Getting late. i accidentally pasted the whole WB line-up halfway down. Sorry about that.
Tracey -----Original Message----- From: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Tracey de Morsella (formerly Tracey L. Minor) Sent: Sunday, May 22, 2005 3:32 AM To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Subject: [scifinoir2] 2005 Speculative Fiction TV Shows http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,802|||,00.html Invasion (Drama) Airs: Wednesdays 10:00 PM (ABC) http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,273|3935|1|,00.html Premise: Following a violent tropical storm, a U.S. park ranger's (Eddie Cibrian) missing ex-wife is found naked and with no memory of how she got that way. Couple that withhis young daughter seeing some mysterious floating lights. The ranger starts to investigate and begins to uncover an alien conspiracy that has been spreading across the world for centuries. >From What We've Seen: Anyone who's read Carl Hiaasen or Elmore Leonard knows that weird things tend to happen in Florida. Instead of playing that idea for laughs, though, "Invasion" goes for chills, and at first glance the show comes off as more intriguing than "Fathom," NBC's take on aliens (maybe) among us. Creator Shaun Cassidy is mining similar territory, at least in tone, to his underrated "American Gothic," and provided the execution is up to the level of the pilot clips, "Invasion" could pair well with "Lost." On the down side, the preview seemed to telegraph the identity of the villain, which isn't always the best idea in a mystery show. Stars: William Fichtner ("Black Hawk Down"), Eddie Cibrian ("Third Watch"), Kari Matchett, Lisa Sheridan, Tyler Labine ("That Was Then"), Alexis Dziena, Evan Peters ("The Days"), Ariel Gade Studio: Warner Bros. Television, Shaun Cassidy Productions Producers: Shaun Cassidy ("American Gothic"), Thomas Schlamme ("Jack & Bobby") The Night Stalker (Drama) http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,273|3936|1|,00.html Premise: A crime reporter (Stuart Townsend) who also happens to be the FBI's No. 1 suspect in the bizarre death of his wife prowls the streets of Los Angeles trying to find answers. In addition to trying to connect the dots between murder victims found with a strange red, snake-shaped mark on their hands, he also finds himself delving into a strange supernatural world of crime. >From What We've Seen: The original "Night Stalker," which starred Darren McGavin, is beloved by sci-fi fans, who will no doubt have a lot to say about the new version from "X-Files" veteran Frank Spotnitz. There seems to be a decidedly more sinister undercurrent to the new version, with reporter Frank Kolchak (Stuart Townsend) searching for clues to his wife's murder -- in which he's a prime suspect -- and uncovering ever-more bizarre things along the way. We were initially skeptical of the casting of Townsend, but it appears to be a decent choice after all, and Gabrielle Union is usually fun to watch. Stars: Stuart Townsend ("League of Extraordinary Gentlemen"), Gabrielle Union ("Bring It On"), Eric Jungmann ("Not Another Teen Movie"), Cotter Smith ("X2") Studio: Touchstone Television Producers: Frank Spotnitz and Daniel Sackheim ("The X-Files") Ghost Whisperer (Drama) http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,273|3952|1|,00.html Premise: A young wife (Jennifer Love Hewitt) can talk to dead people. And -- wouldn't you know it? -- the dead people want her help. Sometimes she gets simple directives from her ghostly friends, but other times the messages are confusing. Based on the work of James Van Praagh, all similarities to NBC's "Medium" are entirely intentional. >From What We've Seen: "Joan of Arcadia" may be gone, but fans of young women who have conversations with someone who's not physically present can still get their fix at 8 p.m. Fridays. For CBS has replaced the show about a high-school girl who talks to God with a show about a young wife who talks to dead people. It's like "Medium," but without the crime angle or the interesting marital relationship. The show looks to be going for a more uplifting tone than the NBC series, but what's a ghost story without a few scary parts? Stars: Jennifer Love Hewitt ("Party of Five"), David Conrad ("Miss Match"), Aisha Tyler ("CSI," "24") Studio: Touchstone Television in association with Paramount Network Television Producers: John Gray ("Helter Skelter," "Martin & Lewis") Threshold (Drama) http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,273|3953|1|,00.html Premise: An extra terrestrial craft has landed in the Atlantic Ocean and a team of experts is assembled to deal with all possible contingencies. Will the aliens be cute and friendly or ugly and scary? >From What We've Seen: This being the third aliens-are-coming preview we've seen this week (what hath "Lost" wrought?), "Threshold" feels less fresh than predecessors "Fathom" and "Invasion" -- but really, all three are somewhat diminished by their similarities. To sum up: Something weird has been discovered, it's affecting people in strange ways, and we're not sure what to do about it. The plus side for "Threshold," in addition to some good visual-effect work, is a very good cast that includes Carla Gugino, Charles S. Dutton and Peter Dinklage (at least in the pilot). Stars: Carla Gugino ("Sin City," "Karen Sisco"), Charles S. Dutton ("Something the Lord Made"), Brian Van Holt ("House of Wax"), Robert Patrick Benedict ("Felicity"), Brent Spiner ("Star Trek: The Next Generation") Studio: Paramount Network Television Producers: Brannon Braga ("Enterprise"), David Heyman ("Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban"), David Goyer ("Blade: Trinity") http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,273|3961|1|,00.html Bones (Drama) Airs: Tuesdays 8:00 PM (FOX) Premise: Forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan, who works at the Jeffersonian Institution and writes novels as a sideline, has an uncanny ability to read clues left behind in a victim's bones. Consequently, law enforcement calls her in to assist with murder investigations when the remains are so badly decomposed, burned or destroyed that the standard identification methods are useless. Brennan's equally brilliant colleagues at the Jeffersonian's Medico-Legal Lab include earthy and bawdy Angela Montenegro, who's created a unique way to render an original crime scene in a three-dimensional computer image; Brennan's assistant, Zack Addy, a young prodigy whose genius IQ actually gets in the way of his finishing the several doctorates he has begun; "the bug guy," Dr. Jack Hodgins, who's an expert on insects, spores and minerals, but conspiracy is his hobby; and Brennan's boss, imposing lab director Dr. Daniel Goodman. Brennan often finds herself teamed with Special Agent Seeley Booth, a former Army sniper who mistrusts science and scientists when it comes to solving crimes. Brennan and Booth clash both professionally and personally, but so far the chemistry between them has only played out in a fictionalized account in Brennan's latest mystery novel. Show Background:Barry Josephson and Hart Hanson are the executive producers.Inspired by real-life forensic anthropologist and novelist Kathy Reichs. Current Cast: Emily Deschanel as Temperance Brennan David Boreanaz as Booth Eric Millegan as Zack TJ Thyne as Dr. Hodgins Michaela Conlin as Angela Jonathan Adams as Dr. Goodman Reunion (Drama) Premise: This innovative show -- part drama, part mystery -- follows six friends from their 1986 high school reunion through their 20th reunion, with each episode focusing on a seminal event from a year. When 2005 roles around, one of the friends is dead, but which one? And how did they die? >From What We've Seen: The premise -- following six high school friends over 20 years, with each episode representing one of those years -- is original. The cast, including Will Estes ("American Dreams"), Amanda Righetti ("North Shore') and Mathew St. Patrick ("Six Feet Under") is good. Throw in a murder mystery and you have, potentially, a very interesting show. Unless the writers are careful with doling out plot, though, you could also have, potentially, a very frustrating show. The present-day framing device, in which St. Patrick's detective questions one of the friends (Chyler Leigh) about the murder, also feels a bit unnecessary. Stars: Will Estes ("American Dreams"), Sean Faris ("life as we know it"), Dave Annable ("Little Black Book"), Alexa Davalos ("The Chronicles of Riddick"), Amanda Righetti ("The O.C.," "North Shore"), Chyler Leigh ("girls club," "That '80s Show"), Mathew St. Patrick ("Six Feet Under") Studio: Warner Bros. Television, Class IV Productions Producers: Jon Harmon Feldman, Steve Pearlman, Andrew Plotkin Fathom (Drama) Premise: A new form of sea life is popping up all over the world, from the South Antarctic Sea to San Diego to the Gulf of Mexico. The aquatic creatures look cute and innocent and kids love to play with them, but is something freakier afoot? An assortment of scientists and fishermen begin an investigation to find out if things are really better under the sea. >From What We've Seen: Several people separately discover a new form of life living in the ocean. What is it, what's it doing there, and what are its intentions? The clips we saw don't really answer those questions, but in a way that makes us more intrigued, as does the fact that the creators of the underrated "G vs. E" are behind it. That said, though, "Fathom" doesn't immediately grab you by the collar the way that "Lost" did, and it's fuzzy as to how the main characters -- presented as being quite removed from one another -- will ever unify the plotline. We're hoping that watching the full pilot will answer some of those questions, but until we do that we'll reserve judgment. Stars: Lake Bell ("Boston Legal"), Jay R. Ferguson ("Judging Amy"), Rade Serbedzija ("Snatch"), Carter Jenkins ("CSI: NY") Studio: NBC Universal Television Studio Producers: Josh and Jonas Pate ("Dragnet") The WB's schedule is a jumble. There are mismatched lawyers ("Just Legal"), mismatched brothers ("Supernatural"), mismatched sisters ("Related") and mismatched twin sisters ("Twins"). While each of The WB's four new scripted shows has an established veteran as a lead-in, stalwarts like "One Tree Hill" are suddenly on new nights and old favorites "Everwood" and "Smallville" have been thrown to the lions on Thursday. Fortunately, it good to know that if it's The WB, you can always count on spending Monday nights with the Camdens, as "7th Heaven" sticks around for its 10th season. 7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30 Sun Reba (encore) Reba (encore) Charmed Blue Collar TV Mon 7th Heaven Just Legal Tue Gilmore Girls Supernatural Wed One Tree Hill Related Thu Smallville Everwood Fri What I Like About You Twins Reba Living With Fran . legend: new show new timeslot returning show Canceled Series: Commando Nanny, Drew Carey's Green Screen Show, Grounded for Life, Jack & Bobby, The Mountain, The Starlet, Steve Harvey's Big Time, Summerland The Bedford Diaries (Midseason Drama) Premise: The most attractive college students and professors on television go to Bedford, a liberal arts school in New York City. There, a provocative Human Behavior and Sexuality class is about to shape the way all faculty and students alike look at the world around them. They'll laugh. They'll love. And, heaven help them, they'll learn. >From What We've Seen: Character types in stories about college students are familiar: the rich party boy, the striver, the troubled girl, the artist. "The Bedford Diaries" has those and a few others, but it also looks like each of them will have actual personalities beyond their types. Their dialogue sounded natural, without the forced quality that sometimes comes when grownups write for young people. The provocative touch that likely helped sell the series -- the characters are students in a class on human sexual behavior -- almost seems unnecessary. Stars: Matthew Modine ("And the Band Played On," "Any Given Sunday"), Tiffany Dupont ("Cheaper by the Dozen"), Penn Badgely ("The Mountain"), Corri English ("The Dale Earnhardt Story"), Milo Ventimiglia ("Gilmore Girls," "American Dreams"), Ernest Waddell ("As the World Turns"), Victoria Cartagena, Audra McDonald, Peter Gerety Studio: HBO Independent Productions, Warner Bros. Television and The Levinson/Fontana Co. Producers: Tom Fontana ("Oz," "Homicide"), Jim Finnerty ("The Jury"), Julie Martin ("Homicide"), Barry Levinson ("Rain Man," "Diner") ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Just Legal (Drama) Premise: Jay Baruchel ("Undeclared") plays a legal prodigy who can't land the job he wants because of his youth. Naturally, he goes to work for a legendary burn out (Don Johnson) barely making ends meet with a beachfront shingle. They become crusaders for the unjustly wronged, as the old man teaches his protege to become a lawyer and the whelp reminds his mentor of how to live again. How's that for high concept? >From What We've Seen: The two leads look to be just about perfectly cast, with Jay Baruchel as the child-prodigy lawyer who's barely old enough to vote and Don Johnson as the down-and-out attorney who takes him under his wing. In their scenes together, the two also exhibit a comfort with one another that shows like this desperately need. The tone of the clips veered wildly from amusing character bits to gritty courtroom scenes; that could be a tough mix to balance and will need to be watched closely. Stars: Jay Baruchel ("Undeclared"), Don Johnson ("Miami Vice," "Nash Bridges"), Veanne Cox ("Erin Brockovich"), Raphael Sbarge ("The Guardian"), Michael Mitchell, Peyton List Studio: Jerry Bruckheimer Television in association with Warner Bros. Television Producers: Jerry Bruckheimer and Jonathan Littman ("CSI," "Cold Case," "Without a Trace"), Jonathan Shapiro ("The Practice," "Boston Legal") ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Misconceptions (Midseason Comedy) Premise: Hilarity ensues when young Hopper (Taylor Momsen) asks her mom (Jane Leeves) if she can meet her father. It turns out that mom was artificially inseminated and that the sperm donor (Adam Rothenberg) wasn't quite the Yale-educated surgeon she hoped he was. Mom is responsible and uptight. Dad is immature and fun-loving. Is there any chance that they could become a surprising family? Yes. Probably. >From What We've Seen: Wasn't previewed. Stars: Jane Leeves ("Frasier"), Taylor Momsen ("Spy Kids 2"), French Stewart ("3rd Rock from the Sun"), Adam Rothenberg Jay Baruchel ("Undeclared"), Don Johnson ("Miami Vice," "Nash Bridges"), Veanne Cox ("Erin Brockovich"), Raphael Sbarge ("The Guardian"), Michael Mitchell, Peyton List Studio: Imagine Television in association with 20th Century Fox Television Producers: Brian Grazer ("Arrested Development," "24"), David Nevins ("Miss Match"), Jeff Kleeman ("Titanic"), Michael Saltzman ("Murphy Brown," "Wings") ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Modern Men (Midseason Comedy) Premise: Three men with problematic love lives seek the advice of a life coach. Can she turn their lives around and help them figure out the mystery that is Woman? Well, if Freud couldn't figure it out, it may take a few episodes for these guys to get the hang of it. >From What We've Seen: As a life coach who agrees to help three guys who have various romantic issues, Wendie Malick was fantastic. We say "was" because the network will be forced to recast her role since her ABC series, "Jake in Progress," was unexpectedly picked up for next year. As such, it's a little unfair to judge the pilot. In the Malick-free scenes, the three leads are appealing enough, but the guys-are-clueless material isn't exactly fresh. Stars: Josh Braaten ("Less Than Perfect"), Max Greenfield ("Veronica Mars"), Eric Lively ("The L Word"), Marla Sokoloff ("The Practice," "Desperate Housewives"), George Wendt ("Cheers"), Wendie Malick ("Jake in Progress," "Just Shoot Me") Studio: Jerry Bruckheimer Television in association with Warner Bros. Television Producers: Jerry Bruckheimer and Jonathan Littman ("CSI," "Cold Case," "Without a Trace"), Marsh McCall ("Just Shoot Me," "The Naked Truth"), Ross McCall and Aaron Peters ("The Simple Life") ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Pepper Dennis (Midseason Drama) Premise: Pepper Dennis (Rebecca Romijn) is an ambitious reporter who wants nothing more than to anchor Chicago's top-rated evening news broadcast. That's not true. She's also accidentally sleeping with her boss (Josh Hopkins), trying to restore her relationship with her sister (Brooke Burns) and, hopefully, wondering why everybody in her life looks like a supermodel. >From What We've Seen: Take a healthy slice of "Broadcast News" and add a little dusting of "Ally McBeal" (minus the fantasy sequences, thankfully) and you have a decent idea of what you'll get from this dramedy with a ridiculously pretty cast. Star Rebecca Romijn is quite watchable (not solely because she's a supermodel) and shows a surprising flair for physical comedy. But there's an awful lot of pretty-girl-falls-down stuff here, and a generally manic tone throughout. Taking a breath every once in a while might serve the show well. Stars: Rebecca Romijn ("X-Men"), Lindsay Price ("Coupling," "Beverly Hills, 90210"), Rider Strong ("Boy Meets World"), Brooke Burns ("North Shore"), Josh Hopkins ("Ally McBeal") Studio: 20th Century Fox Television Producers: Gretchen J. Berg and Aaron Harberts ("Wonderfalls," "Roswell," "Beverly Hills, 90210"), Shawn Levy ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Related (Drama) Premise: The Sorelli sisters (Jennifer Esposito, Lizzy Caplan, Laura Breckenridge and an actress to be named later) fight, laugh, live and love in New York City. How's that for high concept? >From What We've Seen: First note in this male reporter's notebook about the show, from "Sex and the City"/"He's Just Not That Into You" writer Liz Tuccillo and "Friends" co-creator Marta Kauffman: "Sooo not for me." Which doesn't mean that the show looks bad; it just means that the target audience is emphatically not men. That said, it's not hard to buy that the four stars are, in fact, sisters (although Laura San Giacomo's part is being recast), with Jennifer Esposito and Laura Breckenridge standing out in the clips The WB showed. The focus, however, was a little scattershot in trying to serve all four characters; that could be tough to sustain week to week. Stars: Jennifer Esposito ("Crash," "Spin City"), Jon Hamm ("The Division"), Callum Blue ("Dead Like Me"), Lizzy Caplan ("Mean Girls," "The Pitts"), Laura Breckenridge ("Boston Public") Studio: Warner Bros. Television and Class IV Productions Producers: Marta Kauffman ("Friends"), Steve Pearlman, Andrew Plotkin, Mimi Leder ("ER"), Liz Tuccillo ("Sex and the City") ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Supernatural (Drama) Premise: Two brothers (Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki) travel the country in a '67 Ford Impala fighting supernatural forces and trying to find their missing father. How's that for high concept? >From What We've Seen: Although the tag line for this pilot was "'The X-Files' meets 'Route 66,'" it's clear that writer David Kripke and executive producer McG are going less for spooky ambiance and more for out-and-out horror. The trailer did feature a couple of genuine chills, but it also featured the dark, dank lighting and jittery camera work that are becoming horror-movie cliches -- will people want to watch that every week, especially coming out of the decidedly more sunny "Gilmore Girls"? That will likely depend on the two leads, and Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, both WB veterans, acquit themselves pretty well. Stars: Jared Padalecki ("House of Wax," "Gilmore Girls"), Jensen Ackles ("Smallville") Studio: Warner Bros. Television in association with Wonderland Sound and Vision Producers: McG ("The O.C."), Eric Kripke ("Boogeyman"), David Nutter ("Without a Trace," "Smallville," "Roswell," "Band of Brothers," "The West Wing," "ER," "The X-Files") Tracey de Morsella Phone: 215-849-0946 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] View The What Happened to ScifiNoir at Yahoogroups FAQ, at: http://www.visitfloripa.com/scifinoir/ -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.322 / Virus Database: 266.11.14 - Release Date: 5/20/2005 Yahoo! Groups Links -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.322 / Virus Database: 266.11.14 - Release Date: 5/20/2005 -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.322 / Virus Database: 266.11.14 - Release Date: 5/20/2005 ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> What would our lives be like without music, dance, and theater? Donate or volunteer in the arts today at Network for Good! http://us.click.yahoo.com/pkgkPB/SOnJAA/Zx0JAA/LRMolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
