Science Fiction (and Fantasy) on Television

Thursday 24th April 2003

According to Variety, Milla Jovovich has signed up to do Resident Evil 2. After the success of the first, (despite not actually being very good), this is no big surprise. The sequel will again be written by Paul W. S. Anderson, but this time he takes the producer role and hands over the directing to Alexander Witt, who was a second-unit director on Daredevil.

Thursday 24th April 2003

Of course you knew that in Star Wars III you would once again see original SW characters C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) and R2-D2 (Kenny Baker). Well the official site reports that Peter Mayhew will reprise the role of Chewbacca the Wookie. When we first saw him in Episode IV, he was already 200 years old, so is old enough for the timeline. Of course, any plotline that brings him in must involve some huge coincidence ... but when did that ever stop Lucas?

Wednesday 23rd April 2003

After some nonsense in the press about The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen being retitled, the official word is that it is not, but that advertising will be done as The League, or simply LXG. For your LXG news, the official website is now open.

Wednesday 23rd April 2003

Imax and Warners have announced a deal for starting to introduce simultaneous Blockbuster releases at Imax theatres, with their huge screens and big sound. And what better way to start the deal than with the Matrix sequels? The deal started with just Matrix 3, but after Warner execs saw the tests, they offered both, (although, given the short timescale, Matrix 2 will open on Imax screens a few weeks later - in future, films will open same day as mainstream cinemas). This is part of the Imax strategy to get more popular, lower costs and then expand into regular cinema multiplexes.

Monday 21st April 2003

Rumours that the seventh season of Sabrina, The Teenage Witch will be the last have been confirmed by WB. Overdue really as viewing figures indicated rapidly decreasing interest in the series (although WB's shifting its timeslot is partly behind that). But lets face it, Melissa Joan Hart was already 20 when the series started and turned 27 a few days ago - she looks great , but teenage? I think not. (That isn't even a recent picture) Robert Picardo, (holographic doctor of ST:Voyager), plays Sabrina's Dad and gives her away at the her wedding in the final episode.

Monday 21st April 2003

Patrick Stewart says he has probably played Captain Picard for the last time. Talking to Cinema Confidential, he said, "I think the Next Generation is over with." No surprise as he was already saying when ST:Nemesis was released that it was a good way to end ST:TNG. Below-par response to that film certainly raises doubts about any future ST films at all, particularly with the current ST:Enterprise series viewing figures continuing to drop. Stewart needn't worry of course as he is involved in numerous projects, not least of which is as Professor Charles Xavier in X2, which premieres next week.

Friday 18th April 2003

The Red Dwarf Movie is finally really actually happening. According to the official site, Doug Naylor (RD creator) is scouting studios and locations in Australia, after finding UK's Shepperton Studios booked up. Shooting expected to start in September. Honestly.

Wednesday 16th April 2003

The news for ST:Enterprise gets worse as viewing figures continue to drop. This series is already set to have Borg found on Earth (???), the Captain reminiscing (back to Earth) and dragging out the old Vulcan Pon Farr issue with T'Pol getting hot and bothered. Talking to Sci Fi Wire, Rick Berman says that the Season 2 finale, "The Expanse", will set ST on a new course (for Season 3) with a mission to save Earth. (Ignoring the fact that ST crews through the ages have saved Earth innumerable times...) There will be more new aliens thrown at it (who we've presumably never heard of in later series), with more (non-Starfleet) characters and changes to existing ones (T'Pol). Sounds like desperation. It's Star Trek Jim, but not as we know it ... or probably want to know it. But Star Trek has been through troubled times before and it may very well get through this one. Personally, I don't think it would take very much to bring the show back to something really good - all the talent is there - it just needs more innovation in the stories.

Monday 14th April 2003

Yoda, Gollum, Dobby, Scooby-Doo and Kangaroo Jack. Where were they represented at that silly Oscar thing then? Well, step up MTV who have created the award for Best Virtual Performance. This award joins other interesting MTV awards such as Best Kiss, Best Villain and Best Fight Scene. The MTV Movie Awards takes place on 31st May and airs on 5th June.

Tuesday 8th April 2003

Robin Williams is officially signed to do Final Cut. Written and to be directed by newcomer Omar Naim, the SF thriller is set in a world where people are implanted with a chip that records their lives. Classic cyberpunk stuff. And in the legacy of this type of film, the protagonist is the man who does final edit on others' lives, but then discovers part of his own history in somebody else's chip and of course this puts him in grave danger. Not a little of Philip K. Dick in the inspiration then ... "Who am I?". "Is this reality?" etc. Has the potential to be good, but Robin Williams seems an odd choice for this.

Tuesday 1st April 2003

US Sci Fi Channel announces its new programming developments. They are aggressively attempting to gain audience share and expand the public's perception of what SF is all about. Which is theoretically good but very bad in practise. While I love the idea of SF on TV matching the popularity of SF in books and film, I am still upset at how easily they drop some of the very best shows (Farscape) in favour of dross (Tremors), generic pap (Taken) and unnecessary remakes (The Thing). Anyway, won't list all the shows, but just note there is a preponderance of supernatural and "back-from-the-dead" shows. And barely any actual Science Fiction!

Tuesday 1st April 2003

So what is Peter Jackson going to do after LotR:tRotK is released? He is going to remake King Kong, that's what. Seeing King Kong when he was 9 apparently inspired him more than anything else to make movies. Now he wants to recreate it for a new audience. If it was so inspirational, does it really need to be remade Peter? I must admit to being rather disappointed. No doubt it will turn out well, but does the world really need another King Kong? I wish the big filmmakers would look for more new things to do.
<Subliminal message to Peter> Ian McKellen is right ... you need to make The Hobbit. </Subliminal message>

Archive Index

Archive Index

Odyssey 5, Firefly, Star Trek, X-Files, Babylon 5, Crusade, Dr Who, Andromeda, Lexx, Dark Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, The Invisible Man, Stargate SG-1, Blake's 7, Farscape, The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy, The Lone Gunmen, The Avengers, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Red Dwarf, Roswell, Total Recall 2070, Hercules, Xena: Warrior Princess, Earth: Final Conflict, Charmed, Alien Nation, Futurama, Outer Limits and so many more. Essential information, background, links, etc. on all Science Fiction and Fantasy shows are here!