Get to Know Agent Coulson With New ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ Featurette

The latest in a series of quick featurettes about Joss Whedon‘s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has hit the Internet and this time around it’s a closer look at Clark Gregg‘s Agent Phil Coulson. Coulson is back, back from the dead apparently. If you’re one of the twelve people left on the planet that hasn’t seen The Avengers then this is going to be a bit of a spoiler.

Loki slipped that wicked looking staff he was carrying around right through Agent Coulson’s chest. Now Coulson is back, and that’s only a small part of the mysteries we’re going to see revealed as the show progresses.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. premieres on Tuesday, September 24th at 8pm on ABC starring Clark Gregg, Brett Dalton as Agent Grant Ward, Iain De Caestecker as Agent Leo Fitz, Elizabeth Henstridge as Agent Jemma Simmons, Ming-Na Wen as Agent Melinda May and Chloe Bennet.

The only question remaining is: Will the audience that embraced all the action packed effects and huge group of superheroes showcased in The Avengers embrace this television show?

I know all the Whedonites will stay tuned in, but can the show translate the success the Avengers movie had in bringing in new viewers? The show isn’t going to have the big name heroes that drew in the large crowds, will those viewers stick it out past the first few episodes?

Via: Comingsoon

Moffat Hints at What We Can Expect From Peter Capaldi’s 12th Doctor

The reveal of the next actor to steer the TARDIS always brings about speculation about what kind of Doctor they’ll make. Will he be kind? Sympathetic? Cranky? Boisterous? There’s a lot of ways Peter Capaldi could play the Twelfth Doctor, but the main thing showrunner Steven Moffat is looking to achieve is something different.

In the latest edition of Doctor Who Magazine (via Doctor Who TV), Moffat shares a few hints at what we can expect of Capaldi’s Doctor,

Moffat is pretty certain Capaldi will keep his native Scottish accent for the role
At the moment, they’ve only discussed Twelve’s costume in the lightest terms
Moffat wanted to flip the switch the other way after having two youthful and accessible Doctors in a row
He’s going to be an older, trickier and fiercer Doctor
“Just as Clara’s learning to have a proper old crush on him, suddenly he’s Malcolm Tucker!”
Moffat thinks it’ll be fun seeing Clara cope with the Doctor being completely different…
…”I think the fun story will be – and we have the opportunity here – is this is what regeneration can do to you. He can be very, very different.”
“People really love Jenna, so we make the Doctor quite difficult…”
…Moffat likens the situation to Tom Baker’s first season: “He’s really quite difficult to take at the beginning, and you’re very grateful that Sarah and the Brigadier are there to reassure you.”

Other than Moffat implying Clara couldn’t possibly develop a crush on The Doctor now he’s changed and become older, I’m excited about what’s discussed here. Besides the amazingly good chemistry between David Tennant and Billie Piper, what made the transition between Doctors Nine and Ten so engrossing was seeing it through Rose’s eyes. We didn’t get that when Ten became Eleven, and that’s all right because his first contact being Amy helped develop that very special relationship.

I am definitely looking forward to seeing Clara’s reaction to The Doctor’s regeneration. Particularly because she should be no stranger to regenerations having followed The Doctor though his entire time stream and because they’ve already done a great job showing Clara’s a companion who reacts quite differently. “It’s smaller on the outside,” for instance.

I’m also getting the impression some might consider Capaldi’s Doctor mean or too stern, judging by those comments his Doctor will be “fiercer” and that they’ll make “the Doctor quite difficult.” Guess we’ll have to see how that all pans out in Season 8. And how would you like to see the Twelfth Doctor dressed? It seems they’ve barely scratched the surface on his wardrobe, but surely, you have thoughts, yes?

And while we await an official look at Capaldi as The Doctor we can get a jist of what to expect from these leaked images of the Twelfth Doctor’s action figure,

Shared by BifBangPow (via Blastr), it ain’t much I’ll admit. Basically all we can make out it yes, that sure is Peter Capaldi, and oh, look how he’ll be styling his hair. And even that may change before he officially takes over for Matt Smith.

Are you all looking forward to Capaldi’s Doctor? Do you like the direction Moffat is hinting at?

‘Doctor Who’ Regeneration: Steven Moffat Counts the Ways

Steven Moffat and Frank Skinner recently sat down at an Ad Lib‘s live chat at the Edinburgh Fringe last night (Wednesday) and Skinner asked a question that many Doctor Who fans have been wondering about. How many times can the Doctor regenerate?

Moffat’s answer is certainly interesting, does this mean that Peter Capaldi‘s Twelfth Doctor is the last Doctor? How would the show move forward after Capaldi’s run? Would it reboot in its entirety? I’m thinking that there are plenty of ways for Moffat, or the person who takes over Doctor Who‘s reins next, can skirt around the problem.

Perhaps when River gave the Doctor her regenerations it was all of them.

Remember when is was said that a Time Lord’s regeneration limit was 507? It happened when Russell Davis was in charge and said that the twelve limit was one imposed on a Time Lord by other Time Lords. Now that the Doctor is the last, who could impose the twelve limit on him? No one, so regenerate away Doctor.

There’s always the old “Doctor Who Alien that changes everything we knew about whatever the problem that needed solving” out that the show has used from time to time.

If this is a strict limit on the Doctor’s regeneration, where does that leave John Hurt’s Doctor? That one will take a bit of fast talking to fix. Moffat would like nothing better than to come up with something clever that sets the world of Doctor Who Fandom on its ear.

What’s your take on the whole thing?

Via: Blastr

Patton Oswalt’s ‘Parks & Recreation’ ‘Star Wars VII’ Filibuster Rant Gets Animated

It was only a matter of time until Patton Oswalt‘s off the cuff Star Wars VII Filibuster rant speech from TV’s Parks and Recreation got mixed, dubbed, or animated; maybe all three at once. It was an amazing single take of on-the-spot-improvisational television. Daniel Spellman took on the task of animating Patton’s brilliance for the Nerdist, and dammit, he did a damn fine job. Take a look at the video below and then let us know what you think or your favorite part in the comments section below.

Via: /Film

‘Sherlock’ Season 3 Gets a New Villain

Sherlock, in my opinion, is one of the best shows that’s been put on television in a very long time. The combination of Steven Moffat’s influence and the outstanding acting from both Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman make for an enthralling show overall. Now, after a hugely lengthy wait, season 3 is approaching. And with it comes the news of what we can expect. They started off by showing off some stuff at San Diego Comic Con and now it looks like they’ve chosen the actor that will be facing off against Sherlock this time around.

The news comes to us from producer Sue Vertue via the magic that is Twitter. According to her, the new nemesis will be named Charles Augustus Magnussen and he’ll be played by none-other-than the older brother of Hannibal himself, Lars Mikkelsen. Though unconfirmed, speculation is that Magnussen is a modernized version of Arthur Conan Doyle’s similarly named character, Charles Augustus Milverton, the so-called “king of the blackmailers”.

Expect to see Mikkelsen and all the rest when Sherlock season 3 finally airs in early 2014. Though you folks in the UK will probably end up seeing it a bit earlier (as will those of us that know how to use a torrent).

Thanks to /film for the heads-up.

12th Doctor to be Revealed This Sunday Live on BBC! [NOW WITH OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT TRAILER]

A live broadcast hosted by Zoe Ball this Sunday will reveal the actor who will portray the twelfth incarnation of the Gallifreyan Time Lord known across space and time as simply, The Doctor. Showrunner Steven Moffat and 11th Doctor Matt Smith will be joining Ball on the special-along with whomever’s going to be playing the new Doctor.

The announcement is scheduled to air at 7pm, Sunday August 4th in the UK… and 11am PDT and 2pm EDT in the States.

The remarkably secretive casting process was done under the code name of Whodini, and apparently even the crew and other staff working with the soon-to-be 12th Doctor didn’t know what was going on.

Currently, an episode of Celebrity Mastermind is scheduled for that particular time slot on BBC One-most likely this will be preempted.

Furthermore, MSN UK just released this tweet regarding the announcement:

#DoctorWho fans. There will be an announcement at midnight. That’s all I’m saying…

– MSN UK Entertainment (@msnents) August 1, 2013

Don’t read too much into this, though-it’s believed that this message refers to the same announcement we’re talking about, and the official reveal of Twelve’s identity will be saved for Sunday.

Source: Bleeding Cool

Sarah Michelle Gellar Says Things About More ‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer’ – Fans Build False Hopes

Because Sarah Michelle Gellar has had SUCH a successful career post Buffy the Vampire Slayer, she just can’t escape the thought of future vamp slayin possibilities.

Being that Veronica Mars raised $5 million for a movie, TV Scoop wondered why Buffy couldn’t do the same. They posed the idea to ‘ole Sarah Michelle. You can almost hear her rolls her eyes with her response. Here’s what she said:

“Joss and I always talk about [a movie],” Gellar told me during an interview for E! News. “But the thing with Buffy is that Buffy was a movie, and it ultimately didn’t work as a film. And I mean, we had such miles to overcome when we were trying to do a TV show based on a movie. And one of the reasons is that the story works better over time.”

I think you all know the likelihood of a NEW Buffy is incredibly slim. You actually have better luck at finding out you’re the chosen one and have a lifetime of hunting vampires than you do at seeing a new Buffy show or movie. The cast are busy with their own successful careers (except for Nicholas Brandon, he ain’t doing shit) and Whedon has signed his soul over to Marvel. But, Sarah Michelle is right. A movie would never work. A TV show (or even the Buffy comic book series) would be only true form in which to develop stories for the Scooby gang that are worth telling. But, even then, the idea of Buffy has elevated to a level of praise and recognition beyond it’s own greatness. Basically, fans built it up and can just easily tear it down. Which, if a new Buffy were to happen, they most definitely would.

Source: CBM

‘The Walking Dead’ Gets A Free Online College Course Backed By AMC

(Photoshopped by Matt.)

AMC is partnering with University of California at Irvine to offer a free online course about The Walking Dead. Eh, it’s still more useful than Newberry College’s Social Media major.

The eight-week course, titled “Society, Science, Survival: Lessons from AMC’s The Walking Dead,” will include content, video clips and examples from the show, as well as possible participation from the actors.

Possible participation? Don’t tease us like this, AMC.

And it won’t be just about zombies. The companies said the interdisciplinary course will use the show as a lens to examine topics like Maslow’s hierarchy, public health and pandemics and the science of hope. “Others have focused on specific pedagogical models and approaches… [We wondered] how could we get a course with high numbers of users and engagement?” Instructure co-founder Brian Whitmer said in a briefing ahead of the announcement. “We decided to see what a pop culture connection does to engagement.” [Gigaom]

He said “engagement” not just once, but twice? Taintpunch this man.

The online course convenes each Monday starting October 14th, the day after The Walking Dead‘s season four premiere. It joins other zombie-centric college courses like Michigan State University’s “Surviving the Coming Zombie Apocalypse: Disasters, Catastrophes and Human Behavior”, Columbia College Chicago’s “Zombies in Popular Media”, and ENGL 333 at the University of Baltimore. At least it’s a free class. I can’t imagine taking classes in something you can’t use for a job and then end up being a blogger or something. Oh. Wait. I can imagine that.

[Sources: Gigaom, Topless Robot, Variety]

New Rumors Paul McGann Filmed for ‘Doctor Who’ 50th; Plus, Anniversary Special Getting Simultaneous, Worldwide Broadcast

The Doctor Who 50th Anniversary special. Never before has one program garnered so much suspicion, speculation, and rumor. At one point every former, living Doctor was returning, next every Doctor would be CGI’d, then it became simply no “Classic Doctors” will appear. This constant rumor mongering is fueled by fans’ desire to see their favorite Doctor in action again, but every once in a while a source pipes up with something that could actually come true.

That’s the way of it with this latest murmuring the Eighth Doctor, Paul McGann, may have indeed filmed something for the 50th anniversary. Ever since the not-quite-good-enough-to-earn-a-season-order 1996 TV movie, McGann’s continued the adventures of the Eighth Doctor in Big Finish’s audio dramas. Above you can see his updated, less Edwardian, and decidedly more Nine-ish look, from his latest audio adventure, Dark Eyes.

Bleeding Cool is also reporting they received a tip a 50th anniversary, prequel mini-sode has been filmed. This little mini-sode would contain the regeneration from McGann to John Hurt’s Doctor. And remember how we all began suspecting Hurt was playing some kind of Doctor because his outfit looked like an amalgamation of Eight and Nine’s? Yeah… s’all coming together now.

The Eighth Doctor’s recent wardrobe change for the audio drama covers is making more sense. The Doctor ditches most of the Edwardian dress, but keeps the waistcoat, and adds the leather jacket. Then he regenerates and we’ve got John Hurt running around, doing something despicable during the Time War, and wearing the waist coat/leather jacket ensemble because IT’S WAR! You don’t have time to change outfits! During the Time War, Hurt regenerates into Nine, who keeps the leather jacket because it’s what’s best suited for his dark and moody soul. What do you think? Could I have nailed it?

Yes, it’s directionless speculation, but if it means a return for McGann as The Doctor, in a some visual capacity, I’m all for it. Speaking of the anniversary special, BBC announced the special will broadcast around the world simultaneously on November 23rd,

It’s always been our ambition to work with our broadcast partners so that international Doctor Who fans can enjoy the 50th Anniversary special at the same time as the UK. We’ll have more details soon about our very exciting global plans for November.

So, an 8pm screening in the U.K. means a 3pm show time in the U.S. for the east coast, and a 12pm showing for the west coast. Not so bad, but it’s worse for Australians who’d have a 6am show time to look forward to, eek! But for Whovians, any time is the right time for the 50th anniversary special.

Still months to go before November, but maybe we’ll see that prequel minisode beforehand? If it happened at all. Do you think it did?

Source: Bleeding Cool (2)

Black Canary to Appear in Season 2 of CW’s ‘Arrow’, But Not Played by Who You Might Think

Many Green Arrow fans who’ve been watching the CW‘s Arrow closely have also been wondering if the character Laurel Lance (Katie Cassidy) would eventually evolve into her comic book alter ego, the Black Canary. It would make sense, considering the name and the relationship both share with Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell), but apparently the show runners have other plans.

The Wrap is reporting that, although the Black Canary will be appearing in Season 2 of Arrow, Laurel Lance won’t become the Black Canary. This will be the Golden Age Black Canary, Dinah Drake, played by Caity Lotz (The Pact, Bring it On: All of Nothing). She’ll be introduced into the cast slowly, developing into a series regular and an additional romantic interest for Oliver Queen.

Will the Black Canary have her trademark sonic scream powers? Although the series has stayed away from true “Super Powers” so far, I imagine that some technology might make the Black Canary’s super power scream a reality in the CW Arrow Universe.

I can’t wait to see what other heroes and villains will make an appearance on the series, and there’s always the possibility that when enough of those heroes show up on the show, we might get some form of the Justice League. We can only hope.

Via: Coming Soon