TODAY'S NEWS

Saturday, September 25, 2004:

EARTHSEA: Beside the regular stars of SCIFI's upcoming original miniseries EARTHSEA, stars X-Men's Sean Ashmore, Smallville's Kristin Kreuk, Isabella Rossellini and Danny Glover, STARGATE SG-1 star Amanda Tapping (Lt. Col. Carter) will make a cameo appearance, playing the part of Lady Elfarran, a ghost who appears to Ged (Shawn Ashmore), early on. The guest spot was shot in July in Vancouver, B.C. and Tapping's image will be inserted into the scene with visual effects in post-production. EARTHSEA is based on Ursula K. Le Guin's award-winning series of fantasy novels and premieres Dec. 13.

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THURSDAY NIGHT RATINGS: It is very early in the new season, yet people are always looking at ratings points for shows. CBS still owns Thursday night, thanks to the fifth-season premiere of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" and all-time high ratings from "Without a Trace." "CSI" raked in an eye-popping 30 million viewers and impressive 11.1 rating/28 share in the adults 18-49 demographic at 9 p.m., according to preliminary estimates from Nielsen Media Research. NBC's "Apprentice 2" (15.7 million, 8.0/20) couldn't keep up with the "CSI" competition but essentially held its ground from last week in viewers and 18-49. At 10 p.m., "Trace" (21.4 million, 7.4/19) notched its first-ever win in viewers against NBC's "ER" (19.7 million, 9.9/25). That marked "ER's" first loss in viewers in head-to-head competition with another drama series since the NBC powerhouse bowed in 1994. "ER" proved its durability however, by easily leading "Trace" in adults 18-49 despite the latter's lead-in advantage, and "ER" also took a big leap in both key measures from its "Apprentice" lead-in.

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MIDNIGHT NATION BACK TO PRESS : Top Cow has announced that Midnight Nation, the 12-issue series from writer J. Michael Straczynski, is going back to press with a bonus for fans: A new, lower price. The tale of loss and redemption illustrated by Gary Frank originally saw print from 2000-2002, and became one of the best-selling trade paperbacks from publisher Top Cow Productions and Image Comics. Now, the 304-page collection, which includes all 12 issues, plus Midnight Nation #1/2 and a cover gallery, is back in print. The new edition hits stores in December, with a cover price of $24.99 , a $5 savings from its previous $29.99. "Of all the work I've done in comics, and a lot of the work I've done in TV, the one thing of which I'm most proud is Midnight Nation," Straczynski said. "It remains a very emotional story, raw and unremitting in places, tender and gentle in others. Every once in a while, everything comes together perfectly, and Gary Frank's art is the embodiment of that. It's beautiful to look at, and achingly real through the emotions he draws out of his characters. I strongly recommend it to anyone and everyone, especially those new to the form who wouldn't normally buy a graphic novel."

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INSIDE SCI-FI THIS WEEK:

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Friday, September 24, 2004:
TOP SF NETWORK PROGRAMS:
Joan of Arcadia 2.5
Smallville 1.8
Charmed 1.5
Enterprise 0.9
Source: Nielsen Galaxy Report, 8/30/04 - 9/5/04.

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STAR WARS: According to Variety, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment reports that fans spent more than $115 million on the new Star Wars trilogy DVD set and the LucasArts Star Wars Battlefront video game combined on the first day of sale Sept. 21. It is believed that about 90 percent of the spending was for the DVD worldwide, with a big chunk of that coming from the U.S. Though high, the first-day take did not set any records. Because of the DVD set's relatively high price ($69.98 suggested retail price) and a rough average consumer purchase price in the U.S. of $40-$45, compared to about $15-$18 for THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST, the trilogy DVD set will not come close to setting any single-day or single-week or all-time sales records in terms of the number of copies purchased. But if consumers purchase somewhere close to 8 million copies in the U.S., a realistic projection, that could translate to nearly $350 million in consumer spending, which could rank the Star Wars trilogy as one of the top money-making DVDs of the year and among the top 15 or so of all time.

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ALEXANDER: We will have to wait a little longer to see Warner Bros. ALEXANDER. The studio has bumped the release of ALEXANDER from Friday, November 5 to Wednesday, November 24, the day before Thanksgiving. The studio sited the desire to give the film's director, Oliver Stone, extra time to finish editing.

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FADE OUT: Filming begins on May 15 in Halifax, Nova Scotia for a new thriller starring Billy Bob Thornton and Milla Jovovich. Thornton will play a haunted screenwriter with a history of mental illness that believes his wife (Jovovich) is having an affair. When she goes missing, the writer begins putting all of his suspicions down into the screenplay, but after a time he cannot separate what is real from what he has made up for his story. FADE OUT will be directed by screenwriter turned director Michael Cristofer (THE BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES, THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK.)

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MGM-SONY: It's official! MGM and Sony Corp. issued a joint statement late Thursday confirming that a definitive agreement has been reached to sell MGM to Sony and a handful of co-investors. The deal to sell MGM for about $4.85 billion -- $12 per share, plus the assumption of about $2 billion in debt -- was approved Thursday by MGM's board of directors in a meeting at the company's Century City offices. For Sony, the acquisition of more than 4,000 MGM and UA titles will significantly boost its library. This will give Sony's Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment a new and valuable stream of product for DVD releases.

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NEW SHOWS DO WELL: "CSI: NY" sent CBS to the top of the Nielsen charts Wednesday, while ABC notched its best drama series premiere in nine years with the 8 p.m. bow of J.J. Abrams' "Lost." NBC's "Law & Order" held up well against the "CSI: NY" launch. ABC's fortunes fell sharply at 9 p.m., however, with a weak turnout for the two-hour premiere of "The Bachelor." The WB saw its numbers take a dive at 9 p.m. with the debut of drama "The Mountain."

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LAND OF THE DEAD: According to The Hollywood Reporter, Simon Baker (The Ring 2), John Leguizamo (Assault on Precinct 13), Asia Argento, and Robert Joy are joining the previously cast Dennis Hopper in George A. Romero's LAND OF THE DEAD, which starts filming on October 11 in Toronto and will be distributed by Universal Pictures. Written and directed by Romero, "Land of the Dead" is set in the modern world. The living inhabit a walled-in city, protected from the walking dead that populate the wasteland beyond. Baker, Argento and Leguizamo will all play a team of soldiers sent out to do battle with the gathering and evolving zombie threat in a fearsome, tank-like vehicle called the Dead Reckoning. Mark Canton, who is producing through his Atmosphere MM shingle, said the film also will feature cameos.

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Thursday, September 23, 2004:
TOP 10 SF DVD SALES: 1. Star Wars trilogy
2. THX 1138
3. The Prisoner of Azkaban
4. Shrek 2
5. Aladdin
6. Passion of the Christ
7. Buffy season seven
8. Eternal Sunshine
9. Angel season four
10. Spider-Man 2
Source: Amazon.com, top-selling genre DVDs, 9/20/04

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STARGATE SG-1: FARSCAPE's Claudia recently wrapped production on "Prometheus Unbound," an upcoming episode of STARGATE SG-1. Black plays a character named Vala, who steals Earth's only deep-space starship, Prometheus, and does so with Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks) on board. Black said in an interview, "Vala was a lot of fun. She's sassy. She's intelligent. She's manipulative. She's very hard and mercurial. She does what she has to [to] survive, so it's very hard to tell what the real core of Vala is, and I'm hoping that if they do write her back in again that that will be explored." Black returns as Aeryn Sun in the upcoming four-hour miniseries FARSCAPE: THE PEACEKEEPER WARS.

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BUNYAN AND BABE: According to the Hollywood Reporter, Jim Rygiel, who won three visual-effects Oscars for his work on the LORD OF THE RINGS films, is set to make his directorial debut on the upcoming fantasy film BUNYAN AND BABE for Exodus Film Group. Based on the legendary figure of Paul Bunyan, Bunyan and Babe is a live-action family adventure following Bunyan's attempts, with the help of a couple of kids, to rescue his ox from the evil clutches of a demented circus owner. The film will feature the voice of Eddie Griffin as the computer-animated Babe the Blue Ox. Bunyan was written by Michael A. Nickles and Julia A. Wall. Babe's computer animation is being done by Exodus' animation team, ElectroAge.

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SPELLBOUND: Variety reports that Christine Baranski and Barry Bostwick have joined the cast of Fox's SPELLBOUND, a Warner Brothers TV-produced pilot for a supernatural series. SPELLBOUND centers on a male witch who is forced to decide whether to give up his powers after falling in love with a mortal woman. Baranski and Bostwick will play parents. Rob Greenberg and Suzanne Martin write and executive produce. Andy Ackerman is on board to direct and also executive produce.

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SPIDERMAN: Starting Wednesday and running through Oct. 20, Alex Ross' original paintings, which appeared in the opening title sequence to Spider-Man 2, will be available in a charity auction on eBay (http://www.sonypictures.com/auction), with all proceeds going to the United Cancer Front (UCF) Women's Cancer Research Program at UCLA. The 15 paintings will be listed exclusively on eBay with all proceeds donated to UCF, which is dedicated to working toward the eradication of cancer. "Sony Pictures and the filmmakers of Spider-Man 2 are delighted to be making Alex Ross' unique and beautiful artwork available to the public in the service of such a worthy cause."

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SPIDER-MAN 2: Reuters reports that, thanks largely to SPIDER-MAN 2, Sony Pictures Releasing is on track to generate more than $1 billion in annual domestic box office gross for the third consecutive year and the fourth time in the company's history. SPIDER-MAN 2 contributed a hefty $371.2 million to the company's total, while the Adam Sandler starrer 50 FIRST DATES was the only other release to gross more than $100 million for the distributor, with $120.8 million. The two films generated $492 million between them, nearly half of Sony's year-to-date total.

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SMALLVILLE: Trent Ford has been cast as Mikhail Mxzptlk in an upcoming episode of SMALLVILLE. According to Executive Producer Al Gough, "He will not be the imp in the purple hat. But there is a character who is sort of an Eastern European exchange student who is sort of a jinx." The character is set to appear in the season's seventh episode.

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Wednesday, September 22, 2004:
TOP 10 SF SYNDICATED SHOWS:
Andromeda 1.7
Stargate SG-1 1.7
Mutant X 1.6
Buffy 1.4
The X-Files 1.4
3rd Rock 1.1
Angel 1.1
She Spies 1.1
Beastmaster 1.0
The Outer Limits 0.9
Source: Nielsen Galaxy Report, 8/30/04 - 9/5/04

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FANTASTIC FOUR: On Tuesday, USA Today released the first official images from 20th Century Fox's FANTASTIC FOUR movie. Shown in full costume were Ioan Gruffudd as Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic), Michael Chiklis as Ben Grimm (The Thing), Jessica Alba as Sue Storm (Invisible Woman) and Chris Evans as Johnny Storm (Human Torch). Michael Chiklis is definitely going to be spending a bit of time in the wardrobe department, but he did not want the role if The Thing was going to be a CG character. "I felt that I would be wasted," he said. "I was assured from the get-go that that wasn't going to be the case, and I was thrilled. They would use some CGI enhancements in creating nuances. "For an actor, it's a thrill to be involved in this type of thing. I've not done really anything of this scale. Everything I've done has been about the acting work, about character development, about people interacting. This is still very much like that, but with a huge scale of technical support around it."

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TRUTH, JUSTICE AND THE AMERICAN WAY: Focus Features begins production early next year on TRUTH, JUSTICE AND THE AMERICAN WAY -- a story about George Reeves, the man who portrayed TV's Superman. With Allen Coutler directing, Adrien Brody (The Jacket, King Kong) is set to star in the film written by Paul Bernbaum. Bernbaum's script details the investigation into Reeves' mysterious 1959 death in Hollywood, as well as the actor's complex relationship with the iconic role that propelled him to stardom. Brody will play the lead detective on the case.

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STAR WARS TRILOGY: If you're excited about the Star Wars trilogy finally being out on DVD, check out www.thedigitalbits.com/reviews3/starwarschanges.html to compare the latest digital changes Lucas has made to the 1997 theatrical version.

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Tuesday, September 21, 2004:
TOP 10 BESTSELLING SF BOOKS:

1. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell
2. The Dark Tower (Dark Tower 7)
3. The Grim Grotto (Lemony Snicket 11)
4. The Da Vinci Code
5. Incubus Dreams (Anita Blake Vampire Hunter)
6. Going Postal : A Novel of Discworld
7. Song of Susannah (Dark Tower 6)
8. Tanequil (Shannara)
9. The Time Traveler's Wife
10. The Golem's Eye (Bartimaeus Trilogy)
Source: Amazon.com, 9/20/04

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FANTASTIC FOUR: In today's edition of USA Today, you should find a story on the upcoming FANTASTIC FOUR movie. This is the first official image from Fox, showing Jessica Alba as Sue Storm.

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JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED: It may be the Cartoon Network, but the FIREFLY cast is showing up in greater numbers. Morena Baccarin, who played Inara Serra on the FIREFLY TV series and upcoming SERENITY movie, is providing the voice of Black Canary, who will be featured in the Season 4 episode, "Double Date," which is written by Gail Simone of the Justsic League Unlimited. The episode also features Kin Shriner as Green Arrow, Amy Acker as The Huntress and Jeffrey Combs as The Question, along with some other guest voices to be announced. Baccarin is one of several FIREFLY/SERENITY cast members to lend their voices to Justice League Unlimited. Nathan Fillion is voicing Vigilante and Gina Torres is voicing Vixen. Adam Baldwin is voicing a villain in the season finale.

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ZOOM'S ACADEMY: Variety reports that Pete Hewitt will direct Tim Allen in ZOOM'S ACADEMY, a Revolution Studios comedy about an out-of-shape former superhero called back into action to save the world. Set to go into production in last spring, the film is written by Adam Rifkin and rewritten by Jordan Roberts. The movie is based on the Jason Lethcoe graphic novel "Zoom's Academy for the Super Gifted."

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JONATHAN STRANGE AND MR. NORRELL: According to Variety, several studios are chasing the rights to JONATHAN STRANGE AND MR. NORRELL, a novel by first-timer Susanna Clarke about two feuding magicians set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars. This 800 page book is filled with complex layers definitely designed for adults. Even though it's a British book, it launched first in the US and already Clarke's agent is being bombarded with calls and emails from Hollywood producers. New Line, Warners, Dreamworks and Sony are already in touch with offers for the film rights.

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STRANGE: I picked up a copy of JMS' Strange #1 over the weekend. I like the book a lot -- and you can see JMS all over it. Synchronicity even becomes part of the story line!

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Monday, September 20, 2004:
TOP SCIFI CHANNEL SHOWS: Impostor 1.3
Stargate SG-1 1.2
Thirteen Ghosts 1.1
The Arrival 1.0
The Second Arrival 1.0
Stargate Atlantis 1.0
Terminal Invasion 0.9
Flintstones: Viva 0.9
Primal Force 0.9
Monkey Shines: Fear 0.9
Source: Nielsen Galaxy Report, 8/30/04 - 9/5/04.

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BATMAN BEGINS: According to the Hollywood Reporter, two of the film industry's most prominent composers, James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer, are in discussions to collaborate on Warner Brothers' upcoming movie BATMAN BEGINS, which Christopher Nolan is directing. While it is not uncommon for multiple composers to write the score for a movie, those efforts are not typically collaborative. In this case, longtime friends Zimmer and Howard are looking to join forces. A spokeswoman for Howard (who wrote the score for Nolan's Memento and Insomnia) confirmed that the co-composing plan for BATMAN is "very likely to happen," but that exact plans will be formalized closer to January, with scoring set to begin in April or May. A spokesman for Zimmer (Shark Tale) would not comment to the Reporter on the possibility of the collaboration, saying only that Batman is a sensitive project and that the composers' schedules are hectic. BATMAN BEGINS, starring Christian Bale, is scheduled to be released domestically June 17, 2005.

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THE EMMYS: HBO'S ANGELS IN AMERICA made Emmy history Sunday night as the epic miniseries broke the record held for 27 years by "Roots" for the most wins by a miniseries with 11 trophies. The 11 wins for ANGELS also drove HBO to a new network-best Emmy mark. HBO, which went into the fray with a leading 124 nominations, hauled away 32 trophies Sunday, beating its previous record of 24 wins in 2002. CBS still holds the industry record for most wins by a network in a single year when it rounded up 44 statuettes in 1974. HBO's THE SOPRANOS also took home the top drama series prize. Their SOMETHING THE LORD MADE captured the best movie award; while THE PRACTICE's James Spader won for Best Actor and THE WEST WING's Allison Janney took home the Best Actress trophy.

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WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Paramount's groundbreaking SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW took the #1 spot at the box office this weekend with a debut of an estimated $16.2 million. Two comedies set in the sports world, MR. 3000 and WIMBLEDON did well. Buena Vista's MR. 3000 starring Bernie Mac opened in the second spot with an estimated $9.2 million. Universal's tennis-set WIMBLEDON, a romantic comedy starring Kirsten Dunst and Paul Bettany, debuted with an estimated $7.8 million to take the fourth slot. The boxoffice for the top 12 films was $66.2 million, down 9% from the second weekend after Labor Day last year. Screen Gems' RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE dropped into the third spot with an estimated $9 million. New Line Cinema's thriller CELLULAR dipped only 32% on its second weekend, ringing up an estimated $6.9 million to place fifth. The Kim Basinger starrer, which also features Chris Evans and William H. Macy, has picked up an estimated $19.8 million in 10 days.

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Sunday, September 19, 2004:
STAR WARS FAN FILMS: AtomFilms and Lucasfilm will again sponsor the Star Wars Fan Film Awards in 2005. The 2005 competition will come in the same year the last prequel film, Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith, hits theaters. Creator George Lucas will again select the top award winner. The submission deadline is March 8, 2005. The 2005 winners will all be announced at Celebration III in April. Episode III opens May 19.

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STAR WARS POSTER - LIMITED EDITION: This limited-edition Star Wars poster is on sale now to benefit charity. Artist Paul Jorden created the poster print to raise funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign and the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Jorden himself suffers from mitochondria myopathy, a form of the disease. Lucasfilm licensed Jorden's art for the sale. The full-color poster is available in a limited edition of 1,000. For more information, go to http://www.muscularartdonations.co.uk.

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MONK: Actress Bitty Schram, who has delighted Monk fans as his faithful sidekick, has left the series and will be replaced by actress Traylor Howard.

For those of you not familiar with CRUSADE, here is a synopsis of the plot:
In 2267 the Earth is quarantined, having been infected with a deadly plague by an attacking alien force. Scientists estimate that it will kill every inhabitant within 5 years, not nearly enough time for a cure to be developed. So the planet's only hope lies with the Excalibur, an advanced prototype starship sent out to search ancient alien ruins for their former inhabitant's secrets, hoping that somewhere out there a cure can be found.

Today, Warner Bros Home Video releases the "Babylon 5: The Movies," on DVD. This 5 disc set will contain all 5 movies as well as special features. The set will carry a $59.98 SRP and will be available in stores and online August 17th. "The Gathering" will be presented in 4:3 (original aspect ratio) while the other movies will be 16:9 anamorphic widescreen; all movies will feature Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks. The sets will be closed captioned and be subtitled in English, Spanish and French.

Each movie will contain commentary from the creator (J. Michael Straczynski), cast and crew, as well as an introduction for each movie by JMS. Rounding out the special features is the featurette, "Creating the Future - How Science Fiction and the show influenced each other."

The Gathering (1993): Alien envoys come to the giant space station in the pilot that launched the five-year TV series.

In the Beginning (1998): The B5 prequel! It's humans vs. aliens in the battle that led to the station's creation.

Thirdspace (1998): Is there a realm beyond hyperspace? Discovery of a million-years-old gateway technology may hold the answer...and more.

River of Souls (1998): After death, then what? Questions of eternity arise when a supposedly infallible harvester of souls proves to be very fallible.

A Call to Arms (1999): The torch is passed. A race against time to save Earth links the B5 mission with the Rangers' new interstellar efforts.

For more information on Babylon 5 DVDs, go to Babylon 5 DVDs.

Additional items have been donated to the fund raising efforts, please visit http://www.biggsandcarter.com for new additions.

Jason and Donna would also like to thank everyone for their support and donations for the RJ & Hunter Biggs Educational Trust Fund at this year's DragonCon event.

Ranger Jan has come up with a wonderful way for raising funds for the Richard Biggs Memorial. Read on and decide which package you want to bid on!

The latest phase of my fund raising for Richard Biggs children is ready to unveil. So many people have donated so many wonderful things that I've put together six Prize Packages that I'll be raffling off. Simon from www.starstuff.co.uk/ has put up a *really* nice website at http://rbiggsmemorial.starstuff.co.uk so that anybody anywhere can buy chances to win the prize packages I've put together.

The drawing will be held on November 15 which should give me time to get items to the winners in time for Christmas.

Chances will be priced $5 each, 3 chances for $10, 6 chances for $20 or 10 chances for $30. Each chance can be designated for whichever drawing the buyer wants.

Be sure to check out the packages at Richard Biggs Memorial Page.

Patty will be gearing up for her BE A SANTA program in October, so get ready. Pat wants to again make sure that each child at the PENNY LANE facilities has a Christmas gift. More details will follow.

Patricia Tallman is looking for any recordings of her speaking appearances at conventions. She will reimburse anyone who can send in a video or DVD of Pat telling stories at a convention. She will also send along a new autographed photo (one that no one has yet) and will pay postage and the cost of the vide tape. Here is an address you can use to contact Pat:
Patricia Tallman
6433 Topanga Canyon Blvd. #207
Canoga Park, CA 91303

For more information, go to http://www.cruiseevents.net/celebrity.htm and then press Peter's photo. Space is limited! Don't delay, call today! 800-695- 5253 or e-mail: Susan@CruiseEvents.net.

JERRY DOYLE RADIO SHOW

All the best.
JD

Pat Tallman - September 4
Cinzia Zanetti - September 5
Robin Atkin Downes - September 6
Mira Furlan - September 7
Walter Koenig - September 14
Paul Williams - September 19
Robert Rusler - September 20
Gary Cole - September 20
Bear Burge - September 23
Jason Carter - September 23
Manny Case - September 23

Have I missed anyone? If you know the birthday of someone connected with Babylon 5, pass the information along. We want to include everyone in our Happy Birthday Wishes.

SEASON SIX DVD

Special features include audio commentary for each episode and twelve "SG-1 Directors Series" featurettes!

Time Zone Special #181: SPOOKS: In this issue, you'll get the inside scoop as BBC1’s hit Spy-Fi series, SPOOKS, returns for its third run, star David Oyelowo braves the strictures of the Official Secrets Act to drop a few hints about what’s to come. Also in this issue, David Hewlett talks about is Dr. Rodney McKay character in STARGATE ATLANTIS and Connor Trinneer (Trip on ENTERPRISE) looks ahead at the fourth season of the series and why he thinks the series is ready for the big time.

TV Zone Special #59: This issue devotes a lot of time to CHARMED. The 132 pages provides an overview the first six seasons and looks ahead to a seventh season where old loyalties are breaking down. Interviews include: Brian Krause on the trials and tribulations of marrying a witch; Julian McMahon on making the shift from conflicted demon Cole to Nip/Tuck’s egotistical Christian, Drew Fuller on his year as Piper and Leo’s son from the future, Chris and Executive Producer Brad Karn overviews the first six years, and gives us a sneak preview of Season Seven.

Cult Times Special #31: STARGATE: This issue looks like a keeper for STARGATE fans. There are interviews with Richard Dean Anderson, Michael Shanks, Brad Wright, Stargate Atlantis cast and crew as well. JEREMIAH's Scott Rosenberg talks about season two and what is ahead.

Starburst #315: Heroes: This 116 page issue focus on heroes! Scott Bakula talks about his role as Captain Archer on Star Trek: Enterprise and the new season ahead. You'll also get a look at some new series ahead --LOST, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA and DR. WHO 2005! B5/CRUSADE's Carrie Dobro also looks back on her time in these two fine shows, as well as pondering why Sci-Fi produces strong female characters.

Starburst Special #65: This issue has a lot of information about the new THUNDERBIRDS movie. You go behind the scenes with Director Jonathan (Star Trek) Frakes, young stars Brady Corbet, Vanessa Anne Hudgens and Soren Fultobn who play Alan, Tin Tin and Fermat and Sir Ben Kingsley, aka ‘The Hood’ and Sophia (Lady Penelope) Myles and Ron (Parker)Cook. The magazine looks at the the CGI effects and the costume designs as well. You'll also find articles on STARGATE ATLANTIS as Producer Peter Deluise talks about working on the series, and actors Torri Higginson, Rachel Luttrell and Rainbow Sun Francks chat about their roles on the new Stargate team.

Expose #88: In this issue, HARRY POTTER, Daniel Radcliffe, talks about working with new directors and growing up as he looks ahead to The Prisoner of Azkaban, and beyond. Also, Ian Spelling catches up with Hagrid, alias Robbie Coltrane.

Expose Special #26: This 88-page Special edition brings you a comprehensive retrospective of ANGEL's five years on the air. THE DEAD ZONE's Sarah Wynter talks about playing the newest addition to the spooky paranormal series, psychologist Rebecca Caldwell, and tells us what’s in store for the character and ALIAS' Alias executive producer Jesse Alexander tells us what shifting allegiances and convoluted plotting we can expect to see in the forthcoming Season Four of the hit spy series.

NEWSSTAND COVER..........$5.99
PREVIEWS EXCLUSIVE COVER..........$5.99

Stargate Issue #1: This is the launch of Stargate SG-1 the official magazine! Follow the missions, exploits, and adventures of the U.S. Air Force special operations team SG-1. In the first issue we'll have exclusive interviews with cast and crew, tour the set, and learn the secrets behind the special effects! Plus, get the inside story on Season 8 and meet the Stargate: Atlantis team! (Titan) (CAUT: 4)

Magazine, 68pgs, FC..........$6.99

Doctor Who Magazine reaches its 350th issue, and celebrates with a free reprint of "Doctor Who Weekly" issue #1 from 1979! The magazine is still the only official source for news, features, interviews and full-color comic strip action devoted to BBC Television's immortal traveller in time and space ... In this issue, all the latest from the new BBC One series, with exclusive reports and interviews! Meanwhile, Alan Barnes takes a look back to the story that was shown exactly 25 years ago, as The Fact of Fiction examines "City of Death"! Doctor Who Magazine speaks to the writers of the new series about the task of reinventing the Doctor for the 21st century! Gareth Roberts and Tat Wood return with the answers to more intriguing Doctor Who mysteries! The Time Team continue their quest to watch every single "Doctor Who" adventure, as they face "The Seeds of Doom"! There's yet more hints and news from Executive Producer Russell T Davies as he documents the making of the new series in his "Production Notes" column! And there's the fifth part of the epic comic strip, "The Flood" by Scott Gray, Martin Geraghty, and Adrian Salmon! (Panini Publishing Ltd) (CAUT: 4)

Magazine, FC..........$6.80

AMAZING STORIES: An old favorite is returning to newstands! Amazing Stories returns with a September 2004 issue. Amazing Stories is one of the most beloved magazines in the history of science fiction. Launched in 1926 under the watchful eye of legendary editor Hugo Gernsback, Amazing Stories introduced generations of fans to exciting adventure and equally exciting cover art. The magazine was published regularly (as a monthly, bimonthly or quarterly) all the way up to 1995. It was revived briefly as a quarterly by Wizards of the Coast (WotC) in 1998 but couldn't make it past the summer of 2000. Now WotC and Paizo Publishing have revived Amazing Stories yet again with the "first issue of the 21st century!" - issue #603 (September 2004), a slick magazine-sized monthly that hit newsstands on August 3, 2004. This new Amazing promises a much wider range of subject matter than its previous incarnations. This isssue includes 20 pages of original fiction from luminaries such as Harlan Ellison, Gene Wolfe and Bruce Sterling, it is also packs in news, reviews and interviews covering feature films, DVDs, books, comics - even genre-related music CDs.

Mark's Ebay page is http://stores.ebay.com/markscelebrityinterviews and his text page is http://members.tripod.com/cosmicmc/. If you are interested, drop over and give this a look-see.

For those of us who have enjoyed going to DragonCon over the last few years, these tapes will be especially enjoyable. They will bring back memories -- that can be shared.

The book's author is Paul Simpson, with a foreword by executive producers Al Gough and Miles Millar.

The Season 2 Companion will be released in early 2005, with Seasons 3 and 4 to follow before the end of the year.

Other science fiction material, outside of the B5 environment can be found on the Materials Page.

Saw this in the B5 moderated newsgroup and thought I would pass it along:
http://previews.diamondcomics.com/support/previews_docs/orderforms/cof.txt

32 pages, $2.25, in stores on Dec. 29.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #514
Written by J. Michael Straczynski, art and cover by Mike Deodato.
"Sins Past," part 6 of 6. All is revealed in the pulse-pounding conclusion to "Sins Past"!
32 pages, $2.25, in stores on Nov. 24.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #513
Written by J. Michael Straczynski, pencils and art by Mike Deodato Jr.
"Sins Past," part 5 of 5. The worst defeat that Peter Parker ever endured -- a moment frozen in the minds of Spider-Man fans everywhere -- was supposed to be far in his past. But now, two villains -- ripped, perhaps, directly from that very moment -- have emerged, and they threaten to destroy everything that he holds dear.

32 pages, $2.25, in stores on Oct. 27.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #512

Amazing Spider-Man #512 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from Marvel Comics. The issue is written by J.Michael Straczynski, with art and cover by Mike Deodato.

Here's how Marvel describes the issue:
"'Sins Part,' part 4 of 5. The worst defeat that Peter Parker ever endured ­ a moment frozen in the minds of Spider-Man fans everywhere -- was supposed to be far in his past. But now, two villains ­ ripped, perhaps, directly from that very moment -- have emerged and they threaten to destroy everything that he holds dear."

Amazing Spider-Man #512 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.25.

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Dec. 8.

SUPREME POWER #13
Written by J. Michael Straczynski, art and cover by Gary Frank.
"The Squadron," part 1 of 6. In their first adventure as a team, Hyperion, Blur and Nighthawk -- the newly formed Squadron -- encounter a super-powered serial killer! But will they live long enough to stop him?

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Oct. 27.

32 pages, $3.50, in stores on Dec. 1.

Strange #1 will arrive in stores on Sept. 15 from Marvel Comics. The issue is written by J. Michael Straczynski and Samm Barnes, with art and cover by Brandon Peterson.

Here's how Marvel describes the issue:
" The master of the mystic arts is back -- as only J. Michael Straczynski and superstar artist Brandon Peterson could envision him. Brash young surgeon Dr. Stephen Strange is on a collision course with destiny -- a journey that will force him to search the deepest corners of his own heartŠand the outer reaches of the cosmos."

Strange #1 will be 32 pages and will cost $3.50.

STRANGE #2
Written by J. Michael Straczynski and Samm Barnes, art and cover by Brandon Peterson.
Brash young surgeon Dr. Stephen Strange is on a collision course with destiny -- a journey that will force him to search the deepest corners of his own heart...and the outer reaches of the cosmos. The adventures of the Master of the Mystic Arts in the year's most highly anticipated origin story.

32 pages, $3.50, in stores on Oct. 13.

Part 3 of 6. From the pages of Supremere Power, the limited series that reveals the dark secrets of Joe Ledger¹s past. And while figures from Dr. Spectrum¹s past continue to haunt him, the government searches for a way to solve the Hyperion problem.

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Oct. 13.

STARGATE ATLANTIS SCHEDULE:

10/01/2004 10:00 PM STARGATE ATLANTIS RISING - PT 2
10/01/2004 12:00 AM STARGATE ATLANTIS RISING - PT 2
10/08/2004 10:00 PM STARGATE ATLANTIS HIDE AND SEEK
10/08/2004 12:00 AM STARGATE ATLANTIS HIDE AND SEEK
10/15/2004 10:00 PM STARGATE ATLANTIS SUSPICION
10/15/2004 12:00 AM STARGATE ATLANTIS SUSPICION
10/22/2004 10:00 PM STARGATE ATLANTIS CHILDHOOD'S END
10/22/2004 12:00 AM STARGATE ATLANTIS CHILDHOOD'S END
10/29/2004 10:00 PM STARGATE ATLANTIS POISONING THE WELL
10/29/2004 12:00 AM STARGATE ATLANTIS POISONING THE WELL

FARSCAPE SCHEDULE:

09/26/2004 01:00 AM FARSCAPE CRACKERS DON'T MATTER
09/30/2004 03:00 AM FARSCAPE UNREALIZED REALITY
09/30/2004 04:00 AM FARSCAPE KANSAS
09/30/2004 05:00 AM FARSCAPE TERRA FIRMA
10/01/2004 08:00 AM FARSCAPE PREMIERE (FARSCAPE)
10/01/2004 09:00 AM FARSCAPE BACK & BACK TO THE FUTURE
10/01/2004 10:00 AM FARSCAPE EXODUS FROM GENESIS
10/01/2004 11:00 AM FARSCAPE THRONE FOR A LOSS
10/01/2004 12:00 PM FARSCAPE PK TEK GIRL
10/01/2004 01:00 PM FARSCAPE THANK GOD IT'S FRIDAY AGAIN
10/01/2004 02:00 PM FARSCAPE I, E.T.
10/01/2004 03:00 PM FARSCAPE THAT OLD BLACK MAGIC
10/03/2004 01:00 AM FARSCAPE PICTURE IF YOU WILL
10/04/2004 08:00 AM FARSCAPE DNA MAD SCIENTIST
10/04/2004 09:00 AM FARSCAPE THEY'VE GOT A SECRET
10/04/2004 10:00 AM FARSCAPE TILL THE BLOOD RUNS CLEAR 10/04/2004 11:00 AM FARSCAPE A BUG'S LIFE
10/04/2004 12:00 PM FARSCAPE RHAPSODY IN BLUE
10/04/2004 01:00 PM FARSCAPE THE FLAX
10/04/2004 02:00 PM FARSCAPE JEREMIAH CRICHTON
10/04/2004 03:00 PM FARSCAPE DURKA RETURNS
10/05/2004 08:00 AM FARSCAPE A HUMAN REACTION
10/05/2004 09:00 AM FARSCAPE NERVE
10/05/2004 10:00 AM FARSCAPE THE HIDDEN MEMORY
10/05/2004 11:00 AM FARSCAPE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS
10/05/2004 12:00 PM FARSCAPE BONE TO BE WILD
10/05/2004 01:00 PM FARSCAPE FAMILY TIES
10/05/2004 02:00 PM FARSCAPE DREAM A LITTLE DREAM
10/05/2004 03:00 PM FARSCAPE MIND THE BABY
10/06/2004 08:00 AM FARSCAPE VITAS MORTIS
10/06/2004 09:00 AM FARSCAPE TAKING THE STONE
10/06/2004 10:00 AM FARSCAPE CRACKERS DON'T MATTER
10/06/2004 11:00 AM FARSCAPE PICTURE IF YOU WILL
10/06/2004 12:00 PM FARSCAPE THE WAY WE WEREN'T
10/06/2004 01:00 PM FARSCAPE HOME ON THE REMAINS
10/06/2004 02:00 PM FARSCAPE OUT OF THEIR MINDS
10/06/2004 03:00 PM FARSCAPE LOOK AT THE PRINCESS PT 1: A KISS IS BUT A KISS

Go to http://contests.sev.com.au/index.php?contestid=1

Punchline Name Email

Tye Bourdony's latest Lighter Side of Sci-Fi satire can be seen here and at Tye's website www.thelightersideofscifi.com.

To anyone who lives in and or in the area of Toronto, Ontario, Canada I would like to invite you to attend or Join the Intergalactic Consortium. The I.C. is a new science fiction / fantasy group. We generally meet on the last Saturday of every month and generally do not collect any dues. WE are always looking for new members. If you have any questions, need more information or anything else please feel free to e-mail torsf@yahoo.ca or visit our yahoo group at http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/group/Intergalactic-Consortium/ Hope to hear from some of you.

United Federated Planets

The Babylon 5 Sector of United Federated Planets The Babylon 5 Sector is a chartered branch of United Federated Planets (UFP); a not-for-profit fan club for all fans of Star Trek, science fiction and fantasy. We've been part of UFP almost from the time the series first went on the air. We welcome all fans of Babylon 5--from the series & TV movies, to "Crusade" & "Legend of the Rangers," to the literary works in between. Our parent organization, UFP, has its roots in Star Trek & the late Gene Roddenberry's vision of the future; which includes community service along with social & fan-related activities. Our sector takes those ideas and puts them into the Babylon 5 universe that J. Michael Straczynski created. We're here for fellowship, good times, service and, in a way, living the fantasy that is Babylon 5. To that end, we enjoy role-play via the written word & live action; costuming; discussions; literary works; and anything else that we can imagine. No matter what you're interested in, we can accomodate you. We have positions currently available on the sector staff--EarthDome, EarthForce and the Alliance; chapter opportunities limited only by your imagination; and ways for you to live out your Babylon 5 fantasy. You can even be part of the B5 station staff! Our sector staff is available to answer your questions about what we do, how to join, how to start a B5 chapter, and more. To contact us, visit www.ufphq.com/chain_of_command.htm. In addition, we also put out a newsletter called "Voice of the Alliance." This newsletter--available in electronic & hard copy formats--informs our sector members with staff reports, upcoming events, available staff positions, chapter activities and more. For a sample copy of "Voice of the Alliance" contact our editor, Anne Zecca, via our website www.ufphq.com/babylon5sec.htm ("Chain of Command").

Membership in United Federated Planets is required to join UFP's Babylon 5 Sector. For information on joining UFP, contact:
Mike Ferguson, President/CEO
United Federated Planets
300 W. Oak Street
Midwest City, OK 73110 USA
E-Mail: mikeferg1@yahoo.com
Organization Website: www.ufphq.com
SubSpace Newsletter (on-line): www.ufphq.com/current.htm
Application: www.ufphq.com/application.htm (on-line version available)
Chapter Application: www.ufphq.com/chapterApp.htm (on-line version available)

For more information, go to the Clubs Page.

United Federated Planets (UFP) has a Rick Biggs memorial page set up at the following address:
http://www.ufphq.com/rick_biggs.htm

STAR TREK CLUB VENEZUELA

Ranger Andres dropped a note to say that a new club has been formed -- Star Trek Club Venezuela. It is small right now, but they are ready for recomendations, opinions, and/or any other comments.

This is the last update of our 1st Expo in November 2004. This event will take place in the Best Western Hotel CCCT Caracas. Visit their site at www.trekvenezuela.net for more information.

We have a number of Fan Clubs listed here at the Zocalo. They are those associated with a particular actor -- and there are those devoted to Babylon 5 or science fiction. Be sure to check out the Clubs Page to see if there is an organization near you.

CONVENTION CALENDAR

Just an FYI to those who've been using the Ventura Blvd. mail drop for fan mail to actors....

As mentioned before, we're phasing out the forwarding of fan mail because we a) don't have the resources, complicated by b) the actors have scattered to the four winds, and it makes it very difficult to get everything to everybody in a timely fashion.

So, having provided prior notice...fan mail to actors coming to the Ventura Blvd. mail drop will be sent back. Mail to actors should be sent via their official fan clubs. I will still be taking mail there, since it's my mailbox, but that's it.

Just so's y'all know and save a few bucks on postage and returns.

WARNER BROS:

Warner Bros. Address:

Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution
4000 Warner Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91522

Warner Home Video:

Mr. Douglas Wadleigh
VP for Marketing and Special Features
Warner Bros.
4000 Warner Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91522

Sci-Fi Channel
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY. 10020-1513

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