SciFiAndTvTalk

Happy Anniversary Stargate SG-1

It was on July 27th, 1997 that the first episode of the long-running Sci-Fi TV series Stargate SG-1,  Children of the Gods, was broadcast. Little did I know how much this show would impact my personal as well as professional life. I was actually a bit of a late-comer to the series, but thankfully two of my best friends in the UK set me on the path of enlightenment. During one of my visits to London, they showed me a selection of first season episodes, and I was well and truly hooked! It was at that point, that my journey through the gate officially began! I caught up on season one, and waited patiently (or impatiently) for the start of season two.

This coincided with my beginning to cover the series for a number of Sci-Fi magazines I wrote for at the time. I'll never forget the first phone interviews I did with Richard Dean Anderson, Amanda Tapping, Michael Shanks, Christopher Judge, Don S. Davis and Teryl Rothery. The following year, I found myself visiting the SG-1 set for the first time! Of course, I had to remain professional, but my inner "fan boy" was screaming with glee as I walked into the Gate Room control room for the first time! For the next seven seasons, I was welcomed back to the SG-1 set multiple times, and was honored as well as humbled and thrilled to be made part of "the family." From the people at the front gate of Bridge Studios, to the awesome catering crew, to the amazing cast, crew and production team, I was always made to feel welcome, and nothing was ever too much trouble when it came to work-related requests and just plain old fan requests by yours truly. I treasure the many long-lasting friendships I made and that I still hold very dear to this day. Along with Richard, Amanda, Michael, Chris, Don and Teryl, cast-members who joined the show in subsequent seasons, including Ben Browder, Claudia Black, Corin Nemec, Beau Bridges and Lexa Doig, were always incredibly kind and patient in making time during their busy work days to speak with me. I also had a very cool time speaking to the wonderfully talented guest-cast and recurring-cast members, too!

I'm thinking back to all my visits to the set (as well as on-location), and I'm so fortunate to have a bevy of wonderful memories. For example, after chatting with producer John Smith, he asked my editor (who came with me on a couple of visits) and I if we ever saw the Stargate actually turned on with all the lights and chevrons engaged. When he found out that we hadn't, he got the keys (yes, there were actual keys to "turn on" the gate) and asked one of the crew to take us down to the set and turn on the gate. I'll never forget when writer/producer/director Peter DeLuise had me play a "gate room scientist" in the fifth season episode The Tomb. I shared the screen with the entire SG-1 team and then again with Don S. Davis (General George Hammond). I'll always be incredibly grateful to James Robbins, Richard Hudolin and Bridget McGuire (production designers), Peter Bodnarus (art director), Boyd Godfrey (art department fabricator), Mark Davidson and Robert Davidson (set decorators), Noeleen Tobin (art department coordinator) and the rest of the art department team for the endless hours they sat with me for interviews. The show's incredible directors, including Martin Wood, Andy Mikita, Will Waring, Peter Woeste and Peter DeLuise, always took time out of their busy schedules to speak with me, as did Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner (series creators/executive producers/writers) along with producers/writers Michael Greenberg, Robert C. Cooper, Joe Mallozzi, Paul Mullie, Carl Binder, Damian Kindler, Alan McCullough and Martin Gero. Meanwhile, locations' manager Lynn Smith took me on quite the journey through all the show's locations, and I got a firsthand look at all the hard work it took to pull off the show's stunts from people like Dan Shea, James Bamford and Dan Payne. And a special shout-out to Ivon Bartok for the treasure trove of behind-the-scenes material he provided me with!

I learned more than a thing or two about all the creativity that goes into make-up on this show from Jan Newman along with Fay von Schroeder and Patricia Murray. I also got an up-close look at the fantastic costumes thanks to Christina McQuarrie, Val Halverson and Christina Mooney, On one corner of the Bridge Studios lot there was a two-story brick building that was home to the show's visual effects department where I used to sit in awe next to individuals like James Tichenor, Mark Savela, Shannon Gurney, Michelle Comens, Bruce Woloshyn, Krista McLean, and so many more creative geniuses who gave me a sneak peak at what was ahead in upcoming episodes!

There are so many more people that made each visit to the SG-1 set even more memorable than the previous one, and I want to thank all of them along with everyone mentioned above. Each and every one of you could not have been nicer to me, and I will never forget your kindness, generosity and hospitality. Of course, SG-1 paved the way for more amazing memories and friendships made on the sets of Stargate Atlantis and SGU: Stargate Universe, but I shall save those stories for another post!

Thanks for taking the time to read this!

Steve Eramo

The Purge - Season Two Premieres This Fall - First Look Teaser (USA Network)

Based on the hit movie franchise, The Purge revolves around a 12-hour period when all crime, including murder, is legal. Season 2 explores how a single Purge night affects the lives of four interconnected characters over the course of the ensuing year, all inevitably leading up to the next Purge. Premiering this fall on USA Network, the second season of the anthology series opens on Purge night but dives deeper than ever before into what the Purge world looks like the other 364 days of the year. Previously announced cast include Derek Luke (13 Reasons Why), Max Martini (Pacific Rim), Paola Nuñez (The Son) and Joel Allen (Never Goin’ Back). Check out the first look season two teaser!

 

THE PURGE Season 2 is executive produced by the film franchise creator James DeMonaco, who executive produces along with his partner for Man in a Tree, Sébastien K. Lemercier; Krystal Houghton Ziv, James Roland, Tim Andrew, and Jason Blum. Additionally, Michael Bay, Brad Fuller and Andrew Form, from the film franchise, serve as executive producers under the Platinum Dunes banner, as does Thomas Kelly. The series is a co-production between Blumhouse Television and UCP (Universal Content Productions).

 

For more information, please go to:

Facebook: /ThePurgeTV  |  /blumhouse 

Twitter: @ThePurgeTV  |  @blumhouse  |  @UCP

Instagram: @ThePurgeTV  | @blumhouse  |  @UCP

Hashtag: #ThePurgeTV

The Boys - Final Trailer - Coming THIS WEEK to Amazon Prime Video!

The Boys, launching July 26 on Amazon Prime Video and in production on season 2, is a fun and irreverent take on what happens when superheroes – who are as popular as celebrities, as influential as politicians and as revered as Gods – abuse their superpowers rather than use them for good. It’s the powerless against the super powerful as The Boys embark on a heroic quest to expose the truth about The Seven, and Vought – the multi-billion dollar conglomerate that manages these superheroes and covers up all of their dirty secrets. The Boys are Billy Butcher (Karl Urban, Star Trek), Hughie (Jack Quaid, The Hunger Games), Mother’s Milk (Laz Alonso, Detroit), Frenchie (Tomer Capon, Hostages), and The Female (Karen Fukuhara, Suicide Squad). Simon Pegg (Mission: Impossible – Fallout) guest stars as Hughie’s father. The Supes of The Seven are led by Homelander (Antony Starr, Banshee) who is joined by Starlight (Erin Moriarty, Captain Fantastic), Queen Maeve (Dominique McElligott, House of Cards), A-Train (Jessie T. Usher, Independence Day: Resurgence), The Deep (Chace Crawford, Gossip Girl) and Black Noir (Nathan Mitchell, Supernatural). Academy Award nominee Elisabeth Shue (Leaving Las Vegas) stars as Madelyn Stillwell, Vought’s Senior VP of Hero Management. Check out the trailer!

Based on The New York Times best-selling comic by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, The Boys was developed by showrunner Eric Kripke (Supernatural), who also serves as writer, executive producer and directed the season finale. Joining Kripke as executive producers are Point Grey Pictures’ Seth Rogen (Preacher), Evan Goldberg (Preacher), and James Weaver (“Preacher”), Original Film’s Neal H. Moritz (Prison Break), Pavun Shetty (New Girl) and Ori Marmur (Preacher), as well as Ken Levin and Jason Netter. Ennis and Robertson also co-executive produce. The pilot episode was directed by Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane).

 

The eight-episode Amazon Prime Video original series is co-produced by Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television Studios with Point Grey Pictures, Kripke Enterprises and Original Film.

 

SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES:

Instagram: @TheBoysTV

Twitter: @TheBoysTV

Facebook: /TheBoysTV

Hashtag: #TheBoysTV

Wu Assassins Coming In August! (Netflix)

Premiering globally August 8th, 2019, on Netflix, Wu Assassins  follows Kai Jin, a young Chinatown chef in present day San Francisco, as he becomes entangled with the Chinese Triad’s pursuit of deadly ancient powers known as the "Wu Xing." After an encounter with a mystical spirit, Kai reluctantly becomes the Wu Assassin, using his enhanced martial arts skills to recover supernatural powers from five modern day criminals threatening to use them to destroy the world. Check out the brand new trailer!

Created by: John Wirth and Tony Krantz, Wu Assassins stars Iko Uwais as Kai Jin, Byron Mann as Uncle Six, Li Jun Li as Jenny Wah, Celia Au as Ying Ying, Lewis Tan as Lu Xin Lee, Lawrence Kao as Tommy Wah, Tommy Flanagan as Alec McCullough, Katheryn Winnick as Christine Gavin, Tzi Ma as Mr. Young, JuJu Chan as Zan, Summer Glau as Miss Jones, Robin McLeavy as Maggie McCullough and Travis Caldwell as Gideon. The series is executive produced by John Wirth, Stephen Fung, Michael Frislev, Chad Oakes, Tony Krantz as well as co-executive produced by Cameron Litvack, David Simkins, Jonathan Lloyd Walker, Iko Uwais, and Katheryn Winnick with Chris Rudolph serving as producer alongside co-producers Julie Benson, Shawna Benson, Jay Daniel Beechinor and Todd Giroux.

Series directors include Stephen Fung, Roel Reiné, Toa Fraser, Katheryn Winnick and Tony Krantz,, with the writing staff composed of  John Wirth, Cameron Litvack, David Simkins, Julie Benson, Shawna Benson, Yalun Tu and Jessica Chou.

Keep up with Wu Assassins on social media:

Twitter: http://bit.ly/29gswqd 
Instagram: http://bit.ly/29oO4UP 
Facebook: http://bit.ly/29kkAtN 

The Orville Moving To Hulu Exclusively For Its Third Season

Emmy Award-winning actor, animator, filmmaker, musical artist and comedian Seth MacFarlane announced today at San Diego Comic-Con that the Emmy-nominated fan-favorite, sci-fi series The Orville will move to Hulu exclusively for its upcoming third season. The Seth MacFarlane-created series will hit the streaming service as a Hulu Original in late 2020.

“The Orville has been a labor of love for me, and there are two companies which have supported that vision in a big way: 20th Century Fox Television, where I’ve had a deal since the start of my career, and FOX Broadcasting Company, now FOX Entertainment, which has been my broadcast home for over 20 years. My friends at the network understood what I was trying to do with this series, and they’ve done a spectacular job of marketing, launching and programming it for these past two seasons. But as the show has evolved and become more ambitious production-wise, I determined that I would not be able to deliver episodes until 2020, which would be challenging for the network. So we began to discuss how best to support the third season in a way that worked for the show. It’s exactly this kind of willingness to accommodate a show’s creative needs that’s made me want to stick around for so long. I am hugely indebted to Charlie Collier and FOX Entertainment for their generosity and look forward to developing future projects there. And to my new friends at Hulu, I look forward to our new partnership exploring the galaxy together,” said Seth MacFarlane. 

“Fox Entertainment has been a fantastic home for The Orville and their willingness to support the show’s move to Hulu is incredibly appreciated; they really are great partners to us on so many shows and this is one more example. We’re thrilled as a studio to find this creative solution which is so meaningful to Seth and keeps the show on track to continue entertaining its millions of fans,” said Carolyn Cassidy, President of Creative Affairs, 20th Century Fox Television. 

“We know our viewers are huge fans of The Orville, along with many of Seth MacFarlane’s groundbreaking hit shows, and we can’t wait to bring Season 3 to them exclusively on the platform,” said Craig Erwich, SVP Content Development, Hulu. “Hulu is a home for the world’s most sought-after creative talent, and we’re incredibly excited to welcome Seth and the entire cast and creative team of The Orville to our Hulu Originals slate.”

The third season of The Orville will join Hulu’s lineup of premium Original genre programming including the Emmy-nominated Castle Rock from J.J. Abrams and Stephen King, which won the 2019 Writers’ Guild Award, Marvel’s Runaways, Future Man from Seth Rogen, the Into the Dark franchise from Blumhouse Television and the upcoming hyper-noir drama series Reprisal starring Abigail Spencer. Seth MacFarlane’s projects including American Dad, Family Guy and The Orville are among Hulu users’ most beloved content. 

The Orville is a live-action, one-hour space adventure series set 400 years in the future that follows The U.S.S. Orville, a mid-level exploratory spaceship. Its crew, both human and alien, face the wonders and dangers of outer space, while also dealing with the problems of everyday life.

The Orville is produced by 20th Century Fox Television and Fuzzy Door Productions. The series was created and written by Seth MacFarlane. MacFarlane, Brannon Braga, David A. Goodman, Jason Clark and Jon Cassar serve as executive producer on the series. Jon Favreau directed the series premiere episode.

Snowpiercer - First Look Trailer Released (TBS)

The first trailer for TBS' post-apocalyptic, sci-fi thriller Snowpiercer was just revealed at Comic-Con® International. TBS presented a panel featuring Oscar® winner Jennifer Connelly, Tony Award winner Daveed Diggs,  Emmy nominee Alison Wright, Mickey Sumner, Tony Award winner and Grammy nominee Lena Hall, Steven Ogg and executive producer and showrunner Graeme Manson.

The session included an exclusive first look at this riveting television adaptation based on the critically acclaimed film of the same name. Set more than seven years after the world has become a frozen wasteland, Snowpiercer centers on the remnants of humanity, who inhabit a 1001 car, perpetually moving train that circles the globe. The series will premiere in Spring 2020 on TBS.

Snowpiercer is produced by Tomorrow Studios (a joint venture between Marty Adelstein and ITV Studios), along with CJ Entertainment, who produced the original film. The series is executive produced by Tomorrow Studios' Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements; showrunner Graeme Manson, who wrote the first episode; director James Hawes; Matthew O’Connor; Scott Derrickson, and the original film's producers Bong Joon Ho, Miky Lee, Tae-sung Jeong, Park Chan-wook, Lee Tae-hun and Dooho Choi.

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance - First Episode Premiered Today @ Comic-Con (Netflix)

HALL H PANEL | The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance - (L-R): Taron Egerton, Lisa Henson (EP), Mark Hamill, Louis Leterrier (EP/Director). Photo courtesy/copyright of Netflix.

On Friday, July 19, Netflix surprised in room fans with the never before seen first episode of The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance in Hall H at 2019 San Diego International Comic-Con.  TV Guide’s Damian Holbrook moderated. This highly-anticipated fantasy series is based on Jim  Henson’s groundbreaking 1982 feature film, The Dark Crystal.

QUOTES FROM THE PANEL:

“Only at Comic Con do you get a Kermit impersonation in front of Jim Henson’s daughter and Rocketman sitting next to Skywalker.”  -Damian Holbrook, TV Guide (moderator)

“This is the thing I am most proud of that we have done. Being in Hall H with this show is the greatest moment of my professional life.” - Lisa Henson

"To be able to do the things you loved as a kid...I'm the luckiest guy in the world. I'm so grateful." - Mark Hamill

“Every shot was the most complicated shot of my career.  But the true heroes are the puppeteers.”  - Louis Leterrier

"The amount of craft that goes into the making of the puppets, the artistry that goes into those creatures, and then the guys who operate them.  We arrive and it's there. It's inspiring in itself, the work that everyone else has done kind of feeds your performance.” -Taron Egerton

“I never thought it would come back, when I saw the original. Funny that would never dream of going  back to something that you were known for, so long before.” -Mark Hamill

In this stunning new prequel, three Gelfling discover the horrifying secret behind the Skeksis’ power, and set out on an epic journey to ignite the fires of rebellion and save their world. Realized using classic puppetry with cutting edge visual effects, the cast and creators discuss all of your burning questions about bringing Thra to life. Check out the sneak peak of the making of The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. 

Fans of The Dark Crystal can follow official show news on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.

The Witcher - First Look (Netflix)

Fans in Hall H were treated to the first look at the highly anticipated new series The Witcher  at San Diego Comic Con 2019 on Friday, July 19 when star Henry Cavill previewed the teaser trailer for the room. Yvette Nicole Brown (Community, Mom) moderated the panel discussion with showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich and cast members Cavill (Geralt of Rivia), Anya Chalotra (Yennefer) and Freya Allan (Ciri).

Based on the best-selling fantasy series of books, The Witcher is an epic tale of fate and family.  Be among the first to get the exclusive scoop on the highly anticipated new Netflix original series centering around famed monster hunter, Geralt of Rivia. Be introduced to the world of The Continent, where humans, elves, witchers, gnomes, and monsters battle to survive and thrive, and where good and evil is not easily identified. 

Henry Cavill (Mission Impossible - Fallout, Justice League) leads the cast of The Witcher saga, playing the role of Geralt of Rivia, alongside other main cast members,  Anya Chalotra (The ABC Murders, Wanderlust) as Yennefer and Freya Allan (The War of the Worlds, Into The Badlands) as Ciri.  Other previously announced cast include Jodhi May (Game of Thrones, Genius) as Calanthe, Björn Hlynur Haraldsson (Fortitude) as Eist, Adam Levy (Knightfall, Snatch) as Mousesack, MyAnna Buring (Ripper Street, Kill List) as Tissaia), Mimi Ndiweni (Black Earth Rising) as Fringilla, Therica Wilson-Read (Profile) as Sabrina, and Emma Appleton (The End of The F**king World) as Renfri, Eamon Farren (The ABC Murders, Twin Peaks) as Cahir, Joey Batey (Knightfall, Strike) as Jaskier, Lars Mikkelsen (House of Cards, Sherlock) as Stregobor, Royce Pierreson (Wanderlust, Judy) as Istredd, Maciej Musiał (1983) as Sir Lazlo, Wilson Radjou-Pujalte (Jamillah & Aladdin, Dickensian) as Dara, and Anna Shaffer (Harry Potter) as Triss.

The Witcher fans can follow official show news on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.
More information on the series can be found at -  Netflix.com/TheWitcher

Creepshow Trailer Released (Shudder)

Shudder debuted the first trailer for its new horror anthology series Creepshow ahead of the show’s panel at San Diego Comic-Con today and announced the series will premiere on September 26.. The panel, moderated by Los Angeles Times’ film reporter Jen Yamato, will feature cast members Giancarlo Esposito (Better Call Saul), Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica, Lucifer), Adrienne Barbeau (1982’s Creepshow, The Fog) and DJ Qualls (The Man in the High Castle, Supernatural), along with showrunner Greg Nicotero (The Walking Dead) and bestselling horror author Joe Hill (NOS4A2). 

Earlier this week Shudder released the official Creepshow poster. Signed copies of the poster are available at the network’s Comic-Con Booth #4020 exclusively for current members and those who sign up for Shudder at the convention..  

In addition, Shudder announced the two Creepshowstories that will be featured in the show’s premiere episode: the Stephen King story Gray Matter, adapted by Byron Willinger and Philip de Blasi (The Commuter) and directed by series showrunner Greg Nicotero, which stars Barbeau, Esposito and Tobin Bell (Saw); and “House of the Head,” written by Josh Malerman (Bird Box) and directed by John Harrison (Book of Blood, Tales from the Crypt). Harrison was also the first assistant director for George Romero on the original Creepshow movie. 

The first season will also feature segments based on stories by award-winning and acclaimed writers including By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain by Joe Hill, The Companion by Joe R. Lansdale, Kasey Lansdale and Keith Lansdale, The Finger by David J. Schow, Lydia Layne’s Better Half by John Harrison and Greg Nicotero, Night of the Paw by John Esposito, Bad Wolf Down by Rob Schrab, All Hallows Eve by Bruce Jones, The Man in the Suitcase by Christopher Buehlman, Times is Tough in Musky Holler by John Skipp and Dori Miller, and Skincrawlers Paul Dini and Stephen Langford.

Based on the iconic 1982 film written by Stephen King and directed by George A. Romero,Creepshow stars David Arquette (Scream franchise), Adrienne Barbeau, Tobin Bell (Saw), Big Boi (Scream: The TV Series), Jeffrey Combs (Star Trek, Re-Animator), Kid Cudi (Drunk Parents), Bruce Davison (Longtime Companion, X-Men), Giancarlo Esposito (Better Call Saul), Dana Gould (The Simpsons, Stan Against Evil), Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica, Lucifer) and DJ Qualls (The Man in the High Castle, Supernatural). 

Creepshow is produced by the Cartel with Monster Agency Productions, Taurus Entertainment, and Striker Entertainment: Stan Spry, Jeff Holland, and Eric Woods are executive producers for the Cartel; Greg Nicotero and Brian Witten are executive producers for Monster Agency Productions; Robert Dudelson, James Dudelson and Jordan Kizwani are executive producers for Taurus Entertainment; Russell Binder is executive producer and Marc Mostman co-executive producer for Striker Entertainment. Creepshow premieres September 26th on Shudder.

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Returns For Seventh And Final Season in Summer 2020 (ABC)

(L-R): Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Henry Simmons, Natalia Cordova-Buckley, Chloe Bennet, Clark Gregg, Ming-Na Wen, Elizabeth Henstridge and Iain De Caestecker. Photo copyright of ABC.

ABC announced today that Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the longest-running Marvel television series, will end after seven seasons. The final 13 episodes are scheduled to air next summer. Season six is currently airing Fridays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and will air its finale on Aug. 2 with a special two-hour episode.

Currently, ABC’s Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ranks as the No. 1 program in Friday’s 8 p.m. hour this summer among Adults 18-49 and is improving in its new time period by 14% over the comparable weeks last summer to stand as ABC’s highest-rated series in the slot in 3 years – since  summer 2016.

“Agent Coulson is one of the most beloved cinematic heroes of our time, and we’re so glad to have spent seven seasons with him and the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents as they saved the world from countless unimaginable big bads,” said Karey Burke, president, ABC Entertainment. “I am so impressed with the eternally fresh, heart-pounding, and emotional stories the writers and creative team at Marvel Television brought to life that led S.H.I.E.L.D. to be the longest-running Marvel series to date.”

“It will be bittersweet saying goodbye to Marvel Television’s flagship series,” said Jeph Loeb, executive producer and Marvel’s head of Television. “Our success is a true testament to the extraordinary fans and we remain forever indebted to them for their endless support. We want to end on a very high note and complete the incredible saga after seven amazing seasons and 136 hours of quality television.”

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. stars Clark Gregg, Ming-Na Wen, Chloe Bennet, Elizabeth Henstridge, Iain De Caestecker, Henry Simmons, Natalia Cordova-Buckley and Jeff Ward. Produced by ABC Studios and Marvel Television, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was co-created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen, who also serve as executive producers along with Jeffrey Bell and Jeph Loeb. ABC Studios is a part of Disney Television Studios, a collection of studios comprised of 20th Century Fox Television