David Tennant Quits ‘Doctor Who’

The BBC has announced that Scottish actor Tennant will be leaving the long-running science fiction series "Doctor Who" in just over a year. Tennant has played the time and space traveling alien hero since 2005. He will appear in a Christmas special and four hour-long episodes to be aired in 2009 and early 2010. But he said Wednesday that when the series returns for a full season in 2010, "it won’t be with me."

"This show has been so special to me," Tennant said. "I don’t want to outstay my welcome."

"Doctor Who" was first broadcast in 1963 and is one of the longest-running Sci-Fi series in TV history and is one of the most popular programs on BBC. Tennant is the 10th actor to play the title character, who has the power to regenerate in a new body.

The classically trained Tennant, 37, is currently starring in Shakespeare’s "Hamlet" for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

So whats your thoughts on Tennent quiting? And who do you think should be a good the 11th Doctor?

 

‘Legend of The Seeker’ Begins November 1st

From the talented team behind the long-running, successful series “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys” and “Xena: Warrior Princess,” and the studio that produces primetime network hits including “Lost,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Desperate Housewives,” “Ghost Whisperer” and “Army Wives,” comes the next generation of action-adventure series. “Legend of the Seeker” follows the extraordinary travels of woodsman Richard Cypher (Craig Horner), who discovers his own magical powers. With the help of a mysterious woman named Kahlan (Bridget Regan) and a wise old wizard named Zedd, Richard must stop a ruthless tyrant from unleashing an ancient evil and enslaving the world.

“Adapting Terry Goodkind’s brilliant work for television is a thrilling opportunity," said executive producer Sam Raimi. "The amazing characters and heartfelt story combined with the captivating backdrop of New Zealand will have viewers on the edge of their seats."
Rob Tapert, executive producer, added: “Everyone on the production team is committed to making a mini-feature film each and every week.  The combination of a talented cast, incredible special effects and stunning locations has given us all the tools we need to create a truly memorable television series.” “Legend of the Seeker” has been cleared by Disney-ABC Domestic Television in 95% of the country to date, including all of the top 50 markets. The one-hour series is based on Terry Goodkind’s best-selling book Wizard’s First Rule and epic fantasy series The Sword of Truth.

"Legend of the Seeker" is produced by ABC Studios, marking their first venture into broadcast syndication. Sam Raimi ("Spider-Man," "Spider-Man 2," "Spider-Man 3" and "The Evil Dead"), Rob Tapert ("The Grudge," "Xena: Warrior Princess," "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" and "Cleopatra 2525"), Joshua Donen ("The Quick and the Dead"), Ned Nalle (production executive for "Xena: Warrior Princess" and "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys") and Kenneth Biller (“Star Trek: Voyager” and “Six Degrees”) serve as executive producers.

Get more info on ‘Legend of the Seeker’ here.

 

 

‘Lost’ Trailer for Season 5

"Lost" focuses on the survivors of a plane crash who are forced to live with each other on a remote island, a dangerous new world that poses unique threats of its own.

"Lost" has quickly become one of the most popular shows on television. At this point, it has won 8 Emmy awards and a Golden Globe for Best Dramatic Television Series.

Click here to check out the trailer.

 

‘Battlestar Galactica’ Final Season Begins January 16

“Galactica” will of course pick up from June’s dramatic cliffhanger that has kept us scratching our heads, due to the fact that the Colonial fleet and the Cylon allies finally discover Earth, only to find it a desolate nuclear wasteland.

 

The final 10 episodes will end with the ultimate finale on March 20, 2009.

Those wanting just a bit more “Battlestar” can also look forward to the previously announced “Battlestar Galactica” two-hour special next year starring Michael Trucco, Aaron Douglas and Dean Stockwell reprising their roles as Sam T. Anders, Chief Galen Tyrol and Cavil. And don’t forget that there is also a spin-off in the works called “Caprica”.

 


Smallville’s Allison Mack, Interview Part 2

TVGuide.com: Were you at all embarrassed by the drama surrounding your decision to re-sign for all 22 episodes this season?
Allison Mack: Embarrassed? I don’t think I would use that word. It’s a decision that I took a lot of time to really look into, and I was really happy with the decision that I came to.

TVGuide.com: Well, by "embarrassed" I meant, "Ack, all this attention is on little ol’ me!"
Mack: Ah – are you kidding? I’m an actress, I love the attention. [Laughs]

TVGuide.com: Chloe fans, of course, want to see her and Clark continue to "Scooby" and investigate things together. Is some of that ahead this season?
Mack: Yeah, but not as much. You see more of Clark and Lois taking off a bit more, which is great. But while you don’t see as much of Clark and Chloe doing that, you’ll see them doing other things together. Their relationship is really changing.

TVGuide.com: I was reading the script for Episode 9, "Abyss," where we flash back to Chloe and Clark’s first kiss, in the farmhouse hayloft. How was it watching your "young" selves film that scene?
Mack: I saw them shooting that scene just the other day…. It was adorable. Adorable. They even have the little girl playing Chloe in like a traditional old-school Chloe wig, with my funky haircut, the whole deal. It’s very cute.

TVGuide.com: She has a great line about kissing her new friend "just to get it out of the way."
Mack: Yeah, so it wouldn’t be awkward. It was very, very cute. It was these great little actors from Vancouver.

TVGuide.com: Is Chloe heading back to the "Daily Planet" anytime soon?
Mack: I miss the "Daily Planet"! I haven’t been on that set in ages…. Chloe’s working at [The] Isis [Foundation] pretty much full-time now, working for Lana.

TVGuide.com: What can you tease about the "fever letter" resurfacing in this week’s episode?
Mack: Oh, there’s definitely some drama that arises because of Jimmy and that letter….

TVGuide.com: Drama that brings about a shift in their relationship?
Mack: Potentially….

TVGuide.com: Episode 10, "Bride," is rumored to be chock full of interesting stuff. And you are the bride.
Mack: I haven’t read that script yet, so I don’t really know what’s in it. But I’m assuming that it’s going to be chock full of everything.

TVGuide.com: There are rumors that Chloe will die, that she’ll be brought back to life, that there won’t even be a wedding….
Mack: Oh really? [Laughs] I think that there is a wedding, because we’re doing a lot of fittings for dresses right now.

TVGuide.com: And how has that been?
Mack: Um, weird! Totally bizarre. It was strange, like the proposal scene where I was like, "Don’t get down on your knees! Stand up! I’m not dealing with this [sort of stuff in real life] yet!" [Laughs]

TVGuide.com: Seeing yourself in a bridal gown, did the girl inside you go, "Awww…. I’m so pretty!"
Mack: No, that’s not really my thing. I’ve never really been interested or into that, weddings and the bridal concept. So really, it just feels a bit strange more than anything.

TVGuide.com: Did you ever get to see the comic-book rendition of Chloe? [DC Comics had planned to feature Chloe in a Superman story at some point, but later changed its mind.]
Mack: They had me sign off on the image, and it was cool! It’s kind of wacky to think that DC owns an image of me at this time in my life, and that any time Chloe might be used, it will be in my likeness. I’m flattered.

TVGuide.com: In what ways did comic-book Chloe differ from TV’s Chloe?
Mack: Oh…. Bigger boobs. [Laughs] That’s pretty much the main thing.

TVGuide.com: But not, like, ridiculously bigger….
Mack: Nooo, not ridiculously bigger. But bigger.

TVGuide.com: You don’t have a television, but if you did watch TV….
Mack: If I were to watch DVD sets, I really like Mad Men; that’s an amazing show. And I got really into The Sopranos there for a little while.

TVGuide.com: How else do you like to spend your free time?
Mack: Mmmm…. [Distracted] Sorry, I’m eating chocolate ─ how rude! So… one answer would be "eating chocolate"! [Laughs] I do a lot of traveling, and I’m very into the arts, so any time there’s a dance show or a gallery opening, I’m into all different sorts of things.

 

New ‘V’ in the Works!

Peters said even though this will not be like the original the new V will still focus on what happens when the masses have blind faith in their leaders.

Jace Hall, the former head of Warner Brothers’ video-gaming division, and who has worked on titles including F.E.A.R., will help expand V into other platforms, including gaming.

By what we hear the new V will center on Erica Evans, a Homeland Security agent with a son who’s got major problems and issues. When the aliens arrive, her son attaches himself to them and helps them in their conquest, causing tension within the family. As with the original V, several storylines will unfold simultaneously. As in the ’80s version, the show will open with an enormous army of spaceships hovering over the world’s major cities. (For you younger guys and gals that no nothing of the original ‘V’ think ‘Independence Day’).

Just a note: Original V writer-producer-director Kenneth Johnson recently attempted to revive V as ‘V: The Second Generation’ but is not involved in the Peters version. IMBD has the Johnson version listed to be released in 2009.

 

2008 Scream Awards is Upon Us

This summer’s mega-blockbuster “The Dark Knight” tops the list with 21 nominations including The Ultimate Scream, Best Superhero, Best Villain, Best Director, Most Memorable Mutilation and Best Fantasy Movie. “Iron Man” came in second with 14 nominations and “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” is next in line with 13 nominations. (A full list of categories and nominations are included in the press release).

Ballots were sent out to Spike TV’s “SCREAM 2008” advisory board, made up of respected and well-known members of the horror, sci-fi, fantasy and comic book worlds who were responsible for advising on categories and determining nominees in each category. All films, television shows and comic books were deemed eligible for inclusion if they were released between August 11, 2007 and August 8, 2008 and were representative of the genres listed. Winners will be determined by online voting at spike.com.

‘Heroes’ Still Slipping

Anyway here is how the breakdown went:

ABC led the overall ratings race with a 10.2 rating/16 share for the evening. CBS finished second at 7.4/11. NBC, 4.2/6, was well off the pace in third. FOX took fourth with a 3.5/5, while a night of repeats on The CW drew a 1.3/2.

CBS scored a victory among adults 18-49 with a 3.9 rating. ABC finished second in the key advertising demographic with a 3.7. NBC, 2.8, came in third, followed by FOX, 2.2, and The CW, 0.8.

"Dancing with the Stars," 11.8/18, put ABC on top by a wide margin at 8 p.m. CBS took second with " The Big Bang Theory," 6.0/9, and " How I Met Your Mother," 5.7/9. NBC’s " Chuck" earned a 3.8/6, edging " Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" (3.5/5) on FOX. The CW aired a " Gossip Girl" rerun.

ABC stayed on top at 9 p.m. as "Dancing with the Stars" improved to 12.7/18. " Two and a Half Men," 8.7/13, and " Worst Week," 5.7/8, kept CBS in second. "Heroes" managed only a 5.0/7, its smallest rating ever for a new episode. "Prison Break" posted a 3.4/5 for FOX. A "Privileged" repeat finished the night for The CW.

"CSI: Miami," 9.1/15, moved CBS into the lead at 10 p.m. " Boston Legal" scored a 6.3/10 for ABC, and " Life" came in at 3.8/6 for NBC.

 

Smallville’s Allison Mack, Interview Part 1

TVGuide.com: For starters, congratulations on being the top-rated female in our Sexiest Sci Fi Stars poll.
Allison Mack:
Really?! [Laughs] I had no idea! That’s cool.

TVGuide.com: Well-played!
Mack:
Thank you! That’s so interesting….

TVGuide.com: The last time we spoke was two years ago ("Smallville‘s Chloe, You Got Us Mail"). How would you say Chloe has changed in that time?
Mack:
Oh my gosh…. Well, she’s come to have superpowers, she’s been killed about four times [Laughs], she’s getting married, she’s been infected by Brainiac….. I think she has come into her own in a way that she never has before. I think she’s starting to understand what she wants separate and aside from Clark, and she is building her own relationship with herself and her own life, and proactively going after all of that instead of just running around and doing whatever she thinks Clark needs. She’s grown into her own woman.

TVGuide.com: Has it felt different on the set this season with Michael [Rosenbaum, Lex] and Kristin [Kreuk, Lana] gone, and some new faces around?
Mack:
It has, it has, it’s been very different. But it’s also lovely. Cassidy Freeman (Tess) and Sam [Witwer, Davis] are fantastic, fantastic actors, and they’re so passionate about the show. It’s breathing new life into the show in a way we really needed.

TVGuide.com: It looks like we have a very wild year ahead for Chloe….
Mack:
Yes, there’s lots of craziness happening, which for me is great.

TVGuide.com: The producers have said this is the year of "double identities." How does that factor into Chloe’s world?
Mack:
You guys have way more information than we ever get, you realize that, right? [Laughs] Well, on the one hand, she’s still doing work with Clark and getting married to Jimmy and doing her lovely, good-girl Chloe thing, and on the other hand she’s struggling with this "pull" towards Davis and these dark, evil tendencies and a want to destroy things, which is very much Brainiac. She has a massive pull between these two sides of her that’s he’s struggling to suppress until she learns to understand it.

TVGuide.com: All told, how will her increasing powers manifest themselves?
Mack:
She’s ridiculously intelligent – like highly, highly, highly brilliant, and able to take in information in a way that is beyond anything one could ever imagine. She can relate to computers in a way she never was able to before….

TVGuide.com: She was pretty damn handy with a computer before, too!
Mack:
Yes, absolutely. But she was a very good soul with very good intentions, and she still strives to be that, but she’s not necessarily succeeding anymore.

TVGuide.com: The Chloe-Jimmy-Davis triangle: Is it going to be played pretty fairly, or is Davis going to have a slight edge here?
Mack:
He’s going to have a slight edge because there’s an attraction to Davis that neither of us can understand, one that comes from a Krypton sort of place. Davis has a bit of an upper hand in that respect because there’s a biological pull they’re both feeling but not understanding.

TVGuide.com: Plus he’s all shiny and new and interesting.
Mack:
He is shiny and new and interesting, and that’s always nice. Then again, there’s a tried-and-true loyal quality that Jimmy has exhibited. So there’s also that.

TVGuide.com: How quickly will Chloe become suspicious of Mr. Bloome (aka Doomsday)? How soon will she suspect that something is….
Mack:
Amiss? That would mean she would have to recognize that there was something negative about her. It’s going to take a little while before she actually starts evaluating that there might be something wrong with him. She’s defending him right now, in a pretty major way.

TVGuide.com: There are fans who email me every week to talk about how you and Tom Welling have the best chemistry on the show….
Mack:
Awwww…. We’ve been working together forever, so that’s probably par for the course.

TVGuide.com: Right, but having worked together "forever," is that chemistry something you have to revisit each season? Or is it what it is?
Mack:
I don’t think we work at it at all, it’s something that we’ve learned in each other and that we’ve built. It’s not something that goes away. There’s an affection for each other – I adore him, and I think there’s a similar fondness for me back – and that comes from "growing up" together. That isn’t something we have to rekindle. It will always exist between us.

Next week, in Part 2 of this Q&A: Allison assays the new parameters of the "Chlark" relationship, previews the upcoming episodes "Instinct," "Abyss" and "Bride," and shares her amusing take on the never-to-be-seen comic-book rendition of Chloe.