Actually the thing that was new about last night's "The Stolen Earth" was the feeling of being a cross-over between three different shows in the Whoniverse. It really was like reading an issue of a comic book like Final Crisis or something. Like, meanwhile at Titans HQ, the Teen Titans react to the crisis, while at the JLA Watchtower, they're fighting Gorilla Grodd. Etc. etc. And hey, it was nice to see Luke, Gwen and Ianto finally in the Who universe proper, and vaguely interacting with the Doctor. (And maybe Gwen will get exterminated next week? We can only hope.)

Apart from that, it felt like the same deal as the previous big finales, only bigger. Crazy shit happens, and you just have to go with it and switch off your brain a little bit. So basically the Daleks stole the Earth because it's a component in the Crucible, their mega-weapon thingy, and they've hidden it in a fold of space-time. And the Daleks are swooping down and harvesting the human race. And Laurie Anderson and her army of rhinos are pissed.

I loved all the silly plot devices and loopy plot twists. Code Red! ULTIMATE Code Red! MEGA ULTIMATE Code Red! Maximum Extermination! Don't activate Project Indigo! Oh, okay, fine, you can activate Project Indigo after all. But really, don't use the Häagen-Dazs Device! Just don't! But meanwhile, we can make our telephone signal go really really far by making every telephone in England dial the Doctor's number at once. (Wha? Huh?) As long as you don't stop to worry about the fact that Cardiff's space/time rift was in a physical location that Cardiff no longer occupies, you'll just run with it. (Oh and by the way, the Doctor's phone number is out of service. Bah. If this was an American show, that number would have led to a viral-marketing rabbit hole, with three websites. And a cake, with a time machine inside. I'm just saying.)

Oh, and I loved the fact that Dalek creator Davros, one of the greatest scientists who has ever lived, was unable to figure out how to cultivate genetic material from himself without slicing his own torso up a whole bunch of times. Rock on, Davros, you crazy science guy. Rock on. Actually, even though Julian Bleach starred in the worst Torchwood episode ever, he was pretty great as Davros. He captured the character's mixture of curiosity, manipulativeness and mania better than anyone since original actor Michael Wisher. (Although I still think Davros should have stayed dead. And why does he have such a lame homepage?)

So here are some stock questions that it's handy to ask after watching part one of the giant whipped-cream-factory explosion that is a Doctor Who finale:

Is there a reset button in sight? Yes. Actually, there are at least two reset buttons — Dalek Caan traveled back into the Time War to rescue Davros. And the Time War was supposed to be "time-locked" (huh?). So maybe everything Davros has done since than can be undone using a double reverse time lock. Also, Earth is in a fold of time, away from the rest of the universe, so maybe time can be unfolded or something. But I honestly think Harriet Jones has to stay dead, because we need closure on her character or something.

Does the Doctor get fucked up? Yep. He "regenerates" at the end of the episode — similar to the way last year's finale had a cliffhanger of the Doctor being super-aged. I'm assuming there will be something similar this year, with the Doctor being messed up for part of next week's finale (in a botched regeneration?) and then restored somehow. Or maybe those old rumors about a regeneration which produces a second David Tennant (thanks to his severed hand) are true.

Is there (finger snap) drama? Yeah. There was the huge sniffly, forehead-kissy moment when the Daleks first start chanting over everybody's speakers. And there was the hilarious sequence where Rose gets all pissy because she doesn't get to have her own square on the companion-scope. All because Wilf wasn't allowed to have a webcam! So Rose is reduced to sitting there and mumbling (still sounding weird btw) about how she was there first! And who are all these other riff raff ruining her big comeback! Poor Rose.

Is there super-heroics? Yeah, lots and lots of it. Rose with a giant gun! The UNIT soldiers going down fighting! Good old Wilf (this season's most valuable player) taking on a Dalek with his paintgun! Gwen and Ianto needlessly sacrificing their lives so Jack can go off and have fun! But most of all, there was the glowing nobility of Harriet "one joke" Jones, giving her life so Dumbledore the Doctor's army could assemble. I totally would have voted for her. (And even though I was glad we'll never hear anyone say "I know who you are" to her again, I was glad she was able to turn her usual schtick into a moving speech of defiance. (It sorta reminded me of the Controller in "Day Of The Daleks": "Who knows? I may have helped to exterminate you.")

Do all those little easter eggs add up to anything? Well, sort of. Yeah, we see the Medusa Cascade, and there's an explanation for the bees disappearing, and we meet the Shadow Proclamation, etc. etc. And the missing planets from previous episodes randomly — in the whole huge universe — turn out to be among the 27 stolen planets here. It's not as if you could have guessed anything about this episode's plot by paying extra-close attention to the earlier stories, though. And I still have no clue why everything went "BAD WOLF" at the end of the previous episode, except that Russell T. thought it would be cool. And we still have no clue what's going on with Donna — except did she have two heartbeats in that scene where we hear her heartbeat and zoom in on her face? (Right before she says the thing about extra missing planets.)

Are we excited for next week? Yeah, I think so. I mean, come on. It's Russell T. Davies, who's sort of the gay Michael Bay*, going further than he's ever gone before. Who wouldn't want to see that? It won't make any sense at all, but it'll be underpants-hat crazy. And we've already had the obligatory "everybody saying the Doctor's name" moment (via telephone!) so that probably won't turn up next week. And the final cliffhanger did leave me with that awesome WTF?! feeling, like I have no clue how it could be resolved, even using crazy RTD logic.

* - Yes, I know Michael Bay is a director and RTD is a writer. But RTD is in an industry where writers have actual power, unlike Hollywood movies. And RTD really does seem to channel Michael Bay a little bit in his Who season finales.

Talking to TV Guide, Torchwood executive producer Julie Gardner has confirmed rumors that the show's third season will only run for five episodes instead of its usual thirteen. Weirdly, those five episodes are scheduled to run daily over the course of a week. Another change is the show's channel. Having debuted on BBC Three before moving to BBC Two for its second season, this mini-third season will be premiered on flagship BBC One, meaning that any prospective fourth season will necessitate the creation of a new BBC Zero channel before it can be shown in the UK.

While the question of just who will make up the crew of Torchwood this time around, following the death and disappearance of two cast members at the end of last season, is still unresolved, Gardner also confirmed that John Barrowman's Jack Harkness will return for the new season despite rumors to the contrary. Of course, now that the show's on family-friendly BBC One and rumored to be adding both Martha Jones and Rose's-Useless-Boyfriend-Turned-Cosmic-Commando Mickey to the cast next time around, expect a downturn in the amount of sex he'll be having with Ianto from now on.

It's Confirmed: 'Torchwood' Only 5 Hours in 2009 [SyFy Portal]

Star Trek:

The IMDB page for J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movie is full of spoilers. (Assuming it's accurate. How trustworthy is IMDB?) First of all, Winona Ryder plays Spock's mother, Amanda Grayson — a human, just like on the TV series. (There were reports a while back that she was playing a Vulcan, which made no sense.) Greg Ellis plays "Chief Engineer Olson," who may be Scotty's predecessor as chief engineer of the Enterprise. Ben Cross plays Spock's dad Sarek, and there's also an "Uncle Frank," who could be Kirk's uncle. There's a "Flirty Cadette," who probably flirts with Kirk.

And then there are the aliens. Rachel Nichols plays "Orion," which I'm guessing is a species, not a name, and Diora Baird plays "The Green Girl." Green dancing women, anyone? Lucia Rijker plays "Romulan CO." There are "Vulcan Bully" #1, #2 and #3, which makes me think we'll see the scene where Spock gets teased by his fellow Vul-kids for being half human. (Which was in the animated series already.) There's also a Vulcan Elder. And then there's Klingon Guard #1.

Most shocking alien race mentioned in the cast credits: Kelvin Alien #1. Are we really going to see the return of those uptight peeps from Andromeda, with the belt buckles that turn you into bath salts? Really? Update: As various people have pointed out, this is actually an alien from the U.S.S. Kelvin, not one of those aliens, known as the Kelvans. (Which means I've been spelling it wrong forever, and so have lots of other people.) [IMDB]

Meanwhile, Uhura actor Zoe Saldana gave another interview, with one new piece of information: She does say "Hailing frequencies open" in the new movie. [Coming Soon]

Transformers 2:

Cinemablend got more new pics of the filming of Transformers 2, involving some attack helicopters flying over a steel plant in Bethlehem, PA.
[Cinemablend]

Meanwhile, actor Matthew Marsden will play a British special forces commando named Graham, who teams up with Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson to fight the Decepticons all over the world, in this more globe-trotting sequel. [MTV Movies]

The Middleman:

The Middleman, the new superhero show from Javier Grillo-Marxuach (Lost), features a wholesome, milk-drinking gunslinger, The Middleman, fighting crime and "goofy CGI monsters." Wendy, his sidekick, is also his office temp. And Grillo-Marxuach mentions several times the show is light and fun. And fun. [Spoiler TV]

Fringe:

Here are some spoilers for the pilot of Fringe, J.J. Abrams' not-really-X-Files show, which honestly I think are all stuff we've posted before. But just in case, here they are. [Spoiler Geeks]

Lost:

I was wrong when I said there would be no more Lost spoilers for a while. First of all, there's reassurance that Jin totally survived that freighter explosion, without a scratch. He was in the hold, while Michael was up on deck. And in case you missed it, Claire will be absent during season five, but will be back in full force for season six. And that was totally the real, corporeal Ben in the funeral parlor at the end of the episode — he's probably been off the island since 2005, operating in the "real world." [E! Online again]

Smallville:

With Lex, Lana and Kara gone, who's going to scowl at Clark on Smallville next season? Turns out Green Arrow will be around a lot. Like, in almost every episode. [E! Online]

Doctor Who:

Still wondering about the little girl in last Saturday's episode of time-travel adventure show Doctor Who? Apparently she transforms into something in this Saturday's episode, and it involves something being stuck to the actress with glue, with makeup that needs to be activated with rubbing alcohol. [Planet Gallifrey]

Oh and here's today's crazy Doctor Who rumor: the TARDIS control room gets totally trashed, and the Doctor rebuilds it... as a retro steampunk control room. Sort of like the 1996 TV movie version, or the wooden version from 1977, only with more brass cogs and big levers. [Doctor Who Forum]

Torchwood:

Just a random observation: Martha Jones will most likely not be a regular character in season three of Torchwood after all, since actor Freema Agyeman just signed on to star in the remake of Terry Nation's post-apocalyptic show The Survivors. [Den Of Geek]

Stargate: Atlantis:

This is the year we pursue romance on Stargate: Atlantis, producers tell TV Guide. (With newly regular actor Jewel Staite? Pls??) As the season begins, pregnant Teyla is held hostage by Michael, a vengeful Wraith, while the rest of the cast is buried under rubble. And as we've mentioned, Woolsey (Robert Picardo) arrives to take charge, and at some point a galactic coalition holds Atlantis accountable for its supposed crimes. [Spoiler TV]

Spectacular Spider-Man:

Which villain does Spider-Man face in this Saturday's Spectacular Spider-Man cartoon? Here's a clue:

Tonight

Probably the most exciting thing on TV tonight is Minutemen, the Disney Channel's original TV movie that premiered back in January. Somehow, this completely slipped under our radar despite having all the hallmarks of an instant classic. A high-school kid invents a working time machine, so he goes back in time to right wrongs. No, not the Rwandan genocide, silly — the cheerleader falling off a pyramid, and other petty high-school embarrassments. And then it turns out his meddling has created a black hole in the football field. Are you setting your DVR for 8 PM yet? Here's the trailer:

Another exciting movie: AMC is showing The Reluctant Astronaut starring Don Knotts at 10 PM. He has a fear of heights, and somehow gets roped into joining the space program. Dude, it's Don Knotts. It'll rule!

Tonight is also the start of "Ben 10 week" on the Cartoon Network, as commenter Dustin L. points out. (Thanks!) It's all designed to help you get up to speed with the story of Ben, a kid who can transform into 10 superpowered aliens, before his new show Ben 10: Alien Force starts Friday. Tonight is Ben 10: Interactive at 8 PM.

Also, the Sci Fi Channel is showing its alien abduction miniseries, Taken, every day at noon and 1 PM this week. And tonight is the season (and probably series) finale of New Amsterdam, the show about the guy who lives forever thanks to a magic spell. In this episode, he investigates the death of a drowned woman, which may be tied in with a string of robberies of wealthy men, connected to a dating service. This causes John to have a flash back to the time he stole a diamond from his lover in the 1920s.

Tuesday

There's another new episode of The Universe featuring the "Biggest Things In Space," on the History Channel at 9 PM. I was sold as soon as I found out about the Lymann-Alpha Blob. Here's the official description:

We can't compare anything on earth to the biggest things known in space. The Lymann Alpha blob is a bubble like structure containing countless galaxies—perhaps the biggest object in the entire universe. Regions of radio-emitting gas called "radio lobes" could be even bigger. Then there are super galaxy clusters which are hundreds of galaxies merged together due to cosmic collisions. Discover which is the largest planet, star, star cluster, constellation, black hole, volcano, galaxy, explosions, moon, storm, impact crater and "void" in space.

And Ben 10 week continues on Cartoon Network, with a never-before-seen episode at 8 PM.

Wednesday

The Cartoon Network is re-running Ben 10: The Secret of the Omnitrix, a 90-minute movie, starting at 8 PM, as part of Ben 10 week.

Every week I question whether I should keep mentioning UFO Hunters as a must-see bit of sci-fi-ish TV. And every week, the show sucks me in with another insane episode title. This time, it's "UFO Dogfights." Yes, that's what you think it is. U.S. military jets had engagements in the 1970s and 1980s with objects that were moving too fast to be anything terrestrial. Did our jets shoot it out with an alien spaceship? It's a fair question. That's Wednesday at 10 on the History Channel.

IFC is showing two great movies in the afternoon. At 2:35, they're showing Primer, one of the weirdest and most cerebral time-travel movies of all time. And then at 4, they're showing C.S.A.: Confederate States of America, a bizarre and provocative alternate present, where the South won the Civil War and modern inventions like antidepressants are used to keep slaves in line.

Thursday

Smallville is back after a break, and this is supposedly the episode where everything changes. Without getting too spoilery, we're being told over and over that this is a major turning point in the series, especially for Lex. And the show is finally going to be making some huge steps forward towards the Superman status quo we all know and love. Of course, we also know that Lex won't be in most of the episodes next season, and neither will Lana. Also gone will be the show's co-founders Al Gough and Miles Millar. So this could actually be the show's last hurrah. Here's a preview clip. Is this Lex killing his inner child? Or what?

Meanwhile, the Cartoon Network is showing the live-action Ben 10 movie, Race Against Time, at 8 PM, continuing Ben 10 week. Apparently it's directed by Alex Winter, star of Bill and Ted, so you know it'll be awesome.

Friday

The Sci Fi Channel's Friday night lineup starts to take shape, and it's looking pretty unbeatable. At 8 PM, you have a new half-hour episode of the Sarah Jane Adventures, "Revenge Of The Slitheen Pt. 1." Despite featuring one of the less thrilling monsters from the new Doctor Who series, this episode is actually quite good — much better than the iffy pilot which aired last week. The cast starts to click a lot more with the substitution of Clyde for Kelsey. And the whole subversive teachers-are-evil subplot reminded me of Buffy, in a good way.

And then at 8:30, Sci Fi starts showing the fourth season of Doctor Who, starting with last year's Christmas special, "Voyage Of The Damned." A giant replica of the Titanic is orbiting Earth with a bunch of alien tourists on board. But the ship quickly starts to resemble its namesake, and only pop star Kylie Minogue — "I Should Be So Lucky" — can save the day. Here's our recap of the episode from last year, and here's the original British trailer:

And then at 10 PM, Sci Fi has another new Battlestar Galactica episode, "The Ties That Bind." Without giving too much away, it looks as though the Cylon civil war continues apace, Starbuck is still having some freaky mind-splosions and someone's wife may find out that he's really a Cylon. Here's the promo video:

Friday is also the debut of Ben 10: Alien Force, the Cartoon Network's new sequel to its classic Ben 10 cartoon. It's five years later, and Ben has become slightly more mature. He also hasn't used the Omnitrix in all that time. But when his Grandpa Max goes missing and leaves a cryptic message, Ben has to swing back into action again. Here's a preview clip:

Also on Friday, at 12:45 in the afternoon, TMC is showing Brother From Another Planet, the classic John Sayles film about an alien stranded in New York.

Saturday

Torchwood ends its second season on BBC America at 9 PM. The longer I think about the season finale, the less happy I am about it. If you think about the show as constantly being in flux between serious, grown-up drama and silly, scifi soap opera, the needle tilts just a bit too much in the latter direction for this final episode, partly thanks to the return of James Marsters as Captain John, Captain Jack's jilted lover. You can read our soft-hearted recap here. And here's a preview clip:

There are two reruns of the Spectacular Spider-Man cartoon on the CW, starting at 9:30. But no new Transformers: Animated on Cartoon Network — it'll be back next week.

Sunday

I'm drawing a blank, sorry. There just doesn't seem to be anything on Sunday. Oh, Spike is rerunning Star Wars Episode 1 a couple of times. That's about it.

First of all, I'm sorry this recap is so late. I didn't want to post it over the weekend, because we'd already had the BSG liveblog on Friday night. And then I didn't want to post the Torchwood and Doctor Who recaps on the same day. And then today has been a tad hectic. So here it is, at last. At least the episode hasn't aired in the U.S. yet.

Anyway, Torchwood's finale wasn't nearly as strong as the two episodes that preceded it. "Exit Wounds" had a plot that didn't quite hang together. The campy James Marsters character, Captain John, felt like he didn't quite belong in such a serious episode. The scenes between Captain Jack and his long-lost brother were weirdly fan-filmy, partly because of the way they were filmed and partly because guest star Lachlan Nieboer didn't quite bring the acting chops.

And yet, I really enjoyed this episode, for purely fannish reasons. I loved getting another glimpse of the Torchwood of 100 years ago, which I would gladly watch every week. I actually got misty when Tosh and Owen died at the same time, but apart, because I'd gotten invested in those characters and they got a decent send-off. I even felt for Jack, remeeting the brother he'd been seeking for so long, even though those scenes fell so flat in practice. I was really stoked to see Gwen showing leadership skills and taking charge at the police station, because a take-charge Gwen is much more interesting than the doe-eyed Gwen we've seen too much of.

I found myself feeling quite sad that this version of Torchwood is going away forever. Whatever form Torchwood season three takes, it'll be very different from what we're seeing now. As much as the show has underwhelmed me at least half the time, I'm going to miss it.

The biggest problem I had with the episode's plot was that the huge escalation of the threat level, with explosions going off all over the place and weevils swarming the streets and the nuclear reactor going critical — and then it somehow all goes back in the box. The weevils are "recalled" way too easily, just by making the right sound. (Why doesn't Torchwood use that technique to round up all the stray weevils in every episode?) Half the city's destroyed, but then we're shown it looking nice and pristine again in the final moments. And James Marster's Captain John suddenly turns into an ally, and all is forgiven. Was he under the control of Gray when he nearly killed Gwen in the season opener?

The main problem with the episode, though, was that it opened up too many boxes and didn't have a chance to explore them properly. The situation of Gray — who went insane after being tortured by aliens for years and years — makes an interesting parallel with the institutionalized rift victims in "Adrift," the episode a few weeks ago. How was Jack able to stay sane after 2,000 years buried alive, when comparable ordeals drove Gray and the missing people of Cardiff insane? A more character-based episode reintroducing Gray, with a better actor, might have been a better bet. It could have set up a slam-bang finale that would have felt a bit more satisfying.

But yeah, I did actually enjoy this episode a lot, mostly in spite of my critical judgment. Somewhere along the line, I started feeling emotionally invested in this show, and I'm sad that it's sort of going away.

Despite Tosh being killed in the season finale (See? Told you I was going to spoil it; Owen also apparently dies, but he was kind of dead already), Mori feels that there's a possibility you may see her in future episodes:

I hope so. Never say never. There has been talk and we've kind of left that open and in the air. It would be nice, wouldn't it? ...I would never say no to [going back], but as I've always said, I want to make sure it's done for the right reason. It all depends on the story and should not just for the sake of it. If they do then I'm sure it will be, because it's Russell and the great team of writers he has. We'll just have to see, I guess.

I found out probably a good two months' before, in September of last year. When I was told, I was obviously shocked and sad, but to be honest, it made sense to me. The show needed a big season finale. It also made sense because Tosh has been through so much. She's come a full circle and had her journey... Sometimes when these deaths occur, one of the dangers is that it's just done for shock value. I wanted it to be shocking, but not just for the sake of that. Hopefully it comes across that way. It wasn't in vain and there was a purpose.

Naoko Mori [Digital Spy]

I'm going to experiment with a slightly different format for this week's TV listings. Instead of trying (and failing) to list every single thing on U.S. television, I'm going to try a format more like what Graeme does with his weekly comics recommendations. For each day, I'll single out one or two must-watch items and exhort you to watch them with all my powers of persuasion.

So tonight, the History Channel is re-running its ultra-controversial documentary "Last Days On Earth," all about seven possible disasters that could bring an end to the human race in the very near future. You'll be shocked to learn that one of the seven disasters involves global warming, and that's the main reason why it's so controversial. Just read the comments on this message board, including:

"The so-called #1 threat—global warming—was not only insulting, but also frightening. Why the History Channel would air such obvious political propaganda, thinly disguised as science, is shameful and irresponsible."

"The History Channel ought well might wish to rethink its propensity for fear-mongering of global catastrophe as has apparently become its wont. This network is sinking into a morass of such negativity and hysteria that it would not be surprising to hear of individuals viewing such programming to descend into clinical depression, or worse."

Also, at 9 on Fox, there's a new New Amsterdam, for those of you who consider it science fiction. John's first partner has been shot in the line of duty, and his dying wish brings back memories of John's early days as a detective. It even provides some clues to John's search for mortality. But it also leads to run-ins with the Russian mafia. The season (and probably series) finale of airs next week, so you could say his quest for mortality will prove quite successful.

Tuesday, the History Channel has our backs once again, with a new episode of The Universe, this time all about scientists studying the atmospheres of other planets. Unlike the "Last Days" special, nobody's accusing this episode of carrying water for Al Gore or trivializing the Holocaust. But it still might be pretty interesting. Also, TMC has Aeon Flux at 10 PM.

Wednesday — and I swear I'm not getting paid by the History Channel here — there's a new UFO Hunters on the History Channel at 10 PM. It's called "2008 Texas UFO," and it's about pretty much what you'd expect. It seems to involve the same sighting shown in this recent Texas newscast. But could it possibly be as entertaining as this clip?

Thursday may be your last chance to develop an appreciation for the canceled Flash Gordon TV series. The Sci Fi Channel is having a Flash marathon all day, so leave lots of room in your DVR. To be fair, it was a pretty horrendous show, but you have to admire the gutsiness of making a space opera without any space. And it's worth checking out some of the later episodes just to see the costumes get more and more ridiculous. Plus, bird men! And matriarchal women's societies that threaten to castrate Flash! Mutant almost-incest! This show wasn't afraid to go in some ridiculous directions.

And if that doesn't excite you, Sci Fi is also showing Asteroid at 7 PM, followed by The Abyss at 11.

Friday, Sci Fi has the first episode of the Sarah Jane Adventures, the best Doctor Who spin-off, at 7:30. I'm a huge fan of this show, which successfully channels a lot of old-school Doctor Who feeling, without quite so much soap opera as the new Who or Torchwood. I should caution, however, that the pilot episode, "Invasion of the Bane," is by far the weakest installment of the show. It features one of Russell T. Davies' least thought-out plots, about an evil soft-drink company that wants to take over the world or something. Also, one of the supporting characters is intensely annoying, but luckily she gets dropped after this episode. Here's a trailer:

And then at 10, Sci Fi has the second episode of the new Battlestar Galactica season. It's the beginning of a Cylon civil war, over whether to continue lobotomizing the centurions and raiders. And the Cylons start dealing with the issue of what to do about the final five, who are in the fleet. Meanwhile, Starbuck is still freaking out:

And then on Spike at 8, there's the basic cable premiere of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, otherwise known as Star Wars.

Saturday, there's a new Spectacular Spider-Man on the CW at 10 AM. Spidey meets the Green Goblin. And then on the Cartoon Network at 10:30, there's the season premiere of Transformers: Animated, which comes just a week after the previous season's finale. (If only every show worked that way.) The Cybertron Elite Guard comes to Earth looking for the Allspark.

And then at 9 PM there's a new Torchwood on BBC America. The team gets caught in a nasty trap, and then everybody except for Gwen relives how they joined the team. It's actually quite a good episode, and leaves you feeling more interested in the gang than ever before. Shame it's almost the last episode of the season, and the third season is rumored to see some drastic changes in the show's lineup.

Meanwhile, Spike is showing Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back for the first time, at 8 PM. It's also re-running A New Hope at 5 PM.

Sunday, Spike finishes up its Star Wars marathon with Return of the Jedi at 8 PM. It all makes sense, if you watch all six movies back to back. You'll see facets and hidden depths you never glimpsed before. Actually, I'm just guessing that's what would happen.

Talking about the much rumored Spike movie spinning out of the character's appearances in Angel, Marsters said that while he still wants to do it, he doesn't think that Whedon is that into the idea:

I never really felt that Spike was a character that held Joss's imagination, frankly. He was not designed to be part of that show. In the original concept of the show, vampires were to be killed, they were not to be felt for or liked. When I came around suddenly he had two vampires everyone liked - first he had Angel to contend with, which was not his idea, and then he had Spike. In a way I was in peril with the theme of the show in his eyes. In the back of my mind when the shows [ended], I kind of wondered if he would ever come back to the character. I thought it would be better for him if he didn't deal with that character any more. I never thought he'd get [the movie] off the ground actually, even when he was telling me he was going to get it off the ground.

That show is the best. I love that show! That show's pissing all the right people off, I love it... I'm sure in the UK it is accepted for what it is more, but in Mexico and in the United States, there's a good streak of homophobia. A lot of characters are unabashedly bisexual in Torchwood; in fact my character's way beyond bisexual, my character will do anything that has a hole! I used to do lots of plays that could piss people off for the right reason and Torchwood's found a way to do that.

James Marsters [Digital Spy]

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Tonight, there's a new New Amsterdam on Fox at 9 PM. John investigates the death of a young man who resembles the son he lost in the early 1900s, and he starts questioning his past actions and the consequences they have on the people around him.

Also, FX is showing Terminator 3 at 8 PM, in case you want to compare its timeline with that of The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

It's also worth mentioning that as you read this, the Sci Fi Channel is having a Battlestar Galactica marathon that's going to carry on all week, from 8 AM to 6 PM every day. For some reason, the only episodes Sci Fi isn't showing are the first miniseries and the start of season one. Why, Lords of Kobol, why?

Tuesday, Nova investigates the possibility of life on Saturn's moon Titan, with "Voyage To The Mystery Moon," on PBS at 8 PM. (Check your local listings.) And in the companion website, NASA's Carolyn Porco (an advisor to the new Star Trek movie) discusses the water plume on another moon, Enceladus. And in case you need more Moon action, some PBS stations are also showing a rerun of American Experience: Race To The Moon.

And at 9 PM, the History Channel features a new The Universe, all about "Nebulas," which are the "crown jewels" of the universe, and the places where stars are born and die.

But that's not the end of Tuesday's science fictional documentary action. At 10 PM, ABC News has a special called Live To Be 150... Can You Do It? The bad news: Barbara Walters is going to live to be 150 as well, and she'll keep lisping at you from the nursing home TV set.

During the day, AMC is showing Escape From The Planet of the Apes, followed by Beneath The Planet of the Apes and the Poseidon Adventure. It all starts at 8 AM. And in the evening, FX has Terminator 3 again, followed by The Day After Tomorrow.

I'm not going to make any snarky comments about how Flip That House should be considered science fiction in today's housing market.

Wednesday there's more documentary action with a new UFO Hunters on the History Channel at 10. This time around, it's "Alien Contact." We meet people who claim to have had intimate contact with aliens, and then the experts determine what, if anything, really happened. Somehow it lasts a whole hour.

And at 1 AM Weds. morning, AMC has Species. Although honestly, I'm sort of intrigued by the probably-not-scifi Mother, May I Sleep With Danger?, on Oxygen at the same time. Also, at 8 PM, FX has Terminator 2. And The Day After Tomorrow is on FX once again, at 5:30 PM.

Thursday there are Smallville and Lost reruns. It's your chance to get caught up on Smallville, if you've been skipping it. This is the episode featuring superhero Black Canary as a New Wave, knife-throwing, leaping Ann Coulter clone. That's got to be worth a look, right?

And for those of you who telecommute or have a TV in your office, AMC is at it again, with Enemy Mine followed by The Thing, starting at 8 AM. And then at 5 PM, AMC has Terminator 2 again. Also, FX has Jonathan Demme's Manchurian Candidate twice, at 8 and 11 PM.

At midnight, FX is showing White Chicks, possibly the most disturbing scifi movie of all time.

And then on Friday at 10 PM, you finally remember why you even own a television set. Battlestar Galactica returns to Sci Fi with "He That Believeth In Me." The episode picks up right where season three ended, and it's a pretty intense ride from beginning to end. To recap: Starbuck is back from the dead and claims she's been to Earth. Two beloved characters, and two not-so-beloved ones, have turned out to be Bob Dylan-loving Cylons. And the other Cylons are about to trash the humans once and for all. Here's a promo clip:

Meanwhile, Spike has the basic cable premiere of Star Wars Episode 1 at 8 PM, part of a Star Wars marathon that carries on this weekend and next weekend.

Also, AMC has the original Planet of the Apes at 11 PM and FX is once again showing the retina-scorching White Chicks at 9.

Saturday morning, there's the final ever episode of Legion of Superheroes, "Dark Victory Part 2," at 9:30 on CW, followed by a new Spectacular Spider-Man, featuring the Rhino. And then at 10:30 on Cartoon Network, there's a new Transformers Animated: "Megatron Rising, Part 2." Which sounds like good news for Megatron, and maybe not such great news for Optimus Prime. The Autobots fail to protect Earth from the Decepticons, and have to fight harder than ever to safeguard the Allspark.

And then in the evening, Torchwood bounces back from its circus lowpoint, with a really quite decent episode. Gwen is determined to investigate the disappearance of a teenager, even after Jack tells her to leave it alone. What she discovers makes her see Torchwood in a whole new light. That's on BBC America at 9 PM.

Meanwhile, Spike continues its celebration of having bought the rights to the Star Wars movies, re-running The Phantom Menace at 5 PM and then showing the basic cable premiere of Attack of the Clones at 8 PM.

And on Sunday, Spike finishes its first weekend of Star Wars, showing Clones again at 4:30, followed by the broadcast premiere of Revenge of the Sith at 8 PM. And here's a nifty trailer:

In the 45 minute episode, to be broadcast in Radio 4's traditional "Afternoon Play" slot, the Torchwood team - portrayed by their television cast - will deal with a mission revolving around a particle accelerator. Why a particle accelerator, you ask? Well, because the episode will be transmitted on the same day as the opening of the world's biggest particle accelerator in Switzerland, and if nothing else, Radio 4 likes to keep up with what's happening in the world.

The episode will be written by Joseph Lidster, who came up with the "A Day In The Death" episode of Torchwood season 2.

Radio 4 to air one-off Torchwood [Digital Spy]

Star Trek:

Weirdest Star Trek rumor yet: Leonard Nimoy's Spock appears in the new movie, not as a time traveler... but as a ghost! [TrekWeb]

Meanwhile, Ain't It Cool News posted some images of a shuttlecraft and its control panel from the Star Trek set, but pulled them almost immediately at Paramount's request. But not before a dozen other sites had posted them. [Sci Fi Cool]

Iron Man

Here's a new Iron Man trailer that's started appearing on TV. It's pretty similar to what we've seen before, except for showcasing more of the movie's humor. Especially the "Iron Man. I like that." bit.

Doctor Who:

Oh dear. Apparently the "silly" Doctor Who season opener is about the Doctor and Donna investigating a shady diet pill company that's really run by an evil alien, Miss Foster. And "it's up to the intrepid Time Lord and his new assistant to stop a million overweight Brits being turned into sickeningly cute alien babies." It's like Russell T. Davies has a groove in his brain, and he can't stop thinking about fat people who turn into babies!

And then the second episode, in Pompeii, is much as you'd heard, with the evil Pyrovillians, "a clan of terrifying fire monsters who live deep inside the volcano." At one point, Donna asks what people in Pompeii do for fun, "hang out at TK Maximus?" (Which may be a reference to the British version of discount clothing chain TJ Maxx.) Hilarity ensues, depending on your hilarity threshold. [The TARDIS Gazette]

Lost:

It looks like Danielle really is dead on Lost. ABC put out a little questionnaire to its viewer "advisory panel" asking how they felt about her death. And there are some new casting calls for episode 11:

• a mother in her late 30s with red hair and green eyes, who's tired of struggling to keep her errant daughter under control
• Gellert, a high-school chemistry teacher who offers a bright student the chance of a lifetime but is pissed when the offer is refused
• Florence, a late 30s foster mother, who's "charmed" by an unexpected visitor whom she hopes might help her situation, but turns "punitive" when the encounter doesn't go well
• Susie, a nurse on the late shift who helps deliver a baby, and then tries to help the mother adjust to her new reality.

We will "definitely" see the smoke monster this season, says Jorge Garcia.

Also, the show's producers spilled some details on what to expect in the remaining five spring episodes: We'll learn "exactly" what happened to Michael between leaving the island and arriving in New York, and Michael will be a "pivotal" part of the rest of the season, having an impact on Sayid and other characters. We'll see how the Oceanic 6 escaped the island, and what happened to those left behind. The debate between Team Locke and Team Jack will amplify. We'll learn who's in that coffin, and more about the freighter people. And we'll learn who "seemingly killed" Karl and Rousseau. [Spoilers Lost]

Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull

Here are some new Indiana Jones pictures, the first of which looks vaguely familiar. Shia is eyeing some kind of arrow (or maybe his switchblade?). And there are lots and lots of soldiers. [Film School Rejects]

Incredible Hulk

A new kids' book tying in with the Incredible Hulk movie features a new picture of Ed Norton as Bruce Banner on its cover. It's not a terribly exciting photo (except that he's stopping to smell the flowers) and it has an annoying watermark. So I'm not going to post it here. [Superhero Hype]

Torchwood

Apparently in the second season finale, airing April 4, Jack's long lost brother Gray stabs him during an argument.

Also, there's a leaked script outline which may or may not be real. In a nutshell, Spike sets off bombs at all of Cardiff's nuclear facilities (plural?!), and whisks Captain Jack back in time 2,000 years. It turns out Spike isn't in control of his own actions, but is the puppet of Captain Jack's evil brother Gray, who's gone insane after years of torture at the hands (claws) of hellish creatures. They bury Jack alive, but Spike slips Jack a ring with a homing beacon.

Then Gray zips Spike back to the present. Spike nearly gets killed by Weevils, but Ianto saves him. Owen, meanwhile, is trying to keep all of Cardiff's many nuclear reactors from exploding. Gray shoots Tosh, who lives long enough to help Owen avert nuclear catastrophe. The radiation destroys Owen just as Tosh dies, so they sort of die together. Meanwhile, Jack has been locked in a drawer at Torchwood for 100 years after some Torchwood women dug him up in 1900. (They found the homing device that Spike gave him, but Jack decided to hide in a drawer for 100 years to avoid meeting himself.) Jack puts his brother "on ice" but lets Spike go free.

And then as the team clears out Owen and Tosh's stuff, they find a farewell video that Tosh left behind, addressed to Owen (who'll never see it.) Then we end with Gwen, Ianto and Jack sitting sadly on the docks of scenic Cardiff, land of a thousand nuclear reactors. [Digital Spy]

Spectacular Spider-Man

Here's a sneak peek at how the Sandman will look in his Spectacular Spider-Man animated debut this Saturday morning. Apparently the episode involves Peter Parker trying out for the football team, which just seems wrong somehow. [Comics2Film]

If we'd gotten to see this look at the secret origins of Torchwood much, much earlier, the whole show might have been better. Either the other episodes of season one would have actually been better, thanks to this episode clarifying the show and its characters. Or at the very least, they would have seemed better because we'd already care about the characters and the backstory.

Before anybody else jumps in and points it out, I know "Fragments" is a total retread of the Firefly episode where Serenity breaks down and Mal gets shot and then we see flashbacks of how the crew came together. But "Out Of Gas" was one of the best Firefly eps, and it seems to have inspired a similarly great Torchwood installment.

It's just sad that this is the penultimate Torchwood episode, instead of the second or third. Yes, I know the show isn't cancelled. But if all the rumors and half-announcements are to be believed, the show is getting such a drastic makeover in its third season that it might as well be a different show. This is the first time I actually really wanted to get to know these characters and this universe better.

Each of the four main characters — apart from the already overexposed Gwen — gets a lengthy flashback showing how he/she ended up joining Torchwood. And none of the flashbacks were quite what I expected. I had a pretty clear idea of how they were going to go, and this episode actually managed to subvert my expectations. Mostly by showing me a different side of the characters. We got to see Tosh being a resourceful spy, Owen actually showing human emotions, and Jack not having all the answers for a change. Ianto was still pretty much Ianto, but that's a good thing.

Because all of these characters managed to surprise me and show me different facets, I found myself caring about them much more. I still don't really care about Gwen, but I do care about Rhys. So she gets some emotional attachment by proxy.

The other reason this episode excited me so much is because it helped me understand what Torchwood is about. Why the organization originally existed, and why it exists now. I didn't realize until just now how frustrating the show's muddle backstory actually is.

Here's what we already knew: Queen Victoria founded Torchwood in the Doctor Who episode "Tooth And Claw," because Rose and the Doctor giggled too much during a werewolf attack. Torchwood's original charter includes keeping an eye out for the Doctor. When we next see Torchwood, it's the early 21st century and it has a huge London headquarters, and it's an imperialist organization that's tampering with forces it can't comprehend.

So how do we get from that set-up to Jack's cozy little gang in Cardiff? The newest episode finally shows us how. We get to see the sadistic Victorian ladies of the original Torchwood recruiting the devil-may-care Jack, and then around 1999 one of the members of Torchwood Cardiff becomes distraught at the way things are going and shoots himself and his colleagues. So Jack severs all ties with Torchwood's main London branch and sets about remolding the organization into a genuine force for good. All of this is backstory that you could have gleaned from the occasional aside during previous episodes, but it made a huge difference to see it actually laid out.

So that makes two great Torchwood episodes in a row. I'd say the season has been about half-and-half great and mediocre, which makes the season finale, airing April 4, the tie-breaker. Sadly, I don't hold up much hope, because it's about Spike coming back and going on a killing spree because he wants Captain Jack to pay attention to him. And it features the return of Captain Jack's long-lost kid brother. But this episode pleasantly surprised me, so maybe the next one will too.

Tonight is pretty empty, now that Sarah Connor, Kyle XY, Heroes and Chuck are all gone until fall. However, CBS has a new episode of nerd-com The Big Bang Theory at 8 PM. And Fox has a new New Amsterdam at 9 PM. Our immortal-ish detective investigates the death of a homeless man, and remembers joining a 12-step program in 1964.

Tuesday has the final episode of Jericho on CBS at 10, with things building to a (slightly contrived) climax. Jake and Hawkins make their way to Cheyenne to try and avert another nuclear holocaust. This show has grown from a slightly clunky soap opera to an irresistible thriller with a very science-fictional critique of a future corporate-dominated dystopia. Even if you haven't watched every episode lately, you should still catch the action-movie conclusion, which should be pretty easy to follow. Here's the first few minutes, to get you started. (Sorry about the streakiness and jerkiness, they were in the source video.)

Also on Tuesday, the History Channel has two repeats of The Universe at 8 and 9, dealing with unexplained mysteries and the rings of Saturn. And USA has K-PAX at 2 PM. Is Kevin Spacey an alien or a mental patient? Can't he be both? And Encore has Alien 3 at 3:05.

Wednesday sees a new Futureweapons on the Discovery Channel at 8 PM. This is actually the second episode to deal with Israel, and this time around we get to know the embattled country's missile shield, known as "Iron Fist." (But there's no weapon system called "Power Man," for some reason.)

And then at 10 PM, there's a new UFO Hunters on the History Channel, dealing with "UFO Vortexes." Similar to last week's focus on UFO Gateways, this is all about areas of the planet that seem to lend themselves to mysterious activity... like the Bermuda Triangle. And an astrophysicist suggests interdimensional travel using these vortexes (vortices?) may be "entirely possible" under Einstein's Theory of Relativity. It's pure science!

And the Sci Fi Channel has Sean Connery's classic Meteor at 3:00 AM Thursday morning.

Thursday's Smallville sees Clark finally learning how to fly, in preparation for his battle with Brainiac. And there's some kind of key thingy that leads to all sorts of Kryptonian secrets, and the wrong people have it. Here's the trailer:

Also, if you missed the acclaimed TV movie Rock Monster on the Sci Fi Channel this past weekend, you have another chance to catch it this Thursday at 9 PM. It's about a student, visiting Eastern Europe, who pulls a sword out of a stone — and then the stone goes on a murderous rampage. And yes, you're not alone in making a silly B-52s song out of the title. But if you'd rather stick with something you already know is good, FX is showing X2: X-Men United starting at 8 PM.

FX has the 2002 remake of Solaris, with George Clooney, at 10 AM. Ditch work and join the select club of people who appreciate the Soderbergh revamp.

Friday, two new half-hour specials about Battlestar Galactica are airing on the Sci FI Channel at 10 PM. Battlestar Galactica: Revealed is a clip show that retells the first few seasons of the show. And Battlestar Galactica: The Phenomenon is a fluffy look at how much celebrities like Seth Green and Joss Whedon adore the show. If you can't wait until Friday, both shows appear to be on Youtube and various other video sites in their entirety already. Here's a chunk of celebrity BSG love:

Also, Encore has the wetter of Kevin Costner's two post-apocalyptic loner movies, Waterworld, at 2:30.

Saturday morning, the CW has the penultimate episode of Legion of Super Heroes at 9:30 AM, followed by Spectacular Spider-Man at 10. LSH's episode is part 1 of "Dark Victory," featuring Imperiex (who I think was a Superman villain in the comics.) Part 2 airs next week. Meanwhile, Spider-Man meets Flint Marko, who becomes the Sandman, probably with worse special effects and better pacing than Spider-Man 3. And then at 10:30, there's a new Transformers: Animated. The Decepticons begin their invasion of Earth, and Optimus Prime worries that he's not a great leader. Aww.

And then at 9 PM, BBC America has a new (to Americans) Torchwood. It's the absolutely horrible one about the evil circus performers who get trapped inside an old movie from the 1920s. I don't know how to convince you to stay away from this one. This isn't just random Torchwood bashing — this episode is like three weird old Roger Corman movies mashed up, with the Torchwood stars heads randomly stuck on some of the characters. Actually, when I describe it that way, it sounds kind of great. But sadly, it tries a bit too hard to be serious, and ends up being awful and boring. I feel like I have a holy duty to keep you from watching this episode.

Luckily, there are many other options around that time. IFC is showing Austin Powers twice in one evening, at 5:30 and 10:45. Sci Fi is showing the first two Resident Evil movies back-to-back. TBS has Jackie Chan's vastly underrated Tuxedo at 8, followed by Spider-Man at 10. (Okay, The Tuxedo isn't that great. But it's got a few great bits, including the weird James Brown sequence.)

Sunday, Comedy Central is re-running the Futurama movie "Bender's Big Score," if you were too cheap to buy the DVD. That's at 7 PM. And Disney Toon has a random episode of Superman: The Animated Series at 10:30. That's all I can come up with, unless you think there's some kind of brain-eating virus involved in all those women desiring Brett on Rock of Love.

The Day The Earth Stood Still

The remake of The Day The Earth Stood Still takes a slightly different tack from the original's focus on nuclear wars, says Klaatu actor Keanu Reeves. This time, it's all about global warming. Says Keanu:

The first one was borne out of the cold war and nuclear détente. Klaatu came and was saying cease and desist with your violence. If you can't do it yourselves we're going to do it. That was the film of that day... The version I was just working on, instead of being man against man, it's more about man against nature. My Klaatu says that if the Earth dies, you die. If you die, the earth survives. I'm a friend to the earth.

Battlestar Galactica:

On Battlestar Galactica, Starbuck's efforts to prove she's telling the truth are hindered by the fact that her Viper is in pristine condition. Plus she puts a gun to the head of "a certain authority figure" to try to change the fleet's course in the wrong direction from Earth.

Meanwhile, there's tension between Cylons Six and Brother Cavill, over Cavill's unethical treatment of the Cylon raiders. Cavill also picks up a new love interest, whom he makes out with. Gaius Baltar gets laid with a human (as we heard the other day), and his bed-partner cries during sex.

Tom Zarek passes some classified information along to "a new colleague," to stir up trouble. And one of Galactica's crew members learns the truth about three of the four newly revealed Cylons as soon as episode three. (Since that's the episode where Cally reputedly dies, you can draw your own conclusions.) Meanwhile, the fourth secret Cylon (probably Anders) has "jumped ship" after having made "eye contact" with a Centurion. [Digital Spy]

Superman II

The sequel to Superman Returns probably won't feature General Zod. But it will give Superman an adversary with massive physical power, so he'll face a real challenge this time, says actor Brandon Routh. [Comic Book Resources]

Indiana Jones

Shia LaBoeuf gets physical on the set of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in this new behind-the-scenes video. Apparently he's not just channeling Fonzie with his motorcycle-riding, but also doing some sword-fighting on a truck and juggling a switchblade. [TrekMovie]

Lost:

Lost season four episode 10, airing in April or May, features a character named Dr. Stillman, a kind but no-nonsense psychiatrist who reaches a wall with a patient (Hurley?) and has to reach out for help. Also, the ninth episode isn't called "Bakir," but rather "The Shape Of Things To Come." [Doc Arzt]

Karl is probably dead, says actor Blake Bashoff, but the producers hope to have him back "in some capacity." And there was a scene cut from the end of the latest episode which showed the snipers in camouflage uniforms. But we may not have seen the last of Rousseau. Meanwhile, we haven't seen the last of the purple sky this season, but we probably won't revist the Swan Hatch implosion. The Oceanic Six are Jack, Kate, Hurley, Sayid, Sun and Aaron. And apparently we will learn more about the four-toed statue and Black Rock, after all. And you won't be shocked to hear that Claire is "in trouble," since Aaron makes it off the island and she doesn't. [Spoilers Lost]

And here are some completely unreliable rumors: In an upcoming episode, Charlie comes walking out of the forest and asks Hurley for a favor. But only Hurley and Ben can see Charlie's ghost. Jack won't have any episodes focusing on him this season, but in an upcoming episode we'll learn how Rousseau came to the island. And that mystery coffin? It's Locke's. Locke actually gets off the island, but then loses the ability to walk and becomes depressed, finally killing himself. [Katiero.com]

Doctor Who:

We posted a low-quality copy of the trailer for Doctor Who season four which appeared in British theaters a while back, but now it's appeared on television and on the BBC's UK-only website. You can see the rampaging Sontarans, the deranged Ood, the killer wasp from the Agatha Christie episode, and the Doctor's visit to Pompeii more clearly in this version:

Meanwhile on Torchwood, there are more rumors that both Tosh and Owen die at the end of this season (in a couple of weeks.) And both Mickey and Martha will be crossing over to join the cast of Torchwood full-time in the show's third season. Finally, there's speculation that because Jack will be less prominent in Torchwood next year, he might be appearing in the four Doctor Who "gap year" specials. [Stuff I've Seen This Week]

Smallville:

The big Smallville death that happens in April sets off a huge new conflict between Clark and Lex, who remains determined to discover the secrets of Clark's cousin Kara. And the season finale "could go either way" for Lex, who's not back as a regular character in season eight. Meanwhile, the May 1 episode sees a "final showdown" between Clark and Brainiac. Final! Really! [Entertainment Weekly]

I'm beginning to think the real title of Torchwood should be It's All The Doctor's Fault. He's the one who randomly decided to open that time rift, way back during "The Unquiet Dead." He should personally apologize to all those people who've lost their loved ones whenever the rift felt peckish.

But yeah, anyway, this was definitely the best episode in over a month. Just the fact that it offered no easy solutions and gave us that super-bleak ending was enough to win me over. And it does make sense that the rift would be a two-way street. Although, how exactly do the people get back again? It wasn't clear to me. Once you leave the area of rift activity, how would the rift scoop you up and return you to Earth? Or is it one of those rubber-band snapping things, where the force holding you somewhere else suddenly lets you go?

Random thoughts:

• Go Ianto! Finally he's not just a pretty face or a quip-meister. He actually stood up to Jack (sort of) for once.
• Yes, it's sort of another Angel/Buffy ripoff, this time the storyline about Connor being scooped up to the evil nasty dimension. But it was well done enough that I didn't mind.
• Why exactly does Jack's secret rift-victim facility have to be quite so nasty? And why can't the other Torchwoodies know? Tosh and Owen can keep a secret, even if Gwen can't. Or maybe Gwen's the only one who didn't know.
• The thing of Andy having a thing for Gwen came out of nowhere. And it should go back there.
• Rhys continues to impress me, after having been a bit annoying at first. His speech to Gwen in the park could have been cheesy or cracktastic, but instead it was actually passionate and lovely. And if he ever quits running his trucking company, he could totally be a relationship counselor. I see him being the next Dr. Phil.

In response to your comments yesterday, I'm trying a new format, using a little subhead if there's more than one spoiler per show/movie. What do you think?

Lost:

• A fan's flickr page includes some more pics of Lost filming episode 9 in Hawaii. You can see Middle Eastern-y surroundings, pics of Saddam, and U.S. troops. [Ryan, via Spoilerslost]
• Another upcoming Lost episode will be a Kate-centric ep, possibly episode 10. [E! Online]
• Thursday's episode features flash-backs to Michael's arrival in New York after he left the island, featuring Cynthia Watros as deceased character Libby. [Televisionista]

• Smallville won't feature much of departing regular Lana Lang at all, because actress Kristin Kreuk is hanging out in Thailand. She will be in an "undetermined but small" number of episodes of season eight. [Comic Book Resources]
• Also, in episode 16 of the current season, Lex confronts Chloe about something he believes she stole from him... and bitchiness ensues! [Spoilergeeks]
Battlestar Galactica:
• Romo Lampkin, the Blues Brothers-y attorney who defended Gaius Baltar in Battlestar season three, will be back in one episode of the ten-episode block that airs this spring. And he'll turn up once more in the second ten-hour block, probably appearing in 2009. [Chicago Tribune]
• And here are some promo pics from the season opener.
Misc:
• Heroes season three may feature shapeshifters in an important role. (Presumably not just Candice, the shapeshifter we already met.) [Comic Book Resources again]
• Samuel L. Jackson will not be appearing as Col. Nick Fury in the Iron Man movie after all. But footage of Jackson as Fury may turn up... somewhere. [Slashfilm]
• In this week's Torchwood, Gwen walks in on Captain Jack and Ianto, naked and affectionate. And then Jack, still dissheveled, tells her to stop investigating the rift activity that's making people disappear. [Pink Fairy]
• An upcoming Transformers comic will focus on Wheelie and reveal why Wheelie talks in rhyming couplets, says writer Simon Furman. It'll also introduce three new Decepcticons and tie in with some upcoming stuff for 2009. [Seibertron]

Tonight is the season finale of Kyle XY on ABC Family at 8. It's all about the senior prom, which looks chock full of heartwarming, judging from the trailers I've seen. At the same time, this show about a superpowered teen mutant has done a really great job of keeping a sinister undercurrent lately, and Kyle's female counterpart Jessi just gets more and more entertainingly psycho. So if you haven't checked it out yet, you may want to grab your last chance tonight. After all, the episode will also teach us that looking forward to your prom too much will turn you gay:

Also, the History Channel has a new Modern Marvels, about whiskey, at 8 PM. (Not really very science fictional, but maybe the whiskey is sentient?) And then a new Cities of the Underworld at 9 PM.

And Encore is showing Mission To Mars at 9:45, just in case you want to relive Gary Sinise's life-changing encounter with a cheesy CGI alien.

Tuesday night has the next-to-last episode of Jericho season two, on ABC at 10 PM. Sadly, this is looking more and more like the next-to-last episode of Jericho, period, unless the Sci Fi Channel decides Jericho is a better investment than another season of Ghost Hunters. As you'd expect, Major Beck is not terribly happy about the drastic actions that Stanley took at the end of the previous episode, and he's not willing to blame everything on New Bern. Here are the first five minutes of the episode. (I apologize for the streaky video, this is the best source I could find.)

Also, the History Channel has a rerun of The Universe, all about the possibility of life on Mars.

And Encore has back-to-back Aliens and Waterworld, starting at 11:40 AM.

And at 2:10 AM Wednesday morning, Encore has Ultraviolet, the second-best movie featuring Gun-Kata. (The first being director Kurt Wimmer's Equilibrium, of course.)

Wednesday, the Discovery Channel has a new Futureweapons, "Hard Target." Subjects include new inflatable armor, shoulder-fired grenades, and the A-10 Thunderbolt II attack plane. Good times! And at 10, the History Channel has a new UFO Hunters, "UFO Gateways." The Hudson Valley in New York has hosted more than its fair share of UFO sightings — could this area be an interstellar gateway, used to travel across time and space, or even between dimensions? Another possible gateway area is Sedona, Arizona.

And at 10:10, Encore has Alien 3, while FX shows Batman Begins at 5, followed by The Core at 8 and 11.

Thursday there's a new Smallville on The CW at 8. Lionel Luthor has Clark abducted, and there's some crazy prophecy about how The Traveler will change the Earth for ever. But the main reason to watch this episode is to see just how crazy Chief Tyrol has gone since a certain revelation at the end of Battlestar Galactica season three. Here's a clip:

And then there's a new Lost, on ABC at 9, where we find out what Michael's been up to all this time. And Ben tries to convince Alex to flee the Others' camp before a coming assault. We posted a couple of preview clips the other day, and here's the episode's promo:

As for movies, at 12:15 Friday morning, AMC has The Thing

Friday is pretty slow, except for a bunch of Stargate reruns on Sci Fi. Also, at 1 PM, USA has Timecop, the greatest time-traveling Jean Claude Van Damme movie ever.

And at midnight, A&E has The Matrix, while Encore has 12 Monkeys. Try flipping back and forth between the two movies to create a single, crazy-paranoid narrative where nothing is real. And at 1:30 Saturday morning, TBS has Mars Attacks!, followed by Eight-Legged Freaks at 3:45.

Saturday morning, The CW has Legion of Superheroes followed by