1. X-Files: Cold Cases Audiobook Due Out this July
Fans have eagerly been awaiting the second revival season of the #XFiles (to resolve that rather glaring cliffhanger) and allegedly that is in the works. FOX indicated earlier this year at the TCAs that they were making progress on a new season and I expect to hear an announcement on it at next month’s Upfronts. But in the meantime, Audible has an audiobook on the way to tide us over.
X-Files: Cold Cases will be based on the graphic novels by Joe Harris and Chris Carter and will bring with it a full voice cast from the show including David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Mitch Pileggi, William B. Davis, and more. Here is the info from the press release:
Set after the events of ‘The X-Files: I Want to Believe’ and providing additional backstory to the incidents that pulled Mulder and Scully out of reclusion prior to 2016’s miniseries revival, a database breach at FBI headquarters allows an unknown group to access and capitalize on those investigations left unsolved – dubbed cold cases – by the secret department once known as The X-Files. As friends and foes of the agency long thought gone begin to inexplicably reappear, former agents Mulder and Scully come out of anonymity to face a growing conspiracy that involves not only their former department but the US government and forces not of this world.
X-Files: Cold Cases is an Audible exclusive and will be available for download on July 18th.
2. Syfy Renews The Magicians for a Third Season
Coming as no surprise, Syfy announced this week that their fantasy series The Magicianswill be returning for a third season. That one has been the network’s top-rated series this season and has improved its numbers by ten percent from its first year, a rare accomplishment in the current ratings-pocalypse environment. Plus, The Magicians has registered well on the social networks and has seen decent delayed viewing gains (more important to the cable channels than the broadcast nets). I have been predicting that the show would get the third season nod since its strong second year debut, and Syfy has finally made that official one week ahead of its season finale. The third season will comprise thirteen episodes and will debut in early 2018.
3. Syfy Announces Premiere Dates for #DarkMatter, #Killjoys . . . and Some Shark Movie
Syfy announced its Summer slate this week which includes several returning fan favorites as well as one new series. Space opera series Dark Matter will have a double episode debut for its third season on Friday June 9th starting at 8 PM EST then settle into its regular 9 PM EST the next week. That same night, supernatural western Wynonna Earpreturns for its second season at 10 PM EST. Then three weeks later, bounty-hunters-in-space series Killjoys has it third season debut at 8 PM EST. Also joining the lineup will be the Grindhouse series Blood Drive which has its debut on Wednesday June 14th at 10 PM EST. Below is Syfy’s description of that rather unique series:
Los Angeles in the near future: where water is a scarce as oil, gas costs $60 per gallon, and climate change keeps the temperature at a cool 115 in the shade. It’s a place where no one can walk down the street without protection, where crime is so rampant that only the worst violence is punished, and where Arthur Bailey — the city’s last good cop — runs afoul of the dirtiest and meanest underground car rally in the world, Blood Drive. The master of ceremonies is a vaudevillian nightmare, The drivers are homicidal deviants, and the cars run on human blood. Buckle Up, Lube Up and prepare for everything you know about Cable Television to Blow up!
Oh yeah, and for those interested, Sharknado 5 . . . Earth 0 debuts on August 6th.
4. Season Finales for #TheExpanseand #TheMagicians Next week
Syfy’s two Wednesday night shows both wrap up their second seasons next week and both have been renewed for a third season. You can see the trailer for The Expanse‘s finale above and you can keep up with the weekly listings of sci fi & fantasy shows here.
5. Spike Drops the Creepy Trailer for its Upcoming Series The Mist
Spike released the trailer for The Mist this week which will debut on that channel on June 22nd. That one is based on the Stephen King novel of the same name about an unknown mist that descends upon a town and unleashes some dark secrets. You can get a glimpse at the upcoming sci fi & fantasy shows (Summer and beyond) at this link.
6. Trailer Released for Orson Scott Card’s Extinct
A trailer has been released for the upcoming series Extinct which was co-created by Ender’s Game author Orson Scott Card. Following is the description of the series:
The 10-episode action-packed series takes place 400 years after the extinction of the human race and follows a small group of humans who are revived by an alien civilization. The aliens claim they want to restore the human species, but the reborn humans uncover new dangers, hidden agendas and powerful secrets that challenge that claim and threaten to annihilate the human race all over again. Extinct carries the colony of revived humans through struggles with the aliens who extinguished humankind centuries before — while trying to understand and get along with the mysterious aliens who revived them. Nothing is as it seems to be, and if they aren’t careful, courageous, and unified, they’ll find themselves under the control of one group or the other.
It debuts on October 20th on ByuTV and may also be available for streaming for those who do not have access to that channel. Expect strong religious themes in the series considering its association with ByuTV.
7. Netflix Has an Adaptation for The Haunting of Hill House in the Works
Netflix is not slowing down on development of new scripted series anytime soon and is currently ramping up production on a TV series adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House. It is based on the 1959 novel by Shirley Jackson about a group of people investigating an 80 year old mansion that is allegedly haunted. It was previously adapted to the big screen under the title The Haunting in 1963 and again in 1999. Ten episodes have been ordered for the Netflix series and it will likely debut at some point in 2018.
8. News Bites: Michael Dorn Elects Not to Board Star: Trek Discovery
Apparently Michael Dorn was asked make an appearance on the upcoming Star: Trek Discovery series playing playing an ancestor of Worf. But the actor has chosen to pass on that, allegedly because the pay was far too low. (Though don’t be surprised if the fans speak up and demand that CBS up the paycheck).
The third season of fan-favorite animated series Young Justice is ramping up as voice work on the show is now underway. That previously cancelled show was revived after the first two seasons landed on Netflix and a fan campaign was launched to lobby for a third season.
TNT has backed out from the pilot for the their adaptation of the vampire novel Let the Right One In. The project is currently being shopped to other venues.
