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Oh man, zombiefans: This was some back half of a season, eh? As we followed our survivor friends from the destruction of the prison all the way down the railroad tracks to Terminus, we learned quite a bit about these characters, as well as the ongoing evolution of the post-Zombpocalypse world. We also discovered that new-ish showrunner Scott Gimple is not afraid to take this show to increasingly cringe-worthy levels of terror.

'The Walking Dead' Companion Series Official

(Warning: Spoilers Ahead. Do not read this if you've yet to watch the episode!

Here is the synopsis for "Retribution," which airs this Tuesday at 10 on Syfy:

Lacy botches an operation launched by Barnabas, and the Adama brothers begin a campaign of coercion against Daniel's former colleagues while Amanda tries to cope with her losses. - TV GuideThe episode was written by Patrick Massett and John Zinman and directed by Jonas Pate.

Ron Moore, David Eick and Syfy's Mark Stern will be at the Syfy Digital Press Tour this weekend. You can find more details about the panels at Airlock Alpha and follow Michael Hinman on Twitter for updates in real time.

A round of cast updates:

SpoilerTV has a teaser for Glee 2x04, "Duets," directed by Eric Stoltz, which airs this Tuesday at 8 pm on Fox. If you want to hear the songs from the episode, they have them too - here. And file this under "rumour" for now, but daddy...

The Vancouver-shot fantasy series Sanctuary returns to Syfy next week. To celebrate this, the channel is giving away a Sanctuary t-shirt to one lucky reader. You can see an image of the t-shirt below.

If you are also a fan of Stargate Universe, this giveaway should be even more enticing because the winner will also receive a Stargate Universe t-shirt resembling the shirt worn by Eli Wallace (David Blue) in the show (there's a small pic with the headline on the CinemaSpy homepage). That's not all, though. The prize pack also includes a Syfy-branded iTunes Gift Card.

There is some bad news, though (and please don't shoot the messenger). By orders of Syfy, this contest is only open to Us residents (that cuts us out, for a start).

To enter the giveaway, there are two things you need to do:

1) Tell us below what you are most looking forward to...

Anchor Bay will drop Hunt To Kill on DVD and Blu-ray on November 9th!

Steve Austin stars as U.S. Border Patrol agent Jim Rhodes, a tough divorcee mourning the loss of his murdered partner while struggling to raise his rebellious daughter in the mountains of Montana. But when a crew of trigger-happy fugitives takes Rhodes and his daughter hostage, a rugged wilderness will explode in all-terrain vengeance. Is there any wounded animal more dangerous than a lawman left for dead?

Directed by Keoni Waxman (The Keeper), Hunt to Kill features a stellar cast including Gil Bellows (The Shawshank Redemption), Emilie Ullerup (“Sanctuary”), and Academy Award® nominee Eric Roberts (The Expendables, The Dark Knight).

The Hunt to Kill Blu-ray™ and DVD bonus features include an Audio Commentary with director Keoni Waxman and actor Michael Eklund (Smokin’ Aces 2: Assassin’s Ball), as well as a “Behind-the-Scenes of Hunt to Kill” Featurette.

Strap yourselves in. This fall is going to be busy with new and returning sci-fi shows for your viewing enjoyment! Here’s a breakdown for you to set your DVR by with show descriptions, trailers, and U.S. premiere dates. (Organized in alphabetical order)

Show - Premiere Date – Network – Time

Big Bang Theory – September 23, Thursday on CBS at 8/7C

Caprica – October 5, Tuesday on SyFy at 9/8C

Chuck – September 20, Monday on NBC at 8/7C

The Event – September 20, Monday on NBC at 9/8C

Fringe – September 23, Thursday on Fox at 9/8C

Human Target – October 1, Friday on Fox at 8/7C

No Ordinary Family – September 28, Tuesday on ABC at 8/7C

Sanctuary – October 15, Friday on Syfy at 10/9C

Smallville – September 24, Friday on CW at 8/7C

Stargate: Universe – September 28, Tuesday on Syfy at 9/8C

Star Wars: Clone Wars (2 part premiere with back to back episodes)- September 17, Friday on Cartoon Network at 9/8C

Supernatural – September 24, Friday on...

The hit Canadian science-fiction TV series Sanctuary will return for a third season. The show will premiere on Space, a Canadian cable network dedicated to sci-fi, on October 15 at 9 Pm.

Note that Ashley Magnus, the character played by Emilie Ullerup, will not be in the third season. This character was killed in the second season.

This show created by Damian Kindler follows Dr. Helen Magnus (Amanda Tapping), the head of the Sanctuary Network, who either hunts abnormal creatures or offer them a shelter. She leads a team made of forensic psychiatrist Dr. William Zimmerman (Robin Dunne), weapon expert Kate Freelander (Agam Darshi) and computer expert Henry Foss (Ryan Robbins). This goes without saying that Magnus offers a sanctuary to some abnormal creatures because she wants to study them. In the third season, the team tries to reach god-like abnormal Kali and prevent it from unleashing tidal waves that will kill million of people worldwide.

Some great news today: Syfy has announced that the second half of season one will start airing in October, as originally planned. Episode 1x10, "Unvanquished," will air on Tuesday, October 5, at 10 Pm, right after Stargate Universe. Sanctuary, on the other hand, got shifted back to Fridays, but at least we'll see their resident werewolf Ryan Robbins in four episodes of Caprica (starting with 1x11, "Retribution") when the show returns. In October.

No word yet on whether the show will get picked up for a second season, but Deadline writes that a reduced season 2 order is still a possibility.

Here is the first preview for "Unvanquished," with Deadwalker Zoe kicking some virtual ass:

The episode was directed by Eric Stoltz. David Eick said on one of the podcasts that he calls it the "Taxi Driver" episode (reasons to be determined in about a month). Also, I'm pretty sure that this will...

Today, the Canadian Academy revealed the nominees for the 25th Gemini Awards, the Canadian equivalent of the Emmy Awards. So without further ado, let's reveal those who have graced our land of television in fall 2009 and winter 2010.

1. Best Animated Program or Series:

* Glenn Martin, Dds

* Guess With Jess

* Johnny Test

* Kid Vs Kat

* Wapos Bay

2. Best Children's or Youth Fiction Program or Series:

* Degrassi: The Next Generation

* Overruled!

* Pillars of Freedom

* That's So Weird!

* Total Drama Action

3. Best Children's or Youth Non-Fiction Program or Series:

* A World of Wonders

* Canada's Super Speller

* Survive This

* Tvokids: Mark's Moments

4. Best Comedy Program or Series:

* Dan for Mayor

* Less Than Kind

* Little Mosque on the Prairie

* Pure Pwnage

* The Rick Mercer Report

5. Best Dramatic Miniseries:

* Alice

* The Phantom

* The Summit

6. Best Dramatic Series:

* Durham County

* Flashpoint

* Republic of Doyle

* Stargate Universe

* The Tudors

7. Best Music, Variety Program or Series

* 2009 Much Music Video Awards...

August 15 has come and gone with no news about the actors' contracts getting picked up for a second season or any word on what Syfy is thinking these days, but with the cast appearing in about a gazillion other things this fall, the hiatus blues should be getting easier.

If you're in New York some time between September and January, you can catch a short film, Untitled, with Eric Stoltz starring, at MoMA (see article.)

No release date has been set yet for his last feature, Fort McCoy (pic left), but IMDb still says 2010, so fingers crossed.

And this is still unconfirmed, but an extras casting director tweeted yesterday that our daddy Graystone will direct one of the new episodes of Glee. If true, the episode should air in the first half of the season. The show returns on Tuesday, Sept. 21 at 8 on Fox.

Alessandra Torresani has been cast in Playback,...

The stars came out for the Entertainment Weekly and Syfy party at Comic-Con this year in San Diego, giving us some great scoop on what they're up to.

Some of the highlights:

Caprica's Alessandra Torresani and Sasha Rioz talk about the family-like atmosphere among the cast of their show. The Guild's Felicia Day discusses shooting in her garage (cameras, not guns). Kevin Sorbo--who has nine movies coming out this year--clued us in on his busy schedule. Pauly Perrette of NCIS tells us why she deserves to be a superhero. Sanctuary's Ryan Robbins confesses to being a comic book geek. Barrett Foa of NCIS: Los Angeles discusses interacting with the fans. And WWE Smackdown's World Heavyweight Champion, Kane, swung by to let us know he's concentrating on his WWE carreer. Which we think is probably for the best.

Bryan Fuller, the man who brought us the fantastic TV series Pushing Daisies and Dead Like Me, is going to adapt the 1969 John Christopher sci-fi novel The Lotus Caves for the small screen on the SyFy Channel. The story follows a group of colonists in the year 2068 that live inside The Bubble, a large dome that composes their entire world. They rebel against the rigidity of their lunar colony by exploring beyond its proscribed boundaries and discovering a series of caves ruled by a super-intelligent, alien species.

With Fuller involved with bring this story to life, this should end up being a great TV series.

Here is the official press release:

Syfy Orders Pilot From Dead Like Me And Pushing Daisies Creator Bryan Fuller Based On The Book The Lotus Caves

New York, New York - August 12, 2010 - Syfy today announced it has commissioned a scripted pilot from Bryan Fuller,...

Two of the Vancouver-based principals behind Sanctuary for Kids, the not-for-profit foundation associated with the Syfy series Sanctuary, are calling upon other producers in the city to join them in supporting charities. Sanctuary creator and executive producer Damian Kindler and star and executive producer Amanda Tapping are urging other shows to give back to the community. Their call came at the recent San Diego Comic-Con shortly before Sanctuary for Kids received $90,500 from a fan convention in Vancouver .

"We recognize that in the television industry, we have influence, " Kindler said at the San Diego event. "We have a responsibility to use that in a positive way. It's absolutely essential. We don't want to be alone in this. We want it to be the norm that every TV show has a charity or supports one. Our cast and crew have been incredible in supporting Sanctuary for Kids. They are even doing their...

Syfy has solid hits with "Warehouse 13" and "Eureka", and newcomer "Haven," and now are rolling out seven scripted projects. The TV projects feature television icons Lee Majors and Kevin Sorbo; the Sanctuary creative team of Damian Kindler, Martin Wood and Amanda Tapping; a swashbuckling space opera and an alien version of The Office from Universal Cable Productions plus a single camera ½-hour about fighting zombies and a dramedy featuring supernatural villains. At the TCA's earlier this week, Mark Stern, Executive Vice President, Programming, Syfy, and Co-Head, Original Content, Universal Cable Productions, said: .One of our key agendas is to continue the extraordinary growth and momentum of our popular dramas. Through partnerships with these formidable talents, in front of and...

Best Actor/Television John Barrowman, "Torchwood" -- Runner-up Matthew Fox, "Lost" Zachary Levi, "Chuck" Eddie McClintock, "Warehouse 13" David Tennant, "Doctor Who" -- Winner Best Actress/Television Karen Gillan, "Doctor Who" -- Runner-up Paula Malcomson, "Caprica" Eve Myles, "Torchwood" -- Winner Amanda Tapping, "Sanctuary" Anna Torv, "Fringe" Best Supporting Actor/Television Robert Carlyle, "Stargate: Universe" Bernard Cribbins, "Doctor Who" -- Winner Enver Gjokaj, "Dollhouse" John Noble, "Fringe" -- Runner-up Terry O'Quinn, "Lost" Best Supporting Actress/Television Morena Baccarin, "V" Alaina Huffman, "Stargate: Universe" -- Winner Yunjin Kim, "Lost" -- Runner-up Polly Walker, "Caprica" Olivia Williams, "Dollhouse" Best ...

Sanctuary fans can rejoice now that both Season 1 and Season 2 of the Vancouver-shot sci-fi/supernatural adventure series are available on Blu-ray. The former comes several months after the first season was released on DVD (supposedly the delay was due to an oversight), while the second season has been issued simultaneously on both the hi-def and standard-def formats.

For the benefit of those not already following the former web series, the lowdown is this. Sanctuary stars Stargate all-rounder Amanda Tapping (she's been in every Stargate series except Stargate Infinity, but that one doesn't count anyway, right?). Tapping plays the unnaturally old but still stunning Dr. Helen Magnus, who has dedicated her life to the study of so-called 'abnormal' beings. These creatures, sentient and otherwise, go unappreciated and sometimes unnoticed in the world according to Sanctuary.

On the surface, that world is similar to our own. However, dark forces and mysterious organizations lurk in the shadows.

One of Syfy's hit series is about to get bigger and better for its upcoming third season. We reported back in December that Syfy handed out a third-season order to Sanctuary, which will return to the Syfy airwaves later this year. The show was given a 20-episode order (as opposed to the first two seasons' 13-episode orders) and the show has returned to San Diego for Comic-Con to promote the popular series. We spoke to stars Amanda Tapping (Helen Magnus), Ryan Robbins (Henry Foss) along with executive producer Damian Kindler at the Con and you can click on the video interviews below to see what they had to say about the show's new season.

Exclusive: Amanda Tapping talks Sanctuary Season 3 @ Comic-Con 2010

Exclusive: Ryan Robbins talks Sanctuary Season 3 @ Comic-Con 2010

Exclusive: Damian Kindler talks Sanctuary Season 3 @ Comic-Con 2010

Sanctuary, which also stars Robin Dunne, Christopher Heyerdahl, Emilie Ullerup and Agam Darshi, will return...

Director Warren P. Sonoda's film about an amateur cage fighter who gets a shot at the big time is stylishly filmed and has plenty of action in the form of impressively staged brutal fight scenes. The first half of the screenplay, however, too often favors naked pole dancers over meaty drama and has scenes that feel like they have been drawn out to fit the music. The result is a film that, clichéd plot notwithstanding, feels like it could have been much better.

As it is, Unrivaled keeps your attention without triggering much of an emotional response. Hector Echavarria creates a sympathetic loser-turned-hero in Ringo Duran, while Nicholas Campbell (the Da Vinci in Da Vinci's Inquest and Da Vinci's City Hall) gives his usual standout performance, this time as a grizzled trainer, a.la. Burgess Meredith in Rocky.

As for the rest of the cast, the acting is of variable quality,...

Syfy announced two guest stars for its returning series that had fans buzzing at Comic-Con.

Felicia Day, of the Web series "The Guild" and "Legend of Neil," as well as "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog," joined the "Eureka" panel Saturday to announce that she'll be appearing in 10 episodes of the show.

In addition, Syfy announced that Polly Walker will guest star on Syfy's "Sanctuary" for two episodes next season.

Walker, who is best known for HBO's "Rome" and Syfy's "Caprica," will play Ranna, a powerful foe who faces Helen Magnus (Amanda Tapping) after the team encounters her in the show's mid-season cliffhanger. A Syfy rep confirmed the role won't impact her "Caprica" duties.

Unlike some of the other panels I've covered, Sanctuary is on hiatus and needs to build interest for its upcoming season. But still no major scoops, or even broad outlines of what next season will hold. This is a major change from last year, when we were shown a lengthy preview of the season and given specifics about plotlines and stunts and casting in the upcoming season.I don't know what the deal is, but there seems to be a blanket no spoilers rule at this year's con.

So what did I learn for you? Robin Dunne still isn't funny. He goes too big in his jokes. It's like pantomime. Also, this is the first year Syfy has ordered a twenty episode season, which was described by series creator Damian Kindler as "beautiful and daunting." And also a great way to continue making mortgage payments. He says that it's his favorite season so far,...

The Saturday schedule for the 2010 Comic-Con at San Diego is now released. As was the case with the Thursday and Friday breakdown reports, I'm focusing on film/TV/DVD related events, screenings and panels.

Read the Thursday, July 22, 2010 schedule.

Read the Friday, July 23, 2010 schedule.

10:00-11:00 Nickelodeon Presents: The SpongeBob SquarePants Secret Formula Revealed!— Ever wonder what delicious ingredients go into making an episode of SpongeBob? The masterminds behind the show -- executive producer Paul Tibbitt (Nightmare Ned), head writer Steven Banks (The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius), creative director Vincent Waller (Ren & Stimpy), supervising storyboard director Tuck Tucker (Hey Arnold!), layout supervisor Kenny Pittenger (CatDog), storyboard director Luke Brookshier (Kim Possible), background painter Andy Clark (Dexter's Laboratory), animation director Andrew Overtoom (Family Guy), and the voice of SpongeBob himself, Tom Kenny -- show you how the kernel of an idea turns into a fully animated episode. Followed...

Comic-Con has just released its full Saturday schedule and below you will find all of the movie and TV-related panels and events for the day. Take a look below and you can also if you missed Friday's schedule, or if you missed Wednesday's Preview Night and the Thursday schedule. If you want the entire Saturday Comic-Con schedule with comic book, video game and other related events, you can .

Saturday, July 24

10:00-11:00 Writing Animated Feature Films

The Writers Guild of America's Animation Writers Caucus once again sponsors a panel on writing for animation. Some of the most successful films of the last decade have been animated. But how different are they to write from live-action features? From television scripts? And what about direct-to-dvd animated features? The writers of some of the top animated features will talk about the process of creating those films, their interactions with the artists and the studios,...

Hey Gang! Comic-Con International has unveiled the full schedule for Saturday July 24th! If you thought Thursday and Friday were insanely awesome and crazy, wait until you see what's planned for Saturday! There is a ton of great stuff going on that you're going to want to see! We've got all Marvel film panel with Thor, Captain America and The Avengers. There's also Green Lantern, Cowboys & Aliens, Sucker Punch, Harry Potter, Paul, and a ton of other great stuff! And if you aren't able to make it out to Comic-Con this year don't worry we got your back, and will be covering everything we possibly can. I've highlighted all the events we hope to cover. If you're going to comic-con we will be having a little meet up. The details for that will be revealed soon. Now check out the full schedule below and start planning out your Comic-Con geekdom.

Here are the movie and TV highlights

The San Diego Comic-Con has posted the schedule for Saturday, July 24. You can view the full schedule here, but below are the movie and TV events that ComingSoon.net/SuperHeroHype/ShockTillYouDrop.com will be concentrating on.

Saturday, July 24

10:00-11:00 Writing Animated Feature Films— The Writers Guild of America's Animation Writers Caucus once again sponsors a panel on writing for animation. Some of the most successful films of the last decade have been animated. But how different are they to write from live-action features? From television scripts? And what about direct-to-dvd animated features? The writers of some of the top animated features will talk about the process of creating those films, their interactions with the artists and the studios, and how they came to be involved with their project. Panelists tentatively scheduled include Alan Burnett (Green Lantern: First Flight), Darren Lemke (Shrek Forever After...

SyFy Channel’s “Sanctuary” is an enjoyable show best described as “Hellboy” meets “Fringe” or “The X-Files” or even SyFy’s own “Warehouse 13.” The show centers on Dr. Helen Magnus, played by “Stargate Sg-1/Atlantis” alum Amanda Tapping, and her organization known as “The Sanctuary” that investigate strange phenomena and try to protect those that might be seen as monsters, creatures called “Abnormals.” These creature can be humans with special abilities, or mutations, or just strange creatures like the mermaid and lizard man. The show first aired online as a series of eight, 15 minute webisodes, which were then turned into the two hour pilot and second episode of the first season. “Sanctuary” also stars Robin Dunne as Dr. Will Zimmerman, Magnus’ protégé and a new addition to the staff, and Christopher Heyerdahl as John Druit and Bigfoot, Magnus’ former patient turned assistant. The show does a brilliant job of...

There are some series that are simply fun to watch, and Sanctuary is one of the best. Like stepping into the pages of a favorite graphic novel, the viewer is swept into a world that has immortals and .abnormals. who exist in the world, but are not always appreciated much less accepted by ordinary folk. It is the mission of the Sanctuary Network to provide a place of safety for those whose abilities or differences make them outcasts or hunted in the mundane world. This season of Sanctuary begins with a lot of trouble for Dr. Helen Magnus (Amanda Tapping) and her group of loyal supporters. Sanctuary has been breached by the evil Cabal which wants to...

Seven months ago I was not expecting to say this: Stargate Universe has been one of my favorite shows on TV this year. That is quite a turnaround from November 2009. Then I wrote an article for CinemaSpy titled Why One Stargate Fan Has Stopped Watching 'Stargate Universe'. I said I'd had enough of unsympathetic characters and soapy subplots, with too little action, humor and meaty drama. I said that 'Life' would probably be the last episode I watched.

Thankfully it wasn’t. Stargate Universe ended its first season last Friday. In the last 10 episodes it has started looking like the series I hoped it would be. With a few exceptions they were exciting, dramatic and thought-provoking. As a result Sgu unexpectedly became an essential part of my weekly viewing schedule. After writing off the first half of the season, I think it's only fair that I redress the balance.

Sanctuary is a show that borrows from The X-Files, CSI, Firefly, and many other superior shows with strong fan followings. There is a lot for science-fiction fans to love about the premise of Sanctuary from the dark gothic cathedral setting to re-imaginings of classic mythical creatures and overarching themes of misunderstood outsiders finding a home. I wanted to like Sanctuary, but I feel that the show’s writers and producers do not understand what works and does not work on their own show.

For those unfamiliar with the show, Sanctuary is about a world-wide network that provides a safe home for monsters, mythical creatures, and other “abnormals.” The Sanctuary Network is headed up by Dr. Helen Magnus, a brilliant scientist who injected herself with untainted vampire blood years ago and ages at a very slow rate. Aided by a band of scientists, former criminals, and abnormals, Helen Magnus tracks abnormal...

Yesterday, the nominees for the 2010 Leo Awards were announced. The objective of this award is to celebrate all the things that have been done in the film and television industry of the Prairies and the province British Columbia along with people who are based in these regions. Furthermore, foreign TV series and films that are produced in Canada's West are also included in the party. Obviously, this is not the full list of nominees. In fact, this is the presentation of the nominees for dramatic TV series, feature films, comedy series and web series.

Feature Length Drama

Best Feature Length Drama:

* A Shine Of Rainbows

* Alice

* Cole

* Excited

* The Thaw

Best Direction in a Feature Length Drama:

* Vic Sarin - A Shine Of Rainbows

* Carl Bessai - Cole

* Bruce Sweeney - Excited

* Mark A. Lewis - The Thaw

Best Screenwriting in a Feature Length Drama:

* Vic Sarin, Chatherine Spear and...

The premier Canadian showing of The Eleventh Hour, was watched by an average of 0.47 million viewers according to Bbm Canada. It was the number 1 non-sports specialty program of the day.

The programme had nearly a million viewers who watched at least part of the episode. During the broadcast, Space hosted a live chat on spacecast.com featuring a panel of Doctor Who experts, including Innerspace reporter Natasha Eloi, Sanctuary star Robin Dunne and award-winning artist Pia Guerra. The two and a half-hour chat clocked up 1,300 comments, paralleling the number of comments made in The Juno Awards chatroom the previous night on CTV.ca. The episode is available for the next four days on demand at spacecast.com.http://gallifreynewsbase.blogspot.com...

The Doctor Who bookshelf of awards eyes up Canada next, with a number of nominations in the categories for the Constellation Awards.

Former Doctor David Tennant is up for his third award for Best Male Performance in a 2009 Science Fiction Television Episode with The Waters of Mars; he previously won in the 2006 and 2007 ceremonies. This time he is up against Gareth David Lloyd for his performance as Ianto Jones in Torchwood: Children of Earth (Day Four). Other nominations include Jenson Ackles (Supernatural), John Noble (Fringe), Misha Collins (Supernatural), Robin Dunne (Sanctuary) and Ron Livingston (Defying Gravity).

The Best Female Performance in a 2009 Science Fiction Television Episode sees guest star Michelle Ryan nominated for her role as Lady Christina in Planet of the Dead. This was won last year by Catherine Tate for her role as Donna Noble in Turn Left, and in 2008 by Carey Mulligan (Sally Sparrow in Blink). Michelle's...

According to the folks at TVShowsOnDVD.com, E1 entertainment, a DVD distributor, just revealed the DVD cover art for the second season of the Canadian TV series Sanctuary. Besides, according to Amazon.com, the DVD should come out on June 15, 2010.

I haven't seen the first season of the show yet. Despite that, I know that it's about a 200-year-old scientist (Amanda Tapping) who offers sanctuary for "abnormals" (creatures, "special people" and you name it), because they're not tolerated in the society. Moreover, that scientist and her team (Agam Darshi, Robin Dunne and Ryan Robbins) doesn't exclude the option of using force against "abnormals" that are a true threat to the society.

Finally, Agam Darshi, one of the leading members of Sanctuary's cast, confirmed on her Twitter page that the third season of Sanctuary began filming yesterday. Still not convinced about that? Have a look at this press release from Syfy,...

In the period from the end of The X-Files to the last episode of Battlestar Galactica, the American cable channel Syfy (formerly Sci Fi) had the upper hand on the networks where fantasy television is concerned. Excepting its bizarre decision to add wrestling to its output, Syfy graced those years with series that attracted adoring fans. Ratings may not have been as high as those achievable by the networks — or even at levels Syfy would have liked — but the channel's top shows earned critical praise and public support.

Consider Galactica. Specials aside, the show only lasted four seasons and its relentlessly dark atmosphere outlived its appeal for some viewers. Few fans of television science fiction would argue, however, that it was not a breath of fresh air for the space opera subgenre. Then there is Stargate Atlantis. The first spin-off from Stargate Sg-1 did not last as long as its record-setting predecessor.

Since it debuted as a short-lived Internet series in 2007, the Vancouver-shot show Sanctuary has gone from strength to strength.

The series follows the adventures of a group of monster-hunters led by the 150-year-old Dr. Helen Magnus. Magnus, played by Amanda Tapping, is assisted by her protégé, Will Zimmerman (Robin Dunne) . At various times this pair have also joined forces with Jack the Ripper (a.k.a. John Druitt, played by Christopher Heyerdahl), a sarcastic vampire named Tesla (Jonathon Young), James Watson (supposedly the original inspiration for Sherlock Holmes and played by Peter Wingfield), a computer genius stricken with a form of lycanthropy (Henry Foss, played by Ryan Robbins) and Bigfoot (we were asked to keep his true identity a secret).

These characters illustrate the imaginative mash-up of legends, literature and sci-fi that characterizes Sanctuary. The show has elements reminiscent of The X-Files, Supernatural, Hellboy and The League of Extraordinary Gentleman.

Actor Michael Shanks is pessimistic about reprising the role of Dr. Daniel Jackson in future DVD movie spin-offs of the sci-fi series Stargate Sg-1, according to Sci Fi Wire. Shanks was part of the regular cast for most of the series' 10-season run and appeared in two direct-to-disc movies, The Ark of Truth and Stargate Continuum, that were released in 2008.

The success of those movies led to speculation that further feature-length Sg-1 adventures were likely to be made. Given the two-year gap since the release of Stargate Continuum and the success the original cast members are having with other projects, though, Shanks is not optimistic that will now happen.

"Given the amount of time lag that's gone on between us doing the movies, I suspect that we might be very far away from, if ever, doing another DVD movie," Shanks said. "This might be the closing of the book on that particular [chapter of the] franchise,...

Riese has inked a deal with Fireworks, a division of ContentFilms, to distribute the steampunk-infused drama web series. Fireworks is the same firm that is distributing MTV New Media's (and Electric Farm's) Valemont as well as Endemol UK's sci-fi series Kirill for international television. They also released much-awaited Chapter 2 online this week (above). New cast members in this season include Ryan Robbins (Sanctuary), Emilie Ullerup (Sanctuary), Alessandro Juliani (Battlestar Gallactica) and Allison Mack (Smallville). [Riese] Ex-Conan O'Brien staff writer Aaron Bleyaert is in fact developing his own web show with fellow axed Tonight Show staffers, but it won't be affiliated with Conan or his former show, despite what TMZ might say. [Screenology, Bam! Bam! Bam!] Live video streaming site UStream scored $75 million in additional capital in their latest investment round by Softbank Corp, Japan's third-largest mobile operator. The cash will be used to grow the service internationally in mobile-heavy countries like Japan, China, Korea and India.

We've had our eye on this unique looking web-series for a while now, but were just waiting for an extended trailer to drop. luckily, co-creator Ryan Copple just passed along the first trailer so it's finally time to share!

Riese is a truly original looking new web-series that blends steampunk and fantasy with our genre of choice. It was filmed using the cutting-edge technology of the Red One camera system so is looks stunning and much more along the lines of something you'd find on SyFy than on the web. Though that feeling could just be because the show's cast includes such SyFy tv luminaries as Sanctuary's Christine Chatelain and Stargate: Atlantis' Ben Cotton.

Synopsis:

Riese is a Sci-Fi/Fantasy web series chronicling the journey of a traveler named Riese. A seemingly random wanderer, she flees across the dying lands of Eleysia with her father’s wolf, Fenrir,...

SyFy sent along the following sneak peek clips of next week.s all new episodes of "Ghost Hunters," "Destination Truth," and "Scare Tactics." Also of note, SyFy's "Sanctuary" returned Friday for a second season with an episode that changed everything for Magnus (Amanda Tapping) and Will. The two part season opener aired Oct. 9, and ends next week. On the series, Dr. Helen Magnus continues her desperate search for her daughter, Ashley (Emilie Ullerup), who is still held prisoner by the Cabal. Together, Magnus and John Druitt (Christopher Heyerdahl) interrogate their most elusive contacts around the globe in an attempt to find her and make sense of the Cabal.s plan. Next week you can check out:...

The beginning of October is like the holidays for Syfy. They get to start new seasons, new shows, and all kinds of other fun. It also means one other fun thing if you're a journalist and on the radar of the network: It's a whirlwind trip to Vancouver, British Columbia, where a lot of the shows Syfy airs are filmed. Airlock Alpha was at this year's tour, seeing sets for shows such as the returning hit "Sanctuary" with Amanda Tapping as well as two new series, "Stargate: Universe," which premiered at the beginning of the month, and "Caprica," the "Battlestar Galactica" spinoff that will make January a big month for Syfy early next year. It was a full day with press conferences, lunch with the stars, and lots of walking and bus-riding through the streets of Vancouver, getting a glimpse ...

Tonight sees the North American premiere of Season Two of the Vancouver-shot sci-fi series Sanctuary. To coincide with that we are offering you the chance to win a copy of Season 1 on DVD. The DVD was recently released by E1 Entertainment and contains all 13 episodes from the first season.

All that you need to do to enter is leave a comment below naming your favourite Sanctuary episode from Season 1.

The closing date is midnight Pst on Friday, October 16. The winning entry will be drawn at random from the comments and the winner will be notified by e-mail. Please note that this set is Region 1 and may not play on DVD players from other regions. (Note also that if you don't want your e-mail address to be publicly visible, you should provide it in the 'Email:' box on the Comment posting form below, Not it in the body of your comment,...

Sanctuary has come a long way since it started life as an Internet series produced out of a crumbling brick building in Vancouver's Gastown district. What was then an independently financed series of eight Webisodes attracted devoted fans ever before they debuted. Those fans were rewarded with a high quality product buttressed by in impressive cast and crew that included creator Damian Kindler, director Martin Wood, executive producer and star Amanada Tapping, executive producer N. John Smith and Tapping's co-stars Robin Dunne, Emilie Ullerup and Christopher Heyerdahl. Several of these personnel were already familiar with each other through their involvement in Stargate, so the ingredients were already in place for a successful and innovative foray into new media.

Things didn't quite go according to plan with the Web venture, partly due to the propensity of Internet piracy. However, the show attracted enough admirers to encourage The Movie Network in Canada...

Sci-fi/horror fans gearing up for the second season of the Syfy Channel’s hit series, “Sanctuary,” should enjoy the newly released 4-disc DVD set of season one. “Sanctuary The Complete First Season,” starring Amanda Tapping, released in stores on September 15th, comes in a neat glossy box filled with fun extras such as the complete “Sanctuary” webisodes, audio commentaries for all 13 episodes, and behind-the scenes footage, which any fan who appreciates the Herculean effort the special effects team puts in on the show will not want to miss. The webisodes are engaging, even for those viewers who saw them online a while back, because they have all been combined to run without interruption in two large blocks, and thus afford viewers an opportunity to savor how the show has evolved, from a special effects and narrative perspective. Similarly, the audio commentaries provide an energetic reframing of the entire season,...

Amanda Tapping and Robin Dunne return with a brand new season of their hit series Sanctuary, which debuts its second season on Friday, October 9 at 10 Pm Et on SyFy. Both Tapping and Dunne recently held a conference call to discuss the new season, and here's what they had to say.

I'm curious how the dynamics are going to change between the characters and that and I don't know if I should say what happened, I don't know if everybody saw it, but how like things are going to be different this year with the characters relationships and everything?

Amanda Tapping: I think because it's our second season you're going to see a lot of changes in terms of the interpersonal relationships. I think Season 1 was very much about introducing everybody - introducing the Sanctuary itself, the creatures, what everyone does and where they come from. And so now Season...

DVD Playhouse—September 2009

By

Allen Gardner

The Human Condition (Criterion) Masaki Kobayashi’s epic (574 minutes) adaptation of Junpei Gomikawa’s six-volume novel was originally made and released as three separate films (1959-61), and is rightfully regarded as a landmark of Japanese cinema. Candide-like story of naïve, good-hearted Kaiji (Japanese superstar Tatsuya Nakadai) from labor camp supervisor, to Imperial Army solider, to Soviet Pow, and Kaiji’s struggle to maintain his humanity throughout. Unfolds with the mastery of a great novel, beautifully-shot, and a stunning example of cinematic mastery on the part of its makers. Four-disc set bonuses include: Interview with Kobayashi; Interview with Nakadai; Featurette; Trailer; Essay by critic Philip Kemp. Widescreen. Dolby 3.0 surround.

State Of Play (Universal) Russell Crowe stars as a veteran Washington D.C. political reporter investigating the murder of an aide to a rising congressional star (Ben Affleck), who also happens to be an old friend.

Love SyFy's upcoming fall slate; they bring the spooky back with Ghost Hunters; they bring the mystery with Amanda Tapping and the Sanctuary series, and the frighteningly funny with Scare Tactics and Tracy Morgan. Tracy's Scare Tactics is back for Season Three. The show airs Tuesday, October 6th @ 9 p.m on SyFy. Syfy.s hidden camera reality show Scare Tactics is hosted by Morgan. This show is a tip of the hat to Candid Camera as frightened victims are set up by friends and loved ones for carefully staged mayhem. Unsuspecting victims are placed into elaborately staged scary situations involving movie-style special effects and make-up. The horror hoaxes are skillfully designed to tap into the wildest fears of the...

The weekend’s here. You’ve just been paid, and it’s burning a hole in your pocket. What’s a pop culture geek to do? In hopes of steering you in the right direction to blow some of that hard-earned cash, it’s time for the Quick Stop Weekend Shopping Guide - your spotlight on the things you didn’t even know you wanted…

(Please support Quick Stop by using the links below to make any impulse purchases - it helps to keep us going…)

Just yesterday (well, last year), it seemed that RiffTrax was just a web concern, with nary a physical DVD release to their name. Now, the DVD releases are coming fast and furious, the latest being another two volumes of short subjects featuring riffsters (and MST3K alum) Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy, & Bill Corbett - Wide World Of Shorts & Shorts-tacular Shorts-stravaganza (Legend, Not Rated, DVD-$9.95 Srp each). Both are excellent.

It's changeover time in the television schedules, which means that we have premieres to look forward to and season finales that will tease us for months to come.

In the case of Syfy, the top of the anticipation list includes the second season premiere of Sanctuary and the series premiere of Sgu: Stargate Universe (I've seen it and it's not your father's Stargate, but it's pretty cool). There are also season-ending episodes of Syfy's record breaking hit Warehouse 13 and Eureka and we have video previews of both. Click the Video tabs above to get a taste of what's to come.

Eureka is an offbeat, science fiction comedy-drama that is centered on the residents of a small town in the Pacific Northwest. Shrouded in secrecy, the picturesque hamlet is actually a community of geniuses assembled by the government to conduct top-secret research. What they've unwittingly created is a place where anything imaginable can happen…...

In this incarnation of our Videolog column (which began in 1982 with VHS and Betamax and later laserdisc), Starlog posts information weekly regarding selected genre titles being released (or re-released) now on DVD and Blu-ray. Prices listed are Msrp, though the clickable links lead to Amazon where the savings can be significant.

DVD Releases for September 15, 2009

American Werewolf In London: Full Moon Edition (Universal, $14.99 DVD; $26.98 Blu-ray): Blending the macabre with a wicked sense of humor, director John Landis delivers a contemporary take on the classic werewolf tale in this story of two American tourists who, while traveling in London, find their lives changed forever when a vicious wolf attacks them during a full Moon. Featuring Rick Baker’s innovative, Academy Award-winning makeup, this digitally remastered Full Moon Edition has both old and new extras, including the new feature-length documentary “Beware the Moon.” See Dave McDonnell’s Starblog re: covering the...

Here’s a list of some of the new movie and TV shows coming to DVD and Blu-ray this week that we’re looking forward to seeing. Also, there’s some classic, and not-so-classic, movies hitting Blu-ray for the first time this week as well.

Of all the new releases, we’re particularly interested in the Blu-ray versions of movies and TV shows like Army of Darkness, Hero, An American Werewolf in London, The Big Bang Theory Season Two and Bonanza. Yes, some of us are even excited about the debut of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which drops today on Blu-ray.

Check them out.

Movies

An American Werewolf in London (Full Moon Edition) ~ David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, Griffin Dunne (Blu-ray)

Army of Darkness (Screwhead Edition) ~ Bruce Campbell, Embeth Davidtz (Blu-ray)

Bionicle: The Legend Reborn ~ Dee Bradley Baker, Jeff Bennett, Jim Cummings, and Michael Dorn (DVD)

Child’s Play ~ Roslyn Alexander, Jack Colvin,...

The premise of Sanctuary feels a bit like a Canadian version of Men in Black, primarily because it is a Canadian production (although not explicitly set in Canada) but also because the group rounding up the “abnormals” does so to protect and study them (and occasionally kill them, but only when they have to). And they take care of all of the creatures – both good and evil. How’s that for universal healthcare?

The show (which began as a web-series before being picked up by the Sci-Fi Channel - excuse me, the Syfy Channyl) follows super-empathetic super-psychological profiler Dr. Will Zimmerman (Robin Dunne) - who has the perceptive-powers similar to James Roday on “Psych”, although with 100% less Corbin Bernsen - being recruited by Helen Magnus (Amanda Tapping), a scientist and founder of the Sanctuary. Her goal is to study and protect the “abnormals” – mutated/unusual creatures that have strange abilities...

The CinemaSpy fall television preview concludes with a look at the schedules for the rest of the cable networks. The cable broadcasters have typically left the traditional fall season to the main networks, and this year is no exception, so there's less to skip here because there's less to consider.

Please keep in mind that the premiere dates stated here are subject to change. Make sure you check your local listings for those shows you're most excited about.

AMC: Watch

Mad Men actually started in the summer — and we're nearly half-way through the third season — but it stretches far enough into the fall that I think it warrants a mention here. If for no other reason than because it's an example of great television. It's not for everybody, but that's true of most shows that air on cable. That's why they air on cable. Premiere: Aug. 16, airing on Sundays.

Comedy Central...