Michael Shanks Online
News and Updates

1 January 2010

Happy New Year!

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.
~ Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Best wishes to all for a safe, happy and healthy New Year.

29 December 2009

TV Alert

The TV alerts continue, the latest for those in the UK: Stargate: Continuum is scheduled to repeat on Sky 1 on Sunday, 3rd January at 1:00pm.

(With thanks to Tracy for the heads up!)

And a few more websites have recently repeated the rumor of a Hawkman movie being developed by Warners, including Fused Film, the Coventry Telegraph, SciFi Pulse and SciFi Scoop.

27 December 2009

TV Alerts and Reminders

A heads up for those in the U.S. and Canada for a few upcoming repeats:

» Three of Michael's four episodes of Burn Notice will air as part of a marathon on the USA Network on New Year's Eve: "Truth and Reconciliation" at 12:00pm, "Sins Of Omission" at 1:00pm and "Lesser Evil" at 2:00pm.

» Sanctuary: Michael's episode, "Penance", will also repeat as part of a marathon on the SyFy Channel at 8:00pm.

» Desperate Escape: The made-for-television drama will repeat several times on the Canadian cable channel Movie Central on 8 January at 8:30pm, 9 January at 3:45am, 20 January at 1:00am and 30 January at 8:20am. Note: All times are MT - check the Movie Central website for any times/date changes. (With thanks to Sally for the heads up!)

25 December 2009

Happy Christmas / Hannukah / Kwanzaa / Winter Solstice... Happy Everything!

Best wishes to you and yours for a very safe and very happy holiday season.

22 December 2009

Hawkman next for Warners?

The online edition of UK movie magazine Empire has reported that rumors are currently circulating Warner Brothers studio may be developing a film based on the DC Comics hero, Hawkman, the character played by Michael in the upcoming 2 hour tele-movie episode of Smallville, "Smallville: Absolute Justice".

Per the website:

"It's still a rumour at this point, since Warners has yet to officially announce it, but following the creation of the massive entertainment conglomeration once WB swallowed up DC, it was only a matter of time before all the comics' company's books were thrown into the script pile.

According to the report, Warners is looking for something that is part Indiana Jones (at least one version of the Hawk's alter egos was an archaeologist), part Da Vinci Code and part... Ghost?

Oh, and Stargate's Michael Shanks will be playing him. On Smallville. We bet Warners might wait and see if he, er, takes off before development of the film version continues..."

To read the full article, go to the Empire Online website.

The rumor has also been picked up by Cinematical, Rama's Screen, Digital Spy, Nerdles and StanZoo.

In other news, the folks at Diamond Select Toys - the folks behind the range of Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis action figures - have taken part in a Q&A, answering questions about upcoming action figure releases, including the possibility of a range of Stargate mini-mate figures. At this stage, the answer is "no":

"We have seriously considered Stargate MM in the past but as of now they are not in the plans. They are still under consideration."

20 December 2009

TV Alert

A quick heads up for Canadians: Michael's tele-movie, Sumuru, is scheduled to repeat on Space today at 1:30pm and 6:25pm (PST).

19 December 2009

Birthday donation update

A quick note to once again say thank you to those who donated to raise funds for the MS Society of Canada in recognition of Michael's recent birthday. Together with the most recent affiliation payment from the U.K. arm of Amazon.com, we are happy to report that we're sending off a check for over $600 U.S.

This latest affiliation payment and the birthday donations brings the total raised to date for the charity to $106,035.34.

17 December 2009

TV Alerts

A quick heads up for Canadians: Michael's tele-movie, Under The Mistletoe, is scheduled to repeat on the W Channel today at 6:00am and 2:00pm (PST).

And for those in the U.S., a reminder that last week's episode of Sanctuary, in which Michael made a guest appearance, is repeating today on the SyFy Channel at 7:00pm and tomorrow morning at 1:00am.

16 November 2009

Smallville - "Absolute Justice" spoilers

The Spoiler TV website has posted "provocative new information" about the upcoming two-hour Smallville episode, "Absolute Justice".

Per the website - and beware spoilers!:

"...it's common knowledge that this "movie" revolves around Clark's introduction to the Justice Society of America, which here will be largely represented by Hawkman (played by Stargate alum Michael Shanks), Dr. Fate (Brent Stait, Andromeda) and Stargirl (Britt Irvin, V).

But what exactly brings about this elite meet-and-greet?

Well, it looks like the circumstances are rather grim, according to one key player.

"I can’t say too much about this, but there is a death that occurs at the beginning of the episode," Britt Irvin tells me. "And that brings [the JSA] together with Clark and his team."

...And to put it mildly, not all of these heroes get on superbly when they first cross paths.

"Stargirl has a bit of friction with Green Arrow at the beginning, as does Hawkman," Irvin says, echoing that which Justin Hartley revealed in a recent Fancast Q&A.

Check out the full article on the Spoiler TV website.

And our sincere thanks to all who participated in our latest fundraising effort for the MS Society of Canada, in recognition of Michael's birthday. An update advising the total sent to the MS Society will be posted in the next day or so, once the final donations have been received. Thanks, again!

14 December 2009

To celebrate an upcoming birthday

Tomorrow, 15 December, is Michael's 39th birthday.

As we do every year, in light of Michael and Lexa's support of the MS Society of Canada we'll be making a donation to the charity in recognition and celebration of the milestone.

If you would like to add your own donation to our birthday 'gift' to help celebrate Michael's birthday, you can do so through the new PayPal link in the Fundraising section on the side bar.

Note: In response to a number of requests we've received throughout the year, the PayPal button will actually remain as a permanent fixture to the site to enable direct donations for those unable to participate in our annual auctions or contribute via the charity bazaar. Our thanks to those of you who suggested the idea - we very much appreciate your support!

In other news, several sites have posted reviews of last week's episode of Sanctuary - "Penance" - in which Michael made a guest appearance, including Clique Clack and i09.com.

And on the Smallville front, the Hollywood North Report has posted the news and (already released) photos from the upcoming tele-movie special, "Absolute Justice", in which Michael is appearing as the DC Comic hero, Hawkman.

TV Alert: For those in the U.S., one of Michael's earliest TV guest appearances, from the second season of the sci-fi series, Highlander, (episode 6, "The Zone") is scheduled to repeat on the SyFy Channel on 16 December at 1:00am.

13 December 2009

Burn Notice New Year's Eve  marathon

The USA Network is running a marathon of Burn Notice episodes on Thursday, 31 December, from 7:00am to 5:00am.

Included among the episodes airing are three of the four Michael guest starred in as burned spy Victor, airing at the following times:

12:00pm - "Truth and Reconciliation"

01:00pm - "Sins of Omission"

02:00pm - "Lesser Evil"

As always, check your local schedules to confirm the date/time for your area.

With thanks to SueB for the heads up!

12 December 2009

eBay warning/alert

With thanks to a number of people, we've been made aware that several of the digital images displayed on this website are being printed and sold as original photos on eBay. Some of these photos have been sent to us by Michael's management, while others have been provided for the site's exclusive use by several of the film companies with whom Michael has worked.

Beyond the issue that these images are being printed and sold without permission and are being advertised (and presumably printed) with the MSOL watermark on them, our primary concern is for any potential buyers.

The source for these photos are *not* high resolution, photo-quality files. Where hi-res files have been provided to us they have been re-sized for web display, and therefore any photos printed from the MSOL files downloaded will be of a questionable quality. They are certainly not photo quality. (We suspect this is why most of the listings for the photos are no bigger than 5x7 inches in size. Smaller prints tend to mask pixel issues that occur in low-resolution prints of large photos.)

Currently several of Michael's professional headshots, and photos from Desperate Escape are being sold. We're also aware that photos from the yet-to-be released Arctic Blast have been advertised by the same seller. (These did not carry the MSOL watermark, but did carry the copyright noticed placed by us on the re-sized digital images sent to us by the Production company for the film.)

The issue has been raised with eBay and we hope to get a response shortly. In the meantime, please feel free to share the above information with any groups or forums which you believe may be interested.

11 December 2009

Sanctuary episode airs tonight!

A quick reminder for those in the U.S. that Michael's episode of Sanctuary - "Penance" - premieres tonight on the SyFy Channel at 10:00pm / 9:00pm Central.

In related news, the Chicago Now website has posted a brief article about the new episode, with a few quotes from Amanda Tapping about Michael's role in the episode, and the experience of working together again:

"It was very cool. We wanted Michael on the show for awhile and this was a good fit."

Tapping and Shanks don't have a lot of scenes together, a good thing in Tapping's opinion, because she worried that their long SG-1 history might have them falling into old rhythms.

"We just didn't want it to be 'The Sam and Daniel Show' or 'The Michael and Amanda Show,'" she said. "There are a couple of moments between Magnus and Jimmy ... that are so beautiful."

One of those moments you can see [is] when Helen and Jimmy first reunite. "That's pure Michael and Amanda chemistry," Tapping said. "It's so cool. I watched it and I was like, 'Aww, yeah. Aww, see, you can tell we love each other.'"

To read the full article - and to a new photo (and the sneak peak video clip) from the episode - go to the Chicago Now website.

9 December 2009

Sanctuary newsbyte

The official SyFy website has posted a sneak peak video clip for this week's episode of Sanctuary - "Penance" - in which Michael makes a guest appearance.

The episode is scheduled to air in the U.S. on the SyFy Channel, Friday, 11 December at 10:00pm, and in the U.K. on ITV 4 on Monday, 14 December at 10:00pm.

8 December 2009

Smallville newsbyte

In response to a request for "some Smallville news", the folks at the Spoiler TV website have posted the following:

I don't dare go another week sans Smallville so let's talk about that photo of Hawkman pinning down Green Arrow in the "Absolute Justice" two-hour TV-movie. Though things may look super-tense when the heroes meet, they will ultimately reach an accord. In keeping with DC Comics lore, "They did a really good job of making them rivals," Justin Hartley says, "and yet they realize toward the end that while they might not ever accept each other, they agree to disagree. It's the difference between accepting someone and respecting them, like, 'Hey, look - I don't agree with you, but I can't take away the fact that you're driven, your heart is big, and you're a good guy. I get it.'" Speaking of good guys, I hope to have a special something on another Smallville visitor in the coming week.

Thanks to Whisper for the heads up!

In Arctic Blast news, the Quiet Earth website has posted an article about director Brian Trenchard-Smith's involvement with the film, with a synopsis and brief mention of Michael's starring role.

7 December 2009

TV Reminder

A quick reminder for those in the U.S. that the two Stargate SG-1 made-for-DVD movies, Stargate: The Ark of Truth and Stargate: Continuum, are repeating today on the SyFy channel at 9:00am and 11:00am respectively.

6 December 2009

More Sanctuary coverage

The Sci-Fi/Fantasy section of About.com has posted the following (along with a already-released photo of Michael as his Sanctuary character, Jimmy) in a "This Week: TV" blog:

"Big names from sci-fi history festoon this week's episodes. Guest stars this week include Michael Shanks, Amanda Tapping's long-time co-star on Stargate SG-1, as an old friend of Magnus on Sanctuary; Leonard Nimoy reprising his role as William Bell on Fringe; and Keith Carradine and Alan Tudyk on Dollhouse.

Check out the newsbyte and synopsis of the Sanctuary episode on About.com.

Michael's guest appearance in the series also gets a mention in a newsbyte on The Morningstarr website.

Finally, to see a video promo the episode, go to the YouTube website.

TV Reminder: For those in the U.S., Michael's first movie for director, George Mendeluk - Under The Mistletoe is scheduled to repeat on LIFE today at 5:00pm.

5 December 2009

Tapping and Shanks reunite in Sanctuary

In an article titled "Stargate's Tapping and Shanks reunite in Sanctuary", the Sci Fi Wire website has provided a few details about upcoming episodes of the SyFy series, including the episode in which Michael is guest starring, "Penance."

Per the article - which includes quotes from creator and co-writer of the series, Damian Kindler:

Beware spoilers!

Sanctuary also has two more new episodes airing in December. The first, "Penance," guest-stars Michael Shanks as an abnormal named Jimmy who smuggles goods for the Sanctuary.

"It sounds a little rude, but he actually has a mutation that gives him a pouch in his stomach, almost a Videodrome kind of pouch. It allows him to transport goods, and he is transporting a very dangerous abnormal, trying to get it to Magnus, when a bunch of bad guys get in the way, and he's forced to go on the run with Kate to protect this abnormal. A very big secret from the past for both of them comes out."

To read the full article, go to the Sci Fi Wire website. And don't forget! - the episode airs on Friday, 11 December.

3 December 2009

More Smallville newsbytes

The BuddyTV website has re-printed a few details and quotes from a Fancast.com interview with Justin Hartley, during which the actor discussed the relationship between his Smallville character, Green Arrow, and that of Michael's character, Hawkman.

"They have completely different views on just about everything you can imagine. Hawkman has this sort of antiquated, conservative point of view, while Oliver is the 'liberal bleeding heart.' Together, they are a match made in hell."

Check out the full article on the BuddyTV website.

In related news, the Open Book Society has posted an article about the upcoming Justice Society 2-hour Smallville special...

"There's been a lot of buzz surrounding the upcoming two-part Smallville arc 'Absolute Justice' - and not just because of the involvement of comics scribe Geoff Johns. Along with introducing Michael Shanks as Hawkman, the story will also debut a few more members of DC's Justice Society of America: Doctor Fate (Brent Stait) and Stargirl (Britt Irvin)."

... with a link to the latest photos on the Entertainment Weekly website.

In other news, the HD Room website has revealed the cover art for the Blu-ray release of the first 9 episodes of Stargate Universe, the first episode of which features a cameo appearance by Michael. The disk is due for release on 9 February, 2010.

1 December 2009

Smallville newsbytes

The MTV,  BuddyTV and SciFi Cool websites have joined the list of sites re-posting the photos (and associated news) of Michael and others in their Smallville 'Justice Society' guises, as first revealed on the Entertainment Weekly website.

30 November 2009

Merchandise news

Rittenhouse Archives Ltd, the makers of a range of science fiction and fantasy based collectibles, have updated their website with details of the imminent release of a new set of Stargate trading cards.

Per the website:

"For the first-time ever, the various realms of Stargate - Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis and the all-new Stargate Universe - come together in one awesome collection! The base set will focus on the heroic men and women of the past Stargate TV programs, including Jack O'Neill, Samantha Carter, Daniel Jackson, Teal'c, Cameron Mitchell, John Sheppard, Rodney McKay, Teyla Emmagan, Ronon Dex and others! "

The new card set is scheduled for release on 9 December this year. For full details of the cards available to collect - which includes an autograph card signed by Michael - check out Rittenhouse's SciFiHobby website.

TV Alert: For those in the U.S., Michael's first movie for director, George Mendeluk - Under The Mistletoe is scheduled to repeat on LIFE on Sunday, 6 December at 5:00pm.

29 November 2009

Charity Bazaar Update

We've just received the latest payment from Amazon.com for all purchases made through the MSOL Charity Bazaar during August; a total of $54.10 U.S. has been sent to the MS Society of Canada.

This latest affiliation payment brings the total raised to date for the charity to $105,429.08.

Once again, our sincere thanks to all of you who make your purchases through the MSOL Charity Bazaar and participate in the annual online auctions. Your support is very much appreciated.

28 November 2009

Gallery update

Synchronising with the online second sneak peak of Michael in his Smallville Hawkman outfit, the 4 December issue of the print edition of Entertainment Weekly has published the same photos (albeit in smaller versions) in the Ausiello Files section (on page 84), under the title "Scooplets", with the following text:

Smallville pic takes flight - Smallville is about to go where the Superman franchise hasn't been in nearly four years: to the movies! On Feb 5, The CW will air Smallville: Absolute Justice, a two-hour TV film that will introduce the Justice Society of America.

"We've done big episodes before," says executive producer Brian Petersen, "but we've never done an old-school superhero origins movie." In addition to appearances by Doctor Fate, Stargirl and Hawkman (above with Green Arrow), Petersen reveals that "we will see glimpses of" several other DC Comics heroes. "I think [the movie] will be more than what people are expecting."

To view and download a clipping of the article, to the Magazine Clippings section of the Print Media Gallery, or simply skip to the New Pics page. (With thanks to SueB for the headsup and scan!)

In related news, Entertainment Weekly's second 'sneak peak' look has been reported on Collider.com, MovieWeb, Superhero Hype and SuperHero Flix.

TV Reminder: For those in the U.S., Michael's episode of, CSI Miami - "Payback" - is scheduled to repeat on A&E on today at 11:00pm and again on Sunday, 29 November at 3:01am.

27 November 2009

New photo of Michael as Hawkman

Journalist Michael Ausiello has provided yet another sneak peak of Michael in his Smallville Hawkman outfit via his "Ausiello Files" section on the Entertainment Weekly website.

Check out the photo (and one of Stargate alumni Brent Stait as Dr. Fate) and accompanying article on the Entertainment Weekly website. (The photo has also been added to the Smallville page in the Television Series section of the Galleries.)

In Sanctuary news, the Spoiler Geeks Blog has provided a synopsis of Michael's upcoming episode, "Penance".

Beware spoilers!

"Magnus (Amanda Tapping) is reunited with an old friend, Jimmy (Michael SHanks) who is transporting a valuable elemental Abnormal to the Sanctuary for safety.

But an underground mob accustomed to cashing in on the Abnormal black market, tracks down Jimmy and his valuable cargo before the delivery is complete. Magnus and Jimmy find themselves in a dangerous shootout, determined to save the Abnormal. Will (Robin Dunne), Kate (Agam Darshi) and Henry (Ryan Robbins) are quick on the scene as backup. Kate proves her worth when she manages to get Jimmy and the Abnormal to safety. But not before taking a shot from one of the mobsters herself.

Hiding out in an abandoned, derelict motel room until the immediate danger of the mob passes, Jimmy tends to Kate's gunshot wound. With little to do but talk and wait for Magnus to find them, Jimmy and Kate discover an unexpected common history."

On the Stargate Universe front, MGM have announced that the first nine episodes of the new series will be released in a set titled "SGU 1.0", and will include the 6 "Stargate 101: Presented by Dr. Daniel Jackson" video clips originally provided on the MGM website.

For full details, go to the TV Shows on DVD website.

Thanks to DiscoDiva for the heads up!

26 November 2009

Gallery update

The Television Series section of the Galleries has been updated with 2 more photos from Michael's upcoming guest appearance in the SyFy series, Sanctuary.

The episode, "Penance", is currently scheduled to air on Friday, 11 December.

To view and download the photos, go to the Sanctuary page in the Television Series section of the Galleries, or simply skip to the New Pics page. (With thanks to lupinskitten for pics!)

In related news, Michael's appearance in the episode gets a mention in the latest U.S. TV Guide, in their winter sci-fi preview section:

"Stargate vet Michael Shanks guests in a plot about a precious and pricey abnormal wanted by the mob."

And on the Smallville front, the Slice of SciFi website have posted a few excerpts from Producer Brian Petersen's recent interview with TV Guide, with mention of Michael's role as Hawkman.

25 November 2009

Brief update

Geoff Johns, the comic book and television writer who has penned the 2 hour special episode of Smallville in which Michael is guest starring, shared the following via his Twitter account today:

"Just saw a rough cut of the first hour of Smallville: Absolute Justice. Holy hell it's awesome."

In related news, The Flick Cast has covered the news of the 'first look' at Michael's Smallville character, Hawkman, while CinemaSpy has a brief article about the 'Justice Society' episode of the series.

24 November 2009

Arctic Blast news

The November edition of the Australian publication Inside Film (issue #126) includes a two-page interview with Tony Ginnane and Brian Trenchard-Smith, one of the producers and the director (respectively) of Michael's latest film, Arctic Blast.

Most of the interview focuses on Ginnane and Trenchard-Smith's past relationship in the Australian film industry, however there are a few mentions of their latest project. From Tony Ginnane:

"Doing a low budget co-production un Australia with Arctic Blast meant I needed a crack director who would get the job done; being a unique visual style; exercise the diplomacy required with multiple financiers and generally made for an enjoyable set. We finished on time and the film is way bigger in scope and content than I ever expected."

From Brian Trenchard-Smith:

"There are many recent memories that I will cherish from shooting Arctic Blast in Tasmania. It was a challenging schedule, which the collective will of cast and crew enabled me to accomplish. Tasmanians were very genera ours in the location support they gave us, particularly the fire department, and emergency services.

The picture will look much bigger than its budget."

The interview finishes with the note that "Arctic Blast is currently in post-production and will be released next year." Additionally, an extended version of the interview with Brian Trenchard-Smith can found on the Inside Film website.

And in other Arctic Blast news, the film's distributors have updated the artwork for the film. To view/download the poster, go to the Arctic Blast page in the Film and Tele-movies section of the Galleries, or simply skip to the New Pics page.