1999 Fall SF TV Preview

By Kathie Huddleston

s the year 2000 approaches, a new crop of speculative fiction television shows is about to take center stage, and each series hopes to become the next big thing. Some may survive the season, but most will not. If we take a cue from last year, we can look forward to another season of TV turmoil.

For a change, the networks are offering some fresh shows that explore relatively new territory (Roswell, Harsh Realm), although there are several series that plan to keep us in familiar territory (Angel, Now and Again). While syndication isn't offering a lot to get excited about, the syndi shows are more likely to be given a fair shot at developing an audience, even if their initial ratings are poor.

This season there were more cancellations than last, and fewer new shows are set to premiere. That would seem to be bad news for SF. However, many shows were lost because they had either run their course or because key actors decided to move on (MST3000, DS9, Hercules, B5, and Sliders). While many fans will miss their beloved shows, new series are being developed to fill the void. In fact, SF has become so respectable that some of the biggest names in Hollywood are getting involved (James Cameron with Dark Angel, Francis Ford Coppola with First Wave, and Oliver Stone with Witchblade).

The most exciting development has to do with cable. Showtime, the SCI FI Channel and TNT are all producing original SF shows as well as developing future series. Showtime also recently launched a new multiplex channel called Showtime Beyond. Beyond is designed to "transport viewers beyond their everyday reality" and will focus on science fiction, fantasy and horror movies and TV shows. Showtime Beyond will also air original programming (The Hunger).

Cable channels don't follow the schedule of the normal television season, so these shows are more likely to premiere during the networks' off-season. There's a good reason for that. With less competition, they don't have to fight so hard for viewers, and viewers are more likely to give the shows a chance. Cable channels also tend to give a series more time to develop than the networks do.

The biggest problem for SF TV this year is that, as the marketplace gets more fractured, it may become harder to hunt down those new syndicated shows or to get access to every cable channel. Still, it's an exciting time for SF television. While there may be a sense of loss over a favorite show that has come to its end, there is also a lot to look forward to.

Canceled Shows | New Shows | Returning Shows
Mid-Season Replacements | Kids' Stuff | Movies & Specials

Canceled Shows

Babylon 5, TNT (End of run)
Brimstone, Fox
Crusade, TNT (End of limited run)
Cupid, ABC
Fantasy Island, ABC
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Syndicated (End of run)
Highlander: The Raven, Syndicated
Mercy Point, UPN
Millennium, Fox
Mortal Kombat: Conquest, Syndicated (May return on cable)
Mystery Science Theater 3000, SCI FI Channel
The Net, USA
Nightman, Syndicated
Sliders, SCI FI Channel
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Syndicated (End of run)
Strange World, ABC
The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, Syndicated
The Sentinel, UPN
Total Recall 2070, Showtime (Not officially canceled. However, no new episodes are being produced and all original episodes have already aired. It's not expected to return.)
Viper, Syndicated
Welcome to Paradox, SCI FI Channel

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New Shows

Angel
WB, Tuesday, 9 p.m.
Premieres Oct. 5

That soulful vamp Angel (David Boreanaz) has left Buffy behind to seek redemption in the City of Angels, only to run into ex-cheerleader and struggling actress Cordelia Chase (Charisma Carpenter). They end up working together to fight the forces of evil, with a little help from a half-demon named Doyle (Glenn Quinn) who has been ordered by The Powers That Be to give Angel some guidance. But don't forget that Angel can't experience even one true moment of happiness, otherwise he will lose his soul forever. Now that would really screw up his redemption. Buffy creator Joss Whedon is helming the series and promises to give the show a Buffy-like quality with a slightly darker, more adult tone.

Prediction: Whedon has developed the most consistent mythology on television with Buffy, and Angel won't have any trouble following in her footsteps. While Angel will eventually live or be staked based on its own merits, Whedon has created so much good will with Buffy fans that they'll likely give him all the time he needs to allow this show to develop its own voice. With virtually no direct competition and Buffy as a lead-in, you've got to love this show's chances. While Angel will probably stay tucked behind Buffy for the season, once the show takes flight on its own, look for WB to move it to another night to shore up any weak spots on its schedule.

BeastMaster
Syndicated
Premieres the week of Oct. 4

Move over Hercules, the BeastMaster is here. Dar (played by Daniel Goddard) is the last male of the legendary Sula tribe. He has the ability to talk to animals, and he looks pretty good in a loincloth. While searching for his long-lost love, Kyra (Natalie Mendoza), he'll have to battle evil tribesmen and nasty mythical monsters. Of course, he gets plenty of help from his animal buddies.

Prediction: With Hercules winding down, the field is open for another sword-and-sorcery show. Considering the ratings that Hercules and Xena attract, the producers would love BeastMaster to fit into that marketplace. It's all going to come down to creating the right mix between the modern-day and past mythology. While it's unlikely BeastMaster will take the place of Hercules in the hearts of fans, look for it to make it past its first season.

Harsh Realm
Fox, Friday, 9 p.m.
Premieres Oct. 8

This highly anticipated series from X-Files creator Chris Carter is the gritty tale of a Lt. Thomas Hobbes (Scott Bairstow), a soldier who is ordered to enter the virtual reality wargame simulation known as Harsh Realm. Hobbes' mission is to kill Major Omar Santiago (Terry O'Quinn), who has hijacked Harsh Realm. With no apparent exit, Hobbes must win the game and kill Santiago if he's ever to see the real world and the woman he loves again. With Hobbes' arrival, the other soldiers who've been trapped in the game begin to believe he might be "the one" who will save them.

Prediction: The timing couldn't be better for a virtual reality series. Judging from the series premiere, some Carter fans are going to be disappointed. This cross between The Matrix and The Thirteenth Floor (with a lot of G.I. Joe thrown in) isn't going to appeal to everyone. Realm is grim and humorless, and the VR world and its rules don't seem compelling. However, Carter will have plenty of time to shore up Harsh Realm and create a compelling mythology. At this point, Carter fans will follow him just about anywhere. It took a while for The X-Files to find its voice, while Millennium never did. Realm will probably find its niche, but it's unlikely that it will ever develop an X-Files-sized audience.

Now and Again
CBS, Friday, 9 p.m.
Premieres Sept. 24

Glenn Gordon Caron (Moonlighting) offers up this transplanted-brain story. After a subway accident, an insurance salesman's brain is transplanted into the body of a hunk by the government, which hopes the two will merge into the perfect secret agent. Eric Close and Margaret Colin star in this hard-to-pin-down mix of science fiction, comedy, action, international intrigue and romance.

Prediction: CBS has been looking for a companion show to lead into Nash Bridges (one of the few series that actually increased its audience last year). Unfortunately, Now and Again has the same problem as all the other shows the network tried in that timeslot. This show has potential once it finds its direction, but unless it gets moved to a different timeslot it will lose the Nash Bridges viewers to Dateline and the science fiction viewers to both Harsh Realm and the SCI FI Channel's SCI FI Prime programming. However, CBS is unlikely to give the poorly titled Now and Again the time it needs to develop an audience.

Peter Benchley's Amazon
Syndicated
Premieres the week of Sept. 20

A group of survivors from a plane crash, including a beautiful stewardess (oops flight attendant) and a surgeon, try to find their way out of the Amazon jungle. During their journey they meet up with a secret tribe of white folks who have been in the Amazon since their ancestors were shipwrecked 400 years earlier. This action series from Peter Benchley (Jaws) stars C. Thomas Howell and former supermodel Carol Alt.

Prediction: One thing Peter Benchley knows how to do is tell a story of man (and woman) against nature. This series has a real shot at making it as long as Benchley's environmental concerns don't overwhelm the action. So far 22 episodes have been ordered. Despite the paltry number of new shows being offered this season, what are the odds that two of them feature people trapped in a jungle (The Lost World)?

Relic Hunter
Syndicated
Premieres the week of Sept. 20

Sydney Fox (Tia Carrere) joins the Xena club as a lady action hero who would rather kick butt than do her nails. She's a history professor who doesn't seem to teach a heck of a lot of history but who does manage to find the time and money to trot around the globe looking for relics. She and her reluctant British teaching assistant encounter the usual bugs, snakes and spiders while crawling around ancient booby-trapped structures. The producers promise this cross between Indiana Jones and Lara Croft will include everything from the hunt for ancient treasures to a search for Al Capone's bunker.

Prediction: Carrere manages to punch out bad guys as well as any exotic beauty could. But compared to the Indiana Jones movies, Relic Hunter looks pretty pale. Snakes, spiders and bugs just aren't very compelling on the small screen, especially after seeing The Mummy. While this show has a promising cast and a good idea, the writing is just terrible. Syndication should offer Relic Hunter some time to grow, but if all the episodes are as weak as the series premiere, time won't save it.

Roswell
WB, Wednesday, 9 p.m.
Premieres Oct. 6

Aliens are among us, and they all look like they just popped out of Dawson's Creek. This show is sort of like "Romeo and Juliet," except in this case Romeo is one of three orphaned aliens from the 1947 space ship that crashed in Roswell, N.M. The alien Max magically heals teenager Liz after she gets shot. Now that she knows about the aliens, can she keep their secret? With executive producers Jonathan Frakes (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Jason Katims (My So-Called Life), and David Nutter (The X-Files), behind the scenes this series has some muscle.

Prediction: Call it My So-Called X-Files, but Roswell is another fine series in WB's youth-oriented stable. The shows all feature appealing young casts, good writing and excellent production values. While Roswell faces off against Star Trek: Voyager, the competition shouldn't destroy either show. The biggest handicap Roswell faces is that Katims admitted that he's "winging it" when it comes to the direction of the series. While he does say that the first season is planned out (let's hope so), he'd better do more than wing it if he hopes to stand up to the high standards set by Buffy. WB has lots of confidence in Roswell. They've ordered 22 episodes, almost double the normal order for a new show.

Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles
Syndicated
Premiered week of Aug. 27

Computer-generated imagery takes Robert Heinlein's novel Starship Troopers--about a future war between humans and nasty giant alien bugs--to a new level. Actually, this series is based on the Starship Troopers feature film, which was none too popular with Heinlein fans. However, SF aficionados seem to like this series well enough, despite the fact that it's being marketed as children's TV. Combat takes place on a new planet every week, and 40 episodes of this half-hour animated series have been ordered so far.

Prediction: This show has already started to develop a following, even though it's had some unusual scheduling problems (SCI FI has been running the series but will remove Roughnecks from its programming lineup at the end of September). Roughnecks is more true to Heinlein's novel than the film was, which is scoring big points with SF fans. If anyone can figure out what time it's on, this show should do well.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World
Syndicated
Premieres the week of Sept. 27

Based on the classic Sir Arthur Conan Doyle novel of the same name, this series features a group of Victorian British scientists and adventures who are trapped in a world that time forgot. Producer John Landis offers up cannibals, dinosaurs, man-eating plants, ape men and pretty jungle women in tight outfits. The Lost World could have been great fun but instead is played entirely straight. While the dinosaur effects are pretty cool, this is a big disappointment. A sexy version will air on DirecTV.

Prediction: It's easy to see why Landis might have thought The Lost World was the perfect vehicle for a syndicated series, considering how easy it is to add special effects like dinosaurs these days. However, it's doubtful even the lower expectations of syndication (or the scantily clad jungle women) can save this show. It just isn't very good.

Stark Raving Mad
NBC, Thursday, 9:30 p.m.
Premieres Sept. 23

What a nightmare! A high-strung book editor (Neil Patrick Harris) is assigned to work with a Stephen King-type author (Tony Shalhoub), who is more than a little nuts. Lots of slapstick ensues. From executive producer Steven Levitan (Just Shoot Me and Frasier).

Prediction: Without a doubt, Stark Raving Mad will be the top-rated new show of the season, positioned between Frasier and ER. While it would have to do really terribly in the ratings to get canceled, it's unlikely this show will spark much viewer interest. Of course, that has never stopped NBC from keeping a marginal show in "Must See" TV land, knowing viewers won't change that channel when their favorite series is about to come on next.

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Returning and Continuing Shows

3rd Rock from the Sun
NBC, Tuesday, 8:30 p.m.
Premieres Sept. 21

Vicki (Jan Hooks) and the Big Giant Head (William Shatner) are reproducing. The baby will pass for human, but there should be lots of fun stuff along the way. Also, Dick (John Lithgow) will go to war with an insurance company over a car wreck and he will discover profanity. Harry (French Stewart) will go on unemployment after losing his job.

Prediction: Bolstered by guest stars like Shatner and Emmy Award winning performances by two of its leads, 3rd Rock had another funny year. Tucked in between Just Shoot Me and Will & Grace, this series has finally been given a good timeslot. While SF fans will have to choose between Buffy and 3rd Rock, mainstream audiences who've come to love this outrageous comedy will help keep it around.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer
WB, Tuesday, 8 p.m.
Premieres Oct. 5

The Bufster (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is back for a fourth season after a very big year that brought her up against the evil Mayor's ascension and the devastating real life violence in Littleton, Colo. People who hadn't seen the show singled it out for its "high school violence" and the WB bowed to the pressure by rescheduling two episodes, including the season finale. Fans took it well, though, and they will finally get a chance to see "Earshot" on Sept. 21. This year all the characters will get a chance to grow as Buffy goes to college along with her best bud Willow (Alyson Hannigan). Buffy will lighten up and maybe even fall in love with a teaching assistant from her psychology class (Marc Blucas). Willow will continue to develop her magic powers, while Xander (Nicholas Brendon), who isn't going to college, will feel a bit left out. Giles will not be involved with the college library, but he will have the opportunity to explore his own freedom now that his charge has grown up. New characters will be introduced (Spike will come back) and there may be some crossover between Buffy and Angel, probably during the sweeps. Creator/executive producer Joss Whedon has decided not to do a Buffy/Angel crossover movie at this time.

Prediction: If this show were in the hands of a lessor being, it would be a mess. However, Whedon has proven himself over and over again. If any series can lose two of its major characters, have its entire direction changed and kill off the main bad guy and bad girl, and still come out ahead, it will be Buffy. Buffy had one of its best years last year, and it's starting to be noticed in critical circles. There was quite a bit of talk about Buffy being nominated as Best Series and Geller being nominated as Best Actress for the Emmys. While that didn't happen, don't forget that it took The X-Files a while to finally make the ballot. The only question is whether Whedon himself has enough super human strength to keep up with both Buffy and Angel.

Charmed
WB, Thursday, 9 p.m.
Premieres Sept. 30

As those three charming witches head into their sophomore season, changes are looming. The new season will bring romance, new neighbors and an expansion of the demonic world. Prue (Shannen Doherty) continues to examine her calling, while Phoebe (Alyssa Milano) tries to be the best witch she can be. Piper (Holly Marie Combs) will open her own nightclub.

Prediction: Charmed was a surprise hit for WB. In fact, it performed strongly enough for WB to turn it into the Thursday night anchor. Thursdays are always tough for any network except NBC, and the question will remain (at least until the premiere) as to whether or not this show is strong enough to hold up against Frasier. What Charmed does have going for it is the audience that made Sabrina a hit. While Charmed will probably drop in the ratings, it will also do well enough to make WB happy.

Early Edition
CBS, Saturday, 8 p.m.
Premieres Sept. 25

Going into its fourth year, Gary (Kyle Chandler) will be open to romance again, after last year's loss of Kristy Swanson's character and her character's son. New faces include a detective (Constance Marie) and a Chicago Sun-Times photographer named Miguel (Luis Antonio Ramos), who is suspicious of Gary's ability to sniff out the news. Also, the producers have decided Gary needs a sexier look, so his clothes will get a makeover.

Prediction: Last year Early Edition was moved to an earlier timeslot and that helped the show's ratings a bit. While it still doesn't perform very well, CBS knows that it's in a tough time period. What with Martial Law and Walker kicking butt the rest of the night, this much gentler show will try to hang around as long as it can. However, it's unlikely CBS will let this weak series live if they can find another option.

Farscape
SCI FI Channel, Friday, 8 p.m., Saturday 12 a.m.
Presently running

Astronaut John Crichton (Ben Bowder) is lost in space with a motley crew of escaped prisoners aboard the living (and pregnant) spaceship called Moya. As the first season comes to a close, a four-episode season finale will introduce a formidable nemesis which series creator Rockne S. O'Bannon describes as "an evil Mr. Spock," and the crew will go deeper into uncharted territories. Also look for Moya to give birth to an unusual child. During the second season we'll find out more about Pilot's background and the crew's latest addition--an impetuous young thief--will manifest her talent for getting into trouble.

Prediction: Farscape is the SCI FI Channel's top-rated original show. They have already renewed the series for a second season with a 22-episode commitment. The stories are solid and original, and the characters are developing nicely as we learn more about them and they learn more about each other. While the show isn't perfect (okay, it's filmed in Australia, but does just about everyone have to have an Australian accent?), it is the best new SCI FI series to come along in recent memory. Look for SCI-FI to go all out with this one.

First Wave
SCI FI Channel, Friday, 10 p.m., Saturday 2 a.m.
Presently running

"In 1564 Nostradamus predicted the destruction of Earth in three terrifying waves. The first wave is here." And so starts this tale of alien invasion, with alien hunter Cade Foster (Sebastian Spence) as the "twice blessed man" Nostradamus predicted. As the first season heads toward its finale, Cade goes up against Druids, he poses as a record company executive to find out why music is turning people violent, and a woman from the future comes back in time to stop the second wave. Finally, 12 Gua Assembly members will make a decision on whether or not to begin the second wave--the invasion of Earth.

Prediction: This series from executive producer Francis Ford Coppola has a 66-episode commitment from the SCI FI Channel. That means there will be at least three seasons of First Wave. While the leads are appealing and there is potential in the story, it's too bad this show isn't better. The surprising part is that it's just not very well written. The episodes are predictable and the aliens appear to be stupid. Also, even though Cade is supposed to be a security expert, how does he manage to get caught breaking into some secret alien location in nearly every episode? What this series lacks is one compelling bad alien who is hot on Cade's heels. Anyway, there is no use complaining. It can only be hoped that in the next two seasons, First Wave lives up to at least part of its potential.

Futurama
Fox, Sunday, 8:30 p.m.
Premieres Sept. 26

Entering its second season (its first full season), things will be looking up for Fry as creator Matt Groening (The Simpsons) plans to explore his unrequited romance with Leela. The season premiere will be set aboard a space-age Titanic. In later episodes, a mutant robot Santa Claus will instill fear into the hearts of people, Fry will learn of an addictive soft drink and its evil purpose, and Richard Nixon's head will run for president of Earth.

Prediction: Groening was very upset when Futurama was moved to Tuesdays. Now that it's back where it belongs (in between The Simpsons and The X-Files) this series should have a chance to truly blossom. As long as Fox doesn't move it again, it will go the distance.

Gene Roddenberry's Earth: Final Conflict
Syndicated
Premieres the week of Oct. 4

Last season Final Conflict ended with a cliffhanger that left the future of every major character up in the air. As the third season begins, Jayne Heitmeyer (NightMan) will join the series as Renee Palmer, who comes to the rescue of Major Liam Kincaid (Robert Leeshock) and Augur (Richard Chevolleau). Also, according to a letter Lisa Howard (Captain Lili Marquette) wrote to her fans, she is definitely returning to the series and will be in episodes No. 1 and 2, and then back after episode No. 6. Lisa left for a few episodes to have a baby. Executive producer David Kirschner is planning on moving away from the continuing story arc and toward more self-contained episodes. He also promises to continue with plenty of action as the titled Final Conflict between the alien races heats up.

Prediction: Final Conflict has been renewed for two more seasons, so this show will be around for a while. Its second season was extremely uneven and at times quite annoying. When the second season premiere featured new character Kincaid being born and developing into a crack freedom fighter in less than a 24-hour period (a la the Starchild from V), it was ridiculous. Also, last season saw a lot of the mystery about the Companions go out of the show. However, lead actor Leeshock is appealing and does add some life to the series. Besides that, Final Conflict managed to feature one of the best cliffhangers of the season. Let's hope it settles down and does some good old-fashioned storytelling so the solid cast can do their job.

GvsE
USA, Sunday, 8 p.m.
Presently running

Chandler Smythe (Clayton Rohner) is killed one night and then recruited into The Corps, a special force of the formerly dead who want to score enough good points to reach Heaven. His partner, Henry McNeil (Richard Brooks), helps initiate Chandler into the ways of The Corps. The evil is provided by Morlocks, who have sold their souls to the devil.

Prediction: This hip new show premiered a couple of months ago to excellent ratings. Too bad there's not much information about future episodes or where the show is headed. GvsE has been compared to Brimstone, but it's steeped in black comedy and has its own particular tone.

Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
Syndicated
Premieres the week of Sept. 27

Hercules' (Kevin Sorbo) journeys are nearing their end after five seasons. In the final eight episodes, Hercules and Iolaus (Michael Hurst) end up dealing with a family feud that threatens Queen Nefertiti in Egypt. In the finale, Herc will battle Titans who are trying to destroy the world.

Prediction: Sorbo says goodbye to Hercules and goes on to Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda. This excellent series featured solid writing, inventive dilemmas and entertaining stories. Besides that it often hit the top of the charts in the dramatic syndicated series ratings race. Herc, we're going to miss you.

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
Syndicated
Premieres the week of Sept. 20

John Landis directs the third season opener, when Wayne (Peter Scolari) goes back in time to the 1960s so he can search for the lyrics of an obscure pop tune. Unfortunately, it all has to do with a Russian plot to turn American children into zombies.

Prediction: Honey is still performing solidly and fills a family niche that not many syndicated shows manage. Look for it to continue.

The Hunger
Showtime Beyond
Premieres this month

Rocker David Bowie (who starred in the 1983 film The Hunger) will host this original fantasy and horror anthology series. The initial film trilogy already aired on Showtime, and the three episodes (one starring Bowie) followed the same lines as the previous incarnation of this show, hosted Terence Stamp. That version of the series featured provocative, and often sexual, horror stories with nudity and violence.

Prediction: The Hunger will run 19 original episodes on Showtime's new cable channel, Showtime Beyond. They are planning on developing a block of shows to run on Saturday and Sunday nights, along the lines of Showtime's Sci Friday. The Hunger's distinct filming style features lots of cuts, giving it a jumpy feel. While the imagery can be quite powerful, it's also hard to watch. Still, Bowie is an asset to the series, and Showtime Beyond is likely to keep its one original series around for a while.

The Outer Limits
Showtime, Friday nights
Presently running

This award-winning show (Cable Ace, Saturn Award and Emmy Award winner) has been renewed for a sixth season, which should start in January 2000. Showtime recently celebrated The Outer Limits' 100th episode with a powerful tale about a time traveler and Nazi Germany. No changes have been announced for this excellent anthology series.

Prediction: After each season runs on Showtime, it is moved to syndication. After the syndication run is completed, episodes will run on the SCI FI Channel. This exceptional anthology series has managed to maintain its excellence season after season. The show fits in with Showtime's plans for developing original science fiction programming, and it should continue to have a future.

Poltergeist: The Legacy
SCI FI Channel, Friday, 7 p.m. and 11 p.m.
Presently running final episodes

After four seasons, Poltergeist has been canceled. Several episodes have yet to air, and there will be a final episode that will tie up the loose ends (in which the Legacy house is actually blown up!). As Poltergeist takes its final bow in the last few episodes, the team will battle vengeful ghosts, nightmares, evil spirits, magical powers, and a demonic parasite. Also, the team must find a way to keep the Portal to Hell sealed or else really bad things will happen.

The Pretender
NBC, Saturday, 9 p.m.
Premieres Sept. 25

In the season cliffhanger, Jared (Michael T. Weiss) was captured by the Centre after making sure his father and a young Jared clone could escape. When the season premieres, Jared will have been put through a series of tests and his personality will be slightly altered. Executive producer Craig Van Sickle promises that every character on the show will experience changes and that this season will be lighter as Jared's adolescent side is explored.

Prediction: While the ratings might not seem sterling, The Pretender has been the top-rated Saturday drama among male viewers 18-34 since it first premiered in 1996. Last season it became the top-rated Saturday drama among all adults 18-34. Advertisers like those demographics. That's undoubtedly why NBC would rather run two Pretenders a night than have another show in the spot that isn't going to perform. Undoubtedly, Jared isn't going to stay locked up at the Centre for too long, because most of the fun of this series is watching Jared deal out justice. Look for The Pretender to continue its run through the season. It's a solid performer.

The Profiler
NBC, Saturday, 10 p.m.
Premieres Sept. 25

Samantha Walker (Ally Walker) will say goodbye to The Profiler after the first two episodes of the new season. The cliffhanger had the real Jack (Dennis Christopher) shoot Bailey and confront Sam about his true identity. The two episodes should tie up the loose ends and introduce the new, less tragic Profiler, Rachel Burke (Jamie Luner). No human could withstand what the writers have put Sam through. The evil Jack killed her husband, her boyfriend and even her baby doctor. Enough is enough. Let's hope Jack gets it good.

Prediction: While Jack jump-started this series, he eventually became a liability. Not only was Sam so incredibly sad (who wouldn't be?), the producers actually lied to the audience by announcing that the real Jack was finally going to be caught (after a previous false alarm). Well, the guy in prison has now turned out not to be the real Jack. So, by finally dealing with Jack and shipping Sam off (probably to a mental institution), the show is left with a solid group of supporting actors and a still-intriguing premise. For the producers, the most important thing is to regain a solid focus for the show. If they can do that, The Profiler has a shot.

PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal
Syndicated
Premieres the week of Sept. 20

The fourth season of this Canadian series will pick up where the season cliffhanger ended. Dan Aykroyd hosts this series about the creepy investigations of the Office of Scientific Investigation and Research. The team discovers that Praeger (Matt Frewer) has survived his near-death experience and is now determined to understand what exists beyond mortality. A new character, Mia Stone (Joanne Vannicola), has been added. She plays a young doctor who shakes the PSI Factor team up.

Prediction: Somehow this quiet little show manages to stay around year after year. It has a good cast and sounds interesting. It'd be nice to actually find it on the TV dial.

Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
ABC, Friday, 9 p.m.
Premieres Sept. 24

Sabrina is growing up now that she's turning 18 and soon The Teenage Witch part of her title may have to go. As she leaves high school behind she will get a job at a coffee shop and have new people in her life. New characters include her new boss, Josh (David Lascher), and a novice witch named Dreama (China Shavers). Leaving the series are Valerie (Lindsay Sloane) and Libby (Jenna Leigh Green). Sabrina will also travel to Australia in a TV movie on Sept. 26.

Prediction: The producers are letting Sabrina grow up. That's a good thing, because her audience is growing up with her. The show doesn't have any real competition for its audience of young teenage girls. Sabrina won't have any trouble making it through the year.

Seven Days
UPN, Wednesday, 8 p.m.
Premieres Sept. 29

Series creator Christopher Crowe isn't making a lot of changes this season. While the production will be moving from Los Angeles, Calif., to Vancouver, B.C., Canada, viewers won't see much of a difference. This season Frank (Jonathan LaPaglia) and Olga (Justina Vail) will try to make each other jealous. Frank's adventures will include trying to prevent an oil spill, retrieving missile launch codes and saving Olga's sister.

Prediction: Seven Days is one of the few action/adventure shows around. It's entertainingly written and doesn't ever take itself too seriously, probably because Frank doesn't take anything too seriously. While the ratings weren't exceptional, they weren't bad last season. Seven Days managed to stay within reach of Voyager's numbers. However, predicting whether Seven Days has a future is impossible because of things that have nothing to do with the show's performance. The potential merger between Viacom and CBS would mean that Viacom would have to sell off UPN or kill it. If that happens, the UPN shows could end up on CBS, move to syndication, stay on UPN if there is a buyer for the channel, or be canceled. Until the status of the deal with CBS is known, there is no reason to worry about UPN, Seven Days or Voyager. The two shows still need to make it through the present season with good ratings or the future of UPN won't matter.

Sliders
SCI FI Channel, Friday, 8 p.m. and Saturday 1 a.m.
Presently running last episodes of series

After five years, Sliders has been canceled by the SCI FI Channel, although several Sliders episodes have yet to air. Sliders has showed science fiction fans they are more powerful than they could have ever imagined. With write-in campaigns and total devotion, fans kept this series on for five years, battling two cancellations and the loss of virtually every major cast member. While the show couldn't survive the loss of Jerry O'Connell (Quinn)--who left to pursue his budding movie career--Sliders will live on in the hearts of fans.

Stargate SG-1
Showtime, Friday, 10 p.m.
(Presently running)

Stargate is in the middle of its third season and has become a nice hit for Showtime. Upcoming episodes include the SG-1 team encountering a world where everyone suffers from amnesia, Daniel having a reunion with Sha're that leads to painful consequences, and the SG-1 team members having their minds invaded by a curious being.

Prediction: Stargate has been renewed for a fourth season by Showtime, which has an order for 88 episodes. The show has developed an excellent following and has a great deal of fan support. With Showtime's dedication to speculative fiction television, and with the new Showtime Beyond, the future for Stargate looks excellent.

Star Trek: Voyager
UPN, Wednesday, 9 p.m.
Premieres Sept. 22

Kate Mulgrew (Captain Janeway) isn't leaving Voyager, and the crew will not find their way home to the Alpha Quadrant. The producers were happy with the way last season played out and they aren't planning any major changes. While Mulgrew almost did decide to leave the show, the producers have promised to take her character to another level. Janeway will have a romance, but not with one of the crew. In other stories the Klingons will make an appearance, B'Elanna (Roxann Dawson) will go to Klingon hell, and three rogue Borg trying to escape the collective will trigger flashbacks in Seven Of Nine (Jeri Ryan). There will also be a comedy episode featuring an alien race that gets caught up in the Doctor's (Robert Picardo) fantasies.

Prediction: Now that Deep Space Nine is gone, Voyager will have a chance to fly on its own. For the series' sixth year, Star Trek fans will only have one place to go to get their weekly fix. Rick Berman, head of the Star Trek franchise, has stated that another series will probably be introduced after this season. However, the storyline of the new series is top secret. As for how the deal between CBS and Viacom might affect Voyager, it is too soon to tell. The Star Trek franchise has some muscle behind it, and the show would have a good chance of survival one way or another.

Touched By an Angel
CBS, Sunday, 8 p.m.
Premieres Sept. 26

The Touched By an Angel creators are going to take off the gloves and cover some tougher issues this season, including demon possession, Internet pornography and slavery in the Sudan. God may also have a thing or two to say about the Millennium through his ever dedicated angels.

Prediction: In its sixth season Touched By an Angel will continue as a ratings monster. While the demographics are for the older set, CBS isn't about to let go of this show.

Xena: Warrior Princess
Syndicated
Premieres the week of Sept. 27

Big changes are in store for Lucy Lawless and her character Xena, and not just because her character was crucified last season. Lawless is pregnant with her second child, and the pregnancy will be incorporated into the show. Co-executive producer Alex Kurtzman has said, "I think that's a great and unique opportunity to have the first pregnant action female superhero. We can have a lot of fun with that." Kurtzman also promises to have more self-contained episodes. In the season premiere, Xena and Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) will travel through the afterlife. They will join forces with archangel Michael against Callisto and the forces of hell. Xena will get pregnant after returning to the land of the living. She will go to China in search of a book that will protect her unborn child.

Prediction: Xena hasn't needed to hold hands with Hercules for a long time. It's an extremely well written show, and its creators are not afraid to let its characters grow. Xena will find there is indeed life after Hercules.

The X-Files
Fox, Sunday, 9 p.m.
Premieres Nov. 7

The two-part opener that kicks off the show's seventh season will complete last season's cliffhanger. When last we left the X-Filers, Mulder (David Duchovny) was locked in a padded cell and Scully (Gillian Anderson) was looking at some hard-to-deny ET evidence. Series creator Chris Carter is concentrating on the mythology as The X-Files heads to a conclusion. According to executive producer Frank Spotnitz, the story will come full circle in the seventh season and will deal directly with the search for Mulder's sister and with Mulder and Scully's relationship. Expect several familiar faces to show up, including Krycek (Nicholas Lea), Agent Fowley (Mimi Rogers) and the Well-Manicured Man (John Neville). Yes, he was supposedly killed in the movie, but things aren't always as they seem in the land of The X-Files.

Prediction: With Carter and Duchovny's contracts ending, there is a very good chance this will be the last year for The X-Files. Fox will undoubtedly try to convince the two men to hang in there for one more year. However, with Duchovny suing Fox because he believes they sold reruns of The X-Files to FX at an undervalued price, he may simply not want to continue. And Carter may prefer to take The X-Files to movies and focus on his new series, Harsh Realm. The X-Files has had a wonderful run and Carter will hopefully lead us to a terrific conclusion this season. While it's hard to imagine life without The X-Files, it's better to let a show go when its time is up. The X-Files will continue in movies as early as 2001. Undoubtedly, seeing an X-Files movie every couple of years won't satisfy, but beating a dead show into the ground will only hurt the franchise and the creative forces involved.

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Midseason and Beyond

Cleopatra 2525 Syndicated, Premieres the week of Jan. 17, 2000
This half-hour series, along with Jack of All Trades, make up the Back 2 Back Action hour from Studios USA (which replaces Hercules: The Legendary Journeys). Cleopatra 2525 features an exotic dancer who is cryogenically frozen in the year 2001, and then accidentally thawed out in the year 2525 by two female warriors. The three join forces to fight against evil robots that have taken over the world. They also try to escape the endless underground caverns that humanity has been banished to, meeting up with all sorts of strange creatures along the way.

Dark Angel Fox TBA
This drama from James Cameron (Titanic) is on hold at Fox as one of five backup series, and it's anyone's guess whether or not this show will ever get an air date. There could be problems with the show and Fox may have no confidence in it. Or they might have decided it wasn't quite ready, and an extra six months of production time might help. The story is about Max (Jessica Alba), a genetically enhanced human prototype, who is being hunted by her former military handlers through the streets of 21st-century San Francisco. Eventually, Max takes up the cause of cyber-journalist Logan Clarke as they battle repression and corruption in post-apocalypse America.

Dragonriders of Pern From Alliance Atlantis Entertainment
This series is being developed around Anne McCaffrey's Pern books with an emphasis on Dragonflight and All the Weyrs of Pern. It will center around four characters (Lessa, F'lar, F'nor and Jaxom) and their telepathic dragons. The story will take place during the time of the Ninth Pass and will feature the legendary Threadfall. The dragons will be rendered using computer-generated imagery, which will be incorporated with live action. The series should air in 2001.

Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda Syndicated, Fall 2000
Kevin Sorbo stars as Dylan Hunt, the last starship captain of the Earth-based Commonwealth government. The Commonwealth includes a thousand worlds and hundreds of different races and cultures, but a civil war rips the civilization apart, leaving Hunt as the only hope for pulling society back together. He gathers a crew of alien mercenaries and together they travel the galaxy seeking to bring peace and restore the Commonwealth. There have been reports that Bruce Boxleitner (Babylon 5) has joined the show, but there hasn't been any confirmation on this and it seems unlikely. The series already has a two-year commitment. Executive producers are Sorbo, Majel Barrett Roddenberry and Eric Gold. This series was originally called Gene Roddenberry's Starship.

The Invisible Man SCI FI Channel, The first quarter of 2000
An action/comedy series from executive producer Matt Greenberg (Halloween: H20), which will be part of the SCI FI Prime lineup. A small-time thief named Darien (Vincent Ventresca) stays out of prison by agreeing to undergo an experimental surgery that allows him to become temporarily, and sometimes accidentally, invisible. Darien is then forcibly enlisted to work for an under-funded intelligence agency, while an evil scientist tries to hunt him down to learn his secret. Rebecca Chambers will star as Casey, Darien's girlfriend, who also happens to have a genius-level IQ. The series will open with a two-hour premiere.

The New Ripley's Believe It Or Not TBS, January 2000

Updating the original series, correspondents travel the globe to track down amazing and fantastic news involving death-defying feats, tales of miraculous healing and disaster stories.

Jack of All Trades Syndicated, Premieres the week of Jan. 17, 2000
This is the second half-hour series, along with Cleopatra 2525, that will make up the Back 2 Back Action hour from Studios USA (replacing Hercules: The Legendary Journeys). Jack of All Trades features a James Bond-type spy named Jack Styles who serves the British Secret Service in the year 1699. His partner is a successful working-class agent named Emilia who is posing as the daughter of the long-lost cousin of Governor Don Carlos.

Mars Fox, First quarter 2000
A miniseries about the Red Planet from James Cameron. Martha Coolidge (Out to Sea) has been tapped to direct. It is shooting alongside Cameron's big-budget Mars IMAX project and promises to be the most realistic space program on TV.

Monsterfest American Movie Classics TBA
This monster serial was especially created for the American Movie Classics cable channel by Roger Corman for the channel's annual Halloween Monsterfest. The channel was looking for something to run in between its horror films. Corman decided to base his movie serial on the old Saturday afternoon cliffhangers. He plays Dr. Gorman, who is head of the AMC horror library. Gorman sends film students into the depths of the library, where the students get enmeshed in horror films.

The Oblongs WB, Fall 2000
The WB has ordered 13 episodes of this animated TV series, which is based on Angus Oblongs' upcoming book Creepy Susie and Thirteen Other Tragic Tales for Troubled Children. The series is about a bizarre family that has been inflicted with a number of physical and emotional abnormalities.

SCI FI Short Film Series (Working Title) SCI FI Channel, January 2000
This film series aims to become the breeding ground for the next generation of sci-fi cinema superstars. SCI FI is hoping to showcase visually and artistically provocative film work by unknown movie producers. While it's doubtful the unknowns will gain much of a financial reward for submitting their films, SCI FI promises to give the first-time filmmakers an entree into Hollywood.

Secret Agent Man UPN Midseason Replacement
Secret Agent Man was pushed back from the fall schedule to give the show's producers more time to work on the special effects. From executive producer Barry Sonnenfeld, this ultra-cool retro-spy series features three super secret agents (Costas Mandylor, Dina Meyer and Dondre Whitfield) who work for a covert government agency that monitors high-stakes espionage.

Terror t.r.a.x From Pearson Television International and Muse Entertainment
Director Renny Harlin has created a weekly half-hour series about a group of cops killed in the line of duty who are brought back to life to fight evil. Based on the CD-ROM game of the same name, t.r.a.x stands for trace, research, analyze, exterminate.

The Unreliables Fox TBA
Fox has picked up this comedy pilot about a group of retired superheroes who live in a small town. The show was created by Ed Solomon (Men In Black).

Warriors of Tron Disney TBA
Four high school kids discover a plot to destroy the world's computer systems on Jan. 2, 2002. The only one who believes their story is Tron creator Flynn. He agrees to send the kids into the computer, where they must compete in a variety of games that were set up to destroy the system.

Witchblade TNT, Spring of 2000 (pilot movie), Summer of 2000 (series)
This series from Oliver Stone has been kicking around for a while. At one point TNT was considering it as a companion to Crusade. That plan is history, but the series is looking like a real possibility at the moment. Based on the Top Cow comic book of the same name, the series would be about a New York detective named Sara Pezzani who bonds with an ancient, intelligent, living weapon. Together they fight Earth's darkest evil forces.

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Kids' Stuff

100 Deeds For Eddie McDowd Nickelodeon, Saturday, 9 p.m., Premieres Oct. 16
A live-action series about a bully who is punished by being turned into a dog.

Beast Machines Fox, Saturday, 11 a.m.
Optimus Primal, Rattrap and the crew continue the Beast War tale, as they battle the evil Megatron and his followers.

Big Guy and Rusty The Boy Robot Fox, Saturday, 11:30 a.m.
Animated series about Rusty, a red-haired boybot, and Big Guy, a metallic behemoth designed by the military, who join together to fight aliens and renegade robots. Voiced by Jim Hanks (Tom's brother), Kathy Kinney and Gabrielle Carteris.

Blaster's Universe CBS, Saturday, 7:30 a.m., Premieres Oct. 2
An Earth boy and an alien girl try to save Earth from dire threats.

Courage the Cowardly Dog Cartoon Network, Friday, 9 p.m., Premieres Nov. 12
A cowardly dog protects an elderly farm couple from paranormal forces.

I Was a Sixth Grade Alien Fox Family Channel
This science fiction series from Alliance Atlantis about the titled alien has been picked up for 22 episodes.

The Jersey Disney Channel, Friday and Saturday, 6:30 p.m.
Four kids get to jump into the lives of their sports heroes in a Quantum Leap for kids.

Mega Babies Fox Family Channel, Sunday, 9 a.m.
Cartoon about three special babies who defend Earth against monsters and mutants.

Monster Rancher Syndicated
Japanese animated series about two kids trapped in a video game, based on the PlayStation game of the same name. From Bohbot Kids Network.

The New Tales From The Cryptkeeper CBS, Saturday, 11:00 a.m., Premieres Oct. 2
Only in cartoon-land. That ghoulish Cryptkeeper is now a good guy. He uses animated suspense stories to teach valuable lessons to kids.

Roswell Conspiracies: Aliens, Myths & Legends Syndicated
That popular and mysterious alien crash site has spurred another show. In this animated series, evil aliens walk among us, and only an elite international team can stop them.

Sabrina, The Animated Series UPN and Syndicated
A prequel to ABC's live-action series Sabrina, with the voice of Emily Hart (Melissa Joan Hart's sister) as the 12-year-old witch-in-training, Sabrina, who lives with her teenage aunts. Both aunts will be voiced by Melissa, and Nick Bakay will provide the voice for Sabrina's cat, Salem Saberhagan (reprising his role from the live-action series).

Xyber 9 Fox, Saturday, 9:30 a.m.
A young man attempts to save an apocalyptic world with the help of a computer called Xyber 9.

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Movies, Miniseries and Specials

The 10th Kingdom NBC TBA
This 10-hour mystical saga is brought to the screen by executive producer Robert Halmi Sr. (Merlin, Gulliver's Travels). A waitress finds a stray dog and ends up in the Land of Nine Kingdoms. It turns out the dog is actually a bewitched prince. The waitress and her father find themselves being pursued by the Troll King and his disgusting children. Meanwhile, an evil queen seeks to steal the throne from the bewitched prince.

Aftershock: Earthquake In New York CBS, Nov. 14 and 17
After a quake rocks the Big Apple, the mayor (Charles Dutton) and the former fire chief (Tom Skerritt) team up to save the day. Also starring Cicely Tyson and Lisa Nicole Carson.

Air Tight UPN, Nov. 26
A team of urban clean-air technicians must deliver vital air to save a city, but not before they figure out a way to get revenge against the corporate raider who killed their leader.

Animal Farm TNT, Oct. 3
Based on George Orwell's classic novel of the same name, farm animals rise up against their human masters. The two-hour film was directed by John Stephenson of Jim Henson's Creature Shop and stars the voices of Peter Ustinov, Patrick Stewart, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Kelsey Grammer.

Arabian Nights ABC, April 30 and May 1, 2000
In this original four-hour ABC miniseries, the beautiful Scheherezade (Mili Avital) must make up a new story every night to tell the Sultan or she will be executed. As she tells her magical tales of "A Thousand and One Nights," the stories come to life.

Avalon UPN, Nov. 5
From the producers of Baywatch and starring Parker Stevenson (The Hardy Boys), this underwater tale is about a team of deep-sea dive experts who are searching for a Caribbean island that has vanished after encountering a strange energy field.

Call Me Claus CBS TBA
Garth Brooks and Lisa Sanderson are the executive producers for this story about a cynical New York executive who must discover the true meaning of Christmas when Santa shows up and tells her she's going to be the next Claus. If she doesn't take the job, the wonder of Christmas will be forever lost to the world.

Chameleon II: Death Match UPN, Oct. 15
This sequel to the popular TV movie Chameleon continues the story of Kam (Bobbie Phillips), a genetically engineered female predator who is an expert at martial arts and can become invisible. This time she's after a ruthless killer who creates a hostage situation during the opening of a high-tech entertainment center.

A Christmas Carol TNT, Dec. 5
Patrick Stewart reprises his role from his famous stage performance as Ebenezer Scrooge. That performance won him the Olivier Award for Best Entertainer.

Cosmic Safari The Learning Channel, Dec. 13
This special explores what aliens might really look like.

Don't Look Under The Bed Disney Channel, Oct. 9
A Bogeyman (Steve Valentine) comes to town with his nasty bag of tricks (like sticking dogs on rooftops). It's up to a 12-year-old (Erin Chambers) to save the day in this Halloween story.

Dune SCI FI Channel TBA
This six-hour miniseries is being developed by ABC pictures. The project is being executive produced by Richard Rubinstein (The Stand) from a script by John Harrison. It is expected to be aired in the second half of 2001.

Evolution's Child USA, Oct. 22
Kevin Olin (Y2K) plays a fertility expert who makes a big mistake. He accidentally uses the sperm from a frozen man from the Bronze Age to inseminate a woman. Once the child is born, the doctor steps in to help him. Sounds like an excellent case for a malpractice lawsuit.

Fail-Safe CBS TBA
Sidney Lumet (who directed the 1964 film Fail-Safe) will direct a live broadcast of this chilling Cold War classic. A U.S. bomber is inadvertently ordered to drop a nuke on Moscow. American and Russian experts try to solve the crisis, but time is running out. George Clooney will star, and the screenplay is being re-adapted from the novel by Walter Berstein (who wrote the original screenplay).

Flowers for Algernon CBS TBA
Based on the Daniel Keyes classic novel of the same name, Flowers follows a mentally challenged man named Charlie (Matthew Modine) who becomes a genius after a lab experiment. As his intelligence grows, Charlie begins to lose his childlike innocence, and he must struggle to deal with his brave new world.

Gabriel's Run TNT TBA
Eric Roberts is a man being chased by an evil company that wants to harvest his organs.

Geppetto ABC TBA
The Wonderful World of Disney presents the musical Geppetto with Star Trek actors Brent Spiner (The Next Generation) and Rene Auberjonois (Deep Space Nine).

H-E Double Hockey Sticks ABC, Oct. 3
A devilish Beelzebub (Rhea Perlman) sends her apprentice (Will Friedle) to Earth to steal the soul of a rookie hockey star (Matthew Lawrence).

Jason and the Argonauts NBC TBA
Jason seeks the Golden Fleece, hoping it will help him reclaim his father's kingdom. Along the way he battles six-armed giants, dragons and beautiful women until he meets Medea and they fall in love. Forced to steal the Fleece, magic may be the only way to overcome their obstacles. Robert Halmi Sr. (Merlin, Gulliver's Travels) is the executive producer.

Journey To The Center Of The Earth USA, Sept. 14 and 15
Based on the Jules Verne classic, this tale from Hallmark Entertainment follows a group of explorers (including Treat Williams and Jeremy London), who discover an amazing world beneath the Earth's surface.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Odyssey Network, Oct. 23
Based on the Washington Irving classic, teacher Ichabod Crane (Brent Carver) is pursued by the Headless Horseman. This broadcast will beat the feature film starring Johnny Depp by a month.

Leprechauns NBC, Nov. 7 and Nov. 8
The team that created Alice in Wonderland (Dyson Lovell, Peter Barnes and Nick Willing) get together again for another magical television movie. A bitter leprechaun war develops on the enchanted Emerald Isle over forbidden love when a leprechaun runs off with a fairy princess.

Monster UPN, Nov. 12
A monster from a really big '50s drive-in screen comes to life in a small town. Only a young hero can save the day. Produced by Neal Moritz (I Know What You Did Last Summer).

On The Beach Showtime TBA
This four-hour miniseries offers an update of the classic novel about a submarine that seeks out survivors of a nuclear holocaust, while the Australians wait for the radiation cloud to come their way. Starring Armand Assante, Bryan Brown and Rachel Ward.

Out Of Time Showtime TBA
A modern-day Rip Van Winkle wakes up after 20 years and enlists his grandson to help him discover the meaning of his long absence. Part of the "Showtime Original Picture for All Ages" line of films, Out Of Time stars James McDaniel and Mel Harris.

Possessed Showtime TBA
True story about an exorcism performed on a 14-year-old boy by Jesuit priests in 1949. Starring Timothy Dalton and directed by Steven E. de Souza.

Ratz Showtime TBA
Another "Showtime Original Picture For All Ages," Ratz is about two unpopular 14-year-old girls who make a wish on a magic ring and turn two rats into their dream dates for a big high school dance.

Robocop: Prime Directives Canada's City TV in 2000
A series from Fireworks Entertainment of four original Robocop television movies that will take place 10 years after the events in the first film. The producers are hoping for the same edgy feel of the Verhoeven movie and are piling on lots of action. Page Fletcher will play officer Alex Murphy, who after being gunned down was turned into the half-man half-machine Robocop. Fireworks is presently looking for a U.S. distributor with hopes of airing the series in the United States.

Sabrina, Down Under ABC, Sept. 26
Planning on studying marine biology in Australia, teenage witch Sabrina (Melissa Joan Hart) gets caught up with a merman (Scott Michaelson) and his mermaid sister (Lindsay Sloane).

Satan's School for Girls ABC TBA
Shannen Doherty stars a woman who is investigating her sister's apparent suicide. She soon finds out that things aren't quite what they seem at the women's college her sister attended. Remake of the 1973 television movie starring Kate Jackson (she returns for a cameo). Produced by Aaron Spelling and E. Duck Vincent.

Savage Sun/If We Had No Moon Discovery, Dec. 6
Two documentaries explore the two very different title topics.

Scooby Doo And The Witch's Ghost Cartoon Network, Nov. 27
Our favorite cowardly cartoon dog and his buddies seek out a ghost in a haunted New England village.

The Secret KGB Paranormal Files Fox Family Channel TBA
Host Roger Moore explores KGB files involving paranormal activities.

Sinkhole NBC TBA
Killer sinkholes are swallowing up people and property, and the city of Chicago may be next. An engineer and a grad student come to the rescue. Anyone get the feeling that Hollywood is starting to run out of unique natural disasters from which to deal out a little death and destruction?

The Soul Collector CBS, Oct. 24
Soul Collectors are angels who show the dying the way to heaven. One angel (Bruce Greenwood) is sent to Earth for 30 days to learn compassion and ends up on the farm of a pretty widow (Melissa Gilbert). However, once he finds love, will he ever be able to go back to Heaven? Executive producers are Anne Carlucci and Marian Brayton ("Unforgivable").

Sweet Sixteen Showtime TBA
When Willie Donovan's chemical experiment goes wrong, it causes his grandparents to become teenagers again. Starring Tia, Tamera and Tahj Mowry.

Taken SCI FI Channel TBA
Executive producer Steven Spielberg is producing a 20-hour miniseries that will weave 50 years of abduction incidents into the story of one man's experiences. Taken will be shown in two-hour installments over a period of 10 days. The $40 million project is being billed by the SCI FI Channel as the most ambitious miniseries ever created.

The Ten Billion Dollar Warrior UPN TBA
The plot of this action flick might sound familiar because it's taken from Glen Larson (The Six Million Dollar Man). A former CIA operative has his brain transferred into an engineered body that's capable of transforming into a metallic, plantinum warrior. Oh my! The cost of inflation.

The Timeshifters TBS, Oct. 17
Tabloid journalists (Casper Van Dien and Catherine Bell) discover photographic proof that one man has been present at every major historical disaster from the sinking of the Titanic to the devastation of Hurricane Hugo. When they learn that he is a futuristic tourist, they risk everything in an attempt to avert disaster.

Up, Up And Away Disney Channel, December
Robert Townsend directs and stars in this coming-of-age story about the father of a 13-year-old boy whose superpowers are taking a long time to arrive. It's especially annoying considering his younger super sister already has laser vision.

Y2K NBC, Nov. 21
It had to happen. This Y2K disaster film promises Armageddon when the clock hits the turn of the century if a computer expert (Ken Olin) can't save the U.S.'s electronic infrastructure.

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Home

1999 Fall SF TV Preview

`Canceled Shows`

`New Shows`

`Returning and Continuing Shows`

`Midseason and Beyond`

`Kids' Stuff`

`Movies, Miniseries and Specials`