Sci-Fi Storm

I hope everyone enjoyed Halloween! Some quick tidbits as I attempt to get caught up on all the great programs I’m trying to follow these days…

Timeless is one of the shows I am enjoying so far, although the implications of the show are mind-boggling…but the show will get a little extra time to play out, with an additional three episodes ordered by NBC for a total of 16. It also seems that NBC is calling this a “full season” order now, compared with the typical 22-26. I’m not sure what a “season” really means any more…

Now while Marvel appears to rule the roads of cinema release schedules, DC still seems to be having trouble getting off the starting line. Last year, the Wonder Woman movie had a false start when director Michelle MacLaren departed the project over creative differences, and now the feature version of The Flash is seeing the same thing happening. Director Rick Famuyiwa is walking away for “creative differences” as well, and this time the project’s start date is in jeopardy. And this isn’t the first time for this film. Original director Seth Grahame-Smith left the film earlier this year over – you guessed it – “creative differences”.

Lastly, the Seth MacFarlane sci-fi dramedy set up at Fox still doesn’t have a name, but it does have some more cast members. In addition to MacFarlane and previously announced members Adrianne Palicki (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Scott Grimes (ER, Party of Five), Peter Macon (Friendship!) and J Lee (Family Guy), Halston Sage (Crisis, Goosebumps) and Penny Johnson Jerald (Castle, 24) have now signed on as regulars. Still no idea what any of the characters are yet though…

It seems Bryan Fuller’s rather full plate was too much for CBS Television Studios to consider sharing…TV Line reports that Fuller is stepping down as the showrunner for the upcoming CBS All Access series Star Trek: Discovery. It appears that there was tension between the studio and Fuller about the progress of the series, having pushed back the debut of the series last month. Fuller is also working on American Gods for Starz and Amazing Stories for NBC. Fuller will still executive produce and be involved, but executive producers Aaron Harberts and Gretchen Berg will now be in charge. Akiva Goldsman (Fringe, Childhood’s End) will also join in an unspecified capacity.

Fuller tweeted after the news broke and made a Riker reference…

Riker spent 7 years of TNG unready for Captaincy, @GretchenJBerg @AaronHarberts are ready. Thrilled to see them in command of the Bridge.

— Bryan Fuller (@BryanFuller) October 27, 2016

“We are extremely happy with the creative direction of Star Trek: Discovery and the strong foundation that Bryan Fuller has helped us create for the series,” CBS TV said via statement. “Due to Bryan’s other projects, he is no longer able to oversee the day-to-day of Star Trek, but he remains an executive producer, and will continue to map out the story arc for the entire season. Alex Kurtzman, co-creator and executive producer, along with Fuller’s producing partners and longtime collaborators, Gretchen Berg and Aaron Harberts, will also continue to oversee the show with the existing writing and producing team. Bryan is a brilliant creative talent and passionate Star Trek fan, who has helped us chart an exciting course for the series. We are all committed to seeing this vision through and look forward to premiering Star Trek: Discovery this coming May 2017.”

We’ll see how this plays out. Many fans hoped that Fuller would be the one who would see that Star Trek would be back for good on TV.

I don’t know where to begin. But certainly here be spoilers, so if you don’t want to be spoiled, just stop now.

Last night was just disturbing at several levels.

We knew it was coming. We knew at least one, and probably two, characters were going to die, and at least one of them would have been a long timer. That doesn’t make it any easier in many cases. But I don’t think anyone expected it to happen the way it did.
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Syfy announced today that award-winning actor Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future) has been cast in a guest role in season three of the time-travel thriller 12 Monkeys. Lloyd will play Zalmon Shaw, a charming but deadly cult leader who preys upon other’s tragedies and losses in order to recruit new members into the apocalyptic cult the “Army of the 12 Monkeys.” Shaw is the father of the series’ most imposing villain, the enigmatic Pallid Man.

Best known for his iconic role as Doc Brown in the blockbuster film series Back to the Future, Lloyd made his feature film debut in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and has won three Emmy Awards: one for outstanding lead actor in Road to Avonlea and two back-to-back wins for outstanding supporting actor in Taxi. He is represented by The Gersh Agency and managed by Andrew Freedman.

In addition, Terry Matalas, co-creator and series showrunner, will make his directorial debut in the premiere episode, which started production in Toronto this week. 12 Monkeys is produced by Universal Cable Productions, in association with Atlas Entertainment, who produced the original cult classic film, 12 Monkeys. The series, starring Aaron Stanford (James Cole), Amanda Schull (Dr. Cassandra Railly), Kirk Acevedo (Jose Ramse), Emily Hampshire (Jennifer Goines), Barbara Sukowa (Katarina Jones), and Todd Stashwick (Deacon), follows the journey of James Cole, a man from the future sent back in time to stop the malevolent “Army of the 12 Monkeys” from destroying the world.

In season three, James Cole and Cassandra Railly embark on a desperate search across time to find the man responsible for the apocalypse, a time traveler who calls himself the Witness. Killing the Witness will mean saving the world. But the journey will come at tremendous personal stakes for both Cole and Railly and will call into question new alliances, old bonds, and the virtue of the mission itself.

Freeform’s 13 Nights of Halloween kicks off tonight – well, it already started this afternoon – but here is the complete schedule for your viewing enjoyment!

Night One – Wednesday, October 19
5:30 p.m. Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas
7:00 p.m. R.L. Stine’s Monsterville: Cabinet of Souls
9:00 p.m. Hocus Pocus
12:00 a.m. Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride

Night Two – Thursday, October 20
3:30 p.m. Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas
5:00 p.m. Hocus Pocus
7:00 p.m. The Addams Family
9:00 p.m. Addams Family Values
12:00 a.m. The Final Girls
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A couple of quick updates tonight…

Despite the less than stellar reviews before the debut of the CBS reboot of MacGyver, the freshman series had a strong debut and while there has been some loss of ratings it is in line with other shows, and now CBS has given the order for a full 22 episode season, along with sister series Bull. Strong international sales helped bolster their positions, helped by the fact that the show is fully owned by CBS.

We’re still not sold on MacGyver yet, but our rule is that if the premise interests us, we’ll give it at least 5 episodes to get going and hook us…

YouTube Red is making a play on the genre with a green light to Seven Bucks Productions and Studio71 for eight episodes of a half-hour time travel series tentatively called Lifeline, where life insurance agents are sent forward in time to prevent their clients from accidental deaths…I’m not sure why going forward makes sense yet…Seven Bucks Productions is the production company from Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and his partner Dany Garcia. It will be directed by Corridor Digital’s Sam Gorski and Niko Pueringer and written by Ben Freiburger and Grant Wheele. Producers are Johnson, Garcia, Brian Gewirtz and Hiram Garcia for Seven Bucks Productions and Dan Weinstein, Gary Binkow and Amee Dolleman for Studio71.

Syfy has already given a renewal to freshman series Van Helsing, it’s post-apocalyptic vampire survival drama, for a 13 episode second season, set to begin production next January.

Van Helsing focuses on Vanessa Van Helsing, a descendant of vampire slayer Abraham Van Helsing, who awakens from a coma several years later in a now post-apocalyptic devastated world, where the vampires have control of most of the world. She awakens among a group of humans holed up in a building trying to survive, where she discovers her blood has the ability to turn the vampires human again – which makes her a target for the vampire Ancients.

What’s going on at Sigma Biotech? Catch this sneak peek at Syfy’s new series Incorporated, executive produced by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Premieres November 30th at 10/9c.

Six new cast members have been added to Syfy’s Superman prequel series pilot Krypton.

Ian McElhinney (Game Of Thrones) is Val-El, grandfather of Seg-El (Cameron Cuffe), and thus the great great grandfather of Kal-El/Superman. He is a rogue genius who believes that space exploration is a basic form of self-defense, and he has tried, without success, to warn the Kryptonian elite about the arrival of an ancient threat.

Elliot Cowan (Da Vinci’s Demons) is Daron Vex, the Chief Magistrate of Kandor.

Ann Ogbomo (World War Z) will play Primus Alura Zod, Lyta Zod’s (Georgina Campbell) mother and a leader of Krypton’s military guild.

Rasmus Hardiker (Your Highness) is Kem, a brilliant engineer as well as Seg-El’s best friend.

Wallis Day (The Royals) will play Nyssa Vex, a junior magistrate and the daughter of Daron Vex.

Aaron Pierre (Tennison) will be Dev-Em, a cadet under the command of Primus Alura Zod.

The Doctor is giving us a a double dose of medicine today…first, with a behind-the-scenes trailer for the upcoming Christmas episode, “The Return of Doctor Mysterio”, and then the teaser for the upcoming Doctor Who spinoff, Class!