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Quick LinksWhy Special Unit 2 Was Special, But Not UniqueWhy Special Unit 2 Deserves a Second LookCould Special Unit 2 Work Today?

Somewhere between light and shadow, justice and obscuration, a forgotten police procedural remains underrated 24 years later. Police dramas have always been a staple of television, drawing audiences into the suspense as they play armchair detectives. Whether following an eccentric supersleuth, a mismatched duo, or a team of young investigators, it is usually the mystery that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. But what about the mysteries that defy natural history books, the things that lurk in the shadows beyond human understanding? Enter Special Unit 2, a paranormal procedural with more revelations than just what goes bump in the night, one that speaks volumes about the landscape of cop shows, supernatural serials, and early 2000s television.

Debuting on Upn in 2001, Special Unit 2 was an underrated sci-fi show...

Photo: Brittany Bristow, Will Kemp

Credit: ©2024 Hallmark Media/Photographer: Courtesy Leif Films

Airing as part of Hallmark Mysteries’ Miracles of Christmas programming event My Sweet Austrian Holiday is all about chocolate and love.

Hallmark Mystery has announced My Sweet Austrian Holiday, set to air during the feel-good network’s Miracles of Christmas programming event. The new movie stars Brittany Bristow and Will Kemp and premieres on October 31. Read on to find out more about this upcoming movie and its cast.

My Sweet Austrian Holiday on Hallmark Mystery Photo: Brittany Bristow

Credit: ©2024 Hallmark Media/Photographer: Courtesy Leif Films

According to TV Line, Charlotte (Brittany Bristow) lives in Vienna, Austria, where she moved two years ago after inheriting her grandparents’ chocolate shop. While it has been a lot of hard work, the American has become successful and respected.

Meanwhile, her shop is among the finalists for the Vienna Chocolatier of the Year award.

Photo: Sarah Power, Brendan Penny Credit: ©2024 Hallmark Media/Photographer: Nelly Kiss

Hallmark+ has announced details of the third installment in its new, original movie series, Love on the Danube. Titled Kissing Stars, the new movie premieres on September 26 and stars Sarah Power and Brendan Penny. Read on to find out more about the movie and its cast and enjoy some images taken on the film set.

Love On The Danube: Kissing Stars on Hallmark+ Photo: Brendan Penny Credit: ©2024 Hallmark Media/Photographer: Nelly Kiss

According to the official synopsis, Savannah (Power) is a PR professional who works with non-profits. She is expecting a promotion but unexpectedly gets laid off. Meanwhile, her best friend, Teddy (Kathryn Drysdale), the director of a riverboat cruise that is hosting a Rom-Com fan convention called KissCon, invites her to work with talent while on the cruise.

Photo: Katie Sheridan, Brendan Penny, Jonny Weldon Credit: ©2024 Hallmark Media...

Editor’s note: this list was originally published in October 2022. It has since been updated with new selections.

If horror’s limitless capacity for remakes, re-imaginings, and spinoffs teaches us anything, it’s that our nightmares never really change. Since before “Nosferatu” darkened the silent film scene in 1922 — heck, even before Bram Stoker terrified readers with “Dracula” in 1897 — vampires have transfixed audiences with their chilling blend of romance and menace. Movies like “Twilight” and “Interview with the Vampire” are memorable for weaving epic undead dramas for the big screen, but vampire sagas have arguably seen more creative permutations on TV, with whole casts of blood-sucking stars appearing in shows like “True Blood” and “Castlevania.”

The best vampire TV shows examine the archetypal underpinnings of the gothic-infused subgenre by referencing them in unexpected ways. Classic situational comedies like “Dark Shadows” make entertaining light of garlic, coffins, and the (pun intended) stakes of it all.

It's no secret to any horror buff that the genre's greatest offerings aren't always defined by critical prestige. But when it comes to horror television, the uphill battle that new shows face to overcome skepticism and garner positive reviews is even steeper. This is aptly demonstrated by the TV landscape of the '90s, in which writers and directors galvanized the medium by venturing into as-yet-unexplored depths of scariness, violence, and production value. However, creators weren't always able to translate that broadening of horizons into favorable critical notes.

Sure, it was the decade of "Twin Peaks," "The X-Files," Stephen King's "It," and all the bold new offerings for which such beloved programs paved the way by evidencing audiences' appetite for serious, well-made horror TV. But it was also the decade of a vast number of critical flops, which have been either largely forgotten or marred by extremely negative reputations...

The Twilight Saga showcases a captivating love story while emphasizing the importance of family bonds within the Cullen clan. Each member of the Cullen family possesses unique and exaggerated powers, such as telepathy, mental shields, and heightened strength. Becoming a vampire enhances individual traits, leading to extraordinary abilities like precognition, pathokinesis, and heightened compassion.

Vampires have traditionally been seen as predatory beings that feed on human blood, but fantasy has become more intriguing, with 19th-century literature opening the way for a new kind of these fascinating creatures. A plethora of vampire films and shows have been released over the years, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dracula, and Forever Knight. However, nothing quite captures the essence of vampire-human romance like The Twilight Saga, which spanned five films between 2008 and 2012.

The Twilight Saga illustrates a beautiful love story between a seventeen-year-old Bella Swan and a hundred-year-old vampire, Edward Cullen. However, as is...

Anne Rice's classic gothic romance Interview with the Vampire returned to the small screen to chill and delight, and its premiere caused a huge boost in AMC+'s viewership. Though the original novel set the stage for the spooky romance explosion that was to follow, the new TV series is another in a long line of tantalizing programs.

From long-running TV staples like The Vampire Diaries to horrifying tales like The Haunting o f Bly Manor, plenty of shows mix romance and terror for a perfectly eerie experience. Though paranormal romance is a massive TV sub-genre, only the very best shows capture the same energy as AMC's newest hit.

The Originals (2013-2018) Stream On Netflix

Sharing its setting with Interview with the Vampire, the Vampire Diaries spin-off The Originals further proved that bloodsuckers and New Orleans go together perfectly. The series follows Klaus, the original hybrid of a vampire and werewolf,...

Derry Girls recently released its third and final season on Netflix, and throughout its run, it has inspired waves of '90s nostalgia. The '90s kids-at-heart are constantly on the lookout for gems from that decade they may not have seen, as some of the best shows from the era have been mostly lost to time.

From workplace comedies like Spin City to freaky kid shows like Eerie, Indiana, a ton of great shows from the '90s have sadly slipped through the cracks. With '90s nostalgia at an all-time high, only a select few forgotten classics are worth rewatching.

Ally McBeal (1997-2002)

Despite a wealth of must-watch TV competition in the '90s, Ally McBeal never failed to have audiences chatting about each new episode. Ally McBeal is a young and spunky lawyer who tries to balance her demanding job with her tumultuous personal life.

Related: 10 Best...

The first short story in Andrzej Sapkowski's epic saga was simply titled "The Witcher." It was printed in the Polish fantasy and sci-fi magazine Nowa Fantastyka in 1986, as part of a contest. Sapkowski didn't win the top prize then, but readers were attracted to Geralt of Rivia's struggle to free a princess from an unfair curse. That encouraged Sapkowski, and in 1994, "Blood of Elves" became the first full novel about the mutant monster-hunter's trials. Gradually, Geralt's popularity trickled into the worldwide consciousness, helped along by the 2007 video game adaptation by CD Project.

Geralt's (portrayed by Henry Cavill) first adventure is the third episode of Netflix's "The Witcher." Titled "Betrayer Moon," the myth of the striga becomes a showcase for Geralt's gruff brand of empathy. In his world, monsters can't be allowed to roam free, but when he can, he saves them from their fates. The world of "The Witcher" is often cruel,...

“Tacoma Fd” is a workplace shenanigan-style comedy that has garnered polarized reviews from its audience – the jokes will either land with you or they won’t. However, an 8.1 out of 10 rating on IMDb shows the audience has mostly liked it.

Kevin Heffernan and Steve Lemme wrote this show. They are also the show’s executive producers, alongside David Miner, Greg Walter, Brandon Hendrix, and Kyle Clark.

The last episode of the third season aired on December 9, 2021. Fans are impatiently waiting for the next season’s release.

Read on to learn more about “Tacoma Fd’s” premise, cast, and the latest news regarding season four.

What Is “Tacoma Fd” About?

“Tacoma Fd” is a sitcom with standalone episodes featuring six happy-go-lucky firefighters working at a fire station in Tacoma, Washington. In the show, Tacoma is shown to be one of America’s rainiest cities, and thus, there are not many fires around to extinguish.

An incredibly sad week full of heavy losses continues, as veteran voice actor and X-Men: The Animated Series star Norm Spencer has passed away at the age of 62. Known to longtime X-Men fans for voicing Cyclops (a.k.a. Scott Summers) on the beloved animated series, Spencer's cause of death has not yet been made clear.. Word of his passing comes from his former co-star Cal Dodd -- the voice of Wolverine -- in a statement posted to his official Twitter account.

"Lost my dear friend and cohort Norm Spencer," Dodd said in the tweet. "What a sad day. Norm was the voice of Cyclops on X-Men the animated series. He was a genuine Character and sweetheart. I will miss you Cyc. Sorry about the 'convertible' Bub. See ya later my friend."

Originally premiering on the Fox Kids Network on Oct. 31 in 1992, X-Men: The Animated Series was a bit hit...

There was a time in the ‘80s when the rights to Marvel’s Spider-Man passed from producer Roger Corman to Cannon Films. As you know, neither of the studios were known for their high quality films. They didn’t have very high standards.

When Cannon Films landed the rights to Spider-Man in 1985, they started developing it as a horror movie that was inspired by David Cronenberg’s The Fly! The studio even brought on The Texas Chain Saw Massacre director Tobe Hooper to work on the film along with Outer Limits creator Leslie Stevens to write a script for the film.

This would have been unlike any Spider-Man story that’s even been told! In this version of Peter Parker’s origin story, “instead of being bitten by a radioactive spider, Parker was deliberately bombarded with radiation by a corporate scientist – named Doctor Zork – who transforms the ID photographer into a giant eight-armed spider-hybrid,...

To celebrate the home entertainment release of Pyewacket available now on Digital HD and on DVD from the 23rd April 2018, we have a copy of the DVD up for grabs, courtesy of Signature Entertainment!

Forget teen-friendly jump scares and Ouija board pranks – this the real deal, that goes deep into the dark heart of the occult. From the producer of cult hits The Void and The Witch, Pyewacket can take its place alongside those other-wordly modern horror classics.

Adam MacDonald, who directed the impressive killer bear thriller Backcountry, has crafted a deliciously taut slow burner, with outstanding central performances from Nicole Munoz as witchcraft-obsessed teenager Leah, and The Walking Dead’s Laurie Holden as her mother. As surprising as it is inventive, the film plants a seed of dread from the moment teenager Leah performs an occult ritual in the woods, building to an excruciating climax that will do for...

Canada is awesome, eh! Seriously, as an expat living in Canada, I can attest to Canada being one of the greatest countries in the world. While Canada has produced countless wonderful television shows (Kids In the Hall, Road to Avonlea, Due South, Forever Knight, Big Wolf on Campus, etc, etc), sometimes the Canadian entertainment CV […]

Read 7 Awesome Movies Aboot Canadians That’ll Have You Grabbing Your Two-Fours on Filmonic.

Entertainment Geekly is a weekly column that examines pop culture through a geek lens and simultaneously examines contemporary geek culture through a pop lens. So many lenses! This week there are two columns inspired by True Detective, partially because True Detective was a thought-provoking TV show which deserves a significant amount of thoughtful analysis, but mainly because I missed a column last week. Today: A consideration of where the show’s ending fits into the pantheon. Tomorrow: A meditation on the show’s meaning, or lack thereof. Spoilers follow.

True Detective only ran for eight episodes, but the final episode carried series-finale weight and expectation.

October is one of the best months of the year, and one of the reasons is that it’s officially Halloween season. Syfy is once again celebrating with its “31 Days of Halloween Scare-a-Thon,” starting tonight with a new episode of Face Off. There’ll be a host of new and returning Syfy Original Movies, along with the return of Ghost Hunters, marathons of Being Human, Friday the 13th: The Series, Ghost Whisperer, and Forever Knight, and much more.

Check out the full info below:

Syfy’S Sixth Annual 31 Days Of Halloween Scare-a-thon Unleashes 600 Hours Of Bloodcurdling Programming Ghost Hunters And Naked Vegas Holiday Episodes Original Horror Movies Zombie Night, Scarecrow And Grave Halloween

New York – September 13, 2013 – Syfy’s sixth annual 31 Days of Halloween will unleash nearly 600 hours of bloodcurdling programming throughout the entire month of October, led by Halloween-themed episodes of Ghost Hunters (October 30) and Naked Vegas (October 29), a...

Michael learned exactly what the organization that Sonya and Burke do this week, as James laid it out for him to face the "Nature of the Beast." Yes, he and his operatives find monsters and eliminate them.

James certainly has a nice sales pitch for joining his team. To be fair to James, in a lot of ways his mission fits Michael better than working for the CIA. Which made me wonder for a few minutes if Burn Notice might be going for a"dark side" anti-hero ending to the series.

I've only watched one show brave enough to take the anti-hero route: Forever Knight, which ran for three seasons back in the mid-90s and was the story of a vampire trying to regain his humanity by working as a cop. In the final episode, he gave in to his inner-monster, quit being a cop, gave up the girl...

Sanctuary starred Amanada Tapping as Dr. Helen Magnus, protector of abnormals.

A former writer and producer on Sanctuary is offering some of the last remaining props from the sci-fi series in an attempt to raise funds for the charitable foundation that grew out of it.

Gillian Horvath, who was a writer and supervising producer on the Vancouver-shot show, is selling mementos from Sanctuary in support of Sanctuary For Kids. Sanctuary was cancelled earlier this year by Syfy after four seasons. It was originally created as a web series in 2007.

Sanctuary For Kids was formed by the show’s creator Damian Kindler, the star and executive producer of Sanctuary, Amanda Tapping, and Jill Bodie. It has funded services supporting children in various parts of the world, including Vancouver, Haiti, Pakistan and Nepal.

Items on offer in Horvath’s Sanctuary Keepsake Campaign (#SanctuaryKeepsakeCampaign on Twitter) include pens and pencils, wine corks, wine...

Director: Marc Buckland.

Creators: Jim Kouf and David Greenwalt.

Executive Producers: Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner.

More and more creators are adapting from the works of the Brothers Grimm. In addition to the comic books and movies that hearkens to their dark, sinister, world, NBC will air a new television series in the fall. It will be populated with fairy tale lore and they won't be your typical bedtime story either. Simply titled "Grimm", this series will get its premiere pilot screening at the San Diego Comic Convention, June 23, in Room 6A.

Set in present-day Portland, this Kolchak: The Night Stalker like series will this time have a homicide detective, Nick Burkhardt (David Guintoli), discover that he's a descendant of a group of hunters known as "Grimms." They fight to keep the forces of good and evil in equilibrium. But when Burkhardt learns he's the last of his kind, comparisons...

It’s back to the “Cube” again. Lionsgate is soliciting pitches for “Cube 3D,” according to ShockTillYouDrop. It is not clear on whether the film would be the third part of a complete reboot of the franchise. In the original 1997 science fiction horror “Cube,” the tale is about seven complete strangers with different personalities involuntarily placed into a maze full of deadly traps. The original film was directed by Vincenzo Natali (“Splice,” “Ginger Snaps”). It starred Nicole de Boer (“Stephen King’s Dead Zone,” “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”), Maurice Dean Wint (“RoboCop: Prime Directives,” “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”) and David Hewlett (“Stargate: Atlantis,” “Splice”). There was also a follow up 2002 sequel called, “Cube 2: Hypercube.” In this version, eight strangers need to escape the “hypercube” and discovered they are in a strange fourth dimension where the laws of physics do not apply. The film was directed by Andrzej Sekula (“The Pleasure Drivers,...

This article was written by fellow blogger and writer Ed Sum.

Fans of the Canadian produced series, "Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal" can rejoice. The complete series is available on DVD from Alliance Home Entertainment. Each season can be bought individually or all in one full scoop.

Originally airing from 1996 to 2000, this fictional drama focused on a group of scientists working for the Office of Scientific Investigation and Research (O.S.I.R.), trying to validate claims of encounters with the unknown and dealing with government conspiracies. While "X-files" took off, "Psi Factor" fell behind due to scheduling conflicts and moderate ratings.

One problem stemmed from Dan Aykroyd's claims that these case files were based on actual case logs. There was no validity despite the well-known fact that Aykryod is enamored with the world of the supernatural. But his contribution is not just limited to himself. His father,...

In new that pleases me greatly (what? I’m a fan of this Canadian iteration of the series), Universal Studios Home Entertainment have announced the Us release of Airwolf – Season 4, the much-maligned final season of the TV show that was shot on video in Canada after the original stars left the series.

Airwolf – Season 4 stars Barry Van Dyke (Diagnosis: Murder) as the long-missing brother of Jan Michael Vincent’s character, Michele Scarabelli (TV’s Alien Nation), Geraint Wyn Davies (24, Forever Knight), Anthony Sherwood (Street Legal) and in a recurring role William B. Davis (The X-Files).

Airwolf – Season 4 is released on Region 1 DVD on February 1st 2011.

Some lucky people are getting out of town for Memorial Day 2010. But some of us are staying at home. Luckily, all your favorite channels are doing mega marathons of all your favorite shows.

Zap2it is the one-stop shop for all your Memorial Day programming. From delightfully bad reality TV like "Real Housewives" and "Jersey Shore" to the quirky 1990s dramedy "Twin Peaks" to the serious TCM salute to war movies, there's something for everyone on TV this weekend. All times Eastern, but check your local listings for times and channel numbers.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

A&E (11 a.m. - 6 p.m.): Flip This House

Animal Planet (1 p.m. - 7 p.m.): River Monsters

BBC America (8 p.m. - 8 a.m.): Doctor Who

Bet (10 a.m. - 7 p.m.): Everybody Hates Chris

Biography (8 p.m. - 3 a.m.): Celebrity Ghost Stories

Bravo (9 p.m. - 2 a.

Clark Kent and Lois Lane could be getting a new boss on "Smallville."

Kryptonsite is reporting that Blu Mankuma will appear in an episode later this year as Franklin Stern — the owner and publisher of the Daily Planet in the DC Universe. Stern was created by Louise Simonson and Jon Bogdanove in 1993 during the "Superman: The Man of Steel" series.

James Earl Jones portrayed Stern on a single episode of "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" during the first season of that show. Given the history of the character — and the upcoming return of Michael McKean as Perry White — it seems likely that Stern will assume ownership of the paper from Tess Mercer (Cassidy Freeman).

Mankuma — who recently appeared in the film "2012" — has an extensive resume of genre TV series, including "The X-Files," "The Outer Limits," "Forever Knight," "Robocop: The Series" and "Stargate Sg-1."

Mankuma's character will appear alongside...

Clay Borris may not be a name you recognize immediately, but trust me, you've seen his work. A veteran of film and television, Borris has been writing, acting and directing since the early 1970s. In 1981, he wrote, directed, produced and starred in the film Alligator Shoes. He is most well known for Quiet Cool, a 1986 film from New Line about an unconventional New York cop. He also directed the genre flick Prom Night IV: Deliver Us From Evil, and was Second Unit Director on the now classic Wrong Turn. In addition, he's directed numerous episodes of genre television mainstays like Forever Knight and Highlander (TV). Over the last few years, he has done more television than anything, but has taken time to talk to us today about his return to the silver screen.

Filed under: Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, TV Squad Polls, Reality-Free

I haven't jumped on the vampire bandwagon. I don't have any real interest in Twilight or True Blood or any other vampire show/movie that starts with a T (The Vampire Diaries starts this fall on The CW). But I've liked them for a long time, from the Christopher Lee films to Kolchak to Forever Knight.

Grady Hendrix at Slate says that vampire stories suck (ha ha) now, because it's more about feelings and psychology and vampires having normal lives and very little about the biting of people.

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All right, Fangoria Campers. You may recall that in a prior installment (read it here) I tackled the idea of the Best Horror on TV. Ever. I listed a number of appropriate series possibilities, and invited you to kick other nominees into the list. What we’re going to do now is narrow that list down to 15. You give me your top Five based on the list, and I’ll compile the top 15 nominees for a later installment. I ask that you stick to the list; however, if you offer a compelling case for a show that I or the commenting readers missed the first time around, I might be convinced to add it.

So now, the list:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Angel The Twilight Zone The X-Files Dark Shadows Tales from the Crypt Tales from the Darkside Night Gallery Kolchak; The Night Stalker Supernatural Twin Peaks Friday the 13th:...

Apologies to the legions of Fango Faithful: inasmuch as I've been trying to get on a regular schedule with Unkillable Classics, a number of obstacles have thrown their limbs in the way. No matter. We're forging ahead. For this installment, I'd initially considered discussing Let The Right One In, but I'm almost afraid of overexposing it in a way at this point. Maybe we'll give it some time and come back. For the moment, though, I'd like to swing away from film and discuss a different kind of classic: TV. I'm inviting you, the reader, to help me divine the greatest horror-related TV shows of all time.

Here's how we'll do this: I'm going to kick out a list of a few dozen classic series. You can respond with some that I may have neglected to include. From there, the next few installments of Unkillable Classics will follow this thread,...

From My Best Friend is a Vampire to The Lost Boys, from Fright Night to Forever Knight, I am there. I’ll be honest. I didn’t watch Moonlight during its initial run because it looked like a Forever Knight retread. I grew up watching Forever Night off the Cbc and it holds a special place in my heart. Just a few minutes in my viewing, Moonlight set me straight. Moonlight lays down the rules right off the bat. Crucifixes do nothing. Garlic tastes good on pizza. Sunlight weakens and could eventually destroy a vampire, but it’s definitely not instantaneous. A stake through the heart will paralyze a vampire… so will silver. The only surefire ways to kill a vampire – remove its head or burn its body. Much like Nick Knight, Mick St. John fights crime, though as a private investigator and not a cop. He’s only lived...

As the theaters fill with serious fright fare for Halloween, there’s a new, deliciously evil little comedy from Canada making the cinema scene. It’s called Just Buried, and while it may not be horror in the strictest sense, it contains enough macabre sensibility, twisted humor and gruesome deaths to satisfy any genre fan.

Starring rising comedy star Jay Baruchel (Knocked Up, Tropic Thunder) and up-and-coming genre darling Rose Byrne (28 Weeks Later, Sunshine), and written/directed by newcomer Chaz Thorne, Just Buried is making its latest stop this weekend at Los Angeles’ Laemmle Sunset 5 for midnight showings (purchase tickets here). The story centers on a young man named Oliver (Baruchel), who comes home to a small town in Nova Scotia for his father’s funeral. Ollie inherits the family business, a funeral home in a town with a drought of corpses. Facing bankruptcy and failure, he and his adorably odd coroner/mortician girlfriend,...