August 19, 2018
(Note: I apologize for the delay in publishing this week’s report. Life’s been hectic in the lead-up to Dragon Con.)
On the Docket
Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, has died at the age of 76. – [BBC]
Ethan Peck has been cast as Spock in Star Trek: Discovery. – [CBS]
Keith DeCandido continues the 4-Color to 35-Millimeter: The Great Superhero Movie Rewatch with 2009’s much-maligned X-Men Origins: Wolverine. – [Tor]
Into The Chronic Rift
Presenting the Transcription Feature: The Romance of the Ranchos and The Jack Benny Show
“The Romance of the Ranchos” was one of the more unusual series to be broadcast during the Golden Age of Radio. Each episode traced the history of a certain district of Southern California, from the Days of the Ranchos – when everything was still owned by Spain and Mexico in the 1700s – up to then-contemporary times, the 1940s. Tonight, the vignettes center on Newhall, Saugus, and Santa Clarita. Then, on “The Jack Benny Show,” the gang tells their own version of Old California, complete with rancho, Jack as a wealthy Mexican land-owner, and Don Wilson as 500 head of cattle.
The Watchlist
Currently Watching
The Punisher: Season One
Jessica Jones: Season Two
Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (Dragon Con prep!)
Waiting Room
Luke Cage: Season Three
The Orville (Season Two premieres December 2018)
Doctor Who (Series Eleven premieres Fall 2018)
MacGyver (Season Three premieres Fall 2018)
The Flash (Season Five premieres Fall 2018)
The Good Doctor (Season Two premieres 2018/2019)
The Good Place (Season Three premieres 2018/2019)
Black Lightning (Season Two premieres 2018/2019)
Legends of Tomorrow (Season Four premieres 2018/2019)
Game of Thrones (Season Eight premieres 2019)
Star Trek: Discovery (Season Two premieres 2019)
Lost in Space (Season Two premiere unknown)
Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD (Season Six premieres 2018/2019)
Blindspot (Season Four premieres Fall 2018)
Timeless (Movie wrap-up coming soon)
Arrow (Season Seven premieres Fall 2018)
Westworld (Season Three ordered)
Supergirl (Season Four premieres Fall 2018)
Madam Secretary (Season Five premieres Fall 2018)
The 100 (Season Six premieres in 2019)
Reverie (awaiting news on renewal)
Playing Catch Up
None
Backlog
Marvel’s Inhumans – Episodes 5-8
Movie Night
This week
None
Upcoming
Jul 27 – Mission: Impossible — Fallout – (M:I #6)
Aug 3 – Christopher Robin
Oct 5 – Venom – (Sony Spider-Man Universe revival)
Nov 2 – X-Men: Dark Phoenix – (X-Men series #12)
Nov 2 – Mulan – (Disney live-action remake)
Nov 16 – Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald – (Fantastic Beasts #2, Harry Potter #10)
Nov 21 – Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 – 11/21
Dec 14 – Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse – (Sony Spider-Man multiverse)
Dec 21 – Aquaman – (DC Extended Universe #6)
Dec 25 – Mary Poppins Returns
Future
Feb 2019 – The New Mutants – (X-Men series #13)
Mar 2019 – How to Train Your Dragon 3
Mar 2019 – Captain Marvel – (Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase III, Chapter 9)
Mar 2019 – Dumbo – (Disney live-action remake)
Apr 2019 – Shazam! – (DC Extended Universe #7)
May 2019 – Avengers #4 – (Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase III, Chapter 10)
May 2019 – Aladdin – (Disney live-action remake)
Jun 2019 – Gambit – (X-Men Series #14)
Jun 2019 – Men in Black Untitled – (Men in Black #4)
Jun 2019 – Toy Story 4
Jul 2019 – Spider-Man Homecoming #2 – (Marvel Cinematic Universe)
Jul 2019 – Top Gun
Jul 2019 – The Lion King – (Disney live-action remake)
Jul 2019 – Terminator sequel – (Terminator #6)
Aug 2019 – Artemis Fowl
Nov 2019 – Wonder Woman #2 – (DC Extended Universe #8)
Nov 2019 – Frozen 2
Dec 2019 – Star Wars: Episode IX
Dec 2019 – Wicked
Jul 2020 – Indiana Jones #5
Jul 2020 – Minions #2
Night at the Theater
This week
None
Coming soon
None
Literary Pursuits
Currently reading
Still diving into the works of H.P. Lovecraft
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Children of Time: The Companions of Doctor Who, edited by R. Alan Siler
Reviews
Star Wars: Lost Stars by Claudia Gray – 5/5
On the Virtual Air
Notes
None
Spotlight
None
Adventures in Creative Criticality
The Timestamps Project
Recently, I have published Doctor Who: The Movie. This week is the Seventh Doctor Summary.
Other Musings
First, a reminder, Creative Criticality has changed web addresses. Instead of creativecriticality.wordpress.com, the site is now located at the much easier-to-remember www.creativecriticality.net. Both lead to the same place, but the latter is much more useful. The change is completely transparent to you, my readers, so there’s no need to update any bookmarks (as we used to say in the day).
Next, since the transition from classic to new Doctor Who is a bit rocky, I have a schedule for the Timestamps Project through the end of September:
- Aug 22 – Seventh Doctor Summary
- Aug 29 – The Night of the Doctor
- Sep 5 – Eighth Doctor Summary
- Sep 12 – The Curse of the Fatal Death
- Sep 19 – Scream of the Shalka
- Sep 26 – Shada (Eighth Doctor)
- Oct 3 – Rose
Upcoming Podcasts
I’m in discussion with RetroBlasting for a future long-term project. Also, The Weekly Podioplex will return. Stay tuned.
Upcoming Appearances
Aug 30-Sep 3: Dragon Con 2018 – My Schedule.
Until next time, enjoy the journey.