SyFy

CHICAGO – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Blu-ray with our unique social giveaway technology, we have 5 free TV series Blu-rays up for grabs for the home release of the Emmy-nominated “Defiance: Season 1” on Syfy from the “Battlestar Galactica“ producers!

CHICAGO – Two of cable TV’s most interesting science fiction programs return tonight just after their 2011 seasons were released on DVD.

CHICAGO – Syfy relaunches two of their biggest hits tonight with the fourth season premiere of “Warehouse 13” followed by the second season premiere of “Alphas.” While the latter starts strong enough to presume that the show’s sophomore outing will be vastly improved over its first year, “Warehouse 13” opens with a clunky affair, one that doesn’t really hit the right beats and somehow finds a way to waste the great Brent Spiner, as difficult as that is to do.

CHICAGO – Aficionados of J.M. Barrie movie adaptations will immediately recognize a bit of trivia-worthy casting in Nick Willing’s “Peter Pan” prequel, “Neverland.” Bob Hoskins is cast as Smee, a role he previously inhabited in Steven Spielberg’s “Hook.” I’m not sure why, considering “Hook” isn’t all that fondly remembered, though after sitting through the first half of this tedious slog, I was praying for a cameo by Rufio.

CHICAGO – I was adamant that the Syfy Channel remaking the British version of the spectacular “Being Human” while the original was still playing on BBC America and being steadily released on Blu-ray and DVD was a very, very bad idea.

CHICAGO – Remakes/reboots of popular television shows almost never work. Ask the few viewers of “Charlie’s Angels,” “Knight Rider,” or “Bionic Woman.” And it seemed like a particularly awful idea to remake a hit British show that most people with cable access to BBC America would have seen in the very recent past. How could a new version of “Being Human” on Syfy possibly justify its existence with the original version still producing new episodes?

CHICAGO – With so much great science fiction on the tube now from masterpieces like “Being Human” and “Torchwood” to enjoyable diversions like “Warehouse 13,” it’s one of the best times to be a fan of the genre. And so when a piece with a brilliant premise, talented ensemble, and high production values like “Outcasts” comes along, it’s tempting to assume that it will deliver on its potential like so many of its colleagues. “Outcasts” is nothing but a string of rising disappointments.

CHICAGO – SyFy fans can officially start a countdown of episodes remaining for of the network’s biggest shows. While plans were seemingly moving forward for the network to renew the sixth season of their hit show “Eureka” after SyFy ordered six new episodes to be made last week, reconsideration has brought about the cancellation of the show.

CHICAGO – The first season of “Haven” (recently released on Blu-ray and DVD) ended with a number of cliffhangers and the new season picks up, literally, right where it left off with guns pulled and chaos imminent in the town of Haven. Sadly, it also picks up with a similarly frustrating level of quality. This is a show that just doesn’t click, whether it’s the awkward performances or unbelievable dialogue. I want to like “Haven” but it’s a town I just can’t recommend visiting.

CHICAGO – SyFy’s “Alphas” might have been a reasonable excuse for summer entertainment five years ago but we’ve seen too many shows like it in the last few to give this disappointment a pass. Remember the later seasons of “Heroes”?