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More Sci-Fi!! SARAH CONNOR & A 400-Year-Old Cop For Fox!! Plus Amy Sherman-Palladino’s JEZEBEL JAMES and More!!

Published at:  May 12, 2007 2:11:21 AM CDT

I am – Hercules!!


Fox doesn’t announce its fall slate until Thursday, but the word is already out on six new shows it will take to series next season.



NEW HOURLONGS:

“The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” from screenwriter Josh Friedman (“The Black Dahlia,” “War of the Worlds”), is set between “Terminator 2” and “Terminator 3.”

“New Amsterdam,” from writers Allan Loeb and Christian Taylor (“Six Feet Under”), is about a 400-year-old New York Cop.

“K-Ville,” from writer Jonathan Lisco (“Jack & Bobby”), is about cops patrolling post-Katrina New Orleans.



NEW SITCOMS:

“The Return of Jezebel James,” from “Gilmore Girls” creator Amy Sherman-Palladino, is about a book editor who recruits her estranged sister to have her baby.

“Back To You,” from writer-producers Steve Levitan (“Just Shoot Me,” “Stacked”) and Christopher Lloyd (“Frasier,” “Out of Practice”), is about local news anchors in Buffalo. It stars Kelsey Grammar and Patricia Heaton.

“The Rules For Starting Over,” from two guys named Chris Pappas and Mark Bernier, is about a group of thirtysomethings who find themselves back in the dating pool. It stars Craig Bierko (“Boston Legal”) and Rashida Jones (“The Office”).



NOT YET HEADED TO SERIES:

“Animals,” the animated comedy from writer Robert Smigel (“Saturday Night Live,” “TV Funhouse”) about suburban fauna.

“NSA Innocent,” from “24” creators Joel Surnow and Bob Cochran, is about a defense contractor employee spying on his company for the National Security Agency.

“Them,” from “Eyes” creator John McNamara, based on the graphic novel “Six” about an extraterrestrial sleeper cell that goes native.



Read the Hollywood Reporter’s story on the matter here.










The Making of Star Wars:
The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film



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    Readers Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 1:41:43 AM CDT

    first

    by onehate

    dont' giva sit

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 1:43:12 AM CDT

    first and i care

    by onehate

    i do hope sarah conner turns out better than pecker on cse

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 2:00:17 AM CDT

    The only one that sounds remotely interesting is...

    by skitch

    "Them"...of course after "Profit" and "Eyes", I'd watch anything McNamara did...which means I will enjoy a very limited run and have to suffer through its cancellation.

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 2:03:25 AM CDT

    Well, at least we get to keep seeing Rashida Jones.

    by themikejonas

  • May 12, 2007 2:04:28 AM CDT

    between T2 & T3...

    by luzer

    ...so it chronicles her death?

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 2:50:15 AM CDT

    Sarah Connor and Ginger....

    by wackybantha

    ...are better than mortal men deserve.

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 2:57:34 AM CDT

    Hey, Herc! Any word on the Preacher series???

    by oblitextant

    Everyone was talking about this a few weeks ago and now...nothing! What the hell?

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 3:38:50 AM CDT

    Only one that looks interesting

    by shivv

    is New Amsterdam, and that depends on how the show is actually executed. Knowing Fox, it will probably be off the air in 3 weeks anyway. Am I the only one feeling underwhelmed by the new fall shows? I know we haven't seen any of them yet, but most of them seem pretty terrible.

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 4:16:01 AM CDT

    The Sarah Connner Chronicles

    by judge dredds dirty undies

    22 episodes showing her slowly dying of cancer. Fun for all the family! The big twist is the tumour was sent by Skynet!

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 4:25:20 AM CDT

    'THEM' has Tricia Helfer (Number Six) in it!!

    by boomers_lips

    i like her.

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 4:42:08 AM CDT

    Is Tim Thomerson in New Amsterdam?

    by sledge hammer

    Jack Deth is back, and he's never even been here before!Speaking of which, two questions: what the hell has happened to Tim Thomerson? And why the hell isn't there a decent Trancers dvd on the market? Hell, I'd even take a bare bones version just as long as it had a decent anamorphic transfer (the current version, if you can find it, is fullscreen non anamorphic, and glitchy as hell, with one of the worst transfers I've ever had the misfortune to witness).

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 5:07:01 AM CDT

    Don't get too attached.

    by ironmuskrat

    Fox will cancel them them all in a few weeks anyway.

    However "Them" sounds interesting and so does "New Amsterdam". I still think The Sarah Conner Chronicles will be a train wreck.

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 5:15:14 AM CDT

    Them = They Live?

    by alientoast

    If the series has a 5 minute long fist fight about wearing a pair of sunglasses, I'm there.

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 6:48:40 AM CDT

    Well I guess we know...

    by jthomasc

    Who gets the job at corporate. Guess this means Pam and Jim might have a shot after all.

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 7:17:30 AM CDT

    They'll all be cancelled after 1 episode

    by elpaw

    Because none of them are Idol.

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 7:18:20 AM CDT

    No word on 'Nurses'?

    by pennsy

    Which piques my interest that it would mark the return to TV of Eliza Dushku *sigh*; chalk up Tru Calling as another Fox show killed before its time.

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 7:29:25 AM CDT

    Sarah Conner Chronicles...

    by judge briggs

    Gawd, give us the future wars, not more of networkized T1 and T2... Yes, and Fox will cancel perhaps 95% of them anyway...

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 7:52:47 AM CDT

    let's look at the hitlist here...

    by datascream

    animals will be canceled, NSA Innocent might last a season. none of the sitcomes will last a season. Sarah Conner Chronicles will probably last a while as long as Summer Glau can break the "Firefly" curse. K-Ville will never catch on...and New Amsterdam will last maybe 2 seasons, or 2 episodes. Christ they should have kept with Drive...

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 8:17:10 AM CDT

    Will Kesley Grammer overcome his Frasier typecasting?

    by mr incredible

    Can you see this guy as anyone but Frasier in a sitcom? Not easy. Also: Greatest American Hero for ten bucks? What a deal--should have been that in the first place.

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 8:19:11 AM CDT

    Sitcoms don't sound like Sci-Fi material

    by monkey_king

    Bring back FARSCAPE and start airing the STARMAN series.

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 8:20:34 AM CDT

    Sorry about the "Kesley Grammer"

    by mr incredible

    If I'm going to slam someone, I should at least know how to spell their name.

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 9:12:58 AM CDT

    The only way these will live to a second season is

    by radjac33

    if they change the titles to the following:
    Sarah Connor:American Idol; New American Idol;

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 9:15:26 AM CDT

    And

    by radjac33

    K-Idol; The Return of Sanjaya; Back to Idol; The Rules for becoming an American Idol

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 9:35:12 AM CDT

    Terminator series - and the f'ing axed Drive! WTF!

    by kinghenryviii

    Dimes to fuck-o's this will be dumber then a pile of rocks. Or is it set up to give new light to the new trilogy? Either way - fuck it.

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 9:39:51 AM CDT

    And about Drive ....

    by kinghenryviii

    Dumb fun, many twists, pretty cool situations. Funny. But we will get 3 more seasons of 24. Peeps! Don't get too attached to any of these. FOX will brisk all these bitches!

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 10:12:24 AM CDT

    If Kelsey was going to go

    by wadecrybabywalker

    If Kelsey was going to go back to sitcoms so soon, why not just give us more "Frasier"? I miss it.

    I'm psyched for "Jezebel James". Probably won't last, but I can dream. Perfect casting - Parker Posey is an legend and Denise Fleming is a tampon.

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 10:36:07 AM CDT

    PISSED THE JOHNNY MAC DRAMA NOT PICKED UP

    by charlie murphy

    "eyes" was great and, despite what many will say, what i remember of fastlane was a lot of fun. (maybe not GOOD, but certainly fun). i'm never one to look at anything and think it's in bad taste, but i think that new orleans show is criminally unnecessary. it could be the best fucking show ever, but i just think it sounds like a cheap play on people's emotions. you KNOW exactly how FOX will advertise this. and the pilot will feature at least one sequence where the leads are driving through new orleans, with many-a closeup of empty buildings or homeless folks. i have no idea why (i'm not from new orleans, i'm not even from the us), but it just rubs me the wrong way. i'm gonna watch sarah conner chronicles, but i still hate that title. how more fucking generic can you be? why not call it "sarah conner"? or "the conners"? or something with terminator in the title? peace!

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 10:44:38 AM CDT

    Only Simpson clones last as prime time cartoons

    by drath

    Not to diminish King of the Hill or Family Guy (or American Dad if only for the surly alien that I love to hate), but all are about disfunctional or semi-disfunctional nuclear families full of social satire. Basically they in the same genre as the Simpsons, even though they cater to different tastes. Somehow, I think Animals will go the way of Capitol Critters and Father of the Pride.

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 11:39:03 AM CDT

    With Rashida's Fox show getting picked up...

    by backrivercatfish

    ...does this mean she's off The Office? My bet is that her character's going to get the corporate job in NY and they'll be a Jim/Karen long-distance relationship next season.

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 11:40:41 AM CDT

    PS, Rashida is a Fox

    by backrivercatfish

  • May 12, 2007 12:10:52 PM CDT

    'Chronicles' set between T-2 & T-3?

    by righteousdude

    That's good because I like to pretend Terminator 3 never happened anyway. The Guv-in-a-ta shoulda' vetoed that one.

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 12:19:03 PM CDT

    Charlie Murphy

    by 5thbusiness

    Though I'm not a native, I lived in New Orleans for many years, up until 28 August 2005. Post-Katrina New Orleans is an absolutely incredible setting for a show, as was pre-Katrina New Orleans. I don't think there's another North American city so endlessly fascinating, so steeped in history, so layered with culture, so cursed by violence and corruption, and so widely misunderstood by outsiders (i.e. the difference between creole and cajun). But you are right that FOX will not be making that program. The only worthwhile tv show you could do about New Orleans would have to be something on the order of "The Wire", and we all know that won't be happening any time soon.

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 12:28:13 PM CDT

    I can see the Sarah Connor promo now...

    by jacksparasites

    ...From the people who brought you the worst film of 2006, The Black Dahla, comes a story that never needed to be told! In world where cyborgs travel back in time, she dared to live in the present!


    (And T-3 was actually pretty good. It's definitely better than T-1)

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 12:50:46 PM CDT

    Robert Smigel's Show

    by jimmy_009

    Will tank, just like most of his sketches on SNL.

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 12:58:03 PM CDT

    How can I create bad pilots doomed to fail?

    by evilwizardglick

    Just like the Fugs song, NOTHING.
    That isn't only FOX, so far ther has been a lot of nothing.
    But my question is how do I get paid to make doomed pilots or series? Is it like making government tooth brushing movies?
    I bet I can make my series last at least two episodes beyond the pilot. Hell, I'll be ballsy and say three.
    So please poiont my to the suckers, um sorry, backers who pay for crap shows. Please.
    I gotta eat too.

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 1:32:19 PM CDT

    is the 400 year old cop a vampire?

    by dr.bulber

    cuz if he is he shouldve been a doctor.

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 1:35:32 PM CDT

    I want last year zombie show pilot!

    by mrfloppy

    Come on, networks...

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 1:38:15 PM CDT

    anything new on fox will be cancelled before

    by palewook

    you can watch it.

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 1:51:24 PM CDT

    400 year old virgin cop?

    by jubba

    interesting spin

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 2:15:44 PM CDT

    (I passed an edited rewrite

    by napoleon park

    (I passed an edited rewrite of this along to JumpTheShark [tm] at Yahoo!groupscotcom along with links to sent the curious back to AICN and the Hollywood Reporter. I didn;t have much to add to these titles except for a few wise-crack adlibs, so here's 'all I got":

    Hour Long Dramas :
    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

    Josh Friedman's “The Sarah Connor Chronicles” (set between “T2” and “T3.” Wait, they gave this franchise to the writer of that War Of The Worlds PieceOfCrap?)


    Jonathan Lisco's “K-Ville,” (cops patrolling post-Katrina New Orleans. A slightly less post-apocalyptic Jericho. What, Still too soon?)
    * * * * * * * *


    Sitcoms for Fall:
    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

    From “Gilmore Girls” creator Amy Sherman-Palladino: “The Return of Jezebel James” (a book editor recruits her estranged sister to have her baby. A minor Phoebe "Friends" sub-plot turned into a series?)

    From Steve Levitan and Christopher Lloyd: “Back To You,” (Kelsey Grammar and Patricia Heaton are local news anchors in Buffalo. "The Mary Tyler Moore show" meets "Buffalo Bill" from the creator of my all-time favorite sit-com, "Just Shoot Me")

    * * * * * * * *
    Didn't make the cut:
    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


    "24" creators Joel Surnow and Bob Cochran's “NSA Innocent” (a defense contractor spies on his bosses for the National Security Agency. A nice fantasy - who doesn't want to have power over their employers?)

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 2:18:02 PM CDT

    Why isn't that 400 year old cop pulling a pension?

    by uncle stan

    Talk about suspension of belief.

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 2:48:09 PM CDT

    NSA INNOCENT...

    by mezzanine

    The last thing that Fox needs is to have Surnow and Cochran take their eyes off of 24... especially since it sucked so bad this year and they're going to have to retool the entire show. Plus, the entire concept behind NSA Innocent sounds more like a TV movie than a series.

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 3:34:42 PM CDT

    Kelsey Grammer

    by onehate

    Needs to stick to cocaine and hyndai commercial. that was funny that you misspelled someones name that ends in "Grammer". I hope Animals lasts, it has to be good Schmiegal is one of the funniest writers out there. did anyone see john conner on csi? it wasn't that bad. maybe he'll show up in the new series that will at least double the airtime of "Drive"

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 3:46:33 PM CDT

    New Fox tatic: canceling shows before they air

    by mr_x

    Worst pitches for new series ever. no thanks fox. I suggest to everybody don't watch any new fox shows.... and then watch the two remaining epsiodes of drive on mass to screw with them

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 3:52:41 PM CDT

    2nd season rule.

    by smackfu

    I usually wait till about the 4th or 5th season, then watch the entire series in one sitting.

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 3:55:18 PM CDT

    Crap Crap Crap and more Crap...

    by modlight

    IT's like the late 70's all over again. Crummy movie rip offs and a show about a 400 year old cop. Just say that with a straight face. Hyuck hyuck hyuck, he's a seasoned cop, he's experience 1600 seasons!!! This fall on Fox, the 400 year old Cop! And I would be kind of excited for Sarah Conner if it wasn't from the guy who wrote 2 of the shittiest most disappointing films I've seen in the past few years.

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 4:58:16 PM CDT

    PREACHER!!!

    by carmillavondoom

    HAS to have Katee Sackoff as Tulip!!
    Esp. now that Starbuck is 'dead' on BSG. And also Clancy Brown as Starr
    while we're at it!!!

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 5:48:48 PM CDT

    Turn all of fox's new shows into a reality show...

    by alonzo mosely

    Have the stars and directors come on and talk about their shows, which have all aired the previous week, and then have America vote, the lowest rated gets canceled and so on... This way at least one show will get to the end of its season, and you can have a panel of washed up has-beens and a bitchy brit to judge... I smell ratings bonanza...

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 6:41:40 PM CDT

    Carmilla

    by charlie murphy

    you're dead on. although to the best of my knowledge, nothing has been officially announced by hbo regarding making that show happen. there are some glenn fabry covers where jesse looks exactly like a younger johnny depp. off the top of my head, i can't think of an actor working today who should play custer.

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 8:44:00 PM CDT

    A Quarter Of A Century is a

    by napoleon park

    A Quarter Of A Century is a long time...

    As Americans we grow up using a system of currency that divided out
    basic monetary unit (the dollar) into hundredths, twentieths, tenths,
    quarters and halves. One of the few times we naturally embraced the
    metric system (the other being the 2-Liter soda).
    Penny, nickel and dime are not the names of fractions. but quarter and
    half tells you exactly what you get - and for how much. The "third
    dollar" never caught on. Probably due to the difficulty of making
    change for a repeating decimal. (1/3 = 33.333333333...%)
    Einstein's Theory of Relativity, when grossly misrepresented, tells us
    two things: everything's relative, and time passes slower when you
    spend it with your relatives.

    A quarter - one fourth, 25% - of a century is a long time.
    If you're like me and you're in your fifties, it's nearly half a
    lifetime. So far. Knock on wood.
    If the last time you were really head over heels in love was 1979, 25
    years is a very long time. If a huge, imprtant chunk of your youth
    ended on that night in December of 1980 when a man took out a hand
    gun, assumed a combat stance and shouted "Mr. Lennon!", a quarter of a
    century is a very long time.

    If a woman you used to live with 35 years ago has children, if one of
    you best pals has children, and those children grow up, get married
    and have children, and suddenly you're hanging out with people whose
    new nicknames are Grandma and Grampa, a quarter of a century is a very
    long time. But as Einstein didn't exactly say, time is relative. If
    you're those daughters, and you find yourself with children of your
    own and you're not yet twenty-five... a quarter of a century is a
    very, very long time. And imagine those children: the toddler who
    still has his first steps and words marked on the calendar, who sees
    going off to kindergarten in the distant future... or that baby who
    measures time in the periods between naps and suckles at the teat...
    A quarter of a century is unimaginable.
    But I digress.

    ---------------------------------

    Entertainment Weekly published a digest sized insert entitled "The
    Sci-Fi 25 - the Best (science fiction) Movies and TV From the Past 25
    Years." (The issue with five variant "Heroes' covers.)

    So I had to preface this with the brief ruminations on the nature of a
    quarter century. Otherwise people will glance at this list and demand
    "Where's Star Wars? Where's Mr. Spock? Lost In Space? Forbidden
    Planet? Metropolis? 2001? Alien?"

    Twenty Five Years, people. A quarter of a century is a very, very long
    time.

    I am going to alphabetize their list. Not because I'm anal or
    obsessive compulsive, just because their rankings and orderings might
    not agree with mine, or yours. But I'm not interested in that. if this
    inspires you to respond, I'm not concerned with "This one should have
    been number one, this one is better than that one." I'm more
    interested in what you think of the list as a whole... and what you
    think they missed.

    ---------------------------------

    Entertainment Weekly's "The Sci-Fi 25 - the Best (science fiction)
    Movies and TV From the Past 25 Years." (alphabetized)

    Aliens ("Alien" was 28 years ago! And the subsequent sequels not
    included. A rare case of a sequel as good at the original - took a
    horror movie and made an action/war movie sequel, and it worked!)
    ***
    Back To The Future (The movie, not the 'trilogy' - a comedy that
    played itself straight and respected the conventions of time travel
    fiction)
    ***
    (the new) Battlestar Galactica (took a laughable, disposable source
    material and created what's been labeled TV's best dramatic SF series;
    some just say "best dramatic series" without the genre qualifier)
    ***
    Blade Runner (Directors cut specified as preferred.- This scruffy,
    rainy, retrofitted vision of the future was Star Wars gone bleak and
    gloomy with a film noir detective plot from a Philip K. Dick novel)
    ***
    Brazil (Terry Gilliam's variant on "1984" done with style, flair and a
    bit of comedy.)
    ***
    Children of Men (an ET pick for Future Classic, this gloomy dystopian
    future flick bombed when it open Christmas day, 2006)
    ***
    Doctor Who (begun in 1963 (!) but the current ongoing series is part
    of the same continuity. A regenerating hero in a time and space
    traveling call box. with aliens, invaders and a robot dog. Oh, and
    cool British accents and sexy companions. What else could you need?)
    ***
    E.T. (Because "Closest Encounters of the Third Kind" is too old to
    make the list and Spielberg has to be represented? Gave us catch
    phrases, tons of merchandise, and li'l Drew Barrymore. Avoid the
    remastered version where the FBI guns are digitally replace with
    flashlights. Han shot first.)
    ***
    Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (surreal love story about
    thought-control with Jim Carrey in actor mode. Reportedly better than
    Carrey-haters could imagine.)
    ***
    Firefly/Serenity (the TV series and the film sequel - A prematurely
    canceled Space-western with a cult following that demanded - and got -
    a sequel that left them wanting more.)
    ***
    Futurama (cryogenic pizza boy defrosts 1000 years into the future
    filled with robots, aliens and mutants. hilarious, sometimes
    surprisingly touching, and for one episode they got the entire Star
    Trek cast together one last time!)
    ***
    Galaxy Quest (a Trek parody that homages rather than mocks its source,
    with an excellent cast.)
    ***
    Heroes (the series started slow but once it introduced it's "ordinary
    people with extraordinary abilities" and began moving its "save the
    world" plot along, it really picked up steam. Now if only season two
    gets a bigger special effects budget...)
    ***
    Lost (not excluding the second season. Nanotech smoke-monster security
    system? An island that heals the sick? Characters who don't age? The
    Hatch, the button, the numbers, the purple sky effect, magnetic
    anomalies, the Dharma Initiative? This may look like a desert island
    melodrama, but it is SO science-fiction...)
    ***
    The Matrix (and NOT the sequels. Revolutionary CGI SFX mixed with
    Asian cinema martial arts wire stunts + all out action with a hard
    (and not easy to understand) science fiction shell, and cool sunglasses)
    ***
    Quantum Leap (Like Star Trek before it, social commentary disguised as
    a sci-fi series, in this case time travel instead of space, with the
    possession like leaps into other peoples bodies an added twist.)
    ***
    Starship Troopers (Lambasted by Heinlein purists, Verhoeven's movie is
    a political satire cloaked as a space opera - with space-military
    action that makes Aliens look like a pacifist message film.)
    ***
    Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan (The benchmark all Star Trek movies
    and most other space opera flicks are compared to - and Spock dies,
    until next movie)
    ***
    Star Trek: The Next Generation (The TV series as a whole, not
    excluding certain weak 7th season episodes, not including the movies.
    Great cast, costumes, effects and stories revived a classic franchise
    and made Patrick Stewart a superstar and Klingon a language.)
    ***
    Star Wars: Clone Wars (Star Wars and Empire Strikes back miss the 25
    year cut off date, the prequel trilogy just misses, but this stylish
    underrated 2 season animated series, which is part of the canon, makes
    the cut nicely.)
    ***
    The Terminator and Terminator II (The first stands alone perfectly,
    the second was a blockbuster hit and introduced that 'morphing'
    effect. Plus Arnold and classic catch phrases like "I'll Be Back." )
    ***
    (John Carpenter's) The Thing (Kurt Russell in the ultimate sci-fi
    slasher film - since "Alien" can't be on this list. One of the only
    cases where a sequel is better than the original - see the Planet of
    the Apes and King Kong remakes for proof.)
    ***
    Total Recall (Philip K. Dick story as a violent Governor
    Schwarzenegger action film, excellent cast and effects, mind bending
    story, great sets, props and costumes)
    ***
    V: The Miniseries. (Prefered to the ongoing sequel series of the
    novels if only for it's freshness: lizard-like alien invaders
    (Vistitors) as a metaphor for fascism)
    ***
    The X-Files (final seasons not specifically excluded, but I'm sure
    they're refering to the Mulder/Scully years. Remained loosely rooted
    in reality while searching for a 'truth' about the unseen and unknown
    worlds around us.)

    ************

    Star Trek had six TV series, ten movies, and uncountable novels, comic
    books and fan fiction. Star Wars also lives on in the comics, and as
    an often rumored tv series "in the works". Marvel published a one shot
    adaptation of Blade Runner. Heroes is inspired by superhero comic
    books, particularly the ones with various titles set in the same
    'universe", and it's spawn a series of online graphic novels at
    NBC.com. Doctor Who was a long running comic series in England, with
    some of the Moore and Gibbons issues reprinted in America (without
    Moore's permission - should have read the fine print in that work made
    for hire contract, Al).
    Even after a cancelation (which ios now regarded as a lenghty hiatus,
    with four direct to DVD features 9whiich can be cut up into a dozen
    stand alone episodes in the works) Bongo Comics continued to turn out
    a bi-monthly Futurama title that was completely true to the series and
    it's characters (although without addressing the Leela and Fry
    developments of the series 'final" episode).

    But of all of these, none was truly a comic book property more than
    "Aliens". And yet it was not actually a comic book property.
    The original "Alien" was actually a big budget remake of one of the
    minor sub-pots from Dan O'Bannon and John Carpenters sci-fi spoof
    "Dark Star". A film so low budget the alien life form they brought
    abourd the ship was a large beach ball - an even cheaper version of
    "The Prisoner" weather balloon Rover.)
    And yet when creating "Alien" they clearly knew they needed a comics
    dynamic. The creature, of course, wwas designed by the horrific
    bio-mechanical surrealist H.R. Giger. The space suits and some
    interiors were sketched out by the legendary French comics artist
    Moebius (of Metal Hurlant/Heavy Metal magazine fame.) The space craft
    and many of the interiors and props were from the sketchbook of LA
    Free Press editorial cartoonist Ron Cobb.
    At the same time the film was showing in theaters, the graphic novel
    adaptation drawn by Walt Simonson became the first comic book to hit
    the NY Times Best Sellings Books list.
    The sequel took the original slasher movie in space premise and turned
    it into an military action space marines war-movie (with a giant
    robotic cargo mover suit in the showdown fight scene) that tapped into
    the then mega-popularity of the animated and comic book G.I Joe and
    Transformers properties.
    After that things took time, but after the release of "Aliens" the
    creators of the Canadian comic "Warlock 5" illustrated the first
    "Aliens" comic book mini-series for Dark Horse Comics and spawned a
    lucrative franchise. Many artists and writers have worked on the
    various mini-series and one-shot Aliens titles over the decades. The
    concept for the semi-canon sequel "Aliens Vs. Predators" began as a
    Dark Horse comic series. Dark Horse collaborated with DC comics to
    co-publish a "Superman/Aliens" mini-series. And the property has been
    a merchandising goldmine, spawning plastic models, metal figurines,
    action figures, apparel, video games, props, toys, dolls... (One urban
    legend is that many of the toy line contracts were in place before
    they knew the original film would be rated-R for violence) I don't
    know who buys their child a "plush chestburster" but isn't it nice to
    know such things are available (if only to terrify the offspring of
    people you don't like?)
    Alien/Aliens was not based on a comic book originally. Oddly enough,
    none of the films on this list were. But thanks to the design work of
    Giger, Moebius and Cobb, The aliens franchise is, visually, the
    closest to a comic book series on the list.

    = Napoleon,Park =

    Heroes, of course, is the closest thematically, and does what it can
    with it's limited SFX budget, but it's a superhero series without a
    costume, mask or cape in sight. Unless you count Claire's cheerleader
    uniform as a 'costume' and hair dye or a soul patch to be a secret
    identity 'disguise'.

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 8:51:15 PM CDT

    I'll back Carmillavondoom's cast for preacher to!

    by mace13

    Those were some damn good suggestions.Just have to think up ones for cassidy and the preacher man himself.
    This isn't the greatest choice but i'm thinking of Charlie (forget the actor's name) from lost for cassidy? He kinda has the look but then kinda doesn't. And I know cassidy isn't english but I dunno. Just a suggestion at the moment until I can possibly think of someone better.

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 11:43:25 PM CDT

    Is the 400 year old cop really a Time Lord?

    by spyguy

    No? Looks like I'll be watching DOCTOR WHO instead...

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 12, 2007 11:53:21 PM CDT

    If the 400 year old cop looks 400

    by creative1

    then I might watch it. Other than that why watch it. A 400 years old man kicking ass = entertainment. A 400 year old man that looks 27 = Highlander redux

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 13, 2007 6:41:50 AM CDT

    FuCK FoX!

    by fanboy71

    FUCK THEM IN THEIR STUPID ASSES! FUCK THEM UNTIL THEIR ASSHOLES ARE LIKE DONKEY ASSHOLES!!!

    I might have given one or two of these a shot before they cancelled "Drive" ater 3 episodes. Now I will never get into a new show on FoX until it reaches season 5, and even then I will download the first four seasons so they will make no money from it.

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 13, 2007 10:25:04 AM CDT

    400 year old?? get me officer yoda!

    by theonecalledshoe

    I realize the age isn't quite right but anyhoo...

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 13, 2007 11:02:09 AM CDT

    The Black Dahlia was so shitty

    by samsquanch

    I make sure to check the credits on everything I watch from now till the end of my life just to make sure the people responsible aren't involved.

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 13, 2007 11:40:03 AM CDT

    Jesse is the tough one!

    by carmillavondoom

    wish I could take credit for the Sackoff idea, but it isn't mine alas. They should just say 'to hell with it' and cast James Marsters as Cassidy, lol

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 13, 2007 1:13:45 PM CDT

    LIFE ON MARS

    by mr_x

    i've just started watching this series, not having causght it when it was actually aired oon the bbc, it was an interesting concept, but i never managed to catch it.
    anyhow, just managed to find the first series and it's brilliant, really amazing. I suppose because being a londoner i can easily identify with it
    yanks, go check it out, hope david e kellys version manages to make it the the screens, but the uk verion is still top notch

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 13, 2007 7:45:40 PM CDT

    Black Dahlia

    by onehate

    Shoulv'e been made by Blag Dahlia.

    Reply to Talkback

  • May 14, 2007 5:50:15 PM CDT

    Hey Fox, When you Cancel These...

    by _maltheus_

    ...please keep in mind that you've taught all your viewers to wait a full season before trying any of your new shows. Don't blame it on TiVo, don't blame it on downloading or DVDs, don't say that we only want American Idol, it's Fox Management ADD that'll cause these shows to fail. I might have otherwise given a couple of them a chance but you have a PR image that you will have to work on first before you can act like a regular network again. I think 24 is the last "new" Fox show that made it into my lineup. Everything else is from the last century. Fucking pathetic job Fox.

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