While the Hollywood Reporter described Joseph as a, "deeply passionate man with a strong sense of justice, someone you wouldn't want as your enemy," we know him as the widowed father who lost both his wife and daughter in a suicide bombing. This DA with mob ties also agrees to help create a robot version of his lost daughter with the help of fellow bereaved father Daniel Graystone. I'm sure it will all only end in tears — cold cylon tears. [Hollywood Reporter]

Caprica is set amidst a war beween two rival families (the Graystones and the Adamas) 50 years before the cylons' nuclear attack on humans. Amanda is married to to Daniel Graystone, a brilliant computer engineer who downloads his daughter's (Zoe) personality into an online Avatar (which later becomes a cylon proto-type). As we spoiled before Amanda is a "double agent" and is sleeping with her husband's rival (a Tauron named Tomas Vergis). Her guilt leads her to share with her husband any secrets she hears from Tomas. Which aids Daniel in building a proto-cylon. [Hollywood Reporter]

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Writing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers described how an identical population of Podarcis sicula lizards was split up across two separate islands — one was the original habitat — in the Adriatic Sea in 1971. When the researchers returned to the islands 36 years later, the lizards on the foreign island had bigger, wider heads, stronger bites, and had evolved a bizarre new set of muscles in the digestive tracts.

Obviously it would take a little longer for people. On average, a human generation lasts about 30 years, and in the lizard experiment the recorded changes happened over 30 generations. That means even here on Earth you might only have to go back to medieval times to find ancestors that were lot different-looking than us (not counting the effects major improvements in medicine, technology, and nutrition, have had on our bodies).

But back to the 12 Colonies example. Even assuming every civilization progresses at roughly the same rate, the PNAS paper says habitat and diet (which are almost certainly going to be different from planet to planet) played the biggest part in shaping the lizards. In that case, thousands of years (millions?) of isolation between the Capricans, Aerelons, Gemenons, and so on would make for some truly bizarre humanoid morphologies. But then again, they'd probably think we we're pretty ugly, too.

Source: PNAS, via Living the Scientist Life

Caprica:

The TV Addict got hold of the script for Battlestar Galactica's prequel TV movie Caprica, and spilled a ton of spoilers. From what I can make out of that blurry image of the script's first page, the movie starts with two boys amongst a bunch of other kids on a bus. A woman warns them that they're on Caprica now, and they should speak the common tongue, not their mongrel nonsense — but they don't understand what she's saying. (I'm guessing this is when Joseph Adama first comes to the planet Caprica and leaves behind his Tauron roots.)

Some of the story details are similar to the ones we've featured before. But there are some new details. Our artificial intelligence whiz, Daniel Graystone, invents something called the HoloBand, which is akin to Star Trek's Holodeck. Daniel is an inattentive husband and father, because he's worried his company is about to lose the big government contract for the robot super-soldier and the meta-cognitive processor, after billions of cubits in development costs.

Because Daniel is such a self-absorbed guy, his wife Amanda seeks comfort in the arms of his chief rival Tomas Vergis, who's a Tauron instead of a Caprican. And his daughter Zoey gets involved with the Soldiers of the One, a monotheistic cult that wants to drive out Caprica's many gods. And "Act One" ends with Zoey's boyfriend Ben carrying out his act of monotheistic terrorism, killing Zoey as well as wife and daughter of attorney Joseph Adams. (Admiral Adama's father.)

And that's when Joseph Adams and Daniel Graystone find each other, and start working on downloading their dead daughters' minds into new robot bodies. (And Zoey, the monotheist, becomes the first Cylon.) But after they succeed, Joseph and Daniel have opposite reactions and end up being bitter opponents. And here's the final scene of the TV movie, between Joseph and his son the future Admiral, according to the TV Addict:

JOSEPH
Our family will survive this, we're going to put our lives back together. Your mother is gone and Tamara is gone. They're not coming back.

Suddenly, without warning, tears begin to stream down William's cheeks. Joseph takes his son in his arms and they hold each other tight as Joseph struggles with his own emotions.

JOSEPH
I want you to know who you are, William. We come from a long, proud line of Tauron peasants who knew how to work the land and still stand proud. You're named after your grandfather, did I ever tell you that?

WILLIAM
No.

JOSEPH
He was killed in the Tauron uprising fighting for what he believed was the right of all the Children of Kobol — to live free. It's a good name William and you should wear it proudly. And our last name isn't Adams - I changed it when I arrived on Caprica.

(beat)
Our family name is... ADAMA and it's a good, honorable Tauron name.

Doctor Who:

This Saturday's new Doctor Who episode includes the following snatch of dialog:

Private Gray: Greyhound Sixteen to Trap One. We've found something - basement corridor, northside, grid thirty-six. Request backup, over.
Military Voice Oov: Trap One, sending assistance, over
Private Harris: Like something boiling inside...
Private Gray: Don't touch it.
Private Harris: C'mon Steve, we get first rights on this. That means promotion!

Stargate: Atlantis:

The ninth episode of Stargate: Atlantis season five is called "The Queen." In it, Teyla joins "Todd" the Wraith (guest star Christopher Heyerdahl) on a visit to a Wraith ship which Todd is allied with. The hive enters hyperspace to conduct its meeting, while Sheppard, McKay and Ronon watch it jump away. Teyla has to disguise herself as Todd's queen, to give him authority to carry on negotiations with the other hive and its own queen. But they soon come under suspicion, and have to work hard to keep the "queen" ruse going, without seeming weak. [Spoiler Geeks]

Lost:

In tonight's Lost episode, as we've mentioned, Doc Ray's dead body washes ashore on the island. But thanks to time-warp shenanigans, we may see him alive on the freighter and dead on the island at the same time. At least that's how fans are interpreting some cryptic hints. [Lost Spoilers]

Also, in an upcoming episode (maybe tonight's), Ben travels to a hot middle-eastern country, but for some reason he's wearing a parka with the Dharma Initiative logo on it. Also, the two-hour season finale, airing May 29, will serve as a "pilot" for the show's fifth season... which will be much more slow-paced than season four has been. Producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof are already warning that fans may find season five draggy and unnecessary filler on the way to the good stuff in season six. (Way to dampen expectations.)
[Entertainment Weekly]

And here are some stills from "Cabin Fever," the May 8 Locke-flashback episode, where our heroes find Jacob's cabin again. They don't give away much plot info, except that Jack survives his injuries next week. (Duh.) [Doc Arzt]

Indiana Jones:

Here are some new pictures from Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull — including a lot of detail of an elaborate temple-like set. [Slashfilm and TrekMovie]

The Happening:

And here are three new stills from M. Night Shyamalan's The Happening. [TrekMovie again]

Heroes:

Heroes vol. 3, "Villains," will take up only the first 13 episodes of the 25-episode third season. And the good guys will save the world at least twice next season, which will have a much faster pace than the sluggish season two. Actor Sendhil Ramamurthy (Mohinder Suresh) is "thrilled" with what's in store for his character next season. Also, we'll learn what Mama Petrelli's power is, and she'll play a super-important role in the season. And we'll learn more about "the evolution of powers." [HeroesTelevision]

Lost:

In the eleventh episode of the current Lost season, Locke finds out where Jacob's cabin is, while life on the freighter becomes dangerous. And in this Thursday's episode, we'll learn something about the smoke monster. We'll know who shot Karl and Rousseau. (But we haven't seen the last of Rousseau.) And we'll find out why Mrs. Hawking was with "that monk." And in this episode, a few minor characters die in the first 15 minutes — and then a major character is shot in the head, execution-style, later on. And it's not who you think! And here are some new pics from this Thursday's, um, explosive episode. [Spoilers Lost]

Doctor Who:

In the upcoming Doctor Who two-parter featuring the Sontarans, the potato-headed clone warriors have a plot to choke the Earth to death. To make matters worse, the paramilitary organization U.N.I.T. has a traitor in its ranks. And the Doctor has to choose between Martha and Donna. (Choose Martha! Choose Martha!) Oh, and the second half's description asks whether the Doctor will be forced to "make the ultimate sacrifice." (Answer: probably not.) [SpoilerTV]

Smallville:

Here are some new spoilers for this Saturday's Smallville, courtesy of some cellphone-only clips. Jimmy tries to cook Chloe the "Wholesome Olsen" breakfast, but she's running late. So Jimmy whines about wanting to put the spark back in their relationship. Chloe says it'll just take a little time. And then in another scene, Vanessa has Chloe tied up and is roughing her up, asking about how Chloe accessed the power grid exactly when/where there were power surges. Jimmy sneaks up behind Vanessa as she starts tasering Chloe. [Operation Save Clark Kent]

And here's a new trailer showcasing the next few episodes — including Lex finding a certain cold stronghold:

Battlestar Galactica/Caprica:

The title of the Caprica pilot TV movie is "Revolution," and it's an allegory for the American Revolution, says Sci Fi Channel executive vice president Mark Stern. [Wired]

Moore just signed a deal to write and produce an original science fiction movie trilogy for United Artists, the resurrected production company that wants to create its own home-grown franchises. No word on what the trilogy will be called, or what it's about. New UA CEO Paula Wagner worked with him 10 years ago, when he co-wrote Mission Impossible II, which she produced.

As for Eick, he just signed a two-year development deal with NBC/Universal, on the heels of his failed Bionic Woman reboot. He's going to work on reinventing another, as yet unnamed, Universal franchise. But he's also working on two other projects, which scarcely sound science fictional at all: AKA, a "family adventure" that he describes as Little Miss Sunshine meets Thelma And Louise, and another series that's "sort of a modern-day Hart To Hart." [Hollywood Reporter and Variety, via Wes]

Transformers 2

Tons of spoilers for Transformers 2. The Decepticons will have help this time around from another group of robots: the Constructicons. Who are, like, more constructive. And less deceptive. In the cartoon, the Constructicons are Scrapper, Bonecrusher, Scavenger, Mixmaster, Hook and Long Haul. But the name Bonecrusher was already used for a Decepticon in the first film, so they may have different names in the movie. And the Constructicons can join together to make a really, really giant massive huge robot called Devastator.

Meanwhile, here's a list of human characters that are being cast in the new movie:

• Chuck, Sam (Shia LaBoeuf)'s roommate at Princeton, who's obsessed with conspiracy theories
• A U.S. military leader who's African American and has a sense of humor, plus a British Special Forces leader
• Galloway, a "curt" National Security liaison and presidential advisor
• Professor Colan, Sam's physics professor, who's arrogant enough to compare himself to Einstein and wears leather pants to look cool
• The wife of Sgt. Epps (Tyrese Gibson) from the first film
• Momma Simmons, a tough lady who runs a butcher shop in Brooklyn
• The CEO of Massive Dynamics, who testifies before Congress
• A Texas Congressman who investigates the "Automated Defense Initiative" created by Massive Dynamics
• The FBI Director, who gives a speech assuring the public they're safe from attacks
• A CNN reporter who covers missile strikes and bombings in various cities

Lost:

Lost's Michael Emerson (Ben) and Yunjin Kim (Sun) were seen flying into Heathrow Airport to film some scenes in London, probably for the season finale. Are they going to confront boat-owner Charles Widmore? Or just cruising the seedy end of Wardour Street? [Lyly Ford]

Battlestar Galactica:

On the heels of the detailed description of the Caprica prequel TV movie that came out the other day, a casting call from the series has shown up as well. Here are the major characters, with the new bits of information that came out:

• Daniel Graystone is a spectacularly wealthy computer engineer who doesn't have much time for his wife or daughter, whom he still sees as a "little girl in pink shoes." After her death, he learns that his own child, Zoe, has exceeded his own computer expertise by downloading her personality into an online avatar.
• Zoe, Daniel's daughter, is "16 going on 40," with severe makeup and hair. She not only uploads her consciousness into a holographic avatar, but her DNA as well. The result, Zoe-A, is her "online twin." She's a "closet monotheist" on polytheistic Caprica, and she practices this religion in secret. She plans to leave the planet with her boyfriend, Ben, but then Ben sets off a suicide bomb. Zoe-A is left behind, "a baffled, grieving digital duplicate" of the dead Zoe. Then Zoe-A gets downloaded into a robot body using stolen technology, giving rise to Zoe-R, the first Cylon. (And since Zoe is described as a "series regular," you have to assume Zoe-R looks at least somewhat like the flesh-and-blood Zoe. Which does give rise to the question of how anybody was surprised that the Cylons could look human.)
• Joseph Adams is a Tauron, who's immigrated to Caprica and risen above traditional anti-Tauron prejudices. He's a powerful defense attorney with ties to the Tauron crime underworld. His wife and daughter die in the same suicide bombing that kills Daniel's daughter Zoe, and he bonds with Daniel. He agrees to help Daniel create robot versions of their dead daughters, but then is repelled by the result. He reaches out to his surviving son, Bill, and reveals that their last name is really Adama.
• Amanda, Daniel's wife, is a surgeon who turns to an ex-lover, a Tauron named Tomas Vergis, for comfort after Zoe dies. But actually Amanda feels guilty about having cheated on Daniel and is acting as a "double agent," learning secrets of Vergis' intellectual property from his "blabbing mouth" and taking them home for Daniel to use.
• Sister Clarice Willow is an Athenian High Priestess who runs the Athena Academy, a private religious school where Zoe goes, along with Joseph's daughter Lacy and Zoe's boyfriend Ben. Clarice grew up in a slum and "has seen it all." But she's secretly a monotheist, and has shared her forbidden beliefs with the brightest of her students in private — only to see those beliefs blow up in her students' faces, literally.
• Ben Stark, Zoe's boyfriend, is a fanatical monotheist who's super-intense and seems kind of crazy. He's the one who introduces Zoe and Lacy (Joseph's daughter) to the monotheistic cult. He blows up the train they're on with a suicide bomb. Later, we discover he also has an online avatar, Ben-A, which only Sister Clarice can talk to.
• And then finally there's William Adams aka Adama, who is "Edward James Olmos at nine years old." He's introspective and withdrawn at the best of times, and gets more so after his mom and sister die. He's also barely aware of his father, who's always off working. He's a "stoical Tauron" who learns the basics of his Tauron heritage from his newly close father.

Meanwhile, in an episode of Battlestar Galactica currently filming (maybe episode 12?) Admiral Adama gets blood all over his hands. [Mercury News]

World War Z:

Another review of J. Michael Straczynski's script for the movie adaptation of Max Brooks' World War Z gives quite a bit more detail. The book's author is now a "central character" and has a personal reason for spanning the globe doing interviews about the global zombie war. The interviews include flashbacks and voice-overs. Straczynski smushes together some separate scenes and elements from the book into one crucial scene in the movie, and loses some of the political overtones. And the turning point, the Battle of Yonkers, is truly horrifying and intense in this version. [Geek In The City]

Doctor Who:

Here's a compilation of all the clips from the Doctor Who season opener, which airs on Saturday in the U.K. and in a couple of weeks for Americans. I have to say, the fat people turning into evil babies could be the beginning of an anti-Who backlash. It's actually worse than I had feared. (Note: weird aspect ratio in some scenes is from the source video.)

Originally, according to E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos, Ron Moore didn't intend to show the forebears of any Galactica characters in this spin-off. But he's apparently changed his mind — which could have something to do with the Sci Fi Channel's decision to greenlight the backdoor pilot — and now we'll see Bill Adama's father, Joseph. As you may have heard, Caprica is the story of attorney Joseph Adama and his relationship with the Graystone family.

Daniel Graystone is a computer genius, married to the unfaithful Amanda, a gifted surgeon. Their daughter, Zoe, dies in a suicide bombing by religious fanatics, including Zoe's boyfriend. Also killed in that bombing: Joseph Adama's wife and daughter.

Before Zoe dies, she installs the "rudimentary elements" of her personality and DNA into a computer, creating a digital twin called Zoe-A. After Zoe dies, her father uses that materials, along with soem stolen technology to create a robot version called Zoe-R. This is the "Cylonic Eve."

And then Joseph Adama works with Daniel Graystone to recreate his dead daughter as well. But he's "ethically appalled by the robot version of his dead [daughter], Tamara, and repents his actions." In his grief and remorse, Joseph grows closer to his nine-year-old son Bill.

As I said, I'm assuming this isn't an April Fools thing, but it could well be... The daddy/daughter stuff echoes some themes we've seen in Battlestar itself, particularly between Adama and Starbuck. [E! Online]

X-Files 2

So that scene in X-Files 2 where Mulder and Scully kiss? The one that David Duchovny swore at a press conference was just a hoax, staged to confuse the fans? Apparently, it's actually a real part of the movie, according to a new leaked call sheet, and it's towards the end. Also, Mulder cuts up a newspaper, and Scully goes over a toxicology report. Meanwhile, one fan has heard a crazy rumor: the movie will end by revealing that Mulder and Scully are actually one person. It totally makes sense! [X-Files News]

Battlestar Galactica

Here's a new official plot description for Caprica, the TV movie prequel to Battlestar Galactica that may launch a new series:

Set 50 years before Battlestar Galactica, Caprica follows two rival families - the Greystones and the Adamas - as they grow, compete, and thrive in the vibrant world of the 12 Colonies. Enmeshed in the burgeoning technology of artificial intelligence and robotics that will eventually lead to the creation of the Cylons, the two houses go toe-to-toe. Caprica will deliver all of the passion, intrigue, political backbiting, family conflict and hardcore action that always leaves Galactica fans begging for more.

Speed Racer:

Okay, I may just be slow, but I hadn't seen this detailed plot synopsis for Speed Racer before:

Born to race cars, Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is aggressive, instinctive and, most of all, fearless. His only real competition is the memory of the brother he idolized—the legendary Rex Racer, whose death in a race has left behind a legacy that Speed is driven to fulfill. Speed is loyal to the family racing business, led by his father, Pops Racer (John Goodman), the designer of Speed's thundering Mach 5. When Speed turns down a lucrative and tempting offer from Royalton Industries, he not only infuriates the company's maniacal owner (Roger Allam) but uncovers a terrible secret—some of the biggest races are being fixed by a handful of ruthless moguls who manipulate the top drivers to boost profits. If Speed won't drive for Royalton, Royalton will see to it that the Mach 5 never crosses another finish line. The only way for Speed to save his family's business and the sport he loves is to beat Royalton at his own game. With the support of his family and his loyal girlfriend, Trixie (Christina Ricci), Speed teams with his one-time rival—the mysterious Racer X (Matthew Fox)—to win the race that had taken his brother's life: the death-defying, cross-country rally known as The Crucible.

Meanwhile, real-life race-car driver Milka Duno appears in Speed Racer as Kellie "Gearbox" Kalinkov, a "Roo-ssian race car driver, very eccentric and aggressive." [PR USA]
Heroes

Heroes season three may finally reveal what Angela Petrelli's superpower is — and it's something dangerous and potentially harmful. Also, Angela probably won't get a boyfriend next season. But actress Christine Rose believes her character hooked up with both Linderman and Kaito Nakamura. In fact, Linderman may be Nathan and Peter's dad, while Angela may be Hiro's mom. Or maybe not. Also, Adam will be back within the first six episodes of the new season. [SyFy Portal]

Doctor Who

The new season apparently ends with Mickey walking away with Martha and Captain Jack... leaving the Doctor alone. But where's Rose? Has she already disappeared by this point? Or is she waiting in the TARDIS? (Actually, this spoiler makes me sort of hope Mickey joins Torchwood along with Martha. That would actually rule.) [Grunge Bunny]

And meanwhile a new article claims the Cybermen will be back once again, in this year's Christmas special. (I wasn't sure if they were doing a Christmas special this year, actually.) [TARDIS Newsroom]

Smallville

Smallville will kill off a major character on April 17, and he or she won't be coming back. It's someone who's been around since the first season, and who has never been presumed dead before. And the only thing more shocking than the death itself is the identity of the killer. (Has Pete Ross been presumed dead before?) [Comic Book Resources]

Batman: Gotham Knight

The animated DVD that accompanies the release of The Dark Knight, Batman: Gotham Knight, will feature one of my favorite Gotham characters, Crispus Allen — and he won't be a vengeful ghost, the way he is in the comics nowadays. Allen will be paired up with a cop named Anna Ramirez (not Renee Montoya, as in the comics) and the duo will appear in multiple segments and learn to trust Batman. Also appearing will be Cassandra, "a mystical Indian woman who teaches Bruce Wayne to endure and manage his pain." But who will manage our pain? [ComicMix]

According to Moore, the final season of BSG will tie up the majority of dangling plotlines from the show's previous three seasons, negating the need for any big-screen follow-up. His reason for that? Seeing what happened to Star Trek: The Next Generation when it made the jump to the multiplex:

"I think [Battlestar Galactica] works best as an ensemble TV drama...If it translated into a feature it would be a different animal."

Moore said he's been that route with Star Trek and found that the movies become focused on one or two characters with the rest of the show's characters mostly fading into the background. He said the "Next Generation" movies ended up focusing on Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Commander Data. The others, Moore said, did "one scene for their character and the rest of the time they were essentially support to Patrick (Stewart) and Brent (Spiner)."

• Also, fans are speculating that War Machine and Iron Man's stealth armor may appear in the film, based on a new toy line. [Iron Man movie group]
• Here are some old spoilers for the Battlestar Galactica prequel Caprica, which are suddenly new again now that it's back on the "maybe" pile. Caprica is a "soap opera" about the Adama family and a corporation, 50 years in the past. It wouldn't take place in space, but would have scifi touches and deal with issues like artificial intelligence. It would also have a lot of soap-opera-y scheming, lovin' and backbiting. [PatriotResource]
• Torchwood season two will feature some lovely love stories, says actress Eve Myles. Also, Owen will have a tough time because Martha Jones is better at his job than he is. [IF Magazine]
• The final episode of the current Lost run is called "Meet Kevin Johnson" and is rumored to be a Michael-centric episode. [SpoilerGeeks]
• Also on Lost: we'll discover a new Dharma station, and Claire will find out that Jack is her brother. (Really?) [E-Playground]

The pilot script for Caprica was handed in long ago, meaning it could be put into production while the writers strike, although they wouldn't be able to take it to series until something happens on that front. With television shows vanishing left and right, the Sci Fi Channel and other networks are opening up the filing cabinets and reconsidering options like this that they'd shelved before. NBC/Universal recently put in a call to Mark Stern, the VP at Sci Fi, and told him they want them to revisit the project, so you might get a pilot episode out of the mix, if nothing else.

Sort of like an interstellar version of The Waltons, the series would follow two different clans, The Adamas and the Greystones (who were behind the construction of the Cylons), and would be a family drama. Set fifty years in the BSG past, this means that Admiral Adama would be what, ten years old? We imagine there would have to be some sort of a rift between these two families to create some tension because without the gleaming silver robots, who would they be fighting? Probably each other, like the Hatfields and the McCoys.

Writers Strike May Revive Galactica Prequel?? [Ain't It Cool News]