I know Monday nights at 8 p.m. EST are crowded when it comes to quality, genre-related shows. It’s enough to make me envy Sam and her three DVRs sometimes.
Especially nights like tonight. On NBC, we get the last new episode of “Chuck” of the season. It goes up against the mid-season finale of “Sarah Connor” on Fox and a holiday-themed episode of one of TV’s funniest comedies, “The Big Bang Theory.”
If you’ve not given “Theory” a chance yet, I can’t recommend it enough. It’s a shame that two of the most smile-inducing shows on TV (“Chuck,” “Theory”) have to air opposite each other. And if you can’t catch tonight’s episode live or don’t have three DVRs, I think it may be worth seeking out to watch on Hulu or CBS’s streaming video content area. Tonight’s episode features a guest-turn by Michael Turruco of “Battlestar Galactica.”
Over the weekend, “Twilight” passed the $150 million mark at the box-office. Originally, director Catherine Hardwick said that was the magic number needed to ensure the sequel gets made. Summit Entertainment green-lit the sequel the weekend “Twilight” opened, when it made half of that magic number is three days. Now, Summit has announced that “New Moon” will be directed by Chris Weisz. Weisz has also directed last year’s “The Golden Compass.”
TV Guide On-Line reports that the fifth season of ABC’s “Lost” will air “uninterrupted.” The alphabet network had planned to run the fourth season in a similar fashion but the writer’s strike necessitated a month-long hiatus last year.
According to TV Guide, “uninterrupted” doesn’t mean there won’t be a couple of weeks off for the island drama. Looking at the calendar and this season’s episode order, a few Wednesdays without “Lost” will have to occur or the show will run of episodes before the end of May sweeps.
Robert Carlyle has accepted the lead role in SciFi’s “Stargate: Universe” according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Described as edgier, darker and younger-skewing than its predecessors, “Universe” follows a group of soldiers, scientists and civilians left to fend for themselves when forced through a Stargate after their hidden base comes under attack. The survivors, who emerge aboard an ancient ship missing in the far reaches of space, are led by Dr. David Rush (Carlyle), who works to unlock the ship’s mysteries and return the group home, but who also might have ulterior motives.
Caryle may be best known for his roles in “The Full Monty” and “Trainspotting.” He recently guest-starred in the two-hour movie, “24: Redemption.”
Production on “Universe” will begin later next year.
And if you thought SciFi’s cuts to “Doctor Who” were bad, wait until you hear what the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation did for the fourth series finale. They cut out 20 minutes of the final episode of series four over the weekend, causing many viewers to wonder what in the name of Gallifrey was happening.
Canadian viewers are up in arms over the cuts and wondering why CBC didn’t follow the lead of SciFi channel and air the finale in an expanded time-slot.Â
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