Mal Reynolds, Nathan Fillion's character from the short-lived Joss Whedon series, Firefly, made a triumphant return to television last night. Granted, it was only for a little bit, and Fillion wasn't specifically playing Mal, but the costume was there, in all of its spacey glory.
Last night's episode of Castle was Halloween-themed, and, well, you can probably see where this is going. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Fillion had a section in his contract for Castle that says, "if ever the opportunity arises, I will be able to dress up as Mal, because damnit, I miss that (brown)coat." So last night, the worlds of Firefly and Castle collided, and Nathan Fillion once again donned Mal's brown duster as part of his "Space Cowboy" Halloween costume.
I was lucky enough to participate in a conference call today with Dollhouse (and Buffy and Angel and Firefly and Dr. Horrible) mastermind Joss Whedon. While he was very good at giving vague answers to questions asked so as not to spoil the storylines for season two of the show, he did drop a few tidbits that certainly make me want to watch.
The most interesting of this is that Amy Acker, who plays Doctor Saunders a.k.a. Whiskey, is only contracted for three episodes this season (apparently she's committed to another show). I found that surprising considering her important role in the apocalyptic future of "Epitaph One," but I'm sure the writers have figured out a way around it. It was stated that the world of "Epitaph One" will be revisited later in this season.
When I first started exploring this project, there were a few shows that I knew were going to be important to hit. This is the first of those. Firefly was Joss Whedon's sci-fi western series. The show mustered disappointing ratings in its short eleven-episode run on FOX.
Since then it's gone on to near mythic cult status. There was such an outcry of support from its loyalists, the Browncoats, over its cancellation that the producers made a feature film sequel. That movie,Serenity, answered a lot of questions about the future fate of the cast. Unfortunately, like the television series, it couldn't find quite enough people to show up and tune in to warrant a sequel. Nevertheless, the few morsels of Firefly we did get are enough to prove that this is one of the most innovative and enjoyable series ever to hit the airwaves.
I know what you're thinking. Joss Whedon already did that with Firefly. But you see, Firefly was quite different than the western Chuck producer Scott Rosenbaum is developing. See, Firefly was a space-based science fiction with western elements. This project is a western with sci-fi elements.
I know what you're thinking. Michael Garrison already did that with The Wild Wild West. But you see-- I'm not going to do all that again. Actually, the description leaves things a little vague, so I've taken the liberty of filling in the blanks with only my sleep-deprived mind and a healthy dosage of Diet Dr. Pepper to guide me.
Rosenbaum's official descriptions include "a gunslinger caught between worlds" and a nod to Planet of the Apes. Post-apocalyptic? They're adapting Stephen Kings' The Dark Tower?! Hardly. I do suspect a future time when we've reverted back to the trappings of the Old West. Either that, or a parallel world. I don't really care, I've been itching for a good western since Deadwood had to go.
Before pondering the meaning of identity on Dollhouse, Joss Whedon gave us some great shows featuring iconic heroes and some really nasty but unforgettable villains.
Unlike Dollhouse, most of Whedon's earlier shows featured a "big bad," a major villain who caused trouble throughout an entire season, or series, for the heroes and their friends. Luckily, Whedon's heroes always managed to outwit these evildoers, but they couldn't stop them from stealing scenes and making the Whedonverse a very, very dangerous place to live.
Let's take a look back at some of Whedon's best "big bads" that made life a living hell for Buffy, Angel and Captain Mal.
Earlier today, we told you about Summer Glau landing a recurring role on Joss Whedon's Dollhouse. Glau, of course, has worked with Mr. Whedon before on the much loved but short-lived Firefly and its film spinoff, Serenity.
This isn't the first time Whedon has cast actors he's worked with before in a new project; he does it all the time. But like Squad commenter "davem" pointed out, actors who return to the Whedonverese for a second go-round usually end up playing villains.
So does this mean Glau is destined to be the new big bad on Dollhouse?
Fox has confirmed that Summer Glau is heading back to work for Firefly/Serenity creator Joss Whedon with a recurring role on Dollhouse.
Whedon told EW in May that he was writing a part for Glau, but he didn't spill any details about her role on the show's upcoming second season. He said he didn't want her to play a "Doll," because that would be too obvious. Now, after a few earlyreports hit the web, Fox has offered up some details about Glau's connection to the Dollhouse.
Will she be playing a Dollhouse client? An active? A cyborg? ... OK, she's definitely not playing a cyborg this time. (At least we don't think she is.) Head after the jump for the answer.
Unlike our own Jane Boursaw, I've yet to dive head first into the trashy teen world of The CW's Gossip Girl. I'm sure this comes as a surprise to no one, since my favorite shows tend to take place on spaceships or feature brooding vampires. But a recent addition to the cast might get me to start watching the saucy soap for the first time when it returns in September; one of my favorite sci-fi actors, Firefly alum Gina Torres, has signed on to play the recurring role of Gabriela Abrams, Vanessa's mother.
Gabriela is described as a warm and outgoing free spirit from Brooklyn who has been hiding out in Vermont. The show's privileged teens are in for one hell of a season if Gabriela is anything like Jasmine, Torres' duplicitous character from the fourth season of Angel. It's probably not crazy to think that Gabriela will have some kind of edge to her. I've heard some of the parents on Gossip Girl make Lucille Bluth look like Mrs. Cunningham.
Torres is set to appear in two episodes and expected to recur throughout the series. Gossip Girl's season premiere airs Sept. 14.
In case you ever think Fox might actually give a good series a break, Topless Robot reminds us of the Top 20 shows cancelled by Fox before their time. It's a decent list. Granted, I haven't watched a chunk of them but I've watched four of the top five in their entirety and own two of them on DVD.
There is only one show the author didn't mention that I wish made the list. The Doctor Who 1996 Television Movie starring Paul McGann initially aired on Fox, but never made it to series due to poor ratings. I can only hope that some day Fox and Universal will come to an agreement with the BBC and allow for a North American DVD release.
So what do you think of the list? Did the author get it right? Is there a Fox series that was not mentioned which should have been? Let us know in the comments.
Hundreds of Joss Whedon fans are expected to take over the small town of LaVergne, TN this weekend for WhedonFest 2009, a celebration of all things Joss Whedon. A fan group called Whedonites United is holding the three-day event in the Tennessee Valley woods. Yes, it's a camping trip (and no, the irony is not lost on us).
The first-ever Whedonfest will offer a number of nerdy activities for Whedon devotees, including role-playing hours, an improv show, and a number of panel discussions, like "The Nature of Identity in Dollhouse," inspired by Whedon's work.
Casting Captain Hammer as Hal Jordan? This might be the only way Hollywood could make up for giving us a Whedon-less Buffy movie.
This nerdtastic fan-created Green Lantern movie trailer made my morning. The idea of Nathan Fillion filling out the green tights is inspired, but the fun doesn't stop there. DC Comics fans will notice this thing features cameos from some of their favorite Green Lantern Corps members. (I think I saw Kilowog in there). Plus it's fun trying to name the movies/TV shows the videomaker pulled from to create his vision. It features a good chunk from the Star Trek trailer, as well as some scenes from Firefly and probably every Nathan Fillion movie ever made.
I'm almost to the end of Firefly, my Jane After Dark readers' choice for this week. I really love this series, from the quirky characters to the general theme of a band of renegades burgling their way through the universe.
But even though it's set 500 years in the future, Firefly isn't your typical sci-fi space series that includes all manner of aliens and weird creatures. They're on a spaceship, and yet they rob trains. How cool is that?! It's like Alias Smith and Jones meets Babylon 5.
As with the other Whedon shows I've watched – Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel – the stories are fun and deep and fanciful (yes, I said fanciful), but it's the characters and their interactions that make the shows.
If you've been following my Jane After Dark adventures, you know it's all about the DVDs I watch into the wee hours while I'm covering the TV Squad queue and everyone else (at least in my house) is sleeping.
After that, I need you to help me choose my next Jane After Dark series. There are so many great TV shows on DVD, and frankly, I'm stumped at what to watch next. So please vote in my poll below, and tell me what to do! And if you don't see your series listed, tell me in the comments, and I'll add it to the list next time.
A lot, surprisingly. Unfortunately, ABC's V remake won't take place in a universe packed with space cowboys who curse in Chinese, but it will star two Firefly alums, Alan Tudyk (Wash) and Morena Baccarin (Inara). Plus, the V pilot will feature digital effects by Zoic, the effects house that worked on Firefly.
Like most Whedon fans, I think the best things about Firefly were the characters, the dialogue, and the inventive stories. But the digital effects were just as amazing, especially for TV. They might not have been blockbuster movie good, but the ships and space chases always looked elegant and really specific to the show's quirky style and themes. That's what good visual effects are all about. Lets hope Zoic can create the same kind of magic for V, which is awaiting pickup by ABC.
When I was preparing for my Nathan Fillion interview, I knew that I had a big responsibility: people love this guy. I mean love-- in a slightly disturbing way. So I reached out. I went on Facebook and Twitter and asked people what they wanted me to ask him, so I would get the fewest number of Firefly fans pissed off at me as possible. Luckily, the questions submitted were mostly along the lines of, "will he impregnate me?", so I wasn't too worried about not asking something someone was dying to know.
"Hey, I've got a quick question for you: How long do you think this 'internet' fad will really go?" But before I could ask a single question, that's how Nathan Fillion starts our interview. "Um, you know, I think it's on it's way out. I give it a month, maybe two at the most." I could understand where he was coming from. I was just one in a long line of reporters he was talking to today, so he has to keep himself interested somehow. Why not joke around with me about the fall of the internet?
I was lucky enough to participate in a conference call today with 
I know what you're thinking. Joss Whedon already did that with 
Earlier today, we told you about 
Fox has confirmed that Summer Glau is heading back to work for 
Unlike our own 
In case you ever think Fox might actually give a good series a break, 
Hundreds of Joss Whedon fans are expected to take over the small town of LaVergne, TN this weekend for 
I'm almost to the end of 
If you've been following my 
A lot, surprisingly. Unfortunately, ABC's V remake won't take place in a universe packed with space cowboys who curse in Chinese, but it will star two 
Andy Richter: The TV Squad Interview
Have any questions for Vik Sahay of Chuck? Ask them here!
Mike Henry and Daryl Hall on a Cleveland Show Thanksgiving
