Sci-Fi TV Thursday: The Walking Dead, True Blood, Wonder Woman, Smallville, SGU, Fringe, Doctor Who, Game of Thrones, Terra Nova + more

In Sci-Fi TV this week we learn more about Leonard Nimoy’s return to Fringe, hear from Brannon Braga about his time-travel series Terra Nova, find out how the SGU writers hope to wrap it up post cancellation, get some True Blood spoilers, get more Wonder Woman casting, and catch up with all the rest of your genre faves. All that plus latest television ratings, casting bites and new images and video previews.

GENRE TV NEWS

With third season off the table, SGU writers looking to wrap series through TV movies

Although a third season of the canceled Syfy series "Stargate Universe" is now off the table, executive producer Joseph Mallozzi says discussions continue behind the scenes with MGM continue and he has revealed that they hope to wrap the series through TV movies and a decision could be had by the end of the season/series finale:

"Hopefully, by the time its airs, we’ll have definite word on a potential movie or two. If it’s a go and fans can look forward to a proper end to Destiny’s mission, then Gauntlet will certainly set the stage for a grand conclusion. If, on the other hand, things don’t pan out and Gauntlet does turn out to be the bittersweet finale, fans will be thrilled, touched, heartbroken – and left to wonder what could have been."

In ratings news, the show premiered on its new night this past Monday with no change. "Deliverance" drew 1.04M viewers (-5%) and a 0.5 A18-49 rating (nc). The season average is now down to 1.07M viewers and a 0.5 A18-49 rating. To put those numbers in perspective, through the first 11 weeks of last season, the show averaged 1.88M viewers and a 0.8 A18-49 rating. On the plus side despite dropping from its lead-in "Being Human (US)" among viewers (from 1.46M) it held steady in A18-49 rating.

Promotional stills for episode 2×12 – "Twin Destinies" [more at SpoilerTV]

Promo for "Twin Destinies" [YouTube]

Sneak peek at "Twin Destinies" [Syfy]

Leonard Nimoy confirms return to Fringe

As previously reported here on TrekMovie.com, Leonard Nimoy revealed on his Twitter account that he’ll be reprising his role as Walter Bell on the Fox series "Fringe":

"Coming to Fringe. William’s bell rings soon. LLAP"

On that note, executive producer Jeff Pinkner discussed the actor’s return to the show in an interview featured in ESPN: The Magazine’s Fiction issue [via PopWatch | New York Post]:

W: Is that desire to continually challenge the actors behind the March 18 return of William Bell through Olivia?

Jeff: The idea came from still having story to tell for the character. One of the themes of our show is balance and harmony and the idea that there are two sides to everything. That’s a seed we planted in season one – William & Walter are Lennon & McCartney. They bring out the best in one another and are not complete without the other.

In terms of the show’s still-in-doubt future, Pinkner says he still believes the show has "six to eight seasons worth of material":

We see it as having certain chapters that would enrich the overall story, but aren’t necessary to tell the overall story. God willing the network allows us the time to tell our complete story.

"Fringe" returns tomorrow night with the episode "Os", which features a guest apperance by Jorge Garcia ("Lost").

First look at guest star Jorge Garcia in episode 3×16 – "Os" [InsideTV | EW]

More promotional stills from "Os" [more at Daemon’s TV]

Promotional stills from episode 3×17 – "Stowaway" [more at SpoilerTV]

Promo for "Os" [YouTube]

Brannon Braga talks Terra Nova

"Terra Nova" showrunner Brannon Braga has revealed some new details about the upcoming prehistoric time travel series which previews this May on Fox [SFX]:

"Without giving too much away, there will be connections to the future that are very mysterious and ongoing but only as they relate to our characters. We won’t do standalone stories in the future, but the future will play a part in this series,” says Braga.

Braga also highlighted the look and feel of the show, describing it as "unlike anything people have seen before":

"[I]t’s a fascinating conglomeration of futuristic technology in the distant past. The colonists bring with them medical technology, sonic weapons and non-lethal weapons to battle dinosaurs because they don’t want to kill anything unless they have to so as not to rape the landscape. The look of these technologies in a prehistoric setting is pretty cool, but having said that they don’t have all the luxuries."

The two-night series preview will air Monday, May 23 and Tuesday, May 24, before it joins the network’s fall lineup.

New promo (features our first look at the Dinosaurs) [YouTube | Fox]

BBC America sets Doctor Who season six premiere: April 23

The sixth season of "Doctor Who" will premiere on BBC America on Saturday, April 23 at 9:00PM:

Doctor Who is coming to America in a spectacular two-part season premiere on BBC AMERICA. Part One premieres Saturday, April 23 at 9/8c. The mysterious time traveler, the Doctor (Matt Smith), and his companions Amy (Karen Gillan) and Rory (Arthur Darvill), find themselves on a secret summons that takes them on an adventure from the desert in Utah – right to the Oval Office in 1969. More details will be revealed in the coming weeks about this two-parter penned by ‘Who supremo’ Steven Moffat (Sherlock) and featuring guest star Mark Sheppard (Supernatural, Battlestar Galactica). Also set to return this season, Alex Kingston (ER, Flash Forward), as the irrepressible River Song.

BBC still hasn’t announced a date for the UK premiere, but previous reports have indicated that it will premiere over the Easter weekend, which likely means season six premiere on the same date in both the US and UK. In other news, Steven Moffat teases what’s ahead for two mini-episodes of "Doctor Who" that will air on Red Nose Day on March 18 [SFX]:

"Very, very small episodes – maybe eight minutes in total, so that’s around four minutes each. It’s not a spoof. It’s in the style of the ones that we’ve done for Children In Need…One’s called ‘Space’ and one’s called ‘Time’, so they’re Space & Time. And there’s a moment with two Amy Ponds in it. If you’re a red-blooded male surely that’s enough! You’ve got Amy Pond flirting with herself."

Set images [more at Wales Online]

Radio 1 interview with Matt Smith [YouTube]

Michael Rosenbaum credits fans for his return to Smallville

Michael Rosenbaum will be returning for the series finale of "Smallville" and the actor says that while he would have preferred to leave the series in his past, he had to return… for the fans:

"I just felt like it was the right thing to do. I felt the fans created the show, and they followed me at such a level that I couldn’t say no. … I felt after 160 episodes, that was it. But the fans didn’t think so. I’m doing it for them."

Rosenbaum made the comments to his hometown paper, the Evansville Courier & Press. Click here to read the complete interview. In other casting news, despite the February 25 episode "Fortune" being the fifth of five scheduled episodes for Allison Mack, the actress reportedly filmed a scene for the finale that will be part of the show’s send-off. In other news, The CW is planning a "10 years in one night" special that will air in early April [via SpoilerTV]. "Smallville" airs Friday night’s at 8PM on The CW.

Promo for episode 10×17 – "Kent" [YouTube]

HBO’s Game of Thrones to get early preview

The series premiere of the HBO series "Game of Thrones" is still scheduled to debut on Sunday, April 17, but HBO has announced a special 15-minute sneak peek of the first episode for April 3:

HBO will present – for the first time – a sneak peek of the first 15 minutes of the first episode of a new series when GAME OF THRONES EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW debuts SUNDAY, APRIL 3 at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT). Following this one-time-only play, GAME OF THRONES EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW will be available immediately on hbo.com and HBO Go, and will be available on HBO On Demand beginning Monday, April 4.

In other news, George R.R. Martin has revealed that the latest book in his bestselling "A Song of Ice and Fire" series, "A Dance With Dragons", is scheduled to be published by Bantam on July 12, 2011.

Official poster [via ComingSoon.net]

New trailer [HBO | YouTube]

Watch two more trailers here and here

Featurette: "Invitation To Westeros" [HBO | YouTube]

Robert Kirkman talks The Walking Dead season two + Fall premiere likely

Turns out we won’t be getting the second season of "The Walking Dead" early after all. There had been reports that AMC was considering premiering the show this summer, but a newly launched website from the network — http://www.amcdead.com/ — says the show will return in the fall, making another Halloween premiere date likely and bringing an end to any realistic hope of an earlier premiere date.

Meanwhile, here are some highlights from the Paleyfest 2011 panel on the show (courtesy Dread Central):

  • Darabont and Kirkman have been in the writers’ room for one week getting started on Season Two.
  • Darabont clarified they are working on what to do next with Merle Dixon (Michael Rooker), Morgan (Lennie James), and his son Duane (Adrian Kali Turner).
  • Merle will NOT be the governor. That’s just too obvious.
  • Darabont wants Season Two to pick up immediately after Season One left off. He hates huge time jumps and wants his characters to be caught up in their current emotional state, reacting to what had just happened. He mentioned they’re on "puberty watch" for Chandler Riggs, who plays Rick and Lori’s son, Carl, as time passage may be a problem. They could always do the one year later thing once he actually begins to age. Unlike "LOST", they’re not bound to the same time rules.

In an interview with TV Guide, creator Robert Kirkman discussed what’s in store for the second season:

"There’s definitely going to be some new blood — some new victims for the zombies, if you will," Kirkman says. "It’s important to me that there are these X-factor things thrown in where people that are familiar with the comic book don’t really know where things are going to go. I want to keep people guessing as much as possible, and having new characters … definitely adds to that."

Check out another interview with Kirkman here. Filming on the second season is expected to begin in May. "The Walking Dead: Season One" is currently available for purchase on DVD and Blu-ray.

Highlights from the True Blood Paleyfest 2011 panel

For fans of "True Blood", this following revelation from "True Blood" creator Alan Ball about the Bill/Sookie relationship shouldn’t come as much of a surprise:

“It is hard not to think of them as soul mates when they are in real life,” said Ball. “[But Bill’s] betrayal [of Sookie] is so deep that I don’t think she sees a way back from that. That’s why we need 17 seasons.” Sookie’s desire to find comfort in Alcide was mentioned as a possibility although Manganiello reminded us that his character’s ex “Debbie is still at large.”

Although Anna Paquin (Sookie) doesn’t want to rule out a reconcilliation between the two characters, Ball says he certainly doesn’t expect Sookie to "forgive" Bill anytime soon: “I wouldn’t use the word forgive. I think things thaw a bit between them, but I would hesitate to use the word forgive. That’s a very strong word,” he said.

Here are some updates about to what to expect from some of the show’s other characters [via TV Guide]:

Sookie Sackhouse

Anna Paquin says she’s learned a few things, just not how to control her "microwave fingers." Says the actress: "I believe that’s the technical term for them … and no, she doesn’t have control, but she’s still new to all this fairy stuff." At the same time, "we will see what she learned from tempering the way she goes about looking for independence."

Eric Northman:

"He messed with the wrong people," Alexander Skarsgard says. When next we meet Eric, he’s "definitely not stable." And it gets worse, too. "He doesn’t know who he is anymore … Eric needs help." Help from Sookie? Not exactly. "There are a lot of friendly people in Bon Temps kind enough to help," the actor continues. But the bottom line is Eric is a changed man. "The powerful character he was is just gone. He’s the polar opposite of who he used to be. He’s just completely lost … and very vulnerable," the actor says.

Tara Thornton:

"We’ll see a new Tara," Rutina Wesley says. She’s "a lot more stable." (It’s about time! We want tough Tara back!) "She may find some happiness, but just for a bit … You’ll find out early on where she’s been."

And here are some additional highlights from the Paleyfest panel:

  • The witches will be introduced this season through a coven of Wiccans, but Ball says they won’t be "bringers of evil". [TV Guide]
  • Russell Edington isn’t dead yet:  "We specifically made the choice not to kill him," says Ball. "I don’t know when but there are definitely plans to bring him back. He is gonna be pissed." [Inside TV | EW]
  • Allan Hyde will reprise his role as Godric, but he’s be seen through flashbacks and/or dreams. [TV Line]

More impressions from the panel are here, here, here and here. And lastly, check out an interview with castmembers Rutina Wesley and Deborah Ann Woll at Collider.

Elizabeth Hurley to play villain in NBC’s Wonder Woman pilot + Lynda Carter weighs in on Palicki casting

Elizabeth Hurley announced via her Twitter feed that she has been cast as a villain in David E. Kelley’s NBC pilot "Wonder Woman":

"Thrilled to be doing the NBC pilot Wonder Woman. I’ll be playing the evil villain. Can’t wait."

According to TV Line, a few things need to be worked out, but the British actress/model will be playing Veronica Cale. The role is technically a guest-spot but if the show gets picked up to series it’ll likely evolve into a recurring part. In other casting news, Inside TV | EW is reporting that Cary Elwes has joined the cast of the show has the CEO of Themyscira Industries — Diana company. EW notes the character "could eventually serve as the heroine’s romantic interest." Also joining the cast will be Tracie Thoms, playing the regular role of Diana’s personal assistant, Etta and Pedro Pascal, who will play a liaison to the police department. "Wonder Woman" stars Adrianne Palicki in the title role, a casting which has garnered positive approval from TV’s previous Wonder Woman, Lynda Carter:

"She’s a good actress and she’s beautiful,” Carter adds, “and I hope she kicks butt."

Carter added that she hasn’t offered the actress advice for the role, but would give it if asked: "If she wants to talk to me, that would be a whole different thing."

The Walking Dead leads TV with 6 Saturn Awards 2011 nominations

"The Walking Dead" has been nominated for 6 Saturn Awards including Best Television Presentation, Best Actor in Television (Andrew Lincoln), Best Actress in Television (Sarah Wayne Callies), Best Supporting Actor in Television (Steven Yeun), Best Supporting Actress in Television (Laurie Holden) and Best Guest Starring Role in Television (Noah Emmerich). "Lost" and "Fringe" followed in a three-way tie for second place — along with AMC’s "Breaking Bad" — with five nominations a piece.

The Best Network Series nominees are "Fringe" (Fox), "Lost" (ABC), "Smallville" (CW), "Supernatural" (CW), "V" (ABC) and "The Vampire Diaries" (CW). Click over to the official website for the complete list of nominations.

No chance at Firefly reboot

A few weeks ago Nathan Fillion jokingly offerred to buy the rights to "Firefly": "If I got $300 million from the California Lottery, the first thing I would do is buy the rights to Firefly, make it on my own, and distribute it on the Internet." Almost immediately, fans of the canceled 2002 series took note and began to organize on Twitter and Facebook. Before we knew it, HelpNathanBuyFirefly.com was born. It quickly attracted nearly 12,000 "pledges" worth more than $1M and the Facebook page has grown to over 113,000 fans. But as support escalated, writer/Joss Whedon’s sister-in-law Maurissa Tancharoen tweeted the following message against the movement:

"Guys, no one in the Whedonverse is in support of www.helpnathanbuyfirefly.com. Please save your money!"

Tancharoen later tweeted an extended message:

"I appreciate the support. I think what some people don’t understand is – by "no one in the Whedonverse is in support of HNBF" I meant that no one is officially involved in any capacity. This is a pure fan movement. There just needed to be clarification. There were many questions coming my way so I finally answered. I wasn’t trying to bash dreams, by all means come together and show your love for Firefly. But when money is involved (and pledges are meant to become real $ at some point, yes?) things get tricky… I wasn’t going to say anything else on the subject as I didn’t want to further fuel the already out of control fire, but unkind things have been said. And honestly, I’m afraid that I’ve grown afraid of the internet. Still got mad love for the Browncoats. Over and out for a bit…"

The result? The website has closed:

According to Joss’s sister-in-law, no one from the Whedon clan endorses the idea of a fan-funded organization trying to help. So, that’s a wrap. We’ll keep the site open as a memory for a bit and if any Whedons need to reach us, hit the button…

…Although the Facebook page remains open. Don’t forget you can still catch all 14 episodes of "Firefly" in HD Sunday nights at 10PM on The Science Channel.

 


PREVIEW Videos & Images

Being Human (US)

Promotional stills for episode 1×09 – "I Want You Back (from The Dead)" [more at Daemon’s TV]

Battlestar Galactica

Rollercoaster at Universal Studio’s Singapore [Bloomberg]

Chuck

Promo for episode 4×18 – "Chuck vs. The A-Team" [YouTube]

The Event

Featurette: "Enter the White House" [YouTube]

Promo for episode 1×13 – "Turnabout" [YouTube]

Falling Skies

Promotional cast images [more at SpoilerTV]

New trailer [YouTube]

Watc more previews via Daemon’s TV here

Outkasts

Promotional stills for episode 1×08 (season finale) [more at Den of Geek]

Sanctuary

Promotional stills from episode 3×11 – "Pax Romana" [more at Dameon’s TV]

Promotional stills from episode 3×12 – "Hangover" [more at SpoilerTV]

Thundercats

First trailer for Cartoon Network’s upcoming remake [YouTube via Collider]

TRON: Uprising

Teaser trailer for upcoming Disney XD series [YouTube via /Film]

V

Promotional stills for episode 2×10 (season finale/possible series finale) – "Mother’s Day" [more at SpoilerTV]

Promo for "Mother’s Day" [YouTube]

The Vampire Diaries

Promo for episode 2×17 – "Know Thy Enemy" [YouTube]

TV BITES

  • Syfy has picked up re-run rights for all 31 episodes of the short-lived Fox series "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles". The premiere will take place Thursday, April 7 at 9PM with the movie "Terminator 3" serving as its lead-in. Following episodes will air Thursday’s from 7-11PM. [Inside TV | EW]
  • Sorry "The Cape" fans, but NBC has announced that the final episode of the low-rated sci-fi drama will only be available online: "Flash: The creators of The Cape are prepping an exclusive episode just for online fans! Keep watching this site in the days ahead to see a full-length special episode." [NBC]
  • Episode 4×21 of "Chuck" will be called "Chuck vs. The Wedding Planner". [SpoilerTV]
  • Catch up with the last two weeks of filming for "Torchwood: Miracle Day" over at Doctor Who News Page here and here.
  • Episode 3×18 of "Fringe" will be called "Bloodline". [SpoilerTV]
  • A 96-rated comic of "Amazing Fantasy #15", the first appearance of Spider-Man, sold for $1.1 million. [Bleeding Cool]
  • Production on the second season of "Haven" is scheduled to begin on March 25, 2011. [Sam Ernst | Twitter]
  • TNT has set a June 19, 2011 date for the premiere of the Steven Spielberg-produced sci-fi series "Falling Skies". The two-hour premiere will be followed by weekly Sunday installments at 10PM. [Variety]
  • Morena Baccarin confirmed that there will be three deaths in the upcoming season two finale of "V": "It’s crazy. Totally nuts. And it’s really heartbreaking. I cried when I saw it."… [TV Line]
  • "V" showrunner Scott Rosenbuam also recently tweeted that we’ll see a fully revealed "V" in the finale. [Scott Rosenbaum | Twitter]
  • After an extended hiatus, "The Event" was down a steep 26% in adults 18-49 for its two-episode return ‘event’ this past Monday (from a 1.9 A18-49 ratinng to a 1.4 A18-49 rating). Among viewers the show was down a less severe 10% (from 5.83M to 5.23M).

Synopses/Episode descriptions

  • "Chuck" – 4×18 – "Chuck vs. the A-Team". [SpoilerTV]
  • "Chuck" – 4×19 – "Chuck vs. the Muuurder". [SpoilerTV]
  • "Fringe" – 3×17 – "Stowaya". [SpoilerTV]
  • "Being Human (UK)" – 3×08 – "The Wolf-Shaped Bullet". [SpoilerTV]
  • "No Ordinary Family" – 1×18 – "No Ordinary Animal". [SpoilerTV]
  • "The Event" – 1×14 – "A Message Back". [SpoilerTV]
  • "The Event" – 1×15 – "Face Off". [SpoilerTV]

CASTING BITES

  • James Corden will reprise his role as the character Craig Owens in the sixth season of "Doctor Who". [BBC]
  • Mark Sheppard will guest star on episode 20 – "The Man Who Would Be King" — of "Supernatural". [via SpoilerTV]
  • Kiefer Sutherland has been cast to play the lead in Tim Kring’s ("Heroes") upcoming drama pilot "Touch". [Deadline]
  • Katee Sackhoff will voice a character in an upcoming episode of the Cartoon Network series "Star Wars: The Clone Wars". [Katee Sackhoff | Twitter]
  • "Locke & Key" creators Alex Zalben and Jim Hill have confirmed that Ksenia Solo has been cast to play the character Dodge, or the "Lady in the Well", in the upcoming Fox adaptation of the comic book series. [MTV Geek]
  • Keira Knightley will voice the role of Tinker Bell in Syfy’s upcoming four-hour live action TV movie "Neverland". The miniseries will premiere in December 2011. [Syfy]
  • Jason Priestly has joined the cast of Syfy’s "Haven". He’ll play Chris Weekly, "a brilliant, principled but anti-social marine biologist who must deal with an affliction most would consider a blessing." [TV Line]
  • Jamie Bamber won’t be the only former BSG castmember to make up the cast of Ron Moore’s upcoming NBC drama pilot "17th Precinct". Fellow alums James Callis and Tricia Helfer have also joined the cast of the series. Also joining the show is Kristin Kreuk ("Smallville")… [TV Line, (2), (3)]
  • … Callis will play a homicide detective and Helfer will play Morgana, "a necromancer…who is an expert at manipulating the potions, tools, herbs and spells of her trade". Kreuk will guest-star as Susan Longstreet, the wife of Jamie Bamber’s character. The role has the potential to become recurring should the pilot get picked up to series.
  • Thomas Dekker ("Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles") has been cast in the lead male role of The CW’s drama pilot "Secret Circle". The show is based on "The Vampire Diaries" author L.J. Smith’s series of novels. Dekker will play Adam, the oldest member of a top-secret Witch coven and a love interest of Cassie (played by Britt Robertson). [TV Line]

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

CHART (2/14/2011 to 2/20/2011)

CHART (2/21/2011 to 2/27/2011)


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

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Spock Lives!!!

First ? Looking forward to DW, just hope Australia gets it at the same time as the US.

Bugger!

The British have to pay £140+ a year for a tv licence or they will get a hefty fine by the BBC that could run up to ££££thousands££££.!!! Consider yourself lucky you get BBC America at all. Sucks really…

Mother says that the Britsh public should boycott the BBC and tell them to go f………………..!!!

@4

Indeed, also here in the UK we have to wait months for US shows, they’re getting DW on the same day? sorry but that’s not fair at all, US shouldn’t be so stingy on putting it on UK TV earlier and networks demanding huge sums of money to do so. Its already terrible how they remake great UK shows into substandard tat.

SGU was a good show, but the teen romances and how they obviously took a lot from BSG, I guess is enough to take it off the air. Goodbye SGU, minor TV films never do well. Just look at Babylon 5.

It’s a shame there isn’t much today that rivals good ol’ 90’s sci-fi. No wonder we buy the whole collection of Star Trek, there’s just nothing that comes close nowadays.

Terra Nova looks pretty interesting, though it doesn’t seem that original either, Jurassic Park comes to mind. It all depends on the acting and if the time travel plots are convincing. Good luck Brannon Braga.

V is a major disappointment for me personally, the V’s are too human and the plots are silly. “my eggs need nourishment”, “reptilian babies”. How silly is that. Stopped watching after half a season.

Stargate Universe isn’t the greatest show, but it’s certainly better than a vast majority of what’s on TV these days. Looks like it’ll end up being another Pushing Daisies, Firefly, or Defying Gravity, where it had great episodes and lots of potential, but the mouthbreathers running the channels didn’t give it the time and support it deserved and canned it too soon.

Game of Thrones, Game of Thrones, Game of Thrones! April 17th can’t get here soon enough.

A rollercoaster? LOL. I was forgetting that BSG was an EVIL franchise just like MacDonalds, Wallmart and 24th Century Star Trek these days…

It’s always TV Movies for Stargate left, right and center. I wish Enterprise fans had been given that slow, weaning off process.

There’s still time for Robert Carlyle to join two live power cables together and blow the whole series to kingdom come… Grrrr.

11. Maybe they’ll ask Dean Anderson and the SG-1 team back for Universe’s finale and the parallel can be bitterly ironic.

Can’t wait to see the DOCTOR WHO premeire. The rest is just rubbish!

Wonder what Allison Mack will be doing after Smallville?

@13. Harry Ballz

Who cares?

Me and mother think that she’s a minger and not even worthy of a fatal shower scene!

I know I’m in a minority… but what news of ‘Outcasts’???

My wife and I really enjoy watching it, but the BBC bumped it from twice weekly to Sunday night: Does this mean no Season 2?

Ah well, save the money for more Cop Show, soaps, reality shows etc…..I agree with #4. licence fee great value for money (Apart from Outcasts, and Doctor Who, we don’t watch any other BBC shows yet have to pay out £140 a year…)

Heck I’d even settle for the old ‘put sci-fi on at 6pm on BBC 2 ’cause it’s for the kids’ slot returning!!!!!!!

13.
…….

I’m surprised you didn’t ask what Erica Durance would be doing after “Smallville” is over!

@4

do you think bbc america is free in the states?

15. “Heck I’d even settle for the old ‘put sci-fi on at 6pm on BBC 2 ’cause it’s for the kids’ slot returning!!!!!!!”

Somebody ought to start a campaign.

Start with Star Trek never shown by the Beeb…
Remastered TOS
Enterprise

Both HD ready too, so they can repeat them on the dedicated channel for that programming.

Anyone else think “Terra Nova” is starting to sound more and more like NBC’s “Earth 2” from 1995?

#10 It’s always TV Movies for Stargate left, right and center. I wish Enterprise fans had been given that slow, weaning off process.
———————————————————-
You beat me to the punch #10. Enterprise deserved at least a decent send off other than that crap we were served.

I just paid £140 my tv license this. Anyone know when fringe is back on Sky 1. I doubt Outcasts will be back. I have enjoyed it very much.

I’ll be extremely pissed if SGU gets movies…I don’t care if the story is wrapped up or not. SGA on their worst day was 10X better than SGU, and their movie project has been shelved indefinitely, because of SGU’s failure.

The licence fee is a joke and should be abolished. Actually, the BBC is a joke and needs privatising!

I like Moffatt’s Doctor Who, but otherwise watch (superior) US shows in Blu/DVD.

Actually, I’m getting rid of Sky cos I never watch it either!

16.

I simply assumed she would go back to her old job of pulling the milk wagon!

Please, do not talk privatisation around here. Our governments keep doing flip-flops where this is concerned. Notable outcome – a viable state-owned enterprise/public service gets sold to a private (overseas) company, who are only interested in big short term profits, don’t know anything about how things work and could care even less. They run the enterprise into the ground, piss off with their wads of money and we are left to rebuild, eg the NZ Railways.

One of the best things about the BBC is that it has NOT been a private operation. Its problem is that it is being forced, to some extent, to follow US television formats in order to get larger audiences, hence we no longer get either a true 30 minutes or 60 minutes worth of Dr Who, per episode, and it is now plagued with a lot more advertisements than was ever allowed for in the past. Progress not.

NZ had a broadcasting licence fee, which was approximately $100 per annum, less if you only owned a radio. It was abolished in the 1990s. For NZ, the main reason it was abolished was because, in some parts of NZ even now, television and radio reception are still difficult to get, unless you are able to invest in high tech receivers/satellite dishes etc. I know, I have seen the abominable reception some people get who live in outlying coastal areas or rugged rural areas. Transmitters and boosters are throughout NZ, but they are expensive. Yet these people were expected to pay the same fees as those like myself who live within a few miles of a high tech transmitter station. When more and more people realised the problem, we did not see that as being fair, hence the licence fee got abolished. Unfortunately, the level of advertising has increased. All television channels here allow advertising, unlike the BBC. Bless the Beeb!

@17

I don’t know, is it?

The BBC is a rip off, it broadcasts some of the worst tv on British television, Eastenders being one of the worst!

If the tv licence was to stay then I’d rather it went to Channel 4.

Mother thinks that Songs Of Praise is a complete waste of time too and must only pull in atleast 3 viewers…

SGU really really stinks. The odds of having that many bitter, broken, amoral human beings all in the same place at the same time are pretty small, but they sure manage to.
.
It’s a good essay on how bad Voyager *really* could have been, had the Starfleet v. Maquis battles been outright and vicious all series long. Still don’t know who to root for in SGU.
.
What a waste of some pretty good actors, too. I’d sure wish they’d go next with a *positive* series, taking interested actors, and doing another SG-1 type show. I’d even say call it Stargate SG-2. (You could say that the number 1 was “retired”, so 2 is now the top team.)

To all you Erica Durance bashers out there….

If you follow Entertainment Weekly, you’ll know they end each issue with a pop culture “Bullseye” with a look at the week’s “hits and misses.” Last week they called Ms. Durance as a “hit” and included an inset picture of her in full “Isis” attire, while demanding she be giving her own hero TV show.

Apparently the entertainment journals are able to see in her what others here can not. I’m going to have to side with the pros on this one.

(What did she do anyway? Not sign an autograph at a convention or something? Clearly something has set off the vitriolic commentary. It goes waaaaaaayyyyy beyond constructive criticism.)

CHUCK is on top! Good news. So much more to show on that series. It just keeps rocking in fresh ways.

28.

I simply feel Erica Durance is a horrible actor! She really stinks. You can see that she is actually TRYING to act. I’ve seen much better efforts in a high school play. The woman has no talent. With so few acting roles around, I find it disgraceful that she is robbing someone with real talent of a chance at that opportunity. I don’t know who she blew to get the part, but I hope he’s happy!

They better make season 2 of The Walking Dead A LOT longer than the first, especially with how long we have to wait in between seasons.

Harry. C’mon. That’s not fair.

i will be so glad when smallville is finally dead. hasnt been good since bout the third season…

the tron series looks better than the recent movie

ill give ‘terra nova’ three episodes, maybe five and it will be canceled, another rehashed idea from Braga

and, i know it will never happen, but an Enterprise or DS9 movie or mini-series would be nice…per chance to dream

“… and Bruce Boxleitner as Tron” YESSS!

@ 23 yes (superior) US shows…… which are mostly made up of either crap remakes or where the decent stuff is getting canceled after 2 – 4 seasons

Hey Ballsy o have to agree with your views on DurDunces acting prowess. I do believe that Thr Mack is even more irritating, unbelievable and pathetic in her acting skills. She positively makes Welling look Shakespearian!

The last episode of Smallville was an improvement on the previous 3 were a total waste of time.

I have been totally disappointed by the final season. Let’s hope it picks up and makes Superman fans proud.

I have major doubts though.

Fingers crossed!

I don’t know, I think Smallville this season is better than it’s ever been. There’ve been a couple of filler episodes — but it’s finally got the tone pretty darned spot on.

Durance (seriously, what’s with the DurDunce thing, what is this, Perez Hilton?) is playing Lois Lane on a comic book show — she’s sexy, she channels Kidder’s Lane (more in earlier seasons) and she has solid comic timing — I don’t get how her acting could be considered lousy. This ain’t Ibsen. I think she, er, nails the character.

Is it me, or does Anna Torv’s Nimoy voice sounds a little like Billy Crystal’s “I’ll have the pecan pie-ee” voice in When Harry Met Sally?

And, yes, I like Anna Torv — I don’t want to start another actress-bashing session here.

32.

That she got hired in the part? Right you are, TMMW!

36.

Thanks, BSS!

@37

You must watching Smallville in the walternate universe!

A couple of filler episodes???

They have had ten years to nail it. With only a few episodes left there should be no bloody filler episodes!

I admit the tone is slightly better now but I assure you it is sitting at a comic book version of Dawsons Creek at times.

Last season was better on my opinion.

It is great to have Lionel back though. He makes the viewing and the feeling of the show much as it should do.

At least Lois is not as miscast in this as she was in Returns.
Chloe Sullivan is as much a joke in Smallville as Allison Macks acting is on real life. It is not just actor bashing, it’s the truth unfortunately.

Let’s see some proper hero developing and cape flapping shall we!

Whatever would have happened if Tim Burton had gone it hands on it fully?

I truly dread to think. Perhaps you could tell me from your walternate universe?

39. Well, the bar was pretty much buried after (during) the first season.

But yeah, they’re now rapid-fire name dropping with dc characters (the clocks’s running out) but they finally have Lois and Clark where they should be, and Welling’s grown into the part — it ain’t ideal, but for a long time (Jane Seymour and son) it didn’t look like it would ever get here. I liked Alison Mack early on, but, yeah, it kind of turned into Chloesavesthedayfromherdellcomputerville for awhile. And, like I said, I like the tone now — apokolips is on the way, but they still have time for loopy bachelor parties because, heck, they’ve finally realized it’s all just another day at work. gee whiz.

That’s what I see where I’m watching on Earth 36DD anyway. Anybody watch Fringe tonight?

Durance blows as an actress, which, of course, explains how she got the part!

V rocks! This show deserves a third season! And this is certainly NOT a huge disappointment. Some gasps on the writing should be filled in the next season and as the most new shows launched on ABC this year are failures, I think that V will return.

@ 28 Check the Circuit

Some of us are joking about Erica Durance. We like to yank Harry’s chain. I don’t have enough information about her to judge her acting. I just like writing about how gorgeous she is. Beauty eh?

As for Entertainment Weekly, it’s a very good magazine but the writers can be fanboys. This week’s issue features another Lost cover! Yes, the show that ended a year ago, gets a cover about life after Lost. I’ll give writers Dan Snierson and Doc Jensen credit for admitting being Losties but when you do that you lose all objectivity. There was no way they could have hated season six. Yet it went from science fiction to religion and ended in a contrived mess.

Entertainment Weekly does have great movie reviews.

Speaking of Entertainment Weekly and Fringe, there was an article in this week’s issue urging viewers to save Fringe. It also said John Noble deserves an Emmy. (pg. 64) Absolutely. Just compare Noble’s Denethor from Lord of the Rings to his Walter in Fringe. Two different characters. Two wonderful perfomances. He’s a one man acting class.

This week’s episode of Fringe was a wild one. And yes, so wild, that it maybe a series clunker. That’s okay because all series have clunkers. Trekker should love it for the implications and the guest star. Alan Ruck (Captain Harriman in Star Trek: Generations) played a scientist who breaks the laws of physics. It’s a great performance. And the talk about bringing back William Bell (Leonard Nimoy) has echoes of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, specifically the idea of one’s katra.

15. I’m with you.
I really like Outcasts–has a very BSG vibe (in my mind Carpathia is Kobol or original Earth). I wish it was getting higher ratings. I fear no season 2.

SPOILER ALERT

It would have been great to see Jamie Bamber in the show a bit longer, but it was a bold move to kill him off in Ep. 1 (would be great to see him in flashbacks if there were ever a season 2, 3, etc).

The only quibble I have with it is the narrow circle around which each show seems to revolve. Maybe because they seem compelled to give each character their due in each episode Forthaven seems inordinately small. I never got that feeling with Galactica. Plus, in BSG there were more minor characters lingering in the background (Captain Kelly, Hoshi, the “Sunshine Boys”). ‘Spose it could also be a matter of budget.

Hate to see it go, but it seems inevitable. It has great stories, writing, and acting. First Caprica. Now Outcasts. Seems like the only TV sci fi destined to prosper Sci Schock.

And speaking of the Beeb, Dr. Who is good fun. I really like Matt Smith. Didn’t watch the previous Docs in the recent set of incarnations, but I really enjoy Matt Smith’s Dr. Who. I only wish there was less “spooky’ stuff, so I could watch with my 9-year-old son. It seems like every ep there is one–just one–scene that makes it seem a bit nightmare inducing for a youngster.

#44 Basement Blogger

Thanks for mentioning Alan Ruck. I could not remember the actor’s name,only that he was Captain Harriman in Generations.

Next week’s TV Guide also has an article about Fringe. “Something Weird on TV’s Fringes”. (page 9)

It’s one of my favorite shows. John Noble is a terrific actor. I am hoping it is renewed next season.

@46. thebiggfrogg

It’s Doctor Who tradition to scare the living daylights out of children every episode – every week!

Mother says that I hid behind the sofa when Davros came on in the seventies, she also says that she would find a nugget of poo in my pants after…

SGU has the most irritating and unlikeable cast of characters since Voyager.
Something in me wants to see SOME kind of wrap-up though.
Already invested a load of time in it.
The US Being Human is as bad as the UK version is good- and it keeps getting better.

Fringe SPOILERS:

Anyone notice the straight-up TWOK/TSFS way William Bell is back?

TWOK: Spock melds with McCoy before he dies.
Fringe: Bell (apparently) melds with Olivia before he dies.

I wonder if they’ll rejoin Bell’s katra with his body atop a mountain somewhere. Maybe Vasquez.