Sci-Fi Storm

The next comic conversion appears to be Aquaman, with a pilot ordered for the WB Network, and featuring newcomer Will Toale in the title role. Producing the pilot is “Smallville” execs Miles Millar and Alfred Gough.

In case you’ve been away for several months, the SCI FI Friday lineup starts their “Winter” semi-season, with Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, and Battlestar Galactica all picking up where they left off. And don’t forget your TiVos – perhaps your boss will let you out early if you did…

Variety is reporting that the animated Futurama may make a return to TV (paid subscription – read the SCI FI Wire condensed version). Talks are under way with 20th Century Fox Television for a limited run of new episodes, although where they may air is undecided.

Time Magazine has released their list of top shows in 2005, and this year the top show is Battlestar Galactica. The author even admits that some people will think its a joke, but like the show, it’s serious. The second half of Season 2 starts January 6th, and I should have a review of the recently released DVD set of Season 2 Part 1 soon.

Ronald D. Moore, the executive producer of Battlestar Galactica, has signed a development deal with NBC Universal to develop series for its networks, and he’s already set up two of them: Pen and the Sword, about a young man who works in a building that is a portal to a medieval alternate universe, for NBC, and Warehouse 13, written by Brent Mote, about two government officials who wind up in North Dakota at a warehouse where the items stored there have interesting backstories, for SCI FI. The latter sounds like a twist on the Friday the 13th – The Series plot.

ABC has announced that this will be the last season of Alias, with the conclusion airing in May 2006. It won’t “wind down,” howewver, according to Entertainment President Stephen McPherson, but instaead “it’s going to rev up, and we’re going to make it the event it deserves to be.”

Claudia Black, Aeryn Sun of Farscape and more recently in the recurring role of Vala on Stargate SG-1, will become a full-time cast member with the 10th season of the show, with filming to start in the new year. I see this as a good thing – I like what the character brings…

Sky One is planning a new series “inspired” by the cult classic The Prisoner, according to BBC News. It is to retain a lot for the original – but not the location, which was the very real village of Portmeirion in North Wales, and it will “liberties with the original” and “be a radical reinvention,” according to Executive Producer Damien Timmer.

With half of Season 2 remaining to air (thanks to SCI FI’s “Summer” and “Winter” half-seasons) Battlestar Galactica has been renewed for a third season, with all the cast and production team back.

Night Stalker has been cancelled by ABC – again. ABC aired the original Kolchak: The Night Stalker during the 1974-1975 season, lasting 20 episodes. This one has aired six, but ABC has pulled the plug on production with three more in the can and no plans to air them. Gee – its against The Apprentice and C.S.I. in the hot Thursday 9PM slot – what did they expect?