Inside Comic-Con 2007

I had to stand in line for over an hour, then sit through the 24 panel while avoiding spoilers (I watch 24 on DVD, so I listened to music and looked at the floor), but I was rewarded with a great seat for the Chuck screening and panel.

The show was described as The Office meets Alias, or The Bourne Identity meets The 40 Year Old Virgin. Chuck is part of the "Nerd Herd" at "Buy More" (yes, it's fairly obvious what the show is parodying), but he soon finds that his brain is full of national secrets when he receives an e-mail from an old friend. I'll avoid spoiling the show for those who want to wait, but I will just tell you that Chuck is a hilarious series from Josh Schwartz (The O.C.) and Chris Fedak. The show stars Zachary Levi, Yvonne Strzechowski, Joshua Gomez and Adam Baldwin, who was clearly the fan favorite, though he didn't appear at Comic-Con because he was shooting. The pilot is directed by McG.

The show will include "missions" as well as stories based around "Buy More" and the people who work there. Looks like a winner to me!

What was the big surprise at the Lost panel today? Michael (Harold Perrineau Jr.) is coming back to the island, though the surprise wasn't as big as it was planned to be after the announcement was made at yesterday's TCA event (see Ausiello's blog from the event yesterday).

While the "big surprise" was lessened a bit, "Team Darlton" (Damon Lindeloff and Carlton Cuse) had a few tricks up their sleeves for the packed room, many of whom started lining up 3 hours before the panel began. They were more than willing to answer questions from fans, except each was armed with a bell that they would ring if they felt the other was going a bit too far with their answer; the bells were used far too often, followed by the groans of fans. A fan followed up on the Michael announcement by asking for more information on how he'll return, and before Carlton Cuse had a chance to answer, the sound of a bell could be heard off-stage, and Harold Perrineau Jr. emerged to an eruption of applause from the audience; it was only time the bell was met with applause. They wouldn't reveal when Michael returns, but they said Perrineau would be a series regular in the fourth season, and his return would be near the start of the season.

Fans were very curious about the use of the flash-forward in the season finale, and Darlton revealed that they'll be used in season 4, while still continuing with flash-backs. The big question is how far forward, and with whom, since a future-flash would reveal details about the current situation on the island (we already know Jack and Kate survive, since they were in the first flash-forward). Flash-forwards were always in the works, they just had to decide when to reveal the plot device to the audience, and the season 3 finale seemed like the best time.

There were other random facts reveled in the panel:
-The show will have an end, and the finale won't leave fans hanging with 10 seconds of black
-We'll find out more about Libby in season 4
-Rousseau's story will be told, but probably not until season 5
-Season 4 will premiere in February, and will run for 16 weeks without reruns. Seasons 5 and 6 will also consist of 16 episodes.
-A trailer for the Lost video game was shown, though most of the footage showed characters in the jungle. The game is being developed by Ubisoft Montreal
-Ben didn't plan to be caught in Rousseau's trap, and where he was going at the time will be revealed
-What happened to the balloonist Henry Gale? Ben didn't kill him, but "they had words."

The panel ended with a recently discovered Dharma film talking about station 6, "The Orchid." It's not a botanical research station, but is highly volatile, and potentially dangerous experiment. The film shows Dr. Marvin Candle holding a rabbit with the number 15 on his side, written in black. Objects begin falling behind Candle, the camera moves, and an identical rabbit appears on a shelf. They start shooting the opening to the training video again before the film runs out. Could this be a cloning experiment? Hopefully that's answered in season 4.

Charlie de Lauzirika, DVD producer for Twin Peaks (along with many, many other titles) was on hand at the "DVD Sneak Peak 2007" panel moderated by Bill Hunt and Todd Doogan from The Digital Bits. de Lauzirika talked about the October 20 release of Twin Peaks - Definitive Gold Box Edition.

The set will include both the domestic and international pilot episodes (the international pilot had a drastically different ending), plus all the season 1 and 2 episodes. It was rumored that the set wouldn't include deleted scenes, but that's completely false; they'll be on the set, plus all the "Log Lady Intros," the Twin Peaks coffee commercials (I'm told these were spoofs of the show), a documentary "Secrets From Another Place: Making Twin Peaks" and "Slice of Lynch," a roundtable discussion with David Lynch, Kyle McLaughlin, Madchen Amick, and one other person (he wasn't mentioned on the piece they showed us).

There will be hours of new and vintage material on the set, and de Lauzirika said "We got away with murder" when talking about the amount of material they're putting on the set. We can't wait to see what else will be included.

Tim Sale (the artist for Heroes) dropped by the NBC/Universal Heroes booth to sign some of his artwork used on the series. The artwork will be used for various NBC promotions. The DVD set, out on August 28, will include a profile on Tim Sale.

Earlier in the evening representatives from Universal and Microsoft were on hand to demonstrate the HD DVD release of Heroes, also out on August 28. The set is the first web-enabled release from Universal, and allows fans to take a "Genetic Abilities Test" which creates a profile of them, and their abilities, on NBC.com. Viewers can also spot the helix in "The Helix Revealed," a feature that shows the hidden helix in scenes, and can view "Character Connections," a complex diagram showing the connections between the characters that evolves throughout the season. There's also the "Artwork Presentation," which allows you to explore the artwork of Tim Sale from within the episode.

I'd like to welcome everyone to drop by the TV Guide booth at Comic-Con in San Diego, July 26-29. We're booth #4016, just inside the doors by Starbucks, and between Disney and Viz Media.

We'll have some copies of the magazine to give away, postcards for our DVD promo, and best of all... TV Guide FANS! That's right, leave it to TV Guide to cool you off while you stand in a long line to get into a panel with our wonderful hand-held paper fans.

Hope to see some of you at the con! I've attached a small picture of where our booth is.

Gord

Alright, here's the (current) list of panels I hope to attend. I may drop one or two, and add some others, but this is what I'm printing off to take with me. I may have to ditch out a bit early to get to another panel...


Thursday

11:00-12:00 DVD Sneak Peak 2007— Bill Hunt and Todd Doogan of The Digital Bits.com, along with DVD producers Charles de Lauzirika (Blade Runner: The Final Cut; Twin Peaks: The Complete Series), Robert Meyer Burnett (Shoot 'Em Up, Valkyrie), and Javier Soto (Hellboy 2), offer exclusive sneak peeks of great upcoming DVD and high-def special editions in the works for release later this year. Exclusive footage from Blade Runner and Twin Peaks will be shown. Q&A will follow if time permits. Room 5AB

12:30-1:30 Star Trek, The Original Series: As You’ve Never Seen It— Be here for the worldwide debut of Star Trek, The Original Series, fully remastered and on HD DVD, along with extras including never-before-seen, behind- the-scenes 8mm footage. "Star" panelists include Rod Roddenberry, Billy Blackburn (Star Trek, The Original Series extra- extraordinaire), Ryan Adams and David Grant (CBS DVD), and Cory Watson and Jason Hillhouse (New Wave) and more. Room 6CDEF

2:15-3:15 BBC America: Torchwood— Writer Russell T Davies has created a spectacular spin-off TV series from Doctor Who with Torchwood, about a rogue team of investigators who use scavenged alien technology to solve present-day crime—both alien and human. Catch a preview of the new series and a panel discussion with lead writer Chris Chibnall; series writer Noel Clarke who also plays Mickey Smith in Doctor Who; Richard Stokes, producer: and Matt O'Toole, prosthetics supervisor, Doctor Who/Torchwood (Millennium FX). Moderated by TV Guide's West Coast Bureau Chief Craig Tomashoff. Room 6A

4:00-5:00 Popeye: Well Blow Me Down!— The most popular sailor in animation history is coming to DVD nearly 75 years after his Silver Screen debut. The classic Popeye animated shorts on Popeye The Sailor 1933–1938 Volume 1 made Popeye, Olive Oyl, and Bluto national pop icons and have been demanded by fans for generations. Panelists include Frank Caruso and Stephen DeStefano, both having worked on Popeye for years from King Features Syndicate, film historian Jerry Beck, and others. Room 6B

5:00-6:00 Lost Season 4— If the Lost finale was any indication of things to come, you will not want to miss this panel! Co-creator/executive producer Damon Lindelof and executive producer Carlton Cuse will discuss the exciting new season of ABC’s Lost, all leading up to the ultimate series finale. They’ll spotlight bonus features from the 3rd season DVD box set, preview the new Lost video game, take questions from the audience, and perhaps serve up more surprises. Ballroom 20


Friday

11:00-12:00 Reaper: Exclusive Pilot Screening— Be among the first to see this special version of the Reaper pilot directed by Kevin Smith, introduced by Missy Peregrym (Heroes). For the first 20 years of his life, Sam (Bret Harrison, Grounded For Life, The Loop) has wondered why his parents went so easy on his slacker ways—until the day Sam turns 21 and discovers the ungodly reason his parents let him slide: They sold his soul to the devil before he was even born. Satan himself (Ray Wise, 24) drops by to personally explain that Sam must now serve as his bounty hunter, tracking down evil souls that have escaped and returning them to Hell. Bolstered by his love for co-worker Andi (Missy Peregrym) and with the goofball help of his friends and fellow slackers, Bert “Sock” Wysocki (Tyler Labine, Boston Legal, Invasion) and Ben (Rick Gonzalez, Coach Carter), Sam faces his destiny as the Reaper. Ballroom 20

2:45-4:00 Chuck Screening and Q&A— Coming this fall to NBC and one of the most talked-about new series of the upcoming television season, Chuck is a comedic spy thriller that follows a regular help-desk worker who must save the world after downloading the CIA’s database into his brain. Talk to executive producers Josh Schwartz (The O.C.) and McG (Supernatural), co-executive producer Chris Fedak, and cast members after a premiere screening of the pilot. Coming this fall to NBC, Chuck is produced by College Hill Pictures, Wonderland Sound and Vision in association with Warner Bros. Television. Room 6B

4:15-5:45 Warner Bros. Animation: The Batman/Legion of Super-Heroes— This action-packed 90 minutes is split between two Warner Bros. Animation standouts: The Batman and Legion of Super Heroes. The Caped Crusader crew just picked up its fourth Emmy Award heading into a season that promises even more punch, courtesy of guest appearances from some Justice League pals. Supervising producer Alan Burnett (The Batman), producer- director Michael Goguen (Batman: The Animated Series), renowned voice director Andrea Romano, and the voice of Batman himself, Rino Romano, will discuss the upcoming surprises. LOSH enters its second season with double the action as the group adds new members—and a new ally from across the space-time continuum—just in time to face a daunting new villain. Producer James Tucker (Justice League Unlimited), director Brandon Vietti (Superman Doomsday), and story editor/writer Michael Jelenic (The Batman) will be joined on the panel by cast members Yuri Lowenthal (Superman on LOSH), Phil Morris (Seinfeld, Smallville), and Alex Polinsky (Charles in Charge). TV Guide senior editor Rich Sands will moderate both halves of the panel. Room 6B

6:00-7:00 Babylon 5: The Lost Tales— Created by J. Michael Straczynski in 1993, Babylon 5 became an sf cult fan favorite and a top rated show. Now in 2007, you are being taken to 2271 A.D. for Babylon 5: The Lost Tales, a made-for-video movie. See footage from the movie, with a panel to follow. Panelists include writer/director/executive producer J. Michael Straczynski and members from the original cast, including Bruce Boxleitner (President John Sheridan), Tracy Scoggins (Captain Elizabeth Lochley), and Peter Woodward (Galen) as well as executive producer Douglas Netter and producer Samm Barnes. Room 6CDEF

7:15-9:00 Doctor Strange World Premiere Screening and Panel— Lionsgate and Marvel Studios present the world premiere of the newest Marvel Animated Feature, Doctor Strange, with a film screening and Q&A panel featuring Marvel’s senior VP of creative development animation Craig Kyle, plus members of the cast and production team. Room 6CDEF



Saturday

9:15-10:15 Special Early Screening: Pushing Daisies— Get to Comic-Con early to see this exclusive screening of one of the fall's most eagerly anticipated new shows! The stars and creators, including executive producer/creator Bryan Fuller (Heroes), of this new series—about an ordinary guy who can bring people back from the dead with the touch of his finger—come together to screen the Pushing Daisies pilot and answer fan questions. Produced by The Jinks/Cohen Company in association with Warner Bros. Television, Pushing Daisies will air Wednesdays at 8 PM ET/PT this fall on ABC. Room 6CDEF

11:30-12:30 TV Guide Hot List— The hippest and hottest names in supernatural/ fantasy/sci-fi television, as featured in TV Guide’s current collector’s issue, will offer sneak peeks at what’s coming up on their shows as well as a look at the genre’s future on the small screen. Panelists include (in alphabetical order) Ira S. Behr (The 4400), Billy Campbell (The 4400), Matt Dallas (Kyle XY), Tim Kring (Heroes), Masi Oka (Heroes), Michelle Ryan (Bionic Woman), and Skeet Ulrich (Jericho), among others to be announced. TV Guide’s West Coast Bureau Chief Craig Tomashoff moderates. Ballroom 20

12:45-2:00 Heroes: Exclusive Volume II Clip and Q&A— Heroes chronicles the lives of ordinary people who discover they possess extraordinary abilities. Be the first to see an exclusive clip from Volume II and learn more about the DVD Heroes 360 and more. Participate in a Q&A session moderated by co-executive producer/comic book writer Jeph Loeb, with creator Tim Kring, comic book artist Tim Sale (Batman: The Long Halloween), and the entire cast—Jack Coleman (H.R.G.), Noah Gray-Cabey (Micah Sanders), Greg Grunberg (Matt Parkman), Ali Larter (Niki Sanders), James Kyson Lee (Ando), Masi Oka (Hiro Nakamura), Hayden Panettiere (Claire Bennet), Adrian Pasdar (Nathan Petrelli), Zachary Quinto (Sylar), Sendhil Ramamurthy (Mohinder Suresh), Dania Ramirez (Maya), Milo Ventimiglia (Peter Petrelli), and more. Read our Exclusive Interviews with Tim Kring, Masi Oka and Tim Sale! Ballroom 20

3:30-4:30 Futurama— Matt Groening is proud to announce the long-awaited return of the animated sci-fi comedy classic Futurama! Matt and executive producer David X. Cohen will be on the dais, accompanied by writer Ken Keeler, animation directors Peter Avanzino and Dwayne Carey- Hill, and for the first time together on stage in any universe, actors Billy West (Fry), Katey Sagal (Leela), John DiMaggio (Bender), and Maurice LaMarche (Kif Kroker)! The cast and crew will entertain your questions and present a sneak peek at Bender’s Big Score! in glorious wide-screen format! Moderated by Bill Morrison. Ballroom 20

7:30-10:00 The Monster Squad 20th Anniversary Screening and Talent Panel
Pacific's Gaslamp Theater
701 5th Avenue
San Diego, CA 92101


Sunday

10:45-11:45 TV Guide: Super(Natural) Women— When it comes to supernatural, fantasy, and sci-fi shows these days, more women than ever are kicking ass and saving souls. Some of prime time’s most fantastic females will tell all about how they’ve been able to make it in what has traditionally been a (super) man’s world. Panelists include (in alphabetical order) Jenni Baird (The 4400), Allison DuBois (real life inspiration for Medium), Lisa Klink (Painkiller Jane), Lucy Lawless (Battlestar Galactica, Xena Warrior Princess), Marti Noxon (Private Practice, Buffy The Vampire Slayer); and several others. TV Guide’s West Coast Bureau Chief Craig Tomashoff moderates. Room 6CDEF

1:15-2:15 Jericho— The CBS drama about how residents of a small, peaceful, Kansas town band together to survive in the wake of a nuclear explosion, will return to the network. Be the first to see never before seen footage from the second season, exclusive clips and outtakes from Season 1 and extras from the DVD out in October, followed by a panel discussion with series stars Skeet Ulrich (Scream), Lennie James (Sahara), Ashley Scott (Dark Angel), executive producer Carol Barbee (Judging Amy), co-executive producers Karim Zreik and Dan Shotz, and producer Jon Steinberg. Room 6CDEF

Of course there will be shopping and visits to the show floor between panels.

Gord

Comic-Con is a big event, and it takes a lot of preparation. I've started planning which sessions I'd like to go to, and which sessions I think will be insanely busy (ummm....Heroes?).

Last year was my first Comic-Con, and I learned a few things:

1) There are lots of people. I was told there would be big crowds, but I didn't fully prepare myself for "Tokyo subway" crowds. Shoulder-to-shoulder people on the show floor, and lines that seemed to be endless to get into some of the sessions.

2) Get there early. I quickly learned that people camp out for popular sessions, often sitting through panels they're not interested in just so they can get a seat for the one they really care about. That lead to me sitting through two Nickelodeon sessions so I had a seat for The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.. It was worth it.

3) Food quality at the convention center is poor. Unless you want greasy, fatty foods at high prices, it's not wise to eat at the convention. Thankfully there are lots of good restaurants just north of the convention center, and there's a grocery store in the area for people who want to make their own lunches. Not only is it healthier, it's also cheaper, which means you have more money to spend at the show.

4) The costumes are crazy. People spend a lot of time making their costumes, and some of them are pretty cool. I found it a little annoying that people would stop for photos on the show floor, causing a big traffic jam.

5) Bring lots of money. I spent hundreds of dollars at the show, and I was holding back. I picked up some T-shirts, a toy and some nice prints, but there were so many other things I wanted. I tried to pick up a few graphic novels on the last day of the show, but the crowds around the sale tables were insane (but at 50 percent off, who can blame them?).

There's a 15-minute break between panels, which should make it easier to clear a room and get people seated before the next panel starts. That bothered me a lot about the convention last year, so I was happy to see it change.

So, who else is going to Comic-Con this year? What are the must-see events for you, and do you have any tips to share?