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From TV Guide:
Think you've got a tough job? Try playing an action hero every week on TV. But you won't catch Alias badass Jennifer Garner complaining about her heavy workload. "It's not like I'm the only person in the country working 16- or 17-hour days," she tells TV Guide Online of her physically demanding role as double agent Sydney Bristow. "Yeah, it's exhausting, but it's also exhilarating.
"The physicality of the role actually gets me pumped up," continues the 29-year-old Golden Globe nominee, who's married in real life to Felicity dreamboat Scott Foley. "It just seems to happen that the big fight scenes are shot in the middle of the night, and the crew is always saying, 'Oh Jen, are you okay?' And I always say, 'You know what? I'm probably better off than you guys. Because I'm up and my adrenaline is going.'"
All of her hard work is paying off: Garner has been heralded by critics as the breakout star of the 2001-02 TV season. But despite all of the potentially head-swelling acclaim, Garner isn't anxious to leave TV behind for a career in movies. As it is, the actress admits that a plum part like Sydney comes around but once in a lifetime.
"I can't imagine a role that is as challenging or as interesting as the one that I'm playing," she confesses. "I can't imagine getting a script that I would love as much as I love every script I get. So, it'll be tough to find something that I fall in love with.
"And I'll still have to get the job," she modestly adds. "It's not like the scripts are pouring in."
12/18/2002:
From Aint-it-Cool-News:
Many, many changes around the corner for "Andromeda" in the wake of the September departure of head writer Robert Hewitt Wolfe ...
* Brent Stait, who reportedly missed numerous recent episodes due to a severe allegic reaction to the makeup that transforms him into the monstrously visaged holy man Rev Bem, will exit the show permanently this season.
* Sources close to the show also indicate that the characters of Rommie and Trance Gemini have received dramatic cosmetic makeovers (reportedly sanctioned by execs determined to make the characters appear more "fuckable").
* Trance - who reportedly lost her tail in a recent battle mishap at Tribune Entertainment's insistence - will receive a very "Trek"-y new hairdo, replete with dread extensions, while her purple complexion will become more multihued with gold tones accentuating her bone structure. (Ms. Gemini's personality will also get a makeover: the sweet-pixie-concealing-a-dark-secret will transmogrify into a haughty supergirl.)
* Rommie also gets a new 'do, with blue locks that suggest something akin to Bettie Page, Louise Brooks and Cleopatra 2020.
Photos of Canadian hotties Lexa Doig and Laura Bertram sporting their new looks can be found at this official Andromeda Webpage.
Here now Coax's exclusive look at how Capt. Hunt & Co. will serve out the balance of their second season:
2.10 "The Prince." Teen royalty is the key to the crew quelling an alien uprising, as Dylan and Tyr become co-regents to a recently orphaned young prince.
2.11 "Bunker Hill." The crew returns for the first time to Earth, where Harper and his cousin try to save the homeworld from Nietzschean occupation. (This episode was also supposed to feature the return of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" regular James Marsters as the conniving Nietzschean archduke Charlemagne Bolivar, but -despite the character's popularity and Marsters' expressed willingness to reprise his role - Tribune reportedly refused to meet his price. Wah!)
2.12 "Ourobourous." A big mid-season mystery. Says the Website: "This is the episode that you have all been waiting for. The past and the future converge on the Andromeda Ascendant and all we can say is that what was meant to be - happens, and nothing will ever be the same. The series has hinted about this moment from the beginning, and we dare anyone to guess what it will be. The future of Dylan's mission will depend on it." What the Website isn't telling you: this was the last episode made under Wolfe's tenure, and it's said to be filled with "meta" commentary regarding the radical changes in the show, as Harper's Magog infestation finally threatens to kill him.
2.13 "Lava and Rockets." Dylan hijacks a ship.
2.14 "Be All My Sins Remembered." We learn via flashback how Beka met Harper, and that Beka's boyfriend at the time has a face familiar to people who watch lotsof TV: Costas Mandylor of "Picket Fences," "Players," and "Secret Agent Man" fame!
2.15 "The Dance Of The Mayflies." According to the Website: "The story is contagious." According to Coaxial News, it's a zombie tale about plague victims infected by a hostile, nanobot-based lifeform out to take over the ship.
2.16 "In Heaven Now Are Three." Dylan, Beka, and Trance go on an Indiana Jones-style adventure in search of a fabled artifact.
2.17 "The Fair Unknown." We finally meet the fabled Vedrans, long-lost founders of the Commonwealth!
2.18 "The Knight, Death and the Devil." This one features a POW camp full of captured High Guard starships and their AI avatars! It also boasts "Stargate SG1's" Christopher Judge and Michael Hurst, who played Kevin Sorbo's little buddy Iaolus on "Hercules - the Legendary Journeys."
2.19 "Belly of the Beast." A big space monster swallows the Andromeda.
2.20 "Immaculate Perception." Tyr learns he's a daddy.
2.21 "The Things We Cannot Change." A money-saving clip show! Yes, Andromeda's very own "Shades of Grey"!
2.22 "The Tunnel at the End of the Light." "Everything is leading up to the amazing season finale where we meet an alien race that Dylan and his crew were destined to one day face," hints the official site. What the Website fails to mention: the finale ties up the whole "re-founding of the Commonwealth" story, allowing the show to ditch most of Wolfe's story arc and move toward more stand-alone, action-oriented episodes that will see Dylan and crew bouncing from planet to planet to help aliens in distress.
A very different season finale was reportedly planned before the departure of Wolfe, who allegedly wanted to close out season two with a new threat to Trance that revealed more about her nature and her mission, and resulted in her ostracism from her own people (shades of the Odo story arc from "Deep Space Nine")!
From SciFi.com:
A month after Andromeda co-creator Robert Hewitt Wolfe abruptly left the syndicated SF series, co-star Brent Stait (Rev Bem) has also quit, the Sy Fy Portal Web site reported. Seth Howard, Tribune Entertainment's creative executive in charge of production, confirmed Stait's departure during a chat on the show's official Web site.
"Brent Stait chose to leave the show for personal reasons," Howard posted. "We miss him and hope that we will be able to play again sometime in the future." Stait had been having problems with the heavy makeup and prosthetics he wore as part of his character. "Brent had a severe allergic reaction to the considerable prosthetics. It became unbearable, although he was a serious trouper," Howard said. Howard offered no details of when and how Rev Bem will be written out of the show. "We miss Rev, and I for one miss that particular quality about him. And although we wouldn't duplicate his character, we can go there in other ways. ... Keep your eye on Trance."
02/23/2001:
From Fandom Daily Buzz:
Ain't It Cool News posted some Andromeda spoilers for anyone who cares to read them:
Warning: Spoilers
Look for big revelations in Trance Gemini's mysterious origins in the season finale. The finale will also feature the return of Enigma from "Harper 2.0" who will develop into the series' big bad guy. Trance has a connection with Enigma. The finale will reveal Enigma's relationship to the Magog and the fall of the Commonwealth. Bruce Campbell will guest-star during the second season.
09/12/2000:
From SciFi.com:
SF author Walter Jon Williams (The Rift) thinks the upcoming series Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda has a lot of promise, at least judging from the writing he's seen so far. Williams recently penned an episode of the show and says the other scripts he was given to look over were "sharp and smart."
"If the production and acting equal the quality of the writing, I'd say it's going to make a big splash," Williams told SCI FI Wire. The Hugo- and Nebula-Award-nominated author became involved in the series when Andromeda executive producer Robert Hewitt Wolfe asked Williams to pitch him some story ideas.
"Robert Hewitt Wolfe had read some of my fiction, and liked it enough to contact my agent and ask if I'd like to contribute a few ideas to the show," Williams said. "He was unaware that I'd had some screenwriting experience, and was receptive to my idea of writing the teleplay as well as pitching ideas."
Williams said the story he turned in is tentatively titled "All Great Neptune's Oceans," "which is a reference to Macbeth, if anyone cares to look it up." He described the story as a murder mystery in which "one of the series regulars did it. (Really!) But I can't tell you which one." "All Great Neptune's Oceans" was shot in August, but Williams said he is not sure when it will air. He added that he enjoyed the chance to work on the series and hopes to contribute more stories to Andromeda in the future.
The upcoming syndicated television series Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda has posted new teasers to its Official Web site.
Alex Lifeson of the rock band Rush is composing the theme to the upcoming syndicated television series Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda, and an early version of the music is available on the show's Official Web site.
From Cinescape.com:
For the first time since it's premiere in 1999, Joss Whedon is coming back for some heavy creative lifting on the WB's ANGEL . Of course, with Whedon, it's usually all creative heavy lifting. While he executive produces the show, spun-off from his wildly popular BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, Whedon will write and direct February 4th's "Waiting in the Wings."
This marks the first time he's written and directed an episode since the pilot. "Wings" centers on Angel and company going to the ballet only to discover an acquaintance Angel hasn't seen in a century.
01/15/2002:
From TV Guide:
From Cinescape.com:
The WB TV network has released info on the coming January 21 episode of ANGEL, titled "Provider."
In the story, Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) worries that Angel (David Boreanaz) has lost sight of their mission to help the helpless when he becomes obsessed with making money in order to provide for the baby's future and takes on too many cases.
Bill Norton directed the episode with a script written by Scott Murphy.
09/24/2001:
Here's TV Guide's description of
tonight's Angel episode:
09/24/2001:
From Aint-it-Cool:
Angel 3.1 FAQ
What's it called?
"Hearthrob."
The big news?
3.1 is one of those "Angel" episodes with a big shocker ending.
Does the shocker ending involve Buffy or the other scoobs?
It does not.
What did Herc say about "Angel" 3.1 way back on July 15 again?
* Darla's back. At least in flashbacks.
* At least one flashback finds Angel and Darla in 1767 Marseilles,
fleeing from Holtz. (As Moriarty and Bosshog mentioned in this space
earlier, Holtz's family was killed by Angelus, and the wronged man will
this season find his way into the 21st century in his quest for
vengeance.)
* At the time of the Marseilles flashback, Holtz is already being
described as "the most formidable vampire killer in the world."
* The 18th century Darla and Angel will cavort with a heretofore
unseen vampire couple, a kind of proto-Spike-and-Dru named James and
Elisabeth. (Not, vexingly, James and Juliet.)
* Holtz was the unseen fellow chasing Angel and Darla in a flashback
in last season's "Dear Boy." Elisabeth brings up the incident from the
"Dear Boy" flashback, asking Angel if it was true Darla fled a barn in
which Angel and Darla were trapped, leaving Angel to die. Angel confirms
the incident with fondness: "She hit me with a shovel, wished me luck and
rode off with our only horse."
* Elisabeth dies by Angel's hand.
* Holtz isn't the only one to turn up in the present. James gets to
spend time with Angel and Cordy on the L.A. subway!
* In the present, James tells Angel he wishes he could kill Angel's
true love, as Angel killed James'. Angel replies, "You can't kill the
woman I love because she's already dead." Cordy adds, "It happened three
months ago, we try not to talk about it."
* Don't expect James to survive the season premiere.
Did Herc's sources get it right?
They did!
What does TV Guide say?
After a turbulent summer spent coping with the news of Buffy's death, Angel (David Boreanaz) returns to L.A. in the third-season opener only to run into a couple of nasty blasts from his tarnished past. While out on a routine vamp hunt, Angel happens to dust a bloodsucker (Kate Norby) from his evil Angelus days. Familiar or not, one less demon on the streets is always a good thing. Unfortunately, her boyfriend (Ron Melendez) of a couple of centuries doesn't share that sentiment---and he's prepared to take drastic measures to exact revenge. Fred: Amy Acker.
What kind of drastic measures?
James, the boyfriend, has surgery that makes him immune to things like sunlight and stakes.
Yikes! Why doesn't every vampire have this surgery?
Because there's a catch.
What's this episode really about?
Angel coming to grips with Buffy's death.
Is Buffy's death discussed directly this episode?
Yes.
Is Buffy mentioned by name?
Yes.
Do we meet Holtz?
We do.
Do we see Holtz in the present?
No. Only in flashback.
Do we see Darla in the present?
Yes.
Is Darla in Los Angeles?
She's in Puerto Cabazas, Nicaragua.
Is she still hanging out with Dru?
Dru does not appear in this episode.
What's up with Cordelia?
When she's not commiserating with Angel over Buffy, she's complaining about the growing intensity of her "gift." "These visions are killing me," she moans. "They're getting worse every time." We also learn that Dennis the ghost has taken to scrubbing Cordy's naked bod when she's bathes!
What's up with Fred?
She's still traumatized from her long stay in Pylea, and has pretty much holed up in one of the hotel rooms these last three months.
What's up with Wes and Gunn?
They visit Krevlornswath (of the Deathwok Clan) at Caritas.
Is "Angel" really being broadcast in letterbox now?
It is, and it looks great!
Is this the "Angel" with the big, new "Lord of the Rings" trailer?
It is.
Have you seen this trailer?
I have not.
What's good?
The boyfriend's vengeful plotting, as well as what we get to learn about Darla and Holtz.
What's not so good?
All the dialogue with James and Angel about true love seemed a little repetitive and banal to my ears. On the other hand, there's not that much of it.
Herc's rating for "Angel" 3.1?
***1/2
The Hercules T. Strong Rating System:
* ***** better than we deserve
* **** better than most motion pictures
* *** actually worth your valuable time
* ** as horrible as most stuff on TV
* * makes you quietly pray for bulletins
Swing the crebbil! Swing the crebbil!
Since Buffy spun off her blood-sucking beau into his own series, he has bared his fangs at almost every conceivable kind of antagonist. But starting with tonight's season premiere of Angel (9 pm/ET on the WB), the undead do-gooder and his ghoul-crazy sidekicks will stare down their most terrifying foe yet, a cherub who is as handy with a bow and arrow as they are with wooden stakes — Cupid.
"Everybody's going to be having feelings for everybody in an inconvenient way," executive producer David Greenwalt tells TV Guide Online. "Gunn and Wesley are both going to have eyes for [new regular] Fred, and Fred's going to have a big ol' puppy-dog crush on Angel."
Horror of horrors, a new romance could even be in the offing for the show's brooding title character. "The fact that he has this curse should not stop him from living," suggests Greenwalt, downplaying the crippling effect of the vampire's, er, 'drinking problem.' "So he's going to be moving on in a big way."
In part, that means Angel must accept that his former girlfriend has gone to Slayer heaven. "He will definitely be getting over Buffy," promises Greenwalt. "In the first episode, he deals with that. There's also a Romeo-and-Juliet-type couple out of his past that represents the kind of undying love that he had with Buffy."
That said, Angel isn't likely to be ready and raring to get hot and heavy again overnight. After all, this is the guy who, with one notable exception, shrugged off the come-ons of incendiary old flame Darla for nearly a year. And besides, he might wind up with more pressing problems than scaring up a date for Saturday night.
"Just as he is getting over Buffy, there's a big thing that comes back to haunt him," Greenwalt teases. "You'll see at the end of episode one what he has to deal with. So, whether he's going to be dating, he's certainly going to have his hands full." — Charlie Mason
From E! Online:
Thanks to the magic of vertical integration, there'll be some Hobbits hanging with David Boreanaz Monday night.
New Line Cinema will unveil a brand-new sneak-peek for its much-anticipated Fellowship of the Ring during the season premiere of Angel on the WB.
The new trailer, the third preview of Fellowship to be released, is bypassing theaters and will play just one time during Angel's 9-10 p.m. slot.
Not so coincidentally, both New Line and the WB are owned by AOL Time Warner. The network readily admits the move is an example of corporate synergy.
"Angel and The Lord of the Rings are extremely compatible in that they each target similar demos. It is always great when we are able to work with another arm within AOL Tim Warner in a way that benefits both companies," says Lew Goldstein, copresident of marketing at the WB.
Marketing execs at Mordor, er, the media empire, say that using AOL Time Warner properties for some cross-promotional wizardry will not only be a treat for fans eagerly awaiting the big-screen version of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic Lord of the Rings trilogy, but should also give a solid boost to the WB's young-adult audience, as well.
The first installment in the series, Fellowship follows unlikely hero Frodo Baggins and his rag-tag band of pals as they seek to destroy the titular ring.
While the trailer will only air on the WB once, it's expected that New Line will eventually show it in theaters. Directed by Peter Jackson and starring Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett, Sean Astin and Viggo Mortensen, Fellowship is due to be released on December 19.
Meanwhile, Angel is getting a bit cinematic as it enters its third season. The WB has decided to broadcast the supernatural drama in letterbox format. Monday's show will also kick off the network's new season of programming, which was delayed by two weeks after last week's devastating terrorist attacks. The rest of the WB's fall premieres will launch October 5.
09/06/2001:
From Aint-it-Cool:
From TV Guide:
Hopeless romantics pale at the thought that, with Buffy the Vampire Slayer moving to UPN this fall and leaving behind spinoff Angel at the WB, the series' hot-blooded superheroes might never meet again. But the lovers' latest "break-up" has set at least one fan's heart aflutter: new Angel regular Amy Acker, who made her debut as bespectacled bookworm Winnifred Burkle in last season's breathtaking four-part finale.
"I have a big crush on Angel," she tells TV Guide Online in character, "but I'm not sure that it's reciprocated."
Not yet, anyway. Prescient viewers, however, can read the writing on the wall - or, in this case, in the scripts: While struggling to escape back to Los Angeles from another, even scarier dimension, Angel and Fred developed a warm friendship that could easily heat up. Even Acker admits that a more intimate relationship between the odd couple seems like a natural progression.
"We had this really close bond," she observes, "and we're both kind of outsiders. So we'll see."
Whether or not Fred succeeds in making Angel forget his ex, she - and her portrayer - are guaranteed a year that will give them palpitations. "Fred's been a slave for five years, so she's trying to readjust," explains the 25-year-old Texan, whose résumé consists mostly of theater credits and white space. "And I watched Buffy in school - we had Buffy nights like everyone else.
"Now," she continues, awestruck, "Joss Whedon [the creator of Buffy and Angel] has both casts over to his house to do Shakespeare readings. It's overwhelming. So I'm adjusting, too."
From Aint-it-Cool:
Who The Hell Is HOLTZ, And Why Does He Hate ANGEL?!
Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab. Bosshog is a good man. He hears the scoop, he drops me a line. Me and him, we've got an understanding, and when it bears fruit, it can be a lovely thing. Like today, for example. He wrote me to say that there's a new character being cast right now, an opponent for ANGEL on the WB's show of the same name, and he has the straight story on who and what this new character is. Turns out his name is Holtz. He's between 40 and 50 years old, and he is, simply put, a vampire killer. He's described in the casting materials as "a hard man with a hard job." He's not your average vampire hunter, either. He's a man out of time, a man who has managed to chase Angel across time from the 18th Century to the 21st. He's got old-fashioned ideas of honor and vengeance that seem out of place in the present day, but he's not concerned with fitting in. He found a way into his future in order to find Angel, who killed Holtz's family. So cool... he's not a villain, but he is determined to make Angel pay for the misery he suffered at Angel's hands. Sounds like next season's going to be fun. Can't wait till it gets underway...
From TV Guide:
As much as Mercedes McNab relishes playing Harmony, the undead dingbat of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and sister show Angel, she still dreads reading her scripts. "Every time I get one," she tells TV Guide Online, "all I do is skim to the end to find out if I die. It's really scary."
Luckily, the actress notes, as hare-brained as the blonde blood-sucker can be, she has managed to hit upon a fool-proof survival tactic. "The theme of every episode seems to be, 'Make Harmony as big an idiot as possible, then have her run away with her tail between her legs.'"
All kidding aside, McNab probably needn't fret quite so much over her alter ego's life expectancy: She clearly has made a fan of series creator Joss Whedon, who originally read her for the part of Buffy. "I don't think [Harmony's expanded role] is cosmic payback [because Sarah Michelle Gellar got cast]," she insists. "Joss is just very loyal to the people who work for him."
Actually, so admiring of the former child performer are the powers that be that next season she again may raise hell on Angel. "They ended up cutting the final scene of [the episode in which Harmony found religion] — I was in Mexico, recruiting people for the cult," she reveals. "I don't know if that's indicative of what's going to happen or if that was a tiny thing...
"But," she adds, "they were talking about [bringing back Harmony]. It's just all up in the air right now."
05/16/2001:
From TV Guide:
From Zap2it.com:
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - The dust has settled, the howls are subsiding, and the TV world is getting used to the idea that "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" will be fighting evil and saving the world (again) next season on UPN, not on The WB, its home since its premiere in March 1997.
"I've got a network excited about my show," says "Buffy" creator Joss Whedon. "I have already figured out almost all of next season. That's really cool."
However, when the fledgling weblet, best known as the home of "WWF Smackdown," bid for "Buffy," some scoffed.
"It was considered a smart play for us," says Tom Nunan, UPN's entertainment chief. "It's not like we haven't had successful shows. We're more of a punchline in the press and among the media than we are to our viewers."
"Yet, we were surprised when it ultimately ended up in our lap."
In its original response to losing "Buffy," The WB concluded by saying, "We wish Sarah (series star Sarah Michelle Gellar), Joss and David Greenwalt well." While he is a consulting producer on "Buffy," Greenwalt's primary responsibility is its spin-off and Tuesday-night sked-mate "Angel," where he is co-creator and executive producer with Whedon, and show-runner.
Does this mean "Angel" is out-the-door at The WB as well?
"That's pretty provocative," says Nunan of the wording of The WB's response. As to the status of the sophomore series, he says, "It's really in The WB's court. We have a prenegotiated deal for 'Angel,' should it become available. We'd love to have it."
"But The WB still has complete control over the destiny of that show."
"I don't know what bubble 'Angel's' on," says Whedon. "The common wisdom among the lower brass (at The WB) seemed to be that 'Angel' was going with 'Buffy.' Then they basically scrambled and said, 'Well, we haven't decided yet. We don't have a schedule.' Which is their prerogative. So I have no idea."
"It's a little confusing. It will affect certain things, whether or not it's on The WB. I don't know how easy it will be to do crossovers, on two different networks that are probably not best friends."
"It's a tough situation for those guys," says Nunan, "because 'Buffy' really does drive 'Angel's' audience. 'Angel' is a show that, while it's promising, it doesn't have the same footing creatively yet that 'Buffy' does."
"Whether it ends up on The WB or on UPN, there's more work to be done on that show, and Joss, I think, is the first one to admit it."
Says Whedon, "I just spent all of lunch figuring out the next 'Angel' season with Marti [Noxon] and David [Greenwalt] and Tim Minear, and it didn't really matter what network we were on. We were figuring out what the hell the show should be about."
"It's so complicated. All I know is, 'Buffy' has a home, 'Angel' has a home -- I don't know which one yet -- so I have a comfort zone. Obviously, things are strained with The WB right now, but these are good, creative people who helped develop 'Buffy' in the first place, and I would work with them again in a hot minute. But there's the higher level where I don't have a comfort zone."
Whedon also has no qualms about going to the lowest-rated network. "A fledgling network struggling to find an identity -- I've done this before. It worked fine. The fact is, UPN is going to look after me in a way that the bigger networks never would. They'll pay attention to the show, and more importantly, they won't interfere in the making of it. They want the show as it is."
Will UPN ask to have WWF wrestlers on "Buffy" ? "They're really not going to, bless 'em," says Whedon. "The show's not going to change at all."
Whedon plans to appear at UPN's upfront presentation to its advertisers this May in New York. "Yes, yes!" he says. "I will be there. I'll say some stuff."
04/23/2001:
From TV Guide:
04/20/2001:
From TV Guide:
From TV Guide:
Joss Whedon - creator and executive producer of the WB's Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel - has a bone to pick with 20th Century Fox, the studio behind Angel as well as the freshman smash Dark Angel. Fox's decision to pit Dark's sci-fi siren Jessica Alba against vampire sire David Boreanaz on Tuesday nights has resulted in a steep ratings decline for the Buffy spinoff, and Whedon's out for blood.
"The fact that they put [Dark Angel] on opposite a show that they produce, thereby hurting it, shows that they really don't care," Whedon tells TV Guide Online. "Their big picture is clearly so big that whatever I think and whatever I am doing doesn't matter, and I resent that. But I am not the 'Big Picture Guy.' I'm just making my shows."
Marc Berman, TV analyst for Mediaweek, feels Whedon's pain, calling Fox's scheduling of Dark Angel "one of the less logical moves last fall." In fact, he believes that both shows are suffering. "Although Dark Angel has carved a comfortable niche for itself, had Angel not been in the competitive mix, Dark Angel's ratings might even be stronger. By splitting the young adult audience, Angel is down and Dark Angel is probably not the real hit it should be."
Despite his frustration, Whedon insists that he has not asked Fox to move Dark Angel to another night next fall. "I don't deal with that," he says. "I have no control over that. I am not someone that can say, 'Work your schedule.'
"Ultimately I am not going to ask them to do anything," he adds. "As long as I get to make my shows, the people who want to watch them will."
Adding another wrinkle to the debate - not to mention Whedon's forehead - is Alba's so-called alias. "I watch [Dark Angel ], and her name is not 'Angel,' and she's not an angel, so why the [expletive] would they call it that?" he seethes. A 20th Century rep was unavailable for comment.
Female foes notwithstanding, Whedon points out that the "basic core [of Angel's audience] has stayed there." But another menace looms: If 20th Century makes good on its threat to relocate Buffy to another network (it's currently embroiled in heated renewal talks with the WB), Angel could lose its cushy lead-in. Whedon isn't alarmed, though. Assures the auteur: "I believe Angel's audience will [stick with us] wherever Buffy is."
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Babylon 5
probably the best Sci-Fi television show in my opinion.
Episodes are currently being show on the SciFi channel at 7pm EST airing
for the first time as it was originally meant to be seen in widescreen
format. I would definitely recommend checking this show out. You won't
be disappointed.
From TV Guide:
Having played deputy Doug on Dawson's Creek for years without ever having cause to rough up a suspect, Dylan Neal is ready to kick some butt in the spacey saga Babylon 5: The Legend Of The Rangers (airing Saturday at 9 pm/ET on the Sci Fi Channel). Just don't expect him to put up his dukes once the director yells, "Cut!"
"I try to keep in shape so I can at least look the part of a tough guy," the actor tells TV Guide Online. "But if someone throws a punch at me, I'm the first one on the ground, crying like a baby."
And that, friends, is why stunt doubles exist. "These guys are such finely-tuned athletes," shares the grateful would-be warrior. "They know exactly how to make you look great, because that's their job: making the actor look like a badass!"
Should the Babylon 5 spinoff go from pilot-movie to series, there will be plenty to keep the actor and his double busy. "Joe [Straczynski , executive producer-writer] said he views the original series as a drama with a little bit of action, and I think this one will be the flip side of that - action, with a little bit of drama."
So, while those involved with Legend hope that audiences will accept the former soap stud (The Bold & The Beautiful ) as a rough-and-tumble rebel, Neal knows not everyone will buy him as an action figure. "It's hilarious for anyone who knows me to see me in this kind of role," he laughs, "because they know it's completely fake."
12/18/2002
From SciFi.com:
J. Michael Straczynski's novel-for-television takes the first step to becoming the last, best hope for digital SF
Babylon 5: "The Gathering" and "In the Beginning" DVD
Starring Michael O'Hare, Mira Furlan, Andreas Katsulas, Bruce Boxleitner
Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Richard Compton ("The Gathering") and Mike Vejar
("In the Beginning")
Warner Home Video
MSRP: $19.98
By Melissa J. Perenson
Our Pick: C+
Hard to believe it's been nearly a decade since J. Michael Straczynski first brought the Babylon 5 universe to life. Now, the series finally has its debut on DVD-with very mixed results. Two full-length telefilms are packed onto two sides of a single DVD-the series' 1993 pilot, "The Gathering," and the TNT movie "In the Beginning." And if you've never seen Babylon 5 and have always wondered what the fuss was about, there's no time like the present; this DVD is a good place to start.
Although the first season of B5 was a bit uneven, "The Gathering" is tightly paced, and does a good job of setting up one of the most complicated story arcs in science fiction. Since Ambassador Kosh is first arriving on the station-and everything at the Babylon 5 station is indeed so new-Straczynski makes it easy to introduce viewers to the action. After the terrors of the Earth-Minbari War, the station was constructed as the galaxy's last, best hope for peace. Now, in our own era of wartime, the station's mantra has a new resonance-and it's easy to become caught up in the intrigue as Commander Sinclair investigates who waylaid the Vorlon Ambassador Kosh.
"In the Beginning" is the best of the three stand-alone feature-length telefilms Straczynski did for TNT in the late 1990s. This tale of how a misunderstanding led to a destructive war between humans and Minbari also carries new meaning when viewed today. Plus, the movie acts as both a prequel and sequel to the series itself, which is no small feat; sometime in the distant future from the events depicted in the Babylon 5 series, a markedly aged Centauri Emperor Londo Mollari (Peter Jurasik) relates the story of the Earth-Minbari War to two mischievous Centauri children who wander into his room by mistake. Although Delenn (Furlan) is the most prominent familiar face found in "In the Beginning," the movie manages to introduce many other faces we'll come to know over the course of the series-including Sheridan (Boxleitner), Sinclair (O'Hare), Susan Ivanova (Claudia Christian) and Dr. Stephen Franklin (Richard Biggs).
Not to detract from "In the Beginning"'s ability to stand on its own, separate from the Babylon 5 saga, but the movie was produced far into Babylon 5 's run. Newcomers should beware that to watch this movie before seeing the rest of the series might spoil some of the surprises to come later on.
Good films-but sadly, nothing else
After years of anticipation, Babylon 5 fans will be disappointed by the first release of Babylon 5 on DVD. Let's be clear: The rating given to this DVD does not reflect the quality of the two Babylon 5 telefilms presented here (bump the rating to B+ if you're only looking at the films themselves). Instead, the rating reflects how Warner's first DVD release of the groundbreaking sci-fi series is a colossal failure-the ultimate example of what a studio shouldn't do when bringing a series to DVD.
That said, read on for why you should buy this DVD anyway.
First off, the movies are presented on a dual-sided disc, so you have to flip discs if you want to see both movies (by contrast, four or more episodes of The X-Files can fit on a disc in Fox's DVD sets). There are none of the filmmaking extras that have come to be expected from a DVD release-no behind-the-scenes footage, no cutscenes, no running commentary from Straczynski. In fact, Straczynski had no input into the production of this DVD at all; his level of involvement was limited to approving the artwork cover. The navigation menus are nothing special, either; the Babylon 5 Web site from years past did a better job of mimicking the look and feel of the series than these straightforward menus do.
"The Gathering" isn't presented in any special manner-the pops and crackles in the soundtrack aren't even cleaned up for digital presentation, and the movie is shown in pan-and-scan (the B5 pilot was never shot in widescreen, unfortunately). On the plus side, though, the version of "The Gathering" shown here is the re-edited version shown on the SCI FI Channel and released in overseas markets. In addition to nips and tucks here and there, this version most notably features music by B5 musician Christopher Franke, and not Stewart Copeland, who wrote the original soundtrack.
"In the Beginning" is at least shown in widescreen, and even though the effects look amazing in this ambitious installment, there are times when the quality of the video encoding is questionable (we saw artifacting in several scenes).
So why not skip this release and wait for the next one? The sad truth is that Warner is doing this as almost a stealth release, with minimal promotion-and no known commitment to releasing the series on DVD, in spite of the fact that the entire series is DVD-ready, since all of the episodes were shot in widescreen format by its forward-looking producers. The prospect for future releases will depend upon how much interest is shown in this first release.
On the plus side, at least the disc is retailing for a very reasonable $14.98, and if you're a savvy Web shopper, you might even be able to do a little better. If you're a B5 fan, the ability to pop in a DVD and scan to your favorite parts makes the DVD worth that modest price alone. And if you've thought of buying the video, but never did, the DVD is a better option. We can only hope that Warner will eventually re-release both of these films as part of a bigger release of B5 episodic DVDs-preferably in season boxed sets, as was done in the United Kingdom.
Yes, I know how you feel about being suckered into buying multiple copies of a favorite film because of the various made-for-marketing-dollars releases. After all, I own four or five variations of the Star Wars trilogy on video so far. But show some support for the B5 home team by buying the disc, and then pop over to this feedback page to ask Warner to give Babylon 5 the DVD treatment the series-and its fans-deserves. - Melissa
08/31/2001:
From SciFi.com:
Some 30 years ago, a half-million letters were sent to U.S. President Gerald Ford, asking that the first space shuttle be named after the Federation starship Enterprise. This campaign by Star Trek fans was successful, and is the inspiration for a new crusade emerging on the Web. The target this time? The international space station.
Organized by Babylon 5 fan Jack Bennett, I.S.S. Babylon is devoted to making it easy for other devotees of the show to lobby the forces behind the international space station. The hope is that the station might one day officially be dubbed in honor of the Babylon project. A simple site in terms of both content and design, its primary function is to provide contact information. Web and snail addresses are posted here for the European Space Agency, NASA authorities and even the U.S. president. This makes it easy to deluge the station's movers and shakers with messages urging them to name the station after the popular TV series.
Given the international nature of the space station project, the I.S.S. Babylon campaign is a more complex challenge than the one which faced Trek fans 30 years earlier. They must sway decision makers in more than one country, after all. However, the page goes to great pains to point out that Babylon 5 has wide international appeal and a global fan following, and argues that this makes the name even more appropriate. It also includes links to articles which show a widespread desire among the public to give the I.S.S. some kind of a name, as well as a survey in Russia which included Babylon as a popular potential name for the station.
Finally, the page also includes a detailed diagram of the station itself, and links to pages about B5 and the space program. Its capper is a brief e-mail from Babylon 5 series creator J. Michael Straczynski, giving his blessing to the whole endeavor.
From Aint-it-Cool:
Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab. I know next to nothing about BABYLON 5. Never watched even an episode of it. Just wasn't my thing at the time it came on. I do know the show had many loyal fans, and that there's a great interest in all things JMS. With that in mind, here's the first review I know of for the upcoming BABYLON 5: LEGEND OF THE RANGERS film. Hope it's of some use for you fans. Curious how this stacks up to expectations in the same way I'm curious to see how fans react when ENTERPRISE airs. Somewhere tonight, Robogeek weeps bitter tears of joy.
Anyhow, Just saw the Babylon 5: Legend of the Rangers Rough cut. It was without effects shots and no Music or sound effects.
However after some apprehension about the series, I was actually impressed. We all know about "Crusade" and it's eventual downfall. I think it was the theme music that brought that show down.. Anyhow, "Rangers" starts off on Minbar. David Martel is a Rangers captain that received criticism about "escaping a battle" when his ship was crippled. He goes back and is reprimanded and G'Kar makes his appearance and saves the day.
The captain is somewhat demoted and given a piece of crap 20 year old Haunted space ship. This ship disappeared of a couple weeks and suddenly came back..sans crew. He hooks up with his new crew made up of friends and new people. This includes a ass-kicking Narn female who is the engineer, a Cocky Asian navigator, and a female human Weapons expert from mars who jumps down a tube and floats in space while punching and kicking laser shots to the enemy. (No I'm not kidding!) I found the characters in the film to be very fleshed out and believable, the cheesyness factor was kept at a minimum. (except the punching and kicking zero-g martial arts weapons officer).
So they go off on a mission escorting "Alliance Ambassadors" to a secret location. Captain Martel's enemy from the Rangers School "they just don't like each other" is piloting the huge new ship called "The Valen" that is carrying the ambassadors.
Of course something goes wrong and ships looking strikingly like shadow ships attack and the Valen launches it's escape pods for Captain Martel's piece of crap ship to pick up. More space fighting ensues resulting in the Valen ramming one of the ships and being destroyed and MArtel's piece of crap ship getting away.
G'Kar and the other ambassadors are rescued and come aboard and more chaos ensues. Martel's 1st officer is injured but he's Mimbari and can see dead people on the ship (the previous crew that got killed I guess). There are some humorous scenes here and there when the ambassadors interact with each other.
Anyhow the ambassadors were meant so see and Archeological Dig that found a city deep within the planet. Here, there is an ominous structure. G'Kar explains this to Martel. This "pyramid" is a gateway to another "dimension" where the new race called "The Hand" resides. It is said by one of the characters later (I'm not giving everything away) that this race was banished billions of years ago as is so powerful that they make the Shadows look like "insects".
Anyhow, more evil Alien ships come back and Martel saves the say by destroying them in a cleaver manner that is quite entertaining. (I'm not giving that away either).
So there ya have it B5: Legend of the Rangers... is actually pretty good. Good characters upon which to build a series. The captain is very much like Kirk and the scenes definitely reminded me of the feeling the original Star Trek had on me. Hopefully it will have a good intro and soundtrack and of course some effects such as rendered ships would help too.
After being disappointed with Crusade this new series looks very promising.
Reflux Out.
From Bureau42.com:
Well, all of last week I was in Vancouver for the first week of shooting on the two-hour TV movie BABYLON 5: LEGEND OF THE RANGERS. (I'm back now for a while.) It's been a terrific experience to date. The dailies look great. Mike Vejar is on board to direct, and is keeping the look and feel consistent with what we've done before, but at the same time (in collaboration with our new Director of Photography Henry Chan) is taking the look even a step further.
The sets (courtesy of production designer Steve Gaeghan and his band of artistic types) look more detailed, more textured, more realistic than much of what we've done before on B5. (This is in no way to diminish what we did in B5 on sets, it's just a different approach.)
Andreas Katsulas showed up mid-week as G'Kar, and despite having been away from that makeup for three years, was instantly back in character starting with the first shot and straight on through.
The cast have proven themselves excellent. It's natural to take some time to find your character, and find the lines...but from the moment they landed on set, they had their lines letter perfect, and the chemistry is there between them. SFC has seen the dailies and they're absolutely enchanted with what's on film.
I wish I had colorful stories to tell, but we're talking here about a bunch of dedicated professionals who appreciate the legacy of B5 and are doing everything they can to make this next installment the best possible. (About the only negative thing to happen all week was my losing my California state ID midweek, which I'll have to go in to replace this week at my local DMV.) It's a very elaborate production, with everything from pyros to wire works and other stuff, in addition to the usual glut of CGI we tend to do, but so far it's all going quite well.
I've been taking digital pictures of the production which will soon be available on the SFC website...and there are some beauts there. I'll let you know when they're up.
In the interim...know that the show is going extremely well, and I think that people are going to like the cast a lot. They're good, well-trained, dedicated people.
I think it's going to go over very well indeed.
jms
(jmsatb5@aol.com) (all message content (c) 2001 by synthetic worlds, ltd., permission to reprint specifically denied to SFX Magazine and don't send me story ideas)
From SciFiStorm.org:
Sci Fi Wire has announced the cast for Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers. Read More to find out who, and what they have previously done, if anything...
It was previously announced that Andreas Katsulas would reprise the role of G'Kar in the movie. Now we also have:
Mackenzie Gray (Action Man series)
Dylan Neal (Dawson's Creek, The Bold and the Beautiful)
Alex Zahara (Dark Angel)
Myriam Sirois (The SFW report lists Babylon 5 - I can find no references)
Dean Marshall (Rude, Tommy Boy)
Warren T. Takeuchi (Lake Placid, Deep Rising)
Jennie Rebecca Hogan (Unknown)
David Storch (The Spiral Staircase, The Cellar)
Enid-Raye Adams (Trapped)
Gus Lynch (Saving Silverman)
05/08/2001:
From SciFi.com:
Emmy-nominated Gajdecki Visual Effects (Total Recall 2070) will provide the computer graphics and other effects for The SCI FI Channel's upcoming original television movie Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers, SCI FI announced. Production begins this month in Vancouver, B.C.
The Canadian-based effects house provides full effects supervision, including a library of stock effects, a motion-control camera package, a model shop and Silicon Graphics workstations for compositing and animation. Gajdecki received an Emmy nomination and a Gemini Award nomination for its work on Showtime's Stargate SG-1. The company also won Gemini Awards for the miniseries The Arrow and the television series TekWar.
05/01/2001:
From SciFi.com:
SCIFI.COM plans to launch one lucky fan into the Babylon 5 universe! SCIFI.COM's "B5: Be in the Movie Contest" will immortalize one Babylon 5 fan by naming a character after her/him in SCI FI's upcoming original telefilm, Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers. We can't give you many details, but we will say the character will come complete with the rank of captain and has a very slim chance of making it through the movie alive!
To enter the contest, simply log on to:
04/08/01
From SCIFI.COM WEEKLY NEWS UPDATE:
In a Babylon 5-lover's dream come true, the 13 completed episodes of J. Michael Straczynski's -Crusade- come exclusively to SCI FI beginning Monday, April 9, at 8 PM ET/PT. The show centers on the Earth-saving exploits of the starship -Excalibur-.
From Bureau42.com:
Being reported just about everywhere, and confirmed by JMS himself in the newsgroup : The Sci-Fi Channel is producing "Legend of the Rangers," a 2-hour movie focusing on the Anla-Shok (Rangers to us humans), and it's likely to be a series pilot as well. Woohoo!
The actual verbiage from JMS:
Well, that's at least ONE weight off my chest....
To those who've heard the news already, and those just now finding out... the SciFi Channel today announced that we have a new Babylon 5 TV movie going into production that will also serve as a pilot for a likely new series.
The movie (and the series) is under the heading of BABYLON 5: THE LEGEND OF THE RANGERS. The specific title for the 2-hour movie's story is "To Live and Die in Starlight."
There isn't much I can tell you about the story because we're kinda keeping the details under wraps as much as possible for the time being. What little I can say....
It's set in the B5 universe just under 3 years after the events of "Objects at Rest." At this point there's one major character from the B5 universe in the script (a fan favorite). Where B5 was a heavy drama with some adventure/action elements, this one is a little more skewed toward adventure with underlying drama (which is about what you'd expect from the Anla-Shok).
We've been sitting on this information for a while now...such that we're already well into pre-production. We'll be shooting this movie around mid-May, well in advance of any potential actor's strike (the script is done and so far everybody likes it a LOT).
We've already got designs coming in on a new ship, and a new *kind* of ship...and we're going to be getting more into Minbari aesthetics, technologies and philosophy.
It's got some great characters, and it's a lot of fun.
I have other news to announce on other fronts...have since the end of the year, in fact...but I'm still sitting on the details awaiting another press release from another studio. What I *can* say is that I have a firm GO order to executive produce a new series (nominally SF) that will go into production after the potential SAG strike. When that's finally over, if the strike indeed happens, we pull the trigger and go into principal photography and it's an order for a full season's worth of episodes.
I can't give you any details right now on the subject, title, studio or network. That will have to await the studio's release...so don't even ask.
As far as doing both projects at the same time is concerned...it's actually quite common, as testified to by folks like John Wells and Aaron Sorkin and David Kelly and others. So there won't be any conflict.
More later.
jms
(jmsatb5@aol.com)
(all message content (c) 2001 by synthetic worlds, ltd.,
permission to reprint specifically denied to SFX Magazine
and don't send me story ideas)
Click here to see J. Michael Straczynski's recent post on the reason for a delay of one month for the release of the first Babylon 5 DVD's.
03/08/2001:
The SciFi Channel will begin showing Babylon 5 starting from the beginning
with the pilot episode on Monday, March 12, 2001 at 7 PM. EST & PST. They
will show the prequel movie "In the Beginning" tomorrow, Friday, March 9,
2001 at 6 PM. EST & PST.
From Fandom.com:
In addition, he also made several other announcements and comments that are generating excitement among B5 fans. Straczynski said that he will be writing a one-shot B5 graphic novel for Wildstorm Comics (an imprint of DC Comics). Plus the series will be released on DVD beginning in July. The first releases will be the series’ pilot film The Gathering and a movie of the week, In the Beginning with the series released thereafter.
I've been going over the artwork and related issues for WBHome Video, and though at this time there's no supplementary material involved, at least as far as I know, it should be pretty cool, he said. Don't know yet which aspect ratio they'll be using, but my guess would be widescreen, now that WB is correcting the earlier versions.
More exciting news is still to come, in about a weeks’ time, said Straczynski. Although he was not authorized to reveal the exact nature of the deals and transactions at this time, his hints are very strong that Babylon 5 or Crusade will return to the airwaves again soon in new films or series.
There's some substantial TV-related news sitting out there waiting for me to talk about it as soon as I'm given the go-ahead to do so, said Straczynski. Suffice to say that one very large deal has now been set and closed, another is in heavy negotiations (with money now on the table from those involved), and a surprise third project is also coming up fast and furious.
In previous confirmations, from last month, we learned that Sci-Fi Channel and Straczynski were in advanced discussions about more Babylon 5 projects. There are conversations ongoing between Sci-Fi Channel, Warner Brothers, myself and Doug Netter about some new projects. I'm not at liberty at this point to be much more specific than that. Could be a movie in the B5 universe. Could be a series set in the B5 universe. Could be a combination of those, plus a little something else. Suffice to say that SFC wants to become the new home for B5 in all its parts and pieces, and there are several possible ways to accomplish this currently under discussion."
He went on to say that we have verified the availability and interest of those who helped make B5 a success among the crew, and everyone we have spoken to is excited and ready to get going. Same crew, same quality, same dedication. Beyond that, I can't comment ... except to say that if we get the go-ahead on what I think may be coming, it could be a very exciting opportunity to do another kind of story that no one's ever done before in SF-TV, just as no one had ever done anything quite like B5 before."
From SciFi.com:
Where are they now? Where can a fan read about the current projects that Capt. Sheridan, er, Bruce Boxleitner will be doing? What about Jerry Doyle, Claudia Christian, Richard Biggs, Mira Furlan, Peter Jurasik and all the others?
The Galactic Gateway is your one-stop site, a cyber-community of sorts, for all your B5 -related needs. Like the five-mile station itself, it could be considered a port of call, in that it contains links to most of the starring actors’ official web pages. But it is much more than just a Web portal. Here you will find details on Pat Tallman’s (telepath Lyta Alexander) efforts with the Penny Lane charity, the results of Jerry Doyle’s (Garibaldi) unsuccessful run for Congress, B5’s latest Nielsen ratings on the SCI FI Channel, Jeffery Willerth’s (Ambassador Kosh) latest production endeavors for The History Channel and Peter Jurasik's (Londo) recent step onto the set of Dawson’s Creek for a guest appearance.
There is also a section which is devoted to episode spoilers. The Galactic Gateway offers more than just a synopsis. The site ties together the story arc of the show bit by bit, and offers the text of never-before-seen footage that was deleted from the final cuts of some episodes. A message board and chat list allow fans to keep in touch with others in B5 fandom, and the online store offers autographed memorabilia that can be personalized. A conventions listing round out the periphery features of The Galactic Gateway.
09/16/2000:
In my opinion Babylon 5 is one of the best Sci-Fi series I have ever
watched. The SciFi channel is going to be showing the entire series in
wide screen format week nights at 7PM starting on Sept 25. I highly
recommend you check it out. You won't be disappointed.
12/14/2001
From Comics2Film.com:
Animation God Bruce Timm recently scooped Toonzone.net on some upcoming DVD releases that will please fans. The animator behind Batman: The Animated Series talked about the upcoming April release of the first DVD for that show.
Timm told that site that he recently did a series of "talking head intros for some of the DVD'S." However, there are no commentary tracks for the episodes. Fans will be pleased to learn that the disc contains "On Leather Wings", "Christmas With the Joker", "The Last Laugh", "Pretty Poison", and "Nothing To Fear", which are the first five episodes of the series.
Timm also commented on plans to release the uncensored version of Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker on DVD. "I'm THRILLED that the un-cut ROTJ is coming out on DVD, are you kidding," Timm told Toonzone. "I'd always HOPED that Home Video would release it un-cut, but I'd pretty much given up hope...their announcement of its impending release came out of nowhere, quite took me by surprise. About the only extra feature that I know of will be the original commentary track that Paul, Glen, Curt and I recorded before the caca hit the fan."
In other DVD news, Timm revealed to Toonzone that there will likely be a Justice League DVD as well.
02/01/1999:
From Anotheruniverse.com:
BATMAN/SUPERMAN NEWS
The WB has already announced the second season renewal for Batman Beyond, only two weeks into its run, based on fantastic ratings. The series debuted on January 10th in prime-time with a one-hour episode, then started its 13-episode run the following weekend. Episode 1 and 2 were "Reborn" (the one- hour episode split in half) and told the origin of the new crime-fighting hero. Batman Beyond has now been renewed for a second season, with 13 new episodes debuting in fall 1999.
The renewal of Batman Beyond is bittersweet news for animation fans, as the Batman/Superman producers have stopped working on those two shows while work on Beyond is underway. This mean that although there will be a Batman/Superman show continuing this fall and into 2000, there likely will not be any new episodes until Fall 2000. That is, there won't be any new episodes if Warner isn't holding any cards up their sleeve. To explain. . .
Last weekend, Warner aired what they said was the Batman season finale, "Mad Love," adapting Bruce Timm's comic book origin of Harley Quinn. In a few weeks, they may be airing the season finale of Superman. However, last season, after airing the season finales of the series, new episodes popped up unexpectedly for the May sweeps period. These had been held in reserve for sweeps, and there's no guarantee Warner won't do the same thing here. Given that Warner publicity is very tight when it comes to storylines, but that a few stories hinted at in interviews with the producers have not come to pass as of yet, could we still be seeing a few new Batman/Superman adventures in a few months? Time will tell.
Meanwhile, here's a few of the things coming your way:
Batman Beyond
#3 "Black Out" (airs January 30/31, 1999)
The new Batman faces an all liquid assassin(ette) going by the name of
Inque (pronounced "ink," get it?)
Superman
"In Brightest Day" (airs February 6/7, 1999)
The long-awaited debut of Green Lantern on Superman happens here, as if
you couldn't tell from the title.
"Rise of the Demon" (airs February or May)
Superman and Batman team up yet again to stop Ra's Al Ghul's latest
fiendish plot; this time he plans to return the Earth to it's
pre-dinosaur, pre-human glory.
"Legacy, Parts I and II" (airs February or May)
This two-parter will feature Superman's ultimate showdown with Darkseid,
promised since the end of last season's closer.
07/02/2001:
From Cinescape.com:
Perhaps the last piece of vintage sci-fi to withstand the recent barrage of big budget remakes, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA will soon be making its triumphant return to the small screen thanks to the collaborative efforts of Tom DeSanto, Bryan Singer, Dan Angel and Billy Brown. For those who've spent the past year living in a cave, DeSanto and Singer were the creative team responsible for last summer's box office hit the X-MEN, while Angel and Brown (former X-FILES alums) have a new series of their own debuting on Fox July 12 - the horror anthology NIGHT VISIONS . Combing the sci-fi universe to find the next "sleeping giant," the team of self-proclaimed genre fanboys believes they may have just found it with GALACTICA.
However, this is not the first time a renewal of the 1979-1980 series has been attempted. Both Richard Hatch (who played Apollo in the original) and series creator Glenn Larson have tried to launch their own revival campaigns for the classic sci-fi property. Hatch (who has written three GALACTICA novels and continues to make appearances at events across the country) and his Su-Shan Productions even went so far as to produce a teaser trailer for their high-concept remake (then titled BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: THE SECOND COMING), a product that they took to sci-fi conventions in an effort to drum up fan support.
However, the difficulty they encountered in reviving the property seems to have stemmed from a rather sticky rights issue, the likes of which made the SPIDER-MAN proceedings of years past look tame. It's no wonder why a revival never made it past the conceptual phase.
"I've been tracking the rights on this for about four years and it was very confusing," says DeSanto. "I had friends at Universal who I would call up and they weren't sure if it was the feature department or the TV department. Then Seagram came into the picture, and things got confused further when Studios USA bought the old library from Universal. So it became this whole hodgepodge of who did what."
As a result, DeSanto opted to steer clear of the property and instead focus his attention on the then upcoming X-MEN feature. The enthusiasm he felt for GALACTICA as a child, however, would not let up and upon the completion of his comic book to big screen adaptation, he found himself succumbing once again to the vintage sci-fi project.
"I was still drawing my Vipers and redesigned Cylon raiders and coming up with storylines and things like that," says DeSanto. "Then around June, which was a month before [X-MEN] opened, I really started to think about what I wanted to do next. I really started to focus on [GALACTICA] and devote a lot of time to it - going back and watching old episodes and really trying to nail the mythology."
With an enthusiasm that was difficult to contain, DeSanto soon found himself inadvertently infecting Singer, who also had been a childhood fan of the series.
"It was on a plane when Bryan and I were headed out to do a press junket in New York when he asked me what I was thinking of doing next," says DeSanto. "I said, 'I think the next sleeping giant with even greater potential than X-MEN is BATTLESTAR GALACTICA .' He said, 'Oh, I remember watching that show as a kid. It was the only show that I watched every week!' It brought back a bunch of memories for him - he got it instantly. So we started to pursue it. Fortunately, X-MEN did very well at the box office and that allowed a lot of doors to open as far as getting the project off the ground."
And get the project off the ground they have. In the course of a few months, the creative duo has managed to "sell" a studio on the concept, secure enough of a commitment to hire show runners and put together a pitch for a potential pilot. Just last week, the production received the go-ahead to create a two-hour television movie that will act as a pilot for a potential ongoing series tentatively scheduled for fall 2003.
"I dreamed of bringing GALACTICA back for over 10 years now and I can't think of a better home for it than Fox," says DeSanto. "The way it's going to work is it's going to be the same way that LAW & ORDER is repeated on USA Network after it runs on NBC. If we get the series, there will be a little more structure - so it'll run the exact next week on the SCI FI Channel."
Starting on the ground floor, just like any other television production, DeSanto and Singer spent months working to secure this commitment. Along the way, the two managed to pick up another creative duo of equal ability.
"Bryan and myself went in and put together the show for Studios USA using concepts, rough outlines of characters and everything," says DeSanto. "Then we got the okay from Studios USA to bring on writers to act as the show runners. We went out and scoured the planet and found a great writing team - Dan Angel and Billy Brown. They've done everything from run GOOSEBUMPS for five years to put together a show coming out this summer on Fox called NIGHT VISIONS , which is a horror anthology. As simple as it [may seem] to find good writers, sometimes that can be more difficult than finding the show's talent. The great thing about Dan and Billy is they get it and they've been in the trenches before with television. Anybody who's done 24 episodes of an anthology show with new sets and a new cast every week has my undying respect and admiration. They've just been great and it's been great collaborating with them."
Bringing their expertise in genre writing and character drama to the table, Angel and Brown look to build upon the best ideas of the original series in order to take them into an unexplored territory.
"We have some really audacious ideas," says Brown of the upcoming pilot. "It's kind of a big, sweeping show that's going to be kind of a family saga set in space with political, military and mystical turmoil and storylines. It's very ambitious. It'll be a two-hour TV movie pilot and we'll probably shoot that starting November looking toward spring or fall 2002."
The question remains, however, why DeSanto and Singer - who have demonstrated a mastery of feature film - would turn to the small screen for a re-launch of the classic science fiction property? The answer, according to DeSanto, is because it just feels right.
"To do this as a feature, it's going to take X amount of years," says DeSanto. "It just feels like it should be on TV and that's not to knock or praise it in anyway. It's just there's nothing like this on television. There's nothing with this type of family drama and a space saga at the same time. So many sci-fi shows are about hardware and tech talk - not a lot of them are about characters. That's why people tune in. That's why I tuned in and loved to watch Kirk and Spock, Picard and Data, and Adama and Starbuck and Apollo. These were cool people and it was nice to spend an hour with them. I think a lot of sci-fi TV has gotten into that niche territory where it's about the creatures and techno babble, not really about human beings."
In order to mount a successful re-launch, an understanding of what originally made the series a hit among fans is necessary. To that end, DeSanto immersed himself in the show's mythology - living, breathing and eating everything GALACTICA.
"I've got sketches from when I was behind a cash register at J.C. Penny's 10 years ago of redesigned Vipers - still being true to the look of the Viper, but trying to make it work a little differently and cooler," says DeSanto. "The key for us is the story - it's all about story. The crux of the story is basically a parallel to the Exodus. This group of people is in search of the Promised Land. They are in search of Earth. I thought it was a great mythology and it also borrowed from CHARIOTS OF THE GODS, which I did a book report on in the sixth grade. But, we're also doing a character driven science fiction show. I think the reason why people latched onto X-MEN was that it was a character driven superhero film. People are going to tune in and want to see the effects, but by week three or four if you're not empathizing with those characters, you're not going to want to watch the show anymore."
Angel and Brown share in this vision, playing up even more so the space adventurers' ties to primitive Earth.
"What was cool about the idea was that there was sort of a wagon train in space," says Brown. "Humans that had begun an exodus from 12 colonies under attack and that they were looking for a legendary planet - the planet Earth. It was the idea that these were the ancestors of earthlings that was so cool."
Modernizing and expanding the mythology, DeSanto believes, is what will freshen up the property and attract a new generation of viewers.
"I remembered the Iron Pillar in India," says DeSanto. "It doesn't rust. They take samples from it and still they can't duplicate the metal. They have these quartz beads on this Peruvian mummy that they found and they can't duplicate those either. Where did the pyramids come from? So it's all sort of this cool little sci-fi twist. What if we did have brothers out in space who were fighting this Great War? It's sort of a romanticized version of where we came from."
While the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that the show will take place "after the seventh millennium time frame of the original series" ("I have no idea what that means," laughs DeSanto. "I think what they did was they probably went back to the original press kit and picked something up from there"), a "from the horse's mouth" explanation puts the revamped series picking up where its predecessor left off, following the adventures of the next generation Colonial Warriors.
"It's in continuity, but it's accessible to non-fans," says DeSanto. "The same way with X-MEN , fans can come in and not know anything about these characters or this mythology and find it accessible and feel the same way with GALACTICA. The great thing, too, is that people from my generation are with kids now. They all have their kids now, so its about them being able to sit down with their family and watch a science fiction show and not have it be inaccessible or so 'techie' that the families can't enjoy it. The great thing about GALACTICA was that it was Middle America science fiction."
Working hard to insure that the revamped GALACTICA does not fit into any one particular classification, Angel and Brown are taking an "everything but the kitchen sink" approach to designing the series' moods and settings.
"It's not a niche show," says Brown. "It's more a broad canvas sci-fi show that really will be sort of a space opera. It's a little more STAR WARS than STAR TREK and yet with some of the sophistication, hopefully, of a WEST WING as well. I don't want to give too many details away, but I think it's going to take the best of the old show and be more sophisticated. At the end of the day, it's going to have all the bells and whistles and hardware, but its really going to be about characters. It's going to be sexy; it's going to have action and political intrigue; and we're going to see some new really cool worlds."
What then of the critically panned GALACTICA 1980 - the one season flop that brought the infamous "ragtag fleet of ships to that shining star called Earth?" If DeSanto has his way, it will be wiped clean from all existence.
"GALACTICA 1980 was a virtual reality simulation of what not to do when you find Earth," jokes DeSanto. "Although 'The Return of Starbuck', which I just watched last month - that's the great thing, I was able to get all the copies unedited from the Universal vault - was just such a great episode. So with the exception of 'Return of Starbuck', GALACTICA 1980 will be a virtual reality simulation that some demented 12-year-old has done."
With a commitment in hand and plans to deliver the two-hour BATTLESTAR GALACTICA pilot to Fox by April, the team must kick the production into full gear - a task that they are more than ready to tackle.
"Now it's about bringing on production designers, costume designers, start the casting process and flush out the script," says DeSanto. "But there's a lot of stuff that we've been working on for the past few months, so we've got a great jump on production. The great thing about this whole thing is that we've got the pre-production time to do it right. That was one of the real problems they had with the first series - they just didn't have the time. They were sort of caught between a rock and hard place, especially dealing with the effects schedules that they had. We have the ability to be more sophisticated in our creation of a mini-feature each week, while at the same time still focusing on maintaining the flavor of the adventure of the original show."
07/02/2001:
From TV Guide:
02/26/2001:
From Fandom Daily Buzz:
Richard Hatch, Apollo on the original Battlestar Galactica TV series and a driving force behind getting the concept revived, responded late last week to X-Men director Bryan Singer's announcement that he'll spearhead Galactica's return.
Read Hatch's statement and additional commentary here.
02/23/2001:
From Fandom Daily Buzz:
The Executive Producer/Co-Writer of X-Men talks what fans can expect from the new one-hour Galactica series and reuniting with partner-in-crime Bryan Singer.
For that story, click here.
From Fandom.com:
X-Men director Bryan Singer will next helm a remake of the '70s TV sci fi series Battlestar Galactica.
Singer inked a deal with Studios USA to executive produce (along with Tom DeSanto) and reinvent the series including directing the pilot episode if it doesn't clash with his X-Men 2 schedule, according to Variety.
"The lesson I learned on X-Men is to have a healthy respect for the fan base of sci-fi fantasy franchises, and I'm confident that the Galactica brand is a sleeping giant," Singer said. "It was a show I watched during its initial run, from the pilot to the final episode. The essence and the brand name is quite potent in a climate where there's a great deficit of sci-fi programming."
USA Television Production Group president David Kissinger told Variety despite frequent pleas from fans, he never considered reviving the series until Singer came to him with the idea.
"I never dreamed a filmmaker of Bryan's stature would be enough of a hard-core fan that he saw this as a franchise that could be reinvented," Kissinger said. ``In the initial meeting, I was wary that he might be just another feature guy looking to slap his name on a TV project, but it was immediately clear this wasn't so. He's got a whole mythology and arc for the series already worked out."
The original TV series, modeled after Star Wars cost $1 million per episode. The new per-show cost will undoubtedly be higher.
"We'll shop it right away with the goal of having it in a prime-time slot on a network, but it's possible that we might be able to do a dual window scenario with the SciFi Channel," Kissinger told Variety. ``With Bryan's vision and a brand name which has international appeal, we're optimistic we'll be able to make it on the grand scale he imagines. The visual imagery he's talking about is unprecedented in its effects and scope."
There was no immediate word on reaction from original series' star Richard Hatch, who had been developing his own Galactica revival.
From TV Guide:
Hilary Swank has rebuffed a return to her boob-tube roots. Asked if she would appear in the rumored Beverly Hills, 90210 reunion flick, the recent Oscar winner scoffed: "No. I don't consider myself a regular on that show. I did 16 episodes. [Not] unless they're going to have all their guest stars back?"
A fellow alumna of 90210's declining years, Emma Caulfield (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) expressed a similar lack of nostalgia for the sudser. "Oh, 90210," she said, rolling her eyes at the very mention of it. Caulfield then told TV Guide Online that by the time she joined the show, "I think [the actors] were getting tired already." Swank echoes that sentiment, saying: "Yes, I felt that. I was on in the eighth season. They couldn't care less."
7/22/2002
From Comics2Film.com:
Like the new face, Mista J.? Comics Continuum reports that Mia Sara has been cast as Harley Quinn for the upcoming Birds of Prey series. Sara is best known as Ferris Bueller's Day Off girlfriend, Sloane, and in Dark Horse's 1994 comic-to-film Timecop.
The role had been given to Sherilyn Fenn for the pilot episode, but the actress was unable to commit to recurring appearances. Scenes from the pilot featuring Harley Quinn will be re-shot using Sara.
From Aint-it-Cool.com:
Some stuff on "Birds of Prey," the new and largely Batman-free "Batman" sequel coming to the WB this autumn.
Mia Sara, best known as Ferris Bueller's girlfriend Sloane, has replaced Sherilyn Fenn as first-season big bad (and longtime Joker associate) Harleen Quinzel.
It's common knowledge that the pilot's villain-of-the-week is a fellow with a Scarecrow-like flair for exploiting one's worst fear; what's less known is the nature of Harleen's subsequent evildoing minions. We've learned she'll be using a mutant assassin named Slick, who can transform himself into water and back. He also likes to drown people with his own body.
Though Barbara Gordon's ex-boyfriend, Wade, was apparently cut out of the pilot, it looks like he'll be turning up later in the series. In those likely-never-to-be-seen deletions, Wade asks why Barbara ended their six-month relationship. Barbara, who clearly still harbors feelings for the guy, will only say, "It isn't you."
Also on the "missing scene" front. One draft of the pilot script established that Barbara taught a computer lab. Though that scene isn't expected to air, it will be established in the Slick episode that Barbara does indeed oversee a classroom at New Gotham High School.
"Prey" producers also seem keen on generating lots of sexual tension between Helena "Huntress" Kyle and Reese, the quasi-adversarial police detective she keeps bumping into as they investigate the same supercrimes.
07/192002
From TV Guide:
07/19/2002
From Comics2Film.com:
Is the small screen world of comic-based superheroes ready for a little "girl power"? Laeta Kalogridis thinks so. In a recent interview with SCI FI Wire, writer of the pilot script for the soon-to-premiere WB series, Birds Of Prey talked about the social role such a television show could play.
"There's a lot of exploration being done on television and in movies of the way in which boys become men, men become superheroes," Kalogridis said. "There's a lot of exploration of that. And ... outside of Buffy, [women haven't] really been explored, and it was an opportunity to do that within a franchise that was so firmly identified as ... having female superheroes that people recognized and knew about."
Rachel Skarsten, who plays Dinah (whom fans fervently hope will make the transition into being the Black Canary) thinks the show will appeal to a wide audience of both genders.
"I think the wonderful thing about the show is ... we have Dina [Meyer], who is a woman in her 30s, Ashley, who is in her 20s, and myself, I'm 17," Skarsten said. "So I think for girls and women, there's all sorts of different characters, age levels, generations that they can relate to. And then of course there's going to be the guys who watch it to see some booty."
But no one said social awareness comes easy. Ashley Scott, who plays the Huntress, talked about the physical rigors involved in her role.
"A lot of wire work," Scott said. "There's a lot of gymnastics and stuff. ... I did all my fight sequences in the pilot, but I wanted to go a little further and do back handsprings and really kind of get into it a little bit more physically. So we're training hard."
Scott went on to say that the wire harnesses were "so uncomfortable, man. It sucks. I had bruises here and here just doing a stinking photo shoot the other day. ... I was going forward, and they cut off my breathing. And I'm a tough chick. But ... at the end I was like, I started to cry. I was like, 'Guys, this is too much right now.'"
Regardless of how hard things got behind the screen, Birds Of Prey is perched and ready for attack. Only time, and ratings, will tell if the world of comics-based television is ready for this newer breed of female leads.
7/18/2002
From Comics2Film.com:
Gotham Clock Tower has come through again with some information about the new WB series Birds of Prey, based on the DC Comic of the same name.
First of all, the site has pointed out that the trailer for Birds of Prey featuring Batman and Catwoman is now online at The WB website. You can find it here at the WB's Birds of Prey page.
Following up on a WB press conference that took place last week, more information was spilled by the series' stars. Dina Meyer, who plays Oracle, revealed that she does not think the Joker is dead in the continuity of the series, but that he is rather locked up in Arkham Asylum.
Meanwhile, Rachel Skarsten said that she thinks her character "will become sort of the Robin to Huntress' Batman."
Finally, Gotham Clock Tower has also revealed some information about the show's second episode, entitled "Slick." Check out their SPOILERS page for all the details.
07/18/2002
From TheWb.com:
In the days when Batman patrolled the dark streets and rooftops of New Gotham, the world's master criminals were drawn to the city to prove themselves against the greatest crime-fighter of them all. Now, Batman has vanished, but New Gotham still seethes with generations of criminals. For the good citizens of this dangerous place, hope comes in the unlikely form of a trio of beautiful and relentless heroines, the "Birds of Prey." In this exciting action-adventure series, the Batman legend takes an unexpected turn.
The story begins on a terrible night seven years in the past when The Joker attacks the two women at the center of Batman's life: Catwoman and Barbara Gordon, who fought at Batman's side as Batgirl. With Catwoman dead, Batman mysteriously disappears from New Gotham. Batgirl, now confined to a wheelchair, redefines herself with a complicated double life ¿ by day, she is Barbara Gordon, a teacher of computer sciences, but by night, she is "Oracle" (Dina Meyer, Beverly Hills, 90210), a master of cybernetics and weapons design, who monitors the activities of New Gotham's criminals from her secret lair in the city's Clocktower.
Barbara takes under her wing the secret daughter of Catwoman and Batman, young Helena Kyle. Helena has inherited Batman's strong sense of justice, along with Catwoman's meta-human abilities. Although she longs for a normal life, she quickly grows into the fierce and beautiful "Huntress" (Ashley Scott, A.I.: Artificial Intelligence). The pull between good and evil is strong within her, and Barbara knows she must guide Helena carefully.
Into the lives of these two remarkable women comes an innocent teenage girl named Dinah (Rachel Skarsten, Virginia's Run) who is drawn to the Clocktower by powerful, haunting visions. Unsure of her background, but impressed by her budding meta-human powers, the two crime-fighters take Dinah in, and the trio is complete. They are now the "Birds of Prey."
In this city full of crime and corruption, there is one honest cop. Detective Jake Reese (Shemar Moore, The Brothers) is wrestling with his own dark secret - he is the son of New Gotham's most ruthless crime lord. Atoning for the sins of his father, Reese is on a personal mission to fight crime wherever he finds it, and he refuses to turn a blind eye to the strange events that always seem to involve the mysterious Helena Kyle.
In the center of this mix of heroes and villains is Harley Quinn, a brilliant madwoman who was the paramour of The Joker. Carrying on his dream of creating a criminal empire, Harley uses her daytime persona as a therapist to achieve her savage purpose - to release all the lunatics from mental institutions and use the resulting chaos to take control of New Gotham. Though Harley crosses paths often with Barbara and Helena, they are unaware of each other's secret identities.
As the leader of the "Birds of Prey," Barbara has gone from being Batman's protégé to the leader of a new generation of crime fighters who are determined to carry on his legacy. To her own surprise, Barbara finds that the responsibility of family - even a self-made family like these three amazing women - is ultimately just as important as any mission to save the world.
>From executive producers Mike Tollin, Brian Robbins and Joe Davola (Smallville), Birds of Prey was written and developed for television by Laeta Kalogridis (Lara Croft: Tomb Raider) and is produced by Warner Bros. Television and Tollin/Robbins Productions based on the popular comic books from DC Comics.
1/16/2002
From Comics2Film.com:
The KryptonSite has posted a slew of interesting news concerning the proposed Birds of Prey Pilot episode, created by the same people behind WB's hit show, Smallville.
The pilot stars Birds of Prey regulars Barbara Gordon (former-Batgirl turned computer hacker code-named Oracle) and Dinah Lance (the heroine known as Black Canary). However, popular Batman character The Huntress (described as Helena Kyle, hinting at a relationship to another familiar character) assumes the role of Oracle's headstrong partner, while Black Canary is described as a teenage runaway who comes across the duo's path in the pilot episode. In further departure from the comic books, Dinah Lance is represented as having precognitive abilities which manifest during dreams.
Much like in the comics, however, there is severe tension between Oracle and the Huntress, who both possess very obviously differing views on justice. Oracle is quoted as saying "We don't kill people," to a disinterested Huntress, who replies hastily "Speak for yourself." In fact, the Huntress at one time ignores Oracle's connected pressence altogether by turning her phone off, claiming the battery has run out. She is quickly reminded by her partner that it is powered by "ten-year self-recharging fused power cells."
Continuing the string of interesting twists on the original source material, The Huntress's father is described by Oracle as "Gotham's greatest champion", hinting at a paternal connection to city's own Dark Knight, now out of commision. That same shadowy figure can be seen in silhouette in a scene that should leaved most fans excited. In flashback, Barbara can be seen in her Batgirl costume in battle with the maniacal Joker, a villain responsible for the night's end in tragedy...for both Barbara and Helena.
It should be well-noted, however, that all of these developments are only in the current draft of the pilot and are subject to change, or the series may possibly not be picked up at all.
The best show on television. Never miss it. You should check out
Buffy the Vampire Slayer on the WB on Tuesdays at 8p.m.
![[Buffy - Becoming animated gif]](becoming.gif)
The Official Buffy Site
11/06/2002
07/19/2002
From SciFi.com:
07/19/2002
From SciFi.com:
Anthony Stewart Head, who plays Giles in UPN's Buffy the Vampire Slayer, told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that he expects the upcoming seventh season to be the show's last. "It's supposed to be, from what I know," Head told the newspaper. "If it is, it will be born out of everyone wanting to move on."
But the good news is that Head told fans to expect to see more of Giles in the coming season. Last year, Head appeared in only seven episodes; next season, "I'll be in a minimum of 10 and maybe more than that," he said. As for how his character will fit into the now-grown-up Scooby Gang, Head said, "I don't know how they're going to do that. It will be interesting to find out."
07/19/2002
From SciFi.com:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Enterprise helped boost UPN's ratings among total viewers last season by 15 percent, Variety reported. The sixth season of Buffy, which moved to the Smackdown network from The WB, and the premiere season of Star Trek spinoff Enterprise also helped UPN see a 13 percent increase in adult viewers 18-49 and a 19 percent hike in adults 18-34 in the 2001-'02 season, the trade paper reported.
In all three categories, UPN bested its archrival The WB. Looking ahead, it's an open question whether Buffy will continue after UPN's deal with the show's producer, 20th Century Television, expires next spring. Star Sarah Michelle Gellar has been publicly noncommittal about returning for the 2003-'04 season. But Buffy creator Joss Whedon has been planning for such a possibility and might be inclined to continue even without Gellar, the trade paper reported.
01/15/2002:
From Aint-it-Cool:
AGAIN, GIANT GIANT BUFFY SPOILERS AHEAD!! TURN BACK NOW, ALL THOSE WHO FEAR GIANT GIANT BUFFY SPOILERS!!
* The Big Scooby Death does not occur in 6.15.
* We will learn in 6.13 that Buffy did not come back as a demon, or as an angel, or as a soulless being, or as an immortal. Her "coming back wrong" seems closely connected to her feelings for Spike.
* The teaser of 6.16 features Buffy and Willow trying on their hideous bridesmaid dresses.
* There are tons of demons coming to the wedding. Some are even houseguests. Tentacled demons. Bird-like demons. Floppy-eared demons (perhaps to explain Anya's fear of the hare).
* We finally meet Xander's folks (the hard-drinking Anthony and tightly-wound Jessica Harris). Pop Harris isn't too happy to find a warty demon raiding Xander's fridge. Xander explains away the freakish appearance of Anya's friends by claiming they're circus people.
* Xander's dad will come to do a technicolor yawn into Buffy's purse during the rehearsal dinner. The demons come to fear Tony Harris.
* Mrs. Harris routinely refers to the groom as "Alexander."
* We get a good hard look at other branches of Xander's scary family tree, including glimpses of his oft-married fiftysomething second cousin Carol, his never-married fiftysomething second cousin Weezy (another female), his Aunt Betty and the ancient Great Uncle Harry.
* Xander speaks the last words of the teaser: "There is nothing on earth that can stop this wedding now!"
* A creepy old dude turns up rather ominously. At the end of act one, the crusty fellow will claim to be -- FutureXander!!!! (He also claims to carry a magical orb from FutureWillow!)
* Buffy tells Xander: "I kind of missed my chance with you, didn't I?"
* Spike attends the festivities and defiantly nuzzles a non-slayer girl.
* Via magic, we're offered a glimpse of Xander's future, and even meet his alleged offspring, Josh and (wait for it) Sarah! Xander is a beer-swilling oaf, a swollen Anya sells cosmetics, and the little Harrises are borderline-feral. Anorexia and unplanned pregnancy may attend their young-adult years.
* Floppy-eared Sarah takes after her demon parent (and we may not be talking about Anya)!
* When Xander seems to have disappeared by the end of act three, Anya confronts "FutureXander."
Finally, some sweet, sweet plugola for the "Buffy" first-season DVD:
Behold the clippage!
*Click here for "Buffy Meets Angel" 56kps clip
*Click here for "Buffy Meets Angel" 100kps clip
*Click here for "Buffy Meets Angel" 300kps clip
*Click here for David Boreanaz interview 56kps clip
*Click here for David Boreanaz interview 100kps clip
*Click here for David Boreanaz interview 300kps clip
*Click here for "Buffy and Angel's First Kiss" 56kps clip
*Click here for "Buffy and Angel's First Kiss" 100kps clip
*Click here for "Buffy and Angel's First Kiss" 300kps clip
*Click here for the "The Reluctant Slayer" 56kps clip
*Click here for the "The Reluctant Slayer" 100kps clip
*Click here for the "The Reluctant Slayer" 300kps clip
From SciFi.com:
Steven DeKnight, one of the writers of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, told the BBC's official Buffy site that he and other writers are also working on scripts for the proposed animated version of the UPN series. "We have, I believe, five scripts already written," DeKnight told the site. "I've done one, Jane Espenson has done a couple, and it's a great experience."
DeKnight said that he was originally considered solely for the animated series. "When I was first brought in to interview, I was brought in to interview for the animated show, and I was shown rough sketches of the characters and some of the sets," he said. "I loved what I saw. I was dying to work on the show, and I was hoping once I was hired on the live-action [show], I would still get a chance to work on it. It's going to be an amazing show. It's funny. It's exciting. It's all the huge, gigantic action that we can't do in a live-action show. So, the sky's the limit. There's a lot of ideas that they've had in the past five seasons that were great ideas, but they just couldn't do, budgetwise. So, we get to do all those cool high-school stories that we couldn't tell back in high school. Plus, it's a return to the classic Buffy--the way it all started, with all the teen-agers and highjinks. It's going to be absolutely amazing."
Will the animated show feature Angel or Dawn? "You know, anything's possible in [Buffy creator] Joss Whedon world. I would say, more than likely, you will see a lot of the characters you saw in high school. As to whether or not Dawn will be there, it's completely possible. It could definitely fit into the whole timeline of season five, where Dawn was placed there by the monks, and everybody has a memory of her being there. So, it would be an interesting idea to actually put Dawn there and see how she would fit into all of this stuff."
From E! Online:
SHE LIVES! In its first episode since moving from the WB to UPN, Buffy the Vampire Slayer scoring its second-largest audience ever Tuesday night. The show averaged 7.7 million viewers and hit all-time highs in its key young-adult demographics.
09/24/2001:
Here's
TV Guide's list of Buffy
related shows in the near future:
From Aint-it-Cool:
"Angel" returns to the WB at 9 tonight with a new episode.
But almost as excitement-worthy for the Strong household is FX's early-evening Monday airing of "Welcome to the Hellmouth," the very first hour of the WB version of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."
Are you sitting down? When "Hellmouth" originally aired some four and a half years ago, it made no positive impression on me. Whatsoever. Of course I was probably just half-listening to it while balancing my checkbook or downloading porn.
Understand. It was another time. I had no faith in the WB Network and even less in Buffy's nobody creator, Joss Whedon. Like so many others, I'd seen the Kristy Swanson "Buffy" movie and decided it represented some pretty poor filmmaking.
Moreover, as "Buffy's" short, 12-episode first season wore on, I kept checking in with it casually and sporadically and remained wholly underwhelmed. I remember thinking its monster-of-the-week formula was off-putting and confusing. She's a vampire slayer; why is she beset by mantis-ladies and hyena-boys?
I was, of course, a big giant idiot. With the second season came Spike and Dru and Angelus, and I've since grown to regard "Buffy" as the best TV show in production -- perhaps even the finest ever crafted. About a year ago I got to see the original (rejected) half-hour sitcom version of "Buffy" created for the Fox net and thought it superb.
But I've not seen "Hellmouth" since March 10, 1997.
And I can't wait for tonight.
09/24/2001:
Angel also starts it's 3rd season tonight at 9pm on the WB.
From Cinescape.com:
The UPN TV network has released their logline for the coming season premiere of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, a two-parter titled "Bargaining." Here's what they provide:
"BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER" PREMIERES ON UPN WITH A SPECIAL TWO-HOUR EPISODE AIRING TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2 (8:00-10:00 P.M., ET/PT)
"Bargaining" Parts 1 & 2 - Buffy's friends try to cope with Buffy's death and are left to defend Sunnydale without her. Meanwhile a gang of marauding demons threaten to jeopardize their plan to bring the slayer back from the dead. To complicate matters, Giles contemplates leaving Sunnydale to come to terms with the loss, on the special two-hour season premiere of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER airing TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2 (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET/PT) on UPN.
Guest Stars are Paul Greenberg as Shempy Vamp, Franc Ross as Razor, Geoff Meed as Mag.
"Bargaining" Part 1 was directed by David Grossman from a script penned by executive producer Marti Noxon; and "Bargaining" Part 2 was written by co-executive producer David Fury also directed by David Grossman.
09/06/2001:
From Aint-it-Cool:
08/31/2001:
From SciFi.com:
Electronic Arts' video-game version of UPN's Buffy the Vampire Slayer series will come to the Xbox gaming platform, not the PC, the IGN Xbox Web site reported. The game's story will take place between the third and fourth seasons of the show, when the Scooby Gang is still at Sunnydale High.
Buffy will be the only playable character in the game, but all of the other major characters will pop up, with the exception of Oz, the site reported. Buffy cast members, except for lead Sarah Michelle Gellar, will provide voices. Angel will also make an appearance. The villians will include the Master.
The Buffy game is slated for release sometime in early 2002, IGN reported.
From TV Guide:
There's good news and bad news for fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and spinoff Angel. First, the good: Although it was announced at this fall's Television Critics Association press tour that, since Buffy is moving to UPN, there will be no more crossovers with the WB's Angel, TV Guide Online has learned that some of the series' stars will still interact. Now, here's the bad news: As the actors in question, Alexis Denisof and Alyson Hannigan, are a real-life item, we won't get to watch!
"I'll still be crossing over with Alyson," promises Denisof, laughing.
The pair met when the Maryland native's Angel character, scholarly Englishman Wesley Wyndham-Price, was introduced during the third season of Buffy , where Hannigan has played the title heroine's sidekick, winsome witch Willow Rosenberg, since the show's 1997 debut. Today, despite the fact that they no longer work together, they talk shop with the empathy of true insiders.
"We understand the difficulties [of the job] - and not even just as an actor understanding another actor's difficulties," offers Denisof. "We know the specifics of the two shows because we've both been on them. So when Alyson tells me whoever's bugging her that day, I know who she means, and the same for me."
Soon, the duo may have an even hotter topic to discuss: This season on Angel, much to the bespectacled heartthrob's delight, his on-camera affairs are going to rival his off-duty love life. "Yes," Denisof chuckles, "this year, Wesley's going to turn into a really big stud."
08/27/2001:
From Aint-it-Cool:
Here's a link to Herc's review of the 6.1/6.2 script, and a link to a site called "The Spoiler Slayer", which meticulously keeps track of spoiler reliability.
From E! Online:
Brief, July 17, 2001
by Josh Grossberg
Jul 17, 2001, 5:15 PM PT
SLAY 'EM! Buffy debuting on UPN with a two-hour special October 9. The cast will also perform a musical episode of the show for November sweeps.
From E! Online:
What's a watcher to do when his vampire slayer ups and dies on him? Move back to England and start his own series, of course.
Anthony Stewart Head, a fixture on Buffy the Vampire Slayer for the past five seasons, is staking out new territory across the Pond. Head will star in a Buffy spinoff series created especially for Britain's BBC, tentatively called Watcher.
Since Buffy's debut, Head has played Rupert Giles, the vampire slayer's British mentor who schools her in the arts of stomping out the supernatural.
But with Head looking to spend more time with his family in England, Buffy creator Joss Whedon has decided to accommodate the actor and launch the spinoff series.
When last we tuned in, Buffy was presumed dead. Figuring his pal is dust, Giles decides to pack up his bags and head home to the U.K. A member of the Clandestine Watchers Council, Giles will be returning to the organization's stronghold in England. The new series will focus on Giles battling occult threats, but with a strong emphasis on mystery as opposed to horror.
Head says the show will focus more on British-type bugaboos and less on vampires and demons. "We've got ghosts in England, lots of them," the actor tells E! Online.
In a BBC interview, Whedon describes the series. "I want to make a show that's very quiet, very adult, dealing with ghost stories and family metaphors that represent what's wrong with us. It's the same way as in Buffy, but without the kickboxing demons."
The BBC has ordered six episodes of the show. There's no word yet on whether the spinoff will air in the U.S. on BBC America.
Now that he's heading home to battle the baddies, Head's Buffy status will go from regular to recurring--he's slated to appear in just two of the first eight episodes next season. "I'm not leaving," Head tells E! Online. "You'll just be seeing a little bit less of me."
With the emphasis on Buffy's impending adulthood (even though she looked as good as dead, did you really think she had stabbed her last vampire?), the reduced role of Giles makes sense, storywise.
But while Head will pop up from time to time on Buffy, don't expect to see Sarah Michelle Gellar flying Virgin Airways anytime soon. The actress isn't slated to do any crossovers on the BBC show, though other members of the cast haven't been ruled out as guest stars. And with Whedon planning to focus on his two stateside shows, Buffy and Angel, it's not known how big a role he'll play in Watcher, other than developing characters and storylines.
Meanwhile, after five years on the WB, Buffy is ready to make its jump to UPN this fall.
07/05/2001:
From Aint-it-Cool:
06/18/2001:
From Assignmentx.com:
Whether you agree with this statement or not, the world of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER is getting smaller by the minute. Sure, with each incarnation of the series' characters (animated, comic book adaptation, novelization, etc.) the franchise expands exponentially. However, series creator and executive producer Joss Whedon's increasing involvement with each new project insures that a tight leash remains affixed to the BUFFY mythos.
Perhaps the most recent project to receive Whe