Chuck is one of those shows that’s been kept alive, despite lackluster ratings, thanks to a small, rabidly devoted contingent of fans. And at long last, all the Internet campaigns, letter-writing and Subway sponsor partnerships have paid off: Season 3 begins with a two-hour premiere event on Monday, Jan. 11!
As fans know, the NBC comedy’s second season ended with a game-changer: Chuck had the Intersect 2.0 downloaded into his head. Now, not only is he back to having all the government’s secrets locked away in his noggin – he’s got all the physical abilities that come with the new version. At the end of the finale, we saw him bust out some sweet-ass kung-fu moves he didn’t know he had. In the season 3 promo clip below, we see him bust out some more new skills.
This definitely adds a new dynamic to the show. But is it too much of a change? Much of the show’s humor before came from Chuck being this inept, geeky everyman who’s been thrust into a world of intrigue and espionage. If he’s got superpowers, he’ll definitely be left less helpless than before. Then again, just because his body’s a deadly weapon doesn’t mean our favorite Nerdherder will be any less awkward. Presumably, Casey will also still be grumpy and scary, and Sarah will continue being mind-blowingly gorgeous. In other words, I’m fully expecting Chuck to continue bringing the goods with Season 3.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: this show has everything I want from a TV series. There’s over-the-top fight scenes, gorgeous femmes fatales, nifty spy gadgets, awkward comedy, great music, and dynamic performances from every actor involved. It would have been an absolute tragedy for it to get canceled after last season, and I hope it starts performing this year.
Monsters vs. Aliens will battle it out against other commercials slotted to play during the Super Bowl XLIII. DreamWorks Animation has purchased a 90-second spot in 3-D and will be giving away 150 million pairs of 3-D glasses for viewers to enjoy the spring promotion.
According to Variety, a generic ad at 30 seconds of airtime during the Super Bowl runs approximately $3 million. Topper Jeffrey Katzenberg said the ad, including the giveaway of 150 million pairs of glasses, “involves tens of millions of dollars.” He calls it “perhaps the biggest media-advertising event in history.”
NBC, which is airing Super Bowl XLIII on Feb. 1, plugged the supersized trailer during its Saturday broadcast of the wildcard playoff game between the Indianapolis Colts and the San Diego Chargers. Don’t forget to pick up your glasses! Check out your local retail locations as the glasses will be attached to Pepsi/SoBe Life displays at 28,000 retail locations.
Fear Itself, the suspense/horror anthology series from the creators of Masters of Horrors that aired on NBC earlier this June, is now available to watch for free on FEARnet via their VOD service.
Each installment was directed by the biggest horror directors working in feature films today, including John Landis, Darren Lynn Bousman, and Ronny Yu. The episodes went on hiatus during the 2008 Summer Olympics with plans to return after, but no further episodes were aired. Now the plan is to air them online with episodes continuing to be added each week.
Currently, there are already three episodes online with behind the scenes clips as well.
The first is Eater, directed by Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator). This installment stars Samantha Moss (Mad Men) as a rookie cop who must spend her first night in the precinct watching over a serial killer, coined “The Eater”. When her fellow cops start acting bizarre, she quickly learns that no one is who they seem. See below for videos (new for FEARnet) that go behind the scenes with Gordon and discuss the creation of “The Eater” character.
The second is Spooked, directed by Brad Anderson (The Machinist). Eric Roberts plays an ex-cop who’s thrown off the force for brutality. Now he’s a private eye on a stakeout of a haunted house, where some restless spirits are set on revenge.
The third full episode available is Skin and Bones from director Larry Fessenden (The Last Winter, Wendigo). After being lost in the woods for days, a rancher returns home to his family. But somehow, he isn’t the same. And now, his family is in trouble.
Variety reported that Universal Studios has sealed the deal to mount their next Sid and Marty Krofft feature. The studio has acquired writer-producer Dana Gould of The Simpsons to pen the live-action film based on the Krofft brothers’1970’s kidshow Sigmund and the Sea Monsters.
Sigmund will be the studio’s third movie treatment for the Krofft brothers. The first being Land of the Lost (budgeted at $100 million) which stars Will Ferrell now delayed for release until June 2009, and the second is a live-action H.R. Pufnstuff currently in pre-production with director Conrad Vernon (Shrek 2) in talks to helm the film. Similar to the first two features, the Krofft brothers will produce the project alongside Jimmy Miller under his Mosaic banner.
For those unfamiliar with Sigmund, the original kidshow ran Saturday mornings on NBC from 1973-1975 about a timid sea monster whose nasty brothers disowned him for not wanting to scare humans. Forced to leave his home, Sigmund (Billy Barty) is befriended by two boys Johnny and Scott Stuart (Family Affair’s Johnny Whitaker and Scott Kolden) who hide him in their clubhouse. Their friendship grows in this on-going tale that spanned 29 episodes in two seasons and became a hit rerun choice on local TV stations for the remainder of the decade.
The growing interest on these current properties leaves high hopes for owners Sid and Marty who told Variety they would love to see their remaining properties (Electra Woman and Dyna Girl, Lidsville, The Bugaloos, Dr. Shrinker, Bigfoot and Wildboy, and Wonderbug) originated as well.
Iron Man, the anti-superhero, joins the fight to Stand Up To Cancer, a movement that has been unstoppable in its innovative approach to fund cancer research. EBay is currently holding an auction for a winner and his guest to enjoy a VIP experience of Iron Man 2, encouraging all to “stand up and bid to fight cancer.” The winner will enjoy:
* A visit to the set of Iron Man 2 (one shooting day)
* A meet and greet with the cast
* A walk-on/ extra role in the film for the auction winner
* Photo tour of the set with an Iron Man unit photographer to document the tour
* Professional photos will be given to the winner
* Tickets to the Los Angeles premiere for you and a guest
* Winner and Guest will walk the premiere’s red carpet
Most recently, Laura Ziskin Productions and Seligman Entertainment in association with the Noreen Fraser Foundation teamed up for an unprecedented program that premiered on NBC, ABC, and CBS simultaneously, devoting one hour of commercial free prime time to speak for the cause. Over 50 of the most renowned personalities in TV, film, sports and music came together for this unparalleled undertaking. If you missed the premiere, you can still tune in at Standup2cancer.org to get involved. Cheers to a wonderful team effort.
NBC ordered thirteen episodes of the horror anthology series Fear Itself, but has aired only eight of the episodes. With the Olympics at an end and the new fall season beginning in two weeks, there seems little opportunity for the final five to air.
Ben Silverman, Co-Chairmen, NBC Entertainment told iF Magazine in late July, “No we’re not taking it off.” Still, the schedule is empty and the network’s website for the show has nothing to share about these final five. They last released any news about the series at the end of July. (more…)
Robert Forster (Karen Sisco) will join the cast of Heroes as presumed-dead Arthur Petrelli. According to Entertainment Weekly, the character could be seen as early as the September 22 season premiere although in real time or flashback remains to be seen.
Lisa Bonet (Angel Heart) has been added to the impressive growing cast of ABC’s Life on Mars. She will play Jason O’Mara’s present-day girlfriend while just announced Gretchen Mol will play his 1973 flame.
Paramount Pictures has withdrawn from its involvement with David Fincher’s new Heavy Metal movie. The film, announced back in March, was tossed from Paramount, according to Entertainment Weekly. “Tim Miller, whose Blur Studio is handling the animation, says he and Fincher, along with current Heavy Metal publisher Kevin Eastman, are now shopping the film to other studios because Paramount’s new production execs felt the movie was too risqué for mainstream audiences.”
Stephen Kay (Boogeyman) will next direct Cell 213, a story about a criminal defense attorney who winds up framed for the murder of one of his clients. When the man arrives at Dodgeville State Penitentiary, he’s placed in cell 213, solitary confinement, and finds his soul is being claimed by both Heaven and Hell. The screenplay is from Maninder Chana (The Drive-By Ventriloquist) and production begins next month in Canada.
NBC and its Chiller TV channel have announced Dare 2 Direct, their second contest with a $5000 prize. Winners will be featured on Chiller’s Dare to Direct Film Festival with contestants writing, producing and delivering short films for consideration. Celebrity judges and voters will evaluate and help determine the winners. The elimination process will culminate with the winner being announced during the Film Festival’s Halloween night broadcast at 10 p.m.
We told you a while back about CBS’ Harper’s Island, the series about a killer stalking a wedding party on the island near Seattle. Now we hear that Christopher Gorham (Ugly Betty) has been cast opposite Elaine Cassidy (The Ghost Squad) as the groom.
There’s a handful of genre programming coming to the major networks this fall and the prognosticators are starting to handicap the season. J.J. Abrams’ thriller Fringe is hands down the consensus choice for bets new series. Right behind it in the estimates is ABC’s Americanization of Life on Mars. The new version of Knight Rider is expected to perform poorly.
Horizon Media suspects Selma Blair’s NBC comedy Kath & Kim to be the network’s turkey.
Here are details on Fear Itself’s schedule for the last three weeks of July:
7/17/08 – “New Year’s Day”
Directed by Darren Bousman (Saw II, III & IV)
Written by Steve Niles (30 Days of Night)
A young woman (Briana Evigan, Step Up 2: The Streets) wakes up in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by horrifying zombies and struggles to survive the day. Niall Matter (Eureka), Cory Monteith (Kyle XY) and Zulay Henao (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) also star.
7/24/08 – “Skin and Bones”
Directed by Larry Fessenden (The Last Winter, Wendigo)
Written by Drew McWeeny & Scott Swan (Masters of Horror)
When a cattle herder (Doug Jones, Hellboy & Hellboy II: The Golden Army) returns home to his family after being lost in the woods for days, he just doesn’t seem the same. Soon, a terrible mortal struggle ensues against the terrifying monster possessing him
7/31/08 – “Something With Bite”
Directed by Ernest Dickerson (Heroes)
Written by Max Landis (Masters of Horror)
After a veterinarian (Wendell Pierce, The Wire) gets bitten by a large, strange animal brought into his clinic, he begins to see the world and his stale life differently. Paula Jai Parker (Side Order of Life, The Proud Family) also stars.
Venezuelan director (Curandero) is reportedly the final director for NBC’s horror anthology series Fear Itself. According to Fangoria, he will direct “The Circle” based on Lewis Shiner’s short story. Johnathon Schaech and Richard Chizmar (Masters of Horror) have turned the prose into a teleplay.
Last week we mentioned that Battlestar Galactica’s Sam Witwer was going to play a very different kind of Doomsday on the final season of Smallville. The Hollywood Reporter now says that Cassidy Freeman (Razor Sharp) has been cast as another opponent for the not-yet-Man-of-Steel. Witwer is Davis Bloome, paramedic by day, psychopath, by night. Freeman’s character, Tess Mercer, arrives as acting CEO of LuthorCorp, sleected by Lex before his absence from the series.
Lloyd Owen (Viva Laughlin) will topline a new pilot for Fox called Inseparable. The show is now being considered as a midseason replacement. The series was created by writer/exec producer Shaun Cassidy, and is described as a modern-day Jekyll-and-Hyde story. Owen will be a partially paralyzed forensic psychiatrist with a split personality whose alter ego is a charismatic criminal. Also in the cast is Toby Stephens (Dark Corners). If you’re scratching your head about the familiar theme it’s because Christian Slater will wrestle his own personal demons in NBC’s My Own Worst Enemy starting Monday nights this fall.
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Chuck is one of those shows that’s been kept alive, despite lackluster ratings, thanks to a small, rabidly devoted contingent of fans. And at long last, all the Internet campaigns, letter-writing and Subway sponsor partnerships have paid off: Season 3 begins with a two-hour premiere event on Monday, Jan. 11!
