AdamWest-related stories
Posted Aug 5th 2009 6:30PM by Mike Moody
Filed under: Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, Animation, Casting, Reality-Free

I'm sure some of you would like to forget about the campy '60s
Batman TV show starring Adam West and Burt Ward as corny comic book crime fighters. Me? I love it.
I grew up watching reruns of the show, and its goofy blend of cartoon-y action, aw-shucks charm and over-the-top acting still makes me smile. Cartoon Network's great
Batman: The Brave and the Bold is heavily influenced by the '60s series, and some episodes even feature unabashed references to the old show.
Continue reading Adam West returns to the Batman franchise
Posted Nov 25th 2008 11:09AM by Mike Moody
Filed under: Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, Programming, Reality-Free

Care more about tribbles than touchdowns? Don't sweat it. From sci-fi favorites to Batman biographies, there's tons of geeky stuff to watch on TV before and after you've had your turkey on Thanksgiving Day. Check out these suggestions (SciFi Channel's James Bond marathon was excluded due to its unhealthy amount of Pierce Brosnan).
Update: Check out
Bob's list for more Thanksgiving Day viewing options.
6:15 a.m. (Eastern), Solaris (IFC) – I only recommend watching Andrei Tarkovsky's meditative sci-fi classic this early if you've stayed up all night basting a bird. It's sure to put you right to sleep and give you some crazy dreams.
6:30 a.m., Planet of the Apes (FMC) – Prepare for Turkey Day by watching Charlton Heston give evolution (that cruel joker) a one-two punch in the face. Followed by a documentary about the
POTA movies and several episodes of the 1974 TV series.
7 a.m., Angel "Offspring" (TNT) – Darla shows up preggers on Angel's doorstep in this tense season three ep, written by co-creator David Greenwalt.
8 a.m., Biography: Batman (Biography Channel) – Adam West and Burt Ward guide you through a look back at the 60s
Batman TV show. Followed by
Adam West: Behind the Cowl and bios of Catwoman and Wonder Woman Lynda Carter. Holy awesomeness, Batman!
Continue reading What to watch on Thanksgiving Day - A guide for geeks
Posted Jul 12th 2008 10:34AM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: TV on the Bigscreen, OpEd, Celebrities, Reality-Free

Lorenzo Semple Jr., the pilot writer of the
Batman television show of the 1960's (and writer of such movies as
Three Days of the Condor),
has written an article for Variety sharing his opinion of the Batman movie franchise. In it, he discusses the origins of the
Batman TV show.
Semple has a very enjoyable, erudite writing style. Here's an example: "...I am often asked what I think of the string of
Batman features which has followed. My answer disappoints. Truth is, I think only rarely about Warner's big-screen charades, for they are related to our antique effort in little beyond the eponymous title."
As one can guess, he doesn't really dig the new franchise. But Bob Kane,
Batman's creator, didn't really understand Frank Miller's famous
Batman comic book
The Dark Knight Returns, so I guess it's a generational thing.
The article is also a good history lesson regarding how the business of television worked at the time. Recommended reading.
Posted Feb 25th 2008 2:40PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Survivor, Pickups and Renewals

NBC is going classic, with a twist.
The network has ordered 13 episodes of a new drama series based on the Daniel Defoe classic
Robinson Crusoe. This is far from the first time Defoe's 1719 novel has been filmed. The most recent incarnation was a 1997 Pierce Brosnan feature. In 1964, it was the basis for a French TV series.
This version is going to be a new take on the old story of a man who sets sail from England, his ship is wrecked in a storm and he's thrown overboard winding up alone on a deserted island where he has to fen for himself. In time, he is joined by an escaped slave whom he names Friday. Ben Silverman, NBC's head honcho, described the proposed series in this way: "It's part
MacGyver, part contemporary morality tale about race and personal discovery, part comedy and part
Castaway meets
Survivor." As envisioned, this
Robinson Crusoe will need to be clever indeed. It's going to keep the time period 1650's, but when Crusoe finds Friday, he'll presumably be treating him as if it were today with regard to race relations.
Continue reading Robinson Crusoe pilot coming to NBC
Posted May 14th 2007 8:00AM by Brett Love
Filed under: Family Guy, Episode Reviews

(S05E17) As I got into this episode, two things occurred to me. First, since next week is the season finale, when did they decide to cut this season to 18 episodes? More importantly for our purposes here though, this episode felt very familiar. It took a minute, but when Lois and Mayor West got to the debate, I remembered what it was. The main story was very similar to the season two episode, "Running Mates."
Continue reading Family Guy: It Takes A Village Idiot, And I Married One