Merrick here...


In recent days, the Sci Fi Channel has hurled forth several missives detailing upcoming projects and programming.

By now, you've already heard about CAPRICA, a spin-off of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA.

Also in the pipeline, we have the oh-so-hot Rosario Dawson, a bigtime genre/comic fan, who will bring us TRUE BELIEVER. It's described as "a quirky, contemporary dramedy about a 20-something comic book nerd who hires a washed-up real-life Superhero to be his crime-fighting sidekick and teach him the ropes. Together, this unlikely duo set out to save the World."

Dawson also appears in the forthcoming web series GEMINI DIVISION, which Wiki says is about a "NYC detective investigating the murder of her husband who somehow uncovers a global conspiracy involving the creation of simulated live forms that have assimilated with the unsuspecting public". Sounds pretty cool to me. A touch of BODY SNATCHERS, a touch of BLADE RUNNER.

There's also THE STRANDED, from SFC and Virgin comics. "Five seemingly everyday people must face the terrifying question: what if your entire life – your childhood, your family, your memories – was a lie? For the stranded, Sisera, Endo, Drum, Tamree, and Cullen, it’s true. Each of them is from another world called Standfire, and now their past is returning to try and kill them." says the press release.

Frankly, I didn't pay much attention at all to ROSWELL...but would this somewhat similar?

DEPUTIZED, in which an "average Joe suddenly finds himself possessing special abilities after being accidentally fitted with an alien exoskeleton that cannot be removed. As a result, he is enlisted to serve on the inter-galactic police force that patrols the universe."

This one's written by Joe Gazzam. The name wasn't familiar, so I looked him up on IMDB. His sole credit is having a wife named Laurie.

ALICE. The creative team behind TIN MAN (the most watched show in Sci Fi Channels' history) has reformed to bring us "a modern day re-telling of the classic ALICE IN WONDERLAND". This will be a six hour miniseries, presumably airing towards Thanksgiving/Christmas (when Sci Fi traditionally discharges its maxi-projects).

And, of course, there's a significant slate of "reality" programming...including more episodes of the compelling MIND CONTROL WITH DERREN BROWN, the CANDID CAMERA-esque prank show SCARE TACTICS (gags on unsuspecting victims often feature an intense angle, or genre slant...rarely is any of it convincing), and the return of GHOST HUNTERS INTERNATIONAL (having had experiences I couldn't explain as being anything other than paranormal, I'm deeply fascinated by the subject and love the GHOST HUNTERS shows).

More on any/all of these projects as more comes in...