Stuff You Need to Know, Friday, October 3, 2008

Chortle reports good news for QI: first, it’s making the move to BBC1 from BBC2. Both Stephen Fry and Alan Davies return. If that wasn’t enough, they want a spinoff. A pilot has been commissioned for BBC2 called The QI Test and will have non-celebs on the panel. Fry will not be hosting this show. “The concept of The QI Test is to show that members of the public can be just as interesting as TV pundits. It also intends to celebrate knowledge rather than humiliating contestants.” While I admit that most of the people I know are more interesting than the people on television are usually, that’s pretty tough to put people up against the likes of the panelists on that show–much less Stephen himself. The pilot will be shot in November. Source: Chortle here and here. Image source.

A one-time staged reading of the screenplay for All About Eve with Annette Bening as Margo (the Bette role)? With more casting news to come? You guys better damn well film this. That’s one of my favorite screenplays ever. Source: Variety.

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Hellboy 2 is coming out November 11th and is now available for pre-order. You can pre-order your DVD here or your Blu-Ray here.

Jesse L. Martin will be joining James Purefoy in The Philanthropist, which “centers on Teddy Rist (Purefoy), a renegade billionaire who uses his wealth, connections and power to help people in need around the world. Martin would play Philip Maidstone, Teddy’s business partner and lifelong friend.” So it’s like Richard Branson as The Equalizer? Source: Hollywood Reporter.

Phish is reuniting. They’re starting to announce dates in 2009, with three in Hampton, Virginia for March. They’ve got a new eight-disc live boxed set, At the Roxy, coming out on November 18th. You can pre-order your copy here. I’m pleased, sure, but I’d also like a new Oysterhead album as long as we’re talking reunions and Phish members. Source: Variety.

Red Mars is coming to AMC as a series. Yes, the first book from Kim Stanley Robinson’s trilogy. Jonathan Hensleigh (Jumanji) is scribing and executive producing. They’ve got a lot of projects simmering and one pilot, not necessarily this one, might be shot by the end of year. After the cred they’ve gotten off of Mad Men, you can expect to see them eating a lot of people’s lunch. Like why is this not at Sci-Fi? That’s rhetorical, BTW. Source: Hollywood Reporter.