) In Space) ;)

Sarah Jane looking more and more like Scooby Doo Redux.
Nice Lego Tardis, though………….

Harry Ballz –

I didn’t get a chance to see your reply in the last TV Sci Fi Up-date until now and wanted to talk about Smallville. I have really enjoyed the show over the years and would have liked to see the show delve into Clark’s life as Superman more than it apparently is going to.

I like the fact that they have stayed fairly close to the original story line with Clark’s history and other characters, but also “modernized” things a bit.

I also liked John Glover’s character and was sorry to see him killed off, but then it also doesn’t seem like “Superman” without Lex Luthor in the mix.

A fun thing about where Smallville takes place is that I live in Topeka, KS and my wife and I are always trying to figure out where Smallville is supposed to be. There is a small town named Perry by Lake Perry (Crater Lake) and another small town named Meriden by Lake Perry. Both are close to Topeka and Lawrence, where Kansas University is (mentioned in a few episodes). Both small towns are fairly close to Kansas City, which could be Metropolis (although that is probably supposed to be New York). I know it is all a fantasy show, but it is still fun to think about.

What strikes me is that, aside from Stargate, such as it is, there is a paucity of space-based science adventure shows in the style of Star Trek.

However, everything old is eventually new again!

JohnnieF

good to read your thoughts on the show. I’m hoping for the last season that they get Clark into some version of the “suit” early in the run, so we can enjoy him in that role. It wouldn’t be anywhere near as effective if they simply have him fly with the suit on in the final episode. Fans who have been watching since day one deserve better than that.

Hey, the promo shot on this thread shows a Daily Planet helicopter hanging off the edge of a rooftop. Wonder if they’re going to have Superman make his first appearance (in the suit) to save Lois Lane, just like in the first Superman movie from 1978? That would be a cool homage!

@4: John Glover’s performance as Lionel Luthor was one of the main reasons I attempted to stick with Smallville for longer than was probably sensible. Glad to see you’re showing him some love. :)

“Waters of Mars” was scary as hell — even power-tripping Doctor was freaking me out at the end there! And Lindsay Duncan was amazing.

John Glover was the best actor on Smallville by a country mile!

Like sticking Michael Jordan in with a bunch of high school basketball players!

I saw The Event at a screening a few weeks ago. It was pretty awesome.

Looking forward to The Event, and the returns of Smallville, Fringe, and Stargate Universe.

Also, I might have to finally pony up the money to get into EMP once the BSG exhibit arrives!

Nothing good on TV… With the exception of “V” there is no reason to turn on the TV at any time… :(

V is lame.

What’s the deal with the new BSG web series Blood & Chrome????

I just realized that with Lost, Battlestar, and 24 finished, I am going to have a lot of vacancy on my DVR this year. The only retyrning show I am anticipating is Human Target. I just can’t wrap myself around the rest, and Caprica is a tall order to follow.

The blatant commercialization of Chuck would probably bother me a bit if they weren’t so hilariously obvious and tongue-and-cheek about it. “Let’s open the episode with Big Mike admiring the new Subway Breakfast Meal!”

11 – Try “Jeopardy.” It’s about the only show I miss for not having TV.

8 – Harry, is that your girlfriend Erica in the first photo in this column?

Is it just me? I have noticed that a lot of “FRINGE” clips have scenes of William Bell and Olivia Dunham that I don’t remember seeing in the actual episodes. It’s like they were all done from the initial conversation between the two at the end of season 1, a conversation we never saw in completion. What’s that about? Is it on the DVDs as extras or deleted scenes?

16

Now, now, Brett…..let’s not go there. I’m about to have lunch!

Harry, I wonder if Rosario had you in mind! ; )

Waters of Mars and not The Next Doctor??
What were they thinking??

“The Daleks are not currently expected to make an appearance.”

Thank God. Both they and the Cybermen have been overused in Who 2.0 to the point that I never want to see them again. I mean, for Christ’s sake, how many times can they rescue these villains from utter annihilation and still be even remotely believable?!!

Davies breathed new life into Who in 2005 by essentially wiping the slate clean, thanks to the Time War. I’d much prefer to see new villains than having them troll through Who’s past (no pun intended) to dredge up old villains over and over again. Every once in a while is fine, as a nod to Who 1.0 and to keep the fan base smiling, but I dearly hope that Moffat sticks to his word, and doesn’t fall into the “oh, we need a villain for this story, let’s pull the Daleks out of our asses again” trap.

I’m still stunned that ABC picked up “No Ordinary Family”. Now I am saying this without actually seeing it, but the ABC press release made the show sound like 100% crap. And the trailer for the show just strengthened that conclusion…

Nice to read about a lot of great series. “No Ordinary Family” sounds also good.

I could never get into Stargate Universe. It is really bad and nowhere as good as SG1 and SGA.

http://www.sgusucks.com/index.html

19

Brett, I don’t think that photo depicts the person you think it does.

#14 CHUCK’s just trying to stay alive! It’d be dead long before now without the Subway/fan campaign.
NBC just doesn’t know how to promote a really good show. No one who doesn’t watch it can tell you what it’s even about. They’d rather kill it and make room for another cheap-to-make reality show. And our minds go numb, wither and atrophy.
HEY does anyone know if we’ll EVER get to see the rest of the Sarah Jane Adventures in the United States?
And how do we watch Torchwood now without STARZ? BBCA I have…now it’s out in the ozone.

6. Agreed. At the very least, he needs to fly soon, although I suspect/fear they’ll keep dragging it out. Unless, they do an Enterprise pre-finale style — five years later — episode, after he’s had his training with Jor El, as per the movie. They’ve stressed the need for training like crazy –I guess they could pull a weak ‘my son, your not coming to training for years despite my orders was, in fact, your training… gotcha! you’re done, baby!’

24 – Harry, I’ve never seen “Smallville” (although I’ve been to Tiny Town! :D), so I wouldn’t be able to pick Ms. Durance out of police line-up — as much as you would enjoy such a scenario.

I just thought it might be her as it accompanies a paragraph mentioning your favorite TV show — so I thought she might be your oft-mentioned, celebrated thespian.

27

Nah, she only wishes she looked THAT good!

I’m watching Blake’s 7 these days. Far better than most of the stuff on offer today, IMO, except for V.
Should they ever make a Blake remake with high production value, Morena Baccarin would be first choice for the role of Servalan :-)

Therein lay the success of SMALLVILLE. The program is not so much about superheroes as it is about the interrelationship between characters. Yes, there are a number of heroes and villains who make appearances throughout the program. Yes, there are a number of action sequences and over the top plotlines that comprise the series. In the end, however, the success of the program centers on how it humanizes its characters and provides them with sense of depth not seen in hero programming before.

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