TVSquad

A myriad of celebrities are set to star in the BBC's modern remake of the classic sci-fi novel Day of the Triffids. Names include Jason Priestley, Vanessa Redgrave, Brian Cox and Eddie Izzard.

There seems to be quite a few remakes going on in the world of British television at the moment (Triffids was adapted for BBC television once already in 1981 and had a big-screen version in 1962). We have The Prisoner, Survivors, and now Day of the Triffids. Both Survivors and Triffids deal with the theme of a post-apocalyptic world.

I'm not sure if Triffids was the first story to use the post-apocalyptic genre, but it's certainly one of the most popular. The book itself is a combination of the movies The Happening (where plants attack humanity) and Blindness (where most of humanity is rendered blind).

The anti-Soviet themes of the book won't be applicable in these times, but I'm sure the flesh-eating Triffids will have other, more modern analogies.

You see this picture? That's Christopher Egan in NBC's new midseason drama Kings. He'll be playing a David-like character -- as in David versus Goliath -- when the series debuts later this year or in early 2009. And in an interesting casting coup reported by EW's Michael Ausiello, Macaulay Culkin has been cast on Kings as King Silas' nephew. The king, by the way, is the formidable Ian McShane. Joel reported just how formidable McShane is at last summer's TCA.

Culkin is a long way from the adorable Kevin McAllister in the Home Alone movies, but he's still got that charismatic appeal.

Since Kings is all about power, as McShane's nephew who has been exiled from the kingdom and returns after David's success defeating the Goliath of the show -- a killer tank -- I can see him perhaps as a Mordred character. In other words, an antagonist with issues.

Culkin isn't the only name to join Kings in some capacity: Brian Cox, Miguel Ferrer, Leslie Bibb and Michael Stahl-David are also on board for guest arcs.

(S03E12) Maybe I sit alone with this belief, but I was royally disappointed with this finale. This entire season has been building up to this episode. It was supposed to be a magnificent explosion with guns a blazing as Bullock and Swearengen delivered Deadwood from the clutches of Hearst and his Pinkerton pistoleros. There was none of that. For the most part it was calm. It's clear that this finale was written with a full-length fourth season in mind and I only hope now that the remaining four hours of this wonderful series can do it the justice it deserves.

(S03E11) Forgive the extreme lateness of this review folks, but between work and my cable being out for a day, I just haven't had the opportunity to sit down and watch this episode. But now that I have... wow. Words cannot describe how excited I am for tonight's season three finale. So take this review as sort of a refresher on the season as a whole as we prepare ourselves for the final stand-off between Hearst's men and the camp of Deadwood.

(S03E10) Once again, great as usual... but man, they are really building up to this season's climax at a snail's pace. As much as that fact has me agitated, you still have to admire it though. Every move, every scene, every choice bit of dialogue in this show means something. It all ties together. It's just so meticulously laid out and that's why we're unfortunately not being treated to a full fourth season. It's too bad that series renewal relies on viewership and not the quality level of the program, because let's face it. Deadwood, along with a few select others (Rescue Me comes to mind), are alone at the top right now.

(S03E09) Since there are only three episodes left this season, I was expecting this to be a much tenser hour. Don't get me wrong, it was great, but David Milch and Co. are being very economical about when, where, and how they're doling out the really explosive stuff. If anything, the final three installments will be brimming with what this whole season has been building up to: a final confrontation between the people of Deadwood and George "Boy the Earth Talks To" Hearst.

(S03E08) This show just continues to impress. After missing last week's episode, I sat down an hour early tonight and got a double dose. Talk about a great two hours of television. We pick up the morning after Al's impromptu meeting with the rest of the camp elders. Tensions are high as Merrick and Blasinov distribute fresh copies of The Pioneer around camp. The waiting game came next as it would only be a matter of time before Hearst saw Bullock's letter to the families of the murdered Cornishmen. And find it he did. He had some words with Merrick about printing the letter. But Hearst is no fool. He knows it was published to embarrass him and shed light on the murders he clearly had a hand in. If anything, all this has done is strengthened his already powerful dislike for the camp and its residents.

(S03E06) Omar Gooding?!?! This is too much to handle. From Wild and Crazy Kids to Deadwood. And yes, before people go comment crazy, I realize he's done plenty since then. But c'mon, he hosted a show where kids threw water balloons full of whipped cream and chocolate syrup at each other. Regardless, I'm not sure what adding his character (he plays Odell, Aunt Lou's son) will accomplish. I was starting to become content with all the players we had. Now we add Odell and leave out someone like Jack Langrishe, who I absolutely love. But I shouldn't discriminate... or else I'll come off sounding like E.B. or Steve the Drunk.

(S03E05) This sums just about everything up:

Johnny: "What are we waiting for?"

Swearengen: "To see what kind of hell breaks loose."

And break loose it did. From drug addiction to street fights, plenty of things came out into the open this week on Deadwood.