Eye on Sci-Fi - The X-Files, Star Wars, The Martian, SyFy does what it does - cancel shows

October 2015

By Ken Parker

Lots of series canceled, lots of stuff coming up and a look at The Martian movie.

Continuum Series - So after 4 seasons, Continuum is done.  I followed the show since day one and for the most part I found the entire thing enjoyable.  I felt the show never ever was on track with a true direction and that might be representative of the time travel nature of the story.  The show was constantly trying to find an identity and often changed direction.  I don't think it ever figured itself out and even in the final mini season, it just barely managed to put all the pieces together.  It was not a bad show and the ending approached a satisfying conclusion but not sure it was worth the 4 years to get there.  If you are looking for a time travel, conundrum and paradox show that looks at how and why one might want to change history, this series has some great concepts and excellent characters.

Eye of Sci-Fi - Person of Interest, The X-Files and when shows end

Mid May 2015
By Ken Parker

This session I spend a fair amount of time looking at some TV shows which ended in seasons past following the news that Person of Interest has been renewed for only 13 episodes.  We also hear more X-Files information and look back in time at a previously lost fantasy film and ahead in time to a new Luc Besson film.

The X-Files Returning to Fox??

You don't generally see a network wanting a show back after so many years but Fox would love to see a X-Files revival with Chris Carter at the helm and starring Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny .  The show has been off the air for over 12 years and the show's stars are busy on other projects but perhaps something will happen.  The second movie was on 7 years ago but there has been no movement on that end either.

I was a fan of The X-Files for years but in my opinion the show went downhill quickly and not just because the main stars left the show.  The series ran out of ideas and revisited the conspiracy ideal too many times.  I stopped caring about every aspect of the series.  If the show came back I would love to see it return to the case of the week with perhaps different conspiracies rather than the alien abduction, government, black goo, clones, etc story arc.

One would have to wonder in what format the show would come back and a limited episode run would seem most likely rather than a full season.  It is also possible that Duchovny and Anderson would be there to introduce two new leads who would then head up a new series.  That would be great except it sort of had been done before and didn't work that well.

The After - by Chris Carter

A new proposed series is going to pilot for writer, director Chris Carter.  The story, The After is about the moments right after an apocalypse and is being funded for Amazon.  Amazon  has recently been producing original programming including the Zombieland series.

Carter is best known for producing The X-Files and Millennium back in the 90's.

The X - Files 20th Anniversary #SDCC 2013 Panel

Doctor Who and Other Themes Slowed Down

Taking a theme song and stretching out the total time creates examples of the following famous themes - very cool!!

Top Sci-Fi and Fantasy TV Series That Need To Be Remade

by Ken Parker

I still think there is original ideas out there but there are series that are begging for an updated version to be made for new audiences today.  Here are a few.

The Twilight Zone – sure, it has been tried before but this is probably the easiest one to pick.  An anthology series with short stories seems like an easy idea but the drawback in this day and age is most people are into ongoing storylines.  It is rare, these days, to have stand alone stories in any series. People need something to follow week after week and so The Twilight Zone may not be the show to bring back right now.  Still, what better way to showcase new talent by bringing in fresh writers and directors or perhaps bring in a famous cast and crew to work on something.  Imagine William Shatner starring in an episode or Chris Carter writing an episode.  What a better platform to see something different and unusual.

Current Status – rumors are out there attaching J.J. Abrams to this franchise.  Well, why not!

IDW To Release New X - Files Comic Book

IDW has released a press release announcing the return of The X-Files to the world of comic books.  The new comic will be released in June along with reprint collections of the sporadic X-Files releases from 1995 to 2009.
Here is the Press release.
Source: IDW.COM


The Landmark Series Finds a New Publishing Outlet in 2013

San Diego, CA (January 28, 2013) - IDW Publishing and Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products are thrilled to announce a partnership to publish an exciting series of works based on the legendary series, THE X-FILES. IDW's publishing plan includes reprinting collections of the classic issues published intermittently from 1995 through 2009, as well as creating brand-new X-FILES comics to launch in June 2013.

Over two movies and two hundred television episodes, THE X-FILES, is a juggernaut of science fiction-tinged intrigue, unique characters and carefully constructed stories. The show's popularity raged into the comic world, seeing successful series mounted by publishers Topps and Wildstorm. Despite this, new publishing has not been available since 2009's joint Wildstorm/IDW crossover - 30 Days of Night/The X-Files - leaving fans without a venue for the continuing sequential adventures of Mulder and Scully... until now.

"THE X-FILES is a classic property that helped redefine fans' expectations for the science-fiction and horror genres," said IDW's President/Chief Operating Officer Greg Goldstein. "The possibilities for new comic stories are virtually unlimited!"

"The fans of THE X-FILES have remained loyal to the series since its conclusion. What better way to continue the show's legacy and give back to them than through new stories in a different medium," said Jeffrey Godsick, President of Fox Consumer Products. "IDW has worked with a number of our Fox properties, and we know they're going to do great things with these iconic characters."

In 2013, fans of THE X-FILES will want to believe in new comics from IDW Publishing! The home of successful kindred series like 30 Days of Night, Doctor Who, and Locke & Key, to name a few, IDW is excited to bring the enduring legacy of THE X-FILES back to comics.

"Few shows have captured the zeitgeist and fans' imaginations like THE X-FILES, and fewer shows still have left people hungry for more in the way this one did," said Chris Ryall, IDW's Chief Creative Officer/Editor-in-Chief. "Our new series will be picking up where the second film left off, which will hopefully be as exciting for fans to read as it is for us to develop."

The X-Files - Blu Ray??

The Digital Bits is reporting a rumor that Fox may be looking to release The X-Files on Blu-ray.  Since the show never aired in high definition and the special effects were made in standard definition, the release would mirror what Star Trek The Next Generation is doing with remastered effects.  The X-Files was shot on film and so an conversion to HD is possible but the effects were made in a standard definition and would have to be remade similar to Star Trek, the Next Generation.  It is uncertain whether the effects elements exist in HD or that they would just have to be done over again.

We could see the first release as early as 2013.

My Top 10 Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Series of the Decade - 1990 -1999

Back by popular demand (I was bored), is my top 10 Sci-Fi and Fantasy TV series of the decade and this time we travel back to the 90's.