Right now, SGU is on a break after its midseason finale two weeks ago, and leaving us all with a giant cliffhanger. The first season will pick back up in April. And now that Syfy has announced that they will be ordering another 20 episodes, the second season of SGU will take off in the fall of 2010.

Sanctuary has also been given another 20-episode order for its third season, thus keeping Friday nights happily full of new SF television.

But will SGU begin to treat its female characters better? There appears to be hope, judging from a new interview with Executive Producer Robert Cooper, who owned up to the fact that the women on SGU are completely underutilized and underdeveloped. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Cooper addressed the show's female problem, and while he focused more on the sexualization of Stargate, we're happy he at least copped to keeping the women aboard Destiny in the back rows for far too long.

There's been criticism about the female characters. Some of it seems to suggest that having characters who are at all sexual automatically makes a show sexist, that anything less than a neutered "Star Trek" ideal is somehow bad.

Cooper: I think our female actors are playing strong female characters and they are proud of the characters they're playing. We didn't do a good enough job establishing them early on, it took too long for those traits to come to the forefront, and I think people are recognizing that in the later episodes. But that's the other big hot button — whether sex belongs in sci-fi. It's a huge deal with our fan base and I think its bizarre to ignore sex as a part of translating the human condition to fiction. If we're going to try and tell a more realistic character story we need to include those things.

Also, one comment, as a fan: a little bit of Kino-vision goes a long way.

Cooper: It's part of the language of TV now, that reality TV point-of-view that you're just sitting with those people and it helps bring reality to sci fi. I don't think we over-use it; I directed the Kino episode.

So hopefully merely realizing this problem means that they will make a conscience effort to tell us all who T.J. actually is, along with all the other background women aboard Destiny. So our final question, will you tune in for another season?

[THR]

"I have faith in our ability to repair this ship, and to work together." - Dr. Rush

When Stargate: Universe was released earlier this fall, I began to find some similarities between elements of the show and the final preparations within my own workplace, which was undergoing a reorganization to streamline its business processes. The very nature of SG:U has made it a very different animal than you'd expect from Stargate.

With earlier shows SG-1 and Atlantis focusing on exploration, diplomacy and intergalactic cooperation as major elements, Universe is a far more personal story that focuses on teamwork and team-building. The pilot saw our heroes escaping through the only route possible: an unknown open wormhole. With no preparation, the refugees reached the ancient ship Destiny, only to find that their problems were far from over, and that they were several billion light years from home, with no chance of rescue.

The business world has been evolving of late: strict hierarchies and military-like chains of command are shifting, in favor of a collaborative, team-oriented model, that's designed to increase productivity, but also foster innovation and creativity. Coming from a school and workplace deeply seeped in military tradition, I've found the combined civilian military workplace an interesting one, to say the least. Onboard the Destiny, there is a similar dynamic: a strict military hierarchy, mixed with a group of civilian specialists. In this particular environment, a strict military hierarchy isn't what will save the crew - only by fully utilizing the full strengths of each crew member can they survive.

"In boot camp, you have plenty of opportunity to learn from your mistakes." - Col. Young

So at its core, SGU is about teamwork, in ways that are far different than other shows such as Battlestar Galactica or Jericho. From the first episode, SGU's entire refugee population has been composed of a group of people who were not only completely unprepared for the planned mission, but even for the job of surviving.

And unlike Jericho's earthbound post-apocalyptic situation, survival aboard the Destiny is no simple task. In the pilot, we discover the refugees have no idea where they are, and the stability of their environment is also in question.

Once aboard Destiny, the makeshift crew gathers and audits its resources — crew members are vetted for their skill set and find their own roles within their new situation, making do with the supplies that they were able to bring on board.

To some extent, this isn't all that far off from any sort of business, aside from the unusual location and the immediate peril. Business processes exist in a fairly hostile and competitive world, one in which the survival of the business often depends on the efforts of the employees who work for it - especially in enterprises that depend on customer service. Trying to turn a business into a more inclusive team structure where everyone collaborates creates similar issues. In the old model, you had departments compartmentalized, and only limited information went from one area to another, which held the organization back. So newer structures use the collective strengths of everyone in the organization, with each section based on a specific task, instead of having many "microcosm" structures within the larger entity.

"Welcome back, SG-1." - Gen. Hammond

To some extent, we've seen this difference before, with the first Stargate show, SG-1. Stargate Command marshalled away teams of four people, each with a general specific function within the organization, but each containing smaller sub-specialties of combat, science and leadership. This worked for some missions, but at other points, it was a devastating mistake. Away teams would fall out of contact with Stargate Command, leaving other teams to investigate their whereabouts — at times, unclear on what the original team's specific mission on that planet had been, what their experiences were with locals and how they'd ended up going missing. Similarly, away teams would encounter issues that they were unable to cope with, because of a lack of specialization within their team — often, this created problems, diplomatically, scientifically and militarily. The SG-1 survived the longest, most likely, because of a diverse range of skills and the teamwork that prevailed within that particular group.

The characters of SG:U, despite the similarities with a combined military / civilian structure, approach things in a much different fashion: because they have to. Away teams aren't preset groups. In the first episode, we see a combined team that includes Rush, a military escort and several scientists - most notably, a geologist - to try and track down a specific type of rock that could be used in the ship's atmospheric filtering system. Other teams have included similar structures, based on the needs of the mission.

"You're in command of that ship. It's not a democracy." - Gen. O'Neill

SGU's Colonel Young has several major, somewhat conflicting responsibilities for those in his care — and the first, as demonstrated in the first couple episodes, is to preserve the lives of those onboard the failing ship, and this is precisely why he has butted heads with not only Rush, but also his immediate superiors on Earth. While the Icarus Project is something that the entire group seemed to be gearing up for, they're unprepared to fulfill some of the basic requirements of that particular mission: to stay alive.

With the immediate issue of survival seemingly taken care of — they have air, water and food, as dealt with in successive adventures — the crew can begin to look towards their second priority, ensuring their survival by either returning home, or repairing the ship. This would allow them to either fulfill the original mission, while they are on board the ship, or allow for a transfer of personnel to ultimately fulfill the mission.

How does this apply to the business world? To a large extent, this story is about survival and the ability to adapt, while keeping an original mission in focus. The military has numerous examples of this sort of leadership style and mentality, which occupy the extreme end of the spectrum, since these scenarios are often life-or-death situations. With a workplace, the same is true, although there will be less blood and few bullet holes in the walls. In the world of business, problems are to be expected. Supplies run short, vendors fail to deliver, markets drastically change, and so on.

So it's no wonder that teams need to be dynamic, fluid and attentive, rethinking the mission parameters on the fly. When the American 4th Infantry Division had to land at Normandy Beach, General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. knew he had to land his troops, or the rest of the Normandy invasion would fail. But he also used his own judgment from observations of the field, rather than sticking rigidly to the original plan or waiting for instructions — doing what it took to achieve the objective of the day. So too, has Col. Young, by using his judgment to ensure the safety of his crew. Without them, the Icarus Project would be wasted, and the mission would fail. Col. Young clearly understands the priorities of the mission, and so demonstrates a positive example of leadership under fire.

Any company faced with major problems such as these might find themselves unprepared for a new business environment that threatens its survival. In these instances, there is a responsibility on the part of the leaders to ensure that survival continues, whether that is on the part of a CEO, a General in the field or a fictional Colonel on a ship several billion light years from home.

Monday

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

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

Tuesday

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

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

Wednesday

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

Thursday

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

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

Friday

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

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

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

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

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

Saturday

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

Sunday

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

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

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

This episode was the much-dreaded murder mystery SGU. When we first heard that there would be a moider aboard the good ship Destiny, followed by an investigation, the news was met with a general gnashing of teeth and fist shaking. And as much as the "murder" was a silly gimmick, the event itself forced out the plot that we'd all been waiting for, the Rush-and-Young showdown. It's about damn time.

The episode starts with a light-hearted bit, Greer's, "you say potato, I say disgusting," taste-test of the new alien food they picked up from a random planet. It made me chuckle and reminisce about a time when Stargate often featured silly little jokes being played on random crew members. It was a nice return to the comedy we know, even if the punchline was predictable.

But there's no time for laughs murder is afoot — Angry Bald Guy has been found dead, thanks to a bullet to the head. Suicide, everyone cries — but wait, where's the gun?

Young gathers everyone into Destiny's parlor room and exclaims, "there's been a murder, we're all suspects, nobody is leaving this mansion until we figure out who done it." Eli yells out, "twas Miss Scarlet, in the mist shower, with the lead pipe!" So they all gather up in the Gate room and Young does the most logical thing: identifies the only people with alibis and puts them in charge of searching everyone's quarters. There's push-back, naturally because — well, they are aboard an alien ship that is running out of food and water and frankly bullet to the brain usually means suicide, missing gun or not. And for the first time in my long history of hating Rush, I was on his side when he decided that this is silly and, "We have work to do." But like I said it pays off, and the "means justify the end."

But besides the final payoff, the murder mystery episode also satisfied two of my SGU needs: killing off Angry Bald Guy and revealing what his pill addiction was. I'm happy that Bald is gone, as his rage was exceedingly one-dimensional, but I'm pissed as hell that his addiction was to SLEEPING PILLS... but more on that matter later.

While the new Destiny detectives rummage through the ship looking for the missing weapon, the investigation comes to a hold in Young's room. Whattayaknow the moider weapon is discovered in the air vents in Young's quarters. Clearly he's innocent because we all know hiding a weapon in the air vents is the first place people would look. We've seen No Country For Old Men. The plot thickens.

This damning new evidence makes everyone a little cray-cray, especially Camille Wray, who can smell her big leadership opportunity just moments away. Being the noble old man that Young is, he steps down, giving his power to Wray, fulfilling yet another personal plot desire we've had for some time.

Quick like a bunny, Wray gathers up some crew members and begins prosecuting Young. The Senator's daughter serves as Young's "defense counsel," because she went to Harvard or something...sigh. Meanwhile sneaky old Rush slithers up to the new boss, Wray, and congratulates her on her new-found power. He asks only that his new found confidence in her be rewarded by granting him complete control over his science team. And now it's all starting to make sense. Rush has never really had full power over the science team, because Young always kept him in check. Wray has no idea what this request ultimately means, as she shouldn't, because her character has never really been a power player in this series. And now we see her peripheral status up till now bearing fruit. Is it a weak excuse for keeping this interesting character barren of development? Yes. But it works here. The evidence is mounting.

Within moments, Rush has his science team assembled at the great mind chair, and all but tells these starving, sad, homesick scientists that this is the key to getting them all home. Thus enacting his master plan. He's too chicken to risk his great brain by sitting in the chair, but he has no qualms with sacrificing the minds of others. By dangling this steak in front of the starving masses, he's guaranteeing that one of them will plop down and take the risk, and that's just what they do.

This is when the shit hits the fan, and it's fantastic. It's what we've all been expecting and waiting for. Granted, this all could have happened many episodes earlier, but at least it's happening now. Franklyn is in a coma, because he sat the big sit in the Ancient mind-chair, the kino tapes conveniently pop up revealing the actual murderer — no one — and Destiny finds a new planet to visit. Wray watches as her new found power crumbles around her, thanks to Rush's manipulation, and she retires, giving Young back his authority. But like a kid in a candy store not even Rush can stop himself from getting off the ship to see the new alien world. Even though the ship is suffering a veritable governing break down, Rush gallops off to explore the new planet with a pissed-off Young behind him.

After dismissing the away team Young confronts Rush, alone on the desert planet. And all hell breaks lose. Young bashes in the face of the madman, knocking him out cold after a few swings, and leaves his scrawny trouble maker behind. Ha ha, take that meddling wild card with the Nick Burns the IT Guy attitude towards helping the Destiny survivors.

Young crosses the Gate and tells the crew that Rush was stuck under an rock slide and they didn't have enough time to get back. Rush is now alone with nothing but a old alien spaceship to keep him company. And the crowd goes wild. Finally, the action, the drama, the grit and the ugly world we were promised. I never really cared about Young's sex life switcheroo with the Earth-bound wife, these are the people I wanted him to punch in the face and leave for dead on some remote planet, because I'm invested in these characters. It was a brilliant twist, and I can't wait to see how these two get out of this dilemma. Cause, come on — Rush isn't going anywhere just yet, and Young is never really off the hook.

All in all, it was a fantastic episode that used the murder-mystery gimmick to its advantage, so much so that halfway through it was no longer a murder mystery, so much as a showdown between two great big characters. So in a way this was the first real pairing of Stargate humor and gimmicks with actual gritty drama, and it worked like a charm. Sure, I still feel like the women were yet again pushed to the sidelines. Especially since Wray only had power for a hot moment, and T.J. hardly spoke — but it was nice to watch the Senator's Daughter and Wray go head to head, again, if only for a short while. Let's hope there's more of that to come in the future.

My biggest problem was the reveal of Angry Bald Guy's medication to be sleeping pills. A marine loses his mind over sleeping pills? I was expecting much more from the from all the previous foreshadowing in past episodes. Perhaps he had some illness he was keeping in check — or maybe it was an addiction to something that will really mess you up. But if you're selling me suicide based on a lack of sleeping medication, well... that's a hard pill to swallow. Thankfully Baldy does get to utter one of the most profound sentences uttered in SGU. Which, honestly reveals his true motives: "these people don't even realize, they're in a big floating coffin." In hindsight they should have just let it at that, and left the sleeping pill reveal out entirely.

But they are small issues with an over all amazing episode that restored my faith in this series and solidified my early sense that Young is the best character out of the bunch.

We focused on big, awesome, brain-eating box sets for this roundup — so, for example, we didn't include too many sets that were just individual seasons of TV series, if we could recommend the series' complete run in one set instead. And similarly, for movies, we tried to find the sets that would make the most impressive gift. But we also have a ton of suggestions for bargain-basement DVD sets that still make awesome gifts, in these trying economic times.

Movies On DVD: The Best New Box Sets And Gift Sets

(If galleries bother you, then click here for non-gallery version.)

Give Your Friends Enough Television To Ruin Them For Real Life

(If you hate galleries, click here for non-gallery version.)

10 Cheap-Ass DVD Box Sets That Make Good Ironic Stocking Stuffers:

(Non-gallery version is here.)

This is the type of humor I really miss from this Stargate series, so I'm happy this is back, even if he is talking into a Kino. But this week's SGU isn't about non-sweet potatoes, it's all about murder aboard the Destiny. And sadly, I don't think it involves a group of role playing Southerners at a fancy dinner party.

The new SGU titled, "Justice" (ugh), will be on Syfy at 8 PM, this Friday.

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.

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.

Lost:

So we already mentioned that alternate-universe Ben is working as a teacher at a high school where his adopted daughter Alex is one of the students — but apparently Ben and Alex are still "close." And Locke is working at the school too! Also sighted around the school: Rose and Doc Arzt. But no sign of Bernard. And William Atherton's new character is the principal, but that may not be his only role. [SpoilersLost]

Doctor Who:

The second special episode "Waters Of Mars" already aired in the U.K. (and we'll have our recap later today) but it's still new to many of us — and here are some more promo pics that came out at the last minute. [BlogtorWho and BlogtorWho]

And here are some screencaps from the new trailer for "The End Of Time" that aired at the end of "Waters Of Mars." More pics at the link. [Life, Doctor Who And Combom]

And here's that trailer, in case you missed it:

John Simm says he will not be at all subtle as the Master this time around:

If you thought I was hamming it up in the last one, wait till you see this. I like to be quite subtle, but this doesn't call for subtle. The Master is insane. I also used a bit of Caligula and a bit of Tony Blair. But in this, The Master is off the leash. Unhinged. Totally unplugged!

[Digital Spy]

David Tennant tells Simon Mayo there's a chance he might get called back for a "three Doctors" special, and he keeps a version of his costume around under lock and key just in case, because if you come back, you have to bring your own kit. [BlogtorWho]

Russell T. Davies explains the meaning of the phrase "He will knock four times."

Fringe:

Here are some set pics, showing Joshua Jackson at the scene of a Boston accident. [SpoilerTV]

Anna Torv talks about Olivia's relationships on the show. [BuddyTV]

V:

Here are a whopping nine clips from tomorrow night's new episode!

Supernatural:

Some new clips from this Thursday's new episode, the last one of 2010. Mark Sheppard in full effect. [SF Universe and Chicago Tribune]

FlashForward:

A new set video shows people running down a street. Is it the present — or next April? [Flashforward.PL]

Episodes 12 and 13 will be called "Kairos" and "Better Angels" respectively. [SpoilerTV]

And the world's most globe-trottingest FBI agents are at it again in episode ten:

Against Wedeck's orders, Mark and Demetri travel to Hong Kong in search of the woman claiming to know details of Demetri's fate; Lloyd tries to come clean about his and Simon's involvement in the global blackout - against Simon's better judgment — and Zoey discovers the true meaning of her flashforward.

[SpoilerTV]

New Moon:

Screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg says the second movie in a trilogy is the hardest to write, and explains what this film is about:

The second film in a trio of films is always the diciest because you don't want to do the movie as just a set-up for the [third film]. I was really conscious of wanting this movie to stand alone in its own right, and there is a very standalone story in this book. That is Bella's heartbreak and recovering from heartbreak and so the theme that comes out of that is that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I think it is Bella's evolution of becoming a stronger person; I mean, every book takes her further along that path of becoming her own person. So I think that is the standalone theme in this movie.

And she says she worked hard to make Bella sympathetic despite the fact that she takes advantage of Jacob's feelings for her in this film. [Cinematical]

Stargate Universe:

Amanda Tapping confirms she'll be back as Sam Carter towards the end of the first season, but she doesn't get to play with anybody. "I'm kind of off on my own ship." [Gateworld]

And here are a slew of promo pics from the episode "Life". [SpoilerTV]

Heroes:

Ellen Tigh is back! Kate Vernon has joined the cast of this show, according to Greg Grunberg's Twitter. [Digital Spy]

And here's a behind-the-scenes featurette for the "Thanksgiving" episode:

Additional reporting by Mary Ratliff.

Robert Carlyle, Ming-Na and David Blue claim it's their mind-blowing favorite. But can it win back the fans that the series has lost?

The Watcher, a long time Stargate critic, had a run in with the Gate just this week. After criticizing the show she received a message in her comments section from the show's producer Brad Wright. The response is well worth a read. On top of that SGU writer Joseph Mallozzi took to his blog telling various trolls and SGU haters to back off, well technically, he called them idiots. And let's not forget when everyone called the new gate sexist.

So can the series still pull out from under all of this drama? We actually think so, if the show starts giving the fans what they want. So we rounded up a few hopeful ideas for how SGU could win back all the haters.

What We Want More Of

Colonel Everett Young

Louis Ferreira is the glue that is holding the Destiny, and this show, together. In these last few episodes, Young has become a much larger part of the story without revealing much, if anything, about his past. And yet I'm riveted. This character and actor haven't had a misstep yet. It's an absolute delight unraveling the secrets behind this character. Even when he's a bit gruff, Young has a reassuring and realistic manner that sets the crew at ease by merely saying, "I've done this 12 times, no big deal" mention. No need for the wink and nod routine, he sets the standards merely by being himself.

Plus, he can really pull off that something-is-boiling-underneath, tortured soul look — without being as cheesy as how I just described it. As opposed to Rush's character, who just screams, rants, and raves to a point where I don't really care what he's hiding. Rush's a petty little jerk who reminds me more of the Nick Burns IT guy than a tortured genius. Even when he's quiet he's just trying too hard to be a "frustrated dick." We know Robert Carlyle is a great actor, I'm just hoping they give him more to work with and soon. Because right now his mystery and ambiguous morals are lost in his Nick Burns antics.

Meanwhile, Young cheated on his wife and I still wish him obscene amounts of happiness. Either give us more Young, or invest in the other characters the way you have invested in Young.

The Women

What's Ming-Na's character's name? Seriously, what is it? I forget almost every time, because she has had absolutely no screen time or character development in this series. Apparently, because she's a hard ass and works for a company, that makes her important. Same goes for TJ. Sure it seems that she and Young had a thing going on at one time, but that's all I can tell you about her, besides the fact that she can keep a cool head under pressure.

Critics have been accusing SGU of being sexist for weeks now, and when the only female character with a large speaking role is sleeping with one male character and making out with another male character while crying and drunk, well... let's just say it's been a losing battle thus far. Let's hope tonight's episode changes all that, please? More women. I think I may like T.J., so write her into the story. Let me like T.J. please! Oh, and Ming-Na's character is named Camile Wray, by the way.

Flashbacks

While we're asking for more from our characters, whatever happened to all the flashbacks from the beginning of this series? I'd even take another super-religious flashback priest in the desert heat stroke flashback. Whatever, as long as it meant getting to know these people better. So how about it? More flashbacks please? You don't have to reveal all the secrets but maybe just a taste so we care when Greer continually acts like a psycho. Give us a reason behind it something not just a big "well he's damaged" stamp and expect us to just deal with it because he gets naked when he thinks it's death time. Even a blurry quickie jump similar to Eli's Mom vision helps. Something please.

Natural Humor

David Blue has been saddled with the amazingly huge task of bringing humor to this otherwise dark show. He's just about the only person who does anything light, and sadly it's usually incredibly forced. But that's his character, a socially awkward, but lovable dude. It's okay when his jokes come out forced, because that's what his humor was set up to do: act like a defense mechanism for the character.

So when you see Eli Wallace showing real emotion, it's hard not to get choked up. Even when they paint him as the panting, lovesick nerd, which they love to do, he cuts through his own BS with one killer knowing glance. This is why he actually works as a socially awkward sometimes funny, sometimes beating the joke to death character. But it get's muddled when SGU asks too much of Eli. It's near next to impossible to be funny, awkwardly funny, diffuse the moment funny and defense mechanism funny at the same time, and all alone. He needs some help here.

The show really needs a bit more unforced humor. This crew must lighten up somehow; that way, we won't be expecting everything Eli says to be funny. If we lighten his humor load, we could view him as a fully formed character with flaws, and not just the character who's supposed to make you laugh, because no one else is. Stargate writers are funny, we know this, so blend the darkness and the humor they way we know you can, and promised you would.

Team Adventures

The best part of a Gate series is putting the crew on a strange planet and watching what happens. Thankfully, I think tonight will welcome back this tradition. Sure, it's been fun seeing pairs here and there on the snow planet and desert planet, but I want to see the team flee for their lives from native beasts or angry hostiles. It's more interesting than "What has Destiny run out of this week?" Still, I think we'll be seeing a lot more of this in the future.

What We Want Less Of

The Slow Burn

It's high time some secrets were spilled. I think we all realize that survival is the first priority on Destiny, and watching humans freak out about a lack of air, water, or power is interesting, but only if I'm emotionally connected to the characters who could die. And they already killed off Shooter, so the only characters we're really invested in right now are Eli, Scott, the Senator's Daughter, and Young. I'd like to get to know the rest of the crew, so the next time there's a lottery for who gets to live and who has to stay and die, I'll be worried.

Destiny Taking The Wheel

The ship is jumping all over the universe, and there's nothing the crew can do to stop it. That should be all the work a mechanical being should have to do. But every time there's a problem or an issue, it seems like the ship figures out the solution. Meanwhile, every time the humans interfere with Destiny... disaster strikes. It would be nice to see the humans figure something out on their own for once.

Boob Lens

Show me the scenes where the other female cast members were subjected to this "yowzer" camera angle and I will take it all back. But as far as I can tell this little move was character-... nay, actress-specific. And not only did it cause internet outrage, it was disappointing. You have to treat each character equally, or else you're just undoing all the hard work this actress is trying to accomplish fleshing out a minor character. Just two episodes ago, Lt. Vanessa James was given a chance to show a little depth while battling with possible jealousy over her past broom closet fling, Scott. I wonder how many people were actually thinking about what James was going through as opposed to, "When is she going to take off that itchy jacket?"

She's gorgeous, that's for sure. But displaying this character in a different light than the other women sets her apart, in a bad way. And no, I'm not suggesting SGU institute a mandatory chest angle for each female (or male) character; to the contrary, they should do away with the image entirely. And hopefully that's that case, as "Darkness" was the last time I've seen the terrible boob lens. Perhaps this was just a fluke angle, but I highly doubt it. Still, if it's gone forever, great. Hopefully with one more episode, we can all put the Boobgate conundrum to bed and get to know more about this character.

Sex

I can't believe I'm saying this but, I could do with a lot less sex in this show. Much of the bumpin' and grindin' just feels like sex for sex's sake — especially with the Senator's daughter and Scott.

I get it: sex sells, and sideways naked shots of young people in front of a yellow window look pretty, but what's the point? I just can't see or feel the importance of this action. It just seems like, "We can have sex now on this Stargate, so we did." Especially when it's paired next to a Richard Dean Anderson scene with him being, well, his old adorable self, it's jarring and serves no purpose.

I honestly have no idea why these two kids are sleeping together. Is it a "We're young and wild" thing? A High Fidelity "put cigarettes out on me or sleep with me" emotion? Are they using each other, in love, in lust? All I we know is that Chloe feels "closer to Scott than anyone she's ever felt closer to ever," or something terrible like that. It's annoying, and they are annoying together whenever they start making out in a hallway like high school kids. "Hey remember when your dad died over there? We should make out." Same goes for the broom closet sex. What was the point of having it if James was only going to be jealous of Scott's new Saturday night lady for five seconds?

It's one thing to pull a gimmick like a mid-sex ancient stone partner switcheroo, which they did with Young and Colonel David Telford in "Earth." It may have been an exceedingly lame gimmick, but at least it meant something. There was build up for Young's character, and even the switch means something — well we hope so, or else would Telford show up at Young's wife's house at the end of the episode? Either way, I'm intrigued and entertained, but all this bland other sex should stop. It's ruining the good sex.

Just a few among many suggestions we've heard. Basically this show needs more time to build up these characters. I want to like every single Destiny crew member, I honestly do. It's just been a lot of watching with very little connection thus far. And while I'm happy everyone got water a few weeks ago, I'd really rather connect with another character the way I have with Young. Let's hope tonight's episode takes some of these caricatures and flesh them out into characters.

Here's the preview and a clip for tonight's episode, it kind of reminds me of old Gates, what with them shooting in the woods and all, so far so good.

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.

Lost:

So if you've been paying attention, you'll know that Benjamin Linus is a schoolteacher, and his adopted daughter Alex is a schoolgirl, in the show's new alternate timeline. And fans caught glimpses of shooting at a suburban house, where Roger Linus, Ben's dad, comes to visit Ben. And they overheard Roger telling Ben, "This is not the life I wanted for you, Ben." And then Alex shows up at Ben's door, rings the doorbell, and he answers. They talk for a while, and then she tells Ben he's the best. And then leaves. Ben lingers at the doorway, then closes it. [Hawaii Weblog]

Looks like we'll be speaking a lot of Spanish in the upcoming episode 6x09, if this casting call is anything to go by:

[ISABELLA] Latina, 30s, fluent in Spanish. Strong sense of self and adores her husband. Devout Catholic who is battling a long-term illness...GUEST STAR.

[FATHER SUAREZ] Latino, 50s to 60s, fluent in Spanish. A well educated, old school Catholic priest who is stern and has an inflexible opinion of right and wrong...VERY NICE CO-STAR, POSSIBLE GUEST STAR.

[JONAS WHITFIELD] Early to mid 30s; English; must speak with authentic accent. He's crisp and his bearing is of a British military officer. Athletic and agile, he's worked hard to rise up the corporate ladder and make something of himself. He believes in survival of the fittest...GUEST STAR.

[DOCTOR] Latino, 40s-50s, fluent in Spanish. Sophisticated, wealthy, and a somewhat mercenary upper-class doctor who has an imperious bedside manner but knows his stuff...NICE CO-STAR.

[IGNACIO] Latino, 30s, fluent in Spanish. Poor, religious and street smart. On the wrong side of the law but only because he's a victim of his circumstances... NICE CO-STAR.

[SpoilersLost]

Doctor Who:

The BBC released oodles of new photos from "Waters Of Mars." Scary! [via Den Of Geek]

Kick-Ass:

You've grooved to the trailer, now fixate on the poster. [Slashfilm]

Fringe:

OMG can you believe whom we're going to be meeting in episode 2x15? Here's the casting call:

[WALTER'S WIFE] Caucasian. To Play Walter's wife is in her mid 40's to play a little younger. She's both strong and broken, intelligent, attractive, likable, lovely and extremely versatile.sptv050769..GUEST STAR. POSSIBLE RECURRING.

[SpoilerTV]

Lance Reddick says an upcoming episode deals with the difficulty of knowing who is good or evil, when it comes to these alternate universes and tangly pasts — does it all just depend on your point of view? And this particularly comes into play with Walter's unscrupulous past experiments. Also, he says it's not out of the question that we'll see more Nina-Broyles kissing, and it's possible we'll get an Astrid-centric episode one day. [TV Guide]

And here are some more promo pics for "Of Human Action." [SpoilerTV]

Sarah Jane Adventures:

Here are a slew of promo pics from the season finale, featuring... the Slitheen. Again?? [Den Of Geek]

2012:

John Cusack says this isn't a disaster movie, it's an apocalypse movie, and the first act is like the last act of most other movies — and then it just builds from there. He explains:

This has to do with people trying to figure out, 'What do you do when there is no escape and there is no way out?' So you have a much more existential vibe than just, 'How do we survive this disaster?'

Whatever you have to tell yourself, John. [MTV]

V:

Even though Morris Chestnut's undercover alien character Ryan has a human lover — and we saw them with a pregnancy test — sources say a different human-alien coupling will produce a hybrid baby. Officially, though, all we know is that Morena Baccarin says a hybrid baby is a possibility. [TV Guide]

FlashForward:

Here are a few clips from the next episode, "Playing Cards With Coyote," that I don't think we've shown you before. [YouTube and MovieWeb]

Smallville:

A clip from the upcoming episode "Pandora" includes shirtless Clark and bland, melodramatic dialogue. [EW]

Also, when Zatanna returns in "Warrior," she's stirring up love-triangle-shaped tension with Lois and Clark. And this episode takes place at Metropolis Wonder-Con, which is basically San Diego Comic Con — and Chloe meets a new love interest at the con. [EW]

True Blood:

Sam Trammell is a fountain of speculation and inside info. When we meet werewolves in season three, they'll be disgusting, smelly creatures, like in the books. And Evan Rachel Wood is probably heading for some kind of disaster as retribution for selling all the V. Eric's hold over Sookie will grow next season, but a Bill/Sookie wedding next year isn't out of the question. [Digital Spy]

Chuck:

In episode 10, Casey does something really bad, that could lose him his job, and it's connected to Robert Patrick's new character, who's a mysterious figure from Casey's past. [EW]

Heroes:

Here are some promo pics which I think are all new from the episodes "Shadowboxing," "Brother's Keeper," and "Thanksgiving." [HeroSite, HeroSite and SpoilerTV]

Stargate Universe:

Here's a sneak peek from episode eight, "Time":

Iron Man 2:

Sam Rockwell says his character, Justin Hammer, is sort of like Lex Luthor (the Hackman and Spacey versions) mixed with Bill Murray in Kingpin and Richard Gere in American Gigolo. And in case we didn't cover this before, Rockwell also says his character is the one who builds Rhodey's War Machine armor, and Rhodey has no choice but to work with Hammer. But Rhodey doesn't let Hammer try the armor on. [MTV]

Tekken:

At a party for distributors, the studio showed off some footage from this live-action movie adaptation, starring Luke Goss, Jon Foo, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Gary Daniels, Ian Anthony Dale, Kelly Overton, Cung Le, and Tamlyn Tomita. The movie follows Jin Kazama as he struggles to get revenge on Tekken Corp. chairman Heihachi Mishima for the death of his mother. And the only way to get revenge is to enter Tekken's Iron Fist Tournament. Just because.

So the trailer/sizzle reel included captions saying:

One tournament ... decides the fate of millions. ... They fight for power ... They fight for honor ... They fight for pride ... But one man ... fights for revenge. ... Courage fuels him ... Rage drives him.

We see a flying car soaring over an arena in a futuristic city, and a bloodthirsty crowd waits for the action to begin. We see a montage of the movie's fighters, including Raven, Eddie Gordo, Bryan Fury, Craig Marduk, and Yoshimitsu. They all look sort of like their game counterparts. And there's lots of fighting, punching, kicking and general mayhem. Jin Kazama runs along building tops, parkour style, and fights in a cage match, rising up from the streets to the Iron Fist competition. Woo!

Jin Kazama meets Steve Fox (Goss) and the sexy Christie Monteiro (Overton), and then there's a training montage, showing him pummeling a wooden dummy. Steve Fox yells, and Kazuya Mishima (Dale) walks bare-chested in front of a wall of fire. There's a hero shot of Jin looking like his game counterpart, then he's fighting in the ring, and then chicks are fighting in the ring. Jin fights Bryan Fury (Daniels) and one of his blows causes an energy ripple across Fury's chest. Guards pull a distraught woman away, and then there's more fighting, including maces and half-moon axes. Even more details of fighting and posing at the link. [IGN]

Avatar:

This totally ridiculous Coke Zero ad and a couple of new TV spots include a teeny amount of new footage from the movie. [Thanks Slashfilm!]

Resident Evil: Afterlife:

Milla Jovovich is still Tweeting from the set of this movie, and among other things, she explains that her new costume includes a leather gun harness and a "butt bra." And those mysterious figures in all white are "Pod People," who've been subjected to horrific Umbrella Corp. experiments. [ShockTillYouDrop]

The Hobbit:

Guillermo Del Toro explains exactly what he'll be adding to Tolkien's original story:

We will be integrating Gandalf's comings and goings [into the script] because he does disappear in the book quite often. So, as opposed to the book, we see where he goes and what happens to him.

That means we'll see the battle against the Necromancer. And the Wargs will have "a certain beauty" so you don't get the message that everyone beautiful is good, and vice versa. And Smaug the dragon will be unique and look unlike any dragon you've ever seen. [Total Film via MTV]

Twilight:

The Wolf Pack come up on Access Hollywood to talk about their abs and explain why werewolves are better than vampires.

Dark Days: 30 Days Of Night:

Here's your first image from this sequel, showing Kiele Sanchez as Stella Oleson (played by Melissa George in the first film) waving a knife as she prepares to take the fight to the vampires. Also in the film are Lost's Harold Perrineau, Mia Kirshner (as the vampire Lilith), Diora Baird, Rhys Coiro, Troy Ruptash, Jackson Berlin, John De Santis, Marco Sorian and Katherine Isabelle. Full version of the image at the link. [AICN via ShockTillYou Drop]

The Prisoner:

Ian McKellen was on The View, where he showed a brief clip from this remake of the classic 1960s series... and put up with Whoopi Goldberg confusing him with Michael Gambon. Oops. [Cinematical]

Lost:

The show was filming at the Survivors' camp, and actors in attendance included Evangeline Lilly (Kate), Matthew Fox (Jack), Michael Emerson (Ben), Jorge Garcia (Hugo), Emilie de Ravin (Claire), Yunjin Kim (Sun), Jeff Fahey (Frank Lapidus) and Nestor Carbonell (Richard Alpert). [SpoilersLost]

Doctor Who:

Here's a brief new TV spot for this episode, premiering (in the UK) on Sunday!

And Russell T. Davies says this episode is "absolutely terrifying, one of the scariest things we've ever done." The things the Doctor and the people around him are forced to do are totally mad and it's a really exciting hour. [BlogtorWho]

V:

Here are some promo pics from the fourth and final episode of the year, "It's Only Just Beginning." It looks as though someone is getting pregnant... and the father is the last person you would expect! [VisitorSite]

And here are six clips from tomorrow night's new epsiode, including Morena Baccarin turning herself into a virtual paper doll to try out outfits on.

Fringe:

Here's some info about the Nov. 19 episode, "Observer":

An unusual abduction in Boston reveals information about the Observer and bizarre evidence that Walter, Peter and Astrid must sort out in the lab—-in between Walter's constant cravings for a milkshake.

[TV Guide]

FlashForward:

In upcoming episodes, we'll meet the adult version of the mysterious scarred Somalian child from episode three, and he may be played by The Wire's Michael K. Williams. Also, we'll be meeting Miles Fogel (Michael Ealy) who becomes a thorn in Benford's side and becomes a regular character starting in episode ten. Episode nine will be all about Dr. Bryce Yarley, and we'll be meeting the Japanese woman from his flashforward, Keiko. Callum Keith Rennie will be back at least a couple more times this season, says David S. Goyer. [MTV]

A new featurette focuses on Dominic Monaghan, showcasing his role as Simon and the actor's thoughts on quantum physics:

And here are a few stills from an upcoming episode — but we're not sure which one. [SpoilerTV]

And here's a sneak peek from the next episode, in which Monaghan talks about being oh-so-tawdry:

A casting call for episode 14 details a couple new characters we'll be meeting:

[DON SESTITO] 50s-60s, open to all ethnicities. Wry, very sharp. A veteran Federal judge for some 20-plus years, he's seen and heard it all and cuts to the chase. one scene

[JOSH BARKHAM] late 20s-early 30s, open to all ethnicities. Intelligent, well-spoken, argues in court. A once-idealistic attorney, experience has worn the shine off his former earnestness. one scene

[SpoilerTV]

Supernatural:

As you've seen already, Lucifer gets Castiel trapped in a ring of holy fire — but he doesn't just question the angel. He tries to convince Castiel to join him as a rebel angel, according to Misha Collins. Also, we might see Castiel using his supernatural tolerance for alcohol to win some drinking games. [Huffington Post]

Chuck:

Season three will be like "The Matrix," says Zachary Levi. Plus Brandon Routh explains his new character. [AOL via ChuckTV]

Smallville:

Zatanna will be back in an episode early next year, entitled "Warrior." [TV Guide Magazine]

And here's the description for the Nov. 20 episode, "Pandora":

Lois is kidnapped by Tess and forced to reveal what she learned during the weeks of her disappearance. She witnessed a future with Metropolis controlled by Zod and Clark left without his powers because of the red sun. With this information, Clark makes a big decision about Zod.

[TV Guide]

Stargate Universe:

Eli may get to handle some guns sometime soon, hints David Blue. And he would like to have a long scene where he and Rodney McKay geek out about stuff. [SF Universe]

And here are some pics from the episode "Time" — in which, I'm guessing, they're running out of time, until they get some more somehow. [SpoilerTV]

Additional reporting by Mary Ratliff.

Actress Julia Benson has already responded to some fan criticisms that the show doesn't seem to know what to do with its female characters beyond reducing them to sexual objects or cyphers. But when certain fans, or as we like to call them, trolls, took to the writer's personal blog calling actors whores and being rude in general, show writer Joseph Mallozzi's felt compelled to address the SGU trolls:

STOP MAKING IDIOT COMMENTS. Note I didn't say idiotic comments because that would imply that the lion's share of the idiocy lies with the comment itself rather than the commentator. No, I mean: STOP MAKING IDIOT COMMENTS.

For example, say you have a problem with the James scene in Darkness in which she threatens Riley and Eli after they try spying on her with the kino. You can go ahead and make an argument for the scene being sexist (although I'd argue that there's a difference between the scene being sexist and the characters in the scene acting inappropriately, especially given that a clearly disappointed Young admonishes both men), but if, in the body of your comment or any subsequent comment, you refer to the James character as Lieutenant Rack or McBoobs, then you're a hypocrite who has successfully undermined their argument by demonstrating you can't be taken seriously. Also, you're an idiot.

Granted, Mallozzi seemed hesitant to lash out like this and explained that part of the reason for his frustration, he admits, comes from the way that the "idiot comments" impact the show's cast and crew - and potentially shape the future of the series in opposite ways to the loudest fan criticisms, also some people in our opinion were just being jerks.

Sadly, the negativity has also taken its toll on one-time regular Sherry, proud mother of actor Brian J. Smith, who, surprised and saddened by some of the hostility here, has elected to no longer read the blog. Also, after several months of connecting with fandom online, Brian is stepping away from his popular twitter account for much the same reason. Some of the very same fans who he was kind enough to open up a dialogue with in the run-up to the premiere started leaving him nasty comments as though he was responsible for the show's creative direction... [R]ealize – if it hasn't become apparent by now – that we love our cast and are very protective of them. Trust me when I say that there's no better way to guarantee a character's long and fruitful stay on a show than to insist we get rid of them.

And Mallozzi has a tough message for the fans who want the show to be more like previous entries in the Stargate realm:

SGU is NOT SG-1 or Atlantis. It's a different show in terms of tone and characters. If you're expecting flawless people, square-jawed heroes, and stories that set up and deliver all the answers over the course of a forty-five minute episode, you WILL be disappointed. And DON'T expect that to change.

But still, it's really interesting to see this response, fans are always tough especially on the internet, this isn't new news. We're very surprised that the writers especially seasoned Mallozzi, hasn't dealt with this sort of thing before. Is his skin getting thin because the complaints ring true, or was it an appropriate response to a monsoon of trolls?

Much more in the link. Go and read.

That Long Overdue Rant – And A Behind-The-Scenes Vid From Water [Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog]

Star Trek:

Zoe Saldana says she can't wait to take off her shirt again, although she presumably doesn't know if that's happening in the new movie. She also hints that filming may take place next year after all, despite all those delay reports. [E! Online]

So what's the new one about? J.J. Abrams offers some vague ideas:

The second one has an obligation to go deeper and maintain the fun and adventure in the sense of optimism and scale that [Gene] Roddenberry created. But I do think it has to evolve and not become some polemic over-the-top, on-the-nose allegory. It needs to be something that is not just about the characters meeting each other and having their first adventure; it needs to be about having their most meaningful one.

But he says it definitely won't be called Star Trek 2.[MTV]

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows:

There's an insanely detailed description of Bill Weasley's wedding scene, at the link. [HP4U]

Doctor Who:

The Eleventh Doctor lands in a graveyard and has a jolly chat with his new companion Amy, in some new set pics. Theories suggest this is for a two parter starring Sam Davies, a child actor, playing Elliott. And there are a couple of Youtube videos of the filming as well. Photos by the amazing Scooty, more at the link. [Gallifrey Base and BlogtorWho]

And the writer of the next animated adventure, "Dreamland," talks about the creation of an American companion for the Doctor, Cassie Rice. [BlogtorWho]

Sarah Jane Adventures:

Digital Spy has more details about this week's long-awaited two-parter, guest-starring David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor. Tennant doesn't show up until the end of part one, and his first words are, "Stop this wedding!" Sarah Jane's relationship with businessman Peter Dalton moves quite quickly, although there is liberal use of cue cards saying "One Week Later." The Trickster appears to behind the whole business, and when the Doctor shows up, he's quickly parted from Sarah Jane as well as his TARDIS. He's got the kids to help out, though, and one of them receives a massive electrical shock. The Doctor says "Allons-Y" and "I'm so sorry." And he's referred to as "the man of ice and fire," and told "the gate is waiting for you." At the end, Sarah Jane tells the Doctor (I think) that nobody will ever forget him. One more pic at the link. [Digital Spy]

The Prisoner:

A big batch of new stills from the AMC miniseries remake. Fingers massively crossed! [UGO]

Fringe:

A bunch of pics from the Nov. 12 episode "Of Human Action." The gang investigates a kidnapping that rapidly turns into a hostage situation in New York, and discovers an unknowable force has "mind-blowing consequences." And they go to Nina Sharp for help. [Fox]

And here's a casting call for a character we'll be meeting in episode 2x12:

[CDC FIELD HEAD ARNOLD MCFADDEN ] Male. Open Ethnicitys. This authoritative man in his mid 40s is brought in to help prevent a potential bio-terrorism event...GUEST STAR

[SpoilerTV]

Supernatural:

I'm pretty sure this is a new clip from Thursday's episode, featuring a super-aged Dean. [TrekMovie]

And here's the synopsis for the ninth episode, which I would be dreading if it wasn't written by Eric Kripke himself:

IT'S A SUPERNATURAL CONVENTION! Super fan Becky (guest star Emily Perkins) uses Chuck's (guest star Chuck Benedict) phone to trick Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) into attending a Supernatural fan convention, complete with fans dressed up as Sam and Dean. One of the activities is a live action role playing game, but things quickly turn sour after a real ghost appears on the scene.

[SPNSite]

Smallville:

We'll be meeting a new villain in episode 9x12. Could this be Amanda Waller?

[ANDREA POTTER] 35 – 55 yrs old. A heavyset, imposing and ruthless African American woman. She has sinister plans for the citizens of Metropolis…Do not limit your suggestions to heavyset. This role is established in Episode #912 but is a RECURRING GUEST STAR role.

[SpoilerTV]

Producer Kelly Souders warns: "You will see more people than you can imagine die in the first 12 [episodes]. Luckily it's Smallville, so not all of them stick." He says some of these deaths may take place in the future, and we also may see some people snuff it in some of Lois' visions. [TV Guide]

Geoff Johns twittered that his episode featuring the Justice Society is actually "an insane DCU infused two-part epic. Part I is 'Society' and Part II is 'Legends.'" And yes, it features Stargirl, Dr. Fate and Hawkman. [Twitter via SpoilerTV]

Heroes:

Another episode, another flashback. Here's a casting call for episode 4x15, one of the truncated season's final episodes:

[20 YEAR OLD SAMUEL] 20 Male. Caucasian. A passionate rock & roller in love with his childhood sweetheart. Dangerous and charming. We are casting the young version of the actor Robert Knepper…Please see attached photo. Actor will not have lines but will be featured and paid.

[SpoilerTV]

And the episode before that, 4x14, will be called "Let It Bleed." [The ODI]

Stargate Universe:

Here's a clip from Friday's new episode, "Water," that I don't think we've shown you yet.

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

Additional reporting by Mary Ratliff.