TVSquad

Sure Lost is a bona fide hit, but who remembers Invasion? In fact, none of the sci fi series premiering that year (Surface and Threshold) made it beyond a single season. And yet, as Brad reported, ABC is developing The Return, a series focusing on how the world handles an "alien landing." You know, like the classic V mini-series of the '80s. In fact, the last episode of V: The Series was called "The Return." Maybe this is a secret code name for the long teased V return!

But that announcement got me thinking about all those sci fi and fantasy shows that never finish on television. It's a phenomenon us long-time science fiction/fantasy fans have learned to live with. We jump on any new genre show on television hoping against hope that the ratings will be strong enough that we'll get the whole story. Alas, we know that more often than not the plug will be pulled mid-stream and we'll be left wanting. And for every Joss Whedon who continues Buffy and Angel in comics, there are tons more who don't.

A new sci-fi series is coming to ABC created by Star Trek alumnus Rene Echevarria and Greg Berlanti. It is called The Return and is about the day a group of extra-terrestrials land on Earth. Obviously, hilarity will ensue.

I wish I could count on one hand the sheer number of times I have seen this situation in sci-fi. For classic examples, see The Day The Earth Stood Still. For more modern ones, there is the concept of Alien Nation and I can think of at least one episode of Doctor Who. I'm sure there are a multitude of others.

Echevarria has worked on other sci-fi series than Star Trek such as The 4400 and Dark Angel, so I'm trusting that the guy knows what he's doing to put a new spin on an old concept. However, I don't find the title, The Return, to be very exciting or imaginative. It doesn't make me want to tune in. Can you think of a better one?

In the wake of disappointing sales on his recent efforts, it looks like J Records has dropped Ruben Studdard from their label, according to ContactMusic.com. The second season winner of American Idol was never able to replicate the sales of his freshmen effort (2003's Soulful), which moved more than 1.7 million copies. His most recent album, 2006's The Return, in which he came back to a more traditional R&B style only shifted 325,000.

Studdard won't let this slow him down, though. Rather, he's going to follow many an Idol alumni before him to the stage. He'll play Fats Waller in a touring production of Ain't Misbehavin'. And he's guaranteed at least one gig a year on the Idol finales. I have to figure some smaller label will pick him up at some point. Maybe he can have a Jennifer Hudson career moment (Dreamgirls' "And I Am Telling You...") and become relevant again. Or is he just old news?

(S03E10) Like SG-1, Atlantis is having their own mid-season finale before taking a little break. I enjoyed this one. My two week old snored her way through it perched on my chest, but she's not quite up to writing her own reviews just yet. Richard Dean Anderson reappeared for this one, but now he's probably a replicator prisoner. Don't they realize what he can do with a roll of duct tape?