So I saw the trailer for the new King Kong remake, which--from the way NBC was running commercials for the commercial--appears to be the latest geek holy grail or something. I mean, it's Peter Jackson's first post-Lord of the Rings movie, and god knows how fantastic everyone thought those were, so this must just be fantastic. And, I have to say, I'm not too excited. I mean, the movie looks great and everything. Slick, expensive, good effects, really pretty actors who have talent, the whole nine yards. But the thing is, it's King Kong. The second remake of King Kong. And King Kong--the original--is one of my favorite movies. And as slick as this one looks, it looks like a really slick remake of something I've already seen and am so familiar with, I could put every clip from the trailer in context.

Don't get me wrong; I'm not saying that remakes are necessarily evil. But sometimes they're just unnecessary. Like this one. I mean, yes, the budget is bigger, and the special effects are more sophisticated. But they're still being used to bring to life an island populated by dinosaurs and a giant ape. I mean, no matter how realistic, is anyone going to be sitting in this movie going, "Fuck me, this is a documentary shot in the 1930s and they really went to an island populated by dinosaurs and a giant ape?" So, for me, there's no excitement about seeing this new trailer, because there isn't really anything new in it.

Having said that, I'm sure I'll feel differently when I'm sitting in the theater in December watching the whole movie. Which I will be, because this is a story that I love, and this looks close enough to the original that it'll be as much fun for me to watch. But getting excited about the trailer? Not so much, no.

BBC America broadens schedule with populist fare - Yahoo! News

Yes, in a startling turn of events BBC America acknowledges that perhaps the key to attracting an audience would be by showing programs. (Who knew?) I'm familiar with most of the titles, but haven't seen any of them. And, of course, no Doctor Who.

:: ABC Family :: Wildfire

Okay, new must-see-TV for me. And yes, it's a teen drama focusing on a girl who loves horses. Bite me. It's also from the creators/producers of USA's The Dead Zone, and proves that they can do straight drama as well as sci-fi. (And I still love Deadwood and Rescue Me, if I need to maintain my street cred.)

So I'm watching the 12th episode of Doctor Who Confidential free and legally on the web, and it's the episode focusing on fandom (as much as any Doctor Who Confidential episode has any sort of focus). Well, at the Doctor Who convention I was at in February, the series crew was filming, and my new fan-friend Brian can clearly be seen in at least two shots. How cool is that?

(Not quite as cool as it would have been if it had been me, but still...)