More Inuyasha Coming

Reports from numerous Inuyasha fansites, both in the U.S. and Japan indicate that the Inuyasha anime series will resume this fall with Inuyasha: Konketsuhen (Inuyasha: The Final Chapters) airing on Japan’s YTV network starting in October. The original 167-episode Inuyasha anime series, which ran from 2000 to 2004 in Japan, covers events in Rumiko Takahashi’s Inuyasha manga series up through the middle of Volume #36.

The Inuyasha manga concluded in Japan last June with Volume #56, so the Final Chapters anime will likely attempt to adapt the final 20 plus volumes of the manga. If the new series covers the manga narrative at the same rate as the original, it would indicate that the Final Chapters anime would require more than 90 episodes to tell the entire story. Reports indicate that the original voice cast is returning for the new series.

The final episodes of the original Inuyasha anime series premiered on the Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim in October of 2006. Since then the Cartoon Network has rerun the entire 167-episode series, which is currently airing between 5 and 6am (ET, PT) on weekdays.

Viz Media, which has released both Inuyasha manga and anime series here in the States, just announced that it would be making the first 32 episodes of Inuyasha (with English subtitles) available on Hulu starting today along with the first 11 episodes of Nana and the first 12 episodes of Honey & Clover.

SciFi Rebooting "Alien Nation"

The SciFi Channel is developing a new television series based on Alien Nation, a 1988 science fiction movie that spawned a TV series and a handful of made-for-TV movies. Written by Rockne S. O’Bannon, the Alien Nation movie was a dark police procedural with a science fiction twist. Aliens known as “Newcomers” who crashed in the California desert formed a colony of sorts in the Los Angeles area, and a human policeman (Matthew Sykes) teams up with an alien cop (Sam, later “George” Francisco) to investigate a number of crimes in the Newcomer community.

According to Variety, the cable channel sees Alien Nation, with its prominent police procedural elements, as being more than just hard sci-fi, and thus a perfect choice for the network, which is trying to “widen its footprint” as it prepares to re-brand itself as the SyFy Channel starting next week in what has become a controversial marketing maneuver.

Tim Minnear, who has worked on Angel, The X-Files, and Firefly, is creating the backstory and mythology for the new Alien Nation. The series is likely to take its cue more from the Alien Nation TV series, which was essentially a series of morality plays about the evils of racism with the Newcomers standing in for racial, ethnic, and even gender minorities, than from the original feature film.

The TV series only lasted on year on Fox before it was cancelled (along with all the other dramatic series on the fledgling network because of a cash crunch), but it made a definite impression. It developed a cult following and inspired a number of spin-offs including a series of novels, a comic book from Malibu’s Adventure Comics imprint that was published from 1990-1992, and five made-for-TV-movies, which Fox began airing in 1994.

The ratings success of the updated Battlestar Galactica is behind the cable network’s desire to reboot Alien Nation for 21st Century audiences. The new version of Alien Nation will take place in the Pacific Northwest in the 2020s after the Newcomers have grown to a minority of over 3 million living in ghettoized communities. Like the original TV show, the new Alien Nation will be a “buddy cop” series that takes on the issues of racism, immigration, assimilation, and the clash of cultures, and like the original it will also include some satire and humor.

Final Tennant Doctor Who's to America

BBC America will air the five Doctor Who specials that wrap up David Tennant’s tenure on the show, according to Variety. The Next Doctor (the Christmas special) will air on June 27th; and Planet of the Dead will air in July. The remaining three specials have not been scheduled.

Tennant’s star power is also being used on spinoff show The Sarah Jane Adventures, according to a BBC announcement. He’ll appear in two episodes of the new 12-part season.

The Sarah Jane Adventures tells stories starring investigative journalist Sarah Jane Smith, a former Doctor’s companion. Smith’s role is played by Elisabeth Sladen. Tennant’s appearance is promised as a significant role, and not a cameo.

13 Episodes of "V"

ABC announced today that it has ordered 13 episodes of the 80s reboot V, with plans for a four-season series with a beginning, middle and end. Seasons are expected to be 13 to 22 episodes each.

Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost) will star as an FBI agent whose son is involved with the aliens, with Joel Gretsch, Scott Wolf, Logan Huffman, Morris Chestnut, Morena Baccarin, and Lourdes Benedicto rounding out the cast.

Viz Confirms 'Shojo Beat' Cancellation

Viz Media has confirmed that the July 2009 issue of Shojo Beat, its monthly shojo anthology magazine, will be the last. The final issue hits newsstands June 16th.

Subscribers will receive a free copy of the August issue of Shonen Jump with information on their subscription or refund options.

“We are very proud of the past issues of Shojo Beat magazine and the efforts of the entire team,” a Viz spokesperson said. “The magazine developed quite a fan base but unfortunately in today’s difficult economic climate we felt the need to place our resources elsewhere at this time.”

The Shojo Beat graphic novel imprint and Website will remain active, and “all of our great shojo manga titles previously serialized in Shojo Beat magazine will still be published and available as graphic novels under the Shojo Beat imprint from Viz Media," according to the spokesperson.

The Shojo Beat magazine launched in 2005, but never achieved anything near the sales levels of Shonen Jump.

'Primeval' Movie Planned

Warner Bros. has picked up the movie rights to the British science fiction TV series Primeval, according to Variety. The show, which has aired in the U.S. on BBC America, tells stories of wormholes through which fierce futuristic and prehistoric creatures appear. The TV series is set in the UK; the movie will be set in the U.S.

Zits Motion Comics

Zits Motion Comics will be featured on Comics Kingdom, King Features’ online comic distribution platform for local newspapers. The roughly 30 second episodes will be displayed on the sites of the participating newspapers, and on YouTube. Each will feature voice talent, music, and the characters’ movement in and out of the panels. Zits is one of the most popular daily strips in history, and runs in over 1600 newspapers worldwide.

King Features has also expanded the newspapers participating in Comics Kingdom, adding New York Daily News, Denver Post, San Antonio Express-News, Toronto Star, Las Vegas Review Journal, Santa Fe New Mexican, Spokesman Review, Sarasota Herald-Tribune and Tulsa World.

The Comics Kingdom site is being updated, with enhanced landing page, promotions, and a favorites feature that allows visitors to view their selected comics four at a time.