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 Forum: Better, Stronger, Faster

The forum has been upgraded in a major way. That's an actual technical upgrade ladies and gents, the likes of which not even the most experienced forum user has ever seen before. So do go here and check out the new forum, and if seeing is believing, take matters into your own hands and respond to the Roll Call.

Fringe's Official Site Updated

See: http://www.fox.com/fringe/

Added: What looks like a braille navigation menu across the bottom where you can manually select from the leaf, hand, apple, or the new frog or flower--which link to a Fringe Trailer on YouTube, and the Fringe Facebook Page.

AICN's Hercules Bullets the Fringe Pilot

Answering such diverse questions as: What’s it called? Who’s responsible? What does Fox say? The big news? What’s this about “a larger, more shocking truth?” Aim? Aquafresh? And all this is somehow tied to the plane mishap? Say. Didn’t Fox already air a series about FBI agents investigating the uncanny? Will subsequent “Fringe” episodes deal with sentient extraterrestrial crude oil, killer bees or humanoid tapeworms? Is the “Fringe” pilot as good as the “X-Files” pilot? “Twin Peaks” had FBI agents investigating weird stuff every week, didn’t it? Is the “Fringe” pilot as good as the “Twin Peaks” pilot? Is the “Fringe” pilot as good as the Abrams-directed “Alias” and “Lost” pilots? How rate you “Fringe’s” cast? Abrams didn’t direct this pilot, right? Isn’t Abrams essentially abandoning “Fringe” as he did “Alias” and “Lost”? This sounds … promising. How long before Fox cancels it?

Some spoilers, but you can read his answers here. Oh, and he gives it 4 stars as in likes it quite a bit.

Fox asks, "what’d you think?" of the leaked Fringe pilot

Odd that they would do that, unless, of course, they're the ones who did the leaking?

So, I ask -- was the Fringe pilot intentionally leaked by FOX/Warner Bros./Bad Robot?

Take the poll (to the right in the sidebar) or leave a comment.

Update: Poll closed/results: 91% believed the Fringe pilot intentionally leaked by FOX/Warner Bros./Bad Robot.

"The high quality of the Fringe download, alongside a source tag that identifies the torrent as a DVD screener, has sparked speculation over whether the pilot episode was intentionally leaked to build early buzz and hype before the show's broadcast premiere. A user on community forum Neowin wrote: 'In my opinion it's Fox themselves that use this technology to generate some talk.'" -- Underwire

"Fox was very careful with this expensive pilot, opting for private industry screenings rather than mailing out DVD screeners." -- THR

"Meanwhile, there are speculations over whether the pilot episode of Fringe was intentionally leaked by the network to create some early buzz." -- Buddy TV

"Yes, the Fringe pilot has gotten out. So, for those of you who have seen it — what’d you think?" -- Future on Fox

Sidenote: It appears FOX has deleted the post where they asked, 'what'd you think?' of the leaked Fringe pilot. It originally read:

Wanted: Little Dutch Boy

HR put it succinctly: That summer rite of passage, the annual leaking of the pilots, is upon us.

Yes, the Fringe pilot has gotten out.

So, for those of you who have seen it — what’d you think?

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.

More Details on DC Comics' Fringe Miniseries

DC Comics has posted two new official results pages for the Fringe comic prequel: FRINGE #1 (OF 6) and FRINGE #2 (OF 6).

Watch for a special announcement on this miniseries' creative team, coming soon!

From J.J. Abrams, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, the team behind the upcoming film Star Trek, Mission: Impossible III and the hit show Alias, comes Fringe, a new TV series that will thrill, terrify and explore the blurring line between science fiction and reality. The mysteries start here, in a special miniseries leading up to the premiere of Fringe on FOX on September 9!

Wildstorm Universe | 32pg. | Color | $2.99 US

Contrary to USA Today's report last week which had the comic hitting the stands on August 27, 2008, DC Comics lists the first issue as going on sale August 6, 2008, and the second, September 24, 2008.

Fringe DC Comic Book Prequel Schedule For August 27 Release

USA Today's David Colton is reporting that DC Comics will put out a comic book prequel for Fringe on August 27, two weeks prior to the pilot's September 9 premiere.

Abrams' TV 'Fringe' gets comic book prequel

The hip media empire of J.J. Abrams (Alias, Lost, Cloverfield, the next Star Trek film) expands into comic books this fall when DC Comics offers a prequel to his upcoming TV series on Fox, Fringe. Writers and artists are being decided, but DC says the comic version will hit the stands on Aug. 27, two weeks before the two-hour premiere airs on Sept. 9.

Speculation about the show is building at online fan sites amid word that the opener involves paranormal investigators looking into the mysterious landing of a jetliner with dead passengers. Sounds like a certain island, but the producers say the show will feature self-contained stories, à la Twilight Zone or X-Files, rather than one fantastic saga. Abrams is joined as executive producers on the project by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, who also are working on the Star Trek reboot film expected in 2009. —David Colton

But will fans have to wait until August 27 for their first glimpse, or is the mere mention of comic enough to remind longtime Abrams fans of Comic-Con, which is scheduled this year for July 24 through 27.

Fringe - J.J. Abrams Talks Fringe

By the by, FOX Broadcasting has its own YouTube account where you'll occasionally find little gems like this one of JJ Abrams talking about Fringe.


Go behind the scenes of Fringe with J.J. Abrams! Catch the series premiere of Fringe, TUE (9/9) at 8/7c, only on FOX!

Here is the transcript:

Fringe is my favorite kind of show, because it takes people that you really like, that you really care about, that you want to be with, and work with, and it puts them into the scariest situation that you've ever seen in your life. And it allows there to be this kind of safety and comedy in the face of "udder" terror. I believe that's sort of the greatest combination of things.

The key to casting anyone, is that when you see them, they own it. It's not a question of even casting. It's a question of hopefully and luckily finding the person who just claims the role, and when you feel like you are giving someone a part, it's not the right move. When you feel like you've found the person who own it, who claim it, that's the right thing.

When we saw Anna’s audition, and obviously the first audition I saw of her was for something else, it was something through her agent, I just thought "OMG" we found Olivia. She brings a very unique energy, a wonderful thoughtfulness, an intelligence, and I think a very unique and distinct beautiful look.

The role of Walter is a tricky one, because you need him to be real, relatable and also, at times, out of his mind. And he's a very untrustworthy mentor in a way, and so you have to go with him, and at the same time you're not quite sure whether or not he even knows where he is or what he's doing.

And finally, with Peter - with Josh Jackson - I think he is not only a wonderful actor, but he's so funny, he's got such a great wit, and an incredible innate skill to be acerbic without ever, I hope, going to a place of feeling phony or glib.

There are some scenes in this pilot, that are straight out of my/our nightmares. Things that are very relatable situations. There's a sequence on an airplane, starts off, and it could be any of us on any flight, and where it goes, is particularly terrifying. But it's that kind of thing that always grabs me, because it's not just the what, it's the why.

Is There a Fringe ARG? Maybe. Is it Holomove? Nope.

Dennis, who has been following the Holomove ARG closely in Unfiction, informs me that Holomove is not only not related to Fringe, it's not even related to FOX, and is instead a Microsoft production:

Holomove
In collaboration with Visual Studio, Microsoft has created the ultimate challenge that tells the story of Nathan Bozeman who gets the chance to change the world, but at an extraordinary price. Since the immersive game began in May 2008, it has captivated players around the world. Find out what’s happened so far and join the adventure—there’s still time to get involved.

You may recall we speculated that the Future on Fox blog's hint could be nothing more than a wild goose chase. Well, that's exactly what it was. Why would the people at FOX send potential "future" fans down the wrong rabbit hole? Good question.

Fringe Premiere Moved Back From August 26 to September 9, 2008

Fox has move the premiere of Fringe back 2 weeks to September 9, 2008. Still Tuesday. Still 8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT.

Does Fox's Remote Free TV Concept Deserve Full Credit For Commercial Pricing Premiums?

Mediaweek is crediting Fox's Remote Free TV plan (i.e. fewer commercials) for the reported "35-40 percent pricing premiums for commercials [on] its two new 2008-09 season dramas, Fringe and The Dollhouse." However, Fringe and Dollhouse aren't your run of the mill new shows. The reality is both shows already have fan bases, and if Fox is wise to the potential of the nomadic tribes of JJ Abrams and Joss Whedon, surely advertisers are too.

Remote Free TV might be the tangible cause 'media agency sources' point too in explaining the effect of increased pricing, but a true test of The Remote Free TV concept, Fringe and Dollhouse are not.