SyFy

MONDAY ON SYFY: “ALPHAS” Zak Penn has a confession: The screenwriter whose name has appeared in the credits of two “X-Men” films, “Elektra” and “The Incredible Hulk” has a real problem with this whole superhero thing that has been dominating Hollywood’s attention for the last decade. “I loved comics growing up, but even then I was always skeptical of straight-ahead superhero stories — I never liked Spider-Man and Batman,” the 43-year-old said. “The idea of superheroes always struck me as odd. Why are they putting on costumes to fight crime? Why are these people doing this?” These sort of questions eventually led Penn (who also wrote an early script for “The Avengers” project coming next year from Marvel Studios) and collaborator Michael Karnow to “Alphas,” the new Syfy project that premieres Monday with tales of superpowered humans who do amazing things […]

This story ran on the cover of today’s Los Angeles Times Calendar section… The strange, alien hybrid was born in a beige-bland corporate park just off the freeway in San Diego and, after three years and $25 million in development, it still has no name but it does have a mission — to meld a television series and a global online video game in a dynamic way that will allow players around the world to become proxy members of the show’s creative team and digital extras on the weekly episodes. “It’s the holy grail and nothing less than that,” says Dave Howe, the president of NBC Universal’s Syfy channel, which would air the still untitled series beginning next year. “To have a television show and open-ended game that becomes a community, that is something that no one has ever done […]

Robert Carlyle and David Blue of Syfy's "Stargate Universe" had much different reactions when it came to Comic-Con International. Amidst all of the craziness (they were even doing press for "Let Me In" right next to us, for instance), we were able to sit down with them separately for extended (yeah, they are pretty long, but worth it) talks about their characters and show's development so far, the fandom and expectations, what's to come and more.

Yes, it was Friday morning at Comic-Con, but things got awfully heady in Ballroom 20 at Syfy’s back-to-back panels on “Stargate Universe” and “Caprica,” two shows, though, that fans might not see back on the air for some time. The “Caprica” panel, moderated by Hero Complex’s very own Geoff Boucher, dealt with themes of religion, polygamous marriage and what it means to be human — all of which are represented in some fashion on the series — with panelists who included executive producer David Eick and executive producer/creator Ronald Moore and actors Alessandra Torresani, Sasha Roiz, James Marsters and Magda Apanowicz. Of course, the deep conversation might have been helped by the fact that Eick and Moore opted to do a couple of shots from what appeared to be a bottle of tequila to kick off the festivities. (Sure, it’s […]

FIVE QUESTIONS: RYAN CARNES OF “THE PHANTOM” Beginning in February 1936 — three years before Batman went on the prowl for the first time – young readers across the nation thrilled to the comic-strip adventures of a different masked mystery man: The Phantom. The character created by Lee Falk is considered by many to be a key stepping-stone in the early evolutionary path of the American superhero (he is believed to be the first fictional crime fighter to wear a skin-tight costume, for instance). Now he’s back but in a fashion that the late Falk might not have recognized. On Sunday, SyFy airs a  revival of ”The Phantom” in the form of a four-hour mini-series. I caught up with the star, Ryan Carnes, for this edition of Five Questions. — Geoff Boucher GB: How did you find yourself in this role? And is it a character that you […]

Maria Elena Fernandez has the lowdown on a Syfy series that premieres July 19 at 10 p.m. Here’s an excerpt from her post on Show Tracker, our sister blog: Syfy is hoping that Stephen King will lead the network to another summer hit when it premieres “Haven” this summer. Based on King’s novella “The Colorado Kid,” the series stars Emily Rose (“ER“) as an FBI agent who arrives in a small Maine town to solve the murder of a local ex-con. Her natural curiosity eventually leads her to discover that the town, Haven, is an enclave for people with a remarkable range of supernatural abilities. Although the agent, Audrey Parker, will solve mysteries every week, her back story will develop over the course of the season. “Why she’s been brought there, what’s going on with her, her history, that’s a […]

FIVE QUESTIONS: DAVID BLUE David Blue is every guy you run into at your local comic book store: funny, usually smart and a bit nerdy. All of that could be why he identifies (as do those around him) so well with his character Eli Wallace on Syfy’s “Stargate Universe.” With its darker tones and story lines, “Universe” strays a bit from the action-y comedic base of past “Stargate” endeavors, but it continues the franchise that started way back in 1994. Blue knows that he has stepped into a very well-known, well-chronicled sci-fi series, but he was giddy to do it. JP: What kind of experience with sci-fi do you have? David Blue: In general, I’ve loved movies and television my entire life. It’s one of the few things that Eli and I have in common. I watch almost everything. Sci-fi, in my mind, is always […]

Those who watched the first half of the first season of Syfy’s “Stargate Universe” probably noticed something a bit different about the spacefaring series from most others — no aliens. Yes, Robert Carlyle’s Dr. Rush and the rest are on an alien vessel, but (maybe due to their being in hyperspace a lot), had yet to face any external aliens besides a weird cloud of dust and a swarm of space bees. But that changes in this second half of the season, which launches Friday night. This crew, a mixture of a few military personnel and a lot of civilians, will have first contact with a very non-humanoid, non-friendly species. And here’s an exclusive look at the telepathic creatures: “Universe” co-creators Robert Cooper and Brad Wright wanted to make sure they established the crew on Destiny and the challenges they’d […]

Mary McNamara, the television critic for the Los Angeles Times, was one of the strongest voices among the chorus of critics who hailed “Battlestar Galactica” and now she has high hopes for the spinoff series, “Caprica,” which begins tonight. But, she writes, the series is off to a bit of a slow start.    In the midst of all its programming woes, NBC has managed to achieve something close to the impossible — a prequel series that should not only please all comers but may expand the demographic of science fiction fans everywhere. Debuting on SyFy (though it could just as easily be moved to that barren 10 p.m. slot on NBC), “ Caprica” is set 58 years before the Cylon wars that propel “ Battlestar Galactica” and tells how the Cylons came to be. The shows may share the same […]

Make sure this is on your DRADIS screen: The two-hour “Battlestar Galactica” movie “The Plan” makes its broadcast premiere Sunday night. Here’s an extended clip from the Cylon-centric movie directed by the admiral himself, Edward James Olmos and starring Tricia Helfer, Grace Park, Michael Hogan, Dean Stockwell, Michael Trucco, Kate Vernon and Olmos himself.   – Geoff Boucher RECENT AND RELATED Edward James Olmos on the “Blade Runner”/”Battlestar” connection Edward James Olmos: “The Plan” is not the end for “Battlestar” Starbuck speaks! Katee Sackhoff on the end of “BSG” VIDEO: “Battlestar” panel in L.A. with Olmos and McDonnell PHOTO GALLERY: What’s next for the “Battlestar” cast? “Battlestar” finally gets some trophy love So say we all: Inside the cast party for “BSG” finale Kate Vernon on her life as Ellen Tigh, the Cylon cougar