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Must See HDTV (July 16th - 22nd)
Eureka The five season run of Syfy's Eureka ends tonight and while we never know quite what to expect from the quirky show, hopefully will wrap things up nicely for the fans. We've tried to glean hints from the title "Just Another Day", but we're coming up empty on predictions. Drop your best guesses in the comments below, and if you're not a regular viewer, this is your last opportunity to check out one of the better sci fi shows on as of late. (June 16th, Syfy, 9PM) John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show While John Oliver is known by many for his Daily Show correspondent pieces and bit part in Community, we'll be tuning in to his line up of stand up comedians as it kicks off a third season this week. The slate is ever changing but the quality is consistent, if you want to laugh you'll give this one a look. (June 20th, Comedy Central 11PM)
Must See HDTV (April 16th - 22nd)
Eureka One of the better sci-fi shows of late begins its final season on Syfy tonight as we take our final trip back to Global Dynamics' favorite research facility. We'll try not to let knowing it's all coming to an end soon dampen our enjoyment. (April 16th, Syfy, 9PM) Parks & Recreation Originally conceived as a spin-off of The Office, Parks & Recreation had a rough start but has now surpassed the originator of its mockumentary style. It comes back form a brief midseason break this week, and not a moment too soon. All we're saying is, if Aziz ansari really did work in a small-town Indiana parks & rec, we'd get in on the ground floor of any new startup he founded. (April 19th, 9:30PM, NBC) Frozen Planet The Discovery / BBC quest to the actual ends of the Earth wraps up this week with a final, and somewhat controversial, episode focusing on climate change. It's probably impossible to top Planet earth, but what we've seen of this nature documentary has put it above the recent Life series on our lists. Of course, another option is to snag the David Attenborough-narrated BBC version this week instead. Your choice. (April 22nd, 8PM, Discovery -- $34.99 on Amazon)
Must See HDTV (December 5th - 11th)
All you have to do is look at the calendar to know we're suddenly going to be buried under a deluge of holiday-season-specific programming. Of course, it's not all Michael Buble's Christmas Special, with unlikely sources like Syfy channel tossing in their efforts. While cable shows like Sons of Anarchy, Boss, and Boardwalk Empire wrap their seasons up, we also have a few new entries in the form of Luck, Moonshiners, and Invention USA. Check below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listings of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames. Sons of Anarchy It's been yet another explosive season for the boys of SAMCRO, and now it's coming to an end. As is standard for the show, main character Jax is finding himself caught between the law, rival gangs, and the loyalty to his mother, wife, and best friend, all pulling in different directions. We don't know if he will avenge his father's death in the season finale, or if the entire motorcycle club will end up in jail first, but you can bet we'll be watching to find out. (December 6th, FX, 10PM) Spike TV Videogame Awards 2011 We haven't been a big fan of the Spike Videogame Award's presentation in the past, but with the promise of a peek at BioWare's next project and an Advisory Council that again includes our good friend and Joystiq EIC Chris Grant voting on the winners, maybe this is the year things get turned around. Videogames and the people who make them deserve their due like any other industry, and Spike is at least making an effort to make sure that happens. One of the other tweaks for the 2011 show is a focus on augmented reality, so that's another thing to keep an eye out for during the broadcast. (December 10th, Spike, 8PM) Eureka / Warehouse 13 / Haven For some people it takes see It's A Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story, or Peanuts to get in the holiday spirit, but if you're a fan science fiction shows then you'll want to know these are all checking in with special holiday episodes Tuesday night. As silly as Syfy's name change has been, these shows have at least maintained, if not increased, their level of quality and have dedicated audiences. The special episodes are dropping in sort of out of the blue so we don't know what to expect, but we'll give them a look -- check out a sneak peek embedded after the break.
Eureka's EMP cannon destined for the Marines? (video)
Marines serving overseas have a low-tech, time-tested way of stopping cars that ignore checkpoints -- namely, a .50-caliber slug to the engine block. Still, that hasn't prevented companies like Boeing and Eureka Aerospace from pouring tons of money into EMP research. The cannon (whether mounted on aircraft or a squad car) is nowhere near ready for prime time -- but when has that stopped the Pentagon from sinking tons of money into something? And the USAF isn't the only organization getting involved: according to Flightglobal, the Marine Corps is getting its own demo of the 55lb device (which can disable cars up to 200 meters away) next month at Dahlgren naval warfare center. Vintage autos (really anything manufactured before the mid-1970s) won't be harmed by the weapon, meaning that there still may be a place for lead slugs in modern peacekeeping missions after all. Video after the break.
First seasons go on sale on the PlayStation Store
The US PlayStation Video Store is having its "First Season Summer Sale." From now until September 17th, you'll be able to download episodes from the first season of 30 Rock, Battlestar Galactica, Eureka, Friday Night Lights, Heroes, Psych and The Office for only 99 cents each in SD. (HD episodes are $1.99 each, and will only work on the PS3.)
Suddenlink adds 7 new channels for Eureka, Magellan said to be thrilled
In good news for castle dwellers everywhere, Suddenlink is throwing seven new channels into the mix for Eureka, California area customers effective July 16. Say hello to Fox 29 as a clear QAM channel, while TBS HD, USA HD, FX HD, Travel HD and Sci-Fi HD are added to the HD Basic tier, and History HD slots into the HD Plus level. We TV and Chiller are also being added (sure to excite Bogge and Quagmire), but really, SD? We have standards.
Understanding Guild Wars gameplay
Some MMOs are fairly straightforward, and we have come to expect a certain formula. Create a character, gain levels as quickly as possible, cram as many skills as you possibly can on your modded interface and get that phat lewt before the next guy, right? Well, what happens if someone comes along and introduces a new type of game? is it difficult to acclimate to this new type of gameplay?A great example of this is with Guild Wars. The gameplay is based on strategy and working with what you have available to you at that time. This is a point that Shamus Young over at Twentysided has admittedly just realized. In his recent post about GW strategy gameplay, he explains that eureka moment he had when he realized that GW is not like the games he's used to, but it's more like a card game, where the skills you have in your 8-slot skillbar are the only ones you can use once you leave for a quest or mission. His new-found respect for the game is inspiring, as you can tell from the comments. If you find yourself confused on the purpose of GW gameplay, check out this post.
Buy fake products from a TV show...enter to win a HDTV and Blu-ray player
Unfortunately this post isn't about where you can go to buy a DVD hologram projector, plasma vision walls or TemporalVision truly-time shifting television as those products only exist within the world of SciFi Channel show Eureka. However if you go to the Made in Eureka website and try to order one you will be entered to win a Sony KDS-R60XBR1 HDTV and Sony BDP-S1 Blu-ray player. Whether you're a dyed-in-the wool Blu-ray fan or a longtime HD DVD supporter we'd think that free is just about the right price for some next gen high-def viewing. We'll just keep waiting for that TemporalVision monitor, it will probably actually be available long before we find out what's really going on in Lost.[Via TV Squad]
