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Fox Finds Captain for ‘Boldly Going’

  • News
  • October 22, 2008

fox-logo-2055975What if Star Trek was a half-hour sitcom focusing on the “lower decks” characters? That is apparently the premise for Boldly Going Nowhere, a new series from Fox. The Hollywood Reporter says newcomer Ben Koldyke has been approved as the lead, the starship’s rogue captain.  The series will also feature Tony Hale (Arrested Development) as the robot who has concluded he is superior to the ship’s human inhabitants.

The series was created by Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day and Glenn Howerton, best known for It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Koldyke had an unusual path to the center seat.  He was a fan of McElhenney’s work and saw the producer regularly breakfast at Venice’s Rose Café.  Impulsively, he paid the man’s check and had the waiter deliver a note that said, “Hey, man, I think your show is fantastic”.

Days later, a Rose waiter pointed Koldyke out to the producer and they struck up a friendship. Ever since, Koldyke tried to find work as a writer, director or actor and was about to give up and return to the Midwest to resume his teaching career. Instead, he wound up meeting with the producers about joining them as a writer/director for the new sitcom.  As they discussed the show, it occurred to trio that Koldyke could actually be the lead.  He screen tested and passed network muster so received his commission.

“He came in and nailed it,” McElhenney told the trade. “From Day 1, he was the guy to beat.

“We love the idea of finding talented people out there. The fact that Ben is unknown is great but irrelevant. We wanted the best guy for the lead and he was it.”
 

‘Dexter’ Claims Two More Seasons

  • News
  • October 22, 2008

If you thought becoming a family man would soften the Bay Harbor Butcher’s resolve, guess again.

The trades have announced that Showtime has picked up Dexter for an additional two seasons. Currently in its third year, Dexter is Showtime’s top-rated drama series. The show averages 2.5 million viewers per week, and is likely to exceed three million viewers when DVR and on-demand numbers roll in.

"I thought at best we would attract a devoted cult audience but soon realized that, ironically, this show is so thematically rich and layered with humanity that audiences of all kinds have flocked to it," says Showtime president of entertainment Robert Greenblatt of Dexter‘s success.

Executive producer Clyde Phillips tells E! Online that he’s elated by the news, especially considering that he and his co-workers were not convinced that this season would enjoy the success of previous years.

"We were concerned because we were creating the show this year out of a whole cloth, whereas the first two years we had Jeff Lindsay’s book," says Phillips. "[In the second season, we] had Dexter in danger, and is he going to get caught … [this] year, we didn’t have any of that. So we’re really proud that we were able to put together a well thought out, well nuanced and exciting storyline for this year."

That’s in no small thanks to the newly arrived Jimmy Smits, who plays Miami Assistant District Attorney Miguel Prado in the new season.

"I have to tell you, when Jimmy and Michael [C. Hall] do a scene, we all go down and watch just because it’s like watching two amazing actors on a stage," says Phillips. "As far as we’re concerned, when we’re sitting in the editing room, those guys are winning Emmys everyday. "

This year, Dexter received five Emmy nominations, including ones for best lead actor (Michael C. Hall) and best drama series. It has won several other awards, including Satellite Awards for Best Drama Series, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actor to David Zayas for his role as Angel Batista.

Dexter‘s fourth season will go into production this spring in Los Angeles. The fourth and fifth seasons will consist of 12 episodes each.

In related television news, ABC has picked up the back nine for Private Practice, assuring a full season.  Maybe Dexter could pay them a visit and put the tortured medics out of their self-involved misery.

Fox Finds ‘Good Vibrations’

  • News
  • October 22, 2008

Good Vibrations is a potential animated mid-season replacement series for Fox. Created by Pineapple Express’ David Gordon Green, Variety says the show “centers on two high school surfer dudes who live near the beach in California.”

The trade also reports voice casting is complete and will feature Josh Gad (Back to You), Adam Brody (The O.C.), Debi Mazar (Entourage), Olivia Thirlby (New York I Love You), Alan Tudyk (Firefly) and Jake Busey (Broken).

Gad will star as Mondo, an “out-of-shape, shaggy-haired teen looking to master surfing and win over Jeena (voiced by Thirlby) — who thinks of Mondo more like a brother.”

Brody, the once and maybe future Flash, plays Woodie, Mondo’s best friend. Tudyk will supply the voice for Lonnie, “an old surf bum who doubles as the show’s narrator.”
 

‘Dr. Strange’ Makes Movie Magic?

  • News
  • October 22, 2008

Marvel Studios President of Production Kevin Feige tells MTV News that he wants to bring Dr. Stephen Strange to the big screen in the not too distant future.

When asked if he thinks the Master of the Mystic Arts would translate well on film, Feige answers, "Very much so."

"I’d say in the next year, year and a half, as we start putting together our film slate for 2012 and 2013, I would not be shocked if we saw Dr. Strange on those lists. I love the idea of tapping into the magical realm of the Marvel Universe, which is fairly significant and hasn’t yet seen life on screen. It’s something I’m very, very interested in."

For the detractors who say Strange is too, er, strange and obscure for a mainstream audience, Feige points out that it wasn’t long ago that Tony Stark was an obscure character himself.

"I remember two years ago at Comic Con, the cover of the ‘LA Times Calendar Section,’ red ‘Marvel calls out the B team’ and there was a picture of Iron Man," says Feige. "We don’t look at [these characters] as ‘B team.’ Dr. Strange? This is one of the best characters we have."

The good doctor is no stranger to appearances away from the page.  He has been seen in numerous animated series starting with Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends and at one point was being voiced by John Vernon (Animal House) who was the very first vocie artist for Iron Man back in the 1960s. (more…)

Review: ‘The Mammoth Book of Best Crime Comics’ edited by Paul Gravett

  • Uncategorized
  • October 22, 2008

The Mammoth Book of Best Crime Comics
Edited by Paul Gravett
Running Press, August 2008, $17.95

Every genre or medium has a great schism – the thing that practitioners and fans argue about when they can’t think of anything more substantive. For “speculative fiction,” it’s the battle between science fiction and fantasy. For “crime fiction,” the battling parties are cozies and hardboiled novels. [[[Manga]]] is divided shonen against shojo, and romances are contemporary or historical (with select ninja bands fighting for particular historical periods or contemporary subgenres, like the Regency or the prairie romance).

For comics, the essential question is: writing or art?

Oh, sure, we’re all supposedly grown up now; we don’t fight over that anymore. We can have both! we say, whether we’re indy geeks or Marvel zombies. But during those late nights at convention bars, and on obscure message boards, the knives come out, and we rumble.

At times like that, I always come down on the writing side. That’s my tribe; I came to comics from the SF/Fantasy world, and even now I read more pages of words without pictures than with. And the editor of [[[The Mammoth Book of Best Crime Comics]]], Paul Gravett…well, I suspect him of running with the art crowd.

Maybe I’m wrong – it could just be the material that gives that impression. But [[[Best Crime Comics]]] has a total of five of its stories (out of twenty-four) credited to an unknown writer, a suspicious number. And Gravett’s story introductions always list the artist first.

(more…)

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Webcomics You Should Have Read: Minus

  • News
  • October 22, 2008

minus1-3309779One of the most endearing features of Calvin and Hobbes was Calvin’s overactive imagination, which created amazing scenarios of space battles, time travel, and talking tigers. What if it wasn’t all in his imagination, though?

Ryan Armand gives us a brief look at childlike innocence and imagination brought to life in the world of Minus.

Minus is a little girl who apparently can do anything she can imagine — she flies, creates worlds, travels in time, talks to spirits and grants wishes. And though this leads to the occasional retribution against bullies or mean adults, unlike Calvin, she also shares her gifts with her friends. Minus will offer someone a flying unicorn as easily as another little girl might offer a lick of her ice-cream cone.

Armand’s site also includes a serial comic called Socks and a collection of older stand-alone comics. He doesn’t have a storefront, though archived newsposts note that he used to do prints of Minus comics; he might be willing to start up again if requested.

Notable moments:

Drama: There’s always some drama when you’re tugging at heartstrings, but Minus’ world is not a world of adult problems and relationships; it’s a child’s world, where everyone eventually gets a happy ending, even if they’re occasionally bittersweet.

Humor: While many of the comics earn a chuckle, the focus is more on evoking a sense of childlike wonder. And it succeeds.

Continuity: Low to Moderate. Some strip string together in sequence, but knowledge of previous ones isn’t terribly necessary to enjoy later strips.

Art: Each minus strip is painted with watercolors on a 15×20" piece of Illustration board. The style implies an enterprising painter more than a traditional comic artist.

Archive: About 130 strips. Two years of weekly Sunday newspaper-sized comics, though many are several "strips" long.

Updates: "It’ll be updating every Thursday until I suddenly stop!" Armand stopped updating the strip in March 2008 and started updating Socks in monthly chunks.

Risk/Reward: Some comics are ongoing, telling complicated stories, the ongoing events in characters’ lives, or just a joke every day. Some comics say what they want to say and end. Minus ends on an up-note, keeping tone to the very end. It’s worth your time.
 

Review: ‘Fringe’ Episode #106

Note: Click here for the last mystery!

Autopsy Report: “[[[The Cure]]]”
From Fox: “After weeks of being reported missing, a woman with a rare disease resurfaces in suburban Massachusetts and inexplicably causes excruciating pain and subsequent death to those she encounters. As the gruesome scene is investigated, dangerous levels of radiation are detected, and unusual circumstances surrounding the case point to illegal human drug trials and possibly something even more sinister. Meanwhile, Walter obsesses about cotton candy, Peter strikes a bargain with Nina Sharp and a startling piece of Olivia’s past is revealed.”

Doctor’s Notes
Last week’s [[[Fringe]]] was a remarkable letdown. Fresh off the heels of “The Arrival,” the season’s greatest episode, Fringe turned in “Power Hungry,” a colossally boring hour of television and certainly the worst installment in the series. This week, things get back on track in “The Cure,” offering excellent development in terms of plot and character.

In “The Cure,” a woman walks into a diner in suburban Massachusetts and has a radioactive freak out resulting in the very bloody deaths of herself and everyone around her. Olivia and her team investigate the incident, learning that the woman had a rare disease shared by another woman named Claire, and the disease was being combatted with an obscure radioactive treatment. Olivia discovers that they’d been kidnapped by Intrepus, Inc., a rival corporation to Massive Dynamic, where they were experimented on and essentially turned into human weapons of mass destruction. Olivia naturally saves the day, but sacrifices are made in the process that are sure to haunt the team in the future.

(more…)

Paterson Joseph Latest Suspect as 11th Doctor

  • News
  • October 22, 2008

Sci-Fi Wire is joining the growing chorus of place claiming that Steven Moffat, the incoming new producer for Doctor Who has cast the first black Doctor, actor Paterson Joseph, to replace David Tennant.

Of course, Tennant, the Tenth Doctor, is contracted through the 2010 season and may well sign for more seasons.  However, since he is not yet signed beyond a fifth full season, speculation has been running rampant as to whom Tennant could regenerate into.

Joseph as an option first surfaced a few weeks back in Rich Johnston’s Lying in the Gutters column.  He wrote,  “Previously playing Roderick in the Doctor Who episodes “Bad Wolf”/”Parting Of Ways,” Joseph is known for fine upstanding and terribly-well-spoken-dontcha-know roles as Johnson in Peep Show, the Marquis De Carabas in Neverwhere, Space Marshall Clarke in Hyperdrive, Lyndon in Green Wing…and more importantly Benjamin in Jekyll. Written and produced by upcoming Doctor” Who showrunner, Steven Moffat.”

Joseph initially told Sci Fi Wire, "I am on a list of God knows how many others, but flattered to be considered."

A follow up e-mail said, "The news on Who was news to me as of last Wednesday, when my agent said they’d had lots of journos asking if the rumors were true. That’s all I know, and I’m very pleased to even be thought of in this way. It’s a blast!"

On the other hand, TV Scoop reported a while back that James Nesbitt would replace Tennant while the London Telegraph wrote just months back that Russell Tovey, who played Midshipman Frame in the most recent Christmas special, was being eyed by producer Russell T. Davies as a potential replacement. He wrote in an e-mail, "He’s amazing. I think I’d make him the 11th Doctor."

Regardless, Tennant is working on the four Specials for 2009 and then will shoot the fifth season to air in 2010.  By then, he may have re-signed for a sixth season or someone else will be taking up residence in the TARDIS.  Isn’t this fun?
 

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All in Good Fun, by Elayne Riggs

  • News
  • October 22, 2008

jibjab-characters-blog-1-1727751“Palling around with terrorists!” the Republican VP candidate chirped of her running-mate’s opponent to a hungry mob armed with the modern-day equivalent of torches and pitchforks, which would be ignorant shouts of “Kill him!” and signs reading “Obama bin Lyin’”. (Oh, they excel at the disgusting comparative pun, do members of this base. Who could forget the knee-slapping “Hitlery”? Epithets like “McSame” and “Caribou Barbie” pale next to such jocularity.)

On the tried and true adage that Republicans scream loudest about stuff that they themselves are doing, I was tempted to inquire as to whether secessionists could be considered terrorists, but that’s a column for a different day. This week I want to further explore the themes I first articulated in my “birds of a feather” column.

Guilt by association is nothing new. It goes back to the Salem witch hunts, probably even earlier. And it’s soooo not the issue here, at least in terms of accusing one’s opponent of hanging out with people you deem unsavory. No, the real danger is to the American citizenry (as usual), and it comes from all these people palling around with each other. (more…)

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Craig Won’t Visit Asgard; Seeks New Director

  • News
  • October 22, 2008

daniel-craig-bond-1321660With Quantum of Solace just weeks away now, the publicity machine has started cranking up with all sorts of interesting tidbits popping up.

First, there’s the confirmation from star Daniel Craig that he was approached by Marvel to see if he might be worthy of wielding Mjolnir, Thor’s magic uru hammer. As quoted over at IESB, the report said, “Craig said yes they [Marvel] did approach him but he turned it down. He added jokingly, it would have been too much of a power trip, both Bond and Thor, and running around with long hair and a hammer.”

Meantime, FirstShowing has quoted director Marc Foster as saying he will not return for the next installment of the series.

“They offered me the next one, but at this point the pressure is so intense — it’s a year of not having a life,” Foster told the site. “And I don’t know if I want to do that again. It’s literally not having a life, and I mean that, it’s not exaggerated. I feel like life is short, you have to find a balance.”

Sony has already started talking about Bond 23 as coming out in 2010 but first they have to see how well this does and how quickly a screenplay can be readied and an appropriate director located.  Any thoughts as to who should guide Craig in his next mission?
 

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