Roswell
'Futurama' and 9 Other Shows That Beat Cancellation

It's a miracle! 'Futurama' is back from the dead. Or maybe it's just been thawed out of its cryogenic freeze? Whatever the case, it's back -- with the original voice cast -- on Comedy Central (Thu., June 24 at 10PM ET) and fans are happy.
Canceled in 2003, 'Futurama' got four straight-to-DVD flicks, the last one came out in early 2009. Fan interest was renewed and Comedy Central aired the films as episodes before green lighting the series for new episodes. Yes, Matt Groening is bringing Fry, Leela, Bender and the rest of the bang for new adventures in space. The cast is signed for 26 episodes. In the one hour premiere, the Professor attempts to resuscitate the crew with his birth machine after a devastating crash.
While 'Futurama' fans are celebrating this victory, it's important to point out that this sci-fi cartoon is not the only show to survive cancellation. What other shows have defied the orders of studio executives? Well, read on to find out!
Shiri Appleby Finds 'Life Unexpected'
Shiri Appleby is a veteran TV actress who's appeared on everything from the soap opera 'Santa Barbara' to 'Baywatch' to the cult hit 'Roswell.' But she may become most well-known for her new show on The CW, 'Life UneXpected,' which debuts on Mon., Jan. 18 at 9PM ET. Appleby plays Cate Cassidy, a radio talk show host, who is reunited with Lux, a teen girl whom she gave up for adoption. Appleby recently chatted with AOL TV about her new show, how she got started in the business so early and her appearances on both the first and last episodes of 'ER.'
Jane After Dark: What should Jane watch next?
If you've been following my Jane After Dark adventures, you know it's all about the DVDs I watch into the wee hours while I'm covering the TV Squad queue and everyone else (at least in my house) is sleeping. I've finished Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and I'm nearly done with Angel. I'll post this weekend about season five of Angel. You guys are absolutely right. It's awesome TV.
After that, I need you to help me choose my next Jane After Dark series. There are so many great TV shows on DVD, and frankly, I'm stumped at what to watch next. So please vote in my poll below, and tell me what to do! And if you don't see your series listed, tell me in the comments, and I'll add it to the list next time.
| Firefly | |
|---|---|
| Roswell | |
| Veronica Mars | |
| The Wire | |
| The Shield | |
| Dexter |
Jonathan Frakes: The TV Squad Interview - VIDEO
There is life after Star Trek. Jonathan Frakes, Star Trek: The Next Generation's former "Number One," has moved on from sci-fi stardom to a successful career as a TV and film director. He's helmed four feature films, countless hours of Star Trek and Roswell, plus the two latest entries in TNT's Librarian telemovie franchise. Now, he's joining one of TV's most critically acclaimed new shows. Frakes directed tonight's episode of Leverage, TNT's hit heist drama starring Timothy Hutton. The episode is a Star Trek reunion of sorts with Frakes behind the camera and his former Star Trek co-stars Brent Spiner (Data from TNG) and Armin Shimerman (Quark from Deep Space Nine) guest starring.
I spoke to Frakes by phone for a few minutes this week and, somehow, I was able to hold back from asking him a million geeky Star Trek questions. (Now I'll never know if "Tom" Riker ever escaped from the Cardassians!) We discussed his love for Leverage, his friendships with his former cast mates, and the possible return of "Number One" Will Riker.
Twilight Vs. Roswell: Are aliens more romantic than vampires? - VIDEO

Even before I caught Twilight on the big screen, I was comparing it to Roswell, the great teen sci-fi/romance series that aired on The WB (and later
It's not exactly the most original story in the world. This sort of thing goes back to Bram Stoker's Dracula, (and probably further back than that). Still, after watching Twilight, I was a bit shocked by its similarities to Roswell, especially since Roswell wasn't half as popular as Twilight. I haven't read the Twilight or Roswell book series, so I can't tell you if the similarities persist in print (but my friend Stephanie can). I can only compare the big screen and TV versions.
From major plot points to character motivations, these two franchises have a lot in common, but one clearly stands above the other. Let's compare, and you'll see what I mean:
An open letter to Katherine Heigl
Hey Miss Heigl,
How's it going? Good I hope! You must be enjoying the off-season, huh? I bet you can't wait to get back into production for Grey's Anatomy though. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I think you're a really good person. You seem awfully nice and it's very admirable the way you stand up for things you believe in.
You held your own against Isaiah Washington and stood up for your friend T.R. Knight when Washington's hateful words stunned us all. You even spoke out against the sexist undertones of Knocked Up, a film you starred in no less!
Since you seem so nice, I'm wondering if you could do me a small favor. I need a few thousand bucks to cover some recent medical costs. See, I sprained a muscle in my neck real bad a few days ago. How'd it happen you ask?
From craning to get a glimpse of your self-righteous mug way up on top of that high horse of yours.
Hey sci-fi fans, do you have an extra $900?
So let's say you had an extra $900 lying around and you really loved science fiction shows. What DVDs would you buy?
Amazon is making your decision a little bit easier for you. They have a special bundle for sale, nine different FOX/MGM shows at 49% off. OK, it's still a little pricey at $900 (you could probably put that money toward your rent), but look at what you get: the Buffy, The Vampire Slayer Collector's Set, The Angel Collector's Set, The X-Files Ultimate Collection, all ten Stargate: SG-1 seasons and all three Stargate Atlantis seasons, all four seasons of The Pretender (plus the movies), all three seasons of Roswell, both seasons of Dark Angel, and Firefly: The Complete Series. Holy crap!
Inside Jericho's resurrection - TCA report
CBS starts off the morning a little later so we can all file our Emmy reports. Thanks! Unexpected swag courtesy of today's first panel: Jericho -- a one-pound bag of peanuts and a t-shirt from nutsoline.com/jericho, the Internet campaign that helped bring the canceled fan favorite drama back to life for seven episodes next season.
Before the Q&A gets underway, CBS announces "CBS Eye-alert" a multi-platform viewer alert system that will help viewers find their favorite shows. I'm going to write more about this -- as soon as I figure out what it all means.
But, first, Jericho...
National Geographic Channel goes Behind the Mysteries
National Geographic asks: were the moon landings faked?
I respond: No, no they were not.
However, if you want a little more substance to your answer, the National Geographic Channel is airing a six-part Behind the Mysteries airing January 23 through 25. The episodes will look into the aforementioned claims about the moon landings and ancient astronauts, Roswell, the possibilities of alien contact, life on Mars and the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle. The dates and times for the episodes are:
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January 23 at 9pm: Roswell
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January 23 at 10pm: Alien Contact
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January 24 at 9pm: Life on Mars
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January 24 at 10pm: Conspiracy Moon Landing
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January 25 at 9pm: Ancient Astronauts
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January 25 at 10pm: Bermuda Triangle
I don't pretend to have all the answers, but I do know that ancient astronauts did in fact exist. I've provided a video that proves this, after the jump. Only click ahead if you're prepared for the truth.
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