The newest news is about AMC’s newest pilot “The Walking Dead.” The story is based on the comic book series by Robert Kirkman which is set in the years following a zombie apocalypse.

TNT is moving forward their previously announced Unnamed alien invasion series and I’m beginning to wonder if that’s the actual name of the series! The series is being produced by DreamWorks Television and it stars Noah Wylie as a former college proffessor who becomes the reluctant leader of the resistance after aliens take over the Earth.

Wait. . .isn’t that called “V”?

Here’s how TNT describes it.

The series opens shortly after aliens have wiped out most of the human population. The aliens are now rounding up the few people left, but they are met with strong resistance from a group of soldiers and civilians who fight for their survival – all while struggling to maintain their humanity.

Also starring in the series are Moon Bloodgood (Terminator Salvation) as Anne Glass, a therapist who works with the surviving children to help them cope with the traumatic situation; Drew Roy (Lincoln Heights) as Hal and Maxim Knight (Brothers & Sisters) as Matt, Tom’s two sons; Jessy Schram (Crash) as Karen, who is one of the survivors’ motorcycle scouts; and Seychelle Gabriel (Weeds) as Lourdes, an orphaned teenager who helps run the group’s commissary.

I’m not a huge Noah Wylie fan so that could be an issue for me, but if the supporting cast can pick up the slack then I’m in.

What do you think? Possible hits or big misses?

Photo Credit: Unnamed Alien Invasion Series Ken Woroner / TNT

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James Hibberd of The Hollywood Reporter

There are several good things in that statement. One, that Davies, the man who created Torchwood in the UK is the one adapting it for US TV. And two, that it’s going to Fox. Fox is the only network, outside of Syfy, who could handle the project. Yes, they’ve taken some flack for the handling of Dollhouse and a few other shows – but face it – Torchwood on The CW or on CBS simply wouldn’t fly.

Hibberd also notes that John Barrowman could come along for the ride. It’s not clear if the series would revolve around him or if he might be the catalyst that unites the US and UK branches of Torchwood.

The downside of all this is that it’s a US remake (or spin-off) of Torchwood. We haven’t had a lot of luck with remakes of foreign series. Look at Life on Mars and Kath and Kim. But The Office has worked out for us, so there’s that.

I think if we look at Torchwood like a CSI franchise, an entity that has a different personality depending on the city it’s set in. If they go with Torchwood as it would be if the agency existed on US soil as opposed to “remaking” the UK Torchwood, we could be alright.

The comments on Hibberd’s post have been pretty harsh overall. Actually, I think harsh doesn’t begin to cover it.  No love for the idea at all?

Photo: BBC America

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The guys behind Fringe and the new Star Trek movie, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, have made a deal with CBS t

O’Loughlin hasn’t had much luck on TV, weathering first the cancellation of his cult favorite vampire drama and then the dismal hospital drama Three Rivers. CBS execs say they’re determined to find a successful vehicle for the charming Aussie actor and this could be the one.

Hawaii Five-O has plenty of remake potential since the only requirement for the series is the unusual locale. It does sound like Kurtzman and Orci might be keeping the original character names, too, which would make O’Loughlin the new Steve McGarrett. The original head of Five-O was played by Jack Lord and it’s a roll that not only made him famous, but in it he became a cultural icon.

From the much mocked opening wave and jazzy theme song, to the oft quoted “Book ‘em, Dano,” Hawaii Five-O is a true TV classic. But can a cult classic be retooled to suit a modern audience? Look at the new Star Trek movie. I’d say if anyone can do it, Kurtzman and Orci can.

Photo: Newscom

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The plot goes like this:

Deep in the heart of Maine, Haven (the new name for the series)  is a town where people with supernatural abilities have migrated for generations because it mutes their powers, allowing them to lead normal lives. At least, until recently. When hot-shot FBI agent Audrey Parker is called to Haven to solve the murder of a local ex-con, she catches the killer but uncovers a much deeper mystery about this town. Each week, as the town-peoples’ dormant powers begin to express themselves, Audrey will try to keep these supernatural forces at bay while unraveling the many mysteries of Haven – including one surrounding her own surprising past in this extraordinary place.

Okay, I’m back on board. So its Heroes meets X-Files and I can live with that, especially if it leans toward the creepy and away from the superhero. Looking at the line up of people working on the show, I have to admit it sounds like a winner. You have Scott Shepherd (Tru Calling, The Dead Zone) as showrunner along with his his partners Executive Producers Lloyd Segan and Shawn Piller (The Dead Zone, Wildfire, Greek). The pilot was written by Sam Ernst and Jim Dunn (Shrek the Third, The Dead Zone) who will also serve as executive producers on the series. Just overlook the Shrek the Third byline and it’s all good.

The studio is set to begin shooting early in 2010 for a 2010 release.

Photo: Amazon

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Right now, it’s only 5 episodes and they’ll run on Tuesday nights starting on December 8.

Here’s what Syfy has to say about the series:

Series creator and executive producer, Russell Barrett took a complete do-it-yourself / hands-on approach to the creation of the show by developing, executing and editing the series right in his very home. He also enlisted childhood and hometown friends as series stars including, Adam Clinton (Commander Dick Amos), Stephanie Clinton (Lieutenant Sunny Hunkle), Jay Wendorff (voice of Kyle 14) and Dana Kirk (Operations Officer Donna Kennedy).

”Syfy fans have never seen animation quite like this before! The graphics may be basic and simple, but combining them with live-action elements has never been done in a series before. To say that it was a grassroots endeavor is an understatement. Russell literally produced this in his basement for more than a year, and that allowed him to create a unique series with a sharp, sly sense of humor.” said Mark Stern, EVP Original Content Syfy & Co-Head Universal Cable Productions.

Outer Space Astronauts is a futuristic comedy series about eight vaguely courageous, highly distractable military personnel who journey to the far reaches of the galaxy, seeking knowledge, adventure and whatever else they can come up with. On board the O.S.S. Oklahoma, this legion of misfits are led by a lackluster captain who would rather be planning the next “margarita Monday” than leading a mission against evil, much to exasperation of his by-the-book second-in-command. Regardless of being a comedy of errors, this team will surprise even themselves as they navigate their way around the solar system.

“Russell Barrett is a very dry, very funny guy who created his own part animated, part live-action space ship world in a series of episodes using his own style and vision of animation,” said David O. Russell, Executive Producer. “What more needs to be said about outer space astronauts who are in outer space working as astronauts, in outer space?”

Outer Space Astronauts was created by Russell Barrett, and is executive produced by Barrett, Scott Puckett and David O. Russell (Three Kings, I Heart Huckabees).

Meet the series characters:

Captain Bruce Ripley (Russell Barrett) is the worst captain in the fleet with the best reputation. He’s uninterested, bored and sloppy, yet manages to always get the job done.

Commander Dick Amos (Adam Clinton) should be the leader of the ship since he holds the most credentials than anyone, but even with his top performance record, Dick is always stuck behind the eight ball.

Lieutenant Sunny Hunkle (Stephanie Clinton) With a name that equally matches her ‘sunny’ disposition, the sweetest girl in the galaxy gets along with everyone. She doesn’t mind that her ‘secret relationship’ with Dick should remain a secret, she’s cool, calm and easy going.

Intern Jimmy Peck (Peter Burns) has been Captain Ripley’s right-hand man since their college days. A bit simple-minded, or just eternally naïve, Jimmy has a way of coming through just when you thought he was completely useless.

Pilot Johnny Boothe (Benjamin Nurick) shouldn’t be flying or driving anything as he holds the most citations for reckless piloting out of anyone (a record he states proudly!). Boothe’s disregard for safety and his addiction to speed however has saved many a day on board the O.S.S. Oklahoma.

Kyle 14 (voice: Jay Wendorff) is one of the first artificial humans to be given a post on an OSA ship. He’s the most state-of-the-art android in existence and “waaaay better than the Kyle 13 model.”

Chief Weapons Officer Andy Matheson (Laura Valdivia) has saved the life of every crewman on the ship more times than they can count. His enormous stature and history of big time whuppin’ sometimes intimidates his fellow crewman except for Brimley.

Weapons Officer Chad Brimley (Tony Bravo) likes to find other’s weak spots and poke at it with a stick. He has excellent skills, and is highly intelligent in weapons development and ammunition science, but his motivation for work isn’t always top notch.

Operations Officer Donna Kennedy (Dana Kirk) and technology don’t mix. She tries in vain to hide her ‘fear of all things that plug in and beep’ from the crew, but on a ship which functions solely from the latest technology, her technophobia gets the best of her.

Chief Mechanic Pinto (Steve Millunzi) is a human monkey wrench. If something is broken, Pinto can fix it – which is great, because things tend to break quite frequently!

Ka’ak (Jacey Margolis) is from another planet and skilled in all areas of space travel. Despite her super-model looks, her mangled use of English is a good tip-off to her alien roots; not to mention her blood-red skin!

Logo courtesy of Syfy

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I met up with Carol at a recent press screening of her new show and here’s what she had to say about casting everyone’s favorite vampire as a top transplant surgeon.

“Alex had a holding deal for CBS and I was under contract to CBS. He met with lots of people, we met with lots of people. He want to do [Three Rivers] and we wanted to have him. I wasn’t at all nervous [about casting him]. I felt very lucky that they steered him our way and second of all that he wanted to do it.  He’s a really fine actor and he’s so dedicated and he’s a really nice guy and . . . okay. . .he’s cute,” she admits. “He’s a great lead. I feel very luck, usually there’s a nightmare quotient to a person like that and it’s just not there with him.”

As far as their recent ties to the scifi community go, Carol Barbee had to laugh. “Alex and I said that because of his fan base and the Jericho fan base, Three Rivers is the first medical drama that should premiere at Comic Con!”

Maybe next year, Carol, if Three Rivers gets picked up for a second season. Three Rivers premieres on October 4 on CBS.

Photo: Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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According to Variety, Spotnitz is working on a series called Humanitas which is a futuristic medical thriller.  Spotnitz wants to take a look at the moral and ethical issues that arise out of our ever increasing ability to manipulate genetics.

He is also working on a TV adaptation of Robert Silverberg’s novel The World Inside which deals with overpopulation.

The ever busy Spotnitz is also penning a cover ops pilot for FX. You can learn more about all of his projects from his website BigLight.com.

Photo Credit: Michael Jade/AdMedia / Newscom.com

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The series boasts a large international cast of faces you’ve seen before but probably can’t name including Blood Ties’ Christina Cox, Andrew Airlie from Reaper, Zahf Paroo of Battlestar Galactica and Malik Yoba from New York Undercover.

Like many summer shows, this one only runs thirteen episodes, though from the sound of the early reviews, it will be lucky to last more than five.

Defying Gravity premieres on Sunday, August 2 at 9:00 then moves to its regular slot at 10:00 on August 9 on ABC.

Photo: ABC/SERGEI BACHLAKOV

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Robert Carlyle (Trainspotting, The Full Monty), Lou Diamond Phillips (Numb3rs), Ming-Na (ER, Vanished), Alaina Huffman (Smallville), and David Blue (Moonlight) star in this series about a group of soldiers, scientists and civilians, who are forced through a Stargate when their hidden base comes under attack. Instead of coming through on another planet, they find themselves on the starship Destiny which is locked on an unknown course. Hopelessly lost in space (I couldn’t resist) they must find a way to meet their basic needs such as food and water, all the while battling weekly dangers.

And, despite the fact that they’re trapped on a ship in space, they will still run into guest stars such as Grammy nominated recording artist, Janelle Monáe, Amanda Tapping, Michael Shanks, and Carlo Rota. Sounds rather Gilligan’s Island, doesn’t it?

And speaking of Amanda Tapping, Sanctuary returns for a second season beginning on October 9 at 10:00. Here’s the blurb:

Sanctuary follows the adventures of the always surprising Dr. Helen Magnus (Amanda Tapping), a brilliant scientist who holds the secrets of a clandestine population — a group of strange and sometimes terrifying beings that hide among humans.

Joining the cast in season 2 is Agam Darshi as Kate Freelander, a con artist and thief who finds herself in an uneasy alliance with Dr. Magnus. Sanctuary also stars Ryan Robbins as tech wiz Henry and Christopher Heyerdahl as the sinister John Druitt.

Special guest stars this season include Christopher Gauthier (Eureka) and Michael Shanks (Stargate SG-1).

Scare Tactics and Destination Truth will also return this fall along with more new episodes of  Warehouse 13 on Tuesday nights and Ghost Hunters on Wednesday nights. In October, music superstar and longtime Ghost Hunters fan Meatloaf will join the team as a guest investigator in a special episode featuring a home in Thousand Islands, NY, one of last year’s finalist locales in the Great American Ghost Hunt contest.

Photos: Syfy

Pictured: Eddie McClintock; Joanne Kelly and Mark Stern, Executive Vice President, Original Programming, Syfy; Co-Head, Original Content, Universal Cable Productions at the imagination celebration and opening of the Syfy Imagination Park at Rockefeller Center in New York City on July 7, 2009 — Syfy Photo: Heidi Gutman

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Alien Nation

Though the show was canceled after only one season, it spawned a popular series of TV movies and novels so it’s not surprising that Syfy is looking to the series as its next big reboot.

The original Alien Nation was ahead of its time with its scifi take on the problems of discrimination, immigration and segregation.  Smarter than most people remember, the series revolved around the concept of a non-invasive alien invasion. These aliens were all slaves, who end up on Earth when their mothership crashes in the desert outside of Los Angeles.

What happens next is human nature — some thrive, some go hungry, some turn to crime, some learn a trade. Some stick with their own kind but many assimilate casting off the old ways in favor of the typical suburban lifestyle. But no matter how much they try to act human, they are still aliens and that means they’re often subjected to name calling, discrimination and violence.

The Syfy reboot is being helmed by Angel’s Tim Minear. He told Variety that he was excited about the series because of the mix of styles that comes with the franchise.

“It’s genre mixed with procedural mixed with funny and mixed with big, giant scary,” Minear said. “I love serialized stuff, but this is also a cop franchise. That ‘Starsky and Hutch’/'Lethal Weapon’ buddy cop comedy is absent from TV right now.”

According to Variety, the new series would take place years after the original. The alien population has grown and they’ve been forced to live a segregated, ghetto existence.

Says Syfy VP Mark Stern, “The challenge is how do you do it in a way that will reinvent it without it feeling like a derivative rehash.”

They seem to have found the answer in Tim Minear.

Can Alien Nation be the next Battlestar Galactica? My 8-Ball says, All Signs Point to Yes.

Photo: Amazon

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