Comic-Con 2009 is already in full swing, and as you may have guessed we couldn’t make it out there to cover it. Lucky for us SyFy has released the Stargate Universe footage they showed off at Comic-Con the other day. We’ve seen teasers before but nothing this detailed about the plot. Personally, this is the return to Stargate that I’ve been waiting for since Atlantis went off the air. Check out the trailer after the jump.

Stylistically SGU looks a whole lot more like Battlestar Galactica or Caprica than it’s predecessors Stargate SG-1 & Atlantis, and I’m perfectly OK with that. Frankly the cinematography on Stargate has always been a little flat, this should spice things up a bit. Looks like production design and visual effects have also been upgraded. This has been happened all around SyFy’s programming ever since Galactica came about, and re-defined what we think of as television special effects. And Stargate could probably benefit from some upgraded effects and production design.

Although the production quality may have changed, it certainly looks like the classic Stargate-vibe is still around. Stargate has always felt, to me anyways, like the proper descendant of classic Star Trek. Original Series Star Trek was always quirky and up-beat, ‘light sci-fi‘ if you will, whereas shows like Battlestar Galactica are what I call ‘dark sci-fi‘. Well, the look and visual style of the Stargate franchise may have changed but as you can see from the trailer, there’s still a geeky sense of humor at work. Also it looks as though David Blue is going to be a suitable substitute for Dr. Rodney McKay (although no one could ever really replace him).

Color me excited, I need some Stargate back in my life. Stargate Universe premieres October 2nd, only on SyFy.

A few weeks ago it was announced that BBC America would finally start broadcasting in HD starting on July 20th, the problem is the deadline came and went without any sign of the channel launching. Well, BBC America released a statement saying their channel is indeed in HD now…but that no cable providers are carrying it. Effectively, they are broadcasting to no one.

BBC America planned the release of their HD channel around a brand spankin’ new, 5 episode mini-series of Torchwood to play straight over 5 nights. I’m a Comcast subscriber, and I’ve been rather happy with their service so far. Once the premiere of Torchwood arrived I was disappointed to see that there was no HD channel to be found! A quick twitter search showed that absolutely no one was carrying the channel, even though it was the supposed premiere of the channel. I’m not sure exactly who to blame for this mix-up, is it the cable providers or the BBC?

If we’ve learned anything from this complete clusterfrak, it’s the problem with cable television. Word on the street is that there isn’t enough bandwidth to support any new HD channels right now…so we’ve got to wait a few months. Cable packages are a wreck, I’ve got 900 channels, and only about 30 that I ever tune to. I’ve got a myriad of sports channels in HD that I simply don’t need, and yet they’re the reason I can’t get the channels I want in HD.

A la carte would be the real way to go. In this age of iTunes and Hulu on demand content is all the rage. Why can’t I pick and choose which channels I want and don’t want? That way we could have a much wider selection of channels, and we could actually get precisely which channels want.

ABC Family may have tragically cut down ‘The Middleman’ before it’s time, but you can help support everyone’s favorite milk drinking superhero by pre-ordering the DVD!! The Complete Series will be released on DVD to coincide with Comic-Con 2009. Middleman creator Javi has said before that the DVD will feature episode commentary, as well as other making of content I’m sure. Shout Factory will be producing the DVD, the same guys who do the Mystery Science Theater 3000 DVD’s, and they produce quality stuff. So head on over to Amazon and pre-order your copy. Right now. Go do it.

What the frak are you doing to yourselves, SCI FI Channel? First you start airing wrestling, then you cancel your flagship show (Stargate SG-1), then the wildly popular spin-off to your flagship show (Stargate Atlantis), and now this?! In an announcement that’s shocked and awed the sci-fi crowd, NBC Universal’s SCI FI Channel has announced it will be changing its name to SyFy to appeal to a wider audience. This is just the latest in a long line of bad ideas from SCI FI in an aim to make itself less of a geek network.

Dave Howe, president of the SCI FI Channel, says the change is meant to “without abandoning our legacy or our core audience, we needed…a name that we could own that invites more people in and recognizes our broader range of programming with literally something for everyone.” SCI FI Channel, for everyone? Isn’t the purpose of a cable network, to market to a specific audience? When we sci-fi nerds no longer have the SCI FI Channel as a refuge for our crazy science fiction classics then where do we turn? Since the dawn of cable SCI FI has been a refuge for us nerds and geeks, a place we can feel safe to turn to at any time of the day.

I suppose with sci-fi shows on the big networks (Heroes, Lost, Dollhouse, etc.) fans have other places to turn to for their science fiction fix… But I am thoroughly disappointed in SCI FI Channel management, yet again. This just reinforces what I said before, that SCI FI Channel doesn’t want to have anything more to do with science fiction. That’s a bit of hyperbole, but you get the point. They no longer want Stargate to be their flagship product, the problem is it’s not clear where they want to head from here. More reality shows? More wrestling? Ugh. Or maybe, just maybe, they’ll have more fantasy shows instead of only science fiction (a move I can get behind). But then why change the name at all?!

Not to mention the name is utterly meaningless. At least SCI FI actually means something. Phonetically the two are the same, but come on, it’s clearly a ploy to come off as ‘cool’ or ‘new’. Will people really see ‘SyFy’ and think “Hey, that looks hip”?

Regardless of SCI FI’s end game for changing their name, it sounds like an ignorant move that will further alienate their own fanbase. It sends the message that they’re no longer satisfied with having a loyal base of geek fans who are geeky and proud of it.

SCI FI Wire: SCI FI Channel to become Syfy; “Imagine Greater” is new message

TVWeek: Sci Fi Channel Aims to Shed Geeky Image With New Name

The Orphanage may not be the best known visual effects company, people usually think of Lucas’ ILM when they think of the men behind the magic, but The Orphanage is, or was, in my humble opinion the best visual effects company out there right now. They’re best known for their work on the monster in The Host, but they most recently worked on Iron Man (they did that fantastic HUD within the suit). Their work is simply unrivaled in its expertise. They are able to create environments and creatures that look absolutely real, and yet have a hand crafted sensibility that is very reminiscent of the old Ray Harryhausen days. Hopefully some former Orphans will find their way to a new home and continue their phenomenal work. Good luck fellows, you’ve done good.

Credit goes to /Film for breaking the story.

As dedicated fans, we can sometimes get, should I say, a little emotional over changes to our favorite shows. When I heard that the cast of Stargate SG-1 was changing , specifically the departure of Richard Dean Anderson, I was shocked and appalled…and then I calmed down. Turns out the cast shift was for the better, it completely revived SG-1, gave it a whole new and interesting flavor…until it was canceled a year later, but that’s not the point. The point is change can be good for a show that’s been on the air for a long time, we just have to give change a chance, and that is especially true of Doctor Who.

Doctor Who is very unique, in that the main character undergoes a shift between actors every once in a while, he literally regenerates into someone completely new. Not only is it one of the greatest plot devices in history, it’s also an essential part of the show, it’s gotta happen. No matter how much we love the current Doctor, we have to let go eventually, so the show can be retooled and the story can go on. I’ve already said that I think David Tennant is the greatest Doctor in the history of the show, but it was inevitable that he’d leave, and someone would have to try in vain to fill his Converse.

In the end we really have to put our trust in the hands of the show runners, Russel T Davies and Steven Moffat have shown they’re committed to entertaining and enthralling us in the world of the Doctor. I trust Moffat to make the right decisions, he’s already proven time and time again his deep love for the material, and he’s a bloody writing genius. So let’s reserve judgment on Matt Smith until we see his first performance as the Doctor. Who knows, maybe he’ll take the reins and surprise us all! Shame we’ll have to wait until 2010 to find out. But until then let’s all remember why we love this show so much, and have a little faith in Steven Moffat.

Updated: BBC posted an extended interview with Matt Smith about getting the role.

Pushing Daisies is the brainchild of Bryan Fuller, of Dead Like Me, Wonderfalls, and Heroes (season one, when it was terrific, not mediocre) fame. I first found Bryan Fuller with Dead Like Me, his other death-defying fantasy show that aired on Showtime, on DVD. Fuller really is a genius when it comes to story telling. His characters are deep, his dialogue is witty, and he has an uncanny ability to use fantasy elements in dark and new ways.

Of course this is only the latest example of  network television killing a show before its time. Every once in a while a show comes along that is so out of the box, so incredibly creative and wonderful that it just can’t last. Fuller’s creations in particular tend to not be well received by the networks, Wonderfalls and Dead Like Me were both also cut short. Hopefully Pushing Daisies will live on in DVD and comic books. Joss Whedon’s Firefly, yet another show I sorely miss, found new life with its DVD release, prompting a feature film (Serenity) to wrap up the storyline.

All we can do now is spread the word of Pushing Daisies, and hope that people will find it on DVD. So go and tell your friends, show them a few episodes and get them hooked. Isn’t this show worth saving??

Rumors of David Tennant leaving Doctor Who started to gain tractinon when Russel T. Davies announced he was stepping down as showrunner, shortly there after it was announced that Steven Moffat would be taking over. Frankly I was excited by this news. I was sad to see Russel leaving, we have him to thank for the series existing in the first place, but if ever there were a suitable replacement to take over the show it’s Steven Moffat. Moffat’s scripts have been the highlight of the new series, each episode he wrote stole the spotlight from those around them.

His first two parter was The Empty Child and The Doctor Dances, which were some of the best episodes of the first season. Next was The Girl in the Fireplace, the first Moffat written episode starring Tennant, and it was spectacular. Tennant took Moffat’s dialogue to new levels of awesome, his range as an actor was realy challenged by Moffat as a writer. In season 3 we had Blink, a ‘Doctor-lite’ episode, which are usually the weakest episodes of the season, but Moffat’s Blink was stellar. The Doctor only appeared in passing, mainly through cryptic video clips and flashbacks, but Sally Sparrow and the Weeping Angles were more than enough to keep our attention. Not to mention Blink is one of the most frightening episodes of all Doctor Who. His latest work was the Slience in the Library/Forest of the Dead two parter from last season, another perfect test of Tennant’s acting ability. It introduced us to the mysterious River Song, a new (but also old) love interest for the Doctor.

The prospect of seeing Tennant work under Moffat’s guidance for an entire season was so enticing that I ignored all the rumors of Tennant’s departure, even though I knew full well that he would leave eventually. I suppose it was the optimist in me imagining that Tennant would be playing the Doctor until he was old and gray, after all he did say it was his dream job. Oh well, I’m certain I will continue watching Doctor Who until I’m old and gray, even if Tennant won’t be sticking around. Steven Moffat will do wonderful things with the Doctor, I think we are all confident in that. There are only two things that really worry me: Will the Eleventh Doctor pale in comparison to the Tenth? And will Tennant’s final bow be worthy of his spectacular performance as the Doctor?

For the last couple years I’ve noticed a disturbing trend in Sci-Fi’s programming. First they canceled Stargate SG-1, which sent me running wild. Then there were the constant irritating commericals for syndicated wrestling!! And last but certainly not least reality shows. Really Sci-Fi? Reality shows and syndicated wrestling are your solution to slumping ratings on your flagship show? Ghost Hunters and Scare Tactics aren’t that much of an infraction for Sci-Fi. They may not be the greatest programs, but at least they have a connection science fiction, but wrestling has no place on Sc-Fi. Go to USA for that kind of thing, but the Sci-Fi channel should be exclusively science fiction.

Bringing Doctor Who to the channel was a perfect move in the right direction, bring in a successful international sci-fi program and introduce it to an eager audience. I’m a huge Doctor Who fan myself, so Sci-Fi wasn’t my only means of getting it, but it was great to see them reaching out to such a fantastic show and bringing it to the US. Battlestar Galactica is the best science fiction show in the last decade, so that was a genius move, and Eureka is a great light hearted show. But cancelling Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis? The Stargate fanbase is overwhelmingly large, it even lead to two successful direct-to-video spin-off movies for SG-1, and an upcoming 2 hour TV movie for Atlantis. Why piss the fans off? Why not keep the show going and give it a fighting chance? The show’s latest season had decent ratings, not incredible by any stretch of the imagination but still they were decent and consistent.

What would I prefer Sci-Fi do? Well for one I’d bring back Stargate Atlantis and SG-1 as series. Besides that I’d say bring in talent to create new and exciting sci-fi programming. Masters of Science Fiction was a great mini series of individual sci-fi stories, in the vein of the Twilight Zone. It would have been perfectly suited for the Sci-Fi Channel, instead it was on ABC and cancelled immediately. Mystery Science Theater 3000 was picked up by Sci-Fi when it was on the verge of death, a few years later it was cancelled. At the time it was at the peak of hillarity but the ratings weren’t stellar. The MST3K crew is still around and riffing on movies, why not bring them back for something along those lines? Or, better yet, bring back MST3K? The Dresden Files, based on a popular book series, was a terrific series, but it was canceled before it had a chance to really gain an audience. Put a little more faith in your original shows, don’t be so damn quick to cut them down!

Sci-Fi Channel should focus on being a niche network, bringing good sci-fi to the millions of hungry sci-fi fanatics out there, not alienate them. Wasn’t that the promise of cable television? A refuge for niche audiences. There are gardening, shopping, and food channels that cater to those demographics. Why isn’t Sci-Fi doing the same? Science fiction fans are far more dedicated than those other audiences, just take a trip to Comic-Con and find out. Utitilized that! Get them hooked and they’ll come begging for more, case and point: Battlestar Galactica.

The moral of this story: stop acting like a mainstream network and embrase your science fiction roots. I’ll be waiting here when you do.

9:10 AM – the Fire Marshal has changed his policy and we are now allowed to be seated while in line.

10 AM – 11 AM – Mark Nevaldine and Brian Taylor moderated the panel and were big fans of the movie trailer guy voice. The panel was pretty mediocre, with some general advice on blogging. Footage of the Game was premiered and it looked like a 90s Cronenberg future thriller with plenty of nudity and testosterone.