stargateatlantis

Robert Carlyle is a fine actor with an impressive resume (The Full Monty, 28 Weeks Later, 24: Redemption to name a few), but he'll always be the hard-drinking, C-word screaming, Ewan McGregor-slapping Begbie from Trainspotting to me. Which is why it comes as a surprise that he's been cast as the lead in the next Stargate series, Stargate Universe.

Carlyle will play Dr. David Rush, leader of a group of scientists and civilians trapped on a ship traveling through space. Word is that Dr. Rush, charged with finding a way to return his crew home, might not be the nice guy everyone thinks he is.

'Greatest Holiday Moments: TV & Film Countdown'
(8PM, NBC)
Nothing says holiday TV like a clip show, but this is actually a cool primetime filler, featuring a countdown of the tube and big-screen clips that spell ho-ho-holiday fun every time you see them.

'Frosty the Snowman'? He's in there. 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer'? Check. In fact, several Rankin-Bass clips pop up in the special, which also includes classic scenes from 'Home Alone,' 'Elf,' 'It's a Wonderful Life' and 'A Charlie Brown Christmas.'

And, of course, no countdown of holiday gems would be complete without 'A Christmas Story,' that classic flick that recently celebrated its 25th anniversary and will once again air in a 24-hour marathon on TBS this year.

No one's watching Terminator, the Dollhouse problems persist, and too many of my favorite shows are on hiatus until next year. Grrr! Argh! Still, I love TV, and now's the time to look on the bright side and give thanks for all the good stuff I've watched this season.

This year, I'm thankful for:

Battlestar Galactica – This last season has been challenging but thrilling to watch. Actually, that about sums up the entire run of the series. I'm confident that the final eps will be as good as what came before.

Netfilx Watch Instantly for Mac – I'm catching up with Doctor Who, Dead Like Me, and revisiting old eps of Joy Mohr's Action. I've never been so happy to be a beta tester.

Do you know what a dilithium crystal is? Ever use the term "cosplay" when discussing your weekend plans? Own more than two non-Star Wars action figures? If you answered "Affirmative!" to any of these questions, then you'll be staying home this Friday night, because you're a nerd. It's cool. That means you'll be able to catch this week's ep of Stargate Atlantis, with guest stars Dave Foley, Bill Nye the Science Guy and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. All nerds, by the way.

Kids in the Hall vet Foley plays a professional rival of Dr. McKay (David Hewlett), who invents an anti-global warming device that, instead of ending global warming, almost kills everybody at a swanky party, including Nye and DeGrasse Tyson. Not intrigued? Gateworld says there might be a scene with Jewel Staite stuck in a giant freezer. I know. It's a good show.

'A Night for Vets: An MTV Concert for the BRAVE'
(8PM, MTV)
The topic of U.S. troops in Iraq is a polarizing one, but we can all agree the brave men and women serving there deserve a welcoming return home.

Unfortunately, the soldiers often return to face issues with unemployment, health care and homelessness, and MTV hopes to raise awareness of their plight via performances by 50 Cent, Ludacris, Kanye West, Kid Rock and Taylor Swift.

The network is also co-sponsoring the Bill of Rights for American Veterans (BRAVE), a petition for legislative changes that will alleviate the problems vets often face after serving their country. So we'll forgive MTV for not playing music videos anymore when their primetime hours are devoted to such a noble cause.

'2008 Presidential Debate'
(9PM, ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox)
With the presidential race essentially deadlocked, tonight voters get a chance to see candidates John McCain and Barack Obama go head-to-head live during the first presidential debate of the 2008 election season.

PBS newser Jim Lehrer travels to the University of Mississippi in Oxford to play moderator of the event, which will find the candidates answering questions (or craftily trying to avoid answering them, as the case may be) about the economy, their plans for handling the ongoing financial market scandals, taxes, foreign policy, their political experience and their running mates.

With the election a little less than six weeks away, tonight's debate -- the first of three before Nov. 4 -- could tip the scales for either contender, a la the famous 1980 Reagan/Carter debate and the Kennedy/Nixon debates of 1960.

'Dog Whisperer'
(9PM, NGC) 100th episode
It's a dog day evening on this special episode of 'Whisperer,' which finds Cesar inviting more than 100 of his past pooch guests and their owners to a party to celebrate his 100th episode.

Complete with red carpet (lined with fire hydrants), the soiree marks a successful dog run in which the trainer has rehabbed more than 300 dogs and 500 owners (in more than 100 cities), curing the canines of aggression, fear and out-of-control behavior and empowering their owners with skills to live happily with man's best friend.

And as a thank you for Cesar's animal magnetism, his party guests have a doggone good surprise for him: An appearance by his childhood hero, Lassie.

'Psych'
(10PM, USA) 3rd summer finale
After Gus is taken hostage during a bank robbery, there's good news and bad news. First, BFF Shawn works his way inside the bank (by convincing the robber he has to use the bathroom). Then, he tries to play negotiator with the stressed-out thief.

Actually, considering Shawn's wacky, fake psychic ways, it's a toss-up as to whether his involvement with the hostage sitch is good news or bad news, but the drama turns even more complicated when the robber reveals his sympathetic motivation and Shawn's ex-cop dad Henry sees the crisis unfold on TV.

Only adding fun to the caper: guest stars Gary Cole and Alan "Cameron Frye" Ruck.

(S05E06) The folks over at Atlantis had quite a week, even before we got to the new episode. Knowing that the countdown to the end of the series has now begun made it feel just a little different tuning in on Friday night. The plans for a movie lessen the gravity of the news, as the show won't have to build to its final climactic moment, but there is still something to knowing its all ending. To take our minds off of that news, the crew checks in with a solid stand-alone episode that really stood out thanks to the performance of David Hewlett.
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'Meerkat Manor'
(8:30-10PM, Animal Planet) 4th season finale
This three-episode mini-marathon concludes with an installment called 'The Darkest Day,' and if you read the rumors that popped up online in June, you know that title refers to yet another sad meerkat death.

No spoilers for those who don't know, but suffice it to say that it always seems like the fan favorites are among the furry little 'kats who take the hardest hits.

Elsewhere in the Kalahari, Wilson and Phillippe try to get their grooves on with the ladies, Rocket Dog gets ready to bring her second litter of pups into the world and Zorro, the Commandos' dominant male, goes MIA. Never a dull moment in desert ...

Many on this site, both reviewers and commenters, have complained for many years now on the way that Sci Fi Channel handles the airing of their original programs. The main complaint has been that viewers have had to wait nearly six months, or more, between the time part one of the season ended in the summer and part two began at the end of January. Most recently these complaints have been addressed about Stargate Atlantis.

Well, those complaints may have finally been heard by the programming wonks over at Sci Fi because Atlantis looks to be continuing its season through the fall. After completing the first half of its run on September 26th, with a break for Labor Day, Atlantis will return to the schedule on Friday, October 10th at its new time of 9:00 PM. The week before, it will be preempted by the two-hour series premiere of Sanctuary, which will move into the 10:00 PM slot in back of Atlantis.

Atlantis will continue to run through October, with a preemption on Halloween night due to the Ghost Hunters Live event. Whether or not the remaining ten episodes of the series will wind up in 2008 or continue into 2009, when the last half of Battlestar Galactica airs, has yet to be addressed.

During the panels for the Sci Fi shows present at Comic-Con this year, we're being given a unique opportunity to have you, our readers, ask questions to the panelists. What shows are we attending and who will be there? Here's the rundown:

• Stargate: Atlantis (Joe Flanigan, Robert Picardo, Brad Wright, Jewel Staite, Chris Sanagustin)
• Sanctuary (Amanda Tapping, Martin Wood, Robin Dunne)
• Battlestar Galactica (Tricia Helfer, James Callis, Katee Sackhoff, Michael Trucco, Ron Moore, David Eick)
• Eureka (Colin Ferguson, Sallie Richardson-Whitfield , Joe Morton, Jamie Paglia, Charlie Craig, Tony Optican)
• Ghost Hunters (Robb Demarest)

Use the comment form below to submit your questions and we'll give the best ones to the moderator to ask. We'll post the answers to those questions and others as soon as we can get to a WiFi hotspot and post away. You've got until this Thursday morning to send in your questions, so ask away!

Hey everyone! This time we've got five copies of Stargate: Atlantis - Season Four on DVD for five lucky, random commenters. The DVD is available in stores starting Tuesday.

To enter, leave a comment below before 5:00PM Eastern, Friday, July 11 simply telling why you'd like to own this set. As always, we'll randomly choose five winners amongst the eligible entries. Some other details:
Click here for complete Official Rules.

After a fairly brief hiatus (only 4 months) Stargate Atlantis returns to the SciFi channel with all new episodes starting on July 11th. Now entering its fifth season, the show is reaching a turning point thanks to a number of off-season cast changes. First and foremost in is the replacement of Amanda Tapping's Colonel Samantha Carter as administrator of Atlantis with Robert Picardo's Richard Woolsey. This is one year after Tapping replaced Tori Higginson on the show. It's an interesting turn of events since Woolsey has not been the most popular of characters in the entire Stargate franchise. And, as the character has never been a people person, there is bound to be some conflict between members of the Atlantis team and himself.

This is Spoilers Anonymous, a weekly column here at TV Squad where we'll supply you with the dirt on some of the more popular shows on the air. We'll never put spoilers up here on the main page in order to help the reformed stay unspoiled. If you have anything to add to the group, feel free to step up and let yourself be heard, either with our tips form or by emailing us at tvsquad at gmail dot com or call and leave a message at (775) 640-8479 - your anonymity is guaranteed, if you wish to remain as such.

This week we have: 24, Bones, Heroes, Nip/Tuck, Prison Break, Smallville, Stargate: Atlantis and Supernatural. (SPOILERS FOLLOW!)