geekosystem

As some of you noticed on Facebook last week, I've recently been intrigued by the new Netflix series Hemlock Grove. After watching my way through the first half of the series over a lazy weekend, I'm impressed enough to finish. The show, based on a horror novel by Brian McGreevy, did better than House of Cards its "opening weekend" on Netflix, and not undeservedly. Not that it's better than House of Cards. It's not. In fact, it's kind of bad, but it's just the right kind of bad to keep me watching.

The Golden Age of space exploration could get a lot sexier if the minds behind Mad Men have anything to say about it. Reports surfaced this week that writers from the acclaimed AMC drama are scouting locations along Florida's Space Coast for a show centered around NASA during the 1960s, the glory days of the Apollo program.

If you weren't already a fan of Patton Oswalt, this should likely bring you into the fold: Oswalt performed an improvised eight-minute rant/filibuster for an episode of Parks and Recreation. What was said rant/filibuster about? His idea for Star Wars Episode VII, with a few surprising twists mixed in.

There's certainly something to be said in defense of a cleverly-dubbed episode of television. The Internet loves 'em, but -- perhaps more importantly -- they're basically an art. Take, for example, the recent episode of Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives as dubbed by Jaboody Dubs. It's highly offensive at times, but Fieri deserves every jab he can get.

You might think you're happy just watching TV, but if you're American, you might also suddenly feel the need to figure out where else you've seen that actor -- you know, What's-His-Face -- while you're watching. Best to look him up on IMDb with your smartphone, maybe even see if Netflix has it. Also, you might want to check if anyone commented on your Facebook status before the show's over. See, a new survey conducted by NPD says that TV-watching Americans are increasingly unsatisfied with just one screen at a time. 87% of viewers with a second-screen device will use it while watching the first one.

To everyone that pined over the loss of the Tenth Doctor: You're in for a treat. Though it's been teased time and time again, and denied by those involved, David Tennant is officially returning to Doctor Who. Not permanently, of course. Both he and Billie Piper, known as Rose Tyler in the show, will be returning for the 50th anniversary special. Feel free to squeal with joy.

Ever since Zombieland managed to garner an impressive following back in 2009, there's been talk of an actual television show set in that universe. At one point, Fox was reportedly attached to produce a series, but nothing's really been too definitive. Thankfully, Amazon Studios apparently realized this was a gross oversight, because they've announced that they're definitely producing at least a pilot for a Zombieland television show. It's not all roses and Twinkies, though.

Americans are fascinated by British culture -- Anglophiles are rampant and often in control of television channels -- but you know what we are also fascinated by? The animate dead. They're kind of like chocolate or Nutella, improving anything with their inclusion, and Quirk Books has shown us that zombies could even make Jane Austen palatable with 2009's release of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Now folks have done one better. Writer Rob Kutner (of Conan) and illustrator Kody Chamberlain (30 Days of Night) have vastly improved the show Downton Abbey by bringing the dead back to life with their "Downton Zombey" video.

People throughout history have come up with any number of ways to celebrate things they like. From pieces of art to questionable songs, people enjoy creating stuff that shows just how big of a fan they are. It's not uncommon for folks to somehow showcase their devotion on their body, and tattoos are a popular choice. Another option is shaving the likeness of your favorite character into your hair. That's how far one The Walking Dead fan went, and it involved everyone's favorite motorcycle-riding, crossbow-wielding zombie killer, Daryl Dixon.

Are you in the market for 1984 Toyota Tercel featuring four wheel drive and all four of those wheels still on the car? No? Well, what if I told you the car you can buy was the one time ride of Breaking Bad's Jesse Pinkman. Would that have you singing a different tune? Thought so. Keep reading to find out how you can do the impossible--be the envy of your friends by purchasing a Tercel.

It was hope on a wish upon the wind that someone would really revive Whose Line Is It Anyway? for American consumption. It all started with whispers out of Twitter, thanks to Colin Mochrie, that the show would be returning. It felt like a cruel joke until it was finally revealed: Whose Line Is It Anyway? actually is coming back! There'll be a few changes, it seems, from its previous incarnation, but the most important parts will be returning.

We're not saying Pinterest is for the birds, but the social media platform definitely attracts a certain kind of material. If it's not cute pictures of animals, inventive uses for leftover cardboard boxes, or something to do with fashion, it probably doesn't belong on Pinterest. That said, someone over at NBC has totally figured out this social media thing. A recent Parks and Recreation episode saw Ben Wyatt and Leslie Knope tie the knot in their own haphazard way, and NBC put up a faux wedding album for the characters on Pinterest.

Piracy is something that the television and film industry have to deal with on a regular basis. This is especially true for cable programs that are locked behind subscriptions and those shows that still delay television broadcasts across regions. Shows that do both and aren't available through traditional streaming channels? Well, those shows are going to hit the hardest by piracy. Game of Thrones, for example, has seen extensive piracy thanks to HBO's draconian policies. Director David Petrarca doesn't seem to think this has been an overall bad thing.

Netflix went out on a limb with original programming when they decided to bring House of Cards to the table. It might seem obvious now to some, but there was a time not that long ago when original programming  for purely digital outlets seemed out of place to many. Netflix reportedly hasn't given exact numbers, but they have said that it's their most-watched show. According to research from Cowen and Company, a financial services firm, it looks like Netflix's original content offering might be doing rather well for itself.

Are you sick of hearing about J.J. Abrams directing things? Yeah, us too. Here's the problem, though -- all the other news about other people signing on to projects is much, much worse. Case in point: because absolutely no one demanded it, you're getting a FarmVille TV series produced by no less a luminary than Brett Ratner, so abandon all  hope ye who enter here. It's a pretty inspired choice, we have to admit -- a man whose movies everyone watches and no one admits to watching paired with a video game many people play, but no one admits to playing for a TV show that probably no one will watch, but we'll bet still gets more episodes than Do No Harm.