By Don Kaye
Special to MSN TV

July 25, 2008

Friday is the second day of Comic-Con and the first "big" day -- Thursday was sort of a mild warm-up for the events of the weekend ahead. From what I'm seeing so far even at 9:00 a.m., perhaps I was a little over-confident in proclaiming that my visits to the New York Comic-Con were any sort of preparation for this. There's a lot more people here than yesterday, and you can feel already that this place is going to be concentrated chaos for the next few days.

'Big Bang Theory'

It's all about the extra mass in the corridors and the longer amount of time it takes to make it from Room 6 to Hall H (no easy feat even without 100,000 people milling around). As I make my way into Room 6 for the morning's first panel, on "The Big Bang Theory," I am once again amazed at how full this vast room is (it's one of the three largest in the entire Convention Center). Although "Big Bang" has only got one season under its belt, it has a home here at Comic-Con and a loyal word-of-mouth fan base that is spreading the news about this quirky series.

Let's face it, a show about four ultra-nerds debating the physics of Superman catching Lois Lane in mid-air, whether one of them is actually a robot, and the time paradoxes of the "Terminator" films, not to mention interludes on "Star Trek," the Flash, and countless other components of geek culture, is bound to play to this crowd. It is, after all, the story of their lives (although the blonde hottie friend who loves them all is perhaps pushing the bounds of realism).

Co-creators Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady are joined by the entire cast for the panel, which is kicked off by moderator Adam Savage ("MythBusters") asking the crowd a series of questions to determine their level of geekness (sample: "How many of you know who Captain Pike is?"). The cast themselves are self-effacing and not that far removed from their characters. When each is asked what the nerdiest thing about them is, Simon Helberg confesses to once sporting a long ducktail, which he cut off and keeps in a jar. Johnny Galecki, meanwhile, admits he was into theater as a kid -- "which might be okay on the coast but doesn't play as well in a Chicago schoolyard."

"Big Bang Theory" is one of those rare series -- the precedent was set by the very first geek icon, "Star Trek" -- one that was given the chance to shoot a second pilot after the first was rejected. A wise choice on the part of CBS: This little show is a comfort zone for nerds everywhere.

'Stargate: Atlantis'

Sneaking out of the "Watchmen" panel (yes, I had to be there, at least for a few minutes), I make my way to Ballroom 20. The room is another massive auditorium, where the lines are stretching over the equivalent of city blocks to get into the "Stargate: Atlantis" forum. The show is well into its fifth season and cast members Joe Flanigan, Jewel Staite and the unrelentingly witty and entertaining Robert Picardo are on hand along with executive producers Brad Wright and Martin Gero.

The big news? There is that new movie in development, and the long-rumored new series, "Stargate: Universe," is "as close as it's ever been to happening," says Wright. A slightly awkward moment happens when Sci-Fi Channel exec Chris Sanagustin is asked whether the channel would let another network pick up "Atlantis" in the event that Sci-Fi cancels it. Considering that the "Stargate" franchise was rescued by Sci-Fi in much the same fashion, the query brings unusually strained smiles.

Picardo, a "Star Trek: Voyager" and "Stargate SG-1" favorite before signing up for "Atlantis," is clearly loved here. When a female fan asks how they might "soften up" his Woolsey character going forward, Picardo immediately fires back, "What are you doing later?" Staite, another favorite from her role in "Firefly" and "Serenity," says that playing a medical nerd on "Atlantis," as opposed to an engineering nerd on "Firefly," is much harder because "I have to look like I know what I'm doing."

Other tidbits include the return of "SG-1" characters Dr. Beckett (Paul McGillion), Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) and Dr. Daniel Jackson (played by James Spader in the original movie and by Michael Shanks on TV), the latter in a two-part "movie" airing later in the season. The startling thing to think about is that some iteration of "Stargate" has been on the air for 13 years, and both the cast and creators acknowledge the comfort and consistency of working on the franchise, which has probably gone farther and lasted longer than anyone probably thought. To cap things off, we get a rather random teaser for the Sci-Fi Channel's new fall series, "Sanctuary," adapted from the Web series about a female scientist tracking all sorts of mysterious creatures in and out of the bounds of reality.

The Visionaries: Showrunners

"Showrunner" is a term that few outside the entertainment industry would have probably known a few years ago, but thanks to the success of series like "Lost" and "Gossip Girl," the folks who get these shows from script to finished broadcast on a weekly basis are nearly as famous with fans as the stars of the shows. So it's no surprise that a panel packed with some of TV's most successful showrunners -- Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof from "Lost," Josh Schwartz of "Chuck" and "Gossip Girl," Bryan Fuller from "Pushing Daisies" and Josh Friedman of "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" -- is one of today's big draws.

First on the agenda is the fallout from the writers' strike earlier this year, which caused several of these shows to suspend their storylines midway through last season without returning. Friedman says "Terminator" will pick up more or less where it left off with its unintended cliffhanger, while Lindelof says that most of the stories they wanted to tell on "Lost" -- largely involving the people on the freighter -- will be told this year, but in a "different and better" form.

The question of online content comes up next, with Friedman announcing that "Terminator" will be delving into Webisodes and/or mobisodes for the first time this season. "Shows are not just shows anymore," says Cuse about the online initiatives that "Lost" has taken. "They're brands, and the companies that own them want to expand the brands. But the online content does allow us to tell stories we wouldn't be able to tell on the main show for the diehard fans."

Of course, the audience is craving details about each show's upcoming season, but if they're looking for more than a few vague hints, they're going to leave disappointed. "So, Carlton," asks moderator Jeff Jensen. "Where is the island?" Cuse: "I don't know." Jensen next turns to Lindelof. "How did John Locke die and end up in the coffin?" Lindelof: "I have no recollection of that." Was anyone really expecting them to tell us anything?

Each showrunner speaks out in defense of genre storytelling and especially -- since this is Comic-Con -- of comic books. Lindelof says that comic books have been a huge influence on him, with "Watchmen," in particular, teaching him how to tell stories out of chronological order. Fuller praises their esthetic and visual nature, while Friedman goes contrarian, joking, "I just watch TV." But the latter also helpfully points out surprise guest Shirley Manson, who is seated in the front row; the Garbage singer makes her acting debut this fall on "Terminator."

'Prison Break'

So far, over the last two days, I've been lucky enough to get into every panel I've attempted to attend. So imagine my surprise when I am locked cold out of the "Ghost Hunters" event. The successful Sci-Fi Channel reality series about paranormal researchers is huge here, and the line to get in extends out of the Convention Center even though the room is already filled to capacity (the usually helpful Sci-Fi publicity team's clout is trumped by that of the fire marshal in this case). It just gives me an excuse to grab a bite and start working on this report until I have to plunge back into the maelstrom of the Con and head to the "24" panel.

Unfortunately, our bad luck continues -- the line for "24" is closed and the auditorium is filled to capacity. So I'll miss news of the "exciting prequel shot in South Africa" (darn it), but I get in the line anyway, because this is the same room that the "Prison Break" presentation is scheduled for immediately afterward. It's also where they're holding the panel for "Avatar: The Last Airbender," which means that fans for that are already either in the room or lining up -- two hours before it starts. Note to Comic-Con organizers for next year: think about ways to improve room turnover.

Miraculously, the room clears out considerably after "24" but rapidly fills up again for "Prison Break," and I am swept inside with the tide. No sooner are we seated than the lights dim and we get to see an extended sequence from the upcoming fourth-season opener. It features the same forward momentum, driving music and taut pacing that the show is known for as Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller) pursues Gretchen Morgan (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe), out for vengeance for his lover Sara's (Sarah Wayne Callies) alleged murder. A final three-person standoff in a hotel storage room leads to a shocking revelation (although most people know it already): Gretchen claims that Sara is still alive.

In fact, "Sara" is in the room. Callies and co-star Dominic Purcell (who plays Lincoln Burrows) are joined by a trio of producers (Matt Olmstead, Kevin Hooks and Dawn Parouse) onstage, but that doesn't stop the audible groan of disappointment when it's announced that Miller is stuck on a film shoot and won't be attending. The rest of the cast and crew do their best, but for some reason this panel has no moderator and a decided lack of direction. The panelists quickly open it up to questions from the floor, but here's another note to show organizers: always have a moderator handy.

Nevertheless, the audience rises to the challenge with a few good questions, asking Purcell about his friendship and chemistry with Miller on and off the screen, interrogating Callies about when she thinks Sara and Michael will get back together ("Not in the first half hour," she reckons), and asking the whole panel whether they ever thought the show would last this long (the answer is pretty much "No," and Callies already expresses an itch to get back to the theater).

And that's it for today. I've been up since 6:30 a.m., and tomorrow looks no easier: Word on the street is that people will be lining up for the morning's "Heroes" panel at the crack of dawn. There's a lot happening on Saturday (it's the busiest day of Comic-Con) and almost too many panels and events to get to. I'm looking forward to it with a mix of anticipation and panic ...

Sound off: Comment on this story

See also: Thursday TV Wrap-Up