Despite living in the U.S., I was able to catch the BBC Easter Special for Doctor Who titled "Planet of the Dead". My thoughts on it are as follows:

It wasn't the best special broadcast thus far (I enjoyed the 2008 Christmas special more), but it was on par with the better episodes of the show. The Doctor seems to fight two general categories of alien menaces: intentional threats or forces of nature (or the first taking advantage of the second). This was one of those "forces of nature" enemies (and I'm not referring to the fly-headed creatures seen in the previews).

The next Doctor Who special, "Planet of the Dead" will be airing on April 11th of this year, according to the BBC Press Office. The BBC website does list the air date as "unplaced"; however, Outpost Gallifrey is the source I've used for this news, and they've been pretty reliable in the past.

Is anybody else itching for the next Doctor Who special as much as I am? There hasn't been a new episode since December, and while I appreciate the need to give a franchise such as this a break, there's only so far reruns, comic books and audio dramas can go.

Of course, once the Easter special is done, it will be a long eight months until the three episodes that wrap up David Tennant's time in the role are broadcast. And who knows when the American broadcast will be. Perhaps Sy Fy will take the five episodes for this year and broadcast them as a mini-series like Torchwood: Children of Earth.

I wasn't a big fan of NBC's Bionic Woman remake. The best thing about it – besides Katee Sackhoff's guest turn – was star Michelle Ryan. The English actress not only looked the part, but her performance sometimes managed to make the show feel richer and more complex than it actually was. So I was happy to hear that she might play the new Doctor's companion on Doctor Who.

"Michelle's been in secret talks with BBC bosses," a source told the UK's Sunday Mirror. "They are likely to announce her as Doctor Who's new assistant very soon. She is perfect for the role. She is good looking and the right age to star alongside Matt (Smith). Everyone agrees they look great together and reckon fans will think they're the perfect team, too."

OK, so the networks have given their upfronts and they've sent out the screener DVDs. These are the pilot episodes of the new fall shows, in not-quite-completed form. Things could still change before they hit the networks this fall, but they give a good general sense of what the shows are about and what they're like.

Today Joel and I start with previews of some new NBC shows: Bionic Woman, Life, Chuck, and Journeyman. More networks and other shows coming soon!

(Photos courtesy NBC.com)

The Hollywood Reporter has announced that British actress Michelle Ryan has landed the role of Jaime Sommers in NBC's forthcoming remake of the Bionic Woman.

22-year-old Ryan shot to fame in the top-rated BBC soap opera Eastenders, playing troubled teenager Zoe Slater, but hasn't made much of an impact in anything else of note, which makes the casting all the more unusual.

However, she's tall and exceptionally beautiful -- in the Jennifer Garner mode -- and if she can shake off the east London accent, she may be able to convince American viewers that she truly is composed of $50million-worth of discarded computer parts.