Well it’s been a crazy week and a half, what with Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, et al passing away, more Plane Crashes, Heatwaves etc. Even today we’ve heard that due to the heat two police dogs have died in a police car – our thoughts go out to the families of Cagney and Lacey.

I’m starting to wonder if they’re all in fact interlinked? I know at least two of the incidents have something in common – Michael Jackson and Air France Flight 477.

NeverLand.

So Geeks….

Rumours are abound, ok it’s in ‘The Sun’ but it’s still interesting, that Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt may be ending their ‘Mighty Boosh’ partnership.

According to ‘sources’ the pair have conflicting interests, making it difficult for them to find time to write together.

“The boys simply have different priorities now,” the source is quoted as saying. “Julian is in love with family life and sees a wild night out as a pint in his local pub. Noel still loves the party scene. He also wants to get out to the US where the ‘Boosh’ is a big hit on the Adult Swim network.”

They added: “Julian isn’t as excited and fans are running a sweepstake on the ‘Mighty Boosh’ forum about him not showing up for their slot at the Comic-Con convention in San Diego on July 24.”

The source stressed that the pair remain firm friends, saying: “They still love each other but have taken different paths and I can’t see where the ‘Boosh’ can go now.”

I do enjoy ‘The Boosh’ but I do feel that it’s gone a bit stale of late; maybe a bit of a break will do the duo some good.

Lost star Mark Pellegrino has joined the cast of ‘Supernatural’. He’s everywhere isn’t he? There’s a credit crisis for god’s sake, let someone else have a go!

According to Entertainment Weekly, the actor – who was unveiled as Jacob at the end of ‘Lost’s fifth season and had previously appeared in ‘Dexter’, as Rita’s abusive ex – has been cast as Lucifer on the CW drama series. So he’s been a drug addicted wife beater, now Lucifer – I’m not sure whether I trust ‘Jacob’ anymore now…

Pellegrino will first show up in the new season premiere on September 10 in the US.

In further ‘Lost’ related news, he upcoming final season of Lost will run to 18 episodes, ABC has confirmed. The news means that the show’s sixth season will have one hour more than was originally planned. Good ‘cos the cold turkey is killing me at the mo!

According to Entertainment Weekly, the final season will include a two-hour premiere and a two-hour finale. Niccceeee.

FX is the best channel on TV – fact. True Blood began on the channel last week, and the next night picked up two gongs at the Broadcast Digital Awards (Best Digital Channel and Best Entertainment Channel). Debuting shows over these shores such as ‘The Wire’, ‘Generation Kill’, ‘Breaking Bad’ (the second series was snapped up by Five by the way) and ‘Dexter’, It is still probably the best channel that no-one watches. Now we have another show on the way from HBO.

Comedy series Eastbound & Down tells the story of ex-baseball player Kenny Powers (Danny McBride). Kenny threw his career away and is now forced to go back to hometown and teach PE at his old school. Despite this career comedown, he still behaves like a celebrity, which pretty much alienates all he knows. That’s the comedy element.

The series is executively produced by Will Ferrell, who also makes a few appearances. Exciting eh? We all love a bit of ‘Frank the Tank’.

FX has signed up the first two series, which is apparently part of a wider move into comedy.“We’re keen to push into comedy and Eastbound & Down represents this,” said FX UK managing director Jason Thorp. “It’s an excellent script and we’re very confident our audiences will love it.”

News on airing dates as soon as I get them!

As they say on Shampoo adverts, here’s the science bit.

‘CSI: Miami’s’ return to Five this week pulled in the drama’s best ever ratings.

The seventh season debut, attracted 3.77m (18.2%) to Five, making it the most-watched programme during the 9pm hour. Bit of a coup for Five.

Its nearest rival, a repeat of ‘Waking The Dead’, put in 3.14m (15.1%) for BBC One.

The penultimate episode of ITV1′s ‘Ladette To Lady’ was seen by 3.07m (14.8%), ‘The Conspiracy Files’ – focusing on the the 7/7 London bombings – had 1.4m (6.8%) for BBC Two, and 750k (3.6%) tuned in for Channel 4′s ‘Dispatches: Terror In Mumbai’.

Elsewhere, Sci Fi’s ‘Knight Rider’ managed 224k (1.27%) during the 8pm hour. ‘Dollhouse’ followed at 9pm, grabbing 115k (0.61%). Both seem to be struggling a bit.

The latest episode of ‘Ghost Whisperer’ performed well for Living, putting in 374k (2%) during the 9pm hour.

ABC has picked up FtvS-produced sci-fi series ‘Gravity’, says ‘The Hollywood Reporter’.

The show, starring Ron Livingston, Laura Harris, Christina Cox, Malik Yoba and Florentine Lahme, revolves around eight astronauts who undertake a mysterious six-year mission through the solar system. We love a bit of Sci-Fi action don’t we?

“Since we originally pitched ‘Gravity’ to the international marketplace as ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ in space, getting the series on the network that has ‘Grey’s’ and makes the most successful sci-fi show on TV in ‘Lost’ is a good fit,” FtvS vice president David Madden said.

The 13-episode series is slated to air on ABC this summer.

Sci Fi Uk has secured the rights to the first two series’ of sword and sorcery fantasy epic ‘Legend of the Seeker’, executive produced by Spider-Man director Sam Raimi, and the second series of Joss Whedon’s ‘Dollhouse’.

‘Legend of the Seeker, is produced by the team behind TV hits Hercules and Xena Warrior Princess. The show, based on fantasy author Terry Goodkind’s best-selling series of books ‘The Sword of Truth’, has been acquired from Disney-ABC-ESPN Television. Each series consists of 22 hour-long episodes.

Sci Fi has also acquired the first run pay-TV rights to the second season of ‘Dollhouse’.

In the US the first series ran to 12 episodes with the 13th, a “post-apocalyptic instalment”, reserved for release in the US on DVD-only later this month. However, Sci Fi in the UK has reached a deal to air as the US DVD-only season finale on 11 August. Good old blighty!

Now this sounds cooooolll.

The battle between the ZX Spectrum and BBC Micro is set to be the premise for a new BBC4 comedy drama! Wow.

The BBC4 comedy will follow the rivalry between the home-computer creators, with Alexander Armstrong and Martin Freeman. Ok not the greatest casting, but if the script kicks ass this could be a winner.

The show, which is currently in production with an expected broadcast date later this year, will focus on the rivalry between the maverick Sir Clive Sinclair, played by Armstrong, and his former colleague Chris Curry, portrayed by Freeman. It has the working title ‘Syntax Era’. Slick.

Made by Darlow Smithson, the independent producer behind Touching the Void and The Diary of Anne Frank, it is described as an “affectionately comic account” of the race for home computer supremacy, with Sinclair’s ZX Spectrum and C5 battling Curry’s BBC Micro.

Richard Klein, controller of BBC4, said: “Those of us who lived through the 1980s will remember the sense of excitement when gadgets and technology started to appear in our homes, but not many of us will know the fascinating stories behind their arrival.

“Alexander Armstrong and Martin Freeman are excellent choices to portray Sir Clive Sinclair and Chris Curry at a time when battling to have the UK’s most-loved home computer was their number one priority.”

Written by Tony Saint, the 90-minute drama will use archive footage to illustrate the buzz around Sinclair and Curry’s inventions, with classic clips from programmes such as ‘John Craven’s Newsround’. I never thought I’d Italic that show in my column, ever.

‘Syntax Era’ will be directed by Saul Metzstein and produced by Andrea Cornwell, with Jamie Laurenson executive producing. I’m as excited as a Scot with a tenner on Murray.

Finally, don’t miss the new series of ‘Mock The Week’ which starts on BBC2 next Thursday at 9pm. Host Dara O’Briain is joined by regulars Frankie Boyle, Hugh Dennis, Russell Howard and Andy Parsons, plus special guests Frank Skinner and Gina Yashere (Whoever she is).

That’s it from me for another week – have a good one!

Related posts:

1. Behind The Screen
2. Behind The Screen – 3rd April 2009
3. Behind The Screen
4. Behind The Screen!
5. Behind The Screen