J.J. Abrams dopo i successi di Mission Impossible 3 e Cloverfield sta per ultimare insieme a Damon Lindelof la produzione della sua ultima creatura cinematografica "Star Treck XI", subito dopo sarà pronto per lanciare su FOX una nuova serie tv che si preannuncia già un successo soprattutto dopo le esperienze con Alias, Lost e Felicity, la nuova idea di JJ Abrams si chiamerà "Fringe" e sarà una serie sci-fi, la serie è annunciata come un x-files con elementi di Lost, l'episodio 1x01 di Fringe, della durata di 90 minuti, sarà trasmesso da Fox america il prossimo 26 agosto e successivamente verrà collocata nel palinsesto subito dopo House.
Nel cast sono presenti molti volti televisivi noti, fra cui troviamo Joshua Jackson di Dawson's Creek e Lance Reddick l'attore che interpreta il misterioso Matthew Abbandon in Lost mentre la nuova protagonista femminile sarà Anna Torv.
Come per Lost anche in questa nuova serie il tutto inizierà da un aereo, non sarà il volo 815 ma bensì il volo 627, siccome Abrams è Abrams anche in questa occasione non è riuscito a resistere e ha inserito anche questa sua creazione una "componente Lost", infatti se sommiamo i numeri del volo magicamente ci troviamo di fronte al 15 uno dei numeri maledetti di Lost.
La storia inizia con l'atterraggio a Boston del volo 627, si scoprirà fin da subito che qualcosa non va infatti tutti i passeggeri e l'equipaggio sono deceduti in modo raccrapricciante, da qui l'agente Olivia Dunham insieme a Peter dovrà fare luce sull'accaduto, lo sviluppo dell'investigazione li porterà a qualcosa di veramente sconvolgente.

A série de ficção científica "Fringe" estréia nos EUA no dia 9 de setembro, na Fox (por aqui ainda não se sabe). Seu piloto custou US$ 10 milhões, um primeiro episódio de duas horas e pelo menos uma dezena de cenas de ação, tudo cheirando a muito dinheiro.

Tudo aparentemente moderno, do produtor/roteirista/diretor J.J. Abrams, que criou a misteriosa ilha de "Lost". Nesse seu novo seriado, a ação se passa em Boston, onde uma agente do FBI, Olivia Dunham, descobre um cientista doidão em um hospício, o único que pode ajudar seu parceiro e amante a se salvar de uma arma química que consome sua pele.

Mas, no piloto de "Fringe", Abrams,  fez um seriado igual a "Arquivo X", que trará agentes investigando casos de telepatia, conspirações do governo, invisibilidade, teletransporte etc.

Em "Fringe", chega-se ao cúmulo de o doutor maluco aplicar na agente do FBI uma mistura de LSD e quetamina (droga anestésica conhecida como "special K") para que ela "entre" na mente de seu parceiro.

A série já vazou e os produtores prometem que o piloto já foi alterado em relação a esta versão. Então confira os novos trailers da estréia mais aguardada desta nova temporada par ver (ou rever) Fringe.

Wasp Cove
Episode 3: Eenie, Meenie, Miny...Murder
By Julie Klausner and Rachel Shukert
presented at Comix
July 28 @ 8pm
http://www.comixny.com/event.aspx?eid=402&sid=1337
In the late 1980¹s, legendary producer Shmulik Adding, the most Jewish person on the planet until a team of Hungarian scientists created the entity known as "Alan Greenspan" in 1926, taught America all it knows about the mysterious world of Gentiles with his never-seen prime time soap, Wasp Cove.

Sailor Man
By Ryan Iverson and Scott Peterman
Directed by Peter Cook
presented at the NY Fringe
August 9 @ 5:30, 12 @ 7:45, 15 @ 10:00, 20 @ 3:00 and 22 @ 5:00
http://www.sailormanshow.com
Strong to the finnich 'cause he eats his spinach! Fists fly and blood spills in this darkly comic look at a well-known animated sailor. Startlingly violent, it's Saturday morning cartoons, delivered Sam Shepard-style.

Totally Awesome Victory
Tiffany Baker, Ryan Feyk,  Matt Hobby, Walter Kmiec, Alex Lynch, Justin McElfresh, Kevin O'Connor, Christine Sinacore and Betsy Winchester
http://www.totallyawesomevictory.com
Totally Awesome Victory is a sketch comedy collective based in the boroughs of New York City. All ten cast members are as salty as they are agile, and each brings his or her own unique flavor to the great Brunswick stew that is modern sketch comedy.

Sandy the Dandy and Charlie McGee
By Guerrin Gardner and Mat Sanders
Directed by Stephen Brackett
presented at the NY Fringe
August 8 @ 7:45, 12 @ 5:00, 13 @ 10:00, 17 @ 9:30 and 23 @ 3:00
http://www.toomuchery.com
A new-fangled vaudeville chronicling the adventures of Sandy—a self-proclaimed star-to-be with dreams as big as his debts, and Charlie—his hopelessly optimistic and slightly peculiar companion, as they rise to the top and soft-shoe through a world of corporate corrupt children's theatre, big-apple ambitions and menacing leather daddies.

Só pra dar um gostinho pra vocês, o episódio piloto tem início com uma turbulência no vôo 627, que viaja de Hamburgo (Alemanha) para Boston (EUA). O fato é que, por alguma anomalia, levada dentro de uma caneta por um passageiro, todos os 147 passageiros ea tripulação a bordo morrem. É a partir desse acontecimento bizarro que  conhecemos a agente do FBI Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) e o também agente John Scott (Mark Valley), o que parecem, num primeiro momento, os mocinhos do trama. De fato, ela é. O episódio de 81 minutos segue com muita perseguição policial e os mistérios de grandes corporações em meio a vida cotidiana das pessoas (olha aqui outra grande característica do mestre JJ Abrams). Não vou escrever mais para não estragar. Já corri e vou ficar de olho em tudo o que rolar sobre a série, que tem início previsto, nos Estados Unidos, daqui há dois meses, mais ou menos. Fiquem de olho aqui.

Meg & Rob are something of a phenomenon here in Philly. They came on the scene last year, somehwat sneaking into it via the Fringe. I met Meg at DIE ACTOR DIE and after seeing their Dinner w/ Mischa Barton video, asked them to come out and do a set. They have been on a tear ever since playing big gigs, small gigs, any gigs, hitting festivals and working their shit; just what a sketch group that wants to be successful should be doing. It's pretty cool to see.

They have a certain something that works really well and audiences love them! (Maybe I can convicne Dave overat at Comic Vs. Audience to put up their entry from Dirtiest Sketch. It was a real crowd pleaser!)

Here is a video from their recent appearance at BEDTIME STORIES. It's a nice example of their twisted and smarty smart outlook. Who would do a sketch featuring Robert McNamara talking about love? Meg and Rob, that's who.

Via CvsA

[vodpod id=Groupvideo.1409313&w=425&h=350&fv=]

I have been instructed to gather as many contacts as i can, with a view to possibly bringing a performance or two to Tofino/Ucluelet. Wouldn't that be grand?! Maybe a collaboration with the Clayoquot Sound Community Theatre...?

Fringe shows are perfect for our area because by design they are small, cheap, portable and highly entertaining. In addition, many of them are already heading west for the Calgary Fringe (Aug. 1-10), Edmonton Fringe (Aug. 14-24), Victoria Fringe (Aug. 21-31), and Vancouver Fringe (Sept. 3-14). The timing would be good for two, three, four or more performances in the third week of September.

So far i've seen several acts that would be appropriate, and the two i've talked to are very interested in a quick swing out to the coast. i only wish i were back home to pursue this project. But then i wouldn't be here, going to the Fringe.

More later, and Fringe mini-reviews on my travel blog.

It’s all going. Everything‘s kicking off. The trucks have arrived and been unloaded and there’s still more to come. Plenty of bodies are grinding away getting the prep work for the venues done. It’s not quite full swing just yet, as the mass of workforce don’t arrive until Saturday but it’s certainly going.

In my last post, I posed the question about why the Edinburgh festival has become what it has become. The world’s largest arts festival doesn’t just pop up in a few years – Rome wasn’t built in a day, you know! Year after year, the staff, companies and punters (in that order) all trek up to bonnie Scotland to basically have one big fat arts party and kick some cultural butt.

Speaking to some of my colleagues, I managed to get a real understanding of why some of the people came. For example, one person, among many I’m sure, could have taken approximately five days of site work and earned twice the money that you would in Edinburgh. Granted, everyone knows that the money isn’t great, and certainly not the reason why people come. However, the five days, basically corporate work, that he would have taken on wouldn’t have had anywhere near the amount of interest, spontaneity, diversity and shear passion for theatre and the arts as here. It’s incredibly fulfilling and by far beats most corporate work, no matter what the money.

Respectively, there are others who don’t have the skills and experience to be able to take a large money job at the moment. There are many students helping run the festival where the opportunity will, without a doubt, further their skills and experience for higher profile work later in their careers. I certainly have come to Edinburgh for this reason as one of many. I’ve been here less than two days and already learning a vast amount.

To give you an idea, 90% of the venues across the site’s are not purpose built theatres – far from it, in fact. They have to built from scratch to a highly professional specification. Everything from the lighting, sound, seating rig, stage, floor, drapes and fire exit signs are built in each venue which takes a great amount of effort. Take a look at the photos for some evidence of how they being to shape up. But as I said before, as you learn whilst doing this it, makes it a truly invaluable experience.

That’s the rough progress report so far and also a bit of reasoning behind how and why the festival takes place. As it continues and I digress over a beer with my colleagues and others, I’ll discover more of the many reasons why Edinburgh exists as it does.

Show Name: We is Blunderstruck!

Show Time: Friday, July 18's 6:00pm

We is Blunderstruck! is about a 3 man rock band who must carry out the funeral ceremony of their #1 fan, Mel, after Father Ed turns out to be a no show.  A rock band conducting a funeral ceremony?  Pitstop Pete is the guitarist with some vocals, Doorstop Dave is the accordianist (is that a word?) with a badass triangle, and Truckstop Trevor is the drummer with the kickass beats.  Together they'll show you everything that can go wrong (or right) at a funeral.

This group is from Saskatchewan and was honoured with Best of Fest, Saskatoon 2006.  This show reminded me of the Biker dad watching the little kids' beauty pageant in Little Miss Sunshine (can be found at the end of this clip.  CLIP IS A SUPER SPOILER!!!  DO NOT WATCH THE CLIP IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE.)  The show also reminds me of this Korean girl singing at a funeral.  Well, more comical than creepy.  We is Blunderstruck! was the first fringe show I caught this year and it was a good starter.  The show starts off and tosses you a surprise followed by filler jokes.  At the point where the show becomes repetitive or awkward they send you with another nice twist or joke.  The show provides a steady pace where the entertainment keeps peeking when it needs it the most.  I can see why this show won Best of Fest however it depends on its audience to help them out.  The audience is their amplifier and the bigger more powerful the audience is the bigger, badder and louder these peaks become.  Unfortunately, the show I caught wasn't enough to fill the venue but I wouldn't mind seeing a packed show of Blunderstruck!

More photos from backstage and pre-show run throughs. These were taken before the final Fringe show last Sunday.

Cast huddle just before going out. I see kili-kili!

* * *

• Skin Flick -- three 20-somethings, all still living in their parents' basements, get involved in making their first porno movie. Enthusiastic acting by young cast, fine comic timing, and beefy, witty writing by neophyte U of Winnipeg playwright Gonzalo Riede.
  .
• Inferno Sonata, written and acted by Scott Sharplin (right) -- Wow, a tour de force of acting in this highly eccentric, classical one-man show. Both annoying and riveting, it unfolds like a piece of origami on black paper. Sit up front. Best set you'll see on a Fringe production.
  .
• Old Growth -- Had to see this one because it's set in Haida Gwai -- the demise of the Golden Spruce. Overly preachy, but a strong tale pulled, nay, dragged me through it. Alex Eddington wrote and stars, along with accomplished flautist Aura Giles (and i don't even like flute). Passion! Drums! Nudity! Important Message! That's what Fringe is all about, folks.

Okay, good night. It's 12:16 a.m. and i have to get up at 7 to catch my 10-to-2 shift tomorrow morning -- plus another couple of plays, of course!

Question: How come no older guys 'n' gals in the Fringe (so far)?

This is what a real Texan looks like.

Nah, it wasn't that bad. Just a bit boring. But i got to watch all the acts on the open stage -- mostly aimed at kids, so a bit puerile.

But then came ... the Fringe. Caught two plays after my shift:

• Busty Rhymes and MC Hot Pink -- a one- (Kiwi-)woman show about ... mostly, her breasts. And the rest of her full figure. And problems with men. And Lots of energy, but the material didn't seem fresh. I did learn the interesting fact that Auckland has 35,000 more single women than men. Hmm.
• 'Beth, which i went to because the timing was right and i could get a ticket, was an attempt at retelling Shakespeare's Macbeth story in a modern, money-grubbing, doctor-the-will context. Didn't quite work, but a brave effort. (I'm pulling punches here because i really admire Fringe performers' guts -- it's naked theatre -- and i cringe whenever i see a callously negative review.)

Both shows not terrific, but it's inspiring to be surrounded by artistic energy. Theatre matters, and art matters, in this context.

Fabbity fab fab doesn't even begin to cover how I feel about this. But WHEN, praytell, does it come out in the US? "TBA" is not an acceptable answer. 

I heart Georgia!

The show has ended, and it's kinda sad to not have to come in 6x a week for warm-up, dance practice, line runs, equipment check, and put on a performance---(?!)

Looks like we did good though folks, check out NOW magazine's Fringe Wrap-up: The Baggage cast is named one of the Outstanding Ensembles!

This is the first set of pics from that last afternoon show Sunday 13 July showing warm ups and run throughs. Part. 2 is coming soon...

The Winnipeg Fringe Festival starts today!  This is its 21st year running and I expect to catch a few shows.  Here are some of the shows I might catch:

• 72 Hour Survival Guide
• Balls
• Blasphemy!
• Dr. Faustus
• Identity.com
• Killing Kevin Spacey
• Manners for Men
• RETAIL
• Shades of Brown
• StranDEAD
• Take It Back
• The Movies
• The Tricky Part
• The Wizard of One
• Trojan Women
• We is Blunderstruck!

Como todo mundo já sabe o piloto de Fringe (Nova série de J.J. Abrams), vazou na Internet a alguns dias atrás; e com certeza a grande maioria das pessoas assistiram o episódio! O criador da série disse em uma entrevista concedida no TCA (Television Critics Association) que o episódio de estréia de Fringe terá algumas modificações em relação ao que vazou.

Abrams disse que ele e a equipe de produção entraram em pânico, mas mesmo assim ficaram satisfeitos com as respostas positivas que tomou conta dos sites e fóruns na Internet; disse ainda que as mudanças do piloto não vão ser nada radical, apenas algumas cenas de interrogatório e uma outra que entra quase no fim do episódio.

O criador da série respondeu também as perguntas relacionadas à semelhança do tema da série com Arquivo X, Abrams disse que Fringe vai de fato explorar a investigação da agente do FBI Anna Torv em torno das operações da corporação Massive Dynamics, mas ressalta que sempre haverá o “mistério da semana“ para prender aqueles que não tem o hábito de acompanhar fielmente séries de TV.

Fringe estreia nos EUA dia 9 de setembro, a série é uma das mais aguardadas entre as estréias da próxima temporada!

Let's start with Monday nights

ABC:

8pm Dancing with the Stars
9:30 pm Samanta Who?
10pm Boston Legal (Final Season)

CBS:

8pm Big Bang Theory
8:30pm How I met your Mother
9pm Two and a Half Men
NEW - 9:30pm Worst Week - It's another take on a British TV show in the vein of The Office. A young couple get quickly acquainted with their soon-to-be in-laws.  It stars Kyle Bornheimer from "Jericho" and Erinn Hayes from "Kitchen Confidential."
10pm CSI Miami

NBC:

8pm Chuck
9pm Heroes
NEW - 10pm My Own Worst Enemy This one starts Christian Slater. Imdb.com tells us that it's about "Henry Spivey, an efficiency expert, lives a typical suburban life, right down to the wife, two kids, dog, and minivan. In contrast, Edward Albright is a lethal, multilingual operative. It would seem the two men have nothing in common -- except for the fact that they inhabit the same body. When each personality finds himself out of his element, things go awry." I'll pass on this one.  I liked Fight Club, but I'm not the least bit interested in seeing how this works out.

FOX:

8pm Sarah Conner Chronicles  - Glad you are back, but I'm sorry SCC Chuck has my heart.
9pm Prison Break

CW:

8pm Gossip Girl
9pm One Tree Hill

I will be watching NBC. I still love Chuck and want to give Heroes a chance. However if Heroes is as bad as last season it will be deleted from the tivo after episode three....or if it's REALLY bad after episode one. I am very much impressed that Samantha Who? has lasted more than a season. And I wish people would stop watching CSI Miami, although I know that it has a VERY loyal following. To me it's too formulaic and the characters are dull. But to each his own.

Tuesday Nights

ABC:

NEW - 8pm Oppertunity Knocks is a game show hosted by J.D. Roth from the Biggest Loser and Pickup Artist. ABC describes the show as "The instant that host JD Roth knocks on a family's front door in Anywhere, America, the mobile Opportunity Knocks team will be there in a semi-truck filled with prizes. They will literally set up shop on a family's front lawn. It's there that an audience made up of neighbors and friends will be cheering them on"  I'm not really a game show person, but I will be interested to hear how other's like this one.  It seems family friendly.
9pm Dancing with the Stars Results Show
10pm Eli Stone -  If you haven't seen this show yet you should watch it.  It is a feel good show, with great acting and a very solid story.

CBS:

8pm NCIS  (Sam's still watching this, so if you need a recap of where the series is ask him.
NEW - 9pm The Mentalist from the CBS website it's described as "Simon Baker stars as Patrick Jane, a detective and independent consultant with the California Bureau of Investigation who has remarkable track record for solving serious crimes by using his razor sharp skills of observation."  It seems like a serious version of the USA Network's series "Psych" which has the best/worst commercials of the summer season.
10pm Without a Trace

NBC:

8pm Biggest Loser (2 hours)
10pm Law & Order SVU

FOX:

8pm House
NEW - 9pm Fringe J.J. Abrams tries his hand at another show seemingly similar to "Alias."  I loved the first couple seasons of Alias so I will tune in with hopes it will live up to what Alias could have been.  If it has any of the similarities to wasting my time that Lost has had in the past, I will delete this one quickly.

CW:

NEW - 8pm 90210 will it be everything we remember? or will it just be Gossip Girl re-hashed?
NEW - 9pm Privledged aka Surviving the Filthy Rich is about a 23 year old Yale Graduate trying to be a journalist.  /yawn/

Tuesday nights I will tivo Eli Stone, and Fringe but I won't be watching anything else.  I walked/ran a 5k last weekend and my new fitness goals are replacing my once loved television.  I have less patience for sloppy, poorly written tv.  But I do still have some guilty pleasures ie. I'm still watching So You Think You Can Dance this summer.  Thus I will probably be listening for buzz about how 90210 is.

Wednesday Nights

ABC:

8pm Pushing Daisies
9pm Private Practice
10pm Dirty, Sexy, Money - I still love this show.

CBS:

8pm The New Adventures of the Old Christine
New - 8:30pm Project Gary - Isn't Jay Mohr still on Ghost Whisperer? Imdb tells us it's about "An easygoing, recently divorced dad tries to navigate new waters with his ex-wife, to whom he was married for 15 years, his kids and his new girlfriend." Um...pass.
9pm Criminal Minds
10pm CSI NY

NBC:  with the oddest combination of shows, like a mixed tape that jars you from song to song:

8pm Knight Rider - I can't believe this is still going.  That was the WORST freshman mini-series I've seen in a LONG time.  Horrible casting, horrible writing, not even laughable. I really did want this to be a good show.
9pm Deal or No Deal
10pm Lipstick Jungle

FOX:

8pm Bones
9pm Til Death
NEW - 9:30pm Do Not Disturb Jason Bateman directs this new series on Fox.  It's supposedly a comedy, but I can't find too much else about it yet.

CW:

8pm America's Next Top Model
NEW - 9pm Stylista The people at 10x10 who does ANTM brings this new series. The CW website says "Eleven aspiring fashion enthusiasts vie for a much-coveted editorial job with Elle Magazine."  Depending on the casting this could be a fun show to follow ANTM.

Thursday Nights

ABC:

8pm Ugly Betty
9pm Grey's Anatomy - I'm still watching, but if Katherine Heigl is written out of the show it will be quickly deleted from the tivo.  She is the only character I like and overall the plot wasn't as good last season as season's past.
NEW - 10pm Life on Mars it's another remake of a BBC series.  BBC I hope you are making BANK on these rip/spin offs!! Story?? A present-day car accident mysteriously sends a detective back to the 1970s.

CBS:

8pm Survivor - aka I can't believe this is still on the air
9pm CSI - I miss the days of character driven stories.
NEW - 10pm Eleventh Hour - I will tune in hopeful that this doesn't suck. Although if there are more than 1 music montages of "evidence" being processed it will quickly be deleted. It seems like X-Files meets CSI.  And I do miss X-Files, even though the new movie looks lack luster.  Plot for this new show? Taken fro mthe CBS website "ELEVENTH HOUR follows Dr. Jacob Hood (Rufus Sewell, "The Illusionist"), a brilliant biophysicist and special science adviser to the government, as he investigates scientific crises and oddities. His jurisdiction is absolute and Hood is dogged in his pursuit of those who would abuse and misuse scientific discoveries and breakthroughs for their own gain. His passion and crusade is to protect the substance of science from those with nefarious motives. He is called in at the eleventh hour and he represents the last line of defense."

NBC: with a good comedic line up and then the ever strong ER rounding up the night.

8pm My Name is Earl
8:30pm 30 Rock
9pm The Office
NEW - 9:30pm Kath & Kim - Ohhh a US version of an Australian show this time. It's a comedy about a Mother/Daughter relationship.  Fairly vague and it could go all sorts of directions.  It stars Molly Shannon and Selma Blair.
10pm ER

FOX:

8pm Moment of Truth
9pm Kitchen Nightmares - LOVE, love, love Chef Ramsey. I can't wait to try out his new LA restaurant.

CW:

8pm Smallville
9pm Supernatural

Friday Nights

ABC:

8pm Wife Swap
9pm Super Nanny
10pm 20/20

CBS:

8pm Ghost Whisperer
NEW - 9pm The Ex List From CBS "Bella Bloom (Elizabeth Reaser, who had a guest spot on Grey's Anatomy), an attractive business owner is surprised to learn from a psychic (Anne Bedian) that she's already dated her future husband AND there's a catch: if she doesn't find him in the next year, she'll remain alone forever. "  Sounds alright, but not fantastic.
10pm Numb3rs

NBC:

New - 8pm Crusoe From NBC "Based on the tale of Robinson Crusoe, Crusoe will brave the elements in a contemporary tale of love, friendship and self discovery." /yawn/ The promos for this better be FANTASTIC, or I could see this one being canceled QUICK.
9pm Deal or No Deal
10pm Life (New Night)

FOX:

8pm Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader?
9pm Don't Forget the Lyrics

CW:

8pm Everybody Hates Chris
8:30pm The Game

Weekend Tv??? Just don't do it.  Go to the movies, play outside, spend time with your family.  We will talk Mid Season shows when it gets closer. Or watch the shows you tivoed.

Overall a good mix of old and new.  It will be interesting to see what flops and what sticks.