24: Exile

Is it wrong that when I watched this I pretty much didn’t see anything until Jack showed up on screen and started laying out some pain?

I know the second half of Season Six 24 left a lot to be desired, I mean I expected that a cougar would show up sometime towards the end.  Actually I think I would have only been more disappointed if Jack had climbed into a fridge to survive a nuclear blast, but that would have been way too stupid.

So what do you all think?  Are you ready to give Jack another chance as he single handedly sorts out Africa’s problems?

Popularity: 5% [?]

I’ll put it out there, Fringe is excellent

I know I’ve mentioned in the past that I’m looking forward to Dollhouse and Fringe but I can confirm now that my hopes for Fringe are met.

A friend of a friend gave me the chance to see Fringe a long time before it is going to be released and I’m now counting the days because the show is awesome.

Yes, the show may be compared to X-Files, that is unavoidable but it is different enough that it stands alone as its own entity (aliens don’t appear to be a theme that is going to appear, it might, but upfront it isn’t mentioned).  I think if I had to compare it to a show I would pick the ill fated Threshold, without the aliens and hopefully with a lot more luck in the ratings.

The cast all seem likeable enough, the old mad scientist is brilliant with some great one liners.  Pacey (from Dawson’s Creek in case you have been living on Mars, under a rock, in a cave…) is suitably grown up now to play the role, Tracey was not so sure, I declare he is now officially the most successful post Dawson actor (I don’t think Katie has really done that well for herself).

There are some gross scenes, but then anything involving needles or scalpels generally makes it to my gross list but I think if you can make it through the first five minutes then you’ll be right, you may just need a loving partner who will tell you when the icky part is over.

So it is a new show for my must view list, there are a couple of holes in that lineup with various shows closing down or being cancelled.

Check it out when you get the chance.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Dr Who: The Stolen Earth

Season four of Dr Who has had some excellent episodes in it, all building up to the extended finale that airs next week in the UK, I felt a little cheated last week as I thought that episode was a bit of a filler and that Rose’s proper return deserved a little more.

This week’s episode The Stolen Earth was a lot better but still felt if it were simply leading up to better things, and yes better things are definitely coming!

I can’t really talk about the episode without spoilers so I’m going to resort to the trusty sonic spoiler saver:

Show spoiler ▼

Popularity: 14% [?]

Another reason to look forward to the Stargate Atlantis season five premiere

It’s really entertaining.

I managed to get a sneek peak at the first episode for season five Stargate Atlantis and I have to say (whilst attempting to overcome every fanboy urge) that it is everything I hoped for.

The best thing that I’m happy to report on is that there is some sign of character growth, at the very least there is a nod to events of the past that don’t relate solely on resolving the current story.

There’s some neat action, an introduction to some new characters and of course stuff happens (which can’t always be said of SGA).

There is a cameo that truely surprised and delighted me.

I’m bursting to talk details but I’m not giving away anything so your going to have to wait a couple of weeks and then come back and then we’ll talk!

Popularity: 16% [?]

Fringe and Dollhouse: shows I’m looking forward to

With Battlestar Galactica going off the air until next year (for frak sake that is so frustrating considering the mid-season finale), Dr Who finishing up in a couple of episodes and Torchwood only having a limited run (?) there is a distinct lack of science fiction that I watch coming up.

Fortunately for me there are two shows coming that I am actually quite interested in.  Ironically enough I only just found out about these a couple of weeks ago (I’m slipping in my old age!).

The first is Fringe from JJ Abrams and starring our man Pacey from Dawson’s Creek (I currently like supporting everyone from that show except for Katie/She-Tom - I mean sure be in love with the guy but please retain your own personality and stop using his).  It’s kind of like X-Files apparently, but different at the same time (no one wants to just be a copy of another show).  For me the trailer kind of has a Threshold feel to it, remember Threshold?  A science fiction show that I got into and then it was cancelled *sigh

I’m hoping to check out a preview of it sometime soon so I’ll report back on its attention worthiness.  I am still yet to watch Alias or Lost so I have no real comparison as far as Mr Abrams is concerned although I did watch a little of Felicity (I didn’t see it all but I hear good things - was that a line from Little Nicky?).

The other show is from someone who’s track record for me at least is pretty much perfect.  Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse features Buffy and Angel regular Eliza Dushku and everyone’s favourite Angel scientist Amy Acker (arrrrg the pain is still there when I remember Fred’s death!).

I probably know a little bit more about the plot of this one than Fringe but I’m not as convinced.  To be fair I have faith in Whedon and I’m sure the show will be really interesting but I’m not sure if the concept has legs to run as a series.

Both shows look as though they’re well made and seem to have likeable enough cast members but then so did a whole bunch of science fiction shows of late all of which have gone the way side (except for Sarah Connor who I’m not convinced deserved the reprieve).  It reminds me that I bought Surface the other day (quite cheaply too I might add) which is a show that I didn’t mind but got cancelled (Invasion, Threshold and Aquaman didn’t even make it past a pilot).

So what do you all think, going to give these shows a go?  Could care less?  Excited about something else?  (please don’t say Caprica!)

Popularity: 19% [?]

One reason I’m eagerly awaiting the return of Stargate Atlantis

So some days I don’t really sing Stargate Atlantis’ praises, often I don’t think it deserves them and I wonder why I’m still watching, habit is the usual explanation I come up with, that and the odd glimmer of hope that the show will improve and the characters will be allowed to grow.

I like the show in general, I’m just not excited by it.  But I could be.

This next season is going to be the one that turns it all around for me, it’s going to be awesome because it is ready to take chances and to shake things up.

I’m sure it is.

One of the things that I think could be a really interesting aspect of the story is that Richard Woolsey is apparently taking command of the expedition.  I think this is actually a good idea as the character is neither scientist or military.  I hope the character steps up and adapts to the new role.  Robert Picardo is pretty good no matter what he’s in so I have no fear of the acting abilities.

There are other interesting things coming up for season five but I said ‘one reason’ and I’ll stick to that for now.

Popularity: 16% [?]

I’m the Doctor, look me up.

OK I just finished watching the latest episode of Doctor Who and I can honestly say that I’m really glad that Stephen Moffat will be taking over Doctor Who because he has written some amazing episodes and this latest two part episode firmly solidifies that reputation.

This latest episode now has my favourite line from the Doctor:

“Don’t play games with me, you just killed someone I liked and that’s not a safe place to stand.  I’m the Doctor and you’re in the biggest library in the universe… look me up.”

I think it is quite possible that David Tennant is now my favourite Doctor too.

*Sigh* I’m now going to go and watch Battlestar Galactica’s latest episode.  Please be interesting.

Popularity: 21% [?]

An outsider’s question about Lost

I watched about a third of the Lost season one and two, mainly because it was on TV at a funny time for us and we kept missing episodes.  It looked compelling enough, seemed pretty clever and the discovery of the hatch was all very exciting.  But by not seeing all of the episodes it made it near impossible to follow and rather than screw up the whole Lost experience we vowed to avoid the show at all costs and watch it on DVD, the same way we did it with Heroes (season three Heroes is coming - yay!).  In the Heroes case it worked out extremely well.

Time has past and the dust has come to settle on the season one DVD set of Lost, the plastic remains unbroken and Tracey and I are no more knowledgable in the ways of ‘the others’ or who the chap down the hatch is and why he was down there.  It has been a difficult twelve months for us and we honestly just haven’t gotten around to watching it yet.

No man is an island as they say and it has been hard, make that impossible to avoid all references or advertisements regarding the show.  I will say one thing though, it certainly hasn’t actually given anything away as I still have no bloody idea what is going on in that show!

Which is a plus for us but I’m concerned that at some stage I’m going to invest a big slab of time to a show that may or may not be worth it in the long run.  The snippets I’ve seen (trying hard not to look though!) have appeared a bit mad, weird stuff has gone on since I last visited the island and that guy doesn’t appear to have lost any weight!?

So my question is, is Lost worth it at this stage or has it already jumped the shark?  Please no spoilers, obviously if it even halfway decent I don’t want it ruined.  If you feel you can’t control yourself just vote in the poll in the sidebar!!

Speaking of the sidebar you’ll see that Quit Your Day Job has got itself a little advertising, hey I got to get my comic book money somewhere!  Anyway if you don’t throw up in misery everytime you visit here think about clicking on one of the ads to give them a bit of value for their money or even throw a couple of cents this way and get some advertising yourself!

Popularity: 18% [?]

Men in Trees cancelled

Apparently when you change timeslots six times, and put a show on two unexplained hiatuses with no information forthcoming about its return it doesn’t help the ratings!?

I’m shocked by this revelation in television programming 101.  Who would have thought that by making a show extraordinarily hard to actually see it would lead to poor ratings and thus eventual cancellation?

A lot of vocal people seem to love Men in Trees, I like the show, I don’t love it, but I like the familiarity of it, the inoffensive story arcs and delightful scenery.  We generally save up a few episodes and then watch them in one hit (which is my preferred method of watching a lot of shows, except of course things that easily get spoilt such as BSG etc).  It’s one of those light shows that you get used to watching.  But no more as it is being cancelled as reported by TV Guide.

Because we generally visit “cousin Larry” to obtain our episodes we haven’t had too much trouble keeping track of the show, timeslots mean very little to us, unexpected long breaks with no end in sight do however throw us out.

It’s a real shame I think that they’ve mistreated this show so much, as various channels have with other shows in the past.  I remember a little show called Firefly that was shown out of order, in non-recurring timeslots without all the episodes shown.  It didn’t seem to be a bad show after all?

Popularity: 24% [?]

Stargate: The Ark of Truth - a very nice episode

I can’t wait for the next SG1 DVD to be released, because hopefully they’ll be able to leave the old storylines behind and boldly go where no… umm hang on… no.

I finally watched The Ark of Truth and I was entertained, I wasn’t blown away but I was very happy by the end of it and as I mentioned am very excited about the next instalment which hopefully will have more of a movie feel to it.

I’m not disappointed by it as this is what I expected, I’ve read interviews with the actors that all pointed to this being a sew up all the loose ends episode which paves the way for some exciting standalone movies.

I think the replicator storyline was probably not my bag of door knobs probably thanks to Atlantis, these guys strike me as Lego gone nuts and that new government guy is Dick from Men in Trees so I can’t be mad at him.

Teal’c is fast growing on me though there was one scene where he is laying in the mud and his grey streak was so badly done that it made me… actually nothing really, it’s a very small point that I’m happy to forget, he did how ever have some very memorable sequences.

Overall if you are an SG1 fan you should love this, if you are a science fiction fan and can make some fill in the gaps leaps with the whole Ori bit then you should enjoy it for the most part. If you’ve never seen SG1, now is not the time to jump on board, buy a couple of seasons of the show first and then ease on in.

One very cool thing I should point out is that I really dig the design of the Ori ships!!

Popularity: 40% [?]