Well…sort of. In "The Americans" on FX both the husband and wife are KGB spies posing as a regular ole American couple in the 1980's. I heard about this show and was instantly intrigued given Jack and Irena's story in Alias. I also found it amusing that J.J. Abrams' darling Keri Russell plays the wife, which, after seeing her short-but-stellar spy performance in Mission Impossible III, I have no doubt she can pull off.
I haven't watched the show yet, but thought y'all might be interested. The show premiered on Jan. 30, but you can catch up online. If you have seen it, what do you think?
546 comments:
1 – 200 of 546 Newer› Newest»SRM, I thought the pilot was pretty good. Of course, it's meant to be more real-world based than "Alias" every pretended to be. I'm not saying that's a good thing, because I love me some sci-fi/supernatural stuff in a lot of my shows. Nevertheless, I'm not opposed to a spy show that leaves those elements aside.
My two biggest concerns are, gosh-darnit, I am not the biggest fan of period pieces, and can I actually get behind KGB spies? I don't think either of these is a deal-breaker for me as long as the quality is up there.
The pilot had a number of deliciously tense moments. Heck, it even had John-Boy Walton as a big shot in the FBI.
I'll be watching 1.02 tonite if I get a minute (or an hour).
My long term guess is that Keri's character comes around in the end. Right now, she's diehard KGB, while her hubby is actually quite prepared at this point to turn his back on the motherland and embrace the American lifestyle.
Interesting, yeah I hope to find the time to catch the pilot. I heard episode 2 had its fair share of tense moments as well.
I haven't seen it yet, but plan to.
Does anyone else see various words in Page's post that are blue and bring up popup ads when you scroll over them?
Uncle, those mouseover popups sound bizarre. I've seen other blogs that do that, but I don't think I've every witnessed that with Blogger.
Here's a new look at BBC America's upcoming "Orphan Black".
Clones 'R' Us.
"Touch" returns tonite with a 2-hour premiere. And, according this article, it's a whole new "Touch", remade in the image of "24". It also promises to be more serial in nature than last year. Only thing missing this year is Gugu.
First glimpse of 'Nadia' on next week's POI.
In the no-brainer category, CW has renewed "Arrow" for a 2nd season.
In the "this sounds interesting" category, 'Sawyer' gets a show on CBS.
POI: 'Nadia' this week, 'Jenny' next week.
Here is the description of Sarah Shahi's POI debut on Feb. 21: "A lethal and sexy government operative who tracks and stops terrorist threats before they occur finds herself on the run – and the new focus of Reese and Finch’s attention. However, their pursuit proves to be their most formidable when they discover that her remarkable skillset equals their own"
Sounds awesome. After 11 years away from the set of "Alias", Jenny is back and this time she's the one doing the ass-kicking.
Critics have their way with tonight's debut of "Zero Hour".
Hard to find fault with a lot of the comments made. It has potential, but the writing HAS to improve quickly for ZH to have a chance, IMO.
First look at our 'Jenny' on POI.
Dubious honours for "Zero Hour" as it debuts as the "least-watched ABC scripted premiere EVER". As in EVER.
In fairness, I think they should add that the pilot was available on ABC's website for several weeks ahead of the premiere. But still, it looks like the 2nd cancellation of the year for ABC in the SAME FREAKING TIME SLOT, since it took over from "Last Resort" on Thursday nights.
Jenny gets her "Person of Interest" on.
"The Americans" renewed for 2nd Season.
Wow, how about the Sarah Shahi Show? That was a game-changer for POI, switching the POV from Finch and Reese to Shaw, presumably for only one episode.
So many good things going on. Finally, Root ends her vacation (when was the last time we saw her, October?) and we end up with 2 "Alias" chicks facing off against each other, something that they did not do in "Alias".
"Alias" had it's game-changer at 2.13 with "Phase One". POI waited till 2.16. Watching Finch explain the facts of life to Shaw reminded me of Vaughn showing Sydney the map of SD6. Shaw is about to have the same kind of awakening.
I would love to see SS turn into at least a semi-regular, but a softening of her hard-ass attitude wouldn't go amiss and I would expect her to warm up a bit if and when she starts working with Finch and Reese.
How about Amy Acker? Is she Root or is she Peyton? I can't tell the difference. She gives good evil.
This episode broke POI wide open for future conspiracy angles. It was like a rebirth of sorts that could tack on additional seasons if writers feel inclined to explore all the delicious dark alleys available to them.
But don't take it from me.
W13 returns April 29. Now, if I could just remember what the first half of the season was about.
Jennifer Garner "the First Lady of film".
When I saw that headline, I thought there must be another JG out there somewhere. At least the writer brings it back to earth toward the end when he starts addressing Jen's own 7 year streak of presumably self-inflicted professional irrelevance.
Thanks for posting that article Page, good to see we're not the only ones that miss seeing Jen in decent TV/films, and think she's more than capable of killing it when she does.
SRM, zeroing in on one line from that article: "In the right role, I think Garner could be persuasive. But what? And when?"
I think we all know that, in the right role, she WOULD be persuasive. It's like she lacks the confidence or something.
Getting involved in films like "Butter", which, as the writer says, bagged a paltry $70,000 on opening weekend, suggests a kind of long-term career death wish.
All around her, "Alias" personnel are working in TV. There's no shame in TV work anymore. This isn't the 80's. Rachel has a pretty decent show of her own. Amy, Sarah, Mia have all appeared in S2 of POI. I can't believe that there aren't any opportunities for JG to re-establish herself.
Let's face it, BC is the movie star from the "Alias" fold. JG has given it enough time and it just isn't working. Time to get back to her roots. IMO!
2013 may be the year of the "Alias" chicks on TV. Four sightings already this year, including tonight's appearance by Amy Irving on "Zero Hour".
Enjoy it while it lasts, Amy.
I forgot about Zero Hour. I'll have to catch up.
POI was really good last time! Looks like we will have 2 Alias women in recurring roles there.
Uncle, catching up with "Zero Hour" won't take long. 3 eppies and out.
Speaking of those "Alias" wimmin, Agent Rachel gives us the lowdown on the return of "Continuum".
Great to see Lennie James back on "The Walking Dead" last night.
Lennie is getting a new show on AMC, called "Low Winter Sun", which is apparently a remake of a British drama.
Page,
I just finished Episode 3 of Zero Hour. This is turning into a very good show. Of course they cancel it!!!! And after Emily Sloane is brought back from the dead.
Now for something completely off topic/personal. I'm, not going to post any political talk here, but I am posting a link to a political report a friend of mine and I spent a month researching and writing. He has been working in and analyzing elections for over 30 years. If you don't want to read a unique conservative political analysis then don't copy and paste this link!!! I'm not to blame if you do. It's about 5500 words and has pictures and graphs. http://conservativevoterinfo.com/reelection.php
Uncle, I suspect (although I don't know) that ABC will burn off the remaining eppies of ZH this summer. Unlike "Last Resort", however, there will be no series wrap-up for ZH.
Shows aren't given much leeway these days. The big networks need big ratings numbers and if they aren't there almost immediately, the axe falls. A show like "Fringe" is the rare exception, where ratings suck, but the network sticks with it because they believe the show deserves to be seen.
Many of my preferred shows now are found on cable networks, where they are able to thrive without the massive number of viewers required by the Big 4. In fact, of this season's new mainstream shows, I think CW's "Arrow" is at or near the top of the heap.
Uncle, I sifted through your political analysis. That was a massive undertaking you guys took on.
I'll just say that the best thing your country has going for it, politically, is presidential term limits.
Arrow is one of my regular/never miss shows.
OUAT's 'Ruby' joins 'Sawyer' on "Intelligence". Hopefully, this gets past the pilot stage, cuz "high-tech spy thriller" sounds like my cuppa tea.
More background for Syfy's upcoming (April 15th) "Defiance". I'm really keen to see if this is any good. It sure looks like it could be.
BtVS's "Spike" becomes the latest Whedonverse actor to guest on W13.
W13 returns on April 4th after a marathon hiatus. Trying to remember where we left off will be a challenge.
Just realized I'm not getting posts in my email.
Somehow, I missed the news that "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" will have a heavy "Alias"/"Fringe" influence, having been written by Orci, Kurtzman, and Pinkner.
Previously, on "The Americans", Keri Russell beats the crap out of her handler. I love it.
This is a great spy show. Really, I think I'm cheering for the FBI guy across the street. I love the way he goes about his business. And, of course, what would a spy show be without a mole (and a gorgeous one at that)?
Of course, this is MUCH more grounded in some sort of reality than "Alias", but there is enough lying, cheating and just plain mind-fracking going on here to keep me fully engaged.
When all is said and done, I hope there is some sort of redemption for our badly misguided KGB couple.
Right here is how ya do it:
"Veronica Mars" was axed in 2007 after a measly 64 episodes, but (unlike "Alias") the cast and creator have never let go of their collective dream of telling more VM stories.
Rumours of the VM movie (the same rumours that swirl around every TV show that fades to black) have been popping up from time to time since the show went off the air.
What separates VM from all of these other shows, though, is that everyone involved with VM wants to make it happen. And today, it seems that, through the miracle of crowd-sourcing, a 2014 release in within grasp. Not only is it possible, but this project, according to an article on Huffington Post, became the fastest project, to date, to reach $1,000,000 in donor funding.
The Veronica Mars Movie Project, on Kickstarter.com, even features a new cast video to give the project a boost.
When fans start speaking with their wallets, good things may happen. Would "Alias" have trouble raising cash for a movie 7 years later? We'll never know, because no one involved is interested and the cast is rapidly aging beyond their roles. But, this idea of crowd-sourcing a movie when no one else steps up is one that I really like, and it will be interesting to see how it unfolds.
Go Veronica! Can "Firefly" be far behind?
And, just like that, Veronica gets her movie. A one month campaign reached its goal in about 10 hours as fans pledged in droves.
This COULD have happened for "Alias" at one time. It could probably happen today, if only the participants wanted to get on board, instead of telling their fans they can just watch the DVD's.
Apparently, "Alias" isn't completely forgotten on the heels of the "Veronica Mars" fundraiser.
Not that it's ever going to happen, of course.
Page,
I'm drawing a blank on W13; I hadn't heard about Defiance or Intelligence; have tuned in yet to The Americans; and I would so plop down $100.00 right now if there was a fund to an Alias movie.
Far more likely than a crowdfunding "Alias" movie is a crowdfunding "Chuck" movie, which apparently has the approval of the Chuckster himself.
I would also be much more confident of the rest of the cast being on board with this one as well.
Just figured out W13. Duh!
Uncle, you asked a while back about "Line of Duty". I've just finished the 3rd eppie and can't wait to get at the remaining 2.
It's very good, IMO. Of course, Lennie James isn't the good guy of the piece, but his acting is always top notch.
Nice to see we're not the only ones who'd love to see Jen kicking arse again. I would LOVE a Chuck movie, I honestly really hated the way the show ended and did not feel a sense of closure at all. At least in Alias we saw most of the cast happy at the end, even if we didn't like the way other characters were wrapped up. Serenity gave Firefly an awesome sense of closure imo, and I still would like that for Chuck and Sarah. :-\
SRM, I think "Chuck" will happen someday, because I think Zachary Levi is a keener.
"Firefly" questions in light of the "Veronica Mars" story have already brought a response from Joss Whedon. Not gonna happen anytime soon (and, the cast is getting a little long in the tooth already, so imagine how much worse it will be years from now when Joss gets a few free minutes to ponder the future of "Firefly")
"Alias", just plain not gonna happen.
Josh Holloway's new look, on the set of "Intelligence".
Who's the girl with the yellow umbrella?? I think her name is Freckles.
Finally and at long last, The Doctor returns on March 30th to kick off the back half of S7.
An article asking if the "Veronica Mars" situation has 'ushered in a new era of movie development'.
Some more interesting comments from the Chuckster himself regarding his desire to extend the life of "Chuck" through VOD or other online distribution, as opposed to theatrical release.
Lots of people are paying attention to this precedent setting Kicktarter event. Of course, I have to go on record as saying that I don't care if "Pushing Daisies" EVER comes back, but still...
The latest U.N.C.L.E. rumours, this time centering on Tom Cruise.
Syfy is teasing us with the first 14 minutes of "Defiance". So far, so good. Looks like it could be a welcome addition to my already burgeoning watch list.
Johnny Cash is still going strong long after the alien invasion. Who would have guessed?
Trailer for Lennie James's new series on AMC, called "Low Winter Sun". Love Lennie, but 'dirty cop' shows aren't really where I'm at.
A few pics from JJ's latest sci-fi effort with "Fringe" showrunner J.H. Wyman, called "Human".
Stars Karl Urban ('Bones' from JJ's "Star Trek", not to mention Jason Bourne's would-be Russian assassin) and Minka Kelly ("Charlie's Angels", may it RIP)
Not much to go on.
A few more photos from Sawyer's "Intelligence", this time with OUAT's Ruby along for the ride.
Again, not much to go on.
Looks like Grunberg was also on board for the pilot of rebooted "The Saint". Even found time to shmooze with co-star Eliza Dushku
Also stars "Fringe"/"Alias" actor, Thomas Kretschmann and that legendary "Alias" guy himself, Roger Moore.
Now, all they need is someone to bite on the pilot.
I'm liking the sound of this quote from Ben Affleck.
SRM, I like Ben's idea. It's just that Jen hasn't made anything worth watching since before her first kid was born. "The Kingdom" was okay, but I've passed on every offering since then.
Note to JG: time to change things up. Try a little sci-fi, maybe a little action flick (it's not too late). Nothing wrong with the small screen, either. There's plenty of good TV out there these days. Get involved, Jen. Do it for us.
Ruh-Roh!
"The Veronica Mars Movie Project" finished the Kickstarter campaign seconds ago, not with the 2 million they were targeting, but with a cool 5.7 million bucks to throw around.
It'll be a good day when Mars returns to Neptune.
Given that Jen made JJ Abrams a household name, could she not simply pick up the phone and weasel her way into a Bad Robot funfest like "Star Trek: Into Darkness" instead of just diddling around with girlie advertising campains?
The "Defiance" pilot kicked ass in the ratings last night (at least based on Syfy's standards), with the biggest debut audience since W13 hit the air back in 2009.
I thought it was a very respectable effort and I'll be keeping an eye in it in the weeks to come.
Three eppies in and I am also quite happy with the way BBC America's "Orphan Black" is unfolding.
Anyone who watches the pilot episode will have serious deja vu during the final scene. (Hint: "Hello")
One way or another, "Alias" will be back. Frankly, I'd make it a priority over "Heroes".
Good guy Bradley Cooper visits Boston bombing victim in hospital. Good on ya, Will.
Why is BC in Boston you ask? Cuz he's filming his THIRD movie in 2 years with Katniss Everdeen herself, Jennifer Lawrence. Nice work if you can get it.
W13 resumes on April 29, but Syfy has been streaming the next episode for about a week.
The remainder of this season will have a definite BtVS flavour, with Giles, Spike and Shallow Cuts (aka Sloane Clone) guesting.
Sorry I haven't posted anything recently. the past 2 weeks have been bad. A week of getting books in order and doing taxes followed by 2 trips to the ER with my mother, one while I'm trying to get my finished tax forms from my accountant so I can sign and send them off. Then we came to the place where we reluctantly realized we needed to have our 13 year old German Shepard put to sleep. The next day we did that. A couple of days of sorrow and loss then we had her funeral. The next day I was trying to fix a clog in the sink and caused a clog in several things, which caused water to leak in 2 room and their closets. I have spent today going back and forth from the house to the shop, squeezing in a little work and overseeing plumbers, who need to come back tomorrow. And there is still the task of cleaning up and cleaning out from the leaks.
I just know I'm leaving some things out.
Uncle, saying goodbye to the family dogger is always a rough one. One day they're puppies, and then before you know it, they're struggling with old age and we're left wondering where the years went. They make the world a better place, though.
Got a clogged sink issue myself right now. My strategy right now is to ignore it and hope it goes away. However, it's going to require bold action shortly.
I just noticed that "The Equalizer" movie has tagged Denzel Washington to play Robert McCall. Oddly enough, that news has been out for nearly a year, but I guess I wasn't paying attention. I think that DW is a good choice, though.
Entertainment Weekly declares Bad Robot pair "the best TV couple of all time".
This is pretty cool, but not a lot of "Alias" love (on this, the 7th anniversary of the final day of filming).
“The Official Bad Robot Art Experience” runs until May 18th.
I'm afraid I see only one glimpse of Agent Bristow, but the site does say "sneak peek, more to come later". Hopefully, some fan out there is putting the finishing touches on his/her "Alias" masterpiece, cuz frankly, I would hate to see "Cloverfield" kick our ass. Seriously, "Cloverfield"??
For the record, my captcha for the preview of this post included "lost", and the captcha to publish includes "island".
You can tell the season finales are almost here. "Alias" chicks return to POI...with a plan.
Photos from the aforementioned "Official Bad Robot Art Experience".
Jennifer and The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Movie Choice.
Ben is at home watching the kids so you can waste the prime of your life on this???? Seriously?
The balance of "Zero Hour" will begin to air on June 15.
I've watched eppies 4 and 5 (they're currently running in Spain and available online)and they're full of tasty surprises. It's a shame that ABC didn't give it more time to develop.
S1 of a darker version of "Alias" wrapped up tonight.
I won't catch the finale until tomorrow night (and I'm not sure it's all that reminiscent of "Alias"), but "The Americans" first season has been excellent, IMO. S2 has already been confirmed.
I think "Arrow" is actually more closely aligned with "Alias", occupying a far more 'make believe' world than "The Americans". And, of course "Arrow" features the yummy Felicity Smoak, its own female version of Marshall Flinkman, providing tech support back at HQ, while Oliver saves the world (or at least Starling City).
I watched S1 of "The Following" which ended last night. It was pretty ridiculous most of the time, but still quite watchable, and with nothing else on in that time slot, what else was I going to do, read a book? Ha!
I also recently polished off "Broadchurch", an 8-part British murder mystery featuring The Tenth Doctor as well as Rory the Centurion.
Page,
Great news about Zero Hour. I really want to see where they are going with it. TOO BAD it was cancelled. I thought it had promise.
BBC America does the right thing and renews "Orphan Black" for 2nd season.
"The Americans" finished up in fine style, but without the mega-cliffhanger we grew accustomed to with "Alias".
Now we wait darned near a year for S2 to kick off. That's the problem with these half-seasons. It's no wonder some people just wait till the series is over and binge on the DVD's.
First clip of Sloane in the season (probably series) finale of "Touch".
Roco brings good news in the form of an upcoming TNT series, "The Last Ship".
The trailer gives us a brief glimpse of a post-"Chuck" Adam Baldwin, as well as the always visually stunning Rhona Mitra.
The bad news is that TLS isn't going to hit the small screen until 2014. Boooooo!
TNT keep the good news coming. Sean Bean and Ali Larter have a spy show slated for 2014 (TNT seems to really get those trailers out earrrrrrly).
"Legends" gives Larter another crack at the spy biz, after failing to make it with "The Asset" last year. Sean Bean gets to continue being an operative after his recent experiences on "Missing" and "Cleanskin".
Bean lost his head on "Game of Thrones", and judging from this trailer, I'm not sure he's got it back yet.
How long has "Alias" been gone? Well, with NBC's decision to axe "Deception", Victor Garber has 4 cancelled shows (counting "Charlie's Angels") under his belt since "Thank You For Five Incredible Years" lit up our screens.
Another way to look at this is that VG has 4 cancelled series since Jen last appeared in an episode of anything.
I think VG would look good somewhere on POI. Not to mention Jen.
Tons of "next season" news breaking these days, some of it involving "Alias" personnel.
CW has "Star-Crossed", a fantasy romance, executive produced by "Alias" contributors Andre Nemec and Josh Applebaum. I think I can safely say I won't need to check that one out.
Orci/Kurtzman are at it again with "Sleepy Hollow" on FOX. Again, this doesn't sound too appealing to me.
Terry O'Quinn is back in the ring to take another swing (this time on FOX) with "Gang Related", playing the leader of an L.A. gang task force. TO'Q is learning that the one-two punch of "Alias" and "Lost" are hard acts to follow.
In non-"Alias" related stuff, it looks like the end is near for "Nikita", as all that remains after this season finale is a shortened (maybe as few as 6 episodes) final season. As good as "Nikita" can be at times, they are clearly running out of story to tell.
And, with "Touch" ending this Friday, Kiefer will be freed up to do what? How about some more "24".?
Oops, how could I forget JJ's two new series, both of which have been picked up?
NBC has "Believe".
And, of course, FOX has "Almost Human", which probably has the more superior Bad Robot bloodline.
It's official. "Burn Notice" is finished after the upcoming Season 7.
When the dust settles, BN will go out with more episodes than "Alias", and, unlike "Alias", USA may not be finished with BN altogether as one-off TV movies are not out of the question.
Consider this: "24" debuted 37 days after "Truth Be Told" rocked our world.
Now, fast forward 12 years and the return of Jack Bauer appears to be officially on even as we rapidly approach 7 years of dead "Alias" air.
ABC is going with "Once Upon a Time In Wonderland"?
To me, this is OUAT overkill. I think the original series is plenty, and in fact I have to say that I'm getting a little bored with it this season.
Frankly, I'd rather be watching Robert Carlyle on S4 of "Stargate Universe".
Whedon didn't have much luck with "Dollhouse". Maybe there is a better fate awaiting "Agents of SHIELD".
Of course, it's a no-brainer that ABC picked up the series. I suspect it will have a more mainstream appeal than "Dollhouse", and of course, it better lends itself to the trademark Whedon humour and charm familiar to fans of Buffy, "Angel" and "Firefly".
It's been 6 years since those crazy 8 episodes of "Bionic Woman" aired.
Now, Michelle Ryan has joined the CIA and she's headed for "Covert Affairs".
Trailer for "Almost Human", the latest from JJ and 1/2 of the "Fringe" showrunning team (in other words, JH Wyman).
Hopefully this is so much more than just a futuristic cop show, cuz I don't do well with cop shows.
Hate to see an "Alias" brother get mixed up in (what appears to be) a steaming pile like this.
Biggie trailer for "Agents of SHIELD". We'll see if Blogger takes this one down in 10 minutes or less like last time.
Sarah Shahi passed the audition and will be a series regular on POI next season (ON TUESDAY NIGHTS).
Tuesdays have been a TV black hole for years, but now will have POI and "Agents of SHIELD".
On a bummer note, Josh Holloway's "Intelligence" is now a mid-season replacement. That's one that I was eager to see.
"Intelligence": a little bit trailer, a little bit behind the scenes.
As expected, CW is renewing "Nikita" for a 6 episode final season.
With the season finale tomorrow night, that boils down to 7 more episodes to wrap the series.
Apparently taking its cue from "Nikita", "Warehouse 13" will return for a skimpy 6 episode final season, which won't air until 2014.
So, let's see if I've got this straight. Four more episodes of W13 this season, then an almost 1 year wait until a 6 episode final season. Huh??
"24" has a new name.
"24: Live Another Day" won't air until May, 2014.
Sorry to let so many posts go by without comment. I've been catching up on work so I can pay some bills...so I can do more work to pay more bills...so I can...you know what I'm saying.
I have been sidetracked the past few days putting together as short promotional video for the guys who will be obtaining the guns to be used on a Man From U.N.C.L.E. movie that is finally going t be made. I have a friend who used to work in that field who has contacts and is helping guide me through the maze. Hopefully it will work out.
It appears that Tom Cruise will play Napoleon Solo in the movie. Don't know yet if it will be a period piece or a modern one with a hat tip to the original guns, but they say they need replicas of the originals, so here's keeping my fingers crossed.
I've read a few comments about people not wanting Tom Cruise to be involved (for the obvious reasons), but as far as I'm concerned, the guy makes good movies. I have no trouble separating the real-life nutbar from the character on the screen, so I'm quite happy with the U.N.C.L.E. casting. I still think I may have preferred Bradley Cooper, but that's life.
I think Nikita last night may have been the best episode this season.
My brother can't stand Tom Cruise. I don't have a problem with his movies. But, the co-star Russian agent is being played by someone who is almost a foot taller than Cruise. In the original Solo was slightly taller than Kuryakin.
Uncle, last night's "Nikita" was awesome. Reminded me of the night they trashed SD6 HQ on "Alias".
According to Wikipedia, Tom Cruise is 5'7, which means almost no male co-star is going to be shorter. Maybe 'Guerrero' from "Human Target".
I've read a couple of very lukewarm reviews of "Star Trek: Into Darkness". One called it JJ Abrams' most incomplete project to date. Ouch! Something tells me I'll still enjoy it. Sometimes critics just feel the need to criticize.
And, finally a trailer for JJ's other new show (mid-season), "Believe".
Always dangerous, in my mind, to center a show around a young 'girl', cuz if the show is popular enough, before you know it you've got a young 'woman' on your hands and can the show survive that?
Looks like it's back to work for Mia Maestro.
Let's see: Sarah Shahi has a series. Amy Acker has a series. Rachel Nichols has a series. Gina Torres has a series. Amy Irving 'had' a series. Melissa George has a series. Merrin Dungey willing to work. Jennifer Garner...rom-com wasteland.
Someone is passing this off as a Bad Robot tribute.
Uhhhh, is there an elephant in that room or what? A Bad Robot "tribute" without a nod to "Alias"? WTF?
Here's a new and improved trailer for Sawyer's "Intelligence" (with faces familiar to viewers of OUAT and this season's "Nikita").
The tech in his head is reminiscent of Agent Rachel's futuristic tech in "Continuum".
"Arrested Development" went off the air 3 months before "Alias", but, unlike "Alias", AD is back. Fifteen episodes air tomorrow on Netflix.
Personally, I'm not on the AD bandwagon. I saw a couple of bits back in the day, and I thought it was beyond stupid, and not worthy of my time. But, hey, if "The Big Bang Theory" can make a go of it, why wouldn't AD?
Still, I have to tip my hat to the diehards who never gave up on bringing this thing back to life. I wish there was a similar commitment to fan those smoldering "Alias" embers (that is, if "Alias" even has smoldering embers, and there's not much evidence it does, when you can see Bad Robot fan tributes that only begin with "Lost").
Apparently, Tom Cruise joins the growing list of people who won't be in the U.N.C.L.E. movie.
Page,
I saw that about TC the other day. That just gives them a little more time to consider using my replica U.N.C.L.E. guns in the movie:)Plus a lot of original fans did not like TC in the starring role.
Uncle, if this keeps up, they'll be able to use YOU in the movie, not just your replicas.
Page,
That was genuinely witty. I laughed out loud.
But, you know....:)
Yet another remake, although this ain't yo Daddy's "Ironside".
Frankly, this won't be on my watchlist, but it is interesting to see another oldie given a new lease on life. Our "Alias" remake day will come.
With each passing day, I become more convinced that those crazy "Alias" days are behind us, but also in front of us.
The latest reboot talk involves "Xena: Warrior Princess", which faded to black just 3 months before "Alias" debuted.
Finally some potential good news on the Man From U.N.C.L.E. movie. http://hmssweblog.wordpress.com/2013/05/28/henry-cavill-in-talks-to-star-in-u-n-c-l-e-variety-says/
Uncle, Cavill is an 'unknown' to me. Of course I've seen the gazillion "Man of Steel" trailers, but I've never watched anything that he has appeared in.
I can't argue with the decision to go with Daniel Craig as James Bond, but this would be a nice bit of payback for Cavill. Just doing the math, though, when Craig was chosen as Bond, Cavill would have been barely out of high school, so I'm not sure he was really ever a proper candidate for 007.
Well, first it was Amy and Rory and now Matt Smith is prepping to leave "Doctor Who".
According to The Beeb, only the 50th Anniversary eppie left in late November, and then poof, TD will regenerate in the Christmas Special (let me guess, right near the very end).
As much as I like MS as TD, I must say that the previous 2 seasons have failed to capture the magic of his first season with "the girl who waited all night in her garden".
I don't in any way pin that on Smith. I'm more inclined to blame Moffat for stripping Amy and Rory of some of their first season charm last year, and then going more standalone this year. And, I must say I'm not as partial to Clara as I was to early Amy, and, IMO, she also pales in comparison to Rose Tyler.
Still, The Doctor is always with us for a good time, not a long time, and who knows, maybe I'll like the next one even more.
Couldn't ditto you more if I tried Page, my feelings exactly regarding Matt Smith and the future of DW.
MS is the only Dr. I know. Don't know how I will take to a new one.
Uncle, the David Tennant years were approximately the same number of episodes as the Matt Smith years (+/- 50), while Christopher Eccleston only appeared in 13 during the 2005 season.
Plenty of great episodes in each of those pre-Smith seasons. I'm thinking "Father's Day", "Rise of the Cybermen" (which is guaranteed to give you "Fringe" deja-vu), and of course "Doomsday" which is an excellent season finale.
It certainly depends on who the next actor will be, but if Matt Smith was able to successfully take over from the legendary Tennant, there's hope. :)
SRM, I had the very same worries when Tennant departed (I'm sure all DW fans did). At that point, he was THEE Doctor as far as I was concerned, and yet it turned out very well. I'm sure the PTB will choose wisely (fingers crossed).
A couple of Bad Robotians making news today.
Evangeline "Freckles" Lilly is all decked out for her upcoming Hobbit experience.
And, JJ (when doesn't he make news?) is teaming up with Rod Serling for a possible mini-series. A mini-series would be something new for the Robot.
Agent Rachel's "Continuum" get a 3rd season commitment from Showcase.
"Alias" and "Covert Affairs" alum, Agnes Brucker gets a full time job on "Occult".
The End begins tomorrow for "Burn Notice", with Michael rocking the facial hair.
There's really only one way to get me to watch anything Shakespeare. That one way is to stuff the cast with Whedonites from BtVS, "Angel", "Firefly", "Dollhouse" and "The Avengers".
I still haven't seen "Much Ado About Nothing", but I will make time for it eventually.
Watching Amy Acker and Alexis Denisof onscreen together, it's impossible not to remember their tragic history on "Angel", especially in the series finale. Of course, they were both on board for "Dollhouse" as well.
Speaking of Whedonites, I couldn't help but notice "Kaylee" on the S3 premiere of "The Killing".
'Freckles' in action in new Hobbit trailer.
A newish trailer for JJ's upcoming "Believe" on NBC.
I am REALLY liking Continuum!
Definitely no sophomore jinx for "Continuum", Uncle. I wasn't sure if S2 was available to you yet. And they're making use of a lot of genre actors from SGU, BSG, "Caprica", etc... I like it when these shows (like W13) tap into a community of actors, cuz a lot of these people don't seem to get a lot of 'mainstream' work.
Good to finally see the start of some of the summer shows (BN, "Falling Skies", "The Killing"). I was getting bored with that awkward in-between period where the main shows are over and there isn't anything on to take their place. Unfortunately "Covert Affairs" is still a month away. I'm also going to check out Stephen King's "Under the Dome", which kicks off on June 24th. King's stuff can go either way and I don't recognize any of the cast, but it looks interesting.
I just finished watching Gillian Anderson's 5-part S1 of "The Fall" from BBC, about the hunt for a serial killer. Very good, but the case continues next year, which is a long time to wait.
Another glimpse of "Under the Dome". When I said I didn't recognize any of the cast, I was overlooking the dude from "Lost" (Frank Lapidus, aka Jeff Fahey)
"Chuck" obviously biding his time until something way cooler comes along.
Finally some news on Melissa George's "Hunted".
It's undergoing a few changes, including the title. The spinoff will be known as "Sam Hunter", and will run as a 4 hour miniseries instead of the 8 hour format last year.
As to when it will air. Who knows?
Thanks Page.
I didn't know Zero Hour was back, and with more episodes than they said!!
Uncle, "Zero Hour" will finish up with 13 eppies. I've been cheating, so I'm up to 11 so far. I don't know if there will be a wrap up similar to "Last Resort" or whether it will just end abruptly.
Roco posted a video of a very different looking Matt Smith thanking "Doctor Who" fans for their support during his tenure. In the video he's seen littering the streets of Detroit where he is filming "How to Catch a Monster" with the likes of Eva Mendes ("Ghost Rider") and Saoirse Ronan ("Hanna").
Don't know how I missed this, but here is a trailer for "The Saint" reboot.
As far as I know, no one has picked up the series so this may be all we see.
Wow, if you love great TV, this is a brutal time of year.
Where the heck is "Continuum" these days? With only 2 episodes remaining in S2, why is there a 3 week freaking break between episodes?
With the lack of new programming, I chose this weekend to re-watch the final 2 installments of "Fringe". I haven't seen them since they originally aired in January. For a show that I was very cool on in the beginning, this re-watch has reminded me how much I'll miss the great storytelling of the final few seasons. Not to mention the characters and the actors that portrayed them. Spend 5 seasons with characters and it's like you know them better than you know your own relatives.
And, watching these closing episodes again, I was also reminded of how much more satisfying the finale was for "Fringe" than for "Alias".
While much of the behind-the-scenes crew of "Fringe" will be active this fall with "Almost Human" (and Wyman has even stated recently that "Fringe" actors will appear in the new show), I am queasy about the prospects of a cop show (even a futuristic one).
Wyman assures us that there is a great mythology to this show that will be revealed in the fullness of time, but I live in mortal fear of the murder-of-the-week format that plagues the standard cop shows.
On the other hand, isn't that how "Fringe" started out and, despite dismal ratings, look how strong it finished. It will be interesting to see where "Almost Human" ranks in the all-time Bad Robot standings.
For all the abuse that FOX takes over the early demise of shows like "Firefly" and "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" (and most deservedly so), I have to give them credit for the patience shown to "Fringe" and for the continued faith shown in Bad Robot by bringing "Almost Human" on board immediately thereafter. Now, let's just hope it doesn't suck.
While Jen focuses on movies that nobody watches, her fellow "Alias" chicks try to stay busy.
Melissa George finds work on "The Good Wife" next season, while more details of "Sam Hunter" trickle out (most notably, that it won't air until 2014).
Page,
I'll try out some of the new shows you mention. I really liked Zero Hour. Finished episode 13 last week.
Remember this outfit from Alias?
Uncle, who could forget that outfit?
And, speaking of S5 of "Alias", didn't last night's "Warehouse 13" up and borrow the episode title "All The Time In The World"???
I was glad that "Zero Hour" actually had a conclusion. You never know when these things get cancelled.
Page,
I thought the Zero Hour ending was completely satisfying.
I'm not caught up on W13. Hope to be soon. But it seems someone else used "all the time in the world" recently. Can't remember who, though.
Summer alien-invasion staple "Falling Skies", currently halfway thru S3, gets the official nod from TNT for a fourth 10-eppie season next summer.
It's hard to imagine how "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." could fail to be next season's best new offering.
I notice that they have managed to pull together writers from some of TV's best ever series ("Alias", "Lost", "Fringe", BtVS, "Angel", "The X-Files", "Chuck"), MAOS seems poised to make some noise of its own and I would expect it to enjoy a much longer run than the last Whedon show, "Dollhouse", which was just way too slow out of the gate.
And I love the Tuesday night slot, because Tuesdays have been such a TV dead zone for ages.
Grunberg gets himself a comedy on USA.
Sorry, Greg, I won't be watching. Come back when you've got something interesting. No hard feelings, though, right?
So, let's see. S4 of "Covert Affair" (which started tonight, but won't be seen by me until Thursday) will probably be about 16 episodes long.
During the season, location shooting will include stops in Toronto (home base), MedellÃn, Rome, Vienna, Frankfurt, Copenhagen, the Bahamas and Hong Kong. If memory serves, "Alias" made it off the ABC lot once in 105 episodes? And wasn't that just a quick trip to Vegas?
If I'm "Alias", I'm a little envious. Retroactively, of course.
BTW (and just for the record), I'm completely Trayvonned out. As a fully paid-up, card carrying creepy ass cracka, all I axe is can the networks and the cable guys and the pandering Hollywood cry-babies please move on so that I can safely turn on my TV again? I'm just sayin'.
Page,
I knew you'd post after CA. I'll catch it Wednesday.
I'm witchu' on TM, brothu':)104 eDoNews
Well, I thought S3 of "Covert Affairs" really stood out in comparison to the earlier seasons. Ditching Annie's sister and all that went into that situation (think Sydney trying to maintain the lie about working at a bank) was a leap in the right direction.
The first 3 paragraphs of this recap of 4.01 give me great hope that S4 will at least maintain that quality, and at best ramp it up a few notches. Reading beyond paragraph 4 gets us into spoiler territory, so I'll read the rest tomorrow night.
When CA first debuted, they tossed the Bourne comparisons around, but it was clear from the start that even calling it Bourne-lite was a stretch. Now, this article breaks out the Bourne comparison again. While I would love that to be the case, I'll settle for a CA that just keeps getting better with age.
Now, if they could just find a way to squeeze in that catchy Bourne theme song.
I caught up with 4.01 of "Covert Affairs" tonight. Nice to see them pushing the "trust no-one" theme throughout the opener.
And, 6 years later, the Bionic One returns to US television, this time on a show with actual writers.
Pity the poor people who have to wander around San Diego Comic-Con and watch new show pilots and trailers and rub shoulders with the stars, and then report back to us nine-to-fivers who never get to do anything cool.
Well, the reporting is hot and heavy right now. We have spoiler-lite first impressions of the "Almost Human" pilot.
Also on tap is a similarly spoiler-lite take on MAOS.
And, we have the first trailer for S4 of "Haven", a SYFY show that I binged on over the Christmas holidays, and found to be surprisingly engaging.
Whoops! I jumped the gun and published instead of previewing my links. I hate it when that happens.
"Haven" S4 trailer is here.
Have to say I fully approve of Michael Westen's new Russian spybuddy. I'm definitely in the wrong line of work.
Finally, a major new role for Jen.
Yes, of course I'm kidding. She's just flogging more useless crap. Won't be long until she's doing the 'where are they now?' circuit with Radar O'Reilly or starring in a remake of "Hollywood Squares".
I'll take Jennifer Garner to block.
Good news for former "Alias" chicks Sarah Shahi and Amy Acker, as both have now been promoted to series regulars on POI.
Now, it's time to find a place on the show for Michael Vartan, who seems (according to IMDB) to be doing jack these days.
Plenty of POI stuff from SDCC.
1) Videos from the panel
2) Commentary from the "Alias" chicks
Of note, Sarah Shahi is signed to a 4 year contract. Cool.
Who wants more "Chuck"?
Here, Zachary Levi, talks about a bunch of things, but skip to 5:27 if you want to hear his plans for a "Chuck" movie. Dude sounds determined.
Trailer for "Catching Fire", the 2nd in the "Hunger Games" trilogy.
Within hours of me accusing Michael Vartan of early retirement, I see that he has been tagged for a recurring role on "Bates Motel" (a show with certain "Lost" connections).
Frankly, I don't know why we need a show about the family Bates, so I won't be following MV's progress. I'll be filing MV's career with Grunberg's until one of them breaks out of their slump.
Televisonary's Jace weighs in on JJ's two new upcoming shows (among many others).
Highlights:
"Believe": (Midseason; Sunday at 9 p.m.)
Log line: A wrongfully imprisoned death-row inmate is assigned to protect a mysterious 10-year-old girl with psychic abilities from those who would do her harm.
Cast: Jake McLaughlin, Delroy Lindo, Kyle MacLachlan, Johnny Sequoyah, Arian Moayed, Jamie Chung.
Lacob: Yes, we’ve seen many mythology-heavy shows come and go in recent years as every network has attempted to recapture the lightning-in-a-bottle effect of Lost, but I thought this was a gorgeous and evocative pilot about the eternal battle between good and evil, and the gifted little girl trapped in the middle of this never-ending tug of war. I won’t spoil the “twist” at the end (which I saw from a mile away), but I believe (heh, see what I did there?) that Alfonso Cuarón and J.J. Abrams have something with this eerie and intriguing new drama. Plus, Kyle MacLachlan as a private-jet-owning villain? Sign me up.
"Almost Human" (Late Fall; Monday at 8 p.m.)
Log line: Thirty-five years in the future, cops are paired with humanlike androids to fight crime. An unlikely partnership between a grizzled detective and a highly evolved android proves particularly fruitful.
Cast: Karl Urban, Michael Ealy, Lili Taylor, Leanne Adachi, Minka Kelly, Mackenzie Crook.
Lacob: Another fall pilot that I had really high hopes for but which ultimately failed to capitalize on its central conceit. I think Michael Ealy is absolutely fantastic here, playing an android capable of human emotions, but Urban, oddly, seems more robotic than his, er, machine-man partner here. There’s some use of mythology to draw in the viewer, but it feels slightly too lightweight in its current incarnation to draw me in fully.
Page,
I just watched the Chuck post. Interesting person for an actor :) Also, I didn't know he did the new Thor movie.
I'm watching the Comic-Con panel videos. Thanks for the link. I love that Sarah Shahi will be a regular.
Uncle, I had to Google Zak Levi's character (Fandral) in the new Thor movie, cuz I'm not that up on the whole Marvel universe.
Wikipedia lays it out here. Essentially, Fandral sounds like comic relief, not unlike "Chuck" himself. I'm looking forward to the movie.
Also from the Marvel universe is a new featurette introducing Melinda May, played by Ming-Na of "Stargate: Universe" fame.
In her first post-"Fringe" role, Anna Torv disappoints big time.
Apparently the new Doctor has been chosen and will be unveiled on Sunday afternoon. Odds makers favour this guy?, who was part of the awesome "Torchwood: Children of Earth".
Great news for "Continuum" fans (aside from the fact that the season finale look like it's gonna rock). Season 3 has now been confirmed for next year. Could Agent Rachel make it to 'five incredible years'?
Also, great news for "24: Live Another Day". Chloe is officially back for the return of Jack Bauer. "24" would not be the same without Chloe so it was a no-brainer to get her signed up.
Realllly brief movie review for "G.I. Joe: Retaliation":
Stuff blows up. That's about it. Not Hollywood's finest, but stuff does blow up. Right up there with "The Expendables", where stuff also blows up.
Ha! Funny review, I'll make sure to avoid it. ;-)
Just started watching Continuum on Netflix and am quite impressed. I also got to see an episode of Melissa George's "Hunted" on a plane a few weeks ago, which was quite good, but quite heavy.
Here's a treat, Sherlock Season 3 Teaser Trailer. If you haven't gotten into Sherlock, I HIGHLY recommend it! Interested to hear the big reveal for Doctor Who tomorrow...
SRM, you must continue (see what I did there?) watching "Continuum". S2 has been very good and the finale rolls out tomorrow night here in the Great White North. The hard part with these 14 +/- episode seasons is waiting 9 months for the story to pick up again.
Yup, I never miss "Sherlock" and am quite anxious to see how S2's cliffhanger is explained. Again, too bad it's such a short season, (if we're now calling 3 episodes a season).
Benedict Cumberbatch certainly has the wind at his back these days. I've often recommended his 2008 miniseries, "The Last Enemy", on LTA, but PBS, which as recently as last fall, offered all episodes on their Youtube channel, has recently had a change of heart. Booooo to them.
I think you should also stick with "Hunted", since it's only 8 episodes, although if you only watch on a plane it could get expensive. Ha!
And, as I mentioned awhile back, "Hunted" will return as "Sam Hunter" sometime next year as a 4 hour miniseries, and without the BBC's involvement. Booo to them.
Fingers crossed that they have chosen the new Doctor wisely. It's a great show, but the regeneration every few seasons, while spectacular, is nerve-wracking.
And the new Doctor is........Peter Capaldi. Guess the oddsmakers had it all worked out.
The only thing I've seen him in is "Torchwood: Children of Earth".
That's kind of interesting, since Torchwood exists in the DW universe.
Trailer for "Thor: The Dark World".
I tried to spot Chuck but no luck.
The annual pre-season trailer for S3 of "Homeland" is out and about.
As the article says, S2 was not as good as S1, but after the game-changing events of S2's finale, I'm anxious to get going.
Cinemax's highly entertaining adrenaline rush, "Strike Back" returned last night for a new season.
This show uses the old "Batman" format in that Ep. 1 ends with a cliffhanger, and Ep. 2 wraps it up. Lather, rinse, and repeat until the 10 episode season is over.
Jace Lacob's take on the pilot for "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." is very encouraging.
He used to write great reviews of "Chuck" episodes back in the day (I wish he hadn't quit prior to the finale) so this type of show obviously appeals to him.
I think SHIELD is the pick-to-click for the upcoming season, so I'm glad to see that JL is excited about it. I think this will be Whedon's comeback show after a disappointing "Dollhouse".
While the pilot obviously stars "Angel" alum J. August Richards, I hope that many others from the Whedon stable of actors will find their way onto this show the way they did for DH and, more recently, "Much Ado About Nothing".
Now, here's something I would have loved to see...Bill Nighy as The Doctor.
So, while "Alias" nears its first decade of eternal rest, "24" is busy creating new buzz amid anticipation that it will be filmed mostly overseas in European locations.
"Alias": five incredible seasons
"24": gearing up for season 9
I was just thinking about the good old days when I was only responsible for 81% of the content of LTA. That was so 2012.
Well, no point living in the past. Even though the captchas have gotten harder again, I think it's time for some gratuitous Pink (and Sarah McLachlan) singing an old time "Alias" tune.
And, while we're at it, how about "The Truth About Love" with it's nod to "Twist and Shout".
I could use Pink's personal trainer but I can live without her hairdresser.
Page,
I get your posts, but It's just been weird here lately and I haven't had much to say. I post things about the Man From UNCLE movie when I have them https://www.facebook.com/pages/Man-From-Uncle-Gun/186395181410983 but I mainly get lost in developing products in search of new income.
Keep the ship afloat!
Ha, Uncle! New income. We could all use some of that these days.
I'm not on Facebook (I've only been mulling it over for 5 years or so), but I see a familiar "Alias" image on your FB page tonight. Now, that's what I'm talkin' about!
Big news for Bad Robot this week. BR is heading to HBO with a series from Jonathan Nolan, the brains behind "Person of Interest".
"Westworld" is apparently based on an old sci-fi movie that I've never seen.
Frankly, I have mixed feelings about BR going to HBO. It reminds me of the old Don Henly song, "The End of the Innocence". It's hard for me to fathom our familiar Bad Robot delving into HBO's trademark T&A.
On a similar note, I've been duking it out (in what is clearly a losing battle on my part) with the anything goes crowd at Fringebloggers, who can't wait for Anna Torv to get naked on HBO next season as a "lesbian yoga instructor". I had the audacity to suggest that it sounded like a role for a no-name, entry level actress and was certainly a step in the wrong direction for Agent Dunham, while most at Fringebloggers think it has Emmy written all over it.
A new look at 2 of this season's most promising hopefuls.
1) "Almost Human"
2) "Marvel's Agents of Shield"
Would that Mrs. Affleck should become embroiled in such a controversy over being cast in an iconic role.
Psssst: not gonna happen. You heard it here first.
Ditto Uncle, I also read all the comments, but haven't had much to post. It's also been a bit hectic on my end now that my husband and I have a little girl on the way (due Jan). :)
I'm curious to see how the Batman ordeal goes. I, for one, quite liked Daredevil and thought Ben pulled off the superhero role well. Then again I *may* have been biased due to his lovely costar. :)
SRM,
Congratulations!!!!! Baby- that's cool!
I too thought Ben did a great job as the Daredevil superhero. I have not seen that many of his movies, but I have liked him in the ones I have seen. I think he'll do a good job with Batman.
I just noticed that the number part of my code to prove I'm not a robot is the the number part of my store's address.
I've been posting some breaking news on the Man From UNCLE movie that Guy Ritchie is directing. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Man-From-Uncle-Gun/186395181410983
Here's the rest of the news I was waiting for - http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20130903006306/en/Production-%E2%80%9CThe-Man-U.N.C.L.E.%E2%80%9D-Warner-Bros.-Pictures
Oh, I just freaking love it when Blogger makes me retype an entire post.
SRM, good work on the baby front. As The Doctor might say, "babies are cool".
Uncle, it's okay to be a robot as long as you're a Bad Robot.
Ben as Batman? I don't see the problem. Ben gets a bad rap for getting involved in a lot of crap, but with decent material ("Paycheck", "State of Play", "Argo", "Daredevil") he gets the job done.
Thanks for the congrats y'all! And yay, I thought I was alone in liking Daredevil, now I feel better. :)
io9.com spits out an "Almost Human" interview with its 2 main players. They even remember to mention "Alias".
ABC aired their Fall Preview the other day. I caught their feature on MAOS.
The way I see this shaping up is that AH is the new "Fringe" and MAOS will be a cross between the new W13 and the new "Chuck".
The landscape is changing this year with the end of W13, "Fringe", "Nikita", and "Burn Notice". Awesome new shows, please apply here.
I used to pick on "Covert Affairs", often referring to it as "Bland Affairs", but last season and this are rewriting CA history as it turns into a real spy show.
Unlike that other soon-to-be-former USA Network spy show, "Burn Notice", (and for that matter, unlike "Alias) the really big picture is unclear at this point. While the whole premise of BN has been Michael's quest to deal with the people who burned him, and "Alias" was ultimately about taking down Arvin Sloane, we really have no idea where CA is headed in seasons to come or how it might possibly end.
All we know for sure is that, like BN, the final season is unlikely to bear a strong resemblance to the case-of-the-week assignments of the early seasons.
Page,
CA has really improved. I'm glad. BN is not quite the same since he is now working for CIA again. I hope he goes out sticking it to the people in CIA who keep blackmailing him.
The Man From UNCLE movie seems to be headed in a good direction. It will be a prequel to the old TV series, which means they plan to do more if this is successful. I just hope they end up using the same guns they used in the series. That would give that part of my business a good boost!
Uncle, if UNCLE is to be a period piece (and I gather that that has been confirmed), then I suspect they would try to keep the flavour of the original in terms of weaponry, etc...I'm sure the audience that they are catering to would expect as much. That said, I have seen the word "re-imagining" tossed around so it may be too early to make that call.
I notice the recent UNCLE casting of "Fringe" bad boy Jared Harris.
With the BN series finale next Thursday, the powers that be are promising a "big death". No kidding! Every series finale comes with a "big death". It's an unwritten rule. I'm guessing Michael's Mom.
I hope CA eventually comes to Netflix, from what you guys have said it sounds like I might enjoy it much more than I did season 1.
SRM, you can't help but like CA more now than S1. I don't know why so many of these shows take so long to get around to fulfilling their mandate. The first season had all the "From the Producers of The Bourne Trilogy" hype and the glossy trailers, but failed to live up to that by a wide margin.
"Alias" kicked ass from day one but got sidetracked much later on, sort of the opposite of shows like CA, "Person of Interest", "Fringe" etc...which rewarded patient viewers, but lost a lot of eyeballs in the early going.
If you've only seen S1 of CA, then you're still stuck in the days of Annie living in a granny suite at her sister's house and not packing a gun at all times. Without spoiling too much, those days came to an end and round about that time, the show started to get deeper and murkier and just generally began to find its legs as a 'trust no one' and a 'who's working for who?' kind of spy show, which is what we all tuned in for in the first place.
CA is still not on the scale of "Alias", but definitely turned the corner by the beginning of S3.
I've watched the first few episodes of AMC's "Low Winter Sun" (Lennie James's new show). The cast is great, but MAN IS IT BLEAK! There doesn't appear to be anybody to cheer for. The cops are all bent, with the apparent exception of one female officer. It's like a show without hope. I don't know if I want to commit to a show with no hope.
And, speaking of shows about anti-heroes, does anyone here watch AMC'S "Breaking Bad"? I've only ever seen one episode, but people everywhere absolutely rave about it. It rates a 9.4 on IMDB, but again, is it a show where no one has the character to rise above the crime and corruption and, if not, do I want to get involved?
My hubby loves Breaking Bad. I've never seen a full episode, but it always looks so damn depressing when I see bits and pieces. I know I shouldn't judge it without actually WATCHING it, but I just don't have a desire to watch a show where you watch more and more shit happen to your favorite characters.
Page and SRM,
I'm with you 2 on depressing and hopeless shows and story lines. Why spend the time????????????????!!! What am I going to get out of it?
There's a lot of buzz right now about the new movie, "Gravity". James Cameron calls this "the best space film ever".
io9.com has a glowing non-spoilery review.
Aside from the apparent awesomeness of the film, maybe we at LTA should take heart that the writer and director of "Gravity", Alfonso Cuaron, just happens to be Bad Robot's newest partner, responsible for the upcoming NBC series, "Believe".
Page,
Gravity looks ultracool!
With only one more episode of "Burn Notice", creator Matt Nix is set to move on with "Complications" on USA.
Sadly, medical dramas just don't fly with me. Supernatural, sci-fi medical shows, maybe, but I'm not detecting that as a theme in this new show.
After an excellent S3, AMC cancels "The Killing". Mind you, AMC cancelled "The Killing" after S2 as well, soo......???
I'm still pissed about them trashing "Rubicon" after one season. Yes, AMC, I remember.
They make some excellent shows (although I don't watch "Mad Men" or "Breaking Bad") but then drop them like hot potatoes when ratings aren't through the roof.
Soon, they'll be down to one powerhouse show, "The Walking Dead", and a slew of newbie hopefuls, 2 of which are period pieces. Of those, one is a spy show, but (and here's where I lose interest) it's set in 1778. Hang on a sec. You cancelled the very good spy show, "Rubicon" only to make way for a spy show set 250 years in the past????? Monkeys running the zoo, I say.
Page,
Rubicon's cancellation still sticks in my craw.
Another day, another milestone.
Of course, I'm referring to tonight's series finale of "Burn Notice". Like it was yesterday, I remember SRM bringing this gem to our attention back in June of 2007. And now, 111 episodes later, here we are. Even with shorter seasons, BN had a slightly longer run than "Alias".
I won't be watching live, however. I'm saving the final 2 episodes for this weekend, so that I can have a 2-hour finale (the way finales should be).
Good eye, SRM. Now go get us another winner.
Continuing its winning streak this week was none other than "Covert Affairs", with a stellar episode, IMO.
Next week is the 'mid-season' finale (everybody has one nowadays) which should be a doozy. BUT the good news is that CA is back only a month later, on October 17, to begin finishing out the season.
Note that Oct. 17 is a Thursday, which will be the new home of CA (at least for the remainder of S4).
Tell me you're not excited about this.
"Closed Circuit" looks like a movie I'll have to check out. Stars several actors with spy cred from movies like "Hanna", Bourne, "Munich" to name a few.
And, let's not forget the gorgeous Rebecca Hall, who I just watched last night in "Iron Man 3", a much-maligned movie that I didn't think was all that bad.
Because I can't watch the BN finale until Saturday, I've been straddling a fine line tonight between scanning the internet for reaction while trying to avoid spoilers at the same time. So, glasses off, eyes squinty, I've been following Twitter buzz and it sounds like they did BN proud.
The end of these shows is always like losing friends, but it would never surprise me to see future projects featuring BN characters, similar to the Sam Axe movie a year or 2 back. Still, I don't know where I'll get my spy tips once Michael goes silent.
With BN down, next up on the chopping block is "Nikita". We're soon gonna need some shows to fill the void left behind by the end of these 2. Thank goodness "Homeland" is back soon.
Page,
"The end of these shows is always like losing friends." Yes it is. The emotions involved are just as real, too. I just watched the final BN. Good ending.
Nikita hasn't been as good since the downing of Division, so I don't know how I'll feel about it's end.
I think that mainly, I had just endings.
Good article on MAOS, courtesy of the L.A. Times, who also have a nice article marking the end of "Burn Notice".
Uncle, re: "Nikita", I think the shows with real longevity tend to bring a new Big Bad on board for a season-long arc.
"Nikita" suffered from only having Percy and Amanda as their Big Bads, and with Percy's early demise, Amanda's storyline was destined to run out of steam. And then what? They could only have Nikki let Amanda off the hook so many times before it looked desperate.
At times, "Alias" had a similar issue with Sydney and Sloane, but I thought that the writers were able to finesse their situation by keeping Sloane important and seemingly salvageable in a way that just hasn't worked for Amanda.
While Sloane was always the ultimate Big Bad, there were others along the way, which allowed him to switch allegiances from time to time, thus giving the show more 'legs', although not the kind of legs we were hoping for.
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