Shuttle Entering the Atmosphere

I was up early to watch the landing of Shuttle Atlantis. I remember hearing mission control say that one of the astronauts aboard the ISS had watched Atlantis as it entered the atmosphere from the stations Cupola viewing window. I thought, wow, now that must have been something to see and what do you think I found today on Gizmodo? A photograph of the Shuttle entering the Atmosphere! It may be the last ride but that is a sweet picture to go out on!

Thanks Gizmodo!

From IO9: This video from the Sci Fi Channel explains why the Stargate creation is best left to the professionals.

I echo their sentiment when they say that this could easily be the funniest video promo[s] I've ever seen. The just barely hanging together, spray paint and the cannon?!!! OMG. Of course the total tongue in cheek thing is sprung on us, but it's done with such good humor that it drew even a bigger belly laugh.

And the really fun addition is that IO9 gives us some real home made films that are wickedly inventive!

Check them out here.

Stargate: Atlantis' Canceled

Wayne Hall writing in the SyFy Portal blog is reporting something that should not surprise anyone that has been watching the Sci Fi Channel any time at all: At the end of Atlantis' fifth season which ends in January of 2009, it will end it's weekly run. This all takes place after word that the first several episodes of the fifth season have attracted more viewers, doubling the fans between the ages of 18 and 49, according to a new Turner Research analysis of Nielsen Media Research data. There is some speculation about movies and direct to DVD material, but honestly that hardly makes up for what is proving to be a pattern for Sci-fi "if its science fiction, if its popular, cancel it, put in a reality show and more wraslin"

<- more ->

****update*** Mark Wilson's Sci Fi/Fantasy blog puts the final nail in the StarGate universe coffin. Mark reports that Joseph Mallozzi, one of the show-runners for Stargate Atlantis, has confirmed in his blog that the show's currently airing fifth season will be its last.

<- more from Mark Wilson ->

Robert Picardo talks to IO9 about Atlantis

This article in IO9 does a good job of putting a good light on Stargate Atlantis' newest addition, Robert Picardo. Picardo replaces Amanda Tapping who is going on to play lead in the SF Channel's newest show Sanctuary. In the article, we get to see what changes are in store for Pcardo's character Richard Woolsey as well as his earlier work on Star Trek Voyager as the Doctor. Included are the original videos of the interview as well as the text of the meeting. I think you will find it as informative as I did.

<- more ->

Tapping leaves Atlantis for Santuary!

Mike over at SyFy Portal floored me with this one. Amanda Tapping late of SG-1, with one season of Stargate Atlantis tucked away...is moving on. WTF?! The reports have it as "nothing personal" but I would suggest that might be a point of reference. The one good thing about this is that she'll be replaced by former "Star Trek: Voyager" actor Robert Picardo - though I can't say that I enjoy Picardo's character so much the few times I have seen it on SG. I did like him on Voyager. He added depth and pathos to a part that could have been done woodenly and gotten away with. What is being pointed out about Picardo's character, the recurring character of Richard Woolsey, is the very thing that I am put off by. Self serving, aprasive and political. I am really going to find it difficult to watch a show that spends more time with infighting than gate jumpin. Tapping's departure I would speculate has something to do with the Sci-Fi channel picking up the internet based series that she stars in called Santuary. Reports have the show already in production and Tapping may feel that her character in Santuary a bit more fun than her SG persona which has grown a bit long in the tooth. Santuary for those of you that might be living in caves....centers around Dr. Helen Magnus, an immortal protector of aliens in a series that began as a computer-generated world first found on the Internet. SciFi Channel, impressed with the work, greenlighted a series pickup and gave the show a 13-episode commitment as a fall series. The series will be the first television show to use completely virtual sets thanks to green- screen technologies.

Heroes and Stargate Atlantis News

From About.com's sci-fi blog


Stargate Atlantis:

Fans of Stargate Atlantis's Scottish medical officer, Carson Beckett (Paul McGillion), who was killed off in January, plan to rally at ComicCon in San Diego to make sure that producers and network execs know just how outraged they still are. The popular character's death was all the more startling because it came at the end of an idyllic, off-duty episode called "Sunday," the 17th episode of the spin-off's third season. While many agree the episode itself was well-written and beautifully executed, fans worldwide immediately reacted negatively to the finality with which Beckett was written out.

NBC's Heroes:

George Takei discussed his role recently on Sirius's Howard Stern show, where he hinted that Kaito will exhibit some form of light-emitting powers. Takei plays Kaito Nakamura, the father of Masi Oka's Hiro.


Photo by Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images.

Sci-Fi channel shows....loosing ground

According to MICHAEL HINMAN over at SF Portal

The second week showing for some of the Sci-fi channel's pillars of Friday night have not faired as well as hoped.

"Stargate SG-1" and "Stargate: Atlantis" both lost a good chunk of their audiences for their second episode outings last Friday, with SG-1 losing as much as 30 percent of its mid-season premiere audience from just the week before. This according to GateWorld.

Atlantis dropped 15 percent to a 1.2 rating.

Painkiller Jane finishing behind both Stargate series, losing 26 percent of its own audience to earn a 0.95 rating.

Stargate SG-1 airs Fridays at 8 p.m. ET on SciFi Channel with "Atlantis" and "Painkiller Jane" finishing right behind.