On Thursday July 24, 2025 WormholeRiders News Agency had the honor of attending the Unexpected Treasures Press Room for interviews conducted during San Diego Comic-Con 2025. Unexpected Treasures is brand new science fiction film with comedic flair featuring Direction by John Paul Ungaretti (Outer Banks) and co-written by and Ungaretti and Christina Heller who also served as the films executive producer.
Unexpected Treasures writers Christina Heller and John Paul Ungaretti recently shared their feelings with admirers about this superb film that:
“We are thrilled to share this film with audiences around the world., We believe Unexpected Treasures has the makings of a cult classic for fans of campy fun, supernatural adventures, and nostalgic 90s-style popcorn movies.”
Unexpected Treasures is wonderful science fiction film about an alien adventure that restores a local resident’s faith in humanity as they scrape by in Joshua Tree, located in the Mojave desert of California. Hartley’s world is thrown into chaos when she meets Sam, a mysterious alien on the run. As they navigate the vast Mojave Desert, Hartley must rely on local legends and an eccentric group of allies to survive!
Image by Kenn of #TeamWHR
Unexpected Treasures is a comedic, heartfelt science fiction adventure about survival, trust, and the unexpected connections that transform both human and alien lives. Following the successful premiere at Comic-Con, we are very excited about the Unexpected Treasures science fiction film that is scheduled for broadcast release September 19, 2025 on streaming services Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV!. For your enjoyment, we include our “We Are A Galactic Community” featurette and the recently released extended trailer.
We will be back soon with additional Press Room interviews and Panels that we covered during our time at San Diego Comic-Con this year. In the meantime, please feel free to share this article with your friends, co-workers and or your family!
We look forward to you visiting our dedicated review and analysis web site here in the future and as many of our readers and visitors often do, visit WormholeRiders on X, or visit me on Twitter by clicking the text links or images avatars in this news story. I and TeamWHR look forward to Seeing You on The Other Side!
A superb science fiction comedy drama with a large diverse cast, Upload on Prime explores the concepts surrounding a primary character named Nathan, after his untimely premature death.
When Nathan’s consciousness is uploaded into a virtual world, the awesome adventure begins. As Nathan gets comfortable with his surroundings, questions about his death arise subsequent to a self-driving car crash that unfortunately cut his young life short. Nathan explores this new reality with his pals Luke.
Image by Kenn of WormholeRiders TeamWHR
Nathan finds himself uploaded to a place known as Lakeview which turns out to be his girlfriend’s family digital after-life. During his time in Lakeview, Nathan meets his Upload customer service representative Nora, with often surprising results in the real world that include his desire to return to Ingrid.
Under the guidance of Executive Producer and Writer Maxwell Theodore Vivian, during the course of the first three seasons, Nathan alternatively attends his own funeral, has his memories restored, and is downloaded into a synthetic body.
All the while poor Nathan is seeking answers to what has happened that placed his on this unusual journey. Hoping for a solution to his predicament, Nathan learns many things about life and it’s consequences.
Ultimately Nathan’s struggle leads to a decisive battle with evil to defeat corporate and societal influences that are attempting to manipulate the dangerous technological advances related to the Upload / Download process!
Upload on Prime is an American television science fiction comedy drama series created by Greg Daniels for Amazon Prime Video. The first season premiered on May 1, 2020, and consists of ten episodes. In May 2020, the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on March 11, 2022, and consists of seven episodes. In May 2022, the series was renewed for a third season, which premiered on October 20, 2023, and consists of eight episodes.
In March 2024, the series was renewed for a fourth and final season to the worldwide acclaim of fans and admirers alike.
To avoid spoilers, we strongly suggest fans of Upload re-watch Upload on Prime seasons one to three before season four of this superb science fiction series begins it’s final run.
The season four premiere starts soon, only a week from Monday this coming August 25, 2025!
We also suggest visiting the Upload on Prime X account to increase your excitement regarding Nathan and his friends adventures in the digital realm and in real life!
The fourth fabulous season will consist of four exciting episodes that will conclude this outstanding science fiction series. We include the season four trailer below for your enjoyment.
We look forward to sharing more about the Press Rooms and Panels we covered during our time at San Diego Comic-Con this year. In the meantime, please feel free to share this article with your friends, co-workers and or your family!
We look forward to you visiting our dedicated review and analysis web site here in the future! Or as many of our readers and visitors often do, visit WormholeRiders on X, or visit me on Twitter by clicking the text links or images avatars in this news story. I and TeamWHR look forward to Seeing You on The Other Side!
It is that time of the year again, and TeamWHR is gearing up for a fantastic event. The aftermath of the writers’ and actors’ strikes in 2023 left a noticeable void at Comic-Con. Unless you were a gamer or an anime fan, the offerings at the 2023 Comic Con were limited. However, more panels featured comic book artists discussing upcoming issues in the following years. With those strikes now resolved, the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con is set to include a wide array of talent from writers, producers, actors, and everyone involved in creating series and movies. Last year’s convention was particularly challenging for someone like me, who has been attending with a press badge since 2012. Unfortunately, many scheduled interviews were canceled last year due to the absence of actors. I hope to make up for lost opportunities with a bounty of interviews this year..
The San Diego Comic-Con 2024 schedule, a highly anticipated event, has been released over the past few days and is now available on their website. It is a thrilling moment for fans as Marvel Studios and other beloved franchises make a long-awaited return to Comic-Con panel on Saturday July 27th featuring Kevin Feige, rekindling the excitement dampened by the pandemic and subsequent content shortage. This absence left many fans disheartened and frustrated, but with the return to normalcy, attendees eagerly anticipate the unveiling of new adventures in February 2025 with Captain America Brave New World and series from many other entertainment powerhouses.
On the evening of Wednesday, July 24th, attendees can experience the excitement of Preview Night, a unique opportunity to explore the convention floor before the main event. This is the perfect occasion for fans and collectors to get their hands on exclusive items before they are gone, ensuring they beat the rush of eager attendees flocking to those sought-after booths. We include a fun Preview Night “walk tour” video from last year to provide a feeling of the coming event.
One panel that I am particularly looking forward to is FX’s “What We Do in the Shadows” in Hall H. It is unusual to see it scheduled on a Thursday, as it is traditionally held on Sundays with the rest of the FX shows. It turns out that there are no FX shows featured on Sunday this year so Hall H will be dark that day. However, there is a bittersweet aspect to this year’s event as it marks the final season for Shadows, making this the last panel for the beloved show.
Similar to previous events, there is a significant amount of scheduling overlap among panels, which is quite common. When navigating your itinerary, it is essential to be careful and allocate ample time for reaching panel rooms, especially since the smaller ones tend to reach capacity quickly, leading to long queues.
I am particularly excited about a few panels happening on Thursday. One of them is the new Peacock TV series “Those About to Die” starring Sir Anthony Hopkins and Iwan Rheon from “Game of Thrones“. It is about ancient Rome and its gladiatorial games, a topic that has always fascinated me. With the sequel to “Gladiator” coming out this year, it should be a great companion to this series.
I am also looking forward to The Groundlings panel. The Groundlings is a legendary sketch comedy troupe that has launched the careers of some of the most iconic and successful comedians of our time. Another panel that I am looking forward to is by Jonathan Frakes from “Star Trek: The Next Generation” will be there to talk about “Venus Prime,” an adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke’s famed book series of six short stories. Frakes will be directing the series and producing it as one of the an seriesd executives. Additionally, there is the panel for the audio drama “The Assassination of Anton Cermak: True Noir.” I am a huge noir fan, so this immediately caught my eye. The cast includes Anthony LaPaglia from “Without A Trace“, Bill Smitrovich from “Air Force One“, Don McManus from “Vice“, and Louis Lombardi from “The Sopranos“. They also promise “a few surprise guests.” This panel is scheduled in Room 6A from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm on Thursday, July 25th.
Image courtesy Amazon MGM Studios
Friday’s events begin with Amazon MGM Studios series “The Boys” in Hall H, followed by “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.” Fridays and Saturdays are the busiest, as studios display their most anticipated shows, much to the fans’ delight. Hall H and Ballroom 20 are where you will find the top-rated and most popular shows. If you want to attend any panels in Hall H, you must line up incredibly early. I have heard that wristbands are required to enter Hall H for the big panels, although I am not exactly sure how it works, as I am press and have a different entrance than regular attendees.
The final panel for “Snowpiercer” will take place in Ballroom 20. Considering its popularity, I do not doubt it will draw a large and enthusiastic crowd.
On Friday, the much-anticipated “Alien: Romulus” panel will occur at Comic-Con. We may get a sneak peek at some behind-the-scenes footage or a brand-new trailer in addition to the cast and creators. That is the beautiful thing about Comic-Con – fans get to see trailers and extras before the rest of the world does.
I anticipate most of my Saturday at the upcoming event will be spent in Hall H, where a lineup of exciting panels is set to take place. I look forward to the “BRZRKR: The Immortal Saga Continues” comic book series panel featuring Keanu Reeves. This will be followed by panels for “Star Trek Universe“, Max’s “The Penguin” with Colin Farrell, and Marvel, making Saturday’s Hall H schedule compelling. It has been a while since I have spent so much time in Hall H, and while there are other panels of interest, the ones I am most excited about are all in Hall H.
With the Marvel Studios panel’s return, I suspect we will witness a panel for “The Fantastic Four” and, hopefully, a panel or something for “Venom: The Last Dance“. I look forward to seeing what else Marvel Studios will unveil, including potential upcoming projects for release in the coming years. This prospect is exciting, as we have not seen much news from Marvel at Comic-Con in recent years. Additionally, we may get updates on “Deadpool & Wolverine“, considering a movie screening is scheduled for Comic-Con on July 26th. The highly anticipated Hall H on Thursday still has a TBA slot, sparking speculation about what surprise could be in store. We may not receive any announcement until right before the convention or on the day. This aligns with Comic-Con’s knack for delivering thrilling, last-minute surprises for fans, which are always awe-inspiring.
I plan to attend just two panels on Sunday, usually the slowest day for panels. One is “Godzilla: Minus One” in Room 25 ABC with the film now showing on Netflix, and the other is “Jellystone” in Room 6DE.
Surprisingly, Sunday’s lineup is almost nonexistent, with nothing scheduled in Hall H, Ballroom 20, or the Indigo Ballroom at The Hilton Bayfront. Last year’s strikes appear to have influenced the scheduling of Comic-Con this year. While some exciting panels are planned, quite a few still need to be included.
Even though we will not see panels from other significant shows or Disney content, exploring the smaller panels is always enjoyable. If you find some free time (which might be rare), you can explore the offsite events behind the convention center. The Gaslamp Quarter will also host themed restaurants throughout Comic-Con. Additionally, Petco Park will feature several offsite events and food trucks to keep hunger at bay. Off-sites offer a fantastic opportunity to engage in the exciting activities and events of Comic-Con without needing a badge. However, it is essential to note that off-sites often have long lines, so it is best to be prepared for potential wait times. Tickets are required to attend certain offsite events. You can visit the Comic-Con website for more information on which events require tickets.
Image by Kenn of WormholeRiders TeamWHR
As I step onto the convention floor, I am surrounded by a dazzling array of booths offering various goods to purchase. While the big, popular booths are constantly enticing with their giveaways and freebies, I highly recommend strolling down Artist’s Alley. Here, you will discover a treasure trove of unique and captivating artwork, each piece a testament to the talent and creativity of the artists. Many of these artists depend on conventions like this to highlight their work, making it incredibly meaningful to support them. Social media plays a crucial role for exhibitors and panelists, so feel free to share your unique experiences at San Diego Comic-Con across all your platforms, but remember to avoid leaking any sensitive information.
This is my summary of what we can expect at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. We will encounter some surprises in the next ten days leading up to the convention. Before I sign off, here are a few final tips: wear comfortable shoes, bring snacks, stay hydrated, and most importantly, have fun!
Please feel free to leave a comment here or If you prefer, you may also click the social media icons below to share this news article or as many of our readers and visitors often do, visit me on Twitter by clicking the links or images avatars in this news story.
Fellow Science Fiction Television Series Enthusiasts,
Images courtesy Netflix and Apple TV
Have you ever pondered the fate of science fiction TV shows on regular television networks? Streaming has now become the preferred mode of consumption. In the past, we enjoyed shows like Star Trek, the original Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Lost in Space, and Land of the Lost, all broadcast on network television. While it was delightful to tune in on a specific day of the week to catch our favorite science fiction stories, this is apparently nearly no more as TeamWHRreported recently.
Streaming giants like Apple TV+, Peacock, and Netflix are now leading the way in offering science fiction shows to fans. It is a fact that the number of science fiction shows pales in comparison to the abundance of cop, doctor, and reality shows that have long dominated streaming apps. These shows have always been the norm for network television, making it a tough environment for new scripted science fiction shows to break through. Even when we do get a new science fiction show, it often struggles to gain the same popularity as the more generic, cookie-cutter shows. In this article we will discuss our favorite streaming series with a fond look back at the good old days of science fiction on network television in the United States.
Image courtesy Warner Brothers Television
Shows like Fringe, Farscape, and Firefly were captivating science fiction series that garnered devoted followers but faced challenges due to their ratings. Despite their compelling storylines and high production values, these shows struggled to capture a broader audience. Audiences were primarily familiar with the iconic franchises of Star Trek on television and Star Wars in film. As a result, other science fiction shows found it challenging to resonate with viewers beyond the established realms of these two celebrated series.
Image courtesy SYFY
The rise of streaming services has brought about significant changes for science fiction scripted shows. Once exclusive to regular television networks, these shows now have a new home on popular streaming platforms like Netflix and Apple TV. This shift has led to increased budgets and more compelling story lines for us, that science fiction series enthusiasts enjoy. With tech giants entering the arena, the genre is experiencing a revival. Despite the occasional unsuccessful endeavor, the future of SciFi on streaming platforms looks promising, and we can look forward to more innovative and captivating shows in the years to come:
Netflix:
Image courtesy Netflix
This streaming service had been late to the game to produce original science fiction series. This was a result of focusing on movies and licensing content from other entertainment studios. Additionally, Netflix mistakes were often caused by poor choices in producing questionable political propaganda programs that turned off viewers.
Netflix wisely changed their offerings beginning in 2016 to produce Stranger Things that has particularly captivated audiences and is set to enter its fifth and final season in 2025.
Original high quality science fiction series have been rare, with many current shows adaptations of existing source material. A standout in the genre was Fringe, which brought a fresh and original concept to the screen. While it explored familiar science fiction themes, it added a darker twist and more profound meaning, setting it apart from its counterparts. Despite facing challenges in its final seasons, dedicated fans rallied to secure a short final season, highlighting the immense impact of fans on the success of the scripted science fiction series. This rarity of original content makes us appreciate the unique and innovative nature of science fiction television shows.
Image courtesy Amazon MGM Studios
Scripted science fiction series often face a challenge in presenting original story lines, making it a rare occurrence. While many fans gravitate towards common themes in these shows, deviating from the norm can lead to uncertainty among the general television audience. When a science fiction show gets canceled by a network, it usually spells the end of the series. However, the rise of streaming platforms and vocal fan bases has changed this narrative.
Shows like The Expanse have been able to find a new lease on life, with the opportunity to be revived and complete their final seasons. This was evident when The Expanse, initially canceled by the SYFY network, was later revived by Amazon MGM Studios on Prime Video highlighting the power of dedicated fans and streaming services. This empowerment of the audience is a significant shift in the fate of scripted science fiction shows.
The show will begin its fourth season soon, which is exciting news for existing fans and potential new ones. It is noteworthy that Snowpiercer is based on a movie from 2013 with the same name starring Chris Evans, Jamie Bell, Tilda Swinton and Ed Harris.
Produced by AMC TV Studios, this series is seen on AMC and AMC+ in the United States. Created by Anna Fishko with episodes directed by John Fawcett, Orphan Black Echoes is a spin off of the original Orphan Black (2013-2017) that Fawcett also directed. This superb new series featured on AMC, Orphan Black Echoes, follows a cloned woman and the women she encounters as they weave their way into each other’s lives and embark on a thrilling journey to determine the mystery of their identities. Starring Krysten Ritter, Keeley Hawes, Amanda Fix, Avan Jogia and featuring a stellar supporting cast, based in part on the hit series Orphan Black starring Tatiana Maslany who is featured in a photograph during the pilot episode of Orphan Black Echoes.
There is a beloved series that fans have been eagerly hoping to see revived – Stargate SG-1. With a massive fan base and a history of rumors about its return to television, the time seems ripe for Stargate’s comeback. With the proliferation of streaming platforms, there is a real opportunity for Stargate to make a triumphant return.
Given its well-established fan base spanning decades, there’s little doubt that Stargate would face challenges in its revival in 2018 with a streaming series named Stargate Origins. It seems like we are in a waiting game now, anticipating the moment when Stargate will finally make its comeback. This potential for revival with an announcement expected soon, hopefully at San Diego Comic-Con 2024 giving us hope for the future of science fiction shows on streaming service networks.
Xfinity (owned by NBC Comcast) has created an exciting new streaming bundle called “Xfinity Streamsaver” that includes entertainment content from Apple TV, Netflix, Peacock and hopefully other streamers such as Paramount Plus and AMC+.
This means that fans of each platform have a fantastic opportunity to explore various series across the streaming world if they have an Xfinity account.
The new streaming bundle allows viewer users to discover new shows they may not have encountered before or have not had the chance to watch.
Apple TV:
Image courtesy Apple TV
A noteworthy streaming service provider is Apple TV who has created several original scripted science fiction series. One such series is Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, developed by Matt Fraction and Chris Black. The series features talented actors such as Anna Sawai, Ren Watabe, Kurt Russell, and Wyatt Russell. Following the massive success of Godzilla Minus One, “Monarch is set after the battle between Godzilla and the Titans. It reveals that monsters are real and follows one family’s journey to uncover its buried secrets and a legacy linking them to Monarch.” The first season is worth watching, mainly if you are a Godzilla fan. The success of this series raises hope for the possibility of more Monsterverse original content.
A recent hit, Dark Matter, not to be confused with Dark Matter (2015-2017) on SYFY, has taken the science fiction world by storm. The captivating SciFi series Dark Matter can be found on Apple TV and was brought to life by creator Blake Crouch, adapted from his novel. The show stars an incredible cast, including Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Connelly, Alice Braga, and Jimmi Simpson.
The story line follows a “physicist in Chicago who finds himself thrust into a parallel version of his own life. He faces the daunting task of fighting to regain his original life and prevent an alternate version of himself from taking over his family.” Since Dark Matter is a standalone story, Apple TV has not announced whether the series will continue. This may be an opportunity to explore the narrative further with an original concept.
Another hit streaming series on Apple TV is Silo created by Graham Yost. Silo is based on the novel “Wool” by Hugh Howey that is set in a bleak dystopian future where humanity clings to survival deep underground within the confines of a colossal silo.
Starring Rebecca Ferguson as Juliette Nichols, Common as Robert Sims, Tim Robbins as Bernard Holland and Harriet Walter as Martha Walker. In the story arc of season one viewers find Juliette, an engineer tasked with unraveling the mystery behind the death of a colleague uncovering startling secrets that threaten the very fabric of their enclosed world which if larger than it seems!
Regardless of what happens with any of the current scripted science fiction series we have discussed available on streaming services, there is no doubt that the science fiction genre will continue to thrive including on the streaming service Tubi venturing into original content with ads. Let us hope platforms like Tubi will be at the forefront of new and original content.
I hope that as streaming platforms bundle together, we will see an increase in original content. I am hopeful that the mega studios, with their combined power, will recognize the value of original content. As fans, we deserve it. While we enjoy spinoffs and video game adaptations, original content is always the best source of entertainment. I hope the studios allow proven writers to shine again with original stories.
Well, science fiction series fans keep watching those fantastic shows, and someday we will get the new Stargate series that everyone has been longing for!
Thanks to Kenn for video and image embedding for my Turner Classic Movies Film Festival feature article and many thanks to you for visiting WormholeRiders News Agency. I will be back in the near future with new analysis as Team WHR prepares for San Diego Comic-Con 2024!
Please feel free to leave a comment here or If you prefer, you may also click the social media icons below to share this news article or as many of our readers and visitors often do, visit me on Twitter by clicking the links or images avatars in this news story.
Welcome Back WormholeRiders and Science Fiction Series Lovers,
Image courtesy Amazon MGM Studios
Our previous article focused on the non renewed La Brea series that apparently indicates an end of an era in scripted science fiction series on United States Network television as it appears to be the case as TeamWHR reported. This article will focus on a special series of As The Wormhole Turns relating to streaming services that have taken the place of network television scripted science fiction series.
Only two pure science fiction genre series remain, The Ark on SYFY and The Lazarus Project on TNT. Both series are on cable channels, not major networks. As a result of this decline in scripted science fiction series, it is apparent that the big three United States television networks ABC, CBS and NBC appear to be bowing out of scripted science fiction series for the time being.
This first analysis will focus on one of the “elephants in the room”, Amazon MGM Studios science fiction programs that have been featured in the United States on Prime Video and MGM+.
The Man in the High Castle (2015), starring Alexa Davalos, Rufus Sewell, Chelah Horsdal, Jason O’Mara and featuring a huge ensemble cast is an alternate reality timeline story about Germany and Japan winning the Second World War. In our opinion, this was the first major success for Amazon Prime streaming science fiction programs and should be watched by fans of scripted science fiction series.
Since then there were two series that we followed. The first series we enjoyed was “Night Sky” (2022) starring J.K. Simmons and Sissy Spacek that featured an alien wormhole portal on Earth.
Another huge Amazon Studios success was the purchase of “The Expanse” (2015) from SYFY who unexpectedly cancelled their most popular science fiction series. SYFY abruptly stunned admirers of the series. The last SYFY episode, season three episode thirteen “Abadons Gate” was broadcast on June 18, 2018.
Fortunately, we were at San Diego Comic-Con in July of 2019 as a studio panel guest and interviewing star Cas Anvar about the cancellation when Amazon announced live during the Eisner Awards dinner they were purchasing all rights to “The Expanse” and would return for a additional seasons to the delight of series admirers including our team. The revitalized series broadcast to rave reviews for season four, five and six. “The Expanse” concluded it’s six season successful run on January 14, 2022.
Notable recent Amazon Prime successes are “The Wheel of Time” (2021) starring Rosamund Pike now headed for a third season.
Nest is the most expensive television program ever made, “The Rings of Power” (2022) which although not yet announced, is rumored to have a third season in the works.
Both of these science fiction fantasy series have done well on Prime Video.
Image courtesy Amazon MGM Studios
On that point, Amazon Studios and MGM Studios only recently, within the past two months, have been renamed Amazon MGM Studios ending their individual names on their social media and websites sites including the introduction of Amazon MGM Studios banners featured specifically on new streaming products.
The inclusion of the Amazon MGM Studios banners began with the hugely successful “Fallout” (on Prime) season one dystopian science fiction series that follows the and “Outer Range” season two discussed in more detail below.
On the MGM+ streaming service our favorite science fiction series are “From” (2022) which just completed a second season and is entering a third, and “Beacon 23” (2023) which recently completed a second season that we hope will be renewed for a third season. The positive news about Beacon 23 is that Paramount Plus began broadcasting Beacon 23 in the United Kingdom this month (June 2024) hopefully strengthening the series position to qualify for a third season.
Now in 2024, virtually all of the other recent science fiction series are now exclusively only on streaming platforms. What we now know as Amazon Prime began on September 7, 2006 as “Amazon Unbox” in the United States. On September 4, 2008, the service was renamed “Amazon Video on Demand”. The Amazon streaming services expanded in 2011 when Amazon bought the United Kingdom based streaming and DVD by mail rental service named “Lovefilm”. Subsequent to this acquisition up to the present time, Amazon re-launched their effort in what we now known as Prime Video. In April 2024, Amazon Studios and MGM Studios merged their two accounts on X into what we now know as Amazon MGM Studios. Another change occurred when Amazon Prime modified their subscription to feature advertisements on all programs and movies not purchased by the viewer. For a modest $2.99 USD extra each month, subscribers can currently eliminate advertisements on all Prime Video content.
Image courtesy Amazon MGM Studios
What we now know as the MGM+ streaming service was originally launched in the United States as “Epix” in October 2009. Epix was the result of a joint venture between MGM Studios, Lionsgate, and Paramount Studios.
MGM Studios acquired 100% ownership of “Epix” in late 2017. In March 2022 Amazon purchased MGM Studios. Pending final approval by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), MGM Studios announced that Epix would be renamed as MGM+ on January 15, 2023. The famous MGM Lion logo and introduction was reborn digitally for new programs and movies after many decades of the filmed version of the famous lion which is still featured on old movies and famed programs such as Stargate.
Image courtesy Amazon MGM Studios
Aiming to not shock the viewers, Amazon took a slow approach using a gradual transition that took hold in early 2024 when the SEC waiting periods had been completed. MGM Plus, now known as MGM+ assumed it’s place in the Amazon Studios family of Amazon MGM Studios as mentioned above. MGM+ re-positioned itself as a successful sister service on a separate subscription streaming service to the aforementioned Prime Video service. We include both here together because they are owned by the same Amazon parent company.
One of our four favorite science fiction series by Amazon MGM Studios is Fallout on Prime. Based on the highly successful Fallout video game series, Fallout with a post apocalyptic story line has taken the world by storm!
Starring Ella Purnell, Walton Goggins, Aaron Moten, Kyle MacLachlan, Leslie Uggams, Michael Emerson, and talented ensemble cast, Fallout accurately transforms the excitement of the game play into a science fiction series adventure of epic proportions in the “Years after a nuclear apocalypse devastates America, a violent raid by bandits on an underground fallout shelter forces one of its residents to set out into a barren wasteland filled with radiation, mutated monsters, and a lawless society of those who remained on the surface.”
An “Outer Range” wormhole portal in the “west pasture” of a ranch in Wyoming spans 150 years or more in the range wars between American Indians and two ranch families, the Abbott’s and the Tillerson’s. The portal which contains a black crystalline mysterious mineral, opens and closes at various time periods often sending people from the past to the future and from the future to the past. The results confound the residents and authorities in the fictional town of Wabang, Wyoming
Starring Josh Brolin, Imogen Poots, Lili Taylor, Will Patton, Tom Pelphrey, and Tamara Podemski with a great ensemble cast, “Outer Range” is a slow burning intense series about human interactions, prejudice and human history that intrigues the viewer as the exact same characters from different realities sometimes exist at the same time. The season two finale concludes with an “It’s just beginning” that we hope leads to a third season renewal.
“From” has been a runaway supernatural science fiction series hit that began on “Epix” about a group of people who become trapped in a small town with no apparent easy escape. Described on IMDB as “… the mystery of a nightmarish town in middle America that traps all those who enter. As the unwilling residents fight to keep a sense of normality and search for a way out, they must also survive the threats of the surrounding forest; including the terrifying creatures that come out when the sun goes down.”
“Beacon 23” is wild science fiction series set far in the future. The “beacons” are supposed to be off limits to political intrigue as safe places where one person is stationed to aid passing space vehicles. “Beacon 23” is described by the studio as “A man living in the 23rd Century works at a remote lighthouse in space that serves as a beacon to help passing ships.” In reality it is a way point for intergalactic conspiracies featuring human beings and fully evolved Artificial Inteligence (AI) beings blended into conflicts between competing civilian, governmental, and military agencies.
This series stars Stephan James, Natasha Mumba, Lena Headey, Eric Lange, Ellen Wong, Stephen Root and Hannah Melissa Scott as a teenage version of the Aster character portrayed by Lena Headey with a stellar (pun intended) supporting cast. The second season and it’s cryptic finale answers many questions that had been posed during season one. We are hopeful “Beacon 23” is renewed for a third season.
Any analysis of the Amazon MGM Studios science fiction series must include the Stargate franchise. Dormant since “Stargate Origins: Catherine” (2018) but with new movie and or series rumors since then. This includes Stargate trending several times on X over the past two years is the “WeWantStargate” hashtag.
Therefore, many Stargate admirers have wondered why, in the approximate two years since Amazon Studios purchased MGM Studios, the new Amazon MGM Studios have not yet officially announced a new Stargate franchise product?
Why the delay? The precise reasons are known to only to Amazon MGM Studios but are likely related to the following reasons.
All Stargate sets, costumes and props were sold off at the Vancouver Auction in June 2011.
Therefore any new Stargate, even streaming, will be very expensive to produce from scratch.
Many various sites, including TeamWHR indicate the Actors, Writers Strike stopped progress.
Amazon MGM Studios priorities may be focused on other franchises (discussed herein).
Or is there a fear of killing off the franchise if a new Stargate series is not done correctly?
Will they do so at San Diego Comic-Con 2024? We hope so and include one of our favorite scenes from “Stargate Ark of Truth” above to encourage TPTB at Amazon MGM Studios to proceed ASAP because WeWantStargate and so do ten’s of millions worldwide!
We conclude our analysis of Amazon MGM Studios streaming services with only a suggested enhancement for Prime Video; Don’t drop all episodes of a streaming science fiction series at the same time. Admirers of science fiction enjoy meeting on social media on a weekly basis to chat about the latest episode their favorite science fiction series. Dropping all episodes at one time damages the enthusiasm which may contribute to less than successful series.
Next Up The Ends of Beginnings:
The Ark at WonderCon Image by David Yeh courtesy SYFY
In this edition of As The Wormhole Turns, TeamWHR will continue to cover The Ark science fiction series until it concludes it’s run on SYFY.
However, with the lack of new network scripted series we will begin migrate our science fiction series analysis to spotlight the major science fiction programs that will be featured on various streaming platforms.
Next up will be the second of our feature articles about streaming focus on Netflix and a rumored bundle deal that will also include Apple TV and Peacock TV and a different approach is being taken by a streaming service named Tubi. Free to all viewers, Tubi has taken this approach financing their streaming service with paid advertisements.
We will be back in the near future with more on streaming services as we head to San Diego Comic-Con as well as our favorite television series and movie analysis. In the meantime, please feel free to share this article with your friends, co-workers and or family and leave your comments! We look forward to you visiting our dedicated review and analysis web site here in the future! Or as many of our readers and visitors often do, visit TeamWHR on Twitter, or visit me on Twitter by clicking the text links or images avatars in this news story. I and TeamWHR look forward to Seeing You on The Other Side!“
Welcome Back La Brea and Wormhole Science Fiction Lovers!
Image courtesy NBC
As our article title and the third season La Brea poster header indicated all season long, is this an end of an era in scripted science fiction series on major network television channels like NBC?
Do such science fiction series, subsequent to lower ratings as compared to police, fire, and hospital scripted programs (which are flourishing), spell the end of the science fiction genre on major network channels in the United States?
Unfortunately, this would appear to be the case for new science fiction series that could be broadcast on the United States television networks ABC, CBS or NBC.
What this means is that although science fiction on major United States based network channels may be at the End Of Life (EOL) for now, the science fiction television genre will live on to be loved by tens of millions of viewers as evidenced by recent science fiction series successes such as Fallout, Foundation, For All Mankind, Outer Range, Halo, The Mandalorian and other new content being created for and by streaming television services!
The Forty Year Back Story:
Image courtesy ABC
ABC Network (now part of Disney) was a player in the modern science fiction broadcast world subsequent to their highly successful Lost series from 2004 to 2010 with 121 episodes. After a notable original V mini-series success on NBC in 1983, V The Final Battle in 1984 and a shortened nineteen episode weekly series on NBC that left science fiction fans with huge cliffhanger, ABC picked up the franchise. ABC subsequently left the science fiction genre after a two season run of a reboot of V Series from 2009 to 2011 that also disappointed fans who had hoped the story arc would be completed in a third season.
City On The Edge Of Forever. Image courtesy Paramount Plus
CBS Network had never been a significant science fiction content producer until it picked up the Star Trek franchise now broadcast on the Paramount Plus streaming service.
Likewise, the CW Network (originally UPN – The United Paramount Network until 2006), like SYFY, is actually a cable channel that produced significant science fiction related content including The Secret Circle (2011), The Vampire Diaries (2009), Arrow (2012), iZombie (2015), Legends of Tomorrow (2016), Riverdale (2017) and the popular Superman & Lois (2021) entering its fourth and final season soon.
Image courtesy SYFY
With very few exceptions, notably the SYFY Channel in the United States (a cable channel that is owned by NBC), there are few relatively new science fiction scripted series on network television remaining.
These include as The Ark headed for a second season and comedic science fiction series Resident Alien (hopefully pending renewal for a fourth season).
Now in 2024, virtually all of the other recent science fiction series are now exclusively only on streaming platforms.
Streaming Roots and How We Arrived Here:
Image courtesy SYFY
The roots of successful streaming programs can be said to have arguably begun in earnest in May 2007 with the Sanctuary web series first broadcast on the Internet. The Sanctuary web based series was so successful it actually crashed the Internet servers on launch day. I was peripherally involved in a support role for fans to interact with the series star Amanda Tapping while running a popular website dedicated to supporting the Stargate franchise prior to the launch of WormholeRiders News Agency in 2008. Sanctuary, produced in conjunction with Space Channel of Canada (now known as CTV SciFi), was such a success that the web series was picked up by SYFY (then the SciFi channel) that ran four seasons from 2009 to 2001.
The Invaders Image courtesy ABC
SciFi began broadcasting in September 1992 with the hit movie Star Wars Episode IV (The New Hope) as its first broadcast.
SciFi had much early success over their early years which can be attributed to broadcasting re-runs of iconic science fiction programs such as the early episodes of Dr. Who, The Prisoner, The Invaders, Star Trek the Original Series (TOS) and many various fan favorite science fiction movies.
Image courtesy SYFY
SYFY’s first original hit series was the short lived one season dystopian space opera Mission Genesis in 1997. Then came First Wave co-produced with the Space Channel broadcast from 1998 to 2001.
This was followed by the now classic Farscape series that was broadcast from 1999 to 2003. Farscape was co-produced with Nine Network.
Image courtesy Amazon MGM Studios
SciFi then invested heavily in additional science fiction scripted series beginning when it acquired the rights in 2001 to broadcast Stargate SG-1 owned by MGM Studios (Now known as Amazon MGM Studios).
Stargate SG-1 was originally on Showtime from 1997 to 2001, then continued to be broadcast on SYFY until 2007 for a combined total of ten episode years totaling 214 episodes. SYFY then added the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica in 2004, and Stargate Atlantis in 2005. MGM released two follow on direct to DVD Stargate SG-1 movies in 2008 that SYFY also broadcast. Stargate Universe began in 2009 and in 2010 SYFY created Caprica, a popular Battlestar prequel series that sadly only lasted one season.
Image courtesy SYFY Sharknado
SYFY also became well known for their weekly wild and often wacky science fiction movies for which it became famous in their own right.
The wildly successful weekly movie series generated huge followings of millions of viewers every week that culminated in the success of the Sharknado movies (1 to 6) series that concluded in 2018.
Image courtesy TNT
Close competitors in the with superb science fiction content in the twenty-first century were the Turner Network Television (TNT) Network and its fabulous Falling Skies series with five seasons broadcast from 2011 to 2015.
TNT’s also broadcast their subsequently successful program called The Last Ship, a dystopian action science fiction drama series that ran for five seasons from 2014 to 2018.
Image courtesy Warner Brothers TV
The Fox Network was a strong contributor with their original The X-Files series from 1993 to 2002, Sliders in 1998, Firefly in 2002, and the iconic fabled Fringe series produced at Warner Brothers Television that ran for five years and 100 episodes from 2008 to 2013. Fox and the fascinating time travel mystery series Alcatraz was not renewed after one season in 2011 despite strong ratings when the network decided to renew Fringe for a fifth season instead. Fox left the genre after NexT rogue AI series in 2020 which ran for only one season. Fox Network television was subsequently acquired by Disney which has its hands full with Marvel and Star Wars streaming series.
The Beginning of The End:
Image courtesy NBC
The decline of science fiction series like La Brea on network television channels can be traced back to its roots on December 03, 2009 when telecommunications giant Comcast announced its intent to acquire mass media company NBC Universal from General Electric corporation amid concerns at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of potential negative effects within the vertical entertainment industry since Comcast was also heavily involved in cable television and internet services in many United States media markets.
Image by Mark Taylor courtesy NBC
On March 19, 2013 General Electric divested itself from NBC giving Comcast sole ownership and a free hand to reduce employees located within duplicate internal divisions. Through this acquisition, Comcast gained ownership of the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), the film studio Universal Pictures, cable channels such as SYFY, Universal Parks & Resorts. Among other assets owned by NBC Universal was the USA Network and the E! Channel who often ran large entertainment convention events at San Diego Comic-Con, WonderCon in San Francisco and Anaheim as well as at New York ComicCon at the Javits Center.
Image by Greg Gayne courtesy NBC
SYFY reigned supreme for many years via their continued strong interest in scripted science fiction series (many were acquired and developed with Canadian UK network partners) subsequent to beginnings of the merger mania in 2009.
These fabulous programs included Sanctuary, Warehouse 13, Eureka, Helix, Haven, Alphas, Lost Girl, Merlin, Defiance, Continuum, 12 Monkeys, Dark Matter, Killjoys and The Expanse. Their last major five year successes concluded with the supernatural science fiction thrillers Van Helsing, Wynonna Earp, and The Magicians.
The cracks in the formula became apparent when SYFY, out of nowhere, stunned viewers when it dumped The Expanse despite rave reviews and being the highest rated science fiction program in 2018.
Fortunately The Expanse was picked up by Amazon Studios, running on Amazon Prime for three more seasons on the streaming service with success and high praise.
Image by Mark Taylor courtesy NBC
In 2018, the pressure on broadcast networks became evident when a fabulous science fiction series on the NBC’s USA Network named Colony became a casualty. The NBC and Comcast merger “Reductions In Force” (RIF) became known as “the night of the long knives” which impacted the majority of staffers, employees and publicists whose careers ended abruptly with what many believe were unanticipated layoffs. Another great NBC series, Manifest, was not renewed but was saved by streaming service Netflix.
Image by Greg Gayne courtesy NBC
Great SYFY series such as Primeval New World, Ghost Wars, Incorporated, and Day of The Dead were subsequently not renewed after single seasons, likely a result of terminating publicist marketing employee teams in “the night of the long knives” that were needed for continued series success. Krypton, based on the DC Comics Superman franchise, made it to two years to 2019 but effectively ended cable channel SYFY’s dominance as undisputed king of science fiction series as an NBC network affiliate. SYFY original programming suffered as a result. Alien Nation and horror based Chucky remain as the only multi-season survivors.
Image courtesy Amazon MGM Studios
However, all these events actually jump started the streaming services movement which can be traced in large part to huge success in 2015 with a The Man In the High Castle broadcast on Amazon Prime Video for four seasons concluding in 2019.
This factor was repeated with the Warner Brothers Discovery merger last year that cancelled a completed season four production of Snowpiercer ready to be broadcast on TNT (the fourth season now will broadcast by AMC in 2025), and Westworld which had been renewed for a fifth season on HBO but will not be produced after the merger that produced the Warner Discovery conglomerate. With talk of further consolidation in the entertainment industry looming in the future, all this could mean the end of ABC, CBS, or NBC network channel science fiction series in the United States.
Image courtesy NBC
Since that time a few months ago, new science fiction series broadcast on major network television channels ABC, CBS and NBC are few and far between. After NBC chose not to renew a superb series named Debris with good ratings created by J.H. Wyman of Fringe after broadcasting only thirteen episodes in season one ending in late May 2021, the beloved La Brea time travel science fiction series on NBC may be the last major network television effort in that regard, at least for the time being.
The Future of Science Fiction Television is Streaming:
The Mandalorian Image courtesy Disney Plus
Streaming services accelerated during the transition subsequent to the entire Star Wars and Star Trek franchises moving to streaming platforms when Disney purchased Lucas Film.
CBS, broadcast owner of Star Trek franchise launched Paramount Plus, the renamed CBS All Access streaming service.
Star Wars series such as The Mandalorian, Obi Wan Kenobi, The Book of Bobba Fett, and Andor have been a success on Disney Plus. Star Trek series including Discovery, Picard, and Strange New Worlds have been huge successes on the Paramount Plus streaming service.
All of this begs the question:
Will ever be another science fiction series to be launched on a major network channel in the United States?
Or is the science fiction genre to only find life only on streaming services in the future? We shall see.
In the meantime, enjoy the wildest moments of La Brea courtesy of NBC included below.
We here at Team WHR believed that there is much more to this superb La Brea story remaining to be told. Unfortunately, “The Road Home, Part 2” is the finale for this terrific time travel science fiction adventure series. Although we had been hoping for at least five full seasons of the La Brea series, as the old adage often applied to television programming saying goes; “Don’t Cry and Be Sorry it’s Over, Be Happy Because It Happened”, and we are because the series ended without cliffhangers!
On that note, we waited to post this analysis hoping that series creator David Appelbaum would be able to place La Brea with one of the major streaming services. As of this post, that does not seem to be happening at this time, but will remain hopeful that may occur in the future after we publish this feature article.
“The Road Home, Part 2” finale aired subsequent “The Road Home, Part 1” after a remaining character named Helena (Emily Wiseman) surfaced in the episode “Fire Storm” where we learned that Helena is Gavin Harris’s (Eoin Macken) half sister. We also learned that Time Travel was invented by their father who finished setting up the technology in 1965 using modern 2020’s computer technology to create jet aircraft that in the end help save our heroes.
Image by Greg Gayne courtesy NBC
The good news of La Brea is that the series producers and creator ensured the series would conclude on a happy note creating an enjoyable ending for their fans. Eve (Natalie Zea) and her family of Gavin, Josh (Jack Martin), and Izzy (Zyra Gorecki), in fact all the main characters including Sam Velez (Jon Seda) and his daughter Riley (Veronica St. Clair), Scott Israni (Rohan Mirchananey), Veronica Castillo (Lily Santiago), Lucas Hayes (Josh McKenzie), Judah (Damien Fotiou), and even Petra (Asmara Feik) daughter of deceased villain Maya Schmidt (Claudia Ware), all safely make it back safely to 2021 either using the prototype Time Travel jet aircraft or utilized a wormhole portal to return home to their own time, most likely closing once and for all after everyone returned to 2021.
Image courtesy NBC
In the end, Ty Coleman (Chiké Okonkwo) decided to stay in 10,000 BC with his wife Paara (Tonantzin Carmelo) to live out their lives. Levi Delgado (Nicholas Gonzales) sadly passed away sacrificing himself to save the others.
We never learned the fate of Silas (Mark Lee) and other characters in 10,000 BC. Likewise, Leyla (Edyll Ismail) daughter of Ruth (Chantelle Jamieson) never consummated her relationship with Izzy due to the shortened third season.
Image courtesy Amazon MGM Studios
Lastly, the La Brea series finale reminded me of the famous two part Stargate SG-1 episode “Moebius part 2” where the main characters went back in time to fix the future. The end result was that Stargate SG-1 main characters lived as themselves in ancient Egypt as a method to ensure that the future characters never had to go back in time in the first place so they could fish at Jack’s pond that had no fish before Moebius but did have fish when the future characters ended the eighth season knowing they had changed the future.
Image courtesy NBC
Therefore, speaking of endings, there are a La Brea few items that were not addressed in the finale: Did Gavin destroy the trouble making Time Travel computer chip in the jet aircraft? Did everyone get back to the correct time at the end (pun intended)? Did the original wormhole ever occur in the pilot episode if Gavin destroyed the time chip technology after returning to 2021? Did the finale cleanly avoid all time paradoxes of having two of several main characters that existed at the same time (again pun intended)?
Image courtesy NBC
In closing our analysis of La Brea, one of our favorite science fiction series by the way, we wonder If Gavin did not destroy the time chip after they all returned after the wormhole occurred in 2021, since the items above were never really addressed, what could happen in the future?
Although unlikely, It remains a long shot possibility that a La Brea series could return in the future, perhaps on a streaming service, so everyone can learn more about Gavin’s father in 1965, and the fate of humankind in the future.
We certainly hope that to be the case!
We will be back in the near future with more of your favorite television series and movie analysis. In the meantime, please feel free to share this article with your friends, co-workers and or family and leave your comments!
We look forward to you visiting our dedicated review and analysis web site here in the future! Or as many of our readers and visitors often do, visit TeamWHR on Twitter, or visit me on Twitter by clicking the text links or images avatars in this news story. I and TeamWHR look forward to Seeing You on The Other Side!“
On July 22, 2022 Team WHR was very excited as we prepared to visit the Paper Girls on Prime Video Press Room. Paper Girls is a science fiction series we have waited six years years to learn about after the Comic Book version received the Eisner Award for Best New Series in 2016! The comic book series began publication on October 7, 2015 and concluded on July 31, 2019 after thirty hit issues, shortly before the television series began production at Amazon and Legendary Studios.
Image by Kenn for WormholeRiders News Agency
Originally published by Image Comics, the Paper Girls has been brought to our screens on Prime Video by the comic book creators Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang, the Eisner Award winning series is a fabulous science fiction time travel production starring Fina Strazza as KJ Brandman, Camryn Jones as Tiffany Quilkin, Sofia Rosinsky as McKenzie ‘Mac’ Coyle, and Riley Lai Nelet as Erin Tieng as the twelve year old Paper Girls who are catapulted in time from 1988 to 2019, back to 1999 and then 1974 to face extreme danger to their lives, and those that they encounter in time.
Image by Kenn for WormholeRiders News Agency
Our heroes find themselves caught in a temporal war between two factions that seek to control the fate of humankind throughout time.
A shadowy group known as the Old Watch, who controls the technology over all time periods, operates from apparent safety, controlling time from being changed in the past from a distant future. The Old Watch seeks to avoid any changes in the timelines of the past that could adversely impact their dominance over time.
Image by Kenn for WormholeRiders News Agency
The Old Watch is hunting down a group that is seeking to overthrow their iron fist control over time against known as the Standard Time Fighters Underground or STF Underground who we meet via a humble and friendly, but seemingly less than formidable character named Larry Radakowski portrayed by veteran actor Nate Corddry.
The STF Underground as a rebel force is seeking to subvert the Old Watch paradigm consisting at first of Adina Porter who stars as the Prioress who we see in six of the eight episodes, and Jason Mantzoukas, known as Grandfather, a rather nasty character who appears in the last three episodes.
Image by Kenn for WormholeRiders News Agency
During our time in the Press Room, courtesy of Wolf-Kasteler Public Relations, we were delighted by the enthusiasm of the four young actors and the creators.
Each actor in the Paper Girls series is excellent in their roles. Each of these wonderful actors shared details about how they learned details about the 1980’s and the late 1990’s, how excited they were to share their adventures with viewers, how they were hired for their roles.
We note the similarities to the The End Of Eternity and fringe (discussed below), that the creators were familiar with, and how they all look forward to a potential second season of Paper Girls on Prime Video!
Image by Kenn for WormholeRiders News Agency
Unfortunately, after spending truly quality time with the cast and creators, we learned subsequent to our Press Room Paper Girls visit that our HD video camera’s high definition external microphone had failed causing the loss of all forty plus minutes of audio on the video. We were gutted to learn of this development.
We therefore include an outstanding interview segment with the cast from Screen Rant below for your enjoyment.
Back to The Future, The Time Machine, The End Of Eternity, Fringe and Paper Girls:
Image courtesy Amazon Prime Video
Unlike the Back to the Future movie series where meeting one’s self in an alternate timeline could destroy the fabric of the universe, our journey with the Paper Girls heroes goes across time from 1988 where we meet older versions of the Paper Girls. Fortunately, no such universe destruction occurs. Specifically, we meet Ali Wong who portrays the adult version of Erin, Sekai Abenì as the adult Tiffany, Delia Cunningham as the adult KJ, and Kellee Stewart as Dr. Carol Quilkin, who we learn is the inventor of time travel utilized by the Old Watch. We also meet various members of the Paper Girls families in the future timelines that affect the final outcome of events.
Purchase The End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov at Amazon!
Readers and entertainment viewers have always enjoyed time travel adventures beginning with The Time Machine written by H.G. Wells in 1895 and popularized in the 1960 movie version directed by the legendary George Pal. In this classic, the protagonist escapes the past to save the future of humanity enslaved as breeding stock for the evil Morlock’s who eat them!
Paper Girls story arc is somewhat leveraged from the classic science fiction masterpiece novel The End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov that was published in 1955. Although it was attempted to be brought to the movie screen several times, with protagonists similar to the STF, The End Of Eternity never was produced either a movie or television program.
Instead, a hit television series, Fringe (2008 to 2013) by Bad Robot Productions, produced at Warner Brothers, envisioned a future where a nefarious group known as The Observers made changes in the past to ensure their own survival in the future. This including bringing their own temporal agents and supplies from the future, traveling through time to enslave humankind in the present.
Click to learn about Fringe
The Paper Girls group Old Watch is somewhat similar to The Observers in Fringe and The Eternal’s in The End of Eternity that used Time Kettles to travel back to the past to make major to minor adjustments in the timeline to keep things the way that The Eternal’s wanted them to be. In fact, the final scenes of Paper Girls show what appear to be Time Kettles, or Time Ships that travel to the past and the future.
Years later, Isaac Asimov wove The End Of Eternity story arc into his broader Foundation Series by hinting in the Foundation’s series of books, set in a universe where Eternity had once existed, but was destroyed by one of The Eternals (Harlan from The End of Eternity). This led to an all human galaxy without time travel that ties out with the protagonist Harlan’s final actions in The End of Eternity. Fringe follows a similar good ending where evil members of The Observers are defeated.
Paper Girls Across Time:
Image courtesy Amazon Prime Video
In Paper Girls, the story arc generally follows the concepts from the terrific thirty episode comic book series, but with modifications that do a nice job of adapting the concept to the small screen. In season one, we find a similar conundrum where our heroes get caught up in the temporal war.
Near the end of the series they are taken aboard the Old Watch Time Ship controlled by Grandfather to have their memories erased, and to be subsequently reinserted into their past lives as if nothing had ever happened in the first place. However, our heroes memories are not erased and they end up in a time period before they were born!
Without revealing major spoilers since we believe this superb science fiction adventure series should be watched by the viewers themselves, we will not publish a blow by blow, scene by scene review of the Paper Girls, but we do include some favorite moments from the series that do not reveal the overall series story arc.
Instead, we will say that the eight episode series sets up the time travel adventure nicely in episodes one through four, explodes into action in episode five, returns to a slow boil in episodes six and seven and then blows the viewers mind in episode eight.
In the final superb sequences of episode eight, with the help of the Prioress, who has reconsidered her role in the Old Watch, helps Mac and KJ escape in a time ship to an unknown destination in time. All four were supposed to be aboard, but the Prioress is shot and Erin and Tiffany stay behind to help her.
Image courtesy Amazon Prime Video
Subsequently, after using future medical technology that begins to heal the Prioress after she was shot by one of Grandfather’s minions, Erin and Tiffany escape the Old Watch in another time ship as Grandfather rushes to stop them. Erin and Tiffany find themselves at a drive-in movie theater that appears to be showing the 1974 film The Longest Yard, some twelve years before they were born in an earlier time period!
Image courtesy Amazon Prime Video
The final scenes in the excellent eighth episode sets the foundation for a season two that is rumored to have begun production in late June of 2022 according to a source that we cannot confirm at this time.
Although a Paper Girls season two has not been officially announced as renewed by Amazon Studios, the final scenes set up a great cliffhanger opportunity for launching a second season which we hope will be announced in the near future! In the meantime, we include the Paper Girls panel from San Diego Comic-Con 2022 for your enjoyment courtesy of Magic In the Numbers!
We at Team WHR will be back in the near future with more of your favorite entertainment convention, television series and movie analysis. In the meantime, please feel free to share this article with your friends, co-workers and or family and leave your comments! We look forward to you visiting our dedicated review and analysis web site here in the future! Or as many of our readers and visitors often do, visit Team WHR on Twitter, or visit me on Twitter by clicking the text links or images avatars in this news story. I and TeamWHR look forward to Seeing You on The Other Side!“
I had the pleasure of sitting down with a few of the voice actors and writers of the show at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con on July 22, 2022 for Team WHR. With both DC and Marvel having a presence again at Comic-Con it was nice to get back to the comics part of the convention that resumed this year in person after a three year wait! For those that are not familiar with who or what Green Lantern is, let me give you a bit of background.
They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness, and the electromagnetic spectrum of emotions. The characters are typically depicted as members of an elite corps of members known as Green Lantern Corps, an intergalactic law enforcement agency. There have been many incarnations of Green Lantern from Hal Jordan to the current one of John Stewart portrayed by Aldis Hodge.
Sitting down with the voice cast of Aldis Hodge, Jimmi Simpson (Green Arrow), Brian Bloom (Adam Strange), Jaime Gray Hyder (Hawkgirl), was a lot of fun and I was able to get some insight about what we can expect with these characters in this animated version. The panel (which sadly I missed) was the first time the cast was able to even meet each other. The downfall of voice acting sometimes is that actors are often alone in a booth while reciting lines, not interacting with other actors. It can be hard to measure how another actor would read their lines and therefore a bit hard to react to them without seeing or hearing them. Luckily all these actors have done voice work before, so they are no stranger to the process.
Image courtesy My Entertainment World
Aldis Hodge was filming One Night in Miami when he received the call from his agent that he was being looked at for the role of John Stewart. He was flattered and jumped at the chance to play another superhero (Aldis is also Hawkman in the new Black Adam movie coming soon). He said animation is a fun world to live in, but difficult to get into. Stepping into these shoes, Aldis wanted to make sure that his level of work met the ambitious standards that comes with being a voice actor in animation. You still must perform as an actor even though you are alone and do not have the other actor to work off. He had mentioned that he had to get creative when it came to his voice acting, not having another actor there to respond to was difficult. He had to imagine what the other actors would be like or how they would respond in the aftermath of a battle. Aldis mentioned that the director, Jeff Wamester, made the characters feels seamless like they were all in the same room together even though this is the first time they all met. I asked him how important it was to bring the characters PTSD to life on screen. He mentioned that both his parents are former Marines, he was born on a military base, he grew up surrounded by service men and women and grew up in a neighborhood with a man who suffered from PTSD. Jeff wanted to make sure that he treated the PTSD, with the attention it deserves. To address it in an animated series may help shed light on the suffering of the service men and women it effects, to create a safe space. Hopefully, the younger generation will see what PTSD is and try and research it more and try and understand what it is and why the character is suffering from it. He closed his part of the interview talking about representation in comics and in general. He said that people who have always had representation take that for granted because it has always been there. They do not understand the value of it, for those who have not had representation they are clamoring for it. When they do get it, it allows you to believe the potential in yourself, to say that I can be that someday, to be a part of it. “Artists must reflect the time that which we are in” is what he closed his part of the interview with.
Image by Lori Glumac for WormholeRiders
Brian Bloom, who I have been a huge fan of and admittedly had a crush on during my teenage years, was next on the interview round table. The best part of this project was finally meeting his fellow cast members. That seems to be the theme going on in this animated series. Brian mentioned that he is lucky that he is getting to meet his fellow cast mates as that is not always, the case. He was happy to bring a new take to his character and to give us his take on the character of Adam Strange. He brought his bravado and knowledge to what he wanted to portray as Adam Strange, who is normally a villian, he wanted to question that status of Strange is what Brian said about the past incarnations of Strange. He wanted to add his stamp to the character and have it different than the others who have come before him. Brian is happy that he has found a whole new facet to his career as a voice actor. If you are good at it, you can be whoever you want in the voice over world. It has nothing to do with what you look like, or what the character is drawn like, you can be that character regardless of what the actor looks like “not all these characters have blue eyes” as Brian said. Brian said he grew up watching Super Friends and Justice League so to be a part if that universe is cool. The superhero he watched the The Incredible Hulk, the other show he watched was The Six Million Dollar Man. For me, being the same age as Brian, I was happy to hear him wax nostalgic about the same shows I grew up with as well.
Image by Lori Glumac for WormholeRiders
Next, we had Jamie Gray Hyder next on the list who portrays Hawkgirl. “Hawkgirl is a complete bad ass warrior” was how Jamie described her character. I liked that she had said that about her character. It can be hard as the only female in a whole garrison of male superheroes to hold her own, but she did a wonderful job. Jamie did some research about Hawkgirl and discovered that she was created in 1941, with discovering that as exciting as it was, it was also daunting to have to deal with an eighty-year history of this character that fans have had more life with than she had. She had said that she tried to take the previous iterations of the character, the history and find the common ground between them and keep that intact and then as an artist you want to bring your own unique twist to it. Bringing that character into 2022, making it relevant and keeping it fresh is a task that actors must contend with when dealing with comic book characters. As Jamie mentioned fans have had their life with Hawkgirl long before Jamie did, she wanted to make sure she brought that character to life the right way and give the character Jamie’s twist and flavor to it. Jamie had said that Hawkgirl is a beautiful representation of the females in the armed forces and the heroes that are doing this, motivated by saving their home, their country. It is coming from love; you see her layers and not just one note. You see her interact with people she would normally never associate with, but within that you get to see a bit more of who she is. She is forced to work with her enemy, forced to reconcile that they have common goals. I asked her the question of how important it is for women/girls to read comics and to have those type of female characters? Again, the subject of representation came up. Being that comic books are mostly male oriented, seeing strong female characters that are not just sidekicks or damsels in distress was a huge honor for Jamie. She said you want them to be seen, heard, and considered and you want to give them a chance to participate. Being the only female in the group, Jamie said when she finally got to meet the “boys” she had to be louder and first to be heard. Jamie was happy to be at Comic-Con, she loved the vibe and was happy to see all the like-minded people enjoying themselves, it “scratched that itch” for her as she put it. Animation has given way to being able to play these larger-than-life characters that you would not normally be able to play on screen. Hawkgirl is the mission driven one in the bunch, she is more action than words, she may not speak as much as others, but she does not have to speak much and as a woman of action it is not necessarily always needed. Actions speak louder as the saying goes, speak softly and carry a big stick.
Image by Lori Glumac for WormholeRiders
Jimmi Simpson was next in the quartet of actors available to Team WHR. I have been a fan of his for a long time, too. He has always brought us some interesting characters from Gavin in House of Cards, William in Westworld and now Green Arrow/Oliver Queen in Green Lantern. He found Ollie so fascinating to play. As a voice actor, he equated it to being in a vacuum, you are completely relying on the director and the writers not his fellow actors who you would normally be in a scene with. As an actor in the booth by yourself you can create a situation, like the sound of the character lifting a heavy object, you get to have fun with that. Ollie is more of a human character; he made a choice to put it on all the line as a superhero. My question to him was what advice would you give to your character? He said to let the newcomers in a bit easier, with John Stewart’s character showing up there was a major resistance since Ollie’s friend was Hal Jordan as Green Lantern. But he also pointed out that with both Arrow and Lantern going through training and “shit” together they too formed a bond, like a buddy picture he said. Diffusing tension with a bit of comedy is what Jimmi brought of himself to the character.
The director Jeff Wamester, John Semper and Butch Lukic all reiterated what the actors themselves had been saying. Jeff wanted to bring more of John Stewart’s story to life. His incarnation of Green Lantern has not been explored as thoroughly as the others have and he wanted to make sure that it was. The interview was cutting it razor sharp close to the panel, so as much as we wanted to spend a little more time with the director and writers of the movie, we were not able to do so, but include a ComicBook Dot Com interview with the stars below. Nevertheless, even though we missed the panel, this was a fun and informative interview with the cast, I was happy to see them enjoying the fruits of their labor.
Green Lantern: Beware My Power is available now as a rental on stream Amazon Prime, or to purchase outright at Amazon. If you are a fan of the Green Lantern and want to check out John’s story for yourself, treat yourself and see what a great movie these folks have made! Thank you to Gary Miereanu for giving Team WHR this terrific opportunity to interview this great cast and creators of the movie. I am also thankful that Comic-Con 2022 was back after a three year hiatus! See you next year in San Diego!
Thanks to Kenn for video and image embedding for my feature article and many thanks to you for visiting WormholeRiders News Agency. We will be back soon with more analysis about our favorite television series, movies and conventions in this year and beyond!
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