Buffy finds new slayer from Star Wars

The upcoming Buffy revival has found its slayer! Star Wars: Skeleton Crew's Ryan Kiera Armstrong.

"I want to introduce you to [Ryan Kiera Armstrong]," Sarah Michelle Gellar wrote on Instagram underneath a video telling a teary-eyed Armstrong that she got the part. "From the moment I saw Ryan's audition, I knew there was only one girl that I wanted by my side. To have that kind of emotional intelligence, and talent, at such a young age is truly a gift. The bonus is that her smile lights up even the darkest room. Welcome to #NewSunnydale #btvs."

Armstrong will play the new slayer opposite Gellar, who is reprising the role of Buffy Summers. Oscar winner Chloé Zhao is directing the pilot, written by Nora and Lilla Zuckerman.

"We are so overjoyed to have found this generation's slayer in Ryan Kiera Armstrong, she absolutely blew us away — there is no question in our mind that she is the chosen one," Nora and Lilla said in a statement.

Are you excited about a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot or revival on Hulu on Disney+? Let me know in the comments below.

Buffy revival on Hulu?

Hulu is close to green-lighting a pilot for a reboot or revival of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Excitement from fans (myself included) is fever pitch for the return of the cult series, with Sarah Michelle Gellar (Star Wars Rebels), who played the titular vampire slayer, taking to social media to confirm it has been in the works for several years.

"So... you might have heard some news this week, but I realize you haven’t heard from me.

Three years ago, I got a call from my dear friend and mentor, Gail Berman. She told me that she wanted me to sit down with Chloé Zhao to hear her take on a potential “Buffy” revival. I was blown away that Chloé even knew who I was, but, as I’ve always done, I told Gail that I just didn’t see a way for the show to exist again. We’d always been aligned on that, but this time I heard something different in her voice. I eventually agreed to go (mainly just to meet Chloé) and our twenty minute coffee quickly turned into a four hour adventure. We laughed, we cried, but mostly we both talked about how much this show means to us.

While I didn’t agree to anything at that meeting, I did shock myself by agreeing to continue the conversation. These conversations did, in fact, continue over the next few years and eventually we added the incredible Nora and Lilla Zuckerman to our little tribe until ultimately, one day, we landed on an idea.

I have always listened to the fans and heard your desire to revisit “Buffy” and her world, but it was not something I could do unless I was sure we would get it right. This has been a long process, and it’s not over yet. I promise you, we will only make this show if we know we can do it right. And I will tell you that we are on the path there.

I feel so lucky to be on this journey with these four unbelievably talented women, all of whom love “Buffy” as much as I do. And as much as you do. Thank you to all the fans who never stopped asking for this. This will be for you."

Gellar has not confirmed whether this is a reboot or revival. Either way, I'm in.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the spin-off series Angel, Star Trek, and The X-Files sustained me during the 1990s and early 2000s before Doctor Who returned in 2005. For seven seasons, I adored the adventures of the Scooby Gang (Heat magazine printed my letter in 1999) and have cherished memories of watching the series with my late mum. Since Mum died in 2007, I haven't been able to watch The Body.

Are you excited about a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot or revival on Hulu on Disney+? Let me know in the comments below.

Buffy free on Tubi in time for Halloween

It’s the spooky season and according to Comicbook Buffy the Vampire Slayer starts streaming for free on Tubi from Friday.

All seven seasons of the beloved supernatural series created by Joss Whedon (Firefly) and starring Sarah Michelle Gellar (Star Wars Rebels) as the titular vampire slayer are available on Disney+. Buffy alumni Emma Caulfield stars in the WandaVision spin-off Agatha All Along. Award-winning composer Christophe Beck (Frozen) composed music for Buffy, WandaVision and Agatha All Along.

Along with The X-Files, I adored the adventures of Buffy (Heat magazine printed my letter) and have cherished memories of watching the series with my late mum. Since she died in 2007, I haven't been able to watch The Body, which was in memory of Whedon's mother.

Tubi, a free ad-supported streaming service owned by the Fox Corporation, relaunched in the UK in the summer and hosts Halloween scares.

Are you looking forward to watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Tubi? Let me know in the comments below.

Victorian X-Men in HBO's The Nevers

The Nevers, currently streaming on HBO Max, marks the return of Joss Whedon (The Avengers), which is marred in controversy.

Is it a televisual triumph like Whedon's previous series Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Firefly? Nick Smith, our US-based stellar scribe, goes in search of the supernatural in Victorian times.

Guest post by Nick Smith

1890s England was full of grime, poverty and danger. Queen Victoria ruled with an iron will. Children swept chimneys and cried a lot. Life was short. The only people regarded as truly special were the rich and well to do, the aristocrats and industry magnates. Everyone else hoped for a better tomorrow in a new century. The Church offered optimism; above its steeples, the skybound solace of heaven beckoned. If congregations couldn’t be graced with money or breeding, they could be touched by an angel.

Religious concerns are not foremost in The Nevers, created by Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly). Ironically, it’s streaming on HBO Max alongside Zack Snyder’s Justice League and The New Mutants.

Snyder’s Justice League is considered superior to the more light-hearted, PG-13 version of the film that Whedon got embroiled in. New Mutants is about a school for gifted youngsters, not unlike the gladiator training grounds of old, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, The Umbrella Academy, or Miss True’s orphanage in The Nevers.

All the above feature a motley bunch of exceptional youths thrust together, similar in their differences from ‘normal’ people.

The Nevers differs in its setting, eschewing the grit and desperation of Dickensian London for optimism. This is a place of wonders such as a new kettle that whistles when its water boils, new French words entering the English vocabulary, new modes of transport (motor cars are rare). Along with the sense of wonder, we’re reminded that the Londoners of the time were new to scientific learning and quick to fear what they didn’t understand.

Rather than have women strive on their own merits, the Nevers are underdog heroes who have been ‘touched,’ given magical powers from above. This adventure-packed version of our world has an Erich von Daniken slant, suggesting that humankind isn’t capable of great inventions, feats of engineering or leaps of imagination by itself.

Nevertheless, Whedon, who wrote and directed the pilot episode, has made a show that appeals to viewers who don’t watch Ancient Aliens or superhero shows, just as Buffy appealed to those who weren’t all that into horror tropes.

Will the new-fangled, burgeoning 20th Century bring more technology, more ugly opponents and more superheroes – er – touched people? Does the show have enough potential tales to fill more than its initial 12 episodes?

The Nevers is intriguing, and the central cast of Baker Street Very Irregulars are likeable. We don’t know what all their powers are yet and there are a few mysteries left unsolved. These unanswered questions make The Nevers worth watching, not least to see Whedon’s slick modern style taking a history trip to Old Blighty.

The Nevers is currently streaming exclusively on HBO Max and begins on Sky Atlantic on 17th May.

The Nevers on Sky Atlantic

The Nevers, from Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), begins on HBO Max and Sky Atlantic this spring.

However, given the recent controversy surrounding the show's creator, the upcoming sci-fi series is distancing itself ahead of the first season premiere this Sunday on HBO Max.



Read the official synopsis:

"In the last years of Victoria’s reign, London is beset by the “Touched”: people - mostly women - who suddenly manifest abnormal abilities - some charming, some very disturbing. Starring Laura Donnelly (Amalia True) and Ann Skelly (Penance Adair) as the champions of this new underclass, on a mission to make room for those whom history as we know it has no place."

For good or bad, The Nevers is seemingly filled with Whedon's established tropes (Buffy, Dollhouse) set against a steampunk backdrop. We'll know for sure when the series begins (I haven't been sent a press screener but might give Nick Smith a nudge).

The Nevers begins on HBO Max on 11th April and Sky Atlantic on 17th May.

When you wish upon a Star

Today is the last day you can avail yourself of an annual subscription to Disney+ for £59.99 before the Star brand launches, in non-US markets, on Tuesday.

Star launches on Disney+ on 23rd February with hundreds of films and television series from Twentieth Century Fox and Star Originals in Europe, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Lost, 24, Desperate Housewives, Family Guy, The X-Files, Die Hard and many more will be available to stream.

As Star isn't optional, an annual subscription increases by 33% to £79.99 but existing subscribers can renew for £59.99.

Given the amount of content, coupled with an ongoing global pandemic and The Walt Disney Company pivoting with new movies (such as Mulan and Raya and the Last Dragon) simultaneously released in cinemas and at home, I'll be renewing like many of the 95 million subscribers to Disney+.

Are you looking forward to the arrival of Star on Disney+? Let me know in the comments below.

Stargirl shines bright in dark times

Last summer, I discovered DC's Stargirl, streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime (affiliate link) in the UK, and became enthralled by a superhero series that harkened back to director Richard Donner's Superman: The Movie.

I'd fallen out of love with DCTV due to becoming overwhelmed by all The CW spin-offs. However, Stargirl's production values mirrored those of HBO's Game of Thrones and His Dark Materials. The cinematography was worthy of the big screen.

Over the holiday season, I pestered, I mean enthusiastically encouraged Nick Smith to find out if it was just wishful thinking (on my part) during a global pandemic or did we have a superhero Scooby Gang for troubled times? Having cleaned himself up after Swamp Thing...

Guest post by Nick Smith

Judging by its first episode, Stargirl is a cute family show aimed at mid-teen girls and Disney channel devotees. For the second episode on, though, it gets dark and surprising and, at times, wonderful.

Courtney Whitmore (Brec Bassinger) becomes a newbie at Blue Valley High School when her mom Barbara (Amy Smart) and stepdad Pat (Luke Wilson) move to a small Nebraskan town. When she discovers a staff with cosmic powers in the basement, Pat admits to her that he used to be Starman’s sidekick Stripesy. Courtney is inspired to become Stargirl, a high-flying superhero who is aided by Pat, leading to some heart-warming father-daughter moments.

Unfortunately, the little town is a hotbed of villainy. Disguised as respectable citizens and sensible parents, the Injustice Society of America wants to make the country great again. Stargirl needs help to stop them, so she enlists the help of misfit school friends to rebuild the Justice League. Her parents are justifiably concerned, especially when she gets the stuffing knocked out of her by the daughter of one of the bad guys. To complicate matters, Barbara could be working for the ISA’s head psychopath too. Did I mention that Solomon Grundy’s locked up in a cell, ready to clobber the kids?

Stargirl feels like a Shazam-style movie, taking the 1940s style and all-American values of the original JSA and transplanting them into the modern day. In this alternate version of DC lore, the Justice Society was destroyed by its evil counterpart 10 years ago; anachronistic names like The Star-Spangled Kid fit with the ‘parents are quaint’ mentality of this show’s primary target audience.

Geoff Johns, who created Courtney and this show, co-developed The Flash and Titans and has been involved in the Arrowverse for years. Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E., which set up Courtney’s character, was the first DC comic he wrote for back in 1999, so he must be pleased as punch to see a televised version.

In the 22-year interim, TV and comics have popularized the trope of villainous parents (Heroes, Runaways). But there are enough twists in Stargirl to keep the series interesting. Johns packs in a multitude of characters and challenges, building an arc plot worthy of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Two of Stargirl’s friends hit the books like Buffy’s Scooby Gang; Courtney has to navigate the pitfalls of high school friendships and keeping secrets from her mom. Pat is the Rupert Giles-type mentor, training the team, knowledgeable about the past. If not Giles, then Pat is like a DC Forrest Gump, goofy and long-suffering, playing gooseberry to the Seven Soldiers of Victory and chauffeur to the JSA. As Pat, Luke Wilson adds Hollywood charm and confidence to the production, which focuses on newcomers like the sprightly Brec Bassinger (Stargirl).

All of the cast are entertaining; standouts include Anjelika Washington as Beth, who revels in playing a nerd, and Cameron Gellman who makes his sulky James Dean-type character of Rick Tyler likeable. The themes explored - bullying, forgiveness, believing in yourself, relationships with siblings, broken families - all have consequences and have satisfying resolutions.

Stargirl plays like a 13-hour feel-good movie with lots of death and destruction and just enough hints dropped for a second season, scrambled up with Easter Eggs like movie posters for Prez and The Unknown Soldier.

With little references like those and a long-earned understanding of what makes entertaining television, Geoff Johns has taken Stargirl’s simple premise and created a love letter to the comics of his youth that works as an adventure for all ages.

Have you watched Stargirl and are you looking forward to the second season? Let me know in the comments below.

Buffy joins Star on Disney+

The Walt Disney Company has announced its biggest content drop for Disney+!

The Star brand launches on Disney+ on 23rd February with hundreds of films and television series from Twentieth Century Fox and Star Originals.

Highlights for fans of cult sci-fi and fantasy include Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The X-Files. These seminal series sustained me during the nineties and early noughties before Doctor Who returned in 2005.

Grahame Robertson, a social media friend and fellow fan of all things geek, pointed out that we don't know which version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer will appear on Disney+. This aberration is the source material used on All 4, Amazon Prime and Netflix. Pro-tip: keep hold of your DVD box sets.



Emma Caulfield, who played demon Anya in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, currently stars in Marvel Studios' WandaVision. Incidentally, the multiverse mystery of WandaVision is underscored by Emmy winner Christophe Beck (Frozen) who composed the magnificent music of stablemate Buffy the Vampire Slayer: there are echoes of the episode The Hush in Wanda's theme.

Jan Koeppen, President of the Walt Disney Company EMEA, said: "Star will be an integral part of Disney+, making it bigger, bolder and even more exciting. The arrival of hundreds of TV series and movies including our exclusive Star Originals will make Disney+ the premier destination for high quality entertainment with something for everyone."

Buffy the Vampire Slayer spin-off Angel, a series I fondly remember discussing with a care nurse who looked after my late mum, is conspicuous by its absence as is Joss Whedon's other series, Dollhouse.

Whilst we're at it. There's no Roswell or Dark Angel, created by James Cameron (Avatar). Hopefully, not for too long.

As Star isn't optional, Disney+ will rise from £5.99 to £7.99 a month. However, I'm using the streaming service daily and have no plans to cancel as lockdowns continue over the coming months.

What are you looking forward to watching on Star? Let me know in the comments below.

Supergirl hangs up her cape

The CW's Supergirl is to end with season six. This is surprising news soon after DC FanDome.

Whilst I ultimately stopped watching, due to superhero series saturation, Melissa Benoist embodied the titular role and was always a standout during the annual Arrowverse crossover events with stablemates Arrow, The Flash, Batwoman, Black Lightning and DC's Legends of Tomorrow.

“To say it has been an honor portraying this iconic character would be a massive understatement. Seeing the incredible impact the show has had on young girls around the world has always left me humbled and speechless. She’s had that impact on me, too. She’s taught me strength I didn’t know I had, to find hope in the darkest of places, and that we are stronger when we’re united. What she stands for pushes all of us to be better. She has changed my life for the better, and I’m forever grateful,” Benoist touchingly wrote on Instagram.

Like Wonder Woman and Buffy the Vampire Slayer before it, The CW's Supergirl championed inclusivity, something that is needed more than ever in these troubled times.

“I’m so excited that we get to plan our conclusion to this amazing journey, and I cannot wait for you to see what we have in store. I promise we’re going to make it one helluva final season.”

The Arrowverse is in transition. Arrow ended last year with the death of Oliver Queen, but a Superman & Lois spin-off series is in production.

Supergirl may be hanging up her cape, but DC's Stargirl picks up the mantle with a breakout first season worthy of anything shown on HBO Max. The second season moves to The CW. So, expect Stargirl to crossover with The Flash and friends.

Will you miss Supergirl? Let me know in the comments below.

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina cancelled

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is the latest cancellation casualty at Netflix and I suspect this has more to do with Warner Bros. launching HBO Max than the series' success!

The reboot, starring Kiernan Shipka (Mad Men) as the titular teen, quickly established itself as a millennial successor to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and a cult favourite amongst fans of all ages with its charismatic cast (including Doctor Who's Michelle Gomez) and macabre humour. So much so, it's become a holiday season tradition in my house.

“Working on Chilling Adventures of Sabrina has been an incredible honor from day one. The cast, beginning with Kiernan as everyone’s favorite teen witch, has been an absolute joy. I am beyond thankful to the crew, writers, editors, assistants and everyone for pouring so much love into this dark dream of a show,” said showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. “I’m also grateful to our partners at Netflix, Warner Bros., Berlanti Television and Archie Comics for letting us tell the story we wanted to tell, the way we wanted to tell it. We can’t wait for everyone to see part four.”

In the same way Netflix shuttered its Marvel spin-offs prior to the launch of Disney+, now the streaming giant has HBO Max vying for subscribers in the midst of a global pandemic and socio-economic change. It'll be interesting to see if other series, produced for Netflix by The CW, will get the axe too. Sabrina may reappear on HBO Max in the future.

Class channels Buffy in latest Doctor Who spin-off

Empire magazine interviewed Class showrunner Patrick Ness and he talks about the genesis of the latest Doctor Who spin-off: “Coal Hill has existed in Doctor Who since literally episode one. The Doctor’s granddaughter went there. So we thought, ‘All that time activity at the school, has that caused any problems?’ Well, what do you know, it has!”

Ness likens the new series to Buffy the Vampire Slayer: “Adults watch that, because it’s a great show, but the POV and the agency are all teenage, and that’s what we want to do with Class. It needs to be from the point of view of the sixth-formers – but that doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily a ‘young show’.”

“We’re not telling stories of the ‘chosen ones’,” Ness continues. “It’s happenstance that puts these people [at the centre of things]. What if your timing is just weird and things happen to you? How do you deal with it? I’m interested in real consequences. The Doctor is always exciting, but he never stays. He goes off on the next adventure. What happens to real people?”

The spin-off seemingly shares DNA with another Doctor Who spin-off. Torchwood. However, Jack Harness' adventures were darker in tone and dealt with more mature adult themes.

Class premieres this October on BBC One and BBC Three. BBC America will syndicate the new series.

Looking forward to the new spin-off series? Let me know in the comments below.

You will believe again in The X-Files

The X-Files cast and crew have taken to social media and posted tantalising teasers from the set of the upcoming mini-series.

The original pilot episode remains a touchstone in setting the look, feel and tone of a series. The nod to Steven Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark did not go unnoticed by genre fans.

I was sold on the conspiracies and bought the official magazine, comics, books, CDs, posters and season box sets on VHS and then, latterly, DVD. An era when new Doctor Who was a pipedream, Buffy had yet to crossover from cinema to television and the Star Wars prequels were nothing more than speculation - a fun pastime with friends.

Yes, there was The Lord of the Rings reprise Babylon 5, Space: Above and Beyond and more, but none captured the pre-Millennium zeitgeist as adroitly as The X-Files, which was catapulted from cult to mainstream cultural phenomenon, making Mulder and Scully household names.

As a fan who became disaffected with the later seasons and swore never to watch the second movie, I want to believe, again. Seeing the onset photos of Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) is a giant step towards that goal...

The revival is a thing and it premieres January 2016 on Fox.

HBO's True Blood on FX

On July 17th HBO's Golden Globe-winning series True Blood exclusively premieres on UK television network FX.

True Blood is an American television drama series created and produced by Alan Ball (American Beauty and Six Feet Under). It is based on the The Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris.



After watching episodes 1 & 2 on the preview DVD included in FX's press pack: True Blood is best described as a darkly comic soap noir in the vain of Twin Peaks and Six Feet Under.

True Blood's not for the faint-hearted or easily offended! Anyone expecting Twilight the television series should look elsewhere! However, I'll most certainly be watching the rest of the season, with avid interest, once it's available on Blu-ray disc. Buffy maybe long off our television screens. But, vampires outlive even her epic feats!

Sans FX? Download True Blood S1 on iTunes here.

On Twitter? Follow TrueBloodFXUK for all the latest news.

You should follow me on twitter here.

All Good Things

This blog started in May 2004 when The OC debuted on UK television screens. Starved of Roswell, Buffy and Dawson's Creek. Orange County provided plenty of laughs, thrills and geeky amusement! Seth's comic book obsession and penchant for perky brunettes parallels my own!

No sooner am I up-to-date with Apple Inc kit; as depicted in The OC. The OC ends! Hot damn!



It's time to say goodbye to the first family of Orange County. In Season Four, high school seems like a distant memory for the young graduates, who have been thrust into adulthood after the death of their beloved friend Marissa. The Cohens struggle to keep Ryan focused on the future, fighting the forces that threaten to pull him back into his old life. Having left Orange County, Summer attends Brown University in Rhode Island, where she has reinvented herself as a left-leaning, tree-hugging activist. And, lonely in Orange County, Seth works at a local comic book store.

So long Sandy, Seth, Summer and co. It was fun and I'll miss seeing you on my Sony Plasma! Perhaps The Real OC will show up on Joost™ as part of the Viacom deal?

Left To My Own Devices

The following chronicles my web exploration and site building exploits. The original article appears here.

Before Google
For anyone who maybe remotely interested. My online adventures began in the summer of 1995. A friend and I spent a leisurely Sunday afternoon in Bournemouth University's main library surfing the net using Netscape 3 Gold (back in the days before the advent of 'free' browsers and IE domination).

The first site I ever visited was Sony USA. And the first search (using Yahoo!) was for actress Winona Ryder. Does anyone remember this site from Eric Harshbarger?

http://www.auburn.edu/~harshec/WWW/Winona.html/

After graduation, and now in gainful employment at Reuters Business Information (RBI), I signed-up with AOL UK (1997).

Google Earth
In the spring of 1998 Macworld UK magazine carried a free copy of Claris Homepage on a cover CD.

Claris Homepage may have lacked the 'killer' features of GoLive and sexier Dreamweaver (the de facto WYSIWYG), but it was simplicity itself, and, above all, no hefty price tag if the medium left me cold. So, whilst off work and suffering from flu, I started to put together an inaugural web site: an eclectic mix of original work and pop culture commentary (Buffy, Party of Five and Dawson's Creek had captured the zeitgeist of the day). This went live on AOL within a week. The first 50 hits came soon after!

By 1999 AOL UK had all but alienated its Mac customers due to tardy application updates and lacklustre support, and I searched for an alternative ISP and web host.

Things That Make You Go Hmmmm
Regrettably this was a time prior to the wonder known as the SuperDrive (CD/DVD burner). Despite owning an Iomega Zip 100 Drive the notion of regularly backing up critical data (on my trusty Performa 5200) had yet to enter my design DNA. In a move that would cost me two-years of web development (including graphics, text et al), I accidentally deleted my offline site. For the record let it be noted that Microsoft's Outlook Express 4.x (for Classic OS) should take some of the responsibility too!

The next two years went by and I couldn't muster any enthusiasm to rebuild the site from scratch - work and the transition from Classic OS to OS X took their toll. Then a friend asked me why I hadn't setup a new site? The honest answer was creative apathy. Apologetically I loaded Adobe PageMill 3 (included with my iMac DV SE) and...

Step By Step
Adobe offered registered PageMill 3 users a free upgrade to GoLive 5! In the space of a weekend (burning the midnight oil as-it-were) I'd assembled a basic site and uploaded this to my iTools (.mac) iDisk after some trial and error (mostly the latter) - there were no tutorials explaining how to use original templates and requests (to other iTools webmasters) for help went unanswered. Where had the sense of community gone?

Once I rolled out the site (2.x) the next phase was to promote reciprocal links, SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and consider affiliate marketing (pays the hosting bills and adds a high degree of editorial responsibility on my part).

American Idol
A cute recollection. I'd applied to join The Iconfactory's deskbase in 2003. That same afternoon I received a confirmation, from Mindy Weaver, warmly welcoming me to their extended family. At the time Kelly Clarkson's 'Moment Like This' was playing on the radio.

Express Yourself
By 2004 this site had come of age and I could no longer ignore the allure of the brave new frontier: blogging + RSS (Really Simple Syndication).

Although blog templates are often criticised for their homogeneity, ease of use and extendibility far out way any negatives. Critical code updates can be applied to an entire site sans the time-consuming tedium of modifying each page individually. This leaves authors to focus on 'content'.

Think About The Future
2006 and, now that the blog is well established (Buffy and Dawson have graduated out of our lives), it's time to revisit this site again replete with a new 'bag of tricks'! The incumbent GoLive has made way for the sassy Macromedia Studio 8 triple threat (Dreamweaver, Fireworks and Flash).

What "dreams" may come?

Whoa, that was like a... Jedi moment

The following, exhautive, review is based on the R1 release of Lost Season 1.

Disc 1 (2:48:39)
Pilot - Part 1 (42:13) 
Pilot - Part 2 (40:17)
 Tabula Rasa (43:27) 
Walkabout (42:42)



Disc 2 (2:51:38)

White Rabbit (42:30) 
House of the Rising Sun (42:44) 
The Moth (43:14)
 Confidence Man (43:10)



Disc 3 (2:51:13)
Solitary (43:08)
 Raised By Another (42:45) 
All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues (42:08)
 Whatever the Case May Be (43:12)



Disc 4 (2:51:24)
Hearts and Minds (43:17) 
Special (43:15) 
Homecoming (41:36) 
Outlaws (43:16)



Disc 5 (2:52:01)

In Translation (43:02)
 Numbers (43:06)
 Deus Ex Machina (42:39) 
Do No Harm (43:14)



Disc 6 (3:34:43)

The Greater Good (43:15) 
Born to Run (43:14) 
Exodus, Part 1 (43:16) 
Exodus, Part 2 (1:24:58)

Video

Unlike the US 4:3 broadcast (only available in widescreen for HDTV consumers), Channel 4 is airing Lost in its original 16:9 aspect ratio. The DVD retains the 1.78:1 formatting and eclipses the PAL standard definition picture with 480p (compatible television required). The transfer is so vivid that it’s easy to forget that you’re looking at a screen. The image pops and colors are luxuriant.

Audio

The perfect presentation is not exclusively limited to sight. The sounds of the island are all encompassing. My Kef 5.1 speaker setup heightened the tension to such a degree that there were times when it became almost unbearable (check John Carpenter’s The Thing or Jurassic Park for comparison). The audio mix would be worthy of Skywalker Sound's Gary Rydstrom.

Extras
Often dubbed as "bonus features," "special features" and "added value", for many DVD consumers they're a compelling reason to buy a DVD set. The Mouse House has come a long way since those first, faltering, steps with Warner Home Video. A time when "special features" were anything but, and consumers should have sued for compensation.

Commentary Tracks
Pilot Parts 1 & 2 - Executive producers J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof and Bryan Burk
Walkabout - Executive producer Jack Bender, Co-executive producer David Fury and Terry O'Quinn (Locke)
 The Moth - Damon Lindelof, Bryan Burk and Dominic Monaghan (Charlie)
 Hearts and Minds - Executive producer Carlton Cuse, supervising producer Javier Grillo-Marxuach, Maggie Grace (Shannon) and Ian Sommerhalder (Boone).

The Genesis of Lost (8:40)
The tale of how Lost became a TV show. This featurette includes interviews with executives from ABC, and the producers of the series.



Designing a Disaster (7:59)
How did they construct one of the most incredible series openings of all time?

Before They Were Lost (22:55)
The formation of the cast as told by JJ Abrams, Damon Lindelof, April Webster (casting director), Bryan Burk, and the crew. There are lots of audition tapes included in the featurette, and you can watch the entire tape in...



Audition Tapes (23:34)

Audition tapes for the cast members. Matthew Fox (3:31), Evangeline Lilly (2:53), Dominic Monaghan (1:16), Naveen Andrews (2:01), Yunjin Kim (1:10), Daniel Dae Kim (0:46), Josh Holloway (1:20), Jorge Garcia (1:57), Ian Somerhalder (1:36), Maggie Grace (1:48), Harold Perrineau (1:35), Malcolm David Kelley (1:22) and Emilie de Ravin (2:19). These are pretty interesting, especially because there are things that didn't make it into the show, or actors are auditioning for different characters.



Welcome to Oahu: The Making of the Pilot (33:20)
Self explanatory and artfully leveraging the DVD medium a la Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy.

The Art of Matthew Fox (6:07)
When watching Party Of Five, it was clear that there was an inherent sadness in Matthew’s studied performance of Charlie and one that may or may not be autobiographical. This feature arguably lends further credence to my observation! I hope his photographic endeavors touch you as deeply.

Lost @ Comicon (1:50)

The cast and producers headed to Comicon last July where they debuted the pilot. Now this looked like fun unlike Bournemouth’s Excalibur.

Lost: On Location (43:42)
A few featurettes that focus on an episode, or a single aspect with shooting it. The Trouble With Boars (5:19), House of the Rising Sun (7:19), Confidence Man (4:24), All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues (4:56), Whatever the Case May Be (2:58), Hearts and Minds (6:20), Special (3:05) and Exodus (9:21).



On Set With Jimmy Kemmel (7:15)
Kimmel visits the set of Lost. This had me in stitches and the ‘monster reveal’ culminated in hyperventilation!

Backstage with Driveshaft (6:40)
Dominic Monaghan talks about "Driveshaft," and the "hit" song that they sang. The producers explain the idea behind the song, and how it was recorded.

The Lost Flashbacks (4:35)
A couple of flashbacks that weren't shown on TV, which makes them "Lost Flashbacks" and not "Lost Flashbacks." I really enjoyed the Claire flashback. At the Airport: Claire (3:07)
 At the Airport: Sayid (1:28)



Deleted Scenes (14:41)
There are 13 deleted scenes from the first season.



Bloopers from the Set (4:17)

Live from the Museum of Television & Radio (10:56)
The chemistry between the cast and crew is palpable, and it’s a genuine shame that this was only an appetizer.

Scriptscanner

If you have a PC you can read the script to the pilot episode while it plays.

Sneak Peeks (14:22)
Trailers for movies and TV shows can be found in this section. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe looks enchanting, and maybe the movie of the year for me. There are trailers for The Chronicles of Narnia (2:33), TV on DVD (1:56), Lost Season 2 - spoiler free! - (0:32), Alias Season 4 (1:19), Desperate Housewives Season 1 (0:32), The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2:25), Scrubs Season 2 (1:33), Dark Water (2:33) and Jimmy Kimmel Live (0:59).

Easter Eggs (1:58)

Alternate Main Title Sequence (0:22) – Just terrible and evokes the X-Files opening titles. Want to find it? Put in disc seven, go to "Tales from the Island" and press left twice, then enter.

Locke and the Orange (1:36) - Want to find it? Select "Tales From the Island" on Disc 7, then highlight "Main Menu," press right, and then enter.

In summary
When you have the collective talents behind Alias, Buffy, Angel and Batman: The Animated Series how can you go wrong?

Theories regarding how the Sydney to LA Oceanic flight crashed are as abundant as they are diverse. Are the passengers dead and struggling to make peace with their past lives before moving on or is it The Truman Show meets Survivor? Whatever. Discuss by all means. But, as my Media Studies tutor once said – the journey is often far more interesting than the destination!

There’s a liberal sprinkling of Star Wars and Star Trek in-jokes set against a Planet of the Apes backdrop. Hurley's "Dude" manages to remain humorous and so revealing of the character - a gentle giant a la Chewbacca. And then there's Sawyer who immediately reminded me of Solo - I couldn't stop grinning at the lines including "Princess", "Sulu" and "I'm a complex guy!" And John Locke's character resonates as I'm a paraplegic due to a serious head injury in first school - a classmate was pushed into me. And, yes, I was in a wheelchair...

The inaugural season of Lost is the finest DVD presentation of a television series I’ve viewed since purchasing my first Sony DVD player in 1998. Yes, it really is that good. This is a seminal seven-disc treatment and only Battlestar Galactica (2004) can take the edge off withdrawal symptoms.

Giving You Up

Kylie's next single reminds me of Madonna's Can't Stop (taken from the Who's That Girl soundtrack). And that's no bad thing in my considered opinion. The video is excellent and the online making of documentary features a prominently placed Apple PowerBook. Subliminal advertising doesn't get much better than this.

The XBOX replacement cord arrived in time to play Dead or Alive Ultimate, which is now part of the pantheon of seminal fighters. Ultimate includes DOA, but DOA2 is draped in the finery of DOA3 and, in many ways, outshines the second sequel. When Team Ninja turns its attention to DOA4 (XBOX 2?) Sega's Virtua Fighter better be prepared!

Now that the Skywalker family saga ends (theatrically) in May and Star Trek *YAWN* has been retired, what Sci-Fi franchise(s) will take their place? According to press speculation eyes are now firmly fixed on Joss Whedon's Serenity movie: the first part of a proposed trilogy!

Serenity is based on characters and situations from Firefly (2002). The short-lived television series took its toll on Whedon (arguably diluting both Buffy and Angel) and most likely contributed to the termination of his lucrative development deal with Fox. Having only watched a couple of episodes of Firefly, I decided to purchase the DVD box set (along with Roswell S1) in Exeter's Virgin Megastore. At £14.99 I didn't consider it an expensive outlay and it's nice to have Whedon's canon available for reference.

New PALz On The Block

Another commercially-fueled Valentine's Day. I hesitate to repeat what I, infamously, said to a friend a few years ago! However, it was a most pleasant surprise to receive Buffy Summers in the post! Albeit in her PALz incarnation. A big thanks to my friend Michael for the belated birthday gift. You do appreciate that I'm now obligated to collect the entire S1 and 2 sets.

Macally's iShock II arrived (at 8:00AM to be exact) courtesy of Apple. Looking forward to Plug and Play fun with MacMAME later today.

Have you seen any of the Revenge of the Sith merchandise? It all looks mouthwatering and I've no idea where to start! Darth Tater, Anakin/Vader or Anakin's Jedi Starfighter? Answers on a postcard.

I'm off to watch Newlyweds. Its depiction of solipsism is addictive.

The audience is listening

Discovering Dolby NR on my parents' Panasonic Direct Drive tape cassette player embarked me on a lifelong sonic odyssey. From vinyl to DAT and SACD to AAC, I've marveled at and treasured the capture of indelible audio recordings. Late 2004 Sony BMG piloted the DualDisc format to test audiences. In 2005 the CD/DVD hybrid goes mainstream with the release of Rebirth from Jennifer Lopez.

MAME fans can grab 0.92 now, but 0.93 will include Aaron's sound system changes for end user testing. Audiophiles rejoice.

Looks like sky multiroom is coming to my Mum's nursing home soon. Mum adores movies and digital satellite will augment the extensive DVD catalogue that I'm currently building.

I'm not particularly averse to confessing my fandom of Dawson's Creek (S1 - 4) and, by extension, Katie Holmes. And Amazon UK is now offering S2 at a sub £20 sweet spot! I'll complete my collection over the coming months.

Saga of a Star World

Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II was shown last night on sky one. Battlestar Galactica's S1 finale is of Buffy/24/Alias calibre. The audacious twists and turns, culminating in Adama's 'assassination' by a Boomer Cylon replica, were irresistible. The exploration of Cylon religion (ideology) provided the production with an opportunity to reprise the cinema of Stanley Kubrick and intellectual concepts penned by Isaac Asimov and Philip K. Dick. Whilst the biomechanical Basestar interior evoked the designs of fabled surrealist H.R. Giger.

Turning back to the original Battlestar Galactica TV series. In Europe three feature-length episodes were released theatrically (in alternate form):

*Battlestar Galactica (1978)
Abridged version of Saga of a Star World. Includes Baltar's execution, which was deemed too violent for TV audiences.

*Mission Galactica: The Cylon Attack (1978)
The Living Legend Part I & Part II and Fire in Space.

*Galactica III: Conquest of the Earth (1980)
Galactica Discovers Earth, The Night the Cylons Landed Part I & Part II, The Young Lords and stock footage taken from the movie Earthquake (1974).

We didn't own cable (Rediffusion television was one of the earliest providers). So, I only viewed the first theatrically and the 'sequels' on video rental (Sony Betamax). Baltar's execution (in the theatrical version) is confusing and his return is never explained. It would be nearly a decade before I had an opportunity to see the entire Battlestar Galactica series including the risible Galactica 80.

I've ordered the 2003 mini-series (R1 DVD) from Play. Compare and contrast R1, R2 and R4 releases here.

On an unrelated note. Some iDisk users are experiencing service problems following scheduled maintenance (at the weekend). I'm very happy to report that none of the purported issues have afflicted my account. Again, this only serves to underscore the importance of archiving data on a regular basis.