Durham County Review [SearchingForChetBaker]

• READ: Review: Durham County: Season 1 DVD

A few years ago I discovered this show called “Durham County” which is shown in Canada. Soon after I began watching it I realized this is a special type show. It was like nothing I had really watched before, as most shows, at least here in the US, tend to be “Safe”. There are exceptions such as Sons of Anarchy or Dexter or The Shield, but by and large most shows have a “we won’t cross this line” mentality that prevents it from seriously going in a direction that might be seen as offputting to a number of viewers.

Thankfully Durham County’s network does not have that mentality, and so it has allowed this brilliant show to be crafted in a way that is unsettling and not at all “safe”. The show is completely unpredictable and in fact the one thing that IS predictable is how you will feel afterwards. Kinda icky. And that’s a great thing I think. Anytime a show can create these emotions inside you that make you question what you just watched is brilliant in my mind.

The only show that really approaches this in the sense of “oh my God he’s not going to…oh he just did!” is probably Dexter. Dexter is a show that essentially has you rooting for a serial killer to get away with it. Perhaps because the people that he kills are all bad people. We know this watching it, so when he kills a pedophile or a child killer or a guy who killed his wife, we don’t really feel that bad. We know killing is wrong, but we know 100% that the people he’s killing are guilty and are getting away with it. So that makes it okay, if even in a questionable morals type of way.

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An X-Files moment

• READ: Ancient Comet Fragments Found In Antarctic Snow

excerpt from Cosmos Magazine: “Two tiny meteorites recently recovered from Antarctic snow contain material dating back to the birth of our Solar System, and may provide clues about the delivery of organic matter to Earth. Researchers believe that these micrometeorites likely came from the cold, comet-forming outer regions of the gas and dust cloud that comprised the early Solar System, and sample its composition. Discovered in 2006, the particles measure less than 0.25 mm across and survived their journey through Earth’s atmosphere relatively unscathed. More importantly, scientists found that they contain unusually high amounts of organic matter.”

Stargate Cloverdale

Jennifer Lang – Cloverdale Reporter

Actor Jamil Walker Smith, who plays Sgt. Ronald Geer, in a scene from an upcoming episode of Stargate Universe, season two, filmed on location in Cloverdale.

TV’s critically acclaimed sci-fi drama, Stargate Universe, beamed down to Earth this week.

The U.S.-Canadian production spent two days filming on location in Cloverdale’s historic downtown core, shooting scenes inside – and outside – the Clova Cinema and other local landmarks.

Traffic was barred from the 5700 block of 176 Street for much of Tuesday, while the crew filmed a stunt sequence and other scenes.

The futuristic show, now shooting its second season, follows a group of soldiers, scientists and civilians trapped aboard the ancient alien spacecraft “Destiny” at the other end of the universe.

It stars Scottish actor Robert Carlyle as Dr. Nicolas Rush. Other actors include Louis Ferreira, David Blue, Brian J. Smith, Jamil Walker Smith, Alaina Huffman and Elyse Levesque.

The show films in the Vancouver area but also relies on digital effects to portray computer-generated worlds in outer space.

Stargate Universe is up for 17 Leo Awards – B.C. film and television awards – for best dramatic series, direction, screenwriting, editing and effects.

The drama-heavy series – written by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper – is more devoted to character development than its more action-oriented TV franchise predecessors Stargate SGI (1997) and Stargate Atlantis (2004).

It’s created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper and airs Fridays at 7 p.m. on the Space Channel.

Paul Orazietti of the Cloverdale Business Improvement Association says Cloverdale, B.C., stood in for Cloverdale, VA, in the episode, which will air sometime in October.

The production won’t be making a return visit to Cloverdale this season, Orazietti says.

Stargate Universe: Sabotage pics

Pics via: http://stargate.mgm.com/

• READ: Exclusive Pictures from Friday’s Stargate Universe Episode “Sabotage” [via: Ken Denmead]

Stargate Universe is great science fiction television, mixing hard science concepts with some really good character work. We’re having a ton of fun watching the show, and are tickled we’re getting some sneak peek images out of the producers.

The tagline for this Friday’s episode: “Without the means to alter the Destiny’s course, Dr. Rush calculates the Destiny will fall short of making it to the next galaxy, stranding them indefinitely.” Watch it Friday on Syfy, 9pm Eastern and Pacific.

SGU: LEO Awards 2010

DRAMATIC SERIES

The Nominees for Best Dramatic Series are…

Sanctuary
Damian Kindler, Amanda Tapping, Martin Wood, Alan McCullough,
Lily Hui, Lisa Richardson, Lee Wilson – Producers

Smallville
James Marshall, Jae Marchant, Rob Maier, Scott Graham – Producers

Stargate Universe
Brad Wright, Robert Cooper, Carl Binder, Joseph Mallozzi,
Paul Mulle, John Glenic, N. John Smith – Producers

The Nominees for Best Direction in a Dramatic Series are…

Rachel Talalay – Durham County – Surviving The Fall
Brenton Spencer – Sanctuary – Pavor Nocturnus
Martin Wood – Sanctuary – Kali Part 2
Kevin Fair – Smallville – Roulette

Robert Cooper – Stargate Universe – Human
Peter Deluise – Stargate Universe – Light

The Nominees for Best Screenwriting in a Dramatic Series are…

Ken Craw – Heartland – Quarantine
Alan McCullough – Sanctuary – Veritas
Damian Kindler – Sanctuary – Kali Part 2

Brad Wright – Stargate Universe – Light

The Nominees for Best Cinematography in a Dramatic Series are…

Glen Winter – Smallville – Savior

Jim Menard – Stargate Universe – Light
Michael Blundell – Stargate Universe – Human
Rohn Schmidt – Stargate Universe – Air

David Moxness – The Listener – I Am An Adult Now

The Nominees for Best Picture Editing in a Dramatic Series are…

Gordon Remple – Sanctuary – Kali Part 2

Brad Rines – Stargate Universe – Pain
Mike Banas – Stargate Universe – Air
Rick Martin – Stargate Universe – Human

The Nominees for Best Production Design in a Dramatic Series are…

Bridget McGuire – Sanctuary – Kali Part 2
James Philpott – Smallville – Power

James C. O. Robbins – Stargate Universe – Air

Ian Thomas – V – Pilot

The Nominees for Best Costume Design in a Dramatic Series are…

Christina McQuarrie – Sanctuary – Pavor Nocturnus
Melanie Williams – Smallville – Kandor

The Nominees for Best Make-Up in a Dramatic Series are…

Todd Master, Holland Miller, Harlow Macfarlane,
Werner Pretorius, Yukio Okajima – Sanctuary – Fragments

Francesca von Zimmermann, Andrea Manchur
Sanctuary – Pavor Nocturnus

The Nominees for Best Visual Effects in a Dramatic Series are…

Lee Wilson, Lisa Sepp-Wilson, Sebastien Bergeron, Les Quinn, Eric Petey
Sanctuary – End Of Nights Part 2

Mark Savela, Jason Gross, Steve Garrad, James Kawano, Viv Jim
Stargate Universe – Space

Mark Savela, Shannon Gurney, Brenda Campbell, Craig Vandenbiggelaar,
Krista McLean – Stargate Universe – Air

The Nominees for Best Stunt Coordination in a Dramatic Series are…

Jacob Rupp – Smallville – Rapid

James Bamford – Stargate Universe – Air

The Nominees for Best Guest Performance by a Male in a Dramatic Series are…

Michael Shanks – Sanctuary – Penance
Christopher Gauthier – Sanctuary – Hero
David Richmond-Peck – V – It’s Only The Beginning

The Nominees for Best Supporting Performance by a Male in a Dramatic Series are…

Ben Cotton – Harper’s Island – Seep
Benjamin Arthur – Less Than Kind – Road Trip
Christopher Heyerdahl – Sanctuary – Haunted
Ryan Robbins – Sanctuary – Fragments

Patrick Gilmore – Stargate Universe – Pain

The Nominees for Best Supporting Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series are…

Jennifer Spence – Stargate Universe – Life
Julia Benson – Stargate Universe – Pain


The Nominees for Best Lead Performance by a Male in a Dramatic Series are…

Graham Wardle – Heartland – Against All Odds
Robin Dunne – Sanctuary – Pavor Nocturnus

The Nominees for Best Lead Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series are…

Erin Karpluk – Being Erica – Being Dr. Tom
Amanda Tapping – Sanctuary – Pavor Nocturnus