Weird!

NBC announced that it has ordered six segments of a new series called Heroes: Origins, which will air in the main show's Monday-night timeslot when it goes on hiatus, Variety reported.

SCI FI Wire | The News Service of the SCI FI Channel | SCIFI.COM

So the idea is that they can't produce enough mainstream episodes to fill a whole season, but the ratings show that the public hates repeats. (who'da thunk it?) The only reason for repeats is if you missed the first showing and in today's age of A) streaming video and B) Sci-Fi network running repeats of Heroes all the time then if you miss it you'll grab it some other way.

So NBC ordered basically side stories to air next year during the main show's hiatus. This is an interesting idea, but my question is where is the blockage such that a "season" has to have repeats or hiatus weeks? If the blockage is scheduling the main stars, then this makes sense. If the blockage is sets, or writers, or producers/directors, whatever than this doesn't help. In almost every regard other than principal actors Heroes:Origins seems to me to be more resource intensive than six more episodes of the real series would be.

At any rate, it's an interesting experiment. I'll watch the shows to see what the end result is.

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Battlestar - Is it over or not?

Flight of Battlestar ContinuesBattlestar Galactica's search for Earth continues to be an open-ended adventure, executive producer David Eick said.Contrary to comments by Edward James Olmos (Adm. Adama) at the Saturn Awards on May10, no end has been announced for the award-winning show. Battlestar Galactica is preparing to film its fourth season, one that will include 22 episodes, rather than the previously announced 13.

SCI FI Wire | The News Service of the SCI FI Channel | SCIFI.COM

I've seen two different friends on their blogs post the "Battlestar's next season is the last" news, so I figured it was worth pointing out that Eick has specifically said Olmos is wrong. Now this could be damage/spin control, I don't really know. Eick also doesn't address that Katee Sackhoff (who plays Starbuck) confirmed it in the original article. I also don't know anything about this iesb site, so they may or not be reputable. I suppose while we're pointing out stuff I should point out that Eick's remake of the Bionic Woman was picked up, which also features . . . Katee Sackhoff - although it's not clear to me how big her role there will be.

Upshot of it all? Too much a mess for me to sort through. Which is sort of fitting, since the show is rapidly becoming too much a mess to sort through. Honestly my reaction to the orginal story was relief. If they are really going to wrap up the next season may be watchable. If season four doesn't get rapidly better than season three I doubt I'll continue watching very long.

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Hey, who said these guys get a vote?

Baha al-Aaraji, a supporter of radical anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, said 144 members of the 275-seat national assembly had signed a draft law that would set a departure timetable for US troops.

Iraq MPs chasing US withdrawal | NEWS.com.au

Fantastic. Did Bush remember to set up Iraq so he had veto power there as well?So lessee, we now believe that a majority of the American people, the Iraqi people, the American legislature, and the Iraqi legislature want the American soldiers out of Iraq. Those seem like pretty compelling facts. Next time we vote maybe we should consider setting up a fact-based presidency? That might rock.  

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Great Googly Moogly!

A lot of Crackdown content is going to hit the Marketplace over the next week. In addition to a Title Update there is a set of Free and Premium DLC that is going hit as well.I’ll make another post when the update and DLC actually becomes available, but until then I thought you’d enjoy taking a look at what is coming up for the game and give you another reason to pop it back in your console other then the Halo 3 beta next week.Check this out: You can essentially “try before you buy” by partnering cooperatively with another player that has purchased the “Getting’ Busy Bonus Pack”. This will give both players full access to pack’s goodies, for that session.

Xbox Live's Major Nelson : Crackdown Title Update and DLC (with video)

This DLC (downloadble content) is sick! A bunch of new options and bugfixes, for free. A crazy cheat mode where you can spawn ramp trucks wherever you want, create explosive drums, get Super strength, etc. You can confiscate vehicles and store them in the Agency garage.

Then, if you blow the $10 you get three new vehicles - two with independently-aiming turret weapons, online street racing, five new weapons including a HARPOON GUN, and 4 new game types.

There are 7 new achievements - some in the free content, some in the premium.

All this and apparently the Halo 3 beta key works next week. I've said it before, and I'll say it again - Crackdown is a game full of awesome!

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