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Pouran Derakhshandeh is a trailblazer. As a pioneering woman in the Iranian film industry, her work has tackled some of the most sensitive issues of our times, ranging from drug addiction and pedophilia to disease and sectarian conflict. She takes a decidedly internationalist approach to her films, often working with foreign actors and producers. In her English language drama “Love Without Frontiers,” she finds thematic links between the Iran-Iraq War and gangland conflict in Los Angeles. It’s a bold statement made all the more impressive by her decision to work with an almost entirely American cast. Now, after more than two decades of virtual obscurity in the West, it’s finally going to be released in the U.S. for the first time.

On paper, this all sounds like cause for lovers of Iranian film to celebrate. The only problem is that “Love Without Frontiers” is a ridiculous, hackneyed...

Exclusive: Portia Doubleday (Mr. Robot), Christine Adams (Black Lightning) and Ken Kirby (Good Trouble) are set as series regulars opposite Sarah Shahi, Reid Scott and François Arnaud in Judgement, ABC’s drama pilot from former Charmed showrunner Joey Falco and 20th Television.

Written and executive produced by Falco, Judgement is a high-stakes legal soap that redefines the genre by playing out over two timelines. Fifteen years from now, a woman (Shahi) being vetted for a Supreme Court seat recounts her experience at a prominent D.C. law firm in 2023, where the only thing more controversial than the cases was her messy love life, caught between two feuding brothers. Now, with a Supreme Court seat on the line, all of her darkest secrets are at risk of coming out, threatening her nomination, her reputation and her marriage.

Doubleday will play Eloise ‘Ellie’ Roth, a quirky, eternally optimistic, up-and-coming associate...

Thank goodness the wicked Helen did not bring about the end of mankind and civilization as we knew it. This meant the characters of ITV’s Primeval could come back for a fresh go-round. The show took a breather after the third season ended in 2009 and came back in seven and six episode arcs, making for abbreviated fourth and fifth seasons respectively and they are now available as a combined third volume in either standard DVD or, for the first time, as a Blu-ray option from BBC Video.

I find myself enjoying the series more for the characters than the writing, which either leaves holes as big as the anomalies the heroes deal with or are overly convoluted, leaving me wishing for a happy middle ground.

Season three ended with three of our heroes – Connor Temple (Andrew Lee Potts), Abby Maitland (Hannah Spearritt), and Danny Quinn (Jason Flemyng) – trapped in...

Francesco Quinn, son of Anthony Quinn and Dino's voice in Michael Bay's Transformers: Dark of the Moon, has died. Quinn collapsed, apparently from a heart attack, while jogging with his son Max in Malibu's La Costa neighborhood on Friday evening (Aug. 5). He was 48. One of Mexican-born, two-time Oscar winner Anthony Quinn's 13 children, Francesco Quinn was born in Rome on March 22, 1963. His mother was costume designer Jolanda Addolori. An actor for 25 years, Quinn was featured in more than 30 movies. His film debut took place in Oliver Stone's Oscar-winning Platoon (1986), in which he played the drug-dealing character Rhah. Among his other credits, usually in minor fare, were Casablanca Express (1989), Cannes Man (1996), and Man vs. Monday (2006). According to the IMDb, he has one movie coming out: Giuseppe Ferrara's Roma nuda. Charles Leinenweber and Thadd Turner's Buttermilk Sky was in pre-production for a possible 2012 release. Additionally, Quinn had roles...

As part of ITV’s co-financing deal with BBC America, Germany’s Pro Sieben and UKTV, that allowed the return of their axed sci-fi drama Primeval, it’s UKTV’s digital channel Watch who receive the British premiere of series 5. This results in mixed fortunes: loyal fans get new episodes mere months after series 4 ended on ITV, but it’s no longer accessible to everyone and isn’t being simulcast in HD. It also strikes me as odd that Watch have moved Primeval from its customary Saturday timeslot, as I suspect they could have lured a sizeable post-Doctor Who audience their way…

Regardless of the business decisions behind its scheduling, Primeval itself remains a frustrating sci-fi series that’s never achieved its huge potential to be Stargate-meets-Jurassic Park. Its fans are eager to excuse its failings on grounds Primeval‘s never trying to be anything more than a romp with impressive-for-television CGI,...

Connor and Abby are sent to investigate an odd anomaly signal, and uncover the existence of an ancient Labyrinthodont in a small coastal town. While trying to track it down, they discover a group of farmers smuggling dangerous fuel. Back at the Arc, Matt sets out to find Emily after her mysterious disappearance. Stars: Jason Flemyng as Danny Quinn Andrew-Lee Potts as Connor Temple Hannah Spearritt as Abby Maitland Ben Miller as James Lester James Bradshaw as Duncan Ben Mansfield as Hilary Becker Lucy Brown as Jenny Lewis Ciarán McMenamin as Matt Anderson. Ruth Kearney as Jess Parker. Alexander Siddig as Philip Burton. Ruth Bradley as Emily Merchant. Anton Lesser as Gideon. Jonathan Byrne as Ethan Dobrowski. LEEE777 - Primeval episode five airs tonight on BBC America 9/8c and ITV 1 at 7pm.

The opening titles of Primeval involve triangular shards of light with various dinosaurs and monsters emblazoned on them, synchronized with the appearance of each cast member’s credit. This speaks volumes about the show itself, which has always placed an emphasis on CGI beasties over characterization and acting.

Primeval suffered an extinction event in summer 2009, when ITV decided to cancel the expensive series in the face of strong ratings, because of financial difficulties. In a remarkable rescue, the show was revived by ITV agreeing to split production costs between three partners: UKTV (who’ll premiere series 5 on Watch), BBC America and the German broadcaster ProSieben. It’s great to see a TV show survive death thanks to some business creativity, to benefit the millions who enjoy it, but Primeval is unfortunately a series that remains more of a special-effects showreel than a compelling action drama.

One big problem is the casting,...

Chicago – The Round-Up returns with a special TV on DVD edition of our regular, informational column. Why is it special? Because this is the most diverse collection of TV that the Round-Up staff has ever seen. From classics like “Mister Ed” to recent shows like “Life on Mars,” this edition truly has something for everyone. And something remarkable for “Spongebob Squarepants” fans.

“Primeval: Volume Two” was released on September 15th, 2009.

“Brotherhood: The Final Season” and “Spongebob Squarepants: The First 100 Episodes” were released on September 22nd, 2009.

“Life on Mars: The Complete Series” and “The Patty Duke Show: Season One” were released on September 29th, 2009.

“Mister Ed: Season One” was released on October 6th, 2009.

“Brotherhood: The Final Season”

Photo credit: Paramount

Synopsis: “This 2-Disc set includes all 8 dramatic final season episode of this critically acclaimed, superbly acted and explosive blue-collar drama. Will Tommy live up...

The world of Primeval is a duplicitous one, with schemes within schemes, most of which take far too long to play out. When the BBC series was renewed for a third season, they were given a ten episode order and they decided to change things up while introducing new threats, leaving things more muddled than necessary.

Airing this spring in England and here on Sci-Fi Channel, the series garnered good reviews and very solid ratings. However, Itc, facing a cash crunch, canceled the series, paving the way for a big screen adaptation currently being mounted by Warner Bros. For fans, though, they can relive the exploits with Primeval: Volume Two, released Tuesday by BBC Video.

The series, about a team of specialists protecting the citizens of the 21st century from prehistoric beasties that have come though spatial anomalies, had two shorter but stronger seasons. Between seasons one and two, an...

The British science fiction series Primeval - which returns to North American screens this month - is heading for cinemas, according to the UK newspaper The Sun. There is no word yet on personnel or plot, so it is not known whether the original cast will feature.

Primeval follows the adventures of a team of scientists that investigate the appearance in modern day Britain of prehistoric and future animals. The animals arrive in the present through time portals called "anomalies". The third season of the show, which premiered on Britain's ITV network in late March, also entered seemingly supernatural territory with a story that featured a demon-like creature that was hiding in an empty house.

According to The Sun, the production company behind Primeval, Impossible Pictures, will begin work with Warner Brothers on the new film later this year.

"Sci-fi is huge business in Hollywood but the stories have to be right,...

Jason Flemyng and Laila Rouass have joined the cast of Primeval for the Itv show's extended third season, which has entered production today.

41-year-old Flemyng, best known for roles in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch and Stardust, will play Danny Quinn - 'a maverick policeman drawn into the mystery by the death of his brother'. Rouass, who became a sex symbol after her role as Amber in Footballers' Wives, will take on the role of Egyptologist Sarah Page.

The comparatively unknown Ben Mansfield will also be joining Nick Cutter's monster-fighting team as their bodyguard Captain Becker.

The regular cast of Douglas Henshall, Hannah Spearritt, Ben Miller, Andrew-Lee . . .