Category: tv

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Warwick Davis on Doctor Who, and what’s coming for SF/F TV next season?

In ‘Nightmare and Silver,’ the Doctor and Clara head for ‘the greatest theme park in the universe,’ only to find it closed and inhabited only by a shabby few, including Warwick Davis. Cybermen ensue, because of course they do. The episode is written by Neil Gaiman and is the last before next week’s season finale, ‘The Name of the Doctor.’

Agents of-ShieldIn other sci-fi TV news, it’s pilot season! ABC picked up Joss Whedon’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., bringing the Marvel synergy to live-action TV. (ABC will air a preview of the show on Sunday.) They also picked up Once Upon a Time spin-off Once Upon a Time in Wonderland and sci-fi mystery show Resurrection

Two J.J. Abrams pilots were picked up as well: Fox nabbed robot police drama Almost Human, while Fox picked up Believe, a collabration with Alfonso Cuarón about a telekinetic ten-year-old. It’s no big shock that The Vampire Diaries spinoff The Originals got picked up, but the CW also greenlit post-apocalyptic The 100, a remake of The Tomorrow People and the human/alien romance Star-Crossed.

Meanwhile, in the cable realm, both SyFy’s Defiance and BBC America’s Orphan Black are getting second seasons.

You can check out the full slate of pilots – picked up and passed over both – at The Hollywood Reporter.

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J.J. Abrams dances around Star Wars and Episode VII questions, says third Star Trek is a ‘possibility’

J. J. Abrams on the set of Star Trek Into Darkness

J.J. Abrams gave his most revealing Star Wars interview so far (which isn’t really saying much) to Playboy? Well. If you want to hear about Star Trek you can head on over there, but Star Wars fans, read on.

Okay, okay, he does say that doing a third Star Trek isn’t out of the question.

As for Star Wars, he wouldn’t comment on still-unofficial of returning cast members, or if the new trilogy will be ‘distinct.’ He’s “not going to give my opinion on the original movies or characters.”

When asked about broad ideas and the reaction to The Phantom Menace:

I try to approach a project from what it’s asking. What does it need to be? What is it demanding? With Star Wars, one has to take into account what has preceded it, what worked, what didn’t. There are cautionary tales for anything you take on that has a legacy—things you look at and think, I want to avoid this or that, or I want to do more of something. But even that feels like an outside-in approach, and it’s not how I work. For me, the key is when you have a script; it’s telling you what it wants to be.

On the pressure of taking on the franchise:

I meant if I viewed this from a fan’s point of view—and no one’s a bigger Star Wars fan than I am—or from a legacy standpoint, it would scare the hell out of me. But instead of trying to climb this mountain in one giant leap, I’m just enjoying the opportunity and looking to the people I’m working with. I’ve known Kathy for years. I’ve worked with the screenwriter, Michael Arndt, for a long time. I’ve known George for a number of years and he’s now a friend. Even if this wasn’t Star Wars, I’d be enormously fortunate to work with them.

And of course:

For me to talk to you about what the big themes or ideas are before they exist is disingenuous, but naturally I have a big say in how this gets put together. When I get involved with something, I own it and carry the responsibility of the job.

Well, Playboy, you tried.

It’s a big interview, so he also talks about his TV shows, growing up in Hollywood, Tom Cruise and more.

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It’s the end of Futurama… again

FuturamaNot even second chances are forever: Comedy Central has not renewed Futurama, Entertainment Weekly reports.

The sci-fi cartoon from The Simpsons’ Matt Groening originally debuted on Fox, who first canceled it in 2003. It did well in reruns and DVD sales, and Comedy Central relaunched it in 2007 for an additional 3 seasons. (Or, two seasons and a handful of movies, whichever you prefer.)

Half of the last season is still to air, though. (Note possible spoilers:)

[Executive producer David X.] Cohen calls the final run — which features such guests as Larry Bird, Sarah Silverman, George Takei, Adam West, Dan Castellaneta, and Burt Ward — “our best ‘last season ever’ ever,” noting that there are “a bunch of episodes that I think are going to be classics.” In one installment, Futurama is “reincarnated as various cartoons of your youth, not legally resembling but somehow quite reminiscent of Scooby-Doo, Strawberry Shortcake, and G.I. Joe,” he says. And the series finale, which features a wedding between Fry and Leela, is “a tasteful, emotional gorefest,” he raves. “There’s a lot of death but there’s also a lot of time travel, so that makes for an interesting combination.” Adds Groening: “It’s a really satisfying ending. It’s an epic ending. If indeed it’s the ending.”

We’ll miss you, new Futurama, but hey: At least we’ll have the reruns. (Again.)

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In the news: Star Wars vs. Star Trek vs. startups?

star-trek-star-wars-vaderBritish chat show host Jonathan Ross argues for his answer to the ancient geek question, Star Trek or Star Wars? to The Times. While he finally sides with Star Trek, he does offer this about Star Wars:

I think I love Star Wars mainly because it took all the cool stuff I loved in comic books and science fiction novels and finally put them up on the big screen. And I no longer felt like an outcast.

Meanwhile, Forbes tries to look at both franchises as a model for startup companies:

These were David and Goliath stories. Little guys, taking on impossibly big challenges. Irresistible stories of human aspiration. What happened over time? They became Goliaths themselves; they lost their inner David, their startup spirit.

..and then points to Firefly for not turning into a Goliath, by being canceled.

Awesome photo totally snagged from GeekTyrant and their Ultimate Star Wars vs Star Trek page.