Iron Man 2:

Tony Stark shows off some more of his new gadgets, and works with another helper robot, in a couple of stills I don't think we've shown you before. [Shockya]

Lost:

Here are some more promo pics, of Frank, Richard and Ilana. Meanwhile, the show was filming some scenes involving Locke on the beach with Charles Widmore... and why are there sonic pylons surrounding him? (Also, is that Widmore from when he was booted off the Island, or present-day Widmore?) And finally, one lucky fan, Darin, witnessed the filming of some scenes involving Jin, Sayid, Keamy, Omar and Mikhail, including a rehearsal of a sequence involving gunplay. More pics at the link. [Lyly Ford and SpoilersLost and Hawaii Weblog]

And some new promos make some grand promises about what we'll get in the show's last 18 hours. [Lyly Ford]

Doctor Who:

The star of "The End Of Time Part 1" is really Bernard Cribbins, who starts out the episode seeking solace from the bad dreams that are haunting the whole world, then finds himself at the center of events that threaten the fabric of time itself. The Doctor hints there may be more to Wilf than meets the eye.

Meanwhile, the Master is totally batshit insane and hilarious and terrifying, and he doesn't really seem to have a plan for most of the episode — until it kicks in towards the episode's end, and we discover how terrifying a Time Lord can be if he's not on your side. The identity of that female hand that picked up the Master's ring is nobody you've expected. And the story uses some artful flashbacks to fill in the gaps. [Total Scifi Online]

Says David Tennant:

The forces gathering are quite unlike anything we've seen before. They're on a whole new scale. We've managed to keep a few surprises, even if people think they know what's coming.

And it's official: Timothy Dalton is playing "a senior Time Lord in an extraterrestrial dressing gown." Also, one of Tennant's last scenes involved being 30 feet up on some kind of flying rig. [Daily Mail]

The episode ends with a "doozy" of a cliffhanger, involving a huge plot twist. The episode is amazing, but there are some awfully convenient plot devices introduced a few times, to get the Doctor out of some nasty situations. And some new aliens are a bit naff, although they set up a great line from Wilf. [SFX]

It doesn't sound like Martha Jones is going to appear in "The End Of Time," but Freema Agyeman does insist, "Martha's not done!" [Digital Spy]

And we already showed you a few pics of the Master in bondage, but here are some more... [BlogtorWho]

Twilight: Eclipse:

Bryce Dallas Howard explains her take on the vampire Victoria:

Victoria is a wonderful character. ... It's awfully juicy to play a villain. To play someone that's just evil; Victoria is evil. And I think with "Eclipse," it ends with quite a huge battle, a big spectacle, and it's very scary. It's a very, very scary book and very terrifying set of circumstances, and I think the Cullens are in jeopardy in a way that they never really have been before. It was a really, really exciting world to be a part of, because it was so scary and the stakes were so high.

[MTV]

True Blood:

Lindsay Pulsipher (The Beast) will play Crystal, a young woman who has an "electric" connection with Jason. [EW]

Caprica:

Ryan Robbins describes his character, Diego, as a badass and a militant on the side of the monotheists. And it sounds like he's the character who gets to mack on Lacy. [Up And Comers via Battlestar Blog]

Also, Smallville/V actor Ryan Kennedy (Cosmic Boy) is joining Caprica, but no word on whom he's playing yet. [KSiteNetwork]

Chuck:

Here's your first glimpse of Angie Harmon as Sydney, a spy for The Ring tasked with taking out Awesome. Full version at the link. [ and EW]

And here's a new sneak peek at episode 3x01, "Chuck Vs. The Pink Slip":

FlashForward:

Here's another character we'll meet in episode 18, from a casting call:

[ROSS] 25-35 yrs, any ethnicity. Very intense. Has gone over the edge and puts himself in a life threatening position. GUEST STAR

[SpoilerTV]

Supernatural:

Episode 5x17 will be called "Your Time Is Gonna Come." [SpoilerTV]

Smallville:

Episode 9x16 will be called "Escape." [KryptonSite]

And here's a couple new promos:

Heroes:

This show returns with a special two-hour episode, "Upon This Rock; Let It Bleed." Here's the synopsis:

As Claire (Hayden Panettiere) becomes immersed into the world of the Carnival, she becomes increasingly suspicious of Samuel's (Robert Knepper) motives. Hiro (Masi Oka) is on a mission to rescue one of his own, but has difficulty communicating his intentions to Ando (James Kyson Lee). Samuel has his sight set on Emma (guest star Deanne Bray) and her ability to complete his master plan. Meanwhile, Sylar (Zachary Quinto) returns to the Carnival in search of answers and Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) continues to struggle with the loss of his brother. Elsewhere, H.R.G. (Jack Coleman) sets his plan in motion to take down the carnival.

[SpoilerTV]

Additional reporting by Mary Ratliff.

Iron Man 2

Entertainment Tonight premiered a few moments from the film, including a scene where Pepper kisses Iron Man (well, his helmet, anyway). [via Cinema Blend]

Forbidden Planet

As if he doesn't have enough on his plate, James Cameron has confirmed that he's "actively involved" in J. Michael Straczynski's project. But apparently he hasn't made any decisions about what his role will be. [MTV]

Inception

We get our first one-sheet for Chris Nolan's mysterious thriller. Apparently, the crime scene inside Leonardo DiCaprio's mind has a plumbing issue. [/Film]

Toy Story 3

A new pic shows the toys heading off to their new home. Check out the full-sized image at Empire Magazine.

Sherlock Holmes

If you've always wondered what goes on the set of a Guy Ritchie movie, Cinema Blend has a bunch of behind-the-scenes clips. [Cinema Blend]

Rec 2

Here's the Italian trailer for the sequel to the Spanish plague film. [via ShockTillYouDrop]

Doctor Who

The Angels will have the phone box once again. Steven Moffat has revealed that the creepy Weeping Angels from "Blink" will return in the next season. [Blogtor Who]

Also, the Tenth Doctor wishes you a Merry Christmas in a pair of station identifications. [Planet Gallifrey]

True Blood

The casting directors have been very busy lately. Joe Manganiello, who has had recurring roles on One Tree Hill and How I Met Your Mother, landed one of the season's key parts — that of the heroic werewolf Alcide. [E!]

Eric's dancing lover has also been cast. Natasha Alam will play the Fangtasia employee who takes up with the blond viking. And Gregg Daniel has been cast as Reverend Daniels, spiritual adviser to Tara's mom (and object of her affections). [EW]

But that's not all! Sam and Lafayette are both getting new parental units. Cooper Huckabee will be introduced in the season's second episode as Joe Lee Mickens, Sam's father, and multiple Emmy Award-winner Alfre Woodard is signing on as Lafayette's mom. [ShockTillYouDrop, ShockTillYouDrop]

Lost

As promised, there's no new footage in the pre-premiere promos, but relive the previous seasons' tragedies to "Amazing Grace." [via /Film]

More news from the sets. At the Diamond Head Stage, Desmond, Mikhail, and Sayid are going to be getting wet. At an airport, Sun and Jin were seen going through customs. [DarkUFO]

And here are few more of the casual wear promo pictures. [Lyly Ford]

Chuck

Zachary Levi promises that Chuck's cool new powers (including fluency in Thai) won't change the klutzy heart of the show. Armand Asante will be playing the leader of the Costa Gravas, a sort of Castro-like figure. Chuck gets stuck on an airplane with Stone Cold Steve Austin's bad guy character. According to the creators, Brandon Routh and Kristin Kreuk's characters will be more than romantic obstacles for Chuck and Sarah, and that they will be connected to the larger mythology of the show. Kreuk's character Hannah will set multiple hearts aflutter at the Buy More, and that's just one issue the store has to deal with. Buy More will contend with cutbacks and management overthrows, and will get a new assistant manager. [Cinema Blend]

Chuck goes kung fu in Converse sneakers in a new Season Three poster.

Meanwhile, the set photos show Chuck giving Brandon Routh a lift. [Socialite Life]

And NBC has more promos to get you ready for the new season. [via Spoiler TV]

Still want more Chuck? In a new special preview feature, the cast talks about the new season.

And Zachary Levi is excited to get back to superspying.

Smallville

More details have emerged on the two-hour Justice Society movie. Apparently, the first episode starts with a death, which sets Clark's encounter with the JSA in motion. But one member has a special interest in clark. Says Britt Irvin of her character Stargirl:

"She has a special connection with Clark because he reminds her a lot of her mentor," says the actress. What's more, when the JSA gets wind (via Dr. Fate) of Clark's destiny, Stargirl realizes "he's very important for mankind."

Irvin also says that her mysterious mentor will make an appearance (as a corpse?), and that Stargirl and Hawkman will have some friction with Green Arrow in the beginning. [Fancast]

FlashForward

Here's a casting call for the 15th episode:

[WOMAN] 30s-40s.. Any Ethnicity. Office worker leaving at the end of the work day. She encounters an incident outside her building and is forced to wait to go home...CO-STAR

[FBI AGENT #1] 30s-40s, Male, Any Ethnicity. No-nonsense FBI Agent. Tasked with handling a sensitive issue, he must maintain order while tempers flare...CO-STAR

[FBI AGENT #2] 30s-40s, Male, Any Ethnicity. No-nonsense FBI Agent. Tasked with handling a sensitive issue, he must maintain order while tempers flare...CO-STAR

[DINA] 30s. Female, Any Ethnicity. An amusement park employee with a talking parrot that are both very helpful in giving directions.sptv050769..CO-STAR

[Spoiler TV]

And another for the 16th episode:

[KENT NELSON] 40s... Any Ethnicity. Homeless, a loner. He experiences a violent encounter with someone from his past...Co-Star/Possible Recurring

[GREG] 30s, Male, Any Ethnicity. A Secret Service Agent assigned to protective detail. He is by-the-book and official in his interaction with a visitor whom he escorts to meet with his boss...Co-Star

[DAVID] 30s-40s, Any Ethnicity. An Episcopal minister. Welcoming, relatable. He shows his church to some visitors who are interested in using it for a ceremony...Co-Star

[CHUCKIE] 50's, Any Ethnicity. A sandwich maker at Bay Cities. Frustrated with amount of orders from demanding customers.sptv050769..Co-Star

[Spoiler TV]

Additional reporting by Josh Snyder and Charlie Jane Anders.

Ghostbusters 3:

So you might have heard that Sigourney Weaver says that Venkman (Bill Murray) will be a ghost in the new movie? And that her character's son, Oscar, will have grown up to be a Ghostbuster? People who've been paying attention to the rumors and chatter around this film are pretty sure she's just repeating old rumors — like Bill Murray reportedly told someone four years ago that he would only be in the movie if he played a ghost. And Weaver probably hasn't actually seen a script, since nobody else has yet, either. On the other hand, Murray playing a ghost could be sort of fun. [Screen Rant]

Transformers 3:

People have been circulating a draft script for this upcoming masterpiece. I don't for a scond believe that this movie has a script yet, and even the people who are reposting the script thinks it might be a fake. On the other hand, apparently a similarly rough draft script of Revenge Of The Fallen popped up online long before it came out, and was viewed as similarly wild — but turned out to be real. Plus, it's always entertaining to read these things, and it's probably better than the real script will be.

So apparently this draft script includes the Aerialbots, the Combaticons, Perceptor, Wheeljack, Ultra Magnus, and Shockwave, and is a big love letter to fans of the 1984 animated series. As it begins, hostilities between the Autobots and the Decepticons have gotten worse, and calls for the Autobots to leave Earth have gotten more shrill. Sam (who's now an intern at the Large Hadron Collider) finds another fragment of the Allspark, which could give off enough energon to power all the Transformers forever, if bombarded with the right kind of particles. Optimus sends for the Ark, and Sam invites Mikaela to come join him there for a romantic evening, or something, and then proposes to her. Sam and Optimus Prime are all set to examine the Allspark fragment aboard the Ark, when Megatron attacks, but then Starscream betrays him. And somehow this leads to everyone traveling back in time to 1982, where Starscream steals the Allspark and kills Megatron "twice in one day," has he puts it.

This means that all of the Autobots have to disguise themselves as period cars (would GM even allow this?) meaning Optimus becomes a Peterbilt Semi, and Mirage becomes a Pontiac Trans Am, but also sometimes a Formula 1 race car. And Sam meets his own grandfather, and realizes that he can erase the Autobot/Decepticon war from history by getting rid of the Cube. But yeah, it's almost certainly a fake. Click here to read the whole thing. [Comic Book Movie and Allspark]

Iron Man 2:

Robert Downey Jr. says the thing that made the first movie work was that it was grounded in reality, and the high tech looked like something out of Popular Mechanics rather than a galaxy-spanning saga. And with the Marvel Universe as crazy as it is, it would be easy for the next movie to be too wild, but he and Jon Favreau want to keep it grounded. And he explains how they'll avoid sequel-itis:

My take - Jon [Favreau] was in agreement, and Marvel supported us - was that once you tell an [origin] story pretty well, that's usually where things start to get dull, and one or two or three things start to happen over and over again," Downey explained during an interview with Rotten Tomatoes. "So, we made Tony Stark's challenges very much outside the usual realm of activity. As much as anything else, it's much more of a side job for him the second time around.

[Rotten Tomatoes]

Remember how we reported the first movie was totally improv, with almost no script to speak of? Olivia Munn (who's admittedly not one of the film's main actors) says it was much the same this time around. "There's a bunch of improv, over and over." And apparently Munn improv-ed so well, Downey Jr. stopped the filming to give her a round of applause.

Thor:

Ray Stevenson, who plays Volstagg, says he wears a fatsuit, but he's got muscles and isn't the "weeble-shaped" figure from the comics. And he says the character has a ton of "Falstaffian vigor," which makes sense given that Branagh is directing. [Superhero Hype]

The Sorcerer's Apprentice:

Apparently we first meet the apprentice as a young boy (Jake Cherry) and then later as a young adult (Jay Baruchel). And producer Jerry Bruckheimer explains why we should be excited:

"He's more like a rock star," producer Jerry Bruckheimer tells PEOPLE about the film, due in theaters July 10. Like the animated version, this Sorcerer's Apprentice will also feature those dancing brooms. "We did it in a realistic way," Bruckheimer says. "The [brooms] are really dancing and doing their thing."

How could it be bad? [People]

Daybreakers:

Here's an international trailer, which I don't think we've shown you before — it includes a bit more footage from this vampire-dominated future dystopia. [Reelz Channel]

The Wolfman:

A new international poster shows that the wolfman's powers include causing people's heads to float randomly and to be eaten by unnatural shadows. [ShockTillYou Drop]

Spider-Man 4:

Some have speculated that Bryce Dallas Howard could be back as Gwen Stacy, but she hasn't been contacted yet, which makes it seem less likely. Meanwhile, don't hold your breath for her to return as Kate Connor in Terminator 5 or 6 — she's not signed up for any further installments. (But she would defininitely consider it.) [Coming Soon]

Avatar:

The New York Daily News review has a pretty good summary of the film:

Sam Worthington is Jake Scully [sic], a paraplegic Marine in 2154 assigned to a deep-space moon called Pandora, where his consciousness controls an avatar, a clone of Pandora's indigenous, humanoid Na'vi people. As Jake lies in a high-tech tanning bed, his mind is in his blue Na'vi, which is 10 feet tall with pointy ears, cat eyes and a tail.

A scientist (a tough Sigourney Weaver) created the process to aid diplomatic relations with the Na'vi, since the air is poisonous to humans and space suits, apparently, get in the way. It's the last chance for the peaceful aliens - who know what the avatars really are - since a corporate goon (entertainingly weaselly Giovanni Ribisi) wants a valuable element buried deep under the "hometree," the Na'vi's spiritual center. And if diplomacy fails, a gung-ho sergeant (Stephen Lang, overdoing it) will get it at any cost.

Cameron counts too much on the connection we'll have to his goofy-looking blue man group, or with Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), the Na'vi warrior princess who helps Jake's heart go on. Saldana - Uhura in last summer's "Star Trek" - delivers a remarkably full-bodied motion-capture performance, but the mystic-tribal clichés around her suggest every Netflix queue on Pandora includes "Dances with Wolves" and "The Last of the Mohicans."

[NY Daily News]

And there's a new Czech TV spot, plus a big Panasonic tie-in commercial that you may actually have seen.

Harry Potter:

Tom Felton says Deathly Hallows will be truer to the book than any of the previous films. [Movies-Spoilers]

Doctor Who:

So Alexandra Moen, who plays the Master's wife Lucy Saxon, says she wasn't the one who picked up the Master's ring at the end of "Last Of The Time Lords." Since we last saw her, Lucy has been locked up in a big ominous castle-like prison, and it just got a new governor. And it sounds like she breaks out of there. She's decided to try and go straight, but she's not at peace — she's full of anger. And her scenes are mostly with the Master and a few other actors. [Digital Spy]

Lost:

Some more filming details: episode nine is definitely Alpert-centric, and the Black Rock is definitely a prison ship. Also, we see an Ilana scene taking place at an old hospital in Russia, suggesting that Ilana is tied in with Alpert's backstory somehow. Separately, there's a scene with Jin working in a hotel, and Sun was there too. Also filming in the same location was a Keamy/Omar scene, and Mikhail was there and spoke Korean. There was also a Jin scene involving the same community college where Hurley's asylum was filmed. And a scene at a nice house with Hurley and Alpert. [The Transmission via SpoilersLost]

Also, Sayid was filming a scene with a large group of the "temple Others," including Zoey, and probably Cindy and Zack. Also present: seven to 10 scientists, for some reason. [SpoilersLost]

The show is casting an E.R. doctor making rounds, an MRI tech, and an African American female lawyer who won't be pushed around, for its eleventh episode. [SpoilersLost]

And there's an extended version of the season six promo:

Fringe:

I really like these new wallpapers, which emphasize the "passing between universes" theme as well as more of Walter's oddness. [SpoilerTV]

Remember that set video we showed you last week that included Anna Torv getting blown around? Now it's her, plus a bunch of extras:

Supernatural:

I know we mentioned that Cupid would be showing up (along with Famine, one of the Four Horsemen) in the Valentine's Day episode "My Bloody Valentine." Apparently, he'll be doughy, out of shape and naked, and constantly giving everybody bear hugs. [TV Guide Magazine]

And we'll be meeting a holy man in episode 5x16, "Dark Side Of The Moon":

[JOSHUA] This benevolent — dignified, very Zen man in his 50's-70's is inflappable, simple, but not insincere. A Morgan Freemen type vibe. PLEASE SUBMIT ALL ETHNICITIES. GUEST STAR.

Could that actually be God? [SpoilerTV]

And after the rerun of "The End" the other day, they showed a new trailer for the next episode, coming January 21.

And here's a set video for 5x15, "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid", in which all you can basically see is Sam and Dean walking inside a house:

True Blood:

The show is looking for someone to play Alcide, who's described as "rough looking but articulate and basically decent," and he takes a liking to Sookie and may even have some mutual attraction with her. It sounds like he takes her out, given that we meet a giant nightclub bouncer who knows Alcide but is suspicious of his guest, Sookie. Also, an old-school Ob/Gyn examines Arlene with an ultrasound, and a pastor officiates at Eggs' funeral service. [EW and SpoilerTV]

Chuck:

As you've probably heard, we're done with Chuck's "reluctant spy" act. He's now a fully gung-ho spy, but he's also aware of how much his career puts his family at risk. And Awesome will get drawn into Chuck's espionage world to a much greater extent — and we'll get to see how awesome Awesome really is. As season three starts, we'll realize something awful has happened between Chuck and Sarah in the mean time, and eventually we'll learn just what that is. We'll also learn how crucial Sarah is to whether Chuck makes a good spy. Carina, Sarah's old partner from season one, will be back. And Jeffster will perform again in a very special episode. [TV Guide]

Also, Casey is going to have a lot to deal with this season — a secret from his past is going to come to light, and it'll make his life complicated. Also, he'll get more responsibilities at the Buy More, and will start to discover that Buy More may actually be his future. Meanwhile, Lester has a "Fight Club" episode where he goes nuts. And we'll get to see Lester's bedroom and his pajamas. [ChuckTV]

FlashForward:

Episode 13 will be called "Better Angels." [SpoilerTV]

Smallville:

Here's a new trailer for the next batch of episodes, starting January 22:

Heroes:

It's the death that sticks — for now, anyway. Tim Kring says we definitely won't be seeing Nathan again for the rest of season four. [Fancast News]

Additional reporting by Mary Ratliff.

Avatar

The first (generally positive) reviews are utterly brimming with spoilers. The Hollywood Reporter lays out the basic plot most clearly, and includes some more details about the Na'vi. Apparently, one of the reasons that the Na'vi are so reluctant to relocate is that the unobtainium deposit sits beneath a holy tree that happens to be the center of Na'vi life. The tree holds tribal memories and ancestral wisdom, and apparently the Na'vi can access this as they possess an innate ability to tap into a Force-like ability that ripples through Pandora's plant life.

And from Empire's review, it sounds like the holy tree might not fare well, as there's "a human attack on a Na'vi landmark that recalls 9/11 in its devastating imagery."

We already know the humans set up schools to teach the Na'vi English, and Variety clarifies that they learned English from Grace.

James Cameron added more details about Pandora and what we'll find there. He himself designed the monstrous Thanator which features flexible bone shields and sensor quills. It also has a single nostril called an operculum, which is based on the flapper valve on top of a stingray's head. He also says that his goal with the animated characters was to cross the uncanny valley, and while he believes that some of the shots are an eight out of ten, there are some that go right up to eleven. He calls the Na'vi's central tree the Tree of Souls, and says it's the input-output station for the Pandora biological communications network — and where Neytiri's clan has lived for 10,000 years. There are apparently two scales of trees on Pandora, normal jungle canopy trees and gigantic Great Trees. Getting into human technology, the same magnetic fields that cause Pandora's mountains to float also mess with the instrumentation on the Samson gunship, forcing it into "Second World War-style combat mode." [Times Online]

Splice

We get more images from Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley's genetic experiment, including another peek at the transgenic fruit of their labor. [ShockTillYouDrop]

Sherlock Holmes

Can't wait to watch Robert Downey Jr. solve possibly occult crimes? Here's a cornucopia of stills to tide you over.

Book of Eli

A trio of character posters to keep you company at the end of the world. [CinemaBlend]

Dark Shadows

Shooting is scheduled to begin on the supernatural soap adaptation in October 2010, but producer Graham King says it's still waiting on a script. [ShockTillYouDrop]

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Tom Felton, who plays Draco Malfoy describes the final showdown between the forces of good and the forces of evil as akin to a Western shoot-out. [MTV]

Lost

Yet another filming report places Hurley and Alpert near a big tree in the middle of a jungle. Hurley was wearing his red shirt and Alpert was in dark clothing. Apparently, the crew said they did a lightning scene with pyrotechnics in the area and are planning to do a similar scene on the beach location. The camp had recently been rebuilt with green palms, and Ben, Kate, Jack, Hurley, Sun, Miles, and Ilana were all filming on the beach, sitting around a campfire. [DarkUFO]

True Blood

Rutina Wesley says that Sookie will be helping Tara deal with her grief and the fallout from last season, as well as the handsome vamp ready to sweep her off her feet. Alexanger Skarsgard adds that we'll get another Eric flashback; he won't say what era we'll see, but Eric and another person wil act as a tag team. [TV Guide]

Dollhouse

Five clips from tonight's episode show Echo contemplating whether she's really Caroline, a Dollhouse interrogation, and a tease of Alpha's return:

Fringe

Here's a neat detail from the alternate universe. An eagle-eyed viewer noticed that in Peter's childhood dream in the alternate universe, there's a poster celebrating the Challenger's 11th mission in June 1984. In our universe, the Challenger exploded during its tenth mission on January 28th, 1986. How advanced is the other universe's technology? Check out the photo evidence at the link. [Tallisen LJ]

Anna Torv doesn't know precisely how Peter will react to the news that he was kidnapped from the other universe, but like everyone else, she has her speculations:

"And I think its going to be heartbreaking… heartbreaking for Walter, but particularly for Peter too because this year seeing him take an active interest in his father and an active interest in the investigations and he's really taken it on. For that to explode, or implode, is going to be devastating," she explained. "But that's what you want isn't it?"

[MTV]

Peter-Olivia shippers don't have an ally in Joshua Jackson:

"This is only my opinion, but I don't think that's the direction that the story is going in," Jackson said. "In my head, what you have between these three people is a family dynamic rather than a romantic dynamic. She would be a very tolerant woman if she were willing to start dating a man who lives with his father."

[Inside TV]

Smallville

Sometime before the Justice Society two-episode movie, Chloe will get a non-Watchtower job offer. In "Society," the first part of the movie, some Justice Society member will know who Watchtower really is before it's revealed to them, and there's a supervillain that we haven't learned about so far. [KryptonSite]

Chuck

By law, all science fiction television series must feature Mark Sheppard at some point, and Chuck is not exempt; Sheppard tweets that he's starting an arc this week. [via Spoiler TV]

Additional reporting by Josh Snyder and Charlie Jane Anders.

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.

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.

We're not going to argue that this season has been great - Or, at times, even good - but it feels like complaining about Zod's portrayal (In writing as much as performance from Callum Blue; I know that we're supposed to be seeing another side to Zod and everything, but there's no denying that seeing this Zod after seasons of a disembodied voice with schemes and evil oozing out of his every non-existent pore is more than a bit of a letdown. This is the guy we're supposed to kneel before?) or Clark's ridiculous Goth Matrix Hot Topic superhero outfit would be completely avoiding the real problem with the show these days: Smallville has nowhere left to go.

Okay, that's not true. Smallville has one particular place to go, but it doesn't want to go there just yet, and so we're left with a show that can't have significant character development with its lead characters for fear of reaching the (so-close-we-can-all-see-it) ending that everyone is already familiar with. When Smallville started, it had a purpose: These were the experiences that made Clark Kent from the awkward and insecure teenager into the superhero known around the world as Superman. But nine years later, it's not just that Clark is already at the age where he should be Superman already; he's at that emotional and intellectual point, as well. But, for obvious business reasons best described as "The CW wants to keep the show because it does well in the ratings," he's not going to become Superman just yet. What that means is that we get a lot of filler and distraction, which is what Smallville has become.

Sure, it's fun to see other DC characters make an appearance every now and again... But for a show that once used to try and keep the fan service (Well, maybe the comic fan service; there was always time for Lana or Lois to wear some ridiculous outfit) to a minimum of maybe a couple of "very special episodes" a year, this season has been (and, in the second half of the season, will be) full of non-Superman comic characters to try and grab the nerd nostalgia/recognition vote: Green Arrow, of course, but also Roulette, Speedy, the Wonder Twins, and upcoming, Amanda Waller, the Justice Society and rumored returns for J'Onn J'Onzz and the Legion. And, while Clark gets to meet all of these characters who'll theoretically be important in his future, he and the audience are distracted from the fact that he's going nowhere as a character. He's not learning anything he's not already learned, and even the step forward into the romance with Lois doesn't seem to be changing that.

Considering the show's frustrating "Blur" subplot - wherein Clark already has a secret crimefighting identity, it's just that's not Superman - it's likely that the show's creators already know about the problem, to some extent. A lot of the Blur plot is really just recycled Superman plot, especially the love triangle with Lois... But instead of alleviating some of the Superman problem, it just makes it more obvious: If your character development hinges on putting the characters into Superman plots with the serial numbers filed off, why not just make him Superman already? The Blur adds no value to the series that Superman couldn't, and to a greater extent... But pushing the series and characters in that direction so strongly just irritates; it makes the writers look as if they're being forced to keep Superman out of the show even though they really, really want to write him, and makes the characters look stupid (If Clark/Blur and Lois go through all of this now, no matter how it ends, doesn't the fact that they'll do the very same thing as Clark/Superman and Lois mean that they're not so good on that whole memory thing?).

The first half of the ninth Smallville season just underscores the problems with the show's set-up. Because we know how the story ends, there comes a point where the story has gone as far as it can and we're left expecting the end is around the corner. Despite all the sensible business reasons to deny that we've reached that point, the fact is, we're there. Until the writers and producers of the show accept that, it's all diminishing returns from this point onwards, especially when you make the unseen Big Bad of the show until this point into whiny, pale flesh.

Weirdly enough, it's not Doctor Fate or Hawkman that give us the most pause - Although there's something kind of off about Fate's helmet, or maybe that's just us - but Stargirl. Shouldn't a television show's costume department be able to come up with something that looks more convincing than the average SDCC masquerade fan outfit?

Smallville: Absolute Justice, the two-hour "event" starring the characters, airs February 5th.

'Smallville' sneak peek: Doctor Fate, Stargirl, Hawkman, and more! [Entertainment Weekly]

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

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.

I'm one of the more cynical Smallville viewers around, but dammit if this doesn't look promising. I'm not going to say more than that; I've been burned before many, many times by the show (and Michael Shanks does look kind of silly in his Hawkman get-up), but I did enjoy last season's Legion of Super-Heroes appearance, written by the same guy behind next month's Smallville: Absolute Justice (DC writer Geoff Johns), so... we'll see, I guess?

Star Trek:

By all accounts, there's still no script for the sequel, so any predictions anyone might make are purely based on what they had for lunch. But after saying J.J. Abrams told him he'll be in the sequel a week or so ago, Bruce Greenwood is now saying he may not be there after all.

I'm not sure if we'll see Pike or not. He was mainly there to bring Kirk aboard the Enterprise and it's hard to say if he'll be popping up in the sequel.

[MovieWeb]

And co-writer Roberto Orci says that even if Khan is in the sequel, chances are it'll be a character they created, who they then decide to turn into Khan:

Cause in a way, even if we do Khan, or not, we're trying to approach the story as just what's best for it, and then [asking] can that character become Khan or not, you know. You're not trying to rely on previous knowledge or love of it, so you almost want to strip all the names away and just come up with the emotional forces and the scientific forces that are going to come into play, and then start letting the details kind of bleed in.

[Newsarama]

Avatar:

Here's a new French poster for this James Cameron alien epic! [Slashfilm]

Daybreakers:

Here's a new European poster for this vampire epic. [ShockTillYouDrop]

New Moon:

Taylor Lautner admits the film never really addresses the fact that he should be naked when he changes back from a werewolf into a human. [MTV]

Planet 51:

More (mostly negative) reviews, more spoilers for this animated "we're the alien invaders" film. The 1950s jokes include a parody of "Duck and Cover" drills. The planet's skies rain rocks instead of water. Chuck's alien friend Lem is an astronomy nut, who's convinced the universe is only 500 miles wide and his planet is the biggest one. Also helping Chuck are a comic book geek, Skiff, and Lem's love interest Neera. The aliens sent to track down Chuck are led by General Grawl (Gary Oldman! What will Gary Oldman not do?). Chuck only has 48 hours to return to his spaceship, or it'll return to Earth without him. [Star Telegram and the Canadian Press and Alibi]

Lost:

Ian Somerhalder says the script for the season opener is so detailed, it weighed three pounds. And he had to wear the same clothes he wore in the original pilot. He'll be back for a couple more episodes after the first one. [ABC News]

Meanwhile, Lost was filming in the old Honolulu Police Station, which was previously seen as the lockup where Sarah bailed Jack out. Some filming included LAPD cruisers, and Josh Holloway was the main character on set. [Hawaii Weblog]

Doctor Who:

The BBC posted an eight-second audio clip from "The End Of Time":

Dollhouse:

Three new stills from "The Left Hand" showcase tons of destruction centering around Summer Glau. [SpoilerTV]

Fringe:

Olivia's niece is back in tonight's episode, but her sister remains MIA. [EW]

And here's a behind-the-scenes glimpse of tonight's episode.

Also, here's what happens in episode 2x09, "Snakehead":

After a cargo ship runs aground, the shoreline becomes littered with bodies hosting a giant squid-like creature. The Fringe team descends upon the scene to examine the bodies and discovers that the mysterious organisms are actually giant parasites.

And here are some pictures from the episode. [FringeSpoilers and FringeSpoilers]

And in episode 2x15, we'll meet a slightly overweight seven-year-old boy with brown hair and very blue eyes. [SpoilerTV]

V:

Now that Scott Rosenbaum is taking over as showrunner for the 2010 episodes, he says the series will become more fast-paced and we'll get more answers about the mythology of the Visitors faster. He adds:

Listen, my goal is that in every single episode there will be an "Oh my God, I can't believe that happened" moment, or a "Wow" moment – at least one – in every single episode. And I think that would not only be a mythology plot reveal, but also a character reveal. I want the characters to be able to make mistakes, to make the wrong choices sometimes, and that's where you get the most amount of drama. I would prefer that the stories come from them making mistakes, and the snowball effect of those mistakes, or, rather than mistakes, choices made for the right reason, but then there are consequences of that. I don't want people to watch this show and ever be able to guess what's going to happen next, because that's the problem with some of the TV I watch.

We'll delve into questions like what the Visitors eat, whether they're capable of love or empathy, and so on. [SciFiTVZone]

Supernatural:

The show's 100th episode, airing in March or April, will be a big one for Jensen Ackles. (Does he say "Yes" to Michael in it??) [EW]

Smallville:

Chloe's love interest is called Steven Swift, aka Warrior Angel. (Bwa ha ha ha.) And he's played by Carlo Marks, who played Chloe's "what if" fiance back in season seven's "Apocalypse." [EW]

Star Wars: Clone Wars:

Here's a new image from Friday's episode, "Legacy Of Terror," in which:

When Luminara disappears while tracking the Geonosian warlord, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker lead a platoon of clone troopers in search of her. Following her trail, the heroes descend deep into the lair of the grotesque Geonosian queen – Karina the Great – where they discover that the hive is alive and teeming with undead defenders

Additional reporting by Mary Ratliff.

Avatar

The latest still shows off the patterns Neytiri's glowing freckles take on. [/Film]

Kick-Ass

French Premiere talked to director Matthew Vaughn about the film and matched up his comments with the film's trailer. [via /Film]

The Wolfman

The French one-sheet gives an ominous shot of our werewolf's cane. [ShockTillYouDrop]

Two new editors have been brought onto the project. Dennis Virkler has been let go and Mark Goldblatt and Walter Murch have been brought on in his stead. Goldblatt was the editor on the first two Terminator films, Starship Trooper, and Armageddon, among others, and Murch has worked on Apocalypse Now, Ghost, and The Talented Mr. Ripley. [/Film]

Doctor Who

Russell T. Davies hinted that the Ood and their preternatural understanding that the Tenth Doctor's journey is coming to an end are very important. And he says that "You'd think something is bleeding, coming through from the other side." Some have suggested this indicates some sort of parallel universe. [Planet Gallifrey]

Den of Geek rounds up all of the spoilers they have for the Christmas special "The End of Time." They mention that we we'll meet a new kind of Ood (actually the one from the end of "The Waters of Mars"), and have summed up the cast of characters we'll be seeing: Wilf, Donna, Donna's mother Sylvia, the Master, the Master's wife, Joan Redfern, Rose, Luke Smith, Captain Jack, and Sarah Jane Smith. And, as we've mentioned before, former Bond Timothy Dalton will appear in the episode. A three-minute clip will air as part of the BBC Children in Need transmission this Friday. [Den of Geek]

Lost

The folks at DocArzt have cleaned up the Season Six poster so it's easier to identify the individual cast members. Larger version at the link. [DocArzt's Lost Blog]

Damon Lindelof talked to E! about what it's like to finish up the series and pull together so many of the show's mysteries:

"It's very exciting to us basically. It feels like we've been Christmas shopping for five years, and we've been accruing all these presents, and we've been locking them up in closets and not letting people look at them. And now there's sort of this, 'Oh my god, do they have one of these already? Did I get the right sizes? What was I thinking when I bought this? Are they even going to like it?' So there's a terror there, but at the same time, Christmas is here and it's time to open up the closet and start unwrapping and we'll see what happens."

[E!]

Mark Pellegrino, who plays Jacob confirms that he will be in multiple episodes this season, but wouldn't give an exact number. [PopStar via DarkUFO]

Supernatural

EW has a clip from this Thursday's episode, in which Sam and Dean's search for Lucifer puts them face to face with Meg and a pack of demonic hellhounds. [EW]

Smallville

Each episode of the two-part Justice Society has its own name — we've known for a while that the first part is "Society" and the second part is "Legends," but it turns out the two-hour event as a whole has a separate name: "Smallville: Absolute Justice." [EW]

FlashForward

Here's a sneak peek from this week's episode, "Believe." [Spoiler TV]

V:

Morris Chestnut and Laura Vandervoot talk about what's in store down the line for their characters. [Korbi TV]

Additional reporting by Josh C. Snyder.

Spider-Man 4:

Are we going to meet Peter Parker and Mary Jane's baby in the fourth movie? There's a casting call for a baby boy (aged two to three years) with red hair. (Actually, they want twins, so that they can keep filming and swap them out when one of the kids has to take a break. But it's almost certainly for just one kid.) A lot of fans are jumping to conclusions, assuming this means Spidey will have a kid — but as SpoilerTV points out, this could be a baby Cletus Kasady, who grows up to become Carnage. Or it could be any number of other things. All we really know is that they're starting to cast this movie, and apparently there's a red-headed kid in it. [SpoilerTV-Movies]

Superman Returns Again:

James McTeigue is still super-interested in directing the next Superman film, but sounds less certain that it'll ever happen. But he does offer one more hint of how he'd approach the Man of Steel: "It's ripe for a retconning." Whatever that means. [MTV]

Planet 51:

But screw all this superhero shit — you really want to know about this animated film, in which The Rock is an astronaut who lands on a 1950s planet where he's the alien invader. Right? Apparently in the movie, an alien teenager decides the only way to protect himself from an anal probe is by using a champagne cork. There's a cute Mars Rover robot named Rover (who probably doesn't say "Gadget Gadget," alas) and an alien Chihuahua shaped like the creature from Alien, and something quasi-hilarious happens when he pees.

When The Rock first lands, he hums "Thus Spake Zarathustra," and then realizes he's interrupted an alien barbecue in which all the 1950s aliens are dancing to old-time rock 'n' roll. Chuck (The Rock) says to himself that "Kennedy's going to freak" when they find out about "sea monkeys dancing to the oldies." Other classic SF movies referenced in this film include Plan 9 From Outer Space and E.T. [Kansas City.Com]

Lost:

A new and exciting twist on the "alternate universe where Flight 815 landed safely" concept: a dapper Sawyer was spotted filming a scene at the upscale Diamond Head restaurant, part of the Lotus hotel, and his lunch companion? Was Charlotte (Rebecca Mader) last seen dying on the island. [Hawaii Weblog]

Fringe:

Here are the first two minutes of this week's Observer-centric episode. Plus a new photo. [Fox]

And here's a new promo for the episode. [Fringe Television]

And a load of promo pictures from episode 2x09, "Snakehead." [SpoilerTV]

Supernatural:

Mark Pellegrino explains more about his approach to playing Lucifer and what's coming up:

As you know, the angels in the show can be, well, a—-holes. It is Lucifer who is kind and empathetic and truthful. So, play the "Prince of Lies" as the most sincere one of the bunch and you have a fresh take. But I have a feeling things are gonna change. Lucifer has a big chip on his shoulder and that can't be restrained for long... The proverbial crap is gonna fly. Hell, it's the apocalypse for crying out loud. Something's gotta give. If I tell you more than that I'll have to kill you.

[PopStar via SpoilerTV]

FlashForward:

Here are some promo pics from episode 10, "A561984". [SpoilerTV]

Assuming this show gets a second season, we'll see more of Mark Benford in season two — there will be new mysteries, but the second season is definitely a continuation of the first, says Jessica Goyer. [PopCorner.PL via FlashForward.PL]

Smallville:

Lois arrives in the future, in a new clip from Friday's episode:

Michael Shanks explains about his version of Hawkman, appearing February 5:

When we first meet Carter Hall he's in his museum. We'll learn he's a reincarnated prince from a thousand years ago. There is a reference to The Justice Society's time in the ‘70s, but we have since disbanded.

And apparently there's lots of flying and mace-swinging, but no bare chest — instead Hawkman has a weird bronze chestplate thingy. And here's a picture. (Full version at the link.) [TV Guide Magazine]

Stargate Universe:

But Shanks isn't just flying around Metropolis and giving Clark Kent advice — he's also a figment of Dr. Nicholas Rush's imagination in the upcoming Rush-centric episode "Human," in which we discover more about how he recruited Rush into the Stargate program. Shanks and Richard Dean Anderson also appear in the 18th episode, "Subversion." [Gateworld]

And here's a sneak peek at Friday's episode.

Heroes:

And here are five clips from the "Thanksgiving" episode. What are you thankful for? [The ODI]

Additional reporting by Josh C. Snyder.

Monday

The week starts off softly, with nothing worth watching until 8 p.m., when you have too many shows even for TiVo to choose from. Shall it be the second night of the so-disappointing-I-may-cry The Prisoner on AMC? New episodes of House on Fox (in which House treats a porn star and decides to bring together his dream team of minions) or Heroes on NBC (in which Tracey loses control of her ability, Matt fights inside his mind with Sylar and OH MY GOD PLEASE MAKE IT STOP ALREADY)? Or a marathon of nature doc redux Planet Earth on the Discovery Channel, which offers six hours of stunning footage and soothing Sigourney Weaver voiceover?

I'm saying TiVo Planet Earth for when you need to be reminded how amazing life can be, and watch House, because you know they'll get some good jokes out've the porn star patient.

Tuesday

While The Prisoner finishes up its run over on AMC at 8pm, ABC's V decides that it's time to copy - Sorry, I mean, "homage" - another sci-fi classic as Erica is forced to team up with a Visitor officer to protect Visitors from death threats in this week's episode, "Wow, do you remember Alien Nation with its buddy comedy pairing of human and alien cops? We sure do." Oh, wait. It's actually called "A Bright New Day."

(If you're in the mood for something a little more classic, Syfy is running an Outer Limits marathon from 8am through 3pm.)

Wednesday

With no new episodes of Mythbusters, you might as well spend the day either (a) not watching television, or the much-more-likely (b) flipping between Syfy's The Twilight Zone marathon (8am through 3pm) and AMC's classic run of Young Frankenstein (1pm), Ghostbusters (3:30pm) and, um, Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines (8pm). Someone's told them that T3 isn't a comedy, right...?

Thursday

As if the traditional Thursday evening crush isn't enough, Syfy are willing to suck your life away with a First Wave marathon from 9am through 3pm, and AMC are willing to contribute with the original Stargate movie at 2:30. Before you know it, you'll be choosing between Flashforward on ABC (Everyone keeps trying to solve their FFs just like they've been for the last few weeks, except Bryce is finally getting off his ass and wondering about his future girlfriend a bit more) and Vampire Diaries on the CW (Jeremy takes up drawing and Elena discovers something terrible, which may just be a future script for the show), both at 8pm.

And then you have to choose again between Fringe on Fox (The truth behind the Observer! And Walter wants a milkshake, with guest-star Kelis. Okay, sadly that part about a guest-star isn't true) and Supernatural on the CW at 9 (The Winchester Bros. team up with Bobby, Ellen and Jo to send Lucifer back to Hell. Don't be surprised if things don't go to plan, considering it's still relatively early in the season). We might just watch Community and 30 Rock instead, though, and catch up with everything else online later, if that's okay with you guys.

Friday

Relive the first wave of post-Lost network television with Syfy's Invasion marathon (8am through 3pm), before switching over to watch Dustin Hoffman worry about his paycheck in Outbreak on AMC.

Let's be honest, Fridays are really all about the evening shows, though; Smallville finally tries to get to the bottom of Lois' future abduction/visions on the CW at 8pm (Kneeling before Zod is optional, I believe), while CBS' Ghost Whisperer is worried about someone dying at the same time, which makes no sense. Wouldn't that just mean she'd have someone else to whisper to? Why do they never think these things through?

At 9pm, you can choose between Medium on CBS, wherein Allison develops a strange sensitivity to light, or Syfy's Stargate Universe, wherein everyone catches their breath and uses those weird psychic projection stone things to talk to those they've left behind. Alternatively, you could switch over to Cartoon Network for a new episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, before ending the night with the latest episode of Sanctuary at 10pm on Syfy.

Saturday

Syfy tries to get your attention with a triple bill of cut-rate dragon movies (In The Name Of The King: A Dungeon Siege Tale at 9pm, Fire And Ice at 11:30 and Dragon Sword on Sunday at 1:30 in the morning), but there's no way that can compete with AMC's quadruple bill of the Alien movies: Alien starts at 5:30, followed by Aliens at 8pm, Alien 3 at 11 and Alien: Resurrection at 1:30 on Sunday morning. The first two, at least, are worth it.

Sunday

Oh, people. You all know by now that Sunday is Venture Bros day, right? I don't know what else to tell you aside from that, apart from the episode being entitled "Self-Medication". Oh, and that it's on Cartoon Network at midnight, and is really the most essential piece of television in the entire week. Don't leave home without it.

This poll is simple: Which of the TV shows, listed below, do you feel guiltiest for being behind on? Your answer should be one of the shows you've fallen way behind on — but only the one you feel the greatest remorse about. Remember: if that show gets cancelled, it's your fault.

The Green Hornet

Reader Kyle sent us more exclusive photos from the Green Hornet set, where some havoc had occurred:

All the windows of the recruiting center to the right side of the door were blown out. They were cleaning glass off the sidewalk and cleaning up the inside of the room. Notice that the Marines poster in the window only has a silhouette of a Marine, when the one inside the center has an actual photograph. Interesting! The shoe store next door was really dusty inside, but there was no damage to it at all. Probably only for the outside shot, because there is an actual T-Mobile store to the other side . . . so they can't show that!

Avatar

It's not surprising that 20th Century Fox execs are touting James Cameron's film, but co-chairman Jim Gianopoulos emphasized that there are six specific scenes that simply blow him away every time, and the LA Times thinks he sounds genuine. [LA Times]

The Wolfman

New posters give us one werewolf and one distressed damsel. [ShockTillYouDrop]

Stargate SG-1

If the third DVD movie is made, it will be titled Stargate: Revolution. [GateWorld]

Stargate Universe

In the mid-season finale, "Justice," a crew member is found dead from a gunshot wound, and the gun is found in Colonel Young's quarters. Young will turn over command to Camille Wray. Meanwhile, Rush gains access to the Ancient interface, and a planet harbors a secret that threatens the Destiny. [GateWorld]

True Blood

Despite rumors, Rudy Reyes hasn't been cast as the werewolf Alcide. [EW]

Supernatural

In the November 19th episode, Castiel loses his virginity. Misha Collins talks about his character Castiel and the previously mentioned drinking episode, but says he's still looking forward to the angel losing his virginity. [TV Guide]

Dollhouse

Joss Whedon spilled a lot about the final episodes of the now-canceled show. Summer Glau's character Bennett, who works for the Washington DC Dollhouse, is a character from Caroline's past. We've known for a while that Echo will learn some unsavory details about her pre-wipe persona, and it appears that Bennett will be the person who reveals them. Whedon describes her as having morals, and explains that her arm is in a sling because she has a dead arm. As for Ray Wise's character Howard, he may be Adelle's DC counterpart, but he's not so big on the morals. We'll also be seeing more of Keith Carradine's Harding.

Alpha will be back in the December 11th two-part episode, and we'll see one of his personalities we haven't seen before: a violent Franciscan monk. And he'll have some very interesting questions to ask of someone, and rather unsavory ways of asking them. This time, we'll also see him interact with people at the Dollhouse other than Echo.

Claire Saunders will return for two episodes, and where she's been may come as a surprise. It sounds like Echo will be sent to the Attic, which Whedon describes as "Disneyland on really bad acid." Ballard and Echo's relationship will change in the remaining episodes (there will be a kiss), and Ballard's whole life will change more than once. Felicia Day will return in a later episode (Whedon said he would like to return to the dystopian future of "Epitaph One"). The remainder of the season will focus on Echo realizing that her larger battle isn't with the Dollhouse, but with Rossum. [TV Guide]

Also, a casting call for eleventh episode is out for a female test subject who can sing opera and speak German. [Spoiler TV]

Lost

The title for the eighth episode is "Recon." [Spoiler TV]

Apparently, there's a rumor that Alexis Bledel is going to be in an episode. She's not. [EW]

Fringe

The producers talk about several aspects of the show centered around "Momentum Deferred." They explain that the First Wave hybrids are more interested in intelligence-gathering than battle, and while William Bell may be telling the truth, he's probably out to serve his own interest rather than the Fringe team's. They also mention that Walter and Bell may have some sense of religion, and imply we'll see more of Rebbecca. As for the formerly disembodied leader of First Wave, we will eventually learn who stored his head and why he wasn't killed. [Fringe Television]

And here's a peek at the smooth-headed Observers. [TV Guide]

V

The Visitors get visas in a sneak peek of next week's episode.

And here's a lovely picture of Morena Baccarin. [TV Guide]

Heroes

The Nov. 23 episode, "Thanksgiving," is the one where Adrian Pasdar will take his final bow, and Angela will have to admit she was behind the Nathan-Sylar switcheroo. [TV Guide]

Smallville

Clark spends some quality time with the Army of Zod in stills from "Pandora." [Spoiler TV]

And here's the aforementioned sneak peek of "Pandora" with shirtless Clark.

Additional reporting by Josh Snyder.