Archive for the ‘TV’ Category

Life On Mars Season 2 was Fantastic!

Life On Mars Season 2

Life On Mars Season Two was absolutely fucking amazing! It is not very often that I come across a series that brings such an emotional response from me, the list is short at least. This show was amazing overall, and the ending of season two was nothing short of brilliant.

The most amazing thing is that the US remake managed to completely screw this up beyond all belief. They did something so typically American I am embarrassed to mention it. The made Sam Tyler... a Martian. I suppose it was due to the fact that the series is called Life on Mars, but still it made the US remake a farce. No wonder it only lasted one season.

Thankfully the British original is still here. People who have never heard of Life on Mars, or who might have watched ABC's horrifying remake, really need to find this show and devour it. It is what every TV show should be, funny, exciting, creepy, horrifying, and unabashedly good.

The one down side to American audiences will be the thick Manchester accent. After a an episode or so, even my wife was able to understand most of the hilarious stuff coming from DCI Gene Hunt's mouth. By the end of the second season there was still a few times where we would rewind to try and grab what in the hell was said. 

The ending here was spectacular. I really don't want to spoil anything, and believe me I am really fighting the urge to do so, so for fuck's sake go find this show and watch it! 

Life On Mars (UK) Season 1 Rocks

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So a few weeks ago I learned that the crappy ABC cop show Life on Mars was actually a remake of a very good British Original. And being the anglophile that I am, I had to see it. Boy am I glad I did!

In fact, the creepiest thing I have seen in years is during Sam’s dream sequences (or surreal hallucinations I’m not really sure which), where the little blonde Test Card Girl from 70’s BBC is brought to life with her freakish clown to relay cryptic messages to him.

The basic premise here is that a DCI, Sam Tyer played by John Simm, from modern day Manchester is struck by a car and awakens, evidently while within a coma, in 1973 Manchester as a DS. It sounds goofy I know, but seriously, this is good TV. There are many comic moments when Sam’s new DCI, Gene Hunt played by Philip Glenister, clash over the apparent lack of police procedure. Hunt is very much a ball-breaker and cares more about getting the bad guys off the street at whatever cost than following police procedure to the letter. Annie Cartwright is played by the beautiful Liz White as a WPC (Woman Police Constable) with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She is Sam’s confidant and reality check during the series, as he confides to her early on that he is from the future. So basically she thinks he is a nutter.

The cast dynamic is awesome and the storylines are wonderful and surprising. In fact, the creepiest thing I have seen in years is during Sam’s dream sequences (or surreal hallucinations I’m not really sure which), where the little blonde Test Card Girl from 70’s BBC is brought to life with her freakish clown to relay cryptic messages to him.

All-in-all this is an excellent series so far, and is deserved of much praise and adoration. The show originally aired from 1996-97 and then was followed up by the sequel Ashes to Ashes. I can’t fucking wait.

Farscape Returning to DVD!!

farscape If you missed collecting “Farscape” on DVD during its initial release, we have good news for you.  The long out-of-print series is coming back to DVD this November.

The set will be launched at a panel at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con and is being picked up by A&E Home Video.  The set will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the show.

When a freak accident during an experimental space mission catapulted Astronaut John Crichton (Ben Browder) across a thousand galaxies to an alien battlefield, a cult classic was born with the epic, adventure-filled TV series Farscape. The award-winning fan favorite show, which ran from 1999-2003 on Sci Fi and was named by TV Guide as one of television’s best cult shows ever, is about to blast off again on DVD courtesy of a pact between A&E Home Entertainment and The Jim Henson Company.

Blasting off in November 2009, as the show marks its 10th Anniversary, the treasure of the newly re-packaged DVD line will feature a Farscape home entertainment first: THE COMPLETE SERIES MEGASET. Never before available in one package, A&E Home Entertainment brings together all four out-of-this-world seasons with countless hours of absorbing bonus programming featuring multiple commentaries, interviews with cast and crew, behind-the-scenes featurettes and much more! Single season collector’s sets will also be released, offering genre fans of all walks the opportunity to sample this superlative sci-fi classic.

To launch this eagerly-anticipated re-release, there will be a Farscape panel convening at this year’s Comic-Con International in San Diego. Executive producer Brian Henson, creator Rockne O’Bannon, and stars Ben Browder and Claudia Black (Officer Aeryn Sun) will be in attendance to discuss their favorite moments from the series and the DVD re-release.

From Slice of Scifi

Celebrity Deaths

Today, or yesterday now, saw the deaths of two of the most iconic figures from the 1970’s and the 1980’s. Many people have mourned the passing of Farrah Fawcett after a long struggle against cancer, my sympathies go out to her remaining family and children.

Unfortunately her death is now being over shadowed of a sort by the death of iconic pedophile pop-singer, Michael Jackson. I think it safe to assume that like me, many other people have thought of Mr. Jackson as being dead for a 47719541number of years now. So his actual passing is somewhat anti-climatic.

What this teaches us is that the American people as a whole love drama. We thrive on it. We embody it. So instead of remembering these people for who they were in life, we remember them in snapshots of our lives. We don’t remember Michael Jackson the nut-job, pedophile- baby-dangler, no we remember Thriller because it is more convenient.farrah-fawcett

Conversely, we don’t remember Farrah Fawcett the strong cancer battling mother and feminist from the Burning Bed. Instead we remember the poster, and her stunning beauty on Charlie’s Angels. In a sense we are selling these two short, both are likely more than the sum of their televised parts, but did we really ever know them?

Did we ever really know them enough to really mourn them? Can we look back in our lives right now and say, “My life is in shambles now that Michael Jackson is dead?” If you honestly can then you are family, a very close friend, or delusional. The average Tom, Dick, & Harry have no emotional bond to Mr. Jackson the man. The bond is with Mr. Jackson’s music, and I believe that is still around.

So who is it that so many people are mourning today? No one really knows but their family, and to them my heart goes out. Both were parents and the children are the losers here today, they are the ones we should mourn. Not the artist and the bombshell from our memories, because they are still with us.

People still watch Smallville???

250px-SmallvilleNewOpeningCredits OK I was never a fan of this show, but I know it was uber-popular about, ummm about 8-9 YEARS AGO! Are people still watching this shit? How many years is this crap going to stay on TV? And seriously, Tom Wells looks like he is 30-something-years-old! Oh wait, never mind he is 32…  Do you see my point?

Now Brian Austin Green is joining the cast as Metallo, what the fuck?!? Are you serious?? Here is the truth of the matter folks, Brian Austin Green is a show killer. As soon as this guy shows up on a set the show is gone or complete crap within one season. He is the harbinger of televised doom. brian-austin-green-bigmtk3ng

If you doubt me on this go and dig through his IMDB page and you’ll see what I’m talking about. Yeah yeah, I know he was on every fan boy's favorite show the Sarah Connor Chronicles, but guess what? Yeah, it’s canceled too.

So maybe, Green joining on with the long-winded crap-fest of Smallville is a good thing! Green will the the nail in the long awaited coffin of Smallville. And here it is, the prediction,

according to TV Guide On-Line

and Slice of SciFi

Fringe 1.20 – ‘There’s More Than One of Everything’ Promo

Fringe

Anna Torv as Agent Olivia Dunham in 'There's More Than One Of Everything'

There’s only one episode left to complete the excellent debut first season of J.J. Abrams’ Fringe.

The season finale is Fringe’s twentieth episode. Titled ‘There’s More Than One Of Everything’, it promises to answer many questions…and raise many more when it hits fans with a “mind blowing ending.”

In this article you can watch the trailer, check out eight promo images, and at the very end we’ve included a few spoilerific tidbits.

First, the official press release synopsis:  Setting the stage for the dramatic and revealing first season finale are a sudden and unexpected attack on someone with close ties to Fringe Division, the return of bioterrorist David Robert Jones (Jared Harris) and the inexplicable disappearance of Walter. Find out more about the mysterious events surrounding our trio when questions are answered, observations made, loyalties are tested and the elusive William Bell (Leonard Nimoy) is finally introduced.

Watch the promo:

Eight promotional images:

 
 
 
 

Fringe 1.20 ‘There’s More Than One of Everything” airs Tuesday, May 12 (9:01-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX and (FR-120) (TV-14 V).

Not enough for you?  Then here’s a couple of spoilers:

*Spoilers below*

Executive Producer reveals: “Olivia is gonna find herself in an odd position. She’s been searching for [William Bell] looking for answers as to what experiments he may have done to her [as a child], but suddenly she’s goingto have to protect Bell from a familiar foe.”

Co-Executive Producer Roberto Orci teases: “Look for a very special gravestone and [take note of] whose name is on it.  My God [I just gave you] a big puzzle piece.”

Orci adds: “We were saving so many juicy secrets for years and years, and we’re actually going to stick a bunch of them in the finale. That may be the worst idea ever, but we’re doing it.”

Anna Torv (Agent Olivia Dunn) adds: “I can’t say anything about the grave. But that’s a big plot [twist]. The grave is the key.”

Leonard Nimoy serves up insight on his appearance in the finale as William Bell:  “It’s one scene. It’s the final scene of the episode, in which I appear with Olivia, with Anna Torv’s character. It’s very brief, but I think interesting, entertaining and there’s enough given in the scene to whet your appetite, that you’ll want to see more of this relationship and what it’s all about. You’ll want to know what it is he has in mind with Olivia, what he wants or needs her for, why he wants to see her, what their past history is about and where they’re going together. What are they planning to do? What are his intentions? All of that is yet to come, and I think there’s going to be some very interesting storytelling.”

Source(s):  Ausiello / ODI / Sci Fi Wire

[From SciFi Scoop]

“Fringe” Renewed

fringe “Fox has decided to give fans a second season of J.J. Abrams’ “Fringe” according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The freshman series was given a full-season, 22-episode pick-up today.

“‘Fringe’ proved to be a notable addition to our schedule all season, and it really has fans buzzing as it builds to a fantastic season finale,” said Kevin Reilly, president of entertainment at Fox. “J.J. and the whole Bad Robot team have been phenomenal partners, and we look forward to years of making great television with them.”

“‘Fringe’ continues to gain momentum, creatively and with viewers. We couldn’t be more thrilled that ‘Fringe’ will continue to freak people out for at least another season!” added creator and producer Abrams.

With the renewal, fans can expect to see actor Leonard Nimoy at least two more times as the founder of Massive Dynamic, William Bell.”

[From Slice of SciFi]

 

HOLY SHIT! LEONARD NIMOY WILL BE WILLIAM BELL?!?!

Did I mention to anyone how much this show rocks?

New Star Trek TV Spot: Your Name

‘Fringe’ 1.19 ‘The Road Not Taken’ Promo Trailer And Images

Fringe

A scene from Fringe 1.19 'The Road Not Taken'

The next episode of Fringe is the second last one for the season (Season 1, Episode 19).  The episode, titled ‘The Road Not Taken’, has been written by Academy Award Winner Akiva Goldsman (A Beautiful Mind).

Synopsis: Olivia experiences ‘awake dreams’ where she sees elaborate visions of things not really there. While investigating a disturbing case of a woman who apparently spontaneously combusted, Olivia throws caution to the wind and explores her unexplained visions further. Meanwhile, Walter discusses key information about the ZFT manifesto as Peter reveals a secret that yields unexpected results.

Watch the promo trailer:

Fringe 1.19 ‘The Road Not Taken’ Preview

Here’s eight promotional images from the episode:

 
 
 
 

‘The Road Not Taken’ airs Tuesday May 5 (9:01-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX (FR-119) (TV-14 V).

Images courtesy of Spoiler TV.

[From SciFi Scoop]