Season Two looks to knock out the “gamer” stereotype … as well as zombies and ninjas.

By Emily Mitchell

N00b.
If that word is familiar to you, then you either:
a) are a gamer
b) have an extremely close relative or friend who is a gamer
c) have been called this before (most likely by a gamer)
d) never want it to be spoken again. (as does the author of this piece.)

Yes, video gaming (and its lingo), has become a massive pop culture and economic phenomenon, and SyFy Channel’s WCG Ultimate Gamer chronicles it all.

The show is a combination of the Real World/ Road Rules Challenge and videogames. Twelve contestants (6 men and 6 women) live in a house together while competing against one another in both physical and video gaming challenges to become ‘The WCG Ultimate Gamer’, a title that includes $100,000 in cash, an “ultimate” Samsung electronics package, Alienware High-Performance gaming desktop called “The Aurora’, and the chance to represent at the World Cyber Games (aka the WCG).

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Categories: Action, Fall Preview 2010, Reality TV, Sci-Fi & Fantasy by ejmitchell
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Tags: Dwight Smith, Hannah Simone, Joel Gourdin, Michael Agbabian, Syfy, Ultimate Gamer, WCG Ultimate Gamer, WCG Ultimate Gamer Season Two

By Stacey Harrison

Later this week, I’ll be neck-deep in what is often called the Super Bowl of geekdom: Comic-Con 2010. An expected 125,000 rabid fans of all things pop culture will crowd the San Diego Convention Center eager to see glimpses of the movies, TV shows, video games and, yes, even comic books that will dominate the landscape … until it’s time for next year’s Con.

Starting Wednesday, I’ll be posting daily blogs here and Twitter updates at @ChannelGuide and @ChannelGuideSRH detailing what I’m seeing. Some of the panels I’ll be hitting include AMC’s The Walking Dead, The Hub’s upcoming new cartoon series for G.I. Joe and Transformers, NBC’s The Event, Starz’s Spartacus prequel series, and — hopefully — a sneak peek at TRON Legacy.

But no one can see everything Comic-Con has to offer, so here’s a peek at some of the nerdier panels I’ll be missing. BTW, “nerd” is used as a term of affection here, as I count myself and most of my friends among their numbers. If I were trying to be mean, I’d say “dork.”

Iron Man and Rocket Men: Is Stark Industries an Appropriate Model for Private-Industry Space Exploration? — Here is the perfect melding of geek and nerd, contemplating how a character like Tony Stark would fare in the real world as it pertains to advances in space travel. The guests include representatives from XCOR Aerospace and Quicklaunch, private companies that focus on space exploration, having developed means for space tourism and a space cannon, made for launching supplies into space.

The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide Turns 40 — Comic-Con, lest we [Read more →]

Categories: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, TV News & Program Updates by sharrison76
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Tags: Archie Comics, Ball-Jointed Dolls, Comic-Con, Comic-Con 2010, G.I. Joe, Iron Man, Matt Fraction, San Diego, Stacey Harrison, Star Wars, Tony Stark, Transformers

By Ryan Berenz

NBC begins its coverage of the 2010 French Open tennis tournament from Roland Garros in Paris with third-round matches on Saturday, May 29, at 12pm ET. ESPN2 and Tennis Channel combine to televise most of the early rounds through June 3. Here’s the full info and schedule from NBC, including some expert analysis and predictions from NBC’s Mary Carillo:

FEDERER, NADAL, AND THE WILLIAMS SISTERS HEADLINE NBC SPORTS’ FRENCH OPEN COVERAGE BEGINNING THIS SATURDAY

“I am giving Rafa the edge to win this one.” – NBC Sports’ Mary Carillo
“The best clay court player of her generation.” – Carillo on Justine Henin

NEW YORK – May 27, 2010 – Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Serena and Venus Williams, and Justine Henin headline an impressive lineup at the 2010 French Open from Roland Garros in Paris beginning Saturday at Noon ET on NBC Sports.  Coverage concludes next Saturday and Sunday, June 5-6 with the Women and Men’s Finals live at 9 a.m. ET both days.  Host Ted Robinson anchors NBC Sports’ broadcast, joined by analysts John McEnroe and Mary Carillo. McEnroe and Carillo teamed to win the mixed doubles title at the 1977 French Open.  This is NBC Sports’ 28th consecutive year televising the event. Roger Federer is the world’s No. 1 ranked player. Federer held that position for a record 237 consecutive weeks from February 2004 – August 2008 before being passed by Nadal and has since reclaimed it.  Last year, he won the French Open for the first time and has now won 16 Grand Slam singles titles, more than any other male player. His chief rival Rafael Nadal, a four-time champion at Roland Garros, will compete this year in hopes of reclaiming his title as the “King of Clay,” after his early exit in last year’s tournament. Nadal is currently the world’s No. 2 ranked men’s tennis player. Serena and Venus Williams, who are currently ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the world respectively, will compete and could potentially face one of the biggest threats in this year’s tournament, Justine Henin, a four-time French Open winner. Henin returns to her first French Open tournament since retiring in 2008.

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Categories: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sports, TV News & Program Updates by Cubicle QB
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Tags: French Open, Grand Slam, NBC, Sports, Tennis, TV News & Program Updates

By Ryan Berenz

The Memorial Day weekend tradition returns with the 94th running of the Indianapolis 500 from famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 30, at 1pm ET on ABC. IndyCar’s best will compete on the 2.5-mile rectangular oval for the Borg-Warner Trophy, including popular drivers Dario Franchitti, Danica Patrick, Dan Wheldon, Ryan Briscoe, Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan, Graham Rahal and Marco Andretti. Also in the field (and starting in the pole position) will be Helio Castroneves, who beat tax evasion charges and then beat the field to win his third Indy 500 last year. Another win at Indy would put the Brazilian native in rare company of four-time race champs A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears and Al Unser. Here are the complete details from ESPN/ABC:

Indianapolis 500 Airing on ABC for 46th Consecutive Year

A  Memorial Day weekend TV tradition since 1965 continues on Sunday, May 30, when the Indianapolis 500 airs on ABC for the 46th consecutive year. ESPN on ABC’s live, high definition telecast from Indianapolis Motor Speedway is presented by GoDaddy.com and begins with a one-hour pre-race show at noon ET. The race starts at 1 p.m.

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Categories: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sports, TV News & Program Updates by Cubicle QB
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Tags: ABC, Auto Racing, ESPN, Indianapolis 500, IndyCar, IZOD IndyCar Series, Sports, TV News & Program Updates

Network’s Original Movies Are Cult And Ratings Hits

By Jeff Pfeiffer

“I’m gonna watch these movies till my eyes pop right out of my head
Saturday night, Saturday night, Saturday night on Syfy …”
–    “Saturday Night on Syfy” by Sci-Fried

“To have a song written about these movies truly shows that [they] are now part of pop culture,” says Thomas Vitale, proudly, referring to the song quoted above. Vitale is executive vice president of programming and original movies at Syfy, and he’s right – his network’s Saturday original movies, long a target of mockery for their low budgets, sensational titles, cheesy CGI effects and B-grade scripts and acting, have pulled off that hard-to-obtain double feat of cult status and ratings success.

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Categories: Interview, Movies, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, TV News & Program Updates by RabbitEars
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Tags: Barry Williams, Colin Ferguson, Dinocroc vs. Supergator, Goblin, Hill Harper, Jack Hunter and the Lost Treasure of Ugarit, Jeff Pfeiffer, Joanne Kelly, Lake Placid 3, Mega Piranha, Roger Corman, Sci-Fried, Sharktopus, Stonehenge Apocalypse, Syfy, Syfy movies song, Syfy Original Movies, Thomas Vitale, Witchville

Eureka's Colin Ferguson

By Jeff Pfeiffer

Two of Syfy’s biggest series, Warehouse 13 and Eureka, are currently filming a pair of crossover episodes that will air this August.

In the Warehouse 13 episode called “13.1,” airing August 3, Douglas Fargo (Neil Grayston) of Eureka’s Global Dynamics is sent to Warehouse 13 to help update its aging computer system. This triggers a seemingly sentient computer virus that sends the Warehouse into lockdown and traps the team inside. Rene Auberjonois guest-stars in this episode as former Warehouse agent Hugo Miller.

Warehouse 13's Allison Scagliotti

The Eureka episode is called “Crossing Over” and airs August 6. Warehouse 13‘s Claudia Donovan (Allison Scagliotti) pays a visit to Eureka, hoping to see some amazing technological wonders. She gets more than she bargained for when seemingly random objects begin appearing around town. Working with Sheriff Carter (Colin Ferguson) and Fargo, Claudia has to help solve the mystery before the anomalies have deadly consequences, particularly for newcomer Dr. Grant (James Callis).

______________________

Eureka: © Syfy Credit: Marcel Williams

Warehouse 13: © Syfy Credit: Philippe Bosse

Categories: Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, TV News & Program Updates by RabbitEars
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Tags: Allison Scagliotti, Claudia Donovan, Colin Ferguson, crossover, Douglas Fargo, Eureka, Eureka Warehouse 13 crossover, Jack Carter, Jeff Pfeiffer, Neil Grayston, Rene Auberjonois, Syfy, Warehouse 13

By Elaine Bergstrom
Before vampires became really hot again – call it “The Twilight Factor” – there were other fanged heroes whose shows came and went in the time it takes a creature of the night to shift to bat form. Among them was Moonlight, featuring the recently immortal private eye Mick St. John who used wit and his powerful vampire abilities to help the living (is anyone else remembering Angel or Nick Knight?).

Mick was turned 60 years earlier by his bride, Coraline. Unlike others of his kind, he does not view humans as merely food. In Moonlight, he falls in love with a woman whose life he had saved years earlier, leading to deadly complications for both of them.

Moonlight will air Thursday nights at 9pm ET beginning June 3, preceded by encore episodes of The Vampire Diaries.

Categories: Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, TV News & Program Updates by Elaine
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Tags: Elaine Bergstrom, Mick St. John, Moonlight, Vampire Diaries

By Karl J. Paloucek

The Winter Olympics don’t always get the same level of respect as their summertime cousins. Some argue that the Winter Olympics aren’t Olympics at all, as they’re not at all connected with the Games of ancient Greece. But it’s harder to argue that they’re any less exciting or drama-filled, and they’re certainly far more dangerous. Events like the super-G have people hurtling themselves down iced-over mountainsides, and from the way those luge competitors try to keep themselves perfectly aerodynamic, it sure doesn’t look like they can even see where they’re going.

But the Winter Olympics does have its share of events that some will find peculiar. The biathlon, an event combining cross-country skiing speed and agility with rifle marksmanship, throws a lot of people for a loop until they understand its historic origins in Scandinavian border patrol activity. More recent, “extreme” events like freestyle skiing and snowboarding have a more contemporary than historic feel, but they mesh well with the intense media focus that’s become part of the Games.

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Categories: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sports by Cubicle QB
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Tags: Acroski, Bandy, Ice Stock Sport, Olympics, Skijoring, Sled Dog Racing, Speed Skiing, Sports, Vancouver, Winter Olympics

By Stacey Harrison

© 2009 Fox Broadcasting Co. Credit: Liane Hentscher/FOX

You can always tell when you’re in for a mythology episode or a standalone episode by the “previously on Fringe” segments. If you see a scene from the pilot, setting up the premise of the show, then Pattern junkies are probably OK to skip the next hour. If you’re seeing Leonard Nimoy, and severed heads being reattached to bodies, then you might want to pay close attention.

The guy whose head they stole from a cryogenic factory and reattached to his body — the supposed leader of some other-dimensional group — is up and running. He’s heading up a break-in at a mental hospital where he’s either retrieving something vital to his sinister purposes from the brain of a wide-awake patient or reenacting a scene from Hannibal. You know the one. Olivia and the Bishop boys come in to investigate (an orderly was also shot and killed during the escape), and they learn that Slater has been cooped up for 14 years and been diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic. Which always begs the question: Are there any other kind of schizophrenics? [Read more →]

Categories: Drama, Fall Preview 2009, Sci-Fi & Fantasy by sharrison76
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Tags: Anna Torv, Blight, FOX, Fringe, Grey Matters, Jeannot Szwarc, John Noble, Joshua Jackson, Leonard Nimoy, Massive Dynamic, Recap, Stacey Harrison

By Stacey Harrison

©2009 Fox Broadcasting Co. Credit: Michael Courtney/FOX

First off, coolest episode name ever. Just had to say that.

We start off in Boston (which looks nothing like Vancouver, no sir, not one bit) where a man is frantically wandering the streets of Chinatown. He makes it to see a man and they start to discuss strange, oblique subjects like “the others” and taking something and “they’re all dead.” Then the frantic man lays down and proceeds to have a parasite bulge through his body, working its way out his mouth with its gaggle of tentacles showing. Ewwww. The man he came to see is not scared or surprised. He was expecting it. And more.

There are others with this affliction, but they didn’t make it as far. A cargo ship from China runs aground elsewhere in Boston and several corpses are on the shore in various stages of parasitic expulsion. Walter says it is similar to a creature found in livestock, but of course they’re not that big, or usually in humans. There is one survivor, however, a woman who it turns out is carrying no parasite. Like all of them, she came to find work and a better life. She says that everyone on board who was given a medicine for seasickness ended up with the squid. She was experienced at sea, so she didn’t take it. Olivia and Peter also learn that there’s another boat on the way, most likely packing the big uglies. [Read more →]

Categories: Drama, Fall Preview 2009, Sci-Fi & Fantasy by sharrison76
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Tags: Anna Torv, FOX, Fringe, John Noble, Joshua Jackson, Leonard Nimoy, Recap, Stacey Harrison, William Bell