ComicCon Countdown: Who’s coming?
To use a well-worn phrase…Good News, Everyone! Your friends over here at TV are heading on out to San Diego during the last week in July to cover one of the bigger, if not biggest, comic book and science fiction conventions on mainland America and the world. I speak, of course, of ComicCon.
From July 24th through July 27th you’ll see us with our TV T-Shirts (and underwear — viewings of those by appointment) as we join the rest of the throngs attending the convention. At some point we may even be doing a bit of Twittering to find out where you are at the convention so you can find us in order to shake our hands (or, in the case of some of our commenters, punch and kick us) and potentially get some free stuff as well.
Now, some of you may be saying ’While I’d love to meet you at ComicCon to tell you how I really feel about you and your site, why are you going to a comic book and science fiction convention?’ Well, truth be told, ComicCon is more than just a comic book and science fiction convention these days. Fact is, aside from The Television Critics Association press tour that takes place in Los Angeles the week before, ComicCon has become one of the premiere television events of the summer.
Shows like Battlestar Galactica, Lost, Stargate Atlantis and Heroes are not the only ones making appearances at the convention. This year there are some shows that don’t really fit the science fiction or comic book genres. Shows like Chuck, Bones, The Big Bang Theory and, most unusually, The Office. Why the change? According to an article at TVWeek, the convention is moving away from its sci fi roots.
Studios are bringing these shows to the convention not because they use any hi-tech gadgetry or say “frack” a lot. They are coming because these shows have strong fan and cult followings. Bones is one example of this. It has such as devoted fan community that viewers were calling for the heads of the show’s producers after the season finale. Prison Break, Chuck, and 24 also have their huge fan followings as well, which make them a perfect fit for this convention.
One would think at this point that the convention organizers would be upset. On the contrary, they are quite happy about the whole situation. According to David Glanzer, convention director of marketing and public relations, having more television shows at the Con is a good thing. As opposed to movie people that appear at the Con, television people talk and interact more with the fans. They also give more behind-the-scenes information out, which makes the fans very happy.
Having said that, here is a breakdown of some of the shows that will be at the convention:
Warner Brothers: Chuck, Fringe, Pushing Daisies, Smallville, Supernatural, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and The Big Bang Theory
20th Century Television: 24, Bones, Prison Break, Dollhouse, Life on Mars, The Simpsons, Family Guy, American Dad, and Futurama
Universal Media Studios: Kings, Knight Rider, The Office, Heroes
SciFi: Battlestar Galactica, Eureka, Stargate Atlantis
ABC Studios: Lost, Kyle XY, Ghost Whisperer, Wizard’s First Rule
More on the shows that are appearing and who will be appearing as more items are finalized.
The Day the Earth Stood Still Movie Trailer
“My name is Klaatu Reeves and I have come to Earth to warn you of Hancock.” The first trailer for December’s big budget remake of 1951’s The Day the Earth Stood Still is now online after premiering in front of Will Smith’s ne’er-do-well superhero flick. Under an icy blue tint, the preview quickly evokes Close Encounters, The Abyss, Spielberg’s War of the Worlds, Contact and Langoliers before closing in on the modern green message, an aspect that Keanu Reeves has mentioned briefly in the press….
“The version I was just working on, instead of being man against man, it’s more about man against nature. My Klaatu says that if the Earth dies, you die. If you die, the earth survives. I’m a friend to the earth.”
The special effects by Weta Digital—the emphasis here is on a large alien orb and apocalyptic destruction—seem crisp and foreboding enough. Glimpses of a cast that includes Jennifer Connelly, Mad Men’s Jon Hamm (his first major movie role) and Kathy Bates, give the impression that director Scott Derrickson (Exorcism of Emily Rose) may have crafted a classier Day After Tomorrow. If so, that would slightly exceed most fanboys’ early expectations for the film. Alas, do you see Gort? Check out the comments.
Watch the trailer in high resolution on filmweb.no.
Synopsis: Updating the 1951 sci-fi classic’s Cold War and religious themes, Keanu Reeves stars as Klaatu, a mysterious man from another world who warns Earth’s humans that unless they change their gluttonous and harmful ways and pay more attention to the planet’s needs, aliens will swoop down and destroy them for good. :0
The Day the Earth Stood Still opens on December 12th.
Stargate Atlantis season five - An early look
I was pretty excited when our friendly neighborhood FedEx guy dropped off the envelope with the promo package for season five of Atlantis. And I remained so even after my DVD player balked at reading the disk. It just served as a fine example as to why it’s not geeky to have a computer connected to your television, it’s just handy.
As the disk started up I was thinking it would be a good idea to do an early look post about where things look to be heading in season five. Unfortunately, Sci Fi only sent out the first episode of the season, and it’s not telling us much of anything about season five, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The episode plays like S04E21 right up to the last scene, where season five begins to take over. Given where we last left our friends in Atlantis, that was probably to be expected. More, including some minor spoilers, after the jump.
Of course, as we look ahead to season five, there are a few things we do know for sure. First, and most obviously, is the new sheriff in town. That revelation does come up in the premiere, but it is at the very end of the show. I still haven’t decided just where I am with the idea of bringing in Woolsey to run things. On the one hand, the Carter experiment never really worked for me. I wouldn’t call it horrible, but I would say that, looking back, it was the weakest part of season four for me.
So, a change should be good. I’ve just never really warmed up to Woolsey, and certainly never considered him for the head of the Atlantis team. That’s the bit that gives me pause. And I should point out that it’s a pause with the writers here. I’m questioning whether or not they can pull off the change. I have every confidence in Robert Picardo, and I hope it works out because I do welcome more of him on the screen.
In more spoilery territory, and speaking of leaders of Atlantis, I was happy to see that we will be getting back to the Weir story that was left hanging in season four’s “Be All My Sins Remember’d.” Unfortunately, while it is great that the story will be followed up on, it is a little disappointing that it’s all going to happen without Torri Higginson. She turned down the opportunity to come back for one season five episode.
While it’s not the same as having Dr. Weir back, that episode will mark the return of FRAN. And on that note of women(?) from McKay’s life returning, we’ll also be catching up with Jeanie again. Add to that the grrl-power away team featuring Nicole de Boer (!) as Dr. Alison Porter and the feisty new Capt. Vega (Leela Savasta), the return of old friends Dr. Beckett and Daniel Jackson, and the return of an old enemy that is all kinds of spoilery, and season five is looking pretty good on paper. We’ll get to see how it all transfers to the screen on Friday, July 11th at 10 PM ET.
Rumors hit the set of Battlestar Galactica about TV movie
Fans of the almost late, definitely great Battlestar Galactica over at Sci Fi can keep their hopes alive that the series may return in the form of those oft-rumored movies. On June 27, Grace Park said that rumors of a Battlestar Galactica made-for-TV film have reached the set, where they recently had their wrap party for the four-year series. None of the actors have been contacted, and as we’ve been reporting all over the place here on TV, the various actors and actresses are getting snatched up left and right for new shows.
Park’s rumor had shooting beginning in August, which seems a tremendous stretch, as most of the new fall shows the actors are appearing in will be filming at that time. It would make more sense to try and film it during breaks. Or maybe it’s going to go the route of Razor and feature mostly non-regular actors. Hell, she may have heard about the filming of prequel series Caprica.
Who knows what the hell is going on, but this is the new media. Facts be damned, I love Battlestar Galactica, and if Park had said this shortly before vomiting and passing out drunk off her ass, it’d still be worth a post. Anyone hear anything more?