TV News Briefs: Trek, Buffy, SG-1, Veronica Mars, and Knight Rider

These shows may have ended but that doesn’t mean that their stories are over! Here’s some info on a few of your favorite cancelled shows, reunions and revivals.

Star Trek — Karl Urban, who plays Dr. McCoy in the upcoming J.J. Abrams Star Trek movie, says that the film stays true to the feel of the original series. He told TV Guide, “The movie is very, very faithful to the spirit of the original series and the characters that were created in the ’60s.” Urban says that McCoy “is the lovable, irascible humanist that he has always been [and] a good friend of Jim Kirk.” But, the actor believes that, “J.J. is going to reinvigorate this franchise in a fresh and exciting way.” Zachary Quinto agrees, telling Fear.net that the movie’s “a new imagination but at the same time honoring the past.” That homage apparently includes the Tribbles. The furry little creatures are said to have a brief cameo in the picture.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer — Ever dream of training to become a slayer like Buffy? Well, we can’t help you there but there is a rather interesting class available in the San Diego area. You can sign up for Nancy Holder’s “Popular Culture in Critical Perspective: Buffy the Vampire Slayer” course. Offered by the University of California, San Diego, the class will examine the series impact on television and its subtexts of feminism, morality, the nature of family, and the ethics of violence. Holder’s the author of several books on the subject.

Stargate SG-1 — MGM has released some more information on the upcoming direct-to-DVD movie, Stargate: The Ark of Truth. The film picks up where the Stargate SG-1 TV series left off and will conclude the Ori storyline. The DVD will include a special featurette on the movie as well as commentary from director Robert C. Cooper, director of photography Peter Woeste, and actor Christopher Judge. Ark of Truth hits shelves on March 11, 2008.

Veronica Mars — Series creator Rob Thomas gave TV Guide’s Michael Ausiello an update on the prospects of continuing the girl sleuth’s adventures in comic books. Thomas wrote, “I had a second meeting with DC comics. I heard that the [WGA] didn’t want [TV writers penning TV-based] comic books during the strike as it would promote a network property. We’re investigating whether there are similar hurdles for a defunct TV series like Veronica Mars. Naturally, I won’t be writing it if the Guild doesn’t want me to, but we’re hoping that’s not the case.”

Knight Rider — If you were watching NBC’s Sunday Night Football, you might have noticed that the network aired a short promo for the upcoming Knight Rider movie. The 15-second spot features the new KITT (a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR) and the car’s new voice, Will Arnett (Arrested Development). Stay tuned!