Ever since Mad Men put them on the map, AMC has seen one of the quickest rises in television history. Less than four years after their flagship show’s premiere, the network has become one of the most oft-discussed and go-to places for compelling cable television, elevating basic cable as a sub-medium of television like HBO did with premium cable when that channel came on the scene with original programming in the mid-90s. AMC followed up this success a few months later with the runaway hit that is Breaking Bad (which, if you ask me, is an even better show), which is about as far away from a sophomore slump as you can get.

In just three short years, both Mad Men and Breaking Bad have received seemingly limitless critical acclaim and award recognition for their respective compelling dramas and creative teams. Throw in the  massive ratings homerun that is The Walking Dead and you can pretty much call AMC one of the most successful channels on television right now.

And yet, recent developments make me ask: what the hell?

First there was the cancellation of Rubicon, with AMC refusing to give the “compelling drama” a further pickup and thusly not letting them continue the long-form story they clearly had to tell. Then there was The Killing, which started off with a promising pilot, got picked up, and then aired one of the most polarizing finales of all time, which (amongst other things) has been called “The Worst Season Finale of All Time“. Then there was the news that Frank Darabont has “stepped down” as showrunner of The Walking Dead, despite writing and directing one of the strongest pilots I’ve ever seen and helming an incredibly successful first season. And now there’s news that AMC is having trouble negotiating the forthcoming end of Breaking Bad with Sony.

As I’ve stated previously, AMC is at the foreground of every critic’s watch list. More than even HBO, people are dying to know what AMC’s going to do next. Up until The Killing, they’ve had nothing but hits (just don’t mention The Prisoner), but has The Killing hurt AMC?

But there’s still a treasure trove of villains and ideas that have appeared on the Classic series who could use an appearance on the current iteration of Doctor Who. It’s a hot topic for discussion, but here’s a few Villains who I feel have untapped potential that our favourite sci-fi show can (and should) exploit.

5) The Black Guardian: The nefarious antithesis to The White Guardian, The Black Guardian is still bitter that The Doctor foiled his plan to reboot the universe by assembling and using The Key to Time. Eventually he devolved into turning potential companions against The Doctor, dressing like a drag queen, and murdering birds so he could use them as hats.

The Black Guardian is one of those villains The Doctor could never defeat without outthinking him. As a Transcendental Being and the manifestation of all darkness and chaos in the universe, his power is seemingly limitless, spanning all of time and space. If used properly, The Black Guardian could literally rain hell upon The Doctor, and how our noble hero would get out of that is anyone’s guess. Because of his behind-the-scenes manipulation of people and events, this Guardian would make an excellent foil to Matt Smith’s Doctor, giving him a dose of his own medicine with a flair for manipulation and scheming.

4) Zygons: Zygons are shape-changing beings The Doctor once encountered in a UNIT adventure back in the 70s (or was it the 80s?). Looking like they’re made of giant, squishy coral, they’re most famous for using the Loch Ness Monster (which they called a Skaracen) against The Doctor. Additionally, Zygons could use their abilities to manipulate events or invade on a massive scale, abducting and impersonating important people (like my dog) and using them to cozy Earth into a vulnerable situation, ripe for invasion.

Suddenly, the world could turn into a giant pointing fingers game like that time the Founders infiltrated Starfleet or there were only 12 Cylon models. What is the Zygon plan? How will they accomplish it? Who is a Zygon and who isn’t? The answer, really, is that the Zygon is that sandwich you just ate for lunch. And now it is inside of you. And now you are screwed.

3) Omega: One of the founding members of Time Lord society, Omega was Rassilon’s bro in the days leading up to the Gallifreyans transcending into Time Lords. Rassilon (who didn’t have the stones to just break off the bromance with typical words) tricked Omega into sacrificing himself for the Time Lord cause by trapping him in a black hole so they could harness its power to fuel the Eye of Harmony. Suddenly stranded in the backwards upside down quarry of that black hole, Omega used his will to bend reality to suit his needs, going so far as to will his form into being despite the fact that he had been obliterated.

Watching The Doctor go up against Time Lords is always terribly exciting, more so even if the Time Lord in question happened to be an extremely powerful, strong-willed founder of the entire society, then that makes it even more exciting and dramatic. The Doctor having to outthink and out-will one of the greatest and strongest Time Lords who ever lived is a totally awesome and compelling thing. Also, if you ask me Omega really needs a better story cuz his last appearance? Totally pathetic.

2) The Ice Warriors: Created and only ever written on television by Brian Hayles, The Ice Warriors are the somewhat-legendary Lizard Warriors from Mars. Seven to eight feet in height, they are in desperate need of an update in just about every sense of the word. Their original design is totally sixties and totally ridiculous (they look like turtles), and their weakness (heat) is the only way they’re EVER defeated. Ever. Every time they show up, you always beat them by just making the room really hot, so one good Care Bear quality hug would take them right out.

The Ice Warriors are [in theory] my favourite villains. I imagine them with long, dripping tongues, wearing armor, carrying halberds, and attempting to conquer the solar system. Seven foot dragons on legs marching in rank and file and snarling and stuff. That’s awesome. Let’s make that happen. If only the Silurians weren’t basically the ideal Ice Warrior design…

1) The Meddling Monk: For my money, The Meddling Monk is the coups de grace of all the Classic series villains. The first other Time Lord ever introduced in the series, The Monk’s initial plan was to screw with time to better shape it to his vision. Despite acting as a true Lord of Time in every sense of the word, The Doctor foiled his plan and The Monk swore revenge.

In his televised appearances, The Monk was portrayed by Peter Butterworth, and while I really do like Butterworth as an actor, his portrayal of the character was less than serious and a little too jokey for my tastes. While The Master was originally conceived as Moriarty to The Doctor’s Sherlock Holmes, The Master rarely felt like a true antithesis character. His goals were usually unclear or cardboard (either he wants to take over the universe or kill The Doctor; very boring) and he degenerated to being just a simple, typical archnemesis when really his whole thing shoulda been more antithesisy.

Playing The Monk totally straight, as a guy who just manipulates time simply in the hope of “making it better” or tweaking it so it matches “the greater good” is a fantastic position in which the Doctor Who team could put The Doctor. Nevermind that it’s a great position in which to put The Doctor, you also give the character of The Monk a clear, defined goal and a very specific character (he has a god complex).

Most recently, he appeared in the final season of Paul McGann’s Big Finish 8^th Doctor Adventures to tremendous effect, functioning as a wonderful foil for The Doctor and bringing in tons of drama and excitement to the proceedings. If you’re interested in hearing some fantastic use of The Monk, check them out (specifically the stuff starting with Sheridan Smith as Lucie Miller, because that whole season is the culmination of the previous three years).

Honorable Mention: Morgaine and her Space Knights: Appearing in “Battlefield”, Morgaine is an transdimensional witch who (along with her son Mordred) led a team of space knights in a quest to bring down Arthur and his kingship. That’s right. She’s Morgan LeFay from Arthurian Legend, but from an alternate universe and a world in which she defeated Arthur and his knights once and for all. And The Doctor was there. And he was Merlin.

And that’s awesome. Doctor Who explored Arthurian legend and did a badass story with it. But not only that! The events of “Battlefield” were the results of the aftermath to The Doctor’s REAL first fight with Morgaine (which The Doctor hadn’t yet experienced) in which The Doctor semi-defeated her but lost Arthur in the process. And while there was a small little mini-story that claimed to be the sequel in question (or whatever), I could hardly call that canon (despite the 8^th Doctor’s presence). No, bring them back. Make it a big, giant, exciting Medievalish war. And that mythic legend stuff of The-Doctor-as-Merlin bleeds right into Moffat’s fascination with The Doctor as an icon. Which is awesome. The Doctor as Merlin? Let’s bring that back!

Those are just some of the ideas I have. (I woulda mentioned The Valeyard, but that’s a whole different topic to discuss). What are some villains who haven’t returned who you think would make an awesome return in Nu-Who?

I’m a pretty big sci-fi tv buff.  But I’m also pretty critical of what I watch.  I won’t just watch any old thing cuz I’m bored, you need get me invested with a good plot and strong character work, or I’ll stop watching.  So when I first heard about TNT’s new series Falling Skies, I was interested, but wary.

Sure, the trailer looked good, but that’s the job of a trailer, to make things look good.  The show seemed right up my alley (alien invasion, human resistance/survival in a post-apocalyptic world) but it could really go either way.

So when my parents and younger brother made a big deal about sitting down to watch the premiere last week, I decided to pass.  I tend not to trust my family’s judgment on most things television, since they’re the sort of people who choose to watch The Biggest Loser instead of catching up on Doctor Who with me.  But I digress.

Then I started hearing good things about the premiere cropping up on the internet, and when Damon Lindelof tweeted about it, that sold me (because I’ll follow that guy everywhere, including what he’s watching on television apparently. I’m easy).  I had to watch this show.

And now here I am, reviewing for you guys.  So how did it hold up?  And is it worth tuning in? (Slight SPOILERS…)

The thing I’m most struck by when it comes to Falling Skies is how much potential it has.  The pilot does what it’s supposed to, introducing the world, characters, and the overall goal of the series, but it’s not overly remarkable in the way it does those things.  In fact, the two episodes that premiered last Sunday felt rather familiar.

I’ve seen some criticism of the show from people saying it’s basically The Walking Dead but with aliens instead of zombies.  And while there are differences… at this point, they’re not wrong.  I’ve seen these plot scenarios before, and I’ve seen them done better.  But I’m sticking with this show, because I honestly think there is a ton of potential for awesome.

The pilot episode opens with a voice over of a child (Tom’s youngest son Matt, as we soon discover) explaining essentially what happened during and immediately after the invasion of the spider-like “Skitters” (I really dig the design of these aliens, they remind me of the one from Super 8).  And then we’re thrust into some action and explosions, witnessing human resistance fighters we don’t yet care about retreating from said aliens and “Mechs,” the sizeable robots engineered by the aliens as weapons to use in overtaking the earth (they’re like giant clunky Cylons, really).

I wasn’t a fan of this hook or the giant exposition info dump we get in the first ten to fifteen minutes of the episode.  Even when they got into introducing the characters and their situation, it was still hard for me to keep track of everyone as well as focus on the situation at hand and the possible subtleties that might be going on between the characters and the way they interacted with each other (I’m sure I’d benefit from a rewatch at some point).  It was a lot to juggle, which I think was an ambitious choice that didn’t exactly pan out too well.

But opening issues aside, by the time this episode really got started and our main character(s) headed off on their reconnaissance mission, I was into it.  And by the time some most perilous danger befell them, I was hooked (if you’re able to make me say “oh sh*t!” out loud while watching, we’re generally in a good place.  I’m invested).

So far, one of my big complaints about this show is the characters—or, rather, the lack of development.  I feel like the only one I really have a handle on so far is Tom Mason (the main character, played by Noah Wyle, who is quite good).  Even then, though, that’s pretty tenuous.  I like that his background is in education, and not in the military or the police or anything where he’s accustomed to using a weapon and being all militarized.  It’s an interesting choice, and I like that he’s not in his element, but the show doesn’t really give us much of a chance to see that so far.  We get a lot of people talking about how he’s just a history professor, but it seems to me he’s good in a fight and he’s a good leader.

This discrepancy/telling-not-showing arises because we start en media res several months into the occupation of earth, which I like because it just tosses us into the situation and forces us to kinda think and go with it, learning things along the way as we see these characters interact.  But the flip side of this is it’s alienating (pardon the pun) and detrimental to the development of the character.  Instead of learning about the world and being introduced to the ancillary characters with our lead; instead of witnessing the journey and metamorphosis of this history professor into the second-in-command of this group of resistance fighters calling themselves the 2^nd Massachusetts, we’re tossed in and expected to learn and catch up to the status quo as it has been for a while now.  That leaves me very little to connect emotionally with these characters at the start.

And while they give Tom an emotional arc and a goal to push towards as the season progresses (the rescuing of his son Ben from the Skitters), the other characters are sorely lacking.  Watching these first two episodes, they’ve been focusing pretty much on Tom for the most part, but I get the feeling that this show can/may turn into straight ensemble really quickly, which is an issue if we can’t get invested in the other characters and better understand and root for them.  Sure, Hal wants to get his brother back, but what else is driving him?  And what about Doctor Glass?  What about Karen, and all the other people I’m supposed to be caring about but can’t for the life of me remember their names (which just tells you how far they have to go)?

I’m especially interested in how they choose to develop and portray the various female characters on the show.  I like that they have a badass, gun-toting blonde on a motorbike, but I want to see her as a complete person and not just a badass, gun-toting blonde.  Round out Karen’s character.  Develop her.  Give her actiony things to do, don’t just relegate that to the guys.  (They get a little further in this respect with the introduction of Maggie in the second episode, but she looks really similar to Karen, which is a casting choice I question.  Hopefully they do something with this in the future?)

I could keep going, but I’m going to cut myself short, because ultimately, I really want you guys to watch this show.  I know I’ve been going on about my problems with it, but Falling Skies proved to be quite enjoyable and interesting overall.  It’s an ambitious series with an abundance of characters to work with and (hopefully) develop, and a lot of potential to explore not only the post-apocalyptic world it’s introduced us to, but also issues that face us in the everyday mundanity of real life (which is what the best science fiction tends to do).

While not without its flaws, Falling Skies has a lot going for it, and I know I’ll be tuning in week to week from now on.  Hopefully you decide to join the ranks of the 2^nd Massachusetts as well.

(Falling Skies airs on TNT every Sunday at 10 pm.)

We start our discussion with non-spoiler reviews of the film before falling into a full-on dissection/discussion of the show with heavy SPOILERS. Enjoy!

The announcement doesn’t come as much of a surprise. The first episode’s numbers weren’t nearly as high as Boardwalk Empire’s premiere, but they trounced the premiere of True Blood. However, Game of Thrones is expected to have much higher international presence than either of the other two properties, as well as a strong presence on DVD.

The first episode was well received by new comers, fans of the series, and critics alike. But the only people that we care about are the people reading this site, right now. So how did you like the first episode?

So yeah…this is actually happening. Stan Lee and Arnold Schwarzenegger are working on an animated Governator television series as well as a comic book! After watching this trailer/test footage looking video I can’t help but express complete astonishment. It’s really one of those things you have to experience for yourself.

Play Along: How many summer blockbuster movie references are there? I counted Iron Man, Transformers, Terminator, The Dark Knight, and The Matrix

-Reid Ackerman

I couldn’t possibly be more pumped for the premiere of series 6:

Series 6 premieres with “The Impossible Astronaut” on Saturday, April 23 at 9pm on BBC America.

Two Steven Moffat written Doctor Who shorts were written for Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day 2011. Staring Matt Smith as The Doctor with Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill as Amy Pond and Rory Williams. ENJOY!

Episode 1: SPACE

Episode 2: TIME

So this is our first official look at the David E. Kelley’s live-action Wonder Woman television series being made for NBC. Judging by the photo I assume that the studio just wanted to get the photo out before anyone could snag a crappy quality set photo (a la The Amazing Spider-Man). There doesn’t seem to be a lot going for it and if anything I would mistake it for a Halloween costume model. Everything in the suit looks a little too plastic and fake for me. If anything my excitement (which wasn’t much) hasn’t changed. I’d like to get a look at trailer though and see the costume in action as well as the narrative.

What do you think?

A few days it was reported that Sandman, a comic book series by Neil Gaiman was being put on hold from becoming a television sereis. The series was supposedly being developed by Supernatural showrunner (Seasons 1-5) Eric Kripke. T’was a sad day or glorious day depending on your take of the adaptation. Cut to Geoff Johns, comic scribe and the Chief Creative Officer at DC Comics recently tweeting “Correction to world: The Sandman is AWAKE! :) Psyched to be working with @neilhimself on developing one of the greatest series ever!”, and “Sandman in any form – comics to live action – doesn’t work without @neilhimself #sandman“. Kripke’s involvement is still up in the air, however with Johns and Gaiman’s involvement I think we’re looking at some quality television here. While Sandman series is one of those series I’ve been really meaning to read, but just haven’t had the time yet, the promise of a television series gets me excited.

Anyone read Sandman? Is this a bad idea? Who would you cast?

-Reid Ackerman

Returning for a sixth series, Doctor Who will premiere April 23 at 9pm ET on BBC America. This is the same date as the UK premiere.

The premiere is titled “The Impossible Astronaut” and will be part one of a two-part story written by showrunner Steven Moffat, with part two being titled “Day of the Moon“. Set in America, the story will take the Doctor (Matt Smith) from the Utah desert to the Oval Office in 1969.  Mark Sheppard (Supernatural, Battlestar Galactica) will be guest star with returning companions Amy and Rory (Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill) along with Alex Kingston, who is returning  again as  River Song.

Excitement!

5. Fables

The first trade of the by Bill Willingham instantly hooks you on a common CSI seeming murder investigation of Rose Red. The series features all of our beloved storybook characters…seen in a completely different light. The Big Bad Wolf has become a chain-smoking detective, and after being exiled from their world, these fable characters must live amongst us and try to blend in. This comic at one point was in the market to become a ABC television series, however I haven’t heard anything on it being developed in the last few years. For ABC I don’t know if it could have the harsher elements that Willingham portrays in the book and is vital to the story. HBO is the place for it.

4. Irredeemable

With the exception of The Walking Dead, Irredeemable is one of the darkest comics I’ve read in while. Mark Waid, who’s spent a great deal of time in the superhero world, writing everything from The Flash to Captain America, scribes this melancholy tale. Irredeemable is the story of The Plutonian, a Superman type hero, who goes rouge and destroys the city he’s protected for so long. Why would this work as a TV series? The first trade seems to follow the supporting heroes who worked alongside The Plutonian during their crime fighting days. Each episode might be able to center around one of these characters and their relationship with the fallen hero. Another aspect that could be woven well in the television show is the questions you encounter when reading it. Why did he turn?  What is his origin? All these are potential plot points for a television series.

3. Jonah Hex

Jonah Hex really could be the next big period drama for HBO. In comics Hex generally lends itself to a one-and-done type of format. So far pretty much every issue of the new Jonah Hex run written by Jimmy Palmiotti allows the reader to easily access a story that doesn’t get bogged down by continuity. Hex as an HBO series could be spellbinding as it’s a gritty and sometimes heart wrenching tale includes very dark elements. A few subplot characters in each season and an over-arching story coupled with the accessibility could make Hex a frontrunner.

2. Gotham Central

This series could just be your typical crime drama (a la Law and Order and CSI), but ads a twist to it. What if these cops had to take down the arguably fiercest rouges in the DC Universe. Gotham Central gives readers a look on what would happen if real world police had larger than life crime. This series would allow for everything that viewers love about the crime drama harmoniously tied in with the DC Universe. Batman’s rouges cameos could be endless, not to mention a possible appearance by the Caped Crusader himself.

1. Y: The Last Man

Y: The Last Man possibly fueled my desire to read more books that didn’t involve the capes, cowls, and muscles. This series is centered around a plague that kills all the men off the earth, except for one, Yorick Brown. After the plague hits, Yorick, incognito, sets off with his partners trying to find why he’s still alive. The Brian K. Vaughn scribed series has the most character evolution of any comic I have ever read. The changes throughout the series would allow for an engaging television run. Filled with shocking season finale like moments, Y: The Last Man needs a series.

Am I wrong? What are you’re top 5? Discuss Below!!!!!

-Reid Ackerman

The new Wonder Woman series has cast it’s leading lady. Diana Prince will be played by Adrianne Palicki (Friday Night Lights, Supernatural, Aquaman), but Palicki didn’t win the role so much as it was her role to begin with (she was the only actress invited to test for it).

David E. Kelley’s re imagining of Wonder Woman sounds a little like this:

Wonder Woman/Diana Prince (Palicki) is a vigilante crime fighter in L.A. but also a successful corporate executive and a modern woman trying to balance all of the elements of her extraordinary life.

Based on the Image comic book by Robert Kirkman.

The Walking Dead, from writer-director Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Mist), premieres on AMC at 10pm on Sunday, October 31st with a 90-minute pilot episode.

If you have Halloween plans, don’t forget to set your DVRs!

A prequel to Edgar Wright’s live action film currently in theaters (GO SEE IT NOW!!), Scott Pilgrim vs. the Animation shows a flashback to Scott’s High School years and his romance with future Sex Bob-omb drummer Kim Pine. It also features the character Lisa Miller,  my favorite character from the graphic novel series who was tragically left out of the film (though not without good reason). Enjoy the 4-minute short below:

The pilot is being directed by Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Majestic) and the six-episode first season premieres this October during AMC’s annual Monsterfest.

…And just like that, it turns out that the file was UK only, and was yanked down. False alarm, apparently.

Renewed:

Chuck
V

Cancelled:

FlashForward
Scrubs
Legend of the Seeker

Likely Renewed:

One Tree Hill
Life Unexpected

Likely Cancelled:

Heroes

While there is no debut date quite yet, Cartoon Network and DC Entertainment have announced Young Justice, a new animated series from Greg Weisman (Gargoyles, Spectacular Spider-Man).

In Young Justice, being a teenager means proving yourself over and over—to peers, parents, teachers, mentors and, ultimately, to yourself. But what if you’re not just a normal teenager? What if you’re a teenage super hero? Are you ready to join the ranks of the great heroes and prove you’re worthy of the Justice League? That’s exactly what the members of Young Justice—Robin, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Superboy, Miss Martian and Artemis—will found out, whether they have what it takes to be a proven hero. This all-new series is produced by Warner Bros. Animation and based upon characters from DC Comics. Sam Register (Teen Titans, Ben 10, Batman: The Brave and the Bold) is the executive producer. Brandon Vietti (Batman: Under the Red Hood, Superman Doomsday, The Batman) and Greg Weisman (Gargoyles, The Spectacular Spider-Man, W.I.T.C.H.) are the producers.

This looks to be everything I’d hoped and wanted the Teen Titans animated series to be. Can’t wait.

FOX has decided not to pursue an American version of the Doctor Who spin-off series Torchwood. “BBC Worldwide Productions and the FOX Broadcasting Company have mutually agreed not to progress together with a 13-episode serialized ‘Torchwood’ format. We are currently in discussion with several interested networks,” said BBC Worldwide executive vp of programming and production Jane Tranter. “It’s very much ongoing and very much alive.”

I think we can expect an announcement from SyFy very soon.

Also, that American Doctor Who conclusion that most people jumped to when an American Torchwood was first announced? According to Tranter, that is definitely not the case.

“It may well be confusing to have a British Doctor and an American Doctor at the same time,” she said. “There is only one Doctor, so I don’t see that happening.”

According to the BBC, Matt Smith will be guest starring in a two-part episode of The Sarah Jane Adventures to be written by former Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies. The episodes will also mark the return of actress Katy Manning in her role as Third Doctor companion Jo Grant (1971-1973). The episodes will be part of Sarah Jane’s fourth series to premiere this Fall.

Well, looks like Russell T. Davies gets to write for Matt Smith’s Doctor afterall… should be interesting to say the least. I’ve never watched The Sarah Jane Adventures so I guess I have some catching up to do.

(BBC)

Marvel Entertainment just announced it has greenlit a new Spider-Man animated series, this time based on the mega successful Ultimate Spider-Man by Brian Michael Bendis and artists Mark Bagley, Stuart Immonen, and David Lafuente. It will premiere in fall 2011 on Disney XD.

First seeing publication in 2000, Ultimate Spider-Man was meant to make the character more “new reader friendly” by ditching the 40 years of continuity, and bringing the character back to its roots as a teenage superhero.  The animated series will “chronicle Peter Parker’s transition from a wise-cracking teen to a hero with a definite sense of responsibility who can hold his own with other Marvel superheroes who will join him in this series of animated adventures”.

Can.

Not.

Wait.

(Source: ICv2)

Series premiere April 3 on BBC1;  April 17, 9/8c on BBC America

- Good news for “Gleeks” everywhere: Glee’s second season has been expanded from the normal 22 episodes to 25! Meanwhile, the season one finale’s airdate has been announced as Tuesday, June 8. (Ausiello)

- Alan Tudyk (Firefly, Dollhouse) has been cast in the remake of The Rockford Files for NBC and producer David Shore (House). (Ausiello)

- James Marsters (Buffy, Smallville) has been cast as the main antagonist in CBS’ remake of Hawaii Five-O.  (AICN)

- Summer Glau (Firefly, Terminator: TSCC) has been cast as the lead in The Cape, a superhero pilot for NBC. (THR)

- True Blood returns for its third season June 13 on HBO. (Variety)

- Finally, check out this preview for the new HBO series Boardwalk Empire the creator of The Sopranos and director Martin Scorsese:

I’ve already posted a couple articles on the casting of the pilot, so you can read those here and here.

A Song of Ice and Fire is considered by many, including myself, to be one of the best fantasy series of modern day. However, it is also a very long series. In addition, the series is quite a ways off from being completed. So the decision to begin reading the novels could be particularly tough for some people. However, with a television series, many people will be able to get a good taste of the setting and plot of the novels, without dedicating the time to reading them. Which could in turn lead them back to the novels, once they know it’s something they are interested in.

The fact is, ASoIaF is not your typical fantasy series. The Hollywood Reporter did a good job of summarizing one of the main differences in their recent article:

Unlike many fantasy novels, the “Thrones” series largely avoids relying on magical elements and instead goes for brutal realism — think “Sopranos” with swords.

Martin’s view of fantasy in the novels up to this point has largely involved the setting itself. Yes, magic once existed in the world, and may very well exist again at some point. But the focus is more on political intrigue, knights and soldiers, and kingdoms rising from chaos.

Game of Thrones, which shares the same title as the first novel in the series (minus the preceding article “A”) will find quite possibly the perfect fit on HBO. The novels are way too violent for a network TV spot similar to “Legend of the Seeker“. Sex is also something that makes it’s way into the novels when appropriate for the story. Neither of those will be an issue for a show airing on HBO. If anything, it could help the show out with HBO’s audience.

The series is shaping up to be a good one. As of the pilot we have a fantastic list of stars including Sean Bean, Lena Headey, and Peter Dinklage. Add in a few rising actors and some fresh faces, and this series has the potential to really take off.

Ten episodes for the first season could work out pretty well. The first novel could be cut down quite a bit. Hopefully future seasons would warrant the normal HBO length of 13 episodes, however. It could be pretty difficult to cut down some of the later books. Currently there are four books, with the 5th book looking likely to come out sometime this year. Given HBO’s history with shows, it’s unlikely that the show would even make it to that point. However, should it reach the 5th season, there will probably be a 6th book waiting for it. The first three books came in two year gaps. Assuming A Dance with Dragons is released this year, that would mean that both of his last two books saw a gap of 5 years before they came out.

Game of Thrones is set to begin production this June, and should air in Spring of 2011.

Apparently, Fox has made the move to secure the rights to re-make Torchwood for American audiences. In addition to to picking up the rights to the show, Fox has also hired the original Torchwood’s writer/producer Russell T. Davies to write the script for the pilot. It’s also possible that some of the original series’ actors may make the trek over to the US version of the show. The most likely star to make the conversion would be John Barrowman, who plays the lead character, Captain Jack Harkness. While other actors are possible, few of them would work out on American television.

The plot of the new show is supposed to take a more global approach to the same story. Perhaps we will see an American wing of the Torchwood institute. This begs the question of whether or not the series will exist in the same continuity as the other Torchwood. If so, perhaps it would be best if the show got a rename along with it’s new story.

As much trouble as Fox has had with genre shows, I can’t see the show lasting long on their network, assuming it makes it past the pilot phase. Perhaps it will take a slightly more X-Files approach, and that is the potential that Fox likes in it. Either way, I wouldn’t bother getting too attached to the series.

The successful campaign to save Chuck last spring, which involved buying Subway sandwiches, was impressive enough to bring Subway in as a marketing partner for the show. Chuck was originally slated to return in March after the Olympics, but recent rumblings suggest that it may return in January instead. Now fans of the BuyMore have six more episodes of Chuck to look forward to. Considering that the show that was on the brink of being canceled a few months ago, things are now looking much rosier for Chuck and the gang.

(Variety)