The folks at Couch Potato TV run a report each week called Sci-Fi Saturday, and this weeks report goes into detail on a number of new shows coming out this fall. For keeping track of existing shows to see who is and is not getting renewed, EW has the Fall TV Cheat Sheet, while IGN is running the Endangered Series List.
The changes include a smaller budget and a limit of 13 episodes, but even so I was very happy to learn that Dollhouse has been renewed for a second season by Fox. It joins the ranks of Fringe on the same network, Heroes and Medium on NBC, Lost on ABC (for 3 more seasons), and Smallville and Supernatural on the CW. All shows I watch and enjoy, although some more than others. Still undecided are Chuck (decision on Monday, promising), Reaper (perhaps syndicated with cast changes), and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (not very hopeful). There are some excellent shows that have been confirmed canceled, like Eli Stone and Pushing Daises, and some new shows worth looking forward to, like Flash Forward from Robert J. Sawyer, or the remake of V, from the folks who did The 4400 and staring several Firefly actors. So as with all years, it’s a mixed bag. And while I want to see every one of the Undecided shows returning, if there can be only one, I hope it is Chuck.
Season 3 of Primeval kicks off on BBC America tomorrow night, bringing our crew of time-traveling dinosaur secret agents back for another round of fun. For those who haven’t watched the show, the dinosaurs do most of the time traveling, the members of the secret government agency combat them. Word has just surfaced that Warner Brothers will be bring it to the big screen, or at least a variation of it. I am hoping they at least have the sense to use the original cast, but they have already announced they will move the action to the U.S. Back in the UK, for the second Bank Holiday in May, London Expo is going on this weekend, with all kinds of movie goodies.
By way of SciFi Cool comes word that Fringe has been renewed, as has Heroes. But no news about whether Chuck gets brought back for a third season yet.
On June 24th the 35th annual Saturn Awards will be handed out, and this time the lifetime achievement award goes to Leonard Nimoy. At a con in the UK last weekend Zach Levi (the Chuck of Chuck) led a Flashmob to Subway where he ended up making sandwiches for his fans. Much to the confusion of the local security folks, who thought it was the politest riot they had ever seen. Also from the UK comes Gratuitus Space Battles, a game who’s goal is to bring the over-the-top explodiness back into space games (their words). This one looks like a lot of fun.
Yes, it is time once again for Sci-Fi London, that truly amazing film festival held at the Apollo Piccadilly Circus and many nearby locations. This is the eighth year for the festival, and it is bigger and better than ever, starting Wednesday the 29th and running through Monday the 4th. It has become the event where the Arthur C Clarke Award is handed out, as well as the Sci-Fi London Awards. For those who want to build their own, they have created the SFL Lab where scientists, comic artists, leading genre writers and filmmakers will present a full program of classes, including things like Filmaking for small screens. For the more gonzo build-your-own types they held the 48 Hour Film Challenge a few weeks ago (so they could show the results at the SFL festival). They handed out titles, dialog, and props to 71 teams on Saturday, and on Monday 55 of those teams returned with finished films. They will be doing many World and UK Premiers, including the films The Hunt for Gollum, Eyeborgs, Eraser Children, The Clone Returns Home, and one of my personal favorites, Cyborg She. They will be screening X-Men Origins: Wolverine before it opens in UK theaters. And so much more; wish I could get the time off from work to be there, but at least I can watch Sci-Fi London TV!