Emmy noms for Star Wars spoofs, Carrie Fisher

Both Robot Chicken: Star Wars and Family Guy: Blue Harvest have received Emmy nominations in their respective animation categories, while Carrie Fisher is in the running for Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series for her turn as Rosemary Howard on 30 Rock.

Robot Chicken is up for Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour) against episodes of Creature Comforts America, King of the Hill, SpongeBob SquarePants and The Simpsons. Blue Harvest is up for Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming One Hour Or More) against South Park’s Imaginationland and Justice League: The New Frontier.

Other genre programs up for Emmys include Sci-Fi’s Oz reimagining Tin Man (Outstanding Miniseries, Art Direction, Costumes, Hair, Makeup, Editing, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Visual Effects,) Battlestar Galactica ( Writing, Editing, Visual Effects,) Battlestar Galactica: Razor (Cinematography, Sound Mixing,) Heroes (Editing, Visual Effects,) Lost (Outstanding Drama Series, Supporting Actor: Michael Emerson, Editing, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing) The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Editing, Visual Effects, Stunts,) Stargate Atlantis (Visual Effects,) Chuck (Main Titles, Stunts,) Masters Of Science Fiction (Score,) and Pushing Daisies (Music, Editing.) And if I messed anything up there you’re going to have to forgive me.

Star Wars second on AFI’s top 10 sci-fi

Those crazy list-making folks at the American Film Institute have placed A New Hope in second place on their list of the top 10 science fiction films. Click through to see the original trailer and some clips of James Earl Jones talking about the film.

The top spot goes to 2001, with E.T., A Clockwork Orange, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Blade Runner, Alien, Terminator 2, the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Back to the Future rounding out the choices.

There’s a fantasy list as well, which includes The Wizard of Oz, Fellowship of the Ring, and King Kong.

RIP: Effects master Stan Winston

Numerous media outlets today reported the death of Stan Winston, the Oscar-winning special effects master whose work included Terminator, Jurassic Park, and Aliens. He was 62.

ILM’s Dennis Muren, who supervised Jurassic Park’s digital effects, told Variety:

“When you put (Winston’s creatures and digital effects) together, the audience was confused, and sometimes we were, too, about who had done what.

“But Stan had always said, ‘It shouldn’t be all one or all the other; it should be a combination of the two.'”

Michael Heilemann over at Binary Bonsai has a brief tribute – and a book recommendation.

Terminators rule the ratings

The premiere of The Sarah Connor Chronicles did very well last night: it can boast having “the best opening night demo ratings of any new show in three years,” according to Variety. Not too shabby, but fans best hope a good chunk of that audience keeps showing up, given the show is on Fox.

TV Crunch Time

So many genre offerings this year, so little audience to go around. How are things going?

In the happy news category, Chuck has gotten the order for a full season. And Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles is gearing up by asking for fan-made posters. And now that series 1 of Torchwood is wrapping up, the teasing begins with all the cool guest stars for series 2 (i.e., James Marsters).

In the sad news category, Journeyman appears about to leap into the Land of Cancellation. He apparently won’t be terribly lonely as Bionic Woman is about to join him. And even though all of this is speculation, at the very least, Katee Sackhoff hasn’t exactly given it much enthusiastic support on the con circuit.

TV Bits and Bobs

Get out the drool cups, gentlemen. Entertainment Weekly is showing off posters for The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

Genre shows are getting some love from The Producer’s Guild of America.

But the Bionic Woman is not getting love from either the writers or the fans. While Battlestar Galactica, Reaper, Smallville and Supernatural are also shutting down thanks to the writer’s strike, they’re not in the same kind of trouble that Jamie Summers is in.

Movie news: Indy 4, JLA, Blade Runner

Rumor Mill of the Crystal Skullindy4tease.jpg

Franchise Madness

And then…

Movie News: JLA, Potter, X-Files

movies-biel.jpgJustice League of America script might have leaked. Emphasis on the might, but there are possible spoilers. In slightly more plausible news (it’s from Variety!) Jessica Biel may step into Wonder Woman’s boots. Well, we know she’s kicked ass before, but is she superhero material? I don’t foresee any complaints from the Karrdes.

Meanwhile, in another franchise…