DISCUSSION

Television

• Wonder Woman pilot script review
• The Cape’s order went from 13 episodes to 10 episodes, and the Summer Glau centric episodes may have been cut as a result

Quick Hits:

• Will Ferrel will be guesting on four episodes of The Office
• New webseries spin-off “Becoming Human”
• CW developing zombie series The Awakening
• Sometime in the final 5 episodes of Smallville, Callum Blue and Laura Vandervoort will be reprising their roles as General Zod and Supergirl

Movies

• Henry Cavill is Superman
• Anne Hathaway was rumored to be a lock for Lois Lane. Now that she’s playing Selina Kyle, the rumored choices are: Twilight’s Kristen Stewart, Watchmen’s Malin Ackerman (who is five years older than Cavill), Glee’s Dianna Agron, Jessica Biel, and Rachel McAdams. Other rumors list The Town’s Rebecca Hall.

Quick Hits:

• Wham-O signs with ICM
• Warner Bros wins rights to produce The Stand
• Mark Waters to direct Get Back, a Beatles time travel comedy
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt may be joining the Dark Knight Rises after all, but likely not as a villian; Catwoman will be in the movie, not just Selina Kyle
• James Cameron still wants to do his Battle Angel movie, but will be busy for the next 5 years, will be shooting Avatar 2 & 3 at 60fps
• Mark Millar insists that they are definitely still doing Kick Ass 2, they just have to wait until everyone has the time, and says that they can’t wait until the actors are too old. Chloe Moretz in particular. They don’t want to wait until she’s 15
• Saoirse Ronan is rumored to be playing Silvan elf Itaril in The Hobbit, possibly due to her connection with Peter Jackson

Video Games

• Telltale Games’ next game property: The Walking Dead
• Sony announces their next portable as the NGP (Next Generation Portable). 4 processing cores, front and back touch sensitive areas, 2 cameras, six-axis motion sensing, GPS, Wi-fi, 3g, dual analog sticks, flash-memory based cards for games

Geek Jerk Reaction: The Roommate, Sanctum

Returning to the airwaves this week is the CW’s Reaper. It is a fun show similar in vein to NBC’s Chuck. Reaper is the story of Sam Oliver (Bret Harrison), a twenty-something slacker who has dropped out of college and is working at The Work Bench (The Work Bench is to Home Depot what the Buy More is to Best Buy). At work he is surrounded by his two best friends Bert “Sock” Wysocki (Tyler Labine) and Ben Gonzalez (Rick Gonzalez). He also pines for his co-worker and long-time friend, Andi (played by Missy Peregrym for you Season 1 Heroes fans out there).

On Sam’s twenty-first birthday, his parents start acting strange. They finally reveal to him that in return for his father’s health when he was dying long before he was born, they sold their first-born son’s soul to the Devil. They had even tried to not have children, but of course the Devil had made sure Sam would come to be.

When Sam is later confronted by the Devil (played brilliantly by Ray Wise of in Twin Peaks fame), instead of being dragged to Hell, the Devil offers him a job. When Sam tries to back out of the deal, he’s told his mother’s soul will be forfeit. Sam will be Hell’s bounty hunter (or reaper), tracking down and capturing some of Hell’s worst lost souls that have escaped. For each soul he has to capture, he is sent a different vessel with which to capture it. These vessels have ranged from Dirt Devil Hand Vacs, Taser guns, and even a live dove.

The fun of this show is the character interactions. Sock is the slapstick comic relief and typical best-friend-bound-to-get-Sam-in-trouble. Ben is the punching bag for the trio, and sadly, the brains of the operation. His role has moved to a more behind the scenes nature while he plots the strategies that Sam and Sock carry out.

Andi has been newly let in on Sam’s dirty little secret. At the end of the first season, she witnessed one of Sam’s “Reaper” moments and he finally had to come clean, with permission from the Devil, of course. She now helps out the team, usually with research and is just coming to terms with Sam’s new life.

Supporting characters add as much to the show as reoccurring characters. Gladys, the DMV worker who Sam takes his collected souls to, has a love-hate relationship with Sock that grows funnier each episode. Steve and Tony, the gay neighbors of Sam, who also turn out to be demons sent to try to convince Sam to help in a demon-uprising against the Devil. Tony becomes a more significant character towards the end of the first season.

But the highlight of the show for me is The Devil. Ray Wise has been a favorite actor of mine since Twin Peaks. Wise plays the role of The Devil with such relish, you can’t help but enjoy him, even when he is being his worst. I once read of Wise that he has a smile that never reaches his eyes, and it is so very true. And it makes him perfect to portray the bureaucratic businessman who just so happens to be The Devil himself.

Reaper returns to the CW Tuesday, March 3 at 8:00 p.m. ET. I hope you get a chance to tune in. I’m sure there will be a re-cap of the last season that will fill you in enough for the current season’s story lines.  While it may not be up to the caliber of Chuck, there are enough differences, especially in the sense of humor of the show, that make it fun to watch. And any show that has Kevin Smith as a creative consultant has my vote.

It all started with that Big Damn Movie…

After the critically acclaimed, but ratingly ignored (is “ratingly” a word?) Firefly was prematurely ripped from the airwaves, it was given the chance to continue on the big screen in the form of the film Serenity in 2005. Ever since then, it seems that every killed-before-its-time TV series has been trying to get a movie off the ground. From Veronica Mars to Pushing Daisies, showrunners have had new hope that their canceled shows could be revived in 35mm form.

Now we can add another one to the list.

While promoting his new horror series Harper’s Island for CBS, Jericho executive producer Jon Turteltaub announced that the show must go on! His production company is currently in development of a big screen continuation of the show.

“We’re developing a feature for JERICHO,” says Turteltaub. “It would not require you to have seen the TV show, but it gets into life after an event like this on a national scale. It would be the bigger, full on American version of what’s going on beyond the town in Jericho.”

The series focused on the residents of the fictional town of Jericho in Kansas in the aftermath of nuclear attacks on 23 major cities in the U.S.

When asked if the cast would return, Turteltaub replied with an enthusiastic, “Oh yeah!”

The TV series starred Skeet Ulrich and Ashley Scott, and was lauded as one of the best television series of 2007, becoming un-canceled after irate fans planned a clever protest involving peanuts (something that is apparently meaningful to the series). Unfortunately, the victory was short-lived and the show was canceled after a short second season.

The show is already seeing a second life of sorts this season on The CW, where its being re-aired every Sunday night.

“It’s crazy,” says Turteltaub. “I think they’re airing it because it’s cheap and there’s still that feeling that it hasn’t really gotten all the attention it can. When I think about the fact, a repeat of JERICHO on CW actually has more viewers than an episode of MAD MEN, you realize the difference between cable and broadcast, you realize the difference between what the press is watching vs. what America is watching. And I bring up MAD MEN, because it’s a brilliant show. But it’s still fun to see the show won’t die.”

Over at CW you can watch the trailer for the next episode of Smallville, Legion, or you can watch it right here. This season has been nothing short of amazing, and this episode looks like it may be the best of the entire show so far, I cannot wait. The episode premieres Thursday January 15 on the CW.

See you back here next week…

The recently announced CW series to be based on the life and times of Dick Grayson pre- Batman and Robin, has been scrapped before a script was even written.

According to studio insiders, Robinov has decreed that Warner Bros. “rethink its DC Comics strategy” and as a result didn’t want to do anything big with a DC franchise at the moment — at least when it came to The Graysons.”

“The studio has opted not to go forward with the development of The Graysons at this time as the concept doesn’t fit the current strategy for the Batman franchise,” the studio said in a statement. “Warner Bros. Television is currently working on several replacement options for the CW.”

The episode, entitled “Legion,” also features Cosmic Boy and Lightning Lad. The three come from a future where Clark is the greatest hero.

“Legion” is scheduled to air on Nov. 27 on The CW.

The 22-year-old Johnson starred in Instant Star, and had a minor role in Final Destination 3.

“Smallville” executive producers Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson, and “Supernatural” executive producer McG, have landed a put pilot commitment at the network for The Graysons. Keep Reading for more details.

The Graysons will follow the world of Dick “DJ” Grayson before he takes on the iconic Robin identity and aligns himself with Batman. So, one would assume the show will contain lots of circus-related mayhem.

The Graysons is being seen as a potential replacement for Smallville should that show end its eight year run this season, which has been widely speculated. Should Smallville’s ratings garner a ninth season and return next year, The Graysons will work as a companion piece.

In the one-hour Graysons which will be set in modern times, young DJ will face challenges involving first loves, young rivals and his family as he grows up. Souders and Peterson have come up with an original take on the character.

In comics, the Legion of Super-Heroes is a group of super-powered teenagers from 1,000 years in the future who are inspired by the legend of Superman. The heroes eventually time-travel back to visit a young Clark Kent to tell him of his legendary future. The Legion has appeared in animated form in an episode of Superman: The Animated series titled "New Kids In Town", the Justice League Unlimited episode "Far From Home", as well as their own short-lived series in 2006 as a part of the "Kids WB!" animation block on The CW.

Smallville fans had already seen updated versions of several DC Comics heroes on the live-action show, including Green Arrow, Aquaman, Flash (or Impulse as it were…), and Cyborg among others. Just last month, it was announced that a very human-like re-interpretation of the monstrous comics character Doomsday, played by Battlestar Galactica alum Sam Witwer, will be added to the Smallville cast this season as a nemesis for actor Tom Welling’s Clark Kent. But, according to Johns, the Legion that appears in his Smallville episode will be the team that comic book readers recognize.

"I can’t get into any specifics about the story we’re telling because we’re still working on it all. But they’re from the 31st Century. And it will be focusing on some obvious characters who first met Clark," Johns said. "It will be written to fit with Smallville, and I think it’s going to be a really fun challenge to approach the Legion in a different way. But with me, you know you’re going to see Legion rings, and they’re going to be as true to the core as possible. It’s going to be the Legion of Super-Heroes."

Johns, who has been using Legion characters a lot lately, both in a story he wrote for the Superman-centered series Action Comics with artist Gary Frank and next month’s Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds mini-series, couldn’t confirm if the Legion characters he’s introducing in Smallville would appear in more than one episode.

"I’ve known the Smallville team for a long time. And I have to thank Jeph Loeb for introducing me to those people in the first place," Johns said. "I’m really looking forward to working on the show. It’s exciting to see the Legion be part of that."

As it turns out, I’ve taken a strong liking to Chuck. I’m not in love, but it’s definitely a strong liking. What was there to stop me from completely falling in love with the series? It didn’t get to finish it’s first season. It ended rather abruptly due to the writers’ strike. The show had just began to take off, and then it slows back down, and bumps into a brick wall. 

Ultimately, I’ve ended up loving just about every character in the show. I even enjoy Captain Awesome, at least for what he is. The one thing that I didn’t love during the last few episodes is the angst with Sarah that happens. I didn’t mind the "will they or won’t they" hidden feelings moments nearly as badly as the "leave me alone, I’m torn" moments. I was glad to see after a couple episodes that she was seemingly back to her normal self. Honestly, I’m a little worried about that in the future, because I can see them bringing that back up again. And if there is one thing I hate in a show the dangles a relationship in front of your face, it’s when they decide to give you a glimpse of the pot of gold, then yank it out from under your nose an episode or two later. I’m hoping that someone will eventually find a better formula for dealing with what fans want in a different and more unique way.

After finishing the first season of Chuck, I happily moved on to Supernatural. After hearing about how it was the series that people enjoyed the most, I was eager to give it a try. And so far? It’s been…going through the motions. Setting things up, letting you get to know the characters. Building up the story. That may sound like a complaint. Maybe that it isn’t stepping outside it’s boundaries. But it’s not really a bad thing, I’ve come to find out. Because they are doing there job quite well. After only three episodes, I feel like I know the two brothers. I feel like they are definitely brothers. And I feel like I am familiar with how the show will go, at least for a while.

This isn’t to say I’m loving the show, or that I don’t expect more. I’m liking the show, sure. But I’m still expecting more out of it. I’m just not expecting that "more" to happen right now. It can continue to build the story and the characters so long as it does just that, continues to build. But other than that, I don’t have a whole lot to say about the show. Jared Padalecki is still the annoying/whiny twit I remember from Gilmore Girls. But in this case, it totally fits his character as the annoying/whiny twit little brother. Jensen Ackles pretty much kicks seven types of ass, as far as I’m concerned. He makes the show, and allows Jared to bask in it’s glow. But again, that’s fine, because that’s how the show seems to be setup.

Looking forward to continuing on. Though I do have to say that the thriller/MoTD/horror elements are still not golden to me. But they aren’t as over the top as I expected. Still, this is the CW. So I guess I should have expected that.

The problem with this is that quite often, I miss out on a lot of really good shows. As recently as 6 months ago, I had only watched 2 episodes of Lost. Now it ranks amongst my favorite shows on television. I didn’t get into Veronica Mars until the second season, just because it sounded…un-compelling. I missed the original television run of Firefly (Though, then again, is that such a bad thing?).

My point is that often I unfairly judge a show before I give it a fair shot. We all do it. Admit it. How many of you refuse to watch The O.C. because of your impressions of what it might be? Well, the other day I entered into an agreement with TheDoctor (Scott) to rectify two cases of pre-maturely judging a show. Well, two cases for me, and one for him. I’ve agreed to give Supernatural and Chuck a fair shot, if he would be willing to do the same for Babylon 5.

It’s a pretty sweet deal for me, because I’ve been trying to get him to watch B5 now for a while, but talking him past the first season isn’t an easy thing. Meanwhile, I have to watch two shows as well that I haven’t really given a shot. I watched the first episode of Supernatural, and decided it wasn’t the show for me. And Chuck? As appealing of a name as the show has (/sarcasm), what little I know about it has never grabbed me. But Josh Shwartz (Going back to The O.C.)? Adam Baldwin? Somehow, I’ll find a way to soldier through, I’m sure.

The deal is simple. I watch Supernatural and Chuck for a mostly unspecified amount of time (We’ll say at least into season 2 of Supernatural, and the entire season of Chuck). And Scott watches Babylon 5 at least up to "Coming of Shadows". In both cases, we should then have enough of an opinion of each show to mostly judge it for what it is. In Scott’s case, it’s a little risky, because ultimately a lot of season 1 of Babylon 5 isn’t fantastic. Personally I think there are about 3 episodes up to and including "Coming of Shadows" that are pretty fantastic. But will it be enough of a glimpse into the series of a whole to grab ahold of him? We shall see.

Which of us has the better road ahead? Who got the better deal? What show are you unfairly hesitant to watch despite the suggestions to do so? Stay tuned as I keep a running list of entries about my experiences and thoughts while I go through my half of the deal.

Holding my nose, and preparing to dive in,
Saberj

The kid in me just died a little.

It was recently announced by Variety  that the CW television network would be shutting down its Kids WB! Saturday morning five-hour animation block at the end of the 2007-08 season. It will be replaced next season by 4Kids Entertainment, which currently does an animation block for Fox aimed more toward pre-schoolers. Kids WB!, which has been around for 12 years, is responsible for such greats as Batman Beyond, Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, Static Shock, and new hits like Legion of Heroes and The Batman. 4Kids, meanwhile, produces such gems as Yu GI Oh!, Dinosaur King, Viva Piñata and Funky Cops.

Apparently, Kids WB! was losing viewers to cable networks like Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network, which caused a major drop in advertising revenue. Then, the final blow came in the form a major sponsor, the cereal company Kellogg’s, announced it was withdrawing all it’s advertising due to government pressure concerning food advertisements geared toward children.

Is it just me, or is sugary cereal and Saturday morning cartoons an American kid staple? When did this become not the case anymore? I remember eating 2-3 bowls of cereal every Saturday morning and I’m not remotely unhealthy. Sometimes it amazes me how uptight the country is becoming when it comes to the dumbest things. We can have nudity on television as long as it’s given a mature rating, but if we want a cartoon rabbit selling fruit flavored cereal to our kids, we’ll have to leave the country.

So what does this mean for all of Kids WB!’s programming? 4Kids will mix the established content from Kids WB! with new original content. What shows will make the cut has yet to be decided. According to an article on Newsarama, Warner Bros. Animation is "exploring a number of other avenues to direct this programming, from other networks to direct-to-DVD options".

Regardless, this spells certain death for the endangered Saturday morning cartoon. 4 Kids is slowly becoming  a  monopoly in network television  children’s programming, now being in charge of the only two networks that still aired all animation, and nothing they produce is anything I would consider quality. Children will be forever doomed to watch one watered down and Americanized Japanese animated series after another. Never knowing that there used to be more out there.

I’d hate to be kid today. I remember when I was younger you had 3 or 4 channels to choose from for you Saturday morning television fix, and that wasn’t even bringing cable into the equation. Now, I don’t even know many kids who watch network television at all, and in the age of TiVo, they rarely watch the shows as they air. Hell, if I get up early enough on Saturdays, I still put on cartoons for nothing if not the comfort of the familiar. When I’m a father, whether or not their airing them on television, I plan on getting up early with my kids every Saturday and watching cartoons. It’s just the way it should be. I’m not going to let some suits at the CW take that away.

Long Live Saturday Mornings!