Watchmen:

Warner Bros. put out a new official plot synopsis for Watchmen, which contains no surprises:

A complex, multi-layered mystery adventure, Watchmen is set in an alternate 1985 America in which costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society, and the "Doomsday Clock" - which charts the USA's tension with the Soviet Union - is permanently set at five minutes to midnight. When one of his former colleagues is murdered, the washed-up but no less determined masked vigilante Rorschach sets out to uncover a plot to kill and discredit all past and present superheroes. As he reconnects with his former crime-fighting legion—a ragtag group of retired superheroes, only one of whom has true powers—Rorschach glimpses a wide-ranging and disturbing conspiracy with links to their shared past and catastrophic consequences for the future. Their mission is to watch over humanity…but who is watching the Watchmen?

And here are some Brazilian magazine covers that show slightly different images of the movie's stars. Most notably, you get a pretty good look at Rorschach's mask. [Cinemablend]

Terminator Salvation:

And Warners also put out a plot synopsis for Terminator 4, which is almost exactly the same as ones we've seen before:

In the highly anticipated new installment of The Terminator film franchise, set in post-apocalyptic 2018, Christian Bale stars as John Connor, the man fated to lead the human resistance against Skynet and its army of Terminators. But the future Connor was raised to believe in is altered in part by the appearance of Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), a stranger whose last memory is of being on death row. Connor must decide whether Marcus has been sent from the future, or rescued from the past. As Skynet prepares its final onslaught, Connor and Marcus both embark on an odyssey that takes them into the heart of Skynet’s operations, where they uncover the terrible secret behind the possible annihilation of mankind.

Fringe:

Even though each episode of J.J. Abrams' fringe-science show will have a beginning and end, there will be character arcs that carry forward. And the show's over-arching mythology has an end point already defined, which the show can reach whenever it ends, whether that be the first season or the tenth. Joshua Jackson's character, Peter Bishop, is like a babysitter looking after his dad, and wonders why he's there. But something early on in the season compels him to stay, and he ends up finding his purpose there. [Sci Fi Wire]

And here are some new promo posters.[Fringe Television]

Lost:

There's been a lot of suggestion lately that we'll see "flashbacks" to the early days of Dharma on the island. But today, EW's Michael Ausiello, interpreting Doc Jensen, suggested that actually when Ben cranked that frozen wheel, he sent everyone back in time. So the people left on the island will actually be interacting with the early Dharma people. [EW]

Torchwood:

The BBC put out a press release about the filming of the shortened third season of Torchwood. The main points: The cast is still just Captain Jack, Ianto and Gwen, plus Rhys and P.C. Andy. No mention of Mickey or Martha. Guest stars include Mr. Frobisher (Peter Capaldi), a civil servant with a dark secret in his past, Clem (Paul Copely), a survivor still haunted by his past, and Johnson (Liz May Brice), a cynical government agent determined to expose Torchwood. And the release promises plenty of surprises... maybe including appearances by Martha or Mickey. Who knows? [BBC via Blogtor Who]

Sarah Connor Chronicles:

The season premiere of the Terminator TV show starts with a cover version of "Samson and Delilah" (also the episode's title) sung by new co-star Shirley Manson. It runs over a montage showing the aftermath of the previous season's cliffhanger. The episode hints at a betrayal — or two — and ends with a moment that should please Terminator purists. [TV Guide]

Smallville:

At some point in the first seven episodes of Smallville season eight, Lois will confess her love for Clark. (Maybe just when they're play-acting being a couple for an investigation?) And something dramatic will happen between Clark and Jimmy. [EW]

Chuck:

A major character dies in the Chuck season premiere. For reals! (But it can't be Sarah, Casey, Chuck, Morgan, Jeff or Lester, or Ellie or Captain Awesome, since they're all in the later scripts that got leaked. Who does that leave? Racking my brains. Bryce? He's in a later episode too. I'm stumped. ) [EW]

Heroes:

A few new Heroes details: Claire may be immortal, like Adam, but the same probably doesn't apply to Peter, despite his healing powers. And Adam has had 400 years to learn how to keep telepaths like Peter or Matt from reading his mind. We'll see Arthur Petrelli (Nathan and Peter's dad) before episode 8, in a flashback. Sylar didn't absorb the powers of Candice, or Michelle, or Betty. The father of a "favorite character" will lose his head, permanently. (My money is on Matt's annoying dad.) Future Evil Claire works for the Company. [Heroes Television]

New Canadian Heroes promos have the theme of "The Darkness Is Coming," and each features a different character, with their nice present version and their ebil future version, plus a quick soundbite. So far, there are promos featuring Peter, Claire and Hiro. Peter says he can't control these things that are happening to him, Claire says something about how you thought you knew her so well, and Hiro says we've chosen the wrong side. [Heroes Spoilers]

And here's a behind-the-scenes video I don't think we've featured before. [SpoilerTV-Heroes]

Stargate Atlantis:

Here's some info about upcoming episodes of the Stargate SG-1 spin-off:

Episode 5.09 - Tracker: The team help out on a planet where the Wraith introduced a virus amongst the population. In the process, they find a runner with some extra luggage.

Episode 5.10 - First Contact

Episode 5.11 - The Lost Tribe: Sheppard and Zelenka are on a ship where a 15-year-old female engineer is teaching Zelenka a thing or two about hyperdrives. They race Todd for another ship. Asgards appear in this episode.

[SpoilerTV]

Additional reporting by Lauren Davis.

When pressed on whether the statement that Arnold won't be there in person means he might show up as a voiceover, Borman hedged:

"I'm not going to answer the question about what we're trying, or what we want, or what we're toying with," said Borman. "It's really up to what fits in the film or not. Maybe his voice, or maybe not. It's really not settled.

If I was a resident of California, I would be severely disappointed in my Governor for not at least contributing something to T4. It's called follow-through. He should have the determination to see this journey through to the end. But in his defense, I'm sure he thought the Terminator franchise was properly bludgeoned, poisoned, stabbed and buried after Terminator 3.

[Wired]

Says McG, the word "Salvation" in his movie's title is a major clue to the film's ultimate point. Humans have "sinned" by creating the machines, which ultimately destroyed most of the human race. "Even though we may sin, ultimately we deserve a second chance," says McG. More specifically, the word "Salvation" refers, in particular, to the actions of one character, who must make a major sacrifice for the good of the many. But McG wouldn't say who this sacrificial lamb is.

Gosh, it's a bit of a mystery, isn't it? It's not as if the movie has a character whose initials are J.C. or anything. Or who's growing a Messianic beard for the filming. I really can't think who our self-sacrificing character might be. [MTV Movies]

Terminator Salvation:

UGO has a roundup of Terminator Salvation spoilers, most of which we've already touched on at some point. A few details that jump out at me: T4 will be about the development of the Model 101 Terminator, which looks like Arnie. The T-600s, the ancestors of Arnie's T-800 model, are like Soviet tanks. And it's rumored there will be some Terminators with human brains inside them. [UGO]

Death Race:

Why does Joan Allen's evil prison warden organize a "Death Race" as a spectator sport? Because prisons have all become privately owned corporations, and they're all geared to make money. She's a sort of high-powered CEO type. [Sci Fi Wire]

Super Max:

The movie about superhero Green Arrow inside a supervillain prison features a prison building that's almost a character in its own right, says writer Justin Marks. As you'd expect, the prison has all sorts of special features to contain the super-powered baddies locked up there, such as a cell that can neutralize Icicle's freezing powers. "So to escape from Super Max they have got to go through the most elaborate heist we've ever seen, involving superpowers. Because the prison itself kind of has superpowers!" says Marks. Also, Green Arrow's squeeze Black Canary isn't in the film at this point, but Marks hopes she'll be written in. [MTV via Comic Book Resources]

Game:

So not only does a teenager control Gerard Butler in Game, but the teen doesn't realize that Butler is a real person, a death-row prisoner who's forced to compete in deadly sports. The teen thinks Butler is just a sim character. But somehow, Butler still manages to use his incredible fighting skills to escape the Slayers game and bring down its creator, Ken Castle. [CinemaBlend]

Lost:

Lost season five has already started filming... and the show has been needing Spanish-speaking extras. [Spoilers Lost]

Heroes:

Adam aka Takezo Kensei gets dug up in episode four of the new Heroes season, and he's pissed. Ando, Hiro and the Haitian have one scene together early on in the season that will have you in a fit of giggles. (Really.) And as we've mentioned, William Katt plays a reporter who harrasses Ali Larter's character about her past as a webcam girl, which she's not aware of. [E! Online]

BuddyTV visited the Heroes set during the filming of episode six, and found Ali Larter in a car with Adrian Pasdar. Hiro is shining his sword in a magic shop for some reason, and he makes an Anakin Skywalker reference. Hiro stabs someone in the fifth episode of the season, and it's "not who you'd think." Also, Adrian Pasdar (Nathan) says it's not just about choosing between good and evil, but also between mom and dad. [BuddyTV]

And here's a preview video, that contains revelations such as "this season will be slam-packed with excitement." [Heroes The Series]

Knight Rider:

Just because I know you guys love it when we post Knight Rider stuff, here's another new video, which shows a way better look at KITT's Turbo Boost. [Knight Rider Online]

Chuck:

And speaking of upcoming NBC shows about dweebs who interface with technology, here's another Chuck promo. [Spoiler TV]

Also, apparently the mysterious guy in the Fed-Ex uniform has two targets: Chuck and Sarah. [TV Guide]

And in the Awesomes' wedding episode, Father Awesome offers to walk Ellie down the aisle because her own father isn't around, but this just freaks her out. [E! Online]

Battlestar Galactica:

Was it clear to you from watching BSG's midseason finale that the supposed Earth the fleet found had been destroyed in a nuclear holocaust? Well, apparently that was what had happened. Also, there is still some doubt as to whether it's really Earth, despite everything we've been told. [TV Guide]

Eureka:

So S.A.R.A.H., the smart house on Eureka, has her own Twitter feed. And today, she happened to mention that someone on the show is pregnant. Pressed for details, she clammed up. [Gin200168]

While I commend this idea, let's be honest with ourselves: This is a long book, with not a lot of action. This is a story that teaches you about being the end of possibilities, facing nothingness. While I completely believe Bale is reading McCarthy's work, that's big load to take on in the middle of an intense action movie shoot. But McG did give MTV pretty good reasons for pushing The Road on his cast and crew:

“I gave all the actors ‘The Road’ to read to get their heads right bout this sort of existential detachment that living in a post apocalyptic world would bring,” McG revealed. “We’re in a very large post apocalyptic environment. The bombs have gone off and there’s very little left. People are wandering through lonely landscapes. We want to capture that by way of David Lean photographic expanses, so you think you’re looking at ‘Lawrence of Arabia.’ So far, so good.”

At least McG is putting on his serious director hat for this movie. It sounds like a great idea, but I worry that they aren't stretching themselves too thin. The line-up of Terminator 4 influences is long I've heard Aliens, Nolan's Batman and now Cormac McCarthy, that's a lot spice my friends. Let's not forget why we're all going to see this movie. To watch robots kill people, and vice versa.

[MTV]

Terminator 4:

Still wondering what the deal is with Marcus, the mysterious character played by Sam Worthington in Terminator: Salvation? Maybe this will help. Worthington says Marcus is sort of like Alice from Alice In Wonderland, or Dorothy from the Wizard Of Oz. "That's how I look at him,'' Worthington says. "He wakes up in this world he doesn't know and he goes searching to try and find answers and find his way home." [AdelaideNow]

Watchmen:

Not much of a spoiler if you've read the graphic novel, but in the Watchmen movie there's a brutal scene where the Comedian tries to rape the Silk Spectre, and is only stopped due to the intervention of another hero, Hooded Justice. This scene has to be in the movie because it sets up everything that happens later with the Silk Spectre, says actor Carla Gugino, including her retirement from crimefighting, her self-image as a sex-symbol, and her second, consensual sexual encounter with the Comedian later. [MTV]

Repo! The Genetic Opera:

Annoyed they're remaking Rocky Horror? Well, here's a new clip from a movie that wants to be Rocky Horror but isn't a remake. It features Anthony Stewart Head as the organ-repossession guy, and his angsty teen daughter Shilo.

Virtuality:

Sci Fi Wire got to visit the sets for Ron Moore's new backdoor pilot about deep-space astronauts who escape into virtual reality, Virtuality. A few new tidbits: the crew wears gray uniforms that look like workout clothes, and underneath they have street wear, which mostly consists of T-shirts with the names of colleges on them. There's one main set, a space module, which can be redressed to be different places on the starship Phaeton, and it resembles a "mall common area" crossed with the International Space Station. And since the Phaeton astronauts are also starring in a reality TV show to help pay for their voyage, they're going to shoot some reality-ish "webisodes" at the same time as the TV movie/pilot. There's a lot of improv in their performances. [Sci Fi Wire]

Sarah Connor Chronicles:

I don't think we've reported this info before. Following the massacre of tons of his FBI agents (in that awesome Johnny Cash-laced swimming pool scene) Agent Ellison apparently leaves the FBI. He's no longer in the mode of searching for answers, instead he's looking for payback against the bastard who killed his people — but that's kind of a tall order, against a Terminator. Also, he takes a job working for Shirley Manson on her Babylon project, which is a name that could make a good Christian man like Ellison uncomfortable.

Also, it looks as though the mobster Sarkasian attacks the Connor house soon after his car-bomb has blown up Cameron, at the start of season two. And promos and early promo images show what appears to be Sarkasian's dead body, so don't get too attached to him. [Firefox and Firefox]

And here are some jazzy new promo pics. [SpoilerTV and GrrrlTV]

Doctor Who:

Blogtor Who has a summary of rumors about the 2009 Doctor Who specials, most of which I think we've covered before. Sea Devils, Brian Blessed, Paul McGann, The Master, Donna, Wilf, Doctor's Daughter — everybody's coming back, supposedly. One rumor we haven't mentioned before: a new "Children In Need" skit, featuring past Doctors Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy. Grain of salt, as always. [Blogtor Who]

Lost:

Lost is having an unprecedented "open casting call" for anyone who wants to be in the show. In other words, they're not casting particular roles, just whoever shows up and wants to be an island person. (I'm assuming this isn't just extras.) What does it mean? Maybe the show is seeking a bunch of members of the Dharma Initiative, who are supposed to be a major part of season five. Also, a close look at "Jeremy Bentham"'s obituary reveals he had a son. Did Locke get lucky after he left the island? [Doc Arzt]

Meanwhile, Lost isn't just having random casting calls — it's also specifically seeking an actor to play Dan, a high-priced attorney with a real menace lurking below the surface. It's speculated that Dan is Charles Widmore's dirty-deeds guy, who handles his alliance with Sun. [EW]

And episode 2 of the new Lost season features two new characters: Nigel, a British kid in his late teens, who's smart and mature for his age, but a bit "rough around the edges." And Sophie, an aristocratic Brit, also in her late teens, who seems innocent and prim, but is really formidable underneath. [Spoilers Lost]

The Middleman:

Here's a brief synopsis for the Middleman's season finale, which airs Sept. 1: "The duo take on the evil Palindrome, a super-villain who kidnaps Wendy and transports her to a parallel universe." That would presumably be the parallel universe we showed you photos of a while back. [TV Rage]

Life On Mars:

Here are a few new set pics from the filming of the head-injury-time-travel cop show. [Crazy Days And Nights and Spoiler TV and OnLocationVacation]

Chuck:

Here's a new description for season two, episode nine of the nerd-spy show:

As Ellie and Awesome’s wedding approaches, we finally meet Awesome’s parents - Woody and Honey Woodcomb. They’re both doctors and just as fit and athletic and awesome as, well, Awesome. Honey is over the moon about the wedding and wants to help Ellie plan it much to her…delight? After all, who wouldn’t want to register for wedding gifts at the Buy More and call their in-laws “Mom” and “Dad”?

Meanwhile, Casey’s former sensei, now gone rogue, is involved with a weapons theft and Team Bartowski has to stop him using Casey’s personal knowledge of the man. If Casey had feelings, he’d be furious over the man’s treachery. If he had feelings, he be unleashing hell on his former mentor.

[ChuckTV]

Heroes:

It looks like Heroes will be delving more into the past of its mysterious character known only as the Haitian. At least, the show put out a call for two menacing Haitian militia men, who must speak French but may or may not have speaking roles. They'll appear in episode 11 of the new season. [Spoiler TV]

Knight Rider:

Remember how this version of KITT is sort of a Transformer? Oh good. Then here's a new video that shows KITT transforming into "attack mode." [Knight Rider Online]

Also, the sixth episode of the show will be called "I Wanna Rock And Roll All Night." (Not "All Knight"?) [SpoilerTV]

Spooks: Code 9:

Here are some new stills of the "Doctor's daughter," Georgia Moffett, from the third episode of Spooks: Code 9, the BBC show about pretty young people who become the thuggish (but cute!) secret police of a new post-apocalyptic Britain. [Blogtor Who]

True Blood:

Here's a new trailer for the vampires-and-synthetic blood epic on HBO. [Anna Paquin]

And here are some new promo stills of the cast. [True Blood]

Stargate Atlantis:

Gateworld has detailed descriptions of four upcoming SGA episodes. In "The Shrine," Sheppard, McKay, Teyla and Ronon are searching for a missing research team, when they find themselves in a flooded valley with only the top of the gate visible. They hang on for dear life waiting for a puddle-jumper to rescue them. But flying back to Atlantis, McKay becomes ill and it turns out he has a brain parasite that can't be removed, which is causing to forget everything and regress to boyhood. Keller summons McKay's sister to be with him, but it's too late — he no longer recognizes anyone. Ronon suggests a desperate measure: a shrine on the planet Talus could grant McKay one last day of being himself, before he dies.

And in "Whispers," Dr. Beckett goes with Sheppard to investigate one of Michael's labs, where they find evidence that Michael was experimenting on the genetic characteristics of various life forms. Sheppard takes a team to explore a nearby village, which appears to be abandoned. Except that the chilling walls of fog, and flashes of movement, suggest they're not alone there.

In "The Queen," Dr. Keller believes she's found a way to cure the Wraith of their need to feed on humans, thanks to Michael's genetic research. But she needs some Wraith as test subjects. The Atlantis team approaches Todd, a Wraith, with this proposition, but he says they must first win the support of the Wraith Queen. Teyla has to go under cover, relying on her Wraith DNA and an ally with a hidden agenda.

And in "The Tracker," Jewel Staite's Keller is — gasp! — captured and tied up in the forest. She's treating a child in a village and tells Ronon and McKay to wait for her in the nearby tavern. But then she goes missing, and both men search for her, with McKay also calling for help. When four hunter Wraith turn up, Ronon suspects it's linked to Keller's disappearance since the hunters exist to chase Runners. Ronon must rely on his own Runner skills if he's to find Keller. [Gateworld]

Watchmen:

G4 was on the set of the Watchmen movie, and posted a video showing a few more details of the sets, and a look at director Zack Snyder's storyboards. More importantly, they managed to film Jackie Earle Haley being made up as the unmasked version of Rorschach, and interview him in his Rorschach makeup. [G4 via Cinemablend]

And here's an eye-wrenchingly horrendous copy of the footage shown at Comic-Con. As we described previously, you can see a nice view of Rorschach's mask changing shape, a more graphic version of Dr. Manhattan blowing up Vietnamese villagers, Rorschach in the Comedian's lair, and Nite Owl at home. [Comic Book Resources]

Terminator: Salvation:

We reported a while ago that Linda Hamilton might be back in one, or all three, of the new Terminator movies as John Connor's mom Sarah. But apparently Hamilton still hasn't been approached. And sources say the Hamilton cameo would probably just consist of John and Kyle Reese looking at a photo of Hamilton, and the production may not even ask for Hamilton's permission to use her image until the editing stage. [Arnold Fans via CinemaBlend]

Dragonball:

Here are some new high-res images from the Dragonball movie. I like Chow Yun-Fat's T-shirt. [IGN]

Iron Man 2:

Rumor has it a member of the Avengers will turn up in Iron Man 2. But it won't be the Hulk. [Ace Showbiz]

Star Wars: Clone Wars:

Here's a new TV spot and a new featurette for the greatest Star Wars movie coming out this week.

Igor:

Here are a bunch of new stills from Igor, the mad-scientist animated movie that comes out in September. It has such a great cast, but these images from the film are so ugly it hurts to look at them. Maybe after an hour or so, you'd get used to how this film looks? [IGN]

Doctor Who:

Catherine Tate says she'll "probably" not be in the Doctor Who special airing this Christmas. (It's already filmed, so it's pretty definite that she's not in it, actually.) But maybe that means she will be in one of the 2009 specials? As she says, "anything can happen." [Blogtor Who]

Heroes:

NBC released a press release describing the two-hour premiere of Heroes season three:

EPISODE 3.01 “THE SECOND COMING” – Sept. 22

“VOLUME 3: VILLAINS” MAKES A TWO-HOUR SPECIAL DEBUT WITH REVELATIONS THAT WILL REDEFINE FAMILIAR CHARACTERS AND SHAKE THE SERIES TO ITS CORE — The first chapter of “Volume 3: Villains” kicks off moments after shots rang out, as the shocking identity of Nathan’s (Adrian Pasdar) assassin and the reasons why the Texas press conference had to be cut short are revealed — immediately throwing Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) and Matt (Greg Grunberg) into unexpected, uncharted territory. With his powers partially restored, Sylar (Zachary Quinto) decides a visit to Claire (Hayden Panettiere) could give him a boost. Meanwhile, in Tokyo, Hiro (Masi Oka) and Ando (James Kyson Lee) are charged with safeguarding a family secret that could split the planet apart, and discover that the path to a grim future starts with shady speedster, Daphne (guest star Brea Grant). In New York City, thanks to Maya (Dania Ramirez), Suresh (Sendhil Ramamurthy) makes a startling breakthrough that could change the world — or just destroy his. And who is Tracy Strauss? Ali Larter, Cristine Rose and Jack Coleman star. Noah Gray-Cabey, Ashley Crow, Randall Bentley, Jimmy Jean-Louis, George Takei, Malcolm McDowell, Carlon Jeffery, Jamie Hector, Bruce Boxleitner, Francis Capra and Blake Shields guest star.

EPISODE 3.02 “THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT” – Sept. 22

A DOZEN VILLAINS WITH UNIMAGINABLE POWER ARE UNLEASHED AFTER THE COMPANY IS ATTACKED — SYLAR VS. ELLE (KRISTEN BELL) — ANGELA PETRELLI (CRISTINE ROSE) TAKES CONTROL AND REVEALS A JAW-DROPPING SECRET — WRITTEN BY CREATOR TIM KRING AND DIRECTED BY EXECUTIVE PRODUCER GREG BEEMAN — In the shocking second chapter of “Volume 3: Villains,” Angela (Cristine Rose) clashes with her much-changed son, Peter (Milo Ventimiglia), over how best to avert a seemingly inevitable worldwide catastrophe. First, Sylar (Zachary Quinto) declares war on the Company by attacking their main facility, and finds even more than he bargained for on Level 5. During a devastating battle with Elle (guest star Kristen Bell), a dozen savage criminals — all with terrible abilities — escape. Meanwhile, Claire (Hayden Panettiere) discovers something new and unexpected about her abilities. Determined to reclaim his family’s terrible secret, Hiro (Masi Oka) and Ando (James Kyson Lee) track Daphne (guest star Brea Grant) to Paris. After a fateful night, Suresh (Sendhil Ramamurthy) is thrilled to find his research, his life and his relationship with Maya (Dania Ramirez) evolving in leaps and bounds. Stuck in unfamiliar territory, Matt (Greg Grunberg) finds a guide (guest star Ntare Mwine) to help him. Ali Larter, Adrian Pasdar and Jack Coleman star. Ashley Crow, Jessalyn Gilsig, Malcolm McDowell, Stephen Tobolowsky, Bruce Boxleitner, Francis Capra, Blake Shields, William Katt, Ken Lally, David H. Lawrence XVII, Andre Royo and Kiko Ellsworth guest star.

So it looks like the reporter chasing Tracy aka Niki/Jessica, played by the Greatest American Hero, William Katt, shows up in the second hour of the two-hour premiere. And that Aboriginal storyteller we're all bracing ourselves to be annoyed by is Matt's guide in the desert. And here's another new Heroes promo pic, this time showing HRG. [Heroes Spoilers and Heroes Spoilers]

Also, Elle (Kristen Bell) is a big part of the evil future we travel to this time around. (There's always an evil future.) And apparently when we find out who Future Elle hooks up with, we'll squee. There will be squeeing. (I just had a weird thought. We reported the other day that HRG gets a new life partner. Could it be? But no, because Elle is only in five episodes this season. Plus, I think HRG's new life partner is in the evil present, not the evil future.) Also, Mama Petrelli reveals something that changes the dynamic of many of the characters. (Could it be that Sylar is her third son, as some have speculated?) [E! Online]

So you know how we mentioned that Sylar moves into the Bennett family's old house and has a little kid of his own? Turns out Sylar uses his ability to paint the future, and discovers that he'll have a normal life at some point. And the name of this spawn of Sylar? Noah. Same as HRG. Whoah. And Sylar actor Zachary Quinto says that "certain people" have power over Sylar this season, and they give him orders that put him in situations that "force him to employ a kind of restraint that you haven't seen him necessarily need to employ." [Comic Book Resources]

Fringe:

Here are a couple of new TV spots and a Fox News segment on Fringe, J.J. Abrams' new really-not-the-X-Files show. There's some cool new footage in there, along with stuff you've probably already seen. I like the main characters all saying "I never should have..." in one of the TV spots. [Fox News via Fringe Television]

Sarah Connor Chronicles:

There will not be any human-robot sex involving Summer Glau's Cameron any time soon on the Terminator TV show. [TV Guide]

Smallville:

The sixth episode of Smallville season eight is called "Prey" and includes the Martian Manhunter. [Kryptonsite]

Also, Impulse (Smallville's version of the Flash) won't be among the Justice Leaguers in the season premiere, but there's a lot of League in this season, so there's a chance he'll show up at some point. [TV Guide]

Wonder Woman:

The new direct-to-DVD Wonder Woman movie retells Wonder Woman's origin in the present day, including the whole Paradise Island test sequence. It includes all the classic supporting cast, including Steve Trevor (Nathan Fillion), Etta Candy, Hades, Ares, fellow Amazon Artemis, and of course Wondy's mom Hippolyta. [Comic Book Resources]

Terminator
The most humanized of the Terminator futures. In a Kyle Reese future-flashback we see a sad world populated by filthy children, yeach. This end-of-days future puts a face on the chaos.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Terminator 2 has a sexy scar-face John Connor and brings us a better look at the laser guns that were only hinted at in the original. This is puppetry Stan Winston style at it's best. Especially the legless-bot that is writhing around in the trash.

Terminator 2: Alternate Future
Another ending to Terminator 2 had John Connor as a big-time politico, and Linda in old-lady-face.

Terminator 3: The Rise Of The Machines
The debut of a super sad looking, balding John Connor. Sorry, that man does not save humanity. And also, whoa party foul. No leader of men would waste a perfectly good beer like that.

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Pause.com, which reported the initial rumor, was later told by Hamilton's people that she hadn't been approached for the Terminator 4: Salvation role or for any other future Terminator flick yet, but would be interested. I usually don't buy these rumors, but the hype for T4 is so great that I can't imagine why they wouldn't bring back the bad-ass momma if they had the chance. Personally, I'm all for the return of Linda Hamilton, so if this rumor opens the door for her return, I welcome it. If Arnold and Kyle Reese get to be in the new robot war, why not Linda?

Is Linda Hamilton In For Terminator: Salvation? [Pause]

"I kind of play a baddie, definitely a baddie," Bonham Carter told Sci Fi Wire. "I don't know how much I'm allowed to say, but I'm a very bad person."Known for her bonkers female characters of the past (and this being one of the darkest movies Carter's been connected to) this Terminator is shaping out to be an intriguing look at a darker future for humanity.

"Tim [Burton] would have killed me if I hadn't done it, because he's such a Terminator fan," Bonham Carter said, referring to her longtime partner and director on such films as Planet of the Apes. "I've been in big movies before, like Apes, and Fight Club was big in a different way, and Charlie [and the Chocolate Factory] and Sweeney Todd were big, but I've never been in this kind of big popcorn action movie, a male one, an action one."

[Sci Fi]

Terminator Salvation:

California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger saw a bunch of footage from Terminator 4, but it left him puzzled, mostly because he couldn't tell who the Terminator was in the film. Said Arnie:

I still don't know how it will play out with this one... They showed me some footage, but I don't have a feel for the movie. I didn't see enough. I wasn't sure who the Terminator was. I don't know if there is one or if he's the star or the hero. These are the things that determine the success and how the strong the movie will be.

[L.A. Times]

Tr2n:

In the Tron sequel, it appears from the trailer that the "crack" in the game-grid wall remains after all these years, and other players are using it. A new Sark program would know where the "crack" is, and that's why he's able to head off his opponent so easily. Also, the new "deadly disks" appear to be slimmer than the original versions, maybe because processing capacity has improved, so you can get more disk for your buck in a smaller space. [UGO]

Repo! The Genetic Opera:

Here's a new behind the scenes featurette for Repo! The Genetic Opera, focusing on the song "Mark It Up," which introduces the Largo children. If you're one of the people who's already super excited for this musical about Giles from Buffy going around harvesting people's foreclosed organs, then you'll probably be excited to see this. [ShockTillYouDrop]

Star Wars:

While we're all gearing up to enjoy the Clone Wars movie and TV series (or not, maybe), George Lucas and his team are still working hard on the live action Star Wars TV show that takes place after Revenge Of The Sith. Lucas reiterated that the live-action series takes place on "the lower levels of life" and we won't see any Skywalkers in it. "They hear about the fact it is no longer a republic and now it's an empire, but they are from a world where none of that really means too much to them." [Sydney Herald Sun]

Eureka:

The Sci Fi Channel sent us a preview clip from tonight's episode of weird-science-town show Eureka, featuring a real Creature from the Black Lagoon.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles:

Sarah Connor Chronicles' Lena Headey says there won't be any romance between her character and Brian Austin Green's Derek Reese, but she hopes to have some romance with FBI agent Ellison. [TV Guide]

Lost:

Rumors for Lost season five. The premier episode, for the first time, takes place in three separate timelines. And apparently Sawyer spends the first few episodes entirely shirtless. [Doc Arzt]

Heroes:

Supposedly this is a video of a visit to Dr. Mohinder Suresh's lab, and it culminates with a shot of Maya all webbed up. Is this confirmation that Mohinder gets spider powers? Or just a weird viral thing? [SuperHiro]

And here are a few more promo stills from the new season opener. [Hellhound's Lair]

Chuck:

In the eighth episode of Chuck season two, there's a security problem at the Buy More store, so Big Mike leaves Morgan, Jeff and Lester in charge at night. But then Morgan comes up with dinner plans, so they all leave the store unattended. Big Mike ends up getting a call from the security company. Meanwhile, Chuck, Sarah and Casey are facing off with Fulcrum agents at a carnival. Chuck's ex Jill warns him about "yet another threat," and he's not sure who to trust, since he still has feelings for Jill. And apparently the line "Unleash the Casey" is spoken at some point. [Chuck TV]

Iron Man 2:

Robert Downey Jr. made some incredibly vague comments about the sequel to his hit movie Iron Man. The sequel won't follow the "superhero formula," and instead will explore how the super-armor powers affect Tony Stark's life and the family he gathers around him. And we'll get to see lots of different viewpoints, as we explore the forces that are at work in Tony's world. [IESB]

Terminator Salvation:

The fourth Terminator movie ends on a cliffhanger. Moon Bloodgood's character, Blair, gets shot in the leg and has a limp. And Kate Connor (Bryce Dallas Howard) is a doctor. Also, the film takes place in 2018 and the Schwarzenegger-esque T-800s aren't supposed to show up until 2029 — so if they show up early, "that's a problem for John," says director McG. [MoviesOnline]

Transformers: Return Of The Fallen:

Supposedly the villain from the first Transformers movie, Megatron, will pop up in the second film. But this time around, he'll be a tank. And one draft of the script had the good-guy Autobots bringing Megatron back to help deal with a bigger menace. [CHUD]

Death Race:

Here's the international poster for the prison-race movie Death Race. Not that spoilery, I guess, except that it makes his sidekick Case (Natalie Martinez) seem way more significant in the film than other posters I've seen. Plus there are traffic lights. Or is that some kind of racing "Go" light? [SpoilerTV-Movies]

Star Wars: Clone Wars:

Warner Bros. sent as a press release about the Clone Wars movie, which launches the TV series. Anakin is no longer a padawan, but a full-fledged Jedi knight (despite all the evidence to the contrary in Star Wars III) and Yoda assigns Ahsoka to be his padawan. She challenges both Anakin and Obi-Wan, refusing to do things their way. She becomes a mentor to her would-be mentors. She takes on a similar role to Luke in the original trilogy and Anakin in the prequels. Many people believe Ahsoka is too young to go into Jedi training, but the war has stretched resources so thin that Ahsoka wins an early promotion. "We come across Anakin and Obi Wan stranded in this big battle without many supplies, and all they get sent to them is this young girl," says director Dave Filoni. [Warner Bros.]

Plus, here are a couple of pages from a new book about Clone Wars, which give away a few hints about Ahsoka. [TheForce.Net]

Push:

Speaking of teen girls with attitude, Dakota Fanning plays a punk-rock teenager, Cassie, in Push, the psychic-kids movie. She's a "Watcher," a clairvoyant who sees snippets of the future and then tries to reach that future before people's actions in the present change what she's seen. She's on her own in Hong Kong, hiding from a secret government agency that wants to exploit the superpowered teens' powers. And she's trying to save her mom. [Sci Fi Wire]

Dragonball:

Here are four new promo images from the live-action Dragonball movie, including new views of Goku and Chi Chi. [HoyCinema and MovieSoon via FirstShowing]

Doctor Who:

So you remember the extended version of the trailer for the Doctor Who Christmas special, which we mentioned seeing at Comic-Con? It's on YouTube now, in multiple versions, and this is the least bad version. Note the speaking role for the evil Miss Hartigan, plus the first views of new companion "Rosita" in action.

Heroes:

How badly do you want to see the first 15 minutes of the Heroes season premiere? Badly enough to sit through a quarter of an hour of cameraphone vid? Really? Well then, here you go. [Heroes The Series]

Fringe:

Fox Broadcasting put a bunch of clips from Fringe, this fall's evil-science-conspiracy show from J.J. Abrams, on YouTube. The first and second clips are similar to ones we've posted before, but the others are new. Plus here's a segment on the making of Fringe from Entertainment Tonight. [Entertainment Tonight clip via SpoilerTV]

Stargate Atlantis:

The 17th episode of Stargate Atlantis season five, which airs in early 2009, introduces a new character, a Marine named Lt. Williams. He doesn't even get a first name, and if you were cynical, you might not be placing too much stock in his longevity. Why are you so cynical? I'm not even going to mention that Lt. Williams goes off on his own to explore a supposedly abandoned Wraith vessel that has turned up near Atlantis. Or that part of the wall melts and a gruesome-looking Wraith without his mask lunges out and attacks Williams. I certainly won't bring up that by the time Major Lorne and Col. Sheppard show up on the scene, there's nothing left of Williams except his rifle. Nope.

Meanwhile, Dr. Jennifer Keller is being pressured to expand her knowledge of Wraith physiology. She admits to Rodney McKay that she's suffering a lack of self-confidence, and McKay takes her hand as he encourages her. The two have been growing closer. [SpoilerGeeks]

Additional research by Lauren Davis.

First of all, you know that Christian Bale will nail the gritty reality that is John Connor in a world torn apart by robots. (He even grew a goatee!) But what they won't see coming is Sam Worthington playing Marcus, he's got the element of surprise, you don't know what to make of him. Worthington has beaucoup respect for his adversary Bale, which makes me want to root for him even more.

In the trailer that was played at Con, you get to see Marcus and Connor do a fantastic back and forth (pictured above). As far as I can tell they're both holding their own, but Marcus has totally unnerved Connor and you can see the man struggle to decide what to do, while Marcus tells Connor he doesn't give a fuck who he is. It's a tough call on who's better in this amazing game of angry bantering gay chicken, but I like that Marcus gets Connor so unhinged.

If the T4 spoilers are correct Worthington's role should eclipse the John Connor story, opening the door for Worthington to walk out of T4 as the biggest bad-ass the Terminator story line has ever seen. But of course McG denies that those spoilers are even remotely true.

I guess it will all come down to who will make you squee more when you see them punch a robot in the face.

Maybe the Terminator universe is big enough now that we can have conflicting narratives in the movies and the Sarah Connor Chronicles TV show. (Warner Bros. is gambling millions of dollars that you feel this way.) But it's almost impossible to avoid comparing the competing visions of a battle against the near-future robo-pocalypse. With Comic-Con information overload fresh in our minds, we're sharing our thoughts on which version will be better: Terminator 4, or Sarah Connor season 2.

John Connor:

Terminator 4: Christian Bale, the biggest superhero actor in the world.
Sarah Connor: Thomas Dekker, who was Claire-Bear's sidekick on Heroes.
The win: Terminator 4.

Bad Terminator:

Terminator 4: Some body-builder dude.
Sarah Connor: Garret Dillahunt from The 4400 and No Country For Old Men. He does a great bit where he says he's never smoked weed, and then crushes a school principal like a grape.
The win: Sarah Connor.

Friend Terminator:

Terminator 4: Well, it's rumored that Sam Worthington's character Marcus is a friendly Terminator, and it sure looked that way from the trailer at Comic-Con. Worthington is a great actor.
Sarah Connor: Summer Glau (Firefly), doing creepy and sexy.
The win: It's a draw, assuming we're right about Worthington.

Reese family member:

Terminator 4: Anton "Chekhov" Yelchin, a Hollywood "it" actor playing Kyle Reese.
Sarah Connor: Brian Austin Green, the guy from 90210 playing Kyle's brother Derek.
The win: I actually think it would be hard to beat BAG's toothbrush-stealing creepy uncle. Even though Kyle Reese has the whole "my dad is younger than I am" paradox going on, I still think the win goes to SCC.

Visions of the robo-pocalypse:

Terminator 4: Takes place entirely after Judgment Day, has enormous budget to show different types of robo-killers including motorcycle Terminators, Harvesters, and Hydrobots. Plus early set pics have shown a trashed-looking landscape.
Sarah Connor: Only had one episode featuring much post-Judgment Day stuff, and probably won't feature much in season two. Post-apocalyptic worlds are expensive.
The win: Terminator 4, no contest.

Creative flair:
Terminator 4: I actually think McG gets a bum rap. The first Charlie's Angels was a fun ride with some great moments, and the second just suffered from sequel-itis. I bet Terminator: Salvation will be a nice-looking action movie.
Sarah Connor: This is where Sarah Connor shines. The Johnny Cash "When The Man Comes Around" Terminator massacre will be burned into my mind forever. Don't take my word for it. Watch this:

Plus the videos from the POV of a Terminator married to a slightly needy woman were chilling and awesome. And the weird scary piano-playing-in-the-Skynet-basement thing. It's all very David Lynch-y.
The win: Sarah Connor.

Adding to the Terminator mythos:
Terminator 4: Will show in graphic detail how Skynet subjugated the survivors of humanity. Includes John Connor becoming a resistance leader. And the vague plot synopses we've gotten so far suggest that Connor travels to the heart of Skynet and uncovers some great secret.
Sarah Connor: Shows us, in great detail, how Skynet was built. (Although the "chess computer" thing still seems a bit random.) Shows John preparing to become the leader of the human resistance, and gives us a lot of insights into how Terminators think. It's extended the whole time-travel theme by having multiple groups of human freedom fighters travel back to the present to work against Skynet. It's added a lot of depth to the character of Sarah Connor, and given Kyle Reese a brother.
The win: This is where the difference between a TV show and a movie comes into play. The TV show can delve more deeply into some of the tricky undercurrents of the Terminator storyline. But it can't resolve any of them too quickly, or the show's over. A movie, meanwhile, can deliver a definitive statement and take some bold leaps forward — and then end. For now, until we know more about the plot of T4, we'll call it a draw.

Most likely to please purists:
Terminator 4: Can claim to be continuing the story from the first three movies. Plus it actually takes us past Judgment Day and shows what everything has been leading up to.
Sarah Connor: Includes numerous links to Terminator 2, including the character of the shrink who kept Sarah locked up in a mental institution. Also sticks pretty close to the format of T2, with John and Sarah protected by a Terminator from the future, while trying to stop Skynet.
The win: Well, neither version features Lynda Hamilton and Edward Furlong. If you're an ultra-purist, you probably think only the first two Terminator movies are canonical, and everything else is heresy. Heterodoxy, even. But including the character of Sarah Connor is a major plus for the TV show. So is the movie's idea of moving the story forward, beyond Judgment Day, and showing John Connor actually stepping up and leading the resistance. Both versions keep at least some element of time travel and alternate timelines. I would say it's a tie.

The bottom line:

It's close, but the overall win probably goes to Sarah Connor Chronicles based on points alone. Which you're more excited about probably depends on what you're more into: a rollicking summer popcorn movie with lots of explosions and a crazy plot, or a serialized drama with surreal touches and some long-term character development and simmering mysteries.

And now here's the full Salvation poster, just released by Warner Bros.:

IDW's Saturday panel at Comic-Con also included Editor-in-Chief Chris Ryall mentioning that the company was talking to various "big name" authors about a line of upcoming adaptations of classic science fiction novels. IDW's Ideas And Dreams [Comic Book Resources]

Terminator: Salvation:

Here's another new image from the fourth Terminator film. [IGN]

Star Trek:

So the villain of the J.J. Abrams Star Trek reboot/requel, Nero, is supposed to be the leader of a merry band of Romulans. But you might have noticed, in the posters that came out the other day, that he has no pointy ears. And weird face tattoos. What gives? Co-writer Alex Kurtzman says Nero "isn't necessarily a Romulan," and that "It's all part of the plot." [Trek Web]

X-Files: I Want To Believe:

Is the new X-Files movie a shipper lovefest? Well, this smoochy new TV spot may give you a bit of a clue.

Monsters Vs. Aliens:

Some new trading cards give some more insights into the characters in Monsters Vs. Aliens, the 3-D animated movie that's just what it sounds like. Stephen Colbert is the president of the United States and Kiefer Sutherland is the crazy General W.R. Monger, who's been locked in Area 52 along with the monsters he caught. Insectosaurus is a grub who was exposed to radiation and grew to 350 feet, and Reese Witherspoon's Ginormica was hit by a meteor on her wedding day and grew to 49 feet, 11 inches. Dr. Cockroach, PhD (Hugh Laurie) was trying to combine the survival traits of cockroaches with humans, when he accidentally gave himself a cockroach head. And the Missing Link is pretty self-explanatory. [Film School Rejects and Slashfilm]

Repo! The Genetic Opera:

A new review gives some details about the organ-repossession musical. Buffy's Anthony Stewart Head plays Nathan, a blade-wielding scientist who's convinced he's responsible for the death of his wife and the illness of his goth daughter Shilo. Rotti Largo, owner of GeneCo, tricks Nathan into becoming his Repo man, collecting on debts and "the occasional kidney." Shilo is the emotional core of the film. Weird bits of casting include Paris Hilton and Phantom Of The Opera star Sarah Brightman. In a weird twist, the painkiller used in organ transplants can be harvested from the dead, and the operatic Grave Robber is the one who collects it. [Variety]

Sarah Connor Chronicles:

Here are a couple of new trailers for the Terminator TV show, which includes some new footage of crazy homicidal Summer Glau and resolute, gun-clicking Sarah Connor. Who takes a shower.

Battlestar Galactica (And Torchwood):

With both Jamie "Apollo" Bamber and Freema "Martha" Agyeman starring in Law And Order: UK, they may both be too busy to film other things. Which may mean no Lee Adama in a forthcoming BSG TV movie. And no Martha Jones in Torchwood? [Digital Spy]

Heroes:

The Petrelli brothers spend more time together this season. And Tim Kring told Milo Ventimiglia that anyone who dies this year stays dead for real. Really. No kidding. [Sci Fi Wire]

Knight Rider:

Here's a new preview of the smart-car show you're most excited for in the fall season. [Spoiler TV]

Terminator Salvation:

Some new set pics from Terminator 4 reveal a shocking truth: at some point before Skynet destroys the world, gas prices will drop down to $1.35 a gallon again! No way! Also, according to eyewitnesses there'll be a scene where a helicopter crashes into a river. And the production has built a giant blue screen out on the soundstage, and has built a "spaceship" out of the back of an 18-wheeler. (Not sure if the spaceship is on the 18-wheeler, or part of the 18-wheeler.) And it looked like the film crew was filming "space scenes" yesterday. (Could this be some kind of flying Skynet vehicle, or an actual spaceship? Or someone dropping acid?) More pics at the link. [Terminator Chronicles]

Star Wars: Clone Wars:

The Anakin we'll see in the animated Clone Wars movie and TV series is definitely not the dark, falling apart mess we see in the third prequel. He's more of a good guy. And the show will deal with questions like whether Count Dooku knows that Palpatine plans to replace him, and whether Dooku has any plans of his own to unseat Palpatine at the top of the Sith heap. Also, Asajj Ventress = teh sex. [IGN]

X-Files: I Want To Believe:

In the X-Files movie, Mulder spends a lot of time chasing Callum Keith Rennie's bad guy through the snow. And Scully has a major scene where she confronts Billy Connolly's psychic priest, Father Joe. And yes, the relationship between Mulder and Scully "anchors" the film. [Sci Fi Wire]

Caprica:

On the Battlestar Galactica prequel, Magda Apanowicz plays Lacy Rand, the best friend of Zoe Graystone (who becomes the first Cylon after she dies in a terrorist bombing.) Apanowicz says she has lots of scenes with Zoe and Zoe's suicide-bomber boyfriend. And she has lots of scenes, interestingly, with Zoe's father Daniel Graystone. And according to IMDB, the Caprica pilot includes characters called "bikini girl" and "lap dancer," just in case you thought the show frequently described as "Dynasty in space" wasn't going to have enough sauciness. [Pittsburgh Live and IMDB]

Also, Caprica will ask questions about terrorism and how far society can go in curbing civil liberties to protect itself. (Presumably because of Zoe's boyfriend blowing himself up good.) And all the ethical questions that come out of creating a new life-form, says creator Ronald D. Moore. [Sci Fi Wire]

Chuck:

In the seventh episode of Chuck season two, Emmett busts Morgan the lovable nerd for using the Buy More superstore's home theater department for after-hours fraternizing with his fellow employees. Meanwhile, Chuck and his pals manage to steal a list of Fulcrum's double agents within the NSA. But Fulcrum wants to get the list back before Agent Casey (Adam Baldwin!!!) can look at it. So a Fulcrum agent named Winterbourne kidnaps Jill and holds her hostage at the Museum of Natural History, causing some prehistoric damage. [Chuck TV]

And SpoilerTV has a snippet from the script for that episode, that was released as a casting side. Chuck is in a hotel lobby with Casey, who's posing as a bellboy named Paco, and Sarah. Casey is annoyed because Chuck is talking endlessly on the phone with his vegetarian friend Jill about different restaurants she could order delivery from. Two other bellboys speculate on how much a night with Sarah costs. Then Casey sneaks up and patches into the hotel security cameras. The FBI has Guy's hotel room on lockdown, but Casey doesn't want to ask permission before breaking in to it.

Later, Chuck's phone rings (with the Mexican hat dance tune) at an inopportune moment, and Casey glares at him. Chuck ducks behind the hotel bar and spots a wooden box that triggers his mental spy database. He realizes it's from an Afghan arms trader, and it's what they're looking for. Meanwhile, FBI agents are guarding Guy's suite and talking about whether it's okay to punch someone at a wedding. Winterbourne shows up in a black suit, and it turns out the FBI agents are his pals. But he still takes them out stealthily with a silenced gun. Seeing that Winterbourne has made his move, Casey and the gang make theirs. They hoist Chuck into the air vent, as Winterbourne drags the two FBI agent bodies into the hotel room. [Spoiler TV]

They run into Winterbourne, the bad guy, and he turns out to be their friend.

Sarah Jane Adventures:

Two episode titles from the kid-friendly Doctor Who spinoff have leaked out, thanks to a book distributor that is pimping tie-in novelizations: "The Last Sontaran" and "Day Of The Clown." Oh dear. [TARDIS Base]

Heroes:

When Hiro starts tangling with the Speedster aka Daphne, he will actually refer to her as his "nemesis" every time he sees her. And we'll see Future Hiro again, but it won't be the same Future Hiro as in season one, because the Peter-related disaster was averted. So it'll be a different version of Future Hiro. And Hiro and Ando will be spending lots of time together again. [Sci Fi Wire]

Life On Mars:

It sounds like the American version of time-travel cop show Life On Mars won't tweak its pilot episode too massively in the total reshoot that's going on. A casting call for Colin Raimes, the suspected serial killer, includes a new plot synopsis as well as a description of Colin. The main difference is, now it sounds as though Colin actually is the killer instead of just the killer's disturbed neighbor:

When his police partner and girlfriend, MAYA DANIELS, is taken hostage by a serial slayer, homicide detective Sam Tyler rushes to the rescue. En route, however, he is hit by a car — an accident that somehow vaults him back in time to the year 1973. Still a cop, Sam is dismissed as a nutjob by his new colleagues in 1973, who find Sam's claims of coming from the future nothing less than insane. Disoriented and lost, Sam puts his own feelings aside to focus on a 1973 serial killer case that bears bizarre parallels to his investigation in 2008. But as he searches for the killer, he must also solve the mystery of his apparent time travel. Is he lingering in a coma in the present day, or has he been actually, physically transported back in time for a purpose that, so far, eludes his understanding? Stranded in the past, Sam fears that, for Maya, at the mercy of maniac, time may be running out...

[ COLIN RAIMES ] A CREEPY-LOOKING, STRANGELY PALE MAN IN HIS 30s, this suspected serial slayer seems to have an airtight alibi. However, just when Sam realizes that Colin is actually the killer in question, Colin has already snatched Maya as his latest victim...

[Spoiler TV]

And a new description of the American Mars, released for Comic-Con, also gives some clues about what tack they're going to be taking. Again, not terribly different from the British version:

When Sam finds himself in 1973, it’s like he’s on a different planet. It’s the Wild West: uncontrollable criminals and police on the take… Forced to use a different moral code and without hi-tech crime fighting techniques, Sam clashes with his new boss at the 125th Precinct, the irascible Lieutenant Gene Hunt, who would rather use his fists than his brain to solve a crime. Hunt, who has earned the adoration of the men under him, does his best to hide his humanity behind a gruff exterior and great gut instincts, in contrast to Sam’s more politically correct cutting edge style. But the two begrudgingly combine to make a powerful team — whether they like it or not. Detective Ray Carling (Michael Imperioli) is a big, mean guy in a street-fight with life. Ray may be a rough, tough sexist, but when the chips are down, he's a handy guy to have in your corner. Until Sam came along, Ray was the golden boy of the force and Gene’s go-to guy. It’s the man’s man against Sam’s charming wit, charisma and eerie futuristic knowledge of not just police procedure — but the whole culture — that puts them toe-to-toe in this face-off for Gene’s approval.

Eleventh Hour:

The other remake of a short-lived British show will focus on actual present-day science crimes. In the pilot, a father attempts to clone his young son. Later episodes deal with genetically engineered crops, cryogenic preservation, and a cancer cure that has gone awry and is being used for nefarious purposes. [Sci Fi Wire]

Knight Rider:

There are some "complexities" in the personality of KITT the supercar, and some secrets about KITT that will be revealed. And secrets of Mike's past will also be revealed, says Charles Graiman actor Bruce Davidson. [TV Guide, via Spoiler TV]

Smallville:

In the fourth episode of the new Smallville season (the one featuring Clark's crazy stalker named Melissa, who used to be called Maxima), Jimmy and Clark both find out about the letter Chloe wrote to Clark way back in the episode "Fever." [SpoilerGeeks]

Call me optimistic but I don't think it's John Connor's motorcycle. Seriously, wouldn't it be outstanding if McG brought back the wheelers?

Upon further inspection, you'll notice that this motorbike looks less like a chopper, and more like a crouching Terminator, complete with the beady red-eyed front. The middle looks like a rib cage, and the back end appears to be robot legs. This image also would connect nicely with the trailer information of John Connor being chased by a wheeled Terminator that was leaked from focus groups.

The other pics show a few storyboards that include big-time ecological problems on Earth, including tidal waves and vast deserts, which seems on par for a nuclear burned land. Also there's a giant flaming helicopter that's downed. You add all of these pictures together and you've got one great post-apocalyptic movie. I especially like that all of the weaponry the humans have (helicopters, possible blimps and boats) are no match for an advanced race of robots.

But according to McG all this robot nonsense is besides the point. In his latest blog entry McG took the time to explain that the story will come first in this Terminator film (and everyone who watched T3 thanks him).

Every morning and every night Christian and I work on the story. Sam's contribution has been excellent. We are committed to putting the story and character first and then supplementing that with action and visual effects. It is our intention to make a film on a large scale with the nuance and subtext of a high quality independent picture.

McG also spilled that his T4 will look much more different:

Basically we are adding three times as much silver. It creates a surreal texture that is in keeping with the notion of the entire picture - feeling detached from the world we know today.

It's gotta be hard to be Eddie Furlong these days. The child actor won the part that had the most potential for a recurring role and he blundered it up by turning into Hollywood teen trash. Sigh, he was literally handed the key for a stable acting gig, but let it slip through his hands. I couldn't look in the mirror if I was passed over for a part by Nick Stahl. But it is kind of amazing that pre-teen Furlong could out butch a 20-something Nick Stahl.

Furlong was even rumored by multiple news outlets to reprise his John Connor role, so what happened? But more importantly could you imagine Furlong replacing Bale in T4?

In the end it's safe to say that I don't think Eddie Furlong today could play future John Connor, but young Christian Bale couldn't have pulled off bad ass pre-teen JC, he was just too pretty. So I'm okay with the trade off but I'd love to see Eddie pop up in T4, maybe saving some captive humans lobster liberation style.

Star Wars: Clone Wars:

Ahsoka calls her teacher, Anakin, "Sky Guy" and is cocky. The Anakin in Clone Wars is like a mix of his son Luke and Han Solo. When Anakin and Ahsoka crash-land on Tattooine, Anakin has a moment of darkness when he remembers his mom. "I was hoping I'd never have to lay eyes on this dustball again," Anakin says. [Newsweek]

The Dark Knight:

It's the last day for Dark Knight spoilers, and we've pretty much already covered every spoiler in the movie already. But in case you want a last bit of spoiler overload, here's a super-insanely detailed rundown of everything that happens in the movie. [That Girl Site]

Terminator Salvation:

A British article refers to Sam Worthington's mysterious character in Terminator 4, Marcus, as a "Decommissioned Terminator." Which sounds like confirmation of the earlier spoiler that Worthington plays a quasi-Terminator who's wrapped in the skin of a guy who was on Death Row. But maybe the article is just mistaken? Also, it mentions that John Connor and Marcus have to travel to the heart of Skynet and uncover the secret behind the extinction of humanity. [ITN]

L