Sci-Fi News and Reviews

2008 Fall Sci-Fi - FOX

Let's face it - FOX has not been good to us. Sure, it helped revive the Sci-Fi movement on television with "The X-Files", but the network's more recent activity has been downright cruel. Remeber "Drive" and "Tru Calling"? How about "Firefly"? All were summarily cancelled after abbreviated first seasons. Last season, I complained about FOX's treatment of "The Sarah Connor Chronicles", when they debuted it on a Sunday and then proceded to move it around the lineup like a pinball.

However, after looking at this year's schedule, I have to wonder if FOX is reformed. I am probably going to regret this next statement - but it looks like they have done some good work this year!

Returning Shows
8:00 PM EST (Monday) - "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles"

Sarah and John Connor are back for a second season. Even though it aired on three different days during its thirteen episode run, enough fans followed it to keep it alive. Hurray for us!

As for the show, I still really like the characterization of John. Sarah is the heart of the show, but in John lies the potential for a long running series. I also enjoy Summer Glau as the protector Terminator. She's mysterious and well-played. I'm looking forward to the Fall return - it has a good, solid time slot on Mondays following "Prison Break".

New Shows
9:00 PM EST (Tuesday) - "Fringe"
8:00 PM EST (Monday - Midseason) - "Dollhouse"

FOX only has two new Sci-Fi offerings - but, man, these are doozies! Most critics say that FOX has the best two new shows of the Fall season in Joss Whedon's Dollhouse and J.J. Abrams' Fringe. In addition, they are going to run them as "Remote Free TV", which is a new concept where commercial ad and promo time will be cut by half, with no more than five minutes of interruptions per hour for network commercial minutes.

Is this really FOX? Wait - there is more!

The media blitz for "Fringe", by the aforementioned J.J Abrams (of "Lost" and "Alias" fame), has already begun. (right after "House"). FOX is not repeating the "Sarah Connor" scheduling mistakes. Instead, they are debuting the show with a two-hour premiere on Tuesday, Aug. 26 and then letting it settle in the Tuesday 9:00 PM time slot after "House." Yup - you can't get a better slot than post-"House". Except for maybe, say, "American Idol"....which "Fringe" will get as a lead-in at mid-season.

The show itself also sounds interesting. The wiki entry describes it as "...a cross between The X-Files, Altered States and The Twilight Zone" with an "overarching mythology". The plot will center around a research scientist named Walter Bishop, his son (who will be played by Joshua Jackson), and a female FBI agent, who seems to be the focus of the initial promotional efforts.

"Fringe" will have every opportunity to succeed.

The funny thing is, even as good as "Fringe" might be, "Dollhouse" is supposed to be even better. Critics are saying that the "Dollhouse" pilot is the best that they have seen this season. "Dollhouse" is not being slighted on it's time slot either - it will be following "24" on Monday nights, taking over the "Sarah Connor" slot at midseason.

Plus, it was created by Joss Whedon (yeah!) and stars Eliza Dushku ("Faith" on "Buffy", "Tru Calling"). Joss has once again assembled a fantastic team of writers - basically, there is no way that this show is not excellent.

The plot sounds very intriguing also. Dushku plays a young woman named Echo, who volunteered for the work in the "Dollhouse". The volunteers give up five years of their lives in exchange for a large sum of money to be paid at the end of their term. In addition, the volunteers (called 'dolls') have their personalities and memories wiped clean between assignments, and gain new personas for each new mission. They do not have any memory of anything they do for the Dollhouse and stay in a child-like, memory-free state between assignments. The story follows Echo, who starts to remember things about herself.

The Outlook
The FOX outlook is incredibly bright. I can't shake the feeling that we've been here before and that the network will cluelessly cancel another excellent show. However, the strong connections for both "Fringe" and "Dollhouse", along with the "Remote Free TV" idea, have me convinced that FOX has changed its stripes. I am betting on two huge Sci-Fi hits.

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Posted by Fred on May 29, 2008 3:44 PM
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