Watching The 4400

Joel Gretch, our recently de-Marked Tom Baldwin, is set to play in “Saving Grace” with stars such as Tatum O’Neal (Paper Moon), Penelope Ann Miller (The Shadow), Piper Laurie (Twin Peaks) and Michael Biehn (Terminator), so says the Hollywood Reporter.

“Miller and Biehn will play Bea and Landy Bretthorse, a couple whose life in a 1950s-era Missouri town is thrown into chaos when Landy’s sister Grace (O’Neal) is released from the local asylum and comes to live with the family. Gretsch will play Grace’s ex-husband, who was married to her for one day, and Laurie will play the administrator who runs the asylum where Grace stayed for 15 years.”

I have to say, I adore most mid-century period movies, and I think that Joel Gretsch will be wonderful both in set in the 1950’s and also playing against Tatum O’Neal. Just to make this a little cooler to the little pop culture geek that I am, but absolutely fabulous Connie Stevens who is not only the writer but also the director of this movie, which contains vignettes from her life.

“The story is personal for singer-actress Stevens, who is producing the project with Ralph Singleton (”Because of Winn Dixie,”) for Saving Grace B Jones. She was visiting relatives in Boonville, Mo., in 1951 during severe floods that play a pivotal role in her screenplay. Her film is now being shot on location there.”

This movie isn’t even listed on Joel’s IMDB Profile yet, so it’s still early. What do you think?

Hat-tip to The 4400 Guide.

Chad Faust recently talked with Robert Taylor, Staff Writer for Comic Book Resources about his recent movie role in the Descent, his role as Kyle Baldwin on the 4400, and his own personal writing. One of the things that I really was interested in was what Chad talked about in regards to the possible (or not possible) fifth season of the 4400. There is an absolutely wonderful spoiler in their interview, which I will be putting behind the “read more” tag below.

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In my internet wanderings, I came across TVJab.com’s list of the Top Ten Sci-Fi Shows of All Time, and there’s a big, huge hole in their list.

Go ahead, read through and come back in a moment. I’ll wait.

Are you back? Good. There is no 4400 on the list. What The … ? I understand that when this list was built, the Fourth Season hadn’t started yet, but to place Heroes, a freshman show at the time on the list, and miss a show like the 4400 which was solidly about to start its fourth season, there Is something wrong. I really can’t disagree with most of the list, and this really isn’t a dig on Heroes, which is another show that I absolutely adore, but I really don’t understand why it is that the 4400 isn’t on the list. The fourth season had its ups and downs, but this list was put out before it, and considering the fan-base which is just about as involved and intense as anyone in the Jericho, Firefly, Babylon 5 or Star Trek fandoms, it really is upsetting that the show isn’t on the list.

So, in response, I’ll compile my own list. Now don’t get upset with me that the 4400 isn’t at number one, but the show definitely deserves to be in the top ten on my list.

1. Star Trek (Original and TNG)
2. Quantum Leap
3. Stargate:SG1
4. Farscape
5. Lost
6. The 4400
7. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
8. Firefly
9. Doctor Who
10. Babylon 5

Hat-tip to Over a Candle.

The 4400, TVJab.com, Top Ten Sci-Fi Shows, TV, television, USA

4400spoilers is reporting that Jeffrey Combs, A.K.A. the lovely Dr. Kevin Burkoff, and Billy Campbell, A.K.A. 4400-cum-messiah Jordan Collier, will be at the London Movie Comic Media Expo the weekend of October 20 and 21, 2007. They are both listed as being there on both of the days of the convention on the guest page, which, if it weren’t for both lack of funds to get out to London and the fact that it’s my daughter’s sixth birthday that weekend, I would absolutely adore to be at. Are any of the Watching the 4400 readers out there in the area and would be willing to give me a report of all the action?

There’s a ton of things going on at this convention, as their show info page lets you know, though their website is mildly difficult to navigate for more information, at least for me.

London Movie Comic Media Expo (London MCM Expo, for short)

Hat-tip to 4400spoilers.com.

The 4400, Jeffrey Combs, Billy Campbell, London Movie Comic Media Expo, TV, television, USA

Scary rumors are afloat in the Great and Powerful Interwebs, questioning whether or not we’re going to be seeing a Season Five.

It’s scary enough that RenewMyShow.com is starting up a page devoted to the 4400, and Season Four hasn’t been completed a whole week. Then I read on cinemarealm.com I read that the chat from last Friday with Chad Faust, Megalyn Echikunwoke and Jenni Baird brought up some even more disturbing comments.

The actors did not confirm that there will be another season and, in fact, suggested the opposite and looked and sounded just a bit too demoralized when faced with questions about the show’s future for the average fan not to be worried. They also urged fans to start a letter writing campaign to USA to keep the series alive, indicating that this Sunday’s episode, The Great Leap Forward may just be the last we see of the show. (And that there are more major character changes and sharp turns in the main storylines to come in the finale, which is pretty much in line with the short teaser on the official site.)

Say it ain’t so!

The 4400, Joel Gretsch, Jenni Baird, Chad Faust, Season Five, TV, television, USA

I had almost missed this from my weekly email off of the Official Site.

Can’t wait until The 4400 Season Finale for answers to your most urgent questions? Then join Joel Gretsch, Chad Faust and Jenni Baird for a LIVE Video Chat on Friday, September 14 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Your Message Board login will get you exclusive access to the chat – if you’re not signed up on the Board, sign up now!

So, who’s going to be online on Friday for the chat! I know that I’m already working on my questions for those three.

The 4400, Joel Gretsch, Jenni Baird, Chad Faust, chat, TV, television, USA

I don’t check out the Production Blog on the official site quite as often as I’d like, especially lately, but I finally got a chance to read Amy Berg’s post on “Ghost in the Machine”, a few episodes back. One of the things that I love about the Production blog is the little nuggets from behind the scenes on the show.

Case in point. As I’m sure you noticed, “Ghost in the Machine” had quite a few theory room scenes. It was up to Marco, Brady, and new girl geek Abigail to analyze the attacks on Drew Imroth’s company and figure out who was behind it. To do that, they had to study the manifesto that was being spit out by computers running Ubient software. Then they had to sift through all the hate mail directed at Imroth and cross-reference the language with that in the manifesto. Tough task for anyone except the venerable Marco Pacella and his cronies. When they were explaining their results to Tom and Diana, they stood in front of a split screen with the documents projected behind them. If you paused the episode with your Tivo, you could probably make out a few dozen words. But in actuality, each document was three pages long. How do I know? Well, someone had to write them.

Read the whole thing here.

The 4400, Amy Berg, Chost in the Machine, Season Four, TV, television, USA

Due to all of my recent audio files from Dragoncon, and chatting with Shaun on Monday (I’ll also be on his show talking Jericho tonight), I was thinking about podcasts that center on the 4400.

One of the shows on BlogTalkRadio that I’ve heard about from Shaun before is Bionic Angels, who have been discussing the 4400, along with all kinds of other shows that I would have loved to have been able to see the panels at Dragoncon that went on.

If you’re looking for more “Official” news via audio (I won’t call it a true podcast, since I can’t find a feed for the show), USA Network has The 4400 Podcasts available on the Official Site.

A quick search via iTunes also brings up the Lipstick Aliens, who I’ve listened to before for some of their other sci-fi talks, but not a lot else that is specifically talking about the 4400. Do you have any recommendations to help get me through the work-day and giving me ideas for posts?

The 4400, podcast, Bionic Angels, Lipstick Aliens, TV, television, USA

Richard-Kahan.com has the transcript and scans from Cult Times Magazine’s recent interview with Richard Kahan, who plays the lovable Marco Pacella on the 4400.

Of all the episodes Marco has appeared in this season, one of the actor’s favourites is The Marked. In it, one of the original 4400, Curtis Peck (Todd Giebenhaim), who has the ability to uncover truths by making films, ends up in danger when his latest production, a conspiracy yarn, threatens to expose the truth surrounding the 4400. Looking for a safe place to hide Curtis, Diana brings him to Marco’s apartment.

“I don’t want to give too much away, but this episode will end up being a very fascinating and much larger part of the overall 4400 storyline for the rest of year four,� reveals Kahan. “So it opens up a neat sub-plot.

Read the whole article here, and if you like it, you should think about maybe subscribing to Cult Times.

Hat-tip to 4400 Spoilers.

The 4400, Richard Kahan, Marco Pacella, TV, television, USA

An interesting blog post came through on my Google Alerts from Earl Green’s Scribblings From The Public Restroom where he caught an episode of the 4400 recently. While watching it, he thought of a couple of things, most particularly, that he had no one to root for on the show any more.

I’m sure the situation is the same with The 4400, but not being an avid follower of the story, I just don’t realize it. What nagged at me is that, unlike Lost and Galactica, I couldn’t tell who was supposed to be the bad guy. I was able to divine the differing agendas and philosophies of the two main characters on either side of the divide, but both of them were exhibiting such reprehensible behavior that I couldn’t see who I was supposed to root for. But what struck me was that my wife, who has been an avid follower of The 4400, said “I don’t like where they’re going with this show.�

So, what do you think? Is he right that the anti-hero has taken over the 4400 where you don’t know who it is that is supposed to be the “good guy”? Or is it simply that he hasn’t watch the show that much this season, so he might be missing part of the story?

My opinion is that it’s a little of both. While I think that Evil Tom is an interesting twist on it, he’s right, there’s no defined White Hats or Black Hats in this show any more. While he seems to see that as a negative thing, I’m not really sure if it’s that bad of an idea. Jordan Collier, Promicin Messiah, is using some rather under-handed tactics (mainly, not letting Kevin work on his test so he can save lives), yet NTAC isn’t the shining Moral Compass with shutting down everyone and anyone who has taken Promicin.

Anyway, I think that Earl has brought up points that go outside of just a science fiction television show, but to our culture as it is now. It’s a wonderful post, go and read it.

Read the whole thing here.

The 4400, anti hero, TV, television, USA