Tag Archives: Star Trek

Upfronts: Preview CBS’ fall schedule including Kevin James, Matt LeBlanc & Joel McHale sitcoms

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CBS is the last of the Big Four Networks to present its fall schedule and preview its new series slate. In all, The Eye has 5 new dramas and 3 new comedies coming soon, and of the 8 new programs, six are ready to go come fall.

ABC’s new entertainment president Channing Dungey doubled down on single-cam sitcoms, and CBS’ newly appointed entertainment head Glenn Geller is following suit by also injecting two weeknights with two-hour comedy blocks. The Big Bang Theory, the most-watched comedy on TV, will anchor Mondays in September and provide a solid lead in for the new Kevin James (King of Queens) multi-cam sitcom Kevin Can Wait. 2 Broke Girls and The Odd Couple will follow, and returning procedural Scorpion will close the night at 10. When Thursday Night Football concludes in late October, Kevin Can Wait will move into the 8pm slot and it will be paired with another new stay-at-home dad sitcom, Man with a Plan, toplined by Matt LeBlanc (Friends). New legal drama Bull, inspired by the early career of Dr. Phil and starring Michael Weatherly (NCIS), gets sandwiched between NCIS and offshoot NCIS: New Orleans on Tuesday. Wednesday is home to Survivor, Criminal Minds, and, Code Black. In late October, Big Bang will anchor another night, Thursday, and help draw eyeballs to Joel McHale’s (Community) fresh laugher, The Great Indoors. Returning sitcoms Mom and Life in Pieces complete this second two-hour comedy block on the Eye’s schedule, and new hospital-set drama Pure Genius bookends the night at 10. Friday will open with a modernized version of MacGyver and it will lead into returning crime procedurals Hawaii Five-0 and Blue Bloods. With The Good Wife over, Sunday’s lineup now looks like this: NCIS: LA, Madam Secretary, Elementary.

New series being held for midseason include dramas Training Day–starring Bill Paxton and based on the film but taking place 15 years after it–and Doubt, a legal procedural and Katherine Heigl’s (Grey’s Anatomy) return to network TV (Orange is the New Black‘s Laverne Cox co-stars).

Jump after the break to view the full fall schedule and preview CBS’ new fall and midseason series with video clips and descriptions. Continue reading Upfronts: Preview CBS’ fall schedule including Kevin James, Matt LeBlanc & Joel McHale sitcoms →

Bryan Fuller to helm new ‘Star Trek’ TV series for CBS

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Today CBS hired Bryan Fuller (Hannibal, Pushing Daisies) to come aboard its new Star Trek TV series. It’s a match made in heaven, really, since Fuller fully admits he’s a die-hard Trekkie. In fact, he got his start in TV writing for Deep Space Nine and Voyager in the late 90s and early 00s and it’s been a life-long dream for him to run a Trek show.

“My very first experience of Star Trek is my oldest brother turning off all the lights in the house and flying his model of a D7 Class Klingon Battle Cruiser through the darkened halls,” said Fuller in a statement. “Before seeing a frame of the television series, the Star Trek universe lit my imagination on fire. It is without exaggeration a dream come true to be crafting a brand-new iteration of Star Trek with fellow franchise alum Alex Kurtzman and boldly going where no Star Trek series has gone before.”

Kurtzman, who’s also no stranger to the Trek universe having served as co-writer and producer on J.J. Abrams films Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness, will shepherd the CBS series alongside Fuller.

“Bringing Star Trek back to television means returning it to its roots, and for years those roots flourished under Bryan’s devoted care,” said Kurtzman. “His encyclopedic knowledge of Trek canon is surpassed only by his love for Gene Roddenberry’s optimistic future, a vision that continues to guide us as we explore strange new worlds.”

Kudos to CBS for handpicking the best captain for the job. Bryan Fuller, whose wondrous imagination delighted audiences with such colorfully rich shows as Dead Like Me, Wonderfalls, Pushing Daisies, and the late, great Hannibal, is going to bring senses of discovery and awe back to Star Trek. The new Trek promises to “seek imaginative new worlds and new civilizations” and I am brimming with excitement and complete trust that Fuller will deliver something extraordinary.

Have you been following Fuller’s every move since the demise of NBC’s Hannibal? If so, you’d know that the prolific producer is also hard at work on adapting Neil Gaiman’s novel American Gods for Starz with Michael Green. Fear not; his showrunning duties on Star Trek will not interfere. And what of the future of Hannibal? I’ll always hold out hope that the cast and crew will reunite to continue the story of the Murder Husbands.

Star Trek will debut on CBS in 2017. Remember, though, that following the series premiere, the remainder of it will exclusively stream on CBS All Access, the network’s subscription-based streaming service. The pill that is the $5.99/month fee was just made a whole lot easier to swallow.

Movie trailer round-up: ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’, ‘Independence Day: Resurgence’, ‘Star Trek Beyond’ & ‘Fantastic Beasts’ (Update)

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Director Bryan Singer is ready to introduce the world to Apocalypse, the first mutant from which all mutants descend. Also, he’s totally evil and stuff and wants to annihilate mankind and create a new world order over which he will reign. Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis, Ex Machina, Star Wars: The Force Awakens) plays the villainous mutant who has amassed the powers of many other mutants since the beginning of recorded time, becoming immortal and invincible in the process. A disheartened Magneto (Michael Fassbender) joins the dark side once again to take on Professor X (James McAvoy) and his team of misfit mutants in an epic war to save the world from irreversible destruction. Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games) and Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones) also make impressions in this debut trailer for X-Men: Apocalypse as young versions of Mystique and Jean Grey, respectively. The wide ensemble cast also includes Nicholas Hoult, Rose Byrne, Tye Sheridan, Olivia Munn, Lucas Till, Evan Peters, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Alexandra Shipp, Josh Helman, Lana Condor, and Ben Hardy.

Singer’s followup to his successful Days of Future Past hits theatres May 27, 2016.

Update (12/13): 20th Century Fox has dropped the first official trailer for Independence Day: Resurgence and you can watch it now after the break.

Update 2 (12/14): Following a leak in Germany, Paramount has released the first trailer for Star Trek Beyond a tad early, but we’re not complaining! Find it after the break.

Update 3 (12/15): Warner Bros. is giving Harry Potter fans a peek at the anticipated spinoff Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. By now you know where to find it. Continue reading Movie trailer round-up: ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’, ‘Independence Day: Resurgence’, ‘Star Trek Beyond’ & ‘Fantastic Beasts’ (Update) →

‘Star Trek’ to make anticipated return to television…with a questionable twist

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J.J. Abrams was successful in resurrecting Star Trek to the big screen. Now it’s time to see if CBS can do the same on the small screen. The network is employing producer Alex Kurtzman to shepherd Star Trek‘s return to TV. Kurtzman is no stranger to the Star Trek universe; he previously co-wrote and produced Abrams’ reboot films Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness. We don’t have a definitive title or plot synopsis just yet; what we have is this:

The brand-new “Star Trek” will introduce new characters seeking imaginative new worlds and new civilizations, while exploring the dramatic contemporary themes that have been a signature of the franchise since its inception in 1966.

In a nutshell, the new TV series will not incorporate the classic original series characters like Kirk and Spock. Instead, it will introduce a new crew and fresh locations and inhabitants to explore.

Now here’s the kicker. CBS will premiere the new Star Trek on its network in January 2017, but following its “special preview broadcast,” the show will be airing exclusively on the network’s CBS All Access streaming service. That’s a subscription-based service that demands a $5.99/month fee to use. Currently, CBS All Access is home to the majority of all the network’s current and past seasons on demand, including all prior Star Trek iterations. This will mark the first time that CBS is adding a new, exclusive series into the fold.

This news is a bit of a shocker to me and the industry overall. Star Trek is such an iconic franchise, and limiting its return to the medium that gave birth to it is a poor decision. Of course, CBS envisions Star Trek‘s inherent popularity to draw audiences to its All Access service. I’ll be curious to see how this all goes down; perhaps if things don’t go according to plan, CBS will do a 180 and air the series on CBS proper. Are you will to pay another monthly fee to access a show not available through your cable provider, even if that show touches that nostalgic place in your heart?

Jump after the break for choice quotes plucked from CBS’ Star Trek press release. Continue reading ‘Star Trek’ to make anticipated return to television…with a questionable twist →

New ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ teaser trailer, plus Benedict Cumberbatch villain is “named”

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Two weeks ago Paramount gave us a first look at J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek sequel Into Darkness with a grim poster and an announcement trailer that introduced us to the film’s big baddie played by the one and only Benedict Cumberbatch. Today the studio provides a new teaser trailer, the one that’s attached to screenings of The Hobbit. New footage is mixed with brief glimpses we’ve seen before, including that special moment between Kirk and Spock that was originally added to the ending of the Japanese version of the announcement trailer. In this go around, Bruce Greenwood’s Captain Pike takes over most of the narration duties in a plea to his Enterprise successor Captain Kirk. “There’s greatness in you. But there’s not an ounce of humility,” he says. “You think that you can’t make mistakes. But there’s going to come a moment when you realize you’re wrong about that and you’re going to get yourself and everyone under your command killed.”

To learn the film’s antagonist’s name, jump after the break. Continue reading New ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ teaser trailer, plus Benedict Cumberbatch villain is “named” →

Movie poster: ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ [Update: An “announcement trailer” has arrived!]

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Today Paramount released the first poster for the highly anticipated sequel Star Trek Into Darkness. Who is that standing in the middle of debris and destruction? Is it Chris Pine’s Captain Kirk, or can it be the film’s antagonist (rumored to be Khan) played by Benedict Cumberbatch?

Whoever it may be, there’s no denying that the poster in general evokes an eerily similar scene of gritty chaos we envisioned with the Dark Knight Rises artwork. In Christopher Nolan’s piece, the crumbling city of Gotham was shaped into the Bat symbol. In J.J. Abrams’ art, a still unknown city on Earth is wasted and its ashes form the iconic Starfleet Delta symbol. Whether or not this imitation was intended by the marketing team (it had to have been, right?!), it serves to tell audiences that Into Darkness (if the subtitle didn’t hint at this already) is going to attempt to tell a gritty, dark tale involving our Enterprise crew and a formidable foe.

In addition to the poster, the studio also released an official synopsis that shines a light on the tightly wrapped plot.

When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis.

With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction.

As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.

Star Trek Into Darkness is out May 17, 2013. And don’t forget that theatres will be screening the first nine minutes of the film leading into select showings of Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey beginning December 14.

Update (12/6): I found something you’ll want to watch over and over again today. Paramount has dropped a teaser trailer (or what they’re calling an “announcement trailer”) for Star Trek Into Darkness. Each tantalizing glimpse is brief but there are so many of them it’s hard to shake off the sheer amount of excitement and anticipation. The best part, though, has to be what is heard, not seen. Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays the still unidentified villain, narrates: “You think your world is safe. It is an illusion. A comforting lie told to protect you. Enjoy these final moments of peace. For I have returned…to have…my…vengeance. So, shall we begin?” Hey Trekkies, I wonder who that could be…

Watch the teaser trailer after the break. Continue reading Movie poster: ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ [Update: An “announcement trailer” has arrived!] →

Preview first nine minutes of ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ in IMAX 3D on December 14

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Was that split-second footage from Star Trek Into Darkness presented by director J.J. Abrams at Conan not enough for you? Starting December 14, select IMAX 3D theatres (approx. 500 of them) playing The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will screen the first nine minutes from the Star Trek sequel.

Greg Foster, Chairman and President, IMAX Filmed Entertainment: “Our longtime partners J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk and the Bad Robot team have really hit it out of the park – the footage is absolutely incredible. Their use of the IMAX Camera and canvas is sure to impress current and future Star Trek fans alike, and we’re thrilled to once again work with our friends at Paramount Pictures to offer this extended ‘first look’ at this highly anticipated summer blockbuster.”

Like Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight and some movies before it, Into Darkness includes scenes shot with IMAX rigs. According to Deadline, “sequences filmed with the extremely high-resolution cameras will expand to fill more of the screen with unprecedented crispness and clarity, putting moviegoers right into the explosive action and vast scope of the film.”

So if you want a taste of Abrams’ next vision in the Star Trek franchise, run (don’t walk) to your IMAX 3D theatre to experience never-before-seen footage from Into Darkness. The highly anticipated sequel is out May 17, 2013.

DIY-er creates Star Trek style air-powered sliding door

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DYI handyman Marc DeVidts has gone ahead and create the coolest door I’ve ever seen.  (It’s certainly not the biggest or most aesthetically pleasing, but’s it’s the coolest.)  He’s created a switch that opens the door (and can hold it open or closed), above the door is an air vent and that’s where the air from the air compressor (located in the attic) gets released when the door closes, and next to that is a control panel that allows him to disable the door and shut off the air supply. So go on, click play and watch the door open and make the “whoosh” sound when it closes.  DeVidts succedded in what he set out to do: construct “the perfect, most geek-ified entryway for [his] bedroom.”  If you are feeling the urge to build a door like this in your home, head over to Instructables where you’ll find a step-by-step guide authored by DeVidts himself.

[Via Gizmodo]

Star Trek + Tik Tok = pure amazingness (somehow, someway)

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I really can’t stand Ke$ha anymore, with her whiney songs that always get stuck in my head.  As much as I’ve been trying to keep a safe distance from her catchy tracks I stumbled upon this masterpiece.  Somehow, someway, YouTube user MissSheenie was able to perfectly match classic scenes from Star Trek: The Original Series with Ke$ha’s first single “Tik Tok”.  Now enjoy.

“Make it sir”

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Back in December a committee within the British Cabinet Office decided to honor actor Patrick Stewart by bestowing him with the highest accolade of adding “Sir” to his name.  Last Wednesday the Queen made it so.  Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s Captain Jean-Luc Picard was officially knighted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace.

[Via TheGlobeAndMail]