Comic-Con 2012: TV Preview

Ever-growing convention brings first looks and farewells

By Mekeisha Madden Toby
Special to MSN TV

Every year, the TV portion of San Diego's Comic-Con International gets bigger and bigger, and 2012 is no exception. Seasoned convention-goers know to expect annual visits from such favorites as CBS' beloved nerd comedy "The Big Bang Theory," FOX's up-tempo musical "Glee," HBO's vampire hit "True Blood" and Showtime's deliciously twisted serial-killer drama "Dexter." But Comic-Con is also all about embracing the new.

Bing: Comic-Con 2012 | Comic-Con Schedule

Highly anticipated freshman options include The CW's comic book-inspired drama "Arrow" and NBC's post-apocalyptic offering "Revolution." Both series will be previewed twice over the event's five-day stretch, giving as many of the 130,000 attendees a chance to see what all the fuss is about. (More on that later.)

Farewells are also a big theme, and as the cast of "Chuck" proved last year and the folks from "Smallville" the year before that, Comic-Con attendees also love epic goodbyes. This year's must-see swan-song panels include FOX's "Fringe" and Starz's "Spartacus: War of the Damned." This is, of course, just the tip of the iceberg. There are dozens of shows worth checking out and revisiting. Read on for more titles of note.

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The new

Canadian actor Stephen Amell ("Hung") stars as playboy-turned-crime fighter Oliver Queen on The CW's much-buzzed-about "Arrow." The series, which doesn't debut on TV until October, will be previewed during Wednesday's Sneak Peek Pilot Screenings in the Convention Center's spacious Ballroom 20 and again on Friday afternoon in the same room.

The added bonus of the second screening is the subsequent panel, which will include Amell, his co-star Katie Cassidy ("Supernatural") and executive producers Marc Guggenheim ("Green Lantern") and Andrew Kreisberg ("Fringe").

More: Joss Whedon and Nathan Fillion Set for 'Firefly'

A few other facts to take into consideration is that "Arrow" is not a spin-off of the Green Arrow seen in "Smallville," and EP Guggenheim said his comic book adaptation is less of a comic book-y live-action series and more of a crime thriller. Hmmm. That's different.

Meanwhile, the Peacock's "Revolution" should also fit right in at Comic-Con. The show follows the world after a catastrophic blackout claims all electricity and technology. Did we also mention that "Revolution" is executive produced by J.J. Abrams and Jon Favreau? Now, that's a big deal. "Revolution" stars Billy Burke ("Twilight" flicks) and will be previewed on Wednesday night as well as on Saturday night. The latter will be followed by a Q&A panel with Burke and show creator and executive producer Eric Kripke ("Supernatural").

Other head-turning new shows include The CW's midseason thriller "Cult," which will be previewed Wednesday night and Friday morning, and ABC's devilish nighttime soap "666 Park Avenue." It will preview Wednesday night and Friday afternoon.

The unconventional

If "666 Park Avenue" seems like an odd fit for Comic-Con, it's not the only unusual title.

But, hey, the folks at this event can't be boxed in, and they proved that in 2009 when "Glee" made its convention debut.

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