gagglefrak - science fiction blog

Hulu.com is really pushing hard to be THE destination site for free, quality, syndicated internet television. And I have to say, they’re not doing a bad job so far. At this point, they’ve easily passed the point where they have more cool sci-fi stuff that I want to watch than I actually have time to. They need to improve their category cross-tagging, though — a few things that really should be under Sci Fi/Fantasy are lost in Drama or Action/Adventure instead. So keep that in mind.

Anyway, here are a few of the geek-worthy pleasures you’ll find there this week …

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All sorts of good, bad, and ugly news came out of the San Diego Comic Con this past weekend. So much news that it’s actually taking me a while to work my way through all the blogs out there. But I have to say, the one piece of news that jumped right out at me and put an immediate smile on my face was word that Rockne O’Bannon — creator of the grossly underrated and prematurely cancelled show Farscape — is in the process of creating a canon comic book that will pick up where the “Peacekeeper Wars” TV miniseries left off.

The title is slated to launch in November, and so far, O’Bannon has only committed to a 4-issue arc, but his aspirations are high. “For me, one of the very exciting aspects of doing this in comic book form is that all of [the visual] restraints are off. We can portray a class of creatures, and a multitude of creatures, without the restrictions of television production and budget. The scale of this comic book is going to be the dream version of ‘Farscape,’ the unrestrained version of ‘Farscape.’”

Visit ComicBookResources.com to learn more

As a fan of Buffy Season 8 and Angel: After the Fall, I’m thrilled when sci-fi shows like this that meet untimely ends get a chance to live on. I can’t wait to see what Crichton and the gang have been up to. Obviously, I’d much prefer to see more episodes of Farscape on television, but since that’s not going to happen, then this is the next best thing.

After all, it’s not like I’m not already reading comic books anyway!

This week’s W.Y.O.S.T. subject is Stacy Haiduk (pronounced “High-Duke”). And the answer is no — she has never been in a Star Trek show. But she’s had feature roles in a few other sci-fi franchises. I wanted to work another woman into the list, and she was someone who quickly came to mind. She pinged my radar all the way back in 1988, when at the age of 20, she was cast in the role of Clark Kent’s childhood friend Lana Lang (the female lead) in the Superboy series, which ran for four seasons.

Prior to this, Michigan-born Haiduk had studied dancing, singing, and theater, appeared in some music videos, and did some commercial work. After Superboy was cancelled prematurely in 1992, due to ongoing legal battles between Ilya Salkind and Warner Brothers, Haiduk wasted little time finding work. Her piercing blue eyes and red hair helped her stand out from the crowd, and in 1993, she landed a major role as Lieutenant Commander Kathryn Hitchcock on SeaQuest DSV. Which, let’s face it, was really just Star Trek underwater, with Roy Scheider as captain and Peter DeLuise as Data. Right? So maybe in a way, Haiduk really was on a Star Trek show?

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Okay, so here’s the thing. As a geek, I’m starting to get a little tired of being excited all the time. “Dude, did you see the awesome trailer for the Watchmen movie?” “OMG, did you get the link I sent with the teaser for the new Terminator movie?” “Did you hear the rumor that there might be as many as THREE Battlestar Galactica movies?” Well, did you? DID YOU??? The truth is, I think I’m just about all trailered and teasered and rumored out right now. How much sustained anticipation can a person actually experience before their brain simply shuts down, or — as in my case — before the state of being excited actually loses all meaning?

I’m reminded of the Terror Alert System. As you may or may not know, the U.S. alert level hasn’t gone any lower than yellow since the day it was first instituted by the Department of Homeland Security back in 2002. That’s six years of either “Elevated” or “High” risk of terrorist attack. What message does that send, and as a society, how do we process that? By being stressed, of course. All the time. By being worried and afraid. Which, many would argue (and I would agree), is exactly what this administration wants us to do. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

But what does this have to do with geeks?

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Even though it’s easily in my Top 5 List of shows right now, for some reason, I don’t ever get around to posting about Doctor Who. I’m not sure why. Maybe because it’s on Fridays, but I sometimes don’t get around to watching it till Sunday, and in any case, I’m already distracted by other things on Monday, and it just doesn’t occur to me. Or maybe because it’s so good and clever and funny and well-written that I’m afraid I can’t do it justice, so I don’t even try. Regardless, this week, I have to post about it. Because the latest episode (here in the States anyway), “Turn Left,” was just SO good that I can’t stop thinking about it. Continue Reading »