Video - Battlestar Galactica Fan Video - Tribute To Better Days

There was no information provided by the YouTube publisher for this video. However, the video really speaks for itself. If you are a BSG fan, this video will touch you in a sentimental way. It is appropriately to be published at Christmas. I hope you enjoy it.


Video - Battlestar Galactica Fan Video - Tribute To Better Days

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Video - A Christmas Tribute to Michelle Ryan

This video is very nicely presented. It's a collection of Michelle Ryan pictures from her various television ventures. Michelle Claire Ryan (born 22 April 1984) is an English actress. She was previously best known for portraying the role of Zoe Slater on the BBC1 British soap opera EastEnders. She now stars in the NBC television series Bionic Woman.

Video - A Christmas Tribute to Michelle Ryan

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Thanksgiving TV Options, et al

The science fiction TV options for this long Thanksgiving weekend are hit and miss. Yesterday the SciFi Channel ran "Ghosthunters", not my cup of tea. What's worse was the 400 or so channels on DirecTV were not much better. There were a few good movies, Christmas With the Cranks, Independence Day, the American President. But most of day was spent channel surfing, I even settled for watching Oprah, Rachel Ray, and Fox News Channel. I tried to watch the Dallas-NY Jets game, but it was a slaughter from the start.

Today (Friday) is a little better, Enterprise is the all-day marathon on the SciFi Channel. I figured they'd shows the most popular episodes, maybe the pilot. But they just continued along the episode list from the Monday Night lineup. UGH!!!!! Enterprise season 3 was awful, and season 4 was not much better. What are those guys at the SciFi Channel thinking? Did they recruit some of those T&A rednecks from Spike to do there lineups? I mean, they replaced The Bionic Woman on Friday nights with reruns of The Dresden Files. And they promote Flash Gordon as if it's really popular. And they expect people to stay around to see Stargate Atlantis?

The SciFi Channel used to be the channel to watch on Friday night. But they have slowly eroded to where all they have they that is decent is Atlantis. They need to bring BSG back to Friday nights, when and if it comes back on (considering the writers strike). BSG Razor will still be on this Saturday night at 9PM, that's good news.

Something else that has been stuck in my crawl, this new Star Trek movie. All the non-trek fans are giddy about it since J.J. Abrams is writing it. You know he did that "Lost" thing, and "Mission Impossible II". Neither do I like, so he holds no weight with me as a critic.

The fact is the new movie is based on story lines Trek fans just aren't interested in. Star Trek is about the FUTURE, NOT THE PAST. Hence, that's where Enterprise went wrong. there are so many loose ends from the various series, that's what Trek fans want to know about. Since the last Trek movie bombed at the box office (ST: Nemesis), I bet the Trek hating execs studio is hoping this one will take an early nose dive. then they can finally put Star Trek to bed.

So Mr Abrams, get a clue, you're way off the mark. Write a story about the FUTURE of Star Trek, and tie in some things from the series' and you'll be successful. As it stands right now I don't plan to see the new movie in theaters, nor rent it either on VHS, DVD, or PPV. I'll wait until I can get it for free from the library.

Anyhow, I leave you with this Youtube video, a collection of Star Trek images set to music. Enjoy! Star Trek Music Video


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John Crawford

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Video - Battlestar Galactica A New Crew In Town

In tribute to the Battlestar Galactica: Razor miniseries, this cute video pays tribute to both Galactica crews.


Video - Battlestar Galactica A New Crew In Town
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The Bionic Woman, et al.

I think Michelle Ryan just gets better. For a young gal, and her first American TV gig, she's really got it together. Her character is evolving; Jaime's life is becoming a maze of lies and secrets. While she's beginning to play the good soldier, it is just a matter of time before her home life come crashing down. Her little sister, Becca, has already gotten in trouble. Thanks to Jaime's boss, Becca's not in jail. Seems Jaime's boss and Becca have their own secret.

I'm still a little miffed about her enhanced abilities. Maybe they are afraid that she will appear as "too" superhuman. I guess you'd have to be old enough to remember watching the original Bionic Woman (or the Six Million Dollar Man) in prime time. There was nothing else like it on TV. And like I've said in a previous post, the sound effects were a bit cheesy, and their enemies a bit simplistic. But it was 1976! As much as I like the new show, I think they've lost something. In as much as they're trying to make it unique, they owe their initial popularity to those fans that were fans of the original show. I think allot of would-be fans have turned away because it was not what they expected. They need to do something nostalgic, or bring someone in from the original series.

Anyhow, I found this video on YouTube. It's a collection of SciFi TV clips, very nicely done. Enjoy! SciFi Shows a Plenty


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John Crawford

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NBC's "Life" IS Worth Watching

If you frequent MSN.com or MSNBC.com, you may have noticed this article "Fall TV shows that should go away now". I started watching "Life" simply because it comes on after the "Bionic Woman". And since I just switched from Cable to DirecTV, I haven't figured out DirecTV's totally illogical channel lineup. So I got to see "Life" from the beginning.

Like many shows it tries to be complex, but keep your attention. It's allot like many sci-fi shows that bite the dust, they simply lose their audience. "Life" may be suffering from that. But, I think the story is worth tuning in to.

So the guy has a chip on his shoulder. Hey if you spent twelve years in prison (or one even on day) for a crime you didn't commit, you'd have a little anger bottled up inside. Charlie Crews is no different, and they try to make this as real as possible. And, in case you haven't noticed, reality shows are very popular. So why are fictitious shows shunned from imitating reality? OK, maybe that's too broad a statement.

Nonetheless, I like the show, and hope it lasts a few years. There's a long term story they're trying to reveal, that we'll never know if it's cancelled. The whole story of Charlie reconstructing the facts and players behind his imprisonment is the REAL, but underlying story. Everything else is the clues, apparently including his partner Dani Reese.

Dani has her own issues. She's a very troubled, intense person underneath that sweet but icy exterior. Having been in rehab for drug and alcohol abuse, she still struggles, and sometimes falls off the wagon. And now she may have a sexual addiction. She trusts no one, or hasn't since getting out of rehab. But that icy exterior is slowly melting as she learns to trust her twisted up partner, because in spite of his unconventional ways, he is good, and he's a good person at heart. Last weeks episode, "Powerless", gives us a glimpse into the real friendship that is growing between Charlie and Dani.

If you didn't see "Powerless", Charlie rescues Dani from a "would-be-killer" alcoholic. Dani meets a guy at a bar, Rick, then goes with him to a meeting (for alcoholics). She is attracted to Rick, but is troubled by his confessions, that he stops short of admitting to a crime. She investigates his background and finds there was a a woman and an incident. They set a trap for Rick (and the other woman) and eventually Rick is arrested. Dani heads home for the night, unbeknown to her that Rick made bail and is waiting in her house for her.

Knowing she is a recovering alcoholic he forces her to drink. Dani is able to reach into her coat and dial her cell phone and call Charlie. While Charlie can hear the drama going on in Dani's house, he and a team head out to rescue her. Rick is tipped off to someone at the front door, that enables Dani to subdue him as Charlie and company charge in. Charlie carries Dani to the ambulance, as she's feeling the effects of the alcohol she was forced to ingest. They share an almost... romantic moment, just before he let's her go into the ambulance. It's a powerful moment fo character building for this show in its infancy.

NBC could give it a boost by showing it at an additional time, maybe a mini marathon we could catch up on the missed episodes. This story is powerful, you gotta see it.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/2138181


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The Bionic Sizzle

Jaime finally lands a man. But we knew it was coming since the opening scene had all the girls sitting around talking about who to fix her up with. See a clip of last weeks episode. Like many of you, I was not aware that Michelle Ryan (who plays Jaime Sommers) what a native of Great Britain; there she is already famous. I watched her on The View, and was charmed by her accent.

In the episode "The Education of Jaime Sommers", Jaime goes undercover to college as a British student. When the boss asked her "How's your British accent?", I'm guessing they had to do that scene a few times to get it without laughing. It's kind've like asking a Klingon actor to do their character, but without the makeup. In the video clip link, she uses her native accent when she shouldn't. And Nathan asked her why. Do you suppose they screwed up and didn't want to have to go back and refilm it?

What is confusing to me is the fight scenes. They have these elaborately choreographed fight scenes. The people she's fighting should be dead. In the original series, they didn't have all that. it was quick, and not usually painless. But one punch with the bionic arm and they weren't getting back up, to say nothing about a direct kick to the mid-section. Maybe David Eick needs to watch a few more of the original episodes. And I think it's a requirement to have the necessary visual and sound effects if you call it a Sci-Fi series. The new ones are... OK, but I really like the old CHEESY ones.

All in all it's a great show. It stands on it's own from it's predecessor. I really hope they DO NOT cancel this show. I think it has immense potential. I'd really like to see Lindsey Wagner make a guest appearance, that would be cool. But we know that when Lee Majors make a guest appearance the show is in danger of being cancelled. I think there's allot of nostalgic things they could throw in to the show that fans would like and appreciate. But if they try to push this thing on its own it probably won't make it past season 2. Given that it's a Sci-Fi series on network TV, the odds are stacked against it. Luckily it's getting extra air time from the SciFi Channel on Friday nights 7PM ET, and again on NBC Saturday night, times vary.


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The 50 Million Dollar Woman

I wouldn't call the new "Bionic Woman" series a remake. While the show shares it's title with the 1976 series about a female cyborg named Jamie Sommers, that is where the similarities end. One one hand I am disappointed that it is completely different. There's no kool sound effects, no OSI, no Dr. Rudy Wells, and no Oscar Goldman. There still could be a male counterpart, and I'm betting there will be. But 6 million dollars won't cover his medical bills.

On the other hand, I like the adventure cause you know there's gonna be some bionic ass kickin'. I'd never heard of or seen Michelle Ryan before Bionic Woman, but I think she was an excellent choice for the main part. It's unclear at this point whether Sarah Corvus, played by Katie Sackhoff, will be here ally or her nemesis.

Given the state of affairs in the world today, the story lines look to be dark, pulled from the headlines but with a twist. The classic Bionic Woman (and Six Million Dollar Man) was from a different age, for those of us old enough to relate to it. Terrorism was mostly unheard of. Communism was the subject of debate, and the US-Soviet Union cold war filled the story lines (and the headlines). The world mindset was NOT IF there is a nuclear war, but WHEN. And until 1989, most of the world felt that was a sure thing. (Ok, enough of that)

I sincerely hope they don't twist things up too much. Many a series, especially science fiction, start with simple characters and a simple story, but end up with something difficult to explain. Far too many movie and series remakes meet an early death for violating this axiom. I think this series has potential, if they keep it simple.

Also if you miss The Bionic Woman episode at it's regular time on Wednesday Night, you can also see it on the SCI-FI channel on Friday nights at 7:00 PM EST. I also spotted it on the USA Network on Saturday afternoon, and on Bravo on Sunday afternoon.

Here's a link to a kool homemade video of the Bionic Woman series. Enjoy!


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The 4400 and The Dead Zone Season Finales

It's been too long since my last post. Several series have ended their season, while others have begun new. The 4400 and the Dead Zone both had very good season finales. Neither was a cliffhanger, both seemed to tie-up allot of loose ends, The 4400 especially. Almost like they were preparing to not be renewed next season. Shawn's brother and mother both die, along with Isabelle. What they left open was who is really in charge, not just Seattle, but the world.

Call me a traditionalist, but I like to know who are the good guys, and who are the bad guys. I believe that some shows twist that up too much, and viewers lose interest. The 4400 was all over the map on that one, but I believe they cleared it up in the season finale. The 4400's are emerging as the good guys, and the U.S. Government as the bad guys. But there's plenty more that we don't know about the temporal warfare being waged.

The Dead Zone Season 6 finale also provided a bit of closure. We got a much deeper insight into Johnny's doomsday visions, and we discovered his father, played by an aging Tom Skerritt, was alive all this time. Unfortunately he dies. But the proof of Greg Stillson's corruption is finally out in the open. And JJ discovers he has a "dead zone". Is there a spin-off in the making?



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The 4400; Season 4 So Far

I think The 4400 is right up there with Battlestar Galactica as the best shows on TV. I don't have as much free time as I used to so posting reviews has been sparse. Nonetheless, allot is going on this season of The 4400. As usual, things are twisted up. Tom is sleeping with the boss, and now he's one of the bad guys from the future. I still say he'll take the shot, Diana too. Isabelle will get her powers back as well now that her "life" has been reversed, and reversed again. I also think that Diana and Marco will get back together. Ben has departed and no sign of returning. April is working for the Justice Department (or something like that); maybe her and Ben will get back together. Although Maia says her Mom and Ben will get married.

Shawn and Jordon are on opposites sides, but seem to be fighting for the same thing. Alana will be back when her (Karina Lombard's)other TV and movie commitments allow. And for all we know this whole season could be one of Alana'a alternate realities.

Kevin and Tess thus far have not played significant roles. However, Kevin is working on a test to determine 100% who will die if they take Promicin. Shawn's brother, Danny, is contemplating taking the shot.

Kyle, and his newly discovered ability Cassie, have taken up residency with Jordon and company in Promise City. Tom Knows where Kyle is, and even helped him escape from other places. How is that going to play out now that Tom is a bad guy from the future? I think this where the writers have gone too far. You can twist things too much. The writers and producers need to keep in mind that viewers expect a certain status quo at the end of the episode, such as key players are there and their roles do not change that way.

Things I'd like to see happen on the show.

1. Johnny, from the Dead Zone, makes a guest visit as his character.
2. A Dead Zone episode featuring a 4400 character and their ability.
3. Reveal more names on the list of people that have to take the shot.
4. Jordon joins NTAC to fight the bad guys from the future.
5. A 4400 elected to the White House.

Unfortunately the season will be over in a few weeks. I wish the USA Network would spread these out. We go 9 months out the your with no 4400 episodes, and they only show reruns at 2AM. I know allot of people that watched the show the first season, but lost track of it since. The network does a lousy job of keeping viewers interest when new episodes are not being made. The same for the Dead Zone, Monk, and Psych.


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John Crawford

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