EVIL PUPPET MASTERS

EPM Podcast 1×10

Don’t everyone die of shock! Speaker and I could not resist the lure of hearing ourselves pontificate (along with the REST of America) about FRINGE, so we have dusted off our podcasting hats and decided to do podcasts for the FRINGE episodes. We’re a bit rusty and we had some technical difficulties with this one, but we’re hoping to get these out within a week of each episode - ideally.

Yes, we’re complete dorks, but we mainly do these for our fellow BR addicts and some industry peeps who just think we’re SWELL. If you have questions for us or topics you’d like us to cover in future podcasts, feel free to leave those in the comments. Enjoy!

Speaking of technical difficulties… - for now we’re just posting a link to the audio file. It’s been so long since we’ve posted one of these that our podcast and iTunes stuff is not cooperating. We’ll come back and edit this when we get that straightened out.

FOX issued a press release yesterday that revealed a little bit of information regarding Episode 1.02 of FRINGE - which is posted under the jump cut. I will update this post once the okay is given to reveal other information pertaining to the episode. **UPDATED**

(more…)

Because I’m tired of looking for this everywhere and realize I must not be the only one trying to find this information, the release dates for the FRINGE Comics being released by Wildstorm are below for issues #1-#4. There are going to be 6 total, but the release dates for the last two have not been released yet (to my knowledge).

Fringe Comic #1 — September 3, 2008
Fringe Comic #2 — September 17, 2008
Fringe Comic #3 — October 29, 2008
Fringe Comic #4 — November 26, 2008

The big FRINGE premiere party is tonight in the N Y C. Hope everyone has a great time WITHOUT ME (*coughLAURIcough*). I look forward to seeing the pics and hearing the stories. I’ll share here whatever I am allowed to

*There is no link because I just know things some times.

FINALLY, I can make the announcement that I have been dying to make since…February Thanks to the insane awesomeness that is JJ, Burky and Bad Robot - FRINGE fans now have a place to interact with each other AND with members of the Creative Team AND (hopefully) actors from the show. That place is FRINGE DIVISION — the Offical Site for the Creative Team Behind FRINGE and it is sponsored by J.J. Abrams.

For anyone who is familiar with The Fuselage site that was made for LOST - FRINGE DIVISION should look and feel very familiar to you. It is designed and run by the same duo who made the Fuse: Karri and Artie. In fact - if you are registered on the threaded board of The Fuselage, your registration carries over to FRINGE DIVISION - just login with the same User Name and Password.

The site has been up for a couple of weeks while we have been working the bugs out, but it is a fully operational battlestation so feel free to go give it a spin. My buddy Rick (aka J.R. Orci, one of those writer/producer guys for FRINGE) has already been breaking in his Q&A forum on the threaded board, and a few more VIPs should start appearing over the next couple of weeks. You may notice that I have one of those pretty colored fonts over there - that is because I am a Co-Admin for the site. Feel free to stop by and say howdy

There is a pretty thorough article about the various forms of advertising that FOX and BR are using to draw in potential viewers for FRINGE by Joe Adalian at TVWeek.com. It looks at the viral marketing, normal/pseudo-normal advertising avenues, plus the funky radio ads that have cropped up - and includes a link to hear the radio ads. There is mention of something called “The Pattern” which seems to keep cropping up. What’s with that anyway?

Thanks to Joe for sending me his own link - I’m all for blatant pimping, as long as what you’re pimping is worth my time.

The Warner Bros. 2008 San Diego Comic Con panel schedule has been released and it lists FRINGE on the schedule for Saturday, July 26th from 4:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.. The room wasn’t listed on the announcement that came from Ducky Does TV, but I’ll post that as soon as it is available.

That Ducky Does TV link also gives the days/times for the following other Warner Bros. shows: Sarah Connor Chronicles, Pushing Daisies, Chuck, Supernatural and Smallville.

Thanks to Edward at FringeTV.blogspot.com for the heads’ up.

I’m behind on my Google Alerts (crazy couple of weeks), but I’m trying to catch up. Rabid Doll has this nice interview with FRINGE showrunner Jeff Pinkner that should shed more light on what FRINGE is “like” and “not like.” And he can say with more authority than most

Don’t everyone freak out - this does not mean that there are “problems” with the show. FOX pushed back its entire line up of show premieres by at least a week - which kind of sucks because I always liked that FOX would premiere stuff in August while other networks were pushing premieres to late September/early October *sad face*

Anywhoo - FOX will now air the 2-hour Pilot episode of FRINGE on Tuesday, September 9th at 8 p.m. (Eastern/7 Central). Be there or be pissed off that you missed the boat on what will be the #1 new drama on television this Fall!

Here’s an EXCLUSIVE first look at the FRINGE hat with the Bad Robot guy on the back. YAY for SWAG!! This is the FRINGE logo that I prefer, by the way. It looks like the letters are being electrocuted.

Hmmm…last year I got a SLUSHO shirt for my birthday. This year my birthday will roll around while I am in San Diego for Comic Con. For my BR peeps: I REALLY like this HAT *wink wink* *nudge nudge*

Photo used by permission of Rick Orci, who is perpetually obsessed with taking photos with his iPhone. Not that I’m complaining.

Again, I’m not going to post EVERY review of the FRINGE pilot episode, which was debuted for a group of TV writers yesterday. Patrick Lee from SciFiWire was one of the lucky few who saw it, and I respect his opinion (and ability to digest SciFi without questioning the plausibility of everything) - though he gets points off for misspelling LOST character Kate Austen’s last name.

Read his review HERE. He keeps it short and to the point - without revealing TOO much, but he does give away a couple of SPOILERS for the pilot episode.

E! Online posted the following video interview with FRINGE stars Joshua Jackson and Anna Torv. From the outfits, I’m guessing this took place at the FOX Upfronts a couple of weeks ago:

Not a whole lot of new stuff out there right now for FRINGE, but I will have a fairly huge announcement very soon (like in the next week or so, I think) for FRINGE fans.

Can’t say much more except that it is AWESOME and should make the fans very happy

*zip*

If you just can’t wait until August 26th to make up your OWN mind about the Pilot episode of FRINGE, then feel free to traipse over to The Futon Critic to read their review of it. Keep in mind, this is a review of the ACTUAL EPISODE, not just Review #4,815 of the SCRIPT. There are mild spoilers, but not much past what you see in the trailer.

I have mixed feelings about getting reviews of the actual Pilot episode of FRINGE months before the rest of the public will see it. I’m all for publicity and trying to get buzz started for a show, but all of these reviews of the script for FRINGE - the bulk of which have been based on an early version of the script that seems to have been mass produced and passed around liberally (heck, even I got it - and nobody gives me ANYTHING) - have been bordering on ludicrousness already. I would hate to see that happen with the actual Pilot episode as well.

The fact is that unless you are a highly respected and objectively advanced blogger or television reviewer (who isn’t getting a little sumptin’ sumptin’ under the table for giving a guaranteed positive or explosive review) - I could care less what you think of the Pilot episode or the script of the Pilot episode. I have read the infamous early version of the script, but will not review it because (a) I don’t believe in reviewing something that everyone reading this blog can’t read as well and thus can’t compare what they’ve read to what I am saying; and (b) I’m unabashedly biased in certain respects when it comes to Bad Robot Productions, and though I believe I can be objective in a review - the fact is that those boys know my buttons and they push them about 80% of the time. I love their stuff - thus…why this blog exists. My bias is inbred.

I am posting the link to The Futon Critic’s review of the Pilot because I am well acquainted with their site, and appreciate the fact that they post about EVERYTHING in the realm of television - not just what ABC or CBS or FOX, etc., is trying to shove down the throats of the American audience.

I have posted some reviews of the FRINGE trailer, because it has been made available to the widespread audience, so the average reader can be comparative.

This one gets its own post, because it made me laugh. Over at the I Watch Stuff blog, they gave this rather humorous and definitely snarky review of the extended FRINGE trailer. All we are lacking now is a frame-by-frame analysis of the trailer by one of those LOST theorists who come up with the most bizarre stuff…only to be proven right down the line.