Category: TV

Star Trek – Updated and Better?

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CBS Paramount has announced that all 79 episodes of the original Star Trek series are being digitally remastered and an updated a CGI makeover before heading into syndication next month. Everything from Kirk‘s “where no man has gone before” opening to the Enterprise and every “spaceship that passes by” will be recreated using modern computer graphics. But that’s not all that’s being tweaked…”battle sequences, ship exteriors, galaxy shots and landscapes (which previously came courtesy of matte paintings) will be given more shading, depth and computer-generated authenticity.”

I always have mixed feelings about projects like this. On one hand, I like the idea that more [make that younger] people may check out and enjoy the original Star Trek series. On the other hand, it does bother me that they won’t be seeing the series as it originally aired. I guess the bottom line is that CBS Paramount owns the rights and can do whatever they want with the property.

I just hope that the original series is always available with the original sound and graphics. And that way I [and everyone] can choose between the versions that they like best.


Ultimate Fighting – Legitimate Sport or Guilty Pleasure?

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One of the most popular topics on the ZONE and SZ Messageboards is Ultimate Fighting. I’ve become a fan despite the fact that I refused to watch the stuff for years.

It wasn’t until I started tuning in to The Ultimate Fighter [season one] that I came to realize that the majority of these fighters are trained martial artists [wrestling, judo, boxing, etc.] and not just a bunch of knuckleheads who love to fight. Don’t get me wrong, they DO love to fight, but most have skills and love to test theirs.

Another reason that I avoided watching UFC fights is that I didn’t want to see people getting their bones broken or worse in an “athletic” event. And while it is true that many fights do end up with one or both contestants bleeding, and it isn’t unheard of for a knockout to occur; these injuries are similar to what one could get in a boxing match. Sure, I understand that UFC fights do sometimes end with broken bones, but that is pretty rare. My guess is that more bones get broken in football games than UFC matches.

Still, there are times that I feel that watching a UFC fight is something of a guilty pleasure. I wouldn’t want to see two guys brawling on the street and yet I find myself watching The Ultimate Fighter and UFC Unleashed every week.

I guess I’ll ponder this a bit more during commercials. The Ultimate Fighter is coming on SPIKE TV now…

Third Time a Charm for Shamrock?

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On October 10th, Ken Shamrock and Tito Ortiz will meet in the octagon for the third time. Despite the fact that Ortiz has won both previous fights, there has always been enough “controversy” to bring the two [and fans around the world] back for a rematch. That and the fact that Shamrock and Ortiz have a REAL dislike for each other.

This time the fight will be televised on SPIKE tv for free. My guess is that the third time won’t be a charm for Shamrock. I look for Ortiz to win… but there is a chance that Shamrock could pull off the upset.

Which of course would pave the way for another rematch.

Survivor: Race to the Finish

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This season on Survivor contestants will be divided into four tribes by ethnicity [blacks, whites, Latinos and Asians].

Does anyone really think that this is a good idea?

On one hand, it does add a twist to the series which has teamed men against women, and young against “old.” One the other mit, I know what the reaction would be if making up teams along racial lines was done in professional or amateur sports or even other game shows. Insert your own jokes here.

Prison Break Premiere

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I just finished watching the season two premiere of “Prison Break.” It’s no secret that the first season dealt with a goup of convicts who despite their differences banded together to plan an escape from prison. Each episode focused on several characters and most commercial breaks would end with a cliffhanger leaving us on the edge of our seats. This combination of characters and pacing made for a fun ride. Naturally, season one ended with the escape. My fear was that once they made it out of prison, the series might lose the feel that made it so enjoyable. So I anticipated the new season with mixed emotions.

After watching tonight’s premiere I’m happy to report that not only were they able to keep the feel of the first season, but they had the cajones to kill off a major character! If tonight’s episode is an indication of what season two has in store, we’re in for another great ride!

Winning By Losing

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Anyone watching VH1’s Celebrity Fit Club 4? I caught the first episode [after watching seasons 2 and 3] last night.

In case you haven’t heard of it, Celebrity Fit Club follows eight B and C list “celebrities” as they try to loose weight by dieting, exercise and friendly competitions. No one gets voted off the show, the competitions aren’t that dramatic [or competitive], and the prizes are usually things like weekends at a spa or exercise equipment. I usually tune out before the conclusion of each episode when they all get on a giant scale to see which team lost the most weight. The reason that I fade before the show does is that the giant scale weigh-in of all cast memebers is anti-climatic. We already know which team lost the most weight.

So… if the celebs aren’t that famous, the competitions aren’t all that competitive, the prizes aren’t all that grand and the conclusion of each show is anti-climatic, you’re probably wondering why I tune in.

I guess it’s because I know how hard it can be for many [most] folks to loose weight. I find myself pulling for most of them to loose enough weight to reach their goals… and maybe win that weekend at the spa.

The Shield: One Last Season

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This is the best news I heard all day:

Variety reports that:

FX has greenlit The Shield for a final batch of 13 episodes, which will premiere in early 2008.

The sixth season is currently in production and will begin airing early next year.

At this point it looks like the episodes in 2008 will be it for the show. FX president-general manager John Landgraf has said, “Shawn (Ryan — creator of The Shield) and I have been discussing how it will end.. I know what the arc is of the final season, almost through the last episode, and this is definitely the end of it.”

I’ll be sad to see The Shield end, but I do like the idea of it following it’s course to a definite conclusion. [Hopefully Lost will do the same.]

McFarlane Toys: A Lost Opportunity

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McFarlane Toys, which produces the most detailed action figures on the market, has scored a major coup. They will produce several series of action figures based on the hit tv series Lost.Series One will feature Jack, Kate, Locke, Hurley, Charlie and Shannon. All figures will be 6 inches tall and come with a detailed base and “photographic backdrop, capturing an episode-specific moment in the character’s story.” In addition, each figure will come with a sound chip so that you can each hear “signature lines taken directly from the show’s soundtrack.”

Lost “deluxe boxed sets” will also be available. The first series of Lost figures is scheduled to be released this November.

Long Live the King… Or Off With His Head?

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There was a time when I loved all things Stephen King. It started with Carrie which I read in 8th grade. I thought it was a really cool book. When I was a junior in high school I saw Carrie at a Midnight Movie. I loved it. It was my introduction to Brian DePalma. I still laugh when I think that I nearly jumped into the next row when Carrie‘s bloody hand came shooting out of the grave.

In college I got into King in a big way. I was reading everything that he published. The Shinning [great book — I read it in a single night! and a pretty scary movie], Salem’s Lot [another excellent novel with a cool, modern twist on vampires — and a decent tv mini-series] The Dead Zone [perhaps the best movie adaptation of a King novel] … and the hits just kept on coming [although the movies weren’t always as good]… The Stand, Cujo, Pet Sematary, Firestarter, Christine, It, etc. etc. etc.

Then for some reason, I stopped reading King. I really don’t know why. It just happened. I have a bunch of his novels and even some short story collections sitting on the shelf waiting to join the other King novels in a place of honor on my bookcase. But there they sit.

I did buy and immediately read Cell when it came out in hardcover. I was hoping for a more traditional zombie story, but never the less, I did really enjoy it.

Tomorrow night ABC is presenting a three hour adaptation of Desperation. For some reason, I’m really looking forward to it. Most likely I’ll record it for viewing some late weekend night. I haven’t read the book, but if the movie is works, perhaps it’ll give me just enough reason to pull it off the shelf and see if the novel is good enough to make it to the book case.

The End of a Great Season

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I guess that maybe a picture of the cast of The West Wing would have been a more appropriate banner for today’s post, but I just couldn’t not use that great shot of the entire cast of Lost.

I really hate that this tv season is winding down.

The West Wing is ending for good. I’ve tuned in since the first episode and think that it’s pretty sad that President Bartlett and crew aren’t getting a bigger send off.

What may have been the best seasons ever on American Idol and 24 are almost over. Medium, Lost and Survivor are also getting ready to pack it in for the summer. The Shield, Wanted, Thief and Over There already ended their seasons.

There’s always the chance that a summer replacement show will end up being as good as Over There [Bring it back, FX] was or as fun as So You Think You Can Dance. But even if that’s not the case, I still have a ton of novels that I’m dying to get the time to read.

And Then There Were Three – Shocking!

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Remember when I posted here about the shocking ending on Lost and how surprised I was, especially since it wasn’t the season finale?

Well, last night American Idol had an equally surprising ending. Chris Daughtry, who many thought would BE the next winner, was sent packing. Everyone was shocked.

And. I. Mean. Everyone.

Look at Chris‘ face in the banner above and you can see even he was stunned.

So what happened?

My guess is that everyone thought that Chris was such a shoe-in to reach the finals that many folks decided to vote to keep in their 2nd favorite contestant. The strange thing is that before the show started my wife predicted that it could be Chris‘ night to leave for just that reason. I thought that either Elliot or Katherine would get the axe.

So, who’s going to win now that Chris is gone?

I’d predicted a showdown between Chris and Taylor [with Chris winning], so I’ll stick with Taylor as the next American Idol. [Of course, my wife may have a more accurate prediction…]

And It Ain’t Even the Season Finale

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If you haven’t seen last night’s episode of LOST yet, then you may not want to read any farther….. SPOILERS are coming!

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Still here? Ok… Whoa! What a great surprise ending!

I know my jaw hit the floor when Michael blasted Ana-Lucia in the chest from point blank range. My eyes were probably still buggin’ out when he then popped a couple of caps in Libby!

If that had been the season finale, I would have applauded. With a few episodes still to come, I believe that a standing ovation is in order. I knew that Michelle Rodriguez [Ana-Lucia] and Cynthia Watros [Libby] were supposed to be leaving the show. Still, ya gotta give big props for the shocking way that they went.

So, where does that leave Michael? Has he been brain-washed? Is he fully aware of what he’s doing? Is Libby really dead? [Poor, poor Hurley!] And did you know about the novel [Bad Twin] that’s referenced in the show and written by one of the passengers… but was just released in real life?

Talk to me, folks!

Kirk, Spock Are Back, Baby!

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The big entertainment news this week is that J.J. Abrams [the creative mastermind behind Lost, Alias, and Tom Cruise‘s lastest turn in Mission Impossible III ] will produce, direct and cowrite what looks to be a rebirth of the Star Trek franchise Abrams is planning for a big-screen 2008 release which will focus on the early adventures of James T. Kirk and Spock [sorry Bones, no mention of you].

I’ve got to admit that this news has caught my interest. I was a HUGE fan of Star Trek during it’s initial run on tv. Then again, I was just seven years old. Still, Star Trek did capture my attention and I made a point to watch it each week. I was never a Trekie, but I did see and enjoy the Star Trek movies [well… except for the first one] that featured the original cast.

It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out.

3 Really Bad Days or 3 Really Great Years

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Kiefer Sutherland has signed on for three more seasons of 24!

Although that means that his character, Jack Bauer, will face three more really bad days, Kiefer will suffer anything but. He’s being paid a reported $40 million which makes him the highest paid tv actor in a drama. Kiefer will receive other perks as well. He’ll become the executive producer on 24, be set up with his own production company and given a two-year development deal.

Works out to be a sweet deal for Kiefer and a pretty good one for fans of 24.

Dan Curtis – Rest in Peace

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Dan Curtis, best known as the creative force behind “Dark Shadows” died today at the age of 78. Curtis‘s career as a producer, writer, and director spanned five decades. Many would say that the high point of his career was in 1983 when he produced, directed and co-wrote the highly successful “Winds of War” mini-series starring Robert Mitchum. But I would argue that his work on “Dark Shadows” is what most folks will remember.

Curtis created a cult classic that was “must see tv” for the five years that it ran. Ok, ok, truth be told, it wasn’t until the second year and the addition of Jonathon Frid as Barnabus Collins that the series really took off; but boy did it! “Dark Shadows” spawned two feature films [not as good as the tv series], comic books, novels, trading cards, and more. Even now, as I think back at how all of my friends and I were “into” “Dark Shadows” I have to smile.

Curtis’s wife of 54 years died earlier this month. He is survived by his two daughters and a world of fans. Our thoughts and prayers are with them today.