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

Jack Bauer is going to Africa! In a recent interview with IGN.com, Kiefer Sutherland expounded on the upcoming 24 TV-movie, which has been subtitled “Exiled.” Since the series has yet to return since Season Six, FOX is putting together a special two-hour prequel which will air on November 23rd. The movie will feed directly into Season Seven, and pit Jack against some African militiamen.

It seems to me that FOX has a lot riding on this upcoming movie/season. With Season Six getting trounced by fans and critics, show creator Joel Surnow moving on, and the show’s extended silence, Jack and the crew over at CTU have a pretty big challenge.

I’ll have the full review for you later over on DVD Verdict, but I’ve just seen the first two episodes of Wild China, the BBC documentary on the land which will host the 2008 Olympics, and they are beautiful. I was hooked about 5 minutes in, as the sheer human accomplishment behind the rice paddy terraces of Yuanyang County sank in.

I’m blogging now because The Travel Channel will be running Wild China in two big Sunday three-hour blocks on July 27 and August 3, starting at 8 p.m. each night. Since the shows run 59 minutes on the DVD, there will likely be cuts to fit the hour time slots. The documentary also has a rare graceful flow that could be lost amid commercials and those ubiquitous promos. Still, it is something to behold, and you ought to catch it.

Yeah, you’ve heard that before about documentaries, and yeah, I realize there are a lot of times when you just aren’t interested in the subject. From what I’ve seen so far, though, you could be hooked even if you think you’re uninterested.

A surprise announcement to those who enjoy their cinematic criticism from their television: Richard Roeper has given the finger to his television day job.

Richard Roeper has given two thumbs down—and two weeks’ notice—to a contract offer for his stalwart movie review show.

After being unable to agree to terms to renew his contract with show producers, the Chicago Sun-Times columnist announced plans to leave At the Movies With Ebert & Roeper after eight seasons cohosting with Roger Ebert.

Roeper’s last flick of the thumb will come the weekend of Aug. 16-17. The following week, At the Movies will be in the unprecedented predicament of being without either of its titular critics.

“Several months ago, Disney offered to extend my contract, which expires at the conclusion of the 2007-08 season,” Roeper said. “I opted to wait. Much transpired after that behind the scenes, but an agreement was never reached, and we are all moving on.”

Should be interesting to see what happens to the long-running show now. With Roeper gone, and Ebert probably not coming back due to ongoing health concerns/lack of jaw, the show might be pooched.

At the very least, they’d have to change the title. “At The Movies With Whoever We Can Find” lacks the same ring, you know?

(via E!Online)

The 60th Emmy nominations have been released in full, with some surprises, some obvious selections, and some just plain craziness. For your viewing pleasure, here is a nice summation of the big categories (care of Popwatch) and their respective nominations:

Best Drama:
Boston Legal; Damages; Dexter; House; Lost; Mad Men.

Best Actor in a Drama:
Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment; Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad; Michael C. Hall, Dexter; Jon Hamm, Mad Men; Hugh Laurie, House; James Spader, Boston Legal.

Best Actress in a Drama:
Glenn Close, Damages; Sally Field, Brothers and Sisters; Mariska Hargitay, Law and Order: SVU; Holly Hunter, Saving Grace; Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer.

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama:
Ted Danson, Damages; Michael Emerson, Lost; Zeljko Ivanek, Damages; William Shatner, Boston Legal; John Slattery, Mad Men.

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama:
Candice Bergen, Boston Legal; Rachel Griffiths, Brothers and Sisters; Sandra Oh, Grey’s Anatomy; Dianne Wiest, In Treatment; Chandra Wilson, Grey’s Anatomy.

Best Comedy:
Curb Your Enthusiasm; Entourage; The Office; 30 Rock; Two and a Half Men.

Best Actor in a Comedy:
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock; Steve Carell, The Office; Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies; Tony Shalhoub, Monk; Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men.

Best Actress in a Comedy:
Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?; America Ferrera, Ugly Betty; Tina Fey, 30 Rock; Julia Louis-Dreyfus, New Adventures of Old Christine; Mary Louise Parker, Weeds.

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy:
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men; Kevin Dillon, Entourage; Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother; Jeremy Piven, Entourage; Rainn Wilson, The Office.

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy:
Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies; Amy Poehler, Saturday Night Live; Jean Smart, Samantha Who?; Holland Taylor, Two and a Half Men; Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty.

Some early observations from this humble critic:

A complete list of Emmy nominations can be found at the Emmys website.

Share your thoughts in the comments below? Are you surprised by the nomination results? Outraged? Pleased? Do you even care about the Emmys? Let us know!

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

It’s being reported that the supposed spin-off of NBC’s The Office isn’t in fact a spin-off at all. The show is now being talked about as a vague new series that may involve SNL star Amy Poehler and Human Giant’s Aziz Ansari.

Variety is reporting that while the show may have been rumored to be a spin-off… now it’s more than likely going to be a new series, with little-to-no connection to the hit NBC show.

I guess I’m going to just have to dream about someday getting Everybody Loves Toby.

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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