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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.

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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.

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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."

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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.

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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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News Story

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J. Michael Straczynski Wants Garibaldi and Londo in Next Babylon 5 The Lost Tales DVD

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By GustavoLeao / 12:10, 9 September 2007 / General Genre/SciFi

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The latest issue of Starburst magazine, out in the UK, features an exclusive interview with Babylon 5 producer J. Michael Straczynski, in which he talks about the direct-to-DVD movie Babylon 5 The Lost Tales. Here are few excerpts from the interview.

At one point, you were hoping to do a B5 feature, but that fell through. How did The Lost Tales come together ?

JMS : There were a couple of brief conversations about a feature film, but I didn't pursue one because a prior experience didn't work out too well and in the intervening period of time we lost Andreas (Katsulas) and Richard (Biggs). And I said to Warners that I really can't wrap my brain around a film as long as Andreas and Rick insist on staying dead. So, I said 'Well, what about doing a series of short stories centred around our surviving characters, those that are still with us ? Sort of an anthology kind of thing, a half hour to a hour per person ? In two hour increments ? We'd call it The Lost Tales. And they thought about it and said 'All right'. I said 'Good, I'll write it and produce and because it's the first one up and no one's done B5 in a while, I'll direct it. And they said 'OK'. Then I said 'I dont want any interference'. I wanted to do it my way. They said 'OK'. And that was that.

How pleased are you with the finished product ?

JMS : It's all turned in and done and I'm very, very happy with it. It looks very cool. We have about 200 effects shots in it. The station looks more real than it ever has before. The characters work very nicely. The mystery is there in some of it.  Crusade had its own feel and Rangers had its own feel, but this feels like Babylon 5, like we've gone back to it and opened that door again. So, to me, it's very satisfying. It feels like what the show should feel like. I think the fans who are eager to get more of that universe will be very happy with it.

Are you thinking about the next stories [for the next DVD] ? Would a Garibaldi story be in the mix if there's another DVD ?

JMS : Yeah, if we do another one I would definitely put the Garibaldi (Jerry Doyle) story in and probably a Londo (Peter Jurasik). That would be my preference for the next two [...].

To read the full article, get the new issue of Starburst Magazine at your local newsstand.



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Star Trek Direct-To-DVD Movies ? | Report this post to moderator
By: GustavoLeao (Odo's file, contact, web site) @ 13:29:51 on Sep 09, 2007

I wish Paramount would takes a look at the sucess of the Babylon 5 The Lost Tales DVD and begins producing their own direct-to-DVD Star Trek stories. You can have Riker in command of the Titan in one story or Kira in command of DS9 in another. You can even have a new animated series for DVD. C'mon, Paramount.

Gustavo

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gl2000@uol.com.br


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Here's Hoping for Something a Bit Less Modest Next Time | Report this post to moderator
By: TonyDP (Odo's file, contact) @ 12:47:13 on Sep 09, 2007

I've been a Babylon 5 fan since the first season of the original show and I'm all for more stories from that universe. But, I hope any future "episodes" will be a bit larger in scope and offer better production values than the first Lost Tales. Quite frankly, the Lockley story was pretty forgettable and the Sheridan story just brought up more questions than answers. There was no movement to the stories at all and both were largely closed room affairs. The sets were just too sparse and the stories far too talky, even for Babylon 5. The Lost Tales was clearly made on a shoestring and I'm sure JMS wrang every penny he could out of the production; but if future episodes will be similarly static and closed affairs then I'd prefer he just leave it alone.


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  • First Impression always matters | Report this post to moderator
    By: Glassman Cometh (Odo's file, contact) @ 07:52:11 on Sep 10, 2007

    Well, I got the new DVD, Lost Tales or whatever they called it. I love BAB-5, but I don't care for anything that came after season four..including these two boring episodes...

    All of this 'green screen was great' crap was just that..crap. The first story with Scoggins I couldn't really get into because I really don't know much about her chatacter. But the segment was very shoe string, and well, was just boring.

    Those ofyou demanding Paramount do these things with Star Trek are crazy. They would only get shoe string budgets and would be just as bad. Since they tore down the set of DS9 what would we really get? They would rebuild the small set behind Quarks bar and that's all..with a few stock footage shots of the old Promanaud..it would be awful.

    All we'd get would be Quard having some half-hour dialog with Morn...I mean..I can see it now. It would be awful..

    The second segment of Bab-5 with Sheridan was, well, okay I guess but again, it was very 'small' in scope as the others have said. Hell, it could have been made by the New Voyages crew and probably might have looked better..

    I was worried a couple months ago with Scoggins said they only had TWO sets and the rest was green screened. And even the "green screen" shot of her in the hanger bay? It wasn't all that..in fact the scope was way off with the 'computerized' extras in the background.

    I will not buy the next one..well.. maybe not. I do like Gariabldi, but I am a regular caller on his Talk Show and I will warn him..DUDE DON'T DO IT!!!

    Chaotic


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  • RE: Here's Hoping for Something a Bit Less Modest Next Time | Report this post to moderator
    By: RobertB (Odo's file, contact) @ 01:44:27 on Sep 10, 2007

    Quote:
    But, I hope any future "episodes" will be a bit larger in scope and offer better production values than the first Lost Tales.
    By "larger in scope", what do you mean? Are you expecting a sweeping story that covers many days and plenty of space battles? Then what you are asking for is a season of episodes and not a Lost Tales DVD.
    [q}Quite frankly, the Lockley story was pretty forgettable and the Sheridan story just brought up more questions than answers.[eq]
    Disagree with the first, and what's wrong with bringing up more questions? That's what Babylon 5 does. Are you sure you are a fan ever since the first season?
    Quote:
    There was no movement to the stories at all and both were largely closed room affairs.
    There have been many episodes of B5 which took place in "closed rooms" without the need of going elsewhere.
    Quote:
    The sets were just too sparse...
    You expect a Minbari ship to be stuffed full of furniture and knicknacks? (They were in the "3-D" room, which requires virtually nothing.) You need more than a B5 hallway, living quarters, a brig? in other words, you want more sets than what is required in the story? Well, that is unnecessary in the telling of these Lost Tales.
    [q}...and the stories far too talky, even for Babylon 5.[eq]
    Please refer to nearly all episodes of B5 and tell me when they weren't "talky". Without the talk, we wouldn't have the depth of what JMS is trying to get across.
    Quote:
    ...but if future episodes will be similarly static and closed affairs then I'd prefer he just leave it alone.
    Then respectfully, I'd say you are not a fan.


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    • RE: Here's Hoping for Something a Bit Less Modest Next Time | Report this post to moderator
      By: TonyDP (Odo's file, contact) @ 10:58:44 on Sep 10, 2007 | Edit History (6)

      RobertB:

      By "larger in scope" I mean that I'd like to see something a little more elaborate than what was essentially a stage play - right down to actors walking on and off camera - with a few FX thrown in. Look at War Without End or any of the B5 movies or even episodes of Crusade; those had relativey low budgets but still told a good story with drama and conflict.

      The problem with Sheridan's story bringing up more questions than answers is that it is not a foregone conclusion that we will get more Lost Tales. If you have a chance at telling a B5 story, and there is no guarantee that you'll ever be able to tell another one, wouldn't it be better to resolve some threads than introduce new ones which may never be visited again? Wouldn't it be better to spend time with characters you know and care for than introduce new, potentially one-shot characters that are then left hanging with no guarantee of further exploration?

      As for the lack of movement and talkiness to the stories; comparing a one shot show to a handful of episodes out of a five season arc is pretty flimsy. Again, there's a very good chance we may not see any more B5 for a very long time, if ever. Given that, I'd like something a bit more memorable. Now if you want "talky" stories, how about Day of the Dead or And The Sky Full of Stars or Sleeping in Light - stories where, despite their brevity, characters are really analyzed and in some cases undertake some fundamental steps in their evolution. Does Lost Tales hold a candle to any of those? Hardly.

      Despite your protestations, the sets were sparse to the point of being silly, even by B5's sometimes modest standards. I'm not expecting the full scale bridge to a Star Destroyer, but honestly, compared to what we got in the previous shows and movies, the hallways from the TOS Star Trek had more character.

      Despite what you may think, I am a fan of B5 (and I'm a fan of Trek and other science fiction as well). But to my way of thinking, being a fan of something doesn't mean blindly supporting it just because it has a few characters and the show's logo slapped on it. I gave JMS and WB the benefit of the doubt and shelled out cash for Lost Tales to show my support for the show; but they only get one free ride, especially when you stop to consider that previous B5 incarnations were free and they're now charging $20 MSRP for the show. They'll have to do better next time if they still want my money.


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    • RE: Here's Hoping for Something a Bit Less Modest Next Time | Report this post to moderator
      By: Yesterday's Lemmiwinks (Odo's file, contact) @ 09:48:18 on Sep 10, 2007

      Then respectfully, I'd say you are not a fan.

      There is nothing respectful about that. Please remove thy head from thy posterior. Somebody didn't like it, big whoop. Their personal opinion in no way denigrates your personal opinion.

      --------

      "A billion robot lives are about to be extinguished! Oh, the Jedis are going to feel this one..."
      -Hubert Farnsworth (Futurama: Crimes of the Hot)
      ----
      "The Andorian Mining Consortium runs from no one!"
      -Shran (ENT: Proving Ground)


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    • RE: Here's Hoping for Something a Bit Less Modest Next Time | Report this post to moderator
      By: GustavoLeao (Odo's file, contact, web site) @ 06:08:30 on Sep 10, 2007

      Well, I am a fan since the first season (I have the original version of the pilot in VHS) but I agree that The Lost Tales was somewhat talky and static, like he said. Hopefully, future DVDs will have better stories.

      Gustavo

      --------

      TrekWeb.com Supervising Editor

      gl2000@uol.com.br


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      • RE: Here's Hoping for Something a Bit Less Modest Next Time | Report this post to moderator
        By: Visionary1 (Odo's file, contact) @ 11:58:57 on Oct 29, 2007

        The action in the dream battle scenes are little shots of the potential action that made me look in the stories direction in the past.

        After listening to the stories, in them was weaved mysteries to be explored. They held hints of future possibilities and nexus points. This is what pull me back time and time again. It had me buy the DVD's. It had me watch and listen again. I caught the moments missed my first time through, and in this realization I was made better somehow at seeing the mysteries all around me. Anyways, the Direct to DVD show reminded me of the first season's setup. The small human details ARE important, and sometimes MORE important. The undertunes of humanity in the stories, I find this more warmly remembered and lasting than the action, even if I can't see it yet in the grand scope of what may yet be.

        I know the real action is not on the set or with the props. It's in imagination, triggered by a story, and the potential to explore our past and look to the future from the insights glimpsed and remembered in the present.

        The story may not be over when heard the first time.

        'Mysteries once solved are never quite as interesting' -Galen


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