A sneak peek at one of the extras you’ll find on the 25th Anniversary Blu-ray release.

A UK committee last night launched a bid to hold the 72nd World Science Fiction Convention (aka, Worldcon) in London in August 2014. The bid was launched with a party at the 2010 UK National Science Fiction Convention, Odyssey 2010, where the choice of London as the host city for the bid was announced by British science fiction author Christopher Priest (who was a Guest Of Honour at Interaction, the previous UK Worldcon in Glasgow in 2005).

The Worldcon is the premier international science fiction event, and awards the prestigious Hugo Awards for achievement in the field of science fiction. 2014 will be the 75th anniversary of the first Worldcon, in New York in 1939, since when the event has been held every year apart from a break during the Second World War.

More often than not the Worldcon is held in North America, but it has visited the UK on six previous occasions, and there have also been Worldcons in Germany, Australia, the Netherlands and Japan. It was last hosted by London in 1965, nearly 50 years ago.

The site for each Worldcon is selected by vote of the members of the event held two years previously, so the 2014 site will be selected by the members of the 2012 Worldcon, which is likely to be held in Chicago. Between now and 2012, the bid committee will be publicising and promoting the bid to science fiction fans all around the world.

Read the entire article at SFX

SYFY CELEBRATES SUMMER 2010 WITH FIRST EVER THURSDAY NIGHT REALITY BLOC FEATURING MARY KNOWS BEST AND PARANORMAL INVESTIGATORS

IN JULY, NEW SCRIPTED SERIES HAVEN JOINS RETURNING POWERHOUSES WAREHOUSE 13 AND EUREKA

CABLE’S MOST POPULAR PARANORMAL FRANCHISE RETURNS WITH NEW EPISODES OF GHOST HUNTERS ACADEMY AND GHOST HUNTERS INTERNATIONAL

SATURDAY ORIGINAL MOVIES INCLUDE LAKE PLACID 3 AND STONEHENGE APOCALYPSE

New York, New York—March 31, 2010—Syfy celebrates Summer 2010 with its first ever Thursday night reality bloc (Mary Knows Best and Paranormal Investigators); new scripted series (Haven) based on a Stephen King novella; popular returning series (Warehouse 13, Eureka, Ghost Hunters Academy and Ghost Hunters International), and fan favorite Saturday Original Movies including Lake Placid 3 and Stonehenge Apocalypse.

Following are highlights of the Syfy 2010 Summer Programming Schedule (June-August):

Memorial Day Weekend Marathon

The traditional holiday movie marathon runs from Friday, May 28, through Monday, May 31, including “cold as ice” films (Yeti), horror flicks (premiere of Wrong Turn on Saturday, May 29 at 9PM), “creatures in the water” films (Lake Placid 2) and a festival of Stephen King adaptations (The Stand) on Memorial Day, May 31.

New Thursday Night Reality Bloc

Mary Knows Best (working title)—Premieres Thursday, July 15, at 9PM (ET/PT)—Mary Knows Best is a docu-soap reality series following Mary Occhino, a successful radio host, psychic intuitive and mother of three, who gives a whole new meaning to the term “mother is always right”. Her children, Jackie, Chris and Carl are a mismatched group of siblings consisting of a skeptic, a paranormal investigator and a reluctant psychic. In each episode viewers will meet a humorous and unforgettable cast of family characters including Mary’s outspoken older brother Charles and two adorable grandchildren. The series is produced by Atlas Media Corp.

Paranormal Investigators (working title)—Premieres Thursday, July 15, at 10PM (ET/PT)—Debunks fact from fiction by uncovering the truth behind supernatural and unexplained occurrences which have been caught on tape. In each episode, the six-person team, led by former FBI special agent Ben Hansen, searches for the most intriguing and unusual images, videos and unnatural phenomenon found online and around the world. Selecting the most intriguing images, the team heads into the field attempting to recreate the video, carrying out key experiments and searching for clues and evidence. The team uses all the latest tools, CGI and investigative techniques at its disposal to try and answer the question, “Is it real?” Produced by Base Productions.

New Scripted Series

Haven—Premieres Friday, July 9, at 10PM (ET/PT)—New drama series Haven, based on the novella The Colorado Kid from renowned author Stephen King, follows FBI agent Audrey Parker (Emily Rose), who arrives in the small town of Haven, Maine to solve the murder of a local ex-con. Before long, her natural curiosity lands her in the epicenter of activity in this curious enclave, which turns out to be a longtime refuge for people with a remarkable range of supernatural abilities. Among the townspeople are local cop Nathan Wuornos (Lucas Bryant), who eventually becomes Audrey’s partner, and the mysterious and charming Duke Crocker (Eric Balfour).

The impressive creative team behind Haven includes showrunner Scott Shepherd (Tru Calling, The Dead Zone) who is joined by his partners, Executive Producers Lloyd Segan and Shawn Piller (The Dead Zone, Wildfire, Greek), and E1 Entertainment’s John Morayniss (Hung, Copper) Noreen Halpern (Hung, Copper), Laszlo Barna (The Bridge) and Michael Rosenberg (Hung, The Riches). The pilot is written by Sam Ernst (Shrek the Third, The Dead Zone) and Jim Dunn (Shrek the Third, The Dead Zone) who will also serve as executive producers on the series. Haven, from E1 Entertainment in association with Pillar, Segan and Shepherd, will be the first property to be produced for Syfy in the US and NBCU Pay channels around the globe (excluding Canada and Scandinavia). The series has been co-commissioned by Syfy with Canwest Broadcasting (Canada). International distribution is handled by E1.

Returning Series

Ghost Hunters Academy—New episodes premiere Wednesday, June 2, at 9PM (ET/PT)—Cable’s top paranormal franchise returns with the definitive search for the next great ghost hunter! On all-new episodes of Ghost Hunters Academy, expert instructors Steve Gonsalves and Dave Tango will once again train a group of recruits to become the newest team member, but this time, one hopeful will be voted off each week by one of the ultimate judges of paranormal investigating: Ghost Hunters‘ Jason Hawes!

Jason, Steve and Tango will put the new recruits through the paces with challenging investigations at six of the most daunting and memorable past Ghost Hunters locations: Waverly Hills Sanatorium (Waverly Hills, KY), Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum (Weston, WV), Mark Twain House (Hartford, CT), Fort Delaware (Delaware City, DE), Mansfield Reformatory —aka the “Shawshank Prison” (Mansfield, OH) and the infamous Stanley Hotel (Estes Park, CO). Ghost Hunters Academy is produced in association with Craig Piligian’s Pilgrim Films and Television (Dirty Jobs, The Ultimate Fighter, My Fair Wedding). Piligian and Thomas Thayer, along with Rob Katz and Alan David, serve as executive producers.

Warehouse 13—Second season debuts Tuesday, July 6, at 9PM (ET/PT)—Warehouse 13 follows two Secret Service agents who find themselves abruptly transferred to a massive, top-secret storage facility in windswept South Dakota which houses every strange artifact, mysterious relic, fantastical object and supernatural souvenir ever collected by the U.S. government. The Warehouse’s caretaker Artie (Saul Rubinek) charges Pete (Eddie McClintock) and Myka (Joanne Kelly) with chasing down reports of supernatural and paranormal activity in search of new objects to cache at the Warehouse, as well as helping him to control the Warehouse itself. Warehouse 13 also features Allison Scagliotti, along with series guest star, CCH Pounder.

During its freshman season, Warehouse 13 became the all-time Syfy leader in total viewers (4.1 million), Adults 25-54 (2.1 million) and Household ratings (2.9), as measured by 7-Day DVR data, making it the most successful series in Syfy’s 17-year history. The series is produced for Syfy by Universal Cable Productions. It is executive produced by Jack Kenny (The Book of Daniel), who also serves as showrunner.

Eureka—Fourth season debuts Friday, July 9, at 9PM (ET/PT)—Eureka kicks off its 4th season with the introduction of new series regular James Callis (Battlestar Galactica) as “Dr. Grant,” a former resident of the town whose unexpected return is cause for serious alarm and, considering his romantic interest in Allison Blake (Salli Richardson-Whitfield), significant friction with Sherrif Jack Carter (Colin Ferguson). New and returning fans won’t want to miss the big changes in store for everyone in the small town of Eureka after a cataclysmic shift turns their lives upside down. Eureka also stars Joe Morton (“Henry Deacon”), Erica Cerra (“Jo Lupo”), Neil Grayston (“Douglas Fargo”), and Niall Matter (“Zane Donovan”). Co-creator Jaime Paglia and Bruce Miller are Executive Producers. The series is produced and distributed by Universal Cable Productions.

Ghost Hunters International—New episodes premiere Wednesday, July 14, at 9PM (ET/PT) —Like their U.S. counterpart, TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society), GHI is a squad made up of everyday ordinary citizens who investigate and attempt to debunk claims of other worldly activity. In the premiere episode, the team travel to the famous town of Nottingham, England and search for the Sherrif of Nottingham’s Ghost at the Galleries of Justice. Other countries on their global adventures will include, Wales, Norway, Poland, Ukraine, Estonia and many more.

The team includes, Robb Demarest, Barry FitzGerald, Brandy Green, Ashley Godwin, Paul Bradford, new cast member Scott Tepperman as well as GHA winners, Susan Slaughter and Karl Pfeiffer. Ghost Hunters International is produced in association with Craig Piligian’s Pilgrim Films and Television (Dirty Jobs, The Ultimate Fighter, My Fair Wedding). Piligian and Thomas Thayer, along with Rob Katz and Alan David, serve as executive producers.

Saturday Original Movies

Lake Placid 3—Premieres in June—In this sequel to Lake Placid 2 (most watched Syfy Saturday Original Movie ever), a game warden, his wife and their young son move into their aunt’s cabin on Lake Placid, where the lonely boy starts feeding baby crocodiles he views as pets. Three years later, the crocs start looking at him and his family as their food. Stars Colin Ferguson (Eureka).

?Stonehenge Apocalypse—Premieres in June—When the giant stones of Stonehenge begin to move and cataclysms occur all over the earth, only a fringe radio talk show host who’s an expert in UFOlogy figures out that the ancient monument is really alien technology. Stars Hill Harper (CSI NY).

Jack Hunter and the Lost Treasure of Ugarit—Premieres in July—Jack Hunter, an adventurous fortune hunter, goes to Syria to find an ancient treasure buried thousands of years ago – which might be cursed. Stars Joanne Kelly (Warehouse 13).

Goblin—Premieres in July—A family vacations in mountain town haunted by a goblin that steals babies. When their newborn disappears, it’s up to his older half-sister to rescue him.

Mandrake—Premieres in August—A group of adventurers searching for a Spanish conquistador artifact find that the jungle around them is a single living being – and it’s not happy they’re there.

Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in more than 96 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBC Universal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies. (Syfy. Imagine greater.)

Source: Multipleverses

Leonard Nimoy, best-known to Star Trek fans as the original Spock, will attend ten different conventions this year, but then will retire from the convention circuit.

“I think this is the last year I will do this,” he said. “It’s exciting, but I think I’ve done enough of it. I’m looking forward to concentrating on my personal life.”

Originally, it was believed that the character of Spock would not amount to much. There were also worries about reaction from a certain segment of the population. “There was a concern that the Bible Belt country would reject the character,” said Nimoy. “To come this distance and be talking about it is overwhelming.

“It’s extraordinary. I consider myself an extremely lucky person. The character has been welcomed by so many people. I’m pretty touched by that and pretty humbled by that.”

Nimoy told a story about something that happens often to him, being recognized by fans. Recently, he was having lunch with his wife in a restaurant in New York, and their waiter, an immigrant from Bangladesh, told Nimoy that he had grown up watching Star Trek. The show had affected him, explained the waiter, who began to cry.

When Nimoy went to pay the bill for the lunch, the waiter told him that another patron had also recognized Nimoy and had paid the bill for him. And after leaving the restaurant and getting into a cab, Nimoy realized that on the dashboard of that cab was–a cardboard cutout of Spock!

Nimoy has plenty to do in his life nowadays with TV work and his photography. His latest photography project, Secret Selves, opens July 31 at MASS MoCA in Massachusetts. For Secret Selves, Nimoy photographed almost a hundred people in the studio who were illustrating their hidden or secret selves by courtesy of props and/or costumes.

And what of the future? Nimoy is hoping to find “undiscovered territory” “There will be ideas that pop up that will be irresistible,” he said.

Source: The News Tribune

Syfy has greenlighted a pilot that puts a spin on the traditional superhero genre, and also seeks to continue growing its “Battlestar Galactica” empire.

The network has ordered a 90-minute pilot, “Three Inches,” from Fox Television Studios, writer Harley Peyton (“Twin Peaks”) and executive producer Bob Cooper. It centers on an underachiever who gains the power to move any object using his mind, but only for a distance of three inches. He recruits a team of fellow heroes, each with their own less-than-spectacular abilities.

“‘Three Inches’ is a fun, smart, offbeat spin on the superhero genre,” Syfy executive vp development Mark Stern said. “It’s a very postmodern approach, with a really wonderful, tongue-in-cheek script.”

Added David Madden, executive vp at Fox TV Studios, “We felt there was something special and particularly twisted about this script, both in tone and in its sense of imagination.”

The network hopes to at least pick up one of its two pilots. The other, “Alphas,” also is about a team with superpowers.

Syfy also is looking to continue its popular “Battlestar” franchise.

When asked about the chances of its modestly performing spinoff “Caprica” getting a renewal, Stern was bullish. He pointed to the show recently hitting a series high in the adult demographic using Live+7 ratings, drawing 1.6 million viewers and 913,000 adults 18-49.

“We have a lot of hope for that show,” Stern said. “The (DVR data) has been very promising and growing week after week. The ratings don't reflect the potential audience."

The network also is looking to order another “Battlestar”-related project. Details were slim, but Stern said the title would mark a return to the franchise’s space-opera roots.

“We’re looking for other ways to spin off ‘Battlestar’ beyond ‘Caprica,’” he said. “That world is so rich. We’re sitting down with (executive producer) Ron Moore and his team. It would not necessarily be a traditional series.”

With Syfy’s upfront scheduled for Tuesday, media buyers likely will receive added clarity on some of the network’s plans.

Until then, there’s one project that Stern adamantly refused to discuss, a title so infamous, the Syfy executive would not divulge any hints about its content.

“I absolutely cannot talk about ‘Sharktopus,’” Stern said.

Source: TheHollywoodReporter

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Star Trek-related programming has been a part of Dragon*Con, the annual science fiction and popular arts convention held each Labor Day weekend in Atlanta, GA, since its early days. Nothing has prepared you for what we have in store for this year’s “Trek Track”.

Garrett Wang, best known for his role as Ensign Harry Kim in Star Trek: Voyager, has accepted the position of director of Trek Track. In his seven seasons on the popular series, Mr. Wang became a fan favorite as the clarinet-playing operations officer of the USS Voyager. A science fiction fan as well as a Star Trek insider, Mr. Wang will bring a fresh perspective to this year’s programming.

Andorians, and Borgs, and Cardassians, oh my! Beauties from all walks of the Federation territory and beyond will be competing for the title of Miss Star Trek Universe. When you are done admiring our beautiful contestants, join them and other Star Trek fans for a party of galactic proportions.

In addition, a number of well-known guests have been confirmed for Trek Track. From Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Avery Brooks (Captain Benjamin Sisko), Rene Auberjonois (Odo) and Armin Shimerman (Quark) will be in attendance. Jonathan Frakes (Commander Will Riker), Marina Sirtis (Deanna Troi), and John DeLancie (the enigmatic Q) will represent Star Trek: The Next Generation. More Star Trek guests will be announced on the Dragon*Con website as appearances are confirmed.

Trek Track will be based in the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel. Programming announcements for the Trek Track are available on the track website at http://trektrack.dragoncon.org. Ticketing and other convention information can be found at www.dragoncon.org.

Popular event may re-locate to Los Angeles, Anaheim or Las Vegas for 2013

If you've ever been to San Diego Comic-Con, then you know how hectic it can be. Well, that may change as the event prepares to move off to larger premises.

Apparently, Los Angeles, Anaheim and Las Vegas are all among suitors looking to attract the world-renowned event which draws over 100,000 attendees every year. The current deal in place with the San Diego Convention Center expires in 2012 and already the convention has arranged to host additional events in nearby hotels to try to deal with the ever-expanding crowd.

At the 2009 confab, attendees were diverted to strategically located panels in the Hilton San Diego Bayfront hotel, which sits next door to the San Diego Convention Center itself.

Read the entire article here

Personally I hated this show with a fiery passion! My ex made me watch it and I endured it as he like it.  But after a while it just became increasingly repetitive.  Ooooh look there's another dinosaur/sabre tooth/other prehistoric animal trying to eat us all.  I felt it didn't really have any substance and was mediocre at best.  So when it disappeared from UK screens I couldn't have been happier, but apparently not one but a few dillusional idiots have decided to save the show.  Here's what scifiwire.com had to say about it:

Despite being a three-season hit in the U.K., Primeval was actually canceled last June due to the massive budget needed to produce the ambitious CG dinos and futuristic creatures for the small screen. But the series was saved from extinction by a complicated funding partnership involving five production entities (including BBC World), which ensures it will be back for a fourth and fifth season featuring a cumulative 13 episodes in 2011.

"It's the show you can't kill," co-creator and writer Adrian Hodges said with a laugh in an exclusive phone interview on Wednesday.

Hodges revealed that he and his team are already deep into the development of season four. "We are actually just casting two or three new major roles right now. We'll have them cast in the next week or two. We also have scripts for the first six episodes and storylines and treatments for the remaining seven. We start shooting in the middle of March."

Source: scifiwire.com