Fringe Comic-Con Preview Night Screening

Comic-Con 2008 kicked off their "preview night" on Wednesday, with the first official public preview of the FRINGE pilot. The screening was introduced by a pre-taped J.J. Abrams. He congratulated the crowd on seeing the "first not illegal, unleaked, evil internet screening". The pilot clocked in at 81 minutes and 30 seconds, to which Abrams joked "may be 30 seconds too long". After the screening, cards were handed out to remind people to attend the FRINGE session on Saturday to get their first scavenger hunt clue. Thanks to PostLarval at Unfiction for the photo!

Fringe Hotel Keys at Comic-Con

FRINGE room keys are available at participating San Diego hotels for Comic-con. Peter Sciretta from SlashFilm reports:

Just checked in to my hotel and San Diego and was handed a hotel key with the Watchmen logo on it. Turns out, this is just one of eight comic con branded hotel keys which are available at participating Comic Con hotels. The keys include Watchmen, Terminator Salvation, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Chuck, Wonder Woman, Fringe, The Big Bang Theory and Batman: The Brave and the Bold.

Fringe Scavenger Hunt Begins At Comic-Con

A scavenger hunt is set to start immediately after the Fringe panel at Comic-Con.

The LA Times has an exclusive sneak peek at the first clue, which will be sent to everyone who has registered at the SearchForThePattern.com website.

The first clue reveals the starting point of the hunt - Booth #4129 - where Fox Atomic/Fox Atomic Comics will be stationed.

Similar to The Dark Night scavenger hunt from last year's Comic-con, the clues will likely lead to various locations around San Diego. The prize is rumored to be a trip to NYC for the FRINGE premiere.

If anyone is going to Comic-Con, please email us your clues along the way! And definitely be on the lookout for cows!

Will the Fringe Pilot be Remote Free TV?

Fringe will debut FOX's Remote Free TV concept by running only half the number of commercial minutes per episode as is typical for an hour-long program. According to the theglobeandmail.com, that equates to "50 minutes of programming in each hour-long episode." THR defines Remote Free TV as "commercial loads of about five minutes per hour, about half the usual," which, minus 60, equals 55 minutes of programming. Regardless of whose math is correct, the Fringe Pilot that was screened for the press and the version leaked online are reported from 82 to 90 minutes in length, which falls short of a theoretical two hour Remote Free premiere by at least 10 minutes, and possibly as many as 20.

In spite of rumors and confirmation that the Pilot is being tinkered with, Comic-Con's July 23 screenings consist of two 90 minute slots: 6:00–7:30 and 7:30-9:00. Does this mean Comic-Con attendees won't be seeing a Pilot tweaked to the point of being Remote Free TV friendly? Or does it mean Fringe may be Remote Free TV, but the Fringe Pilot isn't?

p.s. Don't miss Fringe at Comic-Con. See our Complete Fringe Schedule for Comic-Con 2008, and if you're not able to attend, watch this space all next week for the latest Comic-Con coverage.

Official Fringe ARG & Sweepstakes @ ExploreTheImpossibilities.com

There is a new Fringe website at ExploreTheImpossibilities.com (also SearchForThePattern.com).

The main site loops a few of the trailers, has a banner promotion for Fringe at Comic-Con 7.26.08 across the top, and at the bottom of the page the leaf, frog and apple glyphs serve as a menu of sorts.


The leaf leads to a "Clue" registration page where you provide your name, email, birth date and agree to the terms in order to:

Register to receive the first clue via email.

The clue will be sent on Saturday, July 26 at 6pm PST.

The apple leads to a "Sweepstakes" registration page where, after repeating the registration process above and agreeing to the rules, you:

Enter the sweepstakes for a chance to attend the FRINGE premiere party in New York.

The frog glyph opens the official site for Fringe on Fox.com in a new window.

So what do you think the "first clue" is all about? Is it officially an ARG for Fringe?

Complete Fringe Schedule for Comic-Con 2008

The complete schedule has been released for Comic-Con 2008, which will feature several Fringe related panels, and could be a possible launch pad for a Fringe ARG.

• WEDNESDAY 6:00–7:30 and 7:30-9:00 — Fringe Pilot Screenings — more ...
  Comic-Con and Warner Bros. Television proudly present two exclusive premiere screenings of the pilot episode of Fringe, the highly anticipated new FOX series from J.J. Abrams (Lost), Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, the team behind the upcoming Star Trek feature, Mission: Impossible 3 and Alias. When an international flight lands at Boston’s Logan Airport and the passengers and crew have all died grisly deaths, FBI Special Agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv, The Pacific) is called in to investigate. When the search nearly kills her partner, Special Agent John Scott (Mark Valley, Boston Legal), a desperate Olivia searches frantically for someone to help, leading her to Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King), our generation’s Einstein. There’s only one catch: He’s been institutionalized for the last 20 years, and the only way to question him requires pulling his estranged son, Peter (Josh Jackson, Shutter), in to help. Under Special Agent Phillip Broyles (Lance Reddick, The Wire), our trio will discover that what happened on that fatal flight is only a small piece of a larger, more shocking truth. Fringe also stars Kirk Acevedo (Oz), Blair Brown (The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd) and Jasika Nicole (The Mastersons of Manhattan). From Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, Fringe premieres September 9 and airs Tuesdays at 9:00 PM on FOX. (Please note: we will clear the room between screenings. Seating is limited. Pick the screening time that works best for you!) Ballroom 20
• FRIDAY 6:00-7:00 Exceeding Expectations and Exploring New Worlds: Feature Effects for the Small Screen— more ...
  Zoic Studios moderates a discussion with VFX supervisors on their passion for creating narrative enhancing, eye-popping effects for television. Some of the best in the business discuss future trends as well as their contribution to the television series Heroes, Battlestar Galactica, The Middleman, Lost, Eureka, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Smallville, and the new fall show Fringe. Room 32AB
• SATURDAY 4:45-5:45 Fringe Q&A and Trailer Screening— more ...
  J. J. Abrams (Lost), Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman—the team behind Mission: Impossible 3, Alias, and the upcoming Star Trek feature—join fellow Fringe executive producers Bryan Burk (Cloverfield) and Jeff Pinkner (Lost), as well as stars Anna Torv (The Pacific), Josh Jackson (Shutter), and John Noble (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King), for an exclusive Q&A about one of the most anticipated new television series of the fall season, a drama that will thrill, terrify and explore the blurring line between science fiction and reality. The session will kick off with the screening of a trailer for the series. Television Week deputy editor and columnist Joe Adalian moderates. From Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, Fringe premieres September 9 and airs Tuesdays at 9:00 PM on FOX. Ballroom 20
• SATURDAY 6:30-7:30 WildStorm Brewing— more ...
  Get the inside scoop on what’s coming up from DC’s wildest imprint from VP Hank Kanalz, superstar artist Jim Lee, editorial director Christos Gage (WildCats: World’s End), and creators Neil Googe (WildCats: World’s End), Wes Craig (Wildstorm Revelations), Brian Denham (X-Files), Joshua Ortega (Gears of War), and Jason Craig (Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash). Find out about WildStorm’s newest creator-driven books, plus the latest on The Authority, WildCats, Stormwatch, Gen 13, The Lost Boys, X-Files, J. J. Abram’s Fringe, and much, much more! Room 8

If you can't make it to San Diego, we'll be covering everything here LIVE as news breaks. And if you are planning to be at Comic-Con, please send us any updates, news, websites, etc, to editor@FringeTelevision.com. Thanks!

Also, if you are going to Comic-Con, JJ Abrams fans will want to check out the LOST panels, and the start of the new LOST ARG as well. For more information, please visit my LOST Blog at LostARGs.com.

Fringe Q&A at Comic-Con: Creators and Cast Fully Represented

Comic-Con has posted the complete 2008 program schedule. Fringe, in addition to the 6:00–7:30 and 7:30-9:00 screenings on Wednesday, July 23, will screen the trailer again on Saturday, July 26, followed by a powerhouse Q&A:

4:45-5:45 Fringe Q&A and Trailer Screening—J. J. Abrams (Lost), Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman—the team behind Mission: Impossible 3, Alias, and the upcoming Star Trek feature—join fellow Fringe executive producers Bryan Burk (Cloverfield) and Jeff Pinkner (Lost), as well as stars Anna Torv (The Pacific), Josh Jackson (Shutter), and John Noble (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King), for an exclusive Q&A about one of the most anticipated new television series of the fall season, a drama that will thrill, terrify and explore the blurring line between science fiction and reality. The session will kick off with the screening of a trailer for the series. Television Week deputy editor and columnist Joe Adalian moderates. From Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, Fringe premieres September 9 and airs Tuesdays at 9:00 PM on FOX. Ballroom 20

Edit: Don't miss Fringe at Comic-Con. See our Complete Fringe Schedule for Comic-Con 2008.

Fringe Screening at Comic-Con Preview Night (Wednesday)

The Official Thursday Programming Schedule for Comic-Con has been released and included in it is news about Fringe. If you're lucky enough to have a 4-day pass, and you're quick, you can attend a screening of Fringe on:

Wednesday, July 23, PREVIEW NIGHT

Attention 4-Day Members Only: For the first time ever, Comic-Con adds a special event on Preview Night, and what a special event it is! Be among the first to see the new fall series Fringe!

6:00–7:30 and 7:30-9:00 Fringe Pilot Screenings—Comic-Con and Warner Bros. Television proudly present two exclusive premiere screenings of the pilot episode of Fringe, the highly anticipated new FOX series from J.J. Abrams (Lost), Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, the team behind the upcoming Star Trek feature, Mission: Impossible 3 and Alias. When an international flight lands at Boston’s Logan Airport and the passengers and crew have all died grisly deaths, FBI Special Agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv, The Pacific) is called in to investigate. When the search nearly kills her partner, Special Agent John Scott (Mark Valley, Boston Legal), a desperate Olivia searches frantically for someone to help, leading her to Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King), our generation’s Einstein. There’s only one catch: He’s been institutionalized for the last 20 years, and the only way to question him requires pulling his estranged son, Peter (Josh Jackson, Shutter), in to help. Under Special Agent Phillip Broyles (Lance Reddick, The Wire), our trio will discover that what happened on that fatal flight is only a small piece of a larger, more shocking truth. Fringe also stars Kirk Acevedo (Oz), Blair Brown (The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd) and Jasika Nicole (The Mastersons of Manhattan). From Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, Fringe premieres September 9 and airs Tuesdays at 9:00 PM on FOX. (Please note: we will clear the room between screenings. Seating is limited. Pick the screening time that works best for you!) Ballroom 20.

Edit: Don't miss Fringe at Comic-Con. See our Complete Fringe Schedule for Comic-Con 2008.

Fringe Pilot Screening at (and near) Comic-Con

News via TVWeek that the Comic-Con veteran Warner Bros. (and not FOX, whose Comic-Con schedule has left some wondering where's the Fringe) will be deftly handling the Fringe marketing at Comic-Con with a panel and multiple screenings of the pilot.

--Warner Bros. Television will present panels for seven shows: “Chuck,” “Fringe,” “Pushing Daisies,” “Smallville,” “Supernatural,” “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” and “The Big Bang Theory.”

The studio is planning two on-site screenings of the “Fringe” pilot, as well as two off-site screenings at the UA Horton Plaza Theater. It will continue its tradition of handing out free tote bags at its massive booth on the floor of the convention, and its animation division will hold a major bash on July 25

As for which pilot attendees will be shown--the rough cut leaked screener or a more polished final or near final cut of the pilot--we'll just have to wait and see.

How Would The Actor's Strike Affect Fringe?

It's only been a few months since the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike ended, and now an actor's strike looms over Hollywood. In a nutshell, actors want what the writers got - a piece of the internet pie.

Fringe has a lot to lose if there is a strike:

[Networks] are puzzled over how to proceed with fall season promotions. Fox, for one, was planning to blow the doors out with barrages of Fringe buzz, but may hold back if the show's early-July production start is in jeopardy.

Fox has given Fringe a superstar schedule with a House lead-in this fall, and an American Idol lead-in this spring, but strike delay could throw everything off. House already has some episodes "in the can", ironically thanks to the WGA strike.

Comic-con would also be affected by a strike, preventing movie stars from attending and giving autographs. So while we might not get an Anna Torv or Joshua Jackson appearance in San Diego next month, JJ Abrams would still be there promoting Fringe (but not Star Trek since Paramount has already pulled out).

Fortunately, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) have already come to a tentative agreement and will vote on July 7^th, which is expected to pass. While the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) has not been able to reach an agreement, and their contract expires on Monday, June 30^th, they would need a 75% approval vote to strike, which is unlikely.

Fringe Schedule for Comic-Con

Ducky Does TV has posted the Warner Bros. TV Comic-Con Schedule which includes Fringe. According to Ducky's schedule, Fringe is scheduled Saturday, July 26th, 4:45 p.m. - 5:45 p.m. Saturday is sold out by the way.

What does all this mean? To be honest, I can't exactly say. My only experience with Comic-Con was feverishly refreshing last years live bloggers who were covering the Paramount/Abrams/Cloverfield panel. So my best guess is there will be a panel comprised of Fringe writers and/or directors and/or producers and/or stars who may have something to say, or show, or could just be there to look pretty and field a few questions about the show.