Stranger Things, launched in March, 2007, is the first science-fiction anthology series shot in high definition and digitally-syndicated through the Internet, predating even the larger-budgeted Sanctuary. The show's creator, Earl Newton, said of the new On-Demand syndication deal, "This is something that could only happen in today's world. This is a time when you can dream of something, work hard, and see it bloom. I created 'Stranger Things' in my living room. Now it's on TV. It is literally from my living room to yours." [Stranger Things via PR Web]

Venus Rises takes place 50 years in the future, after a cataclysm has wiped out Earth. Humans have settled on Venus and Mars, using mostly crappy technology from abandoned government space projects. The Venusians become the working class, toiling endlessly for the "social elite" of Mars. When Venus Rises begins, a conflict is brewing between the two planets, and a group of friends on a refueling station orbiting Earth get caught in the middle.

Writer/director J.G. Birdsall mostly has experience working on Star Trek fan films, which could be a bad sign. But Smallville/The O.C. scribe C.S. Arnold is also involved, as a writer as well as actor. In any case, Birdsall is probably right when he says shows like Venus Rises are the future of televised science fiction. Reality shows are driving out scripted shows on broadcast TV, and science fiction that takes place in space, or the future, is too expensive and lacks a guaranteed audience. So direct-to-web productions like Venus Rises (or Lady Apocalypse) may pick up some of the slack. The only question is whether they can shed the stigma (and attitude) of "fan films."