SciFi Diner Classic Ep. 24

Our Interview with David Nykl

(Dr. Radek Zelenka from Stargate: Atlantis,

Sanctuary, and Fringe)

In our twenty-fourth episode of the SciFi Diner Classic, we interview with David Nykl (Dr. Radek Zelenka from Stargate: Atlantis, Sanctuary, and Fringe). Since we do a news and interview show, it goes without saying that the news portion of our episodes often date themselves fast. And while the interviews with the people that make Science Fiction happen remain relevant and in our opinion important, most listeners will not listen back 100 episodes and wade through old news just to get to the interview. So what the SciFi Diner Classic aims to do is to share these interviews with you. If you have been with us from the beginning, then bear with us as we introduce some of our newer listeners to voices from the past. We're bringing you just the interview and nothing else.

Davis Nykl

David Nykl (born 7 February 1967 in Prague, Czechoslovakia) is a Czech Canadian actor of film, television, commercials and theater.

After the Soviet invasion in 1968, he and his family left then-Communist Czechoslovakia for Canada. Upon arriving at Victoria, British Columbia, his father found work as a structural engineer and his mother found work as a nurse.

Nykl attended the University of British Columbia, where he majored in liberal arts.

Nykl has appeared heavily in Vancouver and Prague in dozens of theater, film and television productions. Known for his versatility and depth as an actor, he has also produced theatre and film projects, and in 1994, he co-founded Prague's Misery Loves Company Theatrewith Richard Toth and Ewan McLaren.

He is known to science fiction fans as the recurring Stargate Atlantis character of Dr. Radek Zelenka, a Czech scientist on Earth's expedition to the "lost city" of Atlantis. His character often provides a foil to the main scientists, who forget the limits of their situation.

He is fluent in Czech, English, French and Spanish. Though his character on Stargate Atlantis speaks English with a Czech accent, Nykl normally speaks with a Canadian accent. Whenever Zelenka spoke Czech in Stargate Atlantis, Nykl was given the lines in English, and he translated them.

On this SciFi Rewind, Scott and Miles from the SciFi Diner Podcast and John Mierau from Serving Worlds.com rewatch Starship Troopers, a controversial film as far as its place in the Science Fiction, and share their favorite scenes and delve deep into the facts and stories behind it. The episode is rounded out with listener thoughts and feedback as well. In our next rewatch, we will be rewatching the iconic film Galaxy Quest. Be sure to watch Galaxy Quest with us and send in your thoughts by October 30th.  If you want to share your SciFi Rewind with us and have us talk about it on the show or if you want to comment on our rewinds, please e-mail us at scifirewind@gmail.com (you can attach an mp3 audio file if you want) or call us at 18885084343.

SciFi Diner Podcast Ep. 151

Our Interview with Maurice Broaddus

and Jerry Gordon editors of the Dark Faith Anthologies

The SciFi Diner Podcast

A 2012 Parsec Finalist

Please call the listener line at 1.888.508.4343,

Email us at scifidinerpodcast@gmail.com

or visit us on Twitter @scifidiner.

Facebook Fan Page.

And check out our YouTube channel.

Tonight’s Diners: Scott & Miles

Welcome to the Diner.

If you have listened to the show for sometime, we would love to have you leave feedback on iTunes. We know not all of you use iTunes, but for those that do, it helps us become more visible. If you don’t use iTunes, your feedback is still valuable. Visit our webpage at http://scifidinerpodcast.com and leave a comment on the show notes or email us at scifidinerpodcast@gmail.com We want to know what you are thinking about what we are saying and what shows you are watching.

Menu:

• Interview: Our Interview with Maurice Broaddus and Jerry Gordon editors of the Dark Faith Anthologies
• Trivia:  Win Kate Mulgrew
• TV News: Message from the Observers, Shannara book series comeing to TV, Nielsan revises how it does ratings.
• Movie News:  First look at RoboCop
• TWIST: Star Trek celebrates 46 years; Life After Trek interviews with Mike Demerritt
• SciFi Five in Five:  Raul Ybarra's Most important Science Fiction television Shows of All Time

New Trivia:

Trivia: Since no one, and I mean NO ONE was able to answer last months trivia, we're trying a different tactic to give away an autographed picture of Kate Mulgrew, Captain Janeway of Star Trek: Voyager. All you need to do is write in and explain why you are the biggest fan of Kate Mulgrew. Please include your address and the code word mentioned in the first 15 minutes of the show. We'll be drawing a name the middle of October.

Prize: An Autographed copy of Kate Mulgrew (Captain Janeway)

You will have until October 15th to send us your answers. Please include the code word mentioned in the first 15 minutes of the show. Send your answer with your mailing address to scifidinerpodcast@gmail.com, call us at 18885084343, or DM us on Twitter at @scifidiner. Make sure you include your e-mail with all entries! Only one entry per person.   The SciFi Diner is not responsible for any injuries occurring if you secretly decide to go all shiny and dress in a browncoat and walk into your local bar.

Promos

Tuning Into SciFi TV Podcast

Fringecasting with Wayne and Dan

Promo

Subversion Promo from John Mierau

Gatecast Podcast

Interview:

Maurice Broaddus

“’Buyer beware’ is the cautionary theme of Maurice Broaddus’ sublime ‘A House is Not a Home’ – the standout of the collection… Broaddus’ commanding use of language coats the story with a lushness that belies its short fiction format and places it in a class of its own.”
– Vince Liaguno, Dark Scribe

“There are fewer greater pleasures in a reader’s life than witnessing a writer whose work they have enjoyed reached a new plateau in their storytelling skills, and such is the case here; with The Devil’s Marionette, Maurice Broaddus comes into his own as a writer of dark fiction. It is the brilliance we’ve all been waiting for, and Broaddus delivers in a voice that both whispers and roars and cannot be ignored.”
– Bram Stoker and International Horror Guild Award-winner Gary A. Braunbeck

The Knights of Breton Court series
King Maker – March 2010 (UK/Australia), October 2010 (US/Canada)
King’s Justice – February 2011 (UK/Australia), March 2011 (US/Canada)
King’s War – November 2011 (everywhere)
The Knights of Breton Court (omnibus) – October 2012 (worldwide)

Maurice Broaddus graduated in 1993 from Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis and holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Biology. He works as an environmental toxicologist for a local firm, Commonwealth Biomonitoring. He comes from a family that includes several practicing obeah (think: Jamaican voodoo) people, but is now the facilitator for the church, The Dwelling Place. He is married with two children.

His areas of interests includes religious studies, folklore, and myths. His previous book was the novella Orgy of Souls, written with Wrath James White. He says he only wants to get famous enough to be able to snub people at horror conventions.

When asked, “what kind of horror writer are you?”, Maurice said…

There are kinds of horror: atmospheric, supernatural, serial killer, splatter/”gross out” and other ways I could categorize it. But I tend to think that horror writers fall into two very general camps: traditionalists and extremists (for lack of better terms). It is the tools you use to scare that define what camp you find yourself in. Traditionalists tend to be more character driven, letting the horror arise from or intrude on the mundane. They are often more atmospheric, and explore the eerie or weird with a moral code. Oh yeah, traditionalists are good vs. evil moralists. Extremists are more visceral. Quicker to go for the blood and guts/gross out or the perverse. I’m actually disturbed by how much value-loaded (read: judgmental sounding) language I’m using, but it’s the easiest way I know to describe it. I’m more of a traditionalist, which is not to say 1) that I don’t occasionally enjoy a good extremist or 2) that traditionalists or extremists exclusively write with only that set of tools. It’s a pallette: You have a broad spectrum of colors and styles to choose from to create your painting. And sometimes it’s like your taste in music: most times I listen to 70′s R&B, but sometimes I need a little Rage Against the Machine or Dream Theater to get me going. Most times I naturally gravitate toward the traditionalist stuff – Ray Bradbury, Stephen King – but sometimes I need a shot of Clive Barker or John Shirley to shock the palate.

Meet Maurice online

More Praise for King Maker

“KingMaker isn’t yet another retelling of the Arthurian stories. There are drugs and gangs and people who are almost too scared to breathe. If there’s a small world that needs saving, it’s the world of this novel: too many lives are in danger and too many people are willing to give up. What’s awesome is there is no guarantee that King is going to become the Arthur we know. His enemies understand where he comes from and what he can do before he does. ”
- Gillian Polack

Jerry Gordon

Jerry Gordon: This is the spot where I’m supposed to talk about myself in the third person.  It’s a strange but generally accepted way of doing things, fine for book jackets and magazine bios, but a little impersonal since you’ve come all this way to find out more about me.

There are a couple hundred Jerry Gordon’s mucking things up on this planet.  I’m the one that’s a fiction author, editor, college instructor, computer programmer, and occasional grad student.  If you’re wondering where free time fits into this equation, you just discovered the downside to being interested in everything.  I have an undergraduate degree in English and Education from Ball State University.  When I’m not writing, I’m daydreaming about my next trip… and a little apartment in Paris.

The most common question I get asked (when people find out I write fiction) is what kind.  Truth is all kinds.  I love just about every genre and hate labels.  I tend to blur the lines between genres, writing mash-ups that combine the best of several.  If you want to pin me down, I’ll admit to writing mysteries, thrillers, science fiction, fantasy, horror, and “literary” fiction.  Usually, at least two at the same time.

If you’d like to check out my work, head over to the bibliography page.

Thanks for dropping in and don’t be shy about sending me a note via the contact page.

Jerry

Some fun facts…

• At the age of fourteen, I was a DJ for WBDG in Indianapolis.
• By sixteen, I was running that radio station.
• I ditched my telecommunications degree in favor of an undergrad in English and Education.
• It only took one semester to fall in love with storytelling and make the switch.
• I’ve been on more movie sets than I can remember.
• I was once a Klingon extra on Star Trek.

TV News:

Observers Continue to Boss Us in New FRINGE Featurette – Residency Protocol
Monday, September 17th, 2012

Remember the early days of Fringe when we thought that the Observers were a curiosity but were basically benign or, at worst, maybe interlopers for good? Ah those halcyon days. Now we know that only one of them was like that, and the rest, at least in the season that is to come, are not.

Below we have the third of Protocols that have been issued by the Fedora-ed Ones. We’ve included the previous two for your ease of reference (and protection from scans).

Featurette: Fringe Season 5 – Residency Protocol

Elfstones of Shannara to be made into a television show. Good news or Bad?

Nielsen Ratings

NEW YORK -- The number of U.S. homes that don't get traditional television service continues to increase, but that doesn't mean they don't have TVs.
The Nielsen company said in a report issued on Tuesday that three-quarters of the estimated 5 million homes that don't get TV signals over the airways or through cable, satellite or telecommunications companies have televisions anyway.
Many of these homes are satisfied to use their TVs for games or get programming through DVDs or services like Netflix or Apple TV, said Dounia Turrill, senior vice president for client insights at Nielsen.
The company's report shows how the nature of TV service is slowly changing. Before the percentage started declining about three years ago, more than 99 percent of TV homes received the traditional TV signals. Now that has dipped just below 96 percent.
Part of the decline is also economic – service deemed expendable by people struggling to make ends meet, Nielsen said.
Because of the changes, Nielsen is considering redefining what it considers a television household to include people who get service through Netflix or similar services instead of the traditional TV signals, Turrill said.
During the first three months of 2012, the average consumer spent about 2 percent less time watching traditional TV than the previous year, Nielsen said. They more than made up for that by spending more time watching material recorded on DVRs or on the Internet through TVs, computers and mobile devices.
The typical consumer spends 14 minutes a day using gaming consoles, although it's more for owners of Wii, XBox and PlayStation 3, Nielsen said. Many of these devices are also popular sites for accessing video, Turrill said.
"The gaming devices are becoming entertainment hubs," she said.
People over age 65 spend nearly 48 hours, on average, watching television each week, Nielsen said. At the other end of the spectrum are teenagers aged 12 to 17, who spend an average of 22 hours per week watching TV.
Blacks spend an average of 210 hours per month watching TV, more than whites (nearly 153 hours), Latinos (131 hours) and Asians (100 hours), Nielsen said.

Movie News:

1st look at a startlingly different suit for that RoboCop reboot

We've had a look at the handiwork of OmniCorp, we've read the official synopsis, and now it's time to get a look at the cybernetic crimefighter himself. On-set pics have just revealed what Joel Kinnaman's RoboCop reboot suit looks like, and it's definitely a departure.

It's definitely not what Peter Weller wore. The silver exterior with black accents at the joints has been replaced by an all-black theme that looks a bit like Christian Bale's Batsuit. And the bulky, muscled look has been replaced by something much leaner. Also, he seems to have saved one hand from robotic reinvention. Unless there's some kind of massive CGI overhaul coming in post-production, this is a very different RoboCop.

Of course, we've yet to really see this new suit in action, and this could just be a part of what director Jose Padilha is delivering us, but it seems clear that there's a very different look in store this time around.

What do you think? Is the new RoboCop look a refreshing, modern take, or just a remake dud?

This week in Star Trek:

Space, The Final Frontier... 46 Years Of Star Trek

 46 years ago today, Star Trek launched its 5 year mission. Unfortunately it only lasted 3 in its original form, but Trek as we now know it consists of over 700 hours of television and movies. It seems that this year Star Trek is getting more press than usual on its anniversary. Google, Oreo, and websites the world over are celebrating the launch of Trek. Some even proclaiming today as Star Trek day. Of course, we're not complaining.

Where would we be without Star Trek? I've often wondered that, but really the world would be a much different place if Gene hadn't been offered a second pilot or Lucille Ball and Desilu had passed on the show. Could there have been a different show that took its place and inspired millions of people to boldly go on the human adventure? Who can say. I'm just thankful that Gene got the chance to express his ideas through a medium that was available to so many viewers worldwide. On this anniversary, I'll leave you with one of my favorite videos of Gene... For us, no limits. Happy Star Trek Day!

Life After Trek Podcast Episode 20 Featuring Michael DeMeritt

By Captain Pyke 

We’re pleased to announce episode 20 of our “Life After Trek” podcast, featuring Michael DeMeritt. Many of you know Michael from his time on the full run of both Star Trek: Voyager & Star Trek: Enterprise as First / Second Assistant Director. He also worked, most recently, on hit shows like ABC Family's Make It or Break It, Showtime's Californication, NBC's Las Vegas, and many others. We met him at BayouCon 2012 in Lake Charles, Louisiana and got the chance to experience his inside Star Trek panels featuring many never-before-seen photos & stories. We knew, then and there, that he would be an excellent guest on "Life After Trek".

We ran the full gamut of Mike's Trek experience, on this episode, but also got to talk about his start in Hollywood and his early years as a DGA trainee. For those "Life After Trek"-ers out there, that love behind-the-scenes info, this is an episode you don't want to miss. If you would like to learn more about Michael and his work, you can check out his official website at MichaelDeMeritt.com and his full list of credits at IMDB.com.

Sci Fi 5@5: 

The Five Most Important TV Shows In Science Fiction 

By Raul Ybarra

A few weeks ago, I had made some Tweets regarding the most important TV shows

in science fiction. This generated a variety of responses that has nudged me into

writing a bit more reason behind my selections. Going into this, it's important to

note that my criteria here is "most important" rather than "best." I also am not

including non-SciFi shows though they often get lumped in together. Thus, you

won't see any fantasy, horror, or super-hero shows in the list. Likewise, you will not

see shows like Night Gallery, even though they did, at times, dip into science fiction.

So here's that list from the least to the most important.

5. Firefly

Yes, Firefly was *great* science fiction. Yet it only lasted 13 episodes, so why

is it so important. As I said, good does not necessarily equate to importance

though this show was both. It's the nature of what happened to the /show/ that

makes it so important. It's pretty universal that few shows had as raw a deal as

Firefly. The shows of this serial were aired out of order. The "Suits" interfered in

the production. It was summarily canceled without really being given a chance.

However, it was a critical reminder to both fans and network of the power of the

fans' voices. While not enough to save this show, the outcry certainly rattled Fox.

Fortunately, Fox seemed to learn its lesson. I believe that it's thanks to Firefly that

shows like Dollhouse got a second season, in spite of the terrible ratings or we are

getting a fifth season to finish the story in Fringe. Fox, as well as other networks,

pay a lot more attention to the fans as a result of Firefly.

4. Battlestar Galactica

I'm talking about the original "Classic" show rather than the 2000's reboot. People

today may not be aware of it, but introducing phrases like "Frack" or having a main

character, Cassiopia, as a "Socialator" (i.e. prostitute) were huge steps in prime-time

programming that caused considerable discussion. Equally ground-breaking was

the use of cinema-caliber special effects. Largely because of this, the show was also

the first show to break the $1,000,000 per episode barrier -- an enormous sum in

1978. The Bridge set was one of the largest regular sets ever for a show and was

functional with working electronics, communications and computer displays. It was

primarily the very high cost of the show that led to its cancellation after the first

season.

Unfortunately, BSG is important in one negative area. This is the show more

important than even Lost In Space for the "Cute Kid" problem. After BSG, every

serious SciFi show until Babylon 5 was crippled by having to have a "cute kid" for

the youngsters. I believe in my heart-of-hearts if we didn't have Boxey here, we

would have never been inflicted with Wesley Crusher a decade later.

3. Doctor Who

You cannot have a list of important SciFi shows without including the longest

running science fiction series of all time. Doctor Who will be celebrating its

50th birthday in 2013 having gone on the air in 1963. It's initial run was for 26

continuous seasons ending in 1986. It wasn't cancelled, but put on hiatus, with a TV

movie in the 90's and resuming regular airings in 2005.

Aside from the run time proving the staying power of a science fiction show, the

Doctor brought us such iconic items as sonic screwdrivers, K9 and the TARDIS.

Dimensional transcendence ("It's bigger on the inside than out."), time travel,

parallel universes, racism, women's rights, cyborgs, paradox, nuclear war, ethics -

- I've commented many times that there are few science fiction themes that Doctor

Who hasn't done first. The show was always serial rather than episodic; sometimes

being 4-6 episodes, sometimes being whole seasons. With such a low budget

for effects (the subject of MANY jokes) the show had to focus on being story and

character driven.

Doctor Who also gave us some of the great villains/enemies in SciFi: Cybermen,

Sontarans, the Master and of course Daleks. The resumed series has also added

probably the scariest monster of all time: the Weeping Angels. Science fiction

television owe a huge debt to this long running and innovative show.

2. Babylon 5

It was a close call between Babylon 5 and the #1 choice. Star Trek won only

because that without Trek, we never could have gotten Babylon 5. At some point

I will probably write a full blog article on Babylon 5 just to cover all the "Firsts" it

represents to not only SciFi TV, but TV in general.

Just to cover a few of these, it was the first successful serial sci-fi series, first fully

scored for each episode, first Hi-Def show, first all CGI effects, and first to prove

you *don't* have to follow the Star Trek model for success. In season 2, the beat

Star Trek for the Hugo and next year, did it again to prove it wasn't an accident.

Characters were only used when needed and even killed when it served the story.

The series *began* intended as a 5-season serial with all five seasons mapped out in

advance, though with enough room to allow the story to "live."

The story was cohesive and well written and the characters were compelling. The

show proved that it takes BOTH story and characters to achieve true greatness. I'm

re-watching it with my son and the story is as relevant today as it it was 20 years

ago. The alien cultures were very well developed and the makeup was amazing;

NOT just a different nose bridge or ear caps. Space flight was based on Newtonian

physics and the resulting battles were dizzying with ships flying in all directions and

every orientation: sideways, backwards, upside down.

Bottom line, every SciFi show since 1993 - including the Star Trek franchise - owes a

huge debt to Babylon 5.

1. Star Trek

First, note well that I am referring to the Original Series only. None of the other

Trek series makes this list -- and that includes Next Generation. More than any

other show, Star Trek made televised SciFi serious. The show was initially rejected

by CBS as "too cerebral." Star Trek made a conscious effort to put the Science in

the Fiction, though some purist such as Arthur C. Clark disparagingly wrote it off as

fantasy.

Though an adventurous "Wagon Train to the Stars," Star Trek still hit hard on the

serious social issues humanity did, and still, faces - racism, war, equal rights, medical

ethics, religion and on. It did it honestly and without fear of stepping on toes. The

bridge crew included a Russian, the ultimate in aliens in Spock and women. Even

more ground-breaking was that a senior command officer was a black woman.

Except for Doctor Who, without Star Trek, none of these other shows would have

been.

Summary

There could be a lot of honorable mentions, the BSG Reboot, Fringe, Stargate,

Farscape; just to name a few. These and others are all good and sometimes great

shows. However, in importance I think it is these five that set the precedents upon

which all the others depend. These five shows set standards for stories, characters

and effects that all the others have had to live up. They have proven themselves to

be timeless in that they still hold their popularity today. I would love to hear your

comments.

SciFi Diner Conversations 65

Listener's Review Dredd, Give Scott and

Miles A Grimm Chastising, Discuss the

Revolutions Premiere, And More.  

SciFi Diner Podcast Ep. 150

Our Interview with Jonathon Young

(Nikola Tesla from Sanctuary) at Shore Leave 34

The SciFi Diner Podcast

A 2012 Parsec Finalist

Please call the listener line at 1.888.508.4343,

Email us at scifidinerpodcast@gmail.com

or visit us on Twitter @scifidiner.

Facebook Fan Page.

And check out our YouTube channel.

Tonight’s Diners: Scott & Miles

Welcome to the Diner.

If you have listened to the show for sometime, we would love to have you leave feedback on iTunes. We know not all of you use iTunes, but for those that do, it helps us become more visible. If you don’t use iTunes, your feedback is still valuable. Visit our webpage at http://scifidinerpodcast.com and leave a comment on the show notes or email us at scifidinerpodcast@gmail.com We want to know what you are thinking about what we are saying and what shows you are watching.

Menu:

• Interview: Jonathon Young (Nikola Tesla from Sanctuary)
• Trivia:  Win Kate Mulgrew
• TV News: Contiumm renewed; Whedon back to small screen
• Movie News:  We say Good Bye to Michael Clarke Duncan; Former Dark Knight goes from hero to villain for RoboCop
• Audiobook Review: No Small Bills by Aaron Rosenberg
• TWIST: New Con of Wrath Teaser, Update on the Star Trek/Worf film
• SciFi Five in Five:  Kahless's Top Five McCoy Quotes

New Trivia:

Trivia: In the context of the episodes of Warehouse 13 that aired on 2/13 and 2/20, what does it have in common with Stargate Universe? (Hint: IMDB is your friend if you don't watch Warehouse 13)

Prize: An Autographed copy of Kate Mulgrew (Captain Janeway)

You will have until September 18th to send us your answers. Please include the code word mentioned in the first 15 minutes of the show. Send your answer with your mailing address to scifidinerpodcast@gmail.com, call us at 18885084343, or DM us on Twitter at @scifidiner. Make sure you include your e-mail with all entries! Only one entry per person.   The SciFi Diner is not responsible for any injuries occurring if you secretly decide to go all shiny and dress in a browncoat and walk into your local bar.

Promos

Tuning Into SciFi TV Podcast

Fringecasting with Wayne and Dan

Our Interview:

Jonathon Young is a Canadian actor known for his role of Nikola Tesla on the SyFy show Sanctuary. Appearances include The Fog, Eureka, and Stargate Atlantis. Jonathon is a well-respected stage actor. He is the co-founder of Electric Company Theatre in Vancouver, Canada in which he is also the artistic director, playwright, and actor.

He was raised in British Columbia, along with his brother and sister. Their father was a school teacher who started acommunity theatre in Armstrong, British Columbia. At a "Q&A" after the play No Exit, Young told the audience that his father often brought him and his sister to watch him act and that this is where his love for theatre began. Becoming an actor was never a choice, but rather just something he knew he was going to do.

Young is a graduate of the Studio 58 theatre school at Langara College, Vancouver. In 1996 he co-founded Electric Company Theatre along with fellow Studio 58 alumni Kim Collier, David Hudgins, and Kevin Kerr.^[4] He is a multipleJessie Richardson Theatre Award winner. His play Palace Grand was commissioned for production by Vancouver'sPuSh International Performing Arts Festival in 2008.

TV News:

'Continuum' Renewed For Second Season

Specialty channel Showcase has announced that sci-fi television show "Continuum" has been renewed for a second season. The phenomenally successful series, which performed very well over the usually slow summer season, will begin production on the 13-episode season 2 in Vancouver in 2013. Ratings for the show shattered all previous Showcase premiere records, and dominated its Sunday night 9-10 p.m. timeslot.
"'Continuum' was a tremendous success for the channel," said Barbara Williams, Senior Vice President, Content, Shaw Media, in a press release. "We are proud to green-light such a prolific ratings hit and original series for a second season, and to continue Kiera's journey through time for our dedicated viewers."
A one-hour police drama centered on Kiera Cameron (Rachel Nichols), a cop from the year 2077 who finds herself trapped in present-day Vancouver, "Continuum" follows Cameron as she searches for a group of convicted criminals from the future, known as Liber8. With unexpected assistance from teen tech genius Alec Sadler (Erik Knudsen), Kiera concentrates on bringing down the terrorists before they can change the course of history forever. Impersonating a local law enforcement officer to expedite her investigation, she forms an uneasy alliance with her new partner, detective Carlos Fonnegra (Victor Webster).
In the season finale "Endtimes," Kiera raced against the clock trying to prevent a Liber8 bombing, which ultimately killed hundreds of innocent people. The shocking twist led to an explosive finale, leaving many unanswered questions.
Seems that fans won't have to wait too much longer for some well-deserved answers.

Joss Whedon coming back to TV for Marvel S.H.I.E.L.D. series

Avengers and Firefly fans, rejoice! Joss Whedon is coming back to the small screen, and he's bringing the Marvel universe with him.

ABC and Marvel have confirmed that Whedon is developing a TV series spinoff from The Avengers, based around the top-secret Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division (S.H.I.E.L.D.) organization that recently brought Earth's Mightiest Heroes together on the big screen.

The series will technically be set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, though Variety reports the storylines will be mostly "autonomous" from upcoming sequels such as Avengers 2 and Iron Man 3. That means it's unlikely that big-screen mainstays like Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury, Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow and Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye will be prominently featured on the show—but who's to say they can't pop up from time to time?

Whedon is signed on to co-write the pilot with his brother (and frequent collaborator) Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen, and will stay on to help develop the broad strokes. Assuming it's picked up, Jed and Tancharoen would join Jeph Loeb and Jeffrey Bell as executive producers.

If some of those names sound familiar, they should, because virtually everyone Whedon is bringing on board has worked with him on his former TV projects Firefly, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel.

For us, that means all these excellent writers are going to have big budgets and a bigger platform to play with, and with some autonomy from the films, they may get a long leash to really dig in and make this a compelling series.

Hoping to capitalize on the box-office love, ABC is putting the series into production immediately—so hopefully we'll have some more details soon.

Sound off: Do you think the Marvel universe is a good fit for live-action TV?
Marvel's S.H.I.E.L.D. series won't have much to do with The Avengers

It was recently announced that Joss Whedon is bringing S.H.I.E.L.D. to the small screen. With the exception of The Avengers, the agency has stayed in the background of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Now it's finally coming to the forefront.

The day after the news broke, Whedon revealed, "The S.H.I.E.L.D. show kind of dropped in my lap, and I love working in TV." His previous television credits include Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly and the short-lived Dollhouse. S.H.I.E.L.D. is a huge organization, with many stories to tell, most of which will steer clear of The Avengers.

"I get to really build a show with people I really trust and love. What we're building is entirely autonomous from The Avengers. It's gotta be a show that works for people who haven't seen the Marvel movies. It will please Marvel fans, I think."

Marvel's done a great job integrating their properties, but it sounds like S.H.I.E.L.D. will be a separate entity. We're excited to see what heroes they'll pull from the comics. It's time to share the Marvel spotlight.

Movie News:

RIP: actor Michael Clarke Duncan is dead at 54

Michael Clarke Duncan, the Oscar-nominated actor known for his massive frame and roles in The Green Mile, Daredevil and many other films, died this week at the age of 54.

Duncan passed away on Monday (Sept. 3), two months after first being hospitalized for a heart attack in July. Known for his gentle good nature, down-to-earth demeanor and—at 6 foot 5 and as much as 315 pounds—commanding onscreen presence, Duncan was born in Chicago and worked there for a gas company and as a security guard in clubs before heading to Hollywood.

There he pursued an acting career while continuing to work security for celebrities such as Will Smith, Jamie Foxx and the late Notorious B.I.G. It was the latter's shooting death in 1997 that led Duncan to quit that line of work for good.

After landing several bit parts in films—usually as a security guard or bouncer—Duncan got cast as Bear in Michael Bay's 1998 meteor disaster movie Armageddon. He struck up a friendship with star Bruce Willis, who in turn recommended Duncan for the part that would be his breakthrough—John Coffey in Frank Darabont's adaptation of Stephen King's The Green Mile the following year.

Duncan was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe as Coffey, the simple-minded giant with a supernatural gift for healing who is falsely sentenced to death for raping and murdering two little girls. Coffey brought deep emotion and empathy to the role, earning him wide acclaim and putting him on a career track that kept him working steadily in movies, animation and TV until his death.

Duncan's other genre-related outings included roles in director Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes remake (2001), Sin City (2005), Michael Bay's The Island (2005), The Last Mimzy (2007) and the voice of Kilowog in last year's Green Lantern. In 2002 he played Wilson Fisk, aka the Kingpin, in the Marvel Comics-based film Daredevil (2003)—a character that had been portrayed as white in the comics and anticipated Marvel's similar color-blindness when casting Idris Elba as Heimdall in 2010's Thor.

The actor played many other roles in movies and TV shows, while also lending his voice to a number of animated features and programs, and also acted as a spokesman for PETA and the American Stroke Association. His friend Frank Darabont told Ain't It Cool News that Duncan was "one of the finest people I've ever had the privilege to work with or know. Michael was the gentlest of souls—an exemplar of decency, integrity, and kindness."

Rest in peace, gentle giant.

Former Dark Knight goes from hero to villain for RoboCop

Hugh Laurie, you have been replaced. Jose Padilha's RoboCop remake has finally nailed down a villain. After Dr. House backed out, they went after the next best thing—Batman.

Michael Keaton has snagged the role of Raymond Sellars in RoboCop. His casting comes just in time, because the film begins production next month. According to Padilla, Keaton was the missing link to this sci-fi puzzle.

"Michael is the final addition to the amazing cast we have assembled for this film and it is so great to have the last puzzle piece in place," said Padilha. "It is thrilling that everything has come together to bring this innovative new vision of RoboCop to life. We've got a great script, a great cast, some killer ED-209's and I can't wait to get Alex Murphy back on the streets."

Keaton joins Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Samuel L. Jackson, Abbie Cornish, Michael Kenneth Williams, Jennifer Ehle, Jay Baruchel and Marianne Jean-Baptiste.

RoboCop is scheduled to hit theaters Aug. 9, 2013.

What do you think of Keaton as the bad guy?

(via Deadline)

This week in Star Trek:

The surprise premiere of a new teaser for THE CON OF WRATH at Comic-Con San Diego July 14  showed off a few more of the early faces who have talked to us so far about “The Ultimate Fantasy” gone wrong in 1982. Only fans in that room have seen it so far—not even at Vegas....

Until today, when we posted a version of that teaser at the conofwrath.com website. You'll know a lot of those faces, too.

Our documentary on the infamous Houston "glorious failure" Trek event ... and the human spirit... is still collecting faces and moments, and I just found a couple more Survivors at Vegas. Our live meetup-fundraisers at conventions have raised cash, spread the word and most of all been a lot of fun all year long as we add more fan donors to the screen credits and gift list. We still have a lot of funding and producing to go, though.

In the new mini-teaser, watch for a few words from the first of the original Houston crew to see daylight, in an uncredited appearance: You'll see Marc Dowman up in the arena catwalk—graphic artist for the event and a stage and pyro assistant for the show. He's just burning up to tell one of the best weekend stories ....

NOTE: This preliminary piece was put together for big-room conventions and does not feature final graphics, rendering looks and of course music score. Director of Photography Neal Hallford whipped it up in July, and edited it for this showing. So—just for fun and a little taste of what's to come...

--Larry Nemecek, executive producer/director

Michael Dorn spills the latest on his Worf-centric Trek spinoff

Earlier this year we heard that Star Trek: The Next Generation star, and everyone's favorite Klingon, Michael Dorn was pitching a new Trek flick centered on his character, Worf. We've already seen how fans have responded to the idea, but what about Hollywood?

Though he's also busy with other things, most notably a romantic comedy he's funding through Kickstarter, Dorn's Worf idea has been making the rounds among people who might want to help make it happen ... and it turns out there's quite a bit of interest.

   "Once I started thinking about it, it became obvious to me that I wanted to at least put it out there, which I have, and the response has been pretty amazing. We've been contacted by different individuals-I can't say who and all that-about wanting to come on board and be part of this. Also, there's all the political stuff going on with the new movies, with J.J. Abrams and Paramount and all that stuff, which I have no clue about and what it all entails, but that's where it is right now."

According to Dorn, the film would be a darker take on Trek, and would feature a post-Next Generation Worf captaining a Federation ship, "out there in the front lines basically chasing terrorists." It's too early for even Dorn to really know if the idea will become a reality, but how confident is he?

   "Interestingly enough it has gotten traction. I was very surprised, I was on a movie not too long ago, where one of the producers was basically lobbying to be part of it. He was like 'Michael, I'd love to write it, if you haven't.' So at this point, my agents and my manager are looking at all the avenues and trying to figure out which is the best one. My agent and manager have been in the business for awhile, so they're very savvy about where to start and how to get it going. Like I said, in this business you never know and I've been through pitching things and I never want to do that again [laughs]. It's pretty brutal, but definitely I think once again, if Paramount or CBS or anybody thinks this is a viable thing, they'll jump on it."

In the meantime, Dorn will no doubt keep lobbying for the flick. But what about other opportunities to put on the Klingon makeup one more time? When asked if he'd ever appear in a dream sequence or something similar on The Big Bang Theory, where co-stars Wil Wheaton, LeVar Burton and Brent Spiner have already had cameos, Dorn wasn't very intrigued. Worf might get his own movie, but sitcom life isn't for him.

   "That's a long shot I think. Not so much about the process, but you're pushing the envelope by putting the Worf makeup on and going on another show in another genre, you're asking for trouble. Even in a dream sequence its one of those things where if you did that, I think you're driving the stake into his heart at that point-not into his heart, but into the character's heart."

 So, what do you think? What are the chances that we'll see Worf again?

B-Rela Presentz: The New Star Trek

Sci Fi 5@5

Kahless gives his top five McCoy quotes

furture 5

SciFi Diner Conversations 64 - Listener's Weigh In On The Doctor Who Season Premiere, Our Logan's Run Rewind, Warehouse 13, Zombie's Run, Grimm, And More. 

SciFi Diner Classic Ep. 23

Our Interview with Catherine Hicks

from Star Trek: The Voyage Home

Shore Leave 32

In our twenty-third episode of the SciFi Diner Classic, we interview actor interview Catherine Hicks from Star Trek: The Voyage Home. Since we do a news and interview show, it goes without saying that the news portion of our episodes often date themselves fast. And while the interviews with the people that make Science Fiction happen remain relevant and in our opinion important, most listeners will not listen back 100 episodes and wade through old news just to get to the interview. So what the SciFi Diner Classic aims to do is to share these interviews with you. If you have been with us from the beginning, then bear with us as we introduce some of our newer listeners to voices from the past. We're bringing you just the interview and nothing else.

Catherine Hicks

Hicks was born in New York City, the daughter of Jackie, a homemaker, and Walter Hicks, an electronics salesman.She has Irish and English ancestry. Her family moved toScottsdale, Arizona during her childhood. She was a cheerleader at Gerard Catholic High School in Phoenix, Arizona and a member of The National Honor Society (NHS). She graduated in 1969. After attending Saint Mary's College (Indiana), where she studied English Literature and Theology, Hicks won a prestigious acting fellowship to Cornell University. While at Cornell, she was a member of the Ithaca Repertory Theater Company.

Career

After graduating from Cornell University with a Masters of Fine Arts degree, Hicks headed to New York in August 1976, where she immediately got work in television commercials. Two weeks after arriving in New York, she landed her first major TV role as the newly recovered pediatrician Dr. Faith Coleridge #3 on ABC soap opera, Ryan's Hope. A year and half later, she left her role on Ryan's Hope when she was cast to star alongside Jack Lemmon (as Scottie) in Bernard Slade's 1978 Broadway play, Tribute,^[7] in which she played the young model Sally Haines, who Scottie sets up with his estranged son (Robert Picardo). That same year, she starred as Valerie in the CBS TV movie and TV series pilot called Sparrow.

When Tribute ended, Hicks moved to California and co-starred on the 1979–80 CBS sitcom, The Bad News Bears as junior high school principal and psychologist, Dr. Emily Rappant. She had roles in a few TV movies, playing an escort, Annie, in ABC's Love For Rent (1979), and as Beth, a camp counselor in CBS's 1980 film To Race the Wind, based on the Harold Krents' autobiography.

In 1980, Hicks beat out hundreds of actresses for the lead role of Marilyn Monroe in ABC's $3.5 million dollar production, Marilyn: The Untold Story, based on the Norman Mailer best seller. She earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Mini-series or Movie for her portrayal of the legendary star.

In 1981, Hicks starred in CBS's remake of Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls, as Ann Wells, an entertainment lawyer, and James Corburn's protege. She made her feature film debut in the 1982 comedy Better Late Than Never. That same year, she starred as Peter Billingsley's mom, Sally, in the thriller, Death Valley.

She took the lead role as Amanda Tucker in the 12-episode detective series Tucker's Witch opposite Tim Matheson as Rick Tucker. The program aired on CBS from October 6, 1982, sporadically into August, 1983. In 1983, she played Lisa Sage and co-starred with John Schneider in CBS's romantic comedy movie, Happy Endings.

In Sidney Lumet's 1984 film, Garbo Talks, Hicks was aspiring-actress Jane Mortimer. Hicks also played Bill Murray's socialite finacee, Isabel, in the 1984 remake of The Razor's Edge. For her work in 1986'sStar Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Hicks received a Saturn Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. That same year, she played Carol Heath in Francis Ford Coppola's Peggy Sue Got Married. In 1987's Like Father Like Son, Hicks played Dr. Amy Larkin.

In 1988, she played businesswoman Ella Frazier in a Yugoslavian comedy Tajna manastirske rakije (also released under the titles Cognac and Secret Ingredient). Hicks co-starred with Christopher Plummer, as his estranged daughter, Tina Boyer, in the Showtime movie channel's 1988 movie, Souvenir. She played Karen Barclay in the 1988 horror film, Child's Play. Her performance won her a 1988 Best Actress Saturn Award. In 1989, she starred opposite Tony Danza in She's Out of Control, as his girlfriend, Janet Pearson.

In 1991, She co-starred in the FOX-TV comedy-fantasy movie, Hi Honey - I'm Dead as Carol Stadler. She played Allison Ploutzer in the 1992, Jeff Franklin ABC comedy pilot, Up To No Good.  She starred with John Bedford Lloyd in the 1993 ABC comedy pilot, The Circle Game as the mother, and schoolteacher, Nancy.  Catherine played Julia Riordan, opposite John Lithgow and Lea Salonga, in the 1995 ABC Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, Redwood Curtain.

In 1996, she was cast as Annie Camden on The WB's family drama 7th Heaven. In 1997, Hicks played flight attendant, Maggie, one of Ray Liotta's victims in Turbulence. The same year, Hicks played next door neighbor, Ms. Lewis, in Michael Davis' coming-of-age film, Eight Days a Week.

In 2008, Hicks also starred in the Lifetime channel's movie Poison Ivy: The Secret Society as Dean Elisabeth Graves. Also in the 2009 Lifetime Movie Network film, Stranger with My Face, she played the widowed mother Shelley Stratton. She plays Mom in the 2009 independent short film You're a Wolf, co-starring with Michael Gross and Jesse Bradford. Hicks is featured in My Name Is Jerry, an independent film shot mostly in Muncie, Indiana. Hicks won the award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role from the 2009 International Filmmakers Festival for her portrayal as Dana.

In 2010, Hicks received positive reviews for her role as Hildegarde, in playwright Christopher Durang's Why Torture is Wrong and the People Who Love Them at the Stella Adler Theater in Hollywood. She was Texas family court Judge Harriet Krammer in the 2011 Hallmark Channel movie, A Valentine's Date, (which was also released under the video title Your Love Never Fails). She played Jean in the 2011 Lifetime Movie Network movie, Borderline Murder. Hicks co-starred as Anna Walker in the 2011 Walmart and Procter & Gamble Family Movie Night drama on NBC called Game Time: Tackling the Past with Beau Bridges and Ryan McPartlin. Catherine joined actors Noah Wyle, Virginia Madsen, Mike Farrell, and others, in a September, 2011 reading of Windows on the World, by Colette Keen, at Hollywood's Stella Adler Theatre, commemorating the 10th anniversary of 9/11. In November 2011, she starred as Irene Livingston in the Jewish Repertory Theatre of Nevada's Las Vegas production of the Moss Hart play Light Up the Sky. Hicks played Ellen in the 2011 Hallmark Channel movie A Christmas Wedding Tail.

In May, 2012, Hicks played Annette Bramble in the Lifetime Network movie Shadow of Fear. Also in May, 2012, and into June, she performed in the play Princess, in The Blank Theatre Company's 20th Annual Young Playwrights Festival at The Stella Adler Theatre.

SciFi Diner Classic Ep. 22

Our Interview with Edward James Olmos

from Battlestar Galactica

(Shore Leave 32)

In our twenty-second episode of the SciFi Diner Classic, we interview actor interview Edward James Olmos from Battlestar Galactica. Since we do a news and interview show, it goes without saying that the news portion of our episodes often date themselves fast. And while the interviews with the people that make Science Fiction happen remain relevant and in our opinion important, most listeners will not listen back 100 episodes and wade through old news just to get to the interview. So what the SciFi Diner Classic aims to do is to share these interviews with you. If you have been with us from the beginning, then bear with us as we introduce some of our newer listeners to voices from the past. We're bringing you just the interview and nothing else.

Edward Jame Olmos

 Edward James Olmos (born February 24, 1947) is a Mexican American (with dual citizenship) actor and director. Among his most memorable roles are William Adama in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica, Lt. Martin Castillo in Miami Vice, teacher Jaime Escalante in Stand and Deliver, patriarch Abraham Quintanilla in the film Selena, Detective Gaff in Blade Runner, and narrator El Pachuco in both the stage and film versions of Zoot Suit.

In 1988, Olmos was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for the film Stand and Deliver.

He has also been a longtime pioneer for more diversified roles and images of Latinos in the U.S. media in addition to his most notable roles/work by him starring, directing and producing films, Made for TV Movies and TV shows such as American Me, The Burning Season, My Family/Mi Familia, 12 Angry Men, The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca, Walkout, The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit and American Family: Journey of Dreams.