Stan Lee, Marvel Comics editor, dies

Stan LeeMarvel Comics’ most famous editor (and arguably its most famous creator, to the chagrin of some of the artists with whom he worked), Stan Lee, dies at the age of 95, several months after announcing that his days of attending conventions and making public appearances were over. Born in 1922, he began working at Timely Publications mere months after the company’s formation, thanks to a family connection with the company’s publisher, and became interim editor of Timely’s comics output in 1941. Timely had already seen success with artist/writer Jack Kirby’s Captain America, and Lee would not really make his mark until after a three-year sabbatical during which he enlisted in the U.S. Army and turned his talents to writing material supporting the war effort. It was during the early 1960s that Lee’s real influence on the company begin to be known, collaborating with Kirby on The Fantastic Four, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, X-Men, and others, and co-creating The Amazing Spider-Man and Doctor Strange with artist Steve Ditko. Under Lee’s editorship, Marvel led a revolution in interpreting comic book superheroes as complex, multifaceted, and flawed individuals, many of which remained bankable enough properties to lead to Disney’s 2009 acquisition of the company and rapid expansion of movie and TV adaptations of numerous characters and titles.

Star Wars: Resistance: Synara’s Score

Star Wars: ResistanceCable channel Disney XD airs the seventh episode of the series Star Wars: Resistance, set prior to the events of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Nazneen Contractor (24, Star Trek: Into Darkness, Heroes Reborn) guest stars. Read more

Legends Of Tomorrow: Tagumo Attacks!!!

ArrowThe CW airs the 56th episode of Legends Of Tomorrow, starring Caity Lotz, Matt Ryan, Brandon Routh, and Tala Ashe. Eijiro Ozaki (The Man In The High Castle) guest stars.

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Doctor Who: The Witchfinders

Doctor WhoThe 850th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1 (the 151st episode since the series’ revival). Jodie Whittaker, Bradley Walsh, Tosin Cole and Mandip Gill star. Alan Cumming (Goldeneye, The Good Wife) and Siobhan Finneran (Downton Abbey) guest star. Read more

Legends Of Tomorrow: Hell No, Dolly!

ArrowThe CW airs the 58th episode of Legends Of Tomorrow, starring Caity Lotz, Matt Ryan, Brandon Routh, and Tala Ashe. Paul Reubens guest stars.

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The Flash: Elseworlds, Part 1

The FlashThe CW airs the 100th episode of The Flash, a modern-day reboot of DC Comics’ superhero starring Grant Gustin. Stephen Amell (Arrow), Melissa Benoist (Supergirl), Tyler Hoechlin (Superman & Lois), and Jeremy Davies (Lost, Twister) guest star in the first episode of a much-anticipated DC crossover event.

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Doctor Who: The Battle Of Ranskoor Av Kolos

Doctor WhoThe 852nd episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1 (the 153rd episode since the series’ revival), bringing the eleventh season of the new series to an end (though a special episode is yet to be shown on New Years’ Day). Jodie Whittaker, Bradley Walsh, Tosin Cole and Mandip Gill star. Phyllis Logan (Downton Abbey, Lovejoy), Mark Addy (The Full Monty, Game Of Thrones), and Percelle Ascott (Wizards vs. Aliens) guest star. Read more

Arrow: Elseworlds, Part 2

ArrowThe 147th episode of Arrow, a modern-day reboot of DC Comics’ Green Arrow superhero starring Stephen Amell, airs on the CW. Grant Gustin (The Flash), Melissa Benoist (Supergirl), Tyler Hoechlin, Ruby Rose (Batwoman), John Wesley Shipp (The Flash), and John Barrowman (Torchwood, Doctor Who) guest star in part two of a crossover event uniting most of the CW’s DC Comics-inspired series.

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Legends Of Tomorrow: Legends Of To-Meow-Meow

ArrowThe CW airs the 59th episode of Legends Of Tomorrow, starring Caity Lotz, Matt Ryan, Brandon Routh, and Tala Ashe. Paul Reubens and Jane Carr guest star.

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Doctor Who: Resolution

Doctor WhoThe 853rd episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1 (the 154th episode since the series’ revival). Jodie Whittaker, Bradley Walsh, Tosin Cole and Mandip Gill star. Charlotte Ritchie (Call The Midwife), Nikesh Patel (Artemis Fowl), and Daniel Adegboyega (Skyfall, Transformers: The Last Knight, Nightflyers) guest star in an episode featuring the return of the Daleks. Read more

Star Trek: Short Treks: The Escape Artist

Star Trek: Short TreksStreaming service CBS All Access debuts the fourth episode of Short Treks, a series of 15-20 minute short stories set in the Star Trek universe (in this instance, aboard the U.S.S. Discovery from Star Trek: Discovery). Rainn Wilson (The Office) stars and directs. Read more

W. Morgan Sheppard, actor, dies

W. Morgan SheppardBritish-born actor William Morgan Sheppard, a genre casting favorite ever since his 1985 appearance as Blank Reg in the original Max Headroom TV movie (a role that permanently relocated him to the United States for the U.S. Max Headroom series), dies at the age of 86 in Los Angeles. With his wizened features (the result of a surgical procedure that cost him one of his eyes), classical stage training, and distinctive, vaguely-Irish-accented voice, Sheppard would go on to appear in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Elvira: Mistress Of The Dark, Quantum Leap, Star Trek VI, seaQuest DSV, Babylon 5 (a series in which he was a close runner-up for the role of G’Kar), Star Trek: Voyager, Doctor Who, and the 2009 Star Trek movie relaunch. He was the father of actor Mark Sheppard, a genre favorite in his own right, with whom he appeared in both Doctor Who and NCIS, playing older and younger versions of the same character. Prior to leaving the U.K., Sheppard had appeared in such series as The New Avengers, Hammer House Of Horror, and Day Of The Triffids.

Star Trek: Discovery: Brother

Star Trek: DiscoveryStreaming service CBS All Access releases the 16th episode of Star Trek: Discovery, the beginning of the show’s second season. Anson Mount joins the series as Captain Christopher Pike (a character first devised by Gene Roddenberry for the 1964 Star Trek pilot, The Cage). James Frain and Tig Notaro guest star. Read more

The Flash: Memorabilia

The FlashThe CW airs the 103rd episode of The Flash, a modern-day reboot of DC Comics’ superhero starring Grant Gustin. Robert Picardo (Star Trek: Voyager, Stargate Atlantis) guest stars.

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