Dog News Needs Your Help With Stump!
Our wonderful friends over at Dog News are embarking on a new project, and they’d like YOU to get involved!
Stump is a follow-up to their ‘inagural series’ ElectME ’08, where 8 “Whitehouse Mates” will live together and participate in diplomacy, bi-partisanship, and physical challenges in an attempt to win votes and become leader of the free world!
Stump is an extension of the existing successful web series Dog News: Unfair and Unbalanced, starring Andrew Collins (The Bold and the Beautiful, Dark Shadows) and Andy Forrest (Parks and Recreation). The show will be hosted by Dog News Babe Candi Cotton and will skewer not only election trends and events, but also reality tv.
Click here for more information, and for a chance to get involved with Stump!
Blood Bath 2012 – Renewed & Cancelled TV Shows!
It’s not completely over but the majority of US networks have announced their renewed and cancelled TV shows for the Autumn 2012 season. It’s not quite the massacre it was last season, but there are a couple of shows i’m sad to see go. Here is the round up…
ABC
Once Upon A Time renewed
ABC finally officially cancelled Pan Am (BBC 2), and it’s mid-season replacement GCB (no UK broadcaster). They also drowned The River, (which only ever aired on iTunes in the UK). With Desperate Housewives (Channel 4) coming to an end as well, ABC are going to be looking out for some new shows to plug the gaps…
Having said that, ABC aren’t doing too badly with the show’s they have decided to keep. Nathan Fillion’s brilliant Castle (airing in the UK on Alibi) is back for a 5th season. Modern Family, The Middle (both Sky 1), Happy Endings (E4), Grey’s Anatomy (Sky Living), Revenge, and Private Practice all got pickups.
Rookie fairytale drama Once Upon A Time (Cbannel 5) gets a 2nd season, and surprisingly, so does Body Of Proof (Alibi), which most people thought was certain for cancellation. The other oddity is Cougar Town, which was dropped by ABC, but rescued by US cable channel TBS.
CBS
CSI:Miami killed off
CBS has finally decided to close down one of it’s crime labs, with CSI:Miami ending up taking the bullet. CSI:New York maybe less popular, but it’s also cheaper to make, and that swung it for the east coast. The rather forgettable Unforgettable (Sky Living) also got the chop, as has Rob Schneider’s imaginatively titled sitcom Rob.
Killing off a CSI hasn’t left CBS short of decent shows though, with The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother (both E4) Hawaii Five-0 (Sky 1), Two and a Half Men (Comedy Central) & the original CSI (Channel 5) all returning. Blue Bloods, Mike & Molly, NCIS & NCIS:LA, The Good Wife & Criminal Minds are all also coming back.
They will be joined by rookie JJ Abrams/Johnathan Nolan drama Person Of Interest, which gets a 2nd season. Hopefully that means someone in the UK will pick this show up, as it’s amazingly still without a UK broadcaster!
The CW
The Secret Circle Cancelled
Sky Living might be wishing it had held onto the final season of Chuck, with The CW cancelling Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Ringer, and teen witch drama The Secret Circle, both which aired on Sky Living in the UK. Sad to see Ringer go, as it was one of the more interesting shows last season. Unfortunately, the plot twists that made it so interesting probably added to it’s downfall, making it pretty impossible for new audience members to jump in halfway through.
Although they may have killed 2 of their rookie dramas, the CW are keeping tight hold on the brilliant Supernatural, along with The Vampire Diaries, 90210 & Gossip Girl. Nikita also just scraps through a renewal, and is joined by Rachel Bilson’s Hart Of Dixie which nabs a 2nd season.
FOX
Alcatraz Cancelled
JJ Abrams’ Alcatraz (airing on Watch in the UK) had it’s cell doors closed by Fox, joining the already cancelled Terra Nova and series ending House (both air on Sky 1). Bones spin-off show The Finder (no UK broadcaster) failed to find it’s way out of dire ratings and got canned.
Fox has a number of obvious renewals - Bones, The Simpsons, Seth Macfarlane’s trio of American Dad, Family Guy and The Cleveland Show, and of course, Glee. One of the more interesting renewals though was the wonderful decision to bring back Fringe for 1 final (albeit shortened) season. For that Fox, I thank you.
Interestingly, they also renewed Kiefer Sutherland’s Touch, despite it’s shaky ratings. That’s either because they actually have faith in the show to grow… Or they’re scared of Kiefer going Jack Bauer on their ass. 
Zooey Deschanel’s New Girl also gets a 2nd season.
NBC
Awake Cancelled
Sky Atlantic will also only be saying hello to Jason Isaacs for 1 season, as his show Awake got put to sleep by NBC, suffering a similar ‘what the hell is going on?’ problems as Ringer. They’ve also cancelled the US version of Who Do You Think You Are?, which is a shame (the UK version of that show is great!) Speaking of US versions of UK shows, the US version of Prime Suspect has also been killed off after only 1 season.
NBC’s renewals include rookie drama Grimm (Watch), meaning both fairytale shows from last season make it through. The wonderfully camp Smash (Sky Atlantic) also gets a 2nd season, along with veteran shows Law & Order: SVU, Community, The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Parenthood. Despite rumours to the contrary, 30 Rock is going to be back for a 7th, and possibly final season (it’ll only be 13 episodes long though).
For a full list of all the renewed and cancelled TV shows, visit our Renewed/Cancelled TV Shows page.
Competition – Win a copy of Dragon Dynasty on DVD!
Dragon Dynasty - Out now on DVD & Blu-ray
Koch Media are proud to announce the DVD and Blu-Ray release of Dragon Dynasty on May 14th.
Returning from China, Marco Polo is given a stone by the Chinese Emperor after successfully establishing trading relationships with the country. Unknown to Marco, the stone unlocks the gates to the dragon world. When Marco is attacked on his journey, and the stone stolen, two fire-spitting dragons are released, bent on killing Marco and his companions. A merciless fight between man and beasts is about to begin…
The film stars James Hong (Bladerunner, Balls of Fury) and Federico Castelluccio (The Sopranos, A Guide to Recognising Your Saints).
Pre-order the Blu-Ray or the DVD
Release Date: 14th May 2012
Cert: 15
How To Win a copy of Dragon Dynasty on DVD!
Going to make this really easy! Just retweet the following message, or leave a comment on this post saying you’d like to enter:
Retweet @geektown to win a copy of Dragon Dynasty on DVD – out now on DVD and blu-ray! http://wp.me/p10pHL-1MB
Remember, you can retweet & leave a comment here, and double your chances!
The competition closes on 28th May 2012 and is open to UK residents aged 18 or over. There will be 3 winners picked from entries on geektown.co.uk and Twitter. By entering you are agreeing to the rules of this competition. Full rules can be read here.
Chuck Season 5 Released on Blu-ray Today!
Chuck Season 5
Like many of the Chuck fans out there, i was really disappointed to hear that Sky Living had unceremoniously dumped the final season of Chuck from it’s schedule, leaving fans either without a conclusion, or forcing them to seek *ahem* ‘other methods’… of watching Chuck Season 5…
However, for those of you who have not yet turned to the dark side, there is a solution that some people may have overlooked (thank you to Sam in the UK Air Dates community for pointing this out)... Chuck Season 5 has been released today in the US on region-free Blu-ray. Meaning if you buy it from amazon.com, and have it shipped over, it’ll work on your UK Blu-ray player (or i suspect in most cases, PS3). 
So all you UK blu-ray player owning Chuck fans, click here to order from Amazon US, and have the final season shipped to you in wonderful blu-rayee high-def-ness! 
(Note: The DVD of Chuck Season 5 is region 1 only, so DON’T go ordering that!)
Interview with The Almighty Johnsons’ Emmett Skilton (aka Axl Johnson!)
The Almighty Johnsons - Out Now!
A few weeks back many of you probably caught the UK premiere of The Almighty Johnsons, Series 1 on SyFy UK. The show follows a student named Axl Johnson, who on his 21st birthday discovers his family members are reincarnated Norse gods. The only problem is they don’t have full control of their powers and it is up to Axl (the reincarnation of Odin, Father of the Gods) to restore them and ensure the family’s survival. And they soon discover they’re not the only Norse Gods living in exile in New Zealand…
The Almighty Johnsons, Series 1 is now out on DVD
The Almighty Johnsons Interview: Emmett Skilton (aka Axl Johnson)
Emmett Skilton
GT: The Almighty Johnsons has a pretty out-there concept. How would you explain your character’s dilemma in a sentence?
ES: At the age of 21, Axl is told he is in control of his families lives, and the fate of the world, god style.
GT: What was it about the role of Axl that attracted you to it in the first place? Is he much like how you were at 21?
ES: It was a daring concept for a TV Series which hadn’t been tried in New Zealand before and I wanted to be a part of that.
GT: Were you aware of Norse mythology before the show? Did you do much research on Norse mythology for the role?
ES: I was aware of Norse mythology but I didn’t do a lot of research to begin with because my character is the one learning about the god world as the story goes on, so like Axl, the more the story progressed, the more we both learned about the mythology.
GT: What do you think sets the show apart from the current crop of British or American fantasy shows?
ES: The drama of the show is balanced with a very unique and grounded New Zealand humour which keeps it not only entertaining but believable at the same time.
GT: In the first season there are scenes when you’re naked in a forest, handcuffed to a chair or swordfighting in a bedroom. What was the weirdest moment that sticks in your mind from filming?
ES: The first day of filming I had to run out and tell all the brothers I had just killed a girl in Anders bed. The weird part of this was I was completely naked in this scene and I had only just met the entire cast and crew.
GT: Without too many spoilers, can you briefly let UK viewers in on what they can look forward to in the second season?
ES: In terms of my character, Axl has stopped searching for the Frigg and has now been advised to allow the Frigg to come to him, so in a way he is now searching for Odin by setting his sights on becoming a man.
GT: Are you a sci-fi and fantasy fan? What film or TV show is your biggest guilty geek pleasure?
ES: Misfits, it’s a show I can’t get enough of and want to move to England just to be cast in it.
GT: Which of the Johnson brothers would you, Emmett Skilton, most like to go for a pint with?
ES: Anders. He’s the most onto it, relaxed of the family and always seems to be enjoying himself. I would say Olaf but I’m not sure he would turn up.
GT: Which god power from the show would you most like to have in real life (and what would you do with it)?
ES: Probably Mike’s power of Winning. There’s a casino up the road from me…
New Trailer for The Dark Knight Rises – Trailer 3!
Not long to go now, so WB have released the 3rd trailer for The Dark Knight Rises.
It is a little odd seeing this only a few days after seeing Joss Whedon’s brilliant Avengers movie. You really couldn’t get 2 more wildly different approches to superhero films.
As much as i’m looking forward to seeing this, it does look amazingly serious, and… well… dark. I am wondering if it’s maybe Nolan has overshot, and it’s too realistic, and too dark… I guess we’ll find out on the 20th of July 2012!
What do you think?
