Comic-Con 2012: Science Channel Announces FIREFLY Reunion Panel, Fringe Reruns Premiere and More


If you don’t know what a Browncoat is, this probably won’t mean much to you. If, however, you have an I Am A Leaf In The Wind license plate holder and you are contemplating going to your bunk right after you read this, then clearly this is for you.

Because thanks to the Science Channel the old Firefly gang is getting together for their tenth anniversary, in public, to talk with us, their people. Confirmed are Joss Whedon, Tim Minear, and cast members Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk, Adam Baldwin, Sean Maher, Michael Fairman – eek! he was the evil Niska! – “and the rest of the crew of Serenity.” We therefore don’t know for sure about any of the women, but hopefully that’s just a weird oversight by the people writing the press release. We may know more when the Friday Comic-Con schedule is released tomorrow.

But wait, there’s more! Remember we told you earlier this month that the Science Channel was granted the syndication rights for Fringe? They have now announced that the rebroadcast of classic Fringe episodes – okay, because it’s the Science Channel they are much more straightforward and say “FRINGE makes its cable debut on SCIENCE on November 20 at 8 PM (ET/PT).” Hooray for clarity. Of course we already knew that the Fringe panel will take place on the Sunday of Comic-Con.

And there’s still more! Panels are planned for the John Noble-narrated Dark Matters: Twisted But True as well as the upcoming Stuff You Should Know – they’re gonna talk about time travel! Here is the press release:

BROWNCOATS UNITE! SCIENCE CELEBRATES FIREFLY’S 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY WITH EXCLUSIVE SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON PANEL FEATURING JOSS WHEDON, NATHAN FILLION AND MORE

–SCIENCE Takes Comic-Con International: San Diego 2012 by Storm with Panels for FIREFLY, DARK MATTERS: TWISTED BUT TRUE and STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW–

TWITTER: @ScienceChannel #FireflySDCC #DarkMattersSDCC #SYSK

(SILVER SPRING, MD) – SCIENCE today announced that it will converge on the world’s leading comics and pop culture convention with three exclusive panels at this year’s Comic-Con International: San Diego (Comic-Con), taking place July 12-15. Headlined by the 10-year anniversary panel for the cult sensation FIREFLY, the network’s first appearance at the event features a star-studded lineup of top talent, producers and never-before-seen footage, along with numerous buzz-worthy surprises. SCIENCE will burst onto the scene at this year’s Comic-Con providing the ultimate signature experience that fans won’t soon forget, with additional presentations for DARK MATTERS: TWISTED BUT TRUE and STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW. FRINGE, which will make its SCIENCE debut on November 20, also will feature a panel on Sunday, July 15.

For the first time ever, SCIENCE will bring together the cast from the beloved but short-lived series, FIREFLY. Captain Mal and his team will descend upon San Diego 10 years after the sci-fi western first hit airwaves and triggered a fanatical following. Since making its debut on SCIENCE in 2011, FIREFLY has become an audience favorite, attracting an army of both new and veteran Browncoats to the network. Join creator, executive producer and writer Joss Whedon, alongside fellow executive producer and writer Tim Minear, and cast members Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk, Adam Baldwin, Sean Maher, Michael Fairman and the rest of the crew of Serenity for one of this year’s the most anticipated panels on Friday, July 13, at 12:30 PM (PT).

Friday evening at 7:15 PM (PT), John Noble (FRINGE) and the creators of SCIENCE’s hit series DARK MATTERS: TWISTED BUT TRUE will unveil shocking never-before-seen footage from the show’s second season. Join host Noble, the series’ executive producer and a featured scientific historian as SCIENCE offers a sneak peak at forbidden research records from the most shocking studies ever executed. Featuring gruesome lobotomy experiments, controversial CIA mind-control studies and accounts of live human transplants, the all-new season shows that science fact can be stranger—and sometimes more entertaining—than science fiction. Noble also will be signing limited edition DARK MATTERS Comic-Con posters at his autograph session for those brave enough to question everything. DARK MATTERS: TWISTED BUT TRUE season two premieres Saturday, July 14, at 10 PM (ET/PT). This is just the beginning of Noble’s Comic-Con conquest, as he will appear alongside the cast of the FRINGE at the Warner Bros. featured panel on Sunday, June 15. FRINGE makes its cable debut on SCIENCE on November 20 at 8 PM (ET/PT).

Finally, everyone’s favorite genius generalists Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant make their freshman Comic-Con appearance to record a live edition of their top-10 downloaded HOW STUFF WORKS podcast. Josh and Chuck will lead Comic-Con’s fans in the 360-degree discussion “Time Travel: Science Fact or Science Fiction?” With surprise guests and exclusive giveaways, the guys also will reveal hidden scenes from their upcoming SCIENCE series STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW, premiering in January 2013.

“As a network, SCIENCE has one foot in the planetarium and the other in Comic-Con. This venue is the Mecca for creativity and inspiration that can spark a great work of art or the next scientific breakthrough,” said Debbie Adler Myers, general manager and executive vice president for SCIENCE. “From Joss, Nathan and our amazing FIREFLY panel, to John Noble and DARK MATTERS, to Josh and Chuck; our panels reflect the programming on SCIENCE—totally diverse but all whip-smart, hugely entertaining, lean-forward television.”

“We are very excited to welcome SCIENCE to the Comic-Con International family,” commented David Glanzer, director of marketing and public relations for Comic-Con. “They have some of the most-anticipated panels at this year’s event and we know they won’t disappoint the legion of fans that come from all over the world to experience the phenomena that is Comic-Con.”

For more information on this year’s lineup, please visit: SCIENCECHANNEL.com and Comic- Con International: San Diego 2012 at http://www.comic-con.org/cci/

SCIENCE CHANNEL PANELS AT 2012 SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON 2012

TIME TRAVEL: SCIENCE FACT OR SCIENCE FICTION? STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW WITH JOSH & CHUCK: Thursday, 7/12/12, 4:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m., Room: 5AB

SCIENCE presents Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant, hosts of the Top 10 iTunes podcast STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW, as they lead a discussion about time travel with some very special celebrity guests for a live from Comic-Con taping of their podcast. Josh and Chuck’s loyal fan following, chemistry and insatiable curiosity are core to the launch of SCIENCE’s upcoming series STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW, as the two pioneer the way for what likely will be more introductions of talent discovered and incubated online finding a place on new platforms. Join Josh and Chuck and the SCIENCE team at Comic-Con for an exclusive sneak-peek of STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW, as well as limited edition Comic-Con exclusive giveaways from SCIENCE.

FIREFLY 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY: Friday 7/13/12, 12:30 p.m.–1:30 p.m., Room: 20

It has been 10 years since the crew of Serenity took flight in Joss Whedon’s short-lived but now revered series, FIREFLY. SCIENCE will reconvene, for the first time in a decade, Captain Mal Reynolds and the crew from the ship, calling all Browncoats to unite at the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con. The cast of FIREFLY will talk about the past, present and future of FIREFLY, 10 years after its debut. SHINY.

DARK MATTERS: Friday, 7/13/12, 7:15 p.m.–8:15 p.m., Room: 6A

This summer, SCIENCE returns to the laboratory to unearth history’s most sinister tales with the second season of the breakout series DARK MATTERS: TWISTED BUT TRUE. Join USA Today’s Brian Truitt; John Noble; Executive Producer Rocky Collins; and science historian Michael Stevens as we take a closer look at the forbidden research records on the most shocking scientific studies ever executed. From gruesome lobotomy experiments, to controversial CIA studies, to spine-chilling accounts of live human transplants, the all-new season shows that science fact can be stranger, and even more entertaining, than science fiction. The six world premiere episodes take audiences inside a real-life Twilight Zone, where shocking CGI re-creations illustrate unforgettable tales of genius gone horribly awry. DARK MATTERS: TWISTED BUT TRUE premieres Saturday, July 14, at 10:00 PM (ET/PT).

JOHN NOBLE/DARK MATTERS AUTOGRAPH SESSION: Saturday, 7/15/12, 1:30 p.m.–2:30 p.m.

John Noble, host of SCIENCE’s hit series DARK MATTERS, will be signing limited edition Comic-Con International: San Diego 2012 commemorative posters during his autograph session.


Erin Willard
Written by Erin Willard

Erin is the Editor In Chief and West Coast Correspondent for SciFiMafia.com