Sci-Fi Storm

At least we don’t think it’s a joke…Deadline is reporting that Fox has ordered a new version of the late Carl Sagan’s Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, and the new series will be produced by – wait for it – Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane.

Cosmos: A Space-Time Odyssey will be a 13-part series produced by MacFarlane and Sagan’s original collaborators – his widow Ann Druyan and astrophysicist Steven Soter, and will be hosted by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson.

According to the producers, the new series will tell “the story of how human beings began to comprehend the laws of nature and find our place in space and time. It will take viewers to other worlds and travel across the universe for a vision of the cosmos on the grandest scale. The most profound scientific concepts will be presented with stunning clarity, uniting skepticism and wonder, and weaving rigorous science with the emotional and spiritual into a transcendent experience.”

Fox will air the show in primetime, with encores shown on the National Geographic channel, which will co-produce.

The new “Powerful Mondays” lineup on Syfy featuring Eureka, Warehouse 13, and Alphas certainly seems to be doing the trick for the network – overall viewers were up 8% in July, plus double digit gains in 3 key Male demographics over July of last year – 18% in Men 18-34 (126,000), 16% in Men 18-49 (341,000), and 13% in Men 25-54 (392,000).

Syfy launched Summer Premiere Week on July 11, showcasing the “Most Powerful Night of the Week” with Eureka at 8PM, Warehouse 13 at 9PM and newcomer Alphas at 10PM. That night became Syfy’s highest Monday time period audience for scripted series in more than 10 years.
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Here are this week’s sneak peeks for next Monday’s “Powerful Mondays” lineup on Syfy, featuring Eureka, Warehouse 13 and Alphas.
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The Weinstein Company (TWC) and Rainmaker Entertainment (the production company responsible for several of the Barbie movies since 2008) announced today the all-star voice cast for the animated Escape from Planet Earth, due for release in the U.S. 2012.

Brendan Fraser (The Mummy movies), Sarah Jessica Parker (Sex and the City), Jessica Alba (Fantastic Four), Rob Corddry (Childrens Hospital, Hot Tub Time Machine)), James Gandolfini (The Sopranos) and Craig Robinson (The Office) will all lend their voices. The 3D animated family comedy is currently in full production.
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Syfy just released a list of guest stars on upcoming episodes of Alphas (although no specific episodes are mentioned) and it is pretty extensive:

Garret Dillahunt (Raising Hope), Summer Glau (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Firefly), Alaina Huffman (Stargate Universe), Rebecca Mader (Lost), Brent Spiner (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Lindsay Wagner (The Bionic Woman) and Peter Wingfield (Caprica, Highlander) will all appear during the current debut season.

According to Warner Bros, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is their highest grossing film ever internationally – and it reached that mark in a mere 19 days of release. Just this past weekend it took in $66.6 million internationally on 14,500 screens. And it doesn’t even open in China until Thursday.

For some reason I can see Warner Bros executives wishing J.K. Rowling would write some more stories…not sure why 🙂

Jason Priestley (Call Me Fitz) and WWE Superstar Edge (who was seen this past season on Sanctuary) will each guest in 4 episodes of Haven, both starting with this Friday’s episode (10PM ET on Syfy), with Priestley appearing in the 8/12, 8/19 and 9/9 episodes, and Edge returning on 9/9 and the following two episodes.

Priestley, who leaped to stardom in Beverly Hills, 90210, plays Chris Weekly, a handsome but anti-social marine biologist who is forced to deal with an affliction most would consider a blessing — everyone suddenly loves him and will do anything he wants. Only Audrey Parker (Emily Rose) seems unaffected by Weekly’s “charms.”
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