This week’s poll is centered around television shows of the supernatural/fantasy genre. We are seeing more and more sci-fi, supernatural shows on TV these days. Does books and movies have something to do with that, like Twilight, maybe hmm? So tell us which of the following shows, is your favorite!

• True Blood
• Vampire Diaries
• Stargate SG1
• Star Trek
• Fringe
• Sanctuary
• Smallville
• Hero’s
• Eastwick

You can VOTE right here on the News Blog, just look to your right >> and under “POLLS” is the question along with the answers, just click one and view the results!!

If you would like to discuss this more, and give your reasons why you choose who you did, please come join the fun debate on the OBS Forums.

Also check back with OBS every Wednesday, and get to answer the “Poll of Week”!!

Want to view the results of our previous polls, like who was named the “Favorite True Blood Character”, “Favorite Wolf-pack member”, or “Who is your favorite Vampire”? You can check them out HERE

Jarett Wieselman at the New York Post: Save ‘Eastwick’ campaign launches

Damn it, just when I thought my fall TV trackrecord was going to remain unmarred by cancellation (“Glee,” “Flash Forward,” “Vampire Diaries,” “Modern Family” and “Cougar Town”) ABC had to go and pull the rug out from under me by snuffing out “Eastwick!”

Adding insult to injury, the campy witch dramedy was also one of my favorite fall offerings thanks to its killer combination of snappy dialogue, sexual hijinks, progressing powers and Sara Rue!

Thankfully I’m not alone and a Save Eastwick petition has already been started!

Read More here

via David Bauder at Associated Press: ‘V’ caps a strong development season for ABC

The strong premiere of ABC’s science fiction series “V” caps an unusually strong development season for the network.

Opening week of the Earth-invaders series was seen by 14.3 million viewers, the Nielsen Co. said. That was the second-best new series debut for the season behind the CBS spinoff “NCIS: Los Angeles,” and it was the most-watched scripted show of the week among the youthful demographic ABC covets.

Read More here

from John Pavlus at Sci Fi Wire: 4 reasons why V’s motherships don’t make sense

So ABC’s V is here (episode two airs tonight), reminding us for the zillionth time that gigantic, mile(s)-wide flying saucers are THE conveyance of choice for any kind of alien visitors. (See: District 9, Independence Day, the original V, Alien Nation, Close Encounters…)

The trouble is, aside from providing an excuse for awesome “reveal” shots where the giant ship blots out the sun, it’s actually a completely nonsensical way for extraterrestrials to make an entrance. Here are four reasons why huge-ass space discs would be a dumb idea in the real world…

See the list here

via Sci Fi Wire: Star Trek’s Roddenberry finally honored by TV Hall of Fame

It seems that in television, honor—like revenge—is a dish best served cold. Thus it is that the TV Academy Hall of Fame has decided to induct Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry into its pantheon, 18 years after his death and long after he had much to do with the franchise he created.

Roddenberry is only one of several TV legends to receive the belated honor, including the comedy duo Tom and Dick Smothers, Murphy Brown star Candice Bergen, Saturday Night Live and game show announcer Don Pardo, The Price Is Right creator Bob Stewart and Emmy-award winning art director Charles Lisanby.

Read More here

from Wired: Scott Brown on Why America Is Finally Ready for Doctor Who

There are nerds. And there are science fiction nerds. And then there are American fans of Doctor Who — those who dare to combine the exquisite dweebery of Anglophilia with the delicious dorkdom of old-skool SF. I’m of that last tribe, a real Who-head. I can tell you what Tardis stands for (Time and Relative Dimensions in Space), and, more important, I can say “Tardis” over and over again — not just with a straight face but with reverence. Bargain-basement BBC production values? Alien monsters made from trash cans and toilet plungers? Anachronous kibitzing with Shakespeare and Dickens? That’s my flavor, mate. It’s the sort of thing that’s hard to find on this side of the pond (especially now that Syfy has foolishly ceded new Who episodes and specials to BBC America).

Before you brand me a Benedork Arnold, let me explain: There’s a fix I just don’t get from mainstream American science fiction, perhaps because of its grinding obsession with the imperialistic (and its depressive sibling, the dystopic), not to mention its wearisome push for ever-shinier effects. Like its not-so-distant cousin American religion, American sci-fi is fixated on final battles, ultimate judgment (particularly on questions of control and leadership), and an up-or-down vote on the whole good/evil issue.

Read More here

I never really thought about the differences between American and British Sci Fi, but there’s a difference between American and British comedy, so I’m not sure how I missed that. I love British comedy, so maybe I should give Doctor Who a chance. I’m glad to see Gene Roddenberry finally honored, because he revolutionized television, not just sci fi television. And I’m not sure how the campaign to save Eastwick will go; it didn’t work for Futurama, or Firefly, and it doesn’t seem to be working for The Sarah Conner Chronicles. But maybe that has more to do with the ignorance of the networks and how they handle and advertise the shows than the quality of the shows and the dedication of the fans (I’m talking to you Fox!)

Will you sign the petition to save Eastwick? What do you think of V? Do you think Doctor Who should start airing in the US?

news-briefs.ew.com

Nominees for the People’s Choice Awards were announced today, and, from the looks of it, people are still craving vampires. More than 18 million votes placed Twilight and True Blood atop the this year’s crop. Twilight was nominated for favorite movie, franchise and on-screen team (Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner). Stewart and Pattinson were nominated in favorite actor and actress categories as well, while Lautner is in contention for breakout movie actor.

True Blood, on the other hand, has been nominated for favorite TV obsession and sci-fi/fantasy TV show. Anna Paquin also nabbed a nomination for TV drama actress.

The awards show will air Jan. 6, 2010, and will feature Queen Latifah as host.

VOTE HERE

TV drama: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Grey’s Anatomy, House, Lost, NCIS

TV drama actor: Hugh Laurie, Kiefer Sutherland, Mark Harmon, Matthew Fox, Patrick Dempsey

TV drama actress: Anna Paquin, Blake Lively, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Katherine Heigl, Mariska Hargitay

TV obsession: Dexter, Gossip Girl, The Hills, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, True Blood

TV sci-fi/fantasy: Heroes, Lost, Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries, True Blood

New TV drama: Eastwick, FlashForward, Melrose Place, Mercy, The Forgotten, The Good Wife, The Vampire Diaries, Three Rivers, NCIS: Los Angeles, V

Breakout movie actor: Chris Pine, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Sam Worthington, Taylor Lautner, Zachary Quinto

On-screen team: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince; Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, The Proposal; Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner, The Twilight Saga; Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen; Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Ryan Reynolds, will.i.am, Dominic Monaghan and Daniel Henney, X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Franchise: Harry Potter, Star Trek, The Twilight Saga, Transformers, X-Men

Favorite movie: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Star Trek, The Hangover, The Proposal, Twilight

SOURCE

Wow, it’s unfair to have to choose between so many of my faves. I’d really like to see the Vampire Diaries do well.

For fave on screen team, I cannot decide between Harry Potter and Twilight. DAMN!

Who will you be voting for and why?

By James Hibberd at Reuters: ABC drops “Eastwick,” dancing show

ABC has opted not to order additional episodes of “Eastwick,” its rookie supernatural comedy-drama starring Rebecca Romijn.

“Eastwick,” a fresh take on the hit 1987 movie “The Witches of Eastwick,” will finish production on 13 episodes; ABC plans to run them all.

Read More here

by Summer Suzuki: TV Review: Destination Truth 3.08 – “Werewolf/Arica Monster

Werewolves and dinosaurs. I mean, what could possibly make this episode better?

First case is checking out the forests of Romania for werewolves. Not just the home of the vampire, Romania also is maggoty with werewolves. Recently to whenever this episode was filmed, the locals of a town dug up a corpse, removed its heart, and drank its blood in an arcane ritual to ward off werewolves. That is so unsanitary; didn’t these guys ever read Interview with the Vampire? You’re not supposed to drink the blood of a dead man. Duh.

Anyway, the team heads out to Bucharest and promptly gets detained at customs for a bit. I guess if you put down “werewolf hunting” as your purpose for being in the country, and you don’t look like Hugh Jackman, the local officials are going to have some questions for you. After that, they speak with a Romanian anthropologist and werewolf expert. He informs Josh that the werewolf tradition/belief is pre-historic in Romania, and points them in the direction of the most recent activity for sightings. They make a mad dash to the one train that heads to the back forty of Romania, barely making it in time, and the Hogwarts Express takes them from Bucharest to Sibiu.

Read More here

By Natalie Abrams at TV Guide- V: Sit Down with Visitors’ Leader Morena Baccarin

ABC’s V has finally arrived and, boy, did the Visitors make one heck of a first impression. While most of the world puts their faith in these new alien friends, Erica Evans (Elizabeth Mitchell) and others come to find out that they’re not all they’re “cracked up to be.” Pulling the strings to keep their dirty little secret is Anna (Morena Baccarin), the Vs fearless and seemingly ruthless leader.

TVGuide.com: V doesn’t seem to be your typical sci-fi show, though it boasts many actors who’ve been in the genre before.
Morena Baccarin: We don’t see ourselves as sci-fi people for the most part. It’s not like we’re talking a different language, like an alien language. Elizabeth was on a sci-fi show and [Alan Tudyk] was on Firefly with me, but I don’t feel like V is a sci-fi show. There’s not one big sci-fi fiasco. It’s a show about heart and people and relationships. There’s some spaceships thrown in there, sure, but the sci-fi element is evened out with other things.

TVGuide.com: What is the Visitors’ ultimate goal?
Baccarin: You’ll have to watch to see, but by Episode 4 you get a very good idea that we’re not what we’re all cracked up to be. There’s more to it than we’re saying. We are here for more than just a short while, and we’re here for additional reasons than just water and minerals.

Read More here

I never watched Eastwick, so I don’t know if this is a good thing or a bad thing. And I like Destination Truth, even though Josh irritates me because he’s so cocky. The ghost hunting one in Chernobyl was really good. And I really enjoyed the first episode of V and I’m excited for the rest of the series.

Are you disappointed about Eastwick? Do you think it’s possible that werewolves or something similar could exist? What do you think of V?

OBS Staff member Tori has brought us last week’s R&R of ‘Eastwick’

Season 1 Episode 5: ’Bonefires & Betrayal’

The show opens with Roxie giving tours at the Eastwick Witches Field celebration. Daryl appears and Bun is terrified. Roxie doesn’t pick up on it. Roxie has a vision of being at the funeral again and after Bun finishes a sentence for her she realizes Bun had the same vision. Later Bun tells a friend will die because of a statue.

Flash to Penny waxing her armpits… (ewww) and Jamie knocks on the door. She is angry with him and tells him to get out! He tries to apologize and she just won’t hear it.

Joanna, after a week of pigging out, goes to apologize to Will. He forgives her but tells her he has moved on. She “glamours” him with her power to tell the truth. He tells her about the episode with Kat.

Meanwhile Roxie rushes to Daryl thinking he is the one that will die. She pushes him out of the way when the statue Chad was installing falls. She thinks she has changed a vision . Daryl is furious and fires Chad.

Joanna confronts Kat, who tells her it was nothing, just a crazy moon kiss and she didn’t mean to hurt Joanna. Joanna says they shouldn’t talk for a while. (Now we all know that won’t last!)

Mia goes to apologize to Josh, (a lot of that going on in this show), who says he will accept her apology if she dresses up as Raggedy Ann for the Eastwick Witches Field celebration.

Cat tells Will she doesn’t want there to be anything between them but she can’t stop looking at him… definite chemistry going on there.

Joanna, at home pigging out some more, realizes her physical powers are increasing. There is a knock on the door…it is Pastor Dunn. For those that don’t remember, Joanna had humiliated him by writing an article about finding him in a house of ill repute. He drugs her and kidnaps her, saying, “I shall not suffer a sorceress to live.”

Kat goes to see Penny expressing concern over the missing Joanna. She just feels something is wrong. The police say it is too soon to do anything. Kat and Penny go to Joanna’s apartment and find that her purse and keys are there.

Read the rest HERE

How sad Chad, the best eye candy on the show is gone. Well I guess that leaves the way free for Daryl and Roxie. 

So what is Joanna going to do now, will she get a new boyfriend? Who will be her boyfriend and will she get a new job?  What will happen with Will and Kat? 

Not the best episode but still entertaining.

OBS Staff member Tori has brought us this week’s R&R of ‘Eastwick’

Season 1 Episode 5: ’MOONIN AND CROONIN’

This episode opens as the girls are having dinner with Daryl. Joanna is complaining about everything in particular how Will has completely ignored her for the last two weeks. Their table is getting dirty looks as they are being rather loud and obnoxious. Daryl begins to tell the girls the story of how every decade there is a return of the Luna Solvo, a moon that releases ones inner animal and inner hedonist. He tells them that the moon is imminent. Sounds like a party Maryann from True Blood might want to throw!!

Switch to Roxie’s daughter Mia talking on Skype to Josh, Chad’s younger brother. (Surprise)

Joanna’s boss threatens her with relegation to the obit page if she doesn’t write another front page story. Kelly dares her to write about Daryl.

Daryl and Cat have lunch together where Cat reads him her “bucket list”. Things she wants to do now that she is almost single. He begins to play the piano hoping she will sing while he plays since being a lounge singer is one of the things on her list.

Chad and Roxie go back to her house to hmmm…..Later in the evening Roxie and Chad are testing her precognitive talents with a deck of playing cards and she sees the huge moon. Her talent becomes “unleashed” and she has a vision of Mia.

Joanna writes the story about Daryl not being who he says he is and gives it to her editor. Meanwhile he is pantless and everyone in the office is going nuts. She and Kelly share a passionate kiss!! (Hysterical)

The moon is making everyone powerful and crazy and there is dancing in the streets.

Meanwhile back at Daryl’s cafe, a gorgeous Cat in a slinky red dress arrives and starts to sing a lovely rendition of “Spooky”. The flames on the tables burn higher and higher while she sings. Outside Roxie and Chad start making love in an alley up against a brick wall. They get arrested for indecent exposure. Later Mia and Josh are also arrested and thrown in the same cell.

The Eastwick Inn catches fire after Roxie’s song. (Puts a whole different meaning to torch singer, doesn’t it?) After the fire is out Will sees Roxie and they get hot together. The next morning she lies to Joanna about being with anyone.

Hightailing it to the office, Joanna finds Daryl and Clyde furious at her about the story. Daryl tells her it is all lies and that he was in Viesbaden, Germany in 1984 and that it was his cousin who died. Clyde fires her. Daryl reams her a new one.

This episode ends with Roxie and Mia home from the jailhouse having breakfast. They reach a compromise. Roxie flashes to a cemetery where she and Mia are at a funeral but she doesn’t know who is in the casket.

Loved Cat’s singing in this episode and it is great that Roxie’s abilities seem to be becoming stronger. I wish we could see them use their powers more. So there is something about a witch burning next week…..

Stay tuned every week to OBS for your weekly Recap & Review of ‘Eastwick’!!

So what is Joanna going to do for a living now? Who is in the casket?  Are Cat and Will going to have a relationship?