Stargate Universe - TV Guide Online: Ask Matt Aug 23 '10

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Ask Matt: The Glades, The Gates, Mad Men, Hawaii Five-0 and More!

Aug 23, 2010
by Matt Roush



... Question: I've finally finished the first season of Stargate: Universe, and I'm curious about your thoughts on it (and whether you thought it was worth watching, as I don't remember reading anything about your opinion of it). Stargate: SG-1 was much lighter and had a sense of humor that was usually near the surface, and we'll just pretend Atlantis was a bad dream. However, SG:U seems like an attempt to shoehorn the Stargate mythology into the dark style and brutal sensibilities of Battlestar Galactica. Don't get me wrong, I was entertained by the first season and will keep watching, but it's a departure from what the franchise was, and the melding of the SG mythos with the BSG style results in the proverbial machine that knows all the words but can't quite get the music right (if that makes any sense). However, I can't fault it for providing an unexpected reboot of the franchise, and if I only watched shows as good as BSG, then I wouldn't be watching much. Also, I said I'd watch when it comes back, but I guess that's making a pretty big assumption: Has it been renewed? — Mike

Matt Roush: Yes, it will be back, with the second season starting Sept. 28 — in a new Tuesday time slot, now that Fridays on Syfy have been turned over to wrestling this fall. (Don't get me started.) It's one of my so-far-fruitless goals to catch up with the second half of the Universe season before the new episodes begin. Your reaction of the show feels pretty spot-on to me. There's no question its tone is darker and harsher than the Stargate norm, and I got the sense many franchise fans were turned off by its relentlessly downbeat nature. I'm certainly intrigued by it, but the fact that so many episodes remain unwatched on my DVR tells me that either my priorities are out of whack or it's not a world I'm particularly eager to keep exploring. For now, though, keeping an open mind, and even if I end up jumping into the second season without completely finishing the first, I'll try to give it a shot.

Murder on the Orient Express - TV Guide: TV Hot List: Sunday, July 11, 2010

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Tonight's TV Hot List: Sunday, July 11, 2010

... Masterpiece Mystery!

9/8c PBS

This taut take on Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express finds masterful Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot (David Suchet) facing his toughest case yet when he investigates the slaying of an American aboard a snowbound train the day after the man had asked him for protection. — Jeff Gemmill

[NOTE: Stargate Universe's Brian J. Smith also co-stars]



Brian J. Smith as Hector McQueen

TV Guide Online: Matt's Weekend Picks: Murder on the Orient Express

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Matt's Weekend Picks: July 9-11

Jul 8, 2010
by Matt Roush


... MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS

(Sunday, 9/8c, PBS; times may vary) David Suchet returns as Agatha Christie's fabled and fussy Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot in one of his most famous cases. When Poirot's journey aboard the luxury train is halted by a snowbank, the savage murder of a mysterious passenger casts suspicion on his fellow travelers (a starry guest cast including Eileen Atkins, Hugh Bonneville and Barbara Hershey).

[NOTE: Stargate Universe's Brian J. Smith also co-stars]



Brian J. Smith as Hector McQueen

Stargate Universe - TV Guide Online: Ask Matt (Roush) July 5 '10

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Ask Matt: Summertime TV, Post-Damages Woe, and More!

Jul 5, 2010
by Matt Roush

... Question: I have a kvetch about the Syfy network's current nightly programming. I keep tuning to Syfy hoping to see fairly new episodes of current hits like Eureka or classic episodes of Battlestar, but instead huge blocks of Syfy's schedule are dominated by gross-out horror films or, worse, cheap CGI horror. Syfy relegates syndicated cult faves like The X-Files and Star Trek to sporadic daytime blocks, while their nightly programming relies on bad horror films. I don't equate science fiction with backpackers getting mauled by Dinosharks and Octospiders, and I'd much rather see classic X-Files than another bad monster movie filmed in the Ukraine. 

New Syfy shows like Caprica and Warehouse 13 could benefit from repeat primetime airings, but Syfy's programmers are more apt to reach for severed arms and flying piranhas than repeats of Stargate Universe. Do you have any insight on why Syfy has been so parsimonious with its own critically acclaimed shows in favor of schlocky horror flicks? Why is Syfy robbing their new shows of much needed primetime exposure?—Stephanie

Matt Roush: I admit I don't pay a great deal of attention to channels like Syfy except on the nights when it airs original series I may be inclined to watch (like Warehouse 13, which premieres a new season this Tuesday, and Fridays, where Eureka will be returning alongside the unfortunate Haven). You make a good point that it would behoove Syfy (or at least enhance its reputation) by giving its signature shows more of a spotlight throughout the week (and months of hiatus), but clearly the programmers have found the mix of sensational reality and Z-grade horror flicks to suit their business needs. Otherwise, why go there? Could also be a licensing issue with some shows that limit the number of times they can be repeated, but where the classics like X-Files are concerned, it's also possible that they've exhausted much of their shelf life for now. At least where the bottom line is concerned.

The Closer - Video: Season Six Sneak Peek

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Exclusive: Watch a Sneak Peek of The Closer Season Premiere

The Closer's sixth season premieres on TNT on Monday, July 12 at 9/8C.

The Gates - TV Guide Online: Janina Gavankar Interview

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Gates Star: Next Episode Will Be "More Dark and Intense"

Jun 24, 2010
by Gina DiNunno



Janina Gavankar from Stargate Atlantis' "Whispers."

After last week's premiere of ABC's The Gates, it's clear that there's more to the show's upscale community than white picket fences and soccer moms. There's the high school teen who needs to keep his anger in check so he doesn't accidentally turn into a werewolf. Then there are the witches who work their magic under the guise of holistic remedy makers. And let's not forget the married vampire couple, the Radcliffes, who've already drained and dumped one unfortunate contractor.

Could there be even more otherworldly residents lurking in the picture-perfect neighborhood? Turns out Deputy Leigh Turner may have also something to hide. Actress Janina Gavankar reveals how things are amped up in the next episode (Sunday, 10/9c), what her character is up to, and why she thinks The Gates is unique from other supernatural shows.

A brief excerpt:

TVGuide.com: With all the supernatural shows out there, what makes The Gates unique?

Gavankar: One of the reasons why this is such an interesting show to me is because we put a very human spin on a supernatural theme. It's a great analogy for the immigrant experience. There's the idea of leaving everything behind and trying to make it and assimilating. These really big universal themes that we play with are human conditions. There really is something in it for everyone. The parents are going through normal parental issues. There's the younger high school element. Puberty sucks and everyone feels that they're different in high school. But that, coupled with having to worry about your hormones because you might have a werewolf flare and turn in the middle of homecoming? That's awkward!

Warehouse 13 - TV Guide Online: Keck's Exclusives: Warehouse 13's Bionic Shipment

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Keck's Exclusives: Warehouse 13's Bionic Shipment



How's this for perfect casting? Syfy's Warehouse 13, centered around the U.S. government's secret stash of supernatural objects, has cast TV's original government-owned-and-operated superhero. Lindsay Wagner, who won an Emmy for playing The Bionic Woman's Jaime Sommers, pops up in the Aug. 17 episode as Dr. Vanessa Calder. "She's the official doctor for Warehouse agents. She is quite worldly and knows lots of secrets," says the actress. "My youngest son is a real fan of this show, so he thinks it's so cool..."

Stargate Universe - TV Guide Online: TV Hot List: Friday, June 11

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TV Hot List: Friday, June 11

Stargate Universe

9/8c Syfy

Ah, irony. Most of the people trapped on Destiny would like to wash their hands of the cursed vessel while the Lucian Alliance is bent on boarding and seizing the uncontrollable runaway spaceship. To make matters worse, a nearby binary pulsar is causing power fluctuations that will eventually cause the death of everyone on board in the first-season finale. — Michael Chant

Stargate Universe - TV Guide Online: TV Hot List: Friday, June 4, 2010

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Tonight's TV Hot List: Friday, June 4, 2010



... Stargate Universe

9/8c Syfy

The crew wouldn't worry so much about the arrival of new passengers if this was the Love Boat. Col.Telford (Lou Diamond Phillips) gets deprogrammed from some bad-guy brainwashing and tells the Destiny that the Lucian Alliance is preparing to throw a little boarding party. With any luck, Gen. O'Neill's preemptive strike will derail their plans in the first part of the two-part tale. — Michael Chant

Stargate SG-1's Richard Dean Anderson (Lt. Gen. Jack O'Neill) and Amanda Tapping (Col. Samantha Carter) guest star!

Stargate Universe - TV Guide Online: TV Hot List: Friday, May 21

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Tonight's TV Hot List: Friday, May 21, 2010

Stargate Universe

9/8c Syfy

As plot devices go, those communication stones are awfully convenient. Instead of being stuck with a group of refugees on a ship that is moving farther away from Earth after every planetary pit stop, the stones let the gang interact with franchise vets Richard Dean Anderson and Michael Shanks back in the known universe, which is good news since it seems like Col. Telford may be in cahoots with the Lucian Alliance.

— Michael Chant



Richard Dean Anderson as Lt. Gen. Jack O'Neill



Michael Shanks as Dr. Daniel Jackson



Lou Diamond Phillips as Col. David Telford, Richard Dean Anderson, and Louis Ferreira as Col. Everett Young

The Good Guys - TV Guide: Video - Colin Hanks and Bradley Whitford are THE GOOD GUYS

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Colin Hanks and Bradley Whitford are THE GOOD GUYS

The Good Guys premieres Wednesday, May 19 at at 8pm on FOX.

Stargate Universe - TV Guide Online: TV Hot List: Friday, May 14, 2010

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Tonight's TV Hot List: Friday, May 14, 2010



... Stargate Universe

9/8c Syfy

If circumstances thrust you onto a runaway spaceship with little-to-no hope of returning you home to Earth, you might freak out just a little, too. Question: What could make you freak out even more? Answer: suffering vivid hallucinations on the aforementioned spaceship. Tamara Johansen (Alaina Huffman) quarantines the folks who are seeing things that aren't really there while trying to get to the bottom of the mystery ailment.

— Michael Chant

Stargate Universe - TV Guide Online: TV Hot List: Friday, April 3, 2010

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Tonight's TV Hot List: Friday, April 30, 2010



Jennifer Spence as Dr. Lisa Park and Alaina Huffman as Lt. Tamara Johansen

Stargate Universe

9/8c Syfy

If Lt. Scott, Eli, Chloe or Greer ever wondered what could be worse than being trapped on a runaway spaceship, this episode will put an end to that curiosity as the away team becomes lost in a planet's underground maze while the aforementioned runaway ship takes off without them. Tune in to see if Dr. Rush and Col. Young have any clever ideas for rescuing their left-behind comrades.

— Michael Chant

Stargate Universe - TV Guide Online: Synopsis for 'Space'

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4/2/2010: Stargate Universe - Space Season 1, Episode 10

A snafu with the communications stones lands Col. Young's consciousness in an unknown being, resulting in a standoff between the Destiny and an alien vessel and the abduction of Chloe.



Louis Ferriera (Col. Young), Jamil Walker Smith (MSgt. Ronald Greer), Tygh Runyan (Dr. Caine), Brian Jacob Smith (Lt. Matthew Scott)

Sanctuary - TV Guide Online: TV Hot List: Friday, Jan. 15 '10

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Tonight's TV Hot List: Friday, Jan. 15, 2010

Sanctuary

9/8c Syfy

A cult sounds intuitively scary; a cult that can foretell disasters sounds scarier; and when a murder gets linked to a group called the Cult of Kali, it sounds even scarier. Magnus, Will and Kate set out for Mumbai, India, to investigate the slaying, but Will gets waylaid by a mysterious illness in the two-hour Season 2 finale. — Michael Chant

Battlestar Galactica / Chuck - TV Guide: TV Hot List: Sunday, Jan. 10, 2010

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Tonight's TV Hot List: Sunday, Jan. 10, 2010

...Chuck

9/8c NBC

Chuck's got luck, and so do fans of this spirited, spyjinks-laded dramedy, which finally returns with new episodes after a nearly nine-month layoff. Season 3 opens with a two-hour outing, and it appears Chuck has gone from zero to hero, dud to stud, cold to cool. Now possessing new, upgraded Intersect abilities, he trains to be a master spy — but he flunks spy school and his relationship with Sarah shatters. Later, while trying to mend his broken relationship with Sarah, Chuck takes on a mission when Sarah's gal pal and her fiancé (Vinnie Jones) arrive. Another new episode airs tomorrow night at 8/7c. — Dean Maurer

Battlestar Galactica: The Plan

9/8c Syfy

If Battlestar Galactica's disappearance from the prime-time grid has left a void in your life and you're aching for a people-vs.-machines fix, you won't want to miss this reexamination of the saga directed by Adama (Edward James Olmos) himself, which looks at the story from the often-conflicted view of the Cylon skin-jobs. Fans, here's a chance to see how things could have turned out very differently. — Michael Chant

Sanctuary - TV Guide Online: TV Hot List: Friday, Jan. 8, 2010

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Tonight's TV Hot List: Friday, Jan. 8, 2010



Christopher Heyerdahl as John Druitt

... Sanctuary

10/9c Syfy

The crimes of Jack the Ripper may very well be cold-case files, but if those close to you know you're the man behind those grisly slayings, that brutal reputation is going to stick, even if your "ripping" days ended over a hundred years ago. Druitt (Christopher Heyerdahl) tries to overcome an image problem of the serial-killer variety when a refugee turns up dead during a rescue mission orchestrated by Magnus and Co. — Michael Chant

Sanctuary - TV Guide Online - TV Hot List Dec 18 '09

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Tonight's TV Hot List: Friday, Dec. 18, 2009

... Sanctuary

10/9c Syfy

These days, Hollywood would have you believe that vampires are hunky young men with cover-boy faces who harbor tortured souls beneath their pale skin. Fortunately, there's Nikola Tesla (Jonathan Young), a recurring charmer who serves to remind us that vampires can be bad news for humans. Magnus and Will check out a rehab facility in Mexico, where they find Tesla up to his old tricks. — Michael Chant

The Closer - TV Guide Online - TV Hot List Mon Dec 7 '09

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Tonight's TV Hot List: Monday, Dec. 7, 2009

The Closer

9/8c TNT

It's prime time for crime when the cop series jumps back into its fifth season with a winter arc of new episodes. Southern belle Brenda Leigh Johnson goes like gangbusters to bust a gang. The case begins with a gang-related shooting and the resultant death of a 12-year-old boy, but the investigation really heats up when two more bodies surface. In domestic developments, Brenda is in store for a big surprise, thanks to Fritz. And Provenza's once-blooming love life now begins to wilt. — Dean Maurer


TNT's The Closer returns with a new episode, "The Life," Monday, December 7 at 9pm TNT. The Closer stars Kyra Sedgwick, J.K. Simmons, Corey Reynolds, Robert Gossett, G.W. Bailey, Anthony John Denison, Michael Paul Chan, Raymond Cruz, Phillip P. Keene and Jon Tenney.

Stargate Universe - TV Guide Online: Friday's TV Hot List Dec 4 '09

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Tonight's TV Hot List: Friday, Dec. 4, 2009

... Stargate Universe

9/8c Syfy

The only good news here is that everyone on the Destiny, except for one crew member, can now count on an extra portion of rations. The bad news: One crew member was found dead from a gunshot wound, and the gun was found in the quarters of Col. Young (Justin Louis). If that's not dire enough for you, there's also a planet hoarding a secret that could destroy the ship in the first-season finale. — Michael Chant