Good news everyone!  ABC picked up Chuck for a 4th season and V gets a second one.

I've been enjoying watching both shows.  With their season end approaching fast I had concerns whether they would get a next season.

This is a good time for those not watching V to get back into the show.  The first few episodes are slow and it's difficult to get into the characters but they build so that by mid season all of the set up pays off and the intrigue gets really good.

Both Chuck and V are available streaming online.  Watch them below.

Chuck

V

(via SCI FI Wire)

V season one episode 7 "John May" is a good episode that moves the main story forward.  I give "John May" an 8 out of 10 rating.  For the audio review check out Fandom Today #451 “Who Will Help The Sane”.  Watch V streaming online below.

For those who have given up on V I challenge you to give them a try.  Stick it out past the first few episodes.  This series gets better after the characters find their voice and the main story arc picks up speed.  There is still some difficulty getting into many of the characters but some of the themes are quite interesting.

In this episode we learn more about John May the visitor who started the revolution and introduced others toward emotions.  I like some of the choices they made with how his son reacted to one of the big reveals in the episode.  They took it in a direction that was not typical but still felt natural.  I hope to see more of John May's son.

They bring up the theme of Anna's failure.  She has a ghost haunting her in the form of a meme.  When first facing this message she attacked it and killed those spreading it.  This is not the way to destroy a meme and as expected the meme merely added martyrs to its cause.  I find this reoccurring theme in V interesting and look forward to more of the exploration into propaganda and meme wars.

I liked how they air a lot of the resistance members and Anna's secrets.  By typing their hand early to the audience they will have to rely on story elements for future surprises rather than the typical gimmick of the big reveal.

What do you think happened to Ryan Nichols wife?

[reus name="Visitors"]

V Cast

“V” Adds Three Cast Members:

• Nicholas Lea will play Erica’s ex-husband for a two-part arc.


• Charles Mesure has a recurring role as mercenary Kyle Hobbes.  He is an in-demand black ops expert who forms an unlikely alliance with the resistance.


• Lexa Doig as Dr. Leah Pearlman.  Dr. Pearlman is an OB/GYN treating Valerie Stevens who discovered she was pregnant.(via Slice of SciFi)

Hobbit Delay

First of the Hobbit Movie probably won't be out until fourth quarter of 2012 (via /Film)

Alice In Wonderland Character Posters

Alice in Wonderland: Cheshire Cat and the White Rabbit character posters (via /Film)

ABC is cutting its order for V by one, now when V returns March 30th it will only have 8 episodes left.  ABC sites low ratings as their reason for cutting the show.  I want to know what are the executives at ABC thinking?

V is a great show.  I has good ratings even if they slipped some from the pilot episode dropping from 14.3 million to 10.7 million viewers.  Even with the drop in ratings V still got over 9 million viewers for episode 3 and 4.

These ratings are respectable especially since ABC’s darling Lost did not get better ratings then V for their 5th season.  Their last 4 episodes of the season were all around 9 million viewers with one episode dropping to 8.7 million.  Why not cut Lost short too… please.

ABC should watch V and Learn from Anna

If only ABC would watch V and learn from Anna they would learn that trust is a major factor in ratings.  Yes, a show needs to be good or at least catchy to get ratings and keep them.  They also need trust and respect.  Viewers have no loyalty to a network, no faith in the network’s shows with out that.  If you promise us 13 episodes honor that.  Anna knows that it’s why she spends so much effort on showing respect and keeping the people of earths trust.

If ratings are really the issue why hurt viewer trust?

If you want less views betray their trust and they will find something else to fall in love with.  Several people have told me how much they like V but are not willing to fall in love with a show when they don’t have confidence in the studio backing it.  I agree with that sentiment.  While I have enjoyed the episodes I can’t trust ABC.  They yanked Eastwick  now they are shortening V.

On the plus side when ABC rolls out a ton of reality shows I will sit back and enjoy spending time doing other things then watch TV.  Seeing as MMO’s have hurt TV ratings so much any one want to join me playing Star Trek Online it’s out February 2nd.

Chad reports from the Peace Ambassador Center as 100 diplomatic visas are being issued to the first wave of American Visitors, with Anna getting the 1st, but not everyone agrees with the decision. Meanwhile Erica has started tracking a death threat while paired with a V officer, as she actually has to protect the V's, and Ryan starts reaching out to his old friends to build up opposition forces and help fight-off the V's.

V 103 A Bright New Day airs November 17, 2009.  Watch it streaming online on Hulu

Episode 103 A Bright New Day trailer

• More on V here

 

What did you think about V episode 103 A Bright New Day?

Let me know in the comments below what you like, dislike and are your favorite moments?

[poll id="18"]

[reus name="Visitors"]

 

Erica and Father Jack see a Visitor transport ship land outside the warehouse where they were attacked. They’ve come to clean up the bodies, one of which belongs to Erica’s partner, Dale. She places an anonymous 911 call that is intercepted by an operator aboard a Visitor ship. Moments later, Erica and Father Jack are hunted by a deadly floating seeker sphere.

V 102 There Is No Normal Anymore airs November 10, 2009.  Watch it streaming online on Hulu

“There Is No Normal Anymore” trailer

• More V here

 

What did you think about Episode 102 There Is No Normal Anymore?

Let me know in the comments below what you like, dislike and are your favorite moments?

[poll id="16"]

V episode 102 “There Is No Normal Anymore” is better then the pilot episode showing more promise for the show.  They open up with the characters and the audience seeking out what is going on and trying to figure out what to do.  By the end of the episode all have some answers with out showing too much like in the pilot.

The confrontation so far is between Jack and Erica doing something / anything they can do to stop the V’s and the V’s who so far only appear to want to win the hearts of the people of earth.  Though they have set up some ominous concerns about deeper more sinister plans from the rebel visitors.

In “There is No Normal Anymore” there is also a fun back and forth power play between Chad and Anna.  I think Anna likes Chad I just hope she treats him well before she eats him.

Likes

 

• Tension and mood was well set in this episode starting with the 911 call and the seeker drone chase


• The intrigue and drama what made Battlestar Galatica great but in V there is hope.


• Battlestar Galatica’s Rekha Sharma appears as Sarita Malik, my first thought is she is a V.


• The power play between Chad Decker and Anna


• they do have me questioning who else is a V


• They do leave me curious what will happen next.

 

Dislikes

 

• I want more Alan Tudyk as Dale Maddox


• It’s the second episode and I still don’t care about any of the characters but I’m closest to Michael.

[reus name="Visitors"]

 

FBI Counterterrorism Agent Erica Evans stares in disbelief at one of the 29 massive alien ships hovering over the major cities of the world. Erica makes her way through the panicked streets of New York to find her troubled teenage son, Tyler, just as a video image of Visitor’s High Commander, Anna, fills the sky. For an alien, Anna looks pretty darn human as she soothingly says, “Don’t be frightened. We mean you no harm.”

V 101 Pilot airs November 3, 2009.  Watch it streaming online on Hulu

Pilot trailer

• More V here

 

What did you think about V episode 101 Pilot?

Let me know in the comments below what you like, dislike and are your favorite moments?

[poll id="17"]

Likes

 

• Elizabeth Mitchell who playes Erica Evans has amazing blue eyes


• The V's ships are interesting looking, kind of Bug like.


• How the v's speach was auto translated into other languages, I wonder if the London V was broadcast with an english accent.


• Anna's excuse for being on earth was a viable one


• the use of subtle body language


• Anna's eyes flipped


• The social conversion and propoganda


• Jack's comments on how with the right conditions Gratitude can morph into worship or worse devotion.


• The Fight scene


• Alan Tudyk's character

 

Dislikes

 

• The use of 9-11 as a cheep shot to create aptmosphere


• the special effects could use improvements the rendering of the shuttles aren't done well


• The fight scene

[reus name="Visitors"]

 

With so many Speculative Fiction shows and new shows coming out this fall I thought I could help sort them all out.

Currently Airing

• Eureka (Syfy):  A fun sci-fi show.  Love it, watch it on Hulu


• Ghost Hunters (Syfy):  Fascinating exploration of U.S. ghost stories and haunting investigation.  Love it watch it on Hulu


• Warehouse 13 (Syfy):  A fun sci-fi show that adds a dash of paranormal into it.   Love it, watch it on Hulu

SEPTEMBER 9

• Glee (FOX):  loved the pilot, a nice feel good musical tale with a dash of fantasy.


• Destination Truth (Syfy):  Loved the previous seasons can’t wait to see what Josh and the gang get into this season.  Hopefully nothing from Chernobyl bit Josh.

SEPTEMBER 10

• The Vampire Diaries (CW):  A vampire is in it so I have to check it out but I don’t have much hope.  I realize it is not a Twilight clone (I have been schooled on that subject, lol) yet I can only hope that it is way better then Twilight.


• Supernatural (CW):  I’m a sucker for a paranormal show involving demon hunters so this is on my check out list because I also realize there are a lot of bad ones out there as well.

SEPTEMBER 22

• The Forgotten (ABC): I don’t have much hope for this show, mainly I’m concerned this will turn out to be yet another show for people who don’t like sci-fi to watch.

SEPTEMBER 23

• Eastwick (ABC):  The trailers looks really good, they captured the essence of the movie so well in the promotional material I’m looking forward to watching it.

SEPTEMBER 25

• Dollhouse (FOX):  Season one rocked!!! A must see


• Smallville (CW): I could appreciate the concept behind Smallville but until this season just didn’t care enough bout the show to want to watch it but with Callum Blue joining the cast this year I think I may start watching it.

SEPTEMBER 27

• The Simpsons (FOX):  If you don’t know then I’m at a loss for words.

OCTOBER 2

Image via Wikipedia

• Stargate Universe (Syfy):  I started out not caring much about this show, but as more came out and especially the latest trailers I’m excited to watch it.


• Clone Wars: Rise of the Bounty Hunters (Cartoon):  Season two of George Lucas' animated Star Wars tales covering the era of the Clone Wars.  The animation style is a unique style that has been difficult for some to get into but worth it.  The story is really good though lighter because the show is marketed more towards a kid audience I have hope that the second season will get better.

OCTOBER 9

• Ugly Betty (ABC):  What an amazing retelling of the classic fantasy tale


• Sanctuary (Syfy):  The original web series was good.  The first season was awesome so of course I’m looking forward to season two.

NOVEMBER 3

• V (ABC):  I enjoyed growing up with the original show V and it is one that could use a retelling, plus Morena Baccarin.

November 7

• Legend of the Seeker (syndication):  Season one was so good I can’t wait to see how season two unfolds.

I find it interesting that all of the speculative fiction programming out there are on either sy-fy, Fox, CW, or ABC.

ABC is tweaking the pilot for V making it slightly different for the lucky viewers who got to see it at SDCC.

The main changes is fight scene between the visitors and the resistance.  They want to make the visitors more formidable.

Sounds good to me.. I would be disappointing if we get to the fight scene and the technologically advanced and tough fighting visitors weren't.

(via SCI FI Wire)

Ok, I am so surprised how excited I am about this series.  The Trailer looks great, sort of an Independance Day meets Battlestar Galactica meets V.

29 ships surround the world.  I love the way the ship switches over to  display its message on its underside.

Devotion: The Ultimate Weapon

I wondered how they were going to update the series to reflect the times.  Framing the coming of the Visitors with the human longing for a savior is a brilliant move.

I am curious to see how they are going to answer it in the series.

Alan Tudyk

Alan Tudyk is in the trailer for all of 2 seconds.  Look carefully he is in there.

Unmasking the Visitors

The short clip of the Visitors true face looked great!  I think this will work out.