Tonight, both sets of brothers are back in business with the first of a line-up of all new episodes.

It begins at 8:00 with Vampire Diaries: Bloodlines

Damon (Ian Somerhalder) takes a trip to Georgia, where he surprises an old flame, Bree (guest star Gina Torres of Firefly) and enlists her help to figure out how to open the tomb. In the process, Damon comes face to face with someone who is determined to make him pay for past wrongs. Stefan (Paul Wesley) opens up to Grams (guest star Jasmine Guy) in his effort to help Bonnie (Katarina Graham) overcome her fears and accept her powers.  When Damon returns from Georgia, Stefan is waiting with news that will change their world

Next, at 9:00 it’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Supernatural style.  It’s called Sam, Interrupted and sadly there have been no photos released for this episode, just videos which you can see here.

A former hunter named Martin (guest star), who is currently institutionalized, calls Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) for help investigating a case in the mental hospital. The brothers get themselves admitted as patients to check out the mysterious monster that is attacking the patients, but their incarceration pushes both to the breaking point as they unleash their inner demons against each other.

Photo: Guy D’Alema/The CW ©2009 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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It’s called “Vampire Weekend” and it airs tonight at 10:00 on ABC.

As Halloween approaches, Castle and Beckett are called to a graveyard where the body of a young man sporting vampire fangs has been discovered with a wooden stake driven through his heart. Their investigation takes them deep into the heart of New York’s underground vampire fetish community, where they learn that the motive for the victim’s murder may be hiding within the pages of the graphic novel he was writing before his death, on “Castle,” MONDAY, OCTOBER 26 (10:02-11:00 p.m., ET/PT) on ABC.

“Castle” stars Nathan Fillion as Richard Castle, Stana Katic as NYPD Detective Kate Beckett, Susan Sullivan as Martha Rodgers, Molly Quinn as Alexis Castle, Ruben Santiago-Hudson as NYPD Captain Roy Montgomery, Tamala Jones as Medical Examiner Lanie Parish, Jon Huertas as NYPD Detective Javier Esposito and Seamus Dever as NYPD Detective Kevin Ryan.

(ABC/MICHAEL DESMOND) STANA KATIC, SEAMUS DEVER, SUSAN SULLIVAN, NATHAN FILLION, TAMALA JONES, JON HUERTAS

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V premieres on November 3 on ABC. It will have a limited run then return with new episodes in the spring, after the Olympics.

V – ABC’s “V” stars Morena Baccarin as Anna. (ABC/BOB D’AMICO)

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Let’s start with scifi royalty – Star Trek’s William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy.

Next it’s two of my fave’s Murdock and Face from A-Team, Dwight Schultz and Dirk Benedict who also starred in Star Trek: The Next Generation and the original Battlestar Galactica respectively.

Here’s Star Trek: TNG star Patrick Stewart and Smallville’s John Schneider.

Ron Glass from Firefly was in the house, as was Bruce Davidson from Knight Rider.

Interested in seeing more? Check out YouTube for a variety of videos from the panels including William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy sharing the spotlight.

Photos: Newscom 

Photo Credit: Dan Harr/AdMedia

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Summer always seemed like a natural for this series since she does that “blank slate” look so well but obviously her role on Sarah Connor Chronicles kept that from happening. Now, with that series behind her, she is taking on the roll of Bennett a “Dollhouse employee who shares a past with Echo.”

As this story hit the airwaves yesterday, I was surprised to see a lot of love and hate on both sides. Some people feel that Summer would have been a better choice to play Echo in the first place. Others are less complementary about her acting ability while many (like my husband) rejoice in the pairing of these two sexy sci fi chicks. (Yes, that’s my husband talking, not me.) I think it’s a smart move and I’m excited to see how it all plays out.

We also have a little more information on the other guest stars that I mentioned yesterday, Alexis Denisof will be playing Daniel Perrin, a U.S. senator leading a witch hunt to track down the underground organization. Mysterious, charismatic businessman Martin Klar (Jamie Bamber) is Echo’s new husband. Bradley Karrens (Michael Hogan) comes to the Dollhouse hoping to stop a psychotic family member’s killing spree, while Matthew Harding (Keith Carradine), a nemesis of Dollhouse leader Adelle Dewitt (Olivia Williams), stirs up trouble. Additionally, Dr. Saunders (Amy Acker) and Madeline /November (Miracle Laurie) return this season in multiple-episode arcs.

Wow, that’s one heck of a sci-fi, power packed cast.

What do you think abut the addition of Summer Glau or any of the newly announced guest stars? Let us know in the comments below.

DOLLHOUSE: Paul (Tahmoh Penikett, R) challenges Echo (Eliza Dushku, L) to remember her past to save his life in the DOLLHOUSE season premiere episode “Vows” airing Friday, Sept. 25 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Also pictured: Jamie Bamber (back R) and Zoran Radanovich (back L)©2009 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Isabella Vosmikova/FOX

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Marsters will play dangerous terrorist leader Barnabus Greeley. Driven by moralistic and yet carnal desires, this unpredictable villain is constantly torn by his conflicting motivations.

Sounds like a role he was born to play!

It’s funny, years ago, I interviewed James when he was just starting out on Buffy. I asked him what he loved most about playing the role of Spike and he said he loved that he could fight all night long and not wake up in jail the next morning. That, and the boots.

In other casting news, Firefly’s Gina Torres will be joining Gossip Girl for a short arc. According to TV Guide, she’ll be playing Vanessa’s free spirit, home-schooling mother.

If you watch CBS this season, you’ll see a few more familiar sci fi faces. Point Pleasant’s Grant Show is a regular on the new Jenna Elfman comedy Accidentally on Purpose and I’m pretty sure I saw Reaper’s Christine Willes (Gladys) in the pilot for The Good Wife.

James Marsters, who stars in the new action film “Dragonball Evolution,” responds to reporters’ questions during a publicity event in Seoul on Feb. 18.

Photo: Newscom

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Davies says Torchwood’s season four is ready to go

Torchwood creator and executive producer Russell T. Davies told the British press Friday that the fourth season of the sci-fi show is ready and waiting, depending on how the show’s third mini-season (“Children of Earth”) performs.

Read the full story at TVSquad.com

Joss Whedon on Dollhouse

Whedon says. “Really, just every meeting is like, ‘What’s the most fun we can have with this actor?’ about the whole cast. All I can say — ’cause I’m gonna be Mr. Un-Spoiler — is that we’re having a crazy amount of fun, and usually, that tends to translate onto the screen.”

Read the full story at EW and careful, there ARE spoilers.

Would FOX or NBC Be Willing To Bring It Back?

Yes. I think from my talks with the people running FOX that they would bring it back under the right circumstances. However, you must understand that right now Nathan Fillion, Adam Baldwin, Morena Baccarin, and Alan Tudyk (plus he was killed in SERENITY) all have gigs for the foreseeable future. However don’t underestimate the power of a movie.

Read the full story at TVbytheNumbers.com

DOLLHOUSE: Alpha (Alan Tudyk, L) imprints Echo (Eliza Dushku, R) as a natural born killer. ©2009 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Carin Baer/FOX

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Yeah, right.

Stock the bomb shelters and get those bullshit detectors out of storage because come January 2010, The Visitors will have landed. It’s “V”, the reimagining of the 1980’s scifi series about pretty alien people with a very dark secret.

I got to watch a little bit of the series and now I’m even more excited to see this new show.

V has several things going for it right out of the gate. First, there’s name recognition. Even if you weren’t around to see the first incarnation, you’ve probably heard vague rumblings about it in the scifi community. Second, the plot is even more relevant today than it was back then. With the bad economy, the war, terrorism – aren’t we all struggling to find a little ray of hope out there? And then there’s the cast. Smart, I tell you.

V is loaded with familiar scifi faces that will have people tuning in just to see their favorites. Firefly’s Morena Baccarin is perfectly cast as the engaging leader of the alien advance guard. Alan Tudyk (Firefly and Dollhouse) plays an FBI agent partnered with Lost’s Elizabeth Mitchell. Mitchell is the show’s anchor and she handles it well.

For the fangirls, you’ve got the puppy-dog angst of Logan Huffman. He’s got a thing for a young alien girl played by Smallville’s Laura Vandervoort. The 4400’s Joel Gretsch plays Father Landry, a man left to deal with an ever increasing panicked congregation as people look to religion for answers after the invasion. A young priest isn’t usually the kind of character that has fans running to fic, but I think it’s going to happen when you see this guy on screen. There’s something about him that just makes me want to write pages and pages and I’ve only seen a few minutes of him on screen.

Scott Wolf is also in the series playing a news anchor and somewhere in there you’ll find a very grownup Barry from Land of the Giants, aka Stefan Arngrim.

Man, I wish we didn’t have to wait until midseason for this one. It looks exciting and new and perfect for Fox or SCI FI Channel. The question is, can something this unique last on a network like ABC.  I hope so.

Here’s a clip of V, coming to ABC next year. (Photo copyright: ABC)

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Tudyk, known to scifi fans as Wash from Firefly, is the face behind the mysterious Alpha that we’ve heard so many scary tales about. Which is funny, because on the surface, Alan Tudyk isn’t a scary person, but he sure made us believe when he switched from the nutty and neurotic engineer Kepler, to a man you wouldn’t want to meet up with in the dark.

“I had so much fun playing Kepler, all this stupid physical stuff was great. And then turning into a bad ass was also fun,” said Tudyk, when he spoke to reporters on the phone after last week’s episode.  “Mentally speaking, and in this next episode, I’m only Alpha. I’m even more crazy, like he’s insane, insane.”

Playing the crazed killer was a new thing for Tudyk, and as much as he enjoyed the opportunity, it wasn’t something he’d sign up for on a long term basis.

“I like goofing around on set and joking around with the crew and everything. When you’re playing somebody who’s as intense as this guy is, I kind of have to be quiet and to myself from time to time and kind of keep my focus. If I was signing up for seven years of one or the other, I’d go with the fun loving, funny guy because it’s more fun to play. But luckily I don’t have to choose and Joss gave me this guy, which is both and many.”

By “many,” Tudyk means the other forty-two personalities that reside inside Alpha’s head.

“In this coming episode,” says Tudyk, “you see the effect of what forty-three people is on one person. We all have inner monologues, different voices that chime in throughout our day, different opinions on situations. Alpha has a little less control of his opinions. They are full people who all want voices. It takes an effort to maintain order in his brain.”

The actor admit that playing such a character was a little “crazy making” particularly when he’s contradicting himself as the various personalities battled for dominance. 

It was, however, this very character description that had Tudyk hungry for the role in the first place.

“[Joss] set me up really well because he didn’t tell me he wanted me for the role when he first described it. It wasn’t like we were in his office discussing work. We were over at Nathan Fillion’s house for Pictionary. We were on a Pictionary break when I brought it up. ‘What’s going on with the show? I want to hear about your new show,’ because it had yet to start and we were just getting into the strike time.

“He gave me a full scope of the guy, that he was this person who was obsessed with Echo and was forty-three people at once and has all of these skill sets crammed into one, but because he’s forty-three people at once, he’s mad. But he can do many things and he’s sort of godlike in his own mind. I was like, ‘Oh, my God, that’s sounds so amazing. Who’s playing that?’ ‘I want you to play it.’ I was really blown away that he wanted me for it and I was excited. As you said, I don’t get to play bad asses very often.”

And bad ass he shall be as Alpha sets off on his quest for world domination that starts with bringing Echo up to his personal, god-like standard. According to Tudyk, it’s going to be one heck of a finale. As for the future he says. . .

“My fate beyond the episode, totally alive, living a healthy life in Venice, California. But Alpha’s fate? It’s uncertain.”

Which in a world of Dollhouse, could mean anything.

The Dollhouse season finale airs tonight on FOX and now I’m actually sorry to see it go.

Cr: Carin Baer/FOX

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Let’s hear it for the Whedon Brothers! They’re here every night and don’t forget to tip your waitress.

Joss Whedon, brothers Zack and Jed and stars Felicia Day and Nathan Fillion were all on hand for the Paley Festival salute to Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-long Blog. It all went down on April 14th at the Arclight in Hollywood and I’ve got the pictures to prove it.

Here we have the brothers Grimm followed by the lovely and talent – talented and lovely Felicia and Nathan:

Want to know all the juicy details? Visit the TV Addict for his Paley Festival recap.  You’ll learn why its good to have studio chiefs as your friend, why a penchant for musical theater can pay off, and he also recalls the most cringeworthy questions of the night. It’s a good read, don’t miss it.

Tina Gill / PR Photos

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