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Buffy The Vampire Slayer

2003 Fall SF TV Preview : Part II

By Kathie Huddleston

Monday 15 September 2003, by Webmaster

What a difference a couple of years make. In 2001, we covered 31 returning or continuing series, and now in 2003 we’re down to fewer than half that number. In fact, combining all the new and returning shows doesn’t even add up to that total. While this might look like a sad state of affairs, and it is, there are some interesting trends that may change the way watch TV.

It appears that no series is safe, and we know that because nearly every returning scripted series has gone through big changes. Alias, Andromeda, Angel, Charmed, Enterprise, Mutant X, Smallville, and Starhunter have all undergone dramatic developments, from major cast changes to exploring a new direction for the series. It’s good to see established shows taking chances; however, some of these changes may end up weakening good series. In the end, the shows with a sure hand behind them will no doubt do well by their changes, and time will tell with the others.

What we will see more of this year is stand-alone episodes. Unfortunately, shows with arcs (Buffy, Farscape) have been labeled as "bad" by networks for logical financial reasons. It’s tougher to build an audience with a series that takes some effort to get in to, especially when you’re trying to pull non-genre viewers into the mix. The mantra of producers these days is to make a series so that viewers can "get" by watching one episode. Bigger audience, more money, renewal. Smaller audience, less money, cancellation. Producers who want to keep working in television are listening.

Even Angel co-executive producer Jeffrey Bell promises fewer arcs and more stand-alone episodes this year. The only holdouts are Alias and Carnivāle. Alias has superstar Jennifer Garner, who runs a lot and wears skimpy outfits often enough to make the non-genre audience forget that there are arcs all over the place. Creator J.J. Abrams said he’s "tricked" ABC into not realizing the show is sci-fi, but Abrams is also a terrific writer and the episodes are so fast-paced and exciting the arcs matter only to those who care about them. And because Carnivāle is on HBO, the producers don’t care. They don’t need a network-sized audience to succeed.

While scripted genre shows seem endangered these days, there’s no shortage of big event miniseries (SCI FI’s Battlestar Galactica, ABC’s Dreamkeeper, ABC’s Stephen King’s Kingdom Hospital) headed our way. Traditionally, these have done very, very well. But as last year’s Dinotopia proved, pulling off a successful miniseries and pulling off a successful series are two very different things. Still, look for ABC to continue to offering minis and anything with Stephen King in the title in the future. If it’s a mini with Stephen King in the title, even better.

SCI FI has become a major producer of new television projects, and not just of genre projects. The cable network has a frightening number of movies, miniseries and series in development, some which embrace classic SF (Ursula Le Guin’s Earthsea, The Forever War) and some that seem questionable at best (Mad Mad World). As for SCI FI series, Stargate SG-1 has been renewed and another season for Scare Tactics looks likely, while Tremors has been canceled. So, come March, most likely a new series will be pegged to fill the missing slot. SCI FI’s first animated series, Tripping the Rift, will be premiering either in January or March next year, but the show is only a half-hour, so we’ll have to see how the puzzle ends up fitting together.

SCI FI’s big events (Taken, Dune) have helped the network become the fastest-growing cable network on television. Look for more of these miniseries events, a lot more Saturday-night original movies, and more reality shows.

As for the non-SCI FI universe, let’s hope one of the new shows is a huge hit, so big that it inspires the networks, cable stations and syndicated outlets to open up their hearts to speculative fiction television once again.

Last week’s 2003 Fall SF TV Preview: Part I has the scoop on all the new shows, canceled series and kids’ shows.

Returning and Continuing Shows | Midseason and Beyond | Movies, Miniseries and Specials

Returning and Continuing Shows

Alias ABC, Sunday, 9 p.m. Premieres Sept. 28

In what has to be the best cliffhanger not only from last year, but for quite a long, long time, superspy Sydney Bristow shot Francie’s evil twin, getting injured in the battle; Will looked to be DOA; and mom vanished almost before her eyes. Who wouldn’t pass out after all that? But when she wakes up, Sydney finds herself on the streets of Hong Kong and two years have passed. A lot of stuff has happened to the Alias gang as they’ve gone on with their lives, fearing she was dead. True love Vaughn’s gotten married to somebody else, Marshall the gadget guy has a romantic life, and Sloane is now a double agent working for them. Don’t look for Alias to slow down a single step. A new evil group called The Covenant will emerge as the Big Bad, there’s lots more Rambaldi stuff, and Vaughn’s wife Lauren (played by Melissa George) will be around full-time as a regular, no doubt to cause Sydney’s heart to ache all the more.

The Outlook: Last year it seemed iffy as to whether or not Alias would even get a third season. Then ABC decided to air it in the all-important after-the-Superbowl position. Having emerging superstar Jennifer Garner model lingerie in the first few seconds of the show before football fans had a chance to turn the dial was a stroke of genius, and that spurred interest in the series that has been kept up due to strong storytelling on the part of the writers. While it’s not the breakout hit ABC wants, creator/executive producer J.J. Abrams and his writing team have produced episode after episode of unrelenting action and driving storylines that have taken this series into surprising directions.

A lesser show would have had Sydney be a double agent working for SD-6 for the entire run. To break that somewhat comfy story apart and let Sydney have her moment with Vaughn in the middle of the season seemed an odd direction to go in. Yet it worked, turning the tables on all the characters involved. As season three begins the action is being driven by another big twist as Sydney returns from the "dead" after being missing for two years. It looks to be another big exciting year for Alias that probably won’t get quite the numbers ABC wants, but should do well enough to hang in there. With two Emmy nominations under her belt for the role of Sydney, Garner did re-up, agreeing to stay with the series through the 2007-08 season for a big pay raise. Abrams and team are fearless storytellers, and as long as they keep that up and Garner wants to do the show, Alias should have a home.

Andromeda Syndicated Premieres the week of Sept. 29

Keith Hamilton Cobb left the series last year as his character, Tyr, went off to lead the Nietzscheans, and the Commonwealth suffered a major attack. As season four begins, Dylan will be consumed with an effort to save the devastated Commonwealth, Beka will return to her more pirate self, Rommie will explore sentience, major secrets will be revealed about Trance, and Harper will get some new toys to play with for the Andromeda. But the big news is that Steve Bacic, who played Gaheris Rhade, Dylan’s traitorous best friend in the pilot, will become a regular, portraying Telemachus Rhade. And to stir the pot, Tyr will return, guesting on a few episodes this season.

The Outlook: Andromeda has always done pretty well in the ratings, consistently ranking as the top syndicated show for adult men. Still, it’s good to see the writers shaking things up a bit. Cobb will be missed, but they couldn’t have picked a better actor than Bacic to replace him. He makes a good Nietzschean, is someone Dylan will have issues about and is another appealing action guy. Even though Andromeda has yet to find a truly consistent tone, the series has managed to turn out fun and interesting action stories. And things are always more lively when the universe is in chaos, especially if there is a Nietzschean in the mix. Look for another season of Andromeda to hold steady.

Angel The WB Premieres Oct. 1

There’ve been big, big changes on Angel as the gang has thrown their hand in with evil law firm Wolfram & Hart. Last season, Angel accepted a deal to take over the firm in exchange for a new life for his son. While unconscious Cordelia went MIA and son Conner went on to happier pastures, the rest of the gang seemed cautiously excited about the possibilities of running the show at Wolfram & Hart. Of course, we all know there’s a catch, and it should be quite a ride discovering what it is this season. Angel will find some challenges dealing with modern technology and paperwork, Fred will run the science division, Wesley is the "James Bond" of Mystical Research, and then there’s Gunn. He’ll get a chance to explore an entirely new side of his personality. And now that Sunnydale’s been wiped off the face of the Earth, look for a couple of Buffy alums to stop by for a regular stint.

Spike, who sacrificed himself to save Buffy and the Scoobies and the world, somehow is brought back to life, or at least undeath, allowing James Marsters to join the cast of Angel. And Mercedes McNab will have a recurring role as Spike’s ex Harmony when she takes a job at Wolfram & Hart. In addition, a new recurring character named Eve, played by Sarah Thompson, will act as a liaison between Wolfram & Hart and the unseen senior partners. Co-creator and executive producer Joss Whedon has written and directed the season premiere.

The Outlook: In the most precarious position of all the network shows, Angel has squeaked by to get renewed every year, suffering through its constantly shifting schedule. It finally seems to have a home on Wednesdays. However, with Smallville as its lead-in, the news could be very good or very bad. Should Angel be able to hold onto some of the lead-in audience, it will bode well for the series. However, if the ratings drop in any kind of dramatic way, the best Angel can hope for is a shift to yet another timeslot. Smallville and Angel are very different kinds of shows, and the crossover audience may not be what The WB is hoping for. Still, the producers have decided that there will be fewer arcs with more stand-alone episodes, no doubt hoping to make the series more accessible to the non-faithful. The other unknown element is the new kid on the block, Jake 2.0, which has been picked by many reviewers as one of the better new shows. The competition could end up being a big problem for both shows, as they go after a similar audience. This year could see the end of The WB road for Angel, which may not mean the complete end of the road. There are still possibilities that it might make a network move, a la Buffy.

Charmed The WB Premieres Sunday, Sept. 28

Opening its sixth season with a two-hour premiere, Charmed will resolve some of the issues from last season’s cliffhanger, while still leaving plenty of threads to weave this season together with. Leo, who ends up in a difficult situation in the premiere, will come back with a bit of an attitude. Because he’s an Elder now, Leo and Piper have split, leaving Piper to explore life as a single mom this season. Baby Wyatt will give the adults some challenges when he brings a PBS dragon to life and later when he objects to his mom dating. Phoebe gains a new power, and Paige explores the job market as a temp. The new mysterious Whitelighter Chris will continue his mission, which may end up on the side of good or on the side of evil. Look for actor Drew Fuller, who plays Chris, to guest-star in most of the first 13 episodes, with the Brian Krause (Leo) and Dorian Gregory (Lt. Darryl Morris) characters recurring.

The Outlook: Having finally found its home on Sunday nights, Charmed did well last season, with the exception that The WB couldn’t find a show to pair it with. Often, they’d just put another episode of Charmed in the 9 p.m. slot to keep the audience intact. That problem looks to be taken care of with the addition of Tarzan (formerly Tarzan and Jane), which may be a good match. With episodes that explore the creativity of the universe without leaving behind the emotions of the characters, Charmed has remained consistent throughout. While there might be some concern about the addition of Baby Wyatt into the fold, so far it hasn’t changed the tone of the series. A magical baby seems to have only added another fun, new element for this magical series to play off of. Look for Charmed to be entering season seven this time next year.

Crossing Over with John Edward Syndicated and SCI FI Premieres the week of Sept. 15

Who would have thought SCI FI’s little talk show with the dead would take daytime television by storm? Now Crossing Over with John Edward is headed into its third year, with new co-executive producer Elise Silvestri joining the production team. This year the series will bring viewers a warmer, more story-driven format. Edward will venture outside the studio often, giving viewers a firsthand glimpse at the effect he’s had on gallery members. Look for celebrities to make guest appearances.

The Outlook: No show except Oprah Winfrey draws more of the coveted female 24-54 audience. Beyond that, Crossing Over airs on an astounding 98 percent of stations covering the United States, as well as late nights on the SCI FI Channel. Imitator Beyond with James Van Praagh quickly tanked last year, proving that Crossing Over is a truly unique success and John Edward is a star. Undoubtedly his early, more awkward days are long behind him, and he’s grown as a performer, getting more comfortable on stage and in dealing with people. John Edward has touched on an emotion that all the reality TV shows and trash talk shows never will-the desire to communicate with those who have died. He brings with him a respect for those who’ve been lost and his sense of humor, and he makes you want to believe. Crossing Over has a long life ahead of it.

Dead Like Me Showtime Presently running

With only a couple more episodes to go, Dead Like Me has taught George all sorts of lessons about being a Reaper. Still to come: Rube decides the Reapers are due for a day off, and George heads back to Happy Time to see if she can get her job back.

The Outlook: Showtime will announce shortly whether this series will be picked up for another season. Unofficially, it’s "looking good," which may indicate hopefulness or that it actually is looking good for renewal. The series had some early trouble, losing creator Bryan Fuller to the Fox midseason replacement Wonderfalls, while actress Rebecca Gayheart moved on to other things and Jasmine Guy ended up missing several episodes. Laura Harris joined the cast as Daisy Adair. All that jostling hurt the launch a bit. Still, it is quirky, and there’s nothing else on the air quite like it. And it has Mandy Patinkin.

The Dead Zone USA Premieres Sunday, June 20, 2004

Johnny Smith has gotten more than a slight glimpse into the coming apocalypse he’s seen in his visions. Since the new season was just announced, there’s no word on what direction the show may take next year. However, undoubtedly Johnny will continue to dog Greg Stillson, pine for Sarah and explore the depths of his gift. Karl Schaefer joins the production as an executive producer.

The Outlook: The Dead Zone has already been picked up for a new season. Considering the strange clumping of episodes this series has had, it’s tough to know exactly what season we’re talking about. However, USA considers it a third season and has put in an order for 13 new episodes.

Enterprise UPN Premiered Wednesday, Sept. 10

Enterprise sails into its third season promising a "startling new direction" for the series. And certainly some things have changed. The Enterprise has an actual mission to embrace, and T’Pol’s had a makeover. Also, a commando team has joined the crew and is ready to take on those evil Xindi bad guys who attacked Earth in the second-season finale. And as for the Xindi, we got to meet them in the season premiere, and they are by far the most interesting aliens the Enterprise has run into on its journey. The Xindi are five intelligent species, all of whom claim to be the dominant species. While they seem to argue a lot, the one thing they don’t argue about is finishing a second, more powerful weapon that will destroy Earth. Their reason: They believe that in the future the humans will destroy them. So they are bad guys, but bad guys with a really good reason for doing what they are doing. As the season pushes on, look for an anomaly or two to pop up in the Bermuda Triangle-like Delphic Expanse, lots more action-packed scenes and T’Pol exploring her new look (and occasionally taking off her clothes for one really important reason or another).

The Outlook: Even with the drop in ratings last year, Enterprise was still UPN’s top drama. The nosedive (and it was a big one, with over 2 million fewer people for the season average led to the inevitable question of whether it’s time to retire Star Trek altogether. While there’s no doubt Enterprise has been inconsistent in its characters and its storytelling, every modern Star Trek series has taken two years to come together. And maybe Enterprise never will "gel." So do we give up on the Star Trek universe and call it quits after nearly 40 years? I’m not quite ready to do that, even though I can’t say the latest incarnation has given me any compelling reason to watch. Trying to force sexual chemistry between T’Pol and Archer or T’Pol and Trip is often just painful to watch, as if they were trying to force sexual chemistry between Spock and McCoy. Star Trek was never about sex, not even when Seven of Nine revitalized Voyager. As a busy friend whose only television viewing is whatever Star Trek series is airing said, "Why do they keep smearing stuff all over each other?"

My vote is for the writers to go back and watch the original Star Trek episodes and infuse some of that humor and cowboy mentality into Enterprise. Then the new direction of the series, with us against the Xindi, should work just fine. As to whether the show will make it past season three, it is in trouble, but it’s not dead yet. But it also has something it hasn’t had before-competition. Realizing that Enterprise is vulnerable this year, The WB is pulling out its big guns and putting Smallville opposite it. I don’t see both shows surviving up against each other; however, I don’t see either network canceling its entry without moving it first. So look for one or the other to move to a different timeslot. And if Enterprise is the loser in that battle, as it most likely it will be, you may be watching the end of an era.

Jeremiah Showtime Premieres Oct. 10

As season two begins, Jeremiah and Kurdy are separated after the struggle with forces from Valhalla Sector. Jeremiah will be reunited with his mysterious father, who he believed was dead. And many questions will be answered regarding the secrets of Jeremiah’s world. Sean Astin joins the cast as a colorful character named Mr. Smith.

The Outlook: Very, very dim. Showtime kept Jeremiah on ice for nearly six months after it had completed filming the entire second season. Creator J. Michael Straczynski has stated that he’s leaving the series and won’t be involved in a third season. Of course, truly excellent ratings could change everything, but that doesn’t seem very likely. Season Two will most likely be the end for Jeremiah.

Mutant X Syndicated Premieres the week of Sept. 29

Mutant X is yet another series with big changes going on this year. When last we left the team, they were literally hanging by their fingertips after Shalimar’s dad blew up his lab. Not everyone will be back, as the series takes a major shift in the storyline. Lauren Lee Smith, who played Emma, will not return to the series, and John Shea, as Adam Kane, will change status from regular to special recurring guest star. In the season premiere, Karen Cliche will join the cast as Lexa Pierce, a woman with a shadowy past, who has the power to manipulate light in amazing ways. The remaining members of Mutant X, Shalimar (Victoria Pratt), Brennan (Victor Webster) and Jesse (Forbes March), will discover that everything they thought they knew about their world "no longer applies" and that they are part of a much bigger experiment than Adam led them to believe. The shift in direction will also be apparent in the look and feel of the show as it changes to "a darker, grittier, edgier place."

The Outlook: It’s difficult to say how this series will do with such profound changes in place. As the Mutant X team discover that everything they knew about the world no longer applies, so do we. If we suddenly discover that Adam is a bad guy, that may be a big problem for the series. If we learn that Adam is the new Big Bad and everything he told us was a lie, then we’ve lost a hero, and not every viewer will want to go there. Most likely the writers will do a good enough job with the new scenario to keep fans intact. However, a wrong move at the start of the season may be difficult to recover from. New regular Karen Cliche is an appealing actress who joined the cast after the cancellation of Adventure Inc. Let’s just hope the writers do more with this big change than they did with the much-hyped Gabriel Ashlocke (Michael Eastman) storyline.

Scare Tactics SCI FI To be determined

With a couple of regular episodes yet to go for the season, Scare Tactics will also offer a special full-hour Halloween episode to air on Friday, Oct. 31. This episode promises to "serve up the scariest of the scary," as host Shannen Doherty takes her friends along for a Scare Tactics ride. Besides the regular practical jokes, the special will include some pranks that never made it on the air because the joke went wrong or the "marks" didn’t buy the setup in the first place. So far, producers have received more than 10,000 requests to set up practical jokes targeting a friend or loved one.

The Outlook: This reality series has done well on SCI FI, and after the initial order for episodes the channel ordered more. While it has not officially been renewed for another season, it’s likely the series will be back next spring or summer.

Smallville The WB Premieres Oct. 1

Last season’s cliffhanger left every relationship in tatters. As season three begins, three months have passed, and Clark’s being a bad boy in Metropolis on red kryptonite. There’s plenty of guilt, regrets and relationship rebuilding that will have to pass for the characters to go on. Themes this year will include Chloe’s deal with the devil (Lionel), finding out what the heck happened to Lex, and Clark making a decision regarding his relationship with Lana. More high-profile guest stars have been signed for this season, including Rutger Hauer, who will play an underworld kingpin. Also, it’s very likely Terence Stamp will return as the voice of Jor-El.

The Outlook: Smallville tied with 7th Heaven as The WB’s most-watched show last year, and the network felt the series was strong enough to anchor Wednesday nights. It’s a big move for the series, which has done well despite big competition in the past. However, any move is risky, and this one puts it up against UPN’s Enterprise. The WB is also hoping, no doubt, that Smallville will help the ratings-challenged Angel. They are very different shows, so we’ll have to see if there’s any residual effect from the lead-in. It seems unlikely that Enterprise and Smallville can survive in the same timeslot, and I believe one of them will be moved. Both series are too important to their respective networks to be canceled outright. This is a strong series creatively and ratings-wise, and Smallville should see another season.

Stargate SG-1 SCI FI Season continues January 2004

The second half of the seventh season will kick off with the resolution to "Evolution, Part 1." In part two, the first of eight all-new episodes, Jack goes off to rescue Daniel, who has been taken hostage while looking for an alien device in South America. And Carter and Teal’c investigate the origin of the Supersoldiers. Upcoming episodes will feature the Prometheus, the exposure of the Alpha site and a film crew seeing a little more than they are supposed to at SGC.

The Outlook: Stargate SG-1 has already been picked up for an eighth season, which will premiere in June 2004. It is by far the longest-running sci-fi series on the air, and comes in only second to The X-Files as all-time longest-running series. At the end of season six, everyone involved in the series seemed tired and ready to call it quits. But after getting great ratings with its move to the SCI FI Channel, Stargate SG-1 seemed revitalized. It’s too early to guess whether there will be a ninth season. However, as long as the ratings stay strong and the fans stay enthusiastic, it certainly is a possibility. One other note: Stargate: Atlantis is being developed taking place in the same universe, but with an entirely new cast. It’s uncertain when the new series will come about, but considering the ratings the original is getting, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this one come about in the next year or so.

Starhunter Syndicated Premiered the week of Sept. 9

It’s a whole new series, with a mostly new cast and a new driving theme. The original low-low budget season one of Starhunter featured Michael Paré as a bounty hunter looking for his kidnapped son. Years later, the son, all-grown-up Clive Robertson playing Travis Montana, is a man trying to find his father. Along for the ride is the only original cast member, Travis’ cousin Percy (played by Tanya Allen), and a new bunch of motley crew members. While hunting for his father, Travis has turned to bounty hunting like his father before him. With producers promising all-new production values, special effects and a theme song by Peter Gabriel, it looks to be "a major overhaul."

The Outlook: Two years of Starhunter have been ordered, so the series may be around for a while. However, fans won’t find it on at a reasonable hour next to Andromeda. It generally will air in the wee hours of the morning. While it’s uncertain how "major" the overhaul actually is for this sci-fi western, it will have a long way to go to match Firefly in quality. That may not be a fair comparison for a series that started out with Dr. Who production values, but syndication is in drastic need of an infusion of strong ratings. If Starhunter can garner high enough ratings, it certainly won’t hurt the syndication market. And if the overhaul is all that’s promised, it might just be a new sci-fi universe fans can get caught up in.

Midseason and Beyond

5 Days to Midnight SCI FI, to be determined A man discovers a briefcase with contents that predict his own terrible murder. Now he has only days to change the course of the future. This six-hour miniseries will air over six consecutive nights.

10.5 NBC, 2004 Beau Bridges and Kim Delaney star in this four-hour miniseries about a seismologist trying to stop increasingly powerful earthquakes that are hitting the northwestern coast. When the president orders extreme measures, a small group of volunteers leap into action, risking everything to stop the earthquakes. Also starring David Cubitt and Kaley Cuoco.

1,000 Days SCI FI, 2003 Based on Marvel’s Strikeforce: Morituri comic series from the mid-1980s, this four-hour miniseries tells the tale of a group of supersoldiers who have been engineered to fight evil. The catch is that after 1,000 days they will die. Matt Holloway and Art Marcum will write the mini.

A&E’s Ghost Tales A&E, 2005 In A&E’s first venture into the supernatural, they are planning several original horror movies based on classic literature. Robyn Rosenfeld of Three Muse Productions is developing the project fresh from a stint executive-producing Creature Features on HBO. The modestly budgeted movies will be filmed back to back. Even though the films will be based on classic literature, some of the movies will be set in today’s world.

Anonymous Rex SCI FI, to be determined Alliance Atlantis is developing this new series for SCI FI based on the award-winning book by Eric Garcia. This hard-boiled detective mystery with a twist involves a secret society of dinosaurs who walk the Earth disguised as humans.

Brother Voodoo SCI FI, to be determined Yet another project based on a Marvel property (1,000 Days), Brother Voodoo explores the journey of a psychologist who, after his brother’s death, learns he’s destined to become a voodoo priest.

Century City CBS, to be determined It’s been nearly 20 years since L.A. Law premiered, but rather than create yet another Law and Order show, CBS takes the legal battles into the future. Hector Elizondo leads this legal drama, which centers around six lawyers in 2053 Los Angeles. Also starring Nestor Carbonell, Eric Schaeffer, Kristin Lehman, Viola Davis and Ioan Gruffudd.

Clive Barker’s The Evil One SCI FI, to be determined From the twisted mind of Clive Barker, this weekly series about the forces of good and the forces of evil doing battle often sees the antihero win. Told through the eyes of an evil demon, who has his challenges getting good help, the series will explore the idea that it’s not easy being the bad guy.

Dead Lawyers Sci FI, to be determined When unscrupulous defense attorney Jimmy Quinn is hit by a bus, he finds himself working at a law firm of other dead lawyers. Their mission is to redeem themselves by defending all the people they hurt by their shoddy tactics in the past, righting wrongs and correcting miscarriages of justice. This one-hour series is based on a story by Christopher Murphy and Andy Lieberman. From DreamWorks Television.

The Divide SCI FI, to be determined When a phony radio psychic discovers he really does have psychic abilities, he finds himself fighting crime with his dead twin sister’s ghost and the local female coroner. This weekly series from Lion’s Gate mixes the supernatural with forensic science. Written by Frank Military and Dean White and executive produced by Stan Brooks.

Dragon Storm SCI FI, to be determined When alien dragons travel to Earth inside a meteor, two enemy kingdoms must join forces to defeat the alien dragons before they destroy the earth. Starring Maxwell Caulfield, John Rhys-Davies and Angel Borris. From UFO Films.

Frankenstein Network and premiere date to be determined Hallmark Entertainment is producing this four-hour miniseries, based on the Mary Shelley classic. Alec Newman stars as Victor Frankenstein, Luke Goss plays the Creature, and Julie Delpy takes on the role of Caroline.

Father of the Pride NBC, Fall 2004 There must be something about animated lions this year. A&E is developing The Pride, and now NBC is planning Father of the Pride, about a family of Las Vegas performing lions that experience showbiz at the Mirage Hotel. DreamWorks’ Jeffrey Katzenberg got his inspiration for this computer-animated prime-time series by watching the Siegfried and Roy show. The lion family work for "wacky boss characters" Siegfried and Roy, who will be voiced by voice actors. John Goodman leads the voice cast as the father, while Cheryl Hines stars as the mom lion and Carl Reiner star as the grandfather lion. No word yet on who will voice the two kid lions, but Orlando Jones will also voice a character.

Fearless The WB, Midseason In this weekly series, a young FBI agent (Rachael Leigh Cook) was born without the gene for fear. From Jerry Bruckheimer Productions, Fearless was pulled by the production company after being put on the fall schedule. The WB agreed and the series was put on hold until they could rework it. Judging from the pilot, Fearless was a cancellation waiting to happen. The kinks may yet be worked out, so the series is still on the books as a midseason replacement.

The Forever War SCI FI, to be determined It’s been a long time coming for this Hugo and Nebula award-winning classic tale by Joe Haldeman. The Forever War is being developed as a four-hour miniseries and will follow the story of a young man who enlists to defend Earth against an alien threat only to find himself falling in love and trapped in a seemingly endless journey through space and time. Executive-produced by Richard Edlund, a seven-time Oscar winner for special effects.

Game Over UPN, midseason The Smashenburns are just a normal suburban family who happen to live in an alternate video-game universe. The computer-animated comedy stars Lucy Liu as the voice of Raquel, the secret-agent wife and mother, and Patrick Warburton as Rip, the head of the family, who also happens to be a hotshot Grand Prix racecar driver. Other voice stars include E.G. Daily as 13-year-old Billy, Rachel Dratch as sister Alice and Artie Lange as Turbo, the 300-pound talking creature who is also the family pet.

Gargoyles SCI FI, to be determined No word whether this is a movie or series, but most likely it’s another Saturday-night movie about an evil wizard named Calabos who plans on taking over the world with an army of nasty gargoyles. Our hero is Marcus, a magician who possesses a magic ring. But can he stop Calabos and his vicious gargoyles in time? From producer Chesler Perlmutter.

Ghost Monkey SCI FI, to be determined When a monkeylike creature goes on a killing rampage on the streets of India, it’s up to a freelance photographer and an American investigator to stop it. From Promark Entertainment.

Graveland SCI FI, to be determined In the near future, when the first manned mission to Mars crashes, the crew find themselves fighting against hostile Martians and rugged terrain to survive. As they race against time to repair their space shuttle, they discover the ancient civilization of Martians may just hold the secrets to the origins of man.

Hef’s Superbunnies Network to be determined This one doesn’t even have a network yet, but you’ve got to love the Stripperella territory Stan Lee is exploring. The comic-book guru is working with Playboy to develop an animated series starring Hugh Hefner as he leads an elite crime-fighting unit featuring Playmates of the Month.

Idaho Creature Incident SCI FI, to be determined John Savage and Michelle Goh star in this story of a government experiment gone awry. When an alien creature fails to work out as a weapon, the creature becomes trapped in a government facility, and it’s up to those in the facility to stop it before it can escape.

Interceptor Force III SCI FI, to be determined Third in the Interceptor Force series. In the not-too-distant future, specially trained government soldiers must protect the Earth from hostile aliens in their greatest challenge yet.

Kim Stanley Robinson’s Red Mars SCI FI, to be determined Miniseries based on Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars trilogy.

Kingdom Hospital ABC, Feb. 5, 2004 Stephen King insisted on writing all 15 hours of this miniseries, which isn’t so mini, before continuing with the project. Based on the Danish miniseries Riget (The Kingdom), from Lars Von Trier, the story is about a hospital that was built on ancient burial grounds. Exploring territory that crosses ER with The Shining, the staff and patients try to ignore the strange goings-on. Andrew McCarthy, Diane Ladd and Bruce Davison star in the series, which begins with a two-hour premiere, followed by 13 one-hour episodes.

King Solomon’s Mines Network to be determined Hallmark Entertainment is presently shooting this four-hour miniseries in South Africa. Patrick Swayze stars as safari hunter Allan Quatermain. He’s been lured back to the African jungles to find a man who disappeared while looking for King Solomon’s mines.

Lab Rats SCI FI, to be determined A new reality series does investigations into claims by futuristic products using its own "lab rats" to see if the products pay off or not. Looking to separate the scams from the secrets, the series will explore subjects such as whether you can sleep fat away, regrow hair or make someone fall in love with you. Produced by Hallock & Healey Entertainment.

Legion SCI FI, to be determined When a man sells his soul to the devil to save his daughter’s life, he quickly learns that the price he must pay is higher than he ever could have imagined. Forced to leave his family, he has the power to recognize other possessed souls. Written by Tony Jordon and executive-produced by Whoopi Goldberg, Stephen Garrett and Jane Featherstone.

Life on Mars SCI FI, to be determined Forget Survivor! This reality series takes 12 people and lets them try to survive in a simulated Mars base. Two teams must deal with physical and psychological challenges while living in a realistic Mars environment. Produced by Wall to Wall.

Mad Mad House SCI FI, to be determined What happens when a witch, a yoga master, a vampire, a psychic and a voodoo priest move in together? As the reality series explores alternative lifestyles, contestants must compete in challenges to take the grand prize. Produced by Arthur Smith and Kent Weed from A. Smith & Company.

Painkiller Jane SCI FI, to be determined This two-hour movie and backdoor pilot is based on the Event Comics series. When a young marine officer, Jane Browning, is exposed to a biochemical weapon, it changes her genetically, giving her amazing self-healing powers. Eventually she becomes an "ultra-covert" special crime-fighting agent, taking on the bad guys and fighting against those who would attempt to use her power for evil. Written and directed by John Harrison.

Phantom Force SCI FI, to be determined Spinoff from the Interceptor Force movies. This elite military team must protect the human race from the supernatural.

The Pride A&E, 2004 In a strange coincidence, The Pride offers another animated look at lions (NBC’s Father of the Pride) "who live in human-type setups." Starring Kate Winslet, Robbie Williams, Helen Mirren and Sean Bean.

Psychic Investigators SCI FI, to be determined When the police are out of other options to solve a crime, they turn to a psychic. This investigative series follows real-life criminal cases as a skilled psychic helps solve the crime. From the producers of The FBI Files and The New Detectives.

Quantum Leap SCI FI, to be determined A new two-hour film from series creator Don P. Bellisario is based on the 1989 series starring Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell that ran for five seasons on NBC. In the series, time-traveling scientist Dr. Sam Beckett’s mind and mirror image leap from one person to another, "striving to put right what once went wrong." The reincarnated Quantum Leap will also act as a back-door pilot for a possible series.

The Ripples NBC, to be determined NBC Studios and DreamWorks TV have joined together to create a new comedy starring Adam Arkin and Diane Farr as a couple who have been married for 4,000 years. No doubt the couple have an issue or two to work out.

Stargate: Atlantis SCI FI, to be determined This spinoff series is based in the Stargate universe and has an all-new cast. On Earth, buried in the ruins of the lost city of Atlantis, a new Stargate is uncovered. The discovery leads the team to a distant universe, where they discover a primitive civilization that is being threatened by brand-new evil bad guys.

Salem’s Lot TNT, to be determined Rob Lowe and Rutger Hauer star in the four-hour miniseries from TNT. Lowe plays journalist Benjamin Mears, who returns to his hometown of Jerusalem’s Lot only to discover nasty head vampire Kurt Barlow (played by Hauer), wants to make it his home too. Based on the Stephen King novel.

Snakehead Terror SCI FI, to be determined A school of large snakehead fish overrun a lake and the land of a small town in Maryland. The nasty mutants can live out of water, and their new favorite food is people. When the snakeheads get out of hand, it’s up to the local sheriff to stop them before it’s too late.

Still Life Fox, midseason Here’s a drama with a twist. Young Jake Morgan follows in his father’s footsteps to become a cop, and on his first day on the job he is killed. A year later, Jake watches his family from beyond, narrating his feelings about what’s going on in their lives. Starring David Keith, Susanna Thompson and Morena Baccarin. Marti Noxon (Buffy) is one of the show’s executive producers.

Suture Girl SCI FI, to be determined This film and back-door pilot is based on the character Gretchen Culver from the Spawn comic book series. After a beautiful woman is murdered by a serial killer, she is stitched back to life and given special powers by a gypsy woman. Becoming the champion for those who cannot help themselves, she battles evil. Written by Alan McElroy.

A Tale of Two Cities SCI FI, to be determined Miniseries adding a sci-fi spin on the Charles Dickens classic.

Taranus ABC, midseason Here’s something we haven’t seen as a television series. Craig Zadan and Neil Meron tell the Gladiator treatment to the story of the power struggle surrounding Julius Caesar’s death.

The Thing SCI FI, to be determined In this four-hour miniseries, SCI FI re-envisions the classic. A team of American scientists become trapped in Antarctica with a creature that can take any form. Written by Gary L. Goldman.

Thought Crimes USA, to be determined One of the most powerful telepaths in the world uses her powers to stop crimes before they happen. Starring Peter Horton and Navi Rawat.

The Triangle SCI FI, early 2005 Stargate’s Dean Devlin and X-Men’s Bryan Singer are developing an eight-hour miniseries that explores the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle. The mini will air in four two-hour episodes. Singer and Devlin will executive produce and develop scripts, and may direct.

The Twelve SCI FI, 2005 Acclaimed filmmaker Martin Scorsese takes on Armageddon in the upcoming SCI FI miniseries The Twelve. When a rash of strange events are reported around the world, FBI Agent John Ferguson begins to see a biblical connection. Ferguson comes to believe that if the biblical prophecies are true, Armageddon will come on the twelfth day of Christmas.

Tripping the Rift SCI FI, January or March 2004 This half-hour animated series is based on the award-winning short film. Tripping follows the adventures of a stumpy purple alien named Chode and his lively crew of misfits aboard a smuggling spaceship called The Free Enterprise. According to SCI FI, Tripping is an edgy CGI series with "raucous humor" and "comic sendups." Voice stars include Gina Gershon, Stephen Root and "Stuttering" John Melendez. From creators Chuck Austen and Chris Moeller.

Total Eclipse SCI FI, to be determined Greylock is a prestigious college where strange things are happening. New professor Jeremy Cross arrives to discover the college is a "nexus of the otherworldly, arcane and supernatural." With faculty IQs rising yearly, intelligent wolves running through the forest and research that focuses on everything from time travel to extrasensory perception, Cross is going to learn a few lessons of his own. Executive produced and written by Steve Aspis.

Ursula Le Guin’s Earthsea SCI FI, to be determined Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea trilogy is being adapted into a four-hour miniseries that will be executive-produced by Kevin Brown and Lawrence Bender. The miniseries will cover A Wizard of Earthsea, Tales of Earthsea and Tombs of Atuan, and tell the story of an awkward boy who becomes a wizard’s apprentice, and what happens to him when he discovers Sparrowhawk is his true name. As he begins his transition into becoming a man, his journey will pit him against an evil that may be connected to him. While this mini is still going forward, the previously announced Left Hand of Darkness is no longer being developed.

V: The Second Generation NBC, February 2004 Those rodent-eating reptiles are back. Based on the 1980 television series, V, this three-hour movie from writer/producer Kenneth Johnson goes 20 years into the future. Humanity is enslaved, and the Resistance is losing the war. But suddenly a new powerful and mysterious ally joins their cause. I’ve also seen this listed as V: Next Generation.

Wonderfalls Fox, midseason After a Niagara Falls souvenir shop salesgirl has a psychiatric breakdown, the trinkets she sells begin to talk to her, guiding her to help those around her. This "dramedy" stars Caroline Dhavernas, William Sadler and Katie Finneran. From Dead Like Me creator Bryan Fuller and Todd Holland.

A Wrinkle In Time ABC, late in 2004 The Wonderful World of Disney will present the Madeleine L’Engle classic children’s tale as a four-hour miniseries over two consecutive Sunday evenings. The story crosses the boundaries of time and space when two children, Meg and Charles Wallace, and their neighbor, Calvin O’Keefe, go on a journey to find the children’s scientist father, who has disappeared. With the help of three strange women, the children must travel to the desolate planet of Camazotz, where a repressed society of beings has been enslaved by an evil force. The children and their friends discover it’s up to them to rescue their father. The miniseries was directed by John Harrison from a screenplay and was written by Susan Shilliday. Due to reshooting of some the special effects, there’s been a delay in airing of this mini.