Discovery Channel’s hit series Man v. Wild returns for a third season starting tonight (Aug 6) at 10p ET / 9p CT, its new day and time. Those of you with weak stomachs or card carrying PETA members be forewarned. Host Bear Grylls is an absolute nut who’s not above going to great lengths in order to live life to its survivalist fullest. There’s a video clip of his second season Zambia adventure for you, after the jump.

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While Comic Con tends to be kamikaze journalism for those of us foolish enough to throw ourselves into it, some of the hidden gems are the small interview opportunities that pop up throughout the weekend, and this is a perfect example. Best known for his work on Battlestar Galactica, a relaxed Jamie Bamber was tucked away in the Genius Products booth at the back of a manic Saturday morning convention floor doing small press for Pulse: Afterlife, a film he shot during hiatus last season, and arrives on DVD September 30. But as these interviews often go, the conversation strayed into some fascinating areas.

TV Verdict: Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Pulse (Kairo)…

Jamie Bamber: Thank you for mentioning it.

TVV: Of course. The film was a fascinating J-Horror metaphor for our increasing anxiety over technology dependence…

JB: You know, I loved it. I just loved it, from the very first shot of these people in this sort of plant nurturing place which is on a building… like a nursery within an office building… it’s just a patio… and they’re so distant from each other… and it’s just about how disconnected we actually are. We think we’re connected by this technology, and that’s an illusion. And then people get haunted by the illusion, and ghosts come through and it takes over their lives… I thought it was mesmerizing, really mesmerizing. I have to say that’s why… Pulse 2, a sequel to a film I really liked… that’s why I decided to do it. To see if we could do something a bit more faithful to Kurosawa’s piece. I have no idea whether it is or not. It probably wasn’t one of the aims of the producers to be honest… to be faithful… because foreign films that leave the camera rolling on wide shots and don’t cut into it every two seconds are just not particularly en vogue in America right now. But I think we’ll learn and we’ll wake up that that’s actually more dramatic than being slapped around the head with a bat and told you don’t expect this, but you do and here it is.

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Chief Justice Michael Stailey had the pleasure of sitting down with producer/director John Badham to discuss the relevance of Wargames in today’s technologically advanced world, the joys and pains of working on two current hit television series — Psych and Heroes, and how television directing has evolved from the late ’60s when he first got into the business.

TV Verdict: Two of your films have recently been given the Special Edition DVD treatment — Wargames to coincide with the release of the follow-up WarGames: Dead Code and Short Circuit to capitalize on WALL-E…

John Badham: We think WALL-E is capitalizing on Short Circuit. (He laughs)

TVV: Do you look at these films differently now, twenty years later, than you did when you were making them?

JB: Gosh, no. I love both of these movies and you hope that every movie you work on you’re going to be that excited about; that thrill, because you know it’s such a great script. In the course of your life, you’re gonna have to work on some stuff that maybe is not the greatest — for one reason or another — and reading both of these scripts, I’ll always remember my reaction to them, which was so positive and strong. “Whoa man, this is great!” Feeling that they both turned out really well even early on, that’s the strength of the script being decently done by the actors and the director. But if you don’t have a good script, you’re never gonna have something you’re happy with. All you can do with a bad script is dress it up and try and dance around it; do what Bob Fosse called “all that jazz,” to try and conceal the weaknesses of it. But when you get down to the heart of it, it’s still a piece of crap. But that’s not the case with these movies. You know, these movies stand because the characters are strong. Number 5 is a strong character. David Lightman is a character you just go “Aw man, I care about this kid. He’s in a lot of trouble. How’s he gonna get out of this shit?”

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As is often the case with the behemoth known as Comic Con, things are constantly changing. As a result, I didn’t get to everything I had planned for the day. But, what I did cover was well worth the time investment.

Started the day by interviewing William Katt on the rebirth of the Greatest American Hero franchise, as unveiled at Thursday’s packed panel discussion with special guests Robert Culp and Connie Sellecca. With the blessing of series creator Stephen J. Cannell, Katt’s publishing company, Catastrophic Comics, will bring the series to comic book form by retelling the original pilot (with a few modern updates) and then proceed to fill in the gaps with many more tales of Ralph, Bill, Pam, and the suit. They’ll also be doing flash animation shorts, with Bob, Connie, and William voicing the characters. I’ll have the full interview for you shortly.

From there, it was over to the Marriott for a sit down with three of the original MST3K creators, Joel Hodgson, Jim Mallon, and Trace Beaulieu. Getting there early, I got to hang out while UGO did their on-camera interview, providing a little more insight into the show’s history. Then it was my turn for a less formal discussion, which ranged from the series origins to the nuts and bolts of what it took to create the show week in and week out. This was without a doubt the highlight of the day. At the moment, the interview is half transcribed, so with any luck I’ll have it for you before the end of Saturday.

Back to the convention center for Entertainment Weekly’s Showrunners panel, featuring producers Bryan Fuller (Pushing Daisies), Carlton Cuse (Lost), Damon Lindelof (Lost), Josh Schwartz (Chuck), and Josh Friedman (Sarah Connor Chronicles). As you might imagine, it ended up being very Lost-centric, but everyone seemed to find the humor in it, and we got some great insights into the other shows as well. The one Lost tidbit I wasn’t aware of is that the demise of Mr Eko was not according to plan. Apparently, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje came down with a severe case of island fever (the stir crazies) and wanted out of his contract, forcing Damon and Carlton to end Eko’s storyline long before they had originally planned. On the Sarah Connor front, Josh explained the casting of Brian Austin Green happened at the very last minute, less than a day before the character was schedule to shoot, and the entire staff thought Josh was insane for hiring him. Luckily for him, the move paid off in spades. And with regards to Pushing Daisies, the new season will pick up 10 months after we last saw our heroes, with all of them still desperately holding onto their respective secrets now tearing them apart. I’ll have the full report for you shortly. In the meantime, check out TV Verdict’s Twitter feed for live highlights of the discussion (typos included).

After taking a break from the festivities to work on transcribing, I sat in on the Robot Chicken panel and man are those guys nuts. Seth Green and Breckin Meyer have the greatest rapport of two friends I have ever seen, and the rest of this cast of characters are a comedy series unto themselves. Highlights from this discussion include teases for what to expect in Season Four — Tentacle porn; A war between the Smurfs and the Snorks; a second Star Wars special with Carrie Fisher; guest appearances by Joss Whedon and Ron Moore; and an unseen behind-the-scenes look at the making of Indiana Jones. You know, they’ve repeatedly asked Harrison Ford to appear on the show, but his agent (who has been repping him since the early ’70s) had no idea what the show was and was floored that there’s an entire network dedicated to cartoons. Again, head over to the Twitter feed for more highlights and stay tuned for a full report. Oh, and just remember, if anyone asks, Breckin wrote the Emperor Palpatine sketch.

Finally, we closed the day with the MST3K 20th Anniversary Celebration, featuring all 11 creative contributors to the series’ 11-year run. The well documented split between the gang still seems somewhat palpable, with Joel, Jim, and Trace seated to one side of the podium, while Mike, Kevin, Frank, Mary Jo, Josh, Bill, Brigid, and Paul were on the other. Not to make more out of this than there is, it’s just interesting to see the interactions between them all. Hosted by Patton Oswalt, the evening opened with a musical montage and clips, followed by a moderated discussion. No questions were taken from the audience though, which was a bit disappointing. Kevin and Frank ended up talking the most, with Mike and Josh saying the least. It may be strong of me to say the evening was a letdown, but given my talk with the guys earlier in the day, perhaps my expectations were too high. In any case, the 20th Anniversary DVD set will be released October 28 by Shout! Factory and include four never before released episodes — First Spaceship On Venus, Laserblast, Werewolf, and Future War — four lobby cards, a Crow figurine, and the bonus materials I mentioned earlier, much of which is being recorded this weekend. I’ll have a more robust summary for you, alongside the interview later this weekend.

Preview for Day Three:
* Jamie Bamber interview
* Interviews with cast and crew for DC’s next animated feature — Wonder Woman
* Lost, BSG, Pushing Daisies, and Fringe presentations (time and crowds permitting)
* TV Guide Fall preview

Just finished up a great interview with Joel, Trace, and Jim. While I wasn’t able to get through all of the questions I had, we did cover a lot of ground… Frank being the guy who screened and selected the films, the process of writing the series, performing in a vacuum, the first inkling that the show was catching on, the influence of the internet, content still being created for the 20th Anniversary DVD box set — a three-part documentary detailing the show’s history, new interviews, tonight’s Comic Con panel — and much more. I’ll be transcribing it this afternoon and hopefully post it before the panel.

Thanks to a disastrous seven hour drive down from Santa Monica (5 South was shut down due to a fiery crash), the day was nearly a total washout.

However, I did get to sit down for an hour with Jeannie Schulz, wife of Peanuts creator Charles Schulz, to discuss his career, the legacy of the characters, their new partnership with Warner Bros. to release all of the animated specials, and a special Rock the Vote campaign this fall. We’ll have the full interview for you next week.

I also attended the world premiere of Stargate: Continuum aboard the decommissioned aircraft carrier USS Midway. There’s nothing like watching a big movie on a drive-in sized screen, on a flight deck loaded with fighter jets, with the San Diego skyline as your backdrop. Beau Bridges, Richard Dean Anderson, and many past and current Stargate cast and crew were in attendance. And for someone with very little exposure to the Stargate franchise (beyond the feature film), Continuum is a surprisingly accessible and engaging adventure, loaded with humor and in-jokes for the fans. This time travel tale puts a whole new spin on things, as Carter (Amanda Tapping), Jackson (Michael Shanks), and Mitchell (Ben Browder) must survive an alternate timeline while finding a way to restore their own. Sure, there are some plot holes and cheesy special effects, but the film — written by Brad Wright and directed by Martin Wood — is well crafted and well executed. Continuum comes to DVD on Tuesday (Jul 29) and we’ll have a full review for you that day over at DVD Verdict.

Preview for Day Two:
* Interview with William Katt about relaunch of Greatest American Hero franchise
* Preview of new SciFi Channel series Sanctuary
* Bones Season Four cast panel
* MST3K 20th Anniversary reunion and interviews with Joel, Trace, and Jim Mallon

The Mystery Inc. gang seems to be an evergreen source for satire.

From her early voice work on animated series (Animaniacs, New Adventures of Batman and Robin) and holiday specials (Frosty Returns) to recurring roles on Picket Fences and The West Wing, 25-year-old actress Elisabeth Moss has crafted quite the impressive resume. But it wasn’t until landing the role of unassuming wunderkind Peggy Olson on AMC’s Mad Men that she truly came into her own. Elisabeth sat down with Chief Justice Michael Stailey to talk about the hit series, her character’s storyline, and what we can expect to see when Mad Men returns for Season Two.

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Not to be outdone by The Office, NBC is unveiling Heroes: Going Postal on Monday, July 14 at NBC.com. While it doesn’t appear that any of the series regulars are involved, a new character enters the fray, and that’s saying a mouthful. Here’s the teaser trailer…

Like a shot of comedic espresso, the creative team behind NBC’s The Office goes online adventuring once again. This time, follow Kevin, Oscar, Darrel as they attempt to figure out how to pay back Kevin’s gambling debts. The series begins tomorrow, July 10 at NBC.com, but you can catch a sneak peek right here…

And as an added bonus, a little behind the scenes action as well…