Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome frak yes!

By the gods, what took so frakking long?

On the one hand, I'm glad that "Blood & Chrome" is finally seeing the light of day (the first of 10 installments of "Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome," will debut on Machimimas Youtube Channel Friday; the entire thing will later air on Syfy at an undetermined date and have a DVD release as well).

On the other hand, is this any way to treat one of the great dramas of our time?

It concerns me that this project is finally debuting on a relatively obscure online channel with almost no advance notice. We waited more than two years for this? "Battlestar Galactica" was by far Syfy's most acclaimed series, and the drama was near and dear to my heart and to the hearts of its many fans. I wrote about it more than any other show ever (want proof? There are pages and pages of proof here.)

The long delays that plagued "Blood & Chrome" and the hasty nature of its arrival on the Web -- on a Web channel I've never heard of -- well, it doesn't really warm the depths of my Saul Tigh-loving heart. The show had a lot of special effects, I get that. But that doesn't fully explain why this spinoff sat on a shelf for two years.

The existence of the "Blood & Chrome" project, which follows young William Adama's experiences in the first Cylon war, first came to light way back in July 2010. In "Blood & Chrome," which was written by "BSG" writer Michael Taylor from a story by Taylor and "BSG" writers David Weddle and Bradley Thompson, an eager young William Adama (Luke Pasqualino) goes on a mission with a war-weary officer named Coker (Ben Cotton).

"It's a story that will take us to new corners of the 'Battlestar' world (or worlds), and yet it aims to be a very contemporary war movie in a lot of ways. I would say I'm thinking as much of Afghanistan and Iraq -- the reality of 'The Hurt Locker,' Sebastian Junger's 'Restrepo,' and similar movies -- as I am about about the largely implied past of 'Battlestar,'" Taylor told me in an interview in 2010. The movie is about "a young man's initiation into war: both the realities of war as fought by soldiers on the ground (and in Battlestars and Vipers), and the somewhat less real version portrayed in the media."

That sounded pretty exciting, and the network appeared to be high on the project as well. In the fall of 2010, Syfy said that "Blood & Chrome" had been upgraded, in a manner of speaking: It would function as "a backdoor pilot" to a possible Young Adama series on Syfy. Then a year went by, and I learned in 2011 Syfy executives had seen a rough cut, but still hadn't decided whether it would be released as a Web series or air as a pilot.

And then another year went by -- more than that, actually. Whatever momentum the project had -- if it ever had any -- has more than dried up during the last two years of vacillation.

I'm just speculating here, but if Syfy was well and truly enthused about "Blood & Chrome" and its future, would it have handed the project over to another entity for its debut? (And that Web channel, Syfy's press release is at pains to tell us twice, is "male-centric," which seems a little odd given the huge number of female "BSG" fans. I know that "Blood & Chrome" is very action-oriented fare, but come on. Ladies love to see robots fighting as much as guys do.)

Perhaps it was my fault for expecting more. After all, scripted drama seems to be something of an afterthought -- or at best, an unfavored sibling -- on Syfy these days. Hardly a week seems to go by without the debut or the greenlight of yet another reality series about collectors, makeup, ghosts, set decoration or whatever.

I'm not hating on reality TV, I'm just sad that almost none of the network's resources and attention appear to be focused on ambitious drama. I like "Alphas," but it's not in "BSG's" realm, and is the channel's lighter scripted fare is even more remote from the glory days of Adama, Roslin and Starbuck.

Not every drama is going to be "BSG": I get that. But Syfy appears less interested in the most robust and interesting aspects of science fiction and fantasy every year. At this point, I'm more excited about the new military sci-fi series from "Spartacus" creator Steven DeKnight than I am about anything in Syfy's pipeline.

Still, I guess I had more faith than I thought that the network would treat this franchise well. As it stands, I can't quite believe that after all that anticipation and all that waiting, "Blood & Chrome's" debut has this hasty air. And if there's talk of a possible TV series or any other kind of future, I certainly haven't heard it.

The Old Man -- or the young man, as it happens -- deserves better. So say we all.

huffingtonpost.com

*sigh* I miss the glory days of  the Sci-Fy channel (just 'cause you changed your name to SyFy doesn't make it good) as this article eloquently points out.

Get rid of all of the damn reality crap of which we have more then enough and start offering quality scripted programming again!

I think I've talked about Battlestar Galactica in the past and how sad I was to see it end.

So when I heard this was actually seeing the light of day I could not contain my excitement (even though by the looks of it, it might be short lived) I simply had to share.

Ever since BSG ended I've been looking for shows that equal it and although many have come close (Homeland & The Walking Dead to name a few) to becoming wonderful replacements, they still don't have all the elements that made Battlestar Galactica the brilliance that it was.

I sincerely hope Syfy wakes up and decides to give this one a chance (instead of killing it way before it's time as they did with Caprica which I also loved).

And just as a side note I love the fact that this series ties BSG, Razor (the flashback eps) and Caprica together.  It's like a lovely little reward for the true fans of the genre. :)

"The Flinstones" reboot....um no thank you?

The man behind hit cartoon shows Family Guy and American Dad has signed on to give The Flintstones a revamp.

Seth MacFarlane has often spoken about his love for the prehistoric family, and admits Fred Flintstone was one of the first characters he drew as a kid.

"I think America is finally ready for an animated sitcom about a fat, stupid guy with a wife who's too good for him," MacFarlane joked in a statement.

Fox entertainment president Kevin Reilly told the LA Times that the network hoped to introduce the prehistoric characters to a "whole new generation."

"Fox has long been home to iconic families like the Simpsons and the Griffins, so I have no doubt that the Flintstones and the Rubbles are going to fit right in on our air," Reilly said.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/family-guy-creator-to-tackle-the-flintstones-20110517-1eqiu.html#ixzz1MaNYudgt

The new Flintstones is set to air in the US on TV in 2013, according to CinemaBlend.com.

 

This is going to sound really redundant, but I'm gonna say it anyway.  

 

Why do t.v./movie exec's feel this incessant need to ruin the classics?.  

 

The first thing that popped into my head when I read this was 'oh god here we go again'.  

 

First The Smurfs, now The Flintstones.  

 

The fact that this is apparently going to be an animated revamp doesn't really make it any better.  

 

All due respect to Seth McFarlane (whom I enjoy immensely), but do we really need one?.  

 

What's wrong with re-introducing the "new generation" to the old characters with the help of dvd and blu-ray they would look and sound just as good (if not better).  

 

There's a reason why cartoons like these are timeless (and already appeal to a whole host of generations).  

 

Just sayin' .   

Save "Life Unexpected" Campaign

Recent TV history is rife with passionate fan campaigns to save shows: Tabasco-for-Roswell, peanuts-for-Jericho, Subway-for-Chuck, etc. But in these Internet-fractured, dwindling-audience times, it’s increasingly become the producers and casts of the shows themselves who do whatever it takes to rally viewership. 

Joss Whedon crusaded to save Dollhouse before it even started; Lone Star creator Kyle Killen publicly (and, it seems, futilely) pleaded for viewers after the first episode tanked. 

Now the cast of The CW’s charming long-lost-kid-finds-birth-parents drama Life Unexpected is taking their underrated show’s fate into their own hands with a particularly intense flurry of efforts. They made their own posters (complete with little tear-off tags reminding viewers where and when the show airs. 

They created a funny, slightly salty “behind-the-scenes video” meant to go viral. (There’s nudity and unplanned pregnancy!) They made a Facebook page and a Twitter feed to talk directly to fans. Stars Kristoffer Polaha and Austin Basis stood on Wilshire Boulevard with “SAVE OUR SHOW” signs.

They’ve even blogged and sent mass e-mails exhorting friends and fans to spread the word about the show. Polaha’s helpfully specific instructions included: “So, in honor of public works of art, in honor of a collective, in honor of being arthousey, and in the honor of science, please tell one person this week about Life Unexpected. Strike up a conversation with that hot guy from English 101 and tell him he reminds you of Baze. He’ll ask, ‘Who the heck is Baze?’ At which point you can launch in to a full-tilt PR session about your favorite show. Brag about its great story lines, go on and on about the actors — especially the guy who plays Baze with the funny last name you can’t pronounce; more on the name in a later blog (there’s that word again) — in short, sell it.”
 
And their efforts have paid off, at least a little: Ratings hit a season high of 1.7 million viewers this week (boosted by a One Tree Hill crossover) and The CW just ordered two more scripts on top of the original 13-episode order for the season. 

I’m touched that the cast cares so much about their show — this isn’t true of as many shows as you might think. And God knows it’s no picnic to stump for your own work. 

But there’s a danger of going overboard here, too, and coming off like the guy who calls too soon and too often after the first date. 

I don’t know if this would draw me to a show I didn’t already watch. (Incidentally, I think Life is a sweet little show; it reminds me of The WB of old.) 

Do you think this kind of thing can work long-term, PopWatchers? Does a cast or producer begging you to watch make you want to support a show more…or less?
    

ew.com 

Why watch "The Whole Truth"

Why should you be watching 'The Whole Truth'? Two words: Maura Tierney.

Yes, the former 'NewsRadio' and 'ER' star Maura Tierney should be enough to get you, loyal reader, to give up an hour of your Wednesday evening to watch 'The Whole Truth' (Wed., 10PM ET on ABC). She's not enough? Fine. What about Tierney's chemistry with Rob Morrow?

Honestly, you could probably put a jar of pickles in front of her and Tierney could make it charming, but when you put her with somebody as charismatic as Morrow, it's TV heaven.

Sure, there are problems with the ABC legal drama. Example: the same defense attorney and prosecutor face off every week. But wait, you probably watch a show where kids break out into song every 10 minutes. This is television -- suspend your disbelief and enjoy the ride.

Right now, 'The Whole Truth' is teetering on the edge of cancellation. ABC is airing a special on the rescued Chilean miners in place of a new episode tonight. It's pulling in around 4.5 million viewers, losing nearly 3 million from its lead-in 'Cougar Town.' For ABC, those are bad numbers. But given time, the series could evolve -- maybe ditch the kitschy little flashbacks to scenes that happened 15 minutes before. However, before it can evolve, it needs viewers. 

If you don't start watching 'The Whole Truth,' we might be lose potentially great characters Kathryn Peale and Jimmy Brogan. You know how 'Law & Order: SVU' has maintained its procedural element, yet we've seen layers develop in Detectives Benson and Stabler? 'The Whole Truth' could do that and more. The characters have a history, let the viewers learn about it. Plus, the supporting players are begging for some background. You know there's more to Sean Wing's incredibly earnest Chad.

The problem with new shows, as we've talked about here on TV Squad, is that sometimes it's cheaper to cancel them rather than let the show build an audience. 'Seinfeld' wasn't a hit from the start. It took seasons -- yes, more than one -- to get to its cult status.

The ratings for the Oct. 6 episode showed a tiny bit of life, they went up a bit, but not enough. Give the show time to evolve, there is a spark in these characters. Plus, given the format, there are tons of opportunities for guest stars. Great guest stars. Judd Hirsch's appearance was quality TV. Tierney's 'ER' pal Parminder Nagra is filming an episode now.

If you love smart character moments, great chemistry between actors and the law in general, then start watching 'The Whole Truth.' Start now.

tvsquad.com

The article pretty much hits all the important points, the most important one being that it is an excellent show that just needs time to develop. 

So please watch!.

Maura Tierney to star in new ABC show?

Call it casting synchronicity.

After Joely Richardson dropped out as the lead on ABC's forthcoming legal drama 'The Whole Truth' earlier this month, the Ausiello Files is reporting that the network is in talks with Maura Tierney to replace her.



Tierney found herself in a similar situation last year when she dropped out as a lead on NBC's 'Parenthood' to undergo treatment for cancer. Lauren Graham was brought in to replace her, and the series has since gone on to moderate success for the Peacock.



'The Whole Truth' promises a different take on legal dramas by building each case with equal emphasis on prosecution and defense. Viewers won't know the truth until the final moments of each episode. If cast, Tierney would star as the Deputy Bureau Chief in New York's DA office, squaring off against Rob Morrow ('Numb3rs') as a rising criminal attorney.

tvfanatic.com

Interesting although I just don't know how to feel about the 'ABC' part. It would be great seeing Maura on t.v. again though.

Alias reboot?

One of the greatest TV series of all time, J.J. Abrams’ Alias, is reportedly being rebooted.

Although an insider tells E! that “nothing is even close to being anything official yet.”

The new version of Alias would “borrow some elements of the original series that starred Jennifer Garner (and Michael Vartan, Victor Garber and Bradley Cooper). But the series would most likely not include any sort of complex mythological throughline such as the Rambaldi prophecy (a storyline that lost some of the fans).”

Read more: http://justjared.buzznet.com/#ixzz0pB5632lY

I got all excited until I noticed that it does not mention whether any of the original cast members would be involved.

But I guess they're going for something different. Although I thought that's what Undercovers was supposed to be.

The "no complex mythology" part sounds good though!. Perhaps J.J. Abrams read the message boards after the finale of Lost. *LOL*.

The whole thing does seem like J.J. is trying to recapture his glory days doesn't it?.

J.J. Abrams spy drama 'Undercovers' coming to NBC

Back in October of last year I posted that J.J. Abrams (best known for the creation of Alias and most recently Fringe) was in a bidding war with several networks over a project that sounded suspiciously like the t.v. version of the movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

Well, it looks like NBC has won that particular bidding war.

J.J. Abrams has a new drama for NBC’s upcoming season!

Undercovers stars English actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Boris Kodjoe (Madea’s Family Reunion, Surrogates) as retired and married CIA agents who get called back in to duty after leaving the spy world behind.

“We have tremendous confidence in this promising series and feel this is a great way to kick off our upcoming Upfront development announcements,” NBC Universal Chairman Jeff Gaspin said (via THR). “J.J. has delivered another signature series along with our partners at Warner Bros and we couldn’t be happier.”

Read more: http://justjared.buzznet.com/2010/05/05/jj-abrams-brings-undercovers-to-nbc/#ixzz0n25AhBnf

I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not. After all NBC hasn't had the greatest luck with action dramas as of late (Bionic Woman anyone?).

I'll check it out but, if this new show ends up being as complicated as Fringe, or if I see a hint of the craziness that was Alias season 3 I won't even bother.

Maura Tierney healthy and returning to t.v.

Maura Tierney has beat back breast cancer and will return to TV as Denis Leary’s love interest in the final season of “Rescue Me.”

As you may recall, the former “ER” doc had to bow out of NBC’s “Parenthood” last summer to undergo cancer treatment. She was replaced by “Gilmore Girls” star Lauren Graham.

The Hyde Park homegal, 45, has “finished treatment and is doing very well and is happy to move forward with the next phase of her life,” her spokesgal Christina Papadopoulos said yesterday.

Tierney has begun filming four episodes for the FX dramedy’s seventh and final season next year. When last we left Maura’s character Kelly McPhee, she had just had a disturbing sit-down with Tommy Gavin’s ex-wife, Janet, and cra-zee galpal Sheila that prompted a re-examination of her romance with Leary’s Tommy Gavin.

Source: bostonherald.com

'Dancing With the Stars' season 10 cast revealed

LOS ANGELES - A "Baywatch" babe, an astronaut and a gold medal figure skater are among those who will compete on the spring season of "Dancing With the Stars."

Host Tom Bergeron and former finalist Melissa Rycroft revealed the cast Monday. It includes Pamela Anderson, astronaut Buzz Aldrin and reality TV stars Kate Gosselin and Jake Pavelka.

Also competing for the mirrorball trophy will be: Olympic gold medal figure skater Evan Lysacek, sportscaster Erin Andrews, singer Nicole Scherzinger, football star Chad Ochocinco and actors Shannen Doherty, Aiden Turner and Niecy Nash.

"It's definitely one of our strongest cast lineups ever," said executive producer Conrad Green. "Pound for pound, it should be really fascinating watching."

"Dancing With the Stars" returns on March 22.

Green said the recipe for a great cast is "part hope, part luck, part skill, part research." The show's staff has been courting many of the newly announced contestants for months, he said.

The new dancers will train for three weeks before making their primetime premiere.

Green said his staff is enforcing limits on training time to avoid the spate of injuries that plagued last year's cast and caused two stars to drop out before the competition began.

Source: Yahoo News

I really don't know what to say about this cast, it might just be the weirdest cast they've ever had.

The only person I would be even remotely interested in seeing dance is Shannen Doherty.

Also with another Olympic medalist in the mix, I think the rest of the competition is kind of pointless.

Every time they've had an Olympic athlete they've always won.

Maura Tierney on road to recovery and headed to the theatre

Image Source

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Former "ER" star Maura Tierney is headed to the stage.

The actress, who dropped out of NBC drama "Parenthood" last year in order to undergo treatment for breast cancer, will appear in the play "North Atlantic," Variety reported.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: TV's Favorite Doctors

The play - about a peacekeeping group in the North Atlantic on an aircraft carrier -- will also star "Burn After Reading" actress Frances McDormand.

"North Atlantic" will run in Los Angeles from February 10-21 and in New York, from March 10 - April 25.

The Wooster Group will produce the show.

On Sunday, Maura's former "Parenthood" co-executive producer, Jason Katims, updated reporters on the actress' condition.

"She's doing well... She's doing really good," he told reporters at NBC's Television Critics Association panel for "Parenthood." "She's in treatment and I spoke to her a few weeks ago and she's doing good."

That is very good news indeed =).

Source: yahoo.com

'Amazing Race' 16 cast announced

Before you know it, it will be time for another whirlwind race around the world as the Emmy-winning reality show, The Amazing Race, returns for its 16th season. The new season is set to premiere at 8 PM ET/PT on Sunday, February 14.

Today CBS announced the teams we'll be loving or hating as we vicariously travel around the world with them from the comfort of our own homes. The official CBS website is up and running with in-depth bios of the teams.

Once again, it looks like we have a diverse cast with a good range of ages. Hopefully it won't be like last season with one team never making it past the finish line!

• Big Brother 11 winner Jordan Lloyd (22) and her fan favorite BB11 showmance gone romance Jeff Schroeder (31) are amongst the teams.
• Brent Horne (28) and Caite Upton (20), dating models.
• Carol Rosenfeld (47) and Brandy Snow (40), dating couple.
• Adrian Davis (40) and Dana Davis (39), high school sweethearts/married.
• Cord McCoy (29) and Jet McCoy (30), brothers/cowboys.
• Jody Kelly (71) and Shannon Foster (22), grandmother and granddaughter.
• Joe Wang (42) and Heidi Wang (37), married couple.
• Dan Pious (24) and Jordan Pious (22), brothers.
• Michael Naylor (45) and Louie Stravato (47), friends/police detectives.
• Monique Pryor (39) and Shawne Morgan (39), friends.
• Steve Smith (57) and Allie Smith (23), father and daughter.

Source: tvsquad.com

Very interesting teams indeed, also I think this is the second year in a row where the countries the teams will travel are not revealed.

I guess that's incentive for viewers to tune in. Good enough for me!.

Joss Whedon new show in the works for FX cable?

With all the buzz of the awards season and of the beginning of a new late night feud, other news is somehow lost in the crossfire. Normally, a story like this would be big news. A major show runner like Joss Whedon talking to a cable network? Yup, It seems that Whedon’s work with FOX might finally be done now that Dollhouse is closing out.

FX President John Landgraf told reporters at the Television Critics Association press tour that he would be meeting with Whedon about potential future projects with Whedon. “You know, his representatives called and scheduled a lunch,” Landgraf said. “I think I’m supposed to have lunch with Joss in the next two or three weeks, and I have, you know, enormous respect for him. By the way, if you look at Shawn Ryan, who created ‘The Shield’ and is running ‘Terriers,’ Shawn learned at the feet of Joss Whedon in the Joss Whedon school and Carlton Cuse, by the way as well. So I don’t really know Joss, but I’m really looking forward to meeting him. I love his stuff.”

“I’ve been now at the channel for six years. We’ve made nine drama pilots, and we’ve picked eight of them up,” said Landgraf. “So we really don’t make very many pilots that we don’t order. Sometimes we have to go in and do a little reshooting or a little recasting, but I think we tend to grapple and struggle with that question of, if this show is really well executed, will we program it, will we put it on the air.

We tend to grapple with that question before we pick shows up. And, again, we don’t have to feed as large a mouth as a 15 hour a week broadcast network like FBC or a 22 hour a week broadcast network like CBS, NBC, or ABC. So we had the luxury of time and sort of careful consideration.

That said, I think we’ll probably only make one drama pilot right now because we have seven drama series currently on our roster. We have three that have not aired yet that we’re preparing ‘Justified,’ ‘Terriers,’ and ‘Lights Out.’ And I think, in all probability, if we make a drama pilot, we’ll pick it up, and probably we only need one sort of back up drama right now.”

This could be a major move for Whedon. FX is a great place for Whedon, it is a major enough cable network that would catch all the hardcore Whedonites, and plenty of new viewers that FX grabs with its edgy programming. Imagine if his last couple projects had been on a cable network where they could’ve played out a bit longer (and also had numerous repeats).

Source: reviewstl.com

Oh please let this be true!. It's about time!. I've been saying Joss should try cable for years now.

Although I'm not sure how I feel about FX (from what I've been able to gather that stands for Fox Extended).

You would think Joss would have had it up to here with Fox by now (considering their horrible habit of cancelling all his shows). But it's still cable, so I have hope.

Maura Tierney doing well, and returning to t.v. soon

Maura Tierney, who left TV's Parenthoodafter having surgery to remove a breast tumor, may be well enough later next year to return to her other show, Rescue Me.

At a Hollywood Radio and Television Society luncheon for top show producers on Wednesday, Rescue Me executive producer Peter Tolan told PEOPLE he was making plans to bring her back for the seventh season.

"We are just about finished writing the entire sixth season, which is about 10 episodes, and then there are nine more" for Season 7, he says, "so we know we're going to bring back Maura Tierney, because we loved her and she loved us, which is even more fulfilling."

Those episodes will be shot in the spring of 2010, "so she can take care of herself and come back then."

Tierney's spokesperson confirmed that she indeed "would love to come back to Rescue Me if possible."

After a successful run as nurse Abby Lockhart on the NBC drama ER. Tierney appeared in the fifth season of Rescue Me as Kelly McPhee, a love interest for Denis Leary's firefighter Tommy Gavin. In the season finale that aired in September, Kelly seemed to reject Tommy.


People.com

Well it's not an exact confirmation, but I'm glad to hear she's doing well nonetheless :).

I don't really watch Rescue Me, but I'm sure once Maura is well enough she'll have no trouble finding other shows to star in.

Perhaps even one where she is the sole star.

Fox gives Joss Whedon's 'Dollhouse' the boot :(

This has been a busy week for cancellations. The latest addition to the TV graveyard: Dollhouse.

According to multiple insiders, Fox has informed Joss Whedon that it will not be ordering additional installments of his low-rated drama beyond the current 13-episode order. On the bright side, the network still plans to burn off the remaining unaired episodes beginning in December. Hey, it’s something.

Dollhouse has been averaging a mere 3 million viewers this season. Last season — when fan support, together with significant budget cuts, helped it to get an odds-defying second-year pickup — the show averaged 4.7 million.

Bottom line: Dollhouse is lucky it ever saw a second season. Remember that when you’re posting your eulogies below.

UPDATE: Whedon just posted the following statement on Whedonesque.com: “I don’t have a lot to say. I’m extremely proud of the people I’ve worked with: my star, my staff, my cast, my crew. I feel the show is getting better pretty much every week, and I think you’ll agree in the coming months. I’m grateful that we got to put it on, and then come back and put it on again. I’m off to pursue Internet ventures/binge drinking. Possibly that relaxation thing I’ve read so much about. By the time the last episode airs, you’ll know what my next project is. But for now, there’s a lot of work still to be done, and disappointment to bear. Thank you all for your support, your patience, your excellent adverts. See you again.”

Source: EW.com

Let's face it as much as I didn't want this to happen I knew it was only a matter of time.

It's too bad though once again a brilliant show got killed before it really got the chance to hit it's stride.

At least Fox is actually airing the rest of the eps that were filmed, that's something to be grateful for I guess.

Whatever Joss plans to do next I hope it doesn't involve anything with Fox.

Psst, Joss here is an idea next time screw the networks and just go with cable ;).

'Terminator' franchise in new bidding war

All the big studios, with Sony leading the way, as well as Summit Entertainment and Media Rights Capital, are interested in bidding when the Terminator franchise is auctioned off this month.

This news comes from the Financial Times' Matthew Garrahan who says the rights auction is for new Terminator films, TV program and other spin-offs.

Because we all know The Sarah Connor Chronicles on Fox did so well, right? that build on the popularity of the franchise. The sale is being conducted by FTI Capital Advisors for Halcyon which bought the Terminator rights 2 years ago for $25M from Mario Kassar.

Halcyon recently filed for Chapter 11 after a dispute with Pacificor, a Santa Barbara-based hedge fund that lent Halcyon the sum to buy the Terminator rights.

Sheesh, I think this character/concept is played out. Then again, Terminator 4: Salvation made $380M worldwide.

Source: deadline.com

Apparently Mr. Joss Whedon himself put in a bid as well. And wrote a hilarious open letter to boot!. LOL

Seriously, how cool would it be if Joss actually got it?. Oh, the possibilities.....

'Bones' production shut down due to swine flu

Just because "Bones" production has been shut down thanks to an outbreak of swine flu, doesn't mean that the show's star, David Boreanaz has it ... necessarily.

EW.com reports that a spokesperson for the show is saying that David is out sick, but didn't specify if he's out sick with swine flu. “David is out with the flu and the show shut down today since he was in every scene,” says the rep. “We hope to resume production tomorrow.”

News began to spread of the outbreak on set after "Bones" creator Hart Hanson is the person who first tweeted the news of the outbreak on the show's set. He said, “First time in Bones history we are shut down from production. Damn swine flu! That’s gonna cut into Christmas hiatus.”

He later took to Twitter again to clarify that it doesn't seem like David has the swine flu at all.“There is no indication that Boreanaz has swine flu," he wrote. "We expect him back tomorrow. I’m now going out to get swine flu myself in atonement.”

Well, Hanson you don't have to do that. We’re sure that our guy is just fine. We mean he can't die right? He's a vampire!

Source: hollywoodcrush.mtv.com

Well, it's good to hear that David is o.k.

And hey 5 years of continuous production is a damn good record indeed!.

'Mr. and Mrs. Smith' coming to your t.v.?

J.J. Abrams is spying a new adventure/action series, triggering a bidding war at several networks.

The creator of "Alias" partnered with "Felicity" scribe Josh Reims to pen an hourlong spy thriller; spec script has generated heat at ABC, NBC and CBS. Warner Bros. TV, where Abrams' Bad Robot operation is based, is the studio.

News of the project, which centers on spies who are also married, was first reported Wednesday by the Wrap.

Reims' other credits include "Brothers and Sisters" as well as Abrams' "What About Brian."

Abrams, who's exec producer on Fox's "Fringe," and Bad Robot are also behind a half-hour laffer project from scribe Mike Markowitz; that script was recently sold to Fox.

Source: variety.com

I was excited for about a second, until I saw the Abrams part. His last 2 shows haven't exactly been on the must watch list for me.

The other issue I have with this is, let's face it Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt made those characters what they are I'm not so sure they would translate well to t.v. with different actors.

I think he would have a better shot if he just brought back Alias with Jennifer Garner.

'Buffy' star & husband welcome baby girl!

Image Source

Sarah Michelle Prinze and husband Freddie Prinze Jr. are parents, PEOPLE has learned exclusively. The couple "welcomed their daughter Charlotte Grace Prinze on Saturday, Sept. 19," says a rep for the actress. "The family is over the moon."

This is the first child for the couple, who revealed that they were expecting back in April.

Freddie Prinze Jr. will star on the upcoming season of 24. Sarah Michelle recently changed her last name from Gellar to Prinze.

Source: People.com

Congrats to the proud parents:).

And can we have a yay! for not going the celebrity route and actually giving the child a normal name.

'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' sued for copyright infringement!

Four of the world's biggest recording companies have sued the producers of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, accusing them of using songs without permission.

On the popular daytime programme, which averages about 3 million viewers daily, newly named American Idol judge and show host DeGeneres dances to popular tunes selected by a DJ.

The programme is produced and distributed by various divisions of Time Warner Inc. While DeGeneres is not named specifically, the suit names her company, A Very Good Production.

The lawsuit, which seeks an unspecified amount of damages, said The Ellen DeGeneres Show has used more than 1,000 songs without permission.

In the lawsuit, which was filed on Wednesday in federal court in Nashville, Tennessee, the labels said that when they asked why licences were not obtained for use of the songs, representatives for the show said they "did not roll that way."

"As sophisticated consumers of music, defendants knew fully well that, regardless of the way they rolled, under the Copyright Act ... they needed a license to use the sound recordings lawfully," the lawsuit stated.

The lawsuit was filed by Warner Music Group Corp, Sony Corp's Sony Music Entertainment, Vivendi SA's Universal Music Group, and EMI Group.

In a statement, Warner Bros said it had been working with the labels for "many months" to resolve the issue of how songs are used on the show, "after years of a good working relationship between the parties."

"It is unfortunate that the record labels have resorted to filing a suit over a straightforward business dispute which the show has always been prepared, and remains willing, to resolve on amicable and reasonable terms," Warner Bros said.

Source: tvnz.co.nz

First of all I have to say I am extremely surprised that Warner Bros. (part of the giant that is Time Warner Inc.) would miss something as hugely important as copyright.

On the other hand I think the fact that the show does name the artist, song and label each time they play one will definitely work in their favour.

And actually I would have thought the artists would be grateful to the show for doing them a favour and promoting their material (but I guess this is more of a case of greedy labels again).

And while we're on the subject why exactly are they filing this lawsuit now? (the show has been on for 6 years after all). During that time the show has played countless songs.

I don't know much about the waiting periods for copyright infringement lawsuits, but I'm fairly certain it doesn't take 6 years to file.

So there's gotta be something more going on here.

I'm not too worried about it though, after all this is Time Warner it's not like they can't afford a satisfactory settlement.

Maura Tierney out of NBC's 'Parenthood'

Photo by: Merritt/Getty

Maura Tierney has bowed out of NBC's "Parenthood," citing her ongoing treatments for breast cancer.

NBC had already pushed back the series from fall to midseason to give the star time to undergo treatments. On Thursday, the Peacock said while Tierney is expected to recover, her treatment plan conflicted with the production sked for the Universal Media Studios dramedy.

"While we are saddened that Maura Tierney won't be able to continue in her current role in 'Parenthood,' our main concern is for her quick and full recovery. Our thoughts and best wishes are with her," the Peacock said in a statement.

NBC plans to recast Tierney's role, which was the cornerstone of the ensemble show revolving around a large family in Northern California. Names on the producers' wish list are said to include Marisa Tomei.

"Parenthood" received strong early critical buzz, thanks in part to Tierney's performance as a single mom struggling to raise two teens. When her illness was disclosed in July, Peacock opted to push the show and move midseason entry "Mercy" up to fall.

"Parenthood," based on the 1989 movie, also stars Peter Krause, Craig T. Nelson, Dax Shepard, Bonnie Bedelia, Monica Potter, Erika Christensen and Sarah Ramos.

The set of "Parenthood" was already rocked last spring, when NBC exec Nora O'Brien died while taking part in the pilot shoot. Production on "Parenthood" was shut down for two days.

Source: Variety.com

That's really too bad, I was so looking forward to this series, and to seeing Maura on t.v. again.

I think NBC is making a big mistake with re-casting the role (obviously they can't wait any longer for monetary reasons).

But I think they'll end up loosing a lot of money in the long run anyway. Since I know for most people the draw to this new show was Maura herself (it certainly was for me).

I doubt many people will watch now that she's out.

I do hope the ongoing treatment doesn't mean anything bad. Get well soon Maura :).