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
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
Welcome Back Eureka!
June 5, 2009 by Cynthia
Okay, so I’m a little early. Eureka returns to Scifi on July 10, so we’ve got a little over a month left to wait. . . well, you do. . . I have the first two episodes in my chubby little hands. I’ll have a review on those a little closer to the air date, but in the meantime here’s what you have to look forward to:
The second half of Eureka’s third season picks up from the mid-season cliffhanger with Jack Carter (Colin Ferguson) being removed from his job as sheriff and Allison (Salli Richardson-Whitfield) announcing that she is expecting her recently deceased husband’s baby!
On the home front, Carter is confronted with some challenging decisions concerning daughter Zoe and he has a new love interest in the form of guest star Jamie Rae Newman.
Also, be on the lookout for homages to classic scifi movies such as The Blob and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
Want to know more about the season? Check out Charlie Craig on Twitter - Charlie is the show runner on Eureka and he’s a fun read.
“Welcome Back Carter” Episode 3010 — Pictured: Collin Ferguson as Sheriff Jack Carter — SCI FI Channel Photo: Marcel Williams
Eureka Returns in Battlestar Timeslot
We all wondered what Sci Fi Channel would do with Battlestar Galactica’s old digs and at least for the summer, Fridays at 10 p.m. will be the stomping grounds for Sheriff Jack Carter.
Starting July 10, the dramedy about a town full of geniuses and their numerous mishaps is back on what will then be known as Syfy. Taking over the old Eureka Tuesday night timeslot is new series Warehouse 13. Hopefully the move won’t hurt the audience Eureka has already established.
When last we left the town, Carter had saved it for the I don’t know - 100th time now. But he disobeyed a direct order from the government to do so, thus losing his job. I’m betting the bigwigs realize the error of their ways sooner rather than later.
Sci Fi Channel Photo: Liane Hentscher
James Marsters, Eureka and Land of the Lost: All on SCI FI
April 24, 2009 by Cynthia
SCI FI Channel is planning a summertime bash that you won’t want to miss. It all begins on Memorial Day with a Land of the Lost Marathon! “Marshall, Will and Holly, on a routine expedition. . ” sing along. . . you know you want to! Sure it’s tied to the big screen remake starring Will Ferrell, Anna Friel (Pushing Daisies) and Danny McBride but that doesn’t make me love Cha-ka any less
Next, on July 7, it’s the premiere of their new series Warehouse 13.
Two Secret Service agents find themselves abruptly transferred to a massive, top-secret storage facility in windswept South Dakota which houses every strange artifact, mysterious relic, fantastical object and supernatural souvenir ever collected by the U.S. government. The Warehouse’s caretaker Artie (Saul Rubinek) charges Pete (Eddie McClintock) and Myka (Joanne Kelly) with chasing down reports of supernatural and paranormal activity in search of new objects to cache at the Warehouse, as well as helping him to control the warehouse itself. CCH Pounder guest-stars as Artie’s boss Mrs. Federic, along with Allison Scagliotti as Claudia Donovan, a young, hip, brilliant techno-wiz.
Can Caprica "Franchise" Battlestar Galactica?
Part 1
This has all happened before. And it will all happen again. That’s not just the mythology behind Battlestar Galactica, it’s what the newly christened Syfy hopes will take place where prequel Caprica is concerned.
Faced with a hole in its lineup larger than the one Boomer created when she jumped near the ship, the cable channel took a predictable step toward filling it. No show garnered more buzz, earned more pop culture resonance and became more identifiable as Sci Fi Channel programming than BSG.
Battlestar Recap: There Must Be Some Way Out of Here
March 23, 2009 by brian
To borrow a phrase from the Star Trek: The Next Generation finale, all good things must end. Battlestar Galactica has been a very good thing and its ending leaves its upcoming TV movie The Plan and upcoming prequel Caprica with a lot to live up to. So join us as we jump the old girl on one last suicide mission because that’s just who Bill Adama and his crew are.
Pictured: Katee Sackhoff as Kara “Starbuck” Thrace — SCI FI Channel Photo: Carole Segal
Syfy Portal Is Now Airlock Alpha
March 18, 2009 by brian
Our buds over at Airlock Alpha have confirmed their name change was the result of selling their former name, SyFy Portal, to NBCUniversal as part of that company’s rebranding.
As Cynthia reported here, SCI FI Channel is now Sy Fy and the acquisition of the name Sy Fy Portal is apparently a part of that. Sy Fy Portal founder Michael Hinman won’t confirm how much he received, but did term it “significant.”
Hinman’s had the name for more than 10 years and the site has become a popular destination for sci-fi fans, so you’d figure it would have to be a significant amount. Whether you think NBC’s move is brilliant or baffling, it is making headlines and we’ll keep following the fascinating story here at SFUniverse. Now, if you’ll excuse me I’m off to buy the domain “Sy Fy Universe” just in case.
Photo courtesy of Syfy aka SCI FI Channel
SCI FI Becomes Syfy
March 16, 2009 by Cynthia
After sixteen years of delivering unique programming, SCI FI Channel has decided they need a more unique name. As of July 7th, SCI FI Channel will be known as SyFy. Their website scifi.com will roll into syfy.com on the same date and it all coincides with the launch of their new show Warehouse 13 and the return of Eureka.
The name change is a way of getting away from the generic term SCI FI and really cementing the brand as an entity all its own. While I do think the network has become a recognizeable brand, I’m not sure a name change was called for. But then Federal Express did okay when they became FedEx and just think of all the money they saved on truck lettering. At least the channel name will fit more easily in my post titles from now on.
Photo courtesy of Syfy aka SCI FI Channel
Caprica Will Hit DVD Before TV
February 10, 2009 by brian
In an interesting promotional move, Battlestar Galactica prequel Caprica will actually come out April 21 as a DVD. That’s a full eight months before it hits Sci Fi as a TV series in 2010. TV Guide reports on the unusual release and seems as confused as I am.
Sci Fi has to be thinking - OK, I don’t what they’re thinking but maybe this will help generate buzz. The two-hour pilot movie better be really good though. The last thing you want is a bunch of BSG fans watching this pilot and deciding to skip the show.
Caprica looks at the Greystone and Adama families that play a pivotal role in setting up the society soon to be ruined by the Cylon-Human conflict.
Esai Morales as Joseph Adams, Eric Stoltz as Daniel Graystone — SCI FI Channel Photo: Carole Segal