Television 

In 1967, a British secret agent resigned from his job. Shortly thereafter, he woke to find himself in an idyllic village on an island guarded by, well, giant white balloons affectionately called Rover.

So starts the saga of Number Six, played by Patrick McGoohan in the 1960's series and, presumably, that's how it will start for Jim Caviezel in AMC's upcoming reinterpretation of The Prisoner. As in the original, Number Six will have a Number Two to contend with, Caviezel's in the form of Sir Ian McKellan, as he tries to discover the secrets behind the Village, why he's there, and who is Number One.

(On the series, McGoohan actually found himself facing off against many different Number Twos, both male and female, as each was presumably replaced after his or her failure to get information from Six.)

The Prisoner, a six-part miniseries, will be seen on AMC in 2009. You can follow the production and test your knowledge of the iconic show at their The Prisoner Blog.

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The web is abuzz with news coming out of Comic-Con 2008 in San Diego, some of which we're betting will also pique the curiosity of triviots. A few quick items:

The big surprise came from Disney. The entertainment giant had gathered attendees to show a clip from Race to Witch Mountain--more on that in a moment--and then, at the end of the presentation, something unexpected. According to Adam Quigley of /Film, "The teaser starts off with the camera panning through a strange stylized landscape. At this point, nobody knew what we were watching, so only silence filled the hall. And then, two blue/yellow suit-wearing motorcyclists burst into frame, engaged in a frenzy of a race. Audiences erupted in applause."

Continue reading "Movie News from Comic-Con" »

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In his latest bid to remain on our pop culture radar, Dustin Diamond, Screech from Saved by the Bell (as well as its prequel, Good Morning, Miss Bliss, and too many Bell spin-offs and made-for-TV movies to list) is reportedly writing a tell-all book about his days in the spotlight. Apparently his appearances on Celebrity Fit Club, Celebrity Boxing, and the infamous sex tape just weren't enough to make the Screecher happy.

The book, titled Behind the Bell, will be ghost written by Alan Goldsher, who, according to his website, has worked on projects with comedians Fred Willard and Bernie Mac, and actor Michael Madsen. According to New York magazine, the book will reveal the, "sexual escapades among cast members, drug use, and hardcore partying," that took place on the set of the show.

Gee, I wonder why none of his co-stars will speak to him.

Related Links:

• Saved by the Bell on DVD

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The feisty actress who played Sophia Petrillo, the senior member of the Golden Girls, passed away this morning.

Read more in the Associated Press obituary.

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