Sci-Fi Saturday TV Special: Guide To The Fall Genre Shows

This week was when all the networks held their ‘upfronts’ and announced their 2009/2010 seasons. So this weekend we will be breaking up Sci-Fi Saturday into two days with today’s entry all about genre TV with a guide to what is coming back, what is cancelled, and what is new (including preview images and videos).

 

TREKMOVIE’s GUIDE TO GENRE TV 2009/2010
Sorted by network

 

ABC

Renewed for 2009/2010

  • Better Off Ted
  • Lost

Canceled

  • Eli Stone
  • Life on Mars
  • Pushing Daisies

New for 2009/2010

Eastwick [Fall 2009–Wednesdays 10:00-11:00pm]

Three very different women find themselves drawn together by a mysterious man who unleashes unique powers in each of them, and this small New England town will never be the same. The series is based on the popular movie "The Witches of Eastwick" and on the novel of the same title by John Updike.

"Eastwick" stars Rebecca Romijn as Roxie Torcoletti, Lindsay Price as Joanna Frankel, Jamie Ray Newman as Kat Gardener, Paul Gross as Darryl Van Horne, Sara Rue as Penny, Veronica Cartwright as Bun, Johann Urb as Will, Jon Bernthal as Raymond and Ashley Benson as Mia.

Images [more here]

Cast


Episode

Videos

Clip from the Pilot

Sneak peek

Flash Forward [Fall 2009–Thursdays 8:00-9:00pm]

When a mysterious event causes the entire world to black out, humanity is given a glimpse into its near future, and every man, woman and child is forced to come to grips with whether their destinies can be avoided or fulfilled.

Adapting award-winning author Robert J. Sawyer’s revolutionary novel, executive producers David S. Goyer (visionary co-writer of "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight") and Brannon Braga ("24," "Star Trek: Enterprise") invite you to embark on a journey to answer the question, "if you knew what your future held, what would you do?"

"Flash Forward" stars Joseph Fiennes as Mark Benford, John Cho as Demetri Noh, Jack Davenport as Lloyd Simcoe, Sonya Walger as Olivia Benford, Courtney B. Vance as Stan Wedeck, Brian O’Byrne as Aaron Stark, Christine Woods as Janis Hawk, Zachary Knighton as Bryce Varley and Peyton List as Nicole.

Images [more here]

Cast

Episode

 

Videos

Clip

V [Midseason]

"V" is a re-imagining of the 1980’s miniseries about the world’s first encounter with an alien race in which the aliens call themselves The Visitors, and have a seemingly friendly agenda that may or may not be a cover for something more malevolent.

"V" stars Elizabeth Mitchell as Erica Evans, Morris Chestnut as Ryan Nichols, Joel Gretsch as Father Jack Landry, Lourdes Benedicto as Valerie Stevens, Logan Huffman as Tyler Evans, Laura Vandervoort as Lisa, with Morena Baccarin as Anna and Scott Wolf as Chad Decker.

Images [more here]

Cast

Episode

 

Videos

Trailer

Clip 1

Clip 2

CBS

Renewed for 2009/2010

  • Ghost Whisperer [Fall 2009–Fridays 8:00-9:00pm]
  • Medium (picked up after being canceled by NBC) [Fall 2009–Fridays 9:00-10:00pm]

Canceled

  • Eleventh Hour
  • Harper’s Island

New for 2009/2010

  • No new sci-fi/genre shows on tap

The CW

Renewed for 2009/2010

  • Smallville [Fall 2009–Fridays 8:00-9:00pm]
  • Supernatural [Fall 2009–Thursdays 9:00-10:00pm]

Canceled

  • Reaper

New for 2009/2010

The Vampire Diaries [Fall 2009–Thursdays 8:00-9:00pm]

Four months after the tragic car accident that killed their parents, 17-year-old Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev, "DeGrassi: The Next Generation") and her 15-year-old brother, Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen, "Everwood") are still trying to cope with their grief and move on with their lives. Elena has always been the star student; beautiful, popular and involved with school and friends, but now she finds herself struggling to hide her sadness from the world. As the school year begins, Elena and her friends are fascinated by a handsome and mysterious new student, Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley, "Army Wives"). Stefan and Elena are immediately drawn to one another, and Elena has no way of knowing that Stefan is a centuries-old vampire, struggling to live peacefully among humans, while his brother Damon (Ian Somerhalder, "Lost") is the embodiment of vampire violence and brutality. Now these two vampire brothers – one good, one evil – are at war for Elena’s soul and for the souls of her friends, family and all the residents of the small town of Mystic Falls, Virginia.

Based on the series of books by L. J. Smith, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES is from Alloy Entertainment and Bonanza Productions Inc in association with Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios with executive producers Kevin Williamson ("Dawson’s Creek," "I Know What You Did Last Summer"), Julie Plec ("Kyle XY," "Wasteland"), Leslie Morgenstein ("Gossip Girl," "Privileged") and Bob Levy ("Gossip Girl," "Privileged"). Marcos Siega ("Dexter") directed the pilot.

Videos

Teaser

Clip 1

Clip 2

Clip 3

FOX

Renewed for 2009/2010

  • Dollhouse [Fall 2009–Fridays 9:00-10:00pm]
  • Fringe [Fall 2009–Thursdays 9:00-10:00pm]

Canceled

  • Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

New for 2009/2010

Human Target [January 2010–Wednesdays 9:00-10:00pm]

It takes a brave, selfless man to make himself a "human target" in order to save the lives of those in danger. Based on the popular DC Comics graphic novel, HUMAN TARGET is a full-throttle action drama centered on CHRISTOPHER CHANCE (Mark Valley, FRINGE), a unique private contractor/security guard hired to protect. Call him what you like, because for Chance, it’s about one thing only: saving his clients’ lives. When there is an unusual or imminent threat that can’t be solved through "normal" means of protection, Chance is hired to completely integrate himself into his clients’ lives to become the human target. If you’re a corporate manager whose disgruntled employee has gone violently off the deep end, Chance is your new auditor. If you’re the president of a bank who’s been tipped off to a potential heist, Chance is your unassuming bank teller. During each job, Chance, assisted by his business partner WINSTON (Chi McBride, "Pushing Daisies") and hired gun GUERRERO (Jackie Earle Haley, "Watchmen"), puts himself directly in the line of fire as he races against time to save his client, while unraveling the truth behind the mission. With every new danger, Chance’s dark history will also unravel. Does anyone know who Christopher Chance really is, or what secrets lay buried in his past? What would make a man willingly become a HUMAN TARGET?

Images [more here]

Cast

Episode

Videos

Trailer

Clip 1

Clip 2

Clip 3

Clip 4

Past Life [Midseason]

Have you ever experienced déjà vu or met someone you thought seemed familiar? Do you believe in karma, fate or love at first sight? From writer David Hudgins ("Friday Night Lights"), and inspired by the book "The Reincarnationist" by M.J. Rose, comes PAST LIFE, a new drama series about an unlikely pair of past-life detectives who investigate whether what is happening to you today is the result of who you were before. DR. KATE MCGINN (Kelli Giddish, "All My Children") is not your typical psychologist. Confident, outspoken and highly educated, she works at The Talmadge Center for Behavioral Health in New York City, a world-renowned institute dedicated to the study of the science of the soul. After experiencing a past-life regression in her 20s, Kate became a believer in reincarnation. Using regression therapy and her natural gift for reading people, Kate helps solve the mysteries of her troubled clients who suffer from present-day problems caused by past-life traumas. She believes there are levels of consciousness and explanations for human behavior that science can’t begin to explain. Accustomed to skeptics, but not bothered by them, Kate is an unapologetic believer and a force of nature who marches to the beat of her own drummer. Her partner, PRICE WHATLEY (Nicholas Bishop, "Home and Away"), is a different story. A former NYPD homicide detective, pragmatic and cynical, Price is a damaged soul who constantly battles grief and guilt over the accidental death of his wife. Price feels that Kate, though not certifiable, certainly operates on the fringes of science. It’s a volatile relationship, but with Price’s solid detective skills, and Kate’s penchant for out-of-the-box thinking, together they make a formidable, if somewhat dysfunctional, team. A fast-paced emotional thrill ride, each episode finds Price and Kate working with their colleagues to unravel a new mystery involving the past-lives of their clients. DR. MALACHI TALMADGE (Richard Schiff, "The West Wing") is Kate’s mentor and the center’s namesake, an avuncular but gruff elder statesman who is a legend in the field of cognitive research. DR. RISHI KARNA (Ravi Patel, "Scrubs") is the rookie of the group, a baby-faced therapist from Calcutta who loves bad American TV, Cuban jazz and driving everyone crazy.

Images [more here]

Cast

Episode

Videos

Trailer

Clip 1

Clip 2

Clip 3

Clip 4

NBC

Renewed for 2009/2010

  • Chuck [Midseason 2010–Mondays 8:00-9:00pm]
  • Heroes [Fall 2009–Mondays 8:00-9:00pm]

Canceled

  • Kings
  • Knight Rider
  • Medium (Moving to CBS)

New for 2009/2010

Day One [Midseason]

From executive producer/writer Jesse Alexander ("Heroes," "Lost," "Alias") and director Alex Graves ("Fringe," "Journeyman"), "Day One" tells the story of life on earth following a global catastrophe that has devastated the world’s infrastructures. Beginning with the immediate aftermath of the cataclysmic event, an eclectic band of survivors — played by Adam Campbell ("Date Movie"), Catherine Dent ("The Shield"), Julie Gonzalo ("Eli Stone"), David Lyons ("ER"), Derek Mio ("Greek"), Carly Pope ("24"), Thekla Reuten ("Sleeper Cell") and Addison Timlin ("Cashmere Mafia") — strives to rebuild society as they unravel the mysteries of what happened and face their uncertain future. The group, all residents of one apartment building in suburban Van Nuys, Calif., embarks on a quest for survival and discovers that hope is found in small victories — and heroes are born every day. "Day One" is a Universal Media Studios production.

Videos

Behind-the-scenes clip

Jesse Alexender Interview

More interviews at NBC.com/Day-One

CABLE/SYNDICATION

Renewed for 2009/2010

  • Doctor Who (BBC/SCI FI)
  • Eureka (SCI FI)
  • Legend of the Seeker (Syndication)
  • Sanctuary (SCI FI)
  • Torchwood (BBC2/BBC America)

Canceled

  • Battlestar Galactica (SCI FI)
  • Kyle XY (ABC Family)
  • The Middleman (ABC Family)
  • Stargate Atlantis (SCI FI)

New for 2009/2010

Caprica (SCI FI)

Set 50 years before “Battlestar Galactica,” “Caprica” follows two rival families – the Graystones and the Adamas. Bound together by tragedy, their ensuing struggle will determine the fate of the 12 Colonies.

“Caprica” is a society rife with advanced technology. Little do they know they are trembling on the brink of the creation of the first cybernetic life-form node, or CYLON.

Passion, intrigue and betrayal set the stage for the coming revolution.

The Graystones and Adamas come from different cultures and wildly different socio-economic backgrounds. Daniel Graystone (Eric Stoltz) is a computer genius and the leading businessman of the 12 Colonies. His wife, Amanda Graystone (Paula Malcolmson) is an elite neurosurgeon. Joseph Adama (Esai Morales) is an immigrant, a lawyer with ties to the mob, and a father who is desperate to reconnect with his estranged son, William (Sina Najafi).

Their bitter rivalry will bring the end of life as they know it.

Their children are the future.

Images [more here]

 

Videos

Creator Ronald D. Moore on what the show is about

The Prisoner (AMC)

In 2009, AMC will present The Prisoner miniseries, a reinterpretation of the British 1960s cult hit series starring and co-created by Patrick McGoohan.

The Premise : A man, known as "Six," finds himself inexplicably trapped in "The Village" with no memory of how he arrived. As he explores his environment, he discovers that his fellow inhabitants are identified by number instead of name, have no memory of any prior existence, and are under constant surveillance. Not knowing whom to trust, Six is driven by the need to discover the truth behind The Village, the reason for his being there, and most importantly — how he can escape.

Jim Caviezel (The Passion of the Christ , The Thin Red Line) will play the role of "Number Six" and two-time Oscar Winner, Ian McKellen (Lord of the Rings, The Da Vinci Code) will co-star as "Number Two."

Images [more here]

Behind-the-scenes

Videos

Sneak Peek

More videos at AMCTV.com

SGU: Stargate Universe (SCI FI)

Edgier and younger in tone, SGU will take the franchise in a dynamic new direction, appealing to longtime Stargate fans and first-time viewers alike. The two-part premiere of Universe is being directed by Andy Mikita (Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1) and lensed by Rohn Schmidt (The Shield, The Mist). The series is expected to premiere in October 2009. SGU follows a band of soldiers, scientists and civilians, who must fend for themselves as they are forced through a Stargate when their hidden base comes under attack. The desperate survivors emerge aboard an ancient ship, which is locked on an unknown course and unable to return to Earth. Faced with meeting the most basic needs of food, water and air, the group must unlock the secrets of the ship’s Stargate to survive. The danger, adventure and hope they find on board the Destiny will reveal the heroes and villains among them.

Images [more here]

Cast

Videos

Teaser

Warehouse 13 (SCI FI)

After saving the life of the President, two Secret Service agents played by McClintock and Kelly find themselves abruptly transferred to Warehouse 13 — a massive, top-secret storage facility in windswept South Dakota which houses every strange artifact, mysterious relic, fantastical object and supernatural souvenir ever collected by the U.S. government.

McClintock plays Pete Lattimer, a handsome, athletic Secret Service Agent whose impulsive, intuitive nature often leads him to leap before he looks. There is hardly a situation so dire to which he can’t find the lighter side.

Kelly portrays Secret Service Agent Myka Bering, a woman born to be an agent. Organized and focused, she believes in hard work, solid planning and steadfast execution. Needless to say, it is an approach that causes conflict with Pete’s off-the-cuff style.

Rubinek plays Secret Service Agent Artie Nielsen, Warehouse 13’s caretaker, who charges Pete and Myka with chasing down reports of supernatural and paranormal activity in pursuit of new objects to cache at the Warehouse which "threaten to ruin the world’s day."

Allison Scagliotti ("Drake & Josh") is Claudia Donovan, a young, hip, brilliant techno wiz who manages to successfully breach the Warehouse’s complex security system, ultimately persuading Artie to let her stay and help with their missions.

CCH Pounder ("The Shield") guest-stars as Artie’s boss, Mrs. Frederic. Her over-shadowing and enigmatic presence directs the team’s ongoing investigations to hunt down the peculiar, dangerous and threatening objects that must be secured at any cost.
 

Images [more here]

Cast

Episode

Videos

Promo

Sneak Peek

SCI FI TV BITES

  • The working title for the upcoming "Stargate Atlantis" movie has been revealed to be "Stargate: Extinction": "It’s the working title," writer/producer Joseph Mallozzi said, "but I kind of like it because a) it’s story appropriate, b) a dynamic title, and most importantly c) not ‘Dark Gambit.’" [GateWorld]
  • Kirk Acevedo (Agent Charlie Francis) has been cut from Fox’s "Fringe" [Oh No They Didn’t]
  • …Meanwhile, writers/executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci answered some questions about the upcoming second season in an interview with SCI FI Wire
  • …And the show has put out a casting call for a new female character called Katherine who is an FBI agent and is "attractive, brash, outspoken, quick-witted and capable. The part is recurring, with the possibility of becoming a series regular. [Spoiler-TV]
  • "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" show runner Josh Friedman addressed the fans on the show’s official blog.  Read his message here
  • …Meanwhile, End of Show isn’t ready to call it quits just yet, and lays out their pitch on how the show can be continued via DVD movies.
  • Nickelodeon has ordered a pilot for a "Monsters vs. Aliens" television series. [THR]
  • Joss Whedon is hopeful that Amy Acker, whose show "Happy Town" has been picked up by ABC, will be able to contribute to "Dollhouse" next season… [EW]
  • …While Eliza Dushku talks "Dollhouse" season two with TV Guide.
  • As part of the renewal of "Chuck", NBC secured a major marketing deal with Subway.  Subway will be integrated in the show, with one character working for the sandwich chain, and other advertising tie-ins planned… [Variety]
  • …Check out an interview with "Chuck" creator Josh Schwartz discussing what’s in store for the upcoming season at  EW
  • …He also revealed that Chuck and Sarah being a couple isn’t a sure thing and that there will be a potential new love interest on the show next season. [EW]
  • The 11th episode of "True Blood" season two is called "Frenzy". Plus, check out some new posters for the show’s upcoming second season. [True-Blood.net]

Posters [more at Access Hollywood]

  • Terry O’Quinn talks about the future of his character on "Lost". [via SpoilersLost]
  • Sam Witwer, who played Davis Bloome on "Smallville", talks about his role on the show. [TV Guide Magazine]
  • David Tennant has completed all remaining filming for his role on "Doctor Who"… [Planet Gallifrey]
  • …Also, Billie Piper, who played Rose on the show, has joined the cast to take part in the send-off of David Tennant.  Images, plus an interview with David Tennant, are below. [DailyMail & Planet Gallifrey]

BBC Wales interview with Russell T. Davies

CHART (5/11/2009 to 5/17/2009)

 

Look for SciFi Sunday tomorrow with all the genre movie news for the week.

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I’m surprised they cancelled Sarah Connor before they found out how Salvation. It could have reignited interest.

Then again…maybr not.

I think they knew Salvation would not be a hit.

fair play to the fans of terminator :the sarah connor chronicals , they sound mighty pissed off that theres show has been cancelled and kudos to the show runner who took the time to write to the fans on the the show blog.

it was always one of those shows that i always ment to watch and get into bt was always on in the uk just as i was about to go out . ah wel il have to invest in the dvds (mabey the fans should make them go the stargate route and get direct to dvds cus their first 2 were easilly feature quality)

finnally i think as trek fans we should alll ask whoevers up there in sci fi cancellation heaven / or hell to look after our distant friend. may she rest in piece

Terminator Salvation made me feel more like a Vulcan than Star Trek did. Aside from the last 20 minutes or so, I had very few emotional responses to that movie.

Looks like they should have called it Stargate Academy.

Morena Baccarin looks perfect as the alien leader on V. Can’t wait to see the reveal scene for that.

Hate to see David Tennant leaving Doctor Who, but that’s the way it goes.

This was a really good comprehensive view of what is coming.
Thanks a lot!

#1

Sarah Connor was pretty bad anyway. And Salvation (though I haven’t seen it) doesn’t look to be much better.

Woo hoo for the Dollhouse pickup tho! There better be a whole lot more Alpha in our future. Tudyk rocks my socks.

Re: Past Life, “Have you ever experienced dj vu or met someone you thought seemed familiar?”

Dj vu? Is that when you think you’ve heard a song before? Or a Vietnamese disk jockey? :)

FOX really needs to stop letting producers make cliffhanger season enders then cancel the show. It’s very annoying.

Hasn’t Trekmovie been reporting that the ratings for ‘Sarah Conner’ have been for the most part going up week after week? It probably took a hit after being moved to the Friday night ‘death slot’, but after that didn’t it start to recover? It probably got canceled not because the ratings were too low.. but because the costs to produce it were too high.

In any event you know a show is probably going to get canceled if it’s sci-fi, has high production costs, and is moved from any other night to Friday nights. Just like Star Trek Enterprise.

Can’t wait for V! Wish it wasn’t a midseason.

RIP Kings. A good show put down by incompetent marketing.

“Have you ever experienced dj vu or met someone you thought seemed familiar?”

WTH is “dj vu”?? “I’ve heard this before”?

Reaper and Eleventh Hour… too bad. Looking forward for The Prisoner miniseries.

Chuck will only be a mid season replacement? That’s really lame.

Canceled Knight Rider?!?!?! Not cool. What’s with the “Enterprise syndrome” cancelling shows when they’re just getting good!?!!?

Based solely on franchise connections, Stargate and the Battlestar Galactica prequel are safe for a couple seasons.

They gave Enterprise four seasons after all. And it was pretty awful. Some fans swear Enterprise was getting better in the last two seasons. But I only agree to the extent that what came before was so disasterous that there was nowhere to go but up. And even then, there were some really lousy episodes right up to the very end.

Time traveling alien Nazis? Xenophobic humans trying to stop the formation of the Federation by creating and then kidnapping Trip / T’Pol’s baby? The final episode being a holographic recreation for TNG Riker’s benefit?

By the time it gets to season three, you really need to be performing a little better on a fairly consistent basis. That’s around the time when TNG, DS9, and VOY really got going. There was never that sense of renewal with ENT though. I never believed that it was going to be anything more than what we’ve already seen. They tried by introducing the Xindi. But the central problem wasn’t the villians. It was a lack of chemistry between the cast members and dull characters. The command crew wasn’t particularly memorable. Travis, Reid, and Hoshi might as well be matte paintings. Archer was an uninspiring leader. T’Pol and Trip never moved beyond the stereotypical roles they were cast into.

I’m onboard for V … and very curious to see what they’re doing with The Prisoner. The original show is _still_ ahead of the curve in so many ways, that a smart remake (or “re-imagining”) could very well be mind-blowingly brilliant. Or rubbish. Time will tell.

Very much in mourning for SCC; second season was so solid, so engaging (and ouch, what a multi-layered cliffhanger to leave us with).

Pleased as punch about Dollhouse.

May or may not watch Caprica. Still so ambivalent about Galactica; I don’t need to go down that road of high promise sinking into dumbed-down suckage again.

And I’ll follow the Doctor Who franchise pretty much until it kills me (and if it does I’ll die happy).

BSG cancelled?

I thought it was a decision by the producers to end after 4 seasaons. That’s not cancellation, that’s a chosen conclusion – big difference.

Wait… the SGU Ship is called ‘Destiny’… despite beeing half a rip off of Voyager, they seem to me far more unimaginative than Voy… sounds very promising!

Seems weird to call “Battlestar Galactica ” ‘canceled’ considering it has been known forever that Ron Moore voluntarily closed down the show to keep it from wearing out its welcome.

I’m very sad that ABC canceled “Eli Stone” and NBC canceled “Life.” As is more often the case than not, a good show comes along and naturally it is let go before its time.

um, the same comment regarding “Stargate Atlantis.” Correct me if I am wrong, but didn’t its producers also voluntarily shut the program down so it could go the same direct-to-DVD route as Stargate-SG1?”

I love Reaper! Is it possibe it will come back syndicated Sunday nights for a third season as an earlier posting postulated?? What’s the word, Anthony??

Wow a lot of scifi coming out…Nothing really captured my attentionr eally…What intrigued me mroe was the talk here in the talkback about Sarah Connor….i agree it is a surprise that they cancelled it prior to Salvation but even if they had a spike it wouldnt have lasted since you cant trick people to watch a bad show

love it !

too bad they canceled Sarah Connor and pushing daises/eli stone.
we need more series like pushing daisies, it was fresh and great.

*** OFF TOPIC (ST-MOVIE SITE) ***
the screensaver (marked as “coming soon”) in the download-section…is gone!!! o.o i want that thing!!
*******************************************

V remake, The Prisoner remake, on Tuesday in the film theater I watched a trailer of a remake of The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3. Gosh!

Just what we need…a crappy remake of a crappy 80s cheesefest (‘V’)…at least Morena Baccarin is in it…minus here long, luscious locks…I’ll tune in when she gobbles up a hamster…LAME

Oh…yay…another Stargate tv series!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Predictions: Dollhouse is off Fox by Halloween, Reilly admits that the cancellation of Terminator may have been an error after Salvation pulls in $400million+ worldwide box office haul
Human Target premieres in November to take over Dollhouse’s “covetted” friday night berth…wait for it…and gets axed after 4 shows!!!!! Then American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, Hell’s Kitchen, and Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader, create a mega variety show hosted by Paula Abdul and Allison Sweeney that runs 5 days a week from 9-10, and Bones and House fill in the rest, until January, when the 24 spinoff (entitled ’48’) starring Tony Almeida runs every night at 8!

GO FOX!!!!!!

Whoever posted this article – none of the image links are working for me. Figured I’d let you know.

Knight Rider, Reaper, Terminator, Stargate Atlantis, Battlestar, Kyle XY… all great shows and now all gone :( In recent years we’ve also lost great shows such as Threshold, Invasion, Enterprise, and SG-1. It seems TV has it in for sci-fi.

>>>> Yawn … :)

Anyways, I guess they’re still working on Science Friday. The Shuttle’s wake-up music yesterday was the theme song from Star Trek: Enterprise. That was the first clue that things weren’t going to work out for them. I think The Original Series was beamed up earlier in the week. I do note that none of the shows discussed earlier made it up to space, but I think the bar scene “theme” from Star Wars did. The thought was “Okay, we’re in space, and we’re about to wake up to the Theme Song from Star Trek: Enterprise. I need a drink.”

Shuttle Atlantis is now on Orbit 197, and has already waived off the chance to land at Kennedy on first try. This means the following runways will appear, in order: Edwards Air Force Base, California, Kennedy Space Center, Edwards Air Force Base. There are clouds forming around KSC and I am pretty sure they’ll still try to land. They have only this last chance to try to land there today.

KSC is still (as of this writing) the primary but Edwards 197 comes up 17 orbital minutes earlier. They’ll advise in time to give the astronauts 35 minutes for either burn. The last chance for this mission to land is Edwards on Orbit 198. Kennedy will be out of range for the rest of the day, and they have to bring Atlantis in today, no matter what. Weather and winds are obviously a lot better at Edwards.

Back to your regularly scheduled (or cancelled) Sci-Fi.

I don’t see Caprica lasting too long. I rented the DVD and I found it painfully slow. It had a good premise. The writing was solid as was the acting. It worked well as a DVD movie but I don’t see how the series will take off. The pacing kept me looking at the clock. Maybe they will work out th ebugs when it hits TV.

Eastwick cast looks too young, too numerous, and too much like Friends (maybe it’s the fountain). Get off my lawn.

Dollhouse is merely a resume-stuffing vehicle for Dushku. It’s nausiating- “Oh, aren’t I wonderful? Look at my range! I can play anything!!!”
And the whole premise is lame too.
IT DID NOT deserve to be renewed.

I don’t suppose anyone around here is also a CSI fan? The original, that is. There was a great episode this past season with a murder that happens at a sci-fi convention for a fictional show that was a mish-mash of Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica. Two characters that worked together found out the other was a show fanatic, and they were both having fantasies about the other in these little scenes from TOS, it was rather funny.

At any rate, the absolute best part was towards the beginning, where they are showing this tape of what happened at the convention when the creator was unveiling his ‘new vision’ of the show redux. It was going to be ‘grittier’ than the original, and he shows this clip. The camera pans to the stunned, speechless crowd, all dressed up in their ‘original series’ costumes, and in the foreground, someone steps in camera and yells to the creator ‘You suck!’

It was Ron Moore.

Classic.

“The Prisoner” looks interesting. My wife’s into “True Blood”. I just don’t see it.

The FOX Network has a history of canceling great shows before they can find their legs. I’m a huge fan of The Sarah Conner Chronicles (as I was Firefly), and find it a downright shame to let this show go. FOX can be very forward thinking when it comes to developing and airing great new genre series, but just as backwards when it comes to giving them a chance to find an audience. They start them out with a great time slot then banish them to the “early grave” of a Friday night airing. It really is a shame.

I’m also upset the Eleventh Hour is no more. I thought this to be an intriguing, believable show with an very likable cast. It will be missed.

Caprica and V are the only new shows I’m looking at this year, can’t wait!

I’m upset Fringe is moving to Thursdays, sorry borci that’s The Office time.

Reaper was a good show, too bad the CW is horse garbage, don’t get me started on Smallville (that has nothing to do with Superman).

I guess now we know the real reason Juliet died on Lost – so she could make another show! ;)

Gutted over Terminator, and baffled how anyone could find it inferior to the absolute worst series Joss Whedon has ever been involved in. Dollhouse had the potential to be great, but to me, that potential was squandered rather quickly. If they’d kill off Dushku’s character I’d honestly enjoy the series 500% more. And I think after all the build up Alpha ended up a rather pathetic antagonist.

But in happy news – praise the television gods for finally realizing what a miserable piece of garbage that Knight Rider revival was. Jeez, it took them this long to figure it out? It was cornier than the original, and that is a feat in and of itself.

#16 I agree with most of what you said but there were a few good episodes in seasons one and two of Enterprise: Deadstop, Future Tense, Regeneration to name a few. They really needed a better actor for Travis or had him take acting classes and the actors for Hoshi and Reed weren’t too far behind him in acting ability.

I hope another network picks up Reaper, it was a well written show with characters I really liked. CW sucks and I wouldn’t even watch it if it weren’t for Supernatural.

#16 JohnWa wrote:

The command crew wasn’t particularly memorable. Travis, Reid, and Hoshi might as well be matte paintings. Archer was an uninspiring leader.

LOL, you nailed ENT for the most part. Matte paintings – brilliant! I think Scott Bakula was horrifically miscast. I often found myself wondering how many times they had to change out the carpeting after being worn out from all Archer’s pacing back and forth when he spoke. That guy just could not stand still to save his life. Half the scenes he’s in I’m looking at the back of his head, even in his close-ups!

But I have to disagree about the 4th season. Some of those episodes were no more ridiculous than TOS episodes. At least it started to feel like Trek again and the characters finally had some real motivation.

But I think the thing that killed the first season, Suliban aside, was that most of the episode lacked any reason for being. There’s some discussion going on within the forum about what would make a good sequel and many fans are saying let’s have a good old-fashioned exploration mission. But this is exactly what killed ENT dramatically. Just wandering around the galaxy aimlessly looking for something to happen.

Shame on you Fox for cancelling Terminator Sarah connoer chronicles. It was the best show on tv. Dollhouse is pants. Grrr.

40

RD:

“But this is exactly what killed ENT dramatically. Just wandering around the galaxy aimlessly looking for something to happen.”

But wasn’t that the point? NX-01 was supposedly the first Fed ship to go out exploring. It was up to the writers to come up with the ‘strange new words,’ and instead we had a temporal war and constipated Vulcans.

In TOS, we knew they were on a 5-year mission, but half the time, Kirk & Co. were policemen, or ferrying people or supplies. But we KNEW they had the mandate for exploration.

What killed “ENT” was this annoying aversion to canon that Ron Moore whinged about a few years ago, that it’s impossible to write Trek because the universe is too complex, etc. What Moore saw as an obstacle, Manny Coto saw as low-hanging fruit, and he and Braga did a great 4th season.

I’ve been catching some eps on Sci-Fi, and I have to say that Jolene Blalock and John Billingsley are great. Blalock is not only super-hot, but she conveys the whole range of emotion through her great eyes while maintaining her Vulcanness. Billingsley is hilariously nerdy and fun. Connor Trineer isn’t bad at times. It’s really the other four, especially Bakula, that bring it down. He doesn’t convey self-confidence, or have a swagger like Kirk and Picard. And Sisko. Maybe Shakespeare helps. Also, Archer’s lack of interest in women (or men) sterilizes the character.

Hoshi, Travis and Malcolm were disposable.

In supporting roles, Ambassador Soval, Shran and the Admiral on Earth were terrific characters.

My two cents

Vampire Diaries isn’t sci-fi. First off, it’s fantasy, and secondly, it’s just a cheap attempt to cash in on the giant steaming turd that is the twilight series.

46. Ryan

May’be you’ll get lucky and the whole “vampire genre” may become as overplayed as westerns in the ’50s and ’60s. They’ll make too many of them, thinking they’ll all somehow find an audience, and most of them will crash and burn.

So HEROS still lives but to bad for Terminator-SCC those were the only two programs on refular TV I watched, besides Football. Guess I’ll be spending more time on the Discovery channels and History channels. Guess I’ll look at the new Stargate show and try the before Battlestar show (but it sounds boring).

And you have to remember that now TV shows are around 36 minutes and 24 for AD’s, then you have G4TV that is showing more ads per hour than TV show 28/32 (and I count the self promo junk as ads along with the 15 second show blips to break up the 4 minutes or more of ads)

Will TV die when it gets to more ad time than show time, it’s nice the American version of the History channel is still mostly doing 44/16 for TV/ad ratio. And the Discovery channels (all except the Kids one still are doing 43-41 minutes per hour of show.

If they ever start a new Star Trek TV show will it be 30 minutes show and 30 minutes ads. If they do and wish to have show segments that hold viewers they have to be longer than 4 to five minute single sentence per character segments.

Guess the remake of “V” will show how much advertizing has trashed TV shows. Would anyone watch TV if they had show, ad, show, ad… and did not allow grouping of commercials into blocks. Six show interuptions per hour or 4 per half hour is getting to be to much.

Thank GOD for DVR’s, I do not watch TV in the Live form any more (except News or Football). And If I want to watch it more than once I’ll burn it ad free to DVD-RW disks and copy that to DVD recordable disks to keep. I’ve kissed TV ad time into the past. At times I even miss the old 2 minute ad blocks every 15 minutes.

“V” looks really good. It could turn out to be a total flop, but I’ll tune in for the series pilot. Almost seems a little “Day the Earth Stood Still”-esque.

Still pouting that they cancelled “Eli Stone” and “Kyle XY”. Raawwrrr!!!! Dx And what’s up with getting rid of Tennant from “Doctor Who”? He’s such a fantastic actor… And his character is – can I say it? – AWESOME.

And I’ve got to say something in defense about “ENT”:
I. Love. Enterprise. I loved it when I first starting watching it on Sci-Fi channel, and I still love it… With the exception of seasons 1 and 2. xD; (Aside from a few episodes in those seasons.)
Honestly, I don’t think that Scott Bakula was that bad. In fact, I think he did a nice job. The recurring roles of Commander Shran and Ambassador Soval were really great; those guys are fabulous actors. And Jolene Blalock and John Billingsley absolutely nailed their parts. That, and the TripxT’Pol relationship? Beautiful! It really kept me coming back every day to see how it went. ;3
I don’t think people give Brennan, Braga, and the entire production team enough credit. Season four was absolutely fantastic, if you ask me, and the special effects, ship designs, and overall sets were the best I’ve seen on ‘Trek. (Aside from the new movie, of course.)
I was sad to find out there was nothing beyond the fourth season. I think another season would have brough ENT back up to par; it showed a lot of promise those last 20 episodes.

Damn, I thought that was a NEW Lost in Space.

46 Christine:
Agree with you on ENT. V is pitched exactly as the 70s show was. }:-D>

40, 42 –

Yes, Archer was a problem IMHO.

Kirk has an arrogant swagger to him. But in his case, it is actually because he knows what he’s doing. And when he doesn’t, he knows well enough to delegate responsibility to somebody else. Picard possesses a keen intellect and sharp wit. Sisko is a highly disciplined and resolute soldier. Janeway combines compassion with an understated toughness. Although vastly different sytlistically, each of these captains bring something very special to the table. And you can see why they are on the bridge.

In contrast, Archer comes off as stubborn and unreasonable. His arrogance doesn’t stem from confidence. It is a by-product of his insecurity and disdain for anyone who’s smarter than him (especially the Vulcans). Which is why he never listens to T’Pol, even though she’s right more often than not. Archer has more in common with Edward Jellico and Admiral Netcheyev – two characters from TNG’s “Chain of Command” – than any of the captains above. And those two weren’t exactly presented in the most positive light.

I don’t understand why people keep saying Galactica was cancelled. It WASN’T. RDM and David Eick deliberately ended it when they did. There was a possibility of it being cancelled (and they planned “Revelations” to fill that role if the Writer’s Strike killed the show). But Daybreak was the intended end of the show. It’s not like TSCC or Firefly.