SciFi Surplus Podcast #022
March 9, 2008
Interview: Christiana Ellis (Space Casey). Topics: Smallville, Supernatural, Star Trek, Jericho, American Film Institute, “Old Man’s War,” John Scalzi
Thank you for taking time to listen to us. This is show number 22 and it’s a doosie.
We’ve got a special guest today and one of the funnest people I’ve ever had the opportunity to talk with. Christiana Ellis is the driving force behind the audio comedy-drama Space Casey as well as a number of other podcasts and podcast novels. In the news is Smallville and Supernatural, Star Trek and Blu-Ray, plus Jericho and ratings. We’re going to talk about a controversy involving the American Film Institute’s list of the top 50 Science Fiction movies of all time. I’m also going to tell you why I think Old Man’s War by John Scalzi would make an excellent feature film.
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Vince was completely overtaken by an alien attack at his day job and ran out of real life time to help with the show so Jeromy will be filling in for him.
That’s enough time getting ready. Let’s get our geek on!
Anti-witness News
Smallville and Supernatural Picked up for the Fall
Source
The C-W has announced that Smallville and Supernatural will both be getting new seasons in the fall. This is good news for the fans of these shows but is confusing to some. Michael Rosenbaum, the actor that plays Lex Luthor in the series, has stated that the current season will be his last. Many expected that Smallville would not continue beyond season seven.
New Trek Box Set
Source
The Star Trek feature films seem to be getting ready for a Blu-Ray re-release. So far, there has been no formal announcement and no date has been given, but there is some solid evidence that Paramount is preparing for a new edition of the movies. David Gerrold, writer of the Original Trek episode, “The Trouble with Tribbles,” says he was interviewed for a documentary. He says the documentary will be part of a new box set for the films. Sources also say that several of the films are getting new hi-def transfers and a digital scrubbing for a Blu-Ray release.
Dungeons & Dragons, Gary Gygax Had Died
Source
The co-creator of Dungeons and Dragons, Gary Gygax, has passed away at the age of 69. Dungeons and Dragons was responsible for the phenomenon of paper and pencil role-playing games that eventually led to movies, video games and a culture all its own. Gygax is survived by his wife and six children.
Jericho-Watch Continues
Source
Fans of the CBS show, Jericho, are holding their breath as they wait for word about the show’s survival. Jericho aired a full season last year with lack-luster ratings and was canceled. A mail-in campaign by fans of the show convinced the network to make seven more episodes to deal with the cliff-hanger ending of the first season. Any continuation of the show would be based on ratings and so far the ratings for the show are fair at best. As soon as we get word, we will pass it along to you.
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Left Off AFI’s 50 Best SF
Source
The American Film Institute’s list of the 50 best science fiction movies seems to have left some off, according to fans voicing their opinions in a SciFi Wire poll. The number one film people complained that did not make the list was “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.” Also ranking high in the poll was James Cameron’s “Aliens,” and Joss Whedon’s “Serenity.” The original films, “Star Wars: A New Hope” and “Alien” did make the list.
Doctor Who Video Game
Source
A “Doctor Who” video game is expected soon from the publisher, Eidos. Few details are known at this point but a representative of the company says it would be very soon and it would be for the Playstation 2, P-C and Nintendo D-S.
New Amsterdam Gets Good Ratings
Source
The mid-season Fox series, “New Amsterdam” has received good ratings for it’s debut following American idol. The show is about a New York cop that is immortal and searching for his true love while dealing with a day job in homicide. The show’s regular timeslot is Mondays at 9 eastern.
March 16th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Casey, “Them” is a classic, and it’s from when there was a big scare about radiation from nuclear power. I can’t remember if the giant ants got big from nuke testing or if it was from a power plant, but you might like it if you’re into old movies. It’s not quite War of the Worlds or Forbidden Planet, but it’s entertaining and definitely a classic. I really enjoyed it as a kid.