NBC lays out SF heavy Schedule

Who’s encouraged by news that NBC our benefactor who is leading the SF/Fantasy/Horror charge with a grand many new offerings for this next viewing season?

Well to be honest, I’m not encouraged one bit. Why? Because aside from them canceling every show that has ever shown an inkling of true SF potential (need we mention Journeyman which was just getting its stride?) the execs over at NBC (who BTW owns Universal and by extension SCIFI Channel) seems so concerned with achieving duplicating the success of HEROES that they don’t see the fact that HEROES (while a brilliant show) was a fluke the likes of which every major show throughout history has been. I expound: It was fresh, it was new, and it was unique (e.g., lightning doesn’t strike twice).

Still we may (at the very least) get a season or two of enjoyment before they start canceling things because 1 Neilson family decides to go to their kids school play rather then mark that they watched ‘Knight Rider” that night.

With that said…the revolving door which is NBC is slated to begin the following line-up…and may the Lord’s of Kobal have mercy on their souls…

Debuting on May 29:

Fear Itself: The show, a horror anthology series from the makers of Masters of Horror, will feature such stars as John Billingsley (Dr. Flox, ST: ENT) and Shiri Appleby, and showcase the talents of directors including Brad Anderson, Mary Harron, Ernest Dickerson, Ronny Yu, John Carpenter and Stuart Gordon.

Shows on the fall 2008-’09 schedule:

Chuck: airing Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Heroes: airing Mondays at 9 p.m.

My Own Worst Enemy: airing Mondays at 10 p.m. Christian Slater makes his television series debut as Henry Spivey, an efficiency expert and married father of two who learns that he has an alter ego named Edward Albright, an operative who speaks numerous languages and can kill with his teeth. The network is touting it as “Jekyll and Hyde meets Jason Bourne.” Heroes veteran David Semel directed the pilot and will stay on as executive producer.

Knight Rider: airing Wednesdays at 8 p.m. NBC scored a hit with a two-hour backdoor pilot movie that aired in February, and the series picks up where the movie left off. K.I.T.T., the supercar with a mind of its own, returns, as do stars Justin Bruening, Deanna Russo, Sydney Tamiia Poitier and Bruce Davison.

Shows debuting in winter 2009:

Merlin: airing Sundays at 8 p.m. A fantasy series set in Camelot, but inspired by 21st-century storytelling, Merlin stars Colin Morgan (Doctor Who) as the title character and Bradley James as Arthur, and it explores the characters’ lives before they became legends. Co-stars include Anthony Head (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Richard Wilson and Angel Coulby.

Kings: airing Sundays at 10. A modern-day spin on the King David tale, the show stars Christopher Egan as David and Ian McShane as the king. Michael Green (Heroes) penned the pilot and will executive-produce. I Am Legend helmer Francis Lawrence directed the pilot and will executive-produce the series as well.

Series debuting in summer 2009:

The Listener: airing Thursdays at 10 p.m. Toby Logan (Craig Olejinik of Thirteen Ghosts) is a 24-year-old paramedic and telepath who’s always ignored his ability to hear people’s thoughts … until now. Having changed his mind, he uses his unique gift to help others.

Miniseries debuting in 2009:

The Last Templar: In this four-hour miniseries, four horsemen dressed as knights crash the New York Metropolitan Museum during the opening of an exhibition of Vatican treasures and swipe an arcane medieval decoder, thereby sending an archaeologist (Mira Sorvino) and a FBI agent (Scott Foley) on a wild chase for the secrets of the Knights Templar. Co-stars include Victor Garber and Omar Sharif.

Source: SCIFI

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Sackhoff talks: Life After Galactica

Vulkon alum, Katee Sackhoff (Kara “Starbuck” Thrace, Battlestar Galactica), was recently quoted at an interview from the SCI FI Channel’s upfront presentation to ad reps in NY last week, as saying that she’s concerned about finding parts as challenging, formidable and powerful once the show ends after the upcoming fourth and final season.

“It’s a definite worry. People ask me if I’m worried about being pigeonholed in science fiction, and definitely not. That’s not a fear of mine at all…What I’m worried about is finding strong, fun, exciting, inspirational characters, because…with all of [Kara's] flaws and drama she’s still an extremely strong woman first and foremost. And I think that’s what I’m most worried about is if I’m ever going to find that again.”

Sackhoff has recently stayed the course of “strong” female roles recently as the murderous Sarah Corvus in NBC’s (now defunct) Bionic Woman which was (incidentally) created by David Eick, EP for Galactica. Sackhoff went on to say she doubts she’ll be playing ‘Starbuck’ again.

“I do not think that we’ll be back…I think there’s something to be said for just ending. But then again, I don’t think anyone thought Sex and the City would do a movie, and we’re kind of following suit with them in ending how they ended.”

Galactica’s swan song begins with the episode “He That Believeth In Me,” which airs April 4.

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