Star Trek:

As much as possible, writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman treated the Trek books as canon in writing the new movie. Maybe including Diane Duane's Rihannsu books, which shaped our understanding of the Romulans? Also, they reiterate that the movie will show Kirk and Spock developing a bond. [Crave]

Meanwhile, actor Diora Baird says she plays a green-skinned girl in the new Trek, and she's either an alien or has a really bad skin condition. "In the original series, there were these infamous green women that Captain Kirk would hit on, and so without giving too much away, I'm one of those green girls." [TrekWeb]

Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen:

Those cute hackers from the first Transformers movie? Won't be back in the sequel. Bah. Also, we are meant to worry about whether Sam and Mikaela can stay together. And the fact that it's two years later matters, to the humans as well as the Transformers. [Crave]

And you can see some not-very-revealing set pics of Shia and Megan at the Air Force Base in White Sands, NM here. [Transformers Live]

Dragonball:

Self-proclaimed Dragonball fan James Marsters says the live-action film is sort of between Dragonball and Dragonball Z, and we meet Goku as an 18-year-old. And his character, Lord Piccolo, starts out as a really ugly old guy who's been imprisoned for 1,000 years and had his youth stolen. There's a really memorable transformation scene when Piccolo gets his youth back. And there's "lots of flying" in the movie. [SFX via dbthemovie]

Also, Bulma actor Emmy Rossum says she rides a motorcycle in a leather jumpsuit and has five guns that spin around. And there's a monster in the movie who's sort of an eight-foot-tall guy based on something from the cartoon. [MTV]

Battlestar Galactica:

Rick Worthy, who plays Simon the Cylon, says he has some pretty great scenes with Grace Park (Sharon) coming up. [3xcusemyfrench]

And we'll find out who the last Cylon is pretty early in the last ten episodes. [E! Online]

Doctor Who:

Albert Finney will be appearing in one of the 2009 specials, and may be playing Winston Churchill. [Blogtor Who]

Sarah Connor Chronicles:

In episode five, "Goodbye To All That,"

John and Derek infiltrate a military academy in order to protect an integral member of the future resistance. Meanwhile, Weaver’s first assignment for Ellison takes an interesting turn of events when he discovers a specter from his own past.

And here are some pics from the episode. [SpoilerTV]

Life On Mars:

The American remake of the British cop show is taking an interesting turn with this latest casting call:

Fletcher Bellow (28-30 yrs old) In 1973 he is one of the first African-American detectives in the NYPD. Bellow manages to use his brains and sense of humor to navigate the system, and climb the ladder. He even manages to make peace with his bigoted colleagues on the force. In 2008 he will become Sam Tyler’s mentor on the force. Looking for an actor with a lot of personality, charm and humor...

[SpoilerTV]

Lost:

Ben has been separated from everything he loves and everything that passed for his family, now that he's off the island, so he can afford to be more ruthless and mobile. But the enemy he's fighting is "a formidable one," says Michael Emerson. And there's a scientific reason why everyone who escaped from the island has to go back. Also, Ben doesn't have any scenes so far with Locke, and instead he's working with people who are not on the island. There will be more character-centric episodes next season, about more different characters. We may get to see more of Ben's childhood. And the most surprising thing about season five is that "Ben has a plan." [E! Online]

More spoilers from recent film shoots. It appears the crew was working on a frosty college campus scene that may have been Oxford. Also, Penny and Desmond may have a baby together. And there's a "medical scene" involving clinic staff. [Spoilers Lost]

Daniel Dae Kim says there are consequences to moving the island and the people left behind there suffer, either physically or psychologically. "There are some that will pay a very heavy price." And Kim says his character's fate is up in the air, but he's already been to Hawaii recently. And Hurley goes through some massive changes next season. Also, Claire definitely won't be in season five, but will be back in season six. [E! Online again, plus EW via SpoilersLost]

Sarah Jane Adventures:

The reason Sarah Jane's sidekick Maria is leaving is because her dad gets a new job in the U.S., and when Sarah Jane hears the news she starts shutting Maria out to cushion herself against the impending loss. (But she comes around in time to give Maria a great send-off.) But we will be seeing Maria and her dad again after the first two-parter. In the first storyline, the gang finds Sontaran Commander Kaagh wandering the forest (?) and must stop him destroying the Earth using kamikaze satellites. In the second story, we meet Odd Bob the Clown, who transforms into different things. Another villain is a guy who finds a medallion that gives him superpowers. And Sarah Jane is reluctant to involve the Brigadier in her problems, because she doesn't want the kids exposed to guns. And the season's ending will leave you wanting more. (But probably not more evil clowns.) [Planet Gallifrey]

Heroes:

Are you seriously stoked for tonight's three-hour Heroes palooza? How about if I tell you that the theme of the season is "dysfunctional families," especially as it relates to the Petrelli and Bennett clans? How stoked are you now? Also, now that Mohinder is getting superpowers, someone else will have to step into his role of non-powered observer, and that'll be someone we've already seen before. [Heroes News And Spoilers]

In episode five, "Angels And Monsters," Natahn Petrelli and Ali Larter's new character Tracy confront Angela Petrelli. And she reveals that Tracy is one of a group of identical triplets that she and her husband genetically engineered, in their drive to create a set of artificial superhumans. Tracy's two "sisters" are dead, and she never got to meet them. Nathan yells at his mom about turning her kids into "guinea pigs." (I could actually see Peter rolling around in a giant transparent ball.)

And at the tail end of that episode, we meet the season's "big bad," who is someone closely connected to our heroes. (I'm betting it's Angela's husband, but who knows?) This person has a new superpower known as The Vortex, which involves zapping people into a negative space where they cease to exist, with no possibility of return. (Does this mean people will actually die and stay dead?) A big part of the new season is humanizing the villains and showing their point of view, and the eighth episode will show us the origins of all the villains, and maybe even make us see their point of view.

Also, I have no idea what Adrian Pasdar (Nathan) means when he says this about a confrontation involving his parents:

There’s stuff that becomes very patriarchal. It flips mom to dad and then they both stand up like those Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em robots,” he laughs about a parental Petrelli smackdown coming soon. “When the two of them stand up - Cristine (rose) and Robert Forster - it’s fantastic!

Translation, please? [SFX via Heroes Television]

What other info can we possibly give you to get you stoked about season three? How about the fact that Hiro gets his mind wiped so that he thinks he's a ten-year-old and Ando has to babysit him as well as saving the world? Also, Peter and Sylar work together, but they can't deny the fact that they're "yin and yang" in their cores. Oh, and when people's powers stop working, Nathan may actually fall out of the sky. Also, Sylar isn't the only character who has a baby in the future — so does speedster Daphne, and the dad is someone you know and love. (Hiro, maybe?) We also get to meet the Haitian's brother, who may also be named the Haitian. [E! Online]

Also, Milo Ventimiglia says episode four includes a bunch of future stuff, where Present Peter confronts Future Claire. And Future Peter hangs out with good Future Sylar. (I think.) And Present Peter becomes determined not to let Present Claire turn into the dark Future Claire. (I think.) [IGN]

And a couple of really important characters die in episode seven. [E! Online again]

Chuck:

The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan has some Chuck spoilers, many of which we've reported before. New ones include the fact that the episode that airs after the Super Bowl will be in 3-D. And the new assistant manager at the Buy More, Emmett Milbarge (Tony Hale) will have Principal Rooney/Ferris Bueller relationship with Chuck. He'll notice all of Chuck's unexplained absences and disappearances, and start trying to get to the bottom of it. The Elle-Awesome wedding includes a bachelor party, which Chuck must plan. And the character Melinda Clarke Duncan plays in episode two is named the Black Widow, no relation to the Marvel Comics character. I think. [Chicago Tribune]

Also, it's possible we'll actually meet one of Chuck's parents this season. [E! Online again]

Smallville:

Here's what happens in the fourth episode of the new season, called "Instinct":

Tess and her team perform tests on Clark's crystal that she had retrieved from the arctic, causing it to send a beam of light into the universe. This triggers the arrival of Maxima (guest star Charlotte Sullivan), a queen from the planet Almerac, who is searching for her soulmate, who she believes sent the signal. Unfortunately, Maxima's power is too great for mortal men and her kiss kills them. The seductive Maxima arrives in Metropolis and begins her search, starting with Jimmy.

And then in the seventh episode, "Identity," after Jimmy snaps that pic of Clark rescuing someone and Lois vows to get to the bottom of the red-and-blue-clad savior, Lois assumes she'll have Clark's help solving the mystery. But Clark enlists Oliver Queen's help to dupe her. And in the following episode, Lois does indeed get superpowers, thanks to "an alien's wife" (huh?) and these include tossing people around like Fritos. This is also probably the episode where Kara reappears. [SpoilerFix]

Fringe:

The cow will be used sparingly, say co-creators Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. [Crave]

J.J. Abrams has some advice: Watch for an observer in the background. [Fringe Television]

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed:

Finished the Force Unleashed game yet? If not, here are some spoilers. In the end, Darth Vader throws you out an airlock in front of the Emperor, but then rescues you behind the Emperor's back. And then he orders you to raise an army against the Emperor. This involves rescuing Princess Leia and hanging out with Lobot (Yes!) and Garm Bel Iblis. You single-handedly found the Alliance, but then Darth Vader double-crosses you again, handing the Alliances' leaders over to the Emperor to torture and kill. You don't actually get that much freedom of choice in the game. [TK1138]

Knight Rider:

Your favorite TV show leaked out a whole new batch of script pages, for the episode titled "Don't Stop The Knight." This time around, Mike drives KITT in "attack mode" straight into a prison yard. "ATTACK KITT RACES for the prison fence — a Nightmare on Wheels!" And then KITT does a TURBO BOOST and soars over the fence, and lands in the prison yard "with a WHAM!". Yes, George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley get out of the car and dance around in their shorts. And then KITT rescues some guy despite 10,000 guards shooting at it. And later, Mike hands over the guy they rescued to three women who are "like the Pussycat Dolls of international assassins." Seriously. And there's also a great scene where two henchmen have Mike cornered, and they're going to call their boss. Mike says they shouldn't do that, or the boss will "know I kicked your ass." While the slow-witted henchmen pause to unpack that statement, Mike kicks their asses. [SpoilerTV]

The Force Unleashed Campaign Guide is being released today in conjunction with the video game. It depicts the Empire's domination of the galaxy, years before any unified rebellion existed to oppose it. Many characters familiar to fans of the classic trilogy appear during the so-called Dark Times, including Vader, the Emperor, and several notable Moffs. With no cohesive groups to join, Light Side heroes have to fend for themselves and take their shots against the soul-crushing fascist Imperials wherever they can.

This guide, like the Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide, features great production values and excellent interior art, including concept and production art from the video game that hasn't appeared anywhere else. It also ties into the Force Unleashed miniatures set that came out last year.The material in the guide is drawn from the game as well as the other multimedia products associated with it, such as the novel and the graphic novel. In addition to a ton of new alien races, talent trees, Jedi talents, ships, droids, weapons and characters, it features a section on creating your own organization. Will you form an elite group of anti-Imperial commandos? A smuggler's guild? Attempt to unite a group of backstabbing bounty hunters? If there's one thing this guide definitely offers, it's lots of options. Image by Wizards of the Coast.

The Force Unleashed Campaign Guide [via Amazon]

According the behind-the-scenes guidebook, The Art And Making Of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, the Corpse Droid was a "reverse cyborg." This droid was so obsessed with becoming organic, he would either hack off the parts of the people the Secret Apprentice killed, or resort to "cold-blooded murder" himself. As he acquired the human parts he needed, his look would change through the video game, as you can see in the concept art from Greg Knight.

The idea bounced around from the Corpse Droid being his own villain, to a member of the Apprentice's team as the funny sidekick. But in the end as the Secret Apprentice's team took shape they, "realized that the Corpse Droid was too outlandish and would not fit the group dynamic," and that it would be "too dark."

The Corpse Droid is an awesome idea as a bad guy, but way too dark for this video game. Still it would have been funny to try and watch them pass a murdering, body harvesting robot off as the comedy relief, "uh-oh, the droid murdered the pilot again. What are we gonna do, gang?"

The Art And Making Of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is a revealing look into how bizarre the video game could have been — but also a glimpse of how dark it still is.

Case in point: another dark character, Admiral Ozzik Sturn, did make it into the game. Ozzik went through many different generations as a character. But the creators knew all along, they had to include another scary face in the Empire. Originally the artists toyed with they idea of making him a shape shifter, so artist Amy Beth Christenson has a lot of Predator-esque and Phantom of The Opera concept art for Sturn.

But in the end Sturn became a big game hunter, who was stationed at Kashyyyk (the Wookie home planet). His love for the hunt is shown in Wooke pelts and a sash that he dons in the video game. Yikes — he kills Wookies, skins them, then walks around the planet displaying their hides.

The front lobby offered up even more Star Wars items, like full-sized Vader and Boba Fett costumes, Han's Blaster, and more. Next to the reception desk were two huge framed posted for The Creature from the Black Lagoon and Dracula. However, towering over everything in the center is a large monument built to honor Willis Harold O'Brien, the man who pioneered stop-motion in animation with the visual effects in King Kong, and later animated dinosaurs in The Lost World, co-wrote King Kong vs. Godzilla, and had Ray Harryhausen as an assistant. A surprisingly touching tribute to man who needs a lot more recognition.

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• Fracture: In the far future, the effects of global warming have created terrain-deforming weaponry and split the United States in two. The Atlantic Alliance on the East, and the Republic of Pacifica on the West. You play a partially cybernetic human who has access to things like grenades they raise and lower the terrain, open swirling vortexes, send enormous molten rock formations into the air, and burrow through the Earth. If you want to beat up on the terrain of future San Francisco, this is right up your alley.
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• Star Wars: The Force Unleashed: Play as Darth Vader's secret apprentice as you hunt down the rest of the remaining Jedi, and use your amped-up Force powers to literally rip TIE-Fighters out of the air and hurl them at opponents. Set between Episodes 3 and 4, you'll encounter characters and settings from both sets of movies, mess people up with the Force, and use your lightsaber like it's going out of style. Hopefully we'll also find out why we never found out Vader had a secret apprentice before as well.
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• Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures: We'll be the first to admit that Indiana Jones has a tenuous scifi connection, at best. The guy is a swashbuckling archaeologist who hunts down supernatural artifacts and doodads, but hey... at the end of the day he's a scientist and a professor. Plus he's pretty kickass and might be encountering aliens in Indy IV. This game continues the idea of encasing Indiana in Lego, like the Lego Star Wars: The Complete Trilogy.