The Box: T.V. & Electronics News – 4/9/08
 
1) SciFi Channel News:

A) Though there’s been no formal announcement from U.S. cable network SciFi channel, it appears that remake series Flash Gordon has been cancelled and is no longer on the schedule.

B) The channel is instead bringing to the U.S. the scifi show Charlie Jade, a South African/Canadian production about a detective in a dystopian, corporate-dominated world who discovers a plot involving alternate universes and who falls through a wormhole into a world a lot like our current one. The show has been a hit in South Africa.

C) To continue the Stargate franchise, producers Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper have created Stargate: Universe for the SciFi Channel. In the newest series incarnation, humans are able to use a ninth chevron symbol on a stargate to get to an unmanned ship built by the Ancients. This ship follows another unmanned seed ship that spreads stargates out across the galaxies like Johnny Appleseed. No word yet on who may star and if any of the characters from Stargate: SG1 or Stargate: Atlantis may appear on the new show.

2) After the TV film pilot received strong ratings this February, NBC has greenlit the remake of Knight Rider as an ongoing series to debut in Fall 2008. Knight Rider may share a time slot with other series, with one show airing, then going on hiatus to be replaced by other shows.

3) A new anime remake of 1970’s anime show Shinzo Nigen Casshern is set for a Fall 2008 release in Japan and was previewed at the Tokyo International Anime Fair in March. The series will be directed by Shigeyasu Yamauchi and animated by Madhouse. The show concerns a human-sized super robot called Casshern. 

4) Confused curiosity is building about the latest project from go-to scifi director David Nutter. Nutter, who directed the pilots of Smallville, Sarah Connor Chronicles, Supernatural and Dark Angel, has created a t.v. miniseries called Scarlett, starring horror actress Natassia Malthe. No one knows exactly what the show is about, and though it’s scheduled for release on April 30th, no one seems to yet know where it’s going to air, nor is Nutter telling. A teaser trailer for the miniseries has been leaked all over the Internet. Scarlett seems to concern a kick-butt spy model-actress whose eyes turn red, and a reporter or investigator trying to find out about her or contact her. It can be viewed at: www.scarletseries.tv.