TVSquad

There's a moment in one of the extras on the Witchblade DVD set where Peter Mensah, who played Hector Mobius, says that the show was ahead of its time. Now, I tend to think most people involved in a project of the size and scope of Witchblade would say something similar. In this case though, there is something to it. The landscape for cable based original series was quite different in 2001, when Witchblade debuted.

While we now take it for granted that great shows are coming from the likes of TNT, FX, AMC, and USA, it was still a relatively new thing then. The idea that the show was ahead of its time comes back upon re-watching the series. With only a couple of exceptions, the odd bit of wardrobe or a tell-tale cell phone, the show looks like it could have been made last week. The story fits that mold as well. It's still relevant, and doesn't come across as outdated.

A roundup of TV people from in front of the camera and behind the scenes who have passed away.

• Lilyan Chauvin: She was a veteran actress you might remember as Joey's grandmother on Friends and the woman in the pilot of The Pretender who asks "Are you a doctor?" (Jarrod's response: "I am today"). She appeared on a ton of other shows over the years, including ER, Alias, Frasier, Star Trek: DS9, Ugly Betty, Malcolm in the Middle, The X-Files, Baywatch, The Young and the Restless, Falcon Crest, Fantasy Island, Man From Atlantis, The Bob Newhart Show, Mannix, The Adventures of Superman, Studio One, and many, many others. She died of cancer and heart disease at age 82.

The internet just keeps playing an increasingly important role for the networks and their television shows. Heroes is no exception. NBC now has "Graphic Novel One: Monsters" up on their Heroes site. It's a short Suresh story that gives a little more background on his character, and his father. Nothing ground breaking or too spoilery, but interesting nonetheless.

The comic is available as a downloadable PDF, or an interactive Flash version. While the story is short, and the Nissan ad a little tedious, it is a beautiful high resolution comic. And an interesting bit of TV related trivia for you... One of the people behind the comic is Michael Turner, the co-creator of Witchblade, which you may remember from its short live-action run on TNT. It also features Crossing Jordan writer Aron Coleite.

Along with the comic, the Heroes site also has a nice collection of interviews with the cast and crew. Sections for games and downloads are reportedly coming soon.