Sci-Fi TV Monday: LOST, V, Fringe, Doctor Who, Stargate Universe, Chuck + more

In Sci-Fi TV this week we have our usual big update for Lost, including finale news. Plus we have lots of details, reveals and previews for the upcoming hiatus returns of V, Fringe, and  Stargate Universe (including a look at a new alien). We also have Doctor Who and Chuck updates, news on a new zombie show and some sci-fi themed sitcoms and lots of new images and video previews for your favorite genre shows.

GENRE TV NEWS

Are you ready for "The End" of LOST? + More LOST news & previews
Executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse confirmed on the official "LOST" audio podcast that the two-part series finale — episodes 17 and 18 — will be called "The End":

Cuse: "We couldn’t probably make a more clear statement as to the fact that we are bringing our story to a close."

In other news, Nestor Carbonell says that he has read the script for the finale and warns "there’s going to be major heartbreak":

"…there’s going to be some very emotional stuff coming down the pike. But the emotional stuff, the payoff will be great. When you see it, and as I read it, it made complete sense what they were doing, and they’re doing it in such a beautiful way, what it needs to be. And again, without giving away too much, I think people will be fulfilled even as they may be crying."

This week’s episode of "LOST" is titled "The Package" and focuses on Sun and Jin who "desperately continue their search for one another, and Locke confronts his enemy." In other news, Michael Emerson (Ben) was injured on the set while filming:

"He has a huge shiner on his right eye!" a source reports. "Apparently, he has a fight scene and the choreography when slightly awry. One of his costars actually connected with Michael’s face and gave him a huge black eye."

Here are a couple ‘bites’ culled from articles and interviews with the cast:

• One character who will not be returning to the island is Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Mr. Eko), however there’s at least one more returning character that has not yet been announced (it’s a he). [E! Online]
• Another four-letter word that’s important to the series will be revealed in two weeks. It has no A’s, one E and when it’s revealed during episode 11 it’ll be clear what the series is ultimately about. It could also connect the island and the Flash-Sideways. [E! Online]
• The 15th episode (May 11th) will be Jacob/Man in Black-centric. [TV Guide]
• Sheila Kelley plays Zoe, a geophysicist working for Charles Widmore has shot six episodes so far. Kelly says that her character is "on the island looking for somebody and she’s looking for something. She will know who it is when she finds that person. She also believes she has the answer". [TV Guide]
• Alan Dale (Charles Widmore) didn’t get much sense of closure after filming his final scenes: "I didn’t get that feeling. In fact, I thought, ‘Gosh, if that’s it, I still don’t know if I’m a good guy or a bad guy, so I don’t know what it was all about." I’m hoping that when I sit and watch it, and I am watching it, that when it comes to the end, it will all be clear. But at the moment, I have no idea." [HoboTrashcan]

Promotional stills from episode 6×10 – "The Package" [more at Lyly Ford Blog and DH-Central.Net]

Promo for episode 6×10 – "The Package" [Dark UFO]

Sneak peek from episode 6×10 – "The Package" [YouTube]

Watch another sneak peek here

Final episodes of V set up war between the Humans and V’s
"V" star Morena Baccarin told USA Today that the final eight episodes of the season "[will set] up the war between the humans and the V’s." And the focus, she says, will be between her character Anna and Erica (Elizabeth Mitchell), the two "mothers" of the show: "It’s definitely a battle of the two moms." Meanwhile, new series showrunner Scott Rosenbaum promises that viewers will quickly learn more about the aliens:

"You’ll see different types of V’s and see what a V soldier is," while learning "why a V is anatomically, psychologically different from humans: Do they have feelings? Do they have emotions? Do they feel love, pain, anger?"

Here are some ‘bites’ from additional interviews with Morena Baccarin, Elizabeth Mitchell and Logan Huffman:

• The public will figure out that the Vs are bad, but it won’t happen quickly: "…it happens more slowly than you think. With what they’re doing for us and how well they’re taking care of us, you’d think they can’t be that bad because you don’t want the good stuff to be taken away," says Mitchell. [TV Guide]
• Morena Baccarin confirms an upcoming shout-out to the original series with regards to TOS guinea pig-eating scene: "There are many moments that are going to rival that. It’s not done the way it was done before, but it’s definitely a shout-out to it." [Fancast]
• Logan Huffman (Tyler) says we’ll see more of his character interacting with Anna in upcoming episodes: "I can’t tell you what it’s about but she is showing him, like, ‘We want you to be a part of our family.’ That was established when they showed him the engine room. It’s about ‘come on over to our side.’ Tyler is manipulated by them but he’s really blindly manipulated by them." [Daemon’s TV]

"V" returns this Tuesday, March 30th at 10:00 p.m. following "LOST" on ABC. Here’s the synopsis for episode six which airs next Tuesday:

“Pound of Flesh” – Anna introduces her pilot program to invite select groups of humans to stay on each of the 29 space ships, Ryan must deal with the fact that Valerie’s pregnancy is wildly accelerated, Tyler learns a secret about his mom, and one of the team makes a sacrifice to save Ryan, on “V,” TUESDAY, APRIL 6 (10:02-11:00 p.m., ET), on ABC.

Promo for episode 1×05 – "Welcome To The War" [YouTube]

Watch another promo here

Sneak peek from "Welcome To The War" [YouTube]

Watch four more clips: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 [via TheVFiles.info]

"Welcome To The War" podcast [YouTube]

Ask V: Morena Baccarin [YouTube]

Fringe returns this Thursday
No joke. "Fringe" returns with new episodes this Thursday, April 1st. Do you need to get caught up on the events from this season? No problem. Check out the FOX website Fringe 101 which among other things includes the following video – "10 Things You Need To Know About Fringe":

So what does the rest of the season hold? More flashbacks and the alt-Universe, according to star John Noble (Walter Bishop):

"It’s interesting having played Walter 25 years younger. He’s actually quite a likable man…He’s married to a lovely woman, and he seems to enjoy his work. He’s driven. He’s a driven man. He’s very smart, and he’s very driven to succeed …

"But he does make choices, and he makes that one error," Noble says. "It’s like we do in tragedies, where one error will cause this tumbling effect. … What he was trying to do was to play God, really. He was saying, ‘Well I can fix this boy,’ and he was playing God. In fact, he said, ‘There’s only one God in this lab, and it’s not yours.’ That quite an interesting theme to Walter that I find to this season so far."

The return trip to the alt-Universe will also feature a look at the alternate version of Walter Bishop:

"You certainly will see more of him," Noble says. "In the finale you’ll see an awful lot of him…It’s the same man, but with different choices made in life…So Walternate is in a different profession than Walter and a far different person, and he’s physically different. He’s a very powerful man, Walternate. I can’t really say more than that, but he is different."

And Noble says the upcoming episodes will build up to Peter discovering the truth: "When Peter finds out, he is extremely wounded and outraged and bewildered and humiliated, and all of those things, having just found some trust in his life, and giving himself to these two people, he finds out that he’s been duped yet again. Joshua Jackson plays this perfectly, and we see him as this lost man." More highlights at SCI FI Wire and io9. Check out the description/synopsis for episode 2×17 – "White Tulip" which airs on April 15th at SpoilerTV. "Fringe" airs Thursday’s at 9:00 p.m. on FOX.

Promotional stills from episode 2×16 – "Olivia. In The Lab. With the Revolver" [more at SpoilerTV]

Clip from episode 2×15 – "Peter" [Hulu]

Watch two more clips: 1 | 2

Interview with John Noble [YouTube via SpoilerTV]

AMC greenlights The Walking Dead
AMC has given an official greenlight to "The Walking Dead", a six-episode series based on the Robert Kirkman line of comic books. "The Walking Dead" will premiere this October:

The Walking Dead begins production in June in Atlanta with six, one-hour episodes for season one. The series is set to premiere in October 2010 during AMC’s Fearfest, the network’s annual blockbuster marathon of thriller and horror films.

And here’s the synopsis:

The Walking Dead tells the story of the months and years that follow after a zombie apocalypse. It follows a group of survivors, led by police officer Rick Grimes, who travel in search of a safe and secure home. The comic goes on to explore the challenges of life in a world overrun by zombies who take a toll on the survivors, and sometimes the interpersonal conflicts present a greater danger to their continuing survival than the zombies that roam the country. Over time, the characters are changed by the constant exposure to death and some grow willing to do anything to survive.

In related news, Jon Bernthal ("The Ghost Writer") has been cast in the pilot. He’ll be playing Grimes’ partner and friend Shane, "an outgoing bachelor". [THR]

Chuck finale details + schedule details
The season three finale of "Chuck" will consist of two episodes to air on Monday, May 24th: "Chuck Vs. the Subway" and "Chuck Vs. the Ring: Part 2". Meanwhile, Michael Ausiello of EW reports on some details of the finale. It will feature:

…at least one significant death, a childhood flashback with Chuck (Zachary Levi), Ellie (Sarah Lancaster), and Pops Bartwoski (Scott Bakula), and “two big game-changing twists” that exec producer Josh Schwartz promises will top last year’s. "This finale will leave fans very satisfied,” he continues, “and yet talking about what’s to come for a knock-on-wood Season 4."

Schwartz also says that if NBC decides to cancel the show, the finale is not intended to serve as a series finale: "Much like last year, we’re putting all of our chips on the table," he says. "We are going to drive our fans into a frenzy." Co-star Ryan McPartlin (Devon) echoed Schwartz’s comments about the finale [MTV Movies Blog]:

"At the end of this year, without revealing too much, I’ve got to say it all just kind of blows up and blends together," he explained. "They may have to once again reinvent the show for season four."

The next episode of "Chuck" airs tonight at 8:00 p.m. on NBC. The show will go on hiatus for two weeks beginning April 12th.  New episodes return on April 26th.

Promotional stills from episode 3×12 – "Chuck Vs. the American Hero" [more at SpoilerTV]

Set images [E! Online]

Promo for "Chuck Vs. the American Hero" [YouTube]

Watch another promo here

Doctor Who: Matt Smith on his Doctor and Steven Moffat talks about budget cuts
Matt Smith says his Doctor is "a bit more reckless," adding:

"He’s a thrill seeker and addicted to time travel," he continues. "He is the mad buffoon genius who saves the world because he’s got a great heart, spirit and soul but he also doesn’t suffer fools. I hope all of these things come across but I think I’ve also injected a bit of my own personality into the role."

Meanwhile, writer/showrunner Steven Moffat downplayed news about the show’s budget cuts:

"There will never be enough money to make Doctor Who. We could spend Avatar’s budget and still ask for more, because it’s a show that’s set in every point in history and every place in the universe."

"What we think is what we need to achieve, and how we’re to achieve it, given whatever financial circumstance we’re in. A lot of the most iconic things about Doctor Who are a direct consequence of financial shortcomings."

"Budget cuts are tough – I don’t like them, but they force you to be creative. You’ve seen that trailer. Does it look like we’ve had a budget cut?"

"Doctor Who" season five premieres Saturday, April 3rd in the U.K. on BBC One and Saturday, April 17th in the US on BBC America. Here’s the synopsis for episode two – "The Beast Below":

The Doctor takes Amy to the distant future, where she finds Britain in space. Starship UK houses the future of the British people, as they search the stars for a new home. But as Amy explores, she encounters the terrifying Smilers and learns a deadly truth inside the Voting Booth.

In other news, the upcoming spin-off series "K9" will premiere on Disney XD in the U.K. on Saturday April 3rd at 4:00 p.m. local time and at 9:30 a.m. on the TEN network in Australia. Here’s the synopsis for episode one – "Regeneration":

Whilst Starkey and Jorjie are trying to escape the police they take refuge in a large detached house, now the residence of reclusive scientist, Professor Gryffen. They come across two Jixen warriors and a robot dog, K-9 Mark I.

Promotional stills from the fifth season premiere – "Eleventh Hour" [more at Blogtor Who]

Karen Gillan promotional still [Den of Geek]

New BBC America trailer [BBC America]

Listen to a U.K. radio trailer here

First Moments of the Series Premiere [BBC America]

Who Are the Daleks? [BBC America]

Matt Smith on "Friday Night with Jonathan Ross" – Introduction [via Blogtor Who]

Watch the full interview here and watch another interview with Smith here

You can also watch an interview with co-star Karen Gilliam here

Clip from episode 5×06 "Vampires In Venice" [via Blogtor Who]

Stargate Universe returns this Friday + New Alien race up close
"Stargate Universe" returns from its 4-month hiatus this Friday and co-creator/executive producer Brad Wright is confident season 1.5 will be an improvement over the first half of the season:

"I think the second half of Season 1 is strong, or stronger, and certainly answers some of the criticisms that have been thrown toward the show," Wright said. "There was also some trepidation from some of the fans of the other shows who haven’t embraced it yet. I say ‘yet’ because I really think that the second half of Season 1 will win back a lot of folks just because there are people who are saying, ‘When are we going to see some aliens? When are we going to see some adventure that isn’t just about our characters?’"

The MGM trailer for season 1.5 gave us a brief glimpse at a new Alien, but the official website now gives us an even closer look:

"Stargate Universe" airs Friday’s at 9:00 p.m. on Syfy. io9 has a spoiler-free review of this week’s episode titled "Space" which you can check out here

Promo: "The Ride" [Syfy]

Interview with Brian J. Smith, part 2 [SCI FI Wire]

Promotional stills from episode 1×11 – "Space" [more at MGM]

Sci-fi themed sitcoms in development at Syfy and NBC
Both Syfy and NBC are working on new comedy pilots with a science fiction twist. Syfy has ordered a comedy pilot script created by and co-starring Michael Rosenbaum (Lex Luthor on "Smallville"):

The single camera program follows the lives of two friends, former actors on a popular science-fiction show, who have hit rock bottom and must work together to get their lives back on track.

NBC, meanwhile, is reportedly developing a comedy pilot about "a group of sci-fi fanboys in a small town who shoot their own version of a canceled tv show" titled "Our Show".

PREVIEW Videos & Images

Ashes to Ashes

Season three promotional stills [more at Den of Geek]

Caprica

Interview with Alessandra Torresani [TV Guide]

FlashForward

Promotional stills from episode 1×15 – "Queen Sacrifice" [more at BSCreview]

Promo for episode 1×14 – "Better Angels" [YouTube]

Interviews with cast [SCI FI Wire]

Human Target

Promo for episode 1×10 – "Tanarak" [YouTube]

Riverworld

Promotional stills [more at OSCK]

Smallville

Promo for episode 9×16 – "Escape" [YouTube]

Supernatural

Promo for episode 5×16 – "Dark Side of the Moon" [YouTube]

Webclip from "Dark Side of the Moon" [YouTube]

Watch three more clips: 1 | 2 | 3 [via BuddyTV]

True Blood

Season three promo poster [SpoilerTV]

Season three promo: "Waiting Sucks" [YouTube]

Watch another promo here

Season three sneak peek [HBO via E! Online]

Watch another sneak peek here

The Vampire Diaries

Paul Wesley (Stefan) and Nina Dobrev (Elena) [SpoilerTV]

Promo for episode 1×16 – "There Goes The Neighborhood" [YouTube]

Watch another promo here

Webclip for "There Goes The Neighborhood" [YouTube]

Watch another promo here

TV BITES

• Seven episodes of "Supernatural" remain this season. Check out the remaining episode titles here.
• This week’s episode of "FlashForward" will answer the question of why the crows died in Somalia. [EW]
• Here are some of the latest press releases/synopses for the show’s we cover:
• "FlashForward" – Episode 1×15 – "Queen Sacrifice". [SpoilerTV]
• "FlashForward" – Episode 1×16 – "Let No Man Put Asunder". [SpoilerTV]
• "Smallville" – Episode 9×18 – "Upgrade". [SpoilerTV]
• "Supernatural" – Episode 5×18 – "Point of No Return". [SpoilerTV]
• "The Vampire Diaries" – Episode 1×18 – "Under Control". [SpoilerTV]
• "Ghostfacers", the upcoming "Supernatural" webseries spinoff, premieres online on April 15th but fans at WonderCon will get an early peek this Friday, April 2nd. [HitFix]
• "Smallville" creators/executive producers Miles Millar and Alfred Gough and series co-producer Tollin/Robbins Prods. are suing Warner Brothers TV and The CW over breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty. [THR]

CASTING BITES

• Gina Torres ("Firefly") will guest star in the upcoming second season Syfy’s "Warehouse 13". Torres will play a love interest for Pete (Eddie McClintock). [SCI FI Wire]
• Lucas Bryant ("Dollhouse") and Eric Balfour ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer") have been added to the cast of Syfy’s new drama series "Haven", based on Stephen King’s novella "The Colorado Kid". [SCI FI Wire]
• The producers of True Blood are searching for someone to play Holly, "A thirtysomething (presumably single) mother of two, Holly applies for a job at Merlotte’s and creeps Arlene out with her oddly prescient observations". The character will be recurring in season 3 with the possibility of a series regular upgrade in season 4. [EW]

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

Last week’s episode of "Caprica" (3/19/2010) drew 1.23 million viewers and a 0.4 A18-49 rating. That was even in A18-49 rating from the week prior but up about  about 15% in viewers (from 1.07M). Also airing last Friday was "Star Wars: Clone Wars" on Cartoon Network which drew 2.02 million viewers and a 0.4 A18-49 rating.

Episode four of the new season of Syfy’s "Ghost Hunters" drew 2.04M viewers and a 0.9 A18-49 rating this past Wednesday. That was down just 3% in viewers and even in A18-49 rating from the week prior. However, lead-out "Destination Truth" took a big hit. The series dropped 18% in viewers (to 1.83M) and 20% in A18-49 rating (to a 0.8 rating) from last week’s season 3.5 premiere (which was the show’s best ever premiere performance). [@TravisYanan]

CHART (3/15/2010 to 3/21/2010)

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