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As always I'd love to hear your feedback so do drop me a line afterwards to let me know what you thought (click my name at the top of the page). Meanwhile, if you can't wait, or you don't have Sci Fi, visit the official UK website now to watch the first episode in full, for free!
Now although Heroes is dominating the airwaves this week, there's another great new show starting up that I must also single out for some special attention. Kyle XY - starting on Trouble this Tuesday at 8pm - is about a young guy (played by Matt Dallas) who wakes up in a forest not knowing anything about.. well, anything. He doesn't know how to speak, how to eat or anything about who he is - but it soon becomes clear that he learns things fast and has some extraordinary abilities. Cue an ongoing mystery/mythology that I'm sure you'll just eat up. Read our exclusive interview with Matt in the Cult section and, if you've already seen season one, head down to the spoiler spot for some super scoop on the second season.
This week's spoiler spot also contains some FANCY exclusive Supernatural gossip, courtesy of head writer John Shiban.
A heads up for Adult Swim fans next, thanks to those lovely people over at Bravo, who are allowing you to download the second Chrome Children album for free. Click here for the goodness.
As always the Premiere List page is on hand with the latest key dates for your diaries, this week including news on the return of Grey's Anatomy to Five plus the start of new US drama 3 lbs on BBC One.
Now it's your FINAL chance to help decide who could be in the running for a Bafta. This year I'm part of the panel that will pick the shortlist for the Pioneer Audience Award at the Bafta TV awards in May... and I need your help with suggestions. So what was your programme of 2006? Join the debate over on the forums or email me directly with your thoughts.
Every week in the run-up to the much-anticipated Heroes premiere in the UK, Tube Talk will be profiling a different Hero.This week we take a closer look at Niki Sanders, who may have a secret second side to her personality.
Actor: Ali Larter
Powers: ???
Occupation: Stripper
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Profile: Niki Sanders is a young single mother, working part-time as a stripper to fund a private education for her genius son Micah. But lately she's been noticing something strange about her reflection - it's as if someone else is staring back at her. What could it mean?
Video: Click here to watch clips of Ali in action on the show and talking about her mysterious character.
Don't forget, Heroes begins this Monday, February 19 at 10pm on Sci Fi UK
Rob: "Milo Ventimiglia! Hah - thought that might grab your attention... Though I know you hate questions regarding the Gilmore Girls - you do know that he was in season 2 don't you? I'm currently watching it on homechoice's C2 and hoping they put the nest season on v soon..."
Neil: Not even Milo can get me into the girls, so to speak. Sorry!
Shez: "Ok I was just wondering since The CW doesnt get as many viewers as other networks, what would happen if one of the shows from The CW and CBS (as CBS is the parent company) were to switch places? Would the CBS show from The CW lose viewers or have same figures? Just wondering if CW gets low figures because of shows it airs OR because it is The CW?"
Neil: To answer the final question first, The CW getting (relatively) low ratings is down to a number of reasons. Largely it's for audience profile reasons - The CW has a different target audience to CBS, for example. But it's also because the budget going into these shows is lower and that you already have a crowded mass marketplace of major players (a quintopoly just won't happen). If a CW show were to migrate to CBS, figures would on the whole rise because it's taking advantage of the larger natural audience CBS has - but the rise wouldn't be significant unless the show were to fundamentally change. As unlikely as such a scenario is, it has sort of happened before. Veronica Mars repeated on CBS over the summer months a couple years ago, helping lift the figures for subsequent first-run airings on the CW (or as it was then, UPN).
Terry Condren: "Hi any idea when/if the 2nd season of The Closer will be shown on Channel 4/More4?"
Neil: The second season premieres Friday, March 2 at 10pm on More4!
Matt Steele: "I was wondering if there are going to be any repeats of Heroes on Sci Fi as I'm recording Prison Break, which as I'm sure you know, is on at the same time as Heroes will be next week."
Neil: There is always the one hour timeshift channel, but if that's not your thing then it replays Tuesday at 11pm, Wednesday at 9pm, Thursday at 10pm and Friday at 11.10pm. So absolutely no excuse to catch this.
This week we have not one, but TWO swag spots for you to fill your freebie-loving faces with.First up is the chance to win Sinchronicity on DVD. This quirky BBC series, aired last year, reunited As If stars Jemima Rooper and Paul Chequer but was alas not renewed for a second series.
As always just one easy question stands between you and a potential win. Click here to enter!
RK: "Hi Neil, I completely agree with what you said about Waterloo Road. It has been just as brilliant as the first series. I was just wondering how well it's doing in the ratings and do you think it will be renewed for a third series or do you think it will end up like most Shed productions, axed?"
Neil: In defence of Shed, Bad Girls and Footballers' Wives both had decent shelf lives. Waterloo Road is averaging between 4.5 and 5 million, which is fairly respectable. I'd guess a third series is likely.
Mike: "Was wondering if you could help me out as I have seen a number of dates with regard to the return of Doctor Who. I have heard dates of 17th March, 24th March and 7th April, and even as far away as the BBC Autumn schedule. Have also heard that the series three two parters may run over one weekend so saturday and then sunday. Can you help give a little clarity?"
Neil: Nothing is confirmed yet and as always with Who, much speculation will surround it until a week or two before. It will air around Easter, not Autumn - and my bet, for what it's worth, would be April 7. The two-parter idea is an interesting one but very unlikely.
Tom Roddison: "Michelle Ryan has landed the lead role in a remake of the 1970s TV show The Bionic Woman. To say that was surprising news woud be an understatement. However, when I read it was NBC that woild be producing it, my jaw hit the floor. Any news on what the show will be about and how big (or small) it might be?"
Neil: The proposed show is a remake of the 1970s series of the same name (click here to read more) and I agree, Michelle Ryan is a... well, she's an unusual choice. It's important to stress though that this is only in the running for the 2007-08 season and by no means guaranteed a full series. NBC will watch the pilot and then decide.
Lindy: "I really love The Sopranos but have heard a rumour that they are not making a new series. Do you know if this is true?"
Neil: The current series is indeed the last. The final eps air on E4 this summer.
Angela: "Entourage is clearly the best thing on our screens right now... but with the end of season two this weekend when do ITV plan to show season three?"
Neil: Later in the year. Look out for repeats on ITV4.
The second of this week's swag spots makes me wish I was a Tube Talk reader instead of the editor.It's Heroes-branded merchandise! HEROES. BRANDED. MERCHANDISE!!!!!
Up for grabs we have some very limited edition Heroes clocks and - as is quite apt - some Heroes anoraks too!
Click here to enter!
Jack: "Hi Neil, great coloumn. I was just wondering if Channel 4 are planning on showing Skins or is it just an E4 show?"
Neil: Just E4 for now, but I believe a repeat run is planned for Channel 4.
Karen Lomax: "Any idea what's happened to Standoff on Sky One? It's much missed in my house."
Neil: Quite rightly, Standoff was axed. As I understand it there are a few final episodes to be aired but these have been kept back for reasons unknown.
Laura: "Hi Neil, I like some other people have been watching without a trace on irish channel TG4 on SKY. However since this week we now just get a blue screen with "programme not available" on it. Any idea what has happened or when without a trace starts in the UK on more4/E4/C4?"
Neil: If you're not in Ireland then you shouldn't be able to see TG4. Either way it doesn't matter because the new season airs from Friday, March 2 on More4.
Karl-OH: "I've been looking over audience related websites to get free tickets to sit in on the filming of programs etc.. and I've been unable to find many in Wales, not even the Charlotte Church show is filmed in Wales. Only show I've been able to find is "Britains got talent". Are you aware of any other shows filming in wales, preferably Cardiff area where audience tickets are avaliable?"
Neil: Go stalk David Tennant as he films Doctor Who? Other than that it doesn't look too hopeful - but keep an eye here for BBC Wales events. However my best advice is to leave Wales entirely. (*)
Claudia: "Keep up the good work, I always read your scoop. Any news when Living will be showing Men In Trees?"
Neil: It's currently skedded to land next month.
Dominic: "Love Tubetalk...I have been enjoying the excellent six feet under in more4 for the very first time and have just learnt that Michael C Hall is now doing a series called Dexter in the US. I was just wondering if there are any plans for this to be shown in the UK yet?? thanx :)"
Neil: Yep, FX has it - look out for it this summer.
As always, select the area to the right of each programme to read the text - but be warned that you may well be spoiled.Primeval: Next on Primeval, an anomaly opens up in the water, letting a huge beast - or a mosasaur, to you and me - through in the process. Meanwhile Lester orders that Nick's wife be brought back to the present for questioning - and guess who volunteers to go find her? Primeval airs Saturday nights on ITV1
Kyle XY season two: More from Matt now, who says the second season will follow "the development of the superhero": "Kyle's going to train and hone and discover all of his skills. Also, in the first season there were almost kind of two storylines as far as the family and the mystery. This year, they're really integrating the two storylines, and they're bringing the mystery and danger right to the doorstep of the family's house." And as hinted in the closing minutes of season one, the premiere will answer many unanswered questions from season one: "Yeah, they're definitely going to answer a lot of the questions that were asked in that first episode, we could really address those and move on, so we could focus on other things like who is Kyle, what's his purpose for being here, what is he capable of? Move past the whole 'where do I come from?' story." Kyle XY airs Tuesdays at 8pm on Trouble
Skins: A very funny episode this week, which focuses on the character of Sid (played by Mike Bailey). Look out for Tony being the biggest arsehole he's been so far - getting off with another girl in front of Michelle, then encouraging Sid to try it on with Michelle but calling a halt on proceedings at the last possible moment. As if that wasn't bad enough for Sid, he also has to deal with his parents breaking up, one of the leads being rushed to hospital... and being pissed on by a tramp. Skins airs Thursdays at 10pm on E4
Supernatural: As promised, more from our exclusive chat with head writer John Shiban. "We have a big two-parter at the end which will answer a lot of questions about Mom, about what the demon was doing and little Sammy's bedroom that fateful evening," he said. "We answer a lot of questions. Of course, we ask a lot more and open up new areas of investigation and mystery and what not, but we will come back to that storyline in a big way." Meanwhile, of the upcoming episodes in the US, John had a LOT to spill... "Season two we're trying to throw some curveballs. We never wanted to rest on our laurels of season one. We've got a ghost story coming up which stars Tricia Helfer from Battlestar Galactica. It was a ghost story but done in a way we've never done it. Very interesting, very dramatic. We take on werewolves, which we've never done, but of course we do it in our own bizarre and supernatural way. You're also going to get a chance to see Sam get laid in the last episode of season two, I'll put it that way. That was fun. We've got another episode where Sam and Dean end up on the set of a horror movie. That's actually very fun. It's a horror movie that's cursed - if you've ever heard the legends that Poltergeist was cursed, there are a number of movies that are 'cursed', people have died mysteriously who were associated with them. So we play with that, which is great, and we're actually shooting some of it at Warner Brothers studio in Los Angeles. Then we get into the boys - they end up going to prison. A haunted prison, take on the lore that's out there. Then we get into our big endgame, a two parter called 'All Hell Breaks Loose', and literally it's that." Supernatural airs Sundays at 9pm on ITV2
Send your requests for shows to be featured in the Spoiler Spot to the usual place.
That's it for this week. Do come back next week for more!
Additional reporting by Krisp Green
(*) Before I get complaints of Anne Robinson proportions, let me iterate that I LOVE Wales, Welsh people and sheep. Wasn't that convincing?
