SciFiAndTvTalk

The Walking Dead - Season Eight Key Art Released (AMC)

AMC released today the official key art (see above) for the highly anticipated eighth season of The Walking Dead, which returns Sunday, October 22 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT, with its 100th episode. The art features Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and his group of survivors preparing for “All Out War.”  

The Walking Dead” Season 8 Synopsis: 

Last year, Rick Grimes and his group of survivors were confronted with their deadliest challenge yet.  With the comfort of Alexandria, they let their guard down, only to be reminded how brutal the world they live in can be. The introduction of Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and the Saviors broke our group.

Feeling powerless under Negan's rules and demands, Rick advocated the group play along. But seeing that Negan couldn't be reasoned with, Rick began rallying together other communities affected by the Saviors.  And with the support of the Hilltop and Kingdom, they finally have enough fire power to contest the Saviors.

This year, Rick brings "All Out War" to Negan and his forces.  The Saviors are larger, better-equipped, and ruthless -- but Rick and the unified communities are fighting for the promise of a brighter future.  The battle lines are drawn as they launch into a kinetic, action-packed offensive. 

Up until now, survival has been the focus of Rick and our group, but it's not enough. They have to fight to take back their freedom so that they can live. So that they can rebuild. As with any battle, there will be losses. Casualties. But with Rick leading the Alexandrian forces, Maggie (Lauren Cohen) leading the Hilltop, and King Ezekiel (Khary Payton) leading the Kingdom -- Negan and the Saviors' grip on this world may finally be coming to an end.

Please note, above photo courtesy/copyright of AMC, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks! 

Dead Ant - World Premiere At Screamfest This October

The hilarious horror comedy Dead Ant will be having its world premiere at the Screamfest Horror Film Festival. Screamfest will be taking place October 10th - 19th, 2017 at the TCL Chinese 6 Theaters in Hollywood.

When the "one-hit-wonder" glam-metal band "Sonic Grave" embark on a trip to Coachella in hopes of a comeback, their peyote trip pit stop in Joshua Tree incites an "unworldly" viscous attack, and they must "rock" themselves out of harms way. The film stars  Tom Arnold (Sons of Anarchy, True Lies), Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings trilogy, Stranger Things), Jake Busey (The Predator sequel, From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series), Rhys Coiro (Texas Rising, Entourage), Leisha Hailey (The L Word, Bosch), Cameron Richardson (Get a Job, Alvin and the Chipmunks), Danny Woodbury (Bones, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and was written and directed by Ron Carlson (All American Christmas Carol). Check out the trailer below. 

This Week on Channel Zero: No-End House - "This Isn't Real" (SYFY)

This week on the season premiere of Channel Zero: No-End House, when four friends enter The No-End House, they learn it’s more than a haunted mansion. Confronted with strangely personal horrors in each room, they must try to find an escape – if there is one.

Inspired by Brian Russell’s “creepypasta” tale, Channel  Zero: No-End House tells the story of a young woman named Margot Sleator, played by Amy Forsyth (The Path), who visits the No-End House, a bizarre house of horrors that consists of a series of increasingly disturbing rooms.  When she returns home, Margot realizes everything has changed. The second six-hour installment was directed by Steven Piet (Uncle John). Nick Antosca (Hannibal, Teen Wolf) returns as executive producer, showrunner and writer for the second installment alongside executive producer Max Landis (Chronicle, American Ultra). Additional cast includes John Carroll Lynch (American Horror Story), Aisha Dee (The Bold Type) and Jeff Ward (Agents of Shield). Channel Zero is produced by Universal Cable Productions (UCP). Episode one of No-End House, This Isn't Real, airs Wednesday, September 20th @ 10:00 p.m. EST/9:00 p.m. CT on SYFY (US).

 

Please note, above photo courtesy/copyright of SYFY.

Good Omens - First Look @ Michael Sheen & David Tennant (Amazon Prime Video)

(L-R): David Tennant as Crowley and Michael Sheen as Aziraphale in Good Omens. Photo copyright of Amazon Prime Video.

Filming has begun on Amazon Prime Video’s upcoming six-part series, Good Omens, as revealed on Twitter by showrunner Neil Gaiman with a photo (see above) of multi-award-winning actors Michael Sheen (Masters of Sex, Passengers) and David Tennant (Broadchurch, Doctor Who) on set as lead characters Aziraphale and Crowley.  

Based on the acclaimed novel by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. Good Omens will be filming for the next six months in London, Oxfordshire and locations in South Africa. Equal parts humor and horror, fantasy and drama, it is written by Neil Gaiman (American Gods) who is serving as showrunner and will launch in the UK in 2019 on Prime Video before going on to BBC Two at a later date. 

Commenting on the start of production, Gaiman says: “People have fallen in love with an angel and a demon in a book by Terry Pratchett and me, and they have been excited and nervous to see how they would appear on screen - and I was probably the most nervous and excited of all. This is a first look. Michael Sheen is the best and finest of bookseller angels, David Tennant the coolest and most delightful of demons. Together they are one hell of a double act (or do I mean one made in Heaven?)”  

Confirmed to be joining Sheen and Tennant in the cast are Adria Arjona (Anathema Device), Nina Sosanya (Sister Mary Loquacious), Jack Whitehall (Newt), Michael McKean (Shadwell), Miranda Richardson (Madame Tracy), Ned Dennehy (Hastur) and Ariyon Bakare (Ligur). 

Good Omens was commissioned for Amazon Prime Video by Amazon Studios and for BBC Two by Patrick Holland, Controller, BBC Two; Shane Allen, Controller, BBC Comedy Commissioning and BBC commissioning editor Gregor Sharp. It is being produced by the comedy team at BBC Studios, the BBC’s commercial production arm, Narrativia and The Blank Corporation, in association with BBC Worldwide.

Good Omens will launch globally on Prime Video in over 200 countries and territories in 2019 including in the UK, where it will also air on BBC Two at a later date. BBC Worldwide distributes rights for Good Omens internationally, after the series premiere on Prime Video. The series will be brought to the screen by the highly acclaimed director/executive producer Douglas Mackinnon, whose credits include Knightfall, Dirk Gently, Doctor Who, Outlander and the standalone Victorian episode of Sherlock: The Abominable Bride, winner of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie last year.

As noted above, photo copyright of Amazon Prime Video, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

This Week on Outlander - "Surrender" (STARZ)

 

Jamie (Sam Heughan). Photo copyright of STARZ.

This week on Outlander, hiding in an isolated cave, Jamie (Sam Heughan) leads a lonely life until Lallybroch is threatened by redcoats pursuing the elusive Jacobite traitor known as “Red Jamie.” Back in Boston, Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Frank (Tobias Menzies) struggle to coexist in a marriage haunted by the ghost of Jamie’s love. Check out the clip below from Surrender and then make sure to tune in Sunday, September 17th @ 8:00 p.m. EST/PST on STARZ.

Show That Dark Matter Love!

Another Dark Matter Tweeting storm is on the horizon and set to "erupt" tonight! Here's some info from Joe Mallozzi on how you can take part!

The AMA will start at around at 7 PM EDT, followed by another massive tweet storm at 9 PM (@DarkMatterFTL will once again post the secret hashtag).

Beside Joe, Two - Melissa O'Neil, Three - Anthony Lemke, Four - Alex Mallari Jr., Five - Jodelle Ferland, and The Android - Zoie Palmer will be with us! And maybe more!

To see the hour in your local time see Google's widget: https://www.google.com/search?q=7+pm+EDT

Sci Fi Magazine - December 2017

If you happen to be passing a newsstand, check out the new issue of Sci Fi Magazine (December 2017 issue) which contains my "TV in Focus" section interviews with Laura Mennell (Van Helsing), Adeel Akhtar (Ghosted), Kristin Lehman (Ghost Wars), Chad Rook (Timeless), Robert C. Cooper (Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency), Nick Antosca (Channel Zero: No-End House), Blair Redford (The Gifted) and Tara Butters & Michele Fazekas (Kevin (Probably) Saves The World) as well as feature interviews with Brannon Braga & David A. Goodman (The Orville), Sean Pertwee (Gotham) and Tom Ellis (Lucifer). Thanks as always for your continued support! 

Steve Eramo

Hell Hath No Fury...Like Dark Matter Fans

August 25th, 2017 was a bittersweet day for Dark Matter fans. The show’s third season finale Nowhere to Go aired on SYFY in the U.S, and, after 12 weeks of deep space twists, turns, betrayals and redemptions, our heroes onboard the Raza were staring down the proverbial barrel of yet another threat to them and the rest of humankind. Some mega-menacing looking spaceships piloted by equally-menacing black alien blobs emerged through a spatial anomaly and into our universe. Of course, these extraterrestrial nasties had no idea of the bad-ass butt-kicking that awaited them from the Raza crew.

Sadly, another dark force was silently lurking in the wings and waiting to sideline our intergalactic do-gooders – none other than that most-feared nemesis of all TV shows. Yes, you guessed it, cancellation. After a stellar season, which included some damn high ratings, Dark Matter was axed. Two, Three, Four, Five, Six and The Android were cut down in their prime, but their fans were having none of that. Using social media, viewers around the world rallied and stormed cyberspace. Last Friday, September 8th, we Tweeted #RockThe Raza like crazy, and people took notice. Afterwards, series co-creator/executive producer/writer Joe Mallozzi shared some encouraging news about the show's POSSIBLE future with us via his blog, so all is not yet lost. There is still a long road ahead, but that has never stopped Sci-Fi fans before. We are a hardy and persistent bunch, and more Tweet events supporting Dark Matter and, hopefully, its fourth (and maybe fifth) season are planned. Even those who are not especially tech-minded (myself included) can participate, so if you haven’t already, start following @DarkMatterFTL on Twitter to stay in the loop!

Steve Eramo

Vikings Renewed For Sixth Season (HISTORY)

HISTORY announced today that it has renewed a 20-episode, sixth season of its hit, original drama series, Vikings. Production is slated to begin in Ireland this fall, ahead of the highly-anticipated two-hour season five premiere on Wednesday, November 29 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HISTORY. Additionally, Canadian Katheryn Winnick (Lagertha) is set to make her directorial debut for one episode in season six.

“We are incredibly proud of our partnership on this outstanding Canadian-Irish original production, and are thrilled to pick up Vikings for another compelling season,” said Daniel Eves, Senior Vice President of Specialty Networks, Corus Entertainment. “Led by the incomparable Michael Hirst and a phenomenal cast and crew, season six will undoubtedly deliver another round of engaging storytelling, intriguing characters, and show-stopping drama.”  

“It has been my pleasure and my privilege to work with HISTORY and our partner MGM over five seasons and 69 episodes of Vikings. Now we are ready to begin production of a 20 episode season six that will deliver a huge and unexpected revelation to our audience,” said Michael Hirst, creator and executive producer. “There are many reasons why I love this show, not least for the commitment and creativity of everyone involved in making it, but perhaps even more important is the spirit that drives this production - one of the happiest, most collaborative and most authentic productions I have ever been involved with. And so we sail on.”

Over the past five successful seasons, Canadian talent – both behind and in front of the camera – have propelled Vikings to the critically-acclaimed series that it is today. The winner of eight Canadian Screen Awards including “Best International Drama,” Vikings is co-produced by celebrated Canadian company Take 5 Productions and primarily helmed by industry-leading Canadian directors including David Wellington, Daniel Grou, Kari Skogland, Helen Shaver, Ken Girotti, and Jeff Woolnough. to name a few. Since its premiere in 2013, an outstanding roster of Canadian actors alongside Winnick, including Alexander Ludwig, Jessalyn Gilsig, Donal Logue, Adam Copeland, and Kris Holden-Ried, have brought their exceptional talents to the Vikings tribe. Additionally, Toronto's visual effects company Mr. X and Tattersall Sound and Picture have been nominated for a combined seven Emmy Awards for their work on Vikings to date.

As previously announced, Corus Entertainment also launched VIKINGS VR – a wholly original virtual reality app that offers an immersive, in-world, 360° experience where users are enveloped into thrilling scenes filmed on the set of Vikings and starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Alex Hogh Andersen, Peter Franzen, and many more key cast members. 

Vikings is the critically acclaimed series from creator and sole writer Michael Hirst (Elizabeth, The Tudors) and is a family saga that tells the remarkable tales of the lives and epic adventures of the raiders and explorers of the Dark Ages. Hirst serves as executive producer along with Morgan O’Sullivan of World 2000 (The Count of Monte Cristo, The Tudors), Sheila Hockin (The Tudors, Penny Dreadful), John Weber of Take 5 Productions ( Reign, The Handmaid’s Tale ), Sherry Marsh, Alan Gasmer and James Flynn (The Tudors, The Borgias). 

Vikings is an international Canada/Ireland co-production by Take 5 Productions and TM Productions Limited. HISTORY broadcasts both domestically in Canada and the U.S. MGM Television is the worldwide distributor outside of Ireland and Canada. Vikings is produced in association with Corus Entertainment.

Fans can catch up on past seasons of Vikings on HISTORY.ca , HISTORY on Demand, HISTORY Go app, and iTunes.

Ride With Norman Reedus Returns For a Second AND Third Season (AMC)

(L-R): Norman Reedus and Jeffrey Dean Morgan in season two of "Ride With Norman Reedus." Photo copyright of AMC.

AMC today announced the renewal of Ride with Norman Reedus for a third season, slated to air in 2018. Season three will continue the journey with Norman as he hits the pavement with friends and special guests, riding across the United States and abroad. Season two of Ride with Norman Reedus premieres as a special two-night television event starting on Sunday, November 5th @ 11pm ET/PT, followed by a second episode the next night on Monday, November 6th @ 9:00pm ET/PT, in its regular time slot.

Norman kick starts season two in Spain alongside The Walking Dead castmate Jeffrey Dean Morgan and a few hundred thousand fans. Additional episodes this season follow Norman hitting the Low Country of Savannah, Georgia with comedian Dave Chappelle, taking on his home turf of New York City with famed chef Mario Batali, and much more.

“There's not much I love more than riding my bike on an open road with good friends,” said Reedus. “The fact that I get to do that as my job is a dream come true. I'm super stoked for people to watch the upcoming season and can't wait to start shooting three soon.”

Ride with Norman Reedus follows The Walking Dead star and motorcycle enthusiast Norman Reedus as he hits the open road to explore local biker culture and celebrate the best and brightest collectors, mechanics and craftsmen around the country.  Each episode features Reedus and a riding companion as they journey across an unknown terrain and experience the culture surrounding them… with plenty of time for unplanned detours and tire changes. The series is produced by Left/Right (This American Life, The Circus, Odd Mom Out), with Ken Druckerman, Banks Tarver, and Anneka Jones serving as executive producers.  Reedus also serves as executive producer.

As noted above, photo copyright of AMC, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!