io9: Jane Espenson

We've seen this weekend's Doctor Who and Torchwood episodes!

Charlie Jane Anders — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 12:00:00 PDT

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It's a big weekend for Doctor Who fans — first, there's the final episode of spinoff show Torchwood: Miracle Day, in which we finally learn what this long miniseries was all about. And then there's one of the most important Who episodes of the season. More »

Watch Captain Jack actually mention Ianto by name, on Torchwood

Charlie Jane Anders — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 07:00:00 PDT

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This is by far the best moment from last night's Torchwood episode — Captain Jack actually mentions Ianto by name, before inadvertently causing a new tragedy. It's a moment of real emotion and bittersweet irony. It's one of a few really nifty moments from last night's episode. More »

Torchwood ensures you'll never think about Death Panels the same way again

Charlie Jane Anders — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 14:00:00 PDT

The latest episode of Torchwood twisted the knife so much, it practically got a wrist cramp. All of the discussions about healthcare in previous episodes culminated in a scene of almost unbearable horror, laced with irony. All of the theoretical conversations turned horribly concrete. More »

Why Torchwood Still Rules Television

Charlie Jane Anders — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 12:20:57 PDT

With just five episodes in the summer of 2009, Torchwood went from a mildly diverting Doctor Who spinoff to a show that could stand alongside Twin Peaks, Fringe and The Prisoner as one of television's great insane rides. More »

Caprica season 2 would have seen Zoe Graystone meeting one of the Final Five

Charlie Jane Anders — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 13:30:00 PDT

If Caprica had gotten a second season, Zoe Graystone's journey would have taken a much more interesting turn than her "trapped in V-world" stories of season one. An interview with executive producer Kevin Murphy reveals what might have been. More »

Jane Espenson tells io9 about bringing Britain's greatest ghost detective to America

Charlie Jane Anders — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 10:46:48 PST

A classic British show about a ghost detective may be getting a reimagined version on Syfy. Producer Jane Espenson told us what to expect from the Americanized version of Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased). More »

Detailed Map Of Battlestar Galactica's Twelve Colonies

Charlie Jane Anders — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 12:01:58 PST

Here's your exclusive first look at a new star-map of Battlestar Galactica's Twelve Colonies, designed by writer Jane Espenson and science advisor Kevin Grazier. And Espenson and Grazier explained to us how twelve colonies can fit in one star system. More »

We need more vampire slayers — just not more Buffy

Charlie Jane Anders — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 14:10:48 PST

Warner Bros. had half the right idea with their Buffy the Vampire Slayer remake. It's about time somebody picked up the baton Joss Whedon dropped seven freaking years ago. But we don't need more Buffy, just more heroes like her. More »

Caprica gets another chance to survive after all

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 12:40:29 PDT

Good news: the rest of Caprica's first season will start airing next month, instead of January as originally planned. That means that the episodes will air before Syfy has to decide whether to pull the plug on the BSG prequel. More »

Jane Espenson says Torchwood will allow her to "push the boundaries of what can be done on television."

Charlie Jane Anders — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 09:30:00 PDT

Writer extraordinaire Jane Espenson is writing three out of 10 episodes in Torchwood's upcoming fourth season, she told Blastr. In an unusual move for U.S. television, the whole season will be written before the show starts filming, and Russell T. Davies is keeping it tightly plotted. And she adds that she'll be going to new and exciting places with the show: More »

We bid adieu to Cade Skywalker and Brian K. Vaughan's super-mayor

Cyriaque Lamar — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 09:26:49 PDT

Three neat series are coming to an end this Wednesday, and we're sad to see them go. Let's have a moment of silence for Star Wars Legacy, Air, and Ex Machina. More »

Torchwood season four's writers: a television dream team!

Charlie Jane Anders — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 17:00:18 PDT

The writers of the next season of Doctor Who's more grown-up spinoff, Torchwood, have been announced... and they're some of our favorite televisual geniuses, including former Buffy, House and Supernatural writers. More »

Inside the writers room: Top scifi TV writers reveal tricks of the trade

Marc Bernardin — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 06:20:00 PDT

Now that we know which shows we'll see during the 2010-2011 TV season, the real work can begin: writing them. Six genre-show pros — veterans of shows like Lost, BSG, and Fringe — reveal what happens behind closed doors. More »

Your First Look At Firefly's Original Ship Designs

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 13 May 2010 13:30:00 PDT

Joss Whedon's Firefly was an inspiration in so many ways, but one of them was its innovative approach to depicting spaceships and space travel. Here are some exclusive concept art images from a new book that celebrates Firefly's enduring inspiration. More »

Buffy's Wishy-Washiest Boyfriend Makes a Comic Book Comeback in "Riley One-Shot"

Marc Bernardin — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 08:30:00 PDT

Riley Finn, the white-bread soldier boy who stole college-girl Buffy Summers' heart, is back in a new Dark Horse one-shot written by Jane Espenson. More »

Firefly's Original Writers Return To The 'Verse With New Classic Tales

Charlie Jane Anders — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 14:30:00 PDT

It's not as good as a new season of Firefly on television, but it's still cause for celebration — a new anthology will feature original tales from TV series writers Jane Espenson, Jose Molina, Brett Matthews and Ben Edlund. More »

James Marsters: Caprica Is About The Fall Of America

Charlie Jane Anders — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:00:00 PST

Caprica, Syfy's dark, roiling prequel to Battlestar Galactica, is really about the American Empire and its unavoidable collapse, says actor James Marsters, who joins the show Friday. We took the opportunity to ask Marsters if he's coming back to Torchwood. More »

In Caprica, People Are The Biggest Monsters Of All

Charlie Jane Anders — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:22:18 PST

Caprica, the Battlestar Galactica prequel launching Friday, doesn't feature an army of robots bent on wiping out the human race, because Cylons are just a few prototypes. So the biggest conflict is between groups of humans, says producer Jane Espenson. More »

Caprica Is Very Different From Battlestar Galactica - And That's Good

Annalee Newitz — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 12:17:32 PST

Long-awaited Battlestar Galactica prequel Caprica starts on January 22, and we've seen the first few episodes. Here's our spoiler-free assessment of this challenging show that's going to take you in unexpected directions. More »

Jane Espenson Explains Caprica's Change Of Showrunner

Charlie Jane Anders — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:30:00 PST

When the Battlestar Galactica prequel Caprica hired Desperate Housewives veteran Kevin Murphy as a producer last month, we hoped for the best. But now Murphy is reportedly replacing BSG's Jane Espenson as Caprica's showrunner. Update: Espenson explains the switch. More »

New Clips Reveal The Cylons' Devious Plans For Humankind

Meredith Woerner — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:00:00 PDT

Six is on crutches, Cavil is plotting, and Simon is married. In the cylon-centric Battlestar Galactica DVD The Plan, we get new spin on our favorite skinjobs. Watch never-before-seen clips and commentary from writer Jane Espenson and the cast. More »

Is Caprica Getting Destroyed Prematurely?

Charlie Jane Anders — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:19:26 PDT

Is the Battlestar Galactica spin-off Caprica in trouble? One site reported over the weekend that the show is shutting down production due to concerns about the scripts — similar to what happened to the V reboot. More »

Shocking Spines and Screwball Dialogue Burn Through Warehouse 13

Lauren Davis — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:00:00 PDT

Syfy's new show may be about agents who chase down technological and mystical artifacts, but it's the charming characters and Buffy-influenced dialogue that take center stage. If you haven't seen Warehouse 13, it may be time to take a gander. More »

BSG TV Movie Will Explain Boomer's Steamy Fling With Cavil

Charlie Jane Anders — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:30:00 PDT

What was up with Boomer jumping into bed with Cavil in the final season of Battlestar Galactica? We'll understand after we watch the BSG TV movie, Grace Park promised us. We also talked to Jane Espenson and Edward James Olmos. More »

BSG Spin-Off Caprica Could Still Feature Crazy Space War

Lauren Davis — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 09:00:00 PDT

Battlestar Galactica's prequel series, Caprica, may be about the origins of the Cylon killer robots, but a lot of its storylines will deal with battles between the twelve colonies... which may actually heat up into full-on interstellar combat. Spoilers below. More »

Two More Reasons To Go To SDCC

Sarah Hope Williams — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 15:00:00 PDT

SDCC is just weeks away, and the buzz over who is (and isn't) going to be there is growing. It's not the usual celebs I want to see, however: Instead, it's two particular folks who make media I'm addicted to. More »

New Trailer For BSG's "The Plan" Explains Exactly What That Plan Was

Charlie Jane Anders — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:30:43 PDT

Remember the Cylons' much-vaunted plan on Battlestar Galactica? Turns out it was "sheer elegance in its simplicity," as the Middleman would say. A new trailer for the last-chance-to-retcon-everything TV movie "The Plan" finally spells out just what that plan was. More »

Cavil's Still A Bastard In Battlestar Galactica's "The Plan"

Charlie Jane Anders — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 00:55:03 PDT

Hello? Hello? It's me! Cavil. And I'm starring in a new clip from Battlestar Galactica's TV movie, "The Plan," airing this fall. Along with my mommy/victim Ellen Tigh, who luckily can't hear my soliloquy, five inches away from her ear. More »

We Already Know How The Dollhouse's Story Ends

Charlie Jane Anders — Sat, 02 May 2009 14:36:45 PDT

Last night's Dollhouse advanced a theme the show has sneaked into a few episodes so far: The idea that the abusive, mind-crushing Dollhouse is the future of the human race. More »

Jane Espenson Talks BSG, Caprica, Buffy and Dollhouse!

Charlie Jane Anders — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 14:51:22 PST

Jane Espenson co-wrote the Battlestar webisodes that explained Gaeta's recent behavior. She's also worked on Joss Whedon's Dollhouse, and now she's the showrunner on BSG's prequel Caprica. So we were bursting with questions for her. More »

Caprica's Creators Are Announced

Graeme McMillan — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 07:00:11 PST

As Battlestar Galactica builds towards its finale, the creative team behind prequel series Caprica is beginning to take shape. In charge of the writers' room is a familiar and welcome face: Jane Espenson. More »

Watch (Almost) All The Remaining BSG Webisodes!

Charlie Jane Anders — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 12:22:15 PST

The last five webisodes in Battlestar Galactica's "Face Of The Enemy" series are online now at Amazon Video On Demand. (Except for episode 9, which is still mysteriously missing. But episode 10 is there.) [Amazon via Sci Fi Forums, thanks Chris!] More »

More Of The Same, But Different, In BSG Movie

Graeme McMillan — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 09:00:00 PST

Upcoming Battlestar Galactica TV movie The Plan may just repeat plots that we've already seen, but they'll do it in a way that makes you want to revisit the series, according to writer Jane Espenson. More »

Dollhouse Is Awesome, Says Espenson

Graeme McMillan — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 11:32:17 PST

Sure, we've all heard reports that new Joss Whedon show Dollhouse is in trouble, but consulting producer Jane Espenson begs to differ. In fact, she thinks that the "extremely good" show is entirely "glitch-free." More »

It's X-Files Meets Eureka... In A Warehouse! But It May Be Good Anyway.

Charlie Jane Anders — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 10:20:00 PST

The Sci Fi Channel is gearing up to produce another 11 hours of its fledgling spooky-warehouse series, Warehouse 13, in addition to the previously shot pilot. Which still begs the question: now that the pilot for the Battlestar Galactica prequel, Caprica, has been in the can for months, when will Sci Fi make a decision on greenlighting a Caprica series? The longer Sci Fi's radio silence on Caprica goes on, the less optimistic we're feeling. But on the plus side, Warehouse sounds intriguing, and it's just hired some seasoned genre veterans to write the show. More »

What If Moonlighting Took Place In A Warehouse Full Of Aliens?

Meredith Woerner — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 08:20:00 PDT

The Sci Fi Channel has combined a few of my favorite things together to create their new series Warehouse 13. Supposedly a mix of X-Files, Moonlighting and Raiders of the Lost Ark, Warehouse is a show that revolves around two FBI agents assigned to a mysterious (you guessed it) warehouse, where they are in charge of all the mysterious objects inside. It's about time someone used put the powers of Moonlighting to scifi use. More »

3 BSG Characters Have A Dark Secret In Their Past

Charlie Jane Anders — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:03:00 PDT

The more we hear about the new Battlestar Galactica TV movie, the more it sounds as though it'll have to reinvent the show's history a tad in order to make sense. But that could be a good thing, as writer Jane Espenson refashions some old continuity to tell a story about some Cylons on a journey of self-discovery. Star Aaron Douglas (Chief Tyrol) was just at a Fan Expo, and he confirmed which characters will star in the movie, and when it's set. Including spoilers, of course. More »

Once You Know How BSG Ends, You'll Revisit Its Past. And Middle.

Charlie Jane Anders — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:33:00 PDT

The final episode of Battlestar Galactica could be spread out over as much as four hours, allowing for a full explanation of the robot-apocalypse show's complex mythology at last. And the BSG TV movie that's in the pipeline wouldn't air until after the final BSG episode — which could allow it to revisit some events from the show's past from the vantage point of all the knowledge we'll have gained by then. BSG mastermind Ron Moore and Sci Fi Channel execs also spilled some details on the prequel series Caprica and the BSG webisodes at a TV critic event over the weekend. Click through for details. More »

What Would The Ultimate Nerd Wish-Fulfillment Look Like?

Charlie Jane Anders — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:01:00 PDT

Movies just aren't doing a good enough job of pandering to our escapist wet dreams. A nerdy guy who turns into a green destructo-ape when you fuck with him? An MIT engineer who builds the ultimate super-armor? A clerk who turns super-killer? Bah! Hollywood could do a much, much better job than that of channeling our dreams of escaping from tedium and having everybody recognize our nerdy greatness. We'll tell you how, after the jump. More »

BSG TV Movie Will Be The Man Show

Charlie Jane Anders — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:00:00 PDT

More details have come out about the first (and maybe only) Battlestar Galactica TV movie, which may air as soon as this fall. The good news is, it'll be written by Buffy/Firefly scribe Jane Espenson, who just scored a hit with the BSG episode "The Hub." The bad news is, it'll be directed by BSG star Edward James Olmos, who has a track record of directing some of the worst episodes. (But he also directed a fun Miami Vice episode.) Meanwhile, the movie's cast gives some hints about what it's about. More »