<![CDATA[io9: fringe]]> http://tags.lifehacker.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/io9.com.png <![CDATA[io9: fringe]]> http://io9.com/tag/fringe http://io9.com/tag/fringe <![CDATA[The Inside Scoop On Doctor Who, Lost, Jonah Hex, Elm Street And Harry Potter!]]> Did spoilers force Lost to do some reshoots? Also, there's an early review of Doctor Who's "End Of Time," and pics from Day Of The Triffids. Plus Jonah Hex/Nightmare On Elm St. reshoots. And Parnassus, Fringe, Chuck and Flashforward spoilers!


Doctor Who:

Someone posting over at the IMDB forums claims to have seen "The End Of Time Part 1," and says Bernard Cribbins and the Doctor travel to "the vast wastelands of London" as well as visiting the Time War. Wilf wants to save his granddaughter, Donna, who's once again struggling with her own mind. The villains are Joshua Naismith and his wife, who resurrect the Master as part of a plan to bring back the Time Lords, but this is just part of a larger scheme. At the end of the first part, the Time Lords materialize through the Immortality Gate and arrest the Master. And meanwhile, Donna's eyes are on fire. Take of all this with an immense grain of salt. [Gallifrey Base]

Meanwhile, Russell T. Davies explains more about what's going on in this episode:

The Doctor went through hell, on Mars. I think its important to note the angry, vengeful Doctor glimpsed in that climax is gone-that was the point of Adelaide's death; she saved the future, and saved the Doctor from himself. He was brought back to his senses. And as you've seen from the Children in Need clip, a lot of the old, chipper Doctor has been restored. Which is only right and proper, because that's the Doctor we want to see in his final story - the classic hero, the good man, the lovely funny, skinny fellow in the suit and trainers... and as ever, there's a melancholy beneath the smile - he's still aware that he's facing the end of his song, and the ominous four knocks. He can't know whether this means regeneration or actual death - and neither can you, cos we might have some tricks up our sleeves!

And he adds, in reference to the Master:

In 'The Sound of Drums" and 'Last of the Time Lords', he mirrored the Doctor by being powerful, suave and megalomaniac. Now, it's a new opposite - lost and raw and savage. Something's gone very wrong with his return - you'll have to watch to find out what! - but that x-ray effect see in the trailer, where he's all skull and bones, is the just the start of the trouble....imagine all the pent up forces of a Time Lord body - artron energy, regeneration energy, all the stuff - ripping open and broken loose. A dying timelord is a terrifying thing! So with the Master dying, the Doctor's end approaching, and both determined to survive, they're hurtling along an almighty collision course. And that's just part one!

Also, Minnie Hooper is helping Wilf track the Doctor down because people have had bad dreams, and Wilf is hiding out at a church. And there's a mystery involving a silver cloak, which Wilf knows about. And the Doctor gets strapped down to a table at one point. [Doctor Who Magazine via Fanatical Whovian]

Meanwhile, RTD tells Time Out Magazine that this episode includes the homeless in London getting burgers from a charity van, and Donna's middle-class family sitting down for turkey dinner, and then the obscenely rich Naismith family, with a mansion and servants. And then of course there are monsters and a chase, and all of these elements are leading in one direction. [Life The Universe And Combom]

Lost:

Rumor has it that some of the leaks and set reports from this show's final season have caused some scenes to be reshot and changed. According to unnamed sources, nothing major has been reworked, but some minor details were changed to differ from what's leaked out so far. Bear in mind, this is only a rumor, and there aren't actually any details about what's allegedly been revamped. [SpoilersLost]

There's a pretty huge spoiler hidden as an Easter egg on the new season five BluRay set: This scene breakdown of the end of the last episode, in which apparently we were originally supposed to see Jack's group absorbed by a white light, and then Richard Alpert sees a mushroom cloud off in the distance. [SpoilersLost]

An unnamed source claims that Richard Alpert meets both the Man In Black and Jacob in his flashback, and Richard Alpert fights Jacob in the 1800s, and a "special" knife is involved. [SpoilersLost]

And here are some new promo pics of our castmembers, which aren't spoilery unless you consider who's included among the cast. [Doc
Arzt
]

Day Of The Triffids:

Here are a ton of new promo pics from this British remake, which airs in the U.K. on Dec. 28 and 29. Cannot wait! [Den Of Geek]

Jonah Hex:

There are some reshoots going on, and apparently they include some scenes with Jonah's wife, who hasn't previously been included in the film. At least, that's what people are speculating based on a new casting call:

[CASSIE] - wife of 'Jonah Hex' (Josh Brolin). Native American. Pretty, young, sexy.

[TRAVIS] - age 9 (to play younger)... Must be a match to Josh Brolin and Native American 'Cassie'.

[JEB TURNBULL] - son of 'Quentin Turnbull' (John Malkovich). 30 - 35. Skinny, southern accent. Needs one or two days for prosthetics.

[PRESIDENT ANDREW JOHNSON] - 50-60. Look alike, if possible.

[ADVISOR] - to President Johnson. Younger, 1870's version of a "West Wing" character.

[DEAD GUY] - late 20s/30s. Scary looking.. May need a day for prosthetics/possible make-up.

[SpoilerTV-Movies]

The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus:

Terry Gilliam talks about his inspiration in a couple of new interviews, one of which is partly in Russian except the parts where he talks:

The Hobbit:

Peter Jackson hopes that both Hugo Weaving and Cate Blanchett will return for this duology, even though Blanchett's character, Galadriel, doesn't appear in the book. [MTV]

Nightmare On Elm Street:

It seems like they're filming a new scene in a diner where Nancy (the main character?) works, judging from a new casting call, seeking the diner's owner and waitress. Plus some teenagers hanging out there. It sounds as though this additional scene is meant to clear up something that confused test-screening audiences. [SpoilerTV-Movies and BloodyDisgusting via IGN]

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows:

The cast still hasn't shot the infamous epilogue scene yet, and they're waiting to hear if they'll do it themselves or have other actors replace them as adults. [MTV]

And even as this two-part movie is filming, there are tons of on-the-fly rewrites and new scripts and last-minute changes because "We're terrified we're not going to get it right," says Daniel Radcliffe. Also, after Rupert Grint's bout with swine flu, his new name is Pigboy Heart Attack. [MTV]

Fringe:

A casting call went out for a guest star whom we'll meet in episode 2x16:

[HEATH] 30-35... Interesting look, lean and wiry. Open ethnicity.

[SpoilerTV]

Asked whether Peter's mom is from our universe or Over There, Jeff Pinkner replies cryptically: "In a show exploring two alternate universes, there is more than one of everything… and everyone." [EW]

Chuck:

This season, there's more international travel, taking Chuck out of the U.S. and dropping him into hotspots. And don't worry, Chuck's still a bumbling hero even though he knows kung-fu. His emotions interfere with his new abilities, and the new intersect is sometimes "fritzing out." The first episode is a "heist episode," In which Chuck and Sarah have to rappel Mission Impossible-style into a vault. One thing that Chuck is getting better at, though? Lying. Which is both good and bad. [TV Guide]

Sarah will go from being Chuck's caretaker to something more like his boss this season. Chuck's training as a real spy will bring up more backstory about Sarah's own entry into the spy biz, including her real name. [TV Guide again]

Flashforward:

There are a ton of casting calls for episodes 15 and 16. In episode 15, we'll meet Spiller, a white guy whose affable veneer can't hide the fact that he's a dick. And Lilliana, an older Latina woman who distrusts the FBI. There are also a couple of hospital nurses who encounter a frantic man searching for his loved one who's a patient, a tattooed Latino tough guy mechanic, a motherly Japanese waitress who takes an interest in a female customer, a mysterious dreadlocked man named Geoff, a driver on a sensitive assignment, and a teenager who offers to help an obvious drunk guy. (Mark? Does Mark get drunk and then wind up in the hospital?)

And then in episode 16, we meet Secret Service agent Freddie Ochoa, who gossips about a former colleague, and Marlene, the world-weary director of a group foster home. Plus Daniel, a Korean family man, Wanda, an African American mother, Raymond, an African American father, a federal prosecutor, a judge, a stenographer, a local TV host, a local TV weather girl, an older drunk who startles the wrong person, and a cute young guy and the girl he gets to know better in a humorous scene. Then there's Kat, a 27-year-old girl next door who's hiding a dark secret. [SpoilerTV and SpoilerTV]

Heroes:

Nathan's death is really "the big one that sticks" this time around, says Adrian Pasdar. And then he adds, "You never really know with this show." [MultipleVerses]

Just because Gretchen let Claire go off and become a carny, doesn't mean we've seen the last of her, says actor Madeline Zima. Right now, Gretchen is doing the whole "if you love someone set them free" thing, but it's not going to work out that great, reading between the lines. [TV Guide]

Additional reporting by Mary Ratliff.

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<![CDATA[A Slew of John Carter Characters, True Blood's Latest Lesbian Relationship, And Fringe Gets Its Mrs. Bishop]]> We've got buckets of big-screen spoilers this morning, with talk on Thor, John Carter, Deadpool, Green Lantern, and Avatar. We've got lesbian vampires, both in the movies and on True Blood. Plus, Lost, Fringe, and Better Off Ted news.


Thor

Stan Lee has been tweeting about his cameo:

Due to Thor, I must start rehearsing my thee's and thou's. So, if thou objecteth not, I wish thee well! 'Nuff saideth.

He could be yanking our chains, but perhaps Lee won't be walking amongst the modern mortals. [Twitter]

John Carter of Mars

We get a casting call for several human characters and one Martian:

Synopsis: A damaged civil war veteran finds himself mysteriously transported to Mars where his involvements with warring races of the dying planet force him to rediscover his humanity.

[STABLE BOY] 9 yrs old, Mestizo – a mixture of European and Native American or Mexican decent, no lines, 1 scene

[DIX] The storekeeper, 40's – 50's, built like a lumberjack/longshoreman, strong & husky, 5 lines, 1 scene

[1ST ROWDY] Late 20's – early 30's, rough and dirty, worn looking, 1 line, 1 scene

[2ND ROWDY] Late 20's – early 30's, rough and dirty, worn looking, 1 line, 1 scene

[CAVALRYMAN/SERGEANT] Early 30's, clean cut, 2 lines, 1 scene

[US STOCKADE PRISON GUARD] Mid 20's – early 30's, clean cut, 4 lines, 2 scenes

[APACHE LEADER] 40's - 60s, Native American, must speak Apache, wise and experienced with a weathered face. Multiple lines, 1 scene

[TWITCHY CORPORAL] 20's - 30s, a shifty bad guy, not to be trusted. 1 line, 1 scene.

[YOUNG THARK WARRIOR] 20'S, tall (6' PLUS), athletic, experience working on stilts, MOTION PICTURE CAPTURE ROLE

[SpoilerTV-Movies]

Deadpool

Rumor has it that Zombieland writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick will pen the Deadpool script. [Cinematical]

Green Lantern

Ryan Reynolds wants to quell fears that he'll play the Green Lantern too close to Deadpool:

"I think there was some concern that I would make Green Lantern some kind of wise-cracking Wade Wilson-type, and that's not the case at all," he explained. "If that's what they wanted, why would I have screen-tested for the movie?"

[MTV]

Avatar

The final poster gives us more floating heads. [/Film]


Lesbian Vampire Killers

New images give us some busty bloodsuckers. [ShockTillYouDrop]


The Wolfman

The werewolf movie has earned itself an R rating from the MPAA "for bloody horror, violence and gore." [ShockTillYouDrop]

True Blood

We'll be seeing more of vampire Pam next season. Kirstin Bauer is being upgraded to series regular, and Pam is getting a "meaty" storyline — and maybe a girlfriend. [The Hollywood Reporter]

Lost

Jin and Sun have been filming scenes set in the alternate reality at the Turtle Bay Hilton. In those scenes, we'll also see Keamy, Omar, and Russian Other Mikial. [DarkUFO]

Striptease workout entrepreneur Sheila Kelley will be in at least four episodes this season, but won't be playing corporate spy Kendall. As for whether her stripping skills will coming into play:

"Once you see what I'm doing on Lost, you'll get the humor in that. I guess you can say I'm bringing some of the skills onto Lost, but not as obviously as you might think."

She also says she (Kelley, not her character) is "obsessed" with Sayid, leading to speculation that she'll have some scenes with Naveen Andrews. [E!]

And a set spy grabbed a photo of the new submarine. Larger image at the link. [DarkUFO]


Fringe

Walter's wife and Peter's mother has been cast at last. Irish actress Orla Brady will play the smart and likable third member of the Bishop family. [EW]

Better Off Ted

Creator Victor Fresco says that we'll see some progress in Linda and Ted's relationship by the end of the season, and the relationship between Linda and Veronica will begin to thaw. The two women will have a few adventures together and will develop a grudging, but mutual, respect. Ted's wilder brother comes to town, played by Eddie McClintock. Ted's brother hasn't had a lot of luck with Jobs, so Ted gets him a job at Veridian Dynamics. But his brother screws up one too many times, so Ted lands him a job selling lab equipment. Phil and Lem end up being his best customers, buying all sorts of stuff they don't need, including a cadaver supply membership. Key line: "Every day we get a new dead body whether we're finished with the old one or not." The show also gets a new cast member in Merrin Dungey. She appears in three or four episodes, including one episode where Linda tries to comfort her and ends up accused of sexual harassment. But Veridian deals with its sexual harassment problem by having it reclassified as a disease so that no one can sue for it. [E!]

Heroes

This season's 19th episode is titled "Brave New World." [Spoiler TV]

Additional reporting by Josh Snyder.

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<![CDATA[What Abrams Did (Long) Before Star Trek...]]> ...And before Fringe, Lost and Alias, for that matter. The always-wonderful ScriptShadow blog has made Abrams' unproduced 1994 sci-fi movie script Shelter online, for a peek at the awkward early days of the new Main Man. [ScriptShadow]

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<![CDATA[Awesome Clips From Doctor Who And Avatar, Plus A Major New Lost Clue]]> Four Avatar TV spots include new walker-stomping action, and Doctor Who explains temporal mechanics in a new clip. Lost set pics reveal a new puzzle piece. Plus Chuck, Fringe, Kick-Ass, Daybreakers, Dollhouse, Sorcerer's Apprentice, Better Off Ted and V spoilers.


Avatar:

A few new TV spots. Spot #13 includes some sexy heavy walker action.



And an early review from someone who's seen the film says its plot is almost non-existent, but it's like the biggest first-person shooter ever. And:

What we have is: Boy meets alien through marines, boy loses aliens and marines, boy fights marines and gets girl. And I was also told that despite all the trappings of special effects, blue people and CGI skies, Sigourney Weaver still manages to register strongly with warmth and a commanding presence.

[Hollywood Elsewhere via Slashfilm]

Lost:

So, trying to piece together all the clues in E! Online's latest spoiler column... Charlotte (Rebecca Mader) is back from the dead, but the timeline in which she's suddenly alive is not the same one in which Flight 815 landed safely in L.A. — it's the other timeline, which we'll be visiting concurrently. Charlotte will be revealed to be alive in the same time period where we saw her die. And the explanation of Charlotte's survival will blow your mind (and presumably has nothing to do with Juliet's hydrogen bomb.) Also, Jack and Rose will be reunited, and it will feel so good. [E! Online]

So if you've been paying attention, you'll have heard there's a "Temple" set being built for the sixth season, and we've only glimpsed its exterior so far. But now, some fans seem to have stumbled on the full Temple set, and it includes the expected Egyptian imagery (Anubis) , but also the Hindu Trimurti. Given that there was a little campfire with a cauldron out front, with some rotting potatoes and an old blanket, the eyewitness suspects these scenes take place on the Island in ancient times — and the Island may be a paradise for many different religions. And there are some pics. (More at the link.) [SpoilersLost]

A new promo for season six is truly "Amazing." Okay, maybe not.

Doctor Who:

Here's another new clip from "The End Of Time Part 1," in which the Doctor explains about the Blinovitch Limitation Effect (sort of) to an uncomprehending Wilf. [BlogtorWho]

Dollhouse:

The show is looking for someone to play "T," a six year old with mixed Asian/Caucasian heritage, who's fearless, precocious and adorable, in the finale. And speculation is, this might be Sierra and Victor's son in the future. [E! Online]

Fringe:

Here's a new promo for this show plus Bones. [Fringe Italia]

Kick Ass:

Matthew Vaughn says this movie won't feature the typical boring action sequences — rather, every action sequence will tell a story:

It's 11-year-old girls slicing and dicing people, and getting shot. I mean, I'm very bored of the way most of the big movies shoot action, all this shaky camera, handheld, close cutting, quick cutting. So I've tried to put a narrative story into every action sequence.

[Crave Online via Comic Book Resources]

Daybreakers:

A new TV spot shows a bit more of the consequences of running out of human blood for this vampire-dominated future. [ShockTillYouDrop]

The Sorcerer's Apprentice:

Here's a new pic showing Nic Cage looking just as magical as he has in all the other pics you've seen. Bigger version at the link. [The HD Room]

V:

Morris Chestnut says the next episodes will be worth the wait (until late March). Things about the Vs will be revealed, and they'll be pushing the envelope. [E! Online]

Chuck:

As we mentioned before, the first 13 episodes of the season have their own arc which wraps up at the end of episode 13. But then the extra six episodes, which the network added to the season after the show was moved back from March to January, will have a totally different story arc, clarifies Zachary Levi. Yay for not trying to pad out the original 13-episode storyline to last another six episodes. [Sci Fi Wire]

Better Off Ted:

Someone sends out a memo with a typo, saying "Employees must now use offensive language," so everybody starts swearing up a blue streak to comply with it. "They think it's good for morale," says Jay Harrington. [E! Online]

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<![CDATA[Uncut Time Lords And Corporate Love Connections Rock Your Set]]> With regular shows beginning to go on holiday hiatus, you'd think this might be a dull week on television, but you'd be very wrong: Doctor Who marathons! Better Off Ted returning! Lots of disaster movies! We love you, television.

Monday

With Heroes and House both taking a break for the holidays, it falls to Syfy to keep us entertained today, and they're definitely trying their hardest, with Stargate: The Ark of Truth at 9am, followed by Stargate: Continuum at 11.

Meanwhile, if you went down the rabbit hole last night, you'll be happy to know that Alice continues (and concludes) at 9pm.

Tuesday

Even if the day wasn't almost entirely otherwise devoid of SF entertainment, the return of ABC's Better Off Ted (ABC at 9:30pm) would still be at the top of our to-do list. In the first episode of its new run, the employees of Veridian Dynamics find their thoughts turning to reproduction, as Ted and Linda meet their genetically compatible matches, while Veronica tries to convince Lem to donate to a sperm bank. Oh, Ted. How did we get by without you?


If satires on corporate America are a little too close to the bone, then try the first episode of Outer Space Astronauts on Syfy (also 9:30); it's a new sitcom set in outer space - Maybe you missed that in the title - but we're a little worried about it based on the episode description being "Capt. Ripley invites aliens over to the O.S.S. Oklahoma for a pizza dinner, but the aliens want the ship, too." Uh, hilarity may ensue?


Wednesday

Oh, Syfy. With a Jericho marathon from 8am through 3pm, you know how to spoil us. From there until 9pm, it's a bit of a science fiction wasteland in terms of things that aren't re-runs, so consider it the Television God's way of telling you to leave the house and go and do some holiday shopping or something. Then be back in front of the visual entertainment box in time for 9 o'clock, when Discovery has a new episode of Mythbusters, with Jamie and Adam putting more gunslinging myths to the test.

Thursday

Remember 1990s SF vampire series Kindred: The Embraced? I definitely don't, but Syfy is looking to remedy my oversight with a marathon of the entire 1996 series starring former Soul Man C. Thomas Howell, starting at 8am.


Otherwise, with FlashForward, Vampire Diaries and Supernatural already in reruns, it falls to Fringe to keep the science fiction flag flying with its new episode "Grey Matters" at 9pm on Fox. Featuring the return of Leonard Nimoy as William Bell:

Friday

Get your day started off in the right way with Syfy's Outer Limits marathon, starting at 8am. You'll only wish it was Twilight Zone a couple of times, honest.

Depending on who you believe, there's either a rerun or new episode of Batman: The Brave and The Bold on Cartoon Network at 7pm (If it's a new episode, then it'll be the Plastic Man-guesting "Long Arm Of The Law," but some schedules have last season's "Duel of The Double Crossers!" listed. Your guess is as good as mine at this point).

But even if it is a new episode, that might not be enough to steal your attention away from Syfy's Sanctuary mini-marathon, starting at 7pm and ending with a brand new episode, "Penance," guest-starring Amanda Tapping's fellow former Stargate cast member Michael Shanks, at 10pm.

Or you can keep up with the latest double bill of Dollhouse on Fox at 8pm, with the "Meet Jane Doe"/"A Love Supreme" match-up offering Topher discovering the potential effects of science, Echo losing control of her multiple memory downloads, and the return of Alpha.

Once that's done, you might find yourself switching over to Sky Captain and The World of Tomorrow on Cartoon Network at 10pm, just to look at how shiny the whole thing is.

Saturday

It's All Disaster Movies All Day on Syfy, starting with Earthstorm (9am) before offering up Meteor (11am), miniseries 10.5: Apocalypse (1pm), Ba'al: The Storm God (5pm), Ice Twisters (7pm), Annihilation Earth (9pm) and finishing with Disaster Zone: Volcano in New York at 11pm. Why so many disaster movies? Why not? Over on BBC America, there's a Doctor Who triple bill of edited versions of "Journey's End", "The Next Doctor" and "Planet of The Dead" starting at 7pm, but you should really wait until tomorrow, for reasons you'll discover in a second.

Sunday

...What's that, you say? A Doctor Who marathon on BBC America starting at 1pm, including 1hr 15 minute (ie, unedited from U.K. broadcast, apart from ad breaks) versions of The Next Doctor and Planet of The Dead? I thought you'd say yes. The full rundown of episodes is:

1pm: Voyage of The Damned
2pm: Turn Left
3pm: The Stolen Earth/Journey's End
5:30pm: The Next Doctor
6:45: Planet of The Dead

All of this is a lead-in to next week's premiere of "The Waters of Mars," and the following week's "The End of Time," of course. But do you care why it's happening, as long as it's happening?

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<![CDATA[Tons Of Revealing Pics Of The Tenth And Eleventh Doctors. Plus Meet Another William Adama!]]> An Avatar clip shows how to wear sunglasses while riding a dragon. A Kick Ass poster showcases the Red Mist. Get your first glimpse of Doctor Who's next aliens and historical setting. Plus Caprica casting and Mad Max/Lovely Bones hints.


Mad Max: Fury Road:

Just how big is the set for this film? Says star Tom Hardy:

It's massive. It's enormous," he continued. "It's like turning a mountain upside down and pouring it through a sieve.

Any clue what that means? It sounds epic, anyway. [MTV]

Avatar:

Not sure if we've already run this clip or not, but if not, then enjoy:

And here's a clip we definitely haven't shown you before. I love Neytiri wearing her sunglasses to ride her dragon. [Cineplex via Slashfilm]

The Lovely Bones:

Weird nitpicks: After Stanley Tucci's creepy pedophile murderer tosses his victim Susie Salmon's charm bracelet in the water, but keeps the "house" charm. But then we see all the charms expand into ice sculptures or clouds or topiaries — but the house charm is still among them. Also, before Susie dies we see her reading Seventeen magazine, but after she dies, she fantasizes she's the cover girl in Groovy Teen magazine. Towards the end of the movie, Susie sort of inhabits the body of a goth girl who looks like Emly the Strange, and makes out with Emily's boyfriend, whom Susie loved before she died. Then Susie goes to heaven permanently, and we see Emily and her boyfriend spooning, with no mention of the weird ghost possession make-out that just happened. [Black Book Mag]

Kick Ass:

A new character poster gives us a better look at the Red Mist. Bigger version at the first link. [AICN via Cinemablend]

Endangered Species:

A few new details about Eli Roth's Transformers-meets-Cloverfield movie. It's set against an urban backdrop. He's tweaking the script at Quentin Tarantino's suggestion. He's going to do some visual-effects tests, the results of which will determine how he shoots the thing. It's very character-driven, and he has some actors he's dying to work with. [MTV]

Eclipse:

A new picture of your favorite couple, Edward and Bella. [SpoilerTV-Movies]

Doctor Who:

As you may have heard, the show was filming in Croatia this past week, with the Doctor, Amy and new companion Rory in tow. (And some are claiming that Rory is Amy's boyfriend — is he the new Mickey Smith?) The Croatia filming appears to be for an episode taking place in the past, judging from some of the costumes. But don't believe the British media chatter that it's an episode about vampires — it's almost certainly the Van Gogh episode that Richard Curtis wrote. More pics at the links. [Sky and Hello!]

Here are a bunch of promo pics from "The End Of Time," David Tennant's swansong, one or two of which we may have shown you before. They include your first look at the alien, shapeshifting Vinovicci. [BlogtorWho and BSCReview]

Meanwhile, Britain's Radio Times has another cast list for "End Of Time" part 2, which conflicts with the IMDB version. Notably, no Harriet Jones. Hmmm...

David Tennant - The Doctor
John Simm - The Master
Bernard Gribbins - Wilfred Mott
Timothy Dalton - The Narrator
Catherine Tate - Donna Noble
Jacqueline King - Sylvia Noble
June Whitfield - Minnie Hooper
Claire Bloom - The Woman
David Harewood - Joshua Naismith
TRacy Ifeachor - Abigail Naismith
Lawry Lewin - Rossiter
Sinead Keenan - Addams
Alexandra Moen - Lucy Saxon
Karlo Collins - Shaun Temple
Teresa Banham - Governor
Barry Howard - Oliver Barnes
Allister Bain - Winston Katusi
Sylvia Seymour - Miss Trefusis
Pete Lee-Wilson - Tommo
Dwayne Scantlebury - Ginger
Joe Dixon - The Second
Julie Legrand - The Partisan
Brid Brennan - The Visionary
Krystal Archer - Neys
Lachele Carl - Trinity Wells
Paul Kasey - Ood Sigma
Ruari Mears - Elder Ood
Silas Carson - voice of Ood Sigma
Brian Cox - voice of Elder Ood
Nicholas Briggs - voice of Judoon

[BlogtorWho]

Caprica:

This Battlestar Galactica prequel just cast another actor to play William Adama — no, not the future Admiral, but his grandfather. Aleks Paunovic will play the father of Joseph Adama and grandfather to little Willie in some flashback scenes, and he'll be a recurring character. Paunovic already appeared on BSG, playing Sgt. Fischer. [Aleks Paunovic via Battlestar Blog]

Lost:

A deserted area of Hawaiian rainforest hides a new camp which has been set up for this show's sixth season. It doesn't look like much, though. More pics at the link. [SpoilersLost]

Another new set — a ship of some sort, or rather part of one. It's apparently designed so they can rock the deck back and forth and make it look like the ship is caught up in a huge storm. And considering that some prisoner types were hanging around in baggy brown clothes, it may be the Black Rock. More pics at the link. [SpoilersLost]

Jose Yenque tweeted that he's joining the cast of this show. [Twitter via SpoilersLost]

Also, Fionnula Flanagan told an Irish talk show she'll be back for two episodes as Eloise Hawking, not surprisingly. [SpoilersLost]

Fringe:

The cast reveals the names of the Observers, and discusses their significance. [Fringe Television]

Meanwhile, I'm hard-pressed to tell exactly what's going on in this new set video. I think Anna Torv is being blown across a parking lot by some mysterious force, but hard to say. There are seven more videos from the same person under this YouTube account. I do like one commenter who says the intrepid fan making these recordings should shave his/her head and wear a fedora. [Anon120409 on Youtube]

And here's a sneak peek and "scenemaker" for Thursday's new Walter-and-William episode. [FringeRus]

Supernatural:

The show is casting one of the Four Horsemen for the episode "My Bloody Valentine:

[FAMINE] 50 to 80 years old... He is one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. He is withered, weak, raspy. This character is a creepy and destructive old man filled with a voracious hunger...GUEST STAR

[CUPID] 30s to 40s, doughy, out of shape, naked, his humorously loving character greets everyone with enormous bear hugs that almost break their ribs. He is overflowing with love and positivity to an almost humorous and narcotic degree (think Will Farrell in "ELF" sptv050769)...GUEST STAR

[SpoilerTV]

Also, Julie McNiven says that when Anna goes back in time and tries to kill baby Sam in episode 13, it's for the best reasons:

Everything Anna does is motivated by wanting to do the right thing, wanting to do what she feels is going to keep this apocalypse from happening. I see Anna as always doing what she thinks is right and she's very strong about that and doesn't want to hear anything otherwise.

And she says there's some great hand-to-hand combat and throwdowns in the episode, and hints that Anna does actually survive to try and kill more babies in the future. [AOL]

The Survivors:

There will be a "high octane" second series of this British remake at some point, but no date yet. And here's what happens:

The series picks up moments after the thrilling cliff-hanger to the first series and the survivors are now struggling not just with the difficulties of day-to-day life amidst the ruins of the post-virus apocalypse but also with the threat of other emerging communities and the machinations of the sinister Lab.

As the series begins, Abby is being held by Whittaker and Fiona at the Lab. There, she learns that the scientists have avoided infection and are looking desperately for a vaccine which they believe her unique immune system alone will generate.

Meanwhile, the family races to save Greg's life as he lies dying from a gunshot wound. Drawn into a burning hospital by their search for the necessary medical equipment, Al and Anya are caught in an avalanche of rubble as the building collapses around them. Tom is faced with the stark challenge of rescuing his friends from a seemingly insurmountable disaster, with only Sarah and Naj to help him.

Characters returning for this high-octane second series are Abby, a devoted mother with a missing son; Greg, a loner, hiding the pain of his past; Anya, a doctor who has seen too much; Al, a playboy who becomes a surrogate father to the young and headstrong Najid; Sarah, a hedonist used to getting her own way; Tom Price, handsome, dangerous and a high-security prisoner before the virus hit; and Samantha Willis, the last surviving member of the British Government.

[Survivors BBC TV]

V:

So just who are the Visitors? Laura Vandervoort explains that they're basically Canadians. Also, she says her character is definitely somewhat evil, but she's not sure how much yet. [Multipleverses]

FlashForward:

Apparently the reason why the show took a week off was simple: Major, huge developments happen in the episodes that were going to be episodes 15 and 16, and the network looked at those scripts and decided they should be episodes 13 and 14 instead (so, less treading water.) And it's not clear whether the original episodes 13 and 14 were scrapped, or just retooled to appear later in the season. Also, the biggest reveals of the season happen in the next two episodes, 11 and 12, says David S. Goyer. [EW]

Chuck:

Episode 3x11 will be "Chuck Vs. The Final Exam." [ChuckTV]

And one more new promo reveals that we'll be seeing a "Whole New Chuck." He's a reluctant spy no longer.

Sanctuary:

In next week's episode, "Penance," Michael Shanks guest stars as an abnormal named Jimmy who has a special David Cronenberg-esque pouch in his stomach, which he can use to smuggle things for the Sanctuary — including, in this case, a dangerous abnormal. Some bad guys get involved, and he's forced to go on the run with Kate, leading to a big secret for the two of them being revealed. And then in the following week's "Sleepers," Will and Magnus are in Mexico looking into some missing teenagers, and they run into vampire Nikoka Tesla, who's up to no good. [Sci Fi Wire]

Additiional reporting by Mary Ratliff.

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<![CDATA[Monster Worms Are Fringe's Latest Health Craze]]> Last night's Fringe gave us a new monster nightmare: giant, tentacled worms that live inside their host until they come bursting out of their faces. But it turns out that not everyone minds an encounter with their fearsome fangs.

The Wormy Horror: This week's bit of scientific crime centered around a bunch of vaguely Lovecraftian worms with creepy tendrils surrounding a vagina dentata of a mouth. The worms have remarkable healing powers, but they need to be incubated inside a human host. But when the worms mature, they tend to exit their host in the most painful and deadly way possible. There's a definite Alien vibe to the premise, but Fringe manages to acknowledge it (for a moment, it looks like one such worm might burst through its host's chest) while changing it up a little bit. Then next time I feel a tickle in the back of my throat, I'm going to think about those skinny tentacles snaking through my nasal passages.

Walter Grows Up: Walter is asserting his independence at last. He's gone from being unable to sleep alone to choosing his own wardrobe and insisting he can go out without adult supervision. Granted, he's acting like an eight-year-old crossing the street alone for the first time, but there's something more tragic here than Walter's childlike nature. Walter is preparing himself for the day when everyone learns his terrible secret, the day when he'll lose Peter for good, and maybe Olivia and Astrid to boot.

Never Take the Seasickness Pills: A crew of worm traffickers have found the perfect hosts for their facebursting monsters: Cantonese refugees coming to America by boat. The traffickers infect the refugees by inserting worm larvae into "seasickness" pills and turning their passengers into unwitting worm mules. It's sort of like the folks who take weight loss pills and end up with an intestine full of tapeworm, except I doubt the refugees' pills actually cured seasickness.

Walter Can Get High Off of Anything: Seriously. Walter, of course, assumes that the worms must be psychotropic because he can't imagine any other reason they'd be worth killing so many people for. But the worms' value isn't recreational; it's medical. The worms are the ultimate form of alternative medicine, boosting even the most worn-down immune system. But just because the worms aren't a drug doesn't mean Walter can't enjoy getting bitten, as we see in the clip at the top.

Agent Farnsworth, Is That You?: I get that Astrid's abilities seem to be largely linguistic and technical, but she is a trained FBI agent. She can't evade foggy Walter's notice for a few hours? On a separate note, it's telling that Walter has started calling her "Agent Farnsworth" instead of some odd variation on her first name.

Kick the Puppy: Also on the "Isn't Astrid a trained FBI agent?" note, she's followed back to the lab and fails to notice the tail, then is caught completely unawares by the worm traffickers. This wouldn't be so odd if it weren't the second time Astrid has been attacked in the lab. She was attacked and sedated last season — by Walter himself.

Doing Everything the Hard Way: Walter's experiment in independence hits a snag when he can't remember Peter's phone number. Well, to be accurate, he can remember all the digits, but can't recall the order. When Peter scolds him, reminding Walter he stuck the phone numbers in Walter's pocket, Walter barely seems to register it. Is Walter — either consciously or unconsciously — rejecting Peter's paternalistic help? Or does it not even occur to him that there might be a simpler solution to his problems?

Walter Moment of the Week: Walter realizes that it's his fault that Astrid was attacked; he gave her slip and tipped the traffickers off to the giant worm in his lab. He's genuinely remorseful, but he responds in a typically over-the-top Walter fashion: he embeds a transponder in his neck so that Peter and Astrid can always locate him electronically. I wonder how this will come into play when the interdimensional tensions heat up.

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<![CDATA[Tony Stark Rocks Out, Avatar Loses The Special Effects, Fringe Adds Mommy Issues, and Harry Potter Gets a Little Magic]]> See a rocking new Iron Man poster, Avatar stripped of CGI, and a look at a dark side of Harry Potter. Plus, Fringe's mother rumors, and spoilers from Tron Legacy, Supernatural, Lost, and Chuck.


Iron Man 2

The international poster gives us Tony Stark sans helmet. [Cinematical]


Avatar

James Cameron gave his overview of the story, straight from the six-legged horse's mouth:

"We're telling the story of what happens when a technologically superior culture comes into a place with a technologically inferior indigenous culture and there are resources there that they want," said Cameron. "It never ends well.

"It's also a love story about an awakening of perception through the other person. That person must teach him something and there has to be a greater reason for him to be in love with her other than she's a hot blue alien chick."

[Telegraph]

During yesterday's live cast on MTV, Cameron and his crew showed images from pre-production, where Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana donned long hair and acted out their scenes before filming the motion capture. Compare the rehearsal to the actual screenshot. [Image via CinemaBlend]


There's also footage that shows the motion capture alongside the finished scenes:

And Fox has released 21 high resolution images. We've seen several of these before, but these are better quality versions with explanatory text. [/Film]


Tron Legacy

Jeff Bridges says that the de-aging technology used to make one of the characters he plays look 27 years younger is more sophisticated than what we saw in the teaser trailer; it's the same technology used on Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. It's also unlikely that the teaser footage will appear in the actual film.

And here's what's known about the story so far:

Though the movie's storyline is closely held, we know that Bridges will play an older version of his original character, Kevin Flynn, as well as a second character whose appearance is that of Bridges 27 years ago. In Tron Legacy, Kevin Flynn's son, Sam (Garrett Hedlund), goes back into the digital world to find his lost father. Olivia Wilde and Michael Sheen co-star as programs living in the world of computer programs. Boxleitner also reprises his role from the original Tron. Lisberger collaborates as a producer. Joseph Kosinski directs the new vision of Tron.

[SCI FI Wire]

Harry Potter

We get a bit more magic in the second image from The Deathly Hallows thanks to an appearance by Harry's wand.


Lost

In an interview, Ian Somerhalder, who plays Boone, says he's filming a scene for the season premiere and will appear in two more episodes. [via DarkUFO]


Supernatural

How will the Four Horsemen be revealed? Here's the word:

The rest of the Four Horsemen are coming...Pestilence shows up near the end of the season, we'll meet Famine in a February episode. "When you're under the effects of Famine, you're not necessarily hungry for food. You're hungry for whatever that thing is you're starving for, be it alcohol or attention or love or sex or Twinkies or heroine or gambling... Everyone at the end of the day is starving for something, and Famine brings that out."

[here4castiel]

Misha Collins says Castiel barely makes it out of his battle with Anna in episode thirteen alive. [AOL]

And here are the titles for episodes eleven through sixteen:

5.11: Sam, Interrupted
5.12: Swap Meat
5.13: Back to the Future II
5.14: My Bloody Valentine
5.15: Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
5.16: Your Whole Life Flashes Before Your Eyes

[Spoiler TV]

Fringe

Joshua Jackson talks about Peter's relationship with his mom and what might happen when Peter learns the truth about his origins. He also discusses rumors that Nina Sharp is either Peter's mother or Olivia's mother. [Zap2it]


Chuck

Here are a pair of casting calls for the twelfth episode of the new season, "Chuck vs The American Hero:"

[GENERAL NORMAN SCHWARZKOPF LOOKALIKE] 65.. Actor to play Gen. Schwarzkopf...CO STAR.

[HEFTY BURBANK COP] Male, 35-45. Out of shape, overweight but not huge Burbank cop who is very excited when some real action takes place on his beat...CO-STAR.

[Spoiler TV]

Additional reporting by Josh C. Snyder and Charlie Jane Anders.

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<![CDATA[Doctor Who Finale's Cast List Is Full Of Surprises. Plus Dollhouse, Fringe And Clone Wars Clips!]]> The cast list for David Tennant's last two Doctor Whos includes some surprising comebacks. Watch Summer Glau turning mean on Dollhouse, and learn who's joining True Blood. Plus Lost, Fringe, Star Wars, Justice League and Nightmare On Elm St. spoilers.


Doctor Who:

The cast list for the upcoming David Tennant swan song, "The End Of Time," went up on IMDB. And there are some notable surprises in there. (Assuming this is accurate.) Here's the cast list for episode one:

John Barrowman (Captain Jack)
Brian Cox (The Elder of the Ood)
Timothy Dalton (The Narrator)
Lachele Carl (Trinity Wells)
Jessica Hynes (Verity Newman)
David Harewood (Joshua Naismith)
Jacqueline King (Sylvia Noble)
Alexandra Moen (Lucy Saxon)
Sylvia Seymour (Miss Trefusis)
Catherine Tate (Donna Noble)
Russell Tovey (Midshipman Frame)
John Simm (The Master)
Jimmy Vee (Monster)
June Whitfield (Minnie Hopper)
Paul Kasey (Ood Sigma)
Silas Carson (Ood voice)

Verity Newman, of course, is the woman who wrote a book about the Doctor (judging from the filming reports) while Jason Naismith has written a very differnt book. And Midshipman Frame was last seen in the Titanic episode, "Voyage Of The Damned." Most of those people also appear in episode two, except for the Ood Elder. Plus:

Roger Bailey (Time Lord)
Teresa Banham (Governor)
Brid Brennan (Visionary)
Camille Caduri (Jackie Tyler)
Tommy Knight (Luke Smith)
Billie Piper (Rose Tyler)
Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith)
Matt Smith (The Doctor)
Penelope Wilton (Harriet Jones)

So we'll be getting our first glimpse at Matt Smith as the Doctor in this episode. Plus, we'll meet another Time Lord. Rose Tyler, of course, will be back for a brief cameo with her mom from before she met the Doctor (at least judging from filming reports.) But perhaps the most surprising will be the return of Harriet Jones — could the dying Doctor be trying to undo his past mistakes, including unseating Prime Minister Jones? One can only hope. [Den Of Geek]

Dollhouse:

Here are three new clips from Friday's two-hour Summer Glau-tastic outing.

Lost:

Here's another new promo for season six. [Doc Arzt]

Spider-Man 4:

I don't think we've featured this quote from Tobey Maguire about why he's excited about doing a fourth outing:

Hopefully I'll be able to evolve the character in a new direction. He'll still be Peter Parker, but I hope I can move him forward a bit and take him to a place where there will be new challenges for me as an actor.

[MTV]

Zombieland 2:

Producer Gavin Poulone says the second movie will probably be 3-D, and director Ruben Fleischer is already back, with the stars in talks to return too. [Variety via Wired]

Nightmare On Elm Street:

We already showed you your first look at the new Freddy the other day, but now here are a few new promo pics that look remarkably like the original. [Omelette via SpoilerTV-Movies]

Fringe:

Here's a sneak peek of Thursday's episode, "Snakehead":

Smallville:

Here's your first look at Steve Bacic as — bwa ha ha — the Dark Archer. [KryptonSite]


True Blood:

I don't think this'll be a surprise to anyone who's been paying attention, but it's official that Theo Alexander will be playing Talbot, the boyfriend of the Vampire King of Mississippi. Talbot is intensely beautiful and has an acerbic sense of humor — and he loves to cook, even though vampires aren't supposed to cook. And Grant Bowler will play Coot, the werewolf leader of a menacing biker gang. [THR]

Star Wars: Clone Wars:

Here's what happens in Friday's new episode, "Brain Invaders":

Reunited after the Battle of Geonosis, Padawans Ahsoka Tano and Barriss Offee are assigned to take a supply ship back to Republic-controlled space. But their routine mission becomes a fight for survival when they discover that the ship has been overrun by a horde of deadly stowaways – Geonosian brain worms with the grotesque ability to control the thoughts and actions of their clone hosts. It is impossible to tell friend from foe when dealing with deadly "Brain Invaders."

With their clone comrades controlled by the gruesome Geonosian brain worms, the Padawans must confront their greatest challenge yet. Though faced with a deadly threat to life and limb, it is their commitment to the Jedi teachings that is truly put to the test; with former friends as enemies, the two young women are forced to weigh the fate of the Republic against their own personal attachments.

And here's a new pic and clip from the episode:


Chuck:

Episode 3x12, which would have been the penultimate episode of the season before it was extended, will be called "Chuck Vs. The American Hero." [ChuckTV]

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths:

In this direct-to-DVD movie, we see a different side to one of the DC Universe's worst villains:

A "good" Lex Luthor arrives from an alternate universe to recruit the Justice League to help save his Earth from the Crime Syndicate, a gang of villainous characters with virtually identical super powers to the Justice League. What ensues is the ultimate battle of good versus evil in a war that threatens both planets and, through a diabolical plan launched by Owlman, puts the balance of all existence in peril.

And here are a couple pics:

Additional reporting by Mary Ratliff.

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<![CDATA[Hawkeye's Avengers Costume Goes Modern, First Harry Potter Image Isn't Magic, and a Dollhouse Contract Runs Out]]> We shouldn't expect a traditional costume for The Avenger's Hawkeye, and the first image from Harry Potter is more muggle than magic. Plus Avatar videos, a pregnant Lost reunion, Leonard Nimoy returns to Fringe, and an active leaves the Dollhouse.


The Avengers

Jeremy Renner, who might be playing Hawkeye, says we won't be seeing a traditional version of the archer's costume:

"It's going to be modernized, it's not going to be the guy with the big purple [mask], it's not going to be a guy in tights. It's going to be a guy in sunglasses and a vest. He's going to be more modernized and I'm gonna say 'a cooler-looking version' and not the big weird costume he had on. I don't think they're going that route."

[IGN]

Avatar

The latest round of TV spots focus largely on the action scenes:

But one spot looks a bit more at Sully's journey:


And a bizarre NFL promotion where commentator Terry Bradshaw is inserted into a scene with the Thanator:


[via Trailer Addict]

And new images give us more Sully and Neytiri, plus Grace (in both her human and Avatar forms) and the Thanator. [SpoilerTV-Movies]


Harry Potter

The first image from Harry Potter is far from fantastical, but Ron's looking a little worse for wear. [Cinema Blend]


Frankenweenie

Casting is underway for the remake of Tim Burton's short film, and it sounds like we'll see a slew of children turning animals into undead critters:

[EDGAR] A Caucasian Male 8-11 years old. Edgar is a needy little kid who wants desperately to be accepted by the cool kids in his class. Naturally a little nerdy, he gravitates to Victor and basically annoys him until he agrees to let him be his lab partner. He is more than a little gullible and is easily tricked into giving away Victor's precious secret and unwittingly starting the whole mess with the other monsters.

[TOSHIAKI] A Japanese Male 8-11 years old. Toshiaki is the natural leader of the cool kids in Victor's class. He is a good athlete, and an avid little league baseball player but Toshiaki has a mischievous side. He is the one that ultimately manipulates E into giving up the secret of Sparky and it is his idea to turn the other animals into monsters. He is Japanese and his monster creation is a little Godzilla lizard.

[BOB] A Caucasian Male 8-11 years old. Bob is the dumb, jockey kid. He has more brawn than brains. He follows Toshiaki and Nassor around even when it means that he has to be the one to test the home made jet pack that Toshiaki has created.

[NASSOR] A Middle-Eastern Male 8-11 years old. Nassor is the star of the little league team and just goes along with Toshiak's plan. He is a bit more serious than the others but still doesn't see the impending chaos when he chooses to bring his hamster mummy back to life.

[WEIRD GIRL] A Caucasian Female 8-11 years old. She has a very dark and ominous take on even the most mundane occurrences and jumps at the chance to bring some dead animals back to life.

[ELSA] A Caucasian Female 8-11 years old. Elsa is a sweet girl who likes to follow the rules and not cause too much trouble. A bit of a "goody two shoes," she is not afraid to speak up and even corrects the teacher when he makes a mistake. She is excited about the festivities planned for the town's Dutch Day parade and even has a solo dance number in the show.

[Bloody Disgusting]

Lost

We've been hearing that Claire would be in the final season, and actress Emilie de Ravin was spotted in Burbank reshooting a scene from the season premiere with Evangeline Lilly, and one of the actresses had a telltale baby bump. Is it a scene from the days when Claire was pregnant with Aaron, or is Kate working on her own baby? (Remember that we already reported on some season premiere filming a while back, in which Claire was pregnant because Flight 815 had just landed.) [E!]

There's also a fresh casting call for the tenth episode:

[DESK CLERK] Male.. 30s, any ethnicity. Loves his job and is usually on top of things. When he's made a mistake, he's quick to accept it and resolve it satisfactorily. CO-STAR.

[KENDALL] Female..30s, any ethnicity. Attractive and professional. Good at her job and does not cut any corners. CO-STAR.

[CUSTOMS OFFICIAL] Male.. 50s, any ethnicity. Pot-bellied, efficient bureaucrat inured to travelers' pains and frustrations. Suspects people are always trying to get something past him. CO-STAR.

[DarkUFO]

Dollhouse

As Dollhouse burns off its remaining episodes, we see the return of Alpha and the end of Victor's contract. Here is the official synopsis for December 11th's double episode "Meet Jane Doe" and "A Love Supreme:"

In the aftermath of her entanglements at the D.C. Dollhouse, Echo finds herself out in the world struggling to keep her multiple personalities under control. Adelle finds her grip on the house challenged by Harding, and Boyd receives a mysterious phone call. Meanwhile, when Echo's past romantic engagements are murdered, suspicion falls on Alpha, whose return leaves one member of the house permanently mind-wiped.

And here's the synopsis for the following week's episodes "Stop-Loss" and the ominously titled "The Attic:"

As his contract with the Dollhouse expires, Victor is released back into the world, where his military past threatens his future with Sierra. Meanwhile, Echo is deemed too dangerous and is sent into her worst nightmare.

[Spoiler TV, Spoiler TV]

Doctor Who:

You may already have heard that Wilf (Bernard Cribbins) is the companion in "The End Of Time," and David Tennant elaborates:

Although Catherine Tate is back and Donna is a big part of that story, really, the companion is Bernard Cribbins, the first time the doctor has had an 80-year-old man as his sidekick, really. So it's been great to get to play these different facets of the character, I suppose. And the doctor himself is also slightly on the run from himself and on the run from the inevitable. So he's trying not to get too close to anyone. So it's important that there's a kind of revolving door of confidence for him. But getting to see Bernard Cribbins as well in that final story is so brilliant and moving, and he's just such a great actor that that was a great finish to the story for me. What you get is these wonderful scenes of these two old men. The doctor is a lot older than Wilf, and yet the two of them get to sit down and discuss life in a way that we've never seen the doctor be able to do before.

[Crave Online]

Fringe

Here's another, longer synopsis for December 10th's "Grey Matters:"

A Fringe investigation is triggered when a patient at a mental institution undergoes an impromptu brain surgery that unexpectedly leaves his brain exposed. Despite the unthinkable circumstances, the patient's condition and sanity miraculously improves before the Fringe team arrives. While Agent Dunham and Peter scan surveillance tapes (and Walter enjoys his pudding), Olivia recognizes a familiar face as Thomas Jerome Newton (guest star Sebastian Roche), the leader of the "shape-shifters." As similar cases stack up, the Fringe team heads back to the lab to determine exactly how patients are being cured. Walter's brains are put to the test and William Bell (guest star Leonard Nimoy) resurfaces.

[Fringe Spoilers]

And in images from the episode, Peter inspects a woman in a mental institution. What is he looking for in there? [Fringe Spoilers]


FlashForward

The cast reveals a whole mess of spoilers to untangle. This week, we'll find out what Simon knows about the flashforward (he also knows something about the crow die-offs in Somalia). We'll also get a crucial bit of information about Demetri's future murder, something that will radically alter our perspective of his future.

Looking farther into the future, Mark will get the chance to revisit his flashforward, and we'll get a clearer picture of his two minutes and 17 seconds. There may also be a reason Mark drinks aside from (and potentially more interesting than) his love triangle with Olivia and Lloyd. Plus, we will start to see an explanation of the "Red Panda Resources" mentioned on Mark's bulletin board, and we'll revisit the stadium where someone was seen walking around during the global blackout more than once in the season's remaining episodes.

The writers have a few ideas as to who impregnated Janis Hawk, but they're currently debating it among themselves. [TV Guide]

Additional reporting by Josh C. Snyder.

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<![CDATA[Fringe Gallery]]>

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<![CDATA[Next Year's Doctor Who Stars Won't Be Who You Think]]> There's a shocking development in next year's Doctor Who TARDIS crew, and Ryan Reynolds explains what to expect from Green Lantern. We get hints on Dollhouse's last episode. New True Blood characters! Plus Jonah Hex, Fringe and FlashForward spoilers!


Green Lantern:

Like last year's Iron Man movie, we'll get a sense of why Hal is in the Green Lantern costume, not just what the costume is, and the most interesting scenes will involve Hal out of his costume. Also, this won't be a traditional origin story, that labors over setting up the character, says Ryan Reynolds:

It is [an origin story] to a certain degree, but it's not a labored origin story, where the movie [truly] begins in the third act. The movie starts when it starts. We find out Hal is the guy fairly early on, and the adventure begins.

[MTV via Cinemablend]

Jonah Hex:

Here's a new synopsis for this fantastical cowboy movie, releasing next June:

Jonah Hex (Josh Brolin) is a scarred drifter and bounty hunter of last resort, a tough and stoic gunslinger who can track down anyone…and anything. Having survived death, Jonah's violent history is steeped in myth and legend, and has left him with one foot in the natural world and one on the "other side." His only human connection is with Leila (Megan Fox), whose life in a brothel has left her with scars of her own. But Jonah's past is about to catch up with him when the U.S. military makes him an offer he can't refuse: in exchange for his freedom from the warrants on his head, he must track down and stop the dangerous terrorist Quentin Turnbull (John Malkovich). But Turnbull, who is gathering an army and preparing to unleash Hell, is also Jonah's oldest enemy and will stop at nothing until Jonah is dead. Based on the legendary graphic novel, "Jonah Hex" is an epic adventure thriller about one man's personal quest for redemption against the vast canvas of the battle between good and evil.

[CinemaBlend]

Doctor Who:

Fans are speculating based on watching the filming that Rory (Arthur Darvill) will be traveling in the TARDIS, and will turn up in episodes 1, 6, 8, and 9. Possibly, he joins the TARDIS crew after Amy meets River Song and finds out about the great future that River and the Doctor share. And apparently "The End Of Time" features Sinead Keenan as Addams, one of the mysterious shape-shifting Vinvocci.

And the fans have come up with this somewhat speculative list of the season's episodes, with writers and directors:

1. "The Eleventh Hour" (w: Steven Moffat, d: Adam Smith)
2. "TBA" (w: Moffat, d: Adam Gunn)
3. "TBA" (w: Mark Gatiss, d: Adam Gunn)
4/5 "The Time Of Angels"/"The Flesh And Stone" (w: Moffat, d: Smith)
6. "Vampires Of Venice" (w: Toby Whithouse, d: Jonny Campbell)
7. "TBA" (w: Gareth Roberts or Amanda Coe, d: ?)
8/9. "TBA"/"Cold Blood" (w: Chris Chibnall, d: Ashley Way)
10. "Vincent And The Doctor (working title?)" (w: Richard Curtis, d: Jonny Campbell)
11. "TBA" (w: Gareth Roberts, d: ?)
12/13. "TBA" (w: Moffat, d: ?)
14. Christmas special (w: Moffat, d: ?)

[GallifreyBase and GallifreyBase]

And here are a couple of new photos (which aren't particularly startling) from "The End Of Time Part 1". [Den Of Geek]

Dollhouse:

The show is casting its last ever episode — unless you all convince every Nielsen family you know to tune in on Friday! — and we'll meet a new Active, named Romeo. He's a big bruiser with a shaved head and tattoos — which you might think would limit his versatility. He can be programmed to be anything — as long as it involves having lots of tattoos. [E! Online]

Fringe:

Don't let the mentions of Kirk Acevedo in press releases for upcoming episodes fool you. Acevedo is gone, and won't be coming back. [E! Online]

In episode 2x15, we'll meet Carla, a "smart, interesting, quirky" scientist in her late 20s or early 30s. [SpoilerTV]

FlashForward:

Dominic Monaghan was on KTLA talking about what's next for his character on this show. [SpoilerTV]

And because the U.S. is now behind Australia on this show, here's the promo for next week's episode, "Buddha In The Ruins":

And also because of that fact, here are some details about Thursday's episode, "A561984." The mystery lady who's called about Demetri's murder looks over some newspaper articles, and then Demetri and Mark go after her, and it ends in a gunfight. Lloyd makes a statement to the public which ends up with a gun shooting at him. Simon goes to the FBI and looks at the towers, saying they are his towers — but he designed them in 1992 and they were created in 1991. Mark loses his job. The mystery of Demetri's wedding is explained. D. Gibbons is revealed — and turns out to be linked to someone we know. Lloyd and Olivia seem to be getting along, and the episode ends with a Lloyd/Olivia cliffhanger. [The ODI]

True Blood:

Prison Break's Marshall Allman is joining the cast as Tommy Mickens, Sam Merlotte's long lost brother who works at a Tire Depot in Arkansas. [Hollywood Reporter]

And in the season's second episode, we'll meet two more members of the Mickens clan, the fiftysomething Melinda Mickens and her husband Joe Lee. Plus Crystal Norris, a barefoot sundress-wearing woman who shares an electric connection with Jacob before vanishing into the forest. And Ruby Jean Reynolds, a homophobic African American woman being cared for in a private facility; a German werewolf seen in a World War II flashback; Calvin Norris, a rugged, bare-chested man who's upset when the police search his trailer; and Shane And Kris, two hillbillies who disrespect the dead — and when Shane won't apologize, Tara beats him up. Plus a biker/werewolf who menaces Sookie. [SpoilerTV]

Smallville:

And in case you didn't already know this, the CW is still hot to trot to get a tenth season of this "wake me when he's Superman" show. [E! Online]

And just in case we didn't already share them, here are a couple new pics of JSA members Stargirl and Dr. Fate, plus a higher-res pic of Hawkman. [OSCK]

Heroes:

Here are some new season four promo pics. [SpoilerTV]

Additional reporting by Josh C. Snyder.

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<![CDATA[Little Girls Lost Rule This Week's Television]]> With some shows off for the holidays already, this week's televisual focus falls to two lost girls: Syfy's reimagination of Lewis Carroll's Alice, and the two-hour return of Joss Whedon's Dollhouse. Viva the gogglebox!

Monday

It's the usual Monday evening decision between Fox's House, wherein the West Wing's Joshua Malina guests as a former patient of Wilson's who's now a little bit too close to dying for everyone's comfort, and NBC's Heroes, which promises an "unexpected destination" for Claire and Peter, who are struggling to come to terms with the truth. Both of them air at 8pm, so feel free to choose House and read our Heroes recap, instead. You know it'll be easier on everyone.

Tuesday

Prophets of Science Fiction on the Science Channel at 9pm is about it, now that V has slunk its way off-screen for a few months (And am I the only person who spent the last episode waiting for a big lizard reveal, only to be thwarted? They even talked about skinning an alien just to tease us, the bastards). But in many ways, this documentary about science fiction creators whose work predicted the future is likely to be less frustrating than ABC's alien drama, even if it may not be more entertaining.

Wednesday

While Mythbusters carries on Kari-less on Discovery at 9pm (Adam and Jamie look into whether you can escape from jail using antacids, while I continue to unfairly criticize newgirl Jessi Combs purely because of my love for the missing Ms. Byron), ABC's Eastwick begins to draw to a conclusion with new episode "Tasers and Mind Erasers."

Thursday

With the CW shows on reruns, your evening viewing is wide open for a helping of Flashforward at 8 pm on ABC and Fringe at 9 on Fox. This week's FF promises to reveal more about Demetri's future death, Zoey's flashforward and, most excitingly, what actually caused the flashforward itself. Meanwhile, Fringe gets out the Lovecraftian influence as "Snakehead" reveals a spooky squidlike creature burrowing into host bodies. Calamari will never be the same again.

Friday

If new episodes of Ghost Whisperer and Medium on CBS (at 8pm and 9, respectively) or Stargate Universe and Sanctuary on Syfy (at 9pm and 10, respectively) don't float your boat — Although, SGU sees Young handing over command of the Destiny to Camille when he's accused of murder aboard the ship, so maybe you should tune into that just in case — then there's only one thing that could take your attention (Well, beside Star Wars: The Clone Wars on Cartoon Network at 9).

And that's the return of Dollhouse, with two new episodes starting on Fox at 8pm. "The Public Eye/The Left Hand" sees Senator Wesley From Angel finally stop talking and start doing something in his so-far-useless campaign against the Dollhouse, while Topher and Adelle meet a programmer with a connection to Echo and - Oh, never mind. All you want to know is this: It's the episode with Summer Glau. See? Now you'll tune in.

Saturday

NBC is showing the best Fantastic Four movie ever made, The Incredibles at 8:30pm. I'm sure most of you already own it on DVD though, right?

Sunday

Sure, Sunday night still belongs to The Venture Bros (a new episode is on Cartoon Network at midnight), but we're still kind of tempted by Syfy's Alice revival, from the people who brought you Tin Man. Bringing the story up to date and adding in various contemporary re-readings of famous scenes, there's always the possibility of things going totally wrong and it turning out to be another Prisoner, but we have hope nonetheless...

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<![CDATA[Richard Alpert's Darkest Secrets And Timothy Dalton's Doctor Who Role — Revealed!]]> What roles do Timothy Dalton and CCH Pounder play in Doctor Who and Avatar, respectively? It's a spoiler! What will Lost reveal about the ageless Richard Alpert? Plus TV spots from Daybreakers and Lovely Bones. Plus Wolfman and True Blood!


Avatar:

Did you know Warehouse 13/The Shield's CCH Pounder was in this movie? I didn't, until I was looking at the film's imdb page. I was curious, so I dug up this interview with her from April 2007, in which she explains:

I'm playing Moha and she is the queen of the Na'Vi nation, and so it's an environmental love adventure in another time and space.

I'm glad the Na'Vi have some solid leadership. Maybe this is the answer to who's really running the warehouse? [IGN]

Doctor Who:

You may have noticed Timothy Dalton narrating the recent trailers for David Tennant's final two-parter, "The End Of Time." And apparently this is apt, because he plays a character called The Narrator, who may or may not be a villain. (But that doesn't the earlier reports of him playing a Time Lord are untrue — note that he's wearing a Time Lord robe in the one photo we've seen of him so far.) So the Doctor and the Master meet... the Narrator? Okay. [Scotsman]

Also, according to the Radio Times preview, we'll be seeing a more desperate incarnation of the Master this time around. John Simm describes his newest portrayal as "emo Master." (Oh dear.) He's sporting punk-white hair under a hoodie and looking lost, while flashing in and out of "skeleton mode." This is a Master "who's lived and died, and now lives again — although he's seen healthier days," explains Simm. "He's desperate, and desperate means dangerous." Both he and the Doctor want to survive, but they're both heading for death. And here are some scans. [PlanetGallifrey and BlogtorWho]

Lost:

It sounds like episode 6x08 will be all about the mysterious Richard Alpert, and will be called "Ab Aeterno," (or "from eternity.") It's filming now, and it seems like a big chunk of it has to do with the Black Rock, that crashed British trading ship. Supposed inside sources say that the show will be filming a ton of Black Rock scenes using a greenscreen in the studio on Monday. (As always, take any reports that claim to be based on unnamed "inside sources" with a pinch of salt.)

According to these sources (some of whom are posting in the comments over at DarkUFO, but have apparently been authenticated somehow according to the site's owner) Richard Alpert arrives on the Black Rock, and he sails on that ship after his wife dies. And we discover that Alpert really is immortal. Besides Alpert, the crew of the Black Rock includes Father Suarez and Captain Whitfield. And after Alpert arrives on the island, he meets the Man In Black, who was last seen playing with Jacob in the season finale. Also present when the Black Rock crashes: the smoke monster.

There's also a rumor (which apparently is less well authenticated) that some of the castaways from Flight 815 turn up on the Black Rock, although it's not clear whether this happens in the present or back in the 19th century. And one of those supposed inside sources is saying there'll be some developments which make the Kate/Sawyer relationship less likely. [SpoilersLost]

Spanish channel Quatro aired a new trailer for season six as well as a lengthy segment where they visited the set and interviewed many of the stars. [SL-Lost]


Also, there are more photos of the hole in the ground that's supposed to be Locke's grave. It looks just like a hole in the ground, really. [The ODI]

The Lovely Bones:

Here's a TV spot for this Peter Jackson film that I don't think we've shown you before:

Daybreakers:

And there's a pretty neat TV spot for this vampire dystopia movie too. [Cinemablend]


The Wolfman:

Here are three new international posters. [Empire Online]

True Blood:

Ugly Betty's Grant Bowler is joining the cast, but he won't say what role he's playing. [Daily Telegraph via True-Blood]

Fringe:

Here's the official description for the Dec. 10 episode, "Grey Matters":

During the investigation of strange circumstances surrounding brain surgeries at a mental hospital, Olivia finds a reason to believe the leader of the shape-shifters may have something to do with it. Leonard Nimoy guest stars as William Bell

[TV Guide]

Stargate Universe:

Here are some promo pics for episode 10, "Justice." [SpoilerTV]

Chuck:

One more promo showing you a checklist of cool spy items:

FlashForward:

In episode 14, we'll be meeting two more FBI agents: Special Agent Buckner, who's backslappy but has a serious dark side, and Agent Danforth Crowley, who's a family man with a patriotic streak. Plus alpha-male businessman Corey Liebman, and Caitlynn, a little girl who screams when her bithday party is disrupted. [SpoilerTV]

Additional reporting by Mary Ratliff.

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<![CDATA[Doctor Who's New Artistic Direction And A Look At Dollhouse's Returning Alpha]]> Gobble up some Turkey Day spoilers as we learn the identity of Doctor Who's artsy guest star and get a gander at Alpha's dashing new suit on Dollhouse. Plus Thor, Chuck, Smallville, Fringe Green Lantern, Heroes, and more!

Doctor Who:

In an interview with Bullz-Eye.com to promote Pirate Radio, fifth series writer Richard Curtis revealed who will be playing featured guest star Vincent Van Gogh:

Well, we've got a brilliant guy playing Vincent van Gogh – which is who it's about – who you should look up on YouTube. He's a guy called Tony Curran, who really could not look more like. He's a wonderful actor who was in this brilliant movie called "Red Road" that came out, a rather serious movie.

He also mentioned they start shooting the episode in about a month. [Blogtor Who]

Elsewhere, a very Scottish-sounding John Barrowman appeared on GMTV with Lorraine to promote his new concert DVD and talk about "The End of Time." Skip to 2:15 as he slips back into his American accent to discuss his role, which apparently is just "an appearance." [Planet Gallifrey]


Dollhouse:

I think it's been fairly well reported that Alan Tudyk is coming back as Alpha, but now we've got a photo of him and a description of episodes 2.7 and 2.8, in which he appears:

DOLLHOUSE season 2 episode 7 and 8 "Meet Jane Doe/A Love Supreme" - Echo struggles to control her multiple memory downloads; Topher discovers the dangers of science that will have devastating effects on the future; the Dollhouse fears Alpha has returned to seek his revenge; the Actives turn against their handlers.

And here's that picture. [Spoiler TV]

Michael Ausiello reports English actor Adam Godley, probably best known to American audiences for his role as Father Ybarra in The X-Files: I Want to Believe is joining the cast as Clyde, "a genius who holds secrets to the Dollhouse." The role is recurring as any role can be when there are less than ten episodes left in the series. He also has a complete breakdown of the air dates for the remaining episodes: [EW.com]

Dec. 4: two episodes
Dec. 11: two episodes
Dec 18: two episodes
Jan 8: one episode
Jan 15: one episode
Jan 22: one episode (series finale)

Finally, here are a bunch more promo pics for the next four episodes. [Spoiler TV]


Thor:

Another day, another casting possibility for Kat Dennings. Apparently, Dennings twittered something about "loving Hell", which naturally means she will play Hela, the Asgardian goddess of death. [Spoiler TV]

Meanwhile, Variety reports she's playing "Darcy, who works with Natalie Portman's Jane Foster character." That's probably the same person as the previously reported Marcy Lewis, but who really knows? At this point, it's probably just safe to assume Kenneth Branagh has actually turned Thor into a one-woman show, starring Dennings in all the parts, including Thor. [IGN]

Chuck:

Here's a six-minute preview of the third season, complete with clips from the first five episodes:

According to Michael Ausiello, co-creator Chris Fedak says Anna Wu won't be in the first thirteen episodes, but she could be in the newly ordered last six, if only because they haven't been written yet. He also notes that her character's absence from the Buy More will be mentioned early next season. Finally, Fedak says the extra six episodes forced them to either slow down the story they were already telling or expand it. They opted to expand it, and are treating those last six as "Season 3.2" of Chuck. [ChuckTV.net]

And, last and sort of least, here are a couple photos tweeted from a season 3 photo shoot.


Fringe:

Here are three promo pics for episode 2.10, "Grey Matters", in which Walter gets a glimpse of the past: [Spoiler TV]


Heroes:

Here's a sneak peek and a promo for episode 4.11, "The Fifth Stage": [Spoiler TV]



For those who prefer to keep their audio and their visual separate, here are some promo pics:


And here's a scoop from Adam of TV Guide Mega Buzz: [Spoiler TV]

Todd Stashwick (The Riches) kicks off his guest role in Monday's episode. He plays Eli, who fills the void as Samuel's right-hand man now that Edgar (Ray Park) has split from the carnival. Also, expect to see a lot of Eli: He has the ability to replicate.

Smallville:

Michael Ausiello has the scoop on whether Warrior Angel is really going to be Chloe's love interest:

He is, but per exec producer Brian Petersen, "There's a wink behind it." And what about a real, non-winky love interest? "I have promised that we're going to give Chloe a relationship this year, and rest-assured, that was not just a tease. She will have a relationship this year." Does this guy have a name? Teases BP: "We'll know [who he is] in ‘Warrior.'"

Also, there will be Justice Society members seen in the upcoming movie Absolute Justice beyond Hawkman, Doctor Fate, and Stargirl, but these will be only glimpses. Brian Peterson does promise there will be several of them, though. Let's hope Ma Hunkel finally gets her due. [EW.com]

Finally, though V is on a break, there's apparently no chance Laura Vandervoort will return as Supergirl, much as she might like to. [Spoiler TV]

Green Lantern:

Ryan Reynolds spoke to MTV about his next big movie, and he mentioned how awesome the constume is: [IGN]

"Seeing the prototypes for the Green Lantern costumes was a huge moment," he says. "It was a moment when I was like, 'This is happening, and it's happening in the right way.' That's a pretty cool, definitive moment for me."

Deadpool:

Reynolds also talked about what he wanted to see in his upcoming Deadpool spinoff movie: [IGN]

"Everyone is always looking for that one line, 'What is that character?' and for me it's kind of like, 'There's a guy, and he's in a highly militarized comedic fame spiral,'" the actor explains. "That's not an easy thing to write — an entire screenplay, let alone a franchise. I had a blast playing Wade [in Wolverine]. Every line I had in that was stuff I thought he would say. It wasn't something that a writer said to me. It was fun to really create that character, including everything he spits out of his awful mouth."

V:

As the series heads into hiatus, star Morena Baccarin talked to E! Online about the dynamic she has with Scott Wolf's character, the conflicted newsman Chad Decker: [E! Online]

The relationship is definitely going to keep going in whatever strange direction it's going now. You don't really know if they're going to fight each other, love each other, or if she's going to eat him. You don't know what's going to happen! It gets really interesting in the episode that comes out on Tuesday. Something happens to his character that makes him very dependent on us. He has to sort of battle with his will to see what he's going to do. It's a very interesting dynamic.

Lost:

A tweet-sized filming update for season six. Apparently, "characters Sun, Locke & Claire spotted at Manoa trail head yesterday." [Lyly Ford Blog]

Avatar:

Here's a new Norwegian poster that's all about the disembodied heads.


Wolfman:

Benicio Del Toro's upcoming Wolfman movie has a new international poster:


The Book of Eli

Denzel Washington's post-apocalyptic thriller has a new poster out that is long on Denzel Washington, short on the post-apocalyptic:Cinema Blend


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<![CDATA[Fringe Thanksgiving 2009 Gallery]]>

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<![CDATA[See Iron Man's Unearthly Glow, Doctor Who's Latest Clue, Chuck's New Intersect In Action, And 2 Lovely Bones Cips]]> Fans may have guessed which role Kat Dennings plays in Thor, and Cameron talks Avatar. Meanwhile there's an iconic new Iron Man image. Plus, clips from The Lovely Bones and Chuck, an image from Tennant's last hurrah, and Zombieland news.


Thor

Although initial speculation had Kat Dennings playing the Enchantress, some folks think it's more likely that she'll be playing college student Marcy Lewis based on the previously mentioned casting call:

[MARCY LEWIS] (20) Is a college student. Aloof, jaded beyond her years, she thought her internship with scientist Kate Spelling would be an easy 6 college credits. However, she's been stuck for months in this small New Mexico town and relegated to a wide range of unglamorous activities. Kate has been particularly hard on Marcy, making it her personal project to see that Marcy lives up to her potential. Marcy deals with her situation both by using subtle irony and by being an overt wiseass.

After all, Dennings is known for playing overt wiseasses. [Cinema Blend]

Iron Man

The latest issue of Empire Magazine has our hero on the cover. It looks like the new Iron Man is essentially the same as the old Iron Man. [via Cinema Blend]


Avatar

We get another good look at Pandora in CNN's feature on the film. [CNN]


And, in case you didn't get enough of him on 60 Minutes, CNN does an interview with James Cameron. [CNN]


Zoë Saldana says that to prepare for the role of Neytiri, she had to study wushu, a Shaolin kung fu that bases its stances on wild animals. [Details]

The Wolfman

The latest behind-the-scenes featurette plays on our nostalgia for old Universal horror flicks. [via Cinema Blend]

The Hobbit

Peter Jackson says that the studio has seen the first script for Guillermo del Toro's The Hobbit, and they're happy with what they've seen so far. [/Film]

Zombieland 2

Sony is very interested in making a sequel to the hit zombie comedy, and it looks like we'll see it in 3D, with zombies, weapons, and teeth flying around the screen. [Cinema Blend]

The Lovely Bones

Two new clips from Peter Jackson's heavenly movie introduce us to the soon-to-be-murdered Susie Salmon and the man who kills her. [via Collider]



Doctor Who

The TV magazines take a quick look at David Tennant's last episode. [Blogtor Who]


More significantly, we get a fresh image from "The End of Time." Is this one of Tennant's final scenes with the TARDIS? And notice the book Tennant is holding — Finding The Future by Joshua Naismith. You might recall the bus in "Planet Of The Dead" had ads that mentioned Naismith's telecommunications company, Neon by Naismith. Naismith turns up as a character in "The End Of Time." [Den of Geek]


Clone Wars

Uh-oh. It looks like that Geonosian zombie infection might be catching. The Galactic Senate has issued the following health warning:


Lost

More confusing comments are emerging about these darned alternate timelines. Although everyone's been seeing tons of spoilers about the timeline where Oceanic 815 lands safely, supposedly something necessary for he alternate timeline to occur doesn't happen. Is that vague enough for you? Also, it's not a coincidence that the season premieres on Groundhog Day. [E!]

Fringe

After February 11th, the producers are apparently going to leave us hanging for a seven-week hiatus. Bah. [E!]

But before that happens, we get a whole mess of interviews from Lance Reddick, Anna Torv, John Noble, Michael Cerveris, and executive producer Jeff Pinkner. [Fringe Television]


V

Morris Chestnut talks a bit about being a human-aligned Visitor and audience feedback.


And Morena Baccarin explains a bit about Anna, and why she's drawn to science fiction projects.


Chuck

We get a four-minute preview of the new season, and witness how Chuck's new Intersect powers can make Sarah swoon. [via Screen Rant]


FlashForward</>

Joseph Fiennes creates a hostage situation in this clip from "A561984."


Heroes

Peter tries to save Nathan in this still from the November 30th episode, "The Fifth Stage." Incidentally, the fifth stage of grief is acceptance. [Spoiler TV]


The season's sixteenth episode is titled "The Art of Deception," and the seventeenth is "The Wall." [Spoiler TV]

Outer Space Astronauts

Syfy's new quasi-animated series premieres December 8th, but you can watch the first episode in its entirety below. [via Cinema Blend]


Additional reporting by Josh Snyder and Charlie Jane Anders.

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<![CDATA[Joshua Jackson To Fight UFOs in the 1970s]]> Fringe star Joshua Jackson is taking his ongoing fight against extra-terrestrial freaky fringe science to the movie screen. He's signed on to headline the big screen version of 1970s British series UFO.

Jackson, who despite his Fringe smirks and long dramatic pauses will always be Pacey from Dawson's Creek to me, will play Paul Foster, a pilot who joins SHADO (Supreme Headquarters Alien Defense Organization) to combat an alien plan to harvest human body parts in the new feature version of Gerry Anderson's awesome series. The movie will be the directing debut of Iron Man's visual effects supervisor, Matthew Gratzner, and hopefully launch a new craze for purple hair, which was always one of the best things about the show.

Joshua Jackson's captain of 'UFO' [Variety]

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<![CDATA[Discover Megan Fox's Transformers 3 Fate And Sawyer's New Job]]> Does Megan Fox really die in Transformers 3? Find out below. Plus, Star Trek's next redshirt revealed! See telltale pics of Lost, Harry Potter... and Smallville's Justice Society. Plus Doctor Who, Resident Evil, Dollhouse, V, Chuck and Stargate spoilers.


Transformers 3:

Megan Fox doesn't die in the third giant robot epic, says Michael Bay, who pooh-poohs the whole "Megan Fox compared Michael Bay to Hitler" thing and says it's all been blown out of proportion. "She's got a great part in Transformers 3," says Bay, who's working on the script now. [USA Today]

Star Trek:

Roberto Orci says he and co-writer Alex Kurtzman are preparing to write the next Trek movie by re-watching the original series — but also by reading classic SF, including works by Arthur C. Clarke. Rendezvous with Rama, anyone? [TrekMovie]

And J.J. Abrams says he's determined to get Greg Grunberg in the next movie — maybe as a red-shirt. [Newsarama]

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:

A few pictures of Xeno Lovegood have surfaced. [Cinemablend]

Resident Evil 4:

Will Jill Valentine be back? Producer Don Carmody won't say for sure. But he says "It's going to be surprising, and it's going to make people think what's going to happen next."[ShockTillYouDrop]

Lost:

There's been a ton of new filming, for episode 6x08, which appears to be all about Sawyer. There were some scenes involving Sawyer and Charles Widmore, aboard that submarine that we've seen so much of in the past. They went down the hatch and the crew filmed some scenes on board, then filmed them coming out of it together.

And then Sawyer had some scenes with Miles — and it looked like the two were partners in law enforcement. Sawyer had a badge on his belt, Miles had a gun on his hip. Sawyer is sitting in a nondescript Mercury parked outside La Brea Property Management in Pacific Tower. Sawyer beckons to Miles, who tries to blow him off and walk away, but Sawyer yells out and stops him, and then opens the passenger door. So Miles gets in the car, and Sawyer gives him one of two cups of coffee, then shows him a folder full of photographs. Miles looks through them, and then pauses to look at one of them in more detail. (If Sawyer really is a cop, it's odd that they were filming a scene where he "cons" Charlotte earlier.)

And then a woman driving a blue car crashes into Sawyer's cop car, and then the woman gets out and runs away — and it's Kate, wearing a hoodie to hide her face. She runs down an alley, knocking over a pile of boxes. Here's a bit of set video:

And then there's a scene where Sawyer grabs Kate by the collar and pushes her up against a doorway. Here are some set pics. More at the links. [Hawaii Weblog and Hawaii Weblog]

Also, this won't be much of a surprise to those of you who've been paying attention, but Rebecca Mader is indeed back as Charlotte, as a producer confirmed on his Twitter feed. [Sci Fi Wire]

Here's a German promo for season six, which as far as I can tell gives absolutely nothing away.

Doctor Who:

Here's a trailer for the animated adventure "Dreamland," which may actually be watchable in spite of the horrendous CG graphics.

And David Tennant speaks:

Dollhouse:

We have actual descriptions for the next two episodes, featuring Summer Glau:

Part 1 of 2. Echo's assignment: prevent Sen. Daniel Perrin from exposing the Dollhouse secrets. Meanwhile, at the D.C. Dollhouse, Adelle and Topher meet Topher's counterpart (Summer Glau), who has a link to Echo.

Conclusion. Echo and Bennett (Summar Glau) have a shocking reunion; Adelle squares off against the D.C. Dollhouse's leader (Ray Wise); Topher recruits Victor for his espionage; Perrin discovers a surprising witness in his crusade against the Rossum Corporation.

[TV Guide and TV Guide]

Fringe:

Jasika Nicole explains what's coming next for Astrid, on her excursions with Walter. [BuddyTV]

V:

Here are a couple of new videos of the final episode of 2009, tomorrow night's "It's Only The Beginning."



Supernatural:

It's unlikely that Jeffrey Dean Morgan will ever return to this show, but God is much more likely to show up — but not immediately. However, Sera Gamble says she'd "do backflips" if JDM did turn out to be available. Also, Michael will show up even though his vessel, Dean, isn't cooperating — but Michael will only be in "borrowed" bodies, of no consequence or permanence. The show will be "creative" in how it introduces Michael.

Also, in the first episode of January, the Winchesters are contacted by a hunter who worked a case that was so traumatic, he went crazy. He's checked himself into an insane asylum and something is awry there, so he asks the Winchesters to help — so they check in there, too. The episode explores the idea that "You don't have to be crazy to be a hunter, but it helps."

Also, we'll be seeing a lot more of Lucifer — we'll find out how he chose Nick, his current vessel. And we'll understand way more of Michael's perspective. There will be a "dark and twisted" Valentine's Day episode. [E! Online and TV Guide Magazine]

And here's a casting call for episode 14: Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid:

[SHERIFF MILLS] In her mid 30s to mid 40s, tough and no-nonsense while on the job, but tender and loving toward her family, she's the Sheriff in a small town, she's calm under pressure even when things turn very personal...please submit all ethnicities...GUEST STAR

[KAREN SINGER] In her late 20s to 30s. Blonde, young and attractive, she's wise, direct, a straight shooter and nobody's fool...GUEST STAR

[SpoilerTV]

FlashForward:

Could this show be looking to duplicate The Prisoner or X-Men? A new casting call for episode 13 is looking for a new Number 2:

[PHILLIP] Late 60s. Caucasian, Ian McKellen-esque. A bit eccentric and unrepentantly set in his ways, his intellect is unmatched. Enjoys a good academic tussle...Guest Star

[LORRAINE] – 53, Caucasian, Brenda Blethyn type. British, sassy, working class. A widow and mother of four mostly grown children, she dotes on them when she's not telling them what to do. Must speak with an authentic Manchester accent. Guest star.

[CHRIS] - 30's.. Any Ethnicity. A former radio on-air dj, now working in a dead end job. Concealing a secret to his co-workers, he is ultimately forced to reveal his true identity...Co-Star

[ANDREW] – 22, Caucasian. An athletic, burly, blue-collar blockhead. A typical 20-something guy, he and his brothers like to prank each other. Must speak with a subtle Canadian accent. Co-Star.

[GRAHAM] – 20, Caucasian. An athletic, burly, blue-collar blockhead. A typical 20-something guy, he and his brothers like to prank each other. Must speak with a subtle Canadian accent. Co-Star.

[ANNABELLE] – 14.. Caucasian, Blonde. Sweet, vulnerable, almost ethereal. Fair and slight, she is the baby of the family but her good nature has helped her avoid becoming bratty. Must speak with a subtle Canadian accent. Co-Star/Possible Guest Star. Potentially recurring.

[DAISY - 18, ANY ETHNICITY. A VERY SMART AND CUNNI] - 18, Any Ethnicity. A very smart and cunning young woman who can play mental games with the best of them. If crossed, Daisy has the ability to bring great harm to all those around her. Co-Star.

[SpoilerTV andSpoilerTV]

Smallville:

Some screencaps from the JSA teaser give our first look at Justice Society members Doctor Fate, Sandman... and is that Green Lantern? [Forces Of Geek]

Also, Metallo (Brian Austin Green) will be back in episode 9x18, producers confirm. [TV Guide]

Chuck:

Here's a preview clip where Zachary Levi thanks the fans for watching. [Den Of Geek]

Stargate Universe:

In episode 10, "Justice," a member of the crew is killed, and the murder weapon is found in Col. Young's quarters. He cedes command to Camille Wray. And here's a sneak peek.

Additional reporting by Mary Ratliff.

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<![CDATA[What We've Learned About Fringe's Observers]]> They've been lurking in the background for the entire series, and last night, Fringe's bald Observers finally stepped into the limelight. Here's what we learned about the mysterious beings who've been spying on the Fringe team.

They can catch bullets. The ability to catch bullets probably comes in handy when you hop around time observing significant (and often violent) moments in history. But August's Superman stunt is just another sign that the Observers aren't human (or if they are, they are extremely altered), and that they can be powerful, even if those powers are rarely used.

They know the future (to some extent). August says that he can see Christine's future, and he knows both what she is about to say before she says it and when the report of the crash will come on TV. And the Observers watching Olivia and her niece comment that it's a shame things are going to be so hard for her. On a side note — are we supposed to automatically assume they're talking about Olivia, or could they be talking about her niece?

They can still be surprised. At least, they're surprised when August interferes with the natural order of things. Are Observers the only ones with free will, or do they observe to see how individuals react to these big, important situations.

Their writing is culled from various civilizations. So it turns out that the Observer language isn't a language at all, but simply words written in various languages from throughout human history (and perhaps other people's histories as well). It's got to be a handy way of communicating exclusively with people who have an encyclopedic knowledge of all languages ever written.

They appear at important moments in history. We actually know this from the promo campaign, but the episode makes it official. Also, the increasing frequency of Observer appearances suggest that the most important event in human history is about to occur.

They eat fancy peppers. We already knew the Observers were fans of the hot stuff, but hot peppers are a handy way to track them. Will the apocalypse be marked by record sales of hot peppers?

They sometimes make mistakes — ones that require "correcting." So, sometimes observing affects the outcome, but we still don't know what mistake prompted September to save Walter and Peter. Did September cause Walter and Peter to fall into the lake all those years ago, or does the Observers' correction require Walter to survive for an entirely different reason? Or did September get attached to Walter and Peter the same way August got attached to Christine and simply convince the other Observers that he was fixing a mistake?

September made some kind of deal with Walter. Walter says he had an "arrangement" with September, presumably so he could keep the alternate universe Peter. Apparently, the other Observers know about this, but we're still left to wonder what the exact nature of this deal is, and whether it relates to Walter's particular relationship with September.

They can feel love. The Observers are apparently also changed by the act of observation. And, now that they're observing the same people for extended periods of time, I'd imagine it's more likely that they'll get attached.

They can be killed. But what does it take to kill an Observer who doesn't want to die?

Being responsible for the death of an Observer makes you "important." August may be more significant than Christine in this respect, but it implies that the violent death of an Observer is extremely rare — a monumental event in history.

Any other Observer observations?

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