robert orici

The panel for Fringe just ended, and in it was some nice news for anyone who were psyched to see Leonard Nimoy appear last season as the elusive William Bell. The producers of the show told the gathered critics that Nimoy has already shot one episode for the second season and that they will want to have him on the show "as much as he wants."

EPs Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman, along with co-creators Roberto Orici and Alex Kurtzman, even talked about a day of shooting in a super-hot Vancouver soundstage, where Nimoy acted like a pro. "He never went back to his trailer, and shot pages of dialogue." So it seems like they like having him around the set.

The show will take place mostly in the present universe, but there will be some events that happen in the parallel universe introduced last year ( "over there," as the producers put it). Events "over there" will affect events in the present universe, as well.

More on the panel later.