Dan's Media Digest

Intelligent sci-fi and cult episode reviews from Dan Owen, blogger at Dan's Media Digest.

Yvonne Strahovski is... 29 today!

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Chuck cutie Yvonne Strahovski was born 29 years ago this very day. There's no other reason for this post, other than the opportunity to upload a sexy photo of Ms Strahovski and wish her a happy birthday. Mission accomplished. Many

Yvonne Strahovski is... 28 today!

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Chuck cutie Yvonne Strahovski was born 28 years ago this very day. There's no other reason for this post, other than the opportunity to upload a sexy photo of Ms Strahovski and wish her a happy birthday. Mission accomplished. Many

Yoba & Mennel join Alphas

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Syfy have a superhero drama in the making called Alphas, about a team of people with extraordinary mental powers. It's written by Zak Penn (X-Men III, The Incredible Hulk), the 90-minute pilot's directed by Jack Bender (Lost), and they've just

Sky's HBO deal not water-tight

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Sky's announcement that they've struck a £150m deal with HBO for exclusive UK rights to their back catalogue and future commissions isn't quite as comprehensive as first thought... FX have stepped in to assure viewers that they still retain the pay-TV

Syfy's Being Human remake starts filming

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Filming is now underway on the US remake of Being Human in Montreal, Canada. We already know the main lineup (Sam Witwer as vampire Aidan, Sam Worthington as werewolf Josh, and Meaghan Rath as ghost Sally), but Mark Pellegrino (Supernatural,

Sky to develop original British comedy

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Hot on the heels of the news Sky have secured the rights to every HBO show for the next five years, the satellite broadcaster have also announced their commitment to original British comedy. The broadcaster is set to invest millions into

Superhamm?

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There are unconfirmed reports that Mad Men star John Hamm is being seriously considered for the Christopher Nolan-produced Superman reboot. I just wondered what everybody thinks about this. Personally, I think Hamm is a fantastic choice, if slightly too old

'SPARTACUS: BLOOD & SAND' 1.10 - "Party Favors"

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[SPOILERS] I think it's safe to say "Party Favors" was a little lacking in plot, which is perhaps part of the reason it opened with an extended (and very bloody) battle, with Spartacus (Andy Whitfield) partnering Varro (Jai Courtney) in

Channel 4 get The Event

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Channel 4 have acquired the UK rights to NBC's new conspiracy drama The Event, which is amassing a great deal of buzz after the L.A Screenings and San Diego Comic-Con last weekend. The series concerns a man (Jason Ritter) searching

Sky sign exclusive HBO deal

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In an astonishing move, Sky have acquired the rights to HBO's entire TV archive and future programming for the next five years, in a £150m deal. This will assumedly provide the broadcaster with high quality programming to fill its newly-acquired

'BETTER OFF TED' 1.1 & 1.2 - "Pilot" & "Heroes"

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Silly comedy is trickier than people imagine, and I'm rarely convinced that modern American comedy can pull it off. It's been a long time since the heyday of Mel Brooks or the Zucker-Abrams-Zucker movies that gave us Airplane! and The

'PERSONS UNKNOWN' 1.7 - "Smoke And Steel"

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[SPOILERS] The last few episodes renewed my interest in this series, but "Smoke And Steel" didn't connect with me. Ironically, this episode gave us our first big insights into the Organization that are behind things (a 50-year-old company testing people

BBC Three: Autumn 2010

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What new delights do BBC3 have in store for its audience this autumn? Well, nothing that takes my fancy (beyond the new twentysomething comedy Him & Her starring Russell Tovey), but I'm no longer target demographic for the BBC's "youth

'TRUE BLOOD' 3.6 - "I Got A Right To Sing The Blues"

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[SPOILERS] True Blood is a show comprised of trailer-bait moments and exhilarative cliffhangers, as the recent sizzle reel from the San Diego Comic-Con proved. It's just a shame that the show, particularly in this third year, isn't that great at

Damages execs on DirecTV pickup

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Michael Ausiello has a brief but interesting interview with Damage co-creators Daniel Zelman and Todd A. Kessler, where they chat about the show's recent surprise pickup by DirecTV and what they means for the show. "DirecTV wants us to do the

SDCC: Dexter, Glee, No Ordinary Family & V panels

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In my final batch of videos from the San Diego Comic-Con, I've gathered together all the remaining panels. Some better quality than others, obviously. "GLEE" Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 "NO ORDINARY FAMILY" Part 2 "V" Part

Bubba in True Blood?

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Here's a crazy possibility for the True Blood universe. Speaking at the San Diego Comic-Con, showrunner Alan Ball mentioned his reticence to bring the character of Bubba into the TV series. For those who don't read the source novels by

Nikita & Chase coming to Living

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LivingTV have secured the UK rights to The CW's spy-action drama Nikita (starring Maggie Q) and NBC's Jerry Bruckheimer-produced Chase, about a team of US marshals. Nikita will be the jewel of Living's autumn schedule, with episodes airing shortly after

'SHERLOCK' 1.1 - "A Study In Pink"

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[SPOILERS] Conceived during train journeys while working on Doctor Who, Sherlock is a modern update of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's 19th-century detective adventures, from Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, writers whose affection for Victoriana is clear and evident. Gatiss's work

TV Picks: 26 July – 1 August 2010 (Better Off Ted, The Great Outdoors, Hammond Meets Moss, The Real Hustle: Celebrity Scammers, and more...)

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MONDAY 26thTen Mile Menu (ITV, 5pm) Series where teams face a challenge to serve meals using ingredients sourced from a 10-mile radius. The Hospital (Channel 4, 9pm) Return of the series examining the UK's health service. Hammond Meets Moss (BBC2, 11.20pm) Top