Follow ups galore!

The world is spinning fast, n'est pas?
Take a deep breath and let's take a look now at some of the items we've covered over the last few weeks and find out what (if anything) is new...

Operation Full Burn
As I was neatly reminded yesterday, Serenity2.net posted about the 'Day of Action' called for by Operation Full Burn (a campaign to show Universal how popular Serenity is and how many people want a sequel). I'm sure that all you Browncoats out there have already joined the the Universal HD message boards by now? No?! Well get yourself over there right now and join! And while you are there take a moment to consider the number of threads and posts on the Firefly boards against those of the other shows. Firefly has 808 topics and 11,741 replies. The next closest show is Battlestar Galactica which has 16 topics and 45 replies.

All you have to do is join the Firefly message board and then log in on Saturday April 5th just before 8 PM Eastern Standard Time, just before they start to air the first epsisode in glorious HD. There is talk of having using the Fireflyfans.net message boards to host an online chat at the same time, so I'll keep you posted about that.

Star Wait and the liningup people
Not so much luck here, I'm afraid. I've still been unable to contact any of the people and my other lead appears to not be interested. But I will persist!

Dollhouse
I've not written that much about Dollhouse recently, what with my head getting all spinned about by Doctor Horrible. His Blog I mean, not Doctor Horrible himself...Anyway, filming should be starting very soon and a quick trip to Dollverse confirms that filming is scheduled for 23rd April. There is lots of other news about cast a crew on Dollverse and DollhouseTV.

Joss' Whedon's Journal
We return to Joss' Journal today, where Joss is in a contemplative mood about the strike...

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Joss' Journal January 17 08

Yes, this not working is really hard at the moment. I'm so busy I've forgotten what my home looks like in daylight. The Strike is taking it's toll on morale etc but onwards and upwards! Everyone gets why we need to do this so it's just a question of digging in and making sure we get the message to the other side. Note to self: must shout 'Panda Fur' at next picket.

And what doesn't help is that there is dissension in the Minion ranks. Apparently I said that Minion #1 could play 'homeless #30' or something in the New Thing, and now they all want a part. Well, I don't remember saying that - I could have said that they look like a homeless (as a joke), but really, have them in front of a camera? My camera? Conflict a go-go...

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Jewel Staite(s) the case for more Firefly!

Good news, everyone!
Serenity2.net has a great post this morning about the Supanova Expo in Melbourne this weekend. Included is a brilliant videoclip of Jewel Staite (Kaylee from Firefly and Serenity) talking about Kaylee and news that there is going to be a special edition of Firefly released later this year. Fly over to Serenity2.net to find out what Jewel would like to see happen for Kaylee in any future Serenity/Firefly...

Alan Tudyk and Nathan Fillion, reunited again
Thanks to Felicia Day for putting me onto Google Alerts in her blog. I don't know how I managed to fill my inbox without it! But it did bring me news of some great photos from a recent 'Halo 3, The Show' taken by danregal. There are 118 photos of the panel, with a concentration of shots of Nathan and Alan. The accompanying description is short but sounds like a good time was had by all, especially the Browncoats.

How do you make a hole in the wall?

It's been one of those days today...
Sorry if you caught the rather random part-blog I posted in error a bit ago. Technology, eh? Still, I fared rather better than the wife of an unnamed man described in beyondhollywood.com (spied on Technorati). He attempted to drill the hole needed for his satellite installation by shooting his gun through the wall. He wife was on the other side of the wall and the shot killed her. Not much you can say about that except 'Wha..?'

So, DVD recorders then. How straightforward are they?
As predicted yesterday, I did not resort to using the instruction book when I set up the DVD recorder. Nope. I am Geek! I rule technology! Ok, there were a couple of teething problems, but I put that down to the bad layout of the remote control. Why don't they do them with an ergonomic design? There's a business opportunity for someone.

Who won?
Anyway, it's 45 mins to go before the Battlestar Galactica hour yesterday on Space and I need to set up the machine so it will record. Get the channels scanned ok and now to practice. And to make sure that the channels are really set properly let's record from Space channel, which is showing Battlestar in 30 mins. I get the channel set up (oh look - gross tapeworms! Naturegeek motherload!) Ok, when the next break comes on I'll check the recording. Yes! We have fantastic shots of parasites! Best try again, just to double-check. Switch off recording and what's on the TV? James Callis (Dr. Gaius Baltar) talking about the show. Help! Must switch channels! No! Wrong remote! Oh no! Drop remote and batteries ping out! Much swearing, fumbling of remotes and panic ensue. Hubby is next to me averting his eyes and laughing so hard he can't hear the TV.

Yes, but who won?
Eventually I manage to turn off the TV ("Shut down all the DVD recorders and TVs on the detention level 2! No, shut them all down! Hurry!) and after berating hubby (who's only cogent comment is "At least you can put it in your blog...") I go back to check the DVD has recorded. And guess who appears on the screen? Yes, it's James Callis again, still telling me about the show! Argh! In my fumbling I must have managed to record the preview I was trying so hard not to watch. A trembling hand turns off the TV. 5 mins to go....

The jury is out...
So, did it record ok? I guess so. It should have done...I don't know! I can't check it without the chance of seeing something I don't want to, so I'm going to have to trust to luck and wait until I've finished Season 3. Or record it again tomorrow when it's repeated!

Joss' Journal update

Now I know you've been waiting for the next installment from Joss' journal and frankly, so have I. The latest batch is now in my possession (best not to ask) but I need to do some edits because I don't want to give anything away regarding Doctor Horrible. And to be honest, some of the entries are a little short and weird. Perhaps the stress is getting to Joss. I can tell you that Minion #1 becomes an important player!

Books, reading, writing and MySpace

Kids Need To Read
Do you know a child who is a reluctant reader? Me too. If so, The Softwire books by P J Haarsma could be the answer. I've been meaning to order the first book (The Softwire: Virus on Orbis 1) for a while and now the second one has just been released (The Softwire: Betrayal on Orbis 2) so I've done the Amazon thing and ordered them. Of course, if I had thought about it I could ordered them direct from the author's website, but you live and learn! P J Haarsma has also developed an online game called 'The Rings of Orbis' that children can play (for free) that is set in the world of the softwire books. He also happens to be the co-founder (with Nathan Fillion) of Kids Need To Read. The great auctions for KNTR I mentioned are still on so visit the site and make a bid. You get a the chance to win brilliant items and you also know you are supporting an organisation that's helping lots of children to access books and enjoy reading.

When did you last get a free book?
I got one this morning. And before it was released to the rest of the world. Guess I must be special. If so, you can be special, too. Buffy Between the Lines put me on to the wonderful free PDF of Scott Sigler's new book 'Infected'. You can download it complete from the site from now until March 31st - how great it that? I've started to read it and it looks to be a great read, it grabs you on the first page. In fact, I had to close Acrobat down completely and not even leave open. I've got things to do today and if it was there, minimised, I'd have to go back and carry on reading. Download it now - what's to lose?

Question answered
And in great link from Whedonesque (I have to look there everyday, it's my way - don't knock it 'til you've tried it) I have one of my submitted Paley questions answered. Sort of. I wanted to know what Joss thought of fan fiction and the article from the ClickZ Network quotes the great man as saying "'I'd like to see fan fiction for Firefly,'". See, if you wish hard enough, you get the truth. Sort of.

Fanfictabulous

And the recent fanfic I read for Firefly was pretty darn good. 'My Own Kind of Freedom, A Firefly Novel by Steven Brust, PJF' is also a free book that's available to download from Dreamcafe.com. Even if you've never watched an episode of Firefly (and if you haven't, shame on you!) I think you will appreciate the writing style. There are no wasted words and the action sweeps you along. A Good Read (and I picked that one up from a link on FireFlyFans.net, just to prove it's not all Whedonesque...!).

Slinky-linkies
No, I can't think of a way to now add the fact that yes, I have got a MySpace account. I set it up a while ago. I haven't gone down the route of changing the background etc because I just can't decide on one - there is a lot of choice. Plus, I've seen some pretty horrible 'custom' MySpace accounts out there. Remember, the secret word to use is 'cybergeekspace' and then you can be a friend, too.

Countdown to Battlestar Galactica: The Phenomenon

I lost the time battle...
There are still episodes of Season 3 unwatched that will still be unwatched tonight at 7.00 when Space broadcast Battlestar Galactica: The Phenomenon (do you know how slowly I have to type out 'phenomenon'?! It always looks and feels as if you've gone crazy in the middle...). This is special for many reasons. Joss Whedon and Seth Green both appear in it, along with many other esteemed contributors. I had a sneaky-peeky on that there Sci-Fi.com but had to stop because it started showing bits of Season 3 I hadn't seen already. Now it's dilemma time. This will be the first time I'll be able to see a show I really love the first time it airs - no more being behind in everything. But then, if I do that, I'll see spoilers galore and it'll ruin the rest of Season 3.

...but I didn't shoot the deputy
The answer, as always, lies in technology. I should just record the program and then, when Season 3 is all watched and everything is revealed, I could watch it. You know, after everyone else has. I guess I'll just do that then. Tsk. At least I get to be geeky by refusing to read the instructions for my new DVD recorder because I know I will be able to set it up without any dumb instructions.

Season 4 - starts April 4th
But the good news is, Season 4 starts on April 4th! Good news, everyone! And if I really try hard then I could be all up to date and ready to go for next week. And see the new season as it's supposed to be seen - a week apart and interspersed with intrusive adverts for products and ideas I'll never subscribe to. See, that's real progress! I wonder when the Season 4 DVDs will be released...

Mr Rotman replies
Well, I know my loyal reader sees fit to check out the site everyday, and I thank you for that. A comment here or there would be nice, but it's early in our relationship and I don't want to pressure you. But I did get some feedback from Michael Rotman, the Producer and Director of Star Wait. I had sent him a copy of the review I did for Star Wait and he sent a really great email back, thanking me for 'a cool review'. See, an important person like that and he still took the time to send me some feedback. Just saying.

Doctor Horrible's Officially Official Fan site

What a few days it's been...
After the excitement of the Buffy Reunion at the Paley last week we might have expected Jossverse-related news to fade to the usual roar. Well, if we did, we would have been wrong. The frenzy surrounding Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog was stoked by Joss casually mentioning that he was slightly tardy to the Paley because they had just finished wrapping Doctor Horrible. Since then there has been a frantic search for information, however small, about who/what/why/when the three, ten minute musical episodes will be completed and released.



From Unoffical to Official in three days...
On March 24th Whedonesque spotted a new fan site for Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog and within hours the new site was inundated with visitors. Since then it has added content seemingly by the hour as more information is gleaned from all available sources. And so it was only a matter of time before other parts of the Interweb started to take notice. Already salivating at the prospect of Neil Patrick Harris singing Joss Whedon-penned songs, the fansite was mentioned on E! Online and io9. And the Felicia Day, picking up her Google Alerts, found the fansite and blogged about it. Which makes her blog a blog about a fansite blog that's about a musical blog that she's starring in....On the 27th the fansite announced that it was now the 'Official' fansite for Doctor Horrible and revealed another cast member.

Things move fast in cyber(geek)space
By any measure that's pretty quick going. Apparently the fansite will be the first to know of new developments so that would be the place to go to find things out. Exciting times! And that's even before we think about Dollhouse. Speaking of which...E! Online have broken the news that Helo from Battlestar Galactica (actor Tahmoh Penikett) is joining the crew on Dollhouse. There are more details on the site including his character's name and details of other cast members. Shooting starts in April so there should be more news coming out soon.

And speaking of BSG...
The race is on the finish watching Season 3 before Friday! Space cable channel is airing a hour-long BSG extravaganza on Friday in which Joss himself appears speaking about how much he loves BSG. And Season 4 (the final season) starts on April 4th. Not long to wait now!

Happy birthday Nathan!
Nathan Fillion celebrates his birthday today. Let's hope Captain Hammerpants has a great day with cake, drinks and maybe just a little bit of music.

Woody's Roundup
Have you got your bids in for Mr Sulu and Jayne's Space Monkey yet for the Kids Need To Read auctions? Hurry, only a day to go! After all the excitement I forgot, too, so I'm going to do that later today...

First pictures from Dr Horrible's set

Direct from Norma Jean, an extra
As reported on doctorhorrible.net Norma Jean, an extra from Doctor Horrible's Sing Along-Blog has posted a comment on Felicia Day's blog that includes a link to some photos she took from the set. And that gives us our first look at Nathan Fillion as Captain Hammer in his shiny tee shirt complete with logo. More news as it comes in...

Dr Horrible's Sing Along-Blog - now on MySpace!

And Facebook, too...
In addition to being able to catch up with any breaking news about Dr Horrible on the new fansite you can now get friendly on MySpace and Facebook. This is a great way to find out what's going on and meet up with other fans. See you there!

Jayne's monkey is up for grabs...

A spanking good auction!
Those crazy people at Kids Needs to Read have done it again. I've just finished counting the pennies in my piggybank to see what bid I can go to for Mr Sulu's signed photo when they go and put a Terrify'n Space Monkey signed by Adam Baldwin (who played Jayne in Firefly and Serenity) up for auction. Eek! Check out the great piccies of Adam playing with his monkey (I'm trying real hard here to keep a rein on this folks, the temptation to give in to the entendres is building...) on the website. The auction runs from the 24th of March to the 29th of March so you need to hurry on this one. Get off your bunks and get bidding! I'm going to have to resort to looking down the back of the sofas now for fallen cash (wonder if I'll find Anya's necklace while I'm there...?).

Happy Birthday Alyson
And talking of Willow, it's Alyson Hannigan's birthday today. I hope Alexis bought her a brilliant present, preferably one that didn't raise the dead or leave a bad taste in the mouth (...sorry, it's getting late and still on innuendo-overload from Jayne's monkey).

Nathan, Nathan, Nathan...

I haven't got any news about Nathan Fillion, just wanted to mention him. *Breaking news* Actually it's just been announced that he is set to appear in Australia in May at the Firefly Hub convention along with Ron Glass (Book) and Jason Palmer (artist). Not heard anything more about Dr Horrible as yet, but I think we will hear something very soon.

Wil's got stamina
I've not mentioned Mr Wheaton for a while. That doesn't mean I haven't been lurking and checking his blog out, though. He seems to have mostly recovered from his sinus work and is back in fine form - no less than 4 separate blog entries today! Makes other, less worthy, blogs seem a bit half-hearted. Wil is the sort of person that you either love or hate, but he sure makes me laugh. And cry a bit, too. If you are not a fan of coarse language skim over the naughty bits, it's worth your while. And if you still harbour resentments over Wesley Crusher we've covered that - grow up already!

Woody's gone to bed
That's all for today, folks. Kinda tired and out of words. If you've made it this far down, let me know by posting a comment. Seriously.

All hands to the helm: Mr Sulu is up for auction

Kids Need to Read have another great auction
How's about that, then, boys and girls? An autographed, full-color 8×10 photo of actor George Takei as he appeared in the film Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country up for auction by Kids Need to Read. The auction is open now on ebay and runs until 28th March so check it out and get bidding. Kids Need to Read was set up by author of The Softwire series, PJ Haarsma, and actor Nathan Fillion as a children's literacy program and needs relies on income from these auctions. New items are added each week so it's really worth checking back often. Who knows, Cap'n Tightpants might auction some more of his goodies again soon.

Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog's brand new fansite
Not before time, a spanky new fansite has been set up for Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog . It is in the early stages of development at the moment but promises to be the hub for some pretty frantic fan-type shenanigans. Speaking of which, no word yet on where/when The Doctor (Horrible, not Who) will make his first appearance, but it is the subject of intense interest. As soon as Joss lets anyone know....

Buffy Reunion Paley roundup
The bone-picking continues after the Buffy Reunion but nothing else ground-breaking has been revealed. There's lots of video and pictures around and I've even seen a site that claims to have an audio of the evening. Some of the reports have been a little unkind about certain members of the panel but I think that is to miss the point. One small point in time like that could never give everyone what they wanted and we should be happy it happened at all.

It's over for Summer...
Apparently Summer Glau has a new movie and won't be able to attend the Starfury Con in London in April. That's bad news for fans but great news for her. There is still a good lineup for the Con, though, and it promises to be a great event.

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Joss' Journal Jan 11 08
Ok, I don't get that much time to look at stuff on the interweb. And in the past that has cost me dear. I am trying to change (as will soon be revealed), but I just don't spend time surfing. But I know a man who does and he has sent me this amazing video (a 'Mash'?) of Serenifly and Wicked. So good I had to blog. Makes me get that wistful look in my eye again...Still, Mr Fillion is gainfully employed at the moment (yuk, yuk!) so...

And Minion #2 surprised me today by asking if I called them 'scones' (rhyming with 'cones') or 'scones' (rhyming with onze). I really do not know what goes through their heads sometimes....

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Woody's Roundup
Buffy Between the Lines Season 2 is still looking for crew members; Nathan Fillion's birthday is on 27th March and you can send him an e-birthday card; BattleStar Galactica Season 3 boxset is being consumed at a great rate in time for the final season - and it really rocks!

Paley Buffy Reunion reports start coming in...

So, it's all over
Yes, the Reunion has happened and everyone has gone their separate ways again. Even, presumably, the people who lined up outside the Paley (some reportedly from the night before) waiting, against all hope, for a last minute cancellation. And according to the comments and first-hand reports on Whedonesque at least a couple did make it in from the line. The comments and fake event blogs here are very funny and well worth a read. Whedonesque has a comprehensive set of links to all the Reunion reports on today's front page, as is fitting for such a great Joss Whedon resource site. Please note that all the reports may contain spoilers about Buffy Season 8 comics but I haven't put any here.

Who said what to whom?
There isn't a full transcript of the evening available anywhere at the moment (and there may never be), and each of the reports has broadly the same comments, but seen from different angles. The Futon Critic has the 'live blog' that was not posted live (as some of us thought it might be), but is presented in time-order. It seems very comprehensive and does try to capture the spirit of what undoubtedly was an incredible evening. The TV Guide report is shorter and views things from a different angle, and the great thing about this is that it promises to have a video report from the Reunion up on their site by the end of the day. I wonder if it will have any of the Buffy stars in it?!

New things we might not have known before:

• Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt used to refer to Sarah Michelle Gellar as 'Jimmy Stewart'. This appears to have been a surprise to Sarah but she was reassured that it was a compliment because James Stewart is renown for his ability to convey strong emotion and tears so convincingly.
• Joss has thought about a 'Buffy - the musical' stageshow, but no plans other than daydreaming about that. Sarah appeared to count herself out of that one.
• Joss likes to ask people to go for a walk with him. This can lead to 'you're fired - ha, ha, that's a joke, have a great new opportunity on my next big thing'. He also like to do this on the phone (this happened to Charisma Carpenter and Marti Noxon, respectively). I guess that's better than a text...!
• Sarah Michelle Gellar likes the South Park movie and soundtrack.

Did Doctor Horrible's Sing-along Blog get a mention? Indeed it got the tiniest of mentions. Joss was reportedly a little late because he had just come from wrapping the shoot of Dr Horrible. Joss said he didn't know when/where it was coming out but that it was 'awesome'. And Marti Noxon has a small part (it wasn't mentioned whether she would be with or sans underwear...!)

Phew!
Reading all these reports has left me feeling a little tired and emotional. Getting all those people together, even if Alyson Hannigan and Eliza Dushku (who were both expected) couldn't make it, was a great achievement. The anticipation of the event was real and exciting for me even if I wasn't there myself, but now it's over. It feels almost as bad as starting to watch Buffy Season 7 knowing it is the end of it all. But then again, it wasn't the end, was it? We have the comics. And Reunions. And, who knows - the musical!? And with all the new work Joss is doing/has plans for, we can be reassured that we will be well-served with intelligent and emotion-wringing fare for a good long while to come.

Post Script
Notice how I didn't try to wedge a plug for Serenity in the above? Don't you think that shows a great deal of restraint?

Countdown to Buffy Reunion at Paley Center

The Wish
The Buffy Reunion is nearly here and I bet there are lines already...Like many, many fans I won't be there but I sincerely wish I was. The Paley has updated their site today to show that 'The Futon' will be live-blogging from the event, so that will be the place to go tonight for all us wannabees. My wish list for the Reunion tonight:

• All the stars are well and get there in plenty of time to be relaxed (no nightmare travel disasters!)
• All the cast, crew and, of course, Joss, realise how much Buffy means to everyone there (and all the ones who couldn't be there)
• That all the Paley's recording equipment is working so that we get the DVD release with all the delicious extras!
• That the questions are received and answered in the spirit they were made
• That everyone has a great time reliving the highs and lows of the seasons and that we hear some new production stories
• That Nathan Fillion and Felicia Day pop in and we hear more about Dr Horrible (well, it's my list and I can hope!).
• That everyone, fan and star alike, enjoys the Reunion and that it doesn't blur past them too much

I'm not wishing for my questions to be asked because I'm sure there are better ones, and let's face it, the way the panel plays off each other they may only have time for three questions the whole night! I can't wait to get the first reports back tomorrow...

More news from the set of Dr Horrible's Sing-along blog

Richard Partlow in role of Mayor Hankins
A new post on Felicia's blog has appeared this morning, apparently from Richard Partlow. Apparently everything is going really well, Neil Patrick Harris' voice is fantastic and the music is as great as we would expect. I haven't been able to confirm this from anywhere else yet and hopefully:

1. It isn't a spoiler as the post was on a public blog
2. It isn't a fake because you can imagine that Richard Partlow would be pretty fine in whatever role Joss decided for him

I'll keep you posted.....

Star Wait and how Joss got to direct Gaff in Battlestar Galactica

Addicted to you
I have spent too long in front of the DVD recently. I know this. So, as I settled down to watch Star Wait last night it was with the aim of being asleep before midnight. Star Wait did not disappoint and I had to watch a sample of the extras (of course).

Star Wait DVD review
I've waited a while to see this DVD and yes, it was worth the wait! I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. Now, I'm going to come right out and say that I have seen all the Star Wars movies a few times, but that I've seen IV, V and VI more because I'm that old. I'm not going to discuss the merits or otherwise of the 'new' and 'old' ones, life is too short. Star Wait is all about the people who lined up outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre 6 weeks before the release of Attack of the Clones. It is filmed in a documentary style with Michael Rotman and Adam Schenk as Producers and Michael Rotman Directing. There are 9 sections (echoing the alleged 9 episodes of Star Wars?) to the film taking us from the beginning of the wait to just after the first viewing.

So, why did they all do it? What did they get out of it (apart from elaborately-crafted badges)? What are the nerds like? Well, as a nerd/geek myself I found them to be on the broad spectrum of geek/normal who shared one goal - to be the first people to get tickets and view the first showing of the film. Their dedication to this cause was eye-wateringly single-minded with logs of hours spent on the line and all participants raising at least $50 for the Starlight Starbright Charity. The film concentrates on several 'main' characters and there are some very funny parts, but this is not train-wreck reality TV. I didn't feel anyone was exploited or made to look foolish especially for the camera, and at the end I felt it was life-affirming for everyone, whether nerd or not. All the lineup people were there by choice and although they endured hardships, sleep-deprivation and the occasional run-in with some colourful nightlife, they were there because they wanted to be.

Some/many/most people would not take 6 weeks out of their lives for a movie showing. Even less will do it over and over. One of the many extras on the DVD (I haven't had time to view/listen to them all yet) was a short from the lineup for Revenge of the Sith. Now, I was particularly interested in this because of the previously-mentioned Wil Wheaton blog about his 'feud' with the lineup people. Unfortunately, the was no mention of this at all so there are still unanswered questions. But now I have a better understanding of what went on and a cunning plan on how to get some answers...Star Wait - worth the Wait!

After the Waiting is over
So I retired thinking about Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica ('cos I want the next season and Joss has said he wanted to direct it) and Arthur C. Clarke (RIP). Getting to sleep wasn't a problem but then, at 4.00 - BAM! Wide awake! I was having the most wonderful dream about killing all humans - no wait, isn't that Bender? No, that was Joss directing Edward James Olmos as Admiral Adama (but dressed as Gaff, his character in Bladerunner), all in the comfort of my kitchen. Which had handily extended to the size of the interior of a Battlestar. There is no sleep after a dream like that, I can tell you! I won't go into any details because not only are they now fading, but also a particular thing happened that was actually feasible and could be construed as a spoiler, as ridiculous as that seems.

I did a bad thing
So, don't blame me. I didn't buy the next season today. It was bought as a gift. Now I really don't know when I'm going to get any sleep but I do hope not to have anymore vivid dreams. At least until the bags under my eyes have receded a little.

Woody's Runup
Nathan Fillion has been helping his Dr Horrible's co-star by encouraging everyone to vote for 'The Guild' after a rival for the awards submitted a video to YouTube where they mocked Felicia by pretending they had killed her. 'The Guild' is now back in the lead. The Paley Buffy Reunion is less than 24 hours away.

Arthur C. Clarke, RIP

Time is a funny thing
It's Tuesday 18th March afternoon here and I've just read that Arthur C. Clarke has died early Wednesday morning 19th March aged 90. I think it's fitting for someone who introduced me to science fiction and the concept of time travel all those years ago. He was a ground-breaker in many ways and I still remember the way his books opened up new worlds of possibility for me as a kid. RIP.

Countdown to Buffy Reunion at Paley

You lucky few
No, I'm not going to be at the Buffy Reunion on Thursday, either. Didn't get a ticket, couldn't have arranged flights/childcare/vast sums of money in time. I did get excited, thinking that there was going to be a live feed of the event, but these hopes were soon dashed. There might be a DVD at some stage, but even this is not certain. However, let's not be too bitter. The fact that so many of the cast and even Joss (bow down!) himself is going to be there is cause for celebration even if we can't witness it ourselves first-hand. Let's imagine the positivity that will be flowing and claim a little for ourselves. And while you're in the mood, why not send in a question suggestion (say that very fast three times!) for the panel at the Paley website. We might never know whether our questions were asked but I'm already inventing great one-liners to mine....I only wish I had Joss' Journal for now - but, of course, he hasn't written it down yet and my contact won't get access to it until Joss does his next archive. We'll just have to wait to hear how Joss is preparing himself, I guess.

Star Wait-ing no more!
And it has finally arrived! In a wonderful piece of cosmic confluence Star Wait has arrived just as we finished watching BSG series 2. Battlestar Galactica has been on heavy duty DVD action over the past few nights (I've got the sleep deprivation to prove it) so Star Wait will cleanse the palate before starting back on Dr Who series 1. Hopefully, if the matches can hold my blood-shot eyes open long enough, I will be watching this tonight. So, the answer is out there, and could soon be mine!

Battlestar Galactica Fantastica
Yeah well, you try making something of the BSG title..I've enjoyed seasons 1 & 2 and now I've got to get the cash for 3. It would be rude not to. There is so much going on and there are levels of meaning for all persuasions so I would recommend anyone giving BSG a go. I've heard from some sources that season 3 isn't as good, but I'd rather find out for myself. Yes, it's true that I only got the DVDs 'cos I had read that Joss really liked the series which makes me some sort of sheep-type consumer-monkey, but I'm not apologising. As reported on Whedonesque today, Joss actually wanted to direct the BSG season finale but work commitments made it unlikely. Work commitments? Pah! He should try herding several kids on Spring Break while working, blogging, and watching BSG DVDs....And don't worry I'm not going to put any spoilers up for anything - I'm so behind that I don't expect anyone to know anything about anything. I wouldn't even tell anyone that Angel is, in fact, a vampire for fear of ruining it for a new viewer....

Dollhouse updates
Dollverse has some good snippets of what's going on, Dollhouse-wise. With production apparently set for April 23rd and Kelly Manners now joining the crew, we can be pretty sure that Joss is not letting Dr Horrible's Sing-Along Blog interfere with Dollhouse. Which is good news, everyone.

Joss Journal Jan 08
The days are so short they merge into one. I'll be glad when I can actually get out and see the sun. I might actually turn to dust by then, but I'm willing to take the chance. I'm not even sure what date it is - everything is by the deadline. 2 days until the final score is due, 6 until my head explodes etc. But it's all good. Might have to up the sleep quotient to 6 today....

Dr Horrible's (pre) Sing-along Blog

Happy St Patrick's day
And what a day it's been. After Joss posted on Whedonesque yesterday confirming that he was, indeed, in the process of filming three 10-minute musical shorts for the Internet called Dr Horrible's Sing-Along Blog the message boards and blogs have been absolutely buzzing. Excitement such as we have not seen in a long time. This morning I searched Google using the full title and got 30, 000 results, now we are up to 70,800 and I expect this to rise and rise.

Felicia's Day
...started early when she posted on her fantastic site The Flog confirming that she was in the process of shooting at the moment and it was a brilliant experience (despite the cold toes). And check out The Guild, a very funny (and perhaps cautionary) series starring Felicia that is currently up for Yahoo and YouTube Awards. Go vote - do a good thing.

Nathan Fillion's
...not, so far, posted anything regarding Dr Horrible's etc etc but I'm sure he won't want to be left out for too long so as soon as I find anything I'll let you know. I hope he gets the space to Blog in his tight schedule. He does sing, though, which will be a moving experience, I'm sure.

Neil (St) Patrick Harris
...apparently let the cat out of the bag in the first place and his fans have gone into speculation overdrive. But it's all such good stuff that I'm sure there was no problem about the story breaking.

It's a wrap
After such a busy day just a quick blog. After reading/posting/reading again all over the place I'm plum tuckered out. Time for a Guinness while we contemplate the rising anticipation and savour the expectation that the next few weeks will bring. Happy times.

Joss' Journal Jan 08 sometime
Ever started something that you wish you hadn't? Me too, but this ain't one of them! After such a great family holiday season it's back to the family work. Sometime it does rule to be me, but I am still my humble self. As I said to Minion #3 just yesterday, you gotta remember the little guy. Or was it Minion #2? Anyways, life is good and I got some positive vibes going. Now, if only I could find my phone or my notes or my latest demo I'd be sorted. Bet Z has nicked my cell again...

Latest news on Joss and Nathan

Happy birthday dear Alan....
It's Alan Tudyk's birthday today so lots of birthday best on it's way to him. Maybe Joss will reward his unending plugging of a Serenity sequel with some special news. Or maybe just cake. Yes, probably just cake.

Does Joss ever sleep?
That's something not addressed in his journals so far, but I reckon that if he does sleep it can only be for five mins per night, and even then his brain is hooked up to a thought-processor so that he can still churn out killer dialogue and fantastic plots unabated. His minions must have been on overtime for the last few months because quite apart from the X-men, Buffy, Angel and Firefly comics Joss has been working on a musical! No wonder he said in his Journal (see previous editions) that he had been spending time on his guitar...! Add that to the Dollhouse work he has now started up again after the strike and that's one busy bunny.

Dr Whatsit's thingummy who-now?
The musical has the catchy title of 'Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog' and stars Neil Patrick Harris as Doctor Horrible. I'm a big fan of Mr Harris (loved Starship Troopers) and he has some experience of playing doctors (he'll always be Dougie Howser to me...). It also stars NATHAN FILLION (sorry, the caps lock must got have stuck on there) as a superhero Captain Hammer. It is going to be Internet-based, it's a Joss-family collaboration project, is filming now and will be out soon. How great is that?! Plus, Cap'n Tightpants is going to be back in action - let's hope that he has to sport a suitably snug-fitting-spandex-type superhero costume. Ah, yeah!

Paley BTVS Reunion to be streamed online
And just to prove Whedonesque is a truly a great source of everything Joss-related to cap a wonderful news day the upcoming Buffy Reunion is going to be streamed live. I've sent my questions to the panel so don't miss your opportunity to ask the Buffy crew a question. The lineup is amazing and to anyone who has a ticket - you are lucky indeed.

Joss' Journal - Jan 02nd 2008
"Dear Diary, Today I was pompous and my sister was crazy. Today we were kidnapped by hillfolk, never to be seen again. It was the best day ever!"

Can't say fairer than that. Substitute 'minion' for 'sister', 'pompous' for 'creative', 'adoring fans' for 'hillfolk' and that's about it. Gonna sleep now.

Happy Pi Day

A slice of the action
Yes today is international Pi day, being the 14th of March and so in the American dating system it's 3.14. Along with many other things, it seems, I only found this out after watching another one of my 'Christmas DVDs', but this time 'Futurama: Bender's big score'. Naturally, being a massive fan of Futurama I've watched all the bonus material (that Hypnotoad - what a star!) including the informative and highly enjoyable math(s) lecture. Even for a math(s)-spanner such as myself the math(s) lecture was really interesting and well worth the effort of watching, especially if you want reassurance that, in fact, there are people more geeky than you. The next Futurama 'The Beast with a Billion Backs' is set to be released on DVD in June - good news everyone!

How long is yours?
I can manage the standard 3.14, but after that it goes a bit hazy. I'm not a math(s) geek so numbers just don't do it for me. But I like patterns and I can sort of understand how someone might want to memorise Pi to 100 places. Sort of. The BBC website has a fun article about Pi day and what to look out for.

Length and diameter - it matters
There is even an official Pi day website that has a plethora of information including the Pi(ano) Song where the digits of Pi are mapped to notes. We all know how important Pi is so if you do nothing else today, you are officially allowed to have your Pi and eat it.

Joss' Journal Dec 07 (cont'd)
So much to do, so little time/motivation/reason. No writing but...Hey, my guitar playing is coming along and long lunches, you got'em! People seem to be under the impression that I'm sat at home/cafe/bathroom doing nothing but studying my belly button but I've never been busier. Well, there was that time when...but yes, very very very busy. Organising, cajoling, listening, ringing, thinking, planning, eating - these activities take time. And I want a good family Christmas this year, all the trimmings etc and apparently that doesn't 'just happen', you have to prepare for it.

Then there's the parties, presents, friends to catch up with.....Minion #2 has been quite busy running around buying stuff, but that is the idea. Maybe I shouldn't have asked him to buy his own pressie, though. Maybe I should say that was obviously a joke and get him something else. Actually, I have some Darkhorse stuff in the garage, I'll sign a couple and present them - I'm sure he will be thrilled and if not, he can ebay them and spend the money. Must be worth a couple bucks. Jeez - is that the time?! Where's that phone..."Jane, you got a min...."

Woody's roundup
Happy birthday Einstein. Still no Star Wait, BSG Series 2 looking good so far but reminds me more and more of 'Bladerunner', Nathan still cute, no Con sorted yet. Spring Break nearly upon us!

Good morning Moonrise

The earth says hello
Ok, so it doesn't quite fit, but special mention to Moonrise/FollowMal for the great comment yesterday. Fair cheered me up! Just when you think it's just you and the 'bots...And up for grabs today is a special mention next time for anyone who can correctly identify which of the rest of the headings is NOT a line from the musical!


Gliddy glub gloopy
Still no word/sound/sight from of Star Wait, but that is somehow fitting, I guess. I'll send another email and we'll see how long it takes. And the blog is now official as it is currently listed in Google. Now I just have to find out why I have 33 'URLs restricted by robots.txt' errors. Life is never simple!

Sabba sibby sabba
And loving all things Joss I have found a new (!), great series. I mean, you probably hadn't heard but they have remade/reinvented Battlestar Galactica and Joss has said it's his favourite thing on TV at the moment (you can check it out for yourself in his journal, below). So I bought season 1 and guess what - it IS fantastic! That's not to say I like it better than Firefly/Serenity, it's really gripping but totally different. Different, too, from the original series that I watched as a kid (obviously I was very young then), but nice to see a familiar face from then popping up in an unexpected place! I'm glad this wasn't cancelled (though still ticked off Firefly was).

Eeny oony wana
And guess where the main Serenity Con is this year? Yep - England (London to be precise). Now we've moved over to Canada it isn't as convenient as it would have been this time last year, but c'est la vie. It's called 'Serenity Complete' at Starfury April 11-13. And Battlestar will be there too...I'm still hoping there might be a big Canadian shindig over Vancouver way some time, we'll just have to hope Jewel has a hankering after her home town.

Tooby ooby walla
If you're in the U.S. and you haven't already seen Firefly (shame on you, but nevermind) you can now access it using HULU. This is a great way to see what I've been going on about for yourself and it's absolutely free. And legal! Fireflyfans.net has posts about it and it appears that the residuals get paid to the writers/actors/etc so it's a win-win-win. If you've not seen it yet get on over there and try it. The only drawback is that I don't think it works if you're in another country, but if you try it and it works outside the U.S. please let me know.

Nibby nabby noopy
You ready for another excerpt from Joss' Journal? 'Course you are. Today we are looking Dec 07. Joss is in a pensive mood in the run up to Christmas. What could be bothering him....?

Joss' Journal Dec 07
I had that dream again last night. It started, as always, with Bruce and Cybill kissing in 'Moonlighting', thus ending the only reason to continue, segues into Daphne and Niles smooching and then, the horror, Buffy and Angel reunited for ever in some demonic plot-twist that allows them unending bliss. No wonder I wake in a cold sweat! I guess it's the strike plus fear over what Dollhouse romances might happen that fuelled it, I know that. But still. Scary. Hope Eliza'a birthday bash will take my mind off it - wonder if I should buy her a joint birthday/Christmas pressie? Better ask Minion #1 for advice....

Joss' thought machine

In your head
What would you give to know what Joss is thinking? Money? A minor organ? A major organ? Yep, it's a tough old question. Imagine being able to see into the Master's mind (I mean Joss', not, you know, The Master from Buffy). To follow the complicated and inspiring thought processes, the higher levels of intellect that undoubtedly reside within that revered cranium. A tantalising prospect, I think you would agree. A tempting prospect.

Heart is taking over
So what I have to share is something a bit, well.....you'll have to read it and draw your own conclusions I guess. Everyone in fandom has done something a bit mad/weird/borderline legal in pursuit of their quarry. And so many are pursuing Joss. He has become almost mythical in his own lifetime. His latest series, Dollhouse, was dreamt up during a bathroom break while at lunch with Eliza Dushku. Truly he is a Titan (AE) amongst us.

Who are we mistaken
So let me present, for your delectation, delight and diversion, a glimpse into the mind of Mr Joseph Hill Whedon (Joss, to you and me). A sliver of his journal, a minuscule trickle from the river of consciousness.....

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Joss's Journal - Feb 08
Man, good to know that we can still negotiate and win! Victory (of sorts) is ours!
It will feel soooooo goooooood to tune up the old neurons and dust off the quills. Eliza has been ringing, like, twice a day asking if it's over yet so she was over-the-moon when she heard.
Started ringing round only to realise that everyone had already heard on that gorramit Interweb
and were already churning out the words. Always back to the words. Better put my gee-tar down for a little whiles.

Now, where did I put those Dollhouse notes? And where's the phone? Serendipitous indeed for
me that Sarah and Liz were so cruelly cut just when I was looking for more writers. I wonder
if I'll have to get the doughnuts. Have a rep to keep up there, and it's always me that wants the Jelly ones...And what's the Harvard Independent anyway? Like I care if they diss BTVS8! Must remember them at the Paley this year. Now, when was that again? Not next week! Noooooo! Gotta work!

O - Not next week! Silly moi. I knew that. Where's the phone?

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Zombie
Heady stuff, I'm sure you'll agree! Obviously I can't give all the good stuff straight away and some might never see the light of day. Yes, very funny, putting it here means it won't ever see the light of day anyway but I am so over that self-deprecating humour now. The blog's here and it's staying. End of.

Woody's roundup
So, in other news tonight...blog now listed on Google (yay!), Star Wait not arrived yet (boo!), ordered my copy of Serenity: Better days signed by Nathan Fillion on ebay for Kids Need To Read, stopped throwing up (double yay).

Back on the chain gang

I found a picture of you
So, what's all about, then? Geekness, fandom, life, this business called show? While recovering I saw the Star Wars documentary, reliving the excitement, the ups, the downs, the wacky hairdos. It was a welcome distraction and had some footage I'd not seen before. Ole Georgie-boy, he knew (and still knows!) a thing or two about how to make a movie. The sheer persistence and bloody-mindedness needed to get the thing done. The compromises and the tears. And he changed the way movies were made, no doubt about it. Good business sense but still an artist. What a guy. (Still not had my copy of Star Wait, BTW).

The powers that be
And yet...there is controversy over the way things were done. Breaks with the writer's and director's guilds hurt him financially and no doubt personally, but it's hard to see how things could have played differently. Now we are lucky that the recent Writers Strike came to a fairly amicable ending and works are back in progress. The way things are going at the moment it would be good indeed to have some inspiring, uplifting productions to look forward to in Autumn (ok, Fall, if you must).

To a place in the past
For me, there is the prospect of seeing a new Joss Whedon series as it comes out! This will be a first for me. England has great TV (and I miss the BBC A LOT), but always getting things second hand was really hard. You will probably gasp to hear that we had only four (yes, FOUR) TV stations in our house. There should have been 5 but we were in a valley and couldn't get the reception. And the satellite channels were so rubbish I couldn't be bothered to have them. And we couldn't get cable because of the valley...Yes, no wonder I was so out of date (...but I still wouldn't have satellite if we moved back). Now I have over 50 channels-worth of rubbish to click through! That's progress, I guess.

A circumstance beyond our control
But Dollhouse - that will be worth it. In fact, I've been checking the boards and already we are poised to start the 'Bring back Dollhouse' petition just in case Fox pull the plug. Now, I'm not going to start an anti-Fox campaign because who knows what goes on in these big corporations. I'm sure there are many able and dedicated people working at the Network. There have apparently been a lot of personnel changes since Firefly was so cruelly squished. So hope springs eternal. The writing for Dollhouse has been going on apace according to Whedonesque and other sources, so it will be interesting to see when casting is going to start and who gets what.

When I see what they have done
Oh yes, and we might get some exclusive insights into how it's all going, but you have to keep this really, really hush-hush. I mean it! I have some insider information from the world of Joss. Yes, I am about to get hold of some authentic extracts from Joss' personal diaries! Me! Now, don't go spreading that around because the deal could still fall through. Obviously, in order to protect the innocent and save my own butt I'll have to amend them slightly, so some of the details might not be 100% accurate. I'm meeting the guy (well, I'm assuming he's a guy) downtown later in the week so I'll let you know. He's emailing some older extracts today so I'll soon know if they're going to be worth it. As soon as I can check it all out I'll start posting. Here's hoping.

Permission to hurl

Can't blog, puking
Been a bit sick over the last few days. And by a bit I mean reservoirs of vomit. Still, worst appears to be over, so hopefully back to some sort of normality soon.

Exciting new feature
Which is good because while febrile I had a new idea for the blog. But....just...too....weak....got......to....*signal ends*