TV Jab

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After Sci-Fi wraps the “Battlestar Galactica” story next year, you can still expect a little more “Galactica” on your television. In addition to working on a prequel series, there will be a 2-hour prequel movie directed by Edward James Olmos, and written by former Buffy scribe and series co-executive producer Jane Espenson.

So far Michael Trucco, Aaron Douglas and Dean Stockwell are all set to come back for the prequel film. The story will focus on the aftermath of the Cylon’s destructive forces.

The production will begin shooting in Vancouver soon.

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Starting on the first day of September, all the way through to the 30th of October we have new shows debuting on all the major networks. Below you’ll find a complete list of all the new and returning shows and their premiere dates!

Be sure and check back here at TV Jab for reviews of these new programs as they premiere…we’ll be covering almost all of them this year!
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Bob Saget is being roasted on Comedy Central on Sunday August 17th, 2008 - and you kind of have to think that Comedy Central is running out of ideas for these Roasts.

No disrespect to Saget intended, but seriously - the original idea for a “Roast” was for a group of friends to gather around and give one of their buddies hell for an evening. It was honor through insulting with affection. What Comedy Central is doing is hiring 3rd rate comedians to make fun of former television stars…and that’s just not entertaining in my book..

Take a look at this clip of what you can expect…

I think that kind of sums it up. Bob is sitting there being a good sport and “laughing” along with it - but seriously, there’s something very sad about this. Bob Saget is still a viable name on television - he’s hosting 1 vs. 100, narrating “How I Met Your Mother” and doing stand up.

Doing nothing but mocking his work on “Full House” and “America’s Funniest Home Videos” is uncreative, and frankly - lazy. “Full House” was a great, influential show, to its target audience at the time it first aired. “America’s Funniest Home Videos” is something its easy to mock…but this little thing called “YouTube” confirms that there is a global audience for this kind of entertainment and one could argue that AFHV helped bring that to the world. (for better or worse).

Still, what I find the most upsetting is Bob’s own comments about the special. According to the New York Post the comedians on the show crossed the line a few times by making suggestive and sexual references to the Olsen Twins. When asked about it, Saget said,“Anybody who talks about my TV kids—:that upsets me the most…I am very protective. I love them very, very much.”

The article continues to reference all the dirty jokes at the Olsen’s expense, and goes on to quote Gilbert Gottfried as saying “they deserve it” (for unspecified reasons) and that they will have to just “go home and cry in their billions of dollars”.

After seeing samples of the show, and hearing a few of the Olsen related jokes, I won’t be watching the special. I hope you don’t either.

Fans of Joss Whedon’s “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” have heard for a long time about the fact that at one point an animated series was being considered to showcase the early high school years of Buffy and crew (the version where Dawn, Buffy’s little sister, was in the mix…long story, if you don’t know it, go watch the live action series). Everyone in the video above is played by their original actor, except for Buffy herself. Apparently Sarah Michelle Gellar had something better to do.

The animation above looks ok to me, but the dialogue doesn’t “pop” they way that it did in the live action show. What we’re left with is snappy dialogue delivered in a very unsnappy way. I’m not sure it was such a bad thing that this series never happened.

Still - if they could figure out a way to get the dialogue sounding a bit more natural, I’d love to see this show on Adult Swim. Or better yet - an animated version of “Buffy Season 8″ - will it ever happen? Probably not…but us fans can dream, can’t we?

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In an effort to spice up “The Young and the Restless” new headwriter Hogan Sheffer has recently killed off characters David and Sabrina to make way for new blood on the show.

The first of that new blood is an old familiar face to many prime time views. Michael Gross from the “new classic” NBC series “Family Ties” is joining the show as River Baldwin.

Gross’ first appearance will be on the August 15th episode of the show.

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NBC and Dick Wolf are teaming up for a new project called “Lost and Found”.

The network is giving Wolf a cast-contingent pilot order for the drama about a slightly quirky female homicide detective who has a tendency to use “outside-the-box” techniques to find the identities of people.

Sounds like “Without a Trace” meets “Monk” to me.

If the pilot gets picked up we could see this on the air as early as the 2009 - 2010 season. OR - we could never hear about it again…who knows.

Things are looking very interesting for Sesame Street’s 39th season. Celebrities are coming out of the wood work for the show, including names like Jack Black, Jessica Alba, Brian Williams, Mike Rowe, Jonah Hill, Fiest, Will Arnett (as a magician no less!!!), and Neil Patrick Harris.

These celebrity guest stars, I assume, are meant to draw adults back into the show (with their children in tow) and get some eyeballs back on the long running series.

It looks like a new cast member or two will be joining the show from the preview above. Watching the whole thing kind of makes me sad that my daughter has moved passed the “Sesame Street” phase already.

I may still watch some of these episodes anyway. :)

Freddie Prince Jr. joins the WWE?!?!?!?

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That’s right ladies and gentlemen. Freddie Prince Jr. has joined World Wrestling Entertainment as a member of the creative team. Yes, you read that right. Freddie Prince Jr., husband of Sarah Michelle Gellar and star of “Scooby Doo” has joined the WWE in a creative capacity, and will be assisting in booking the weekly shows and ppvs.

Prince is a big fan of the WWE and I’m sure that his presence within the WWE will have a definite impact. I don’t think it will be long before he finds himself on screen. I’m actually kind of surprised that he wasn’t named the new GM on Monday’s show.

Where will Freddie Prince Jr. take the WWE?

Who knows…with World Wrestling Entertainment you never know what to expect.

“The Phantom” is coming to Sci-Fi

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We saw many interesting announcements at San Diego Comi-Con 2008, but one of the ones that I am the most excited about is the announcement that “The Phantom” is heading to Sci-Fi.

“The Phantom” is one of, if not THE, first super-heroes ever. He has had numerous tv and film versions over the years (including the vastly under-rated 90s Billy Zane vehicle), but this latest incarnation could be a fantastic addition to the mythos.

The Sci-Fi channel is prepping a 4 hour mini-series that could eventually lead to a full blown series on their network. While I truly despised what they did with Flash Gordon, I think it’s possible that they have learned their lesson. This incarnation of The Phantom is a modern take on the character, but it keeps in line with the long standing tradition of the hero, while also marking a great starting point for people not familiar with the franchise.

You kind full details and spoilers on exactly what they’re talking about doing right here, but the bottom line is that this sounds like it could be something special. I sincerely hope Sci-fi moves forward with this…I can’t wait to see it.

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Everyone’s favorite Powers’ Girl is set to star in a new Reality Show focused on her life on a farm in an attempt to show viewers that she’s really a down to earth person.

Hurley and her husband Arun Nayar own a large country estate in Gloucestershire, England, and Hurley wants to show the cameras her everyday life on the farm. She says “People always imagine me with perfect hair…but that’s not who I am.”

There is no word just yet on when or where this new show is going to air. Hurley has been making a career of television hosting and appearance gigs since her last theatrical work in 2004.