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Nov 23 | Chuck returns to NBC with a special two-hour show on Sunday, Jan 10, 2010, before returning to its regular time slot, Mondays at 8pm on the following night. It's return to prime time television can be attributed to a successful fan renewnal campaign last year. CHUCK is a one-hour, action-comedy series that follows Chuck Bartowski (Zachary Levi, "Less Than Perfect") -- a computer geek who is catapulted into a new career as the government's most vital secret agent. This upcoming season will include some special guest stars, including Brandon Routh of "Superman Returns" who will play CIA agent Daniel Shaw in an episode, and the addition of SUBWAY restaurant as a major advertiser to the show. Chuck averaged a 4.0/6 rating last season, about eight percent better than the recently cancelled "Trauma". Ratings-challenged Heroes moves back an hour when Chuck returns on Monday nights. STAR TREK VOYAGER's Robert Duncan McNeill serves Chuck as a supervising producer and director.
Nov 17 | Originally hired as co-executive producer to help with the second half of the show's first season, Kevin Murphy has now taken the reins of Caprica, the Battlestar Galactica prequel on Syfy, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He now serves as an executive producer along with Ronald D. Moore, David Eick and Jane Espenson and oversees the day-to-day functions of the show.
Nov 12 | Star Trek star Zachary Quinto is loosely attached to star in the romantic dramedy Whirligig, reports Risky Business.Quinto would play the lead role in the independent Canadian film, which is aiming to shoot early next year. The movie centers on a man who, in a misguided attempt to woo an older woman, befriends the woman's adopted son.Chaz Thorne is directing the pic, based on a screenplay by Michael Amo, creator of the Canadian supernatural series "The Listener."
Nov 11 | The CNS Foundation, is hosting an on-line charity auction at www.charitybuzz.com. One of the items they are auctioning is a signed movie poster of the new Star Trek movie which has all the cast members and writers. The president of our organization is Carol Abrams, JJ's mother, and she arranged for the donation from Bad Robot Production Company. J.J. Abrams is also a major donor to their organization. The funds raised will go to help find a cure to neurological disorders in children. The auction link is here.
Nov 10 | Candice Bergen, Charles Lisanby, Don Pardo, Gene Roddenberry, Tom and Dick Smothers and Bob Stewart have been selected as the next inductees into the Television Academy's Hall of Fame. They will be honored at a Jan. 20 ceremony at the Beverly Hills Hotel. "This year's inductees have challenged and shaped popular culture, changed television for the better and entertained us royally while doing so," TV Academy Chairman-CEO John Shaffner said. More info at the Hollywood Reporter
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By GustavoLeao / 16:38, 29 February 2008 / Trek Books
Star Trek: Alien Spotlight: Romulans
Review by Patrick Hayes aka PatBorg
The cover(s): There are four different covers again, and you couldn't go wrong with any. Surprisingly, "A" is not a Byrne cover, but Zach Howard. If you knew nothing of Trek, this sums up the typical look of the race--stoic, powerful, and with one big gun to back them up. I bought this version of the cover since my comic store had lots of the "B" covers. Another word that would sum up this cover is "pastels." It works. "B" is for Byrne. This cover has made the rounds on the net, so you should have a good idea of what it looks like. If you don't, it's fantastic. Every major character from this issue is shown. Cover "C" is the one to go looking for--a photo cover from "Balance of Terror." Man, do I love these photo covers! Cover "RI-B" is the "B" in black and white. You couldn't go wrong with any of these covers. Overall grade: A+
The story: No spoilers, sorry. You wouldn't want any. Really! Avoid anyone telling you anything beyond this: it's a prequel to "Balance of Terror." Go, now, and purchase a copy. Why? Pages 2 & 3, the "BOOM" and reactions on page 6, pages 13 & 14, and page 22. If you were told what happens, it would be ruined. Byrne has given us the old school Trek story you've been looking for. Honor, intrigue, pathos, and an ending that leaves you cursing because it's only a one-shot. I had very mixed reactions to the ending: a sigh of "that's the way it's supposed to be done" and a snort of "Damn, there ain't no more." Strong words from an English teacher, but, hey, that's the way I felt. I'm a TOS fan, first and foremost, and this the kind of Trek comic I want to read, and am thankful it was done. Overall grade: A+
The art: Uh...hello? John Byrne. B-y-r-n-e. It shouldn't have to be spelled out to you. Never heard of him? Welcome to the fold. Google his name, you'll read the credits. The man deserves to be linked to the likes of Jack Kirby, in continuing and creating the big comics characters (...and if you don't know Kirby, ya' got some reading to do for homework this week!). John is doing all that you would want him to do--emotions, spaceshots, alien vistas, and he can still draw your eye to look for the tiniest character reaction among the epic-ness of space. I also enjoyed that this comic didn't seem to follow the horizontal layout that a lot of IDW's Trek comics have been doing. It was laid out like the comics I grew up reading. And a splash page is worthy of being a splash page. It's taken a while for Byrne to return to Trek, his last, I believe, being the Horta entry in DC's Who's Who in Star Trek, and it was worth the wait. Overall grade: A+
The colors: Leonard O'Grady deserves an award for completing TOS look of this comic--it's all the neon pastels that you remember seeing--and it works! If I'm reading a story set in TOS I expect to see all those "groovy" colors in the backgrounds and on the characters. It could look so cheesy, but not this time. They are all here, and they made me goosepimply: inside the ship on pages 4 & 5, inside the residence on 10 & 11, and every exterior on Romulus. It's beautiful. These colors make me want to go watch the first season of Trek again just for lighting. It's been a long time since a comic has made me want to go watch the series it originates from. Thank you, Mr. O'Grady. Overall grade: A+++++++++
The lettering: Neil Uyetake has done Trek before, and he does a good job here. He's not given any sound effects to do, because they aren't really needed for the story, but there's dialogue aplenty. Overall grade: A
The final line: Oh, baby! Are you a Trek fan? This is a must own comic. You will be treated to a Trek story that seamlessly adds scope to one of TOS' best episodes. Do you learn something(s) about the Romulans you didn't know before? Oh, baby! That, and a great tidbit about...I can't say. Know nothing of Trek? Welcome to the light. This is a great introduction, or renewal, to the fold. This is what you give someone if they don't read comics, or don't know/care for Trek. If this doesn't seduce you to becoming a fan, it ain't ever gonna happen. Overall grade: A+
...and coming soon: Gary Seven, Gary Seven, Gary Seven!...and I promise not to use the word "baby" in a review again.
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