The Sci-Fi Cast

Every trekkie knows that 2 Star Trek pilots were made. The first, “The Cage,” was rejected by NBC for being “too cerebral” (even back then they thought we were idiots). While “The Cage” was later re-packaged as “The Menagerie” Pt. 1 & Pt. 2, (beep once if you’ve seen it) the alternate pilot, starring Bill Shatner, ever aired.

Until now.

A German collector acquired a print which he shared with CBS. As a result, CBS will release this version on Dec. 15 as a part of the “Star Trek: Original Series – Season 3″ Blu-ray release. Above is a clip. Note the alternate opening monologue, title sequence and theme music. Also notable, the credits list George Takei as “Chief Physicist,” Paul Fix as “Ship’s Doctor” and Lloyd Haynes as “Communications Officer.”

We can’t WAIT to boldly see what no man has seen before!

[Via The Live Feed]

AMC’s ambitious remake of the short-lived, beloved television series, “The Prisoner” has finally aired (Part I at least). What did you think? Sound off in the comments below. Be seein’ ya!

Warning: The comments likey include spoilers. You have been warned.

Hide your gerbils! ABC’s re-imagined visitors have finally arrived. As their massive ships hover above Earth’s major cities, the scaly aliens attempt to infiltrate human society in very attractive costumes. The idea of seemingly benevolent aliens isn’t new, but it’s more compelling than clearly-defined good vs. evil. How will the contemporary Vs compare to their cheesy 80’s counterparts?

In a word: Pretty frakking well (OK, three words).

(more…)

When The Clone Wars movie hit theaters, I avoided it. In fact, I still haven’t seen it. Likewise, I avoided the TV series. Then I heard some buzz about the show and finally gave in. A year later, I’m glad I did.

The first episode, Ambush, was great. In fact, it featured a side of Yoda that’s been absent for way too long. Instead of the backwards-talking (It wasn’t every single sentence back in the old movies), military leader, here was the reassuring Yoda. It was good to have him back.

The middle of season 1 started to sag, but by the end it was quite good indeed. A number of vicious bounty hunters appeared and brought some palpable tension to what’s certainly a show for kids.

Season 1 ended with a cliffhanger and season 2 picks right up where the action left off. Above is the teaser. Go ahead and tell us you don’t want to see it. We dare you.

There are few couples in all of science fiction more deliciously wonderful than Zapp “The Zapper” Brannigan and his hapless, defeated assistant, Kif. Originally intended to be voiced by Phil Hartman, Zapp was portrayed by Billy West and was based upon Shatner’s Captain Kirk. Even when he’s stripped of his rank after destroying the Democratic Order of Planets (D.O.O.P.), Zapp lands back on his two feet. Largely because of Kif.

Ah, Kif. Zapp’s assistant and Amy’s boyfriend, Kif is smart enough to recognize when Zapp’s about to get into trouble, but too timid to do anything about it. Some of our favorite Kif moments are his exasperated sighs. For example:

Leela: You know, Zapp, someone ought to teach you a lesson.
Zapp: If it’s a lesson in love, watch out; I suffer from a very sexy learning disability. What do I call it, Kif?
Kif: [sighs] “Sex-lexia”

If Kif and Zapp ever starred in a buddy road trip movie, we’d be first in line to see it. Here’s to Kif and the Zapper, one of our favorite sci-fi duos.

September is approaching at warp factor 4 with plenty of new science fiction shows in her cargo bay. Here are a few we’re looking forward to (more or less).

Eastwick

Based upon The Witches of Eastwick with Cher, Jack Nicholson and Susan Sarandon, the series stars Rebecca Romijn, Lindsay Price and Paul Gross. The trailer makes it look like Charmed meets Desperate Housewives, so if you like the idea of magic-wielding cougars, tune in. Have we mentioned Rebecca Romijn? “Charmed” indeed. ABC’s Eastwick will premiere on September 23rd at 10 PM.

(more…)

Earlier this week, AMC announced that they’ve gotten the rights to turn Robert Kirkman’s comic serial The Walking Dead into a series. As a devoted Walking Dead fan I’m both elated and horrified by this news.

First, the good. Krikman’s ongoing story (more on that later) is tremendous. Zombie horror is nothing new, but Walking Dead’s approach is fresh. It follows a group of unlikely survivors in a zombie-riddled world as they fight — the undead and each other — to survive. The typical ingredients like bloodthirsty undead, violent battles and a sinking distrust are in place, but Kirkman doesn’t rest on the tried-and-true zombie formula. I won’t give anything away, but the “how” and “why” aren’t what you’d expect.

(more…)

Earlier this week, Craig Engler, who runs the SyFy Network’s Twitter stream, posted a couple of teasers about Caprica, the forthcoming BSG sequel. He revealed that a rough cut of the 1st episode is being shown around the network. Additionally, he was enthusiastic about a conference call with producer Jane Espenson (@capricaseven on Twitter).

Other rumors are appearing as the show’s January 22nd premiere approaches. According to Sci Fi Wire (an official blog of SyFy), Patton Oswalt will play the host of a late-night comedy show across “…several episodes.” I’m nervous about the selection. Not because Patton isn’t funny, he is. I’m thinking of John Hodgeman’s jarring appearance on BSG.

Additionally, Entertainment Weekly reports that Buffy alumnus James Marsters will join the cast for what they’re calling “… a sizable arc” as the terrorist leader Barnabus Greeley.

We’re very excited about the premiere of Caprica. If you’ve seen the pilot, check out Episode 32 of our show to catch our reactions. So say we all!

Contemporary science fiction fans might name Katee Sackhoff, Zoe Saldana or Jeri Ryan when asked about the genre’s hotties. They’re certainly beautiful women, but hardly the first pretty faces to step aboard a space ship. Here are some of our favorite Babes of Vintage Sci-Fi.

Elizabeth Montgomery

She’s best known for playing Samantha on Bewitched, but I enjoyed her performance as a soldier in the Twilight Zone episode, “Two.” She and Charles Bronson play the only people on Earth after a long and bloody war. The catch: they’re members of opposing armies. Eventually they learn to abandon their hate and begin life anew. It’s a fun yet predictable episode, and Elizabeth turns in some nice acting, despite the fact that her character doesn’t speak.

(more…)

When The Plan was announced at the end of Battlestar Galactica’s run, I feared that it would be a lame attempt to recapture the glory of the series (see “After M*A*S*H“). Now that the teaser trailer is out, I’m starting to get excited about it. There are references to several episodes in the brief clip which need a thorough examination.

(more…)