SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2014

Philae's mission may be cut short due to the reduced sunlight exposure obtained at its final resting place butted up against the shadow of an icy rock wall, severely limiting its battery life.

GLEN A. LARSON DIES AT 77
Glen A. Larson was an incredibly prolific TV creator, responsible for such widely adored series as Magnum, P.I., Battlestar Galactica, Knight Rider and Quincy, M.E.

Larson died Friday at age 77 of cancer. Here is how he is being remembered on Twitter by Hollywood colleagues and peers.

A number of individuals tweeted about his death, leaving notes of condolence and thanks. They included: Scott Baio, Edward James Olmos, Richard Hatch, Orlando Jones, Peyton Reed, Rockne S. O'Bannon, Bryan Fuller, Hart Hanson.

AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.
Marvel Entertainment (via IGN) has released another clip from next week's "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." this time featuring Hayley Atwell as Agent Peggy Carter!

Titled, “The Things We Bury,” the episode finds Coulson and team in an epic face-off against Hydra to uncover an ancient secret. Meanwhile, Ward kidnaps his brother, Senator Christian Ward, for a violent trip down memory lane.

Written by DJ Doyle and directed by Milan Cheylov, “The Things We Bury” is set to air November 18. “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” airs Tuesdays at 9 P.M. on ABC.

KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE
Director Guy Ritchie and his King Arthur reboot Knights of the Round Table have found their main villain in Jude Law, who joins a cast that also includes Charlie Hunnam as Arthur and Astrid Berges-Frisbey as Guinevere.

Joby Harold (Awake; Army of the Dead) wrote the script, and will produce alongside Guy Ritchie, Lionel Wigram, Akiva Goldsman and Tory Tunnell. No official plot details have been released at this time.

Knights of the Round Table is being used to set up a massive medieval franchise that will carry the legend of King Arthur thorough six movies. It is not known if Jude Law is appearing as the villain only in this first installment, or if his character will carry over into the other sequels.

Guy Ritchie is currently testing actors to serve as Arthur's mentor, the last major role yet to be cast before the film goes into production. Idris Elba was originally in talks to play Bedivere, but he has walked away from the project.

Jude Law and Guy Ritchie previously worked together on the two Sherlock Holmes movies starring Robert Downey Jr.Jude Law will next be seen in the treasure hunting adventure Black Sea, set for release this January.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2014

"The Missing" tells the story of Tony Hughes (James Nesbitt) and his desperate eight year search to locate his lost son Oliver, who disappears on a family trip to France. The disappearance proves problematic for Tony and his wife Emily (Frances O'Connor), because only Tony was with Oliver when he vanished. The grieving father is able to find a mainstay in detective Julian Baptiste (Tcheky Karyo) who never loses hope in the case throughout the years.

ANT-MAN COMIC
This January, months ahead of his first ever big-screen appearance, Scott Lang will star in an all-new Ant-Man series from writer Nick Spencer (Superior Foes of Spider-Man) and artist Ramon Rosanas (Night of the Living Deadpool). The series will feature the second Ant-Man trying to rise up from the shadow of his past, and the shadow of his Ant-Man predecessor, by traveling to a new city and getting a new lease on life. It's a new start for Ant-Man, and Marvel's concocted an intriguing variant cover concept to go with it.

When Ant-Man #1 hits comic book stores in January, it will feature a limited edition variant cover by Ed McGuiness (shown below) that Marvel has dubbed the "Shrinking Variant." It's called that because, in celebration of Ant-Man's size-changing powers, each individual copy of the Shrinking Variant will feature Ant-Man at a different size. All will be individually numbered, and no two are alike, so if you buy one, you really do have a one-of-a-kind variant cover.

“This is completely unlike any cover we’ve ever attempted,” said Marvel SVP Sales & Marketing David Gabriel. “We’ve even had to utilize new technologies to make it happen. Each variant is completely unique. Each and every cover will feature a different sized Ant-Man. No two are identical!”

If you're not the kind of comics reader who's interested in variant collecting or variant covers in general, this might not grab you, but if you've lived through years of comics pulling the same tricks with their variant covers (black and white, chromium, sketch covers, etc.), and you're looking for something new, this is pretty neat. Plus, it's just a chance for Marvel to have a little bit more fun and fanfare added to their Ant-Man launch. After all, 2015's a big year for him.

Ant-Man #1 is on sale January 7, and the Shrinking Variant cover will be available in comic shops only.

DOCTOR WHO CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
Remember how dark the ending was to that season finale of Doctor Who? With the death and the lying and the loneliness?

And then...FATHER CHRISTMAS YEAH!

The idea that parents giving kids a great big pile of presents is a more ridiculous notion than Father Christmas is kind of true. Also, Nick Frost as Santa is inspired casting. Also also, Nathan McMullen from Misfits as an elf is also inspired casting. Because he's pretty short.

Now, only a month and a half or seo to wait for the rest.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR
The cast list is coming together quickly for Marvel’s ambitious Captain America: Civil War, and one more actor has signed on in what could be a villainous role.

Marvel has confirmed Daniel Bruhl (Rush, Inglorious Basterds) has joined the sequel in an unspecified role, though multiple reports claim he will be playing a villain of some sort. There are also reports the role could be recurring and carry into other Marvel films.

Bruhl joins Chris Evans (Captain America), Robert Downey, Jr. (Iron Man), and Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther) in Civil War, while Joe and Anthony Russo return to direct after knocking it out of the park with Winter Soldier. There are also unconfirmed reports Sebastian Stan will reprise his role as The Winter Soldier in the sequel (which wouldn't be much of a surprise).

So, who is Bruhl playing? We don’t know, and there are already some conflicting reports. Deadline claims the character he’ll be playing is reportedly the villain of the film, though Variety cites sources saying he’ll be a minor villain who’ll carry over as a bigger menace in Doctor Strange. Regardless, it’s at least safe to say he’ll probably be a baddie.

Marvel producer Kevin Feige notes they chose Bruhl because of his ability to “deliver intense, nuanced performances.” Vague? Yes. But, playing a compelling villain would obviously require some intensity and nuance.

MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER
The ultra-low-budget series built a fiercely loyal fan base over the past few decades thanks to a certain brand of pitch-perfect snark and biting nostalgia — and now Mystery Science Theater 3000 could be coming back to the small screen.

Of all places, some “Best Of” episodes could show up on PBS next year as part of a programming offering via Shout! Factory. American Public Television is currently offering four classic MST3K episodes to local public-TV programmers. If these four episodes prove to be popular (and how could they not?), then it’s possible it could lead to even more episodes coming up in the future.

The four episodes on the table include Manos: The Hands of Fate, Hercules and the Captive Women, Gunslinger and The Unearthly. All four of these episodes are legit classics for the long-running series, and we’d definitely tune in if they showed up on local programming packages. Especially Manos. That episode is one of the best.

Though it went through a few different incarnations and networks (KTMA, Comedy Central, SCI FI Channel, etc.) during its decade-long run, the series has largely been regulated to tape-trading, scattershot DVD releases and now a smattering of streaming options in the age of Netflix. Those are all solid options, but c’mon — MST3K belongs on television.

THE ZOCALO TODAY

Facebook as well as at ISN News: The Zocalo Today on Yahoo Groups.

Did you miss the news from yesterday -- or earlier in the week. Catch up by going to the November News Archive. I have broken up the huge file into months to make it easier to scan through. It will bring you up to date for all that has been going on in the world of science fiction. Go to:
October News.
September News.
August News.
July News.
June News.
May News.

ON THE TUBE TONIGHT

8:00pm on ABC
Once Upon a Time
Season 4, Episode 8: Smash the Mirror
The Snow Queen attempts to pit Anna and Elsa against each other; Regina's quest goes unexpectedly.

8:00pm on AMC
The Walking Dead
Season 5, Episode 5:

8:00pm on BBC America
A Knight's Tale
Peasant-born William Thatcher (Heath Ledger) begins a quest to change his stars, win the heart of an exceedingly fair maiden (Shanynn Sossamon) and rock his medieval world. With the help of friends (Mark Addy, Paul Bettany, Alan Tudyk), he faces the ultimate test of medieval gallantry -- tournament jousting -- and tries to discover if he has the mettle to become a legend.

8:00pm on FX
Total Recall
In need of a vacation from his ordinary life, factory worker Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell) visits Rekall, a company that can turn dreams into real memories. Thinking that memories of life as a superspy are just the ticket, Quaid undergoes the procedure -- but it goes horribly wrong. Suddenly, Quaid is a hunted man. He teams up with a rebel fighter (Jessica Biel) on a search to find the head of the underground resistance and take down the leader (Bryan Cranston) of the free world.

8:00pm on TNT
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The culmination of nearly 10 years' work and conclusion to Peter Jackson's epic trilogy based on the timeless J.R.R. Tolkien classic, "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" presents the final confrontation between the forces of good and evil fighting for control of the future of Middle-earth. Hobbits Frodo and Sam reach Mordor in their quest to destroy the `one ring', while Aragorn leads the forces of good against Sauron's evil army at the stone city of Minas Tirith.

9:00pm on AMC
The Walking Dead
Season 5, Episode 6:
Stakes are high when members of the group must go on a rescue mission in a familiar location.

9:00pm on Syfy
The Fifth Element
In the 23rd century, a New York City cabbie, Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis), finds the fate of the world in his hands when Leeloo (Milla Jovovich) falls into his cab. As the embodiment of the fifth element, Leeloo needs to combine with the other four to keep the approaching Great Evil from destroying the world. Together with Father Vito Cornelius (Ian Holm) and zany broadcaster Ruby Rhod (Chris Tucker), Dallas must race against time and the wicked industrialist Zorg (Gary Oldman) to save humanity.

10:00pm on CBS
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Season 15, Episode 6: The Twin Paradox
Evidence indicates that the Gig Harbor killer is responsible for yet another death.

KEEPING UP WITH CAST AND CREW

MAGGIE EGAN-CUMMINGS
Our wonderful ISN Reporter from Babylon 5, Maggie Egan-Cummings, has landed a part on an upcoming Grey's Anatomy. She is being directed by Debbie Allen! There is a chance this will turn into a recurring role for Maggie. Finger's crossed!

DYLAN NEAL
Dylan Neal, Captain from "Legend of the Rangers", will be in the film "Fifty Shades of Grey." Dylan will play Robbin "Bob" Adams in the film

BE A SANTA
Each year, Pat Tallman works very hard to make the holiday season special for disadvantaged kids at Penny Lane. It is that time of year again and she is working to reach a goal of $15,000 so that she can provide some happiness to these children who have known very little of it for most of their lives. If you can, please go to beasanta.org and help make this holiday a very special one.
Thank you.

LANTERN CITY
Lantern City is not a television show. Not yet. But Bruce Boxleitner is planning for it to be one. As he says…

And now it will be a comic book from Archaia, a twelve issue series, and the first such title since The Secret History in 2007.

More details to come, as and when….

Here is a quote from J. Michael Straczynski about emotions.
I had this theory that the more important and intimate the emotion, the fewer words are required to express it.

First it's in dating: "Will you go out with me?" Six words.
"Honey, I care for you." Five words.
"You matter to me." Four words.
"I love you." Three words.
"Marry me." Two words.
But what's left? What's the one most important and intimate word you can ever say to somebody? It's "goodbye."

While Michael O'Hare (Sinclair), Andreas Katsulas (G'Kar), Rick Biggs (Dr. Franklin), Tim Choate (Zathras) and Jeff Conoway (Zach Allen) are no longer with us, we will not forget their wonderful personalities and talent -- as well as their significant contributions to the BABYLON 5 universe. Be sure to visit In Memory Of for more information about memorial efforts.
Until we met again, in a place where no shadows fall.

BABYLON 5 BIRTHDAYS

NOVEMBER
Robert Foxworth - November 1
Marjean Holden - November 3
John Vickery - November 4
Teryl Rothery - November 9 - She was Miss Chambers, the ISN News reporter who interviewed Interstellar Alliance President John Sheridan, in the direct-to-DVD movie "The Lost Tales" (segment "Over There").
Damian London - November 12
Tracy Scoggins - November 13
Dwight Schultz - November 24
Louis Turenne - November 26
Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. - November 30 - remembered fondly

Have I missed anyone? If you know the birthday of someone connected with Babylon 5, pass the information along. We want to include everyone in our Happy Birthday Wishes.

Here is a link to John's Babylon 5 videos:
https://www.youtube.com/user/Babylon5MusicVideos?feature=watch

Richard Biggs memorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyD4L8yNtsA

Andreas Katsulas memorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2UQ2l9NPIg

- This is the extended version that I did for Andreas' widow ater the original cut was released on the net. It's never been seen online until now.

For those of you who've never seen these, I hope you enjoy them - and for those that have (and emailed me many times over the years about releasing them), I hope they're as good as you remember. Working with Joe on these videos was one of the highlights of my career, and I'll be forever grateful to him for the doors these have opened for me. I'm proud to have them on my resume.

John Hudgens
www.zteamproductions.com

LOSCON 41
Dates: November 28-30, 2014
Place: LAX Marriott Hotel, LA, California
Babylon 5 Guest of Honor: J. Michael Straczynski
For more information, go to http://loscon.org/41/.

Creation Entertainment has a large number of conventions planned for the next several months. They include stars from TWILIGHT, SUPERNATURAL, STARGATE, FARSCAPE, XENA, SERENITY, STAR TREK, etc. Check out their calendar to see if one will be in your neighborhood soon. Don't miss their Videos page as well. It is full of some priceless video from a number of conventions.

Be sure to visit the referenced sites to see if there have been changes in dates/guests attending. Visit our Convention Calendar for a full listing of upcoming conventions.

The front page of the The Zocalo Today changes daily, so be sure to check the back issues to make sure that you haven't missed anything IMPORTANT! I hope you will become a regular visitor to The Zocalo Today!

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Take care and I look forward to hearing from you.
Sandra Bruckner (sgbruckner@aol.com)
Editor/Publisher
ISN News: The Zocalo Today
http://www.isnnews.net
Copyright - SBruckner, 1999-2014