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Khyron

08.22.07

::Fall TV Preview part 2::
Welcome to part 2 of Khyron's fall TV preview.

As I stated in part 1, the big broadcast and cable networks will be banking on the paranormal for ratings in the coming months. To recap briefly, NBC looks to dominate the first half of the week with the returning fan-favorite Heroes as well as new shows like Bionic Woman and Cavemen. Not to be outdone, ABC will be premiering odd dramedy Pushing Daisies. And, as usual, the CW looks to be continuing its trend of mediocrity.

Now then, let us continue onward to the remaining days of the week as well as look ahead to what the midseason has in store. Science fiction on the week's end is a hit-or-miss business, but there are some promising gems worth checking out. Time to break it down.

While NBC will be focusing on their tried and true comedy lineup of The Office, Earl, and 30 Rock on Thursday nights, the CW will be competing with a long-running superhero origins story and a brotherly tale of Supernatural shenanigans. The former, the mildly popular Superman yarn Smallville, will be going into its 7th season this fall. An impressive feat for a CW show, let alone one using a comic book license. I've only watched a few episodes from Smallville's first season, but from what I've seen, it's a worthwhile adaptation/retelling of the iconic character's humble beginnings. Tom Welling as Clark Kent/Superman-to-be was a great bit of casting (perhaps even more so than the silver screen's Brandon Routh) and is fit to play the lead. I can't say much regarding hype or expectations for this upcoming 7th season, but it should be a sure bet for those loyal fans who have been following it since the beginning. For the rest of us, however, I don't much feel like jumping into a plot 7 seasons in the making.

Finally we reach Friday nights--the home of failing dramas and Scifi Friday. In years past, the Scifi Channel has dominated the geek primetime slot with its wicked 3-hit combo of Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, and Battlestar Galactica. However, with SG-1 having been canceled after a stellar 10-season run and BSG moving on to bigger and better time slots, Scifi's Friday lineup hasn't been the same. That said, the return of Stargate Atlantis for its 4th season is my pick for Friday night viewing. Joining the cast from her former role on SG-1, Amanda 'Col. Carter' Tapping will be making her way to Atlantis this season. And considering the chemistry she has with David 'Dr. McKay' Hewlett, hilarity is sure to ensue. Also, I'm interested to see how the writers handle the cancellation of SG-1. Will there be references to Earth and SG-1 characters (with delicious guest-star appearances, of course)? Or will they pull some kind of 'cut off from home'-style plot twist? Time shall tell.

Airing along with Atlantis will be the newly re-imagined Flash Gordon. I guess the success of brining back Dr. Who and Battlestar Galactica warranted the return of yet another cheesy sci-fi serial of decades long past. This one is debatably a fall show--as it premiered nearly 3 weeks ago--but its inaugural season will bring it into the fall months. To be honest, I wasn't too thrilled about this one. The use of a cover of Queen's 'Flash Theme' being used in promotions aside, I've had little desire to watch it. I have the first two episodes ready for me on my DVR, but until I check them out, I will be abstaining from commenting on the quality of the series. I will say, however, that it looks to have comedy potential in the same spirit as Eureka...you know, if you're into that.

To bring the week to a close, CBS will be premiering their vampire thriller Moonlight. Co-executive produced by Joel Silver (producer of such hits as The Matrix, Lethal Weapon, and V for Vendetta to name a few), it does indeed have some impressive production credits. What remains to be seen however is how lead actor Alex O'Loughlin (most widely known in the US for his brief role in the latest season of FX's The Shield) will perform and how the writers will manage to keep the plot from turning into an unoriginal amalgam of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Underworld. Proceed with caution, but I will probably be checking it out.

Now that I've covered what can be expected of the fall season, allow me to speculate on what to look forward to in the midseason. Most anticipated in my mind is the 4th (and final) season of Scifi's Battlestar Galactica. Considered by many (myself included) to be the greatest science fiction show of all time, all remaining 22 episodes will be like a mini event. And there are so many unanswered questions...Are they really Cylons? Will Earth finally be found? What exactly was their big plan? Bah! I can't wait. Also worth noting, a made for TV movie currently referred to as 'Razor' will also be airing sometime around the end of the year. Staring Michelle Forbes as the bitchy Admiral Cain, Razor is rumored to be filling in the gaps about the Battlestar Pegasus and how its crew managed to survive the apocalypse. In short, it promises to be epic. Don't miss this one.

Other returning series of note include Fox's 24, NBC's Lost, and CBS's Jericho. Jericho, as you may recall, was brought back from the dead at the request of its fan base. It wont be returning with a full season, but if you managed to stick with the story last year (I know I didn't) then I'm sure you'll be glad. Details are sketchy about the new season of 24, but it will be interesting to see how they top dropping the bomb on US soil from last season. Then, of course, Lost is pretty much guaranteed to do what Lost does best. That is to say, be kick ass. Having missed the boat when the show first began, I have since began catching up via DVD and hope to be up to speed by the time the start of season 4--most likely to air around February 2008.

As far as new midseason shows are concerned, I've been keeping an eye of Fox's The Sarah Connor Chronicles. This The Terminator TV series has been rumored to be in production for a while now, and it appears all systems are go for airing early next year. Staring Lena Headey (Queen Gorgo from 300), who will be taking Linda Hamilton's role as the titular mother, and Thomas Dekker (who had a brief role as Zach in the first season of Heroes) as teenaged John Connor, the show will pick up the story after the events of Terminator 2. It will apparently be ignoring Terminator 3 and instead be taking a different path. I consider the first two Terminator films to be among my favorite movies of all time, so I am by default hesitant to embrace the idea of turning the story into a weekly series. But all the same, I'm pretty much required to give it a shot.

And with that, I will end my fall 2007 / spring 2008 TV preview spectacular. I don't know about the rest of you, but I for one can't wait to sink my teeth into these new shows. If you haven't already invested in a DVR or Tivo service, I think now would be a good time. 
 

:: Dead End ::

Well, that's all for this week. I trust you enjoyed your trip into this shadowy nether-realm known only as the K-Files.

For the latest updates on the world of Khyron, bookmark http://www.khyron.net/. With content updated regularly, you're sure to find your fix for all things entertaining and paranormal. As always, feel free to send any questions/comments/suggestions to KFiles@khyron.net.

Keep your eyes peeled for the next  K-Files, arriving sometime next week. Later.

~Khyron, 2007.


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