All Coming to Television

Blade Trinity
Starring Wesley Snipes

Spike TV and New Line Television have signed Actor/rapper Kirk "Sticky Fingaz" Jones to star in the Blade series, based on the popular Marvel comic book and film franchise of the same name. David Goyer (Batman Begins, the Blade trilogy) will serve as executive producer and co-wrote the drama with popular comic book author Geoff Johns.

"Blade, as envisioned by David Goyer is perfectly suited for Spike TV and its male viewers," says Pancho Mansfield, Executive Vice President, Original Programming at Spike TV. "Consistent with Goyer's feature film work, the new "Blade" promises to capture what men want to see: thrilling action and effects combined with an intelligent and highly creative story."

Production begins November 14 in Vancouver. Blade will premiere on Spike TV in June 2006. Jill Wagner ("Monk"), Neil Jackson ("Stargate SG-1"), Nelson Lee ("Traffic," the TV mini-series) and Jessica Gower ("Blurred") also are signed to star in the production. Peter O'Fallon is set to direct.

-----

FOX has ordered to a pilot for a new The Terminator TV series based on the film franchise. The series would have a "connection" to the film franchise but it will apparently not affect plans for a fourth big screen outing. The series would likely air in the 2006-07 season, and John Connor will definitely be featured.

-----

Billie Piper
as Rose Tyler
Doctor Who Season 2

The character Rose Tyler will not return for the third season, as Billie Piper has quit her role as Doctor Who's sidekick before the second season of the series starts reports.

The 23-year-old star and former pop artist, told producers she didn't want to become typecast as they begged her to stay. BBC chiefs have now launched a secret bid to find her replacement.

A source says: "The BBC are auditioning other girls to take over. They want to have the next actress all lined up when they announce Billie's departure. They are quite miffed about her decision. The casting people have been conducting secret auditions with a small number of actresses and keeping it very, very quiet. They are after a relative newcomer so this is the role which puts her in the public eye".
See the Cybermen

-----

The WB Network has given a put pilot commitment to a live-action rendering of the DC Comics character Aquaman from Smallville executive producers Miles Millar and Alfred Gough.

The series is envisioned as a contemporary reinterpretation of the character who lives in the deep sea and enlists sharks and other oceanic creatures to help him in his crime-fighting endeavors.

The new-model Aquaman will be a man in his early twenties and like Smallville, there's no costumes or other superhero accessories used when his superpowers are invoked. The character appeared on the October 20th episode of Smallville played by Alan Ritchson, but a new actor will be put in this series role. The pilot is planning to shoot early next year in Florida.