The show's return was announced thanks to a co-funding arrangement that will see ITV share production costs with UK cable channel UKTV, as well as BBC America and German network Pro7, in a deal for a seven episode fourth season, and six episode fifth. Tim Haines, creative director of Primeval's studio Impossible Pictures, is understandably excited at the news:

I am thrilled that ITV has agreed to this new deal, which will allow us to produce another 13 episodes of Primeval... The confidence demonstrated in the programme's continued success here and abroad will help us bring more big screen action and a whole host of new creatures roaring back into people's living rooms.

Season four is expected to air on ITV in 2011.

'Primeval' recommissioned for two series [Digital Spy]

Deadgirl
What to do when you find a corpse chained to a table, and then discover that said corpse isn't actually dead? If nothing else, this dark comedy horror will make you realize that any answers you'd come up with to that question would be better than what happens here.

Doctor Who: The Next Doctor
Davids Tennant and Morrissey team up to take on Dervla Kirwan's villainous Miss Hartigan as the BBC mysteriously release last year's Christmas special after the already-out Planet Of The Dead special. Well, it is all time-travel, I guess...?

Primeval Vol. 2
The unintended end of the series can be found in this 3 disc box set that, despite the confusing title, actually contains the third season of the now-canceled show.

Sanctuary: The Complete First Season
See? This is how you name your DVD releases, clear and simple. Although, if they'd wanted to be completely descriptive, they would've called it The Complete First Season With Commentaries On All The Episodes, The Original Webisodes And Some Other Special Features. But that may have taken up too much room on the packaging.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Clone Commandos
A second selection of episodes from the first season of the Cartoon Network show that reminds people that, while war may be hell, Star Wars is just a pretty bad heck. Or perhaps a goshdarnit, at most.

X-Men Vol. 3: The Marvel Collection
X-Men Vol. 4: The Marvel Collection
Two more collections of episodes from the 1990s cartoon to remind people that, before there were X-Men movies that didn't match up to the Batman ones, there were X-Men cartoons that didn't match up to the Batman ones. But then again, I liked Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, so what do I know?

X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Talking of X-Men movies, here's this summer's installment, allowing you to study the acting talents of Will-I-Am at your leisure. Also, with the ability to skip chapters, you can pretend that Gambit doesn't exist, which will immediately make the movie better.

Sept 22
Battle for Terra
It was the CGI movie you kept seeing trailers for, but don't actually remember seeing in theaters - and now it's out on DVD for you to ignore at home, too.

Clive Barker's Book Of Blood
Yes, yes; it was Books of Blood when the books were originally written, but times are hard for everyone, and movie didn't have the largest of budgets, so some cutbacks were inevitable (It's actually premiering on Syfy this week, for those who want a preview).

The Haunted World of El Superbeasto
If the idea of an animated movie based on a comic book about a superheroic masked wrestler created by Rob Zombie doesn't interest you, maybe the cast list - which includes Paul Giamatti, Rosario Dawson and Brian Posehn - will. Otherwise, we can't help you.

Scooby Doo: The Mystery Begins
Because, sometimes, you need a live action reboot of the Scooby Doo franchise by the man who directed the Flintstones live action movies. Of course, when we say "need," we may be using that word incorrectly. Nonetheless, this direct-to-DVD epic shows the first meeting of Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and Scoob, and without the disturbing presence of either Sarah Michelle Gellar or Freddie Prinze Jr. So... potential win after all?

Star Trek: Original Motion Picture Collection Box Set
Star Trek: The Next Generation Motion Picture Collection Box Set
Paramount finds a new way to recycle the Star Trek movies with these new era-specific box sets. We look forward to the inevitable Star Trek: The Good Ones, You Know What We Mean box set within a year (Also: Am I the only one who was surprised to find out that there were four TNG movies, even though I've actually seen them all? I think I subconsciously try to pretend that Insurrection and Nemesis don't actually exist).

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: The Complete Second Season
Your chance to relive the only Terminator that mattered this year, despite that whole cancellation thing, with six discs full of episodes, commentaries and special features. Buy it in the hope that someone at Fox will change their mind when they see the sales figures.

Sept 29
Batman Collection: 4 Film Favorites Box Set
Those "film favorites" would be the Michael Keaton/Val Kilmer/George Clooney movies, by the way. It seems fair, because to add in either of the Chris Nolan-era movies - or even the 1966 Adam West one - would make any of these four seem somewhat lacking in comparison (Okay, maybe not Batman Returns).

Blade Collection: 4 Film Favorites Box Set
I know what you're thinking: "There were only three Blade movies, how can they have a 4 DVD box set?" The answer lies in including the pilot for the short-lived TV show in there, which seems like a slight cheat to me, but that's why I'm not a Warners Home Entertainment executive.

Hardware
Finally making it to DVD, Richard Stanley's 2000AD-inspired robot horror movie from 1990 finds a new, uncut and uncensored form to ensure that old-school fans will want to pick it up as well. If nothing else, how often do you see Iggy Pop and Lemmy in the same movie?

Monsters Vs. Aliens
Dreamworks Animation's love letter to old school B-movies proved to be much better than expected when it was released in theaters earlier this year, and the DVD - with special features on the making of the movie, deleted scenes and, bizarrely, a Dreamworks Animation Video Jukebox - aims on taking even more advantage of the impressionable hearts, minds and wallets of kids of all ages.

The Real Ghostbusters Complete Collection Box Set
25 discs of animated paranormal activity, as the entire five year run of the 1980s (and early '90s) cartoon (including Slimer spin-off) gets collected in this insanely comprehensive box set that also has twelve hours of special features. You may never have to leave the house again. Or, at least, not for a few weeks.

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
The latest DC animated movie adapts Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness' fun, over the top tale of President Lex Luthor trying to turn the world against our favorite superheroes, only to (a) go insane in the process and (b) lead to the creation of a giant Superman/Batman composite robot. If they've not changed too much, this could be the guilty pleasure of the fall.

Ultraman: The Complete Series
...Or, perhaps, it could be this: A 4 disc box set collecting all 39 episodes of the mid-60s Japanese TV show that brought the madness and production values of Godzilla movies to television on a weekly basis. Robot superheroes versus monsters courtesy of Eiji Tsuburaya? Works for me.

Like the movie preview, we've split this preview into months (and, inside those months, into weekly releases), but with releases still unconfirmed and unannounced, we've pushed November and December together. Don't worry; it'll make sense when you click on the links below.

September
October
November/December

Monday:

Spectacular Spider-Man -
At the turn of the New Year, Spidey has to take the fight to the Planner's lair, revealing the Planner's true identity in the process. But not before teen aged superhero has to navigate the murky waters of love, when Gwen is kidnapped.

Spectacular Spider-Man Promo:

Movies:

It's end-of-the-world day over at the Syfy Channel. First there's Meltdown: Days of Destruction, where the Earth moves threateningly close to the Sun. After that, Asteroid threatens the world with, what else? Asteroids, in the two-part movie starring Annabella Sciorra. All of this airs on SciFi Channel, beginning at 9:30 AM.

Tuesday:

Warehouse 13 -
Two sexy Secret Service agents are put in charge of America's storage spot for weird crap. Even though the warehouse is stocked to the brim with time traveling and shape shifting whosits and what-nots, there's still plenty of unclaimed weird objects for this good looking duo to track down, in Warehouse 13. What will they fid next? My guess is, a big steaming pile of romantic tension. It's like a sugared-up X-Files, but with steampunky gadgets. The two-hour premiere airs on the newly christened SyFy Channel, at 9 PM.

Warehouse 13 Promo:

Better Off Ted - repeat on ABC at 9 PM.

Movies:

Nic Cage's rip-off of Indiana Jones, National Treasure, is on the SyFy Channel at 6 PM.

Adam Sandler is a pawn in the ultimate procrastinator's backlash that is Click, when his living Jiminy Cricket, Christopher Walken, hands over a real-life remote control, on FX at 8 PM.

Wednesday:

Time Team America -
The series premiere chronicles various archeological digs open with a trip to North Carolina's Roanoke Island, the first settlement in North America, which disappeared suddenly. Years later, the only remaining clue was the word "Croatoan" carved into a fencepost. The dig is on PBS at 8 PM.

Time Team Preview:

Monsters Inside Me -
The show that makes you scared to go anywhere, or do anything, returns with a new episode. Scientists rush to stave off what could become the worst parasitic outbreak in history, which may or may not already be eating away your intestines. Quick, stop drinking water — germs are EVERYWHERE, on Animal Planet at 9 PM.

Monsters Inside Me Promo:

MonsterQuest -
Adventurers hunt down the wily Sasquatch, on this new episode on the History Channel at 9 PM.

Movies:

Treasure Planet, an animated scifi update of Treasure Island featuring the voice of our favorite wrecked-faced Cobra Commander, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, is on Disney XD at 5 PM.

Thursday:

Naked Science -
Scientists try to prove their hypothesis that about 500 years ago a large meteor caused a tsunami, severely changing Australia's coastline. The theories fly on National Geographic Channel at 10 PM.

Also, we'll probably get another clip from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince when Daniel Radcliffe is on Letterman, on CBS at 11:30 PM.

Movies:

Contact, the movie that refuses be constricted by things like common sense, blasts Jodie Foster off to alien worlds... or does it? Join the confused alien-stalker and her long-haired boyfriend, Matthew McConaughey, on the look out for aliens and space-bound millionaires, in Contact on TNT at 10 PM.

Friday:

Eureka -
Sheriff-no-more Jack Carter and his sharp wit return for the second half of season three as he applies for a job with the Department of Homeland Security. Meanwhile, the new sheriff in town seems to have a very robotic personality. Carter has to deal with becoming Allison's pal, as our friends who became lovers who became friends deal with Allison's baby on the way. Season 3 and a half premieres tonight on SyFy, at 9 PM.

Saturday:

Kings -
Treasonous David is on trial, and Silas hands the reins over to his son Jack. Will the pretty prince show mercy to the doe-eyed country boy? Side note, this is actually the second to last week for Kings — next week there will be a two hour farewell. And I will weep big fat tears as this beautiful show sputters out its dying breath.

Kings You Tube Good Bye:

Primeval -
You'd think these accidents the Primeval people would figure out a way to close these space-time anomalies — but no, another week another problem causes chaos on Earth. Meanwhile, Abby's brother decides to find out what she does for a living, and accidentally passes through an anomaly. Whoops. Now the team has to chase him down too, on BBC America at 9 PM.

Movies:

An all-day Harry Potter marathon is in order, before the new movie is released July 15. Harry and the Sorcerer's Stone kicks off the first three movies as they play in order on ABC Family at 12:30 PM.

Sunday:

True Blood -
Will we find out what Daphne truly is? Probably not. At least not before Sookie endangers the lives of everyone on the show one more time, just for kicks! As everyone's favorite grown-up vamp show becomes more of an ensemble effort, Sookie, Bill and Jessica travel to Dallas. And Tara hopefully gets her head screwed on straight, and Jason continues his vampire purification process. Let's go to Dallas, on HBO at 9 PM.

True Blood Promo:

Movies:

Meteor -
A curious cast of prime time favorites from long ago gathers together, to stop a giant asteroid from careening to Earth. It's like the recent TV movie Impact, only with slightly more interesting actors. Jason Alexander and Christopher Lloyd put their minds together, to stop the meteor Kassandra. Part one of the miniseries airs tonight on NBC at 9 PM.

Additional reporting by Caitlin Petrakovitz.

Monday:
Spectacular Spider-Man -
It's a Christmas-centric Spidey with Vulture, Sandman and Rhino are all bringing gifts of destruction and mayhem. What do they want in return? The beaten, broken body of high-school Spider-Man. See if they've been good villains this year, on Disney XD at 7:30 PM.

Spidey Promo:

Movies:

In Outbreak, Dustin Hoffman and Rene Russo attempt to stop the spread of a killer virus in NorCal, on AMC at 5 pm.

Tuesday:

Nova -
Have absolutely no musical talent whatsoever? (Hey, some of us aren't blessed.) Tonight on NOVA, scientists watch music's effects on four very different people, including one woman with amusia (the inability to process music). Listen in on PBS at 8 PM.

Better Off Ted -

Rejoice, nerd lovers — Phil and Lem are back, and as lovable as ever. This week, Linda has to move into Ted's office, and Lem asks Lucy out on a date. Let the romantic hilarity begin. All new episode on ABC at 9:30 PM.

Better Off Ted Promo:

Movies:

Adding fuel to the rumor mill fire, there are back-to-back Ghostbusters films tonight on AMC. The original and its sequel begin at 8 PM. Until then, enjoy this radical mash-up of NIN's "The Hand That Feeds" and the theme of the Extreme Ghostbusters cartoon.

Wednesday:

Monsters Inside Me -
There are things living inside of you, no lie they sneak into your bed and shoot eggs into your ears and crawl in and out of your mouths. In order to make sure NO ONE EVER SLEEPS AGAIN, Monsters Inside Me breaks down bugs living in people minds and in their eyes — and even helpful parasites. Enjoy this delightful show on Animal Planet, at 9 PM.

Movies:

Star Wars returns! Amid rumors that a new Star Wars tv series may be in the works, Spike is airing Episode II and Episode III beginning at 3 PM and 5:30 PM respectively. Here's the best trailer for the third ep.

Otherwise, Hugh Jackman gets hairy, showing why he got his own spin-off (which arguably began with this film). X-Men: The Last Stand airs on FX at 5:30 PM.

Thursday:

On the channel we're calling the Sci Fi Channel for just a few days more (till July 7, to be precise), there wil be a Twilight Zone marathon from 8 AM until late the 3 PM the next day.

Movies:

If you're looking for a really bad supernatural film, comparable to Catwoman, Sandra Bullock has a premonition of her husband's death in ... (wait for it) Premonition on TMC at 6 PM.

In other news (better news?), you can return to your roots with Star Wars Episode IV on Spike at 6 PM.

Friday:

It's just movie mania tonight.

Movies:

Van Helsing tracks down the Werewolves, Frankenstein and Dracula with a busty Kate Beckinsale by his side in Transylvania on FX at 6 PM. And right after, watch Kate become a vampire in Underworld: Evolution.

If continuing sagas are more your thing, Star Wars Episode V is on Spike at 6 PM.

But if you miss seeing the real Schwarzenegger Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgement Day airs on MTV at 10 PM.

Saturday:

Primeval -
This week on Primeval, insects from the the future threaten the lives of everyone in the U.K., yet again. I'm wondering why no one has ever said: "Why don't we plug up this anomaly thing, since it leads to so many problems?" Dinosaurs are fun, I guess. Primeval is on the BBC America at 8 PM.

Primeval Promo:

Kings -
In the second to last episode of the cut-too-short series, David heads out to uncover new info about his daddy's death. Back on the mainland, the royalty reacts to their son's engagement. Blame NBC for the demise of the show, at 9 PM.

Movies:

Finishing the story, Star Wars Episode VI should wrap up the week nicely on Spike at 7 PM.

Picking up where the SciFi Channel dropped the ball on the Bond theme-song debate, USA begins a Bond marathon with Dr. No at 9 AM. Throughout the day you can then watch, in order: Thunderball, The World is Not Enough, Tomorrow Never Dies, and Casino Royale. 12+ hours of Bond? What more could you ask for?

Sunday:

UPDATE: You guys are right TB is on vacation! But this is what will be coming out the following week. Many apologies!
True Blood -
The vampires are taking us all on a trip, to Dallas. Sadly old Daddy Bill has to come too and make sure nobody is having any fun, whatsoever. The next episode of True Blood heads to Texas in search of vampire murderers on HBO at 9 PM.

Movies:

There's an epic comic book movie marathon beginning with the totally-coulda-shoulda-been-better Superman Returns, followed by Fantastic Four, Spider-man 2.1, and X-Men: The Last Stand. After, if you're in the mood for some light fare, Ice Age and Ice Age 2 round out the full day of films. The world needs heroes, on FX, starting at 8 AM.

However, if you crave some pure science fiction films, the soon-to-be-Syfy Channel serves up a day of films beginning with 2007's Alien Agent, I Am Omega (an adaptation of Richard Matheson's "I Am Legend"), Blade Runner and Total Recall starting at 12 PM.

Alien Agent Trailer:

Additional reporting by Caitlin Petrakovitz.

The decision to cancel the show comes after months of speculation about its future; it's been known for some time that ITV was considering cancellation due to the high production cost, leading to producers Impossible Pictures offering a co-production deal with the SciFi Channel as an alternative way to lower costs. Instead, ITV decided to simply drop the show. An ITV spokesman told the Guardian newspaper:

After three very successful series of Primeval there are no plans at the present time for it to return to ITV. High-quality drama remains a key part of the ITV schedule although our current focus is on post-watershed [ie, post-9pm] productions.

Impossible Pictures, however, refuse to let the show die quietly, telling Total SciFi Online:

At the point where we finished the third series, we had every reason to believe we would be doing a fourth. Had we known there was any likelihood of cancellation, clearly we wouldn't have left half the cast marooned up a tree in the distant past. We can understand that some fans might be frustrated by this ending and we're sorry for that. It certainly wasn't our plan to leave things so uncertain. That said, some fans may know that there are ongoing talks for both a film and a North American series version of Primeval and if and when those projects come to fruition we will make every effort to carry on the story in a suitable way.

Obviously we're devastated that things should end this way with ITV. But we're absolutely certain that although this stage of its evolution seems to be over, Primeval isn't dead. We're very proud of what we've achieved over the past three years and we have every intention of keeping Primeval alive in other ways.

Primeval's final season is currently airing in the US on BBC America.

Primeval dropped by ITV [Guardian.co.uk], ITV cancel Primeval [Total SciFi Online]

Monday:

The Universe -
This weeks episode explores the dangers of space exploration, and the many ways the cosmic void can kill you. Check it out on the History Channel at 8 PM.

Tuesday:

Life After People -
Once we're all gone, what will happen to our all our WMDs? Will they detonate eventually, after time has its way with each deadly missile? Assuming any animals survive our extinction, would they be in danger if all the bombs on the Earth went boom? Life After People is on the History Channel at 9 PM.

Movies:

The saddest little robot in all the world with the longest never-ending tale, A.I., is on 7:30 PM on Cinemax.

Meet the man who's so extreme his name has three X's. That's right Vin Diesel's XXX, the movie about some tattooed extreme sports guy who has to fight terrorists (of course), is on 5 PM on FX.

Wednesday:

MonsterQuest -
The monster gang gets to the bottom of a monkey creature that terrorized the people of New Delhi in 2001. A South Asian cousin of Big Foot? I'm thinking yes, but get all the monster facts on the History Channel at 9 PM.

Mythbusters -
Time to test the curve-the-bullet theory from the scrupulously scientific movie Wanted, on Mythbusters over on the Discovery Channel at 9 PM.

Here Is The Actual Video From The User Challenge:

Thursday:

Eliza Dushku fans, rejoice! There's a Tru Calling marathon from 8 AM until 3 PM on the Syfy Channel.

Movies:

Watch the art of dragon riding and pouty swordplay, while watching Eragon at 7:30 PM on the ABC Family channel.

Learn how to drink beer the alien way in the SNL sketch inspired film Coneheads, staring the original players Dan Aykoyd and Jane Curtin. It airs on Comedy Central at 4:30 PM.

Friday:

Batman: The Brave and the Bold -
Jonah Hex winds up in Gotham after a battle with Zebra-Man, and a little time traveling. After some initial misundersandings, Batman is convinced to help Hex back to his time in exchange for information. The new episode is on Cartoon Network at 8:30 PM.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold Clip:

Batman: The Brave and the Bold Clip:

Saturday:

Kings -
God save NBC's Kings. The alternate reality monarchy drama is back in action tonight. Where did we leave off? In this episode Jack and David go to Gath to "shore up" the peace, and I think we all know what that means. Also Michelle prances around with her health bill some more, and Silas tries to protect the city from a plague (which was actually made before all this scary swine flu drama so how strangely timely). Kings is back at 8 PM on NBC, for two more weeks.

Primeval -
A flesh eating fungus from the past is unleashed onto our world turning one soul into a fungus monster. BBC America at 9 PM.

Primeval Trailer:

Pushing Daisies -
It's the proper series finale for Daisies. The Darling Mermaid Darling's rival Aquadolls are killed, which means it's time for a mermaid revival. Olive and Ned team up to uncover the murderer, while Chuck hides in the wings. Watch, for the last time, our dear pie-maker and friends, on ABC at 10 PM.

Trailer (Sorry it's in German, can't find English)

Sunday:

True Blood-
It's been too long since we've blown a blood line and got naked with the ridiculous vampire community in Bon Temps. But this Sunday Alan Ball's blood sucking series based on the books by Charlaine Harris is back. So whose foot was that in the car? Are our worst suspicions true, and the very best character from last season is now food for worms? Will I be able to even watch this series without one redeeming character (unless the new religious ones are interesting? I'm thinking no.) Guess we'll have to wait and see, on HBO at 9 PM.

True Blood Trailer Promo

Monday:

Underwater Universe -
Dive to the bottom of the ocean without getting wet. Learn all about deadly threats in the deep blue sea, as the special takes you to the seven deadliest zones in the history of the ocean. Check it out on the History Channel at 8 PM.

Tuesday:

Earth 2100 -
ABC imagines what will happen to our filthy, polluting butts in 2100, by consulting the experts and asking for video submissions from people all over. In their nightmare scenario, gas will be $9 a gallon and a carton of milk will be $12. Hell, screw the endangered species — that's expensive. But if you factor in inflation... maybe we'll focus back on the animals. One expert theorizes that we'll resort back to a Medieval caste system, which could be fun if it's like we get to live in an SCA gathering full-time. ABC News Special: Earth 2100 is on at 9 PM.

Trailer:

Clip:


Clip:


Clip:


Clip:


Clip:

Movies:

Buckle down for a back-to-back buster evening, with screenings of the original Ghostbusters at 8 PM and Ghostbusters II at 10:30 PM on AMC.

Wednesday:

MonsterQuest -
The monster hunters trek over to Papau New Guinea in search of a flying creature with a 20-ft. wingspan... aaaaand sold. See if the being is a terrifying giant bat, or just a dragon, on the History Channel at 9 PM.

Life After People -
So now that we know what will happen to paintings and our swimming pools (both will become overrun by bugs and disease) what about Sin City? What's in store for Las Vegas, once we're all gone? Will the animals learn how to play blackjack? Life After People is on the History Channel at 9 PM.

Mythbusters -
Can you really tunnel your way out of a cement prison with a tiny mallet? New Mythbusters puts science to work on common prison escape myths on the Discovery Channel at 9 PM.

Movies:
Possibly the best of the Stargate movies, Continuum, is on the Syfy Channel at 9 PM. Delve deep into the man that is Ben Browder, when the world erases him (and many members of his team) from existence, at 9 PM.

Thursday:

There is an original-series Land Of The Lost marathon over at the Syfy Channel from 6 AM until 5:30 PM.

Friday:

Batman: The Brave and the Bold -
Catwoman is getting frisky, and interfering with our main Bat's plans for a quiet crime free evening. Plus, the Red Tornado faces a difficult decision when he needs to turn off his own son. The new episode is on Cartoon Network at 8:30 PM.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold Clip:

Batman: The Brave and the Bold Clip:

Batman: The Brave and the Bold Clip:

Saturday:

Primeval -
Mick steals an anomaly detector to uncover what's going on at the airport. But when a Giganotosaurus appears they have figure out a way to get it back in time, before the public realizes they're in danger and panics. That's on BBC America at 9 PM.

Primeval Trailer:

Pushing Daisies -
A rich man's murder leads some breadcrumbs to the location of Emerson's missing daughter. David Arquette moons over Olive as Randy Mann. Catch the second to last Daisies ever on ABC, at 10 PM.

Trailer (Sorry it's in German, can't find English)

Sunday:

Movies:
The Syfy channel premiere of Bottom Feeders, a bloody little film about a maintenance crew that becomes the snack for the monster living in their building. Starring Tom Sizemore, on the Syfy Channel at 8 PM.

British newspaper the Guardian is reporting that, despite Primeval being one of ITV's most successful dramas, the high production costs may force the network to share expenses with the UK SciFi Channel, allowing them to show the series before it ends up on its home network. While neither SciFi nor Primeval production company Impossible Pictures offered comment - and ITV's comment was a generic "no decision has been made about a fourth season yet" - an anonymous source was quoted as saying:

Everything is being looked at to see if the show can be brought in most cost-effectively and there is a plan that has been put to ITV which involves other channels. It is a couple of weeks away from a decision. [ITV Director] Peter Fincham wants to see what kind of business deals can be put together.

The UK SciFi Channel shares a parent company, NBC Universal, with the American SciFi/SyFy, which leads us to wonder whether a deal could be worked out allowing the US channel to own American rights and premiere the episodes simultaneously with ITV in the UK, similar to the co-funding of Battlestar Galactica between the US SciFi and UK Sky networks...

ITV could share cost of Primeval with rival digital channel [MediaGuardian.co.uk]

Tuesday:

Reaper -
Sam gets his chance to win back his soul from the Devil, but what game will they play? Reaper is on the CW at 8 PM.

Reaper Promo:

Reaper Promo:

Wednesday:

Tales From The Darkside marathon on the Syfy Channel form 8 AM until 3:30 PM.

Life After People -
What will happen to the Mona Lisa once we've all left the planet? Or what about the Declaration of Independence, the cable cars in San Francisco and the Liberty Bell? Does it even matter if we're all dead or gone? Answer these important eschatological questions, with Life After People, on the History Channel at 9 PM

Thursday:

Mythbusters -
What happens when you combine thermite and ice? Kaboom. Apparently there's a myth solved somewhere in there as well, but come on — things go boom! New Mythbusters on the Discovery Channel at 9 PM.

Kablam Clip:

How To Make Thermite Clip:

Friday:

Batman: The Brave and the Bold -
Bat-Mite is channeling the Great Gazoo, floating around and making Batman's life a little more troubling. Especially when he upgrades his gear. But how could the Bat get mad at that face? Check out the clips below. The new episode is on Cartoon Network a 8:30 PM.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold Clip:

Batman: The Brave and the Bold Clip:

Batman: The Brave and the Bold Clip:

Saturday:

Primeval -
Correction and UPDATE actual summary: "Cute but surprisingly dangerous burrowing creatures called Diictodons almost cause a disaster at a hospital when an anomaly opens from the Permian era. Calamity is averted by Cutter, Connor, Abby and Becker who, in the course of the story, are obliged to get the creatures back to their own time whilst simultaneously delivering a (human) baby. A dogged journalist, determined to catch one of the creatures and expose the ARC and its secrets to the world, doesn't help the situation. Meanwhile Lester, Jenny and Sarah are confronted with an attack on the ARC, led by Helen and a small army of "Cleaner Replicas". " That's on BBC America at 9 PM.

Primeval Clip:

Sunday:

Aqua Teen Hunger Force -
Tonight is the big live action ATHF premiere. Singer T-Pain (you know the "Buy You A Drank" guy) is playing Frylock (and is also getting his own series next year). Dave Long Jr. (found in an open audition) is Carl (that's a big wife beater to fill) and Jon Benjamin will be Master Shake. Check it out, on Cartoon Network at 11:45 PM. .

Best Of Carl:


u

Monday:

Weaponizers -
Cars are turned into weapons Death Race/Mad Max style. In fact, one of the new episodes this week (there are two back-to-back) is focusing exclusively on cars inspired by Mad Max. The other episode pits a meat truck against an ice-cream trolly. The ultimate showdown! Check it out on the Discovery Channel at 8 and 9 PM.

Weaponizers Promo:

Movies:

A classic example of "be careful what you wish for" is the film Click. When hard-at-work father, played by Adam Sandler, is granted the gift of a remote control to his life he can now fast forward through all the boring parts, like work and fights with his hottie wife. But, uh oh — turns out it's the boring parts that make up an important part of the journey of life. It's like the time I wished for more Christopher Walken cameos in my movie life, but what I received was Walken guiding Sandler down a vomit inducing journey towards self discovery, spewing out craptastic family comes first lines, while working in the "Beyond" section of Bed Bath and Beyond. Click is on FX at 8 PM.

Tuesday:

Still need that Eliza Dushku fix? You're in luck, there is a Tru Calling marathon on the Syfy Channel from 8 AM until 3 PM.

Reaper -
Sam gets a message from his Dad — from hell — which may be the key to ending his deal with the devil. Reaper is on the CW at 8 PM.

Reaper Clip:

Reaper Promo:

Life After People -
If the human species disappeared off the face of the planet, Miami would eventually be washed away and alligators would rule the Earth, or something similar to that. Life After People is on the History Channel at 9 PM

Wednesday:

Mythbusters -
What do a small girl, a screwdriver and a seesaw all have in common? The Mythbusters are finding out on the Discovery Channel at 9 PM.

Movies:

Enjoy David Bowie doing what he does best: acting like an out of place alien astronaut who lands on Earth, in Nicolas Roeg's The Man Who Fell To Earth on the Sundance Channel at 10:30 PM.

Thursday:

There will be a Level 9 marathon on the Syfy Channel from 8 AM until 3 PM.

Movies:

Battle demons with Keanu Reeves' magical tattoos, in Constantine on AMC at 10:30 PM.

Friday:

Batman: The Brave and the Bold -
Robin teams up with the Bat again to fight Crazy Quilt. But it sounds as though there may be some unspoken tension between the two crusaders. The new episode is on Cartoon Network a 8:30 PM.

Movies:

There's a pretty solid movie marathon over at the Syfy Channel all day, highlighting a lot of quality flicks including The Thing at 12:30 PM, Judge Dredd at 4:30 PM, Total Recall at 6:30 PM, The Descent at 9 PM and Freddy Versus Jason at 11 PM.

Saturday:

Primeval -
The latest beastie to mess with the Primeval gang has superior camouflage, and sharp pointy fangs. See how the gang captures this crafty little gremlin, on BBC America at 9 PM.

Primeval Clip:

Movies:

Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock are hippie witches who now have to fend for themselves, after "accidentally" murdering an ex-boyfriend. Think of it as a romantic comedy with magic, completely with the obligatory "we're so happy we dance around the table" scene. Practical Magic is on ABC Family at 10 PM.

Sunday:

Aqua Teen Hunger Force -
Frylock falls takes a side job in "Der Inflatable Fuhrer" on the Cartoon Network on at 11:45 PM. Don't forget next week ATHF is live action.

ATHF Promo:

Movies:

Celebrate the swine flu, by remembering when we all used to be afraid of Ebola. Outbreak, the movie where Dustin Hoffman's words save a small city, is on AMC at 7 PM.

Digital Spy reports that Impossible Pictures, Primeval's production company, have started planning for a spin-off from the British television series that will "take the show's mythology beyond the UK," potentially all the way to the US.

So far, no US networks have been namedropped by anyone spreading the story, but if the rumors turn out to be true, don't be too surprised to see the show co-produced by Warner Bros. (responsible for the upcoming movie), and showing up on SyFy, which currently re-runs the British series after its first US broadcast on BBC America.

Reports: 'Primeval' spinoff in the pipeline [Digital Spy]

According to Variety, Warner Bros. has officially purchased the Primeval screen rights in a "high-six-figure deal," and Akiva Goldsman and Kerry Foster are set up to produce, along with Emily Cummins. Goldsman is planning to hire a writer to draft the script, which will transplant the action of the film from the U.K. to the U.S.

And the U.S. version will ramp up the action, probably thanks to an amped-up effects budget. Says Foster:

There is a solid mythology to the series, but the movie has the dinosaur element of ‘Jurassic Park' and the time travel element of ‘Lost,' and it just feels like the kind of big movie that Warner Bros. does well.

While the big-screen production is clearly a ways away still, the new season of Primeval begins airing on BBC America tomorrow, May 16 at 9 ET (8 Central).

Warners follows 'Primeval' urge [Variety.com]

The survey of 3000 UK parents, carried out by website TheBabyWebsite.com, happily blamed television for children's bad dreams:

All children suffer from nightmares at some point during childhood. But there is no doubt that viewing unnecessary violence and hostility on television contributes to this.

Who wasn't the only show named and shamed; Primeval, Ben 10 and even Power Rangers had fingers pointed at them as bad influences, with two thirds of those polled admitting that they had trouble choosing what was and wasn't suitable for their children. Doctor Who, in particular, was singled out for being "too dark and sinister for under seven-year-olds," with the majority of those polled wanting it to be pushed to a later, less kid-friendly timeslot.

Speaking as someone who went through enough "watching television from behind my hands" moments as a nipper, I now want someone to poll 3000 British kids about how destructive to fertile imaginations over-protective parenting can be in the long-term. As well as the next season of Doctor Who to contain at least one terrifying moment per episode, just because.

TV shows including Doctor Who 'giving children nightmares' [Telegraph.co.uk]

BBC America sent us DVDs of the first two episodes of Primeval season three, and the show about monsters and rips in the fabric of space/time has continued to develop. The cast of monster-hunters is a bit different than in season one, and there are monsters from the future, plus there are mysterious artifacts, conspiracies within conspiracies, and a healthy amount of romantic intrigue.

In the first episode of the season, there's an ancient Egyptian shrine thingy in the British Museum, and it turns out the Egyptians trapped a hole in space/time, out of which come dinosaurs known as Pristichampsuses, which the Egyptians used to worship/fear as the demon Ammut. Basically it's a big crocodile terrorizing London, until it goes away agin. And then in the second episode, there's a haunted house, where a gremlin from the future has killed three boys, and our heroes investigate.

I had previously watched a couple of episodes of Primeval season one, and hadn't been able to get into it at all. So I was hoping things would be different this time around, and season three would suddenly electrify my brain. Sadly, that wasn't the case - the show still feels like a warmed-over copy of Torchwood to me. I couldn't get interested in any of the characters, from the moody scientist Nick Cutter to Connor, who inexplicably dresses like he's in a Thompson Twins video.

Oh, and in the first episode, they meet a cute Egyptologist, who's moderately useful since they're dealing with a monster that has a lot of ancient Egyptian lore about it - and then they recruit her to join the team. Because when you're coping with dinosaurs and "future Predators" every week, what you really need is an expert on Egyptian funerary practices. It makes perfect sense! Actually, there is a sort of explanation for their decision to recruit Sarah Page to the team - their leader, Nick Cutter, has decided all ancient myths are actually about monsters coming out of temporal anomalies. And he thinks that because Page knows about Egyptian mythology, she'll be able to help him chart every myth in the world.

The other thing that sort of turned me off the show originally, the copious amounts of goofy humor, are still in full effect, mostly centered on Connor. In the first episode, Page tells Connor that by touching some Egyptian thingy, he's incurred some ancient curse, and is now doomed to die, like her friend who died earlier in the episode. And then it turns out she was just joking. (But meanwhile, we get to see Connor "hilariously" freaking out about it.)

Anyway, I hate to be negative about this show - it does have some nice CG monsters, and there are some fun monster-hunting bits. The "future gremlins" are sort of spooky, especially when they camouflage themselves. All of the stuff about conspiracies and mysterious artifacts from a vaguely apocalyptic future is intriguing, and Wikipedia says it all gets a lot more intense later in the season. If you feel sad that there's not more SF on television, you could definitely do worse than curling up with Primeval this weekend.

But sadly, it just didn't excite me at all - even as the monsters from the past and future were being flung out of time to terrorize the people of London, it all felt like something I'd seen before.

Monday:

Movies:

In a future where cloning is possible but human cloning illegal, Arnold Schwarzenneger returns home to find a clone of himself living with his family. If only this were real life, so that Arnold could govern California and make more totally awesome movies like this simultaneously. The 6th Day is on Showtime at 3:45 PM.

Hulk is Ed Norton. That's more like it. Hulk not smash this movie. The Incredible Hulk is on Cinemax at 10 PM.

Tuesday:

Fringe -
After the mean way Oliva brought our beloved Walter to tears in last weeks episode, I'm not surprised he took off with the Observer. Okay, maybe he deserved it a tiny bit, but Olivia you are a wicked, wicked lady in a sharp business suit. This is is the big season finale for Fringe — and you know what that means: time for the William Bell cameo. I trust you all remember who's portraying the evil CEO of Massive Dynamics? Fringe is on Fox at 9 PM.

Fringe Promo:

Reaper -
Sam has to capture his jerky old high school biology teacher, while Ben is stuck fighting off attacking demons, drawn to Nina's pheromones. Reaper is on the CW at 8 PM.

Reaper Clip:

Reaper Promo:

Life After People -
What will happen to all of our precious metals, once people are wiped from he face of the Earth? Surprisingly even less interesting than the pools-of-disease theme from last week. But on the plus side, this week we find out what the horses will do without us. Run free, Black Stallion! Life After People is on the History Channel at 9 PM

Life After People Promo:

Wednesday:

Lost: A Journey in Time -
Recap your favorite Lost moments from the season and prepare for the oncoming finale, in an hour-long clip show on at 8 PM on ABC.

Lost -
So are we going to blow up the island this week, or just keep talking about it? This is it kids, the season finale of Lost. The big reveal. Jack must once again convince everyone he's right... or maybe wrong, because what is he island if not a place to revolt against Jack Sheppard? Also, we're getting Kate, Juliet and Sawyer flashbacks, and hopefully ending this tedious love quadrangle once and for all. Check it out on ABC at 9 PM.

Lost Clip:

Lost Promo:

Mythbusters -
Can you explode a car from the bumper? Find out all you ever wanted to know about locomotive lore at Mythbusters on the Discovery Channel at 9 PM.

Movies:

Watch Alan Tudyck's CG robot face steal each scene from an actual human, Will Smith, in I, Robot on FX at 5:30 PM.

Thursday:

Batman: The Brave and the Bold -
Booster travels back in time for celebrity status, but winds up helping Vandal and Savage with their evil deeds. The new episode is on Cartoon Network a 8:30 PM.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold Clip

Batman: The Brave and the Bold Clip

Batman: The Brave and the Bold Clip

Smallville -
Clark's death is on the horizon, because of his incompetent friend Chloe and her never-ending ability to ruin everything. It's the Superman versus Doomsday showdown, and final episode of the season. Let's hope it goes out with a bang... that ends Chloe. Smallville is on the CW at 8 PM.

Smallville Clip

Smallville Promo

Supernatural -
The finale of the fourth season of Supernatural has the two brothers revving up to fight Lucifer to prevent the end of the world, but can these two siblings stop fighting each other long enough to actually fight the baddies? See the big fight on the CW at 9 PM

3 Supernatural Clips:

Supernatural Promo:

Supernatural Promo:

Friday:

Movies:
The Serenity crew is back, in this follow up the dearly departed Joss Whedon series Firefly and as usual they're on the run from the powers that be. Catch Serenity at 6:30 PM on the Syfy Channel.

Saturday:

Primeval-
It's the start of the third season, and the first beastie we meet is an ancient Egyptian crocodile, or the Pristichampsus. The massive croc pops by London's British Museum, after an anomaly is opened, and now it's up to the gang to send it back where it came from. Primeval is on BBC America at 9 PM.

Primeval Season 3 Promo:

Movies:

In an eerily similar world to the eerie world of I Am Legend, viewers are left wondering who this Will Smith impersonator is and where is his dog. I Am Omega is on the Syfy Channel at 3 PM.

Sunday:

Aqua Teen Hunger Force
Frylock falls in love, on the Cartoon Network on at 11:45 PM.

Movies:

Ah, one of my favorites. Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn will stop at nothing to gain revenge and beauty. Using Bruce Willis as their little man pawn, the two try to one-up the other all the way to a secret underground society that will give you eternal youth, even in death. Death Becomes Her is on We at 7 PM.

Additional reporting from Julia Carusillo

The creators of Walking with Dinosaurs are working on a U.S. Primeval film, in the works for 2010. Work will begin on the movie later this year, stateside. No word on who is involved just yet, but we'll keep you posted.

And for those of you who have been patiently awaiting the return of your time-warp monster series, we're mere days away from the U.S. TV premiere. The next season will start (on BBC America) on Saturday, May 16, 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. And here are a few sneak peaks for those of you who can't wait another second.

In the novel Primeval: Extinction Event,

When strange anomalies in time start to appear, Evolutionary Zoologist Professor Cutter and his team must help track down and capture a multitude of dangerous prehistoric creatures from Earth's distant past…and distant future. Continuing the exciting new series of original novels spinning out of the BBC America series from Impossible Pictures comes PRIMEVAL: EXTINCTION EVENT [Titan Books, March 2009].

When an Entelodon goes on the rampage down Oxford Street in central London causing untold damage and loss of life, Cutter decides that a new approach to tackling the anomalies is needed. When a mysterious Russian scientist arrives at the ARC, Cutter thinks he might have found the answer...

Written by Dan Abnett (Horus Rising, Border Princes), Extinction Event follows Cutter and the team on a thrilling journey across the globe to Siberia, where they're forced to confront an anomaly problem on an epic scale.

And here's an exclusive look at chapter two. Enjoy!

TWO

It was going to be bad.

Central London, a weekday lunchtime, fine weather, crowded streets; the factors did not add up well. Whenever the ADD - the anomaly detector - painted a contact anywhere near a population centre, the team moved with particular urgency. Today, the contact point was slap bang in the middle of the biggest population centre around.

"Let's hope it's something small and fluffy," James Lester said, sitting in the back of the sleek black SUV as it attempted to edge through the dense traffic. "Something from a quieter moment in history. Something cute. Perhaps something furry with big eyes. Or something pretty and bird-like. I don't know, something -"

"Vegetarian?" Jenny suggested.

Lester turned to look at her.

"Vegetarian would be good," he agreed. "Vegetarian would be excellent." Jenny Lewis returned her attention to the laptop that was open on her knees.

"Cover story?" Lester asked.

"Just the basic shape for the press release," she replied, "so we can rush it out as soon as the incident's been contained."

Lester pulled out his mobile and tried a number. Then he made a face.

"Cutter's not picking up. Why doesn't that surprise me? Far be it from him to keep us in the loop."

"He's probably got his hands full," Jenny offered, still typing.

Lester leaned forward, and raised his voice.

"Can we get through this?" he asked the driver. "Can we try? We're not even on Charing Cross Road."

"It's a bit stuck, sir," the driver replied.

Lester made a slightly pained expression and sat back. Jenny looked up. "If it doesn't start moving soon, I'm going to get out and walk," she said. Lester didn't look too enamoured of that idea.

"It's Oxford Street," she continued. "The contact was right on Oxford Street. That's got to be less than 300 yards from here. I -"

"Bloody hell," the driver exclaimed emphatically.

Suddenly, there were people all around them, a rushing tide of people pushing and threading through the stationary traffic. They were moving fast, in panic, in fear. There was a commotion of agitated voices, shouting and yelling. Lester's vehicle rocked as the flow of bodies bumped and shoved past it. Hundreds of people - shoppers, tourists, city workers - were pouring back down Charing Cross Road from the direction of Oxford Street.

"Oh God," Lester sighed.

"I think that pretty much answers the question," Jenny said.

"What?"

"It's not vegetarian."

"Hold on," Cutter told them.

"No no no no no!" Connor pleaded from the passenger seat next to him.

The road was blocked. Hastily abandoned cars littered the street, and floods of people were swarming towards them. Cutter swung the wheel, and the big silver pick-up mounted the curb at speed. He kept one palm flat on the horn, encouraging people to get out of his way.

"Try not to kill anyone!" Abby called out from the back.

"Particularly, like, us!" Connor added.

Nick Cutter's expression was grim. He didn't reply. He kept his hand on the horn, and his foot on the accelerator. The pick-up blasted down the pavement. He had to jink the wheel to avoid an old man who seemed too dazed to get out of the way, and the pick-up's bull bars clipped a litter bin and sent it flying across the road.

"Was that a person? Oh God, did we just hit someone?" Connor asked.

He had his hands over his eyes.

"No, we didn't," Cutter muttered. He wrenched on the wheel, and bumped them off the pavement and across a zebra crossing. He spun the wheel sharply again, and began to drive down Oxford Street on the wrong side of the road.

Two black Land Rovers with tinted windows followed Cutter's pick-up in a tight, obedient formation. Every wild turn and illegal manoeuvre Cutter made, the Land Rovers stuck right with him, following him down the pavement and across the zebra crossing in a high-speed convoy, nose to tail.

The crowds of fleeing civilians began to thin. Within moments only an occasional straggler fled past, sprinting in the opposite direction.

Oxford Street - in the middle of a weekday lunchtime - had emptied. It looked like the four-minute warning had sounded. Buses, taxies, and the odd private car choked the street in both directions, but they were all empty. Some had been left with their doors open and their engines running. That spoke of an alarming haste to leave. There were abandoned bicycles, scattered bags of shopping, even a discarded set of golf-sale sandwich boards.

"How close?" Cutter asked.

"I couldn't say," Connor replied.

"Would you be able to say if you opened your eyes and looked at the detector?"

"Probably," Connor agreed. He opened his eyes. They were back in the middle of the road, travelling down the centre line between the queues of cars and buses. Connor didn't think their wing mirrors were long for this world.

"Um, island," he said, pointing.

"I see it," Cutter snapped, and he brutally swerved the pick-up around the traffic island without losing speed. "Detector?"

Lurching in the passenger seat of the thundering pick-up, Connor studied the display on the portable detector.

"Okay, less than a hundred metres now," Connor said.

"Stop!" Abby cried.

Cutter hit the brakes and brought the pick-up to a juddering halt. The two black Land Rovers behind it braked savagely. The leading Land Rover turned out and came to a halt beside Cutter's pick-up.

The Land Rover's side window whirred down, revealing Hemple's frowning face.

"Professor?" he asked.

Cutter nodded ahead, as if that said it all. Then he got out of the vehicle. Abby took two CO2 pistols and two air-pump rifles out of the pick-up's weapons case and loaded them, then she and Connor followed him.

Hemple touched his radio headset.

"Bone Idol is moving. Switching to feet. Go, go!"

The ARC's armed response alpha team executed a rapid dismount from the Land Rovers. There were six of them - including Jake Hemple - all dressed in black battledress and stab vests, and brandishing a variety of ultra-modern assault weapons. Before joining the ARC, every single one of them had been something seriously heavy in the services: SAS, paras, commando.

"Bone Idol?" Cutter asked, glancing at Hemple as they strode forward.

"Really?"

Hemple shrugged.

"I don't make the code names up, Professor."

"Who does?"

"I would imagine that would be Miss Lewis," Hemple replied.

"Yes, I imagine it would," Cutter said, glaring ahead.

"Do I have a code name?" Connor asked eagerly.

"Yes," Hemple responded.

Ahead of them, the abandoned traffic had been rearranged. Several cars seemed to have been shunted out of line, forming a fairly effective roadblock across the street. Abby handed a CO2 pistol and an air-pump rifle to Cutter. He tucked the pistol into his belt and checked the rifle's pump pressure.

Hemple raised his right fist and signalled his team forward. They skirted between the jumbled cars, crab-walking with their weapons aimed tight to their cheeks. Hemple and three of the others carried MP53s. Jenkins and Mason had Benelli MI Super 90 semi-automatic shotguns.

Cutter and Abby led the way, with Connor in tow, keeping his eyes on the portable detector. Hemple fanned his fire team out so that all three of the principals were in sight and covered at any time. He'd been working with the ARC long enough to know that things could hit the fan on an average day just as messily as they could in Basra or Helmand. He'd seen things, things his old oppos in 22 Regiment would never believe in a million years.

A million? Make that millions.

The shame of it was, Hemple wasn't allowed to talk about any of it. It was an odd job to wind up in, that was for sure. Here they were, walking down the middle of Oxford Street, armed to the gills, troubleshooting for three oddball civilians.

There was Connor, a tall and gangly lad with shaving issues. He was a joker, a whizz-kid, a computer nerd... or was he a computer geek? Hemple wasn't sure. There was Abby Maitland, petite and very pretty with her bob of white-blonde hair. Every time they went out on a call, she displayed a serious devotion to her work that would put most servicemen to shame.

Then there was the professor, Nick Cutter, clean-shaven with light, unruly hair, mean and moody, driven and brilliant. Like all brilliant men, he wasn't an easy ride. Hemple admired him, but he didn't get him at all. Cutter had a bitter, wounded air about him, as if he'd lost too much already and was damned if he was going to let anything else slip away.

Cutter was leading the way through the stranded traffic. With his cargo trousers, his faded, green army jacket and his rifle, he looked for all the world like a great white hunter stalking big game on the veldt.

Hemple wondered exactly how big the day's game was going to be.

"Wow, that's not right," Connor said.

They were coming up on a black cab in the middle of the road ahead of them. The cab had been rammed with such force it had been flipped over onto its side. It lay in a starburst of chipped windscreen glass.

Connor stooped and peered in through the shattered window.

"Just look for the anomaly," Cutter said. "We must be right on it."

There was a brief, deep snorting sound from somewhere nearby. Cutter took off at once, and Abby and Connor went with him as if they were tied to him with string.
Hemple waved his men after them.

Cutter ran to the next corner and skidded to a halt, looking around rapidly. The others came up behind him.

"Anything?" Abby asked.

Cutter shook his head.

"Can you still hear it?"

"No," Cutter said, "it's gone. I can smell something though."

"Oh, nice!" Connor exclaimed. He'd stepped off the pavement and planted his right foot in a spatter of wet dung. "Oh, my shoe! Oh, that's nasty!"

Cutter came over and bent down to examine the fecal matter.

"It's fresh," Connor moaned, "though not in every sense of the word. Look at my shoe! That's a brand-new pair of Vans, and they're ruined!" He started to scrape his sole against the kerb.

"Well, Professor, did you find some useful... er… excrement?" Hemple asked, standing over Cutter.

"Oh, it smells really bad!" Connor complained. He found some discarded napkins and began to wipe off the offending fecal matter.

"Uh, yeah," Cutter said to Hemple. "From the volume of the scat, it looks as if we're dealing with a pretty big creature."

"I guessed that from the overturned taxi," Hemple said.

"True," Cutter replied. "As for the consistency..."

"Yes, let's examine that in detail," Hemple suggested with a wry smile.

Cutter looked up and beckoned over Abby.

"What do you think?" he asked her.

"I can't be sure," she said, crouching down to look more closely, "but I'd say we're looking for an omnivore. Not a discriminating one, either. There's a lot of bone matter ground up in this, and undigested bark. All sorts of things."

"So?"

Abby stood up and looked around.

"I don't know. A giant pig?" she suggested.

"A giant pig," Hemple echoed doubtfully.

"Well, it's not an exact science," she protested.

"And it smells! Science smells!" Connor groaned, still wiping his shoe.

"We've got to spread out," Cutter said.

"I'd be happier if we stayed as one group," Hemple countered.

"I'd be happier if this wasn't happening at all," Cutter replied. "We've got to find this creature quick smart. It's big, it's aggravated, and it's not fussy about what it takes a bite out of. It may not even be on Oxford Street any more. It could have gone off down a side road. It could have gone anywhere."

Hemple sighed.

"I need Connor and Abby to find the anomaly and lock down its location," Cutter told him.

"Mason? Redfern? Stay with them." Hemple turned to the others. "Rest
of you are with me and the prof."

Cutter and the four soldiers moved away down the street. Cutter looked back over his shoulder.

"The anomaly," he urged, "quickly, please."

Connor nodded and with a final wipe he turned his attention back to the detector.

"Where do we start?" Mason asked, the big shotgun propped across his shoulder.

Connor slowly turned in a circle, standing on the spot, holding the detector up.

"We're right on top of it. This way."

He moved towards the nearest shops. Mason swung in behind him, his shotgun lowered to a cover position. The other soldier, Redfern, had his MP53 pulled up tight against his chest.

"After you, miss," he said to Abby. "And stay where I can see you."

Cutter walked another thirty yards down the street, with Hemple and his men in tow. They passed two more vehicles - a BT van and another black cab - that had been struck and damaged. Both vehicles looked as though someone had gone at them angrily with a battering ram.

Cutter thought he heard the deep, ragged snorting noise again. Jenkins turned to the left sharply, aiming his shotgun.

"Contact!" he barked.

"Hold your fire!" Hemple countered. He ran forward. There was a woman crumpled up in the doorway of a shoe shop. Her hair was bedraggled, and the front of her coat was soaked in blood.

"Dammit!" Cutter growled, moving beside Hemple and bending over her.

"Miss? It's okay," Hemple said softly. "You're going to be okay."

The woman didn't reply. Her face was pale and she was staring at nothing. Her whole body was trembling very slightly.

"She's in shock," Cutter said. He reached in and gently moved her coat aside. There was no sign of injury.

"That's not her blood," Cutter confirmed. Parts of her coat were damp with something other than blood. Cutter touched the patches and sniffed his fingertips.

"That's got to be saliva," he said. "Smells pretty rank."

"What did you see? Miss? What did you see?"

The woman was virtually catatonic. She didn't respond to Hemple.

"Sir!" one of the team shouted.

Hemple and Cutter got up.

"Stay with her," Hemple told Jenkins. "Keep talking to her." Jenkins nodded, and knelt down in the doorway beside the woman.

Cutter and Hemple hurried to catch up with the other two men.

They'd come to a halt beside a single-decker bus. As he approached, Cutter saw what they were standing over, and turned his head aside in anger and disappointment.

"We've got two dead here," Garney, one of the two squad members, said. He gestured to the body at his feet, and to another one nearby.

"There's another one over by the kerb."

"Oh God," Cutter murmured.

"I can't work out if they've been bitten or trampled to death," Murdoch, the other trooper, said.

"Or both," Garney suggested.

It was a fearful, mangled mess. There was blood right across the road, and it had spattered up the side of the bus and all over the white plastic traffic bollards on a nearby island. Deep impact dents showed where the side of the bus had been struck several times. Some of the side windows were broken.

Cutter made himself look at the bodies. This is what it meant when he didn't get his job done - death, horrible, undeserved, violent death; innocent people caught in harm's way, their normal, everyday lives ended, cut off. He wondered who the victims were. What had they been doing? Had they been shopping, or on their lunch breaks, or heading for an early showing at the cinema? What had they been planning for the rest of their day, their week?

Their lives?

Who was going to miss them when they didn't come home?

Cutter swallowed hard. Anger swirled impotently inside him. How many more was it going to have to be?

He closed his eyes, and saw Stephen's face.

He heard a deep, snorting noise.

Cutter opened his eyes. He listened hard. He glanced at Hemple and the two troopers, his expression fixed, and motioned them to follow him. Thirty yards away, behind a Fed Ex van, something large was moving around. They could hear it snuffling and grunting. Over the top of the van, Cutter glimpsed a fleshy, humped back, thick with dark bristles. It was big, all right, whatever it was. He could smell its ripe, pungent odour.

He advanced more slowly now, the rifle in one hand, his other hand open and raised at his side, emphasising caution.

The thing behind the van moved again. They could hear what sounded like hooves clopping on the asphalt.

"Steady," Cutter whispered. "I want to get the first shot. I want it alive, if possible."

"After what it did to those people?" Garney said, a look of shock on his face.

"I want it alive," Cutter repeated.

He took another step.

His mobile started to ring.

Cutter hit ‘reject call' as quickly as he could, glancing down. On the mobile's screen, the caller ID read ‘Jenny Lewis'.

But he hadn't been fast enough. The creature had heard. There was a violent, ugly snort from behind the Fed Ex van, and something struck the side of the vehicle so hard that it rocked down on its shocks. Then whatever it was started moving away, and quickly. They heard it crunching into vehicles. They heard the hoof-like clatter on the road surface.

"Come on!" Cutter yelled.

With the soldiers at his heels, he started to chase after it.

"He's still not answering," Jenny snapped. She glanced at Lester. He was leaning back in his seat, his head resting on one hand in a pose that oozed listless tedium. He was drumming the fingers of his other hand on his armrest.

Outside, the street had become quieter. The mad rush of people had passed by. Drivers were getting out of the jammed cars to look around. A few of them were leaving their vehicles and hurrying away to follow the crowd. But even though the people were gone, their vehicles still sat in the way.

"I'm not just going to sit here," she said. "Are you coming?"

Lester shifted in his seat.

"I'll coordinate from here," he said.

"Fine," she replied, getting out of the car and slamming the door.

Lester wound down his window as she began to stride away.

"Jenny?" he called.

"Yes?" she said, turning back.

"Try not to get eaten or anything."

"I'll do my best," she responded, then she spun and marched off between the rows of halted cars towards Oxford Street.

As she walked, she pulled out her mobile and tried Cutter again.

Abby looked at Connor.

"In here?" she asked, doubtfully.

"That's what it's telling me," he replied, carefully studying the detector's display.

They were facing the entrance of a small arthouse cinema, a tallfronted building sandwiched between a mini-market and a budget travel office. The marquee board promised some European arthouse classic, the sort of film Connor would gnaw his own leg off to escape.

"Keep behind me," Mason said. He led the way in with the shotgun ready. Abby and Connor followed, and Redfern brought up the rear.

The lobby was small and dark. There was no one around. It took a moment for their eyes to adapt from the bright sunlight in the street. A spinner full of leaflets had been knocked over near the concessions, and the ticket office door was open, as if someone had left in a hurry. They could hear the soundtrack and dialogue of the movie booming from the theatre next door.

"We're right on it," Connor said, reading the display on his portable detector.

"Can you smell that?" Abby asked.

"More dung," Redfern noted.

"I suppose." She nodded.

With Mason in the lead, they pushed open the swing doors of the cinema. The amplified sound and jumping blue-grey flicker of the screen washed over them. There was another light too, a softer light. Connor felt the magnetic tug on all things metal.

They stepped into the cinema.

It was very dark. The silhouettes of the seat backs looked like rows of molars. A gamine Sixties ingenue gazed soulfully out of the black-an-white world of the film, while a man spoke French off-camera.

Off to the left there was a hole that had once been a side door. Something large had gone that way, and just beyond they saw the dim impression of daylight, indicating the route the creature had taken to the street.

The anomaly floated in front of the screen, like a scintillating, multifaceted jewel catching, like sunlight, on a patch of rippled water.

"Bingo!" Connor said, triumphantly.

"What was that noise?" Abby asked, looking around.

"Where has it got to?" Hemple demanded, running up.

"Wait, wait," Cutter whispered. They kept their heads down, and threaded between the abandoned vehicles. They saw a scraped fender or a dented wing every few yards. Chips of headlamp glass dusted the ground.

"I think it's stopped running," Cutter said, raising his rifle. Hemple signalled to his men to circle in around them.

They were close. Cutter could hear the creature breathing. The respiration was deep and bovine. The ripe smell hung in the air.

Cutter took another step.

It came at them.

A car smashed aside, turning violently end to end. The beast was the size of a rhino, a colossal thing with terrible power and weight in its deep, humped body. Its head was a freak-show photo-fit of pinched, squinting eyes, flaring nostrils, bristled cheeks, and a giant, long-snouted mouth full of spittle and ugly, discoloured teeth the size of tent pegs. Its noxious breath assaulted them like a chemical weapon.

Hemple swore.

"What did Abby tell you?" Cutter murmured. "Giant pig."

He aimed his rifle.

The beast began to charge them.

It was going to be bad.

Monday:

Nasty jocks infest the Buy More playing sports video games and harassing the Nerd Herd. Will the Morgan be able to stick for himself? Plus Sarah's ex-boyfriend is back and making "nerdy-but-not-really-nerdy-at-all" Chuck all sorts of "adorably" awkward, again. Check out the line up of clips for "Chuck Versus The Break-Up." Chuck is on 8 PM on NBC.

Chuck Clips:

Oooh Claire is so pissed at her Pappy's new partner Sylar on NBC's Heroes. But after that horrendous brain-violation that happened a few episodes back, can you really blame her? Plus the leader of the villains and big Daddy Arthur Petrelli is coming for a visit. The new episode "Angels And Heroes" is on at 9PM.

Here's a clip where daddy comes back:

Daphne Gets Recruited On Heroes:

Here's Daddy Promo:

No Sarah Connor Chronicles this week.

Two episodes of sexy thigh-high-wearing Anime girls in Gurren Lagann on the Sci Fi Channel at 11 and 11:30 PM.

On Charlie Jade's "Flesh," Charlie and Tukarrs make a deal with 01 to break him out of prison. Jade airs on the Sci Fi Channel at 3 AM.

Tuesday:

Fringe is back this week — we missed you Walter! This week, a weird guy is electrocuting other people (but I assure you not in the X-Files way) and Dr. Bishop uses homing pigeons to solve the case. Fringe is on 9 PM on Fox. And here's a behind-the-scenes clip:

Movies:

The world ends yet again on Deep Impact on TMC at 1 PM, and Matthew Broderick teaches us all the value of computer games and nuclear warfare in War Games at 3 PM on AMC.

Wednesday:

Deadly toxins get released and it's up to KITT and Mike to save the day. Mike Tracer almost dies, but manages to keep his shirt on this time. Tune in "Hard Days Knight" on NBC at 8 PM — and maybe this week, KITT will back over a passed out Tracer (fingers crossed!).

Promo:

Thursday:

Lois and Clark go undercover as a couple to track down a serial killer, and calamity and near-death experiences ensue. Let's hope there's some actual sexual tension between these two in this week's Smallville, "Committed" on CW at 8 PM.

Here's a clip:

Executive Producer Todd Slavkin On "Committed":

God is getting involved in a series of evil-science-motivated murders in the "Cardiac" episode of Eleventh Hour — or, as I know it, "the other Fringe." Still, Rufus Sewell does bring some superior brooding skills to the table. Check it out on CBS at 10 PM.

Here's the promo:

Sam Tyler has to figure out how he got hit by a car in 2008 and woke up in 1973. But first on Life On Mars, he's got a series of fatal robberies he needs to investigate, back in the day.

LOM Promo:

Movies:

Meet the super shiny Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four 2 on HBO at 12 PM.

Friday:

On Ben 10: Alien Force, our heroic Ben and the Highbreed Commander get stranded on a foreign planet together. The episode "Alone Together" is at 9:30 PM on Cartoon Network.

On the new new Clone Wars, "Destroy Malevolence," it's up to Anakin to save Padme's backside once again! That's at 9 PM on the Cartoon Network. And here's a promo including some action scenes:

A plague infects a band of refugees picked up by the Atlantis crew on an all new Stargate Atlantis, "Outsiders," on the Sci Fi Channel at 9 PM.

Team Sanctuary discovers a group of thieves that posses a strange ability to slip in and out of cracks. The new episode "Folding Man" is on at 10 PM at the Sci Fi Channel.

Saturday:

This week the Primeval team fights monster scorpions on BBC America at 9 PM.

Movies:

Charlie Sheen chases around some backwards knee bendy aliens in The Arrival on HBO at 12:30 PM.

Before Keanu invades your mind as the somewhat more colorful Klaatu, check out the original alien invasion while AMC screens the black-and-white Day The Earth Stood Still at 1:30 PM.

Sunday:

Uncle Bartlett's issues with Sookie come to a head with vampire Bill's involvement this week on True Blood. Jason continues to deal with his addiction to V-Juice and more redneck rage in the episode "Burning House Of Love" on HBO at 9 PM.