Live Blogging "Stargate Universe"

And after all these months of waiting to see what the new Stargate series is going to be like, we're live blogging commentary as the the Stargate Universe premiere airs! The standard warning about spoilers (lots and lots of spoilers) applies . . .

9:02PM - Kinda liking the new theme song. And did they just list Lou Diamond Phillips as a guest star?

9:04PM - Note to self: never chuck things through or jump through a stargate. You never know who you might be conking on the head on the other side. Robert Carlyle's character seems far too satisfied and calm with this outcome (ie: them ending up on the ship Destiny).

9:05PM - Another note to self: never be the commanding military officer when coming through the gate. According to what just happened to the head military guy here and what happened to the guy in the same position during the Stargate: Atlantis premiere, it's a total red shirt position.

9:08PM - Yay! Richard Dean Anderson. As sarcastic as ever, I see.

9:10PM - *sniff* They're aboard the Hammond -- the ship they named in tribute to General George Hammond and the late Don S. Davis. And I'm not sure if it's funny they beamed up David Blue's character the same way they did Jeannie (McKay's sister) in SGA or if it's cliche.

9:12PM - Michael Shanks better not only be appearing in an orientation video in this ep!

9:20PM - Epileptic colonel perhaps? Have the feeling that he's not going to last long in these circumstances. Twenty minutes into the show and I'm not hooked yet . . .

9:24PM - E.T. not phoning home just this second . . . And Dr. Nicolas Rush is creeping me out. I'm trying to decide if I'm going to like having such a morally ambiguous character as the lead.

9:30PM - And now the senator is sick too? Is anyone on this ship not broken?

9:32PM - Rush is wearing a wedding ring. They wouldn't do the "scientist who lost his wife and has gone off the deep end trying to find an alt universe version/turn back time" storyline, would they?? Oh, please tell me they wouldn't.

9:35PM - Oh, they did. Weepy, desperate Rush with a picture of his wife. Immediately followed by the "accident" that propels them all through the stargate. Not crazy about this storyline. At all.

9:40PM - Love seeing Sam Carter commanding the Hammond. And so Ronald Greer's (Jamil Walker Smith) character sounds like he's the Tom Paris character on this ship. Yes, I'm busting out with a Star Trek: Voyager reference.

9:44PM - Okay, so I guess Rush isn't responsible for a bombardment from outer space.

9:46PM - Wow. That's a new Stargate record for killing off a head doctor.

9:53PM - Matthew Scott (first guy through the gate) has bigger cojones than just about anyone. Anyone who's been part of the stargate program knows that anything could be on the other side of that wormhole. On another note, what female military officer spends time doing up her hair in a fancy coif like Tamara Johansen? Wouldn't that be a great way to not get respect from all the guys?

9:56PM - So Rush gave intel to the enemy to get them to bombard Icarus base and force them to dial the ninth chevron. Peachy.

10:04PM - "Really? Do we really?" At least one guy on this ship has watched his Star Trek and his horror movies. Good on him for knowing better!

10:10PM - Okay, I know this is a motley crew assembled on this ship, but there seems to have been a heck of quick breakdown in the chain of command and in military discipline. This just isn't feeling like the Stargate I've watched and liked. Am trying to give it the benefit of the doubt still. Maybe I'm not picking up on enough details or getting engaged enough because I'm blogging while watching?

10:15PM - Mysterious Ancient crates that can be tapped for future storylines. Got it. Seeds so they can set up a hydroponics farming system to provide them with a sustainable food source (that I'm sure will also be tapped for future storylines).

10:17PM - Does anyone else feel like someone's going to whip out a lightsaber and start training when that kino flying camera starts floating around?

10:27PM - Now the show has started to get interesting. I think everyone yelling at each other and trying to establish their relative bad-ass-ness was turning me off. Now that they're working on the ship problems, I'm more intrigued.

10;39PM - Well, I guess we jus found out which character was committing suicide in the first episode. The producers had said that would be happening. I'd guessed it was the paralyzed colonel, with the senator as the second choice.

10:44PM - I still don't believe a word Rush says when he says he wasn't responsible for creating the situation that brought them to the ship. And I found it rather satisfying when Chloe was wailng on him in anger.

10:48PM - I'm liking this scene between Chloe Armstrong and Matthew Scott right now. I think they're the characters I'm connecting with the most so far. Anyone feel differently? Scott seems like a truly good guy doing the best he can in a mindboggling situation. And Chloe . . . it seems like she has a strength and intelligence that could make her an fascinating character to watch as she grows into her own.

10:55PM - Kinos = the SGU MALPs. Saw that one coming.

10:58PM - Hmmm . . . still not sure what I think of this series. I'm going to give it one more ep next week to see if it really hooks me in. Am definitely looking forward to next week's premiere of Sanctuary though!

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In Preparation for the "Stargate Universe" Premiere

The new installment in the Stargate franchise, Stargate Universe, premieres tomorrow on SyFy. We've written plenty about it here on Pop Wenches over the past year, but if you need a fun way to while away the ime between now and the premiere, enjoy some of the video clips we shot at the SGU panel at San Diego Comic-Con. Two clips below and plenty more over at the Pop Wenches You Tube channel: www.youtube.com/popwenches.

And for a little more fun as we head into Friday, here's a clip of the first four minutes of the SGU pilot ep:

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Live Blogging "Dollhouse"

Back with live blogging commentary as the second season premiere of Dollhouse airs on Fox! The standard warning about spoilers (lots and lots of spoilers) applies . . .

9:01PM - Topher just called (former) Agent Ballard "frenemy."  LOL!

9:03PM - Alexis Denisof's name just popped up in the credits.  So glad to see him on TV again!  Especially opposite Eliza Dushku.

9:05PM - They did not just make a Jonas Brothers joke.  Oh my.  And Amy Acker is deliciously twisted so far.

9:13PM - Grrrreat.  Rich dude's crazy wedding fantasy.  And wedding night fantasy.  Hope he doesn't have a thing for crossbows and hunting like one of last year's Dollhouse clients did.

9:15PM - So it's a job within a job for Echo, eh?  She's an undercover FBI agent playing her new groom for a fool because he's an arms dealer. And Ballard's the client?!!  Did he not quit the FBI?

9:16PM - I guess arms dealing means this guy packs weapons a lot worse than a bow and arrow.  Potentially big ouch!

9:21PM - Well, that implied kiss just made all sorts of fanboys in the Whedonverse happy.

9:23PM - Weiiiiird hearing former "Watcher Wesley" speaking with a flat Yankee accent instead of a British accent.  And how does the Dollhouse keep sucking in these good guys like Langton and Ballard?

9:28PM - Jamie Barber is looking awfully good in that button down shirt. Wouldn't have minded a multi-episode arc for him.  And either Eliza is wearing really high heels, or Jamie Barber is kinda short . . .

9:32PM - This glimpse into Topher's psyche is exactly the kind of development this show needed to hook audiences in.  And more kudos to Amy Acker for her acting in this ep. Wonderful depth and emotion.

9:37PM - The "you're human" and the "Roomba" quip make me wonder if wemight be seeing some robotics later this season?  Just a possibility.

9:42PM - Eek.  Bad time for a glitch.  Bad, bad time for a glitch.  I'm liking the new energy in this premiere.  The tension has been ratcheted up a few notches.  The stakes feel higher (if I may continue with the chain of cliches).

9:47PM - "Special Agent in Charge of Bugger All."  Sounds like a job title far too many people have at their respective companies.

9:49PM - Looking forward to the moment when . . . oh, there it goes.  The moment when Echo recalls one of her kung-fu fightin' imprints.

9;51PM - Considering the nature of so many of the jobs that they send the Actives on, Echo's not going to be of much use to the Dollhouse if pain makes her glitch.

9:59PM - The biggest problem that I'm spotting with the premiere is that right now I'm more curious about what's going on with the characters of Whiskey and Topher than I am about Echo and Paul Ballard.

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Live Blogging "Grey's Anatomy"

And now for some live blogging commentary on the sixth season premiere of Grey's Anatomy! Be warned, there will be tons of spoilers. . .

9:00PM - Saw these opening minutes through the online clip I posted last week, but I still love what Sara Ramirez does with her character's grief in these scenes.  And Chandra Wilson just said so much with just her eyes.

9:04PM - Argh.  After seeing this clip, I'm dying to know if the patient who just died on the table is George . . . or if George is actually still out in the world but about to die off-camera in some other way.  How much of a kick in the gut would it be (for the audience and the characters) to think George had died, then think he was okay, then find out they'd lost him anyway?

9:11PM - Loved that moment of quiet comfort between Owen and Cristina in the chaos and pain. Also love the callback to the theme of "my person" in this new context between Arizona and the mom and the mom referring to her son (calling back a "my person" thing between Cristina and Meredith in an earlier season).

9:14PM - MITCH PILEGGI!  In a suit!  In the hallway with Patrick Dempsey!  TOO MUCH HOTNESS FOR ONE TELEVISION SCREEN TO TAKE.  Sorry.  I just shouted, didn't I?

9:19PM - "George would give everything."

9:20PM - I know this is a universal given, but I love Miranda Bailey.  If I ever have to be hospitalized, she's the only one from Seattle Grace that I want to have as my doctor. And on another note, I'm so happy they finally let Mer and Der grow up last year.  That Mer will say to Derek that she just needs him to be there for her right now and not talk instead of flouncing off in a huff, getting drunk and sleeping with a random guy from the bar across the street.

9:24PM - "I bought you some time, but you need to plan." In all my shouty-ness, I forgot that Mitch Pileggi was at Seattle Grace for a reason.

9:30PM - Oh, Cristina. Repress and deny doesn't work for long.  Especially when you've just lost your fellow member of the Dead Dad's Club. Although I can see why she'd be tempted with Kevin McKidd around.

9:32PM - Good job by the director of photography and the cameraman for shooting around Ellen Pompeo and Chryler Leigh's pregnancies without making it ridiculously obvious that that's what they're doing.  RIP George O'Malley.  *sigh*

9:46PM - This show does grief like no other show does grief.  Between people's reactions to George's death and Denny Duquette's death and Ellis Grey's death, they've delved into just about every emotional reaction you can go through and put it right there on the screen to see.  It hurts to see Bailey's fire gone and that dead look in her eyes (no pun intended).

9:49PM - Wow. I hope Arizona didn't need her head . . . seeing as the Chief just handed it to her.

9:54PM - Did Derek just unceremoniously kick the newlywed cancer patient out of the house and into his trailer?  I would so have problems with that.

9:55PM - Oh no.  This scene is not going to end well for Owen, is it?  George's mother is going to kill him.

9:56PM - I thought George's mother was going to realize that Owen gave George the idea to join the army and was going to lose it on him.  The accident survivor brings up another thought-provoking question that's so often debated though -- can medicine go far?  At what point does the quality of life drop so low that it's more of a curse to keep a person alive than it is to let them go?  Talk about a weighty issue.
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10:04PM - *sniff*  Don't want Callie to go to Mercy West. Am coveting that black dress she's wearing though. Holy cow.  Did anyone else just have a heart attack when they saw that car coming at the Chief's car?  No one else is allowed to die in this ep, dangit!

10:10PM - Oh, the irony of the Chief having to go to Mercy West after his accident.

10:13PM - Cristina is so the last person to try to work through PTSD issues with Owen. Hmmm . . . this season is going to be interesting if we're going to get much more of a peek at what goes on at Seattle Grace's rival, Mercy West.

10:20PM - Pop Wench Joia and I used to joke that, on Star Trek: Voyager, you could tell the state of the ship by the state of Capt. Janeway's hair.  If the 'do was dishevelled, then the ship was damaged and in trouble. Bailey serves as the same kind of barometer for Seattle Grace.  If Bailey isn't happy or at least okay, then the hospital is in trouble and someone needs to figure out what the problem is!

10:22PM - It's fun seeing McDreamy and McSteamy bantering like the old friends they are, but I just can't quite seem to buy that they'd be able to go back to being best friends after Mark slept with Addison. Friends, eventually, but best friends?  I don't know . . . trust is kinda important.

10:31PM - Hello McSteamy in the shower!

10:34PM - "Girls talk. You might want to consider that the next time you criticize my Post It."  Burn Karev!  And go be nice to Izzie already.  You knew she and George had a connection before you married her.

10:41PM - And that little speech, folks, is why he's McDreamy.

10:44PM - I wonder how Katherine Heigl felt giving this speech about George being gone when she is such good friends with T.R. Knight. I always like Izzie a little bit better when the edge from her (literal) trailer park upbringing comes out like it did just now when she was confronting the woman George saved.

10:50PM - Kevin McKidd just gets better and better on this show.  Owen's not always my favorite character, but McKidd makes him so multidimensional and dark and good-hearted that you can't help but root for him.

10:52PM - Loving the voiceovers from each of the characters as the show draws to a close.  Love getting the little peeks into each of their heads and where they all are now.  And I'm glad that someone (Derek, in this case) saw that Bailey needed someone and listened to her.  Just listened to her.

10:57PM - I seem to vaguely remember hearing a spoiler about the hospital merger but evidently I wasn't paying much attention to it because I totally forgot that until the Chief said the words. It'll be very interesting to see where Derek's character goes this year, especially since he'll probably have to carry more of the storyline due to Ellen Pompeo's maternity leave (congrats to her and her husband on the birth of their baby girl, by the way) and Katherine Heigl's five-week-leave from from filming.

So Pop Wenches readers, what did you think of the Grey's Anatomy season premiere?

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Live Blogging "Flash Forward"

With all the new shows and new seasons of returning shows starting up, the Pop Wenches thought we'd try something new (for this blog anyway) and do a little live blogging commentary on a few shows.  First up, the new ABC show FlashForward!  Spoilers up the ying-yang, needless to say . . .

8:00PM - Clearly Joseph Fiennes and a whole lotta ppeople are having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. I think Dude Smushed in his Car and Flambeed Dude get to claim the top of that list.

8:02PM - Is anyone else thinking that it's weird hearing Joseph Fiennes speak without a British accent? Oh look!  It's Brannon Braga's name in the credits.  Hope this show is better than the last incarnation of Star Trek television series he worked on was. And what kind of jobs do JF and wife do to have a gorgeous house with a backyard with that view??!

8:05PM - More Star Trek adjacent goodness in the form of John Cho. And "Islands in the Stream" for a first dance at a wedding?  Oh hell no!  Love the Lost callout in the form of the Oceanic Airlines billboard in the background.

8:08PM - Here comes our glimpses of the flashbacks!

8:09PM - My theory after seeing JF's flashback?  An enemy country figured out how to aerosolize LSD and everyone just had an acid trip for the ages.  Ouch.  It sooooo sucks to be Flambeed Dude.  And that view of the 101 freeway in Downtown LA?  Trust me, that's not much different from how it looks in real life during peak commute hours . . . or Friday nights as everyone heads out to the Hollywood clubs.  Not liking the helicopter crashing into the building and shades of 9/11.

8:15PM - Wow.  They just had an Asian male character be assertive on television without him being a martial arts master or or an Asian mobster.  Don't see that happen very often.  Kudos to the writers already!  And a kangaroo in the street??  Talk about a Quantas WTF?

8:20PM - Desperate Housewives ad on the wrecked bus in the background. Real subtle cross-promotion ABC. *eyeroll*  And if Olivia (Sonya Walger) is a surgeon, I guess that explains the beautiful house.  And where's her surgeon's mask if she's operating?  Heck, none of them are wearing one.  Does blacking out make one forget about the danger of infectious diseases?

8:24PM - April 29, 2010.  So I wonder what kind of FlashForward promo stunts will be held on that date. Heck, ABC did candy bar giveaways a few years ago in cities around the country for a summertime Lost ARG . . .

8:29PM - The Walt Disney Concert Hall smoking in the background outside the window.  Not a Gehry-designed building! Don't mess up one with acoustics that amazing!

8:32PM - LOL at the poor FBI director(?) with the vision of himself on the crapper.  Will there be a new class sytem because of these visions?  Those who had cool visions and those who had lame ones?

8:38PM - And now we're getting into the whole issue of whether the future is already set in stone or whether following these visions is going to make that exact future a reality.  Always an interesting dilemma and one I'm sure they'll revisit many times during this show.  They've already put out just enough of a tease through Mark's (Joseph Fiennes) vision that I'm curious to see where this story goes.  Way to go with getting me hooked on another show!  Wonder how many Pop Wenches readers are feeling the same way?

8:41PM - And now the religious angle . . . from the character who was having decidedly premarital sex when the blackout hit. Interesting writer's choice/juxtaposition.  And from the character who was literally ready to commit suicide.  Very, very interesting.

8:48PM - V promo!  I still remember being totally creeped out by a very famous scene in the original V television mini-series.  *shudder*  Not crazy about Morena Bacarin with short hair.  She's a gorgeous woman, but much more so with long hair (see her as Adria in the last two seasons of SG1).

8:50PM - Etta James' "At Last" for Mark and Olivia's wedding song?  Either it's bad music or predictable music for weddings?  Oh, Olivia!  This would have been an excellent time to lie, lie, LIE about your flash forward!  She just confirmed (of course) Mark's worst nightmare.  Again, the question of self-fulfilling prophecies raises it's ugly head.

8:53PM - Well hello Jack Davenport!  You look much better here than you did in the last Pirates of the Caribbean movie.  And why do you get to keep your British accent when none of your fellow FlashForward cast members do?

8:54PM - Okay, I'm getting creepy, not-a-normal-kid vibes from Mark and Olivia's daughter.  Anyone else feel the same way?

8:56PM - Seeing the one person who didn't pass out gave me the creeps too.  Why isn't he(?) freaking out that everyone around him has passed out for 2:17 seconds?  I'd be running around doing Freaked Out Jazz Hands!

8:59PM - Dominic Monaghan!  Dominic Monaghan in a suit looking quite good.  Knew he was joining the show thanks to spoilers and his TCA appearance, of course, but still can't wait to see him.  I'll be tuning in to FlashForward again next week -- will you?

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TV News: Whedon Spills "Dollhouse" Spoilers, View 18 Mins of "FlashForward"

- SCI FI Wire has posted a list of nine spoilers for season two of Dollhouse as revealed by Joss Whedon himself.  If you want to find out juicy tidbits like when Ray Wise's character is joining the show and what role the lovely Summer Glau will be play, click here! [SCI FI Wire]

- ABC has posted some wicked video clips online in anticipation of the series premiere of FlashForward and the season premiere of Grey's Anatomy on September 24.

Check out the 18 minute clip from FlashForward, which boasts an impressive cast including Joseph Fiennes, John Cho, Dominic Monaghan, Sonya Walger and Jack Davenport.

This six minute clip from Grey's took my breath away, even though it's well known that T.R. Knight has left the show.  Afterall, Shonda Rimes is more than capable of giving the audience the ending they expect, while still turning everything we were assumed about the path to that ending on its head.  The video caption on ABC's site however, gives away a bit too much considering the shock value of the clip.  And how fantastic is Sara Ramirez ("Callie Torres") in the clip and on the show?

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Zachary Quinto Talks Trek, Heroes and Production Company

Just found a nice little interview with Zachary Quinto over at SCI FI Wire in which he talks about everything from the next Star Trek movie to upcoming projects through his new production company (Before the Door Pictures) to the new season of Heroes and Sylar's fate.

One of the interesting things he says in the interview is about the possibilities for the next Trek movie.  After saying that the creative team behind this summer's blockbuster film aren't in a rush to produce the follow-up film, Quinto said, "I think it's going to be much better served by taking time and being clear about the story that they want to tell. Whether or not that involves Khan or Mr. Shatner remains to be seen" (emphasis mine).  He could just be responding to swirling rumors and fan speculation, but it's interesting that he mentioned Khan and William Shatner specifically. [SCI FI Wire]

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TV News: "Lost" and "Scrubs" Casting News, Locklear Returns to "Melrose Place?"

- Well that didn't take long! Hot on the heels of the leak of a character description for a new Lost character, it was announced today that actor John Hawkes will be joining the show as the recurring character Lennon. The casting side described the character as "the spokesman/translator for the president of a foreign corporation" who's "far more powerful than his lowly position would seem to indicate." Hawkes is a veteran of shows including Deadwood and Eastbound & Down. [TV Guide]

- The three new regulars who will play the next generation of Scrubs doctors have been cast.  Dave Franco (yes, he's James Franco's younger brother and has also starred in Greek and Privileged), Michael Mosley (The Proposal) and Kerry Bishé (Virtuality) will be the new med students under the tutelage of series veterans Donald Faison and John C. McGinley. [Hollywood Reporter]

- Speaking of Scrubs, congrats to actress Sarah Chalke and her fiancé, who recently announced that they are expecting their first child! [People]

- Heather Locklear may return to Melrose Place. The erstwhile Amanda Woodward is now in talks to reprise her role on the rebooted series, which now stars Ashlee Simpson-Wentz. Several of Locklear's fellow cast members from the original series have also signed on, including Laura Leighton, Thomas Calabro, Josie Bissett and Daphne Zuniga. [TV Guide]

- Syfy has reupped their new original series Warehouse 13, ordering a 13-episode second season of of the show. Evidently Warehouse 13 is the most-watched show in the channel's history.  [Variety]

- In some groan-worthy tv news, ABC is looking to turn both the '80s "Brat Pack" movie St. Elmo's Fire and the novel The Time Traveler's Wife into television series. A feature film version of The Time Traveler's Wife was, of course, was released into theaters last weekend.  Click here to read Pop Wench Radhika's review of the movie. [TV Guide and MTV.com]

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Jackson Brothers Get a Reality Series on A&E

Well before Michael Jackson's death, A&E had shot a reality series pilot centering on the Jackson brothers and a reunion with Michael that never materialized.  Now it's being reported that A&E has greenlit additional episodes showing the remaining brothers dealing with the aftermath of the superstar's death and the brother's personal lives. The pilot episode is expected to air this month. I'm not even going to add snarky commentary to this bit of news . . . [Hollywood Reporter: Showbiz 411]

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Jon Hamm Joins Zach Snyder's "Sucker Punch"

Jon Hamm of Mad Men will soon be busy with a new big screen endeavor.  Hamm has joined the cast of Zach Snyder's (300, Watchmen) next project, the action fantasy flick Sucker Punch.

Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens, Jena Malone, Abbie Cornish and Carla Gugino and Jamie Chung will co-star with Hamm in "the 1950s-set tale of a girl (Browning) confined to a mental institution by her stepfather, who intends to have her lobotomized in five days." Browning's character and her friends are able enter an alternate reality where they can begin planning an escape.

Hamm's character name is "High Roller," but beyond that details are being kept under wraps. [Hollywood Reporter]

[Edited to correct the spelling of Jon Hamm's name because Pop Wench Callie was blinded by his hotness while looking for a photo to accompany this post. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!]

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TV News: Gina Torres Gets "Gossip"-y, Lots of "Idol" Guest Judges, Marsters to Terrorize "Caprica"

- Gina Torres (who has, of course, appeared in everything from The Matrix Revolutions to Firefly to Angel) is joining the cast of Gossip Girl next season.  Torres will play Gabriela Abrams, whose daughter is the home-schooled Vanessa, in two eps next season but will have a recurring role throughout the series. [TV Guide]

- In the wake of Paula Abdul's departure, a whole slew of celebrities have been announced as guest judges on the upcoming season of American Idol. Confirmed guest judges to date include Victoria Beckham, Mary J. Blige, Joe Jonas, Katy Perry and Shania Twain. Why is it that only two of these judges have had respected music careers for more than a couple of years? [US Magazine]

- Oliver Stone and Showtime have announced that the controversial director will helm and narrate a 10-part documentary series titled Secret History of America. The series will revolve around events that "at the time went under-reported, but crucially shaped America's unique and complex history of the last 60 years"—events including the dropping of two atomic bombs on Japan, the Kennedy administration, the origins of the Cold War, the Vietnam War and America's changing role on the global scene since the fall of Communism.  The series is set to debut on Showtime in 2010. [Hollywood Reporter]

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- TNT has extended the summer leg of Leverage's second season by two episodes, one of which features Jeri Ryan (Star Trek: Voyager, Shark) in a guest starring role. It has yet to be seen if TNT will order up additional eps of the Timothy Hutton-starring drama, since this announcement leaves only six episodes on order for the winter half of the show's season. [TV Guide]

- James Marsters of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame (also Angel, Smallville and Torchwood) will join the Battlestar Galactica prequel, Caprica, during its freshman season on SyFy. According to EW's Michael Ausiello, Marsters will play Barnabus Greeley, "a dangerous terrorist leader . . . driven by desires both moralistic and carnal," for at least three episodes. [Entertainment Weekly]

- Michael Ausiello also shared another juicy bit of news— a casting side for a new, recurring Lost character. The search is on for a mid-30s to late-50s actor to play Lennon, who is described as:

Scruffy, edgy, charismatic, and slightly stir-crazy, Lennon can be deferential when it's called for. He's the spokesperson/ translator for the president of a foreign corporation. He's a wily negotiator, and far more powerful than his lowly position would seem to indicate.

I'm guessing Lennon is a translator for Sun's father, who is the head of Paik Heavy Industries. Do you agree or do you have another guess? [Entertainment Weekly]

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Alias/Heroes Star Joins Cast of 24

The upcoming season of 24 is going to have a sizable cast, considering the amount of casting news that's been released over the past few months. The latest thesp to join is the cast is David Anders, who is best known for his memorable role as Sark in Alias and the crafty, immortal Adam Monroe from Heroes' third season.

No word yet on what kind of character Anders will be playing (though his previous roles would hint at him playing someone with a villianous streak), but his rep confirmed that the actor will be "in a handful of episodes."

Anders joins the ranks of Freddie Prinze Jr., Katee Sackhoff and Keith Rennie in the upcoming new season of the successful Fox real-time drama. [E! Online]

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Spotnitz Exploring New, Futuristic Worlds for HBO

Writer and executive producer Frank Spotnitz, best known for his work on The X-Files, is going to be a busy man in the near future.  Spotnitz has been tapped by both HBO and FX to develop a total of three television series.

The writer will develop two futuristic drama series for HBO.  The first, Humanitas, is a medical thriller "set in a time when major advances . . . have created dilemmas for doctors and fanned fears that a devastating pandemic is imminent."  Spotnitz will co-executive produce the series.

He will also exec produce a series based on Robert Silverberg's sci-fi novel The World Inside, a dystopian novel "where overpopulation has run amok, and people live in carefully controlled urban centers where frustration and anger are eliminated, sex is rampant and fertility is the most prized human attribute."  Yup, that sounds like it's right up HBO's alley.

Spotnitz told Variety that his pilot for FX, Arc, is "sort of about what would happen if Jason Bourne decided to leave the spy game and try to fit into normal life."  The premise is taken from the life of a real person who is part of the covert operations world.  Spotnitz describes the show as character-based, as opposed to action-based. [Variety]

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Dollhouse Co-star Talks "Lost" Episode, Season 2

SCI FI Wire has posted a very interesting interview they did with Fran Kranz (doll programmer Topher Brink) of Dollhouse at Comic-Con last month.  In it there's much discussion and spoilers for one of the infamous unaired episodes of the Joss Whedon show.  But unless you're buying season one on DVD or Blu-Ray set, you want to be spoiled for the unaired ep "Epitaph One."

"Epitaph One" serves as the jumping off point for the second season of Dollhouse and the post-apocalyptic world will not be a place that's kind to Topher Brinks, according to Kranz.  Click here to read the interview and enjoy a clip from "Epitaph One" below.

[SCI FI Wire]

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Paula Abdul Leaving American Idol

Guess she's not actually "forever your girl."  American Idol judge Paula Abdul announced last night via Twitter that she is will not return to the show next seaon. Fox has confirmed this news, but clarified that she had notified the proper people of her departure prior to making her online announcement.

Entertainment Weekly reports that, according to their sources, Abdul quit despite the offer of "a 30 percent raise and an eight-figure deal."

None of Abdul's fellow judges have responded publicly to the news yet. [Entertainment Weekly]

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TV News: Tennant, Stewart "To Be" on PBS; Galactica Takes Home Top Award

- David Tennant of Doctor Who fame will bring his critically acclaimed portrayal of Hamlet to American television as part of PBS' Great Performances series. Set to air in 2010, the cast will also include Patrick Stewart. I can't be the only one geeking out over this news . . . David Tennant, Patrick Stewart, Royal Shakespeare Company production of Hamlet.  There's just no way to lose with this! [Associated Press via MSN]

- Fox has confirmed that Kara DioGuardi will return next year as a judge on the network's ratings juggernaut American Idol. [Associated Press via Yahoo! News]

- The Television Critics Association (TCA) Award winners were announced on Saturday and Battlestar Galactica took top honors as "Program of the Year." HBO's True Blood won three awards, the most of any show this year.  For a full list of TCA Awards and winners, click here. [Hollywood Reporter]

- A remake of The Rockford Files is on tap for NBC, who has asked House creator David Shore to head up the project. The original series ran from 1974–80 and starred James Garner as "an ex-convict private eye who worked cases out of his trailer in Malibu." [TV Guide]

- USA Network has renewed three of its original series – Burn Notice, In Plain Sight and Royal Pains. [Hollywood Reporter]

- The voice cast of the resurrected cartoon comedy Futurama, including John DiMaggio, Billy West and Katey Sagal, have signed new contracts and will return to the show after a contentious negotiation process. [Variety]

- Congrats to Heroes' Ali Larter who tied the knot with fiancé Hayes MacArthur on Saturday! [E! Online]

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True Blood Hi-Def Video Clips Now Live!

We've got nine . . . count 'em, nine! . . . high-definition video clips covering almost the entire True Blood panel at San Diego Comic-Con.  I haven't watched this show before (no HBO at home) but after seeing the panel, the way the cast interacts and the enthusiasm of the fans, I'm going to be adding the season 1 DVDs to my Netflix list.  The clips are all embedded here, but can be watched in all their high-definition glory at the Pop Wenches YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/popwenches).

Make sure to subscribe to our Pop Wenches blog RSS feed or our YouTube channel to get updates each time we post new videos.  And leave comments here and with each video if you enjoy the footage!

Check out all the clips . . .

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Fun with Mad Men

AMC's Mad Men is coming back Sunday, Aug. 16, and as a part of their marketing campaign, they've launched a Mad Men Yourself application to the show's official website. This means you can make avatars of yourself in the Mad Men era! As a Mad Men fan, I had to try this out. Check out some of the avatars and settings I created below... and then go try it out for yourselves!

(And yes, I'm holding a martini glass at a picnic. Fits the show's aesthetic, no?)

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Sanctuary Hi-Def Video Clips Now Live!

Six high-definition video clips from the Sanctuary panel with Amanda Tapping, Robin Dunne, Martin Wood and Damien Kindle at San Diego Comic-Con have just been posted to the Pop Wenches YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/popwenches. There are more high-def clips coming soon from the True Blood, District 9, Avatar, Stargate Universe, Legion, 9, Torchwood and Being Human panels. Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to get updates each time we post new videos and leave comments here and with each video to let us know which ones you like best (or hate -- we've got thick skins).

And for your previewing pleasure before you check out the Pop Wenches YouTube channel:

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Comic-Con Update 2009 - Sanctuary

Just got out of a fun panel for Sanctuary, which airs on Syfy and is heading into its second season. The show, which was co-created by and stars Amanda Tapping (Stargate SG1, Stargate Atlantis), hasn't gotten me completely hooked on it yet, but it sounds like the new season may be the one in which the show hits its stride.

Enjoy the following notes from the panel (video and more photos to follow later)!

TV Guide moderator: Tell us about the journey of the show over the past two years. Amanda's "gobsmacked" at the support the show's gotten from fans, from when they started promoting the webisodes at a Comic-Con booth two years ago (Sanctuary got its start as a web series before being picked up by Syfy) to getting a second season pick-up. Sanctuary is the first show from a web series to get a second season.

Promo reel is played:
- Lots of clips from last season becuase of the post-production time required for all of their episodes, so they couldn't give Syfy more than a few snippets of season 2 footage
- Montage of clips with the phrases "New Dangers," "New Characters" and "New Relationshiops,"Had a surprising number of clips including Tesla and Watson.

Martin Wood says the 2nd season effects are way, way better than first season. The big discovery next season is that there are Sanctuaries all over the world (fans had heard this news previously). They wanted a "James Bond" feel ingthat the story could take place anywhere. Magnus has build dozens of Sancturaries during her life in places like Mumbai. All the Sanctuaries have a different look -- they did't just recycle the London Sanctuary..

Robin Dunne says that, with Sanctuary, when you pick up a script, you never know what adventure you're going on and with the second season "the boundaries have been pushed so much farther."

The eighth ep si called "Next Tuesday" and is a "helicopter ep" that was "sadistic" for Amanda and Robin. Will Zimmerman and Magnus are transporting a rare abmornal off of an oil rig (in Mexico?).The abnormal wakes up, gets upset and the helicoptor goes down in an oil well in the middle of the ocean, with the helicopter suspended above them and a nest of wires. Amanda, Robin and director Martin Wood spent five days in wetsuits for this sep and they did not use stunt people. According to Robin, by day 4 the water was really crowded with "debris." According to Martin, it was really impressive to see Amanda hold her breath for 94 seconds.

The season premiere includes a big car chase with Magnus behind the wheel, for which they used Damien Kindle's car and no stunt driver. Amanda did her own driving for the sequence and Robin says that his reaction in the passenger seat was not acting -- he was terrified!

[bxA]Also shot scenes for an episode on location Japan. They were there doing press for Syfy Japan and decided to take advantage of the opportunity -- had 76 hours. We'll get to meet the new head of Tokyo Sanctuary and the rebuilt Tokyo Sanctuary- Damien was dying when Martin told us this because Martin was revealing too much.

The scenes they shot in Japani were filmed almost guerilla style - Martin was working the camera, there were no permits and they were writing scenes onsite because they were having fun and wanted to maximize the opportunity. So when you watch the ep, just know that it's really Japan and not just stock footage and CGI.

Amanda directed an ep called "Veritas" in which Magnus goes "completely off her rocker." This ep really showcases Will's loyalty to Magnus -- "when the world turns it's back on her, he can be counted on to stick with her." Damien Kindler says that they wanted to deepen Will and Helen's relationship this season (in a non-shipper way) - they didn't want the relationship to be stagnant and just about capturing monsters.

Accordingg toRobin, "there's a groundedness to the characters this year" and "Will and Magnus are more honest with each other." Will will call her out when needed and tell her things she doesn't want to hear, but needs to hear.

Season two is more about the now instead of flashbacks, but according to Martin we get a "future flash." The future flash ep is "Padua Noctoris" which focuses on a probable future. Amanda says we'll see "Will unlike you've ever seen him before" and that it was "freaky",seeing Robin in character for this ep. It's set in a post-apocalyptic era and we'll see a decayed Sanctuary, Magnus' office destroyed, band -- most frightening --Will with mullet!

There's a new character - a woman of Indian descent who's a freelance op, a "Han Solo type" --and Magnus doesn't trust her in the beginning. The new, very blunt character "shines a light on the Sanctuary" and what they do and whether how they're going about it is right.

Shippers - Magnus held Will Zimmerman on her knee when he was 8! Magnus + Druitt is that character's big love affair ("she likes the bad boys"). There's also Count Olaff who owns a soccer team.

Zap2It questions:

What was up with Ashley in the season one finale? What happens to Ashley reverberates through the Sanctuary and affects the first three eps. It's a very physically and emotionally challenging season for Helen and Will.

Magnus had quite a high body count among her friends during the first season -- will they keep doing that next season? Reiterated that "nobody dies in scifi and they can bring back any if the great guest stars who died during the first season. Also have great upcoming guest stars for season 2. Michael Shanks guest ep. Not a lot of Michael & Amanda screen time.. Gun fight though. Mostly abt Michael and Kate. Michael's & Amanda's characters know each other and are happy when they meet though. Not the "Daniel and Sam show." Callum Blue will also guest and Amanda called him "yummy" before remembering that that was supposed to be an inside voice, not an announcement to the public. very cute!

Will Watson come back? He lived for a long time and they show backstories all the time and "we will see him again if we can get third season going."

Do any of them have any "cool stories" about scars or accidents since they're doing so many of their own stunts? Robin jokingly, but eloquqently replied, "Do you have four hours [to hear about all my injuries]?" Amanda said, "I'm the one woman who should NEVER have been allowed to do my own stunts and yet I have for the past 13 years. I have scars."

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