Monday, May 18, 2009

Chuck saved, upcoming fall shows, and Thor

I don't have much interesting new entertainment news to report since my last post on the subject, but there are a couple exciting things that I couldn't wait to share.

Firstly, NBC renewed Chuck! It will come back with a tighter production budget, but at least it secured a 13-episode order for a third season (Variety). This was the last show that I follow whose fate I was waiting to learn. Turns out the only show I watch that got canceled this spring was Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Chuck, Castle, Dollhouse, as well as all the other shows that were never in serious danger got renewed. This means that I will be rather busy next fall.

Fox has made some interesting choices in their fall schedule (Variety). First, their summer hit "So You Think You Can Dance" will be getting a fall skein. I have loved watching this show for the past few summers--I love dance and greatly admire the quality of the choreographers and dancers in the show--so I'm excited to see it moving up in the world. But it is a big time commitment, with two hours on Tuesday and one on Wednesday, which is fine when I don't watch anything else in the summer but will make things a bit crowded in the fall. Following the SYTYCD results show on Wednesdays will be new musical drama/comedy "Glee". The show focuses on a group of high school geeks who find their place in the school glee club. Fox clearly has high hopes for Glee, granting its pilot a golden sneak preview spot this Tuesday after the final performance episode of American Idol (that is, at 9pm). Early word is that it's clever, funny, and overall pretty great. Fringe has been moved from its first season Tuesday spot to the 9pm Thursday slot in the fall. This essentially is a big promotion, that time slot being the high attention spot that currently is home to heavy hitters CSI (CBS) and Grey's Anatomy (ABC). The question is whether Fringe will be able to hold its own in the time slot. Dollhouse will remain at 9pm on Fridays. New show "Human Target," about a decoy-for-hire who saves lives by assuming the identities of people in extreme danger, will debut in the winter starring Mark Valley and featuring Jackie Earle Haley; a new season of 24 is also scheduled to start in the winter.

ABC has given a series order to new sci-fi show "Flash Forward" (Variety). They had been promoting it with teasers during Lost commercial breaks, showing little clips followed by the words "What did you see?" without naming the show, and during the season finale last week gave it a proper full promo. The premise is that on one day, for 2 minutes and 27 seconds, everyone on Earth falls unconscious and sees a flash forward of their lives six months in the future. The show seems meant to tide Lost viewers over through the fall as they await the final season of Lost to arrive in the winter. Joseph Fiennes, Sonya Walger (known to Lost fans as Penny), Courtney B. Vance, Jack Davenport, and John Cho are among the cast.

My last bit of cool news is that it looks like Thor has finally been cast. Chris Hemsworth, recently seen as Captain Kirk's father (himself a Captain Kirk for 12 minutes) in the new Star Trek, is in final negotiations to take the lead role in the Kenneth Branaugh-helmed movie adaptation of the Marvel franchise (Variety, IMDb).
Hemsworth
The deal would also land him a part in Marvel's planned Avengers film. Oh, Chris Hemsworth. Yesterday morning, I didn't know who you were. Then just minutes into the Star Trek film you won me over and broke my heart with your heroic resolve and sparkling blue eyes at once both joyous and pained beyond imagining... *Sigh...* Ahem. Yes, well, now he's poised to become a blockbuster superhero. God of thunder and all. I hope the Thor movie will be good.

13 comments:

Sebastian Anthony said...

Thor better be amazing. Is there a Delling in the Thor universe, incidentally? Or just the standard Odin, Loki & Co? Damn those pop-Gods for stealing all my thunder...

Making a sun rise is no joke, y'know.

Damn you for spoiling whether there'd be another season of 24. I won't watch the last two episodes of THIS season until tomorrow at the earliest, and now I know that Jack probably doesn't die... harumpf.

Glee sounds fun; will grab the pilot ASAP!

Eleni said...

I'm sorry! I knew you were concerned about its renewal, so I thought I was being helpful. Perhaps they will cast a new star to take over the Counter Terrorist Unit. Kiefer Sutherland has been having all his legal troubles and was becoming a liability for the successful show. I might have heard something about that, actually.


Hey, I try :-(

Sebastian Anthony said...

The finale is sitting here on my hard disk!

I think Kiefer owns the rights to the show, so I don't know how that would work out...

I still have my money on them wussing out and saving Jack anyway, even if it would be pretty ideal if it actually ended.

Sometimes it's good to just let things go...

And you try very hard, it does not go unnoticed!

Eleni said...

He owns the rights? I clearly don't know enough about the show to be making up rumors.

Maybe he will die and they'll do the next season with him as a ghost, wreaking vengeance on the terrorists in their sleep! Yeah, I think I heard they had some sort of jump-the-shark thing like that planned!

Eleni said...

Actually, they might kill of Jack and have someone else take over as the star of the next season, and Kiefer will stay on as a producer. This will allow him to work on the movie projects he has lined up.

More realistic than the ghost story, at least. Have you watched it yet? Can I stop thinking of ways that Jack might die?

Actually, I have heard rumors about a 24 movie. Really, this rumor is at least a real rumor (whether or not it is true). In that case, killing off Jack Bauer this season would not be likely.

Sebastian Anthony said...

I've watched the end now. It was looking very good/strong until the last 5 mins or so. They could've increased the impact 10 times if they'd cut it 1 minute sooner. Ah well -- wussy Americans!

As far as I know, it's his concept, he produced it, and always planned to star in it. There is talk of a film, after the 8th season -- but it looked like the film was going to BE the 8th season.

He's said in interviews that it would make sense for Jack to die... and really, he should've died this season. He's just getting a bit TOO immortal... blah.

Sebastian Anthony said...

Ooh, Glee was good...

Very good even.

A bit like... American Pie with some great singers and musical direction thrown into the mix.

Eleni said...

I really liked it, too. Have to wait the whole summer for another episode, but I'll definitely tune in this fall.

The actress who plays Rachel, Lea Michele, originated Wendla in Spring Awakening on Broadway. Did you see that one? (I did not.)

Sebastian Anthony said...

Yea, the main female lead (the brunette) has done quite a lot of stage work. It showed!

Most of the cast are pretty experienced actually. I imagine they're getting a lot of money for this -- though, having said that, theatre work is notoriously underpaid.

Didn't see Spring Awakening, and it's closing/closed in London for some reason. But I'm grabbing the soundtrack now, and will give it a listen :)

Melissa said...

Hey. awesome blog =D
Chris is awesome. he was on a tv show called Home & Away. he was always my favourite character. I met him when he was still new to tv. who'da thought that he's become this big.
Bring on THOR!!

Eleni said...

Was that just a figure of speech meaning you saw him on that TV show, or do you really mean met him as in met him?!! If the latter, I am pretty darn jealous.

So many hot actors coming out of Australia! Sam Worthington is the other one newly on my radar.

Holly said...

I just found your blog and I love it! ;D I'm super excited for all of the new Bioware games too!! Baldur's Gate and NWN, oh how I miss you.

Also, I heard Thor is going to take place mostly in Asgard, so that'll be interesting....lol. I'm not sure it'll be good, but I'll go see it anyway. I'm a tool like that...hahaha

Eleni said...

Hey, thanks :) Yeah, Baldur's Gate, those were the days...

I will probably see Thor even if it's bad, too. At the moment I feel like I'd watch Chris Hemsworth in anything, especially if it's a genre I like!