This coming Summer, TNT is debuting a big-budget scifi series from co-created and produced by Steven Spielberg, called Falling Skies. It stars ER‘s Noah Wyle as the leader of a group of survivors on a post-alien-invasion Earth. You might think of it as The Walking Dead with aliens instead of zombies. I like the dire, James Cameron-esque tone of the show, and the special effects look seriously impressive. What do you think?
CW Offers Fans Chance to Be In Smallville Ep
Smallville is looking for a little help from its fans, via the new “Believe in Heroes Challenge.” Fans can appear in an upcoming episode titled “Beacon” by filming an Internet video where ordinary citizens talk about what it means to be a hero.
In “Beacon,” Clark Kent finds himself at an emotional crossroads, with Metropolis divided by a clash between supporters of the Vigilante Registration Act and the VRA’s opposition, which is starting rallies to drum up support for heroes like Clark. To prove to him that he really is making a difference, Clark’s friends show him videos from the Internet, in which “ordinary citizens express what The Blur means to them, what it means to be a hero, and what it means to have heroes and believe in them.
The CW is asking fans to record these “ordinary citizen” videos, the best of which will be aired as part of the episode. Starting today (December 10th) and running through December 20th, Smallville fans can log on to cwtv.com/smallville and upload their own video testimonial.
Viewers who want to submit videos are asked to speak in character as impassioned citizens of Metropolis, fighting for the rights of heroes by expressing what The Blur means to them and why they believe in superheroes. The show’s producers will review each and every submission and select some of them to be used in the episode. Other favorites that can’t be used in the episode will be posted at cwtv.com after the episode airs on Friday, February 4th.
CW Mining DC Comics for Smallville Replacement
With Smallville about halfway through its final season, The CW is hoping to find a new comic book character to fill the future Superman’s red boots. And now it looks like they’ve found what they’re looking for in a DC Comics character called Raven.
Right now, Raven has just a script order, but if The CW likes what it reads, it could get a pilot or series order. The DC character’s real name is Rachel Roth, and she’s the daughter of a human mother and a demon father, making her half demon, which is where her powers stem from. She’s able to read emotions empathically, she can read minds, she’s a teleporter, and she can detach her “soul self” from herself to go places her physical body can’t. But Raven must maintain constant vigilance against her own dark side, lest she give in to some evil destiny.
The character is the brainchild of Marv Wolfman and George Perez, and is being developed for television by Diego Gutierrez of ABC’s V. He also worked on Without a Trace, The Shield, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. If Raven goes to series, Gutierrez is expected to serve as showrunner.
No one expected Smallville to endure and last for ten seasons, but this certainly isn’t the first time The CW (aka The WB) has tried to capitalize on Smallville‘s success by developing another comic book property. There was the short-lived Birds of Prey, which ran for just 13 episodes. There was Aquaman, which never made it beyond a pilot. And more recently, The CW seriously considered creating a property around the early adventures of Batman’s sidekick Dick Grayson, before he became known as Robin. (Wonder Woman is also in development from David E. Kelley, but that show hasn’t found a network home yet.)
Will Raven‘s dark, teen angsty thrills finally hit The CW’s sweet spot?
Cable Leads the Golden Globe Nominations
Once again reinforcing the fact that cable television is where the quality is at, the 68th Annual Golden Globe Nominations were announced just minutes ago, and pay-cable networks HBO and Showtime were the over-achievers, although Fox’s Glee got the most love of any single show.
HBO leads the nominees with 12 nods, while Showtime follows at 8. CBS and Fox scored 6 each, while AMC earned 5 nominations. In cumulative series nods, Glee got 5, followed by 3 nominations each for 30 Rock, Boardwalk Empire, Dexter, The Good Wife, Mad Men, Modern Family, Pillars of the Earth, and Temple Grandin.
Some noteworthy bits: AMC’s buzz-heavy The Walking Dead scored a Best Drama nomination, but sadly nothing else; Steve Buscemi scored a Best Actor (Drama) nod for his leading role in Boardwalk Empire; Lea Michele (Best Actress), Matthew Morrison (Best Actor), Jane Lynch (Supporting Actress), and Chris Colfer (Supporting Actor) scored nominations in every acting category for Glee; and Julia Stiles nabbed a nomination for her guest turn on Dexter.
The complete television nominations are listed below.
Best Television Series – Drama
Boardwalk Empire – HBO
Dexter – Showtime
The Good Wife – CBS
Mad Men – AMC
The Walking Dead – AMC
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama
Julianna Margulies – The Good Wife
Elisabeth Moss – Mad Men
Piper Perabo – Covert Affairs
Katey Sagal – Sons of Anarchy
Kyra Sedgwick – The Closer
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama
Steve Buscemi – Boardwalk Empire
Bryan Cranston – Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall – Dexter
Jon Hamm – Mad Men
Hugh Laurie – House
Best Television Series – Comedy or Musical
30 Rock – NBC
The Big Bang Theory – CBS
The Big C – Showtime
Glee – Fox
Modern Family – ABC
Nurse Jackie – Showtime
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical
Toni Collette – United States of Tara
Edie Falco – Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey – 30 Rock
Laura Linney – The Big C
Lea Michele – Glee
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical
Alec Baldwin – 30 Rock
Steve Carell – The Office
Thomas Jane – Hung
Matthew Morrison – Glee
Jim Parsons – The Big Bang Theory
Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Carlos – Sundance Channel
The Pacific – HBO
Pillars of the Earth – Starz
Temple Grandin – HBO
You Don’t Know Jack – HBO
Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Hayley Atwell – Pillars of the Earth
Claire Danes – Temple Grandin
Judi Dench – Return to Cranford
Romolo Garai – Emma
Jennifer Love Hewitt – The Client List
Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Idris Elba – Luther
Ian McShane – Pillars of the Earth
Al Pacino – You Don’t Know Jack
Dennis Quaid – The Special Relationship
Edgar Ramirez – Carlos
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Hope Davis – The Special Relationship
Jane Lynch – Glee
Kelly MacDonald – Boardwalk Empire
Julia Stiles – Dexter
Sofia Vergara – Modern Family
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Scott Caan – Hawaii Five-O
Chris Colfer – Glee
Chris Noth – The Good Wife
Eric Stonestreet – Modern Family
David Strathairn – Temple Grandin
Clone Wars Unveils New Character Models
This week’s episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars is a milestone in the series’ history, because it introduces brand new CGI character models for Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Ahsoka Tano.
Showrunner Dave Filoni explains that since the show is getting ever-closer to the events of Revenge of the Sith, it was time for the characters to reflect the changes they’ve gone through, to get them more in-line with what’s to come. As a result, Anakin and Obi-Wan both sport new clothes that more closely reflect where they are in Episode III. Ahsoka doesn’t appear in the films (leading most fans to assume she has a sad fate before the end of the Clone Wars) but Filoni decided to update her appearance as well, to show how much she’s grown, both in age and maturity as a Jedi.
Filoni says the new models are more expressive, and use newer tools of the trade. To this reporter’s eyes, they appear to be less angular than the old models, with softer edges. Below is a short clip that Lucasfilm Animation produced to introduce the new models.