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

Ballroom 20

A new chapter of the Stargate saga begins with the all-new original series Stargate Universe. Join stars Robert Carlyle (Dr. Nicholas Rush), Brian J. Smith (1st Lt. Matthew Scott), Elyse Levesque (Chloe Armstrong), David Blue (Eli Wallace), Alaina Huffman (1st Lt. Tamara Johansen), Jamil Walker Smith (Master Sargeant Ronald Greer), and Ming-Na (Camile Wray) alongside Brad Wright (Series Co-Creator) and Robert Cooper (Series Co-Creator) as they take you through a gate you’ve never seen before.

11:45 AM-12:45 PM Caprica / Battlestar Galactica: The Plan

Ballroom 20

The present meets the past as the makers of Battlestar Galactica deliver the highly anticipated original series Caprica and the 2-hour event, Battlestar Galactica: The Plan, directed by Edward James Olmos. This is your chance to get the inside scoop on these exciting projects and see two generations of Adamas on stage together for the first time. Executive Producers Ronald D. Moore, David Eick and Jane Espenson sit down with Caprica star Esai Morales (Joseph Adama), and Battlestar Galactica’s Edward James Olmos (Admiral William Adama), director of The Plan, to reveal the truth about these two new chapters in the mythology of BSG. Moderated by Geoff Boucher, Los Angeles Times.

3:15 PM-4:15 PM Eureka

Room 6BCF

Eureka is back this summer with all new episodes, and Salli Richardson-Whitfield (Allison Blake), Erica Cerra (Jo Lupo), Neil Grayston (Douglas Fargo), and Jaime Paglia (Executive Producer/Co-Creator) are stopping by to let you in on the fun. Don’t miss your chance to see one of Comic Con’s most entertaining panels. Moderated by Josh Gates, Destination Truth.

8:30 PM-10:30 PM SCI FI Screening

Room 6DE

Warehouse 13 & Eureka will premiere every week this summer on SCI FI, but only Comic-Con fans can see them on the big screen. Join SCI FI for an exclusive screening of the next all-new episodes of the summer’s two hottest series, along with best of clips from Ghost Hunters.

Saturday, July 25

12:30 PM-1:30 PM Sanctuary

Bayside Hilton Indigo Room

Before Sanctuary returns for an all-new season, don’t miss your chance to go inside the action and behind the scenes. Join stars Amanda Tapping (Dr. Helen Magnus) and Robin Dunne (Dr. Will Zimmerman) as well as Martin Wood (Executive Producer) and Damian Kindler (Executive Producer) for an exclusive conversation about one of television’s most innovative shows. Moderated by Michael Logan, TV Guide.

2:15 PM-3:15 PM Warehouse 13

Room 6A

This summer, the unknown has an address in the new original series, Warehouse 13. Join stars Eddie McClintock (Pete Lattimer), Joanne Kelly (Myka Bering), Saul Rubinek (Artie Nielsen), Allison Scagliotti (Claudia Donovan), Jack Kenny (Executive Producer/Showrunner) and David Simkins (Executive Producer) as they reveal confidential information about America’s most classified secret. Moderated by Michael Logan, TV Guide.

Café Diem Hours of Operation:

Wednesday, July 22nd 6:30am-midnight
Thursday, July 23rd 6:30am-midnight
Friday, July 24th 6:30am-3am
Saturday, July 25th 6:30am-3am
Sunday, July 26th 6:30am-10pm

SANCTUARY — Pictured: (l-r) Christopher Heyerhahl as John Druitt, Amanda Tapping as Dr. Helen Magnus, Emilie Ullrep as Ashley Magnus, Robin Dunne as Dr. Will Zimmerman — SCI FI Channel Photo: Jamel Toppin

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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

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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

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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

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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.

(Photo: WAREHOUSE 13 — “Pilot” — Pictured: (l-r) Joanne Kelly as Myka Bering, Eddie McClintock as Pete Lattimer — SCI FI Channel Photo: Philippe Bosse)

July 8th marks the return of Ghost Hunters International. Six new episodes will air this summer with the rest following later in 2010.

On July 10, Eureka returns with 10 new episodes. Season 3.5 picks up where Eureka left off at the mid-season cliffhanger with Jack Carter (Colin Ferguson) being removed from his job as Eureka’s sheriff and Allison (Salli Richardson-Whitfield) announcing that she is expecting her recently-deceased husband’s baby. Carter is also confronted by some challenging decisions on the home front where his daughter Zoe (Jordan Hinson) is concerned and encounters a new love interest with the arrival of Dr. Tess Fontana (guest star Jaime Rae Newman) who will supervise the re-opening of Global Dynamics’ infamous ‘Section 5.’ (Photo: EUREKA — Pictured: Neil Grayston as Douglas Fargo — SCI FI Channel Photo: F. Scott Schafer)

Ghost Hunters returns August 19 with all new episodes as Jason Hawes, Grant Wilson and the TAPS team investigate and attempt to debunk claims of otherworldly activity.

SCI FI also has some great guest stars heading up their summer movies.

Peta Wilson takes on Malibu Shark Attack. Rick Schroeder fends off the dreaded Hellhounds, Jason Gedrick takes on Sand Serpents and Torchwood and Buffy star James Marsters takes the lead in High Plains Invaders. Here’s the scoop on that one:

In the early 20th century, a small western mining town is invaded by giant insectoid alien creatures whose only mission is to mine uranium to fuel their spaceship – but they’ll kill anyone or anything that gets in their way. After they devastate the town, it’s up to a retired outlaw to lead a small group of survivors in fighting the “bugs.”

Top it all off with their usual Twilight Zone marathon for Independence Day and you’ve got one heck of a hot summer on SCI FI. I’m looking forward to it.

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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.

I’d have been more surprised if they hadn’t looked at Ron Moore and said, “So, what else ya got, Galactically-speaking?” But it’s not just as easy as telling fans there’s a BSG prequel on, add water, instant profit. The first question fans have a right to ask is gee, couldn’t you have just greenlit another season or two of the original show?

Following up one of the most acclaimed series in the genre’s history would be a Herculean task for any show. A prequel to BSG may have it harder than most. The comparisons will be inevitable. And how many times can you remember one of the best shows ever being replaced by a show of equal or superior quality? Sadly, that’s even true with spinoffs. For every Cheers that has given us a quality show such as Frasier, there has been a Friends giving birth to the train wreck that was Joey.

Prequels are often a mixed bag as well. Star Wars has certainly made billions more through its first three episodes, the Clone Wars cartoon, etc. But few  Star Wars fans think the newer films are better than the originals in anything beyond special effects. Doing a prequel offers notoriously nitpicky fandom ample opportunities to poke plot holes in things they feel couldn’t have logically happened that way.

Another problem with prequels is that it’s a lot harder to sell people on a story we already know the ending to. We’ve learned the final fate (at least in the show’s current timeline) of the human and Cylon cultures. Again, it’s akin to following Anakin Skywalker’s journey. It’s not as if Lucas could do a last minute riff and say -  you know what? Obi Wan was really Vader the whole time. Thanks for your $10, now show yourselves out.

Sure, if Caprica goes three or four seasons there will have to be some shocking revelation. Something that tells us how the humans and Cylons began their final, fatal for many prominent characters dance.

But who are we kidding? Right now, Syfy and Ron Moore have our undivided attention to see if they can pull this off. They have earned that much. In the next installment of this article, we’ll look at how other sci-fi series have spun off and avoided franchise fatigue (or not.)

SCI FI Channel Photo: Jeff Weddell

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Pictured: Katee Sackhoff as Kara “Starbuck” Thrace — SCI FI Channel Photo: Carole Segal

We start at a Caprica City strip club with the Tighs and Bill Adama drinking to his retirement.  Whatever. Even without benefit of Cylon attack, I don’t think retirement was for Bill Adama at that point. He doesn’t even make it all the way through the interview for his corporate job before leaving.

In Laura Roslin’s flashback, her blind date turns out to be one of her former students. She goes cougar on him but tells him it won’t happen again. He makes a really sad face and Laura decides to join a political campaign. In present day, Laura thanks Doc Cottle for everything he’s done to keep her alive. Cottle almost loses it, as do I. This scene just hits all the right notes.

Laura’s not the only one dealing with romantic entanglement in her flashback as Lee and Kara almost engage in drunken passion while Zak sleeps. This flashback just drives home that while these two obviously love each other, it just wasn’t meant to happen.

One final crazy mission into the heart of Cylon territory demands one last Adama pep talk. It’s classic Adama as he tells his crew Galactica will not fail them if they do not fail her. If they succeed, he tells them Galactica will bring them home.If not, he says, it doesn’t matter. This was just awesome followed immediately by more awesome. Oh and yes,Gaius Baltar actually mans up and comes on the suicide mission, giving his cult over to Paula.

The scenes in which Galactica fights it out with the Cylon big guns are excellent, the best stuff this show has offered yet for action. We feel the shockwaves as the old girl takes everything the Cylons have to offer. It’s time for the classic “ram the enemy with the ship” maneuver. Sam Anders gets an assist for taking the Cylons’ hybrids offline.

So from there, its Centurion against Centurion action. It’s surreal to see our human heroes fighting alongside skinjobs and Centurions. Boomer asks a Cylon scientist if he’s going to keep working on Hera during the assault. He tells her she’s overestimated the humans’ chances and underestimated the importance of numbers. Then Boomer smooth kills him and runs off with Hera. Folks, Boomer switches sides more than the average pro wrestler. There’s a great moment with Caprica Six and Baltar in which Caprica explains that she’s proud of him. She’s always wanted to be, she says. And we get some humor as both of them can see the other’s head projections.

When she brings Hera back to her parents, Boomer explains that she owes the old man one. We get a flashback in which Adama reads Boomer the riot act but allows her one last chance to earn her billet. Coming back to the present, Boomer said she knows this was probably her last choice. She’s right, as Athena fills her full of bullets.

As they try to battle back to Galactica, Helo gets seriously wounded and a frightened Hera takes off. Athena chases after her at Helo’s urging. Roslin, still bonded to Hera, is drawn to her. All the people from the vision of the opera house recognize where to go, and Caprica Six and Baltar take Hera into the Opera House, which turns out to be the CIC. Epic. Unfortunately Cavil is there too and he snatches up Hera again.

It’s Baltar of all people that talks sense into Cavil, telling him there are things at play he does not understand. Baltar says there are angels in this very room and that he may be quite mad for believing that, but that doesn’t mean he’s not right.

A deal is struck: the Final Five will trade their knowledge of resurrection to the Cavil Cylons in exchange for Hera. They’ll need to place their hands into the super goop that keeps Sam hybrided up and in that instant, they’ll all know everything the others know. Tory realizes this means Galen will know that she killed his wife. She tries to talk her way out of this, but when Galen gains that awareness he snaps her neck like a twig.

That interrupt stops the download and there’s a huge firefight between Cavil and Adama’s charges. In the melee, Cavil commits suicide by eating a bullet and the Cylon colony gets nuked. Adama asks Starbuck to get them out of there. She wants to know where she should jump but no one cares, they just want away. Then Starbuck realizes that the notes she’s memorized are actually the FTL coordinates for Earth, or what will become Earth.

There are inevitable comparisons to Lord of the Rings from here on out. We get endings for several of our fave characters. Lee comes up with the interesting plan to get rid of all technology, having Sam pilot the ships into the sun. The Centurions get the baseship to live out their lives as they choose, as everyone’s in agreement they’ve earned it. Kara and Lee have to say some emotional goodbyes. I didn’t cry yet, but I was close.

But they hit us with all the other endings, Adama taking a flight off an abandoned Viper deck. Galen decided to head for what will one day be called Scotland, he said he was tired of people and wanted some time alone. No word on whether Duncan McLeod will prove one of Galen’s descendants. Saul and Ellen will live out their days in happiness (in theory).

Caprica and Gaius will live on a farm (Gaius breaks down, remembering his farming father) and Caprica consoles him. Powerful stuff. I’m still holding it together.

Adama gets ready to take Roslin for one last Viper ride but not before saying goodbye to Lee and Starbuck. Yeah, I’m gonna cry soon. Lee said his earliest memories are of his dad leaving on a spaceship. Starbuck says he’s not coming back this time and Lee knows that. But Starbuck said she’s not either and then vanishes.

What was Kara Thrace? She was a harbinger of death, leading the crew to two different Earths and finally ending a centuries-long conflict. At least we think she did. She was the best damn pilot in the whole fleet, one hell of a poker player and somebody you’d want on your side in any fight. And she was Bill Adama’s daughter.

For Fridays for the past four years, she’s been one of the best reasons in history to turn on the TV. Part of me, the reporter part, wants all the answers to the questions. But you know, I guess it doesn’t matter to me what Kara Thrace was as much as who she was. In her final flashback, she tells Lee that more than anything else she fears being forgotten. Lee never will forget her and neither will the rest of us.

Oh and the Agathons? Helo actually lived, presumably happily with Athena and Hera. We flash forward 150,000 to find that Hera was Mitochondrial Eve, the mother of modern humanity. Our two angels Gaius and Caprica are talking about how things are happening as they have before. Caprica says God’s watching and Gaius says “God” doesn’t like to be called that. What a frakkin’ ride, gang.

Post from: SF Universe

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

Post from: SF Universe

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

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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

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