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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