Slice of SciFi #173: Dr. Deborah Manchester (Creator, “Zula Patrol”)

In the News:

Dakota Fanning, 14, will soon star in a new film about kids with unique abilities titled “Push.”

Director J.J. Abrams and writer Roberto Orci are preparing a prequel comic to lead into their upcoming reboot of the Star Trek movie franchise.

Have you tried your hand at The Princess Bride game yet? We tell you all about it.

Special Segment: Kurt from St. George ponders the eternal question — ‘Who is the 5th Cylon?’

Movie Talk:

The 2004 release of “After the Apocalypse” from director Yasuaki Nakajima, is now available on DVD and tells the story of five survivors who try to eek-out an existence after the devastation of World War III.

Val Kilmer, the voice of K.I.T.T. in the upcoming fall debut of “Knight Rider,” has a new film out on DVD titled “Conspiracy.” It had a limited theatrical release in February of this year.

Slice of Trivia: Kurt in St. George has three SF TV clips provided by Christine, a Slice of SciFi fan. They have a specific theme. See if you can guess which shows they come from and what the theme is.

TV Talk: CBS has a new vehicle premiering this fall called “The Mentalist,” starring Simon Baker as Patrick Jane, a man with amazing mental prowess who uses his keen sense of observation to break unsolvable crimes.

Interview: Dr. Deborah Manchester, the creative force behind an intriguing children’s program called “The Zula Patrol” for NBC Universal. Audiologist turned inventor, TV producer, writer and animator, Deborah created these interesting characters from another planet while recuperating from foot surgery and sold NBC on the idea. The series is presented in such a way that it gets young elementary school-aged children very interested in real science, particularly astronomy and mathematics. The series has turned into a huge success which is branching out into gaming, merchandising products, tours and even a showcasing in the famous Epcot Center, all geared to peak the interest of children in the sciences.

Future Talk:

“Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” gets moved back a year. What’s up with that? We tell you.

Producers Brad Fuller and Andrew Form have added an original plot idea to their long list of upcoming remakes. “The Unborn” features an all-star cast that includes Gary Oldman, Carla Gugino, Jane Alexander and Odette Yustman.

Listener comments: If you have any suggestions or comments, please let us know. Keep your comments brief, or funny, and maybe you’ll hear your message on the voicemail show! See you next week with fresh new content.

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Link: “The Princess Bride Game”
Link: “After the Apocalypse”
Link: Val Kilmer in “Conspiracy”
Link: “The Zula Patrol”
Promo: Scapecast
Promo: SFF Audio

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