The Resistance is Fighting

If you haven't heard already, and have been living life under a stone, then Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles life currently hangs on an uncertain thread. FOX has yet to announce its TV line up for fall and whilst their execs are weighing up the good and bad, SCC fans are definately fighting back by signing petitions, emailing and calling the FOX customer line, along with anything else they can possible think of to save this awesome show.

It features on TV Guide's 7 show's they'd keep (Source), Zap 2 it have an 86% keep it (Source) whilst on twitter ashman01, the show's creator and SaveTerminator are doing all they can to inform fans of how to help.

I have to add my full support for saving this brilliantly written, originally filmed, and well acted series. Terminator: Salvation will soon be upon us, bringing new and old fans back into the fold, surely it would be an extroadinarily bad time to terminate this awesome addition to the machine driven empire?

Husbands return for "Sex"

Evan Handler and David Eigenberg have reportedly been added to the return cast of the second "Sex and the City" movie which is due to begin filming this summer.

Handler, who returns as Charlotte York-Goldenblatt's husband Harry, will be joined by Eigenberg who resumes his role as Steve Brady according to Entertainment Weekly. The addition of the pair to the already complete quartet of women (Paker, Cattrall, Davis, Nixon) and the reappearance of Chris Noth as "Mr Big" means that all past crucial roles are now filled. This is with the exception of Jason Lewis who's relationship with character Samantha Jones ended in the first movie.

Other stars who have shown interest in returning include John Corbett (Aidan), Jennifer Hudson (Louise) and Gilles Marini (Dante). The movie is due to be released May 28th, 2010

Neighbours Additions Revealed

With the recent departure of many Neighbours regulars and the annoucement of more to go it is with relief that I can actually show some of the new Erinsborough residents! Replacing the void after Caitlin Stasey's departure is Sunny Lee, appearing in Episode 5663 at newcomer Hanny Lee.

The new Ramsey's set to arrive a few months later are Will More (Harry Ramsey), Ashleigh Brewer (Kate Ramsey) and Kaiya Jones (Sophie Ramsey).

Photo & information courtesy of The Perfect Blend

Terminator, Sarah Connor Chronicles - Season 2, Episode 15, Desert Cantos

Most series pull in the viewers with dramatic stories set to a standard formula, Six Feet Under started with a death every week, Desperate Housewives has the incessant narration of Mary Alice but not The Sarah Connor Chronicles. In a refreshing mix up of television format the TV terminator series seems to subtly change its boundaries each week whilst still providing a compelling story. In Episode 14 we had a glimpse of Sarah’s husband, a guardian angel as he followed her through the episode. In other past episode we’ve flipped between present and future and for Episode 15 we have our story unfold throughout broken down segments of the mass funeral following Catherine Weavers’ murdering spree at the warehouse.

As the residents of the local town draw together in comfort after the death of so many of their loved ones and friends, Sarah, John, Derek and Cameron set about trying to find just what was going on in the warehouse, knowing only too well that it wasn’t an air vent manufacturing plant. Sarah’s vision of the flying bot is still clear in her mind and though the others don’t necessarily believe her they are encouraged to seek to the truth as to what was happening.

Crashing in on the funeral John sets about extracting information from the daughter of a murdered man whilst, seeing the picture of the man who had shot her, Sarah begins a similar treatment on his widow. In the procession John is taken to a scene where cows lay dead surrounding a pool of water by teenage girl, whilst at the funeral Derek realises that they are not the only ones digging for information as he spots someone, sent by Catherine Weaver, to clear up one last mess. Sarah, soaking up information from Diane, another widow, is given a set of keys to a storage box that Diane never knew about and upon entering it finds bloody rags and boxes of belongings – belongings that were a mother and son’s who dramatically vanished after she broke her terms of contract at the warehouse.

At the following wake, with input from Cameron, John & Derek soon realise that the teenage girl John’s been talking to is hiding something – her father isn’t dead after all. Whilst they try to discover why his whereabouts are being covered Sarah is on the trail of the company man, leading her into a basement where she discovers camera feeds and links to all of the company employee’s houses and a tunnel connection two of houses together.

Drawing the family of the non-deceased employee together they set about getting information of his whereabouts and just exactly what was happening at the facility only to met with ignorance and a sense of “never ask, never tell”. Realising that there are not going to gain any valuable information John takes his mother to where the cow carcases are, only to find the dead body of the company man, followed by an eruption from the pool when the bot that Sarah saw explodes out of the water and flies away, entering a truck and being shut down and driven away by the only surviving man from the facility. In no uncertain terms the team now know that there is indeed an AI flying about the skies, but where is Skynet?! Who is Skynet? And whatever happened to finding the Turk?!

Calling All Shorties

Whilst we in England are still enjoying Cycle 11 of America's Next Top Model Tyra's empiric show snowballs on as it announces the casting call for Cycle 13 with just one difference, all models musn't be taller than 5'7"!!

Tyra's enforced a height restriction, none over 5'7" should apply

In a motion to turn the modelling show on its head Tyra announced "There have been top supermodels in the past that weren’t as tall as the industry demands, like fashion icon Kate Moss. So we are changing up ‘Top Model’ for cycle 13 and making it a year for the shorter model!”

It seems that girls over this height will not be considered for the Cycle which leaves me wondering, with the apparent lack of success of any of the previous winners within the supermodel world can this only be a marketing ploy to get more viewers rather than an actual attempt to create supermodels? You decide.

ANTM - Cycle 11, Episode 5

After their new locks last week the show turned to the next crucial part of any models artillery – her walk. Arriving at a bowling alley Miss J quickly thrust a pair of high heeled bowling shoes at each girl and barked for them to strut the alley like never before. With Isis up first feeling confidant and with something to prove it was only a matter of time before she skidded on the shiny surface and nearly toppled over. Many of the girls seemed to have it this year and the only outrageously awful show was put on by Hannah who was so stiff she looked like she should be creaking each time she moved a limb. With no idea what to do at the end of the runway she whirled around and stomped back to the beginning, the rest of her competitors in hysterics.

 Returning to the house Isis and Analeigh went out of their way to try and help the struggling Alaskan but it was all too late when they discovered they were doing a fashion catwalk the following day. With much excitement the girls turned up to a vintage bank to find they would strutting down the catwalk as catburglers – and blindfolded! But, in a series twist, they also discovered that one of the girls would be leaving post catwalk, no photoshoot, no panel, no Tyra.

It wasn’t long before nerves set in and whilst some – Joselyn, McKey excelled through their first showcase, Hannah lost her nerve and all she’d learnt was swept away, whilst Sam embarrassed the designer by hoisting her skirt up at the end of the runway. It was a fairly obvious cut and after the two J’s announced their decision a teary Hannah left the competition.

In an ANTM first Hannah gets cut with no panel, no photo, no Tyra.

 But what next? Would there still be a cut? Was there still a photoshoot? What was happening?! Well ANTM went back to normal with the girls attending their next photshoot comfortingly in their own pool, shot by their own judge Nigel Barker. A water shoot the girls were to be immersed with only their nose up being shot.

Analeigh, fearing she was to be cut from the competition stepped up her game and proved some outstanding photo’s, with Sam and McKey and Clark continuing their upward rise. Joselyn, not able to swim couldn’t keep her nerve, a previous stunning Elina lost all focus and floundered and Isis, once again in a swimsuit, found her mind ill prepared for the photoshoot.

At judging Lauren Brie was called first, with Analeigh straight from last week’s bottom two coming a close second. Samantha, although with a stunning photo was viciously berated for disgusting the designer with her end of catwalk moves and ended up in the bottom two along with a sinking Isis. In the end Sam had the better picture and the transgender queen from Maryland crashed out of the competition.

The transgender queen sinks out of the competition

With Tyra cutting two this week, does it mean a reprise in the next episode or is it simply a tactic to spice things up?

Living - Mondays at 21.00

NEW SERIES - The Beast

Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January 2009 our minds have been ever presently concerned with Patrick Swayze’s health rather that his acting credentials so it’s nice to see him once again taking the lead, this time in a undercover FBI role.

As far as this opening episode and pilot went it was far from original but if you like this genre of television it still had enough to suit everyone. With rookie agent Ellis Dove (Travis Fimmel) becoming Charles Barker’s (Swayze) handpicked undercover partner the two set about bringing down a black market weapons gang, amidst a cover of punches, blown up cars, wrong doings and a general air of hostility. As always wanting to cause intrigue to further the series there was the inevitable first “drink” with a new girl, the problems of a rookie’s inexperience fitting in with his new partner, and the rookie’s over excelling confidence that he actually knew how to run the show already.

Swayze’s Barker is the FBI agent with his new rookie side kick

Trying to crack the weapon’s gang it was the duo’s responsibility to “borrow” a RPG (rocket launcher), find the appropriate contacts, set up the meeting and then capture the buyer alive whilst not trying to become worm food themselves. Ellis, on a mission to get the RPG activity keys, entered a den of meth and madness and found himself in a situation where he had to either smoke meth or take a risk of blowing a hole in his foot with a gun. He chose the meth option and soon found himself trying to focus through a haze of drug taking whilst still getting the job done.

All ended well as they took the gang down in style but it was the final moments that took an unexpected twist and made me want to see more. Returning home for the day Ellis found himself surrounded by a number of offices, some of whom he’d seen before throughout the operation but as other people. It seemed that his whole partnership with Barker was built on a lie, he’d been hand picked by them to ride alongside the FBI agent and discover whether he was crooked or not. I didn’t see that coming and it added a great twist.

It was also refreshing to see Ellis, as he looked across at the bar where his new date was waiting, realise that life was too difficult and he couldn’t include her, walking away and turning his life to focus on the undercover job in hand. This isn’t the usual plot, normally the girl is quickly drawn into the mix of danger, so it was refreshing to see Ellis take an unusual but appropriate turn. However, she does live in his building so whether this stays that way I’m not sure is likely.

I’m looking forward to see where this series goes, it may become original and fresh, it may die a traditional and obvious death, the next few weeks are sure to tell.

Five USA – Wednesday’s at 10.00