Shows like Community and The Big Bang Theory might have the obvious lock on SFF geek cred, but Portlandia is quickly catching up to these network shows in regards to introducing funny concepts with recent SFF.

Take this Battlestar Galactica read-through, for example. This scene features Edward James Olmos, James Callis, and two Ronald D. Moores in a bizzare read-through of a fan-created Galactica script. We can’t explain the perfection of this (especially not the ending!) without ruining it, so just watch:

The seventh season of Doctor Who is scheduled to begin filming this month for a potential start date in autumn of 2012. Although no statements have been issued by the BBC, BBC America, or the actors and production teams involved with the show, it’s expected that the seventh season will conclude in early 2013.

Which brings the show right up to its 50th anniversary. Moffat recently teased at the anniversary in a program for a recent Doctor Who symphony show:

Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary is coming. In Cardiff, we’re gearing up for the biggest, the best and the most ambitious season we’ve ever made.

With the possibility of an entire season informing the 50th anniversary, Blogtor Who began to wonder: What do we want to see for the anniversary?

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Welcome Wednesday! What color would you make your lightsaber if you had a choice and the only choices were candy-cane or rainbow? Would you still want a lightsaber? Think about it, but don’t think about it too hard because it’s a frivolous question. Meanwhile, we’ve got a nice assortment of offsite links rounded up for you.

Highlights include:

1. New, spiffy pics from Judge Dredd and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.
2. Prepare for the extinction of Terra Nova.
3. Neil Gaiman screams.

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Along with being a rather momentous anniversary for Charles “Chuck” Dickens, it’s also comedian Eddie Izzard’s 50th birthday! In celebration, let us view his 1999 bit about what it would be like if the Empire in Star Wars was completely British. “The Rebels are here?! Do they want tea?”

Stubby the Rocket is the mascot of Tor.com and stronger than a small pony but not stronger than the Force. Paradox!

It’s here! Now with more homemade web-slinging action! Peter Parker is back and with way more hair. Check out the full-length trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man.

This Tuesday, we invite you to extend the game started by this poster from Tone Deaf. Here, they’ve attributed Lord of the Rings characters to various band instruments. Now, we’d like you to do the same thing with characters from Tron and Uno cards! Is Flynn a Wild or Wild Draw 4? Do you have to say “Tron!” before putting down your last card or “End of line?” We’ll leave you to decide.

We’ve also wrangled some nice offiste links for you.

Highlights include:

1. A place to buy the above poster.
2. Harrison Ford Blade Runner 2 rumblings.
3. The re-telling of The Death and Life of Superman you didn’t know you needed.

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It’s time to give you another shot at winning a copy of The Witch’s Daughter! Take a look at an excerpt while you enter — we’ve got eight copies up for grabs and the next winner might be you!

Check below for the rules:

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What would a live action Thundercats movie look like? WormyTV took this question quite seriously and created a pretty convincing edit trailer for a Thundercats movie.

There’s a lot of great SFF movies in the mix here, starting with that first shot straight from Masters of the Universe. Indiana Jones, the Riddick series, the X-Men films, Farscape, Galaxy Quest, Star Trek VI, Garfield (for Snarf, obviously), The Lord of the Rings, Troy, and more are all used to great effect.

Stubby the Rocket is the mascot of Tor.com and loves kitties but is on the fence about Thundercats.

Welcome to Monday! Though winter has decided to stay longer because a certain groundhog was manipulated by Moriarty into revealing a cerain shadow, it doesn’t mean everything is terrible. Proof? The Avengers are assembling this second! Check out this sample exchange between a fan and Samuel L. Jackson during the recent Avengers Twitter Chat:

Fan: How much of your portrayal is based on comics Nick Fury and how much of Nick Fury is based on you?

Samuel L:  There’s a lot of Nick Fury in me already

And as you peruse today’s assortment of offsite links, we invite each of you to search for your own personal Nick Fury, Thor, Tony Stark, Captain America, Black Widow, Bruce Banner, Hawkeye, or Nanny McPhee, buried deep, deep inside your heart.

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The new Avengers trailer debuted during this year’s Superbowl and it’s the first to give us some lovely, lingering shots from the film. Marvel Studios has put an extended version on Facebook (embedded above) that features the movie’s villain and their footsoldiers, along with a great one-liner AND intense action sequence with Tony Stark.

Stubby the Rocket is just going to admit it. It’s Iron Man.

You’ve worked hard this week (just go with us on that) and you deserve a reward. Please accept this illustration of a samurai Darth Vader, created by Clinton Felker, as your shepherd into the peaceful waters of the weekend.

Want more Star Wars characters reinterpreted as warriors from Japan’s feudal era? This request can be granted.

[Star Wars feudal art]

Now that you’ve taken a look at that sweet excerpt (and the review as well!) we know that you want a chance to read the book! We’ve got 20 copies for all you fabulous ladies and gents, and we’re ready to give them out to someone who will love them. So take a look below and enter!

Check below for the rules:

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This week on BBC’s The Graham Norton Show, guests Patrick Stewart and Liam Neeson were treated to a contest of their respective action figures, whether they wanted it our not! The deck was clearly stacked in Liam’s favor since we know for a fact that there are some sweet Picard action figures out there which also have the ability to talk. Either way, this clip will make you smile.

Stubby the Rocket is the voice and mascot of Tor.com. Stubby lost a lot of money when betting on that mud-fight between Jean-Luc and his brother.

Melanie Rawn makes an exciting return to epic fantasy in her new novel Touchstone, out on February 28! But we know you can’t wait. That’s why these 18 ARC copies are going straight to you! Enter to win and you might get lucky. And check back on Monday for a special exclusive excerpt from the book!

Check below for the rules:

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Your Friday Morning Roundup saw the Hill Valley of 2015 rebuilt in Lego and all it could think of was how it would fight every last one of you for the chance to live there. But it wouldn’t do that to live in Lego Hilldale. That place is nothing but a breeding ground for Lego tranks, lo-bos, and zipheads.

While we’re questioning the direction our life has taken, you should look at some offsite links detailing:

1. Hill Valley 2015 in Lego! I mean, does this really need further explanation?
2. A found poster for a velociraptor.
3. How to hunt dinosaurs on Venus.

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It looks like Disney has finally realized that no one understands what John Carter is actually about or who it’s for. They just released a featurette that lets us all in on a little secret: the movie’s actually a lot more goofy than they’ve been letting on. Complete with alien confusion over Earth names, plucky princess action and a couple of one-liners, this makes us us feel a little better about how silly the aliens looked in the earlier teasers.

What do you think? Fun or too far?

Groundhog Day has always been an odd little day. If the name of the day itself doesn’t make this apparent, imagine explaining it to someone from a foreign country, or an alien. (“It’s, um, this day where we pretend that a big ground squirrel can predict the weather?”) February 2nd has become, like Valentine’s Day or April Fool’s Day, a largely symbolic gesture, in this case representing our desire for winter to conclude.

Since the movie Groundhog Day came out, though, the day has also begun to remind one of the concept of time travel. So, starting with the premise that time travel is inarguably awesome, we wonder... should Groundhog Day become an appreciation of time travel?

[We’re serious!]

And out of the mists of the internet came Space Stallions, the most amazing thing we’ve seen all week.

Space Stallions doubles as a school film project from The Animation Workshop and as a cartoon parody of any 80s kids cartoon you can think of. Space horse gods will be questioned. Horse power will be used against the forces of evil. And someone’s sword will turn into a keytar!

Experience the glory of Space Stallions in full by watching the above video. Then visit the Facebook page of the creators to show your appreciation. And try not to yell, “Answer me!” at any horses you see afterwards.

Stubby the Rocket will team up with the Space Stallions any day, any minute, any time.

Lionsgate has released a new trailer for The Hunger Games movie adaptation. As opposed to the first trailer, this one focuses more on the emotional connections Katniss has with her sister, Gale, Peeta, and the variety of characters she meets throughout the Hunger Games.

(Also, there’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it WALL OF FIRE.) Stick around for Rue’s haunting whistle at the very end.

Stubby the Rocket is the mascot of Tor.com and the odds are always ever in its favor. Maybe. Did it say that correctly?