SyFy Portal Headlines

Vivendi Looking To Leave NBCU

Vivendi could decide as early as the beginning of December on whether or not it wants to hold on to its last small ownership stake in NBC Universal, a move that could give General Electric full control of the media company. After selling its Vivendi Universal Entertainment to GE in 2004, the French company held on to 20 percent ownership with an option until 2016 to decide whether to sell its stake to GE, sell it through a public offering, or just hold on to it. It's a decision that opens up for Vivendi every November, just before the financial year ends for both companies, and Vivendi has made it clear in the past they don't expect to be a part of NBCU long-term. "I have already said that we don't consider ourselves to be long-term investors of NBC Universal," Jean-Bernard Levy, Vivendi's ...

Review: 'Life On Mars' - The Man Who Sold The World

The following contains MAJOR SPOILERS for "The Man Who Sold The World," the seventh episode of ABCs "Life On Mars". In the fourth episode of the season, Sam Tyler met up with his mother in 1973. This week, it was time to see the fathers side of the story. The interaction between Sam and his father was far more intriguing that it was with his mother, which helped deliver the strongest episode of the season. I suspect that at least some of this has to do with the quality of acting. Dean Winters was quite good in his short stint on "Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles", but this role as a shifty con man suits his tough persona much better. Jason OMara toed the line nicely between adoration and skepticism. They even looked enough alike to be believable as family members. As for plot, ...

SyFriday: Bring On The New 'Star Trek'

I'm jealous of our friend Patrick Lee over at SciFi Wire who had a chance to see some select footage from the new "Star Trek" movie (but never fear, I still know the identity of the final Cylon, and last time I checked with him, he doesn't). He had a great review and some strong comments about the scenes that J.J. Abrams showed him, which you can find by clicking here (beware of spoilers). And while I agree with a lot of what he said, I thought I would use the platform of SyFriday to disagree on one issue: I think it's great that Star Trek is warping toward more realistic human interactions and getting away from Gene Roddenberry's mythical human interactions. It's not that I want all of Roddenberry's ideals to be cast aside, but you have to admit, the better Star Treks out there were ...

ABC Cancels 'Pushing Daisies,' 'Eli Stone'

It's not exactly a surprise, but ABC has finally cancelled "Pushing Daisies" after a disastrous second season. The network has decided not to order any more episodes of "Pushing Daisies" along with "Eli Stone" and "Dirty Sexy Money," according to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. All three shows were in their second season, and all three shows were suffering tremendously in the ratings. "It's all true," creator Bryan Fuller told Ausiello. "I'm so very proud of this show and grateful for everyone's hard work in bringing it to life." "Pushing Daisies" has averaged a 3.8 rating/6 share in overnights through six episodes, including a series low 3.1/5 Wednesday night, finishing behind even reality programming on The CW. Last season, "Pushing Daisies" was the third highest-rated ...

Economy Wreaking Havoc On Conventions

Since some fans decided to pull together a few hundred of their closest friends to celebrate "Star Trek" and got thousands instead, the convention has been almost synonymous with science-fiction fandom. For many years, they were a place where people could not only meet some of their favorite actors and writers, but also where they could locate special memorabilia, autographs, and even other fans to create social networks. The 21st century has changed a lot of that, with many of the items once found only at conventions are now discovered frequently online. At the same time, the current economic conditions have added several more blows to conventions as organizers struggle to pay top celebrities to attend, and hope that ticket sales will follow. "This economy is kicking our butts," Terri ...

Review: 'Fringe' - The Equation

The following contains MAJOR SPOILERS for "The Equation," the eighth episode of the Fox series, "Fringe." When a young boy is kidnapped, Agent Olivia Dunham is tasked to investigate his significance to the Pattern's ominous events. Dunham quickly learns the missing boy, Ben Stockton (Charlie Tahan), is part of a string of kidnappings, which include gifted scientists and engineers. The shadowy players behind the Pattern appear hell-bent on solving a mysterious equation. How does Ben fit in? He is a musical prodigy fixated on completing a piano riff. His father is perplexed by his son's talent and obsession with the riff. After all, Ben demonstrated no musical aptitude before waking from a brief coma after a car accident. Since music and mathematics both lead to the equation's solution, ...

'Heroes' Finds Another Ratings Low

If Tim Kring is ready to make some changes to the format of "Heroes" to bring viewers back, he better hope there's a show to do it with. The NBC series earned a 4.6 rating/7 share, according to Fast National ratings from Nielsen Media Research, another record in "Heroes'" smallest audience book. With that rating, "Heroes" beat only "Prison Break" on Fox and "One Tree Hill" on The CW, and was murdered by "Dancing With the Stars" and "Samantha Who" on ABC, and CBS' comedy block. That audience is 2 percent off the previous series low "Heroes" earned last week, and is nearly 25 percent off its season premiere audience, which already was considered low compared to its second season. The only highlight for "Heroes" is that it's still NBC's most-watched program on Mondays. Its ...

Storytelling In 'Heroes' Is Antithesis To 'Lost'

"Heroes" was meant to be NBC's answer to "Lost" and "24," but it may not be a serial much longer. Series creator Tim Kring told a panel at the recent Screenwriting Expo that maintaining serials like "Heroes" have been "an absolute bear to do." Television viewers, he says, don't watch TV on the same terms they did just a few years ago. "It's a very flawed way of telling stories on network television right now because of the advent of the DVR and online streaming," Kring said, according to IGN. "So [watching it] on air is related to the saps and the dipshits who can't figure out how to watch it in a superior way." That could mean shorter plotlines coming for "Heroes" as well as more individually contained episodes. That vision from Kring is reflected in his feeling that audiences ...

Four Of Five Returning Genre Shows Struggling

Good news for "Supernatural" fans: Of the five returning fall genre shows, only The CW series starring Jared Padelecki and Jensen Ackles has a bigger audience over last year. In a review of Fast National ratings from Nielsen Media Research by SyFy Portal, over the first 10 active weeks of the 2008-09 television season, "Supernatural" has earned a 2.2 rating/3 share on average. That's up nearly 16 percent from the 1.9/3 average "Supernatural" earned during the first 10 active weeks of the 2007-08 season. Four other shows weren't so lucky, however. ABC's "Pushing Daisies," NBC's "Heroes" and "Chuck," and The CW's "Smallville," all have smaller average overnight audiences from the previous year, and nearly all of them are being beat by new genre shows. "Pushing Daisies" had ...

Rumor: Vulkon Shuts Down Indianapolis Con

Rumors are circulating that the Thanksgiving weekend science-fiction convention in Indianapolis beginning on Black Friday, Nov. 28, known as Starbase Indy, has been canceled by Vulkon organizers. No official word has been released, and a request for comment to Vulkon organizer Terri Tripp is pending return, but actor Casey Biggs (Damar, "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine") told fans that his appearance at the convention had been canceled. Other visitors to Vulkon's message board say the hotel that was hosting the convention -- the Indianapolis Marriott East -- is telling people that Vulkon has been postponed "into next year sometime," according to one poster. A hotel employee told SyFy Portal Tuesday morning that the convention had indeed been postponed. The Indianapolis convention had advertised ...

Review: 'Heroes' - It's Coming

The follow contains MAJOR SPOILERS for "It's Coming," the ninth episode of the third season of "Heroes." "It's Coming!" When the moon passes between the sun and the earth, strange fascination takes root in the heart, and suddenly, anything is possible. Its power, undeniable. Its beauty, mesmerizing. Its lure, biblical. Its meaning, unknowable. And as quickly as it comes, it disappears, leaving us to dwell on our own insignificance in the face of God. So sayeth Mohinder. The ninth episode of the third season of "Heroes" picks up in the present, where last weeks flashback episode left off. Arthur Petrelli has Hiros head in his grip. Apparently, Arthur is angry at Hiro because he did not do the job he was sent to do. It seems like its going to be curtains for Hiro, but Ando tries ...

Review: 'Sarah Connor' - Complications

The following contains MAJOR SPOILERS for "Complications", an episode of Fox's "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles". I guess we cant expect action every week. After one of the most action packed episodes of the season last week, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles went three storyline divergent storylines with minimal intersection. The first storyline followed John and Cameron to Mexico to destroy Cromatie's body. But that pesky cyborgs remains were nowhere to be found. Of course they suspect that it must have been Ellison who has taken the remains, but after Cameron beats up on him, John is convinced he is not involved. Of course he is, as we learn at the episodes conclusion. The second thread follows Sarahs exploration of her dreams, which leads her back to Dr. Sherman ...

New 'Star Trek' Trailer, Revamped Web Site, Now Online

Paramount Pictures finally released its full trailer for "Star Trek XI" online Monday afternoon, and at the same time, unveiled its complete movie tie-in Web site at StarTrekMovie.com. The new site, which gives a virtual reality trip through the hallways of the USS Enterprise as featured in the film, contains a number of new features including both the teaser trailer from a year ago, and the new trailer that appeared with most prints of the new James Bond film "Quantum of Solace" over the weekend, which had the biggest Bond opening of all time. The site also has pictures of the cast, as well as a very basic story outline revealing virtually nothing more than Paramount has already released in the past. The online version of the trailer came nearly four days after it first started to appear ...

Christopher Lloyd's $11M Mansion Destroyed

In the Back to the Future trilogy, Doc Brown's mansion burns to the ground, leaving only his garage on what would later become a business strip in Hill Valley. In a sad irony, Christopher Lloyd -- who portrayed the actor in three Back to the Future movies, and also played the main Klingon bad guy in "Star Trek III: The Search For Spock" -- has lost his $11 million home in Los Angeles' Montecito district. The home was one of many victims of wildfires afflicting California, and has threatened some high-profile homes of celebrities, including that of talk show diva Oprah Winfrey. "You watch TV, you see these kinds of incidents happening here and there, but you look with a kind of detachment because it's happening ... elsewhere," Lloyd told CNN has he explored the remains of his house. "But ...

Review: 'Stargate: Atlantis' - Remnants

The following contains MAJOR SPOILERS for the "Remnants" episode of the SciFi Channel series, "Stargate: Atlantis." I just don't get the IOC. Atlantis has had three commanders in less than five years, and now they want to replace Woolsey (Robert Picardo)? How do they expect the mission to succeed when they keep chopping off its head? Woolsey's battle for his job was a little unbelievable in this episode, but I liked that it help to solidify his place in Atlantis. Like I've written before, Woolsey has turned into a great character, and I'd hate to see Robert Picardo leave the show before it goes off the air. This episode revealed a lot about one of our character's psyches. We already knew that McKay liked being the boss -- and I could've told you that Woolsey wouldn't turn away a ...

'Battlestar' Webisodes Harbor Big Secret

This story contains potential MODERATE SPOILERS of the upcoming Webisodes based on "Battlestar Galactica." Ain't It Cool News says this is coming from one of its most reliable sources attached to SciFi Channel's "Battlestar Galactica," so they are saying this rumor is as real as they come. So when the Webisodes for "Battlestar Galactica," called "The Face of the Enemy" premiere next month, it will be quickly revealed that two recurring characters are gay. This wouldn't be the first time gay characters have been found in "Battlestar Galactica," but it's not exactly a common experience. Caprica Six and Number Three were hinted at being bisexual during their trysts with Gaius Baltar in the third season of the show, and Michelle Forbes' Adm. Cain was revealed as a lesbian in the ...

Review: 'Sanctuary' - The Five

The following contains MAJOR SPOILERS for "The Five," the latest episode of the SciFi Channel series, "Sanctuary." Actually, this should have been called "The Three" since there seemed to be several "three" elements in the program, including three apparently different storylines and the fact that we really only see three of "The Five." While in Rome, Dr. Magnus is delivering a lecture. She is handed a note saying that she "will be killed in less than three minutes". The note was sent by Nikola Tesla, who she hasn't seen in 60 years. Tesla tells her that Cabal agents are all over the building. They flee into catacombs beneath the city until Tesla brings in his new vampiric creations to kill the Cabal agents. Tesla then offers Dr. Magnus' the chance to become a leader of his creations ...

The Master Returning To 'Doctor Who'?

John Simm is hinting about a return to "Doctor Who," possibly as early as 2010, so is The Master close behind? "I'm not, by the way, ruling out a return to 'Doctor Who' in the future," Simm told The Daily Record. "It's too exciting of a show to be a part of for me to do that." People may have thought Simm was moving on from "Doctor Who" when he told the British newspaper that his popular role on the series made his 7-year-old son Ryan popular in a way that might have not been the most comfortable at his school. "I'd take him to school in the morning and I'd feel like the Piped Piper with this huge gaggle of kids around me in the playground," Simm said. "He was a bit freaked out by all the attention and I'm sorry it happened that way." Simm was the second actor to play The ...

Fuller Awaiting Word On 'Pushing Daisies'

The executive producer and creator of ABCs whimsical drama Pushing Daisies is starting to get nervous. Reasonably so rumors of cancellation are plaguing his show. "Every day were hearing that were canceled and then we hear that were not," Fuller told the Los Angeles Times. "Its all rumors. Nothing official at all. Were in radio-silence land." Despite the rumors spirits have remained strong on the set, Fuller said. "It's infectious, and we're hoping ABC gets infected by that dedication," he said. Despite taking home three of its 15 Emmy nominations, the show's second season ratings have been down. The writers strike has been blamed by some for "Pushing Daisies" tough first season only nine of the scripted 22 episodes of the show were ever filmed. This season, ABC isnt ...

No 'Star Trek XI' Trailer On Some James Bond Prints

Going to see a midnight showing when you have to go to work the next morning is probably not the best use of many people's time. But that happened quite a bit early Friday morning across the United States as Trekkies flocked to midnight showings of the new James Bond film "Quantum of Solace" to get their first real look at the new "Star Trek" film. Some moviegoers, however, went home disappointed, not by what they saw ... but what they didn't see. While Paramount Pictures has been hyping the attachment of "Star Trek" trailers to "Quantum of Solace," only about three-fourths of the prints delivered to theaters have the trailer attached. It was the luck of the draw for many people whether they chose the theater that had the trailer attached or didn't. It's not clear why only some ...