TVSquad

S.A.R.A.H., of course, stands for Self Actuated Residential Automated Habitat. What, you didn't know that? Fans of Syfy's Eureka do, and in this video, stars Colin Ferguson and Neil Grayson give a tour of the house. Why can't Big Brother have a house like this? (A new episode of Eureka airs tonight at 9PM.)

Behind the scenes footage of TV shows is always fun, but this clip below from Warehouse 13 not only shows you the warehouse set, it actually explains a lot more behind the history of the warehouse than we got from the two-hour pilot the other night.

I really enjoyed the two-hour Warehouse 13 pilot. It was quite fun. Next week another Syfy (remember that small "f" in the name, everyone) veteran guest stars. It's Tricia Helfer, and from this brief clip below she seems to be playing the type of character she played on Burn Notice last season.

Joel told you a while back about the Sci-Fi Channel changing its name to SyFy for some reason. Now they've unleashed a series of promos and commercials to get you used to the name change, which happens tomorrow.

One of the longer promos features several cast members of SyFy shows getting together for a big party in a big house (must be a running theme this season). I think it's less sci-fi and more Willy Wonka/Beatles acid trip.

(UPDATE 7/7: If you tune over to SyFy now, you'll see that the changeover took effect. So long, Sci Fi...)

I think we can all agree that 94% of all Sci-Fi Channel original movies are really lame. But their original series are usually pretty good, and Warehouse 13 is no exception. This new preview below gives the most extensive look yet at what the show is about, who the characters are, and what their new assignment is. Two words: "America's Attic."

Check the link above. You can ask caretaker Artie about the show, which starts July 7.

NBC Universal has just turned five years old, and I didn't get them a present. What do you get a giant international media and entertainment company? Tonight at 8 they're running the ad below, and not just on NBC. You'll also see it on other NBC Universal properties, including MSNBC, CNBC, USA, Bravo, and The Sci-Fi Channel. And if you're not in front a TV and happen to be in Times Square, you'll see it there too.

[via TV Newser]

If you can't get enough of Ghost Hunters, then the Sci Fi Channel is ensuring that you'll never be able to get enough of it.

The network is expanding the popular paranormal reality show into "dozens of hours of programming" with renewals of some current spin-offs and pick-ups of even more spin-offs. At the rate they keep spinning this show off, it's going to have its own family tree by the end of the decade.

Right now there's the original Ghost Hunters and its international cousin, the cleverly named Ghost Hunters International. Both of those will return next season with new episodes.

What's happening on other blogs via the interweb.

• You've read our discussion of the Lost finale, now read the Hollywood Reporter's, James Poniewozik's, and Alan Sepinwall's. Also, here's news about the ratings the finale got.
• Is the head of The CW, Dawn Ostroff, on her way out?
• Is ABC already ahead when it comes to this fall's new shows?
• Another season of The Two Coreys starts on June 22. Oh, great.
• The Wall Street Journal weighs in on the American Office vs. British Office debate.
• Eddie Griffin is being sued over an incident on his new VH-1 show.
• The Sci-Fi Channel has launched a new gaming blog called Fidgit.

Why didn't you warn me? I started this fun little adventure with the novel The Andromeda Strain back in college and enjoyed the book tremendously. If for nothing else, it was funny how much time and attention Michael Crichton spent on the "modern" technology and amazing computational advances. Of course, I read the book in the mid-'90s and he wrote it in the late '60s. It's even more hilariously dated now. You mean, 200 people can work at the same time on this mainframe computer? That's astounding!

I always get antsy when companies start to go beyond their niche. I mean, does Dunkin' Donuts really have to start selling pizza and sandwiches too?

The Sci-Fi Channel is expanding beyond the worlds of Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek, and sci-fi in general. We've already seen wrestling on the network, and the execs at the network say that more stuff like that is coming. Sci-Fi Channel GM Dave Howe says that the definition of the network is "What if?" As in "What if The Sci-Fi Channel made a bunch of really shitty made for television movies?" This "What If" slogan also includes movies like Field of Dreams. Execs are even thinking about changing the name of the channel.

Needless to say, many science fiction fans aren't happy with this, including members of The Science Fiction Writers of America. TV fans are already upset for TV Land airing more and more reality shows and movies, and now this. What's next? TCM airing cooking shows and auto racing?

Shhhh...here's some big news about CBS' Ghost Whisperer: it's been picked up by not one, not two, but three different cable networks.

CBS has sold the rights for the Jennifer Love Hewitt, Friday night supernatural drama to the Sci-Fi Channel, WE TV, and ION. I love how the CBS Television Distribution Vice-President says in the article that the show "is about a strong woman who owns her own business and is married to a firefighter, so women relate to that." He left out the part about talking to ghosts. But it should fit in well at the Sci-Fi Channel (ghosts) and WE (strong woman). I have no idea what ION has for programming, but if it's mostly programming about women who own their own small business and talk to ghosts, then they've struck gold with this pick up.

The show sold for $700,000 an episode. Lost is also going to start airing on the Sci-Fi Channel, this fall.

I finally caved. After all the hype and all the buzz, I gave in. I'm sick of avoiding headlines on blogs and it's frustrating to hear everyone chatting away about "Cylons this..." and "Caprica that..." while I stand by mute and clueless. I've finally started to watch Battlestar Galactica.

I should mention that I'm not completely in the dark. I've tried before. On a couple of occasions actually. I've had a burned copy of the three hour mini-series that started it all for some time now. I could never get through it. This time, I went all out though. I even shelled out the $55 for the season one DVD set. Now, I'm through the mini-series and I'm nine episodes into the season. Four to go before the finale and all of a sudden, I've stopped. I started thinking. What if I had watched the show, right from the get-go when it premiered back in 2005 along with everyone else? Let's pretend. Let's say it is 2005 all over again and episode nine just aired last night -- the one where Tigh's estranged wife shows up. Let's pretend that seasons 2, 3 and 4 don't exist yet. Cool premise? OK...

I don't see what the big deal is.

Here are the weekly cable ratings, by number of viewers.

What's this, a football game in the top ten besides Monday Night Football? I don't know how the Packers/Cowboys game on NFL Network came in second this week. Was it a pivotal game or something? I don't really watch football. Monday Night RAW shows up again (still not sure why it's considered two different hours instead of one, two-hour show), along with weekly favorite SpongeBob. Tin Man got great ratings for Sci-Fi Channel.

1. Monday Night Football (ESPN)

As I've learned from the comments on this blog and elsewhere, fans of the Sci-Fi Channel's Eureka are incredibly devoted and loyal. So this good news is for them.

The cable network has given the thumbs up for a third season of the sci-fi comedy, according to a press release that came into TVS HQ. They've ordered 13 more episodes of the show. The third season will start filming in Vancover in early 2008 and will debut next summer.

Here are the weekly cable TV ratings, by number of viewers.

1. The Closer (TNT)
2. NASCAR Nextel Cup (ESPN)
3. NFL Pre-season game - Bengels/Falcons (ESPN)
4. Saving Grace (TNT)
5. WWE Monday Night RAW - 10pm (Sci-Fi)
6. The Hills (MTV)
7. WWE Monday Night RAW - 9pm (Sci-Fi)
8. Hannah Montana (Disney)
9. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)
10. Hannah Montana (Disney)