SciFiAndTvTalk

Star Trek Contest for Sci-Fest LA 2015 - Win Tickets to "War of the Worlds"

Sci-Fest LA is now offering two new ways for fans to see Wil Wheaton (and series regulars from all 5 Star Trek television shows) appearing  in the festival’s January 17th benefit performance of Orson Welles’ iconic radio drama, War of the Worlds.

Those feeling a little tapped out by the holidays can enter to win 2 FREE TICKETS just by joining the festival’s mailing list.  One winner will be randomly drawn and announced on January 2, 2015.   Enter at: www.sci-fest.com

Fans with a little more cash flow (and flair for the dramatic) can donate at the “Super Nova” level and receive A ONE-LINE WALK-ON ROLE in the production.  Only 2 of these roles are available and donors must read and agree to the terms and conditions on the website.  To donate, go to  www.sci-fest.com

The show’s cast includes Wil Wheaton (Star Trek: The Next Generation and Big Bang Theory) who will headline as “Orson Welles” alongside fellow Star Trek alumni Walter Koenig (“Ensign Chekhov” on the original Star Trek series), Michael Dorn (Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), René Auberjonois and Armin Shimerman (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), Tim Russ (Star Trek: Voyager) and Linda Park (Star Trek: Enterprise).  Also appearing:  Emmy-nominee Jason Ritter (Parenthood and The Event), Dean Haglund (The X-Files) and a special prerecorded cameo appearance by comic book legend, Stan Lee.  The show will be directed by Jim Fall and will be a fundraiser for Sci-Fest LA: The Los Angeles Science Fiction One-Act Play Festival.  The venue will be the ACME Theater, 135 N. La Brea Avenue in Hollywood. 

“We’re delighted to be able to offer these new options to our fan base,” says Sci-Fest LA co-producer David Dean Bottrell (Boston Legal).  “This is such an incredibly cool event.  We understand that not everybody can swing the price a benefit ticket and we didn’t want the event to feel too exclusive.  However, we’re also trying to raise money for our festival in May, so we’re creating the opportunity for at least two hardcore Trek fans to not just ‘see’ the show, but actually be ‘in’ it.  Rehearsing and performing with this cast is sort of a dream come true for most Trekkers.” 

Following the performance, audience members can attend a post-show party and bid on seven exclusive War of the Worlds posters designed specifically for this event by some of LA’s hottest comic book and Sci-Fi artists.

Tickets for the event are currently available for donors contributing to the festival at the “Shooting Star” level or higher and includes an after-party with the cast. For more information on the event and instructions on how to obtain tickets, visit www.Sci-Fest.com  

About War of the Worlds: "War of the Worlds" was originally performed on October 30, 1938, and aired over the CBS radio network. Conceived, directed and narrated by Orson Welles, the story was adapted by Howard Koch based on the novel by H.G. Wells.  The program (innovatively staged as an urgent news broadcast) became famous for causing mass panic, although the extent of this panic is debated.

About Sci-Fest LA: Co-founded by veteran Los Angeles theatre producers, Michael Blaha and Lee Costello, and actor, David Dean Bottrell (Boston Legal), SCI-FEST LA: The Los Angeles Science Fiction One-Act Play Festival debuted in May of 2014 to sold-out houses and critical acclaim.  The organization’s mission is to produce an annual festival of new, beautifully realized, visually compelling sci-fi one-acts featuring many well-known actors from beloved sci-fi and fantasy franchises.

In addition to the festival, Sci-Fest LA also promotes quality short science fiction through its two writing competitions, the Roswell Award and the Tomorrow Prize for Short Fiction, which is open exclusively to area high school students.

Bitten - Season Two Premieres in February 2015 on Canada's SPACE Channel

Laura Vandervoort as Elena Michaels in Bitten. Photo copyright of Bell Media/SPACE.

Based on the New York Times best-selling novels by Canadian author Kelley Armstrong, Bitten follows Elena Michaels, the world’s only female werewolf in a recognizable world where werewolves and witches live among humans.

Season 1 of Bitten tested Elena’s (Laura Vandervoort) strength and pushed her to embrace her fierce inner wolf. From the Mutt uprising orchestrated by Pack leader Jeremy Danvers’ (Greg Bryk) father Malcolm, to finding the severed head of ex-boyfriend Phillip (Paul Greene) in her bed, Elena is out for blood. Reunited with The Pack and her true love Clay Danvers (Greyston Holt), nothing stands in the way of protecting her family and hunting down those who seek to destroy them. Season 2 sees The Pack on the hunt for Malcolm (James McGowan). In their quest to capture him, they uncover a more sinister force that threatens the existence of the werewolf species. This season also introduces The Pack to a Coven of witches with whom they are forced to form an uneasy alliance in order to fight a common foe. Season two premieres on Canada's SPACE Channel, Saturday, February 7th @ 9:00 p.m EST/10:00 PST.

Outlander - New Video and Photo (STARZ)

Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Jamie (Sam Heughan) in Outlander. Photo copyright of STARZ.

Today STARZ continued with the spirit of giving with a new video (see below) and the above image from the highly anticipated second half of season one from its hit series Outlander, returning Saturday, April 4th @ 9:00 p.m. EST/PST. The release is part of STARZ’ 25 Days of #OutlanderOfferings that has been giving fans something extra special for the holidays to get them through the #Droughtlander. Each day on Twitter and on select days on Facebook, STARZ has been releasing exclusive content for fans to enjoy, leading up to an “Outlander” marathon of the first 8 episodes of Season One airing on Christmas day.

Outlander spans the genres of romance, science fiction, history, and adventure as it follows Claire Randall (Caitriona Balfe), a married WWII combat nurse who mistakenly falls back in time to 1743.  As the season continues, Claire and Jamie's (Sam Heughan) relationship is tested, and Claire must reconcile her modern mindset with this 18th century world.  Ruthless redcoats, volatile clan politics, and even a witch trial force Jamie and Claire to escape to a new home. Just when their life as a married couple begins to take shape, Jamie is once again drawn into Captain Randall’s (Tobias Menzies) darkness.  Ultimately, Claire discovers there is a fate worse than death as she struggles to save Jamie’s heart, as well as his soul.

 

Orphan Black - New Season Three Trailer (BBC America/SPACE Channel)

Leda Clone Sarah Manning (Tatiana Maslany) meeting face-to-face with Castor Clone Rudy (Ari Millen). Photo copyright of BBC America and SPACE.

Season 3 of Orphan Black reveals the clones as more vulnerable than ever before, with the highly trained, identical male-soldier “Castor Clones” complicating matters. And though Sarah, Cosima, Alison, and Helena realize they are stronger together, this season puts that bond to the test. In the Season 3 premiere of Orphan Black, Saturday, April 18th @ 9:00 p.m. EST on BBC America and Canada's SPACE Channel, Sarah (Tatiana Maslany) repels a potentially lethal Topside menace as she fights to locate a disappeared Helena (Maslany); the threat of Castor (Ari Millen) looms anew. Check out the new trailer below!

 

New Promo for Season Two of Salem (WGN America)

In anticipation of the season two return of its breakout original series  Salem this April, WGN America has released an all-new promo featuring  Mercy (Elise Eberle) the Reverend Lewis' increasingly powerful daughter. In the spot, Mercy transforms the symbol of her torment at the hands of the town’s witches into a signal of the Witch War to come.

Called “perversely entertaining” by The New York Times, Salem is a bold re-imagination of the infamous 17th century witch trials in colonial Massachusetts. The series stars Janet Montgomery as Mary Sibley, Shane West as John Alden, Seth Gabel (Fringe) as Cotton Mather, Ashley Madekwe (Revenge) as Tituba, Tamzin Merchant (Jane Eyre) as Anne Hale, Elise Eberle (The Astronaut Farmer) as Mercy Lewis and Iddo Goldberg (Mob City) as Isaac Walton. Created and written by Brannon Braga and Adam Simon, Salem is executive-produced by Braga, Simon, and Prospect Park’s Jeff Kwatinetz and Josh Barry. Check out the brand-new season two promo below.

 

Syfy Announces Casting For Dark Matter

Melissa O'Neil.

Syfy today announced casting of the new acquired scripted series Dark Matter, which will feature Melissa O’Neil (Broadway production of Les Miserables), Marc Bendavid (Bitten), Anthony Lemke (White House Down), Alex Mallari Jr. (Robocop) and Jodelle Ferland (Twilight) with Roger Cross (The Strain) and Zoie Palmer (Lost Girl). The series begins production in Toronto on January 7.

Marc Bendavid.

Anthony Lemke.

Created by Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie (executive producers and writers of the Stargate franchise), and developed with Prodigy Pictures (Lost Girl, XIII), the 13 one-hour episodes are based on the graphic novel Dark Matter by Mallozzi and Mullie, published by Dark Horse Comics.

Alex Mallari, Jr.

Jodelle Ferland.

Dark Matter will premiere on Syfy in Summer 2015, joining Syfy’s stable of acquired international and domestic co-productions ranging from the hit series Z Nation to popular programs such as Lost Girl, Bitten and Continuum, and the upcoming series Olympus. Executive producers are Jay Firestone, Joseph Mallozzi, Paul Mullie and Vanessa Piazza. The series will be distributed internationally by Endemol Worldwide Distribution.

Roger Cross.

Zoie Palmer.

In Dark Matter, the crew of a derelict spaceship is awakened from stasis with no memories of who they are or how they got on board. Facing threats at every turn, they have to work together to survive a voyage charged with vengeance, betrayal and hidden secrets.

Founded in 2006 by Jay Firestone and later joined by executive producer Vanessa Piazza, Prodigy Pictures leads the way in the production of quality television, film, and cross-platform media. Prodigy is responsible for the critically-acclaimed television series Lost Girl, which has electrified viewers around the world and amassed a cult-like following. Lost Girl just wrapped production on its final season. Prodigy’s other credits include indie horror The Dark Stranger and the original television miniseries XIII as well as XIII: The Series.

The Missing To Return For Second Season (STARZ)

STARZ has announced a sequel to the Golden Globe nominated limited series The Missing.  The new eight-part installment will again be written by brothers Harry and Jack Williams and unfold over two time frames but this time follows a new case, new characters and new location. The Missing is produced by New Pictures in association with Two Brothers Pictures and Playground Entertainment.

The Missing was recently nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television and actress Frances O’Connor (Emily Hughes) was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion PictureMade for Television.  The show has received copious critical acclaim, with The Hollywood Reporter citing “A remarkable piece of television…as magnetic and challenging a work as any of TV’s recent bests…”;  Deadline Hollywood has called it, “television at its very best”; and New York Magazine praised it as “one of the year’s very best TV programs…a master-class in long form storytelling.”

The finale of the first installment of The Missing, which centers on the psychological fallout and ensuing years-long manhunt resulting from the sudden disappearance of five-year-old Oliver Hughes, will air on STARZ on Saturday, Jan 10. It will be available On Demand and on STARZ Play beginning Saturday, December 20.

“The remarkably talented Williams brothers crafted a beautifully complex and heart wrenching story with ‘The Missing’ and while the story, character and locations will be different in this new iteration, we anticipate the same captivating long-form storytelling and character development that critics and viewers have responded so well to,” said STARZ Managing Director Carmi Zlotnik. “We have been thrilled with the critical response and look forward to continuing our terrific collaboration with the BBC, New Pictures and Playground Entertainment.”

In the UK, the series aired on BBC One and the first installment served as appointment viewing for over 7 million people each week during its run.

Willow Grylls, Charlie Pattinson and Elaine Pyke serve as Executive Producers for New Pictures; Harry and Jack Williams for Two Brothers Pictures; Polly Hill for the BBC and Colin Callender for Playground Entertainment. All3media international retains all US rights not obtained by STARZ.

For more information, follow @TheMissing_STZ on Twitter.

Vikings - Season Three Premieres in February 2015 (HISTORY)

Season three of HISTORY’s hit scripted drama series Vikings returns on Thursday, February 19 at 10 p.m. ET. The new 10-episode season begins with Ragnar (Travis Fimmel) as King and follows the great responsibility that now rests on the shoulders of the former farmer.

With the promise of new land from the English, Ragnar leads his people to an uncertain fate on the shores of Wessex. King Ecbert (Linus Roache) has made many promises and it remains to be seen if he will keep them. But ever the restless wanderer, Ragnar is searching for something more … and he finds it in the mythical city of Paris. Rumored to be impenetrable to outside forces, Ragnar and his band of Norsemen must come together to break down its walls and cement the Vikings legend in history.

The gripping family saga of Ragnar, Rollo (Clive Standen), Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick) and Bjorn (Alexander Ludwig) continues as alliances and loyal friendships are questioned, faith is catechized and relationships are strained. Vikings tells the extraordinary tales of the lives and epic adventures of these warriors and portrays life in the Dark Ages, a world ruled by raiders and explorers, through the eyes of Viking society.

New characters introduced this season include: 

• Kalf (Ben Robson) – Lagertha’s young, handsome second in command. She is fond of him and trusts him to look after her affairs while she is away, but it is possible that Kalf is more ambitious and calculating than he appears.
• Harbard (Kevin Durand) – A wanderer who turns up unexpectedly in Kattagat when Ragnar and most of the men of the town are away raiding. Harbard will have a profound effect on Queen Aslaug, Siggy and Helga, all of whom have had the same dream, presaging his arrival.
• Emperor Charles of France (Lothaire Bluteau) – A complex, troubled and powerful man who views battling the Vikings as spiritual and earthly.
• Princess Gisla (Morgane Polanski) – The daughter of Emperor Charles and a beautiful, young woman of considerable courage and resolution.

Travis Fimmel continues to lead the stellar cast as the curious warrior Ragnar, along with Katheryn Winnick as Lagertha, an Earl and fierce shield maiden; Clive Standen as Rollo, Ragnar’s impulsive brother; Alexander Ludwig as Bjorn, the intelligent and bold warrior son of Ragnar; George Blagden as Athelstan, a former monk befriended by Ragnar; Jessalyn Gilsig as Siggy, beautiful wife of the late Earl Haraldson; Linus Roache as Ecbert, King of Wessex, a man of strength, knowledge and undisguised ambition; Gustaf Skarsgard as Floki, a genius ship builder and loyal yet sometimes dangerous friend of Ragnar’s; and Alyssa Sutherland as Queen Aslaug, Ragnar’s wife.

Catch up on all previous episodes from Vikings Season 1 and Season 2 now streaming on Hulu and Amazon.

Created and written by Michael Hirst – one of the premier historical story-tellers in the industry (Academy-Award winning film Elizabeth; and the Emmy and Golden Globe nominated series The Tudors), Michael serves as Executive Producer along with Morgan O’Sullivan of World 2000 (The Count of Monte Cristo; The Tudors), Sheila Hockin (The Tudors; The Borgias), John Weber of Take 5 Productions (The Tudors; The Borgias), Sherry Marsh, Alan Gasmer and James Flynn (The Tudors; The Borgias). Dirk Hoogstra and Julian P. Hobbs are the Executives in Charge of Production for HISTORY.

Vikings is an international Irish/Canadian co-production being co-produced by World 2000 and Take 5 Productions. HISTORY broadcasts domestically in the U.S. MGM Television brought the series to the network and brings Vikings to the global audience, serving as the worldwide distributor outside of Ireland and Canada. Vikings is produced in association with Shaw Media, and the series also airs on HISTORY in Canada.

This Week on The Missing - "Concrete" (STARZ)

(L-R): Tony (James Nesbitt), Emily (Frances O'Connor) and Julien (Tcheky Karyo) in "Molly." Photo copyright of STARZ/BBC.

This week on The Missing, in 2006, Tony (James Nesbitt) attempts to conceal his tracks and prepares to face consequences ahead, while Emily’s (Frances O'Connor) world collapses around her during the continuation of Oliver’s (Oliver Hunt) investigation. Julien (Tcheky Karyo) is involved in a dangerous encounter. In the present day, Tony and Julien track down someone who may have leading information, but it will come with a price. Have a look at the clip below and then tune in for Concrete, Saturday, December 20th @ 9:00 p.m. EST/PST on STARZ.

 

Julian McMahon & Daisy Betts Join Syfy's Childhood's End

Actor Julian McMahon.

Syfy and Universal Cable Productions today announced that Golden Globe nominee Julian McMahon (Nip/Tuck, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer) will portray Rupert Boyce, an enigmatic American entrepreneur, in the upcoming six-hour miniseries Childhood’s End. Adapted for the screen for the first time ever from Arthur C. Clarke’s beloved and influential novel, Childhood’s End will premiere on Syfy in 2015.

Syfy and Universal Cable Productions also announced that Daisy Betts (Shutter) has been cast as Ellie, an arts graduate engaged to marry Ricky Stormgren (Mike Vogel), the most influential human in the world.

McMahon and Betts join Emmy Award nominee Charles Dance (Game of Thrones) as Karellan and Mike Vogel (Bates Motel), along with Ashley Zukerman (Manhattan) as Jake Greggson, Osy Ikhile (Clap!) as Milo and Yael Stone (Orange is the New Black) as Peretta Jones.

Actress Daisy Betts.

Hailed as a revolutionary work of science fiction since its publishing in 1953, Childhood’s End follows the peaceful invasion of Earth by the mysterious Overlords, whose arrival begins decades of apparent utopia under indirect alien rule, at the cost of human identity and culture which may ultimately threaten the very survival of mankind. Childhood’s End will be filmed in Australia.

Akiva Goldsman (Lone Survivor, A Beautiful Mind, I Am Legend), Mike De Luca (Captain Philips, Moneyball, The Social Network) and Alissa Phillips (Moneyball, Mob City) are executive producers. Childhood’s End will be adapted by Matthew Graham (creator of BBC's Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes). Universal Cable Productions will be the studio. The miniseries will be directed by Nick Hurran, who received an Emmy Award nomination for Sherlock and a Hugo Award nomination for Doctor Who.