James Marsters cast in new Syfy series

James Marsters

(UPI) — U.S. television actor James Marsters has been cast in the upcoming series “Caprica,” Syfy announced.

Best known for his roles on TV’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Angel,” “Smallville” and “Torchwood,” the actor will play terrorist leader Barnabus Greeley in the new science-fiction drama, the network said.

“Driven by moralistic and yet carnal desires, this unpredictable villain is constantly torn by his conflicting motivations,” said a news release announcing Marsters’ casting.

Co-starring Eric Stoltz, Esai Morales, Paula Malcomson, Polly Walker, Magda Apanowicz and Alessandra Torresani, the series is set to debut Jan. 22.

A Vampire, a Ghost and a Werewolf are roommates in New Show

JAMIN BROPHY-WARREN – Wall Street Journal

   Writer Toby Whithousespent more than a year working intermittently on a drama about three roommates: a sex addict, an agoraphobe and a guy with anger-management issues. He was about to give up when he decided to add a touch of the supernatural, and his three characters became something slightly different: a vampire, a ghost and a werewolf.

The resulting show, “Being Human,” debuts next Saturday on BBC America.

  The premise sounds a bit like the setup of a joke—a ghost, a vampire and a werewolf are sharing a flat—but the execution and plot aim to turn the stuff of fantasy into legitimate drama. Annie, the ghost, faces issues relating to her youthful demise; George, the werewolf, struggles to embrace his dual nature. Mitchell attempts to quit drinking the blood that sustains his life as a vampire (he sometimes has a setback—which generally results in a human fatality).

   The characters have problems akin to those of addicts—as they struggle with their supernatural problems, they suffer through bouts of depression and loneliness. Mitchell (actor Aidan Turner) tries to steer clear of intimate relationships with women because he knows that they will end badly.

Mr. Whithouse, who created the show for the BBC—the British parent network of BBC America—says that although actors don’t have experience being vampires, they are usually able to “play somebody going through withdrawal” or to draw on other real-life situations.

   “Being Human” is the latest TV project to try attracting a broad audience to supernatural fare—once considered niche material for sci-fi fans. HBO’s popular series “True Blood,” for example, examines a world where vampires wrestle with finding a place in a world that’s deeply suspicious of them.

   BBC America is hoping for a hit along the lines of its other popular sci-fi crossover, “Doctor Who.” While the summer is traditionally a slow time for new releases, the network has several launches, including the beginning of the third season of “Torchwood” and two summer specials for “Doctor Who.” The network will be promoting its summer sci-fi shows heavily next week at San Diego Comic-Con, the annual comic book and entertainment convention, and bringing talent to several panels.

Richard De Croce, head of programming for BBC America, says he hopes that the show will attract both sci-fi fans and a broader audience. “We’re not talking about aliens here. We’re talking about people with supernatural powers who really want to fit in,” he says. He says he first saw the “Being Human” pilot about a year and a half ago. Launched 10 years ago and headed by former WB Television chair Garth Ancier, BBC America which primarily shows fare from BBC,is in 64 million homes and launches an HD channel next week.

  The use of the supernatural is fairly subdued in “Being Human.” The budget didn’t allow for complicated special effects. The werewolf transformation scenes, for example, were completed with prosthetics and animatronics instead of computer-generated imagery.

   Mr. Whithouse says that sci-fi can age poorly over time but writing compelling characters lasts much longer. “I think the moment the supernatural stuff gets ahead of the characters, we’re finished,” Mr. Whithouse says.

 

BBC’s ‘Torchwood’ returns with darker tone

Malaysia Star

   Aliens have possessed the Earth’s children and all of humanity is under threat. There’s a planet to save, a government conspiracy to defeat and some tangled relationship dilemmas to sort out.

Sounds like a job for Torchwood.

The BBC’s top-secret team of alien hunters is back for a third series, led by Capt. Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), an immortal, omnisexual adventurer with a cheeky grin and a World War II military overcoat. “Torchwood: Children of Earth” aims to provide an intense burst of adrenaline to viewers hooked on the show’s distinctive blend of action, humor, sci-fi and sex. The new series, which already has been shown in London, runs over five nights starting Monday on BBC America and Canada’s Space channel, and is coming out on DVD in Europe this week and in North America later in July.

This series takes on a darker tone than previous ones, with the team reeling from the deaths of two members, cynical medic Owen Harper and tech genius Toshiko Sato. That’s just the start of their problems: The world’s children are being used as conduits for messages from a sinister alien force, and civilization itself is under threat. On top of that, Barrowman said, “Someone is hunting Torchwood down to destroy us. And it turns out to be the government.”

“It’s a double-edged sword: We’re trying to save ourselves and the planet,” said the 42-year-old Barrowman, who was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and raised in Illinois. “Torchwood” began in 2006 as a spinoff from the long-running British sci-fi series “Doctor Who” – its name is an anagram of the parent show’s title – but aimed at a more adult audience.

When not guarding an alien-spewing rift in the Earth beneath the rain-slick streets of Cardiff, Wales, team members fight, flirt and form relationships of both the same- and opposite-sex variety. Over the first two series, viewers have seen Jack start an affair with quipping office administrator Ianto Jones (Gareth David-Lloyd), while emotional anchor Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles) struggles to balance battling aliens with marriage to Rhys (Kai Owen), a down-to-earth trucker now promoted to unofficial member of the team.

Owen is reveling in the bigger role for Rhys, an “average Welsh boy” who spent much of the first two series believing Gwen was a police officer until a truckload of alien manatee meat led him to discover the truth. “He didn’t quite believe Gwen when she blurted out, ‘I catch aliens,”‘ said Owen in an interview on the “Torchwood” set in Wales, 150 miles (240 kilometers) west of London. “By God, he’s seen some things now he has, the poor boy.            

“Gwen’s lucky, really. She goes to work to see Capt. Jack Harkness, then she finishes a hard day of killing aliens, she comes home and there’s dinner on the table and a bottle of wine.” For “Torchwood” fans, those dollops of domestic drama and romance amid the action are part of the show’s appeal. “The characters are given just as much room to breathe as the science fiction,” said David-Lloyd.

“In a science-fiction show it’s weird to have so many characters with real human flaws, the sort of problems at home you’d find more in a soap or a drama.” The matter-of-fact depiction of a same-sex relationship also sets “Torchwood” apart from much mainstream science fiction. It’s an aspect of the show that the openly gay Barrowman is particularly proud of.

“I think it’s really great and important, because not many shows play that with two male or two female characters,” he said. “We always see the boy and the girl having the romance and the courting and the relationship dilemma. We never see it with the other side, which is a perfectly normal thing for us in the ‘Torchwood’ world – and in my world.” “Torchwood” is BBC America’s biggest-ever hit, and its stars are hot properties on the sci-fi convention circuit – something that continues to surprise and delight them, Myles said.

“If somebody had told me, ‘It’s going to be huge in the States, huge in Australia. … There’s going to be action figures, there’s going to be magazines, there’s going to be books, there’s going to be conventions where people dress up as you’ – I would have gone, ‘Yeah, sure. I think I’ve had too much caffeine,”‘ she said. Some fans have expressed disappointment that the new series has only five episodes compared with 13 for the first two seasons. Barrowman is sympathetic.

“I think it’s ridiculous they’ve cut it down,” he said. “It’s like we’re being punished, because they’re taking away episodes.” Producers bet that the intense, condensed format would help draw in new viewers in Britain, where “Torchwood” moved from the BBC2 channel to BBC1, home of the network’s biggest, highest-rated shows.

The gamble paid off – “Children of Earth” doubled the show’s previous ratings, although the plot’s twists dismayed as well as delighted longtime “Torchwood” fans. There’s no word yet on whether there will be a fourth series. Barrowman says he’d be happy to appear in “Torchwood” forever – as long as the immortal Capt. Jack is allowed to age. “There is,” he said, “only so much Botox in the world.”

Hollywood Bringing Heavy-Hitters To San Diego Comic-Con

Comic-Con 2009

THU, JULY 23 -SUN, JULY 26      …..    PREVIEW NIGHT: WED, JULY 22

SAN DIEGO
Convention Center
111 W. Harbor Dr.
San Diego, CA 92101

    The annual Comic-Con is fast approaching, and this year’s event, taking place from July 23-26, shines a brighter spotlight than ever on Hollywood.

  Disney on Thrusday announced its heavy-hitter lineup — John Lasseter, Robert Zemeckis and Tim Burton — while networks and cable, from CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory” and USA’s “Burn Notice,” are also well-represented.

 Below is a schedule of events — many details of which are still to be determined

 PANELS

WEDNESDAY, JULY 22

“Human Target,” “V” and “Vampire Diaries” (6 p.m.-9 p.m., room TBD): Full pilot previews.

THURSDAY, JULY 23

Summit Entertainment: “Astro Boy” (10:15-11:15 a.m., Room 6BCF) Astro Boy is an all-new CG-animated feature film based on the classic manga about a young robot with incredible powers and his adventure-filled journey in search of his identity and destiny. Director David Bowers, producer Maryanne Grager, and stars Freddie Highmore and Kristen Bell will debut exclusive footage and answer questions.

TheOneRing.net: “The Hobbit” (10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Room 7AB) Chris Pirrotta, Larry Curtis, Cliff Broadway and other from TheOneRing.net will take you behind the scenes of the latest news, announcements, and rumors pertaining to the Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro production of The Hobbit.

Disney 3-D Panel (11 a.m-12:30 p.m., Room TBD) With Robert Zemeckis, Tim Burton, Sean Bailey, Steve Lisberger. Concept art, trailers, footage of “A Christmas Carol,” “Alice in Wonderland” and “Tron.”

“The Middleman” (11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m., Room 6A). Panel with Matt Keeslar, Natalie Morales, Mary Pat Gleason, Britt Morgan, Jake Smollett, Javier Grillo-Marxuach and cast reading of lost 13th episode script, “The Doomsday Armageddon Apocalypse”

Richard Hatch: “Battlestar” Retrospective (12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m., Room 6A) Moderated by actor/author Richard Hatch, with composer Bear McCreary, writer/producer Michael Tayler, scientific advisor Kevin Grazier and special guests, this panel provides a review and discussion of the past four seasons of “Battlestar Galactica.”

“Dante’s Inferno” (12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m., Room 8. Jonathan Knight, Ash Huang, Brandon Auman, Christos Gage and Diego Latorre talk about the adaptation of the epic poem into pop culture: a video game, an animated feature, and a comic series.
   20th Century Fox and James Cameron present “Avatar” (12:45 p.m.-2 p.m., Hall H) Cameron, Jon Landau and cast members will show the first public screening of footage in 3D from the movie, which debuts in December.

Spotlight on Kevin Eastman (1 p.m.-2  p.m., Room 5AB) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle co-creator Kevin Eastman talks about his TMNT days and shares sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes teasers for his upcoming animated film projects.

Sony Pictures Animation: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2:00-3:00 p.m., Room 6BCF) Bill Hader, Anna Faris, Andy Samberg, Bobb’e J. Thompson, Chriss Miller, Phil Lord discuss the upcoming Sony/Columbia movie.

Summit Entertainment (2:15 p.m. -3:15 p.m., Hall H)
Summit Entertainment presents a sneak peek of some of its upcoming major film releases such as “Astro Boy,” “Sorority Row” and “The Twilight Saga: New Moon.”

DVD/Blu-ray Producers 2009 (2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m., Room 7AB)
Bill Hunt, Adam Jahnke and Todd Doogan (of The Digital Bits.com), talk about the latest DVD and Blu-ray developments with special-edition producers like Robert Meyer Burnett, Laura Gross, Charles de Lauzirika, David Naylor and Cliff Stephenson.

Masters of the Web (3 p.m.-4 p.m., Room 32AB)
Director Kevin Munroe (“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”) moderates a panel of representatives from top genre and movie websites such as Movieweb.com and Latinoreview.com. Brandon Routh and Sam Hungintgon join to preview a sneak peek of their new film “Dead of Night.”
 

“Robot Chicken,” “Titan Maximum” (3 p.m.-4 p.m., Room 6A). Panel with Seth Green, Matthew Senreich, Tom Root, Doug Goldstein, Chris McKay, Breckin Meyer, Kevin Shinick, Mike Fasolo, Dan Milano.

J. Michael Straczynski: Professional Writing (3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m., Room 7AB)
The “Changeling” writer discusses the steps and tools needed to be a professional writer.

Joe Dante: “The Hole” (3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m., Hall H)  Joe Dante  and Haley Bennett discuss their new film and working in 3D.

Entertainment Weekly: Wonder Women: Female Power Icons in Pop Culture (3:45 p.m. -4:45 p.m., Ballroom 20) EW will moderate a conversation with Sigourney Weaver, Elizabeth Mitchell, Kristen Bell  and others about the actresses who have redefined the rules and the female characters that have shattered the glass ceiling for all women. 
 

Cartoon Network Comedy: Original Animation (4:15 p.m. – 5:15 p.m., Room 6A). Panel on “Chowder,” “The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack,” “Adventure Time With Finn and Jake.”

Terry Gilliam’s “The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus” (4:45 p.m. -5:15 p.m., Hall H) The director of “Time Bandits” and “Brazil” introduces his new film starring Christopher Plummer, Johnny Depp, Heath Ledger, Colin Farrell, Jude Law, Verne Troyer, Tom Waits, and Lily Cole. 
 

“Dexter” (5 p.m.-6 p.m. Ballroom 20)

Overture Pictures: “Pandorum” (5:15 p.m.-5:45 p.m., Hall H) Actors Ben Foster, Cung Le  and Antje Traue discuss their new thriller about two crewmembers on a seemingly abandoned spacecraft.

Kick-Ass (5:45 p.m.-6:45 p.m., Hall H) Director Matthew Vaughn, Nicolas Cage and Christopher Mintz-Plasse and comic co-creator John Romita Jr. present world premiere footage from the new film, based on Mark Millar’s bestselling comic.

Focus Features: “Thirst” (6:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m., Hall H) Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook discusses his film, which won the Prix Du Jury (Jury Prize) at the 2009 Cannes International Film Festival, and his career.

Robotech Industry Panel (6:45 p.m.-7:45 p.m., Room 6A) Tommy Yune, director of “Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles” and Steve Yun, writer of “Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles,” discuss upcoming Robotech releases in the wake of the announcement of the live-action feature film.

Comedy Central’s “Drawn Together Movie” Roundtable (7 p.m-8 p.m., Room 6BCF) Co-creators Matt Silverstein and Dave Jeser and stars from the show discuss “The Drawn Together Movie” and host a roundtable discussion.

Dr. Horrible’s Sing-along Blog (8:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m., Room 6A) The California Browncoats host a screening of the original three acts, followed immediately by “Commentary! The Musical.”

“Green Lantern”: First Flight World Premiere (8 p.m.-9:30 p.m., Ballroom 20) Warner Home Video, Warner Premiere, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation present the world premiere of “Green Lantern: First Flight.” “Lantern,” due out July 28, stars Christopher Meloni, is directed by Lauren Montgomery and written by Emmy Award winner Alan Burnett.

Halloween Comes Early: Trick ‘r Treat Screening (9:30 p.m.-12:00 a.m., Ballroom 20) Writer-director Michael Dougherty screens his new movie, which is preceded by a panel. Ain’t It Cool News mogul Harry Knowles will moderate the panel, which features Dougherty and cast members Anna Paquin, Tahmoh Penikett, and Brian Cox.

“Burn Notice” (room & time TBD) Panel with Bruce Campbell, Seth Peterson, Ben Shenkman, Jay Karnes, Matt Nix, Alfredo Barrios Jr., Michael Shanks

“Legend of the Seeker” (room & time TBD)

“Psych” (room & time TBD) Panel with James Roday, Dule Hill, Corbin Bernsen, Maggie Lawson, Timothy Omundson, Chris Henze and Kelly Kulchak. Scrpt-to-screen demonstration documenting the process of creating an episode.

“Twilight: New Moon” Panel (room & time TBD)

FRIDAY, JULY 24

“Batman: The Brave and the Bold” (animated) (10 a.m.-11 a.m., Room 6DE) Panel with Diedrich Bader, Sam Register. Screening of “Mayhem of Music Meister” episode featuring voice of Neil Patrick Harris.

“Stargate Universe” (10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Ballroom 20) Panel with Robert Carlyle, Brian J. Smith, Elyse Levesque, David Blue, Alaina Huffman, Jamil Walker Smith, Ming-Na, Brad Wright, Robert Cooper

Lucasfilm Panel: “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”: Building the Universe (11 a.m.-Noon, Room 7AB)

“The Prisoner” (11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., room TBD)

“Caprica”/”Battlestar Galatica”: The Plan (11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m., Ballroom 20) Panel with Esai Morales, Edward James Olmos, Ronald Moore, David Eick and Jane Espenson

“FlashForward” (11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m., Room 6A)

Lucasfilm Panel: “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”: Behind the Mic (Noon-1 p.m., Room 7AB)

“The Middle” (Noon-1 .p.m., Hilton Bayside Indigo Ballroom). Patricia Heaton. Sneak preview.

Disney Animation Panel (12:45 p.m. Room TBD ) Panel with Hayao Miyazaki, John Lasseter, Lee Unkrich, Kirk Wise, Ron Clements, John Muske (“Toy Story 3,” “Prep & Landing,” “The Princess And The Frog” and “Ponyo.”)

“The Big Bang Theory” (1 p.m.-2 p.m.,Ballroom 20) Panel with Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Chuck Lorre

“24” (2:15 p.m.-3 p.m., Ballroom 20) Panel with Kiefer Sutherland,
Mary Lynn Rajskub, Anil Kapoor, Freddie Prinze Jr., Katee Sackhoff, Howard Gordon

“Past Life” (2:15 p.m.- 3:15 p.m., Room 6A) Panel with Kelli Giddish, Nicholas Bishop, Ravi Patel, David Hudgens

“Bones” (3 p.m.-3:45 p.m., Ballroom 20) Panel with Emily Deschanel,
David Boreanaz, Hart Hanson

“Eureka” (3:15 p.m.-4:15 p.m., Room 6BCF) Panel with Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Erica Cerra, Neil Grayston, Jaime Paglia

“Dollhouse” (4 p.m.-6 p.m. Ballroom 20) Panel with Eliza Dushku, Joss Whedon. Screening of episode “Epitaph One”

The BBC Panel: The Mighty Boosh (4:45 p.m. – 5:45 p.m. Room 6A) Panel with Julian Barratt, Noel Fielding, Michael Fielding, Rich Fulcher, Dave Brown

Lucasfilm Panel: The Star Wars Spectacular (5:15 p.m.- 6:15 p.m. Hall H)

“The Box” Panel (room & time TBD)

“District 9” Panel (with Peter Jackson) (room & time TBD)

SATURDAY, JULY 25

“Chuck” (10 a.m.-11 a.m., Ballroom 20) Panel with Zachary Levi, Yvonne Strahovski, Josh Schwartz

“Eastwick” (10:15 a.m.-11:15 a.m., Room 6A) Panel with Rebecca Romijn,
Lindsay Price, Jaime Ray Newman. Full pilot screening

“Lost” (11 a.m.-noon, Hall H) Panel with Carlton Cuse, Damon Lindelof

“Family Guy” (11:15 a.m.-Noon, Ballroom 20) Panel with Seth Green, Mila Kunis, Seth MacFarlane

Cartoon Network Action Adventure Animation: “Ben 10” (11:45 a.m.-12:45
p.m., Room 6DE) Panel with Alex Winter, Ryan Kelley, Galadriel Stineman, Nathan Keyes, Alyssa Diaz, Glenn Murakami, Dwayne McDuffie, Yuri Lowenthal

“The Cleveland Show” (Noon-12:45 p.m., Ballroom 20) Panel with Sana’a Lathan, Kevin Michael Richardson, Seth MacFarlane, Mike Henry, Rich Appel

“Sanctuary” (12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m., Bayside Hilton Indigo Room) Panel with Amanda Tapping, Robin Dunne, Martin Wood and Damian Kindler

“Futurama” (1 p.m.-1:45 p.m., Ballroom 20) Panel with Billy West, Katey Sagal, John DiMaggio, Maurice LaMarche, Matt Groening, David Cohen

“Glee” (1:30 p.m.-3 p.m., Bayside Hilton Indigo Room) Panel with Matthew Morrison, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith. New episode screening

“The Simpsons” (1:45 p.m.-2:30 p.m., Ballroom 20) Panel with Matt Groening, Al Jean, Matt Selman, Mike Anderson

“Warehouse 13” (2:15 p.m.-3:1 5 p.m., Room 6A) Panel with Eddie McClintock, Joanne Kelly, Saul Rubinek, Allison Scagliotti, Jack Kenny, David Simkins

“V” (2:45 p.m.-3:45 p.m., Ballroom 20) Panel with Elizabeth Mitchell, Scott Wolf, Scott Peters, Jeffrey Bell

“Fringe” (4 .m.-5 p.m., Ballroom 20) Panel with Anna Torv, John Noble

“Human Target” (4:45 p.m.-5:45 p.m., Room 6BCF) Panel with Mark Valley, Chi McBride, Jackie Earle Haley

“Vampire Diaries” (6 p.m.-7 p.m.,Room 6BCF) Panel with Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley, Nina Dobrev, Kevin Williamson

Adult Swim: Series Development and “The Venture Bros.” (6 p.m.-7:15 p.m., Room 6DE) Panel with Nick Weidenfeld, Matt Harrigan, Jackson Publick, Doc Hammer, Jon Schnepp, James Urbaniak, Mike Sinterniklaas

“Mythbusters” (7:15 p.m.-8:15 p.m., Room 6BCF) Panel with Jamie Hyneman, Adam Savage, Tory Belluci, Grant Imahara

“Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead” and “Torchwood: Children of Earth” screenings (7:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m., Room 6A)

“Heroes” (room & time TBD) Tim Kring and cast

SUNDAY, JULY 26

“Doctor Who” (10 a.m.-11 a.m., Ballroom 20) Panel with David Tennant, Russell Davies, Julie Gardner, Euros Lyn

“Smallville” (10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Room 6BCF) Panel with Erica Durance, Justin Hartley, Cassidy Freeman

“American Dad” (11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m., Ballroom 20) Panel with Seth MacFarlane, Wendy Schall, Dee Bradley Baker, Mike Barker, Matt Weitzman

“Supernatural” (11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m., Room 6BCD) Panel with Misha Collins, Jim Beaver, Eric Kripke

Mattel Panel: “Hot Wheels Battle Force 5” (Noon-1 p.m., Room 7AB) Panel with Audu Paden, Johnny Darrell. “Hot Wheels Battle Force 5” world premiere

WB Panel: Zoinks! “Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins” (12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m., Room 6DE) Panel with Brian Levant, Brian Gilbert, Robbie Amell, Kate Melton, Hayley Kiyoko,Nick Palatas. Screening of the new, live-action/CGI film

“Ghost Whisperer” (1 p.m.-2 p.m., room TBD)

“Being Human” and “Torchwood” (2:15 p.m.-3:45 p.m. Room 6BCF) Panel with John Barrowman, Russell Tovey, Lenora Crichlow, Aidan Turner, Russell Davies, Julie Gardner, Toby Whithouse, Euros Lyn

EVENTS

WEDNESDAY, July 22

Comic-Con TweetUp (Twitter MeetUp) especially for Comic-Con (7 p.m., Voyeur, 755 5th Avenue)

THURSDAY, July 23

“Rocky Horror Picture Show” (5 p.m., Horton Plaza Cinemas)

 Zombiewalk (7:30 p.m., Corner of 4th & Broadway)

Book and a Beer Club with Wil Wheaton (Time: TBA; Stone World Bistro and Brewing Gardens in Escondido)

FRIDAY, JULY 24

“Road Trip: Beer Pong” Happy Hour hosted by Paramount Home Entertainment (TBA, Henry’s Irish Pub)

 Tim & Eric Awesome Show Performance (7 p.m., 4th and B, 345 B Street)

 Brian Posehn & Doug Benson live comedy show (8 p.m., Balboa Theater)

 Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School ComicCon Afterparty (8 p.m.-10 p.m., Ruby Room in Hillcrest, 1271 University Ave.)

 The BBC and Adult Swim Present: The Mighty Boosh Bash (A full cast DJ Set) (11 p.m., 4th and B, 345 B Street)

“Repo! The Genetic Opera” (Midnight, Gaslamp Stadium Cinemas)

 SATURDAY, JULY 25

Tim and Eric Awesome-Con 2009 (Noon -3 p.m., Embarcadero Marina Park North)

Robot Chicken Party (8 p.m.-11 p.m., Skate San Diego, 700 East 24th Street, National City)

 X-Sanguin: Comic-Con’s largest after-party, featuring The Suicide Girls and 5 DJs. (9 p.m.-3 a.m., Spin Nightclub)

 

Dr Who appearing at San Diego Comic Con

Danielle – FamousMonstersofFilmland.com

   Guess who’s attending this year’s Comic-Con in San Diego?

In support of BBC America’s U.S. Premiere of four Doctor Who specials, the Doctor himself, David Tennant, will appear alongside writer/executive producer Russel T. Davies at the 2009 pop culture event. They will take part in a Doctor Who panel along with executive producer Julie Gardner and director Euros Lyn, Sunday, July 26 10:00-11:00 PT.

You can also catch Davies and Gardner at a panel for Torchwood, alongside director Euros Lyn, Sunday, July 26 2:15-3:45 PT.

At the same panel, check out the talent from the sci-fi drama Being Human. Creator and Writer, Tobey Whithouse, lead actors Russell Tovey, Lenora Crichlo and Aidan Turner will give you the scoop on what it’s like to play characters with double lives as a werewolf, vampire and ghost. All four of these panelists are also signing exclusively at the BBC America booth, Saturday, July 25 3:00-4:00 PT. 

For the first time, cult comedy favorite and BAFTA-nominated, The Mighty Boosh, is coming to Comic-Con. On Friday, July 24 from 4:45-5:45 the creators and actors will hold a discussion about their magical world. They’ll even sign autographs beforehand in the autograph area. 

Check out what’s coming up next at this year’s 2009 Comic-Con in San Diego