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Everything you need to know about Doctor Who

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The latest season of Doctor Who premieres tonight on BBC America, and even if you know nothing about the show, I’d encourage you to give it a shot. You don’t have to know anything about it or even be a fan of science fiction to enjoy this delightfully unique adventure.

Doctor Who chronicles the ongoing adventures of an alien “Time Lord” from the planet Gallifrey known only as the Doctor, as he roams the universe, travels through time, and explores other dimensions, righting wrongs. He travels in his signature vehicle, the TARDIS, which on the outside resembles a British police box, but on the inside is a vast chamber that serves as both his universe-traversing command center and his home. He’s a mysterious figure, nearly 1,000 years old, and little about him is known or understood, and I suppose that’s part of what makes him so enduring a character.

Doctor Who a show where literally anything is possible, because the Doctor can go absolutely anywhere, anytime. It combines the best of an anthology show and a serial, tackling a new challenge every week, though the Doctor and his various traveling companions have ongoing story arcs as the series unfolds. It’s the longest-running television show in history, entering its 31st season with the eleventh incarnation of the title character. And it’s easy for newcomers to enjoy because it never gets mired in its own mythology, focusing primarily on the problem to be solved in whatever time and place the Doctor finds himself each week.

A primary conceit of the show is that if the Doctor is fatally wounded, he automatically regenerates in a new body that has a different physical appearance and personality. This clever plot point is what has allowed the show to live for as long as it has; whenever an actor playing the Doctor decides to move on, the show’s producers can simply replace him with a new star.

The eleventh Doctor is played by newcomer Matt Smith, who at 26 years old is the youngest actor to ever portray the character. Smith follows the mega-popular three-season run of actor David Tennant in the title role; as such, he has very big shoes to fill, particularly for such an untested thespian.

But early reviews indicate that Smith’s take on the character is refreshingly original and worthy of the Doctor Who legacy. Decide for yourself tonight on BBC America when a new day begins for the eleventh Doctor Who.

Battlestar Galactica and Lost Wins Saturn Awards

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saturn_awards_trophyThe Saturn Awards were given away last week and we all know that the “Dark Knight” dominated the awards show, at least for the movie awards categories. When it comes to the TV awards “Battlestar Galactica” still rules, managing to get back its title of being the Best Cable TV Series, which it has won 2005 but was snatched away by “Dexter” last year.

Below’s a list of this TV winners of the 35th Annual Saturn Awards. For a full list of winners you can download this Microsoft word document provided by the by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films.

Best Television Series: LOST

Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA

Best Presentation on Television: THE LIBRARIAN: THE CURSE OF THE JUDAS CHALICE

Best Actor on Television: EDWARD JAMES OLMOS (Battlestar Galactica)

Best Actress on Television: MARY MCDONNELL (Battlestar Galactica)

Best Supporting Actor on Television: ADRIAN PASDAR (Heroes)

Best Supporting Actress on Televison: JENNIFER CARPENTER (Dexter)

Guest Starring Role on Television: JIMMY SMITS (Dexter)

My reaction to the winners? Being a Battlestar Galactica fan I’m glad they got the title back. I also really like Dexter though so it’s good that they at least got awards. As for Lost, I lost my interest in the series a few seasons ago so I couldn’t care less. The twists and turns are also too much to follow and I am not in the mood for a Lost marathon just so I can finally figure out what’s been happening.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Still Has a Chance

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terminator-sarah-connor-chroniclesTerminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles fate is still uncertain with Fox still not giving an official statement on whether it will still have a 3rd season or not. Until it releases its list of pick-ups for next year (to be announced mid-May) we can only keep track of all the things being said by people who are supposedly in the know.

The bad news for fans is that so far Fox still says that “no decision has been made yet” but insiders claim that it is pretty terminated, which makes the outlook pretty grim. The rumours were further substantiated when EW’s Michael Ausiello was quoted to have said,”It’s done. Everybody has pretty much known for a couple of weeks.” The good news though is that the show’s co-producer, Ashley Edward Miller, has given a little ray of hope for those who don’t want to see the show gone in her exclusive interview with Patrick Sauriol of Coming Attractions. Here’s an excerpt of the interview:

CA: The fans know that the show has been struggling in the ratings but the rumors that it had already been cancelled as well as the revelations in the final two episodes seem to have led to a sizeable outpouring of fan support online. What are your thoughts on the EW article? Do you think that this kind of talk hurt the show’s chances for renewal?

AEM: I thought it was ridiculous. There’s no question that the show has been struggling, but there’s also been no ambiguity about when Fox intends to decide our fate. When you realize how many times the press has declared this show dead, you start to see how silly it can all get…

So there, at least we know for certain is that it isn’t cancelled YET, and though I don’t watch TSCC regularly I do hope the fans get to convince Fox to give it another chance. We need all the intelligent shows that we can get what with all the stupid shows out there right now.

V returns

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v

It’s official… V is coming back! Scott Peters, the brain behind The 4400, has been chosen by Warner Bros to write and executive produce the alien return.

No hamsters were hurt in the filming of the episodes.

Heroes Second Season underway

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Heroes
It’s a Monday today and TV-holics all across the land are preparing to watch the newest episode of the second season of Heroes.

Just like any TV addict and hardcore comicbook/sci-fi fan, I took to Heroes like Mulder took to sunflower seeds. The first season of Heroes was as dope as it could be. Tim Kring’s writers succeeded in writing the intricate subplots in such a way that it flowed effortlessly onscreen. It was not confusing and enough time was given to each and everyone to really tell their stories and for viewers to fall in love with the characters. I think the evolution of the Man with the Horn-rimmed Glasses as a character is one of the best examples of how well written that season was. [Read more…]