Folk tales of supernatural creatures and powerful magic have been told for thousands of years, adapting in time to the changing hopes and fears of the cultures who told them. The older, more visceral fables that serve as inspiration for the sanitized, merchandised tales of our times were far darker and far more dangerous. Two new television productions are bringing these ancient fairy tales to the 21st century, each choosing a radically different approach.

Once Upon a Time actually tells two intertwined tales: the plight of medieval kingdom beset by an evil queen, and a modern town populated by that same kingdom’s inhabitants, cursed by the evil queen’s magic to live their lives with no memory of their former lives. Grimm documents the passing on of a family responsibility to combat the creatures described in the collected works of the Brothers Grimm.

In Once Upon a Time, nearly all of the combat is verbal, and all the major characters are women, with the exception of a young boy. Much like Smallville, a primary source of enjoyment is discovering how each well-known character will be reinterpreted for the production, and how the ensemble will interact. There are minor victories and setbacks with each episode, but the main thread is the ongoing struggle against the evil queen’s curse. There is a strong undercurrent of community and cooperation as a force for solving the town’s problems, pitted against a single, powerful adversary

Grimm offers plenty of action and combat with an ever-increasing host of hostile supernatural — if not Supernatural — creatures. All of the major characters are men and while an overarching conspiracy is an important subplot, the show is very episodic with a decidedly ‘monster of the week’ flavor. Grimm‘s namesake hero fights a legion of mysterious foes with only limited help from a few allies.

Both Grimm and Once show great promise, but other than the source material, they are as different as night and day…. literally. It seems as if it’s always dark and rainy on Grimm, and always bright and sunny on Once. While you’re certain to have a favorite, they both may work better together as a counterpoint for the other.

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Science fiction serves us best when it explores our hopes and fears for our very survival as a species. Interpersonal clashes and challenging environments are key components to nearly every story ever told, but in science fiction, the stakes are always higher. One such high-stakes tale premiers this Saturday on BBC America: Outcasts.

Set entirely on an Earth-like planet named Carpathia, the story documents the struggles of humanity’s last survivors amongst themselves, artificially bred AC’s and perhaps the planet itself. The ramshackle town of Fort Haven collects the last vestiges of a ruined Earth’s population, and they anxiously await additional transports from their distant home as they explore and improve their new home. One such ship nears the outpost in the first episode, but the colonist’s joy is muted by a domestic assault and dangerous manhunt.

Even having never watched the Battlestar Galactica reboot, it’s influence can easily be seen in the somber, downtrodden atmosphere. Only after several episodes perhaps overly burdened with world building and character introduction does the story of mankind’s last hope for survival get fully into gear.

Grappling with the weighty philosophical themes of redemption and humanity while offering a solid action adventure is a Herculean task, and the writers and actors grow progressively better with this balance as the series progresses. Sadly, however, the BBC has said this first season of Outcasts will also be its last.

We offer one bright ray of hope, however, for those who come to appreciate this slightly eccentric, thoroughly postmodern, even posthuman parable: series creator Ben Richards suggests that Outcasts may continue in novel form.

Let us hope Mr Richards follows through. While the eight-episode arc answers many questions about the Carpathian landscape, many more answers are still in order.

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The best Doctor Who episodes take a wholly unbelievable premise and work it into an enjoyable story. Steven Moffat proves himself more than up to the task, in Doctor Who’s “A Christmas Carol” with a relentless barrage of sharp dialogue and improbable scenarios that merge to form an unforgettable tangle of classic Dickens, classic Doctor Who, and a bit of J. J. Abrams.

Matt Smith seems well at ease as the chaotic Time Lord, even if mania is the new calm. The Doctor’s mania and cunning propel the story of a ship set to crash land on a planet ruled by one heartless, miserly old man. After being unable to reason with the Scrooge-like Kazran Sardick, (portrayed by Michael Gambon) Amy inadvertently provides the needed inspiration.

Does the key to Sardick’s heart lie in the frozen woman he describes as unimportant? Disbelievingly, The Doctor says “In 900 years of time and space I’ve never met anyone who wasn’t important before.”

The only slight failing of this Christmas special is the near-criminal underuse of Karen Gillan’s Amy Pond. She and her fiance spend the episode on the plummeting spaceship, being rocked about and viciously attacked by lens flares. Don’t be surprised if the shiny, shiny bridge of the distressed spaceliner reminds you of a recent cinematic reboot.

Of all the fanciful, outlandish oddities that present themselves in the episode, perhaps the most outlandish is reaching the limits of psychic paper: “It shorted out. Finally, a lie too big.” To learn that lie, and to visit a world of electric clouds and flying fish, you’ll have to watch it for yourself.

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AMC’s latest horror offering The Walking Dead may be serial television’s most emotionally disturbing, graphically violent experience to date. The premiere episode tells the story of a deputy sheriff waking in an empty, ransacked hospital with no knowledge of what seems to be the standard zombie apocalypse.

What makes this hour of television stand out, however, is a pair of powerful performances from Andrew Lincoln and Lennie James, plus a stunning adaption which fully reveals the emotional toll of a world populated by thoughtless killing machines that resemble your loved ones and neighbors.

After a gunshot wound, deputy Rick Grimes wakes up in an empty, ransacked hospital dehydrated and weak. As he explores the surround area, he comes to realize that the world he knew is gone. His wife and child seem to have fled, but he has no idea where the could be heading until he meets up with a few other survivors that talk about a safe haven in Atlanta.

This first episode feature more drama and tension than all-out undead combat, but that combat was intensely personal and profoundly graphic. The creatures are rotten, decomposing corpses that move, and only repeated heavy blows or a well-placed bullet are effective in returning them to an inanimate state. Coupled with the inevitable edible casualties of a zombie apocalypses, the overall effect is easily one of the most disturbing television worlds you may ever visit.

As disturbing as The Walking Dead may be, it is far more compelling. Following Rick in his quest to find his family and exploring the skills and willpower necessary to withstand a world gone mad will promises to be an interesting — and grisly ride.

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The UK’s most venerable science fiction superhero is returning to the States with a brand new look. The new season of Doctor Who starts tonight on BBC America, introducing a new cast of time traveling adventurers. In the premiere episode “The Eleventh Hour,” an alien prisoner takes refuge in a young girl’s home, and the freshly-regenerated Doctor is strangely drawn to both.

Matt Smith’s Doctor is as erratic and quirky as any have ever been, due to the chaotic nature of the character’s physical and mental transformation, as well as the actor’s gleeful experimentation with the iconic role. That both were dangerously energetic and occasionally deranged seems expected — perhaps even mandatory — to help establish the Doctor’s new incarnation.

When an out-of-control TARDIS lands in Amy Pond’s garden, its shapes the child’s life in unexpected ways. When the Doctor next meets a very grown up Amy — played with a slightly edgy wide-eyed innocence by Karen Gillan — she rises to the challenges that only global destruction can bring.

Doctor Who can only ever be as good as the Doctor himself, but the chemistry that forms between he and his companions is also a critical aspect of the show’s popularity. Thankfully Mr. Smith and Ms. Gillan seem more than capable to guide us thought a universe of adventures, with more than their fair share of grace and wit.

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It’s not hard to pinpoint America’s latest tween fascination with the undead, but it seems that those old standbys of folklore are even undergoing a modern makeover across the pond. BBC America serves up vampires, werewolves and ghosts in contemporary London with tonight’s premiere of the grimly amusing new series Being Human.

It’s an odd mix of honest gothic horror and dry domestic comedy — a modern Dark Shadows meets a dour Friends, perhaps — propelled by a talented cast of creatures. Mitchell and George are friends in need of a place to call home and Annie is the spirit that haunts it. Being an undead immortal and cursed lycanthrope, the men take their haunted house in stride, and quickly become friends.

Adian Turner and Lenora Crichlow, as vampire and ghost, beautifully portray their slow, painful struggle with their post-mortal existence, but Russell Tovey shines as a mostly human victim dealing with the ramifications of his new monthly furry affliction.

The six-episode first season covers quite a lot of territory, but will be over all too soon. If you like what you see, then take heart: The supernatural trio will return, as Being Human has already been renewed for eight new episodes next year.

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After having just watched the eighth episode of Joss Whedon’s high-concept action thriller Dollhouse, I realized why this beautifully cast, cleverly scripted series is ultimately so unsatisfying: there’s not one regular character to honestly root for or admire.

The Dolls themselves are certainly sympathetic characters, but are little more than mindless babies in their natural state. All of the extraordinary abilities exhibited by these “actives” are built on false personalities. It seems impossible to parse which impulses and desires they exhibit are actually their own, or if a mind-wiped zombie can even have honest feelings. Every hint we’re shown of the people they once are later proven illusory…. a lie.

Those that work in the Dollhouse itself are willing participants in all manner of in human atrocities. Yes, a few employees of the Rossum Corporation seem to honestly care for their mentally neutered charges, but a few sleepless nights in the service of evil isn’t particularly noble. Most seem resigned to, or downright amused by the savage acts committed by and on their infantile charges.

This leaves us one obsessed FBI agent who is obviously much more concerned with debriefing Echo than taking down a global slavery operation. Even if agent Ballard’s intentions were pure, he’s certainly accomplished nothing meaningful to date, other than a brief rendezvous with the girl of his dreams.

Like those wayward souls who serve the Dollhouse, it seems the actors and viewers alike are trapped in a situation beyond their control. The best they and we can hope for is that there is a method to Mr. Whedon’s madness, and like some mirror-mirror Buffyverse, there’s a “Big Good” hero waiting to confront our merry band of villains and save the day… and the series.

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Fans of the long running BBC series Doctor Who know that his latest incarnation, as played by David Tennant, is not long for this world. In this light, titling this year’s Christmas special “The Next Doctor” is a particularly painful, but seemingly suitable bit of wordplay.

When the Tardis arrives at London on December 24th, 1851, the Doctor is almost immediately called to the aid of a damsel in distress. When another Time Lord also comes running, and an oddly woolly Cyberman-esque creature bursts into the scene, confusion abounds.

David Morrissey confidently plays a future/past/sideways incarnation of our favorite Gallifreyan, and Velile Tshabalala imbues this Doctor’s companion with more spunk and initiative than the role has seen to date. As worthy successors to the series, they are certainly suitable… but is it meant to be?

While citizens with a monarch have already seen this episode broadcast over the air, those of us in the former colonies must most likely wait until the spring for the televised answers.

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Ever since The Batman was canceled early this year, I’ve ignored Saturday morning cartoons. A few weeks ago, however, I woke up early and paid little attention to my daughter’s channel surfing until I caught sight of an old familiar web-headed friend. I quickly realized that The Spectacular Spider-Man was something I should have been paying attention to all along.

This incarnation of Peter Parker and friends is certainly new, but it also offered a surprising number of nostalgic touches that I haven’t seen in decades. Who thought I would have missed gadget-based web shooters, vestigial web wings and a spidey-faced sunset? As I quickly caught up with this first 13-episode season, I saw a veritable parade of classic villains with the same retro-future vibe, including the oft-overlooked Lizard and Rhino, as well as the more cinematically favored Green Goblin, Doc Oc and Sandman.

While Spidey is the star, there is plenty of screen time for Peter Parker as well. We see our hero struggle to balance school, work, family and friends along with his newly acquired taste for super-vigilantism. Like the rest of us, he doesn’t always succeed, but thankfully learns from his mistakes.

For those who missed this engaging first season of The Spectacular Spider-Man, one easy way to catch up is being offered in the form of three-episode DVDs, which are just starting to hit the streets. You have until March 2009 to prepare for the second season premiere on the CW. Now — like yours truly — you have no excuse to miss this excellent retelling of Spider-Man’s tale.

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After three great seasons of trials and tribulations, Nickelodeon aired the final 10 episodes of Avatar: the Last Airbender over the previous week, culminating in a two-hour finale last Saturday night. Aang and his band of teens and tweens completed their quest to defeat the tyrannical Fire lord and unite all four elemental nations in peace.

For those mysteriously unfamiliar with this masterful fusion of Anime and western cartoons, there are only two options: You can experience the grand adventures of Aang, Katara, Sokka, and the rest as the creators intended on DVD, or wait for M. Night Shyamalan to place his peculiar stamp on the tales in a trio of live action epics which begin filming next year.

We’ll be visiting Avatar Spirit regularly to learn more about this impending retelling of an already perfectly told tale.

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The final episode of Jericho‘s tragically short second season, titled “Patriots and Tyrants” aired a few hours ago. It was a powerful showing that offered a satisfying conclusion to what will most likely be the last television episode of the series.

Much like the efforts fans made to keep the show alive, The citizens of Jericho won an important battle, but the larger war is still ahead. Hopefully, a civil war will not be necessary to convince a media outlet to continue this compelling story.

Executive producer Carol Barbee told Sci Fi Wire that attempts are currently being made to find Jericho a new home, but offered no details. Barring a return to the small screen, Ms. Barbee said “There’s definitely an Internet series to be had, and we always talked about a graphic novel, and … a movie.”

However the tale is told, we certainly hope to learn the final fate of the folks from Jericho.

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Last night Sarah Connor and her son John resumed their struggle against Skynet in the new television series Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles. We were expecting a train wreck, but witnessed the rebirth of a once-proud science fiction epic. Lena Headey and Thomas Dekker slid effortlessly into the familiar roles of pre-apocalyptic Madonna and child, both providing a near-perfect mix of steely determination and fleeting angst.

Summer Glau and Owain Yeoman performed their robotic roles admirably as protector and eliminator, respectively, of Humankind’s last hope. Ms. Glau’s terminator was far more social — and attractive — than previous models. Mr. Yeoman’s android assassin had a bit more pep than the classic T-1000, but evidenced its trademark unstoppable determination… and propensity for trenchant one-liners.

All of this high-octane acting is critical to the Chronicles‘ success, but you could be forgiven for thinking “we all know the future looks bright for Skynet, so why bother?” Here’s why: A time travel twist in the Pilot’s final act effectively erases a few key facts we thought we new about the future, and promises to breathe new life into the Terminator timeline.

The bad news is that an excellent genre series on FOX usually lasts just long enough to gather a rabid following before it’s scheduled into oblivion. The good news is Terminator 3 now officially never happened.

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There are many powerful people today who claim to know the mind of God, but who among them would recognize His words were they to come from the mouth of a simpleton? David Milch came at this question sideways, addressing the fears and foibles of today’s America with a powerful, yet cryptic message delivered by John from Cincinnati.

This short-lived HBO series introduced us to a troubled clan of surfing superstars, cutthroat corporate promoters, and a dizzying assortment of groupies, hangers-on, and seemingly-unrelated acquaintances. The story quickly went from odd to fantastic, with levitation, astral projection, avian resurrection, miraculous recoveries, and portents of an impending apocalypse… all related to the sudden appearance of John Monad, an obtuse oracle who only spoke with the words he was given.

Answers to the many mysteries revealed in the series were few and far between, ultimately — and appropriately — requiring viewers to take a leap of faith. We may never know if John and his followers will avert the calamity prophesied to take place on 9-11, 2014, but we can be certain that he gently nudged them a little further along on their personal voyages of discovery and redemption.

HBO is running John from Cincinnati‘s ten episodes again, starting September 15th.

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Perhaps it was the public outcry. Perhaps it was a shrewd marketing ploy. Perhaps it was the 20 tons of nuts. Whatever the reason, CBS has seen the error of its ways and ordered a fresh batch of post-apocalyptic goodness, saving the little town of Jericho from cliffhanger hell.

Seven episodes of this intense, gritty serial have been contracted, with a possibility of more should it regain it’s former ratings glory. This welcome turnabout has distinguished CBS from the FOX-style senseless disrespect for fantasy and science fiction shows. Those who missed Jericho the first time around — or were thrown by the deliberate pace of the first few episodes — will have the opportunity to experience this evocative show through reruns later this summer.

Other less catastrophic, but equally entertaining science fiction offerings are on the way: USA’s The Dead Zone starts up in just over a week, and SciFi’s Eureka is back for a second season next month!

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We got the news this morning from a local news site that the quirky, depressing, scifi-gone-mainstream series Jericho bought the big one. I’ll obviously have to rethink my feed crawling habits if I hear about this a day late on a mundy site, but the larger issue remains: CBS is punishing us for their idiotic scheduling of this standout show.

The only new genre series they’re offering this fall deals with a theme undoubtedly addressed better in Forever Knight and Angel: tortured vampire seeking redemption and mortal love. Yawn.

Honestly, if it wasn’t for the British — who keep producing great sci-fi like excellently cheesy Doctor Who and mindbendingly retro Life on Mars — I’d have to start reading books again.

Update: SciFiChick posted a great roundup of genre shows on 31 May. Check it out!

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They keep their heads in a crisis and take charge when the occasion demands. When extraterrestrial danger looms, they don’t meekly cower in a corner. Instead, they ask intelligent questions and take decisive action. Curious and adventurous, they keep a sense of wonder in a universe full of possibility.

They are the companions — men and women who choose to accompany the Doctor through his travels in time and space. Martha Jones, played by Freema Agyeman, is the newest addition to their distinguished ranks, and she makes an excellent first impression.

In third-season opener of Doctor Who, titled “Smith and Jones”, we meet Martha, a medical student working on her residency. Life is hectic for Martha — besides enduring her rounds, she also has to juggle her troublesome family members: squabbling parents and self-involved siblings. Then, she has a chance encounter with a certain dashing Time Lord….

The Doctor and Rose Tyler had such wonderfully strong chemistry that it caused concerns about this new, unfamiliar companion. Not every girl has the wherewithal to leave loved ones behind and go adventuring in the dark, nor every actress grace and charisma to make those adventures enjoyable week after week. Luckily for us — and the Doctor — we now have Martha Jones.

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