http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display…

LONDON — Hoping to cash in on the success of classic sci-fi revamps such as the BBC’s “Doctor Who” and “Battlestar Galactica,” Sky One is planning to remake cult ’80s space series “Blake’s Seven.”

Sky has commissioned two 60-minute scripts with the intention of creating a new sci-fi series of the hugely popular show, which followed the intergalactic tales of a small band of rebel fighters struggling to evade the dark forces of the Federation.

Memorable for its cardboard sets and leather-clad arch villainess Servalan, the show was the creation of sci-fi legend Terry Nation, himself responsible for Doctor Who’s arch-nemesis the Daleks.

Sky One commissioning editor Elaine Pike said “Seven” was “ripe” for a revival, which will be jointly exec produced by Andrew Mark Sewell at B7 Prods. Most recently the show was released as a successful series of audio books starring a modern cast including “This Life” star Daniela Nardini.

This should be interesting. Blake’s 7 was one of my favorite TV series in my teen years. On Saturday nights, I would watch PBS, where they would show Blake’s 7 at 8 PM before showing Doctor Who at 9 PM. The only thing I would be relatively apprehensive about is who will play Avon. Paul Darrow will definitely be an extremely hard act to follow, especially more so than Dirk Benedict as Starbuck.

We’ll see if this ends up being more like a Doctor Who or Battlestar Galactica revival or more like a Knight Rider or The Bionic Woman revival.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5639212.html

LA JOYA — Authorities suspect a 2-year-old boy who died with a fractured skull was accidentally crushed by a morbidly obese relative.

Hidalgo County Justice of the Peace Bobby Contreras, who pronounced the child dead Tuesday night, said that investigators believe the woman fell on the child.

“It didn’t look like there was any foul play from what I saw,” he said.

Jesus… all I can think of to say is that it’s both sad and horrific at the same time.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5630362.html

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — An aide said science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke has died.

Rohan De Silva says Clarke died early Wednesday after suffering from breathing problems. He was 90.

Clarke is the author of more than 100 books, including 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Well… damn. I knew he was getting quite up there in age, but still this is something of a sad day. I’ve read a few of his books, including all four Space Odyssey books, Rendezvous With Rama, and The Songs of Distant Earth. What isn’t as well known is that he is credited for inventing the communications satellite. So, in several ways, the world owes quite a bit to Mr. Clarke.

Ah, well… may he rest well after such a long and productive life.

http://www.winknews.com/news/weird/16651076.html

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) – Two teenage boys are under arrest after they attempted to rob a police station.

Port St. Lucie police say the two boys – ages 12 and 14 – walked into the lobby of a regional station Wednesday afternoon and demanded money from an aide behind the glass enclosure.

Police say the 12-year-old hid one hand under his jacket as if he had a gun. Another aide ran into the back screaming for help.

Within minutes, a half dozen officers, some with guns drawn, burst into the lobby and arrested the boys. Both are charged with attempted armed robbery.

It’s stories like this that make me wish America’s Dumbest Criminals was still on the air. :-)

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/film/2007/12/for_editors_the_view_why_fox_w.html

Your guess is as good as mine as to how far off the scale of the irony-o-meter the following is, but we should first establish a few facts. 1) Early last year, Mike Judge, creator of Beavis and Butthead and King of the Hill, made Idiocracy – an erratic but often wildly funny account of the final triumph of the congenitally stupid, set in an all-too plausible future America. 2) Judge directed the film for Fox, despite previously having been badly scalded when the studio allowed his fine corporate satire Office Space to sink without trace, unpromoted and abandoned. 3) Late last year, Fox allowed Idiocracy to sink without trace, unpromoted and abandoned.

And now, let’s hurtle back to the present, pausing only to note that in Judge’s movie, the end of civilisation was hastened by energy drink Brawndo: The Thirst Mutilator – a toxic-green swill whose popularity eventually made water redundant, leading to the collapse of American agriculture. Because, while Idiocracy now languishes in unwatched semi-cultdom, Brawndo has become a reality – thanks to none other than Fox, which has joined forces with drinks retailer Redux Beverages to launch this lemon/lime flavoured confection of caffeine, guarana and electrolytes, the whole sorry process having been documented by pullquote and Spout Blog, with the website available here.

In summarising, I gladly defer to Spout Blog’s Karina Longworth: “So, to recap: Fox wouldn’t support a film about Brawndo, the energy drink that destroys plants, debases the human race, and makes those who drink it ‘win at yelling’, but they are now putting wholehearted support behind the actual drink.”

Words fail me.

Well, not really… there’d be no point in this post if they did. Seriously, though, I’m wondering what the hell went through the minds of the braintrusts at Fox who came up with this idea. It’s like they completely missed the point the movie when they decided to market this product. The only other thing that makes sense to me is the fact that they DID get the point of the movie, and are hoping that those who buy the real-life Brawndo DIDN’T get the point of the movie.

The thing that scares me is that it occurs to me that both scenarios are equally likely.

Some people might remember the building on the East Loop that was gutted by fire back in March. Said fire was set by a vocational nurse hoping to cover the fact that she didn’t do some needed paperwork. As a result, three people died, several businesses were destroyed, and she’s in jail on felony murder and arson charges.

Well, the building was demolished today. What was most interesting about it, in my opinion, was the fact that they actually got video of the demolition. In the end, all one backhoe had to do was grab one specific beam and the entire building came down like a house of cards.

Take a look… it’s rather interesting viewing. :-)

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/tv/330795_emmy08.html

LOS ANGELES — There are dozens of surprises among the more than 400 Emmy nominees, but none quite like the one we can’t name in this story.

It’s in the Original Music and Lyrics category, a holiday-themed music video that aired last December on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” with an off-color title. Performed by Justin Timberlake and “SNL” cast member Andy Samberg, the fake music video describes packaging a certain part of the male anatomy in a gift box and presenting it to a loved one.

We’ll just call it “(Blank) in a Box.”

Given the subject matter, little wonder some of those involved were caught off guard by the TV academy’s acknowledgment.

“I was not aware until this year that there was (such) a category at the Emmys, and I’m not sure whether it’s in the big Emmys or the little Emmys,” observed longtime “SNL” producer Lorne Michaels, “but we were thrilled.”

Actually, the Original Music and Lyrics category is in the “little Emmys,” aka Creative Arts Emmys, to be presented Saturday night and airing Sept. 15 on E!, the night before the Primetime Emmy Awards on Fox.

“I was just super excited that somebody important at some point will have to say (the title) at an otherwise classy broadcast,” said skit co-writer Akiva Schaffer.

“(Blank) in a Box” is up against two songs from “Scrubs,” one from “MADtv” and one from “Family Guy.” If “Box” wins, six co-writers will go home with Emmy gold: Timberlake, Samberg, Schaffer, plus “SNL” mates Katreese Barnes and brothers Jorma and Asa Taccone.

I’ve actually linked to the video in a previous entry, and I have to say it’s a pretty catchy song, if a bit silly. I’m hoping it wins. :-)

EDIT – September 16 10:28 PM – Guess what? It won.

http://news.aol.com/story/_a/appease-sky-god-airline-sacrifices-goats…

KATHMANDU (Sept. 4) – Officials at Nepal’s state-run airline have sacrificed two goats to appease Akash Bhairab, the Hindu sky god, following technical problems with one of its Boeing 757 aircraft, the carrier said Tuesday.

Nepal Airlines, which has two Boeing aircraft, has had to suspend some services in recent weeks due to the problem.

The goats were sacrificed in front of the troublesome aircraft Sunday at Nepal’s only international airport in Kathmandu in accordance with Hindu traditions, an official said.

“The snag in the plane has now been fixed and the aircraft has resumed its flights,” said Raju K.C., a senior airline official, without explaining what the problem had been.

I have to admit, when I read about stuff like this, I think more along the lines of the Adeptus Mechanicus from Warhammer 40,000 than anything else. I mean, I’ve made jokes about making blood sacrifices to appease the computer gods when cutting my finger on PC cases during computer assembly, but this is just a tad ridiculous… :-)