Here’s my favorite quote of the week. It’s from a recent conference call with Mark Valley, John Scott of Fringe.

“Can you imagine being on an airplane with J.J. Abrams, just kind of sitting there, what’s going through his head? He’s probably thinking about people screaming and luggage flying everywhere.”

Same reason I never wanted to travel with Irwin Allen, Mark, especially not on a ship!

Cr: George Holz/FOX

Star Wars: The Clone Wars “Trespass”

Air Date: January 30, on Cartoon Network

While investigating the disappearance of a clone security force on a fiercely inhospitable ice world, Anakin and Obi-Wan are caught in the middle of a conflict between the planet’s natives and the greedy representatives of a nearby moon. In an effort to broker a tentative peace, Anakin turns to C-3PO for help – and finds his fluency in more than 6 million forms of communication to be most useful.

With the animated series, Anthony Daniels becomes the only actor to play the same role in every on-screen incarnation of the Star Wars saga. He has also become a spokesman and host for the popular Art and Science of Star Wars exhibition around the world, and has written extensively about his experiences as a part of the Star Wars phenomenon.

“I’ve never left the character or, rather, he’s never left me,” says Daniels. “I put him in the cupboard for a while, but people call and I take him out again. There was a time many years ago when I thought I should move on to other things, but then I thought that was stupid. I’m very fond of Threepio.”

Read more

If there’s any truth to that saying about it always being darkest before the dawn, the crew of Galactica should be in for bright days soon.

Let’s see, the Colonial fleet’s in mutiny, planet Earth is toast and the president has stopped her cancer treatments. Oh, and at some point Cavil and the rest of the Cylon fleet are going to show up and try to wipe out humankind. Those are just the highlights, really.

There’s still the matter of Starbuck. If her Viper and her corpse are on what’s left on Earth, then what is she exactly?

Do they make a “Just Found Out My Best Friend Is A Cylon” Card? Something for a savvy merchandising guy in the fleet to work on, for sure. Stay away from the hooch, guys, things got ugly last week.

SCI FI Channel Photos: Carole Segal

Sniff, our little Chloe has grown up. For tonight’s Smallville episode, Allison Mack stepped into the director’s chair and there is a whole lot of stuff going on.

Last week we learned about something called the Prometheus project that could help Lex Luthor recover. There are a lot of people who don’t want that happening.

Meanwhile, Lana is following her own destiny. In her encounter with the Legion of Superheroes she learned she’s supposed to save the world in her own right. It looks like she’s undergoing some military training to make that happen. Super Lana? OK, color me intrigued.

Image: © 2008 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved

This was basically a foregone conclusion once the first film turned a $115 million profit, but Bloody Disgusting reports Columbia Pictures has officially greenlit a Ghost Rider sequel.

BD says Columbia is looking for writers and that Nicolas Cage is on board to reprise his role as the title hero. The first film drew some negative reviews even among comic fans, and Cage’s “Elvis impersonation” take on the character was at the center of that controversy. But basic Hollywood math says $115 mil take= sequel, with no questions really asked.

Readers (particularly those of you that saw the first film) what’s your take? Should there be a Ghost Rider sequel? Is Nicolas Cage the right actor to play the ultimate “Hell’s Angel?”

Image: Bauer-Griffin

It seems a contest KFC is running to promote Battlestar Galactica’s final season has become more of a headache than KFC marketing intended.

Topless Robot reports on the tremendous chaos that ensued at the fast food chain when it began a sweepstakes that will award a “Frak Pak” of BSG goodies. But somebody hipped KFC to the knowledge that frak is BSG’s fill-in for another four-letter word. This prompted a change from the “Frak Pak” sweepstakes to the “Can’t Say That Word on Television” Sweepstakes.

Oh, KFC, you tried to be cool and you frakkin’ blew it. If Starbuck were here, she’d punch you in the face and take your drumsticks. I’m betting this was the same marketing genius who thought it would be so much cooler if Kentucky Fried Chicken permanently got shortened to KFC.

Pictured: (l-r) Tricia Helfer as Number Six, Michael Hogan as Col Saul Tigh — SCI FI Channel Photo: Carole Segal

“When I think about the fact, a repeat of Jericho on CW actually has more viewers than an episode of Mad Men, you realize the difference between cable and broadcast, you realize the difference between what the press is watching vs. what America is watching.”

That’s Jericho producer Jon Turteltaub talking to IFMagazine about the Jericho reruns that are currently airing on The CW on Sunday nights. Turteltaub was out promoting his new series Harper’s Island when talk turned, as it inevitably does, to the show that wouldn’t die. Like the people of Jericho, the fans have refused to admit defeat even in the face of insurmountable odds. Turteltaub gives the slightest bit of hope in terms of a refueling if the series is a “remarkable success” on The CW.

I wouldn’t keep my schedule open waiting for that to happen, but it does sound like a big screen version of Jericho could become a reality. With Serenity, Sex in the City and the new X-Files movies all using the theater to offer closure to the fans, more and more shows are looking to go the same route. A Veronica Mars feature was recently announced and the Stargate franchise seems destined to head that way now that they’ve moved into the made for DVD movie market.

Turteltaub says that a Jericho movie would be bigger in all aspects, with looks at what’s happening all over America, not just in that one small town. But would the TV cast be invited back?

“Oh yeah!” says Turteltaub and that’s enough to keep the home fires burning.

Read the full interview at IFMagazine.com and thanks to Dawn of Jericho Revolution for the tip.

“Walls of Jericho” — Jake Green (Skeet Ulrich, right) and Gail Green (Pamela Reed, left) listen while Mayor Green gives a moving speech in the Church to the townspeople after a mysterious stranger who is suffering from radiation poisoning comes to town, on JERICHO, scheduled to air on THE CW Photo: Robert Voets/CBS ©2006 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved

Here are a few clips for tomorrow night’s new episode of Supernatural.

Supernatural “After School Special”

Air Date: Thursday, January 29, 2009 on The CW

A FLASHBACK EPISODE TO YOUNG SAM AND DEAN IN HIGH SCHOOL

Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) go undercover to investigate a string of murders at their old high school.  The case causes them to flashback to their time there recalling how Sam was picked on by the school bully while Dean was Mr. Popular.

Adam Krane directed the episode written by Andrew Dabb & Daniel Loflin (#3T7513).

Clip One:

Read more

I always considered him scary looking, but apparently that’s not the crux of the show that Flavor Flav and filmmaker Deon Taylor are working on. Nite Tales aired on BET on Halloween as a movie and is getting reworked as anthology series.

Taylor describes the show as a cross between Tales from the Crypt and the Twilight Zone. Flavor’s as yet unnamed character is comparable to the Cryptkeeper that appeared as narrator on the classic HBO show. They’re planning an Internet contest in which fans can name Flavor’s character.

In addition to BET movies and TV ventures, Taylor would like to do a Nite Tales theatrical release every year around Halloween. What do you think, readers? Could this be a hip new urban TV and film franchise?

Image: Bauer-Griffin

It’s almost time for the premiere of Joss Whedon’s latest effort, Dollhouse. It will be here before you know it, Feb.13 at 10 p.m. E.T. Sigh, that’s really still a long way away. But at least we have some new photos to tide us over.

It seems that in the premiere episode titled Ghost, Eliza Dushku’s Echo plays a hostage negotiator. If they were going to end Eliza Dushku in after us, I suspect a lot of guys would be trying to get kidnapped.

©2009 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Adam Taylor/FOX

Read more