Matt Davis

Actor Matt Davis, who plays the popular Alaric Saltzman, vampire hunter/history teacher on the CW’s top-rated Vampire Diaries is leaving his post to join the cast of new CW series Cult, as its male lead, according to a report at Deadline.com.

Cult is centered around a fiction TV series “show-within-a-show” of the same name that has an avid fandom base … and maybe some of the fans take it too seriously and are acting out the crimes committed on the show. As people start to go missing, a TV production assistant named Skye Yarrow, played by Jessica Lucas (Cloverfield, The Covenant), starts looking for connections.

In his new role, Davis will play the lead male character, Jeff Sefton, a blogger/journalist (another “slash” profession just like Diaries) whose brother is among the missing.

Previously announced cast includes:

• Robert Knepper (Heroes, Stargate: Universe) as fictional actor Roger Reeves, who plays the TV cult leader, Billy Grimm, and
• Alona Tal (“Jo” from Supernatural) as an actress on the TV series.

Although the announcement is still officially just for a pilot, such a high-profile casting decision from the network’s signature show – with the network’s blessing – is a sign of confidence from the CW brass that the series is headed for a pick-up for the 2012-13 season.

Cult is a series originally written by Rockne O’Bannon for the WB network many years ago after Farscape was cancelled by the Sci Fi Channel in 2002. It has languished in development hell as the WB merged with UPN to form The CW. It wasn’t until a new CW programming chief was named last year that the show was dusted off and given a second look.

The only sci fi flick to debut this weekend was the Spanish-language Sleep Dealer, whichwas shown only an a hanful of theatres in Los Angeles and New York. It debuted at No. 10 on the genre movie list and No. 37 overall with just over $30 thousand.

The sole genre film set to debut next week: The Mutant Chronicles also is set for a limited release befire going to DVD and a broadcast TV debut on the Sci Fi Channel later this summer.

Following are the Top 10 speculative fiction movies in release in North America for the weekend of April 17-19 , 2009.

RANK #. (Overall Rank) Title – Weekend Gross | Total Gross [Budget]

1. (1) 17 Again – $24 milllion | $24 million [N/A]
2. (3) Monsters vs. Aliens – $13 million | 163 million [$175 million]
3. (8) Knowing – $3.4 million | $74 million [N/A]
4. (10) The Haunting in Connecticut – $3.2 million | $52 million [N/A]
5. (11) Dragonball Evolution – $1.6 million | $7.8 million [N/A]
6. (15) Race to Witch Mountain – $0.7 million | $64 million [N/A]
7. (23) Coraline – $0.2 million | $75 million [N/A]
8. (26) Push- $0.09 million | $32 million [$38 million]
9. optical channel(30) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – $0.06 million | $127.5 million [$150 million]
10. (37) Sleep Dealer – $0.03 million | $0.03 million [N/A]

Source: Box Office Mojo – list only includes science fiction, spy fi, fantasy and dark fantasy/horror titles.

The TV series the Sci Fi channel originally rejected as “too intelligent” for an American audience three years ago is finally making its U.S. debut on that very channel Friday after a 21-episode run in Canada, South Africa, the UK, Japan, Korea, France, Romania and just about every other developed country on the globe.

Hailed by critics for its writing and acting and cinematic artistry, the alternate universe- and bind-bending Charlie Jade with its catch phrase, “Three worlds… One hope,” follows the adventures of a missing persons detective who finds himself caught between three parallel universes.

Created by the team of Chris Roland (Lexx) and Robert Wertheimer (Friday the 13th: The Series), Charlie Jade was filmed almost exclusively in urban South Africa, which gives the series an odd familiar/unfamiliar, otherworldly feel.

SYNOPSIS
from the SciFi.com Sci Fi Weekly:

The series is about a detective named Charlie Jade who lives in a cold, corporate world called Alphaverse. Charlie finds missing people. However, his life is turned upside down when he tries to help a lost young woman with no identity, only to be thrown into a parallel universe. Suddenly Charlie is the lost one as he attempts to get home, along the way discovering an intricate mystery involving three separate parallel universes, Alphaverse, Betaverse and Gammaverse.

“I have to say how thrilled I am that it’s actually going to get an airing on SCI FI in the United States, because when I started this, that was my ultimate objective,” Wertheimer  said in the Sci Fi Weekly interview.

The series’ tone is dark, gritty, violent and very sexy – similar to that of Sci Fi’s current hit series, Battlestar Galactica, although some of the sex scenes which played unedited in other countries are ripe for censor trimming in the U.S.

Nominated for [[Gemini award]]s in 2006 for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series for Michael Filipowich, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series for Patricia McKenzie, Best Picture Editing in a Dramatic Program or Series, and Best Visual Effects; the series won a Gemini for best sound editing.

CAST
Jeffrey Pierce (Close to Home, The Nine) as Charlie Jade
Michael Filipowich (Earth: The Final Conflict) as 01 Boxer
Michele Burgers as Essa Rompkin
Tyrone Benskin (Persian Emmisary in 300) as Karl Lubinsky
Danny Keogh as Julius Galt
Marie-Julie Rivest (Leonidas’ mother in 300) as Jasmine
Patricia McKenzie as Reena
Graham Clarke as Brion Boxer
David Dennis as Sew Sew Tukarrs

The series, which stars Kristanna Loken as Jane Vasco, a DEA-agent-turned-covert-government-weapon with superhuman regeneration powers, was announced days after the premier of Sci Fi’s latest comic-turned-series, Flash Gordon.

Other actors in Jane include Noah Danby, Rob Stewart, Alaina Huffman and Sean Owen Roberts.

Sci Fi said that although there will be no second season of Jane, the current season will continue its run in the same time slot until the final episode airs September 21.

The debut of Flash was also the top Adult 25-54 audience for any Friday program on SCI FI in nearly a year. The Flash Gordon premiere was the #3 cable program in prime (Adults 25-54, 8pm-11pm), making SCI FI the #2 basic cable entertainment network on Friday night (Adults 25-54, 8pm-11pm). In addition, Friday’s 9 p.m. series premiere of Flash Gordon:

• Delivered a 1.5 HH rating, 2.1 million total viewers (P2+), 1.2 million Adults 25-54 and 973,000 Adults 8-49.
• #5 cable entertainment program for the day among Adults 25-54, #7 for Adults18-49.
• Outdelivered ABC in Men 25-54 in the 9 p.m. hour.

Placing a 21st century spin on a science fiction classic, SCI FI’s contemporized version of Flash Gordon follows the all-new adventures of Flash (Eric Johnson) and his companions, Dale Arden (Gina Holden) and Dr. Hans Zarkov (Jody Racicot).

Ordinary people thrust into extraordinary circumstances, they find themselves as Earth’s last line of defense against the forces of the merciless dictator Ming (John Ralston). Flash Gordon airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET/PT only on SCI FI.

SCI FI Channel is a television network where “what if” is what’s on. SCI FI fuels the imagination of viewers with original series and events, blockbuster movies and classic science fiction and fantasy programming, as well as a dynamic Web site and magazine. Launched in 1992, and currently in 89 million homes, SCI FI Channel is a network of NBC Universal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies.

Additionally, I have never been a fan of anything done my RHI Entertainment. This is the Halmi crud factory that ruined Earthsea a few years ago.

But as the credits rolled, I watched the show. I was not as disappointed as I had thought I would be. In fact, many parts I really liked and some show promise that belie the wonderful story about Flash Gordon originally created as a comic strip almost 100 years ago.

On first impression, it appears that after getting a 2-hour movie from RHI, the Sci Fi editing wizards cut out much of the RHI crap and got a so-so 90 minute pilot out of the deal. With an order for 10 more episodes, Sci Fi got a “full” season.

The channel also took an ownership stake in the series and is said to have majorly reorganized the writing and production staff to the extent that the show by mid-season is vastly improved from the pilot.

Let’s hope so.

It’s not that this show is horrible. It’s just merely OK in parts and disappointing in others. Some of the changes to bring Flash into the 21st century are well-done. Others … not.

The back story  of the series, although different from the original, was updated nicely. I like the fact that Flash and Dale have a past and that Dale is not damsel-in-distress-ish at all. 

But, the back story of Flash’s missing father is cliche crap and way too Disney-esque.

This brings us to the tone of the show, its biggest change. RHI took the first grand space opera of Western civilization and turned it into a character-driven action procedural.

Now, I understand that the lack of space ships and associated special effects helps keep the budget manageable, but it hurts the Flash Gordon legacy that fans have come to expect.

It is sorta like the producers saw the success of portal-jumpers Doctor Who and Stargate decided to re-make Flash in their image. But didn’t quite get it right the first time out of the starting blocks.

The Cast

Canadian Eric Johnson (Smallville) plays the title role as Flash. Traditionally, the Flash character has been the ultimate “he-man” type. But Johnson just doesn’t fit that part physically. Sure, he’s got a nice bod and doesn’t disappoint beefcake fans in the pecs department in his shirtless scenes, but his features are a goofy/delicate mix that makes him look a tad bit scrawny despite the nice arms and chest. Acting-wise Johnson’s ability exceeded the material he was given in the pilot by a long shot. Let’s hope the rumors are true that Sci Fi replaced the writing staff with those who better understand what the channel’s fannish audience expects from its heroes.

Another Canadian, Jody Raciot (Stargate SG-1), plays Hans Zarkov. Not to slight Mr. Raciot, but this character is one of the biggest disappointments of the series pilot. Raciot has done stellar work in the past, even winning the Canadian equivalent of an Emmy for best actor in SG1.  But his character in Flash is written so poorly that he comes off as a babbling idiot in the first episode.

Worse yet, and perhaps the biggest disappointment is with the casting of John Ralston as seminal bad guy, Ming The Merciless. Bad, bad … bad. Again, not to pick on Mr. Ralston, but he does not match his part at all. It reminds me of the first few episodes of Farscape where that show’s producers tried to make Captain Crais the main baddie – but he was too bland. The same principle applies here. Ming must be a lot more Scorpius and a lot less Donald Trump. [Maybe Sci Fi realized this in that according to IMDB, Ming is only in two episodes of the series. (Of course, this could change)]

A better baddie than Ming – even in the pilot episode – is Jonathan Walker (The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne) as Rankol, a deranged inquisitor of the icky sort. He’s creepy, mean and downright gross. EXACTLY the kind of evil villain Flash Gordon should be facing week-in and week-out.

Perhaps the biggest “star” of the new Flash is Gina Holden (Blood Ties, Alien vs. Preditor 2), who plays Dale Arden. No swooning damsel, Dale is a tele-journalist and apparently smarter than Flash. Like the rest of the actors, she outshined the script by leaps and bounds. Luckily she does have a tangible chemistry with Johnson, which should help the show a lot among fans of Flash/Dale romantic story arcs (and the fan fic circles).

The most surprisingly good casting maneuver was with the choice of Karen Cliche (Mutant X, Dresden Files) as Baylin the Bounty Hunter. In what appears to be the only original character to this new series, Baylin has the makings of a kick-butt anti-heroine who can draw in the Xena fans, if written correctly in future episodes.

And what is Flash Gordon without a requisite evil slut? Here we have Anna Van Hooft (Trollz) playing Princess Aura. She does an OK job portraying a power-hungry wench with really bad dialogue.

Again, I think the talent of the actors exceeded the direction and the writing. Let’s hope now that Sci Fi has a show runner and ownership stake in the series both writing and direction are fixed, similar to what they did with Eureka.

Future Cast

For a sneak peek at who will be joining the cast of Flash Gordon in future episodes:

• Steve Bacic (Andromeda) as Barin

Special Effects

I’ve seen worse. I’ve seen much better. This falls into the same “so-so” category as The Chronicle and early Doctor Who. Not good enough to make you forget you are watching a fake story. But good enough to get the idea across without being too laughable. Hopefully, these will improve as the series progresses.

Costumes? Right out of the same nightmare closet as Lexx. The woot (and not a good woot) appeal was very high.

HDTV format

The series is being repeat broadcast in high-definition on the Universal HD channel Sundays at 9 p.m.. Upon viewing the pilot, I believe the makeup artists need better training on how to do makeup for an HD series (use airguns instead of sponges – you can see streaks on the actors’ faces).

The special effects also looked less special due to the increased detail of High-Def. I’m hoping that Sci Fi’s handiwork and experience with BSG can help fix this.

Overall impression

The look and feel of the pilot episode of Flash Gordon was either not campy or not serious enough. I can’t tell which. But either way it didn’t quite get any “wow effect” out of this viewer.

On the other hand, the eye-candy appeal of the actors is a bonus. Now, they need to fire the dialogue writers and get some real character development in this series.

But listening to what rumor mill coming from Sci Fi has been saying, the show starts taking on a tighter and more original feel at about episode 4 or 5.

That said, this show has the potential to go either way.

With Sci Fi possibly losing (or so the rumors say) new Doctor Who episodes to BBC America after this season, the channel really needs a light family-friendly adventure series to replace it. This could be that show – if it is improved in the right places.

Final verdict
Compared to summer reality TV – I’d rather watch Flash Gordon by a long shot. It was not a waste of my time, but it was not even close to being what it should be, either. The final product succeeded to transcend the RHI dreck machine – which was a surprise.

3 out of 5 stars.

Fan Favorite Returns for Two Episodes

Torri Higginson and Christopher Judge Also Guest Star in New Season

Reports of Dr. Carson Beckett’s untimely demise last season on SCI FI’s Stargate Atlantis have been greatly exaggerated – or have they? Paul McGillion will reprise his role as everyone’s favorite Scottish physician in a two-episode arc during the series’ fourth season, which will premiere on Friday, September 28 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

It was the fan cry heard ’round the Pegasus galaxy when Dr. Beckett was unexpectedly killed in an explosion at the end of season 3. His return to Atlantis promises to be every bit as shocking.

In addition to McGillion’s return, Atlantis viewers can also look forward to season 4 guest appearances by Torri Higginson (“Dr. Elizabeth Weir”) and Stargate SG-1‘s Christopher Judge (“Teal’c”).

Stargate Atlantis is executive produced by Brad Wright, Robert C. Cooper, Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie. The series is currently in production on its fourth original season in Vancouver, BC. with Mallozzi and Mullie sharing the reins as showrunners.

The Stargate legacy continues to burn bright on SCI FI with the fourth original season of Atlantis. Amanda Tapping, one of the most beloved stars in the Stargate universe, travels to the Pegasus galaxy to join the Atlantis cast by reprising her role as television’s most adored astrophysicist, Colonel Samantha Carter. Firefly’s Jewel Staite also joins the cast this season as “Dr. Jennifer Keller.” Taking the torch from SG-1 as television’s most thrilling adventure series, Atlantis, promises to up the ante this season by introducing a powerful new race, welcoming new cast members and mourning the loss of some beloved friends.

About Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., through its operating subsidiaries is actively engaged in the worldwide production and distribution of motion pictures, television programming, home video, interactive media, music and licensed merchandise. The company owns the world’s largest library of modern films, comprising around 4,000 titles. Operating units include Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc., United Artists Films Inc., Ventanazul, MGM Television Entertainment Inc., MGM Networks Inc., MGM Distribution Co., MGM International Television Distribution Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment LLC, MGM ON STAGE, MGM Music, MGM Worldwide Digital Media, MGM Consumer Products and MGM Interactive. In addition, MGM has ownership interests in international TV channels reaching nearly 110 countries. MGM ownership is as follows: Providence Equity Partners (29%), TPG (21%), Sony Corporation of America (20%), Comcast (20%), DLJ Merchant Banking Partners (7%) and Quadrangle Group (3%). For more information, visit www.mgm.com.

SCI FI Channel is a television network where “what if” is what’s on. SCI FI fuels the imagination of viewers with original series and events, blockbuster movies and classic science fiction and fantasy programming, as well as a dynamic Web site (www.scifi.com ) and magazine. Launched in 1992, and currently in 89 million homes, SCI FI Channel is a network of NBC Universal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies.

But for those with high-definition TV, who want high-def action, will have to wait a week to see it on HDNet – the cable and satellite channel for HDTV.

 HDNet will show Captain Jack and his scooby gang Mondays at 7 p.m., 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. eastern time, and 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Pacific in full 1080i wide-screen format.

(via C21Media)

Lucy Lawless will return to Battlestar Galactica for a minimum of two episodes of the show’s fourth and final season, currently in production in Vancouver. Lawless will reprise her role as D’Anna, the religious zealot who broke away from the collective voice of her fellow Cylons, thus sowing the first seeds of dissension among the robot race. As a result of her divisive behavior, her entire model was deemed defective and was “boxed.”

And all the Xena fans of the world are sure to rejoice.