THE FANDOM ZONE 337: "Pacoima" Is Up!

 
"Did bits and bobs in the West End."
"Weren't you The Mandarin?"
"Then I took a role, posing as an international terrorist to pay my drug and prostitution debts."
-- Trevor Slattery and Eric Williams, Wonder Man -- "Pacoima"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back for another new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "Pacoima", the third episode of the Marvel TV miniseries  Wonder Man, featuring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams, Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery, and introducing Demetrius Grosse as Eric Williams and Shola Adewusi as Martha Williams!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like recording on Valentine's Day, meeting Simon's family and getting a feel for what Simon went through growing up, some comics background on Eric Williams a.k.a. the Grim Reaper, the sources of the quotes that Trevor and Simon recite, Simon's powers manifesting at the age of 13 and making him a potential mutant, Nik's love of The Beast, Simon's decision to take up acting as a profession, the Department of Damage Control having quotas to fill up their supermax prison, Trevor having a conflict between his friendship for Simon and gathering intel on him for Agent Cleary, Agent Cleary altering Trevor's deal, Eric not seeing Simon's acting career being productive, Eric feeling resentment toward Simon, Eric berating Simon until Simon shatters his mother's kitchen island, wondering how Martha explains the shattered kitchen island to her relatives, Simon being at his lowest point and considering giving up acting, Trevor deciding that he can't wear a wire to spy on Simon anymore, Simon telling Trevor that they both got callbacks for the Wonder Man movie, our favorite quotes of the episode, standing up for Cleveland, new Fandom Zone Fanmail by Jesse Jackson and Dave Proctor, the upcoming side-trip with "Doorman", and more! 

You can check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on X/Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast
The Fandom Zone on Instagram -- HERE

And if that isn't enough for you, you can pick up an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing from TeePublic HERE as well! Show your Fandom Zone fandom by posting a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week when DJ Nik and I discuss "Doorman", the fourth episode of Wonder Man, Byron Bowers as DeMarr Davis, Charlotte Ross as Bridget Bailey, and Josh Gad as Josh Gad!

Hulu Greenlights Pilot for THE X-FILES Reboot, Danielle Deadwyler to Co-Lead

 
The truth is almost out there once again.

Deadline is reporting that Ryan Coogler's planned reboot of The X-Files has received a pilot order from Hulu. In addition, Danielle Deadwyler has been cast as the project's co-lead.

The pilot will come from Onyx Collective and 20th Television, with Jennifer Yale (The Copenhagen Test, Legion, Outlander) set as showrunner. Coogler, the director of Black Panther and Sinners, is writing and directing the pilot. Yale will serve as executive producer alongside The X-Files creator Chris Carter, as well as Coogler, Sev Ohanian and Zinzi Coogler of Proximity Media. Simone Harris is a co-executive producer.

According to the article, the pilot will feature "two highly decorated but vastly different FBI agents, who form an unlikely bond when they're assigned to a long-shuttered division devoted to cases involving unexplained phenomena."

Deadwyler, 43, has appeared in the films The Woman in the Yard, 40 Acres, The Piano Lesson, I Saw the TV Glow, Till, and The Harder They Fall. In addition, she's appeared in episodes of Watchmen (2019), Euphoria, The Bear, Station Eleven, and Atlanta.

Carter first revealed during a 2023 podcast interview that he had spoken with Coogler, who was "going to remount The X Files with a diverse cast," adding, "He’s got his work cut out for him because we covered so much territory."

Carter’s original X-Files starred David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as FBI Special Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, who investigated cases involving paranormal phenomena. The series premiered on Fox in 1993 and ran for nine seasons. It spawned two feature films, The X-Files: Fight the Future (1998) and The X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008), as well as a 2016 revival, which aired on Fox for two seasons.

Coogler confirmed the project and his involvement during a podcast appearance of his own last April. "I’ve been excited about that for a long time, and I’m fired up to get back to it. Some of those episodes, if we do our jobs right, will be really fucking scary,” he said. "We’re gonna try to make something really great and really be something for the real X-Files fans, and maybe find some new ones."

NEXT STOP EVERYWHERE 364: "The Romans" Is Up!

 
"All right? Of course I'm all right, my child. You know, I am so constantly outwitting the opposition, I tend to forget the delights and satisfaction of the arts, the gentle art of fisticuffs."
-- The First Doctor to Vicki Pallister, Doctor Who: "The Romans"

Hello again, everyone! My partner in time Jesse Jackson and I are back for another new episode of Next Stop Everywhere: The Doctor Who Podcast! This time, we discuss "The Romans", the fourth serial from Doctor Who Season 2 in 1965, featuring William Hartnell as the Fourth Doctor, William Russell as Ian Chesterton, Jacqueline Hill as Barbara Wright, and Maureen O'Brien as Vicki Pallister!

In this episode, Jesse and I discuss things like Jesse and I enjoying the Super Bowl and the halftime show, "The Romans" being a historical serial without any aliens apart from the Doctor, Jesse's reaction to watching "The Romans" for the first time, problems when the TARDIS doesn't land standing up, how we could discuss "The Daleks' Master Plan", Peter Diamond appearing in all of the original Star Wars trilogy and two Indiana Jones movies, "The Romans" being the first Doctor Who story with a comedic main plot, "The Romans" being intended to be the first of three historical tales, writer Dennis Spooner's original idea to spoof the 1951 film Quo Vadis, this being the second serial in a row in which the First Doctor gets a surprisingly physical fight sequence, Kay Patrick being reluctant to slap Michael Peake, the age differences between the real Emperor Nero and the actor playing him on Doctor Who, the Doctor and his companions becoming squatters in 64 A.D. Rome, the First Doctor pretending to play the lyre but very quietly, the Doctor being a hypocrite by telling Vicki not to interfere with history, that awkward moment when Barbara knocks Ian out with a jug and the two of them end up being put into slavery, The Three Stooges Meet Hercules, the Star Trek fight music theme, Tavius bidding for Barbara to protect her, Nero breaking the fourth wall, the Doctor assuming that Ian and Barbara did absolutely nothing while he and Vicki were gone, wondering if Ian and Barbara had a secret romance, our favorite quotes of the serial, my Reverse the Reverse the Polarity segment, new listener feedback from Dave Proctor, Sandi from Oregon and Holly Mac, the next Ninth Doctor and Rose Tyler audio drama from Big Finish, being tired of Disney+ not putting The War Between the Land and the Sea on the schedule, and more!

If you'd like to check out our latest episode, you can find us on...

Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct MP3 downloads/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE

Next Stop Everywhere's Facebook page

Next Stop Everywhere's Twitter account

Next Stop Everywhere's Instagram account

We have a NEW Next Stop Everywhere t-shirt, which you can find on TeePublic right HERE!  This spiffy shirt looks great when you're listening to your favorite Doctor Who podcast and travelling through time and space! Or you could order all sorts of cool Next Stop Everywhere merch there as well!

Be sure to come back in two weeks for the next episode of Next Stop Everywhere as Jesse and I discuss "The Last Days of the Powell Estate", the second audio drama from Series 4 of Big Finish Productions' Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor Adventures range, featuring Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor, Billie Piper as Rose Tyler, and Camille Coduri as Jackie Tyler!

THE FANDOM ZONE 336: "Self-Tape" Is Up!

 
"You suck, Joe Pantoliano. Baby's Day Out is garbage. Even that dumb baby couldn't make you funny."
-- Simon Williams to Joe Pantoliano, Wonder Man -- "Self-Tape"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back for another new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "Self-Tape", the second episode of the Marvel TV miniseries Wonder Man, featuring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams, Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery, Arian Moayed as Agent Cleary, and Joe Pantoliano as Joe Pantoliano!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like the 2026 Winter Olympics opening in Milan, Joe Pantoliano as Cypher in The Matrix, Agent Cleary appearing in Spider-Man: No Way Home and the Ms. Marvel TV series, the Marvel Cinematic Universe version of Joe Pantoliano, Wonder Man being a self-contained story under the Marvel Spotlight banner, some comics background on Damage Control, some background on the 1985 Ben Kingsley film Turtle Diary, Ben Kingsley really appearing on the British soap opera Coronation Street, the "I'm walkin' here!" crosswalk from Midnight Cowboy, learning that Agent Cleary from Damage Control is the one putting the squeeze on Trevor, Trevor caring so much about his craft, Janelle Jackson not being happy that her client auditioned for Wonder Man without her knowledge, Simon creating a big hole in his wall, the show not bogging everything down with exposition, Trevor taking his time before texting Simon back, Simon and Trevor bonding as friends, Marcy at Ahoy Tapes insisting on reading the lines for Simon's self-tape video, Trevor's one-sided rivalry with Joe Pantoliano, the criticism of some actors acting for the paycheck, Trevor placing the ring device to hack Simon's laptop, Trevor discovering the major chunk missing from Simon's wall, our favorite quotes of the episode, new Fandom Zone Fanmail by Jesse Jackson and Dave Proctor, our next episode meeting Simon's family, and more! 

You can check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on X/Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast
The Fandom Zone on Instagram -- HERE

And if that isn't enough for you, you can pick up an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing from TeePublic HERE as well! Show your Fandom Zone fandom by posting a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week when DJ Nik and I discuss "Pacoima", the third episode of Wonder Man, introducing Shola Adewusi as Martha Williams and Demterius Grosse as Eric Williams!

THE FANDOM ZONE 335: "Matinee" Is Up!

 
"Nah, that's not my process."
"Well, your process can go blow a spider."
-- Simon Williams and Trevor Slattery, Wonder Man -- "Matinee"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are finally back for another new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "Matinee", the the first episode of the Marvel TV miniseries Wonder Man, introducing Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams and X Mayo as Janelle Jackson, and featuring the return of Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like my being able to talk with Nik again, Nik watching one episode per week, my impressions of the first episode, the parallels with the film Midnight Cowboy, the show's love of cinema, some comics background on Wonder Man, some background on Midnight Cowboy, Ben Kingsley playing Edgar Allan Poe, the ugly but faithful Wonder Man costume featured in the fictional Wonder Man movie, the TV version of Simon Williams having more depth than the comics version, Simon discovering his love of film, Simon getting himself fired from the set of American Horror Story, Simon meeting Trevor Slattery during a screening of Midnight Cowboy, Yahya's great performance as Dr. Manhattan in the Watchmen (2019) miniseries, Vivian leaving Simon because he won't tell her who he is, Simon learning that Von Kovak is remaking Wonder Man, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley having a great dynamic, Simon having to work around his own agent to get an audition for Wonder Man, Janelle Jackson being a terrible agent, Trevor giving Simon good advice on how to give a good audition, Simon having to sign a Doorman Waiver, the revelation that Trevor is working for Agent Cleary from the Department of Damage Control, Marvel fanboys needing to lower their expectations for Simon fighting supervillains, Wonder Man addressing superhero fatigue and Marvel stepping out of its formulaic comfort zone, our favorite quotes of the episode, new Fandom Zone Fanmail by Jesse Jackson, the upcoming appearance by Joe Pantoliano, and more! 

You can check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on X/Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast
The Fandom Zone on Instagram -- HERE

And if that isn't enough for you, you can pick up an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing from TeePublic HERE as well! Feel free to post a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week when DJ Nik and I discuss "Self-Tape", the second episode of Wonder Man, featuring Arian Moayed as Agent Cleary and an appearance by Joe Pantoliano!

NEXT STOP EVERYWHERE 363: "The Idiot's Lantern" Is Up!

 
"Now you listen here, Doctor...You may have fancy qualifications, but what goes on under my roof is my business!"
"A lot of people are being bundled into--"
"I am TALKING!"
"AND I'M NOT LISTENING!"
-- Eddie Connolly and the Tenth Doctor, Doctor Who: "The Idiot's Lantern"

Hello again, everyone! My partner in time Jesse Jackson and I are back for another new episode of Next Stop Everywhere: The Doctor Who Podcast! This time, we discuss "The Idiot's Lantern", the seventh episode from Doctor Who Series Two in 2006, featuring David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor, Billie Piper as Rose Tyler, and Maureen Lipman as The Wire!

In this episode, Jesse and I discuss things like the number of remaining Modern Era episodes left to cover, the last time we watched "The Idiot's Lantern", the way abuse is addressed in this episode not feeling like Doctor Who, Rose's daddy issues encouraging Tommy Connolly being around his abusive father, Rory Jennings voicing Young Davros for Big Finish, the source of the title "The Idiot's Lantern", Mark Gatiss originally writing the episode for Christopher Eccleston's Ninth Doctor, Mark Gatiss basing The Wire on BBC continuity announcer Sylvia Peters, Tommy Connolly originally being intended to reflect Gatiss' own experiences as a gay teenager, the episode originally being set during the dawn of rock 'n roll in America, a deleted subplot where Rose visits her aunt, the Tenth Doctor's deleted line referencing "Logopolis", all the television aerials resembling Nazi swastikas, Florizel Street being the original title for British soap opera Coronation Street, Torchwood being Season 2's "Bad Wolf" recurring reference, Queen Elizabeth II's coronation selling a lot of televisions, the Tenth Doctor getting angry that Rose was just left on the street after her face was stolen by The Wire, Rita Connolly standing up to her horrible husband, Tommy helping the Doctor defeat The Wire, Rose calling out Eddie for putting the Union flag upside down, the Wire switching from black-and-white to color, whether Mr. Magpie willingly helped The Wire, our favorite quotes of the episode, my Reverse the Polarity segment, new listener feedback from Dave Proctor, Sandi from Oregon and Holly Mac, Jesse getting to discuss a historical Doctor Who serial, and more!

If you'd like to check out our latest episode, you can find us on...

Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct MP3 downloads/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE

Next Stop Everywhere's Facebook page

Next Stop Everywhere's Twitter account

Next Stop Everywhere's Instagram account

We have a NEW Next Stop Everywhere t-shirt, which you can find on TeePublic right HERE!  This spiffy shirt looks great when you're listening to your favorite Doctor Who podcast and travelling through time and space! Or you could order all sorts of cool Next Stop Everywhere merch there as well!

Be sure to come back in two weeks for the next episode of Next Stop Everywhere as Jesse and I discuss "The Romans", the fourth serial from Doctor Who Season 2 in 1965, featuring William Hartnell as the Fourth Doctor, William Russell as Ian Chesterton, Jacqueline Hill as Barbara Wright, and Maureen O'Brien as Vicki Pallister!