TVSquad

The panel for Fringe just ended, and in it was some nice news for anyone who were psyched to see Leonard Nimoy appear last season as the elusive William Bell. The producers of the show told the gathered critics that Nimoy has already shot one episode for the second season and that they will want to have him on the show "as much as he wants."

EPs Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman, along with co-creators Roberto Orici and Alex Kurtzman, even talked about a day of shooting in a super-hot Vancouver soundstage, where Nimoy acted like a pro. "He never went back to his trailer, and shot pages of dialogue." So it seems like they like having him around the set.

The show will take place mostly in the present universe, but there will be some events that happen in the parallel universe introduced last year ( "over there," as the producers put it). Events "over there" will affect events in the present universe, as well.

More on the panel later.

Actually, talk about a sequel to J.J. Abrams Star Trek reboot started a few months ago. In March, Paramount announced plans to hire Abrams' pals Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman (Fringe, um, Star Trek) and Lost producer Damon Lindelof to pen the sequel.

Now, the writing trio is talking about ideas for the sequel. One idea they have is possibly casting Javier Bardem as frakkin' Khan!

I like the idea, but I doubt it's gonna happen. As Lindelof said in a recent interview with Crave, Bardem as Khan -- originally played by Ricardo Montalban in Star Trek II: the Wrath of Khan -- would probably eat up the entire film and possibly push characters like Kirk, Spock and Bones to the sidelines. It would be too big.

We all knew this was a lock.

Fans of Fox's Fringe can now officially look forward to season two.

The show was a hit right out of the gate, garnering huge numbers for its series premiere. It's currently the "number one show for adults 18-49," according to Fox. If that doesn't guarantee you a renewal, then I don't know what will.

Aside from the show's great cast, its quirky sense of humor, and its compelling mysteries, there are two reasons I'll stick with Fringe through season two: Producer J.J. Abrams and Leonard Nimoy.

Star Trek's Nimoy is slated to be around for an episode or two (hopefully more) next season as Massive Dynamic founder William Bell. Nimoy's return to television is reason enough to tune in.

I liked that super expensive, two-hour-long Fringe series premiere, but I found it hard to stay awake throughout the following episodes. My love for Pacey Witter aside, I haven't felt compelled to watch the series in a while, but this news might get me to tune in.

Star Trek's Mr. Spock himself, Leonard Nimoy, will join the show as the mysterious William Bell, the founder of sci-tech creep house Massive Dynamic, in Fringe's May 12 season finale.

Looks like Mr. Nimoy enjoyed his recent collaboration on the Star Trek movie with Fringe producers J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci.

Orci recently talked about what viewers can expect from the character of William Bell when he finally appears on the show.

Wow, I really like this show! But darn, I'll have to wait to see what happens next, because FOX only sent us the pilot episode. I hope the continuing episodes are just as good. I expect nothing less from writer/producer J.J. Abrams, who already has a slew of hits on his IMDB page, including Lost and Alias (and I have high hopes for the upcoming Star Trek feature film, which he's directing and producing). Also on board for Fringe are the writers of Transformers: Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. Good combo there.

Let's see ... what can I tell you about Fringe without giving away any spoilers? The first scene hooked me and wouldn't let go until ... well, it still hasn't let go, because I can't wait to see what happens next. The show is equal parts Lost, Heroes, CSI, and The X-Files, and the pilot episode covers a lot of ground in the set-up, but also ends with lots of questions.