#FREE BABYLON 5
And so it begins! Yes, BABYLON 5 is back on TV. Watch TV has begun showing episodes daily at 5:00pm. If you are in the UK, that is Watch (Sky 109/Virgin 124). Don't miss an episode.
Would you believe 118 comments for just the first day of showing the series! I sure hope someone takes notice. Be sure to use the @Watch_channel twitter handle and link to the Watch Facebook page when posting. http://watch.uktv.co.uk/shows.babylon-5.

Be sure to visit the the new Free Babylon 5 website. It is time to gather and support the show we know and love.

Superman 75th Anniversary Animated Short

After months of waiting, Zack Snyder's Superman short, encompassing the entire 75 year history of the character, finally debuted this past weekend at New York Comic Con and it's now made its way online for you to enjoy. Here's what DC had to say about the short:

From the creative minds of Zack Snyder (Man of Steel) and Bruce Timm (Superman: The Animated Series) and produced by Warner Bros. Animation, this short follows Superman through the years, from his first appearance on the cover of Action Comics #1 to Henry Cavill in this year's Man of Steel...all in two minutes!

Don't forget it will air on Cartoon Network on Wednesday, October 16 at 6:58 p.m. ET and will be available on the DVD and Blu-ray for Man of Steel this November.

#FreeBabylon5

I had almost forgotten I had this blog.  It has been a while since I last posted.  Sorry about that.  I have been keeping up the website (http://www.isnnews.net) though as well as the Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheZocaloToday). 

There have been a number of new developments on the Babylon 5 front.  The #FreeBabylon5 movement is the main one.  This all started following a mention of Babylon 5 on Breaking Bad a couple of weeks ago.  From there things have moved on.  Ranger Jan Schroeder has made up #FreeBabylon5 buttons and they were given out at New York Comic Con this weekend.  Great start.

Other items:

There are two polls over at imdb that are of interest:
There are two polls over at IMDb now where you can vote and make a difference. The first is for the best series finale episode. Predictably, 'Breaking Bad' has been winning hands down. But Babylon 5's 'Sleeping in Light' is holding on to #3! Not bad for a show that hasn't been on the tube for a long while! Go to IMDb and cast your vote! It is a great way to show support for the show. 


The second poll is for your favorite story set in the 23rd century. Go to Favorite 23rd Century Story and vote for BABYLON 5. Early voting shows Babylon 5 just ahead of Star Trek.

BBC America (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24518305) had a nice shout-out to Babylon 5 for its accuracy in space.  Here's a quote from the article:

"Some do it slightly better than others. "I'd prefer not to single out a single film/book/series for this particular error, because it's so common - but I will laud the old television show Babylon 5, for doing a wonderful job of representing the mechanics of spaceflight inertia so nicely," explains Trollope."

This is all good news.

For those interested in convention appearances, a number of the Babylon 5 cast are scheduled to appear at the SpaceCity Con in Texas January 3-5, 2014.  For more information, go to http://spacecitycon.com/.  

More news to come.
 

OpenTok

Movies with a Message

I was offered the opportunity to review RUN ON a few weeks ago.  While I usually don't watch videos of this sort, I started watching and loved the stories of people overcoming challenges.  Though described as a comedy, it is far from the slap-stick comedy routines I'm familiar with.  You will laugh -- and cry -- as you watch this presentation. 

Here is a synopsis of RUN ON.

RUN ON is a standup comedy delivered by the top three Christian comedians -David A.R. White, Tommy Blaze and Brad Stine - who hysterically share a stage and tell stories of family, growing up and their own prodigal journeys.

Though each story is from a unique experience, they weave seamlessly together to form the oldest human story of all, the futility of trying to "run" from God (The Prodigal Son). While relaying humorous stories along with the real truth of their faith testimony, these three also show a serious side as they testify to sinful moments in each of their lives.

These men will make you laugh and teach you some important lessons for your life as they discuss the Christian influence that changed each of them. This show will reveal the funny and serious side of living a prodigal son's life. While the monologues are independent from each other and reflect very different paths and lifestyles, they weave together to create one greater story with elements and commonalities shared by all of us.

New TV Season

I have a number of shows that I watch -- rather faithfully -- as my schedule permits.  FRINGE is one of them and while I have missed a few episodes, I can usually catch up using the http://www.fox.com/ website to watch episodes.  That is a tremendous asset that Fox has made available.  Now that there are new shows on that will compete for your viewership, having shows available over the internet is a destinct benefit.  I know some shows have a way to factor that viewing public into their statistics -- so that helps as well.

FRINGE has always been a favorite of mine.  The acting is wonderful and the story line keeps me guessing all the time.  From the strange occurances that the team would investigate each week to the subplot of what did Walter do when Peter died and he went into the alternate universe to retrieve the other Peter.  There are always other stories swirling around as well. What was Massive Dynamics and where did they fit into the scheme of things.  To have Leonard Nimoy play Walter Bishop's former partner was marvelous casting.

The new season started off with a bang as well.  I don't want to spoil it for any who haven't seen it yet, but did everyone else enjoy it as much as I did?

Are there other shows that made it to your "favorites" listing this week?  How about Hawaii Five-O?  I have always liked Daniel Day Kim from Crusade and he is great in the role of Chin Ho Kelly (looks nothing like the original).  Grace Parks is good as Kono as well and everyone seems to be melding into a good team.

So drop a line, lend a comment.  Let us know what you think about the new shows.  More coming this week!

Movies You Should See

On Friday, I had a chance to watch INVICTUS, a movie with Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela and Matt Damon, as a rugby captain.  It was a marvelous movie.  Made me wonder why anyone would play rugby though.  It seems a very violent sport, but I guess football and hockey aren't that much better.  Anyway, the movie was a wonderful study not only of South Africa following apartheid, it showed a nation torn along racial lines come together over a rugby team. 

This afternoon I went to see ROBIN HOOD.  I loved it.  Unlike other Robin Hood movies, this one was very unique.  The main character is not Robin of Lockley, but Robin Longstride, an archer who fought with King Richard in the Crusades.  I don't want to spoil the story for anyone, but I really did enjoy Russel Crowe in the title role.

Babylon Podcast

A couple of days ago, I got an invitation to participate in a special Babylon Podcast on B5 Beefcake.  The guys of the podcast had done a show on B5 Babes -- and this was to be a response to their effort.

Summer, Mike and Bret, regulars from the show joined Laura Martos of the League of Non-Aligned Knitters and I to talk about the humans and aliens on the show.  I think we all thought Marcus and Franklin
were among the hottest males on the show.  Whether it was the hair, accent or mannerisms, Marcus just struck a chord for many women watching Babylon 5.  Stephen Franklin  was built -- body and brains is a hard combination to beat.  On the alien side, it was a toss-up between Londo and Vir.  I think Vir had an anticipated edge for youth and stamina.  Everyone just loved G'Kar -- a mix of strength, honor and virality.

Anyway, it was a cool experience.  The show should air in a couple of weeks.  Be sure to visit http://www.babylonpodcast.com/ to hear all of the marvelous shows they have had to date.  Pick you favorite show and see how they reviewed it and what comments were made from other fans.

Scarecrow and Mrs. King

With the rain this weekend, I decided it was a good time to watch some videos.  One I selected was the first season of Scarecrow & Mrs. King.  I loved this series when it was first on TV (I thought Bruce Boxleitner was SO cute)! 

The chemistry between Bruce and Kate Jackson was wonderful.  The supporting cast was also very good.  I know a lot of folks have been waiting for this DVD to come out for a very long time.  This set will provide a number of hours of enjoyment.

Fringe Renewed

Word came today that FRINGE had been renewed for its third season.  Yippee!!!!  This is one of the shows I have liked from the start.  It has some very serious story lines, but has a sense of humor showing through as well.  The relationship between father Walter and son Peter has been strained over the years, but now you see, peeking through, an admiration and concern, and perhaps, love, from Peter.  Walter obviously loves Peter and has gone to tremendous lengths keep Peter live and well.  We are discovering more of that truth as the story progresses.

New episodes will be coming soon. I can't wait to see what is in store for us.

Human Target

HUMAN TARGET has turned into one of my favorite shows this year.  I loved Mark Valley when he was on FRINGE the first season and was sad to see him go.  However, as Christopher Chance in HUMAN TARGET he is marvelous.  This show is done so well it makes me wonder why other shows can't have this kind of action and writing quality!   And this is on FOX!  Guess it goes to show that Fox is coming up in the world with great programming.

Mark Valley isn't the only one who stands out in this series.  Jackie Earle Haley as Guerrero is marvelous and Chi McBridge as Winston is just the right mix of cop and maverick.  These three guys have awesome chemistry!

Winter in Washington

This winter is certainly one for the record books.  In the past few days, we have had two record snowfalls and the USG has been off for four days.  The road conditions around here have been terrible.  Road crews have seldom been faced with this much snow at one time.  Our first snow storm brought us about 16 inches; the second one brought about 8 -- but this one had the bonus of high winds so we have drifts to deal with in addition to the snow.  This morning the sun is out bright -- but the temperature is only in the low teens.  With the wind, that means a minus number of some kind.  I guess we'll wait to go tackle the snow.

With nothing but time on my hands this week, I have been watching the old Robin Hood series starring Richard Greene.  For those of you old enough to remember the series, spending hours watching the 143 episodes was a lot of fun and brought back a lot of memories.  The old series really did pack quite a lot into the 30-minute timeframe.  The writing was very good -- and some of the lines are classic.
Sandy

Washington in Winter

Every time it snows in Washington, I am reminded how beautiful this city is when covered with a pure white layer of snow.  Last night and early this morning, the snow fell and clung to all the trees and buildings.  It looked like frosting on a cake -- absolutely gorgeous.  And of course no camera in sight!  I'll have to work on that!

The roads were in very good shape this morning as I drove into the office, amidst the announcement of school closings and such.  I know that the main roads were good to go, but the neighborhood streets were a different story.  We had about 6 inches of the beautiful white stuff -- soft and billowy -- easy to sweep and a perfect texture for a snowman or snowball!  Too bad it was time to be off to work.

Sandy

Fringe

Are any of you following this series?  I think it is one of the best, most interesting series currently on the tube.  Take the last episode for instance.  It involves a scientist that developed a toxin to target only specific people with a certain genetic code.  It originated back during the Naxi era with Walter's father.  The toxin would attack the red blood cells so that the victim would die from the lack of oxygen in the blood. 

Now I know that there are some dramatic license taken with this series, but it has some really inventive story ideas.  Apart from the main story, the interaction between Walter Bishop and his son, Peter, is wonderful.  Each week it seems to get better -- and you learn more about the relationship  between father and son.  I also like the growing special relationship between Walter and Astrid, the person in the lab that assists him at every turn. 

I am happy to see Fringe growing in popularity.  Perhaps it is Fox finally marketing the series a bit more, that certainly can't hurt.  Going up against CSI isn't an easy task -- no matter how you look at it.

Sandy

TOP GEAR

I don't know how many of you have access to BBC America, but if you don't you can still catch TOP GEAR on DVD.  Season 11 and 12 are just coming out and I can't tell you how much I enjoyed watching these videos.  These three guys, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, talk cars, but also show you some of the most beautiful country in the world.  It is just FUN!

AVATAR

I went to see James Cameron's AVATAR yesterday.  I can't say enough about the movie.  It was a good story, but the graphics, animation, technology was unbelievable.  Sigourney Weaver was wonderful as Grace and Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldanda were magnificent.  I don't want to give any of the story away -- just would hate to spoil any moment for anyone of this marvelous movie.

I think this one is worth another viewing -- or two.  Like many really good movies, you don't see everything the first time through. 

Snow, Snow, SNow

Old man winter has been having a lot of fun with us -- it is snowing to beat the band.  They are talking 16-20 inches here!  It's Washington for goodness sake!  We don't get that kind of snow!  This is going to be a perfect day to stay inside, wrap Christmas gifts, iron those clothes you have been putting off doing and, of course, watch some good videos. 

Be safe,
Sandy

Sanctuary

I have been catching up a bit on some of the shows I've slept through this year.  I loved Sanctuary last year and this year it is proving to remain one of my favorite programs.  The writing is just awesome and it is a show that continues to keep you guessing.  I think Amanda Tapping is marvelous as Helen Magnus and she is finally getting to show that she can act -- which was an occasional thing over at Stargate. 

This is one show where all the main characters are good.  I particularly enjoy the interaction between the characters.  Henry has grown considerably this year, as has Will.  I hated to see Ashley go, but the new addition is a good one -- and the give-and-take between her and Henry adds another facet to the show.

Rainy Sunday Afternoon

It has been raining here for nearly for two days.  I found the perfect way to spend the day.  I pulled out the latest video from Warner Bros. SUPERMAN/BATMAN: PUBLIC ENEMIES.  I have been a real fan of comic books for years and I have found that these animated movies are absolutely wonderful.  They have captured so much of the power and moral character that I remember from the comics I read way back when.
In this movie, Lex Luthor becomes President of he United States and has Superman and Batman declared Public Enemies because they would not work with him and some other super heroes.  This is a great story and resonates so well -- showing the economic crisis that we see in newspapers today.  This was a great movie and I'm sure everyone will enjoy it.  What you have to watch are the extras that come with the DVD.  It is such a wonderful mix of interviews and commentaries from some of the best in comic book history.  The new Justice League has a segment that is gives you a peek of that feature with some wonderful voice talent assembled.
Animated features can be just rich and exciting as a non-animated feature.  It's all in the writing -- good script usually means a good feature.  I find that the Super Heroes works on a number of levels -- kids and adults.

The Mentalist

I love weekends -- they go way too quickly -- but it gives me a chance to watch some of the programs I've missed during the week -- and DVDs that I haven't cracked the wrapper on yet!  This week I got into THE MENTALIST.  Simon Baker is SO cute -- but the show is wonderfully clever as well.  Simon Baker portrays the haunted hero extremely well.  As Patrick Jane, he assists police with an assortment of murders.  The most interesting story arc is that of Red John -- the person who killed Jane's wife and child and continues to haunt him with additional murders -- each using a similar style and disdain for life. 

I love procedural dramas like Criminal Minds, CSIs, NCIS, etc.  The Mentalist is somewhat like that but more character involvement.  I am only now getting into Criminal Minds -- now that it is on A&E, I can watch it just about anytime.  While I like CSI: Miami - David Caruso drives me nuts!!!! 

Anyway, Happy Monday -- back to work.