Sci-Fi Storm

It’s the start of the 2007-2008 season, and we’re loaded for bear. We even get started with NBC tonight with Chuck (probably not really SF, but we’ll see), the sophmore Heroes, and Journeyman; Nothing new on Tuesday (second to last episode of the season for Eureka, with special guest Michael Shanks); Wednesday brings us Bionic Woman; we get Thursday off, and then Friday brings us the next season of Stargate Atlantis, with the return of Colonel Carter to the franchise, along with a new episode of Flash Gordon. Speaking of Flash, I’d like to hear some opinions. I think its decent, but I can see they are keeping mostly Earthbound, which keeps budgets low – which may limit the storytelling for a bit. And where are the spaceships…

In the second part of an interview for TV Guide, George Lucas talks about the two upcoming Star Wars TV series. For both Clone Wars and the unnamed live-action series, he hopes to write and film 100 episodes of each – whether the series have been sold to an outlet or not.

The new web site for the next Doctor Who spinoff, The Sarah Jane Adventures, is now online. The new show, aimed as a children’s show and featuring Elizabeth Sladen as former companion Sarah Jane Smith, debuts on Monday, September 24th, on BBC One. No word on whether BBC America or another network may pick up the show in the U.S. Torchwood is now airing on BBC America, as is the 2nd series of Doctor Who while the SCI FI Channel has the 3rd series, and I only just learned that a local PBS station (WENH in New Hampshire, always friendly to Who fans) just completed airing the 1st series.

Finally, a new Remastered Star Trek episode! This time its “The Galileo Seven”, an episode that was the first to feature extensive shots of the Enterprise’s shuttles, which should offer some impressive updated shots. No word if they did anything about the slow moving plastic spears, or the fact that Scotty refuels the shuttle with phasers…Read More for the press release and screen shots…

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Writer/Producer Glen Morgan (The X-Files, Space: Above and Beyond), who was one of the “show running” producers of the upcoming Bionic Woman, has quit the show over “creative differences”. David Eick (Battlestar Galactica) will remain and take over day-to-day operations. There were apparently rumors of production shutting down (I didn’t hear them), but NBC denies that, but an insider says it may “take a break” – which is code words for “really, really big problems”…Update 9/10: David Eick is downplaying the situation, calling it “business as usual”.

I hadn’t heard if the children-oriented Who spinoff, The Sarah Jane Adventures went into production after the special in January, but it did, and there will be some familiar aliens. The Slitheen, a family of Raxacoricofallapatorians who first appeared in the first series Who episodes “Aliens of London/World War Three” will return looking for revenge. The show debuts later this month, and an updated web site (not available outside the U.K.) should debut as well. I wonder if it will eventually make it over to BBC America?

It’s known in Disney circles that Lucas and Disney have been in talks about expanding the presence of Lucas properties at the Walt Disney World Resort and possibly others – it’s been long rumored that a long-awaited update to the Star Tours attraction is in the works, and more recently that the newly renamed Disney Hollywood Studios may become more “land-oriented” with a section of the park devoted to Lucas, and a section of Tomorrowland in Disneyland as well, perhaps to counter Universal’s scoring of the Harry Potter franchise for Universal’s Islands of Adventure park. Now it appears the relationship may go beyond the parks, with the upcoming CG-animated Clone Wars and future live-action show airing on Disney networks (which includes ABC). Note that I take anything Jim Hill says with a grain of salt. Sometimes he’s spot on, other times he says things are absolutely certain that never happen. I’m not sure if what he’s saying is based on any data, or he’s extrapolating. But as someone who is also a Disney fan, I’d like to see an expanded Star Wars/Indy presense in the House of Mouse.

The BBC has announced a fifth series of Doctor Who – but it won’t air until 2010. No specific reason is given, but I don’t believe this is terribly unusual in the U.K. Not confirmed is whether David Tennant will return as the doctor, but after the fourth series airs next year, there will be another Christmas special in December 2008, and three specials with David Tennant and series head Russell T. Davies during 2009 (which sounds like they are not episodes but production specials). At least we still have this years Christmas special (featuring Kylie Minogue and the Titanic), and the fourth series next Spring (in the U.K., probably summer in the U.S.) featuring the return of Catherine Tate as Donna.

The SCI FI Channel has some of the air dates for its fall schedule. Notable: Stargate Atlantis will start September 28th and the midseason “finale” will be December 7th; and mini episodes (“mini-sodes”) of Battlestar Galactica will begin airing during Flash Gordon starting in October, leading up to the movie (“movie-sode”?) “Razor” on November 24th.

First, there was the 1976 movie starring Michael York, Jenny Agutter, and Richard Jordan (and a heavily advertised Farrah Fawcett in a small role). As with all successful movies at the time someone decided to make a TV series, which starred Gregory Harrison, Heather Menzies, Randy Powell and Donald Moffat. Was it as successful? Hardly – it lasted 14 episodes. Read More to see why, although there is a spoiler for the end of the movie – but its been 31 years…if you haven’t seen it yet, you probably don’t care about this review.

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