inally, sci-fi is back on network television. Lost, Desperate Housewives and Medium have shown executives the way just at the point when speculative fiction seemed fated to vanish from the networks altogether. The predominant trend this year is adding some speculative elements to a character-driven drama, shaking it up, layering in a complex mythology and acting as if it's all a brand-new idea.
One of the major forces in the new sci-fi explosion has been reality TV, which certainly reached a saturation point. But before it did, it reminded producers and network executives to think outside the box and get back to creating the water-cooler moments that graced television before it fell into a slumber of procedural dramas and lackluster comedies.
DVD collections have also been an influence. They offer people a chance to catch up with their favorite serialized shows and provide plenty of behind-the-scenes extras, insuring that fans stay excited about series.
Three of the new sci-fi series are inspired by Lost and Invasion of the Body Snatchers, with the alien-themed shows, ABC's Invasion and CBS' Threshold, and an Abyss-themed show, NBC's Surface. The shows all feature complex mythologies; however, they tell their very different stories in different ways. While they've been lumped together, it shouldn't take long for them to take on their own identities.
The other three shows explore the supernatural, with The WB's aptly named Supernatural and ABC's Night Stalker hunting monsters and CBS' Ghost Whisperer traveling into Medium territory. Supernatural and Night Stalker also aren't afraid of the word mythology, but they are more interested in stand-alone episodes rather than a season-long story.
And over at Showtime, Masters of Horror gives some of film's greatest horror directors a chance to scare our pants off in a new anthology series. In fact, trying to scare the pants off the audience has become the primary goal of several of this fall's new shows (Threshold, Supernatural and Night Stalker).
Cable networks, specifically the SCI FI Channel and USA Network, continue to be strong for returning series. However, syndication is completely dead for original dramas. So while the news isn't great everywhere, and it would be nice if some other cable outlets would pick up the sci-fi slack, it's all certainly much healthier than it was a year ago. Sci-fi and fantasy have finally entered the mainstream, and I suspect they are here to stay.
Check next week's Fall SF TV Preview: Part II to find out the scoop on all the returning shows, midseason replacements, movies and miniseries.
Jennifer Love Hewitt sees dead people. Worse yet, her character Melinda hears them, too, and they won't stop talking to her. In fact, ghosts seem to seek out this newlywed no matter where she goes, and they want her to make a connection for them with the living so that they can take care of unfinished business. And often that unfinished business gets Melinda into hot water in the real world, despite support from her paramedic husband. Ghost Whisperer is based on the life of psychic Mary Ann Winkowski and cases of executive producer and famed psychic James Van Praagh. Unlike NBC's similarly themed Medium, executive producer John Gray promises Ghost Whisperer won't deal with solving crimes, and instead will focus on the emotional aspect of the dead connecting with the living. David Conrad and Aisha Tyler also star.
The Outlook: You might want to call this Medium Lite. The series takes over Joan of Arcadia's timeslot, and while it doesn't have the depth of character of either of those shows, I suspect this is the one timeslot Ghost Whisperer might be okay in. It probably won't be the hit Medium is, but it doesn't need to be, and some of the Medium audience will take to the new sentimental series.
When Hurricane Eve hits the small town of Homestead, Fla., something unnatural blows through the isolated community, and it appears to affect some of the people caught in the storm. Right away conspiracy nut Dave (Tyler Labine) suspects aliens are among us. And it doesn't take long before park ranger Russell Varon (Eddie Cibrian) begins to have his own suspicions that something's not right with his ex-wife, Mariel (Kari Matchett), and her husband, Sheriff Tom Underlay (William Fichtner). But they share custody of their two kids, and so Russell has to tread lightly. When mysterious things start to happen, Russell begins to suspect that Dave just might be right about his suspicions. Creator and executive producer Shaun Cassidy (American Gothic) enters Lost territory to tell an ongoing story with a mystery at its core.
The Outlook: Hurricane Katrina took some of the steam out of the launch of the best new series this fall. However, this prophetic series from Cassidy has the makings of a hit written all over it. It's the perfect companion to Lost and should hold the audience as well as any show would be able to. The storytelling is similar, and the characters have depth and are fascinating. Beyond that, the real hurricane has given us a reason to care about the people who suffer the wrath of nature. Look for Invasion to do very, very well.
Masters of Horror
Showtime, Fridays, 10 p.m. Premieres Oct. 28
It started at a dinner attended by some of the most famous directors of our time. They wanted to work on edgy material without the constraints of a big film release. Masters of Horror is a new anthology series that will create 13 hourlong movies directed and sometimes written by horror legends Dario Argento, John Carpenter, Larry Cohen, Roger Corman, Don Coscarelli, Joe Dante, Mick Garris, Stuart Gordon, Tobe Hooper, John Landis and George Romero. Upcoming episodes include "Deer Woman," starring Brian Benben, which was directed by John Landis from a script he co-wrote with his son, Max Landis; "Jenifer," starring Steven Weber, which was directed by Argento and is based on the comic book by Bruce Jones and Bernie Wrightson; and "Incident On and Off a Mountain Road," which was directed by Coscarelli and was adapted by Coscarelli and Stephen Romano from Joe Lansdale's short story. Mick Garris executive-produces.
The Outlook: One good thing about a pay cable series—they are sure to complete their run. With a timely premiere just before Halloween and big names to draw the curious, Masters of Horror should get a nice sampling in its initial run. While anthology shows usually don't fare well over time, let's hope this series is an exception to the rule. The creative talent behind the screen certainly knows how to scare us. Undoubtedly the series will be uneven, with some episodes being great and others missing the mark. But what a great opportunity to see what these directors can do when they have the creative freedom to do it their way.
Night Stalker
ABC, Thursdays, 9 p.m. Premieres Sept. 29
Reporter Carl Kolchak (Stuart Townsend) is on a mission. He's trying to find the thing that killed his pregnant wife. He knows there are things out there that go bump in the night, supernatural things that destroy lives. Along with co-reporter Perri Reed (Gabrielle Union), Carl investigates every supernatural mystery he can find looking for a mysterious red mark that appears on victim's hand, and he won't stop until he finds out what killed his wife. Created by Frank Spotnitz, one of the creative forces behind The X-Files.
The Outlook: It's not looking good for this beautifully shot but thin "reimagining" of the series. While they are doing some reshoots to make the first episode scarier, the former Carl Kolchak, Darren McGavin, is sorely missed. The original series was campy and often silly, but it was well worth watching because of McGavin's engaging performance. Townsend's character is so grim it's hard to find him appealing. Spotnitz has promised that subsequent episodes will have humor and will embrace more of the spirit of the original series. We'll see. I do have faith in Spotnitz and what he brought to The X-Files, so there's hope Night Stalker will get better. That said, however, with the Thursday night timeslot opposite CSI and The Apprentice, it's going to be tough to find anyone left in America to watch the series once, let alone on an ongoing basis.
Supernatural
The WB, Tuesdays, 9 p.m. Premieres Sept. 13
Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam (Jared Padalecki) have been haunted all their lives by the death of the mother at the hands of something supernatural. Sam's gone on to make something of his life by going to college, while his brother Dean has taken up the family business of hunting monsters with their father. But now dad's missing, and Dean asks Sam to join him on one last hunt. Creator Eric Kripke promises this Route 66 by way of the original Kolchak: The Night Stalker will send the guys to the corners of America in search of the scariest urban legends they can find.
The Outlook: This may seem like an odd fit with The Gilmore Girls, but The WB might just know what it's doing when it comes to placing their new series on Tuesday nights. With two hot guys and the spooky subject matter, the audience may take to this horror show. It's fun, it's scary, and it does what ABC's Night Stalker is trying to do, except Supernatural has clever dialogue, intriguing characters and great chemistry between the leads. I look for Supernatural to make it through the season and to pick up The WB's sci-fi slack for the ailing Smallville.
Surface
NBC, Mondays, 8 p.m. Premieres Sept. 19
Something's in the water, and people are starting to notice. Four people from different areas of the world—an oceanographer and single mother (Lake Bell), a fisherman in the Gulf of Mexico (Jay R. Ferguson), a young boy (Carter Jenkins) and a government scientist (Rade Sherbedgia)—will find themselves caught up in a scientific mystery they can't escape. While the oceanographer loses her job and the fisherman loses his best friend, the boy will discover that raising a sea monster at home as a pet might not be such a good idea. As the series unfolds, the story will be akin to "a sci-fi, serialized Dickens action novel," says executive producer Josh Pate, who along with his brother Jonas created the series.
The Outlook: While the pilot wasn't available in time for this article, Surface looks to offer up the most original idea of the new crop of shows (about an emerging new life from the bottom of the ocean). The timeslot looks good, and it's got the least competition of any of the new shows.
Threshold
CBS, Fridays, 9 p.m. Premieres Sept. 16
Molly Anne Caffrey (Carla Gugino) creates contingency plans for disasters. She is suddenly pressed into service when the government decides to activate Operation: Threshold, the plan she put together to address the possibility of an alien threat on Earth. In the middle of the ocean, a naval cargo freighter has come into contact with a strange object that may well be of alien origin, and the crew's gone missing. Molly puts together a brilliant team to investigate the mystery, only to discover that they may be facing an all-out alien invasion. This series is executive-produced by Brannon Braga (Star Trek: Enterprise) and also stars Charles S. Dutton, Brent Spiner (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Rob Benedict, Brian Van Holt and Peter Dinklage.
The Outlook:Threshold is the most sci-fi of the fall shows and also the most intriguing. The idea explores what might happen if an alien invasion happened on the cellular level, by way of a signal that changes our DNA. Only the first hour of the two-hour premiere was available, but it is exciting, scary and all the good things we want our sci-fi to be. However, is it too sci-fi for the networks? Probably. And that Friday timeslot has killed many a show. Yes, The X-Files survived and eventually thrived in the same timeslot, but this is a very different show. I have hope but not expectations that this series might survive.
Finally, a superhero that fights with his hair! In the year 300X, Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo can "hear the voices of the hair," which allows his body hair to help him defend himself with martial arts. Considering the evil Emperor Baldy Bald is planning on conquering the world by stealing everyone's hair, this has Bobobo-bo more than a little worried. He leaps into action, or at least his hairs do, to battle the Emperor and his bald empire. This anime acquisition uses puns, cross-dressing and visual gags and is based on the manga by Yoshio Sawai.
Coconut Fred's Fruit Salad Island, Kids' WB!, Premieres Saturday, Sept. 17 at 10:30 a.m.
On the tiny paradise of Fruit Salad Island, different fruit of all varieties live and play, enjoying sun, surf and sleeping. However, what keeps their lives interesting is a wacky and weird coconut named Fred. This eternal optimist sets out to make his dreams come true, and they magically do.
G.I. Joe Sigma Six, Fox, Premiered Sept. 10
A covert group of soldiers use innovative technology and special gear to fight the ultra-evil Cobra organization. Cobra is on its own mission to take control of the world by any means necessary, but luckily the Sigma Six fight to thwart them at every turn. From Gonzo Studios.
Go, Diego, Go!, Nick Jr., Premiered Sept. 6 and airs weekday mornings at 11 a.m.
Dora the Exporer's cousin, Diego Marquez, is an 8-year-old adventurer who while on animal rescue missions encourages the audience to jump, clap, cheer and talk in English and Spanish. Along with his 11-year-old sister, Alicia, and a group of loyal animal friends, this tiny action hero uses scientific thinking to help animals in trouble. Created by the Dora the Explorer team of Chris Gifford and Valerie Walsh.
IGPX, Cartoon Network, Premieres Nov. 5 at 10 p.m.
In the year 2048, IGPX has become the most popular sport in the world. It involves teams of three robots and a human pilot racing up to more than 350 mph. In fact, it's so popular that an entire city has been built for the racing industry, with an enormous 60-mile track called The Big Eye. When a crew of amateur pilots, Team Satomi, wins a minor-league championship, they find themselves going up against skilled and ruthless opponents in the Immortal Grand Prix, the biggest race in the world. The Cartoon Network partnered with famed Japanese animation studio Production I.G. to create this original series.
Johnny Test, Kids' WB!, Premieres Sept. 17 at 11 a.m.
Forget spinach! In Johnny Test's world it's a lollipop that will give one little fearless 11-year-old boy the strength of a hundred men. With his genetically engineered superdog, Poochie, by his side, Johnny becomes the ultimate guinea pig for his 13-year-old genius twin sister scientists.
In the year 2772, a massive meteor has knocked Earth off its axis, and supernatural phenomena abound. The descendents of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, the Road Runner, Lola Bunny, Tasmanian Devil and Wile E. Coyote have super powers, but they haven't lost the personality quirks of their ancestors. While Bugs' descendent Ace is the leader of the group, Daffy's descendent Danger naturally thinks he should be in charge. In the end they all come together to fight the evil supernatural forces that threaten Acmetropolis.
My Gym Partner Is a Monkey, Cartoon Network, Premieres early 2006
In this half-hour animated series, when 12-year-old Adam Lyon accidentally gets sent to Charles Darwin Middle School, he discovers he's the only human student in a school full of animals. It's tough when you're not as fast, strong or agile as all your classmates, and when you always get chosen last in gym class. However, luckily, Adam meets Jake Spider Monkey and they become new best friends. Created by Julie McNally Cahill and Tim Cahill.
Naruto, Cartoon Network, Premiered Sept. 10
When a nasty demon nearly destroys a village, it's contained in a baby. Twelve years later, that baby has turned into Naruto, a mischievous boy, who is a student at a ninja academy. As Naruto evolves as a ninja, he struggles with his inner demon to figure out how to control his increasing powers. This is an anime acquisition for the Cartoon Network.
Tickle U, Cartoon Network, Premiered Aug. 22
This weekday morning franchise of original and acquired animated children's shows targets preschoolers from 2 to 5. Marty is "an adult with a kid's unlimited imagination and a big heart." From his colorful workshop he hosts the two-hour block of shows by engaging kids in activities and comedy skits. Each show will be aired without commercial interruption. Tickle U shows include:
Firehouse Tales: In a firefighting school, a group of young trucks learn how to be heroes.
Gerald McBoing Boing (at right): Based on the Dr. Seuss character, a young boy named Gerald can speak only in sound effects.
Gordon Gnome: An optimistic garden gnome named Gordon finds himself in adventures with his animal friends and gnome neighbors.
Harry and His Bucketful of Dinosaurs: When a 5-year old boy jumps into his bucketful of toy dinosaurs, he is transported into the world of real dinosaurs. Based on the best-selling books.
Peppa Pig: When an irrepressible little piggy dresses up, plays games and spends days out jumping into mud puddles, adventure is bound to happen.
Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, Cartoon Network, Premieres in October
A hundred years after Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, students will learn the art of dueling at the Duel Academy. A boy named Jaden Yuki is late for his entrance exams and discovers he's at odds with the head of the elite Obelisk Blue Dorm. Jaden finds himself in the dorm for low-level players. To succeed he must duel through three dorms in the academy against continually stronger players. From 4Kids Entertainment, this Yu-Gi-Oh! anime series is aimed at a younger audience.
Don't miss Part II of our 2005 Fall SF TV Preview, which will cover returning shows like Lost and Smallville and more, in next week's issue. See you then!
inally, sci-fi is back on network television. 
