Sci Fi TV News: Weekly digest of the recent news and updates relating to sci fi and fantasy television.
Nathan Fillion has been teasing something big related to Firefly for the past few weeks with videos of him getting the cast back together, and the announcement finally came at Awesome Con yesterday. The series will be returning in animated form with the entire original cast voicing their characters. The animated revival is coming from Fillion’s production banner Collision33 in partnership with 20th Television Animation. Marc Guggenheim (Legends of Tomorrow, Arrow) and Tara Butters (Agent Carter, Reaper) will be onboard as showrunners, and scripts for the series have been completed. Joss Wheden–who has become persona non grata in Hollywood because of claims of abusive behavior on set–will not be involved, but he has given the project his blessing. The series will take place between the events of the first season and the theatrical film Serenity, allowing for a further development of the storylines originally introduced in the show. Fillion had the following to say about the new series:
The dedication of Firefly fans has kept this 25-year-old show relevant. Clearly, the return of Firefly is something the fans want. More importantly, it’s something they deserve.
A venue has not been set for the new show yet, but Hulu and Disney+ look like a good bet at this point because Disney owns the property due to its buyout of 20th Century Entertainment, and the live-actions series has been streaming on Hulu for years. I have not seen a production announcement for the animated series in Production Weekly yet, but I expect that will come soon, and this one is likely targeting a 2027 premiere. So Browncoats can rejoice because their beloved series is finally returning after over 25 years!
In related Whedon-verse news, Hulu has decided not to go forward with the revival of Buffy the Vampire Slayer it has had in the works this past year. To be titled Buffy: New Sunnydale, a pilot was produced with Sarah Michelle returning to the title role as she trained a new slayer to be played by Ryan Kiera Armstrong. Hamnet‘s Chloé Zhao directed the pilot, but word is that it was considered “not perfect” and Hulu execs decided to pass. It is unlikely that the pilot will be shopped around since Disney owns the property after its buyout of 20th Century Fox. But there is word that Hulu may try to retool it and take another stab at reviving the series. There was definitely some excitement among fans for a return of Buffy, so perhaps this will still happen at some point.
Two more episodes of the 1965 Doctor Who serial “The Daleks Master Plan” have been discovered which means that five of the twelve total episodes exist in viewable format. The eps “The Nightmare Begins” and “Devil’s Planet” were discovered in a cardboard box in a collection of vintage films. The serial, which was written by Terry Nation and starred William Hartnell, was the longest for Doctor Who until the ’80s, but it was considered too violent, and it was not sold overseas to Australia and New Zealand. It was then ordered to be wiped because it was thought to have little future value. There is reason to believe that there might still be copies of other erased episodes, so the search to complete this serial continues. The two recently discovered eps will be screened at a special event in early April, though not all the details for that are available at this point.
In scheduling news, the ninth season of Rick & Morty has received a May 24th premiere date on Adult Swim. Also, the third season of AMC’s Interview with the Vampire, to be titled The Vampire Lestat, will be arriving on June 7th. In addition, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds co-showrunner Henry Alonso Myers has indicated that the fourth season of that show will be arriving in late Summer. You can keep up with all the upcoming sci fi and fantasy TV premieres at this link.
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Sci Fi TV Premieres This Week:
Invincible (Prime Video): Season 4 continues the story of Mark Grayson as he struggles to protect Earth while dealing with the aftermath of recent devastating battles and the growing threat of the powerful Viltrumite Empire. As new enemies emerge—including the ruthless Viltrumite leader Thragg and other dangerous adversaries—Mark must gather allies and prepare for an escalating interplanetary conflict. At the same time, he wrestles with personal challenges, moral dilemmas, and the pressure of living up to the legacy of his father, Omni-Man. The season builds toward a larger cosmic war that could determine the fate of Earth and the galaxy. Premieres on Wednesday.
You can see the full schedule at this link.
