I've always had a fond appreciation for Mazinger Z. I think it was 1978 or 1979 when we actually got to see this anime in the Philippines. It was phenomenal- kids would run straight home right after school to catch these huge-ass robots slug it out with other evil huge-ass robots; there was nothing on TV like it.

Aside from the other Mecha shows, of course. At the time, other than Mazinger Z, there were Voltes V, Daimos, Mekanda Robot, UFO Grendaizer on one TV station (GMA 7), and then you had Balatak, Jeeg, Danguard Ace, Striker Force and Star Zinger on another (RPN 9). Of course there were others later on (Getta Robot, Gaiking, etc.), so maybe I'll blog all about these other mecha shows in another post.

Anyway, Mazinger Z was the very first mecha anime that came out- Wednesdays, I remember. For a cartoon, the theme was rather different from other usual animated fare at the time, like say, SuperFriends, or Disney movies or stuff from Hanna Barbera.

Mazinger Z ushered in a host of new mecha shows that were a lot more violent, darker, and perhaps a little more mature. Looking back, maybe it was a little too violent for kids (I was 5 or 6 at the time). But as far as mecha anime shows go, Mazinger Z set the conventions which would later be used by similar programs, and set the standard for a great super-robot series.

Check out this great Mazinger Z pic by Jose Liepana. Totally awesome.

The Mazinger Z Story

An archeological research team digs up an ancient civilization (said to be the Myceneans) on an island (which may have been the island of Rhodes?). The team discovers that this civilization made use of an army of giant steel titans (not unlike the legendary bronze giant, Talos), as a protection against invaders. The expedition team unearth prototypes of these titans, and start restoring them.

Realizing these giants can be remote-controlled, Dr. Hell soon sees the massive potential of these prototypes as instruments of world domination, and decides to kill off all the other members of the research team, so he can have the steel titans for his own designs. Professor Juzo Kabuto, another member of the research team, was the sole survivor of this treachery, and managed to escape to warn the world of Dr. Hell's plans.

Dr. Hell then starts building his mobile base of operations and his army of robot "beast fighters". In the meantime, Professor Kabuto builds Mazinger Z- a super-robot created out of a fictitious super-alloy (Chogokin-Z) that could only be found at the base of Mt. Fuji, and armed with an array of weaponry to stand up against Dr. Hell's mecha army.

Just as Professor Kabuto finishes Mazinger Z, he is assassinated by Dr. Hell's right-hand man, Baron Ashura. The dying professor passes on the secret of Mazinger Z to his grandson, Kouji, who then does battle with the beast fighters sent by Dr. Hell in every episode.

Mazinger Z Weapon Systems

To activate Mazinger Z, Kouji flies a specially-made hovervehicle (called the Pilder) into the super-robot's cranial cavity. This effectively allows him to interface with Mazinger Z and control the mecha's movement and access the weapon systems.

• Rocket Punch. Mazinger Z can launch his fist and forearm as a projectile that can punch through steel. These forearms then fly back to reattach themselves back to Mazinger Z's arms.
• Koshiryoku Beams. Laser beams that shoot from Mazinger Z's eyes.
• Rust Hurricane. Mazinger Z can blow out gale-force winds which can disintegrate steel
• Breast Fire. High-intensity beams powerful enough to melt metal that radiate from the red fixtures on Mazinger Z's chest.

Mazinger Z also had a female counterpart, Aphrodite A- which is piloted by the hot-blooded and tomboyish Sayaka Yumi, who also serves as Kouji's romantic interest. While Aphrodite A is also made of the same Chogokin-Z superalloy, she doesn't have much in the way of offensive weaponry. In fact, her only weapon system are missiles launched from her breasts- the Oppai Missile System.

Other Mazinger Z Facts

• Go Nagai, the legendary Japanese animator, was the creative genius behind Mazinger Z. Mecha/super-robot fans would usually credit him as the father of the super-robot anime genre, and Mazinger Z as "the mecha show that started it all". In response, Go Nagai would humbly pass the honor to two other animators and their projects: Osamu Tezuka's Tetsuwan Atom (aka "Astro Boy") and Mitsuteru Yokoyama's Tetsujin 28-go (aka "Gigantor").
  
• Mazinger Z was re-dubbed in English and re-named Tranzor Z for the US release in 1985. Many scenes considered too violent or too sexually suggestive were edited from the series, cutting down the number of episodes from 92 to 65.
• As you can see on YouTube, Mazinger Z seems to also have been popular in Italy, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Spain and the Middle East.

There were actually two Mazinger Z openings. This one I remember the most watching it as a kid (thanks to javeln, who shared this clip on YouTube):



This other opening replaces the first midway into the season (thanks to JihadAlexander, who also shared this clip on YouTube):



If you wanna check out more of Mazinger Z, you can read more about him here on his Wikipedia entry, here on the AnimeNewsNetwork, or here on TV.com. Interestingly enough, you may also want to check out Wikipedia entry on Mazinger Z's enemies-of-the-week, the "mechanical beasts".

"Crap From My Childhood" is a special feature on old cartoons and kiddie shows from the 1970s and 1980s. Read all about it on Renzie's personal blog on all things television: "Too Much TV!"

Cheers, everyone.

Remember that old eighties cartoon Spiral Zone?

Well, I can barely remember the series myself. All I have are memories of '87 or '88, catching it on some afternoons right after I get home from school.

I thought it was kick-ass though. It made a great alternative to other cartoons like G.I. Joe and the Transformers, and I liked the whole concept around the "let's-put-together-a-crack-team-of-commandos-from-around-the world" idea. Check out the intro from a clip we found on YouTube right here:

What's Spiral Zone All About

Supposedly a renegade military scientist who calls himself "The Overlord" managed to envelop a significant portion of future Earth in a strange dark mist using some new form of biological warfare.

Our main villain managed to put up "Zone Generators" which spewed forth clouds that covered vast population centers. End result: millions of people stuck in this spiral-shaped territory (thus, the title) become zombie-like thralls- or Zoners- from which The Overlord now builds his army.

Naturally, he's got himself some henchmen as well- The Black Widows- which act as his lieutenants and special agents, riding around Zoned areas in Sledge Hammers: one-man vehicles with tracked wheels, overhead guns and flails on the side. The Overlord has a special command ATV with a cannon for himself.

Anyway, the world finally unites against this global menace, and puts together a crack team of commandos to go in the Zones and blow up the Zone Generators to liberate the planet one city at a time. We got:

• Colonel Dirk Courage. American field commander. Rides around in this monocycle with this massive cannon mounted on top.
• Lieutenant Hiro Taka. The team's recon, infiltration and melee combat expert from Japan.
• 2nd Lieutenant Max Jones. The team's African-American special missions expert.
• Master Sergeant 'Tank' Schmidt. The team's heavy weapons specialist from Germany.
• Corporal Katerina Anastacia. The team's medic from the Soviet Union.

So these guys don a special body armor that renders them immune to the effects of the Zone. From a mountain base, they're flown to the mission-of-the-week via a jet transport, then ride into enemy territory in fast-attack monocycles.

Spiral Zone Now

It's hard to get a hold of clips or pictures of this old cartoon. Personally, I only have a VHS tape of a few shows myself, and I'd really like to get me a DVD copy (if I could find one). Found a website which supposedly distributed copies of the series, but it's all sold out for now.

Bandai actually had a toy line going on in Japan, years before the franchise (and the accompanying TV series) was developed for the American market. So if you're into collecting the action figures, it means that there should be a number of collectors out there with a few pieces you might be interested in.

Check out Spiral Zone on TV.com and on IMDb.com. You can also catch bits and pieces of Spiral Zone on RetroJunk, and its entry on Wikipedia.

"Crap From My Childhood" is a special feature on old cartoons and kiddie shows from the 1970s and 1980s. Read all about it on Renzie's personal blog on all things television: "Too Much TV!"

Cheers, everyone.

Thank YouTube for bringing back all those childhood memories, I always say. It's been decades since I actually saw anything Electra Woman and Dyna Girl, so featuring the clips here is really such a trip.

"Electra Woman and Dyna Girl", as I remembered was a live-action superhero (or, more appropriately, superheroine) series, which played a lot off on the popularity of the Adam West/Burt Ward "Batman" series. The show was actually part of "The Krofft Supershow", a variety show for kids, together with "Dr. Shrinker" and another old favorite, "Wonderbug".

Dierdre Hall of "Days of Our Lives" stars as Electra Woman, with Judy Strangis as her sidekick Dyna Girl. While not fighting crime, they're Lori and Judy, reporters for Newsmaker magazine.

Instead of utility belts, they each have a bulky wrist-mounted ElectraCom- which, by default, serves as their way of changing into their superheroine costumes, as well as acting as a 2-way communication device with Professor Frank Helkin (who invented the ElectraComs, btw), who's constantly monitoring their progress in the Electra-cave.

With the addition of certain cartridges, the ElectraCom can do just about anything from emitting a variety of beams, generate force fields, freeze targets, etc. depending on the mission-of-the-week.

They also have their own vehicle, the ElectraCar, which also transforms into the ElectraPlane.

70sVidKid shares with us the funky opening theme for the show on YouTube. Check it:

Also on YouTube are episodes of the show in bits and pieces. Special mention goes to spottymax for putting these up online for fans to enjoy.

• "The Sorcerer's Golden Trick". Our crime-fighting duo takes on an evil spellcaster and his plans to clean out Fort Knox. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.
  
• "Glitter Rock". Glitter Rock plans to control the country of Touremberg with his mind-controlling music. Naturally, Electra Woman and Dyna Girl are around to save the day. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.
  
• "Empress of Evil". More evil spellcasters, more traps, and more Electra Woman and Dyna Girl. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.
  
• "Ali Baba". Dyna Girl lets out her dark side on this one, as the evil Ali Baba subjects her to the power of the Metamorphosis Formula! Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.
  
• "Return of The Sorcerer". The Sorcerer is back with a vengeance, and this time he plans to steal the crown jewels of England. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.
  
• "The Pharaoh". It's mayhem in a museum as The Pharaoh steals the key to unlimited power. Just about the only episode spottymax missed putting up on YouTube.
  
• "The Spider-Lady". Okay, so this time, it's a rip-off of Spider-Man, and made into a female villain. Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.
  
• "Return of The Pharaoh". The very last set of episodes of Electra Woman and Dyna Girl. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.

In 2001, The WB commissioned a pilot for a new version of the show, this time with a more contemporary twist set 25 years after the original series. Supposedly, Electra Woman is already retired, but a fan somehow convinces her to get back into the crimefighting scene, and ends up being the new Dyna Girl.

The pilot was never picked up, but is available on YouTube (courtesy of spottymax once again) for you to check out. Here's Part 1, and here's Part 2. Enjoy.

Also, you can check out the "Electra Woman and Dyna Girl" profile on IMDb, or read up more on the show on TV.com, or their entry on Wikipedia.

"Crap From My Childhood" is a special feature on old cartoons and kiddie shows from the 1970s and 1980s. Read all about it on Renzie's personal blog on all things television: "Too Much TV!"

Cheers, everyone!

They say it's the best show on television. I say they're right.

In case you haven't heard, Battlestar Galactica's new season- season 4- premieres this Friday, April 4, on the Sci-Fi channel. We have a brand new episode coming our way, and literally picks up where the end of Season 3 has left off.

Naturally, the past several days have been spent on a marathon of Battlestar Galactica. I definitely have my favorite episodes- usually those involving the Galactica and its Vipers blasting away wave upon wave of Cylon Raiders, or some other impressive operation.

So it made me wonder: exactly what are the fans' favorite BSG episodes? I dug into TV.com's files, and here's what I dug up. I'll try to keep things as spoiler-free as possible.

The Top 10 Battlestar Galactica Episodes, according to TV.com.

1. Crossroads, Part 2. The last half of the third season-ender; season 3, episode 19. The writers threw us a curveball on this one- we find out who the four of the final five Cylons are, Baltar's trial comes to a tense conclusion, and Starbuck is back- enlightened and with a new sense of direction.

2. Pegasus. Season 2, episode 10. The Galactica runs into another colonial battlestar- the Mercury-class Pegasus. The crew is overjoyed as the two fleets join forces, until Admiral Cain- commander of the Pegasus- subsequently takes command of the new fleet. The Galactica crew learns about the harsh practices onboard Pegasus, and tension between the two battlestars quickly hit a boiling point.

3. Kobol's Last Gleaming. The first season-ender; season 1, episode 13. The Galactica discovers Kobol- the lost birthplace of humanity. This startling revelation somehow causes a split between Roslin and Adama. Roslin sends Starbuck off to a special mission. Adama sends Boomer off on a mission to blow up the Basestar orbiting Kobol. Someone is shot by a Cylon agent.

4. Resurrection Ship. Season 2, episode 12. The conflict between the two battlestars have been put on hold with the discovery of a Cylon Resurrection ship. As Galactica and Pegasus get ready for a joint attack- Adama and Cain try to outmaneuver each other to seize complete command of the military.

5. Downloaded. Season 2, episode 18. Boomer's consciousness is downloaded into a new body, and this time, she's reborn on Cylon-occupied Caprica. Number Six has been tasked to help her adjust to her new life in Cylon society.

6. Exodus. Season 3, episode 3. The Galactica returns to New Caprica, and with the aid of the Resistance, mounts a daring rescue operation to evacuate the Cylon-occupied planet.

7. Pilot, Part 2. The second half of the 2003 miniseries that kick-started the re-imagined BSG universe. It has been 40 years since the First Cylon War, and war has once again descended upon the Colonies, this time the Cylons wiping out the human home worlds and virtually destroying the Colonial fleet. An old battlestar might just be the only thing standing between the Cylons and the total destruction of the human race. Adama takes command of the remnants of the Colonial fleet. With all others in the line of succession dead, Laura Roslin, the Education Minister, is appointed president of the Thirteen Colonies.

8. Lay Down Your Burdens. The second season-ender; season 2, episode 20. The elections are finally underway, and Starbuck returns from her rescue mission from Cylon-occupied Caprica, along with a Cylon who delivers an unexpected message to Adama and Roslin. Roslin believes Baltar is a Cylon collaborator.

9. Flight of the Phoenix. Season 2, episode 9. The Galactica has been infected with a computer virus that is messing with the battlestar's functions and is scanning them for weaknesses. Tyrol's crew is hard at work on a new fighter they call The Blackbird. Oh, and a whole swarm of Cylon Raiders should be down on them shortly.

10. Home. Season 2, episode 7. Adama reassembles the fleet and heads for Kobol. Roslin and her party searches for The Tomb of Athena- which supposedly leads the way to Earth. Adama and Roslin make their peace and continue on the expedition together.

What are your favorite Battlestar Galactica episodes?

An all-new Battlestar Galactica comes your way this Friday, April 4 at 10pm/9 Central. Check out the new clip here on the SciFi.com official website, and watch Season 3 all over again in time for Friday!

Cheers, everyone!

NBC had once again revived the Knight Rider franchise. Knight Rider 2008, a made-for-tv movie/backdoor pilot, aired a couple of Sundays ago, 17 February 2008. It's a totally new storyline that ignores the earlier Knight Rider movies (one in 1991 and another in 1994), and that alternate-reality Team Knight Rider series.

This one pretty much comes from the timeline set from the old Knight Rider TV series. And without having to reveal too much, let's just say that, despite a whole new cast and a brand new car- yes, there IS still a Michael Knight connection.

The New Knight Rider

KITT- the Knight Industries Two Thousand- used to be a Black Pontiac Firebird/Trans Am that boasted a molecular bonded shell (read: bulletproof) and some serious AI (the car can talk, man!).

Our new KITT has a whole range of spiffy new enhancements and upgrades- so now it's the Knight Industries Three Thousand. I guess it's the extra 1000 that gives it that extra punch.

Instead of the Black Pontiac Firebird, the new KITT is a 2008 Ford Mustang GT500KR, but has generally the same features of the original KITT- it's black and it talks!

Check out the features of the new and improved KITT, as compiled by Wikipedia:

• 550 horsepower solar hybrid engine
• Sports-tuned suspension
• Xenon headlamps with infrared night-vision
• Metallic paint with nanotech enhanced camouflage including morphing License Plate.
• Military satellite access
• FBI database access
• Self-regeneration and damage repair
• High-speed Internet
• Artificial Intelligence
• Voice-activated GPS
• Apple Wireless Keyboard in the glove box under an accessory drawer
• Biometric Interface to access security features.
• Wireless headset to communicate with passengers within a limited distance.
• Biomedical Scanner.

It is important to note that if KITT's Artificial Intelligence is offline, the self-regeneration mechanism is inactive, making it as vulnerable as an ordinary car. Part of the shutting down procedures of KITT's AI includes the release of the clutch pedal as well as a stick shift to allow manual control.
Other details from the pilot film:

• Driving cross-country, KITT can average a speed of 191 mph (307 km/h) and travel 627 mi (1,009 km) in 3 h 17 min.
• Although largely solar powered, KITT does use gasoline; with 91% of the energy being recycled, it averages 167 mpg (US) (1.4 l/100 km).
  

Instead of the famous communicator watch, KITT communicates with its operators via a wireless headset, and can access wireless phone networks. Since KITT can tie into numerous computer systems, it is able to emulate many of the functions of the watch, such as unlocking doors.

KITT is voiced this time by actor Val Kilmer.

Is The New Knight Rider Going To Be A Whole New Series?

No word yet, as far as I can tell. The Knight Rider made-for-TV movie that aired was really a backdoor pilot- which means that, depending on how it was received by the audience, and on its commercial viability- a network can then choose to pick it up for a regular season, or just dump it in the TV Recycle Bin altogether.

Knight Rider 2008 did get considerably high ratings: According to Wikipedia, Nielson tracked 10.0 million viewers watching NBC with 4.0/10 households tuning in. The show was received poorly by critics, but despite the less-than-positive reviews, NBC captured first place within the 18-49 demographic. The movie averaged a viewership of 12.8 million viewers.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see what NBC has to say about it.

More later. Cheers, everyone!

Okay, lemme whet your appetites a bit. Here's a little teaser from TV.com:

They thought they had met the enemy. They thought they had seen evil. They thought wrong. As the new season begins, the feeling that rescue is close at hand, the survivors don't know whether or not to believe Charlie's final message that the people claiming to liberate them are not who they seem to be. As unlikely alliances are formed, those they thought could be trusted may turn against them, as the enemy of their enemy becomes their friend. But who can be trusted? Is rescue really as close as it seems?

How does THAT grip your shorts? In any case, it's great to finally have some new shows on TV. So thank Bob for J.J. Abrams and his crew, the good people of ABC, and the guys behind Lost.

I got my eyes once again on the series for this season- let's hope it's a good one!

Cheers!

"Renzie on TV" sends out its congratulations to Heroes, for bagging this year's most coveted award on TV.com's Best of 2007!

The super-powered NBC drama rounded up 52% of the more than 10 million votes from TV.com fans, beating out Editors' Choice Lost, which only got around 2% of the vote.

Heroes also won over House (which got 4 million + votes), Friday Night Lights (54,000+ votes), Family Guy (24,000+ votes) and The Sopranos (16,000+ votes).

Here are the other winners of TV.com's Best of 2007:

• Best New Fall Show: Pushing Daisies (Editors' Choice), beating out Aliens in America, Bionic Woman, Californication, Kid Nation and Reaper.

• Best In Genre: Drama - Heroes FTW, over House, Lost (Editors' Choice), Dexter, Grey's Anatomy and Damages.

• Best In Genre: Comedy - Scrubs laughs off the competition, including Editors' Choice Weeds. Also tickling fans' funnybones last year are The Office, My Name is Earl, 30 Rock and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

• Best In Genre: Action/Adventure - 24 (Editors' Choice) runs off with The Best of 2007 Award, leaving CSI: Las Vegas, NCIS, Prison Break, Numb3rs and CSI: New York in the dust.

• Best In Genre: Animation - Fans voted Avatar: The Last Airbender as the year's best cartoon, while the editors were fans of Southpark. Other must-see cartoons for the year include Metalocalypse, The Simpsons, Family Guy and Frisky Dingo.

• Best In Genre: Reality - Editors and fans agree on this one- Animal Planet's Meerkat Manor was this year's best reality show. Also making the cut were America's Next Top Model, Survivor, The Hills, Kid Nation and Dancing With The Stars.

• Best In Genre: Sci Fi - Editors were gunning for Battlestar Galactica, but fans handed the award to Supernatural. Geeks also loved The 4400, Stargate Atlantis, Eureka and Kyle XY.

• Best of The Worst: The dubious honor goes to According to Jim, though editors thought it was going to be Viva Laughlin. Other bad shows that made the list were Big Shots, Hey Paula, 'Til Death and Nashville.

• Best Guilty Pleasure: Admit it, you watch Gossip Girl too- this year's Best Guilty Pleasure. The editors admitted to Cavemen as their go-to guilty pleasure. Rounding out the competish were A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila, American Idol, The Girls Next Door and Jail.
• Hottest Actor: Surprise, surprise- it goes to Tahmoh Penikett (who plays Helo) of Battlestar Galactica. Editors thought it would be Milo Ventimiglia (of Heroes). Also nominated were Dominic Purcell of Prison Break, Zach Levi of Chuck, Sendhil Ramamurthy also of Heroes and Taye Diggs of Private Practice.

• Hottest Actress: Editors had their eyes on newcomer Sarah Shahi of Life, but Grace Park of Battlestar Galactica is this year's hottest hottie! Other babes in the running were Hayden Panettierre of Heroes, Mary-Louise Parker of Weeds, Laura Vandervoort of Smallville and Khandi Alexander of CSI: Miami.

• Best Episode: According to the fans, it was the series premiere of Pushing Daisies - "Pie-Lette". Editors put their money on Lost's "Looking Through The Looking Glass". Other contenders were Damages' "Because I Know Patty", Family Guy's "Blue Harvest", the unaired pilot of Babylon Fields, and The Sopranos' "Made In America"

• Best in DVD: Fans loved The Twilight Zone: The Complete Set with 28 DVDs! Editors were rooting for BBC's Planet Earth: The Complete Collection. Also in the running were Battlestar Galactica: Season 1, The Colbert Report: Best of The Colbert Report, the Twin Peaks Definitive Gold Box Collection and the Family Guy Freakin' Party Pack.

• Best News Story: Fans Bring Back Jericho; CBS Caves- have you heard that one? Editors thought that The Aqua Teen Hunger Force Bomb Scare would bag the award. The Jericho story also beat out the stories on The WGA Strike, The CW dropping Veronica Mars, Lost Ends in 2010, and Dr. Burke Discharged from Grey's Anatomy.

My personal take: a rather good year for Heroes, but the biggest surprise for me is Pushing Daisies- gotta check that one out. Sarah Shahi is another reason for me to check out Life, and I'm totally intrigued by these two new cartoons - Adult Swim's Metalocalypse and Frisky Dingo. Man, I gotta move on past Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Sealab 2021 now.

Also gotta get me a copy of that 28-DVD Twilight Zone pack- now that's a lot of Twilight Zone. Other shows to possibly watch out for are Cavemen and Kid Nation- though I'm not particularly wild about that whole Kid Nation idea.

In the meantime, I got me some Gossip Girl catching up to do. Love it!

Cheers!

"Chuck" is undoubtedly one of my more favorite shows for the season. It's a good mix of comedy and action-adventure, with lots of eye-candy, fun characters, and geek-culture references. Looks like production's on hold though, thanks to the ongoing writer's strike.

Which disappoints me to no end, because it means I have to wait quite a bit to see more Yvonne Strahovski on TV. Yvonne is probably this season's breakout female lead. She comes all the way from Australia, where she auditioned from to land the role of CIA Special Agent Sarah Walker on the hit NBC spy thriller-comedy.

Basically her character keeps close to Chuck as a guardian angel of sorts. With a deadly proficiency for throwing knives and other concealed weapons, apparently.

Yvonne's name is really spelled as 'Strzechowski', as in Yvonne Strzechowski. To help us all out, she has been using the more phonetic spelling of Yvonne Strahovski as her stage name.

In any case, I'm just glad Josh Schwartz (same dude who gave us "The O.C." and "Gossip Girl") cast her for the part, and it always is something for fan-boys like me to look forward to whenever "Chuck" comes on.

Check out Yvonne's entry on IMDb here, and her Wikipedia entry here.

As long as TV keeps coming up with delicious eye-candy, this blog's feature on "Favorite TV Chicks" will be on hand to get to know more about our fine female performers who make our TV shows a little bit more interesting. Only on "Too Much TV: Renzie on TV!"

Cheers, everyone!

Frack. It's all I can say for now.

I was able to see the first 5 minutes of the brand new FOX action-suspense/sci-fi series, "The Sarah Connor Chronicles". And it was completely, totally awesome.

For those of you who have been living under a rock these past few months, "The Sarah Connor Chronicles" is the highly-anticipated TV tie-in of the "Terminator" series of motion pictures (yes, the one with Arnold Schwarzenneger in them).


How's that for a mean-looking cast, huh? We get this blurb from one of my favorite TV websites, www.TV.com:

The Terminator franchise arrives on TV with this serial drama. The series picks up a year after the events of Terminator 2: Judgment Day with John and Sarah Connor (Thomas Dekker and Lena Headey) hiding from the government. After two years in one place Sarah decides they need a change of scenery and in doing so they expose themselves to FBI Agent James Ellison (Richard T. Jones) and Skynet's army of Terminators including Cameron Phillips (Summer Glau) a reprogrammed Terminator sent to protect John. She informs them that Judgment Day was not stopped and will take place in 2011. John convinces Sarah to stop hiding and fight so Cameron takes them to a time machine the resistance has set up to take them to the year Skynet was created 2007.

How's that for awesome, huh? We have Lena Headey (Queen Gorgo from "300") playing the lead role of Sarah Connor, Thomas Dekker (Claire-Bear's best friend Zach on "Heroes") playing the role of adolescent John Connor, and Summer Glau (of "Firefly"/"Serenity" fame) playing a hot, re-programmed Terminatrix.

I'm happy I have the chance to check out two episodes right now. More about it later on.

Catch "The Sarah Connor Chronicles" on FOX, Monday nights at 9pm.