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Preview – Falling Skies A New TNT Series

Drew — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 14:29:03 +0000

Falling Skies is a new show that is coming to TNT in June 2011 however, because I am part of the Turner Influencer Network I have access to some early info. Like the Official advanced Trailer for the show. The show has a strong tie to Boston too, and that is very cool. Want to See it?

Man wasn’t that EPIC! I got chills just watching it for the first time. Here is some more info on the series.

FALLING SKIES opens in the chaotic aftermath of an alien attack that has left most of the world completely incapacitated. In the six months since the initial invasion, the few survivors have banded together outside major cities to begin the difficult task of fighting back. Each day is a test of survival as citizen soldiers work to protect the people in their care while also engaging in an insurgency campaign called 2nd Mass against the occupying alien force.

To keep up with the 2nd Mass, visit 2ndMass.com

You can also learn more about the series through the online webcomic.

Written by Paul Tobin and illustrated by Juan Ferreyra, the Falling Skies Web Comic will bridge the gap between the 12-page Falling Skies comic released at New York Comic Con. Be sure to check back every two weeks for a new chapter.

Paul Tobin is a writer from Portland, Oregon, who works on Marvel Comics titles such as Spider-Girl and Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man, among many others. In addition, Paul works for Dark Horse (Predators movie adaptation, Conan) and DC Comics, and has an upcoming graphic novel (Gingerbread Girl) from Top Shelf, created in collaboration with his wife, artist Colleen Coover. Paul is also very bald and works on novels.

Juan Ferreyra began drawing comics with Small Gods for Image, and then Emissary and Lazarus for Image’s imprint Shadowline. He worked on Dark Horse’s Rex Mundi while at the same time coloring Conan and the Midnight God and Solomon Kane: Death’s Black Riders. Now he’s working on a creator-owned book called La 6ème heure for French publisher Soleil. He lives in Argentina.

Andrew Dalhouse made his first appearance coloring comics with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre for Avatar Press. Andrew followed this macabre masterpiece with such books as Marvel Zombies: Evil Evolution, Lady Death, and Hack/Slash, to name but a few. Mr. Dalhouse’s work currently can also be found in Disney’s Darkwing Duck, Boom’s The Incredibles, and Dark Horse Comics’ The Occultist.

Nate Piekos, AKA Blambot, graduated with a BA in design from Rhode Island College. Since founding blambot.com, he has lettered comic books for Marvel, DC, Oni Press, and Dark Horse. Nate’s designs have also been featured worldwide in print, on television, and in feature films.

For more information visit www.TNT.tv

If you want to be part of the resistance then you can join up with 2ndMass.

Join the 2nd Mass!

We made it. Finally. We arrived just as the sun was coming up. It was gorgeous the way the dawn’s light reflected in the glassy lake. I guess I never really noticed how beautiful it was up here. It was so peaceful, it made everyone feel a little safer.

For more information visit 2ndMass.com

I buy a ton of stuff from Amazon.com. If you do please buy through our links and help support BenSpark.com. Thank you.

Copyright (c) 2010 Blog Consultant, Photo-A-Day Photographer & Daddy Blogger - BenSpark.com - Everyday Pictures... Every... Day

Preview – Falling Skies A New TNT Series

I Got to Interview the Stars of LEVERAGE

Drew — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 21:29:44 +0000

Just in time for the special holiday episode of the hit TV show LEVERAGE I get to sit in on two exclusive press conferences with some of the stars of the show. One of the conference calls was with Timothy Hutton who plays Nathan Ford the Mastermind of the LEVERAGE Crew. A former Insurance Adjuster who has bested many thieves and crooks over the years joined forces with four such criminals to right the wrongs and get the job done when no one else can do it. Think A-Team without all the military training and much better looking people. Also, not as cheesy.

Also on that first call was Beth Riesgraf who plays the master thief Parker. Parker is one of my favorite characters and also a major fan favorite. Beth Riesgraf plays the role so well and has been known to steal a quite few scenes just by her reactions alone. She also gets some great lines and not just the ones she dangles from. Of all the characters in the series we have seen Parker grow the most as she adjusts to life with a group of people that she is beginning to trust.

Of the two calls this one was the more fun because Timothy and Beth were really engaging and entertaining. They also joked around with us and with each other, that was nice. They were so comfortable talking with all of us and you could hear some genuine love for the work that they do on the show. What’s not to love, the show s amazing, the cast is fantastic and there is something for everyone.

Of the whole call, which was great I liked the back and forth between Timothy, Beth and caller Earl Dittman of Wireless & Digital Journal.

“Operator: Our next question comes from Earl with Wireless & Digital Journal.

Earl Dittman: Hi, guys. How are you all?

Beth Riesgraf: Hi.

Timothy Hutton: Hey.

Earl Dittman: Timothy, can you believe that you’re coming up on a season 4?

Timothy Hutton: No, I – yeah, I mean…

Earl Dittman: Isn’t that amazing?

Beth Riesgraf: Can you believe it?

Earl Dittman: I know…

Timothy Hutton: It is.

Earl Dittman: …it’s incredible.

Timothy Hutton: It is. Yeah.

Earl Dittman: And the reason I ask that is is because you’ve been on other shows that have also been just as well-written. Well, not even as well-written, but have been good, and they didn’t make it very long. Do you think that if this show had been on a network, a big, you know, one of the big three’s that it would have made it this far?

Timothy Hutton: Yeah.

Earl Dittman: You think so?

Timothy Hutton: Well, I mean I do, but you know, who knows? I mean, it’s – honestly I think that the show has really benefited from being on TNT. And because TNT has really been so supportive of the show, and you know it’s been a great home for the show. So it’s hard to say, but you know we’re just all incredibly happy that it’s still going.

I mean, we love doing the show and, you know, just as excited reading the scripts, and it doesn’t feel like we’re going into the fourth year. It feels like we just – you know…

Earl Dittman: Just started.

Timothy Hutton: …we just started. Yeah…

Beth Riesgraf: Yeah.

Timothy Hutton: …it really does. Yeah.

Earl Dittman: And really – and it feels so fresh. All of you – both of you seem – everybody seems fresh. I mean, it’s just wonderful how it continues to be a fun show.

Beth Riesgraf: Yes.

Earl Dittman: And Beth, I mean, did you – you obviously must feel the same way. I mean, this is like a – it’s like – you must like going to work every day.

Beth Riesgraf: I do.

Timothy Hutton: We do.

Beth Riesgraf: Yeah.

Timothy Hutton: Yeah.

Beth Riesgraf: Definitely.

Timothy Hutton: And we really – we like working together. I mean, that started – the chemistry that I think the, you know, the – that comes across with the five of us, it started in Chicago when we were doing the pilot. We just kind of in the first moment all enjoyed being around each other and working with each other, so, you know, and that’s just continued.

I mean, we find ourselves now in the fourth year working together and on weekends when most people would want to, you know, be away from one another, we’re all having dinner together and making plans and, you know, going bowling and doing this and doing that, and our kids are playing together.

So it’s – well, Beth and I are the only ones who (hang around).

Beth Riesgraf: (Like), yeah, our kids – yeah, we basically are afraid to – no. We – yeah, I think that’s very true actually. And I think one thing too that was I thinking about the other day, because I was like, “Man, it already seems like, you know, it’s coming – the time to shoot again is right around the corner.”

But, I don’t – I think none of us take it too seriously. Like, we don’t take ourselves too seriously, and you know, the tone of the show allows for us to be goofy and have fun, and the directors that come on board are always, you know, in that spirit of play, so to speak. It’s like they all kind of get the tone and to work as hard as we do and for – to work the hours that we do, I think if anyone of us, you know, didn’t have the approach that we had, it would be tough, but…

Timothy Hutton: Yeah. Yeah.

Beth Riesgraf: …since we all, you know, have fun with it, it makes so much easier.

Earl Dittman: Well, Timothy, before I let go, the reason I mention that is is that from my point of view or for our side, TNT has really done an incredible job because I’ve seen how other networks treat shows and, you know, big shows that fall after two or three episodes. And it seems like TNT has really made this one of their, you know, pet projects and have really treated it, you know, really good to make it the hit it is.

Timothy Hutton: Well, I, you know, I think that’s true, but I think they, you know, I think TNT does just a great job on all of their shows. They’re very passionate about what they’ve programmed and, you know, with our show they’ve managed to keep, you know, keep the show. Whenever there’s, you know, kind of promotion about it or an advertisement or, you know, a trailer or whatever, a commercial about the upcoming episodes, you know, it’s just – it’s a new approach each time. It’s a fresh approach.

So it’s a combination of that, the scripts, all of our enjoyment in working together, you know, that really makes it all kind of go. And we’re really excited about these three shows that are coming up, you know, the holiday show and then the – where the team infiltrates the mall, that one, and then the two-part season finale. And of course, we can’t wait to get back to Portland and start up season 4 because there’s a lot of things that are going to happen in season 4.

Earl Dittman: Oh, we can’t wait. Well, that’s a great Christmas gift to your fans, believe me. We – they’re going to love it. And thank you guys, you all have a Merry Christmas too…

Beth Riesgraf: Yeah, you too.

Earl Dittman: …and a Happy New Year. And anything special you all are doing?

Beth Riesgraf: I guess I’m going to be with family.

Earl Dittman: Okay.

Timothy Hutton: Yeah, I’m going to be with family, be with my sons, and you know be home and, you know, hopefully it’ll snow because we’re thinking about skiing or something like that.

Earl Dittman: Have fun. Thanks guys.

Beth Riesgraf: Thanks.

Earl Dittman: Thanks for a great year.

Beth Riesgraf: You too. See you.

Timothy Hutton: Thanks.

Earl Dittman: Bye-bye.”

I really wish that I had gotten up the courage to ask a question. the thing is, I could not for the life of me think of one. That isn’t true, I couldn’t think of one for Timothy but sort of had one for Beth I wanted to know what Parker reaction, whether saying, action or facial expression was her favorite. But I didn’t ask it. I’ve got to get over it and just be ready to ask questions more.

The second conference call was with Aldis Hodge and Wil Wheaton. I got to this one late because I tried calling in on a previous number and the operator couldn’t help me. Then I rechecked my e-mail, got the right number and made it to the call. Aldis plays Hardison, the wise cracking computer hacker on the team. Wil is a special guest star who is basically Hardison’s nemesis named Chaos. The two get to match wits again during the Christmas episode coming out this Sunday December 12 at 9:00pm on TNT.

It looks like I missed one question from the call and it was a good one too so I’ll post that here. The question came from Jenn Falls with InsideBlip.com.

“Jenn Falls: Good afternoon gentlemen.

Wil Wheaton: Good afternoon.

Aldis Hodge: Hi.

Jenn Falls: Hey. I just wanted to kind of hook you guys up both as the geeks on Leverage. Wil, in your 2009 book Just a Geek, Neil Gaiman wrote in your forewords, “As we all discover sooner or later you’re never just a geek.” So I wanted to ask Aldis, how has your character Hardison evolved in Leverage to be more than just the geek?

Aldis Hodge: Well he’s taken an interest in a much more substantial role than just being behind a computer. He’s learned from everybody else on the team coupled with the ambition to run his own team one day. He has taken of grifting and he’s learned a little bit about thieving but he’s more learning the mastermind part of it. He wants to do more for the cause of what we do as opposed to just being a player, you know what I mean?

Jenn Falls: Right. Right.

Aldis Hodge: So he’s consistently growing watching everybody, learning their moves. He still has to work on the fighting but as (those) know he has a dog, Megabyte, who does that. But he wants to be more than – I mean he’s always going to be a hacker at heart. That is what he does best. That is what he contributes best to the team. But he wants to contribute more to just the team. He wants to contribute to what we’re doing so he’s going to learn what he has to do and he’s definitely gone beyond.

I think in these last couple seasons we’ve seen more of Hardison stepping outside of the hacker role all the while being a hacker continually but like in “The Ice Man Job” being a grifter. And you know, you get to see a little bit more action out of him in this season finale. So there’s a lot going on with him and he’s not just your conventional hacker.

Actually he’s exposing different ways to hack. Grifting is hacking mentally and personally, hacking inside of someone’s head, you know. So he’s learning that art and he’s learning different ways to hack and exposing different ways to hack.

Wil Wheaton: As an audience member, you know, I’ve watched Leverage since the pilot and it’s been really wonderful for me to watch Hardison grow from this, you know, from the young hacker sort of piece of the puzzle and to see Hardison’s ambition develop. And it’s so clear that he wants his own crew but he’s not ready for his own crew and I think it makes his character and the dynamic between Hardison and Nate so much more interesting and so much more compelling than, you know, it would’ve been otherwise.

Aldis Hodge: Thank you, man.

Jenn Falls: Excellent. And if I can ask one follow-up question for Wil since it came from your foreword. How do you bring more than just the geek to the characters you play, such as Chaos?

Wil Wheaton: Well it’s important to know why Chaos is the way he is. He’s obviously very smart. He’s obviously very motivated and very, like, committed but where he could very easily use his abilities and his talents for good, he instead chooses to use them for evil.

And I had to make up a reason that was really meaningful for why that is. And I built a background story for him that’s, you know, not too far removed from my own experiences as a young geek. He was picked on and he was misunderstood and he was lonely and he was isolated. And rather than take those experiences and turn them into something positive for other people that may be experiencing that, he’s taken all of his abilities and instead used it to just sort of punish people and kind of lash out at the world.

And whenever I get to work on Leverage, it’s very important to me to make it very clear that Hardison is the only guy in the world that Chaos respects. Everybody else is just a jerk and doesn’t even come close. I mean he doesn’t respect Nate. He doesn’t – if he ever encountered Sterling, he wouldn’t respect him. He certainly didn’t respect the rest of the Two Live Crew guys. He really respects Hardison. And I said earlier today, if they were on the same team, the world would really be in a lot of trouble.

Aldis Hodge: And also, if I may, I think that what you’ve done with Chaos is bringing out the tactician in him. I think he’s in a sense of being a general, a leader. He’s quite the mastermind himself. And I think that gets quite exposed in the upcoming episode but I think you’ve exposed him in a different light in that way in showing that he’s not just a pawn to be used but he’s pulling the strings.

Wil Wheaton: Yeah. He is a guy who we saw it clearly in “Two Live Crew Job” and I think you’ll see it a bit in “Ho Ho Ho Job.” He’s really happy to let everyone else think that he is a pawn on the board when he is actually – from his point of view he’s Keyser Soze.

Jenn Falls: Awesome. Thank you so much for your time guys.”

I again didn’t come up with any questions for either guy. I really would have loved to ask Wil Wheaton if he had ever heard of the Sarcastic Voyage Podcast or if he wanted to come on Geek Dads Weekly with Daniel M. Clark and myself. I probably would have asked Aldis what his favorite line for Hardison ever was. Hardison gets the best lines. Well, now that I am a seasoned part of the celebrity conference call I’ll try and do more and next time come with actual questions.

Now, your mission is to not miss the “Ho, Ho, Ho Job” episode of LEVERAGE this Sunday at 9:00pm.

Disclosure: I am part of the Turner Influencer Network and I was asked to attend these conference calls as part of that network. The opinions of the show are entirely 100% mine.

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I Got to Interview the Stars of LEVERAGE

Sid The Science Kid

Drew — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:27:35 +0000

4 months and no update, man I am sorry about that. I have no one to blame but myself for not updating. I’ll be updating this site more. I have some ideas that I’ve been toying with and so you will see more content here, not every day however but I’ll try for no more 4 month gaps in the writing.

Eva is now interested in TV shows and one of her favorites and mine actually is Sid the Science Kid on PBS Kids.

The basic format of the show. We see Sid observe something and ask a question about it. It can be why breathing is important, how does your stomach break down food or where does the wind come from. Sid is a colorful show with a very predicative format.

Sid asks a question
Sid and his Mom or Dad explore that question a bit
Sid goes to School
Sid is looking for his friends
Sid polls his friends about his question.
Teacher Suzy is prepared to talk about the question that Sid has that day
(She’s an awesome teacher who can whip out lesson plans at a moment’s notice.)
The kids experiment on that question
Sid goes home with his Grandma
Sid talks with his family
Sid gives you his ooper-dooper-schmoorper-Big-Idea at the end of the show.

I love this show, I love singing along with the repetitive parts and I like how intelligent this show treats that kids. They explore the questions that Sid has and kids are full of questions so I can see why this is popular.
You can watch Sid The Science Kid Videos on PBSKids.org.

You can extend the Sid The Science Kid experience by going online and playing at PBSKids.org. There are downloadable Sid The Science Kid coloring pages and many other fun things to do.

Check out Sid the Science Kid, a great kids show.

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Sid The Science Kid

Mega Party at Rehab – The Hard Rock in Vegas!

Drew — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:49:43 +0000

On the way home from dinner tonight I was talking to my friend Jessica. I mentioned that I would be writing a post about Rehab the television show on truTV. She got so animated about the show. “I love that show it is so fun to watch!” I hadn’t heard much about it so I asked her what she thought of it and why she liked it so much. She explained to me that basically Rehab is a giant pool party at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas and the show revolves around the staff that keep the party rolling and keeps party-goers safe. She knew all the people on the show and was describing who everyone was and who she liked and who she’d want to hang out with. It made me more interested in finding out more about what this Real-Life television show as all about.

The Rehab season premiere was this past Tuesday, September 1st. So at this point you are two episodes into the season but you can jump in and catch up. The show is on Tuesday nights at 10pm. And what I’ve seen from this clip the show has so much Real-Life drama in it that it will keep you entertained, if you enjoy these sorts of shows.

Occasionally we may watch a show like this because of the people behind the scenes and in Rehab those are the people of main focus. We can see how the staff and security keep chaos under control while still being attentive to the big-spending customers. Sure, there are all the pretty people who get in and enjoy the party at the pool. It is one of the biggest parties on the whole Las Vegas strip. Jessica was telling me that people wait in line at 5:00am just to get in at 9:00am. That has to be some party to wait that long to get it in.

I’ve been to a party in Vegas before it wasn’t at Rehab it was at Tao and it was a great time. It was for Postiecon and it was an amazing time. I could only imagine how crazy it would have been had it been at REHAB: PARTY AT THE HARD ROCK HOTEL. From what I’ve heard Rehab is THE party in Vegas. Jessica was telling me that the wait staff and bartenders make serious cake every week from the high rolling big spenders who want to see and be seen. What makes this the hottest party is probably all the pretty people that attend. There is something about putting that much pretty in one place that makes others gravitate to around. It also makes drama sucked in like a giant black hole and so each week there is going to be someone acting like a complete knucklehead and the staff has to deal with that person or people.

Like watching a train wreck you can’t turn away, however it is the level headed-ness of the staff and security of Rehab that puts the human face on this crazy party. Some people probably want to live vicariously through the pretty people on the show. Not me. I’d identify more with the staff in the security area. I’m happy to see the show focus on those people rather than all the pretty people it exemplifies what Real-Life television is all about rather than reality television which has no basis in reality anymore.

I’m not one for crazy parties I’m more one for making sure people have a good time but safely and sanely. I can identify with how the staff has to deal with totally irrational and boozed up people. I had to do that on a regular basis for four years as I was a residence hall director. You develop a relationship with your students and you know when they have had too much craziness and need to be put to sleep, it is better for everyone in the long run. So, I can only imagine having a ton of people all trying to have a great time and some people totally overindulging.

truTV’s Rehab is having a sweepstakes for you to win your chance to party like a rock star at Rehab at the Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel & Casino pool. All youhave to do is head over to the Rehab contest page to enter.

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Mega Party at Rehab – The Hard Rock in Vegas!

Catch Black Gold on truTV

Drew — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:55:03 +0000

Danger, hard work and a huge payoff lie under the ground in second season of the truTV series called Black Gold. The setting for this series is the oil fields of West Texas. Tough men called “roughnecks” have 50 days to drill 4 back-breaking holes. If they can do this in that short amount of time they can make good money. This show comes from the creators of Ice Road Truckers and Deadliest Catch. A true life documentary/reality series about men in the oil drilling business where mistakes can cost jobs at the least and lives in the most extreme cases.

The show’s second season premiered on truTV on August 19th so you have time to catch back up on what has been happening. You can catch new episodes every Wednesday at 10p/9c too. What is compelling about this show and the ones like Deadliest Catch is that we are watching people do jobs so extreme and so dangerous that most of us could only imagine.

So let us imagine for a moment what it would be like to work in this type of job, I just watched truTV’s Black Gold trailer and it was intense. You have long days where things can kill you in a hurry. There are manly men barking orders at each other and tempers running real hot. Roughneck isn’t just a term, it is a way of life and crude isn’t just describing the oil. I think that shows like this one allow the average everyday nine to fiver an escape to wonder what life would be like if they worked in these high danger jobs. That is why the shows suck you in, at any moment someone could get seriously hurt or even killed. We certainly don’t want to see it but the element of danger being there constantly does give the average viewer a thrill and the suspense also is a huge hook.

After also watching this video about truTV’s Black Gold drilling I thought about the on the job training that a roughneck gets. There are no sit downs where you talk about your feelings and team building exercises either. You bust your ass, be careful, act fast and work efficiently. You work HARD all day and you do not dog it for a moment because if you do you or someone you work with can get hurt. You make a mistake and no matter what you do not make it again because you could either hurt one of the people on your crew, or even kill yourself or someone else. The on the job training comes down to what are the essentials, you do that and nothing else matters. Here is an example of some on the on the job training.

In my job I have to write my employee performance review at the end of the year. I look back over the past year and see if I accomplished my goals or not. My boss and I read over the review and we talk about it. That is not the way things work in the world of truTV’s Black Gold . No, in that world if you are not doing your job well you get instant feedback from your boss in the form of someone in your face telling you exactly what you did wrong. While it is harsh and very raw it is done to keep the men motivated as well as safe. If I were a roughneck I wouldn’t make it that long. I couldn’t take someone screaming in my face and not getting angry myself. I think I’d be angry upset and distracted by being chewed out for making a mistake. I’m pretty sure it would not motivate me to be a better worker even if it was for my own good. Here is an example of an employee review on truTV’s Black Gold

If you are looking to watch some Real-Life television then Black Gold is a show for you. What Real-Life television means is that this unscripted program has such true drama that it is very compelling. There is real danger and there are real rewards, triumphs and failures. Catch the show tonight at 10:00pm on truTV.

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Catch Black Gold on truTV