Many TV shows have returned to production and with that comes a shift in the balance of power. Check out who is coming and going on your favorite shows, see how you can win a trip to the Emmy’s and learn which favorite fandom will launch new webisodes this very week. It’s all right here.  Read on, MacDuff.

MORE OR LESS

According to TVGuide, Grey’s Anatomy is looking to extend Lauren Stamile’s (Rose) run on the series, so don’t expect that McDreamy triangle to end so soon.

On Numb3rs, Aya Sumika (Liz) has been upgraded from recurring to regular.  I love Liz, so I’m thrilled.

On the downside, two Panther players, Gaius Charles (Smash) and Scott Porter (Jason) have been demoted to “recurring” characters in the upcoming season of Friday Night Lights. The producers site a sagging budget as the reason.

You’ll also be seeing a lot more of The Justice League on Smallville this season as Justin Hartley (Green Arrow) has been locked in for 12 episodes.  According to TV Guide, “He’ll start this new chapter by gathering Aquaman and Black Canary to rescue Clark. Alan Ritchson and Alaina Huffman will reprise their roles, as will Phil Morris, whose Martian Manhunter also appears in the opener, titled ‘Odyssey.’”

Read more »

Avatar returns, The Prisoner is in the works, and there’s something strange going on around The Fringe. It’s a quick look at the fannish TV news.

IN THE WORKS
AMC is developing an American version of the cult British classic The Prisoner. Jim Caviezel and Ian McKellen are slated to star in the series about a government agent who finds out the hard way that there’s no quitting the biz. He’s drugged, kidnapped and dropped in “The Village,” a mysterious community where people are just numbers and from which there is no escape.  The original was known for its perplexing plot and highly metaphoric imagery, a style that is much more popular today in TV. I expect the new series will be highly ficable!

CASTING COUCH

Clea DuVall is taking over co-pilot duties on Ronald D. Moore’s Virtuality.

WATCH THIS

Calling all Avatar: the Last Airbender fans! The last 10 new episodes of book three, including the showdown between Aang and the Firelord, are about to begin.  Read more »

Caution! This week’s Sci-fi news is suffering from MFOS. That’s right, Multiple Fandom Overload Syndrome!

Movies

Ron Perlman has been a busy boy. The man behind Hellboy’s pretty red face has had his impeccable pecs in several super roles as of late. Along with filming Hellboy II: The Golden Army, he also recently finished up The Mutant Chronicles, a comic-ish look at a post-apocalyptic society. Perlman stars in an ensemble cast featuring Thomas Jane (Punisher, Punisher: War Zone) and John Malkovich, among others. He and Jane plan to preview the flick at San Diego Comic-Con and take suggestions from fans in the audience on how to improve it. Now that’s dedication to your audience!

According to the Hobbit Movie fan site, there’s a good chance that another Hellboy II actor will be making a fandom crossover. Doug Jones played a brilliant Abe Sapian for the first Hellboy installment and is taking over the voice of Big Red’s friend this time around (David Hyde Pierce voiced the character in the first movie). Reportedly, Guillermo del Toro is eager to find a place for the talented character actor in the upcoming Hobbit movie - possibly a royal place. Doug Jones said he’d be delighted to play whatever del Toro gives him, but he has his eye on the role of Legolas’ father, Elf King Thranduil. Watch out, Doug! I sense a major case of Multiple Fandom Overload coming your way!

Television

Read more »

Welcome to the first edition of TV Talk, a round up of TV news for all your favorite fandoms. So let’s get started.

WATCH THIS

If you haven’t been watching The Middleman, you must! Don’t let the fact that it’s on ABC Family fool you. It’s witty and fun - kind of Austin Powers meets The X-Files and every episode is a pop culture trivia game. Check it out Mondays at 8:00 on ABC Family.

Start your jumpers, Stargate Atlantis returns for a fifth season starting on July 11. It begins with the exciting “Search and Rescue” effort for Teyla and her unborn baby and it’s a non-stop action-palooza with the promise of much more to come. I can’t wait.

CASTING COUCH

Supernatural’s Eric Kripke told TV Guide that Katie Cassidy (Ruby) was being let go due to budget cuts. Months ago, Lauren Cohan (Bela) was also released so we’re back to square one. Spoilers for the season opener include two new characters and rumor has it that both of them may become recurring.

In a related note, Cassidy is said to be appearing in Chris Carter’s “secret movie” Fencewalker. Yes, the X-Files guru is keeping quiet about the project which may, or may not be shooting right this second in Los Angeles, somewhere. . .

Read more »

If you missed Earth Day, try Sci-Fi Saturday. This week science fiction does a little recycling.

Television

Uber producer Ronald D. Moore has been accused of rampant recycling in his new sci-fi series for FOX, Virtuality. The writer/producer for Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek incorporates a little of both in his back door pilot about Earth’s first starship. The story follows the journey of the twelve-man crew of the Phaeton on the way to a new planet. In order to pass the time, the crew is given virtual reality modules where they can live out any fantasy. (Holodeck, Anyone?)

Virtuality is also recycling a few good men from the sci-fi faniverse, the most intriguing of which is Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. That’s a fancy-looking name that stands for “the hottie who played the title role in the sadly cancelled FOX series, New Amsterdam”. He’s on board to play the mission commander Frank Pike (Captain Pike?) The show features a character named Roger Fallon (James D’arcy), a creepy psychologist who’s been described as a cross between Gaius Baltar and Cylon Brother Cavil. Also on board is director Peter Berg of the upcoming super hero flick, Hancock.

Read more »

Flashforeward has one last pitch for a short-lived show that could live forever thanks to fanfic.  It’s New Amsterdam.

What would you do if you could live forever?

Homicide detective John Amsterdam (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) has been alive for over 400 years. In 1642, he saved a Native American girl’s life; to repay him, the girl saved his life, with one catch: he’s immortal until he finds his “soul mate.” He’s been married, had children (63) - all in a search for the one who will make him mortal again.

When he has a heart-attack on a subway, Amsterdam spends all of his free time trying to figure out if the woman was there, all because of a cryptic message from the Native American girl that he would “know it in his heart.”

In finishing his search, he’s certain that the answer is Dr. Sarah Dillane (Alexie Gilmore) and sets off to woo her - a difficult task since he died right in front of her.

John works with Eva Marquez (Zuleikha Robinson), often letting slip little facts about his past that she takes with a grain of salt, and spends a lot of time in a bar owned by Omar (Stephen McKinley Henderson), who knows John’s secrets (and has a few of his own).

With great acting, intriguing plot-lines, a noir-esque feel and flashbacks to John’s former lives, New Amsterdam was a great addition to prime time television. The show had an eight episode first season and, from the looks of things, it’ll also be it’s last.

Let’s just hope that the fan fiction picks up so it can live on.
Read more »

Today’s sci-fi news is all about making something out of something else. Not so special, you say? We shall see!

Movies

It’s raining comics! This summer seems to be one big comics-to-movies filmfest, and that means theater-going heaven, at least for me. From my first peek at Dick Tracy with the wonderful Warren Beatty, I knew this crossover genre was for me. This summer alone will bring us more comic flicks than you can shake a stick at. Iron Man is still soaring with over $300 mil earned. The new and definitely improved Hulk is smashing at a cinema near you. Not to mention the one I never saw coming - Speed Racer, for which we had a fab FanLib contest. But even more impressive than the ones we’ve already seen are the movies from the comics genre that are still coming. Here’s a run-down:

Wanted - June 27, 2008
Hancock - July 2, 2008
Hellboy II: The Golden Army - July 11, 2008
The Dark Knight - July 18, 2008
Punisher: War Zone - Sept. 12, 2008
The Watchmen - March 6, 2009
X-Men Origins: Wolverine - May 1, 2009
Sin City 2 - 2009
Spider-Man 4 - 2009

Feel free to drool - I know I am!

Games

I recently watched the video-game-to-movie flick In the Name of the King and was surprised to realize how many creators have been inspired by games. Ever since director Steve Lizberger was inspired by Playstation’s predecessors and found himself creating cult classic Tron, Hollywood has been cranking out video game movies as fast as the special effects companies could keep up. Muses help me, I did like Wing Commander, Mortal Kombat and Doom, and I am writing my own fic for Avernum 4. Somewhere in there, fan fiction writers learned to grab the juicy little inspiration bunnies before production companies picked them up, and write little adaptations of their own. Hence, FanLib’s own Assassin’s Creed, Final Fantasy, Resident Evil and Super Mario Bro’s communities. Game on, FanLibbers!

Random Fandom News

Read more »

A while ago, skirbo brought us parts one and two of the Buffy 411. Then life happened — we’ll let her explain here in part three.

Here it is; the last installment of my Buffy the Vampire Slayer 411. FINALLY. I bet you thought (or hoped) I’d forgotten it. Alas, no. Real life reared its ugly head and took up just about every spare moment I had. I wish I could say that I had to prevent an apocalypse or slay a vampire, but truthfully it was problems with my teenaged daughter. She felt like it was the end of the world and I felt like I’d battled a demon by the time it was over, so I guess it’s pretty much the same thing.

For those of you that have not read the first two installments (or you did and chose to block the memory of it), take a look at them here:

Part 1

Part 2

First, we’ll take a mostly light-hearted look at the regulars. Then we’ll try for light-hearted on the shipping, but really, how funny can you make any ship with Andrew? It’s just wrong…

The Scooby Gang

Buffy Summers

“I hate this. I hate being here. I hate that you have to be here. I hate that there’s evil and that I was chosen to fight it. I wish, a whole lot of the time, that I hadn’t been. I know a lot of you wish I hadn’t been either. But this isn’t about wishes. This is about choices. I believe we can beat this evil. Not when it comes, not when its army is ready - now. Tomorrow morning, I’m opening the seal. I’m going down into the Hellmouth and I’m finishing this once and for all.” - “Chosen”, season seven

Believe it or not, I wrote about Buffy herself last of all. Out of all the characters on the show, she is overall the most complicated. Take Buffy in an individual episode or season and her character seems pretty simple, sometimes selfish and sometimes shallow. Very human. The picture painted of Buffy over the course of the whole series is not - simple, I mean. The high school years as a whole were all about Buffy accepting her destiny as the Slayer and learning to live with - if not embrace - it. Her Slayer-ness is very front row, in your face, the lead of the series. High school Buffy is “I’m the Slayer and I love Angel”, “I’m the Slayer and I’m grounded”, “I’m the Slayer and I’m not popular anymore”, “I’m the Slayer and I have a chemistry assignment due”. Or the ever popular, “I’m the Slayer, ask me how”. She really never handled the competition of Kendra and Faith very well. For all that she complained about having to be the Slayer, she didn’t like it when another one came into play.
Read more »

It wasn’t as big as “Who shot JR?” but still, David Lynch created quite a stir when he posed the question, “Who killed Laura Palmer?”

Twin Peaks was a serialized drama/mystery that would fit in better in today’s TV landscape than it did in 1990 when it premiered. On the surface, it was a show about a detective (Kyle MacLachlan) looking for answers in the death of a young woman. But underneath there was an intriguing cast of crazies all coming together to form one of the most twisted plots ever written for television. A critical darling, it also became a fannish favorite and it wasn’t long before references to the series began seeping into pop culture.

Secret diaries, The Log Lady, suicides, murders, ghosts and psychics - if you like your mysteries on the paranormal side, Twin Peaks is made to suit. And now you can watch full episodes at Fancast and have your questions about the show answered by series star Lara Flynn Boyle.

Lara will be blogging at Fancast for a week starting Monday, June 16. It’ll be your chance to have all of your burning Twin Peaks questions answered - and given the complexity of this series, I imagine fans will have a lot to ask.

If you’re a fan of X-Files, American Gothic or even Lost, you’ll love Twin Peaks.

Marphlets returns for another SCI FI Saturday.

Books

Potter Prequel: Rowling’s 800 word prequel to the HP novels earned nearly $50,000 for dyslexia and English PEN charities on the 10th of this month. The tiny note card included info about a pre-Harry James and Sirius. Lucky for us, Waterstones is now posting that card, along with the others from the auction, on their site for all to enjoy. So check it out, y’all - Potter has a prequel!

There’s a new Indiana Jones novel on the horizon. The adaptation of the fourth movie has been tackled by author James Rollins and is taken from the story and screenplay by George Lucas, Jeff Nathanson and David Koepp. You can now get an autographed edition of Indian Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull online at the Indiana Jones Shop.

TV

In an interview with the folks at SCI-FI Wire this week, Jared Padalecki discussed the upcoming season of Supernatural. [Spoiler Alert!] The cast and crew plan to start filming soon, barring an actors strike, the man behind Sam related.

Read more »

Veronica/Weevil shippers, rejoice!

While I’ve always considered Veronica/Logan to be my Veronica Mars OTP, I was pleased to hear that Francis Capra, known to fans of the late series as Eli “Weevil “ Navarro, will be reunited with ex-co-star Kristen Bell (granted, if only for a scene) in the next season of Heroes.

While I’m sure we’ll have to wait until season three starts to discover what his power will be (though it has been confirmed that he’ll have one), here’s what we do know:

1) Capra’s character, who’ll be featured in a three-episode arc, will be named Jesse and he will definitely be one of the series’ new villains.

2) At some point during the arc, Jesse will have a run-in with hero Peter Petrelli.

Not much info to run with, but I’ll definitely be (im)patiently awaiting the appearance of my second favorite of Ms. Mars’s bad boys; however, I can’t help but wonder – what will his power be? Will we be given the Elle Bishop (Bell’s Heroes persona)/Jesse romantic entanglement that many fans wish had gone down in the Veronica-verse?

In the end, I guess I should thank Tim Kring for giving me yet another reason to get all fan-girly over the next season of Heroes. So…thanks, Tim!

How do you feel about the newest addition to the show’s line-up of goodies and baddies? Is the Kristen/Francis reunion making your week the way it’s made mine?! Discuss!

It’s a day of the prequel! Let’s check out some of the prequel news in “unexpected” places.

Books

A Harry Potter prequel will be auctioned off June 10 by Waterstones book store. The 800 word outline by J.K. Rowling ends with the line “From the prequel I am not working on – but that was fun!” Thirteen other authors are contributing to the auction, with the proceeds going to charity. Man, do I wish I had a couple million to spend! Maybe the buyer will share their prize with the world.

Movies

Unexpected Party Wrap Up: On May 24, Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro were online to answer fannish questions about the upcoming Hobbit movie from fans across the globe. Over 7000 questions were asked, and Peter and Guillermo did their best to answer each one. The two were very informative and frequently a bundle of laughs. When del Toro was asked how he and Jackson met he quipped, “We finished a tray of shrimps together and agreed that NEW LINE should keep hiring round, bearded directors with funny accents…” You can find the entire transcript of the chat online at the WETA fansite.

Gaming

Read more »

This week you couldn’t get into Sci-Fi Saturday unless you had “star” power, which means we’re discussing some of my favorite fandoms.

Sci-Fi Vacation

For eight years now, Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios Resort has been holding Star Wars Weekends each summer. While the rest of the vacationers were stuck on that darn “Small World” ride, Star Wars vacationers from around the world were meeting their favorite SW characters and learning from the Masters at the Jedi Training Academy. It’s one big force-filled party held on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays June 6-29, and some of our favorite stars will be there. The celebrity host, Warwick Davis, who just gave a stellar performance as Nikkabrik in Prince Caspian, will be on hand, as well as Jake Lloyd (young Anakin) and many more. For me the trip from Washington to Florida would be worth it, just to cross sabers with Vader on training day.

Movies

Star Trek XI: (Spoilers ahead!!) Checking out Reel Movie News this week, I stumbled across some Star Trek movie spoilers that I found very interesting, including word of a future Spock arriving in the past in a Vulcan 1 time-travel ship! I say “Awesomeness!” Another item of interest was the possibility of seeing some Kirk roots - a “George Kirk” is said to be the first officer of the USS Kelvin and presumably James T’s father. *smacks on the juicy Star Trek morsels*

Television

Speaking of Star Trek, when was the last time you saw The Next Generation on TV? Well, on June 3 your answer to that question can be “yesterday!” On June 2, from 7 to 11pm, SCIFI Channel is offering a mini marathon with four of the series’ best episodes. Starting with “The Naked Now” and ending with “Skin of Evil,” the episodes seem to be a showcase of some of Trisha Yar’s and Data’s most memorable moments. June 2 is one of my last days of vacation, and I’m spending four hours of it enjoying TNG the way it was meant to be viewed. How about you?

Conventions

Read more »

Last year at this time we were talking about Bionic Woman, K-Ville, Gossip Girl, and Sarah Connor. We wondered which would turn into rabid fandoms and which would fall to the wayside with little fuss. In the end, Moonlight grabbed the fans but not the ratings, Gossip Girl got the buzz but not the fandom that was expected, and Bionic Woman and New Amsterdam both went down without a fight.

Well, it’s that time of year again. Time to look at the shows presented at this year’s Upfronts in New York and make our predictions. Which new shows will be major flops, and which will become the hottest new fandoms?

FOX

FOX has always done well in the fannish arena, and this year they have Fringe and Dollhouse. Dollhouse is Joss Whedon’s new series, and it already has a fan forum and websites even though the show won’t hit the air until January of 2009.

With shades of Dark Angel and Alias, Eliza Dushku stars as Echo, one of several operatives who are programmed with new identities every time they’re sent out on a mission. The combination of Whedon and Dushku alone should make this show a hot new fandom.

Fringe leans more toward the X-Files camp and stars Dawson’s Creek’s Joshua Jackson, Lord of the Rings’ John Noble, and Mark Valley of Boston Legal. Here’s the plot:

When an international flight lands at Boston’s Logan Airport and the passengers and crew have all died grisly deaths, FBI Special Agent OLIVIA DUNHAM (newcomer Anna Torv) is called in to investigate. After her partner, Special Agent JOHN SCOTT (Mark Valley), is nearly killed during the investigation, a desperate Olivia searches frantically for someone to help, leading her to DR. WALTER BISHOP (John Noble), our generation’s Einstein. There’s only one catch: he’s been institutionalized for the last 20 years, and the only way to question him requires pulling his estranged son PETER (Joshua Jackson) in to help. When Olivia’s investigation leads her to manipulative corporate executive NINA SHARP (Blair Brown), our unlikely trio along with fellow FBI Agents PHILLIP BROYLES (Lance Reddick), CHARLIE FRANCIS (Kirk Acevedo) and ASTRID FARNSWORTH (Jasika Nicole) will discover that what happened on Flight 627 is only a small piece of a larger, more shocking truth.

Read more »

Posted on 5/29/08 by cynthiab under TV | Comments: 3

The Internet is abuzz with a new campaign to save the Joss Whedon series Dollhouse from cancellation by Fox. The Dollhouse Forum is mobilizing the fans with a list of things you can do to show Fox that you mean business. Right now they’re considering leaving cardboard dollhouses all over cities in the US in support of the show, and they need your help. Join now! Don’t let Dollhouse become another casualty! Act now before the show even airs its first episode!

Yep, that’s right. The fans of Dollhouse have decided it’s not prudent to wait until the last minute, so they’re launching the Save Our Show campaign a full eight months before the show is even scheduled to launch.

I do see their point. Fox has already shoved Dollhouse to a mid-season slot, and they wouldn’t be the first network to change their mind about airing a previously announced show. Still, do you think it’s a bit over-the-top to start fighting for a show no one has even seen yet? Forgive me Whedon-ites for even suggesting such a thing but. . .dropping into whisper mode. . . What if the show isn’t any good. . . ?

But then again, it is Joss Whedon, so it’s gotta be cool, right? So that’s it then. I’m in full support of the campaign, and here’s my bit. Don’t wait until the last minute folks; let’s start writing Dollhouse fan fic now and avoid the post-holiday rush. Come on, you’re not going to let a small thing like having never seen the show stop you. . . are you?