Sci-Fi Storm

Ironic given the review I’m about to post, but Brannon Braga, who has helped produce the various Star Trek incarnations over the past 15 years, has announced he’s through – and even alludes to the harsh fan criticism often aimed at him. Now if we can get rid of Berman, perhaps Trek can move on…

Warner has announced In2TV, a new free service for AOL members that will allow users to download classic TV episodes – some 4,800 in the first year. It is supported by non-skippable commercials – 1-2 minutes per 30-minute episode. Series include The Fugitive, Wonder Woman, and even Babylon 5. Use of the service does require being part of the distribution network – similar to Bittorrent, at least for their “High quality” version. Given the recent announcements own TV downloads, I wonder how quickly the unions will jump in to negotiate residuals.

Steve Jordan writes “”Berserker,” the next novel from Steve Jordan, will be released on November 14th on his site, www.SteveJordanBooks.com. From the book description:

“Carolyn Kestral, discharged Galarchy Ranger, begins her new life as a freighter captain and collects a small crew. But there is a question of whether the Berserker virus that forced her Ranger discharge is still capable of being activated and turning her into a deadly human weapon. If it is merely dormant, will it be set off by a clandestine first run and a dangerous run-in with the Spiders in deep space? Will her crew stick around long enough to find out?”

Following the successful and critically lauded release of “Robin,” Steve Jordan is continuing to offer his books according to the Right Brane e-Book model, selling at a low price and without Digital Rights Management (DRM) limitations, to demonstrate his trust in the market and his customers. For more information, or to purchase a Steve Jordan novel, go to www.SteveJordanBooks.com.”

First, oh, my: The more talented geeks at MIT are doing a Star Wars Trilogy musical (probably to coincide with the exhibit at Boston’s Museum of Science); the MMORPG Star Wars Galaxies is undergoing a massive revamp, never heard of in the MMORPG realm, including the removing of classes; and the combined sales of the Episode III DVD and Star Wars: Battlefront II game (PC CD-ROM/PC DVD-ROM/PS/2/XBOX) reached $210 million in the first week.

Serenity, the Firefly movie, will come out on DVD in Widescreen and Fullscreen versions on December 20th – just right for a stocking stuffer for your favorite Browncoat. This is a fairly fast turnaround for a DVD, but with only $25 million domestic receipts, they want to capitalize while its still fresh in people’s minds – and sometimes DVD sales far outweigh tickets…this release means Firefly deserves its own section in the Sci-Fi TV Store.

OK, I don’t know who would actually buy this – if you wanted them on DVD, you probably already have at least some of them – but if you don’t and you have $2500 (current Amazon price, subject to change) to spend, you can get all 5 series and all 10 Special Edition movies for one price!!! For less shock to your wallet, you can get the complete Enterprise series. Hmm…if just a couple people buy through my links, I can finally get this server upgraded…

For shame: The Season 8 Box Set of Stargate SG-1 came out last month, and I never realized it – my review supplier seems to have failed me there. Also, Season 1 of Stargate Atlantis is out on November 15th. In addition, the complete series of Nowhere Man will be out December 27th.

Michael Piller, who wrote and produced for Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager and co-created The Dead Zone, passed away early this morning at the age of 57 after a long battle with cancer.

A couple of endings occur this Tuesday: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith concludes the Star Wars Saga it what is generally considered the best of the prequel trilogy. Also timed to coincide with the release is the game Star Wars: Battlefront II, the sequel to the most popular SW game title to date, available for PC CD-ROM, PC DVD-ROM, PS/2, and XBOX. Finally, Star Trek: Enterprise comes to its conclusion with the release of Season 4.

The press team AREA 51 Radio Station writes “Our 1st Outside Broadcast is this coming weekend:
Last time’s London Expo Movie Event was attended by no less than 20.000 people, and this time round, Area 51 Radio Station’s very own presenters are to broadcast right from the heart of it. Sponsored by the London Expo, Area 51 Radio Station is the only radio station to be broadcasting from this massive sci-fi event. It can be heard at www.area51radiostation.com“ Read More for full details

(continue reading…)