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Is Fox Determined To Kill 'Fringe'?
6 November 2009 11:52 PM, PST
Angry that your DVR didn't record "Fringe" this week? You're not alone. Many viewers didn't even know Fox was airing a new episode of "Fringe" until they read about the episode the next day in various news outlets, and some are slapping their foreheads wondering how else the network can damage the viewer base of the show. "You're right about the crowded Thursday night. My DVR is always packed with shows the next morning," said Airlock Alpha reader Frank Kennedy. "However, I think the big problem with 'Fringe' this week was that it wasn't even in the listings! My DVR didn't even pick it up because Fox was listed for Game 7 of the World Series." The question, Kennedy asks, is why would Fox use first-run programming as a backup to a sporting event? And that's a good question. The ... »
'V' Makes Splash In First Week Of Sweeps
6 November 2009 5:43 AM, PST
Sure, there might be some concern around fandom about how well "V" will do in its second week, but for right now, genre fans can celebrate the fact that the remake of the 1980s television phenomenon is doing so well, it actually finished among the best shows of the week. And this isn't just any old week. This is the first week of sweeps. The 8.5 rating/13 share "V" earned in Fast National ratings from The Nielsen Co. Tuesday allowed it to just edge "Two and a Half Men" on CBS to finish 10th among network shows, just slightly behind "Grey's Anatomy" and "Desperate Housewives" on ABC. It also was, by far, the best-rated network genre program for sweeps week, easily beating "FlashForward," which had a 5.7/9 last week. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to power ABC to a Week 1 win. Instead, ... »
'FlashForward' Takes A Tumble, 'Fringe' Almost Forgotten
6 November 2009 5:25 AM, PST
If "V" hasn't proven it already: Put genre shows on Tuesdays. But it's doubtful the networks are going to listen as Thursday resulted in a good beating against some of the shows readers of this site want to see succeed. "FlashForward" earned a 5.5 rating/9 share, according to Fast National ratings from The Nielsen Co., setting a new low for the series. But thanks to a season low 5.2/8 from "Bones," it was the timeslot's highest-scripted drama, finishing behind "Survivor: Samoa" on CBS. The audience for "FlashForward" was down 3.5 percent from the previous week, and more than 11 percent off its 6.2/10 average. The stumble didn't follow through the rest of ABC's schedule as "Grey's Anatomy" was up 3.5 percent while "Private Practice" was down only slightly. But the news was even ... »
SciFriday: This Is Why I Need To Write Down Ideas
5 November 2009 10:40 PM, PST
Sometimes it happens on a Wednesday. Many times a Thursday. I get a great idea for SciFriday and, after realizing what day of the week it is (since SciFriday really doesn't work on, say, a Tuesday), tuck that idea into a small drawer in my brain to write about late, late Thursday night or early Friday morning. Except sometimes I actually forget the entire idea. That happened this week. On Wednesday, I was laying out newspaper pages at the day job (no, print it not dead, and that's coming from me, a Web site owner) and this absolutely amazing, killer idea came to mind. I was so excited by it that I actually became distracted at work, and started counting down the days until Friday. I know last night when I went to bed, the idea was still in my mind, and I was anxious to wake up ... »
Zod Is On The Hunt In 'Smallville'
5 November 2009 1:57 PM, PST
Makes you kind of wish you had that electronic child leash, eh? Jor-El, played by Julian Sands, pays a visit to the Kent farm in Smallville looking for his kid ... you know, Tom Welling's Clark Kent. Instead, Mr. El, if that's his real name, runs into Chloe (Allison Mack). In the meantime, Zod (Callum Blue) decides it's time to deploy some real guns in finding Jor-El, bringing Tess (Cassidy Freeman) into the fold. Zod normally wouldn't care, but he is convinced that Jor-El is in fact the Blur, and he wants to know the secret to his powers. Clark, however, realizes that his father is alive and on Earth, and it's a race to find him before Zod does. "Smallville" airs Fridays at 8 p.m. Et on The CW. if (typeof(companion_gnm_ord)=='undefined') companion_gnm_ord=Math.random()*10000000000000000; ... »
.Heroes. - Once Upon A Time In Texas
5 November 2009 7:35 AM, PST
This review may contain spoilers. The more things change, the more they stay the same. For one episode, .Heroes. evoked the strength of the first season in a pretty simple fashion; Hiro (Masi Oka) traveled back there. The result was a solid episode, perhaps the best of the season. Hiro.s attempts to save Charlie (Jayma Mays) run the gamut from touching to ridiculous, but this actually works in the episode.s favor. A truly love-struck Hiro is a likeable, sympathetic character. If he is willing to do something so foolish as to let Sylar (Zachary Quinto) try to heal his true love, well, viewers can write that off to love making him do crazy things. Samuel Sullivan (Robert Knepper) of course has manipulated Hiro down this path to changing the past, and he manages to trap Charlie ... »
Get Ready: End Of The World Coming To Television
5 November 2009 2:25 AM, PST
Just in case watching the USS John F. Kennedy demolish the White House in trailers for "2012" wasn't enough, director Roland Emmerich says he wants to continue bringing you the story about the aftermath of his film ... on a weekly basis. Emmerich told Entertainment Weekly that he is pitching a television version of his story to networks, saying there is "plenty to do in a TV show." Such a production would focus on life in 2013 and include the likes of Howard Gordon, an executive producer for Emmerich's film who has also worked on shows such as "Grey's Anatomy" and "Private Practice." "It is about the resettling of Earth. That is very, very fascinating," Emmerich said, adding that "2012" writer and producer Harold Kloser also would be aboard. "We said to Mark, 'Why don't you do a ... »
Eli Gets A 'Universe' Flashback
5 November 2009 2:02 AM, PST
They always say that if you live in your mom's basement, you'll never get the girl. That might have been true for Eli (David Blue) from "Stargate: Universe," but once you end up traveling to different galaxies, apparently you become a chick magnet. That's something that Eli experiences in this strange and a bit confusing sneak peek of Friday's all-new episode of "Stargate: Universe." But I'm sure once we watch the episode in its entirety, it will make sense. So get our your notebooks, fellow geeks, and find out what it takes to pick up a girl.Don't forget that you can watch "Stargate: Universe" every Friday at 9 p.m. Et on Syfy. if (typeof(companion_gnm_ord)=='undefined') companion_gnm_ord=Math.random()*10000000000000000; if (typeof(companion_gnm_tile) == 'undefined') companion_gnm_tile=1; document.write('') if ... »
AlphaBits: New Owner For Terminator Could Arrive Early Next Year
4 November 2009 5:33 PM, PST
The very messy bankruptcy of Halcyon Co. means that the group holding the rights to the Terminator movie franchise will lose that key asset by the beginning of next year. Halcyon says it will sell the rights to Terminator to help pay its debts, and has hired Fti Capital Advisors to get it done. Fti, in turn, says it will auction off the rights, but will still allow Halcyon to select its old "stalking horse" bidder, that is someone who can place the first bid and conduct due diligence at the same time. Although the two studios behind "Terminator Salvation" -- Sony Pictures and Warner Bros. -- are thinking about bidding on the franchise, the Los Angeles Times cautions that a private equity group outside of Hollywood could end up being the winning bidder. Halcyon originally acquired ... »
The 'Heroes' Secrets Of Dr. Suresh
4 November 2009 4:09 PM, PST
Is "Heroes" finally starting to get good? Maybe so. And with it comes the return of Mohinder Suresh, played by Sendhil Ramamurthy. Of course, that brings up questions about Suresh's father and his research into the people who have abilities. Some video footage from the 1960s with Dr. Chandra Suresh have surfaced recently, and were released. They were based on his work with a pregnant woman who created tremors. At the same time, the cameraman got some upclose looks at the equations and notes on Suresh's blackboard. Get all the details in the videos below. "Heroes" airs Mondays at 8 p.m. Et on NBC. »
William Shatner And Levi Johnston's Tweets
4 November 2009 3:23 PM, PST
It's hard to be part of the Sarah Palin clan on social media outlets like Facebook or Twitter without getting the attention of William Shatner.Yes, the man who originally played Capt. Kirk in "Star Trek" is very much alive, and very much sharing his poetic theater everywhere. And when we say "everywhere," what we really mean is "The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien." This time, his target isn't the former vice presidential candidate and Alaska governor, but the estranged boyfriend of one of her daughters, Levi Johnston.Johnston recently made his way to Twitter, and O'Brien asked Shatner to give a more artsy way of presenting some of those Tweets to his late-night audience. "The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien" airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. Et on NBC. »
'FlashForward' - Scary Monsters And Super Creeps
4 November 2009 5:48 AM, PST
After weeks of anticipation, we finally got to know a bit about the mysterious Simon (Dominic Monaghan) who claims to be a quantum physicist genius who knows the reason why the flash forwards occurred. He.s smooth, manipulative, and super creepy . a vastly different character than any of the others we.ve seen Monaghan play. Does he pull it off? Quite well, in fact, he.s probably the super creep the episode is named after. Janice (Christine Woods) is recovering from her gunshot wound, and the rest of the FBI team are deeply concerned about what happened to them last week. Clearly someone with a lot of power is after them, but we won.t find out about that in this episode . the focus is more on the characters and their relationships. Another piece of Mark.s (Joseph Fiennes) wall was ... »
Sci-Fi On TV: Let's Cut Fox Some Slack
4 November 2009 5:43 AM, PST
As I cruise the 'net, I hear a familiar cry carrying from site to site - "Burn in Hell Fox!" This particular cry has been seen and heard for two decades, uttered by genre fans for perceived unfair treatment their favorite shows have received at the network. Fox has been blamed for the cancellation and ruination of many genre-related series for as long as the network has been in existence. And yes, they have canceled many series, failed to renew many more, and micromanaged shows into pale copies of their original selves. But that was the Fox of old. The executives who mishandled "Firefly," for example, are no longer with the network. The time an exec stays with a network is like the lifetime of a mosquito, very short. The latest series to cause fans to scream for the damnation of ... »
'V' Invades With Solid Premiere Ratings
4 November 2009 5:12 AM, PST
It might not have captured 40 percent of the total television audience like its predecessor did in the 1980s, but if Tuesday's ratings are any indication, America still loves its "V." The new ABC series, starring Elizabeth Mitchell, Joel Gretsch, Morena Baccarin and Scott Wolf, powered into an 8.5 rating/13 share in Fast National ratings from The Nielsen Co. That's the best performance of any network genre show this season beating the 7.7/13 series premiere of "FlashForward" Sept. 24. "V" didn't beat powerhouse "NCIS," but it certainly cut into its numbers a little bit. The CBS show lost 8 percent of its audience from Oct. 20, and finished 2.5 percent below its average with an 11.7/18, according to Zap2it. However, that likely will still be enough to win the week in terms of programs ... »
'V' Looks To 'Chuck' For Its Third Showrunner
3 November 2009 10:42 AM, PST
At some point, both Warner Bros. Television and ABC will be happy with who is leading its new series "V." After holding the reins for just a single episode, Warner Bros. has removed "The 4400" executive producer Scott Peters from the showrunner position on "V" and replaced him with Scott Rosenbaum. This is the second change at the top spot since production started on "V," which stars Elizabeth Mitchell, Morena Baccarin, Morris Chestnut and Scott Wolf. The pilot episode, which aired tonight on ABC, was done under the leadership of Jeff Bell. After Peters was given showrunner responsibilities, Bell -- who had worked on other shows such as "Harper's Island," "Alias" and "Angel" -- remained in an executive producer role following the change. However, with Rosenbaum coming on board, Bell ... »
'Smallville' . Crossfire
3 November 2009 7:03 AM, PST
This review may contain spoilers. Last week saw Oliver Queen (Justin Hartley) take the forefront in an utterly forgettable comeback tale as the character struggled to deal with his dark impulses, developing alcoholism and his growing directionless in life. "Crossfire" more than makes up for "Roulette," featuring a return to form for Oliver Queen, classic Lois (Erica Durance) wit and a bad-ass Tess (Freema Cassidy) with mad assassin skills capable of taking down a Kandorian. Plus, the mild mannered Clark Kent (Tom Welling) finally grows a pair when it comes to his love life. Keeping close to the original DC tale, Ollie encounters a young girl named Mia Dearden (Elise Gatien) who was forced onto the street following a life of abuse and extortion. Trapped under the influence of a pimp ... »
Critics Jump Aboard 'V,' But There Are Flaws
3 November 2009 12:11 AM, PST
"V" premieres Tuesday at 8 p.m. Et, and although it's getting a start just in time for November sweeps, no one seems to care about the timing. But they do care about this new show starring Elizabeth Mitchell ("Lost"), Morena Baccarin ("Firefly"), Morris Chestnut and Scott Wolf. Here is a sampling of what critics are saying about Tuesday's episode. "Mitchell has never had a part so rich, one that allows her to play smart, sarcastic, tough and vulnerable," said Mark A. Perigard of The Boston Herald (review). "With her perpetually gleaming eyes, Baccarin is wonderfully otherworldly, and suggests a streak of malevolence." But the shows does have a few quirks, Perigard said. "As the hour progresses, there are a couple of smart twists," he said. "One quibble with the remake is that ... »
Dollhouse . 'Belonging'
2 November 2009 10:01 PM, PST
.Dollhouse. fans who may have complained that Sierra (Dichen Lachman) hasn.t been given enough screen time this season should be especially pleased with .Belonging.. Not only is Sierra the central figure in this particular episode, but the show also uses her story to drive the Dollhouse.s continuing descent into chaos. As the episode opens, we discover that a dangerous man from Sierra.s past has become one of her regular clients at the Dollhouse, and when Echo (Eliza Dushku) notices that Sierra . who was an aspiring artist named Priya prior to becoming an Active . is exhibiting strange behavior after these engagements, Adelle (Olivia Williams) attempts to pull the plug on this particular client relationship. Meanwhile, Boyd (Harry Lennix) investigates Echo.s discovery. .Dollhouse. works ... »
Preview: Let 'V' Into Your Home ... Trust Us
2 November 2009 2:22 PM, PST
It's been a terribly long time since I have been excited about a reimagination. In fact, I don't think I've been excited for something at this level since the former SciFi Channel premiered "Battlestar Galactica." But ABC decided it was time to take a risk. Unlike NBC's efforts in the past to first revive "Bionic Woman," and then take a different path with "Knight Rider," ABC wanted to go to the one programming event (and later television series) that almost single-handedly defined the 1980s. Yeah, we're talking about "V." However, ABC faced a huge dilemma in bringing "V" back. The idea of having space ships hanging it the sky, floating over major world landmarks, has been done to death in the years that followed Kenneth Johnson's original epic. When we think about invading ships in ... »
Fans Are Going To Love The New 'V'
2 November 2009 1:47 PM, PST
What happens when you're presented with an opportunity to be in the biggest spotlight there is? Journalist Chad Decker isn't getting a chance to sit down with a one-on-one with the president of the United States. But he is doing 100 times better, going mano-a-mano with Anna, the beautiful alien leader of the Visitors played by Morena Baccarin in the ABC series event "V." Played by Scott Wolf, Decker wants to get to the bottom of what's going on, but the spotlight is so bright, it's blinding him. The actor, known for his work in such shows as "Everwood" and "Party of Five," sat down Monday with Airlock Alpha to talk about his character, his opinion on if this will be the reimagined property that becomes a major hit, and if the world will explode if you bring together "Everwood" fans from his ... »
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