AQUAMAN Casts Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta

As if the Ocean Master wasn't enough for Aquaman to deal with.

The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that the upcoming Aquaman movie directed by James Wan has cast Yahya Adbul-Mateen II as the DC Comics supervillain Black Manta. 

Abdul-Mateen joins Jason Momoa as Aquaman/Arthur Curry, Amber Heard as Mera, Willem DeFoe as Vulko, and Patrick Wilson as Ocean Master/Orm.  The movie is expected to start production in April in Australia.

According to the article, Wan and Warner Bros. have met with numerous actors for the part for the past two weeks and settled on Abdul-Mateen over the weekend.  The official offer went out yesterday and the parties are now in talks.

Abdul-Mateen is probably best known as Cadillac on the Netflix series The Get Down and is appearing in the upcoming Baywatch movie and The Greatest Showman.  He was also a finalist for the role of Lando Calrissian in Han Solo: A Star Wars Story.

Created in 1967 by Bob Haney and Nick Cardy, Black Manta first appeared in Aquaman (vol.1) #35 as David, a boy who grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, and loved to play by Chesapeake Bay.  As a child, he was kidnapped and forced to work on a ship for an unspecified amount of time, where he was sexually abused by his captors.  At one point, he saw Aquaman with his dolphin friends and tried to signal him for help but was not seen. Finally forced to defend himself, David killed one of his tormentors on the ship with a knife. Hating the emotionless sea and Aquaman, whom he saw as its representative, the boy was determined to become its master.

As an adult, David designed a costume comprised of a black wetsuit with a bug-eyed helmet, that was able to shoot rays from its eyes, and fashioned a high-tech submersible inspired by manta rays. Taking the name Black Manta, he and his masked army became a formidable force, engaging in at least one unrecorded clash with Aquaman prior to his first appearance as a rival to the Ocean Master.

Black Manta and Aquaman battled repeatedly over the next several years.  During most of his appearances, his main goals were defeating Aquaman and gaining power for himself through the conquest of Atlantis.  At one point, Manta murdered Arthur Curry, Jr., Aquaman's son, which left Aquaman obsessed with revenge.

In the current DC Comics continuity known as The New 52, it was revealed that Aquaman had killed Black Manta's father by accident in retaliation for Manta attacking Aquaman's father.  Seeking revenge, Black Manta attempted to kill all of Aquaman's family and friends, some of whom belonged to a team Aquaman once formed called the Others.  Aquaman and the Others soon defeated Black Manta, placing him in Belle Reve Prison, where he was briefly part of Amanda Waller's Suicide Squad.

This will be the first time the character will be depicted in live-action, although he has appeared in various animated projects, including The Superman/Aquaman Hour and The All-New Super Friends Hour (voiced by Ted Knight), Challenge of the Super Friends (voiced by Ted Cassidy), Batman: Brave and the Bold (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson), Young Justice (voiced by Khary Payton), and Justice League: Throne of Atlantis (voiced by Harry Lennix).

Aquaman is currently scheduled to arrive in theaters on October 5, 2018.

Peter Capaldi to Leave DOCTOR WHO, New Doctor for Series Eleven

Well...here we go again...

The official Doctor Who website has confirmed reports that Peter Capaldi will leave his role of the Twelfth Doctor in the 2017 Christmas Special, making his run four years to the day since his full debut replacing Matt Smith at the very end of "The Time of the Doctor" on Christmas Day, 2013. The 2017 Christmas Special will also be the last for series executive producer Steven Moffat, who will turn control of the series over to incoming showrunner Chris Chibnall for Series Eleven in 2018.

Making the announcement on Jo Whiley's BBC Radio 2 show earlier today, Capaldi said "One of the greatest privileges of being Doctor Who is to see the world at its best.  From our brilliant crew and creative team working for the best broadcaster on the planet, to the viewers and fans whose endless creativity, generosity and inclusiveness points to a brighter future ahead.  I can’t thank everyone enough.  It’s been cosmic."

Capaldi made a very brief appearance as the Twelfth Doctor in the show's 50th anniversary special "The Day of the Doctor" in 2013 and previous appeared as Lobus Caecilius in the 2008 David Tennant era story "The Fires of Pompeii".  He also appeared as John Frobisher in the Doctor Who spinoff Torchwood: Children of Earth.

Moffat remarked, "For years before I ever imagined being involved in Doctor Who, or had ever met the man, I wanted to work with Peter Capaldi.  I could not have imagined that one day we’d be standing on the TARDIS together.  Like Peter, I’m facing up to leaving the best job I’ll ever have, but knowing I do so in the company of the best, and kindest and cleverest of men, makes the saddest of endings a little sweeter.  But hey, it’s a long way from over. Peter’s amazing, fiery, turbulent Doctor is still fighting the good fight, and his greatest adventures are yet to come.  Monsters of the universe, be on your guard -- Capaldi’s not done with you yet!"

Executive producer Brian Minchin said, "Peter Capaldi is an extraordinary Doctor and has taken the show to amazing places.  Although I'm sad he has decided to move on in 2018, I'm delighted that we have one final series with Peter Capaldi and Steven Moffat.  I know what they're planning and it's going to be incredible."

Capaldi will be joined by new companion Pearl Mackie (Bill Potts) and Matt Lucas (Nardole), with guest appearances to come from David Suchet and Michelle Gomez (Missy/The Mistress).

Doctor Who will return to BBC America for Series 10 on April 15, 2017.

CLOAK & DAGGER Casts Aubrey Joseph & Olivia Holt as Leads

Get ready for more of Marvel Cinematic Universe on television.

Deadline has revealed that the upcoming Freeform (formerly ABC Family) series Cloak and Dagger, based on the Marvel Comics superheroes, has cast Aubrey Joseph and Olivia Holt in the lead roles of Tyrone Johnson and Tandy Bowen.

According to the article, Cloak and Dagger "follows the interracial romance between Tandy Bowen (Holt) and Tyrone Johnson (Joseph), who come from starkly different backgrounds, each growing up with a secret they never dared share with another soul. Tandy can emit light daggers and Tyrone has the ability to engulf others in darkness. They quickly learn they are better together than apart — but their feelings for each other make their already complicated world even more challenging."

"The characters of Tandy and Tyrone have always stood out to me ever since I first met them in the pages of Marvel Comics when I was a boy," said Cloak & Dagger executive producer/showrunner Joe Pokaski.  "When Olivia and Aubrey read for the roles, these characters leapt off the page.  We’re so excited to see what these talented young actors bring to the Marvel Universe."

"Marvel is delighted to have found our Cloak & Dagger," said Jeph Loeb, Head of Marvel Television and Executive Producer.  "Olivia Holt and Aubrey Joseph encompass the true essence of the characters and we are excited for the audience to see them in these roles."

The character description for Cloak/Tyrone states "Young Tyrone Johnson wanted nothing more than to prove he was fearless.  But when everything he held close was taken away, life taught Tyrone to be afraid.   Now older and more sheltered, Tyrone closes himself off. But when he meets a girl named Tandy his life changes forever."

Joseph, appeared as Dwight Gooden Stone on the HBO miniseries The Night Of and in the 2015 Liam Neeson film Run All Night.  He also appeared in the TV movie Death Pact and on an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

As for Dagger/Tandy, she is described as "Once a privileged little girl, Tandy Bowen watched as her family was destroyed by a disastrous storm that uprooted her life.  Now in her late teens, an unexpected encounter with a boy named Tyrone sparks a life changing event."  

Holt, 19, starred as Kim in the Disney XD series Kickin' It and previously voiced Spider-Girl/Petra Parker on the animated series Ultimate Spider-Man.  She also appeared in the film Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast and on episodes of The Evermoor Chronicles, Dog with a Blog, and Shake It Up.

Created in 1982 by Bill Mantlo and Ed Hannigan, Cloak and Dagger first appeared in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #64 as pair of runaways who met in New York City. Tyrone was a 17-year-old boy from Boston, Massachusetts with a debilitating stutter who ran away to New York City when his speech impediment prevented him from stopping his friend from being shot by police, who mistakenly believed he had just robbed a store.  Tandy was a 16-year-old girl from a privileged upbringing in Shaker Heights, Ohio, who ran away because her multi-millionaire supermodel mother was too busy with her career and social life to spend time with her daughter.  When they met, Tyrone considered stealing Tandy's purse, but before he could, a thief stole the purse and Tyrone retrieved it for her. Afterwards, they had dinner and became fast friends.

After Tandy naïvely accepted an offer of shelter from some strange men, Tyrone went along to protect her.  The two teens were soon delivered to criminal chemist Simon Marshall, who was developing a new synthetic heroin for Silvermane and the Maggia, testing it on runaway teens with fatal results.  Johnson and Bowen somehow survived injections of the drug, and they fled.  During their escape, the drug turned them into superpowered beings, later retconned that they were both actually mutants and that the drug had simply awakened their latent abilities.  Tyrone found himself engulfed in darkness and seized by a strange hunger which eased in the presence of Tandy glowing with a brilliant light.  Trying to hide his newly shadowy appearance in a makeshift cloak, Tyrone began absorbing Marshall's thugs into his darkness while Tandy struck them down with daggers of light.  The two teens dubbed themselves "Cloak & Dagger" and declared war on drug crime in combating drug-dealers and helping runaway children.

This will be the first time the characters have appeared in live-action, although they were on the animated series Ultimate Spider-Man, with Cloak voiced by Phil LaMarr and Dagger voiced by Ashley Eckstein.

Cloak and Dagger is expected to debut on Freeform sometime in 2018.

DOCTOR WHO: Memories of the War Doctor

"Great men are forged in fire.  It is the privilege of lesser men to light the flame, whatever the cost."
-- The War Doctor, Doctor Who: "The Day of the Doctor"

Three days ago, the world lost noted English actor Sir John Hurt, better known to Doctor Who fans as the War Doctor, although his death at the age of 77 wasn't announced until yesterday.  Hurt's career spanned six decades, including such classic films as The Elephant Man, 1984, Alien, Spaceballs, V for Vendetta, Hellboy, Contact, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Snowpiercer, and the Harry Potter films.  The man, quite simply, was a legend, which made his decision to become such a integral part of the Doctor Who mythos so wonderful.

We got our first glimpse of the War Doctor in 2013's "The Name of the Doctor", the Series Seven finale, where Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor and his companion Clara Oswald encounter a mysterious stranger the Doctor ominously describes as "The one who broke the promise". Clara suddenly collapses from exhaustion, and as the Doctor picks her up, the stranger addresses the Doctor, saying "What I did, I did without choice...in the name of peace and sanity", to which the Doctor replies angrily, "But not in the name of The Doctor."  As the Doctor carries Clara away, the stranger turns around to reveal an elderly bearded man and an on-screen caption states "Introducing John Hurt as The Doctor."  Needless to say, fans (including myself) who watched this on BBC America were stunned by the cliffhanger and positively squirmed at the idea of having to wait six months to find out what that damn caption meant.

On November 23, 2013, Doctor Who's 50th anniversary special, "The Day of the Doctor", finally revealed the War Doctor as a previously unknown and unmentioned incarnation of the Doctor between Paul McGann's Eighth Doctor and Christopher Eccleston's Ninth Doctor.  Created by writer and showrunner Steven Moffat as a replacement character because Eccleston declined to return for the anniversary special, the War Doctor fought in the Time War as a warrior and was responsible for the planet Gallifrey's destruction, an act which tormented his later incarnations. Hurt's war-weary and grumpy performance won fans over quickly, especially when he began interacting with the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors and felt like a character "worthy" of being one of the Doctor's incarnations.  At the end of the special, we were sad to see the War Doctor regenerate into the Ninth Doctor, officially connecting the Eighth and Ninth Doctors in continuity, and simply hoped he might return someday, however unlikely that was.

In 2014, the War Doctor turned up again, this time in his first Doctor Who novel, Engines of War, written by George Mann.  Yeah, this wasn't as good as seeing the War Doctor on television again, but at least it was something with the character. With so much of the Time War still unrevealed, there was a lot of untapped potential to be explored and it was fun to get a proper War Doctor adventure at last.  In the story, the TARDIS crashes on the planet Moldox following a battle with Dalek saucers, where the Doctor meets a human resistance fighter Cinder, a young woman whose family were killed by the Daleks when she was a child.  The Doctor learns that the Eternity Circle, a group of Daleks created by the Dalek Emperor, have produced temporal weapons which they plan to use against the Time Lords, removing them from history.  Travelling to Gallifrey to warn the Time Lords, he finds them preparing to counterattack using a weapon that will cause the death of billions, Dalek and non-Dalek alike.  Mann's novel was satisfying, in my humble opinion, but it still wasn't the same as hearing Hurt's gravelly voice once again.

Big Finish Productions came to our collective rescue in 2015, with John Hurt reprising his role of the War Doctor at long last in a series of three audio adventure sets.  The first War Doctor audio adventure, "The Innocent", arrived with the first set, Only the Monstrous, and gave the War Doctor his own militaristic theme arrangement by Howard Carter and a supporting character in the form of a manipulative Time Lady, Cardinal Ollistra.  The Big Finish audios essentially created a War Doctor "TV season" of twelve stories total where Hurt was able to develop his Doctor beyond the 50th anniversary story.  The final set of three audio adventures, Casualties of War, is slated to be released by Big Finish in February, including Hurt's final story as the War Doctor, "The Enigma Dimension".

Unless the role is recast at some point in the future, there will probably be "No more" adventures of the War Doctor.  Although the character's time with us was short and sweet, if a bit grumpy along the way, John Hurt's performances will be cherished by Doctor Who fans all over the world for decades to come.  

THE FLASH Movie Script To Be Completely Rewritten

The Fastest Man Alive is being slowed down once again.

Variety revealed yesterday that Warner Bros. is taking The Flash movie adaptation in a different direction and has brought in Joby Harold to completely rewrite the script.  This latest delay makes it unlikely the movie will reach its planned 2018 release date.

According to the article, former director Rick Famuyiwa had written the latest draft and Variety's sources claim "the original reason for his departure had to do with executives disagreeing with where he had taken the script."  Seth Grahame-Smith, another former director on the film, had also written a previous draft.

Harold is an English screenwriter who previously worked with Warner Bros. on Army of the Dead and the adaptation of Frank Miller's Ronin.  He also created a franchise series based on the Arthurian legend for Warner Bros., which will debut in May 2017 with King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, directed by Guy Ritchie.  In addition, he served as executive producer on the film Edge of Tomorrow and as writer/director of the film Awake.

Meanwhile, The Flash star Ezra Miller will next appear in the Justice League movie this November and will return as Credence Barebone in the 2018 sequel to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.  Joining Miller on The Flash are Kiersey Clemons as Iris West and Billy Crudup as Henry Allen.

Miller's Justice League co-star Ray Fisher was reported to reprise his role as Cyborg in The Flash, but that may change, depending on how the studio wants to proceed.

NEXT STOP EVERYWHERE 073: "The Pirate Planet" is Up!

"What is it you're really up to, eh?  What do you want?  You don't want to take over the universe do you?  No...You wouldn't know what to do with it beyond shout at it."

– The Fourth Doctor to The Pirate Captain, Doctor Who: "The Pirate Planet"

That's right, my partner in time Jesse Jackson and I are back once again with a new episode of Next Stop Everywhere: The Doctor Who Podcast!  In this episode, we review "The Pirate Planet", the second serial from Season 16, a.k.a. "The Key to Time" season, starring Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor, Mary Tamm as the First Romana, and John Leeson as the voice of K-9!

This time, Jesse and I discuss things like the Pirate Captain being like Donald Trump, Peter Capaldi showing up for the Women's March, Douglas Adams writing for Doctor Who before The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the Red Woman on Game of Thrones, a special appearance by Jesse's son's dog Charlie, Romana trying to instruct the Doctor on how to fly the TARDIS, Tom Baker reciting Douglas Adams' lines, the TARDIS being a vintage time machine, Romana being prettier than the Doctor, the Fourth Doctor's neverending supply of jelly babies, robot dog vs. robot parrot, the Fourth Doctor walking the plank, wondering how the Fourth Doctor doesn't track mud into the TARDIS with his ridiculously long scarf, my Reverse the Reverse the Polarity segment, some feedback from Fred Firestine, more pimping of Ghostwood: The Twin Peaks Podcast, and more!

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

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And hey, if you'd like to pick up the officially official Next Stop Everywhere t-shirt, you can find it on TeePublic right HERE!  Help support the show and feel free to post pictures on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back soon as Jesse and I review "The Stones of Blood", the third serial from Season 16, a.k.a. "The Key to Time" season, starring Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor, Mary Tamm as the First Romana, and John Leeson as the voice of K-9!  Look for more of Next Stop Everywhere on iTunes, Google Play Music, YouTube, Libsyn, Soundcloud, Sticher, and the official Southgate Media Group website!

THE FANDOM ZONE 089: "Stewardess Interruptus" is Up!

"I'll need a list of everyone you've slept with in the past eight weeks."
"Right.  You'll need a much bigger notepad."
– Chloe Decker and Lucifer Morningstar, Lucifer.: "Stewardess Interruptus"

With our technical issues finally resolved, Karen and I are back with a new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast!

This week's reviews of comics on television include:

Gotham 3x12: "Ghosts"  (Midseason Premiere)

Lucifer 2x11: "Stewardess Interruptus"  (Midseason Premiere)

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 4x10: "The Patriot"

This time, we talk about things like my Heat Wave action figure, what director Eagle Egilsson looks like, why it's hard to listen to someone else's viewpoint when you're being called a communist, Victor Zsasz being really polite about killing Jim Gordon, Carmine Falcone as Catwoman's real father, why Stabby Babs is in deep trouble with the Riddler, Alfred hitting on Catmom, wondering why Gordon and Bullock didn't call for backup to break up a rally of Jerome cultists, Lucifer finding out all of his sexual partners don't care about him emotionally, Detective Douche's exposed secret, Lucifer being skeeved out by his stalker, Lucifer and Chloe's first kiss, Mazikeen pouring a bottle of vodka on her cereal, the fallacy of being sucked out of an airplane, The Patriot's exposed secret, using a decapitated android head to intimidate someone, Fitz's alternative use for Aida's decapitated head, the return of Justina's feedback, more pimping of Ghostwood: The Twin Peaks Podcast, and more!

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And if that isn't enough for you, you can also check us out on YouTube, Libsyn, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and the official Southgate Media Group website!  Oh, and if you're interested in an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing, you can get those on 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, as we review the midseason premieres of Supergirl, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and Arrow, along with new episodes of Gotham, Lucifer, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., right here on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

GHOSTWOOD 002: "The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer" is Up!

"Are you real, BOB?"
"TO YOU, I AM THE ONLY REALITY THERE IS."
"Who are you really?"
"I AM WHAT YOU FEAR I COULD BE."

-- Laura Palmer and BOB, The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer

That's right, my co-host with the most Xan Sprouse and I are back once again with a new episode of Ghostwood: The Twin Peaks Podcast!  This time, we review The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer, the 1990 Pocket Books fictional diary novel by Jennifer Lynch, daughter of Twin Peaks co-creator David Lynch!

LET'S ROCK!

In our second HUGE episode, Xan and I discuss things like giving a shoutout to my Star Trek: Strange New Worlds II short story publisher, the novel as a companion piece to the TV series, our first feedback from listener Geoff Gentry, Twin Peaks as the internet buzzworthy show before the internet, remember the late Miguel Ferrer, Laura's childhood innocence, Xan's fake name when meeting boys, Laura's reefer madness and increasing drug use, Doc Hayward as the finest man Laura has ever known, Laura projecting her own self-loathing onto Bobby Briggs, Ronette Pulaski not being as strong as Laura, Johnny Horne's love for Laura, running down the list of people Laura had sex with, Harold Smith's love for Laura, Josie Packard putting the moves on Laura, Dr. Jacoby's love for Laura, Laura dominating Blackie, pretending that Laura Palmer's homecoming queen picture is a photo of someone in your family, Laura hooking up with James Hurley, Laura's final downward spiral and her realization of who BOB is, wanting to take a shower after reading the book, today's helicopter parents vs. back in the day, wondering how much Sarah Palmer knew about what was going on, the premiere date of the new Twin Peaks episode, running down our upcoming episode schedule, speculating on the first official image of Kyle MacLachlan's return as Dale Cooper, and more!

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Be sure to come back next month as Xan and I review Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, the 1992 cult film directed by David Lynch that served as a prequel to the television series! Look for more of Ghostwood: The Twin Peaks Podcast on iTunes, YouTube, Libsyn, and the official Southgate Media Group website!

President Trump Plagiarizes Bane During Inauguration Address

Oh, boy.  First, Melania Trump plagiarized Michelle Obama in a speech and now this.

President Donald Trump was officially sworn in as the 45th President of the United States earlier today, delivering an inauguration address that Batman movie fans may find disturbingly familiar.

During his address to the nation, Trump declared, "Today’s ceremony, however, has very special meaning.  Because today, we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another or from one party to another.  We are transferring power from Washington D.C. and giving it back to you...the people.  For too long, a small group in our nation’s capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost.  Washington flourished but the people did not share in its wealth.  Politicians prospered but the jobs left and the factories closed.  The establishment protected itself but not the citizens of our country.  Their victories have not been your victories.  Their triumphs have not been your triumphs and while they celebrated in our nation’s capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.  That all changes starting right here and right now because this moment is your moment.  It belongs to you."

If that rings some bells, Bane, the Batman villain featured in the 2012 Christopher Nolan film The Dark Knight Rises,  "We take Gotham from the corrupt!  The rich!  The oppressors of generations who have kept you down with myths of opportunity, and we give it back to you...the people.  Gotham is yours.  None shall interfere.  Do as you please.  Start by storming Blackgate, and freeing the oppressed!  Step forward those who would serve.  For an army will be raised.  The powerful will be ripped from their decadent nests, and cast out into the cold world that we know and endure.  Courts will be convened.  Spoils will be enjoyed. Blood will be shed.  The police will survive, as they learn to serve true justice.  This great city...it will endure.  Gotham will survive!"

If you'd like to see the comparison for yourself, you can check out below thanks to YouTube account Tilo Jung...



Gary Oldman had better hurry up and turn on the Bat Signal before it's too late...

NEXT STOP EVERYWHERE 072: "The Ribos Operation" is Up!

"What's your name?"
"Romanadvoratrelundar."
"By the time I've called that out, you could be dead!  I'll call you Romana."
"I don't like Romana."
"It's either Romana...or Fred."
"All right, call me Fred!"
"Good.  Come on, Romana!"

– The Fourth Doctor and the First Romana, Doctor Who: "The Ribos Operation"

You guessed it, my partner in time Jesse Jackson and I are back once again with a new episode of Next Stop Everywhere: The Doctor Who Podcast!  In our first episode of 2017 (for those of you who follow linear time), we review "The Ribos Operation", the first serial from Season 16, a.k.a. "The Key to Time" season, starring Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor, Mary Tamm as the First Romana, and John Leeson as the voice of K-9!

This time, Jesse and I discuss things like health updates on my cat Keiko and Jesse, the first appearance of the White Guardian, the Doctor having Romana forced upon him as a companion, the older, experienced Doctor paired with the younger, know-it-all Romana, wondering if J.K. Rowling swiped the idea of Horcruxes in the Harry Potter saga from the Key to Time, wanting Romana to return in the modern era, the story of Binro the Heretic, my Reverse the Reverse the Polarity segment, teasing the rest of the Key to Time season, some Series 10 news, and more!

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

Google Play Music -- RIGHT HERE

iTunes -- RIGHT HERE

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Direct MP3 downloads/Libsyn --  RIGHT HERE

Next Stop Everywhere's Facebook page

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And hey, if you'd like to pick up the officially official Next Stop Everywhere t-shirt, you can find it on TeePublic right HERE!  Help support the show and feel free to post pictures on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back soon as Jesse and I review "The Pirate Planet", the second serial from Season 16, a.k.a. "The Key to Time" season, starring Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor, Mary Tamm as the First Romana, and John Leeson as the voice of K-9!  Look for more of Next Stop Everywhere on iTunes, Google Play Music, YouTube, Libsyn, Soundcloud, Sticher, and the official Southgate Media Group website!

STAR TREK: DISCOVERY Casts James Frain as Sarek

I hope this doesn't mean Sarek is going to be a villain...because James Frain.

Deadline has word that the upcoming CBS All Access series Star Trek: Discovery has cast James Frain as Spock's father, Sarek.  

Frain, 48, has appeared in numerous comics, science fiction and horror projects, including the television series Gotham (as Azrael/Theo Galavan), Orphan Black (as Ferdinand), Agent Carter (as Leet Brannis), Intruders, Sleepy Hollow, Grimm, The Cape, True Blood (as Franklin Mott), FlashForward, Fringe, Invasion, and Threshold.  He was also featured on the Showtime series The Tudors as Thomas Cromwell, and appeared in the films Tron: Legacy, The Lone Ranger (2013), and Water for Elephants.

Set roughly a decade before the events of the original Star Trek series, the series follows the crew of the USS Discovery as they discover new worlds and civilizations, while exploring the franchise's signature contemporary themes.  The season-long storyline will revolve around "an incident and an event in Star Trek history that's been talked about but never been explored."

In addition, the article notes that there may be a delay with the series premiere, with a statement from CBS saying "Production on Star Trek: Discovery begins next week.  We love the cast, the scripts and are excited about the world the producers have created.  This is an ambitious project; we will be flexible on a launch date if it’s best for the show.  We’ve said from the beginning it’s more important to do this right than to do it fast.  There is also added flexibility presenting on CBS All Access, which isn’t beholden to seasonal premieres or launch windows."

Created in 1967 by D.C. Fontana, Sarek first appeared in the original Star Trek series episode "Journey to Babel" as the Vulcan ambassador to the United Federation of Planets, father of Spock, and husband of Amanda Grayson.  Born in 2165, Sarek is the son of Skon of Vulcan.  Sarek was married twice, and had two sons. Prior to his first marriage, he had a relationship with the Vulcan priestess, T'Rei, which produced Sarek's first son Sybok, a character not developed until the film Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.  Sarek later married Amanda Grayson, a native of the planet Earth.  After Amanda's death, Sarek married Perrin, another human, who survived his death.  Sarek and Perrin had no children.

Sarek's second son, Spock, entered Starfleet Academy. Sarek opposed the decision, and the two were estranged for 18 years.  Following an Enterprise mission where Spock helped save Sarek's life, the two reconciled.

In the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Sarek", Sarek suffered from Bendii Syndrome, an incurable and terminal neurological degenerative illness that made him lose control of his emotions.  Having established a mind-meld with Jean-Luc Picard, Sarek was able to continue with an important diplomatic mission, but his emotions were expressed privately through Picard, among them his deep love for Amanda, Spock, and Perrin.  Sarek finally succumbed to Bendii Syndrome, dying in the Next Generation episode "Unification, Part I", which was set in the year 2368.

An alternate timeline version of Sarek appeared in the 2009 Star Trek film. Despite being respectful of Spock's ability to make his own choices as a boy, Sarek encouraged him to maintain his logical Vulcan nature.  Sarek maintained that he married Amanda because it was logical to do so, since as the Vulcan ambassador, it would fall upon Sarek to observe human behavior.  Sarek served on the board of the Vulcan Science Academy, and was surprised to learn that his son turned down admission in favor of joining Starfleet.

An insane Romulan captain, Nero, later made his intention to destroy Vulcan, and Spock arrived to transport Sarek, Amanda, and the rest of the Vulcan elders to safety, but Amanda was lost in the attempt.  After Kirk provoked Spock to force him to relinquish command, only Sarek's stern voice calmed the enraged half-Vulcan.  Sarek advised Spock that if he felt anger (at Vulcan's destruction and Amanda's death), then he should not try to hide it.

Frain will be the third actor to portray Sarek in live-action, after Mark Lenard in the television series Star Trek, Star Trek: The Animated Series and Star Trek: The Next Generation, and the films Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country; and Ben Cross in the 2009 film Star Trek.

Star Trek: Discovery is currently scheduled to debut on CBS in May 2017, with the remainder of the episodes airing on CBS All Access.

THE FANDOM ZONE 088: "Broken Promises" is Up!

"First of all, that thing is not a she -- It's a damn robot.  And second of all, what is the matter with you two chuckleheads?  Have either one of you seen a movie in the last thirty years? The robots always attack."
– Alphonso "Mack" Mackenize, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: "Broken Promises"

We know, it's been a while, but Karen and I are finally back with our first episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast for 2017!

This week's reviews of comics on television include:

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 4x09: "Broken Promises" (Midseason Premiere)

Luke Cage 1x12 -- "Soliloquy of Chaos"

Luke Cage 1x13 -- "You Know My Steez" (Season 1 Finale)

This time, we talk about things like our latest batch of technical difficulties, Mack and Yo-Yo's love of robot movies, wondering why Senator Nadeer considers her brother an alien, wondering who's bankrolling the Watchdogs, Radcliffe's abrupt heel turn, a quick explanation of the Inhumans royal family, being surprised if Patton Oswalt's character Koenig doesn't turn out to be an LMD, my new Daredevil and Katana Funko POP figures, wondering what Jeffrey Mace's agenda is, Vijay being stuck in another Terrigenesis cocoon after spending months in a Terrigenesis cocoon, our fondness for 5 1/4" floppy disks, Karen throwing off people in roundtable discussions, Luke Cage meeting Method Man, Diamondback's costume fail, Luke trapping Turk in a dumpster with nasty diapers, Pop's Barbershop taking another beating, Mariah dropping Luke Cage's real name on TV, why Luke should get Foggy Nelson to get him out of prison instead of Matt Murdock, the meaning of the word "decimated", why a traceable burner phone makes no sense whatsoever, running down the upcoming Netflix Marvel shows, getting trapped in another Star Trek vs. Star Wars debate, pimping the first episode of Ghostwood: The Twin Peaks Podcast, and more!

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

Google Play Music -- HERE 

iTunes -- HERE

Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- HERE

The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- HERE

The Fandom Zone on Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast

And if that isn't enough for you, you can also check us out on YouTube, Libsyn, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and the official Southgate Media Group website!  Oh, and if you're interested in an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing, you can get those on 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, as we review the midseason premieres of Gotham and Lucifer, and a new episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., right here on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

GHOSTWOOD 001: "The Secret History of Twin Peaks" is Up!

"I have no idea where this will lead us, but I have a definite feeling it will be a place both wonderful and strange."

-- Special Agent Dale Cooper, Twin Peaks: "On the Wings of Love"

My socks are on fire!  After months of teasing this project, I'm very proud to announce that my friend and co-host Xan Sprouse and I have just launched our brand-new podcast, Ghostwood: The Twin Peaks Podcast, as part of the Southgate Media Group.  Our first introductory episode, "The Secret History of Twin Peaks" was posted this afternoon and we hope you'll give us a listen!

In addition, we've set up a Ghostwood show page on Facebook, which you can check out HERE, and we're also on Twitter using the account @GhostwoodCast.  Be sure to share these with all of your friends, archenemies, FBI secret agents, sidekicks, love interests, zombie attackers, alien owls, otherdimensional beings, whomever, and help build our new podcast into something special.

In our first HUGE episode, Xan and I discuss the new Twin Peaks novel The Secret History of Twin Peaks by co-creator Mark Frost, and things like how we became Twin Peaks fans back in the day, what it felt like to be the only person at school that knew who Bauhaus is, being a Twin Peaks fan in the Stone Age before the Interwebz, getting Xan's husband Chris to become a Twin Peaks fan, wondering why Gordon Cole hasn't upgraded his hearing aids to an implant, wondering if FBI Special Agent Tamara Preston will be in the new 2017 Showtime series, being freaked out by the late Frank Silva as BOB crawling over furniture toward the camera, speculating if Ray Wise will replace Frank Silva as BOB, wondering why Major Briggs compiled a dossier on everyone, wondering why Ben Horne went ahead with the Ghostwood development, the various continuity discrepancies in Frost's novel, wondering why Donna and James didn't just go to the police and get a warrant to search Harold Smith's house for Laura's diary, Xan's defense of Bobby Briggs, wondering if Twin Peaks would receive better recognition if it debuted now rather than in 1990, and more!

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

iTunes -- RIGHT HERE

Direct MP3 downloads/Libsyn --  RIGHT HERE

YouTube -- RIGHT HERE

Google Play Music -- COMING SOON!

Ghostwood's Facebook page

Ghostwood's Twitter account

Be sure to come back soon as Xan and I review The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer, the 1990 fictional diary novel by Jennifer Lynch!  Look for more of Ghostwood: The Twin Peaks Podcast on iTunes, Google Play Music, YouTube, Libsyn, and the official Southgate Media Group website!