Okay, all the days of Jack Bauer's life blur for me. Also, IMDB says that he was in Deadwood. So people who have watched Deadwood may recognize him from that. (I am not one of those people.)

There was a 2-hour version of Storm Front that was shot as an episode of the tv series? And then they cut it down to one hour? How do you know this stuff!? I'll miss Toot. Bwah! But I won't miss Marcone. He taught book-Harry a couple things, but tv-Harry may not need those lessons. They're a little different. I know lots of people hate the changes, but I like it. It's always interesting seeing how an author translates his story to film, and it does seem that Butcher has had a lot of say over how it went. If the author is okay with the changes, who am I to bitch? (okay, yeah, don't answer that.) It's like getting an AU version, which is fun.

Also, I'm enormously in fan-love with tv-Bob, which we wouldn't have had if they'd remained totally true to the books. I mean, it's Terry Mann, for heaven's sake.

There was a 2-hour version of Storm Front that was shot as an episode of the tv series? And then they cut it down to one hour?

It was originally filmed as a stand-alone movie/backdoor pilot. It did really well in pre-screenings, and Sci-Fi decided to pick up the series and hold on to the movie until the series was ready to air. When they went to series, they ended up changing a bunch of stuff (the only specific change I know about is Bob. He's a skull-shaped fire spirit in the movie.) per Sci-Fi's edict, and were told to cut the pilot down to a one hour episode.

I've tried finding a copy of the original pilot/movie to ahem from the usual suspects, but haven't had any luck.

I'll miss Toot. Bwah!

FYI, Toot has a major role in book 4.

But I won't miss Marcone.

I actually like Marcone. I think he makes an interesting antagonist/reluctant ally for Harry.

I know lots of people hate the changes, but I like it. It's always interesting seeing how an author translates his story to film, and it does seem that Butcher has had a lot of say over how it went. If the author is okay with the changes, who am I to bitch?

I can understand some of the changes and am okay with them. (Exchanging the Blue Beetle for a WWII-era Jeep makes plenty of sense to me.) But things like changing his wizard's staff into a hockey stick, or making Harry more of a "man's man" seem unnecessary to me. Ultimately, I'm willing to wait and see about the show. "Birds of a Feather" didn't impress me, but neither did "The Train Job" (barring the engine scene)

But, yeah, Jim Butcher is okay with pretty much 90% of the changes and just got back from visiting the set and shooting a cameo as a morgue technician in one the episodes.

Also, I'm enormously in fan-love with tv-Bob, which we wouldn't have had if they'd remained totally true to the books. I mean, it's Terry Mann, for heaven's sake.

This was definitely a change were I thought "That's brilliant!" because it fixes a lot of the budgetary and audience-interest issues a talking skull presents. I'm not sure about the full ramifications of the changes yet, but the basic concept and Terrence Mann's acting work for me so far.

I like TV-Bob. You know, so far.

BTW, if anyone has been planning on Netflixing season 2 of Doctor Who -- the dvds have some sort of glitch in them. According to the BBC this glitch is found ONLY on the dvds that Netflix got. Lucky, lucky Netflix. (I've been reading the horror and alarums about this over at TWOP.)

I like Marcone, I just won't miss him. Though there's still room for a character like that on the show if they want him later.

I think you were right that they were making some of the changes so as not to look too much like Harry Potter. Which is ridiculous, staffs and spells have been part of the wizard myth since long before Tolkein, even. But SciFi wants to appeal to viewers outside their hardcore scifi-fantasy audience; they want to bring more people in, and to the average mainstream viewer, wizard = Harry Potter. I can understand why they'd want to distinguish this show from that. (There's also the unfortunate coincidence of the name.) Personally I don't think they had to get rid of spells and staffs/wands to do that, but I don't think it'll hurt the show. I am hoping we'll get more humor than we got in the pilot, but a hockey stick for a staff is kinda funny.

Dammit, Amazon, deliver the rest of the books!

It looks like NBC is now offering cast commentaries on Heroes episodes.

Oh, nice, you can even see them! Although I'm doing work right now and only listening.

Just watched the Dresden Files from last week. I like it, so far. I think it's probably a good thing that I didn't know anything about the books prior to seeeing it - that whole tracking changes thing often detracts from my viewing pleasure.

BSG: I thought Kara's "he won't cheat" comment meant "anymore". That said, I hope Dualla kick's Lee to the curb with extreme prejudice.

I think I had stuff on other shows, but it's slipped out of my brain.

making Harry more of a "man's man"

I don't think he is. He's smoother than book-Harry, but that doesn't take much...

pauses to snicker

TV-Harry was a complete stammering dork when he introduced Laura to Melissa; he looked like he was cheating because he was so nervous. If Laura dumps him it's because he didn't just say, "Laura, this is my rude friend Melissa; feel free to spit in her coffee." He was okay with Scott's mom because he wasn't trying to date her. Which was surprisingly wise of him.

Apropos of nothing, I like his mouth. off to find more photos of Paul Blackthorne.

eta SciFi just announced a "special encore presentation" of the premiere. Like they haven't shown it about 80 times this week.

You mean a special encore tonight?

Right before the new episode.

I'm into Jake 2.0 that I didn't see when it orginally aired, whee!