Sci-Fi Storm

Variety (via SCI FI Wire) is reporting that NBC has picked up a new SF series which doesn’t even have a title yet, created by Kevin Falls (The West Wing). The premise: “The story revolves around a man who travels back in time to correct wrongs, with a romantic storyline as well.” OK, aside from a more obvious romantic thread, it sounds a bit like Quantum Leap to me…

I really should have posted this at least yesterday, but for various (non-technical) reasons couldn’t. But if you didn’t see last night’s episode of Stargate SG-1, “200”, catch it next time its on (Aug. 25th at 6pm ET). There is also a “Sci-Fi Inside” special on before it. “200” picks up where “Wormhole X-treme” (the 100th episode) left off, with Wormhole X-treme becoming a feature film, and Martin (Willie Garson) wants SG-1 to help. In the process, they make fun of a number of other shows (including a certain show a couple of the current stars appeared on), Richard Dean Anderson’s absence, and even themselves. And the production of WXT even mimics the show itself…they even replaced the lead actor. I was laughing out loud.

Dreamworks Animation has put up a teaser web site for the upcoming Shrek the Third. Nothing more than a flash image with a little animation so far, but I expect more soon. The movie is set to open in May 2007.

Got the itch to be a Director? Producer? Cameraman? Actor? Think you know all about D&D? If you can make a 5 minute film in the next two weeks, you may have a shot at the Dungeons and Dragons® Fan Film Fest Contest. You can win a video production computer suite and lots of D&D stuff. Deadline is September 1st, and fan voting begins September 15th.

I thought I heard that this had already been decided in Pluto’s favor, but tons of new articles abound about the upcoming decision of the IAU regarding what constitutes a planet – and therefore whether Pluto will lose status. Pluto has had questionable status for years when it was learned it was far smaller than believed – and the discovery several years ago of 2003 UB313 “Xena”, further out and slightly larger – is pressing the IAU to decide what really should be called a planet. Most likely Pluto will remain a “planet”, but be lumped into a different class of planet, such as “dwarf planet”. We probably won’t find out until the end of the month – a vote is scheduled on Aug. 24th.

TV Guide has a Q&A article with Lost creator/producer J.J. Abrams in which he talks a bit about his influences, the upcoming season of Lost, and the upcoming Star Trek movie.

According to The Hollywood Reporter (not on the web site), The Chronicles of Narnia producer Mark Steven Johnson said that filming of the second movie, Prince Caspian, will begin in January in Europe instead of New Zealand, where The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe was filmed (along with a lot of the recent epic films). Also, the third movie, Voyage of the Dawn Treader, will begin production a year after Prince Caspian is finished.

I finally got a chance to listen to the soundtrack for Battlestar Galactica Season 2 which came out in June. Read More for my impressions.

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James A. Van Allen, the physicist who lent his names to the belts of radiation that surround the Earth, passed away yesterday at the age of 91. He helped design the instruments that were on the first american satellite, Explorer 1, which discovered the intense radiation belts caused by energetic particles trapped in the Earth’s magnetic field. These would later trouble scientists wondering if man could survive space, and provided fodder for many SF stories…notable the original movie Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, where the belts catch fire and threaten to scorch the Earth…

Fans in the U.S. rejoice! The SCI FI Channel has finally announced it will air the second series of the new Doctor Who starting September 29th starting with a two-hour special that includes “The Christmas Invasion”, which introduces the newest Doctor, David Tennant. Beware of Cybermen…