TVSquad

So in the most recent episode of Lost, Christian Shephard told Locke that the only way they can save the island from the invaders is if they, um, move it. Yeah, that's right, move the island. Thanks Doctor Shephard, I'll get right on that.

But viewers thinking that this was some crazy thing that could only happen on television and in the movies are...well, probably right. But in this Popular Mechanics article, the author of the book Physics of the Impossible says that it actually could be done. Michio Kaku says that it sounds like they're going to use the electromagnetic properties of the island and the Casmir Effect to "open a transferable wormhole to different points in time and space."

(Hold on a second while I go take two Advil.)

I don't know if this is good news or bad... David E. Kelley may be checking out of Life on Mars, the ABC pilot based on the hit BBC crime/time travel drama. According to Variety, the prolific Mr. Kelley -- Boston Legal, L.A. Law, Picket Fences, Ally MacBeal, The Practice, Chicago Hope, etc. -- is unhappy with the financial arrangements and if things aren't worked out, he's going to move on.

Life on Mars was a terrific show. The UK version has played on BBC America, starring John Simm and Philip Glenister. Following the British model, the series lasted just two years -- 16 episodes total. In the ABC pilot, which Thomas Schlamme directed, Jason O'Mara (Men in Trees) is playing Simm's role, Sam; Colm Meaney (Star Trek: The Next Generation) is Gene. Kelley wrote the American variation on the story of Sam Tyler, a police detective in present day who awakens from a car crash to find he's living in 1973. Has he really gone back in time or is it all in his head?

I love it when people create a website to advance their particular view of pop culture. I mean, it's one thing to get into an argument at a bar over just what the hell was going on in The Matrix; it's another thing entirely to actually spend the time getting a domain name in order to preach your theories about it.

So, when I stumbled onto Jason Hunter's "Time Loop Theory of Lost" website, I figured I would spend a few minutes mocking it and then move on. Instead, like Rerun and his run-in with the Babarambaba cult, I found myself completely converted. Seriously, I'm about to start worshiping a head of lettuce carved into a likeness of Locke. For my own sanity, I thought I'd share the theory with you guys and let you help me decide whether or not I'm insane for thinking it has merit.

(S04E20) "This is the most elaborate practical joke of all time, or I'm in serious trouble." -- John Sheppard

And there you have it. Atlantis wraps up its fourth season, its first out on its own, with a little time travel and a big cliffhanger ending. It was a finale that I had heard described as "different." Having now seen it, it's hard to argue with the description. Having 56 minutes of your finale be things that didn't actually happen is certainly not the norm. While we can probably all agree on the different label, the bigger question is, "Was it good?"

Last night on BBC One in the UK, the Corporation's annual charity telethon, 'Children in Need' raised £19million for underpriviledged kids around the country.

However, the highlight of the evening was a short Doctor Who segment, filmed specially for the telethon (as has become a tradition every year at this time), which bridged the final episode of season four three, 'Last of the Time Lords' and the forthcoming Christmas Special, 'Voyage of the Damned'.

And it was a fantastic eight-minute segment of television, written by Steven Moffat, who also scripted the brilliant 'Blink' in season three, and featured none other than Peter Davidson, the fifth Doctor, playing the earlier version of himself alongside his modern-day counterpart, David Tennant.

(S01E07) "You're here to protect you." - Livia to Dan

I don't know about you but as soon as I saw the previews for this week's Journeyman episode I was jumping up and down at the thought of seeing Dan do something in the past that would actually put his future (or present) in jeopardy! Don't get me wrong, I don't want bad things to happen to our hero but it was inevitable to eventually have him screw things up and see the ripple effect his actions while traveling can have on his own family and life.

In this fantastic episode (probably the best so far), Dan and Livia had to protect Past Dan and make sure he got rescued by Katie so that the future would stay intact. What a way for the series to kick of November Sweeps.

(S02E01) Eureka's return answered some questions from the finale and brought along a new set of questions to get things rolling. After a recap session, we find out that Jack and Henry both retained their memories from the future.

Well, if he couldn't be a noir-ish private eye maybe he'll have better luck as a confused, time-traveling cop.

Irish actor Jason O'Mara has been cast in the lead role in the American remake of the British series Life On Mars. The show is being produced by David E. Kelley (L.A. Law, Picket Fences, Ally McBeal, etc). The show will start production in mid August and could be ready as a midseason replacement on ABC.

We told you yesterday about the new shows that NBC unveiled at their upfront, and now video previews of the new shows have made their way onto the web.

After the jump are previews for the new shows The Bionic Woman, Journeyman, Life, and Chuck, along with my quick notes on what I think based on these little snippets. Those legs above aren't exactly sexy. Maybe that's just a temporary state.

After NBC picked up the drama series Journeyman, its director, Alex Graves (The Nine, The West Wing), has inked a deal with 20th Century Fox Television that will allow him to develop another series while still serving as an executive producer on Journeyman. If the new series is picked up, he'll step away from his duties on Journeyman. If it isn't picked up, he'll stick with the show.

Journeyman, about a man (Kevin McKidd) who travels back and forth through time, was picked up for a thirteen-episode order. It was created by Kevin Falls (North Shore, The West Wing). McKidd's character, Dan, is joined by actress Moon Bloodgood as Livia, his dead fiance who is also traveling through time. Yeah, I don't quite get it either, it sounds like an odd combination of Quantum Leap and Slaughter-House Five. I was kind of hoping it was about the Eric Clapton album.

UPDATE: Preview vid from NBC after the jump.

(S03E03) It's still early stages in the new series of Doctor Who, so it's understandable when the writers re-visit old story arcs, and introduce new viewers to old themes.

It was like that this week, and whilst it wasn't a high-ranking episode in terms of story, it was still a good bit of fun.

And, as with previous weeks in the recent series, when Martha learned something new about the enigmatic time-traveller, so did we.

(S03E02) To be or not to be? That is the question.

And so, the venerable Doctor and his new assistant Martha Jones arrived in London in the year 1599 to pay a visit to the Globe Theatre, where they would meet none other than Mr William Shakespeare.

Of course, this was not the first time our hero had met The Bard, but it was certainly one of the most memorable.

(S03E01) You can say what you like, but I won't be listening -- Doctor Who is one of the best, if not the best, television programmes of all time, and Russell T. Davies' current incarnation of the character and franchise is no exception.

The return of series three was marked by several important milestones in the character's chronology (if a linear method of cataloging the Doctor's life can be described in traditional terms); the introduction of a new companion, the setup of plot and theme for the rest of the series, and the subtle hints at bigger things yet to come.

Warning: spoilers after the jump.

(S02E06) One of the reasons why Sam Tyler finds himself stuck in 1973 goes back all the way to episode one of series one of Life on Mars.

When Sam's girlfriend in 2006 was kidnapped by a serial killer, Sam set out to try and find her, only to suffer the accident which catapulted him into the past.

I honestly don't recall the plot element of Sam's kidnapped partner being resolved in series one, but I could be wrong.

Either way, it was resolved in this week's episode -- which centered around racism once again -- mostly to help push forward the romance between Sam and Annie Cartwright, but also to cement Sam's existence in the past as a reality, not a hallucination.

The promos for the second, and final series of Life on Mars have started sprouting up across the UK.

I spotted a bus stop ad earlier tonight in the west end of Glasgow, designed in a typically 1970s fashion -- replete with the late 1970s BBC logo -- promising the return of this excellent retro-cop time-travelling show on Tuesday 13 February on BBC ONE in the UK.

John Simm will return as detective inspector Sam Tyler, who finds himself still stuck in 1973, following a car accident (the title of the show comes from the last tune he was listening to on his iPod before his accident -- David Bowie's Life on Mars).