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Tag: Stargate SG-1

What Does It All Mean? – Netflix – Apple TV – AMC – Peacock Streaming Bundles and What Happened to Network TV Original Science Fiction Content Like Stargate?
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 TeamWHR reported 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.

Stranger Things stars Millie Bobby Brown, Winona Ryder, Paul Reiser, Finn Wolfhard with a strong supporting ensemble cast including Sean Astin. Stranger Things is one of the lucky series that have survived the dreaded wave of cancellations recently affecting many science fiction genre shows on network television.
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Image courtesy Warner Brothers Television

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.

AMC:

Image courtesy AMC TV

Snowpiercer stars Daveed Diggs, Alison Wright, Iddo Goldberg and Jennifer Connelly originally airing on TNT, will be revived on AMC and AMC+ a streaming service. After being canceled for financial reasons, it has been saved and given a second chance at AMC.

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.
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Orphan Black Echoes:

Image courtesy AMC Studios

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.
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Image courtesy Amazon MGM Studios

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.
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Peacock:

Image courtesy XFinity NBC Comcast

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.
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Image courtesy Apple TV

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.
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Silo:

Image courtesy Apple TV

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!
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Image courtesy Tubi

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.

See You on The Other Side!

Until next time,

Regards,

Lori
July 2, 2024
As The Wormhole Turns – La Brea The Road Home Part Two Ends An Era?
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.

There is good news however. Beloved science fiction television genre series is well underway via movement to streaming platforms such as Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Crackle TV, Disney Plus, Hulu, MGM Plus, Netflix, Paramount Plus, and Peacock TV.

Image courtesy 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.
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The Road Home Part 2:

Image by Mark Taylor courtesy NBC

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!“

Thank you.

Best Regards,

Kenn of #TeamWHR
April 25, 2024
The Ark Review – Everyone Wanted to Be on This Ship and So Did We!
Welcome The Ark Science Fiction Lovers,

Image courtesy SYFY

When we here at Team WHR heard that Dean Devlin created a new science fiction space based series called the “The Ark” that was given the green light on January 24, 2022, we were ecstatic! Our ecstasy turned turned to joy after watching the first episode for which we have given the creators, actors, crews and network a STRAIGHT A!

First because Devlin is bringing a scripted space drama series back to SYFY for the first time in over a five years when the network decided not to renew it’s top rated series, The Expanse for a fourth season. This subsequent to not renewing the top rated Stargate Universe space opera for a third season in 2012, leaving space drama series fans disappointed to say the least.

Second, other than SYFY’s runaway time travel hit series 12 Monkeys, no scripted space or time travel series has survived for longer than a fourth season on that cable network since the beloved series Stargate Atlantis which ran for a total of five seasons ending on January 09, 2009.
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NOTE: Click Here To Visit CTV-SciFi Website in Canada

Nevertheless, we are therefore hopeful that viewers will support the awesome series “The Ark” so that it can run at SYFY for least five seasons to become one of the most popular science fiction series in the past twenty-five years!

Image courtesy Dean Devlin on Twitter

Science fiction movie and television series fans have admired Devlin since 1994 when he produced the original Stargate movie.

Dean’s work ultimately set the Stargate franchise foundation that led MGM Studios and SYFY (at the time known as The SciFi Channel) to seventeen epic years of television science fiction series success across three revered television series; Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe.

Devlin went on to great success with hit movies and television productions including Independence Day, The Triangle, Leverage, Geostorm, The Outpost, The Librarians, Bad Samaritan and many more including executive producing over 240 episodes of one of our favorite, and famous podcasts “Inglorious Treksperts” with Mark A. Altman!

Image courtesy Jon Glassner on Twitter

Now Dean returns to his science roots with The Ark selecting Stargate SG-1 creator and entertainment industry veteran Jonathan Glassner with whom Jonathan worked on with Dean on the hit series The Outpost as his executive showrunner for The Ark.

Working with Rachel Olschan, and Marc Roskin of Electric Entertainment, as well as Jonathan English of Balkanic Media and Steve A. Lee as series producers, all these fine content creators have worked tirelessly to bring this outstanding space based adventure drama series to our screens in 2023 and beyond!

The Ark features a superb ensemble cast. The main characters and stars are: Lt. Sharon Garnet (Christie Burke), Lt. Spencer Lane (Reece Ritchie), Lt. James Brice (Richard Fleeshman), Dr. Sanjivni Kabir (Shalini Peiris), Alicia Nevins (Stacey Read), Angus Medford (Ryan Adams) , Cat Brandice (Christina Wolfe), Eva Markovic (Tiana Upcheva), Felix Strickland (Pavle Jerinić), and Lisa Brenner, spouse of Dean Devlin who portrays Susan Ingram, but unfortunately (apparently?) perishes in the pilot episode.

Image courtesy SYFY

In addition to a great cast with human interactions that properly sets the tone, good dialogue, excellent special effects, cool costumes and believable sets, the SYFY series description itself is an absolutely exciting enticement for space drama series lovers!

“The Ark takes place 100 years in the future when planetary colonization missions have begun as a necessity to help secure the survival of the human race. The first of these missions on a spacecraft known as Ark One encounters a catastrophic event causing massive destruction and loss of life. With more than a year left to go before reaching their target planet, a lack of life-sustaining supplies and loss of leadership, the remaining crew must become the best versions of themselves to stay on course and survive.”

Image courtesy Aleksandar Letic Ark TV Holdings Inc & SYFY

In the fabulous pilot episode, when calamity strikes threatening the lives of everyone on board, the three most senior survivors; Lt. Sharon Garnet, Lt. Spencer Lane and Lt. James Brice assume command of the colony ship known as Ark-1.

Things quickly go from bad to worse for the young officers as they try to ensure the survival of not only themselves, but all of the passengers alike in the exhilarating first episode of The Ark!
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Everyone Wanted to Be on This Ship:

Image courtesy SYFY

The episode begins with an Ark-1 computer video screen accompanied by an audible warning that an impact of some sort has occurred has occurred somewhere aboard the ship. We do now know where the impact has happened at this point in the developing drama disaster.

However, the clear warning sound and screen leave viewers with no doubt that a disaster is unfolding, and that it must be well beyond an ordinary anticipated event the passengers expected to encounter on their journey to wherever they are going.

Image courtesy SYFY

The scene pans to a person who we later learn is Lt. Sharon Garnet in a stasis pod followed by a pan backwards showing a room where row after row of stasis pods are located, apparently numbering in the many thousands.

This is followed immediately with scenes of structural beams on the Ark One ship impacting the stasis pods likely causing instant death to some of their inhabitants. It is at this point that viewers become painfully aware that not all the passengers on Ark-1 are going to survive.

Image courtesy Aleksandar Letic Ark TV Holdings Inc & SYFY

Lt. Sharon Garnet’s stasis pod is activated as a result of the emergency and she is revived from her sleep to confront the growing circumstances of the crisis.

Moving immediately to the computer console, Sharon discovers that a hull breach of Ark-1 is in progress!

Although the source of the impact breach is unknown, Sharon immediately begins to revive the crew members in her area, informing them of the serious situation confronting all of them. It is at this juncture, as more survivors emerge from their stasis pods, that all of them are young and in the same age group as Sharon. So where are the adults? Are there any adults or older people on Ark-1?

Image courtesy Aleksandar Letic Ark TV Holdings Inc & SYFY

The answer is yes as we follow Sharon to an area where many other cryogenic stasis pods are located. It is here that we see adults, one in specific named Susan Ingram still asleep in her pod.

While trying to revive Susan, the devastating disaster gets worse when Sharon and a few of her fellow shipmates feel another impact worse than the first one. The roof overhead begins to buckle as this section of Ark-1 begins to tear away from the main body of the ship.

Image courtesy Aleksandar Letic Ark TV Holdings Inc & SYFY

Sharon’s friends scream that they cannot save anyone else and that they must flee that section before they too are killed. Outside, we witness that section being literally skewered and torn apart. A huge piece of debris wedges into the artificial gravity ring causing weightlessness that now begins to affect all the survivors.

Sharon and her friends barely make it to a hatch and seal off the area where the adult stasis pod had previously been located. All are floating weightless but thankfully survived due to their environmental suits and helmets which saved them from asphyxiation in the vacuum of space. Tragically, and apparently, none of the adult passengers survived.

Image courtesy Aleksandar Letic Ark TV Holdings Inc & SYFY

As the survivors proceed to the next safe compartment, Sharon is able to reverse rotate the gravity ring to free it, thereby restoring artificial gravity. Sharon next turns on life support systems in the safe area of the ship and proceeds to the Command Stasis Pod area.

Things suddenly get much worse. Sharon is blown away when she witnesses that there is no Command Stasis Pod area! It was ripped away from Ark-1 by whatever impacted the ship!

We segue to the medical station 12 where Dr. Sanjivni Kabir is tending to the survivors who are being examined and exercising due to having been in extended cryogenic stasis sleep for four years which caused their muscles to severely atrophy.

Image courtesy SYFY

Dr. Kabir is also heard chastising Cat Brandice for spreading unsubstantiated rumors about what has happened to Ark-1, and berating crew member Angus Medford who arrived late for his examination.

Meanwhile, Sharon arrives at Med Bay 12 to meet with Lt. James Brice informing him that everyone in the Command Pod is dead. Although Lt. Spencer Lane and Lt. Brice are the same rank as Sharon, it is clear that Sharon has command presence that they do not exhibit.

Image courtesy Aleksandar Letic Ark TV Holdings Inc & SYFY

Sharon decides to call all the survivors to a meeting to give them the bad news; that they are likely the only people left alive aboard Ark-1 subsequent to the impact disaster that killed the majority of the colony passengers. The remaining passengers are in shock when they hear the facts and that the technical specialties they each have will be required to be extensively utilized if they are to survive the final year of their journey to colony planet. Subsequent to the meeting, those on Ark-1 deal with the following issues that affect their long term survival: Air, Water, and Food!

Image courtesy SYFY

Unlike other past space drama series that dwell on such items for many episodes, The Ark deals with the ongoing crisis’ in a forthright manner not lingering on details that would likely slow down the dramatic fun of the series.

Most agree to cooperate, but some labor fakers like female minx Cat Brandice shirk their responsibilities and go so far as to hoard scarce water so she may take a shower! Fortunately, the security guard stops Cat even though she stripped down to her birthday suit in an attempt to use her feminine charms to use rationed water to shower.

Image courtesy Aleksandar Letic Ark TV Holdings Inc & SYFY

The food shortage is being addressed by Angus Medford who has smuggled aboard several containers of enriched soil just in case the colony planet biosphere is not as rich as had been projected by long range scans.

Subsequent to some arguments between the three leaders on utilization of the ships energy and water, critical priorities for survival, Lt. Sharon Garnet, Lt. Spencer Lane and Lt. James Brice agree to leverage the soil smuggler Angus’ super soil factor to help save the passengers.

Image courtesy Aleksandar Letic Ark TV Holdings Inc & SYFY

This growing of food in space is somewhat similar to the movie The Martian which turns out to be a saving grace for the survivors who will starve to death long before Ark-1 reaches the colony planet unless food is grown quickly onboard the colony ship.

The growing of food onboard the ship also has the added benefit of converting carbon dioxide which the passengers expel into oxygen that is desperately needed for the welfare of the survivors.

Image courtesy SYFY

Next we are with Eva Markovic who is performing maintenance on the space suit helmets to ensure that they are all topped off with oxygen in the event of further problems with the ship requiring the passengers to don their helmets. This maintenance will become a critical factor later when an air leak is discovered aboard Ark-1. Not all helmets will have been topped off by the time the ark leak locks down the ship.

Image courtesy Aleksandar Letic Ark TV Holdings Inc & SYFY

We move to Alicia Nevins who turns out to be a hero on two accounts; first Alicia, who works in the bowels of the ship on the waste management systems contributes to saving the survivors by integrating the colony water reclamation systems to help purify water on Ark-1.

Secondly Alicia turns out to be a computer geek who while on the bridge of the ship identifies a computer programming glitch that locked up the system. Alicia is immediately promoted from waste management to systems engineer!

Image courtesy Aleksandar Letic Ark TV Holdings Inc & SYFY

Lastly, the title of the episode is a perfect choice when we learned that chicanery and bribery was apparently used by several passengers to gain access to the Ark-1 colony ship.

Lt. Sharon Garnet is accused of being one of those by another individual who impersonated a person to gain access to the ship.

Near the end of the episode this imposter was found dead in a storage locker. Was Sharon involved? Or was another survivor blackmailed and the imposter paid the ultimate price with his life? We do not know at this juncture.

Details on the extent of this development will certainly be explored in future episodes of The Ark and we eagerly look forward to episode two “Like It Touched the Sun” tonight on SYFY in the United States and CTVSciFi in Canada. We leave you until next time with a sneak peek of tonight’s exciting episode!
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We will be back in the near future with more of The Ark 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!“

Thank you.

Best Regards,

Kenn of #TeamWHR
February 8, 2023
Day Of The Dead Til the Dead Do Us Part With Maybe More Stargate in the Story?
Welcome Back Undead Science Fiction Horror Fans,

Images and videos courtesy SYFY

We are at the mid-season point for Day of the Dead with the ‘Til the Dead Do Us Part episode.

This is a fun series. But before I begin my review, speaking of mayors, I wonder what happened to Pops Parker (Jay Brazeau). I hope he turns up later, probably as a zombie, but I also kind of hope not. We will see.

There are and have been numerous great bits, and if you are a zombie movie fan, you will see Easter eggs throughout like the guest appearance of Dan Shea, and main Day of the Dead actors Mike Dopud as Detective McDermott and Garry Chalk as Herb, all well known by the fans in our Stargate Hall of Fame.

Speaking of Stargate, since the series has so many Canadian actors who have mostly appeared in such SYFY hits like Stargate SG-1, perhaps it would have been a good idea to include some of the other Stargate main actors like Amanda Tapping, Michael Shanks, Chris Judge, Richard Dean Anderson, Gary Jones, Teryl Rothery, Ben Browder, Claudia Black, Beau Bridges, Robert Picardo, Lexa Doig, Peter DeLuise, and Corin Nemec to name but a few of them as candidates for cameo appearances?

I would also have suggested considering Stargate Atlantis actors had I been a Producer and Casting Director for Day of the Dead. While it is obvious that not all of the fine actors that I mentioned in both series could have appeared, some could have been given a cameo in episodes, say as military officers with similar names to their Stargate character names so as not to infringe on the MGM Studios Stargate franchise copyright.

The list of Stargate suggested cameos would be endless for producing a lot of fun bits. Stargate fans would have loved it, and doing so would have no doubt boosted the Day of the Dead ratings to stellar heights to help ensure a second season.
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Til the Dead Do Us Part:

Dejan Loyola as Jai, Kristy Dawn Dinsmore as Amy, Gerry Chalk as Herb. Image by DOTD S1 Productions, courtesy SYFY

The episode was wonderfully written by Liz Hsiao Lan Alper and Terri Hughes Burton, with delightful direction by Jacquie Gould.

As we learned last week that the wedding cost for Herb (Garry Chalk) is $50,000, we also learned that it was about to get crashed by a group who are not there for the free booze and great food.

They have other specific dietary requirements.

We meet Herb’s wife Cindy (Stefanie von Petten) who seems to have some issues being married to, “fun and charming” Herb. What about poor Jai (Dejan Loyola), who only wants to marry his lady love, Amy (Kristy Dawn Dinsmore)?

Mike Dopud as McDermott. Image by DOTD S1 Productions, courtesy SYFY

It might be an understatement to say that the wedding has a few bumps in the road.

We also learn the fate of one Detective McDermott (Mike Dopud), who is just doing his job, but gets in way over his head.

Dear McDermott continues to wear the coveralls he donned in the last episode with the name “Bub” stitched over the left pocket.

We are informed by Mike Dopud that it’s “An ‘homage’ to the original “Night of the Living Dead” movie by the iconic George A. Romero.

Marci T. House as Captain Pike, Miranda Frigon as Paula. Image courtesy SYFY Bowman — (Photo by: DOTD S1 Productions/SYFY)

Luke (Daniel Doheny) and Cam (Keenan Tracey) are still mortal enemies in this episode, more’s the pity. Maybe they will finally become friends now that they have an immortal enemy to deal with.

At the police station, the Mayor (Miranda Frigon) is doing a bang-up job calming nerves and looking for a way to deal with her current major crisis.

She is working with Capt. Pike (Marci T. House), who is doing her best to be, “by the book”.

That never works in a crisis, at least on T.V. What a mess.

Luke is trapped! Image courtesy SYFY

We find Luke where we left off last week, stuck on a bridge with a bit of a problem. He has two zombies to the left of his, one on the right – we are stuck in the middle with Luke. His dad, Trey (Christopher Russell) who’s day is also not going well, comes riding in driving a black truck to save his boy. Trey flattens a zombie, but since he now can’t see with all the guts on his windshield, he slams on the brakes and can’t get started again.

Luke is now to the rescue. He grabs his own car and pulls up next to dad. They are away with relief and gratitude all around. As they drive, Luke and Trey discuss their family situation. Trey begins bawling like a little kid. This really alarms Luke who, naturally, tries to comfort his father. Trey confesses that he was going to leave Paula for Nicole after the election. Luke tells him that Nicole is dead thanks to a zombie. This gets Trey all worked up again. His life has just fallen apart. Luke does his best to comfort his dad again. “You killed that zombie with your truck”. Yeah, at least he is a good dad if nothing else.

Morgan Holmstrom as Sarah Blackwood. Image by DOTD S1 Productions, courtesy SYFY

Meanwhile, McDermott and Sarah Blackwood (Morgan Holmstrom) have guns on Doctor Logan (Lucia Walters) and a security guard. The order of the moment seems to be, “Don’t shoot”. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on your perspective, Rhodes (Kevin O’Grady) barges in. Shooting commences. McDermot is injured.

Blackwood takes the opportunity to run. She gets away, but McDermot gets caged. When he wakes up, he discovers that this is a cage made for two. He has a Zombie roommate. Fortunately, it is chained to the far side, so, as long as McDermot keeps to his end, all will be well. Blackwood is nowhere to be seen.

Doctor Logan informs McDermott that his zombie friend seems to be an early settler from Europe based on his clothing. So he has been in that drilling hole where they found him since the 1700’s.

Mike Dopud as McDermott. Image by Michael Courtney, DOTD S1 Productions, courtesy SYFY

McDermott responds that he was obviously put there for a reason and he should be put back. That would be the smart thing to do. But Logan, although book smart, is obviously not common sense smart.

In a pickle, I mean, a cage, McDermott continues to try to reason with Logan. It is a lost cause since she is more focused on what a boon to humanity a cure for death might be. She tells him that his body is fighting off the zombie virus.

While Rhodes has been hanging around in the background listening to all this, it is obvious that, like McDermott, he thinks she is off her nut as well. She sends him to find a dead rodent to test.

As Rhodes leaves he calls her Dr. Frankenstein.

Dejan Loyola as Jai, Kristy Dawn Dinsmore as Amy, Victor Zinck Jr. as Shawn, Garry Chalk as Herb. Image by DOTD S1 Productions, courtesy SYFY

At the wedding, Herb agrees with Cindy that the wedding should get started so he heads to the golf club to see what the holdup is all about. While Cindy is wondering what might be coming through the floor of the wedding venue, Herb is on his way to find his daughter. He finds Amy in the bathroom and Jai outside trying to reason with her. Herb’s first wrong assumption is because it’s about a prenup that Amy has no idea about. The door opens and Amy as well as Shawn (Victor Zinck Jr.) exit. Shawn is one creepy dude. As the argument continues, Jai, the only sensible one, notices that the music has stopped.

At the police department, Capt. Pike is on the phone looking for backup. She is told that it is three hours away. Cam is in another room trying to contact his father through the police radio system. Sadly, dad can’t hear him. He has no radio in the cage. He wants his father to know that, although they hadn’t really gotten along over the years, he still loves his dad very much. Aw, so sad.

Day of the Dead S1x05 Cindy scrambles for her life as the Zombies ruin the wedding. Image courtesy SYFY

Cindy has decided to apply what you do in a fire, to what you do with Zombies. It is not quite, stop, drop, and roll, but she has decided to drop and crawl around the wedding guests as they end up as the main course. Reception before the wedding. How fun. Jai and Shawn have decided to take things in hand. Jai wants to save people. Shawn wants to prove that he is the Alpha male. Amy and Herb bring up the rear. All the while, Herb just wants out of this disaster. Jai reaches under the now bloodied wedding tent drapes and pulls out victims. Shawn manages to pull out a zombie. Shawn is such a loser. He doesn’t seem to get anything right.

Cindy shows up spattered with blood. She has clearly lost it since her main concern is the wedding and saving the wedding cake. When she picks up the cake from a draped table, she gets pulled under and all that is left of her when Amy tries to save her mom is the cake and the two arms that are connected to it. Amy drops the cake but saves the wedding topper of the bride and groom.

Dejan Loyola as Jai, Kristy Dawn Dinsmore as Amy. Image by DOTD S1 Productions, courtesy SYFY

Ever loving husband, Herb, does not seem at all concerned about his deceased wife. Amy and Jai have run back into the golf club. Amy is distraught at the death of her mother. Jai comforts her and gently takes the cake topper from her and sets it on the table. Jai notices two pictures on the wall of Aboriginal people.

He explains to Amy, Herb, and Shawn that the zombies are the Indigenous people who are buried (not anymore) under the golf course. Herb is more focused on getting help. He tries to contact the police department but gets no answer. Shawn, ever the jealous loser, decides that now is the time to propose to Amy. He doesn’t get a reply because that is when the zombies decide to make an entrance.

Again, Shawn gets it wrong by deciding to show Amy that he is the real hero and the ideal mate when he rushes toward the nearest zombie. He will destroy it, win the day and the fair maiden. If his ambition was gold, he’d be a billionaire. However, he just doesn’t have the technique. The zombie overpowers him. Shawn the romantic becomes Shawn of the Dead. Herb, Amy, and Jai are left to fend off the rest of the zombie hoard of about six or seven zombies.

Natalie Malaika as Lauren. Image by DOTD S1 Productions, courtesy SYFY

Enter Lauren Howell (Natalie Malaika) who is now in the golf club with a cleaver. She cleaves a zombie’s head and everyone rushes to her hearse. Great choice of vehicle.

Luke and Trey arrive at the Cop Shop to tell Paula that the zombies are everywhere. They have to get out. Paula again takes charge and looks up the perfect place to hide out during the zombie apocalypse. She settles on the local department store, the Paymart. It is perfect because it has minimal entrances, minimal windows, and will be difficult for anyone to get into who is not supposed to get into it. Too bad that the producers of that other zombie show that is filmed in Atlanta never thought of that.

Rhodes is angry. He is royally pissed off that no one is working at the drilling rig site. His boss, the lunatic Logan is busy playing mad scientist while his crew is not earning him money. Rhodes is not long for this life, I think. He gives Logan her dead rat. She pumps it full of some concoction. At first, it doesn’t react. But then it twitches and squeaks. McDermott attempts to continue to rationalize with Logan and then with Rhodes and the guard. No one but the guard seems to be listening.

Morgan Holmstrom as Sarah, Kevin O’Grady as Rhodes. Image by Michael Courtney DOTD S1 Productions, courtesy SYFY

That’s when Blackwood shows up and shoves a pistol in Rhodes’ neck, “Let McDermott out.” After a few threats, McDermott is released from the cage. He knocks out the guard and takes his gun.

He forgets to relock the cage so, naturally, the zombie manages to pull himself away from his handcuffed arms and lunge at McDermot. Meanwhile, Rhodes attempts to overpower Blackwood.

Blackwood is a better fighter or Rhodes is a terrible fighter. Either way, Blackwood overpowers Rhodes. Rhodes gets beaten up by a girl. How embarrassing.

She and McDermott have one last conversation, “Tell Pike what is happening.” As Blackwood flees, McDermott passes away for now, only to become undead at the end of the episode!

Christopher Russell as Trey, Daniel Doheny as Luke, Miranda Frigon as Paula, Marci T. House as Capt Pike. Image by DOTD S1 Productions, courtesy SYFY

At the Hoosegow, everybody loads up with weapons. Since the town is being overrun, it’s time to get to the Paymart.

Captain Pike sends out a mass email for everyone in town who is not a zombie to meet there. Zombies may disregard the message. Once there, Paula starts giving orders to set up the place as a crisis centre. This is definitely going to be a mass casualty event.

“Til The Dead Do Us Part: is a good way to clean out the town of unpleasant people like Shawn. It is sad to lose some of the better characters like McDermott who ends up being caged again for Doctor Logan’s hideous experiments.

The common sense says that McDermott has shown does not seem too be common in Mayor Bowman’s town, but we will see McDermott again as a Zombie, so no more Mr. Nice Guy!

What’s next? Tune in at SYFY in the United States and CTV Scifi in Canada next week to see who lives, or who is undead as a Zombie!

Thanks to Kenn for staging images, the featured video, and, many thanks to you for stopping by WormholeRiders News Agency!

Please feel free to leave a comment here, click an icon below to share this interview with your friends, or you can visit and follow me on Twitter by clicking on my avatar to the right.

Regards,

Patricia
November 15, 2021
Stargate Sweetheart Sacrifices Swag for Canadian Victims Services Charity!

Welcome back Stargate Fans,

Click to visit and follow Patricia Bertrand on Twitter!

Sometimes in the life of science fiction television series fans, opportunity presents itself. Today is one of your lucky days!

Ms. Patricia Bertrand, a Stargate fan that we all know and admire, is working to raise funds for a Canadian charity known as Victims Services. She has created a Facebook group to raise funds for charity purposes with a new Facebook group known as Stargate Collectibles (Click here to visit the group).

Patricia is willing to part with rare Stargate collectible items that are near and dear to her heart that she has collected over the many years of her attendance at conventions in order to help the Victims Services organization that works to help those in need throughout Canada.

Ms. Bertrand indicates that additional rare collectible items from her collection of Stargate memorabilia may become available in the future to support this worthwhile cause for Stargate fans who continue to the series to and support this charity effort .

About Canadian Victims Services:

Click to visit the RCMP Victim Services website. Image courtesy Canadian Victims Serices

Regina Region Victim Services Incorporated works with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in order to ensure victims of crime have access to information about the crime that has affected them.

The Canadian Victims Bill of Rights provides clear rights for victims of crime during every step in the criminal justice process. Under the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights victims of crime have the rights to information, protection and participation, and the right to seek restitution. They also have the right to make a complaint if they believe that their rights have not been respected.

Canadian Victims Services are available to assist victims and witnesses of crime and traumatic events by providing crisis intervention, information, support, referrals & court services, and assistance with Victim Impact Statements & Victims Compensation applications.

Stargate Items for Charity:

Image courtesy MGM Studios

The first series of items available from Ms. Bertrand include rare screen worm costumes, official artwork and series posters that were either featured in the Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis television series episodes produced by MGM Studios from 1997 to 2009, or were used as inspiration for the creation of actual costumes themselves featured in the various series.

Each costume or item comes with a genuine certificate of authenticity for the discerning collector of Stargate memorabilia who may like to use the costumes for COSPlay when attending various entertainment conventions of their choice!

Stargate Atlantis Doctor Rodney McKay Costume:

Dr McKay outfit screen worn by David Hewlett. Image courtesy Patricia.

This famous character costume includes a screen worn sweater, turtle neck and pants worn by actor David Hewlett.

The costume was used in the Stargate Atlantis season four twentieth episode “The Last Man”.

Stargate Atlantis fans will recall this iconic episode costume when a holographic Doctor McKay helped Lt. Colonel John Sheppard use the Stargate in the distant future to return from the abandoned city of Atlantis in order to help save our Stargate heroes team survive in the present.

A very rare item indeed for any admirer of Stargate Atlantis’ Doctor Rodney McKay and the only one of it’s kind known to still exist!

Stargate SG-1 Master Bra’tac’s Cloak:

Bratac screen worn cloak worn. Image courtesy Patricia.

Screen worn cloak worn by Tony Amendola who portrayed Bra’tac, a hero Jaffa character from the Stargate SG-1 series.

Fans will recall that the Jaffa were genetically engineered by the evil Goa’uld to be their slaves, and also served as incubators of their hideous larval Goa’uld that were placed in an abdominal pouch of the Jaffa slaves until maturity and harvesting.

The classically heavy, famous Bra’tac Jaffa cloak was used in various Stargate SG-1 episodes from 1997 to 2007. This rare item would make a perfect costume accoutrement from the Stargate SG-1 series for wearing at Halloween, at costume parties or as COS-Play costume at entertainment conventions!

Stargate Atlantis White Medical Scrubs:

Dr Zelenka suit courtesy Patricia.

Screen worn medical scrubs costume of Doctor Radek Zalenka who was portrayed by actor David Nykl in the Stargate Atlantis series from 2004 to 2009.

Dr. Zelenka was often seen in this costume when he performed his critical medical duties in the fabled lost city of Atlantis located in the Pegasus galaxy while tending to wounded or injured Atlantis heroes or when performing scientific experiments with Doctor Rodney McKay.

Stargate Atlantis fans will recall when Doctor Zelenka was often teasing McKay in the process while wearing these medical scrubs!

Another very realistic costume from the Stargate Atlantis series for the fan who likes to wear such things at Halloween, at costume parties, as a COS-Play costume at entertainment conventions, or for just plain fun!

Limited Edition Stargate Posters and Drawings:

Drawings for Stargate Costumes. Image courtesy Patricia

1,000 total available posters that were commissioned by Stargate Visual effects supervisor James C.D. Robbins. Each poster is 11 X 17 inches in size.

Drawings for Stargate SG-1 Costumes: Costumes for character Tonone (Spirits Season2) Captain Carter (Emancipation Season 1) Thor ( Thor’s Hammer Season 1). Each drawing includes a sample of the fabric used in the costumes as seen on screen.

Click any of the featured swag images or the banner image in this article to be taken to the Stargate Collectibles group where you can login to Facebook and learn how to purchase these rare items for yourself and help Victim Services of Canada at the same time!

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 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!“

Thank you.

Best Regards,

Kenn of #TeamWHR

August 20, 2021
What’s New With Stargate? Happy 24th Birthday SG-1 and Atlantis Comic-Con at Home 2021!
https://wormholeriders.org/audiox/Stargate-Themes-All-Fade.mp3
Hi Stargate fans,

Stargate images courtesy MGM Studios

Today is the 24th anniversary of Stargate SG-1!

Everyone I know remembers where they first witnessed the first episode “Children of the Gods” premiered on July 27, 1997 in the United States. Do you remember the science fiction wonder and amazement as the phenomena spread across the world shortly thereafter? I do!

It’s been a long wait since the last episode of Stargate Atlantis aired on January 09, 2009 and Stargate Universe on May 09, 2011. There have been many hiccups along the way, but Stargate fans are loyal and have always been interested in whatever new developments are happening with Stargate including the hopeful fandom yearning for a new series when Stargate Origins was brought forth to great acclaim in 2018.

Since then, many times fans have complained. Some said it seemed as if MGM Studios (the owner of the Stargate franchise) was yanking their chains by offering something new only to pull it away again.

Then, out of the mists and darkness rode our knight in shining armor, ready to offer MGM Studios a new path forward for more Stargate by pitching ideas, hoping that one idea would take hold and we would get another Stargate series.

As the owners of The Companion state, “The Companion is a membership science fiction news, commentary and analysis website that serves up premium content on everything from the biggest blockbusters to cult TV shows we grew up with. Proudly ad-free and clickbait-free, The Companion works with actors, creators, and showrunners to break untold stories. Find out more at TheCompanion.app.”

Brad Wright – Image courtesy The Companion

Of course, I am speaking about science fiction industry veteran Brad Wright, Executive Producer of Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, and Stargate Universe. Wright recently visited the team at The Companion App to provide podcasts that should appeal to Stargate fans in specific and Sci-fi fans in general. Click here to view The Companion App interview with Brad Wright.

The Companion also adds:

“Brad Wright’s Conversations in Sci-Fi is an ongoing series in which Wright catches up with some of the actors, writers and creators he’s worked with over his long career in science fiction.

This is the second podcast from The Companion, following the recent launch of Gaters Gonna Gate with Joseph Mallozzi. Hosted by Stargate writer/producer and Dark Matter showrunner Joseph Mallozzi, the Gaters Gonna Gate group also featured a guest segment with Arrow director and Stargate Atlantis stunt coordinator James ‘Bam Bam’ Bamford.”

Image courtesy Twitter

Wright’s podcasts will not only give us access to insider information about Stargate’s many forms but the actors and production crews as well.

I and the Stargate fandom are looking forward to hearing more podcasts from Brad Wright in the future that hopefully result in a new Stargate television series and feature movies as we celebrate the 24th anniversary of Stargate SG-1 today!

Last but not least, many thanks to Jenny Stiven for the heads up about the Brad Wright interview with The Companion, and her ongoing support of the Stargate franchise for the past 15 years which includes her time at MGM Studios and conventions.

The Atlantis Crew Get Together Again at Comic-Con at Home!

Image courtesy MGM Studios

Don’t you just love it when a group of people that you love and admire come together for a visit? There should be canapes and drinks!

This past weekend Dial The Gate, courtesy of Comic-Con At Home 2021, brought us David Hewlett (Rodney McKay), Torri Higginson (Elizabeth Weir), Rachel Luttrell (Teyla Emmagan), Paul McGillion (Carson Beckett), Rainbow Sun Francks (Aiden Ford), David Nykl (Radek Zelenka), and Robert Picardo (Richard Woolsey) for an online chat sponsored by Comic-Con International.

I enjoyed the wonderful interaction with everyone. It was simply wonderful to see several friends who love and respect each other chatting again. They take over and leave the host, David Read, struggling to take control back for a few moments, which was hilarious.

David Hewlett, Robert Picardo and David Nykl still have it. Robert Picardo shared that being on Atlantis cracked him up, especially when David Hewlett had something witty to say. Then Robert Picardo said as everyone said goodbye, “Enjoy the pandemic.”

All of the gang admit to really missing the conventions as a result of the shutdown of Covid -19. They also shared with us the projects they are working on and the hopes that some form of Stargate will return to television in the near future. Amazon Prime will now have a lot of pressure on it to bring us more of the series we love.

Unfortunately, other main cast members including Joe Flanigan, Jason Momoa, Amanda Tapping, and Jewel Staite were not available to participate in the Comic-Con At Home Stargate Atlantis reunion panel. The rest of the cast was happy to keep us entertained and it was fun. We include the nice Comic-Con at Home 2021 panel below for your enjoyment.
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Thanks to Kenn for staging images, the featured video, and, many thanks to you for stopping by WormholeRiders News Agency!

Please feel free to leave a comment here, click an icon below to share this interview with your friends, or you can visit and follow me on Twitter by clicking on my avatar to the right.

Regards,

Patricia
July 27, 2021
Epic Comic-Con at Home 2021!
Welcome back Comic-Con Lovers!

Image courtesy Comic-Con International via WormholeRiders

Today begins the virtual Comic-Con at Home convention sponsored by the great team at Comic-Con International.

The event features all types of entertainment events that convention goers love, sans the actual in person experience that has been postponed for two seasons as everyone recovers from the devastating COVID-19 pandemic.

We here at Team WHR will be virtually attending many events and have selected a few of our favorites to share with you and hope you will consider attending virtually as well while we all wait patiently for the return of San Diego Comic-Con as a live in person event in 2022.

Naturally, like the live in-person events, there are too many scheduled events to cover in this feature article. The good part of Comic-Con at Home? Fans can view the virtual panels anytime during or after the festivities on YouTube. The entire schedule is available by clicking here.

In the meantime, we have prepared a fun video preview featuring some of our most enjoyable memories from the past with regard to the panels and guests featured at the Comic-Con at Home 2021 event. Enjoy!
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Netflix Geeked: Masters of the Universe: Revelation
Start time: Jul 23, 2021 12:00 pm (GMT-07:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada)

Image courtesy Netflix

“Netflix and Mattel Television present an exclusive sneak peek at the highly-anticipated animated series Masters of the Universe: Revelation.

Since its creation in 1982, the Masters of the Universe franchise has become a cultural phenomenon, transcending generations and igniting passion amongst fans around the world.

This new action-packed series, which follows He-Man, Skeletor, Teela, and the other classic characters of the Masters of the Universe franchise, picks up where the iconic characters left off decades ago.

Now, nearly 40 years later, the new series will delight long-standing fans and introduce a new generation to Eternia and the thrilling, heroic adventures of the Guardians of Grayskull.

The cast and creators will discuss all of your questions about reviving this beloved franchise.”

Stan Lee, Marvel, and Rolling Stone: 50th Anniversary
Start time: Jul 23, 2021 1:00 pm (GMT-07:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada)

Image courtesy Marvel Studios

“Fifty years ago, a Herb Trimpe-drawn Hulk graced the coveted cover of the hip Rolling Stone magazine’s September 16, 1971 issue.

The issue featured an insider’s POV article about Stan Lee and Marvel by Lee’s former assistant, Robin Green (successor to Fabulous Flo Steinberg), who went on to great success as writer/producer for The Sopranos and other landmark TV series.

Looking back at the article’s creation and historical significance are Robin Green (The Sopranos), Roy Thomas (first Marvel EIC after Stan Lee), and former Marvel bullpenners Linda Fite (Claws of the Cat), Jean Thomas (Night Nurse), and Mimi Gold (Black Widow).

Danny Fingeroth (A Marvelous Life: The Amazing Story of Stan Lee) moderates.”

Boldly Going: 55 Years of Star Trek–The Best of Inglorious Treksperts
Start time: Jul 24, 2021 1:00 pm (GMT-07:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada)

Image courtesy Paramount Studios

“The hosts of the addictive hit Star Trek podcast, Inglorious Treksperts, Mark A. Altman (Pandora, Free Enterprise), and Daren Dochterman (Star Trek: The Motion Picture – Director’s Edition) return to #SDCC at Comic-Con at Home 2021.

Featuring an epic line-up of some of their favorite guests that include Anson Mount (Strange New Worlds), Nicholas Meyer (Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan), Michael Dorn (The Next Generation, DS9), Jeffrey Combs (Deep Space Nine, Enterprise), Brannon Braga (First Contact, Enterprise), Robin Curtis (Star Trek III), Bryan Fuller (Voyager, Hannibal), Erin Gray (Buck Rogers, Battle Of The Network Stars), and other special surprise Trek guests galore.

Inglorious Treksperts: Instagram: @inglorioustreksperts • Twitter: @inglorioustreksperts”

HBO Max and Warner Bros. Animation: Jellystone!
Start time: Jul 24, 2021 1:00 pm (GMT-07:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada)

Image courtesy HBO

“They’re back! Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, Jabberjaw, Top Cat, and all your favorite Hanna-Barbera characters star in the all-new animated series, Jellystone!

Join showrunner and executive producer C.H. Greenblatt, Ian Wasseluk (supervising director), Jeff Bergman (Yogi Bear), Grace Helbig (Cindy Bear), and Niccole Thurman (Jabberjaw) on a sneak-peek tour of this charming town where these beloved characters live, work and play together.

Jellystone! is produced by Warner Bros. Animation and premieres July 29 on HBO Max.”

Ray Harryhausen: Celebrating the Legacy of a Titan
Start time: Jul 24, 2021 2:00 pm (GMT-07:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada)

Image courtesy Ray Harryhausen foundation

“Legendary stop-motion animator Ray Harryhausen kept an incredible archive of some 50,000 items gathered throughout his filmmaking career, containing models and artworks from each of his classic films, including Jason and the Argonauts and Clash of the Titans. The Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation are now responsible for the upkeep of this renowned collection. Join John Walsh (Foundation trustee) and Connor Heaney (collections manager) for behind-the-scenes images and astonishing insights from the Foundation’s restoration program, and learn more about plans for future exhibitions in the USA and beyond.

In what would have been his centenary year, some of Ray’s most iconic creations have been conserved, repaired, and restored for public display. Restorer Alan Friswell, handpicked by Ray to preserve the model collection, has painstakingly conserved these priceless pieces in strict accordance with the creator’s wishes.

As well as physically repairing models such as the Kraken, Kali, and the Hydra, the Foundation has also begun a pioneering program of 3D scanning, ensuring that a digital record of Ray’s techniques will live on for generations to come.”

Stargate Atlantis Cast Reunion
Start time: Jul 24, 2021 6:00 pm (GMT-07:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada)

Image courtesy MGM Studios

“It has been eleven years since Stargate Atlantis left the airwaves with the valiant Pegasus expedition returning to Earth. Now we take a look back on that momentous journey with a majority of the principal cast.

Join David Hewlett (Rodney McKay), Torri Higginson (Elizabeth Weir), Rachel Luttrell (Teyla Emmagan), Paul McGillion (Carson Beckett), Rainbow Sun Francks (Aiden Ford), David Nykl (Radek Zelenka), and Robert Picardo (Richard Woolsey).

The panel discussion hopefully will leave new fans wanting to discover the show, and old fans taking up the journey once again.

Moderated by David Read of the Dial the Gate YouTube channel.

For more information, please visit dialthegate.com“

Doctor Who
Start time: Jul 25, 2021 10:00 am (GMT-07:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada)

Image courtesy BBC America

“Showrunner Chris Chibnall, the Thirteenth Doctor Jodie Whittaker, Mandip Gill, new Doctor Who cast member John Bishop will be be featured for the panel.

The Doctor Who panel will feature a very special surprise guest as they share exclusive content from the Doctor Who franchise.

The Doctor Who panel is moderated by Salon’s Melanie McFarland and was pre-recorded and produced by the BBC and BBC AMERICA for the fans of the series the world over!”

In closing for now, we are happy to see that one of our most favorite science fiction franchises, Stargate, is being represented by David Read, Darren Sumner and Chad Colvin of Gateworld. Their events will cover Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, Stargate Universe and more! GW has scheduled a number of Stargate events and interviews at Comic-Con at Home for 2021 subsequent to their team addressing an outbreak of LGBTQ hate attacks that occurred on their forum in 2020 by a number of moderators that were responsible for the heinous behavior. Click here to read our feature article.

Last, but not least, we look forward to seeing you all in at WonderCon and San Diego Comic-Con in the future during 2022, perhaps sooner in San Diego itself if the Comic-Con International SDCC event planned for late November of this year is not impacted by the pandemic.

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 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!“

Thank you.

Best Regards,

Kenn of #TeamWHR
July 22, 2021
American Badger, The Movie Interview with Star Andrea Stefancikova!
Welcome back admirers of Andrea Stefancikova!

Click to visit and follow Andrea Stefancikova on Twitter. Images courtesy J. Benson

On July 01, 2021 we had the honor of interviewing Andrea Stefancikova, star of American Badger, a new Canadian film that stars several actors of who we have covered in the science fiction fantasy genre piquing our interest in reviewing this noir action thriller; Andrea Stefancikova (Debris, Corona, Promiseland, Supernatural), Kirk Caouette (Snowpiercer, Travelers, Stargate SG-1), Michael Kopsa (The Man in High Castle, Van Helsing, Fringe) and Zak Santiago (Debris, Continuum, Stargate Universe).

American Badger stars Stefancikova, most recently featured in Debris series. Andrea is a talented actor, and one of Team WHR’s favorites whom we were excited to interview on Thursday July 01, 2021. We include our interview with Ms. Stefancikova below for your enjoyment.

American Badger is executive produced by Kirk Caouette and produced by Ines Eisses, Jacqueline Nguyen and Rick Podd. As described on IMDB, American Badger is about “A seemingly cold-blooded hitman (Kirk Caouette) who is assigned to befriend a call girl (Andrea Stefancikova), but all hell breaks loose when he is forced to kill her!”
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American Badger Background:

American Badger stars Andrea Stefancikova and Kirk Caouette. Image courtesy Cranked Up Films

The films main protagonist, Dean, the American Badger, is portrayed by Kirk Caouette. Caouette is most well known for his over twenty-five years of television and movie industry experience as a superb stunt performer and fight scene choreographer. In 2003, Kirk moved into acting with a supporting role in Stargate SG-1 after performing stunts in the series a number of years earlier. In 2012 Mr Caouette expanded his career to include directing and producing before American Badger, where he writes, directs, and takes on the leading role.

Caouette portrays a ruthless secret agent operative, and if need be, an assassin named Dean who is assigned by his employers to make friends with a chat room call girl named Velvet (Andrea Stefancikova). Dean is subsequently ordered to take assassinate Velvet. This presents the American Badger with a conundrum that will challenge his amoral beliefs that he ultimately decides to go against.

Debris S1x13 Irina looks at Maddox after he says there is another door for you Irina. Image courtesy NBC

Stefancikova, who portrays Velvet / Marcella Horvathova, is a gifted actor whose career we at Team WHR have followed for years. Her recent role as Irina in the science fiction Debris series was excellent. Unfortunately, much of Andrea’s performance was cut from the final broadcast episodes in which she appeared leaving many questions unanswered.

Sadly, the Debris series was not renewed by NBC after a hit first season for reasons that do not make much sense. NBC also cancelled their own flagship science fiction mystery series Manifest, leaving fans without answers to the final story arcs in both cases.

In this way, fans may never know the fate of Irina, BUT we can see this superb actor in American Badger, where we witness Stefancikova in a full fledged starring role displaying all of her considerable entertainment industry performing arts talents!
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American Badger, The Movie:

American Badger poster. Image courtesy Cranked Up Films

The opening sequence begins with a textual definition on a black background of what an American Badger critter is, and how the American version differs from it’s European cousins. In specific that the American Badger is anti-social critter and likes to be left alone.

The opening scene segues to a background discussion from the American Badger lead character himself. His name is Dean who explains who he is and why he has chosen American Badger as his nickname and that he never asks questions about his job, a must in his business, that Dean’s wife who died from cancer and who originally gave him his nickname. We also learn that Dean has a dog that he loves, that we see on the opening credits, who he shares dinner with and is seen throughout the film. Nice doggy.

As the film progresses after the opening sequence, we learn that Dean is an assassin who prefers to work at night to complete his assignments, that Dean is an expert fighter, as witnessed in a card game that he recalls from recent job where he kills everyone at the game as Dean replays the moment in his mind. The fight sequences leading to the killing of his targets in his last assignment are well choreographed and realistic.

Subsequent to the opening credits, Dean continues to delineate his life. He appears to be a heavy drinker and smoker. Since his wife’s death Dean has been a recluse. Not unlike all the real critters of the American Badgers namesake, in fact Dean has hardly spoken a word to a woman in over twelve years. Dean gets his assignments from the “Handlers”, executes them, often with requisite violence involved, and then goes home like anyone would do with their job.

Dean is aptly named American Badger after the feisty wild animal of the same name that is well known for dedication to the task at hand, it’s fierceness, as well as it’s lesser known “lone wolf” type of behavior.

American Badger – Kirk Caouette as Dean. Image courtesy Cranked Up Films

Dean, the American Badger is not to be confused with what we have all seen about the wild creature “Honey Badger Don’t Care” who seems to be an affectionate critter in the cute videos. Dean is however somewhat like the “Honey Badger” in one respect; Dean has a well-earned reputation of being a fierce, feisty agent who takes his assignments very seriously!

The story arc follows the American Badger on his next assignment. When Dean is handed his next project in the film, we learn that he has been recruited to find a chat room lady named Marcella Horvathova, nicknamed Velvet portrayed by Andrea Stefancikova. Dean finds Velvet online via a chat room and begins his assignment in earnest.

Next we find out that Velvet appears to have a handler of her own named John played by Zak Santiago. We witness Velvet and John arguing in an alley with Velvet asking John to leave her alone. John is not being very nice to Velvet. Dean approaches and snap goes John’s neck, so it’s bye by John.

American Badger – Michael Kopsa and Andrea Stefancikova. Image courtesy Cranked Up Films

Dean’s initial directive is to extract intelligence from Velvet about what she has been doing, who she is dealing with, and why she is working for a shady Albanian criminal gang has been doing what is now outside their prerogative. Velvet is the closest person the Albanian mob boss Vasily (Michael Kopsa) has to family. We find out later that Velvet is like a daughter to Vasily.

We also learn that Velvet is an abused, frightened sex-trafficked female when her brother shows up demanding that she return home and stop embarrassing the family. After Dean finds Velvet, he makes an awkward, yet memorable introduction, by pointing a gun at the brother’s head, effectively saving her from both John and the dear brother!

Their friendship takes on a new aspect, a pleasant romance that is believable on screen. The Badger has not been very good at making friends, but he has made one of Velvet. It is here that we learn why Marcella is nicknamed Velvet, her entire wardrobe is made up of red velvet clothing.

American Badger – Romance develops between Velvet and Dean. Image courtesy Cranked Up Films

As we move on in the story arc, it becomes apparent that Dean is excellent at following the orders of his employers. Despite his initial objections about ever becoming involved with his targeted assassinations, Dean gets too close to Velvet Marcella Horvathova.

Developing a soft spot for Velvet as their relationship grows while Dean is attempting to extract information as he has been directed, Dean ultimately hesitates when his employers give him an order to take down the entire Albanian criminal organization beginning with Velvet!

Even though he identifies himself as a hardened recluse, Dean quickly realizes that he is much more vulnerable than he thought he was. The conflict causes difficulties, but Dean is able to impart a sense of self worth and confidence to Velvet that was an unexpected, and pleasant development in the story arc.

American Danger – Velvet and Dean fight for survival. Image courtesy Cranked Up Films

American Badger features several perilously violent combat sequences that are very well executed with good fight choreography. As the writer of American Badger, Kirk Caouette has terrific scenes hammering the evil people guys. As he falls in love with Velvet it becomes obvious that Dean will not execute Velvet as revealed in one scene where Marcella asks, “Don’t you feel bad about killing people?”. The film ends with a great scene with Velvet and Dean fighting for their survival!

American Badger is a great action packed film with well choreographed slow motion fight sequences with well placed cameras producing a believable set of scenes that include a great soundtrack of techno funk theme score by Matt Dauncey and Dion Marinos to dovetail the action that leads to a surprise ending that we will not reveal here.

Overall, the American Badger is a story about love, relationships, and that people can make positive changes to their lives. It is a film worth buying and watching multiple times to catch subtle aspects that make the film even more enjoyable with an aesthetically pleasing look and feel as imparted has a clear vision. American Badger is available on YouTube, iTunes, Fandango and other sites that feature fine films.

Please feel free to share this article with your friends, co-workers and or family by clicking one of the icons below. We thank you for visiting and express our sincere gratitude.

Feel free to visit TeamWHR on Twitter or visit me on Twitter by clicking the text links or images avatars in this news story. I and Team WHR look forward to Seeing You on The Other Side!

Thank you.

Best Regards,

Kenn of TeamWHR
July 3, 2021
Van Helsing Review – Deep Trouble But Will All Survive?
Welcome back Helsingers and WormholeRiders!

Images and videos courtesy SYFY, Nomadic Pictures and Dynamic Television

The eighth episode of season five, “Deep Trouble” represents the pivot episode in the story arc before the long awaited return of Vanessa Van Helsing (Kelly Overton).

Written by two of our favorites Jeremy Smith and Matt Venables who raised the bar on excitement bringing many fans to wonder if all the heroes will survive in an excellent episode directed by industry veteran Jacquie Gould, all of whom we have admired for years!

There was some social media chatter that “Deep Trouble” was a filler episode leading to the series finale coming in July on SYFY in the United States. We here at Team WHR could not disagree more with this assessment, “Deep Trouble” was NOT a filler episode, but an important story leading to the series finale.

Van Helsing S5x07 Julius makes the ultimate sacrifice. Image by Daniel Power/Nomadic Pictures Inc, courtesy SYFY

Coming shortly after the death of the Julius character portrayed by Aleks Paunovic, “Deep Trouble” was the perfect way to increase the character tension of the viewers by placing our heroes Axel (Jonathan Scarfe), Jack (Nicole Muñoz), Violet (Keeya King) and Ivory (Jennifer Cheon Garcia) in an extremely dangerous situation that could have led to the death of another character before the series finale. It is season five after all and everyone may not survive!

Bravo to all involved, especially Jeremy Smith and Matt Venables and Jacquie Gould for the awesome episode which featured a fine young actor named Avionne Dean and a WormholeRiders favorite, Steve Bacic, who we have admired ever since he was featured in the X-Files, Stargate SG-1, Andromeda and recently in Debris!

Team WHR would like to give special thanks to all the writers of Van Helsing, to Chad Oakes and Mike Frislev from Nomadic Pictures, series creator Neil LaBute, and season five executives and producers Jonathan Walker, Todd Giroux, Morris Chapdelaine, Jonathan Scarfe, and Kelly Overton for bringing the Van Helsing story arc full circle since season one. As well, all our admiration goes out to all the crews and crafts people that make Van Helsing come to life on our screens each week for the past five years!

Our heroes are in Deep Trouble. Image by Daniel Power Nomadic Pictures Inc, courtesy SYFY

The “Deep Trouble” episode focuses on Axel, Violet, Jack and Ivory who are on their way to Washington D.C. to (hopefully) finish off Dracula The Dark One (Tricia Helfer) who has shape shifted into the body of the President of the United States in an effort to enslave the entire world!

Suddenly, but not unexpectedly, our vampire hunting heroes are attacked by misguided minions of the President who has taken control of the United States military with the express purpose of hunting down and killing vampire hunters, especially any associated with the Van Helsing sisters!

This awesome adventure forces our heroes to seek shelter in an abandoned mine to save their lives.

The cave ultimately turns out to be not so abandoned as we witnessed in the “Deep Trouble” episode.
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Deep Trouble:

Violet commemorates Julius. Image courtesy SYFY

The episode opens with Violet sitting on a tree stump drawing a beautiful picture of Julius to commemorate for posterity that he saved her in the previous episode “Graveyard Smash”, sacrificing himself in the process.

The pain of what has happened is clearly visible in Violet’s as she draws the picture of Julius’ face.

Axel, Jack and Ivory are nearby. Axel is trying to repair their truck while Jack and Ivory are resting and chatting. It appears that a relationship is developing between our two female heroes.

Axel is unable to repair the truck forcing our vampire hunters to once again walk to their destination for the time being.

Axel tries to help Violet. Image courtesy SYFY

Axel takes note of the fact that Violet is in pain over the loss of Julius. Sincerely attempting to help, Axel tries to share her pain. Violet misinterprets Axel intentions and lashes out bringing the death of her aunt Scarlett’s (Missy Peregrym).

This outburst from Violet incident leaves a bitter taste in each other’s mouths that will soon be set aside as our group will be confronted by military operatives send by The Dark One to kill them.

As Jack, Violet, Ivory and Axel find themselves in a and old amusement park they suddenly come under heavy fire when a military helicopter attacks them, firing rockets at them destroying much of their weapons stash.

Our heroes shelter in an abandoned mine. Image courtesy SYFY

Fleeing for their lives, our heroes seek shelter in an abandoned mine near the amusement park that contains a foul stench.

The mine is home to a feral vampire (Steve Bacic) who looks like a caveman from the ancient past on Earth. We will refer to this character as Caveman Dad the vampire.

It is obvious he was turned into a vampire either during or perhaps before The Rising. We will soon find out he is a father and is simply protecting his family, a young daughter named Emmett.

Caveman Dad attacks Axel while Jack, Ivory, Violet, open fire to save him. Unfortunately, the gunfire causes a cave in that separates Ivory and Axel from Jack and Violet who now each seek an alternate exit from the mine. Caveman Dad escapes, apparently unharmed.

Ivory and Axel find the Raiders of the Lost Ark cave shaft Image by Daniel Power Nomadic Pictures Inc, courtesy SYFY

Ivory, who has feelings for Jack, confides this to Axel as they proceed to find a way out of the mine. Ivory asks Axel how he deals with the lose of his love, Scarlett.

Although a sensitive subject for Axel, he shares details about the love of his life with Ivory who is concerned that the same thing could happen to one or more of our heroes as they seek to destroy The Dark One.

Unlike the angry discussion between Axel and Violet, Axel shares with Ivory that he really has never gotten over the loss of Scarlett.

As they approach a vertical shaft which brings us to scenes similar to Indiana Jones. Ivory and Axel successfully jump across but left many viewers wondering if a giant round boulder is coming next just like in “Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark”!

Jack and Violet find Emmetts home in the cave. Image by: Daniel Power Nomadic Pictures Inc, courtesy SYFY

We segue to our Van Helsing hero sisters. Jack and Violet, who are planning their strategy to confront and hopefully defeat Dracula, The Dark One.

The battle, is looming in the not too distant future, and both are concerned about the future while working in the present to simply survive.

Still dealing with the loss of Julius, Violet shares with Jack that “love can cloud your vision” relating a story from season four when she lost her boyfriend Lee (Ryan Jinn).

Jack, who had never heard about this story, feels empathy for Violet. The discussion strengthens the bond between the sisters.

Avionne Dean as Emmett the Caveman Dad daughter. Image by Daniel Power Nomadic Pictures Inc, courtesy SYFY

As they continue to seek a way out of the caves, Jack and Violet stumble into a section of the cave network that appears to be fully decked out with furniture, food, and other living amenities. Nearby they find a very young girl. Jack and Violet wonder how in the heck a young person could possibly have survive since The Rising on her own?

Putting two and two together, Jack and Violet figure out that feral vampire that attacked them earlier must be the young ladies father. Violet and Jack hatch a plan to find Caveman Dad, bite him to return Dad to human forms and provide the little girl with a real father.

Being a survivor, Emmett instead rips the amulet from Jack’s neck and takes off to go find her Dad. As we mentioned above, this young actor, Avionne Dean (pictured right) did a superb job portraying Emmett!

Jack turns Caveman Dad human. Image courtesy SYFY

Back to Axel and Ivory, Caveman Dad has hunted them down, attacking Axel. Ivory takes aim to kill Caveman Dad when Jack shows explaining what is happening explaining that she intends to turn Caveman Dad back to human form with a good bite to the neck. Emmett can apparently understand some English and returns the amulet to Jack.

Jack and Ivory go to find Caveman Dad to complete Jack’s plan. Emmett, Axel, and wait for the hopefully successful outcome. Jack uses a sharp knife to slash her hand as a lure to bring Caveman Dad to them.

Caveman Dad, a survivor in his own right, throws Jack aside, who is sent reeling and is knocked out. Caveman Dad is simply too strong, then attacks Ivory, apparently breaking her arms.

Hearing the sounds of battle and Ivory’s screams, Axel, Violet, and Emmett come back just in time as Jack jumps on Caveman Dad and successfully converts him back to human form. Now no longer Caveman Dad, just Dad, he promptly hugs his daughter.

Vanessa returns in The Doorway. Image by Daniel Power Nomadic Pictures Inc, courtesy SYFY

Mission accomplished and none our heroes perished while in “Deep Trouble”. YAY!

As they leave the mine, Axel shares that they must make a very difficult decision.

Axel tells our heroes that have to split up if they have any chance of defeating The Dark One. Importantly so that both Van Helsing sisters cannot be potentially captured at the same time as they head to Washington D.C.

Our heroes splitting up leads to next weeks tenth episode, the pivot subsequent to “Deep Trouble” when we learn more in an episode called “The Doorway” which features the return of Vanessa Van Helsing as mentioned above.

As such, we will wait to pose new questions after we learn details about “The Doorway”!

Please feel free to share this article with your friends, co-workers and or family by clicking one of the icons below. We thank you for visiting and express our sincere gratitude.

Feel free to visit TeamWHR on Twitter or visit me on Twitter by clicking the text links or images avatars in this news story. I and Team WHR look forward to Seeing You on The Other Side!

Thank you.

Best Regards,

Kenn of TeamWHR
June 10, 2021
Celestial Body Shout Out To Jennifer Copping From The Debris Wormhole!
Welcome back Debris Lovers, WormholeRiders, and admirers of the terrifically talented actor Jennifer Copping!

Jennifer Copping – Image courtesy The Promotion People

On Monday May 24, 2021, Kenn and Lori of TeamWHR were honored to interview Jennifer Copping!

Ms. Copping portrays the fascinating character of Julia Maddox in the hit science fiction series Debris which has just completed it’s season one run in the United States with the tagline. “Three years ago, images were captured of a wrecked alien spacecraft moving through our solar system,” it says. “For the past six months, Debris from that spacecraft has been falling to Earth.”

Jennifer Copping’s long list of acting accomplishments recently include a recurring role on NBC’s superb science fiction series Debris, and a starring or featured roles in science fiction or fantasy series that we have enjoyed over the past years.

Our first fond memories of Ms. Copping were in MGM Studios fabled Stargate SG-1 series, followed by Kingdom Hospital, Continuum, Supernatural, Van Helsing, Travelers and many other outstanding roles that Jennifer has been featured in during her fantastic career in the entertainment industry.

Featured in four episodes of Debris series season one, Jennifer Copping’s Julia Maddox character provides valuable insight into the private life with her husband Craig Maddox (Norbert Leo Butz), a team leader at the CIA who is the titular manager of the Orbital Division assigned to track down alien objects, a collaboration between the CIA and MI6 of the United Kingdom. In “Celestial Body” Julia plays a pivotal role along with Irina (Andrea Stefancikova) and her husband, Bryan (Jonathan Tucker), Finola (Riann Steele) and her son Dario (Christian Rose) that includes a special surprise guest appearance of John Noble from Fringe working with George Jones (Tyrone Benskin), Anson Ash (Scroobius Pip) and Loeb (Ben Cotton) of Influx!

Our detailed analysis about this outstanding A PLUS PLUS episode and the Renew Debris news will be published in the near future, so stand by to have your mind blown, or erased as the case may be!

Julia and Craig Maddox protrayed by Jennifer Copping and Norbert Leo Butz. Image courtesy NBC

The Julia Maddox story arc resumed in the ninth episode, “Do You Know Icarus“, a time travel reality change episode that gave Debris series viewers more indications Julia’s marriage to Craig has been under extreme stress due to a horrible accident that crippled their son as we learned in the fourth episode called “In Universe” is something that eroded the relationship between Julia and Craig Maddox.

This tragic accident ultimately led to an apparent divorce proceeding in the series that we discussed with Ms. Copping in her extended interview featured below for your enjoyment.

What is most interesting is that in episode ten, “I Am Icarus“, which apparently restored reality in the Debris series, appears to have left an unanswered question; whether or not viewers were returned to the same reality or not?

The season one finale “Celestial Body” airing on Monday May 24, 2021 appears to have addressed these questions with direct evidence, but opened up new questions or areas about Julia and Craig that are to be investigated in the second season of the Debris series.
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Jennifer Copping – Image courtesy The Promotion People

Jennifer Copping was born on June 9, 1979 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in a town named Sechelt located in an area of the lower Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, approximately 50 kilometers northwest of Vancouver, now known affectionately as Hollywood North.

Beginning her acting, singing and dancing career at a a very early age, Jennifer first appeared in a series called “Booker” followed by appearances in “21 Jump Street” and “Neon Rider” in 1990 and 1991.

Jennifer capped her early career with a supporting role in the beloved fantasy mythology series “Highlander” in 1994.

Of great interest to live stage acting theater lovers, Jennifer was hand-picked by Pete Townshend to play the original “Sally Simpson” in the Toronto, Canada musical stage production of The Who’s “Tommy” in 1995.

Jennifer then went on to appear in the reboot of 1960’s cult television classic science fiction show called “The Outer Limits” with appearances in 1998 and 1999.

As mentioned above, Jennifer Copping initially came to our attention in 2000 with her appearance as a character Mallin in an episode called “New Ground” in the third season of the MGM Studios hit series Stargate SG-1 that went on to a successful ten season run ony SYFY.

Jennifer Copping as Mallin in Stargate SG-1. Image courtesy MGM Studios

SG-1 was filmed primarily in Vancouver like many television series and movies. When we next heard of Jennifer, we our team was watching a trailer for a 2011 pilot series named “Captain Starship” that featured Stargate celebrities. Team WHR had seen the promotional trailer at a San Diego Comic-Con event and at a Creation Entertainment Stargate convention. Jennifer has also appeared twice in the iconic series “Supernatural” in 2007 and 2014.

Our next reunion with Jennifer, prior to Debris series, was in 2014 when she was featured in “Continuum Series“, followed by a three episode story arc as a character named “Quaid” in the hit science fiction fantasy series “Van Helsing” in 2016.

In late 2020, we were extremely pleased to find out that Ms. Copping would be appearing in the Debris series. Lori and I decided to reach out to catch up with this fine actress. We thank Ms. Copping for the Shout Out above and for her time with an extended interview featured below our mutual enjoyment. We learned much more about Julia Maddox this week in the season one finale “Celestial Body”, and like all science fiction admirers, hope the series is renewed for a second, third, fourth, and fifth season as envisioned by Joel J.H. Wyman!

Please make certain to let NBC know that you want more Debris on NBC on-line and tell everyone you know to watch again on Peacock TV to help Renew Debris. Thank you!
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As we proceed to the future with Debris in our thoughts, Team WHR will return with season one finale analysis of our favorite series including select science fiction book and television reviews. 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 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!“

Thank you.

Best Regards,

Kenn of #TeamWHR
May 24, 2021

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