Since the alphabet is the building block of our language, the Powet Alphabet is the building block of what makes us geeks.

Before the Sci Fi Channel (or “SyFy”, as it’s now known) decided it hated science fiction fans, it was dedicated to bringing original science fiction content to the masses. The network didn’t always do this well (see Mission: Genesis), but in the late ’90s it would do this often. The first original series to catch my eye that wasn’t a total bomb was Farscape.

Farscape tells the story of IASA scientist and astronaut John Crichton, who is flung unwittingly across space via wormhole to try to survive in a much more advanced society that, due to his many other misfortunes, finds excuses to seek his complete and utter destruction. In true Douglas Adams fashion, we quickly find that Earth (“never heard of it”) is a truly backwater planet, leaving our hero stuck in the middle just trying to figure out what’s going on. Unlike other protagonists stuck in this situation, however, Crichton is able to bring his full knowledge of year 2000-era science fiction pop culture to bear in order to make sense of the things happening around him, to him, and without him.

For these and many other reasons that we are about to explore, Farscape wasn’t just another run-of-the-mill low budget hack writer’s fantasy. It was a hack writer’s fantasy with heart, drama, love, death, and re-death. And lots of sci-fi in-jokes. Come with us as we explore the Powet Alphabet’s “F”.

…what, you expecting Famicom?

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Since the alphabet is the building block of our language, the Powet Alphabet is the building block of what makes us geeks.

Arrested Development was a sitcom on FOX. Wait, don’t go away, its really funny!

The Bluth family was very wealthy. Until father George (Jeffrey Tambor) is arrested for fraud and is sent to prison. The family’s assets are frozen and they’re more or less forced to live like regular people. For a time anyway, the show kinda spirals out of control in strange directions a lot and its hard to explain unless you’d seen all that came before it.

Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman) is the central character of the show. He’s the most responsible and rational member of the family, and thus as the viewer the one you’re most likely to relate to. He’s a single father with a son played by Michael Cera, George Michael Bluth. Michael also has a brother, a professional magician named George Oscar Bluth (nick named Gob, presumabley because theres so many Georges around) and is portrayed by Will Arnett. Then theres Lindsay the sister and her husband Tobias (Portia Di Rossi and David Cross), brother Buster (Tony Hale), and… well the cast is huge, but they all get their time. If you’d prefer a less verbose introduction, watch this clip.

Yes that is the voice of Ron Howard, icon of the sitcom, narrating the series. Howard’s influence no doubt kept the show on the air for 3 seasons, and also inspired some its most notable guest stars, such as Liza Minelli, Henry Winkler, and Charlize Theron.

The Bluth family dealt with their father’s imprisonment and keeping the company in business all while living in the model home for a barren real estate project. While GOB would frequently be seen in a Segway scooter, Micheal’s primary form of transportation was the “Stair Car” which was used for deboarding the company plane.

Various family members take control of the company, and run-ins with the law are frequent. Its a kind of hard show to describe if you don’t start at the beginning. In a way, its like some anime series where if you jump in around episode 300, you have no idea whats going on. Except Arrested Development gets that complex around episode 4 or 5.

Its a rare comedy series that strayed far from the episodic nature of most series. Very few (if any) single episodes functioned as a standalone work, since the layered and constantly developing characters built on jokes from show to show. A joke about “Club sauce” in season 1 is repeated in season 3. More often, a joke would be called forward, making subsequent viewings of an episode funnier now that the truth about a character or event is revealed, such as Charlize Theron’s character Rita and her true identity.

Fox pulled the plug midway through the third season and the final 4 episodes were run on a single night. Rumors persisted that a premium cable network such as Showtime or HBO would pick up the show, and even now theres a lot of talk about a movie. But even if none of this ever comes to pass, Arrested Development stand as one of the most ground breaking comedy series since Monty Python. Consistently funny, very rewatchable, and one of the greatest casts ever assembled. All episodes are available on DVD.

Go ahead and buy ’em. Its far from the lamest thing ever put on tape.

or watch the entire series for free (in the US anyway) on Hulu.

Michael Bay, a man so closely associated with explosions that the image with this post was the only to come to mind, has decided to leave action movies and his hit Transformers franchise behind.

Reported on IMDB he says “After the three and a half years I’ve spent making these movies, I feel like I’ve had enough of the Transformers world. I need to do something totally divergent, something without any explosions.”

The second chapter in the live action Transformers saga, Revenge of The Fallen, releases next week, and Paramount Pictures has already announced intentions for a third film in July 2011. Michael Bay already said no to 2011, adding he wanted to take a year off and he’s come back 2012. Sounds like 2011 may be the date with a new director.

UPDATE: Michael Bay is not Quitting Transformers

As of today, all full-powered TV stations have shut off their analog antennas, and now broadcast only in digital. Were you or someone you know left in the dark? Check out our Powet How To video about the Digital TV conversion for the answers you seek.

Full video show notes: Powet How To: Digital TV Conversion

Related Articles:

Powet.TV: Analog TV shutoff moved to June 12th (Sort of…)
Powet.TV: Digital TV switchover may be delayed until June

We just got off the plane from BotCon 2009 in LA, and now you have a new Powetcast! In the same room for the first time in years, our panel takes the opportunity to share Transformers news, delve into what they thought about this year’s convention and BotCons past, and how much everyone is looking forward to the Revenge of the Fallen.

Enjoy this special Powetcast for the week of June 1st, 2009! Tune in in two weeks for our regular news and features.

(Did you go to BotCon? Go to the Paramount Party? Leave a comment and tell us what you thought of this year’s convention!)

Audio Netcast Details
Subscribe to the Powetcast on iTunes
Direct Link: Powetcast Episode 10: War of the Prequels

Show notes after the jump!
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It’s the third supplemental in a row! We’ve already edited Episode 11, and promise there won’t be one next time. But THIS week, we continue our discussion about Prequels delving into how Star Wars has been ruined forever. We also discuss Battlestar Galactica: Razor’s right to exist.

How do you feel about upcoming prequel movie “The Plan”, as well as prequel series “Caprica”? Leave your comments below!

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Show notes after the jump!
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You know what’s weird? “Weird Al” having to ask David Kaye “how do we do this?” That’s pretty weird – especially weird for David Kaye. “They can make that happen, this is LA.”

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Zac Shipley and Sean Orange team up with friends Keith and Dawn on Madison’s WYOU cable channel for the 2nd annual Virtual Band competition.

The first performance, originally aired on May 6th 2009, is highlighted here. More videos from our later performances will follow, as well as links to the complete show when it becomes available.

Enjoy “Pump It Up” and “Psycho Killer!”