Club Jade

It’s that time of year when the major networks start to announce their renewals.  Here is what I’ve been able to gather, thus far:

• Chuck – Renewed for 13 episodes.  Not ideal, but not cancellation.
• Heroes – No decision, but Grunny is saying the Fat Lady may or may not be warming up.  (Does this mean a 13-episode, like the others?) [I'm guessing no. - Dunc.]  And the Fat Lady sings….
• V – Renewed for 13.
• Flash Forward – Axed.
• Supernatural – Already renewed.
• Vampire Diaries – Already renewed.
• Smallville – Already renewed.

The SyFy shows don’t tend to announce, yet.  So while we know that Stargate: Universe got the greenlight for Season 2 (they’re currently in production), the fact that MGM is financially shaky makes that tenuous for Season 3.  But, hey, at least we know that wrestling is safe.

HBO’s A Game of Thrones adaption has announced casting for many of the major roles since we last checked in. But the one making the most waves online since Sean Bean is the news that Lena Headey will play Cersai Lannister, the ambitious wife of King Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy) and a main foil of the series. Headey is plenty familiar to genre fans from her turn as the title character in The Sarah Conner Chronicles and as Queen Gorgo in 300. (Or maybe even 2005′s The Brothers Grimm, as seen at right.) Here’s hoping she can pull it off.

Other familiar faces include Jennifer Ehle (Pride and Prejudice ’95) as Catelyn Stark, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (New Amsterdam, Virtuality) as Cersei’s brother Jaime Lannister, Iain Glen (Kingdom of Heaven) as Ser Jorah Mormont, and Tamzin Merchant (The Tudors) as Daenerys Targaryen. Check out George R. R. Martin’s blog for more on the younger actors.

• SyFy. Warehouse 13 is setting records for the recently remonikered network; the show’s sixth episode was the most-watched series telecast in the channel’s history. It beat out… Episode five of the same series! Huh. In less hopeful rumors, they’re reportedly considering a cooking show. ‘Imagine greater’ indeed.

• MTV. Their Rocky Horror remake is “on hold,” (phew) but they are looking to reinvent Teen Wolf. Okay…
• Disney/Marvel. Has the New Mouse Order claimed its first victim?
• Supernatural. Creator Eric Kripke hedges around ending the series. Err, story. Err… Buffy lives?
• The Vampire Diaries. The CW is promoting their upcoming vampire drama with blood drives around the country.
• Just for fun. io9 has captured many of 30 Rock’s salutes to the genre.

Poor Vampire Diaries. Though the original L.J. Smith books were published back in the early 90′s, the TV series seems doomed to be compared to Twilight and lead-in Supernatural. And yes, that is Lost’s Ian Somerhalder as the bad brother.

Vampire Diaries isn’t the only new genre show we’ll see next fall – ABC has Eastwick based on the Updike book that was last adapted as a 1987 movie, while Fox has the reincarnation drama Past Life. (See the trailers for those at SciFi Wire.) I’m feeling a resounding meh… You?