Variety reports on the fact that Warehouse 13, the show that became the flagship for the "new" Syfy, was the most successful show ever to appear on the network, with viewership rising throughout the first season, and quotes VP of programming for channel Mark Stern as suggesting that it showcases the future direction for the network:

We're looking for new summer series for next year — for something that would be more along the lines of a more traditional genre piece... We're [also] looking at a potential latenight show, a potential single-camera show, possibly animation. I think that on some level, we're always going to maintain a sense of entertainment and not get too dour.

I have to admit; with Warehouse 13, Eureka and the brand new (and hit) Stargate Universe as flagships, I think that the network's looking healthier and more interesting than it has in a long time, despite skepticism about the rebranding. So much so, in fact, that I'm more willing to entertain the idea of a Syfy late night show. But am I alone? You tell me:

Hancock 2:

So much for those reports that the sequel would focus on Jason Bateman's character developing his charity project, and working on his relationship with his superhuman wife. Bateman says he hasn't been contacted about being in the sequel, and it's implied that he may not be in it. (Of course, he may get a call next week, but it's still surprising.) [Collider]

Deadpool:

Rob Liefeld Twittered about his meeting with the producers of this spin-off film, including Lauren Shuler Donner. And Ryan Reynolds, to nobody's surprise, is on board. Also:

Deadpool movie checklist- DP in costume-check! Breaking 4th wall-check! Loads of killing-double check!

And he was excited to talk to the producers about the possibilities of featuring Cable in future X-films. [Twitter via Cinemablend]

The Box:

Here are a few more stills from Richard Kelly's Twilight Zone-esque movie set in the 1970s. [Sci Fi Scoop]

Planet 51:

A new poster for the movie about The Rock accidentally invading an alien planet. [Teaser-Trailer]

2012:

And here are some new stills from Roland Emmerich's latest disaster film. [Movies-Spoilers]

Dollhouse:

Fox released three clips from tomorrow night's season opener, "Vows." [Fox via Whedonesque]

Lost:

More set pics and reports — here's a pic of Jack and Kate at the LAX airport set, plus Claire looking very pregnant. And one pic shows the construction of an elaborate temple set, and another shows the construction of a "rugged rock face." One scene being filmed today involved three gunshots ringing out and a bunch of extras, many of them dressed in the distinctive garb of the Others, running out of the temple. More pics at the link. [Hawaii Weblog]

A source claims both Juliet and Sawyer get "closure" on the island in the season premiere. And the cab driver whom Kate car-jacks is played by David H. Lawrence XVII, the "puppet-master" from last season of Heroes. (And yes, the number 17 is really part of Lawrence's professional name.) [SpoilersLost]

Warehouse 13:

It's not too soon to talk about season two of this hit show, which will air in 2010. Producer Jack Kenny says he's already got some ideas about how to deal with the huge cliffhanger at the end of season one — Leena has been made into "some sort of sleeper agent" and we'll have to "unsleeper her" or use her to trap McPherson. We'll find out where Claudia went and what she's doing, whether trying to clear her name or find McPherson. And we'll deal with the apparent death of Artie.

And then in season two proper, we'll mix it up some more. We may see Pete and Artie go out on a mission together, or Myka and Artie. We'll explore the core foursome (Pete, Myka, Artie and Claudia) in greater detail. We'll find out more about Pete's past alcoholism and possible drug addiction, and the lingering effects of Claudia's instituationalization. And both Pete and Myka will date people — maybe we'll see more of Jeff Weaver, Joe Flannigan's character from "Elements," and Myka can date him. And we'll see their reactions to each other's dating. Also, Claudia will possibly date a "local kid in the town," and maybe Pete, Myka and Artie will have different reactions to him. And we'll see more of the Regents, but maybe not all of them — maybe they'll have a spokesperson.

Also, Kenny says he wants to do an episode about "Hitler's microphone." [iFMagazine]

FlashForward:

Speaking of recovering alcoholics, apparently FBI agent Mark Benford (Joseph Fiennes) is one. And his nanny is a devout Christian, who's making out with her boyfriend on the couch when the "flash forward" happens — so she takes the "flash forward" as a sign of divine retribution. [NY Times]

The Benfords' daughter Charlie says "I had a bad dream. I dreamt that there are no more good days." (And that's where the episode's title comes from.) By the end of the first episode, we get our first hint as to who/what is responsible for the flash. [Boston Herald]

Sonya Walger's surgeon character, Olivia, is put out that the entire surgical team flops to the floor in the middle of an operation. And her fellow doctor Bryce, played by Zachary Knighton, has gone to a pier to contemplate suicide when the flash happens. [Washington Post]

Here's the official synopsis of episode four, "Black Swan":

Olivia struggles to accept Bryce's suggestion that a patient's flashforward holds the key to a correct diagnosis and treatment. Meanwhile, Demetri accuses Mark of waiting for the future he saw in his flashforward to come true without incident, while Mark feels Demetri is letting his fear of what he witnessed envelop his life; and Nicole returns to work as Mark and Olivia's daughter's baby-sitter, and discloses her shocking future vision - involving a murder.

And some pics. [TV Overmind]

House:

In episode nine of this season, House tells someone he loves Cuddy. [EW]

True Blood:

And it's not too soon to talk season three of this show. Alan Ball says he's currently seeking someone to play Talbot, the "trophy husband" of the queer "vampire king of Mississippi" (played by Denis O'Hare). [EW]

Chuck:

Emmy winner Armand Assante guest stars as a Castro-esque dictator whom Casey has tried to assassinate numerous times. [EW]

Viktor Sakhay says that there will be more tension with the management at Buy More. And Lester will temporarily change something drastically about himself. [E! Online]

Sanctuary:

Here's a new trailer for season two of this Syfy show:

Smallville:

In his new quest to become the perfect hero, Clark is pretty icy to everyone, but especially to Chloe, for whom he refuses to go back in time and save Jimmy. But he does come to Lois in her hour of need. And Lois has sex on the brain — at least when she's sleeping. [TV Guide]

More on that: Lois has a scary/sexy dream sequence at the end of tomorrow night's season premiere, full of sweat, sex and blood. And death. And Jor-El tells Clark the reason he still can't fly is because he still thinks he's human. [E! Online]

We'll learn exactly where Lois went when she was missing for three weeks — and it'll look remarkably similar to the red dust storm sweeping over Sydney. [EW]

Here are two sneak peeks from tomorrow night's season opener:

Eastwick:

Rosanna Arquette will play Greta Noa, a New York gallery owner who's connected to Darryl Van Horne. She'll appear in two episodes, and there's more to her than we realize at first. [TV Guide Magazine]

Monday:

Heroes -
Redemption does not come easy in the two-hour season premiere, on NBC at 8 PM. Claire, trying to escape her past, heads to college (with that possible lesbian tryst coming up) and garners more attention than she would like following a strange death. Matriarch Angela worries that her son Nathan will truly self-actualize; and Peter, while trying to use his powers for good, must turn and help a friend in need. In the meantime, a mysterious clan is on their way to greet a familiar face.

The Big Bang Theory -
Why did Leonard go to the arctic circle?! What was he thinking? Because now, when Sheldon throws a hissy fit and takes off for Texas, after the boys' experiment, the friends follow... killing Leonard's chance for a romantic reunion with Penny. Your poking and prodding us to commit already and include this show has finally worked, so tune in to CBS at 9:30 PM.

House
So just how crazy is the smartest doctor on television? Here's hoping he kicks the dead girl out of his brain — we've got insane diseases to cure and it's never Lupus. Yes, we are covering House now you all win again. The two hour season premiere is at 8 PM on Fox tonight.

Movies:
Ben Stiller brings all the wax things to life at the Museum of Natural History and then slaps around a monkey: Comedy! Night At The Museum is on FX at 5:30 PM.

Tuesday:

Say goodbye to Warehouse 13 the right way, with an all day Syfy marathon starting at 9 AM.

Warehouse 13 -
In the season finale (yes, it's only been a dozen episodes, but man, haven't they been fairly awesome?!) Artie and our agents catch up to MacPherson when he's trying to sell off items he's stolen from the warehouse. Did he even think this plan through? Oh, wait, yes. Turns out he's had a plan the whole time. Say goodbye to America's attic, for now, at 9 PM on Syfy.

The Universe -
Will the apocalypse destroy Earth itself? Or will some villain hurl it into the sun? Tonight, ten scenarios for Earth's destruction are imagined. Included: annihilating it with antimatter, being sucked into a black hole, and stopping gravity itself. Enjoy your favorite apocalyptic moments, on the History Channel at 9 PM.

The Colony -
Tonight on the Discovery Channel at10 PM the "survivors" wait is over. The colonists have managed to establish food for themselves, build weapons to fortify their positions, come up with renewable energy and built their own cooking and sanitation systems. Now can the colonists complete their escape truck and fortify their defenses before the marauder's final offensive drive?

Wednesday:

Eastwick -
Seriously, this "Desperate Housewitches" new show looks trashy and outrageous, and has definite potential to become the show we watch religiously but never tell anyone about. Anyway, the show centers around three women who bump coins and are suddenly intertwined in each other's lives. When a mysterious devilish man makes his way into town, he'll either teach the women how to harness their powers, or let their freak flags fly. Or both. The adaptation of John Updike's The Witches of Eastwick begins tonight on ABC at 10 PM.

Destination Truth -
Josh and the team investigate King Tut's curse by locking Josh inside the tomb and trying not to let him fall asleep ... or get killed by the most famous Egyptian, at 10 PM on the Syfy Channel

Thursday:

FlashForward -
FlashForward is ABC's slightly less trashy attempt at adapting a famous novel. Based on the classic book by Robert J. Sawyer, the television series changes more than a little of the original storyline about people seeing the future. On the small screen, it has become a star-studded ensemble, including a mysterious man named Simon (played by Dominic Monaghan). People around the world glimpse two minutes and 17 seconds of their future, six months ahead of time, causing mass casualties and terrible panic. Our first protagonists, Mark and Demetri, are thrown into a car crash following the worldwide blackout. Back at FBI headquarters, they try to figure out how to begin to make sense of the reason behind the blackouts, on ABC at 8 PM

Take a look at the first 17 minutes here if you dare. Bonus points if you can spot the Famous Jett Jackson and Seth MacFarlane in this promo.

Vampire Diaries -
This week in this "still not True Blood" show, Elena tries not to listen to her friend's warning about Stefan's weird vibes as he begins to ... try to fit in at high school like a regular teen. Instead, Elena invites Stefan to dinner with her and Bonnie, to try to get the two on better terms, but the romance is interrupted by Damon and easily impressionable Caroline. It's vampires and teen drama and boring sad men who wear terrible man-rings only on the CW at 8 PM.

Supernatural -
Sam's ready to hang it all up, give up on chasing demons and angels, but then he meets a mysterious girl who threatens to change his mind. Dean, meanwhile, continues his hunt for the Archangel Raphael so he can get to God. Are the bros split for good? It's the end of days again at 9 PM on the CW.

Fringe -
The team heads to Pennsylvania (Does this mean Olivia's back on her feet? Or are they teaming with the new lady agent instead?) The freak of the week seems to involve the subterranean disappearance of a construction worker. Also, more Walter craziness when he tries to shift some frogs to another reality. New Fringe at 9 PM on Fox.

Friday:

Dollhouse -
Now that we've visited the future of Joss Whedon's mind-warping universe (in an unaired season finale), we're back to the present, and the Dollhouse is open for business again. Will Echo be someone sexy tonight? More importantly, how's Whiskey going to deal with her unpleasant discoveries about her true nature?

Smallville -
In the season premiere tonight on CW at 8 PM, Clark has finally taken on the role of protector of Metropolis, donning a black and gray suit to stick to the shadows and become known only as The Blur, forgoing his humanity for the time being. As the hero hunts for the woman he loves, Chloe seeks to reunite the Justice League, a move that may ultimately lead to a dangerous chasm between the two friends.

Ghost Whisperer -
Jennifer Love Hewitt is back to see dead people at 8 PM on CBS. And possibly to pass that gift down to her son. The season premiere, directed by Hewitt, jumps ahead five years in the future to show us just how special her son truly is.

Movies:

Superman Returns, and everything has gone to hell, in the director's cut three-hour-long film, on FX at 8 PM.

Saturday:

Movies:

It's Children of the Corn day over at Syfy starting with Children of the Corn 4 at 11 AM, followed by the 5th film, the 6th film, then Revelations and finally the Syfy retelling of the original, one after the other.

Sunday:

Movies:
Ready yourself for the new Judge Dredd, by rehashing the original, on Syfy at 10 AM.

Librarians get a whole lot sexier when ER doc Noah Wyle does his best Indiana Jones imitation in The Librarian: The: Quest for the Spear it's like Indiana Jones, but with more magic and reading. Check out the Emmy nominated series on TBS at 8 PM.

Before we made them blue and took over their worlds, we were the victims of aliens. Remember the days when we were in the right, with Independence Day on TNT at 8 PM.

Tonight's episode is "Nevermore" is a bit of a return to the weekly artifact hunts of yore, where Pete and Myka witness an artifact's destructive power, identify it, and bring it back to the Warehouse. Plus, we get to meet Battlestar Galactica alum Michael Hogan as Myka's emotionally distant father who gets tangled up with an artifact related to Edgar Allan Poe.

It's by no means show's strongest episode, but one that reflects and respects the show's changing character dynamics. The artifact hunt is fairly straightforward, without the mystery of some of the more recent episodes, but the point is more that we see the team functioning more as a cohesive team. Artie is no longer hiding the ball from his field agents, instead giving clear, concise information where they need it. Claudia takes a spin in the field, and there's still that playful sibling relationship between Pete and Myka, even if it no longer takes center stage. The major ding on character development is that Myka largely sits this episode out, though we at least get a dose of crotchety Michael Hogan (albeit only briefly crotchety) as compensation.

But the season finale, "MacPherson," almost feels like it comes from an entirely different show, one dominated not by artifact hunts and special effects, but one filled with intrigue and danger. James MacPherson, whom we met a few episodes back, provides the series with a much-needed and thoroughly satisfying villain, one ruthless and far more clever than anyone at the Warehouse has anticipated. All of the show's main characters — Artie, Myka, Pete, Claudia, Mrs. Frederic, even the little-used Leena — will have their roles to play, and there will be enough twists to keep you guessing who at the Warehouse you can really trust (and at least one character's loyalties will fall squarely on the wrong side of the fence). We'll even get a revelation about the Warehouse itself that's far more frightening than what's inside the Dark Vault.

Warehouse 13 has been a fun, light summer romp through humanity's secret mystical and technological heritage. But the final episode suggests that the second season could offer more than possessed typewriters and mystical disco balls. It could bring us more into the dark and dangerous underworld that craves these artifacts, and the sometimes disturbing lengths the Warehouse may have to go to in order to protect them.

Star Trek 2:

Zoe "Uhura" Saldana says J.J. Abrams has promised her that Uhura will get her own fight scene, or at least some kind of action sequence, in the sequel. "I mean, just [let me] kick a guy in the groin or something!" [Cinematical]

Zombieland:

Some new stills focus on the female members of the zombie-killing foursome. [SpoilerTV-Movies]

Dollhouse:

Now that Echo has been re-integrated with her other personalities and started to retain her identity no matter what, things are going to get hairy. The dynamic between Echo and her "original" personality Caroline will be at the center of season two. And in the season opener, where she's married off to Jamie Bamber things go terribly wrong and Echo starts turning back into Caroline under stress. Which could be a good thing, or a bad thing. [E! Online]

Plus the network released some behind-the-scenes clips and interviews with the creators:

Fringe

TV Guide gives us a brief primer on the new season, including the alternate universe:

And EW interviews the cast, who talk about the growing relationships between the characters:

In the season opener, Olivia lets down a bit of her guard and has a few tender moments with Peter. And she even asks him for personal help. [EW]

Here's the official description for the season's third episode, "Fracture:"

Peter, Walter, Olivia and Broyles pursue a strange and deadly occurrence in Philadelphia where a bomb blew up inside a train station but left no trace of any explosive device. The perplexing and unexplained set of circumstances returns Walter to the lab to closely examine the human remains where he uncovers an unlikely energy source that triggered the explosion. With the explosive threat of more bombs and links to a classified military project, the intense investigation leads Olivia and Peter to Iraq.

[Fringe Spoilers]

And John Noble gives some more hints about the new season. [Fringe Television]

Supernatural:

Jeffrey Dean Morgan says he's eager to return to the role of the Winchester boys' daddy, if he can find the time. And he feels like his storyline on the show got cut too soon. He also casts doubt on rumors that a sixth season of Supernatural could feature an entirely new cast, rebooting the show without Jared Padalecki or Jensen Ackles. He htinsk those rumors are just designed to stir up the fans. [Sci Fi Wire]

New promo pics show Sam getting his groove back a little bit. [SpoilerTV]

FlashForward:

New cast promo pics focus on some of the characters besides Mark and Demetri... including Simon, played by Dominic Monaghan. [SpoilerTV]

Warehouse 13:

We'll be seeing more of the evil McPherson coming up. He's in the season finale, where we learn he has ties with two of the women of the Warehouse, making life a lot more difficult for them — and for Artie. [E! Online]

Eureka:

Taggart won't be in Friday's season finale, but actor Matt Frewer says he's in a "wait and see mode" about apperaing next season. [E! Online]

Heroes:

I don't think we've shown you this behind-the-scenes featurette for the returning show yet:

Smallville:

A few new TV spots for next week's season premiere:

Eastwick:

Some new clips from episode four, "Fleas And Casserole":

Additional reporting by Alexis Brown and Lauren Davis.

Monday:

There's a Tru Calling marathon on Syfy from 8 AM through 3 PM.

Super Hero Squad Show -
Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, Wolverine, Captain America and more fight villains around the world, including the cuddliest version of Dr. Doom ever. Then they all hang out with Barack Obama, because that is all superheroes do anymore. Two episodes begin on Cartoon Network at 7 PM.

Movies:

Billy Bob Thorton stars as a farmer who decides to build his own rocket in his back yard in The Astronaut Farmer. Cook some french friend potaters and watch it on AMC at 8 PM. Oh wait... eh, nevermind.

Tuesday:

There's an all-day Sanctuary marathon on Syfy during normal work hours, call in sick and hang out with the monsters and Amanda Tapping's fake accent.

The Universe -
A look at ringed planets includes Earth (for its human-made satellites) and dissects what the rings reveal about the origins of galaxies, on the History Channel at 9 PM.

Warehouse 13 -
Here's hoping we continue to see more karmically cursed Claudia, strong-willed Artie and a less depressing Pete this week. This week at 9 PM on the Syfy, Myka heads off to visit her father (remember her daddy issues from a few episodes ago?) and finds half an artifact once belonging to Edgar Allen Poe. Was her turn in the Warehouse more fated than we've been led to believe? Regardless, the other half becomes problematic at a high school in Oregon.

Surviving Disasters -
If you live in hurricane country, or desperately believe the apocalypse will bring with it major floods, tonight at 10 PM on Spike, Cade is going show you how to cross flooded streets and a fast-moving river, and how to get to higher ground. And even take refuge in abandoned homes.

The Colony -
The post-apocalyptic colonists and their plans for a scout vehicle are underway while they begin customizing their escape truck. Where are they escaping to? No clue. But meanwhile, traders return, bringing dismay to some and causing tempers to flare, on Discovery at 10 PM.

Wednesday:

Ghost Hunters -
Why do they always hunt in the dark? Alright, may be that's a stupid question, but still, come on guys! This week at 9 PM on Syfy the team heads to New Jersey to probe the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth with the help of Bruce tango.

Destination Truth -
Spirit possessions are investigated in Mexico, including a creepy, eye-opening experience playing with dolls. Also, the team heads to the Bahamas for island spirits, on Syfy at 10 PM.

Movies:

Denzel Washington is a time-shifting government agent who heads backward to try to stop a terrorist attack, in Déjà Vu on FX at 8 PM.

Thursday:

Fringe -
Agent Olivia Dunham, and everyone's favorite mad-hatter scientist, return! Of course when we left them, the former was in an alternate universe with Leonard Nimoy and the twin towers, and the latter was crying over ... his son's grave? Tonight, Congress decides to take an interest in the Fringe division, and Olivia finds her way back to her own dimension whilst hunting down a mysterious entity that's chasing her — but when isn't a mysterious entity hunting our "special" agent down? So, will the sexual tension peak this season? Will we get more Original Spock? Is the blonde agent going to have some other-dimensional competition for sexiest brooding FBI problem child? Hopefully not, probably not, and most definitely. Season two begins on FOX at 9 PM do not miss it!

Vampire Diaries -
Vicki is recovering from her attack, and starts to remember bits and pieces of what happened. Stefan, of course, is dying to prevent her from actually recalling the events of the evening. Elena is off meeting hottie Damon, who reveals secrets of Stefan's past and Jeremy struggles with feeeeeelings, on the CW at 8 PM.

Supernatural -
Sam and Dean must save small-town inhabitants, when they are confused by a spell causing them all to act like demons and commit murder. Can't this world ever stay saved? The second episode of this season is on the CW at 9 PM.

Here's three clips from tonight's ep:

Movies:

Gary Sinise's doomed Mission to Mars in on Syfy at 9 PM. Red Planet versus Mission To Mars — which is better? Fight!

Friday:

Eureka -
Say farewell to the Eureka townfolk and their can-do attitude, in the season finale on Syfy at 9 PM. The third season (part two) ends with Tess receiving a great new job offer ... in Australia, and Zoe gets ready to leave for Harvard. Carter, meanwhile, is off avoiding his female issues and instead dealing with a magnetic disturbance above the town.

The Troop -
A boy named Jake heads this live-action, CGI-blended show that Nickelodeon is branding as comedy/scifi. Jake wants to create his own comic book and is recruited by a school counselor to join The Troop, a group that aims to protect the world from other-wordly creatures and monsters. Three eps air tonight on Nickelodeon beginning at 8 PM.

Movies:

One of very few women who can shave her head and still look beautiful (that's Natalie Portman, for you not following) stars in the film adaption of Alan Moore's V for Vendetta on MTV at 10 PM.

Saturday:

If you've been clamoring for a darker version of Jumanji, have no fear - it has been made, folks. And it stars everyone's favorite doll, Eliza Dushku on Syfy at 9 PM. Open Graves chronicles the trails of silly American students studying in Spain as they come across a sinister board game. One where the loser ... well, dies, naturally.

Sunday:

Since I know you, like me, are mourning the end of True Blood's season, feel free to keep Vamp Sundays alive with Ann Rice's Interview with the Vampire, on Syfy at 6:30 PM.

Inception:

Someone who claims to have read the whole screenplay for Christopher Nolan's "architecture of the mind" thriller posted a review online — and several salt mines worth of grains of salt are probably indicated. The synopsis is vastly different from the other dribs and drabs we've learned so far, and sounds a bit outlandish to boot. At the same time, you just never know — and I remember dismissing a spot-on accurate summary of The Dark Knight as a fake months before the movie came out.

In any case, the lucky (or lying) reviewer says that far from being about stepping into people's dreams for espionage purposes, as we've reported previously, Inception is actually about using the mind to travel to any point in space. A man named Jacob Hastley has recently become paraplegic, and he considers killing himself — but instead he discovers a connection between the human mind and space. Since both space and the mind's capacity are infinite (they are?), you can create a doorway from your mind into any point in space.

So Jacob discovers a "thought algorithm" that lets him travel to any point in the universe, without actually traveling. He visits other solar systems, and even other galaxies, and it's groovy. Then he discovers that other people already know how to do this mind-traveling thing, and they're 150 percent smarter than average humans because they use more of their brain capacity. These other travelers are aware of Jacob's travels, and Jacob has to find the truth behind the origins of the universe (hence "Inception") before the other travelers catch up to him.

The supporting cast includes Lisa, a genius and Jacob's ex-wife who dumped him after he was injured, but who shows up again right after his first trip. Plus Kansas, a dog whisperer who connects in an unearthly way with her animals, Tark, a 37-year-old man who seems to have a wisdom beyond his years, and Isabell, a blind woman who will stop at nothing to see again. So... what do you think? Do we call in TrekMovie's Senator Vreenak?

Update: Apparently it was an April Fool's prank. Oh well. [Script Shadow, thanks Ryan!]

Batman 3:

Have we already mentioned a dozen times before that Aaron Eckhart says Harvey Dent died at the end of The Dark Knight? Here's one more for luck. [MTV]

Surrogates:

Just how badly do you want to see some kick-ass robot-fighting new footage from Surrogates? Badly enough to sit through a music video by the band Breaking Benjamin? If so, then here ya go. The song is pretty dreadful, but the scenes from the movie make it look pretty darn amazing. [Thanks Mike!]

Jennifer's Body:

Director Karen Kusama explains what appealed to her about this movie's script:

I really, really loved the fact that it had this subverted fairytale kind of structure where in the end it's Needy who has to save Chip, save herself and deal with Jennifer. That she really has to become an adult over the course of the movie and that was powerful to me. I know the movie plays like a crazy, fun genre film, but I hope that there's something a little bit emotionally richer.

A tragedy befalls the town, and the townsfolk find a song to unify them in their grief. And there's a great moment where we see Jennifer cupping blood out of a torn-open torso. [ShockTillYouDrop]

Supernatural:

Tired of Sam and Dean ripping each other to pieces? Then there's good news. Eric Kripke says season five is about "building Sam and Dean back up in a way that makes them older, sadder, wiser, and, ultimately, stronger. It's funny, we've been feeling in many ways that this is the most optimistic season of Supernatural we've ever done. Because even though the exterior circumstances are a massive cluster f–k, internally, the boys aren't tearing each other apart every episode. It's more like, ‘Hey, maybe we'll lose, but, dammit, let's go down swinging.'" [EW]

Fringe:

The question with Charlie isn't so much whether he's going, but when. (And I think this means in which episode he'll leave, and it's not some kind of hint that Charlie will be time-traveling.) [EW]

Another combined Bones/Fringe promo:

FlashForward:

A new clip from the pilot, in which people start to realize those blackouts weren't just blackouts. Plus a few promos I don't think we've shown you before.

House:

House has "steamy goings-on" with she-who-shall-not-be-named in the season premiere, but Huddy is far from over — House and Cuddy have an intense attraction, but it's as much intellectual and spiritual as sexual. Also, when House, Wilson and Cuddy go on a business trip in episode seven, Lucas tags along. [EW]

Warehouse 13:

A sneak peek from next Tuesday's episode, where Myka has to save her dad (Michael Hogan!) from a sinister artifact.

Heroes:

Ready to pick at that scab again? Here are a bevy of photos from the two-part season premiere, "Orientation" and "Jump, Push, Fall." (I guess "orientation" refers to Claire going to college as well as, possibly, her much-discussed lesbian-until-graduation-ness. Must resist the temptation to make a joke about matriculation.) [Herosite]

Smallville:

Tom Welling explains that going into season nine, Clark has lost faith in his old view of the human race:

Well, in the past Clark has always been the reluctant hero. Everyone is telling him what he has to do and he doesn't want to do it. With the events of Jimmy's death [in May's season finale], along with the eight seasons building up, he realizes that his view on humanity has been wrong. And he goes to Jor-El and says, ‘I messed up, what do I do now?' Jor-El takes him in, and Clark starts his training. His training ultimately is what will prepare him to be who we all know he's going to be in the future. So it's him spending time at the Fortress of Solitude downloading all this information. At the same time, information is given to him that the fate of the world depends on Lois Lane's survival. So Clark has to struggle between his destiny and his humanity. Especially in the first few episodes it gets in the way of the training, because he just can't help but deal with humans and help people, when all Jor-El wants him to do is shut everyone off, forget about them, rise above them and be the hero he needs to be.

And Clark wears the "S" symbol on his chest, the sign of the House of El, as a means of establishing a "call sign" for himself. He's no longer the red-blue blur, just the Blur. In episode two, through a contrivedcomplicated set of circumstances caused by "interesting lighting", Lois gets a good look at the symbol on Clark's chest, but doesn't see his face. Clark has an opportunity to step forward and show her his face, but chooses not to. And here's a new pic. [TV Guide Magazine via OSCK]

Chuck:

Angie Harmon wants Captain Awesome dead because he's a superspy now. Or something. [EW]

Eastwick:

I don't think we've featured this sneak peek and promo from the "Desperate Housewitches" show:

And it's not much of a spoiler to say this show is "cheesy and dull" according to E! Online. The devil is a douche instead of debonair. Sara Rue is wasted in the background, at least in the pilot. [E! Online]

Additional reporting by Alexis Brown.

The last few episodes have me convinced that Warehouse 13 is really hitting its stride, and "Breakdown" was perhaps the best yet, with the writers really getting a chance to spread their wings and play with the characters, artifacts, and the Warehouse's mythology.

We had two major plotlines running through this episode. The main plotline centers around Pete, Myka, and Claudia handling a major snag in the machinery that neutralizes the artifacts, causing several of the artifacts to activate at once and threatening to destroy the Warehouse. The second involves Artie's coming to Jesus moment with the shadowy Regents behind the Warehouse.

Earlier in the season, I could have seen the Warehouse's artifacts getting old quickly, but they're actually taking on an increasing charm. Earlier artifacts, like hypnotherapist's James Braid's chair, sometimes felt a bit random, but the latest round of artifacts have a clear logic of their own. After years of school systems trying to convince us that dodge balls are evil, we get actual killer dodge balls, which can only be defeated by being caught. And the mystical replica of Leena's bed and breakfast, which can only be manipulated through the the painting on the wall had a gratifying video game feel to it (Could I please have a Flash game based on Warehouse 13? Maybe something in the vein of the Mystery of Time and Space, but with artifact-based puzzles?). And there's the wonderfully freaky suggestion that the Dark Vault, which we got to peek inside last night, is filled with trapped souls and demonic beings — how long before that evil clown comes out to play? And there was a nice shakeup in pairing Claudia with Pete and Myka for the whole episode, really cementing what was once an odd-couple cop show into an ensemble dramedy.

Artie, meanwhile, gets ambushed by the Regents, who demand that he justify his operations at the Warehouse. It's obviously a talkie bit of scenes, nicely handled by Mark Shepherd — who has become science fiction television's "must have" guest star — and they add a bit more to the Warehouse 13 universe. In some ways, they feel like a less snooty version of the Watcher's Council from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, ready to appear at any moment and take the Warehouse staff to task, and I imagine we might see them later, with Artie forced to defend one or more of his crew to them. But even if they look like waiters, retirees, and business folk instead of shadowy figures, there's a very mysterious quality to them. Are they as ordinary as they claim? What is this higher power that they serve? And why do they feel so threatened by Artie's ex-partner-turned-rogue-artifact-hunter James MacPhereson?

We'll find out the answers to that last question at least, soon enough, as we're rolling along toward the season's end. But not before next week's episode, when Saul Tigh himself, Michael Hogan, guest stars as Myka's father in an Edgar Allan Poe-themed mystery.

So you're turning up on Warehouse 13 tonight. Is this going to be a recurring character?

That you'll have to see. But yeah, I think the character could return, just based on the nature of his job. [It] sort of hints at that idea that there is more to come.

What can you tell our readers about your character?

Well we've always known that there was something called the Regents. We've always heard of the Regents. We've always thought of Mrs. Frederic as being in the know as to how things are run at the Warehouse. So it could be fascinating on what is above and around Mrs. Frederic.

So what is going on with The Regents? Are they trying to help society or is there something more dubious going on behind the scene?

That, I can't tell you, 'cause I'd have to kill you. Let me explain... In my house I have a collection of chair backs and when we were shooting the end of Battlestar Galactica I had my third chair back, I kept getting a chair back for every episode. My last chair back actually said Mr. President. That chair back stayed hidden from my friends and everybody else for little over a year. So chances of me revealing the plot for Warehouse 13 is very very slim.

I think the great thing about Warehouse 13 is that the show runners have a very good idea of where they are going to go with it, which is what makes the show so good and there is so much more to be revealed as we continue. I think the show has gotten even better and better as it goes forward. I think the second season is just going to be fascinating.

What can you tell us about Benedict Valda?

I can tell you that my character will be appearing in the next episode of Warehouse 13, I can tell you that my character is the mouth piece for the Regents at this point. And you will be introduced to the Regents whom Mrs. Frederic has been dealing with.

You're playing the boss, or the guy with the connections to the boss, what's it like playing someone who appears to have all the authority over your past characters that kind of snuck up on you or shook things up?

Well I think President of the Colonies has a bit of authority.

Yes but that wasn't until the very end of the season, we're talking about throughout the season.

I thought I was running the show. It's all a matter of perspective. Everything in good writing and drama is about perspective...I think there are two great characters you can get to play in this kind of work. One of them is very definitely the last sane man in the universe. You either want to play the guy that has sold out the Universe before you even start, the sort of Dr. Smith from Lost In Space, or you want to play the last sane man, the Eddie Albert in Green Acres. I find both of those characters to be the most fun to do. I think if you really look at what I've been doing, as I slowly turn into the Jack Cassidy of modern television...but as I meander through this stuff, I see that the fans are demanding more and more from television. And I think scifi in particular has evolved. It's no longer just space ships and monster suits.

How has Warehouse 13 helped that evolutionary process of scifi TV?

I don't think you could get Warehouse 13 made six years ago. I don't think anyone was interested. I think the audience is smart and funny, the premise is really good and the casting is fantastic... They are taking a lot of risks and gambles and that's how you make television a lot better... When you look at Warehouse 13, it's easy to dismiss fun television, as somehow having less weight than The Wire. I think we're just as demanding of these kinds of shows as we are of our drama.

Right now there is a reboot trend spreading from Syfy to the networks, as a member of a great reboot, is there another scifi show you'd like to reboot, and who would you play?

I got lots of favorites. I'd like to see Lost In Space. At one point, I thought I was born to play Doctor Zachary Smith.

You heard it here first — make it happen everyone. We should start a "Lampkin for Dr. Smith" campaign right here right now! But until that dream comes true tune into the Syfy channel tonight at 9 PM to find out what Benedict Valda knows about the Regents.

Monday:

An all-day marathon of Ghost Hunters turns into a mini-marathon of Ghost Whisperer on Syfy beginning at 8 AM with TAPS, and switching to Jennifer Love Hewitt's whispers at 7 PM.

Movies:

James Bond proves the real meaning of Anglo-Soviet cooperation in a love pod and we get probably the coolest car ever in the form of a suborghini in The Spy Who Loved Me on BBC America at 4 PM.

Tuesday:

Warehouse 13 -
Artie's being questioned by Mrs. Frederic and the Regents, as Pete and Myka and Claudia are stuck in the Warehouse facing a fiery predicament — that may very well make all thousands of the artifacts in the house go haywire, on Syfy at 9 PM.

Surviving Disaster -
This week at 10 PM on Spike, learn how to traverse a burning building, navigate through flames and flame-filled corridors, how to break through walls and even how to rappel to safety from a burning building (all handy tools for the apocalypse).

The Colony -
One colonist, Joey, has a kidney stone; with no electricity and no communication with the outside world, just how painful will it be? Mike and Vlad head out on a recon mission and run into a dangerous situation. Still not sure if this reality TV show on Discovery at 10 PM has the ability to convince me that the contestants truly believe in their make-believe surroundings — maybe fake kidney stones will work this week. I still think they should start a zombie outbreak.

Movies:

Nic Cage dons the flaming ghost head of terrible acting, in Ghost Rider. Cage plays Johnny Blaze, the devil's bounty hunter, and sucks Eva Mendes into his fiery web (yes, that was a comic mix of metaphors) on FX at 7:30 PM.

Wednesday:

Ghost Hunters -
There's a Syfy series cross over at 9 PM tonight, Josh Gates of Destination Truth joins TAPS as the group heads inside a New Jersey prison in the hunt for stuck souls.

Destination Truth -
The premiere for this "is it real and can we touch it... No? okay" show is on at 10 PM on Syfy. Josh Gates attempts to explain supernatural sightings around the globe.

Movies:

Arnold attempts to foil Satan's plans for conquering the world on New Year's Eve 1999 in End of Days on AMC at 8 PM.

Thursday:

Vampire Diaries -

Dear Diary,
This year, I asked for a great campy vamp show to get me through the long winter weeks without True Blood. Instead, I have been given this show about a brooding, orphaned teenage girl and the vamps who love to smell her in the hallways. Yet another vamp adaptation from books.
Thanks a lot.

Elena is beyond happy to capture the attention of Stefan during the first days at a school, where everyone looks too old and too pretty. The dark hottie in her history class who sometimes has fangs is enchanting trouble. On the plus side, LOST's Ian Somerhalder stars as the even hotter villain. Witness Ian's terrible villainous laughter on the CW's 8 PM series premiere.

Supernatural -
The fifth season opens as brothers Dean and Sam have helped to bump up the date for the apocalypse, and Lucifer has come to Earth to prove it. They must also deal with the sad news from Chuck the Prophet that Castiel was blown away by the archangels. On CW at 9 PM.

Movies:

Genetically altered sharks terrorize those experimenting with them — and don't miss the best ever Samuel L. Jackson CG tirade — in Deep Blue Sea on Syfy at 9 PM.

Friday:

Eureka -
Syfy is wrapping up this genius-town show, at 9 PM. It's Tess' first day in charge at Global Dynamics, an Arctic ice core drops the temperature in Eureka drastically and to top it all off, Dr. Jim Taggart returns to town. Tess will no doubt be having a case of the Mondays.

Movies:

Quarantine the remake of 2007 Spanish horror film [REC] and shaky cam film extraordinaire, chronicles the last night of an apartment building, on Starz at 7:30 PM.

Saturday:

The venerable Hercules — Kevin Sorbo — stars as a small town hero in the made-for-tv movie Lightning Strikes, in which a monster rides a lightning bolt (!) down to the ground on Syfy at 9 PM.

Sunday:

True Blood -
The season finale of this breasts-and-blood epic airs tonight. True chaos finally takes over, as Maryann casts Sookie in a starring role in her grand sacrificial ceremony. Sophie-Anne lays down instructions for Eric regarding Bill, Hoyt may finally be pulling out of his mother's grasp, Jason kicks a little ass and hopefully, Eggs gets scrambled. Do not miss our last hour of HBO's slutty vampires at 9 PM.

The Girl Who Cries Blood -
A blood specialist travels to India to check out a girl who spontaneously cries blood and tries to explain it. I've got it — she's a VAMPIRE, oh and she's related to this kid. Thanks to True Blood for bringing to light this sign of vamps. Witness the eye bleeding at 9 PM on the National Geographic Channel.

Defying Gravity -
The ship goes on high alert when a solar flare may result in deadly levels of radiation. Also, the mysterious force cooped up in Pod 4 makes its presence felt, but not quite seen yet. Are you guys thrilled, or excited this dramatic scifi series is wrapping up? Watch the end on ABC at 10 PM.

Hidden in the wasteland of Culver City, CA, is the Museum of Jurassic Technology. This marvelous museum of modern antiquity perfectly blurs the line between science and fiction, displaying both the real and surreal with equal care. The MJT is a present-day version of a sixteenth-century tradition;The Wunderkammer,or Cabinet of Wonders.

Like Warehouse 13, the MJT has an eccentric curator with a penchant for the paranormal and being mysterious. Museum curator and creator David Wilson's philosophy seems strangely akin to Artie's:

There's a whole hermetic tradition of the transmission of knowledge, which is very often done through a guide, where you gain access to information at the time that you need it. At a certain point in a person's development it becomes exactly what they need to know and before that it's meaningless. I think it happens all the time to people here at the museum. It's the only way to account for the huge variety of responses that people have. Some are ready to see this material in a certain way - it brings up a certain kind of knowledge or understanding in them - whereas for others it doesn't at all.

The exhibits are, to quote Lewis Carrol's Alice, curiouser and curiouser. The Lives of Perfect Creatures salutes the canines of the Soviet space program, while Tell The Bees is an exploration of domestic superstitions. Marvel at the Micromosaics of Henry Dalton, constructed entirely of butterfly wings, and a Flemish landscape carved from an almond. Yes, an almond.

Many of the museum exhibits leave you puzzled as to how much fact lies within each fiction. Consider the evidence surrounding the Deprong Mori of the Tripiscum Pleateau, a bat which can supposedly pass through solid objects using x-ray rather than sonar. Ponder the Horn of Mary Davis of Saughall, one of supposedly several humans to sprout such appendages in the middle-ages. If such things tickle your fancy, horn earrings can be purchased in the museum gift shop.

Also available in gift shop is Lawrence Weschler's book, Mr. Wilson's Cabinet Of Wonder , which tries to unravel the mysteries of the museum and David Wilson's work. The book opens with same image that you encounter when you first step inside the Museum of Jurassic Technology, that of the Megolaponera Foetens, The Stink Ant Of Cameroon. The ant's story is true science, but seems more like science fiction than many of the museum's other oddities:

In the rain forest of the Cameroon in West Central Africa lives a floor dwelling ant known as Megaloponera foetens, or more commonly, the stink ant. This large ant - one of the very few to produce a cry audible to the human ear - lives by foraging for food among the fallen leaves and undergrowth of the extraordinarily rich rain forest floor.

On occasion one of these ants, while looking for food is infected by inhaling a microscopic spore from a fungus of the genus Tomentella. After being inhaled, the spore seats in the ant's tiny brain and begins to grow, causing changes in the ant's patterns of behavior. The Ant appears troubled and confused; for the first time in its life the ant leaves the forest floor and begins to climb. Driven on by the growth of the fungus, the ant embarks on a long and exhaustive climb. Completely spent and having reached a prescribed height, the ant impales the plant with its mandibles. Thus affixed, the ant waits to die. Ants that have met their ends in this fashion are quite common in some sections of the forest.

The fungus continues to consume first the nerve cells and finally all the soft tissue that remains of the ant. After approximately two weeks a spike appears from what had been the head of the ant. This spike is about an inch and a half in length and has a bright orange tip heavy with spores which rain down onto the rain forest floor for other unsuspecting ants to inhale.

This story, and the ant, has come to be seen as a mascot of the museum, a morbid metaphor of the transmission of knowledge, and a perfect example of truth being far stranger than fiction.

Surrogates

Below are the first official TV spots for Surrogates:

Dollhouse

When the season premieres, the Dollhouse is still reeling from Alpha's attack, and the idea that he's still out there and has access to Dollhouse technology is very present in everyone's minds. The administration will be trying to balance finding Alpha with the daily business of the Dollhouse.

Sierra is still, um, servicing clients, and the first time we see her during the season, she will be coming back from an engagement. Then we will see her a couple of episodes later, when she will have a moment with Victor that hints at their continuing relationship. Dichen Lachman, who plays Sierra, says we'll see more stories focusing on her this season.

Meanwhile, as you'd expect, newly promoted security chief Boyd will be making sure that the Dollhouse functions smoothly, that the Actives are kept safe, and that the handlers have enough information to protect them. [Sci Fi Wire]

The Road

The first reviews of the film adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's The Road are emerging, including one from Variety and another from The Hollywood Reporter. Both reviews discuss the film's heavy emphasis on flashbacks, the departure of Charlize Theron's character, and the central relationship between the father and son. As the father and son try to reach the warmer south where life may still be possible, the film's horrors are kept in the background, except for one scene where they find a house with a dozen naked, writhing men and women missing some limbs — stock for cannibals.

Supernatural

Here's the official description for the season's third episode, "Free to Be You and Me:"

Not sure he trusts himself anymore, Sam (Jared Padalecki) decides to give up hunting, but a late-night visitor (guest star Adrianne Palicki) won't let him off the hook that easily. Dean (Jensen Ackles), intent on stopping the Apocalypse, continues hunting on his own and teams up with Castiel (Misha Collins) to find the Archangel Raphael, as Castiel believes Raphael knows God's location.

[SPNsite]

Zombieland

A reader at /Film caught a screener of the film. He enjoyed the film overall, and his review only contained one particular spoiler: towards the end, Emma Stone's character Wichita and Abigail Breslin's character Little Rock end up calling for help from the top of an amusement park ride, after being far more capable than the male characters for the earlier portion of the movie. [/Film]

Pandorum

A few creepy new images from the space-horror thriller:

More at the links. [Fantasy.fr and UGO]

And here is a foreign one-sheet:

[Sci Fi Scoop]

The Green Hornet

Seth Rogen gets a few more guest stars, in the form of Tom Wilkinson (who played the memory-wiping doctor in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) and David Harbour (who played Bond villain Gregg Beam in Quantum of Solace). [IGN]

Fringe

The eighth episode will feature a character named Christine Hollis, an attractive and feisty art student. [Spoiler TV]

Heroes

Elisabeth Rohm, who played prosecutor Serena Southerlyn on Law & Order, will play a character named Lauren Gilmore in the eighth episode. [Zap2it]

And here is the Season 4 sneak peek from the Season 3 Blu Ray set:

[Spoiler TV]

Smallville

Here's the official description for the Season Nine premiere, "Savior:"

Clark (Tom Welling) tells Jor-El he's ready to start his training, but Jor-El sends him back to Metropolis to cut ties with Lois before he can begin. Chloe (Allison Mack) is shocked when Lois (Erica Durance) suddenly reappears after having been missing for weeks, but Lois has no recollection of vanishing into thin air with the Legion ring. While investigating a monorail crash, Lois meets John Corben (guest star Brian Austin Green), a new reporter at The Daily Planet, with a negative attitude toward the Red-Blue Blur. Chloe begs Clark to use the Legion ring to go back in time to save Jimmy, but he refuses, driving a wedge into their friendship. Meanwhile, Oliver (Justin Hartley) continues down a dark road, and Zod (Callum Blue) arrives at the Luthor mansion.

[KryptonSite]

Warehouse 13

It looks like the Warehouse is going nuclear in next week's episode "Breakdown:"

[Movieweb]

Eureka

There's a lot of fur coming up in the season's 17th episode, "Have an Ice Day:"

[Pizquita]

FlashForward

The eighth episode will apparently feature a game of Texas Hold 'Em. [Spoiler TV]

Eastwick

The producers are looking for a Bradley Whitford or Jon Stewart type for Max, a recurring role as a charming, intelligent, and witty journalist who has come to Eastwick to steal Joanna's heart, and may end up being a love interest as well. [Spoiler TV]

The casting slides for Max depict a scene in which Max catches Joanna in a bar talking to herself, willing a glass of beer to move. Her mocks her for a bit, and she tells him that she is trying to recreate an experience she had. Max tries to prod details of the experience out of her, but she's pretty mum on the subject. He advises her that, if she wants to replicate the experience, she should try to replicate the feelings she had leading up to it, like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day. [Spoiler TV]

Another journalistic position has been filled, with Martin Mull cast as Milton, a retired reporter who's got dirt on the devilish Daryl Van Home.

[Spoiler TV]

And here are three new posters of the witchy women:

[Eastwick Fans]

Vampire Diaries

CW has released the official description for the third episode "Friday Night Bites:"

Elena (Nina Dobrev) tries to ignore Bonnie's (Katerina Graham) warnings about the disturbing vibes she got from Stefan (Paul Wesley). Tyler (Michael Trevino) tries to embarrass Stefan by throwing a football at him, but Stefan effortlessly catches and passes the ball back, impressing everyone with his skill. Mr. Tanner (guest star Benjamin Ayres) reluctantly lets Stefan join the football team. Elena invites Stefan and Bonnie to dinner, hoping that the two will bond, but the evening is disrupted by the unexpected and unwelcome arrival of Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Caroline (Candice Accola). Finally, the town is shocked by an act of violence.

[VampireSite.net]

In the sixth episode, we'll meet Alaric, who may become a regular character. Alaric is Mystic Falls' hot new history teacher. His charming, nerdy qualities will win over the the girls, but he has a dark, malicious side, and when his deadly agenda is revealed, all hell will break loose. [Spoiler TV]

And here are promo images from the second episode, "Night of the Comet:"

[Spoiler TV]

And still more from the third episode:

[VampireSite.net]

Additional reporting by Alexis Brown and Charlie Jane Anders.

This week's episode, "Regrets," had all the markings of a fair episode that could have been pretty great. Pete and Myka get shipped off to a prison plagued by mysterious suicides, and it's not clear just what is behind it. Is it the new warden, who took office just before the suicides began? Is it the Reverend John HIll (played by Eureka's Joe Morton), an inmate whose religious teachings against guilt have courted controversy in the prison? Or is it the departure of the deeply Christian previous warden, whose presence seemed to calm the inmates?

Early in the episode, Pete makes a crack about this all probably being the result of some "demonic tchotchke" the new warden keeps on her desk, and it's nice to see that the writers avoided that in this episode, instead giving us an actual mystery complete with false leads and incorrect assumptions. It was also lovely to have Myka and Pete solve the mystery themselves rather than being fed vague kernels of information from Artie, even if it took a bit of plot contrivance to get Artie out of the conversation. We even get a little spookiness going with a traditional dark and stormy night that ends in violence.

Still, there was the sense that so much in this plotline could have been pushed farther. Morton's was our second consecutive Eureka cameo, and he felt underused as the slightly cultish, morally ambiguous preacher. Morton has the chops to push to the darker aspects of his character's personality, but when he eventually steps in to aid our artifact hunters, it's not as surprising as it should be. And given that the prison itself is causing the inmates to experience hallucinations associated with your regret, I would have expected their resulting behavior and suicides to be more — not disturbing (it wouldn't match the tone of the show), but inventive and odd. I also don't quite buy the quick resolution to Pete and Myka's own guilt; we haven't known the characters long enough for the experience to be cathartic, and it would have been more interesting if one of them had been left damaged by their encounter with the prison of regret.

The secondary storyline was a bit trivial, but a sufficiently pleasant sidetrip. I do still enjoy Claudia on inventory duty (What power, I wonder, do the Venus de Milo's detached arms hold?), and Artie's decision to punish her for stealing Alessandro Volta's magnetic suit to change a lightbulb by making her write repetitions on the chalkboard was wonderfully and appropriately old school. I do wonder where his comment about his father being lost but not dead will lead It's clear that Claudia and Artie have a lot in common, and it seems we're being set up for a storyline that will draw them even closer together.

"Regrets" was still a great deal more solid and balanced than the earliest episodes of Warehouse 13, but it didn't have quite the oomph that "Duped" gave us last week. Who would have thought that mirrors and disco balls would make for compelling television that prison cults?

Surrogates:

Director Jonathan Mostow showed off some footage from the movie. The opening credits show the evolution of Surrogate technology, mixing real-life news footage with fictionalized stuff in a montage of robotic development throughout history.

And then there's a scene where Bruce Willis in his robot body chasing a suspect — but he chases the suspect into a Reservation for non-Surrogatists. Some people refuse to use Surrogates, so they have special zones where the robot bodies are forbidden. Bruce almost catches up with the suspect, even though he loses a couple limbs in the chase, but just as he's about to get his man, one of the Reservation residents shoots his robot body with a shotgun, bringing him down. Bruce wakes up in his human body again, and has to leave the house for the first time in years.

In another scene, Willis, in his human body, comes home to find his wife hosting a party as her Surrogate self, and all the guests are also robotic Surrogates. The human-controlled robots are giving each other electric shocks — like a kind of drug use, sort of — and Willis gets pissed. He tries to get his wife to come talk to him alone, in their human bodies. She refuses, so he gets so angry, he smashes one of her guest's faces, revealing the robot parts underneath.

And later in the movie, there's a scene where the military has to go into one of the Surrogate-free Reservations to collect some crucial device — and the army has to go in in their real human bodies. The Reservation is led by a spiritual leader, The Prophet, played by Ving Rhames, and the residents grow their own food and stuff. [Coming Soon]

9:

Elijah Wood explains his character, the ragdoll known only as 9:

He comes into the world late. So 1 has already established a kind of rule over the other characters, largely due to fear, staying away from the machines, not getting any answers and living cloistered in a tower. I love the fact that 9 comes into that world sort of naively but sort of wisely, and sees that that's not necessarily the way for them to live, and they're actually putting themselves in greater harm. If they simply asked the greater questions to find out who they are and what they are, they can get at what's ultimately keeping them cloistered away.

[Sci Fi Wire via TrekMovie]

2012:

Three new posters show different famous landmarks being destroyed by boredom. I mean nature. [Yahoo! Movies]

Gamer:

So we may have mentioned that in addition to the killer video game Slayers, there's also a sexy Second Life-esque game called Society, in which living people serve as your avatars. And apparently there's a Running Man shout-out at one point, where one of the people in Society wears one of Arnie's costumes from the earlier movie. [AMC]

Dollhouse:

When we see Victor next, his face will have been repaired from Alpha's slash attack. [E! Online]

The bit where Echo marries the visiting businessman played by Jamie Bamber leads to a fight scene so intense, Eliza Dushku cried real tears. There are "beaucoup bumps and bruises" this season, she says, and generally the new season is darker and rougher, and the show has fully hit its stride. Knowing the dark places that the characters go to in the horrendous future gives people a confidence to play with their characters more, she explains. Also, Echo beats up bad guys using a private jet as a weapon. And she handles actual babies in another scene. Tahmoh Penikett says he just read the script for episode four, and it's the darkest thing Joss Whedon has ever done. [TV Guide Magazine and TV Guide Magazine]

A sneak peek at the new season shows us an awkward, horrible moment between Echo and Whiskey/Claire.

And here's a new promo photo. [SpoilerTV]

Doctor Who:

The amazing Alun.Vega uploaded some better quality versions of the audio files he got from the recent location filming. I have to say, this new thing of getting to hear snippets of dialogue is a mixed blessing — some of the acting probably sounds way more over the top than it will in context. Here's one of the audio files, and the rest are at the link. [Alun_Vega on Flickr]

Supernatural:

Not only will Ellen Harvelle be back in one episode, but so will her daughter Jo. And the appearance of 70-year-old Dean is being described as a "flash-forward," although that may just be speculation. [E! Online]

A new sneak peek from season five went up on itunes for U.S. audiences only, and here's a somewhat scrungy copy:

Lost:

A new casting call for episode 6x03:

[MELKY] Male, 30s to 40s, any ethnicity. Dangerous looking guy that can be surprisingly calm. Runs a seedy chop shop and not someone to be messed with; has handled many dicey situations and is not thrown by anything...NICE CO-STAR

[JENNY] Female, early 30s, any ethnicity. Yuppie, sweet, happy and well off. Never had any problems until she receives heart-breaking news that tears her world apart. While dealing with her personal crisis, she then has to deliver bad news to someone else knowing it will hurt them, too...CO-STAR

[RUSSELL] Male, late 20s to early 40s, any ethnicity. Tough guy who takes no gruff from anyone. Executes orders efficiently but has a nice, compassionate streak that surfaces from time to time...CO-STAR

[SpoilerTV]

Warehouse 13:

A source tells io9 that after you see tonight's episode, you won't ever expect to see Joe Morton's character appear on the show again. And also, Alison Scagliotti gives an absolutely "magnetic" performance.

Meanwhile, here's a new clip from tonight's episode:

Fringe:

Here's a new promo...

Luke Goss is playing a bad guy named Lloyd Parr, but he's not a psychopath or mindlessly evil — he has reasons for what he does. [L.A. Times via SpoilerTV]

FlashForward:

A new casting notice for 1x07 seeks an attorney who delivers bad news about a legal case over the phone, but doesn't appear in person. [SpoilerTV]

Smallville:

So remember how we mentioned Ollie would be getting a new sidekick? Apparently it is Speedy — but she's based on the latest version in the comics, Mia Dearden. She's even HIV-positive like her comics counterpart. (Ah, Judd Winick.) She has a "sordid past" and encounters Ollie in some shady places, but she has great martial-arts skills, so Ollie steps up to train her. She dons the red-and-yellow comics costume in episode six. When we meet the JSA, its members will include Hawkman, Spectre, Doctor Fate and the Atom. And Perry White may finally be joining the Daily Planet. [TV Guide Magazine]

True Blood:

So Maryann is planning to marry the god Dionysus whom she's conjured up, or something silly like that, with Sookie as a bridesmaid. And Sam turns to an unlikely ally to save the day. [E! Online]

Stargate Universe:

In case it wasn't clear, Col Telford (Lou Diamond Philips) was supposed to lead the expedition to explore the ninth address, but instead he wound up stuck back on Earth while the unqualified people go off to explore. So he's desperate to get on board the Destiny as well as getting those people home. But he can only visit the Destiny by exchanging his consciousness with other people's. One of the people whose bodies he inhabits most is Everett Young, which leads to a love triangle between Telford, Young, and Young's wife. [Sci Fi Wire]

Chuck:

When the new season picks up, it's right after the end of the previous season, so Chuck is still new to his abilities. And Morgan is in Hawaii working on becoming a hibachi chef, so the Buy More is firmly in the grip of Emmett, and things aren't going that well without Morgan and Chuck. [Sci Fi Wire]

Jeffster will definitely perform again in season three. And maybe they'll do more of an 80s hair metal thing. [E! Online]

And director Jeremiah Chechik twittered some pics from the set of episode 3x03. [ChuckTV]

Additional reporting by Alexis Brown.

Monday:

9/11: Science and Conspiracy -
Conspiracy theories abound about the tragedy of 9/11. Tonight, experts weigh in on how plausible any of the most prominent theories really are, plus some thrilling simulations. That's on the National Geographic Channel at 9 PM.

Movies:

Miss The Storm's original airing on NBC this summer? Don't worry Spike is giving you another chance. It's a typhoon of "that guy from that show" style actors in the two-parter made for TV movie. The ensemble cast of Treat Williams, James Van Der Beek, Luke Perry, John Larroquette, and the dude from JAG all play a part in controlling the Earth's weather, which I'm pretty sure will spiral out of control along with some mad grab power struggle culminating in a giant wet mess over a famous statue or building of some kind. Don't miss the first half at 8 PM, followed quickly by the second.

Tuesday:

Weird, True & Freaky -
The second of two new episodes of this show profiles people who've had plastic surgery to look like animals, including leopards and tigers. Fill your cat-people quota, on Animal Planet at 6:30 PM — long before AVATAR comes out.

Warehouse 13 -
Joe Morton from Eureka guest stars, and Claudia ... changes a light bulb? Meanwhile Pete and Myka head out to the prison system of Florida to explain some unexplained suicides. Fingers crossed it's a better version of The Happening, which wouldn't be too hard. Find out at 9 PM on Syfy.

Nova scienceNow -
Michel Gondry would do well to watch when Nova tackles the real science of sleep and the role memories play into it; also, paleontologist Jonathan Bloch's search for the pre-primate missing link on PBS at 9 PM.

Surviving Disaster -
The series premiere is tonight. This how-to show features a host acting out alternative history and what-if scenarios on camera, to teach the audience how to handle themselves during tragic moments. The first episode is at 10 PM, but if it doesn't tackle angel wars, zombie attacks, The Day After Tomorrow type storms and plagues, then what good is it?

The Colony -
We're really sorry we didn't find this series earlier, only because we would have been including it in the roundups. So apologies all around. The Colony is a social experiment, reality TV series where a random crew of people are forced to rebuild a society after a viral attack has left the world devastated. The Discovery Channel show is on at 10 PM, and while the mentality of the survivors doesn't seem all that believable, because the world didn't actually end, and there aren't any real threats — and we're pretty sure the marauders can't beat up the old man with bats and leave him to die in front of the others — it's still interesting at times. This week, the colonists trek across the river and encounter missionaries and new arrivals, who of course cause some tension. And the group is forced to make a sacrifice.

Movies:

John Travolta's super brain powers are tested on Encore at 8 PM, in Phenomenon. Or as we call it, the worst genius movie ever that we always end up watching over and over, for no real reason.

Wednesday:

Weird, True & Freaky -
The medicinal value of animals around the globe is investigated, on Animal Planet at 6:30 PM.

Movies:
Kurt Russell and James Spader headline the original 1994 film about discovering other worlds after deciphering the code on an Egyptian artifact in Stargate on AMC at 8 PM. And if you haven't had enough space-operatic thrills, hang on because Star Trek: Nemesis is on the same channel at 10:30 PM. (Although "thrills" is used loosely in connection with that second movie.)

Thursday:

Animal Armageddon -
The Animal Planet show about prehistoric creatures returns after a hiatus with volcanic eruptions more than 250 million years ago, and the impact they had on the animal life at the time. Be there or be extinct at 6:30 PM.

Movies:

Mel Brooks' classic parody of the horror genre Young Frankenstein, starring Gene Wilder, is on AMC at 8 PM.

Friday:

Eureka -
False alarm — there's no new ep, but let the mourning of Nathan Stark commence all over again with an all-day Eureka marathon with random episodes beginning on Syfy at 8 AM and airing all night, including the pilot episode at 11 PM.

Movies:

Earth is attacked by Martians in the original The War of the Worlds at 8 PM on TCM.

Saturday:

Mythbusters -
Labor Day weekend means fewer new shows and more marathons. Case in point: Mythbusters runs throughout the night beginning on Discovery at 6 PM, and on and on.

Movies:

The Matrix is on A&E at 3 PM, and later part two (Remember when the Coen brothers tried to call it a trilogy?), The Matrix: Reloaded is on 8 PM over at Bravo.

Sunday:

Defying Gravity -
No NEW TRUE BLOOD means I may actually see what the fuss is about this show. This week, Halloween aboard ship brings hallucinations instead of treats, and may hinder Goss' plans for worldwide promotion of the mission, on ABC at 10 PM.

There is no True Blood tonight.

Movies:

Watch Peter Parker begin his descent into angst, Spider-Man 2 airs at 7:30 PM on FOX.

Jennifer's Body:

Apparently when Megan Fox's character says she "goes both ways," she actually means it — she gets to kiss Amanda Seyfried in the movie, and Fox says it was a fun bit to film. [MTV]

And here are some pics that I think are new, including both Megan and Amanda covered with blood and stuff. [MTV]

Surrogates:

In this movie about a future where nobody leaves the house, and instead mentally connects to physically perfect cyber-avatars (who then start dying and triggering their owners' deaths) the structure of a detective story allows Bruce Willis' detective character to serve as a "surrogate" for the audience's curiosity. And the movie version of the story isn't as "luddite" as the comic — although it does comment on the dehumanizing effect of technology. [Sci Fi Wire]

New Moon:

Edi Gathegi, who plays Laurent, says he actually gets to wear shoes in the second movie, unlike the first. And he never gets to sparkle in the sun like a proper vampire. His character dies off in the second movie, just like in the books. [MTV]

Also, in the movie, the Volturi have specially crafted blood-red contact lenses to give their eyes a spooky look. They're thousands of years old, but look young and zippy. The most lethal of them maybe Jane (Dakota Fanning) who enjoys inflicting torture on her victims. And here are a couple pics I don't think we've shown you before. [People]

Doctor Who:

More details about what those Daleks are up to in World War II. Spectator Alun.Vega thinks the gist of the story so far is that a Professor (Bill Paterson) working for Winston Churchill has developed the Daleks as a weapon, but is a bit hazy on where he got the idea from. Churchill doesn't care as long as they destroy the Nazis. Leading to this bit of dialogue:

Churchill: Death to our enemies. Death to the Third Reich!
Doctor: Yes, yes, and death to everyone else too.

And as the Doctor tells the Daleks that he's the Doctor and they're the Daleks, he's partly trying to remind himself of who he is. Churchill and the Professor aren't taking the new Doctor seriously due to his extreme youth. The Professor does hit it off with new companion Amy Pond, and they bond over her Scottish background: "Are you from the islands?" he asks. But the happy relationship between Winston and the Daleks doesn't last, judging from this snatch of overheard dialogue:

CHURCHILL: "You are my ironsides!"
DALEK: "We are the Daleks."
PROFESSOR: "I created you!"
DALEK: "No, we created you."

As someone once said, "in the morning, I'll be sober. And you'll still be a mutant." [Gallifrey Base]

Lost:

So whether or not Juliet's bomb succeeded in resetting the timeline, we'll definitely see the continuation of the Faux Locke cliffhanger from the previous season. The show was filming a scene on the beach where we see a closeup of Locke's dead body. And then Faux Locke and Richard Alpert (shouldn't that be Ben?) descend from the temple. All of the Others point their guns at Faux Locke, suspicious for obvious reasons. Richard steps up to confront Faux Locke, who proceeds to beat the stuffing out of him in a really intense sequence. Then Faux Locke stands over Richard's battered body and wags his finger at the assembled Others, saying "I'm really disappointed in all of you." [Hawaii Weblog]

And here are some not-very-revealing set pics. More at the link. [The ODI]

Also, it sounds like they're setting up an airplane set at the studios. [The ODI]

Caprica:

Welsh actor Peter Wingfield (who played the immortal Methos in the Highlander TV series and the last two movies) announced on his website that he's joining this show as Gara Singh, director of the Global Defense Department — which makes him the boss of Jordan Duram, the GDD agent played by Brian Markinson. [Peter Wingfield via Battlestar_Blog]

Fringe:

Lance Reddick says we'll learn more about Broyles' background, and the reasons for his divorce, but it won't be through flashbacks. And he tells us what to expect in season two generally:

Olivia's reemergence back into this universe will be shocking. The developments with Charlie will be mind blowing. You'll find out just how deep my relationship with Nina goes.

[Hollywood the Write Way via Sci Fi Scoop]

And here's a new promo that also includes Bones:

Episode 2x08 will introduce us to Harry, who appears to be just a normal DMV employee, but has darker intentions. [SpoilerTV]

And here's a thrilling teaser:

And another one. [Fringe Television]

Supernatural:

The description for episode 5x02, "Good God, Y'All," sounds like the greatest thing ever:

Castiel (Misha Collins) tells Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) that he is going to search for God, who will be able to defeat Lucifer. Bobby's (Jim Beaver) old hunter friend, Rufus (guest star Steven Williams), is panicked about demons attacking his town, and begs Bobby for help. Sam and Dean arrive at the town and realize there is a spell over the townspeople, making them hallucinate that they are demons and causing them to kill one another. Phil Sgriccia directed the episode written by Sera Gamble

[Examiner]

And speaking of amazing-sounding episodes written by Sera Gamble, here's a casting call for "The Curious Case Of Dean Winchester," episode 5x07 (a Benjamin Button episode??):

[PATRICK] 30-40, charismatic, extremely likeable and charming, with a devil-may-care attitude and a twinkle in his eye. He is a well-dressed, expert card shark and poker player, with a wicked sense of humor and an unnerving ability to read people. A slick con man and thief who enjoys toying with everyone around him. However, he also is capable of genuine empathy for certain players, and he's deeply committed to Lia, the love of his life...GUEST STAR (15)

[OLDER DEAN WINCHESTER] Between 70-80 years old, he is Dean (JENSEN ACKLES) aged into an old man. He hasn't lost any of his verve, or edge, just his speed...GUEST STAR (20)

[LIA] 20s, she is a BEAUTIFUL, troubled woman in cahoots with her boyfriend, Patrick. Empathetic, but also eventually lonely....GUEST STAR (15)

[SpoilerTV]

And here's a promo I think we haven't featured before:

Dollhouse:

Want Dollhouse for dummies? Here it is:

Stargate Universe:

Pitch us this new spin-off, actor David Blue:

[It's about] scientists brought in to figure out this mythical ninth chevron address, ... a nine-digit phone number, and nobody knows where it goes. And through a course of events, [he] ends up having to pick up and go, and the right people who are supposed to go on this mission to explore don't necessarily end up going.

You end up with a group of people who weren't supposed to be there, ... counting on each other, who aren't necessarily the ones with the skill sets for survival ... on the far side of the universe, trying to figure out how to survive. How to not die. How to not kill each other. And genuinely having to deal and cope.

[Sci Fi Wire]

Heroes:

James Kyson Lee says Hiro and Ando start off the new season in Japan:

Ando is starting a new business with Hiro, which will thrust us into really unusual adventures. Also, Ando this season is going to be interlinked with somebody very unexpected, which is going to be a nice surprise for the audience.

[Winnipeg Sun via SpoilerTV]

And here's the description of the two-hour season opener:

"VOLUME FIVE: REDEMPTION" MAKES A SPECIAL TWO-HOUR DEBUT WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF A MYSTERIOUS CARNIVAL CLAN WHOSE INTENTIONS ARE UNKNOWN, WHILE FAMILIAR FACES ADJUST TO NEW STAGES OF THEIR LIVES THAT WILL CHALLENGE THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF THE WORLD AND THEIR ABILITIES. ROBERT KNEPPER JOINS THE CAST. RAY PARK, ZELJKO IVANEK, MADELINE ZIMA, AND DAWN OLIVIERI GUEST STAR — Claire (Hayden Panettiere) struggles with adjusting to her new life in college when a mysterious death thrusts her into the spotlight once again. Elsewhere, Hiro (Masi Oka) and Ando (James Kyson Lee) continue their noble quest to help people by promoting their abilities. Angela (Cristine Rose) fears Nathan (Adrian Pasdar) will soon discover his true identity; while Matt (Greg Grunberg) is haunted by an unexpected visitor seeking something he has lost. Tracy Strauss (Ali Larter) and H.R.G. (Jack Coleman) join forces, looking for the key to unlock the motive behind a horrific crime. Meanwhile, Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) uses his abilities for good, but he is soon called upon to aid an old friend. While the heroes adjust to their new surroundings, a mysterious carnival clan, led by ringleader Samuel (Robert Knepper), sets their sights on familiar faces.

[SpoilerTV]

So we already mentioned that Hiro's doomed love Charlie will be back. And it turns out her diner coworker Lynette (Sally Chaplin) will be in three episodes too — and there will be at least one scene which we saw back in season one, but we'll see it again from a different vantage point. [The ODI]

Chuck:

Season three, episode four, "Chuck Vs. Operation Awesome," will feature an old Thai woman who speaks both Thai and English. (And I'm betting there'll be some joke where people think she doesn't understand English, but then she does?) [SpoilerTV]

True Blood:

Sam makes the "ultimate sacrifice" in the season finale. And the bit about Eric dying is a joke — probably. [EW]

FlashForward:

Here's a promo that was blasting off a massive screen in Times Square. Not sure if there's any new footage there.

Plus a couple of other new promos:

One of the visions of the future involves a wife seeing a glimpse of her future lover — a man her husband walks past unknowing in a hospital corridor. In addition to the FBI agents played by Joseph Fiennes and John Cho, there's their boss, Stanford Wedick (Courtney B. Vance). And Fiennes' wife (Sonya Walger) is a surgeon. She saves a series regular who was injured in an attack that resulted from the FBI investigation.

We will get quick answers to some questions early on, and it's not the sort of show where you'll be lost if you don't watch every episode. But devoted fans will be rewarded with more easter eggs and stuff. All of the questions raised in the pilot will be answered by the end of the season. The show is planned for five seasons but could go longer and shorter. Not only do the producers know how it ends, they also know how the penultimate season ends. [USA Today]

Sonya Walger describes her character:

Olivia is a strong, complicated woman who's a working mother. She's a trauma surgeon and a loving wife. She's devoted to her work and trying to make time for her kid. Olivia's plate is full long before the flash forward happens I think.

[IGN]

And here are a ton of pics from the first episode, some of which we may have shown you before. [SpoilerTV]

Warehouse 13:

A couple of tiny pics showing Michael Hogan (Saul Tigh) and his wife Susan Hogan, playing Myka's parents in the upcoming episode "Nevermore." Myka's dad Warren Bering gets a mysterious object in the mail. And I guess maybe we'll find out more about why Myka's parents insisted on including "And Sons" in the name of their bookstore, despite having no sons. [Chicago Tribune via Battlestar Blog]

Eureka:

Here are descriptions of a couple upcoming episodes:

Episode 3.17 - Have an Ice Day. Tess hopes her first day in charge of Global will be uneventful; the arrival of an Arctic ice core brings a new Ice Age to Eureka.

Episode 3.18 - What Goes Around, Comes Around. Zoe prepares to leave for college; Tess receives a job offer in Australia; a magnetic disturbance hovers above Eureka.

[SpoilerTV]

Additional reporting by Alexis Brown.

Inception:

We've already shown you some set photos of Leonardo DiCaprio looking troubled on the set of this Christopher Nolan thriller, but in this new batch of photos, he's in a scuffle with a mysterious opponent, in an African or Middle Eastern setting. And apparently DiCaprio is on a crash diet to lose tons of weight to film one action scene in which he has to be severely emaciated. (Shades of Christian Bale in The Machinist.) More pics at the link. [Radar Online]

Iron Man 2:

Stuntman Garrett Warren stands in for Mickey Rourke, and he describes how the "double whips" (one in each hand) will look in the finished product:

I don't know if I'm at liberty to say what the whips will look like, but they're going to be these super whips that have an awful lot of power. They can cut through cars, they can do an awful lot of damage. And when the movie comes out, you'll see that he doesn't do just whip-cracks and grabbing people. He lays waste to an awful lot of vehicles and street pieces and other things.... At one point, Whiplash had to get hit by a car, and Mickey did the lead up to the stunt, and I did the stunt where the car came in and hit me and took me to the fence.

And he says the Whiplash armor is uncomfortable because there's one big metal piece, and also that Whiplash is shirtless (the whole time, by the sound of things) with his whole body covered in metal rods. [Movieline via Cinemablend]

2012:

How do you say "disaster porn" in Japanese? Find out with this new Japanese trailer, which also includes some new footage.

Jennifer's Body:

The Spanish poster for this slut-horror film features Megan Fox looking slutty, and possibly horrifying. [Audillos]

Dollhouse:

We already showed you some pics from the season opener, in which a pre-programmed Echo marries Jamie Bamber's character. But now Fox has released more pics from the episode, showing Bamber and Eliza Dushku getting a little more intense. [Fox]

And it sounds as though Echo and Victor will trade places, in episode two, judging from the episode descriptions Fox gave the Chicago Tribune:

Episode 1, "Vows": Picking up a few months after the Season 1 finale, Echo (Eliza Dushku) is the new bride of a charismatic businessman (guest star Jamie Bamber), who is tied to an old FBI case that Paul (Tahmoh Penikett) was unable to close. Meanwhile, Dr. Saunders struggles with her discovery that she is a Doll and targets Topher. Written and directed by Joss Whedon.

Episode 2, "Belle Chose": "Michael Hogan guest stars as a client of the Dollhouse who comes to Adelle (Olivia Williams) for help with a psychotic family member. Topher (Fran Kranz) accidentally crosses Echo and Victor's (Enver Gjokaj) imprints while there[sic] are on different assignments."

Also, Fox says Miracle Laurie (Mellie/November) will be back in season two — which is not something I had heard before. Did I miss that being announced? [Chicago Tribune]

Lost:

Here's a casting call for a new character who will be in episodes two and three of the new season, Paul:

Male, 30s to 60s, any ethnicity. Overworked, harried from a long day and many hours, faced with a highly adrenalized situation that forces him to remain calm and tests his ability to keep his wits about him - a test he fails as panic wins out.

[SpoilersLost]

Fringe:

Peter has no significant scenes with Olivia in the season opener, but he does get some quality time with Olivia's sister, as well as the new character Agent Jessup. [TV Guide]

V:

How is Elizabeth Mitchell's new character on this show, Erica, similar to her Lost character Juliet? Allow her to explain:

What I'm enjoying about Erica, which is one of the same things I love about Juliet, is that she, every day of her life, believes if she is not fully on, not fully functioning, she is going to let people down and the world will come to an end. She actively puts herself in the line of fire. I think it takes a special kind of person to do that, and that, combined with Erica being a mother, is very interesting to me.

And she says originally Juilet wasn't supposed to be back this season on Lost at all — until the producers changed their minds for some reason. [Boston Herald]

And here's a new character we'll be meeting in episode three:

[HENRY MARLOW] Male. Late 30s. Open Ethnicity. Scruffy but fit. Brilliant. Has a good sense of humor and an adventurous spirit. He's British.

[SpoilerTV]

Supernatural:

There are no plans for either of the Winchester boys ever to have a meaningful relationship with a member of the opposite sex. [EW]

Another thing there are no plans for? A return by Genevieve Cortese, playing New Ruby. (Which people are taking to mean Ruby is gone for good as well.) [E! Online]

Smallville:

if you're a Clark-Lois shipper, you should watch to the very last second of the first episode, to catch something exciting. And apparently when Lois returns from the future, she thinks she has amnesia, and keeps catching flashes of something — but it's actually something more sinister haunting her, which comes to a head in episode nine, "Pandora." And it gives Clark a clue as to how he can defeat Zod.

As for Clark, he doesn't exactly go dark — he just has to grapple with the responsibilities he's taken on, and figure out how he can still have a life. And his relationship wtih Chloe will keep suffering, because he's busy and she's upset over her lost love. Meanwhile, Ollie will get a "very sympathetic sidekick" who may be familiar to comics fans. And finally, someone from the future is trying to kill Clark — not one of our regular castmembers, but someone closer to home. [E! Online]

True Blood:

In the final episodes of the season, you'll see an interesting division between the characters — in particular, keep an eye on those characters for whom the supernatural events are "not quite as super," because those people are different from the other characters. And those differences will be explored in the following seasons. [TV Guide]

We won't learn what Sookie's new power is this season. As for who saves Sam from Maryann, rumor has it he takes refuge with Eric and Pam at Fangtasia in Shreveport. And Maryann finally gets vanquished by a "group effort." And apparently vampire queen Sophie is hooked up with Sookie's cousin Hadley Hale. [E! Online]

Warehouse 13:

Here are some pics from episode 11, "Nevermore". [SpoilerTV]

Heroes:

Even though Tracy is believed to be dead and is also going around being a serial killer, she's also working in politics again. Says Tim Kring:

Tracy goes back to her old life working on the Hill, only to discover that she's no longer driven by the same shallow rewards. She wants to make a difference in peoples' lives.

She can't make a difference by being a serial killer? [EW]

We've mentioned that Matt Parkman has Sylar in his brain thanks to that botched mind meld at the end of season three, but apparently there will be lots of scenes of Matt seeing a "ghost" Sylar that nobody else can see. And Matt yells "Shut up!" at his imaginary Sylar, and everyone else thinks he's nuts. And as we mentioned, Sylar kidnaps Matt's son to get his body back.

Also, at some point, Sylar is running from the cops (having gotten his body back?) and winds up at the carnival, where they shelter him. He does some menial work, but then gets into a pissing match with Edgar (Ray Park) who throws knives at him using super-speed. So Sylar has to whip out his own abilities. [IGN]

Additional reporting by Alexis Brown.

This week's episode, "Duped" hit many of the items on my Warehouse 13 wishlist. We actually got all of our main cast in one room for once, thanks to a breakfast meeting at the B&B. With Warehouse's cast gradually forming a proper ensemble, they need more opportunities to all trade information and interact. I hope breakfast becomes a regular thing, but that we'll get to see the whole cast engage in other activities as well. We're also starting to see them gel into something resembling a family. Claudia swats at Pete like a bratty little sister; Artie reprimands Claudia like a long-absent father who doesn't understand how to discipline a child (I also dig the Claudia-as-intern bit and would love to see it in later episodes); and Myka and Pete are coming to embrace Artie as an intelligent but flawed uncle. Even Leena gets in on the action this episode, although she still feels like a relative outsider — perhaps because she snipes less than her boarders do.

After last week's zig of more gadgety Warehouse artifacts, this episode zags back into the mystical, with Myka getting trapped inside Lewis Carroll's mirror after Pete accidentally triggers the disco ball from Studio 54. Granted, a magical disco ball that spews light and plays "I Will Survive" is a bit silly, but it's a fun silly, and I like the idea that magical energy can be imbued in an object because of its proximity to sex, cocaine, and Gloria Gaynor. And the magic mirror that traps Myka's consciousness inside it may be nothing new, but releasing the mischievous and murderous spirit of Alice Liddell is a neatly straightforward twist that allows the writers to separate Pete and Myka for the better part of an episode.

As wonderful as the banter between Pete and Myka often is, the separation gives everything else in this episode a much-needed chance to breathe. Myka gets to resolve her issues with Artie and Pete grows into his field agent role a little more. Plus, there is more cast bonding and some nice calls back to earlier episodes, not just with the magic mirror, but also with the return of Myka's "impossible wish" ferret from the pilot.

There was also a nicer balance between the weekly artifact hunt and the rest of the story than we were seeing in the earlier episodes. This week's artifact was a bit of a trifle, a magical casino chip that lets the possessor see a minute or so into the future. But it set up some issues we're sure to see later episodes: namely the temptation for agents to dip into the Warehouse's supply and the notion that ordinary people (in this case, played by Eureka's Erica Cerra and Niall Matter) will deliberately use the artifacts as something other than weapons.

It's good to see that Warehouse 13 has been picked up for a second season just as it begins to level out. We will get some resolution on the James MacPherson plot opened up last week with plenty of room left for the show to spread its wings.

Superman:

James McTeigue, the rumored director of the next Superman movie, continues to make vague, forboding statements. This time, he says he thinks "the culture has sort of changed a little bit around Superman," and the next Superman movie "would have to be something a little darker." [MTV]

Iron Man 2:

We already linked to Kevin Feige's interview with Comic Book Resources where he talks about the Avengers, but there's also a bit where he said the climax to the second Iron Man movie will be a bit more spectacular and large-scale than the first one was. "On the highway and the rooftop in the last movie was great and the connection between Jeff [Bridges] and Robert was great but we wanted to give it a little more spectacle this time around for the finale." [Comic Book Resources]

Jennifer's Body:

Megan Fox sets her tongue on fire in a new image from the film. More images (from this film, as well as some other upcoming fall movies) at the link. [MTV]

Zombieland:

Jesse Eisenberg finally gets some quality time alone with his hot neighbor, in this clip – and if you don't see where this scene is going, you've never seen a zombie film. [MTV]

Spielberg's untitled alien invasion project:

This Dreamworks TV series (or miniseries) for TNT has got to get a catchier title. But anyway, it's filming now in Hamilton, Ontario, with star Noah Wylie playing someone who fights alien invaders. And the spoilery bit is that they're filming a lot at the Royal Botanical Gardens. So is there some kind of plant-themed menace here? Or are they hiding out in a garden? [THR]

Heroes:

The studio sent us a new picture of Hayden Panettiere, looking particularly squashed, from episode 4x02, "Jump, Push, Fall." [NBC]

Also, more about Jayma Mays coming back to the show — apparently, the original plan is: Hiro jumps back to the diner where Charlie works, and this time he succeeds in killing Sylar. This screws up the timeline, but it means Hiro can meet Charlie in a Tokyo bar later. (But this plan may be changed before this storyline gets filmed.) And meanwhile, Claire will be rushing a sorority at her new college. [E! Online]

Warehouse 13:

The guest stars keep coming. Looks like Joe Morton will be guest-starring in episode nine, and Mark Sheppard will pop up in episode 10. Yay! [SpoilerTV]

Supernatural:

Rogue angel Anna will be in the second episode of the new season, and is slated for more appearances after that. [E! Online]

Chuck:

There are no plans for us to find out Sarah Walker's real name, says Yvonne Strahovski. [E! Online]

Actor Matthew Bomer says it's possible he could still return as Bryce, and he doesn't believe Bryce is really dead. [ChuckTV]

True Blood:

Maryann won't stop coming for Sam, because she needs a sacrifice for her god. And Sam thinks maybe he should just give himself up, to spare everyone else in Bon Temps harm. But a savior is riding to Sam's aid. [E! Online]

Star Wars: The Clone Wars:

A new image from season two shows Cad Bane — the bounty hunter so wicked, both his names are naughty — leading his drones. [Lucasfilm]

Additional reporting by Alexis Brown.