Syfy Announces Their Comic Con Schedule
June 30, 2009 by Cynthia
Making the brand change from SCI FI to Syfy, the (insert name here) channel promises a big show at this year’s San Diego Comic Con. In addition to the usual panels, they’ll be taking over the restaurant at the Hard Rock Hotel, and re-branding it as Eureka’s “Cafe Diem” for the duration of the convention. This will act as their convention hub and I imagine that will mean lots of goodies and fun for everyone who stops by. (SCI FI Channel Photo: Liane Hentscher)
They have some great guests and lots of sneak peeks at many of their new TV shows.
Also note that the Sanctuary panel is listed as being at the Bayside Hilton — leading me to wonder if more of the events are going to be held off site to reduce crowding. Nice idea, but getting from there to the Warehouse 13 panel that follows is going to be a nightmare.
Here’s the full listing:
Friday, July 24
10:30 AM-11:30 AM Stargate Universe
Galactica, Dark Knight Win Big at Saturn Awards
Last night, luminaries from the world of sci fi and horror were honored at the 35th Annual Saturn Awards. The awards are given out by The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films for work in film, TV and on DVD. This years 
winners will join an illustrious list of former honorees including Vincent Price, Rod Serling, Dan Curtis, Ray Bradbury, Gene Roddenberry, Robert Wise and Lon Chaney Jr. just to name a few.
The Dark Knight was the evening’s biggest winner, taking home five awards including Best Action Film, Best Writing, Music, Special Effects and Best Supporting Actor for Heath Ledger.
On the television side, it was Battlestar Galactica that took home the most awards winning Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series, Best Actor on Television: Edward James Olmos, and Best Actress on Television: Mary McDonnell. Lost received the Saturn Award for Best Network Series, beating out Supernatural, Fringe, Heroes, Life on Mars, and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
Battlestar was up against an odd mix of shows for Best Syndicated / Cable including The Closer, Dexter, Leverage and more predictable, Star Wars: The Clone Wars and True Blood.
Moonlight took the award for the best modern DVD with Invaders winning for retro DVD.
Several special awards were presented throughout the evening, Lance Henriksen took the Life Career Award, Jeffrey Katzenberg received the Visionary Award and Leonard Nimoy was handed the Lifetime Achievement Award.
You’ll find a full list of winners after the jump. You can find the list of nominees here at the Saturn Awards Website.
Photos by Newscom
Fox Announces Comic-Con Panels
June 25, 2009 by Cynthia
Twentieth Century Fox has announced their line-up of panels for the San Diego Comic Con. It’s an interesting mix of scifi and non-genre shows, though even some of those shows have scifi favorites in the mix, so it’s all good.
FRIDAY, JULY 24:
2:15-3:00 P.M. Coming off its most critically acclaimed season in years, 24 stars Kiefer Sutherland, Mary Lynn Rajskub and new cast members Anil Kapoor, Freddie Prinze, Jr. and Katee Sackhoff join showrunnner Howard Gordon and the producers of the Emmy-winning series for a special sneak peek at the heart-stopping premiere episode of Season 8. Ballroom 20.
3-3:45 P.M. Bones showrunner Hart Hanson and stars David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel are on hand for a discussion of what’s on deck for Booth and Brennan, hot on the heels of this year’s much talked-about season finale in which the pair finally wound up between the sheets. Ballroom 20.
4 P.M-6 P.M. Join Dollhouse creator Joss Whedon and star/producer Eliza Dushku for a no-holds-barred Q & A about what they have planned for season 2, after they unveil a special screening of the NEVER BEFORE SEEN “Epitaph One” episode of the Fox hit which releases on DVD just four days later. Ballroom 20. (DOLLHOUSE: Joss Whedon (L) directs Eliza Dushku (R) on the set during production. ©2009 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Greg Gayne/FOX)
Worth Jumps from Battlestar to Heroes
June 17, 2009 by Cynthia
Hollywood Reporter says that actor Rick Worthy, who played Cylon Simon in Battlestar Galactica may be headed over to Heroes for the new season. Worthy is in talks to play Greg Grunberg’s new partner.
Worthy comes from a long line of scifi projects. He was Jannar on Enterprise, and he guested on Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Fallen, and he had a pivitol role in the series finale of Dark Angel. Without checking IMDB — can you name the character he played?
Photo: Mar 16, 2009 - New York, New York, USA - Actor RICK WORTHY at the New York premiere of ‘Duplicity’ held at the Ziegfeld Theater
True Blood 101: The Gals
June 10, 2009 by Cynthia
With True Blood coming back in only a couple of days, here’s a quick primer to help you get caught up with the characters.
Sookie Stackhouse is the star of the show. She’s a barmaid at Merlotte’s and she’s also telepathic. If she looks someone right in the eye she can usually read their thoughts - unless that someone is a vampire, which is one of the reasons she started dating Bill.
Sookie’s grandmother, whom she lived with, was murdered last season so now it’s just her and her brother, Jason.
Sookie is played by Anna Paquin.
Tara Thornton is Sookie’s best friend and she’s not afraid to speak her mind. She also works at Merlotte’s and once had a short relationship with the boss.
Tara may seem a little rough around the edges but she only wants what’s best for the people she cares about.
Tara is played by Rutina Wesley
Maryann Forrester claims to be a wealthy social worker who has nothing but good intentions. She bailed Tara out of jail when she was arrested on drunk driving charges, but Tara might have been swerving to avoid a naked Maryann in the road!
Michael Shanks Charity Auction is Underway
June 9, 2009 by Cynthia
It’s that time of year again folks, time to reach into your wallet and bid on a cool scifi collectible in the name of charity. Stargate’s Michael Shanks (Dr. Daniel Jackson) is the man behind this yearly effort and the auction always features some really amazing items, like this autographed cap (see below for the list of signers). Other auction items include:
* Michael Shanks’ signed, personal “SG-1″ scripts (with hand-written notations), plus scripts and call sheets from his appearances on the USA Network series “Burn Notice” and the Fox Network series “24″
* Stargate DVDs signed by the original movie’s stars, Kurt Russell, Mili Avatal, Erick Avari and Alexis Cruz.
* Photos, posters, DVDs and action figures signed by – among others – Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles and Misha Collins (”Supernatural”), Jeffrey Donovan (”Burn Notice”), Jamie Bamber and Katee Sackhoff (”Battlestar Galactica”), Joe Flanigan, David Hewlett and Paul McGillion (”Stargate: Atlantis”), Sean Astin (”The Lord Of The Rings”) and Gareth David Lloyd (”Torchwood”).
* “SG-1″ team and individual photos, DVDs, and more, signed by Michael Shanks, Claudia Black, Amanda Tapping, Beau Bridges, Ben Browder and Christopher Judge, among others.
The profits from this auction will be donated to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada. The auction starts today and new items will be added daily for the next two to three weeks. You can go straight to the auction on ebay or visit Michael’s website for more detailed information.
New Alice Event Features Sci Fi Cast
Somewhere in Vancouver the stars of Rocky Horror Picture Show, Primeval, Battlestar Galactica, Sanctuary and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine are slaving away under the hot lights to bring you a crazy new version of the Alice in Wonderland story.
It’s the latest four-hour mini series event from Sci Fi Channel and it’s sporting quite a cast.
Academy Award winner Kathy Bates (Misery) stars as the Queen of Hearts and Caterina Scorsone (1-800-Missing) plays Alice.
Rounding out the stellar cast are Tim Curry (Rocky Horror Picture Show) as Dodo, Colm Meaney (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) as the King of Hearts, Philip Winchester (Crusoe) as Jack of Hearts, Matt Frewer (Watchmen) as the White Knight, Andrew Lee Potts (Primeval) as Hatter, Alessandro Juliani (Battlestar Galactica) as 9 of Clubs, Timothy Webber (Taken) as Carpenter, Alex Diakun (Sanctuary) as Ratcatcher, Zak Santiago (Kingdom Hospital) as 10 of Clubs, and Eugene Lipinski (Animorphs) as Doctors Dee and Dum.
Using the classic Lewis Carroll books Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass as a jumping off point, writer/director Nick Willing has created the modern-day story of Alice Hamilton, a fiercely independent twenty-something who suddenly finds herself on the other side of a looking glass. She is a stranger in an outlandish city of twisted towers and casinos built out of playing cards, all under the rule of a deliciously devilish Queen who’s not very happy about Alice’s arrival.
Willing also directed the record-breaking, Emmy-winning miniseries Tin Man for SCI FI in 2007 so you can bet this one will be quite an event! Watch for in on the newly named SyFy Channel this December.
Photo: Tim Curry from Newscom
Katee Sackoff Joins 24
June 8, 2009 by Cynthia
Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly is reporting that Katee Sackoff will be joining the cast of 24 this coming season. The Battlestar Galactica star has been in talks to play Dana Walsh, a highly respected and down-to-earth data analyst at the new and improved New York branch of CTU.
As part of her regular role, she’ll develop a relationship with fellow agent Davis Cole (played by Freddie Prinze. Jr.), but since this is 24, you know that she has a few skeletons in her closet which she’s trying desperately to keep hidden.
Ausiello’s report makes it sound like it’s all systems go, even though last week, Sackoff (seen here at the Collectormania con in the UK) took herself out of the running for the role.
Photo: Newscom
Fox Reschedules Virtuality for June
June 4, 2009 by Cynthia
Fox has once again given Virtuality the bump though this time it seems like a move in the right direction. The much anticipated pilot from Battlestar Galactica’s Ronald D. Moore and Friday Night Light’s Peter Berg was downgraded from series launcher to special movie event with a July 4th airdate.
Burning the pilot off in the summer was bad enough, but scheduling it on a holiday where the majority of the people in the US are outside watching fireworks – that was insult to injury.
Galactica Concert Comes to LA
May 29, 2009 by Cynthia
Battlestar Galactica and Caprica composer Bear McCreary will be celebrating the release of the new Caprica Soundtrack CD with two live concerts in the Los Angeles area.
First, on June 13, McCreary will conduct the music from Battlestar Galactica to kick-off the 2009 Grand Performances Series at California Plaza. It’s a free concert in downtown Los Angeles so all you have to do is show up and enjoy. Not going to be in the area? Then mark your calendar for June 16. That’s the day La-La Land Records will release the soundtrack for Caprica on CD.
Next, on July 23-25, McCreary will be performing at the House of Blues in San Diego just for all you Comic-Con fans. That concert will celebrate the July 21 release of a special 2-CD set, Battlestar Galactica: Season 4. The first disc features music from seasons 4.0 and 4.5, with the music from “Daybreak”, the stunning series finale, featured on the second disc.
Two concerts and two new CDs. It’s music that will inspire you. Get more information or order your CDs at the La-La Land Records website.
CD cover: La-La Land Records