San Diego Comic-Con Unofficial Blog

Nathan Fillion is the consummate showman at Comic-Con. He’s a fan, first and foremost, just like all of us; he just happens to be lucky enough to sit on the other side of the table. And as a fan, he knows just what the audience wants, and he delivers in spades.

On Sunday, I asked all of our readers via Twitter which panel they would like me to cover for the blog – Castle was the resounding answer. And then when I asked everyone if they wanted me to live-tweet the panel or video it and put it up later, the majority said they would rather wait to see Mr. Fillion – and his manly hair – in glorious HD.

So after a few days of recuperating from the long days and overnight travel, editing, rendering and uploading video, I’m happy to announce the moment has finally arrived.

A few notes: First, I was about halfway back in 6BCF, so although I was able to zoom in close enough it made the picture susceptible to any small movements with the camera. I tried to have a steady hand, but there will be a couple points in the video where the camera jumps around a bit. Not enough to ruin the experience, but just wanted to make you all aware. Second, I was right behind the middle walkway, so people are passing in and out of frame through the entire panel. It’s quick enough and doesn’t deter from the video, but again wanted to make you aware. Third, the audio was picked up from the internal mic on the camera, but there are times when the crowd noise drowns out comments from the panelists – next year I’ll use an external mic to record audio from somewhere closer to a speaker. And lastly, due to YouTube restrictions. I had to split the panel video into four parts. Saying all that, I hope you enjoy it!

Ladies and gents, I present to you: One-on-One with Castle Star Nathan Fillion, recorded live on Sunday July 24 at San Diego Comic-Con 2011.

Click past the jump to see the parts 1-4 of the Castle panel.

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SDCC is just around the corner (preview night’s in 9 days for those who are keeping count!), and TV Guide is getting in on the action.  As they did last year, they will be teaming with The WB to produce a Comic Con focused issue of TV Guide, and there will be four collectible covers.  This year, the shows being featured on the cover will be The Big Bang Theory, Chuck, Fringe, and The Vampire Diaries.  The magazine will be distributed at the Warner Bros. booth (#4545) starting on preview night, July 20, 2011, and will be available on newsstands July 21- July 28.

As to what’s going to be inside the pages of this special issue?  Click past the jump to read the press release and view the covers.

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As I’m new here, first a few sentences to introduce myself. I live in German speaking Europe and run a small publishing company for comics, specialized in webcomics. Therefore it was somehow predetermined that I will stumble over this new media thing called webseries rather sooner than later, too. I’ve grown into the webseries media over the last 3 years and built up a network of people involved in and around webseries, mainly in L.A., New York, Canada and Great Britain. Lately I even got involved in webseries and short films as a producer and I am a member of the IAWTV – the International Academy of Web Television. If you want to know more about me, you can find me either on Twitter or on Google+.

I mentioned it quite a lot now and I hope you are all familiar with the term webseries. If not, webseries are in a sense TV series but made to be distributed via web channels like YouTube, blip.tv or Hulu just to name a few.

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It’s the question on everyone’s mind.  It’s been debated through the ages.  Who would win in a fight: vampires or zombies?  Now, Spike TV is set to answer that question in “Deadliest Warrior,” and those lucky enough to be in Room 25ABC from 10am – 11am on July 21 will be able to see how it all goes down!

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The Disney Channel always gets a big crowd for their Phineas and Ferb panels, so they would be remiss if they didn’t return again in 2011.

Today Disney Channel announced their full slate of panels, and yes, Phineas and Ferb were included on the schedule – not once, but twice! They will be having a panel and Q&A with cast and crew on Friday, July 22 (time and location TBA), as well as a sneak peek of the new Disney Channel Original Movie, “Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2^nd Dimension” on Saturday, July 23 with a Q&A with the creators directly following (again, time and location TBA).

Disney Channel is also bringing Kick Buttowski – Suburban Daredevil and Fish Hooks panels to Comic-Con. What is most interesting, and ultimately disappointing, to me is that not only is Tron: Uprising not getting its own panel, but it plays second fiddle at the Kick Buttowski panel, along with another Disney XD series, Motorcity. Geez, Tron rules the con three years in a row and this is what we get?

Check out the full press release after the jump.

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For those lucky enough to score a pass or two during the single-day ticket resale earlier today – your dessert just arrived. Details of several popular television panels were announced throughout the day, surely making you wish tomorrow was the 21st of July.

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Terra Nova is set trample its way into San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday, July 23 and is hoping to trample its way to con-goers’ hearts at the same time.

As previously reported here, Fox is planning a Terra Nova panel on July 23 from 3:30 to 4:30 in Room 6A. The panel will include star Stephen Lang and executive producers Brannon Braga and Rene Echevarria.  A screening of the pilot is also scheduled – it’s first showing to the public ahead of the network premiere this fall!

In addition, Fox has given us a new trailer for Terra Nova which shows just how much they want to get the attention of conventions in San Diego this July.  Check the video here: Terra Nova- Comic-Con Teaser..

And as if that wasn’t enough to get you excited for the show, Fox has released some promotional posters that are certain to get people talking. Click past the jump to see what will undoubtedly be covering the Gaslamp district in July.

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If anyone loves Sarah Michelle Gellar, it’s the Comic-Con crowd. Forever remembered as the lead in Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer during its seven season run, Gellar has dabbled in feature films, albeit unsuccessfully, since her departure from television. This fall, however, she’s back on the small screen, and the CW Network announced they would be bringing her to the con to promote her new show, Ringer. She’ll be joined by cast and crew for a panel discussion and exclusive sneak peak on Thursday, July 21 in Ballroom 20. Not to be outdone, they’ll have giveaways for the audience including signed posters for 100 lucky fans, and a chance to win “a three-night stay at a luxurious suite at a high-end hotel adjacent to the convention center”. CW, you had us at Sarah Michelle Gellar.

In a nice segway from Buffy (did we mention Sarah Michelle Gellar?), NBC confirmed that Grim, the new series from Buffy and Angel writer/producer David Greenwalt , would have a panel with the cast and creators along with an exclusive pilot screening. The time and room is still to be announced, but the date is locked – Saturday, July 23.

Lastly, UGO reported that NBC’s new thriller Awake would have a Thursday panel. The blog speculated whether the network would screen the premiere or exclusive footage from the freshman series at the panel, and no time or location was mentioned, so details are still to come.

Details for Ringer and Grimm are after the jump.

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A handful more TV shows were recently confirmed for the con so I thought I’d run them down and give my thoughts.

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The Hollywood Reporter provided details on which Showtime programs will be appearing at Comic-Con this year. For most of us, we’re thrilled to once again have Michael C. Hall return with his Dexter colleagues to Ballroom 20  on Thursday, July 21. Joining Hall on the panel will be C.S. Lee (Masuka), David Zayas (Batista), new cast member to season six Colin Hanks, and executive producers John Goldwyn, Sara Colleton, Scott Buck and Manny Coto. Unsurprisingly, Dexter’s on-screen sister and off-screen ex-wife, Jennifer Carpenter, will not return to the panel this year.

The other Showtime programs appearing at the con are Shameless, coming off its freshmen season on the network, with cast members William H. Macy, Emmy Rossum, and executive producer John Wells, with other guests to be announced later; and freshman series Homeland, which won’t have a panel but will have an exclusive trailer presented by cast member and V veteran Morena Baccarin.

Last year, Showtime also brought Nurse Jackie, Weeds, and David Duchovny’s Californication in a shared network panel. Sadly, none of these are slated to return. Save your X-Files 3 questions for next year, I guess!

The Showtime panels will be held Thursday, July 21 from 5:30 to 7:30 PM in Ballroom 20.