Recently by Scully

Winter is coming. The sky is gray, it never feels like it's getting light. It's impossible to head out for a sandwich at lunch without having to take an umbrella, a big coat, or both. All in all, it's a bleak time of year.

Unless you're a geek curled up on the sofa watching the best the telly has to offer, in which case all things considered it's rather a wonderous time. The rubbish summer reruns have been kicked to the kerb, and a host of great shows are brightening up these dark winter nights.

The lovely thing about geekdom is that it comes in all sorts of flavours. Whether you're a fan of a particular TV show, love retro gaming, or are waiting desperately for the next Stephanie Meyer novel (ok, not that, that even I can't endorse) having something that truly gets you enthusiastic - even if most of the world can't see the attraction - is truly a wonderful thing.

Sometimes, it's possible to merge geekdoms. If you're a fan of William Shatner and Shakespeare then his rap-music inspired interpretation of Julius Caesar may prove pleasing. If you love baking and video games then you can make your humble iced goodie into something a little more personalised (I like the iPhone best). But if you're a crafter there's never been that much out there unless you fancy cross stitching that picture of David Tennant. Until now.

We met the creator of the world's first superhero knitting comic - which comes complete with a knitting pattern every issue - at this weekend's British International Comic Show (BICS) in Birmingham, where she gave UK geeks their first look at the Handknit Heroes.

WELL he's taken on the X-Men, and Superman, and even the Usual Suspects, but news of Bryan Singer's latest foray into filmmaking has taken industry insiders by surprise. He's rebooting the reboot of Battlestar Galactica.

Singer was closely involved in a Universal project aimed at rebooting the formerly cheesy 70s scifi show in 2001, but the project was quietly dropped after the September 11 attacks as it was considered that the cylons' suicide attack was too close to real-life events going on at the time. In the aftermath, Ron Moore and David Eick picked up the project and... well the rest is (literally) scifi history.

Ron Moore isn't known for mincing words, but even on that basis his comments relating to the lack of Emmy nods for Galactica in its final season is particularly forthright:

"It's a frakking crime that in the entire run of Battlestar Galactica the entire cast was not recognised for the stunning performances and hard work they put in week in and week out."

Moore was talking at the Comic Con panel for Caprica - the Galactica spin off showcasing the life of Admiral Adama's father, played by Esai Morales who joined proceedings - and the straight to DVD movie Battlestar Galactica: The Plan.

Joined by executive producer David Eick and Caprica showrunner Jane Espenson, Moore unveiled a new trailer for the Olmos-directed Battlestar Galactica: The Plan, which included lots of the iconic moments from the show - from Aaron Doral's suicide bombing in the mini series to Boomer shooting Adama - all shown this time from the cylons' perspective.

Forget making your Twitter avatar green in solidarity with Iranian dissidents.

They have a new protector - in the new season of 24, Jack Bauer will be taking on President Ahmadinejad.

Actor Kiefer Sutherland let slip the premise at San Diego Comic Con, where cast and creators of 24 were doing a Q&A session about the new season of the show, Day 8, which is due to start early in 2010.

"One of us is bound to spill the beans between now and January, so we might as well announce it here," he said.

Scottish actor Robert Carlyle was star of the show at the unveiling of the latest Stargate series today, when SG: Universe hit San Diego Comic Con.

Well-known for grittier, non-genre roles, Carlyle is the lead of the latest of the long-running scifi franchise, and joined six other cast members and SG creators Brad Wright and Robert Cooper to showcase the series to fans.

Carlyle gave an insight into why he'd signed for the show, which has already filmed 12 episodes and includes cameos from other Stargate favourites including Richard Dean Anderson and Amanda Tapping:

"Last year I came to LA. The film industry in the UK is struggling, so I was looking for something different. When this came up it was, to use an American phrase, completely out of left field.

With so much going on every day you'd need to have cloned yourself to see it all. However, I am on a one woman campaign to see as much as possible (and also get myself a Star Trek limited edition Comic Con Tribble). Here's the highlights of what happened yesterday...

* Elizabeth Mitchell (Juliet from Lost) told fans of the show, well, very little about her character's fate following the shocking end of the last season. Having been given strict instructions from the show bosses, she told fans the only thing she could say was that Juliet will have survived 'if Sawyer's plan has worked'. The fact she then spent the afternoon signing merchandise for the remake of V which she is one of the leads in and is being given a big push at the show this weekend may make the more cynical among us worry.

Turn the page for much, much more ...

It's probably the funniest TV show you've never seen. And for one day only today the cast of The Middleman were reunited after the show's untimely demise to show off the final episode, having been cut down in their prime.

From apes obsessed with Mafia movies to lucha libre wrestles, trout-eating zombies and even the legendary Sensei Ping, the Middleman could outwit every enemy except the TV execs of ABC, which cancelled the show before the final episode was shot. Yet to be bought by a TV channel in the UK, it's been a geek guilty pleasure, available via alternative means.

But at Comic Con this morning fans of the show were given an opportunity to see the episode in its (nearly) full glory, with the cast reunited with creator Javier Grillo-Marxuach for a read through of the end of the arc relating to the sinister Manservant Neville (Mark Sheppard).

I don't hide my geek light under a bushel. Never have. I'm used to being the pedant arguing about whether Han shot first, why odd numbered Star Trek films are better than even ones, and why Nu Who owes more to US genre show than the old style show that bears it names. I firmly believe geek is chic, and I'm used to being one of the geekiest people in the room. But this week I am in geek Nirvana. Nerd Mecca. The Holy Land. And I am a little frightened to find I am one of the least geeky people here.

Every summer 140,000 geeks descend on San Diego, California for Comic Con. It is a massive event, where the great and the good of comics (obviously) but also TV, films and merchandise come to pimp their wares to a giddy and keen mass of geeks stepping out into the sunshine. It is mind-blowingly massive.

If, to almost coin a phrase, the geek shall inherit the earth then believe me, when the nerds take over San Diego will be our capital. And from what I've seen so far the people (and businesses) of San Diego are happy for that to be the case.

As well as 'San Diego welcomes Comic Con' posters on ever lamp post in the city, our hotel room keys are emblazoned with Chuck, Supernatural and Smallville promos. People are giving out postcards and badges for new shows as you walk down the street, and when it all gets too much to bear you can head into Cafe Diem - The UK arm of Sci Fi (which has pretentiously renamed itself 'SyFy' because it thinks the sci-fi element of its name might put off viewers) has taken over a cafe and renamed it in honour of the restaurant in Eureka for the duration, serving themed drinks, food and cocktails.

Tonight is 'preview night', which basically means you can scope out the stalls selling any kind of geek tat you might want and get your bearings, before tomorrow the casts and creators of some of the biggest genre shows and films descend on the event.

Among those coming along are people from: Lost, Chuck, Heroes, Dexter, True Blood, Supernatural, Fringe, Smallville, Stargate, Twilight, Iron Man 2, Avatar, Peter Jackson's District 9, Battlestar Galactica/Caprica, Watchmen Directors Cut, Star Trek, Being Human and Torchwood (which bizarrely is a massive thing among geeks here - with Children of Earth airing this week). Meanwhile the shows that want to be the next big thing have hauled in their casts to meet fans, show early episodes (I'm telling you now, Warehouse 13 is something to watch) and generally schmooze, giving out freebies which will either be treasured (for the show that's the next Heroes) or flogged on Ebay (the next Demons).

There is so much to do that you couldn't do it all without cloning yourself. The guidebook for what's happening when runs to 144 pages. I'll be blogging / tweeting (see http://www.twitter.com/thegeektourist) from some of the best - although what that will be yet I'm not entirely sure. I have spreadsheets listing the things I want to see - honestly, wars have been planned with less organisation and precision - but I'm keeping my hopes and expectations low. I want to see The Middleman cast, and I'd like to see the Chuck and Being Human Q&As. Otherwise, it's kind of a geeky lucky dip.

Suffice to say I feel like the country mouse visiting the town mouse right now. If the town mouse lived in Mos Eisley Cantina.

My mum always says it's polite to introduce yourself, so consider this my introductory post to this city of the Anoraks. I have a feeling I'm going to fit right in.

A journalist and semi-professional geek there are many many things that I'll put my anorak on for.

In no particular order these include: Being Human (which I love as if it were my own), Battlestar Galactica, Chuck, Fringe, the Joss Whedonverse (except for Dollhouse - post-feminist genre insight into sexuality in the modern age? Nah, looks like Eliza Dushku in skimpy outfits to me), comics (specialist subjects include Watchmen, the Gail Simone run on Wonder Woman, and pretty much any X-Men - again, let's gloss over discussing the Wolverine film lest I start ranting) and gaming (mostly on the 360 and DS though I'm overcoming a Warcrack addiction. Oh and I've booked September 9 off work for Beatles: Rock Band shenanigans already).

Since nothing's a better blog cliche than a bullet pointed list, here's a few other random Scully facts.

• My nom de plume comes from nothing other than the fact Scully is my geek heroine. Although actually I've decided Mr Wollaston can be Mulder to my skeptic when it comes to whether Lost is going to end well - personally I think it jumped the (tropical, time-travelling) shark at least half a season ago and am only watching so I can be proved right when Abrams et al cobble together an ill-thought out ending betraying the fact they haven't had a clue where it was going since about the end of season 2.
• If you listen to my mum, my love for sci-fi started in the womb after an ill-fated cinema trip to see Saturday Night Fever during her pregnancy. My Dad didn't pre-book, it was sold out, and the only other thing on was Star Wars. I remain ever thankful for the paternal disorganisation that ensured I didn't end up with an enduring love of the Bee Gees instead.
• Things I'd recommend in the geek oeuvre are as follows: Firefly, Being Human (best new British show for eons), Fanboys (lovely Star Wars homage film starring Kristen Bell - actually, let's add Veronica Mars to the list), the books of Kelley Armstrong, and any of the Rock Band games (Guitar Hero peaked with GH3). I also am fast becoming obsessed with Leverage - if you're not watching it you should be as soon as you're able. It's like Hustle meets The A-Team with extra geek references.
• I am heading out to San Diego Comic Con early next week, where the great and the good come to showcase their new TV shows / films / games and general cult tat to the masses. I apologise now for my first few blog posts being Comic Con-obsessed. I'll also be tweeting about it if you want to keep up with my blithering.

Yup. That's quite enough for now. Howdo.