This past Tuesday, ABC unveiled its long awaited remake of the 1983 mini-series "V." Today, "The Fourth Kind," a film about alien abductions in an Alaskan town, opens in theaters. As the popular film line goes, they're heeeeeere.
    
And since the time is ripe for an alien takeover, let's take a look at Fanboy's top 15 extraterrestrial invasions both hostile and friendly:

15. "Starman": Between horror classics like "The Thing" and "Christine," director John Carpenter gave us Jeff Bridges as an alien that takes the form of a young widow's husband.

14. "Rocky Horror Picture Show": While most people don't think of this cult classic as an alien invasion film, let's not forget that Riff Raff, Magenta and Dr. Frank-N-Furter are from the planet Transexual in the galaxy of Transylvania.

13. "E.T.": Never thought I'd ever get the chance to use the word alien and tearjerker in the same sentence, but if this story of a boy and his intergalactic friend doesn't touch your heart, you probably don't have one.

12. "Fire In the Sky": Based on a true story, this 1993 film chronicles the story of Travis Walton, a reported victim of alien abduction in 1975.

11. "3rd Rock From the Sun": John Lithgow as an alien? I can buy it.

10. "ALF": The cuddly visitor from Melmac was a friend to all in the classic '80s sitcom. (Except for cats. Yum!)

9. "War of the Worlds": I'd venture to say that the 2005 remake of the H.G. Welles classic was more unsettling and an overall better film than the 1953 original. And Tim Robbins as a crackpot with a gun was downright creepy.

8. "Starship Troopers": The most underrated film on the list, "Troopers" has humans of a fascist, militaristic future battling with giant alien bugs.

7. "Invasion of the Body Snatchers": While there have been many attempts to remake this one, (most recently 2007's "The Invasion" with Nicole Kidman) the 1956 original remains the best of the bunch.

6. "The X-Files": Yes, Mr. Mulder, trust no one. Especially those aliens that took your sister.

5. "Mars Attacks": Possibly, the funniest alien attack ever filmed, Tim Burton's film featured everyone from Danny DeVito and Jim Brown to Jack Nicholson and Tom Jones.

4. "Signs": M. Night Shyamalan's film starred Mel Gibson (before he went crazy) and Joaquin Phoenix (before he went crazy) as well as a young Abigail Breslin (before she went "Little Miss Sunshine").

3. "Men In Black": While a third film is currently in the works, the original pairing of Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith knocked us off our feet.

2. "District 9": The newest film on the list, "District 9" really struck a chord with filmgoers this year.

1. "Independence Day": Some of you will probably disagree with this as the top selection but there's one thing "ID4" has that all the others don't: Jeff Goldblum.

Here's what else is happening ...
   
Spoiler alert, "Heroes" fans.
     
The only reason I had left to watch the fading NBC superhero drama is leaving the show. The whole Nathan/Sylar debacle couldn't last forever and Adrian Pasdar, who plays the killed-last-season-and-reborn-through-Sylar Nathan, is leaving the show.
     
Rumor has it though that this was not a mutual separation.
     
According to Michael Ausiello over at Entertainment Weekly, the actor didn't learn of his upcoming demise until reading the script. What do you think, Fanboy readers? Did Nathan Petrelli deserve better?
   
The United States speedskating team has found a new sponsor after its current one, DSB Bank NV, went bankrupt. Stepping in for the now defunct bank is, you guessed it, the Colbert Nation.
     
According to the BBC, "the sponsorship will rely on the show's viewers to donate to the team as they have in the past to get NASA treadmills and bald eagles named in their hero's honor."
   
If you're a fan of Hulu, the online TV mecca, there's one thing you may have been missing: cartoons.
     
But now thanks to the recently unveiled Jaroo.com, you can finally get your fix. Greats like "Inspector Gadget," "Paddington," "The Littles" and "Pole Position" are among the toons available for free on the site with tons more being added.

 

I was flipping through the channels the other night when I came across one of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite films, "Tommy Boy."
    
There was the late Chris Farley doing his "Fat Guy In A Little Coat" dance with David Spade glaring on. And then, with no warning, Spade turned to me, the viewer, and tried to sell me DirecTV.
     
Yes, I've seen these DirecTV ads before, turning classic film scenes into over-the-top shillings for satellite service. But this one just doesn't sit easy for me. Perhaps it's not because of Farley at all. Actually, I'm pretty sure it's because of David Spade.
     
Spade, who was Farley's best friend, seems to have betrayed the memory of his friend for a commercial paycheck. Could he have meant the commercial as a tribute to the former "Saturday Night Live" funnyman?
     
"When DirecTV came to me and the Farley family with this idea about 'Tommy Boy,' we talked and thought it would be a cool way to remind people just how funny Chris was," Spade said in a release from his publicist. "It is a clever homage to my friend and a movie that we loved doing."
     
What do you think readers? Is a satellite commercial a fitting tribute for Chris Farley?

     
A few weeks ago, David Letterman admitted to an affair with a "Late Show" with a female employee. Now, another TV sex scandal has reared its head as ESPN baseball analyst and former New York Mets general manager Steve Phillips has been busted for the same thing.
     
And while Letterman may have lost a little respect, Phillips has since been fired by the "Worldwide Leader in Sports."
     
Moral of the story? If you're going to cheat, do it at CBS. Not ESPN.

While we still don't have an exact premiere date for the final season of ABC's "Lost," there is one thing we do know. The series will take a break early on because of the Winter Olympics.

To this I say "What??????????"
     
It's the final season, people. And furthermore, the games will be broadcast on NBC. Not ABC. Again I repeat, not ABC.
     
According to executive producer Carlton Cuse, ABC will air the first few episodes in January and then take a time out, resuming the season in early March.
 
So you're going to give us a 4-6 week hiatus after making us wait 8 months?
     
So is this an epic fail by ABC? Or a hoax by "Lost" producers to mess with us?
     
Yo Taylor Swift, I'm really happy for you getting to host "Saturday Night Live" and I'ma let you finish, but the thought of Kanye West interrupting you again on "SNL" might be one of the funniest possibilities of all time. (Not really.)
 
Yes, the show is working hard to get the controversial rapper to make a cameo appearance on Swift-hosted Nov. 7 episode. Could be comedy gold and another shot at redemption for a guy who just keeps shooting himself in the foot.

Here's what else is happening...
     
Speaking of "SNL," congrats to Fred Armisen and "Mad Men's" Elizabeth Moss who got married on Oct. 25.
     
Fans of "Friends" will be excited to hear about a mini-reunion of former stars Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow on Cox's new ABC sitcom, "Cougar Town."
     
"She'll play a dermatologist that my character can't stop going to even though [she's] mean to me," Cox told TV Guide. The episode will shoot next month and air in early 2010.
     
Next year's Golden Globes telecast just became a must watch event. The awards show has announced that British comedian "Office" creator Ricky Gervais will host the Jan. 17 event.
     
Look for both Josh Groban and Kristin Chenoweth to return to Fox's "Glee" at some point this season.
     
The Coen Brothers remake of "True Grit" is starting to round out its crew.
     
According to Variety, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin are in talks to join a cast that already features Jeff Bridges in the lead role, a role that won John Wayne an Oscar in the 1969 original.
 

UPDATE: Adam Lambert has taken to Twitter to defend his "deliberately campy" CD cover. "Thank you to those who appreciate and understand that the album cover is deliberately campy. It's an homage to the past. It IS ridiculous," he wrote this morning. "For those that don't get it: oh well... Glad to have gotten your attention," he continued. "Androgyny. Rock n Roll."

The artwork for his Adam Lambert's upcoming CD, "For Your Entertainment," was released today and if there were any doubts remaining about his sexuality, they have been answered. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.)

Here he is in all his glory.

Fanboy here for the latest in pop culture... holy dung, is that a boy in a balloon?

Yeah I know, I'm sick of hearing about it too. But the fact is that little Falcon Heene and his kooky, hoax-producing parents have brought up an interesting question. We've long talked about the blurred line between news and entertainment but with the Heene's using every major news organization as their own personal publicists, has the line gone from blurred to simply nonexistent?

The Larimer County Sheriff's Office in Colorado have already announced that Richard and Mayumi Heene may be charged with "falsely reporting that their 6-year-old child had drifted away in a large home-built helium balloon to drum up publicity for a reality TV show."
    
Now Sheriff Jim Alderden says there might be co-conspirator in the charges, a media outlet.
     
Could it be that a network may have been in cahoots with these amateur storm chasers? According to Robert Thomas, who worked with Heene on several ideas, the couple apparently wanted to star in a show that would see the Heene's working on a range of weird experiments.

And if it is found that a network helped pull off this hoax, are they more or less responsible than the parents who were OK with teaching their kids to lie "for the show?"

TV theme song composer Vic Mizzy has died at the age of 93 in his home in Bel-Air, Calif.
     
While you might not know the name, Mizzy was the man behind two of the most well known theme songs of all time, "Green Acres" and "The Addams Family."
     
"I sat down; I went 'buh-buh-buh-bump [snap-snap], buh-buh-buh-bump," he recalled in a 2008 interview on CBS' "Sunday Morning" show. "That's why I'm living in Bel-Air: Two finger snaps and you live in Bel-Air."
   
The next film in Ben Stiller's "Meet the Fockers" series got a couple of new stars this week.
     
Laura Dern and Jessica Alba will join the cast of the tentatively titled "Little Fockers." Dern will play the headmistress of the elementary school that the Focker children attend.
   
"American Idol" contestants Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta have announced the titles and release dates for their debut albums.
     
Lambert, last season's runner up will release "For Your Entertainment" on Nov. 23. Iraheta's album drops Dec. 1 and will be called "Just Like You."
     
"Idol" winner Kris Allen's album comes out...who are we kidding? Does anyone care? (It's Nov. 17)
   
Good news for fans of Jackie Earle Haley.
 
Haley, who made a name for himself as Rorschach in "Watchmen," will play horror icon Freddy Kreuger in the "Nightmare on Elm Street" reboot due out in April 2010. Now comes word that Haley will star in another geek classic: "Green Lantern."
 
According to various outlets, Haley is in talks to play the villain Sinestro in the superhero film. This news was paired with a rumor that Superman, yes, the character, may appear in the film as well.
   
It seems like every week we've got some more cool "Glee " news. This week is no exception.
     
Some of you may know that Lea Michelle who stars as Rachel on the hit series got her start on Broadway in the musical "Spring Awakening." Well now her Broadway co-star, Jonathan Groff, will be joining the show for five or six episodes as the male lead of Vocal Adrenaline, the group's show choir rivals.
     
Groff's character might also be a potential love interest for Michele's Rachel.
     
In other Gleek news, director and nerd icon Joss Whedon is confirmed to be guest directing an episode of the Fox series. Whedon has already garnered acclaim two other musical ventures, "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" and another fan favorite, the musical episode of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."
 

..the guy makes some amazing films. Here's the trailer for his new film and first starring role since 2002, "Edge of Darkness." It's due out in January 2010.

The economy is in tatters. There isn't a corporation in the world that isn't feeling some pinch from these rough times and that includes Disney.
    
But now the House of Mouse is trying to make some changes to its retail stores so they're bringing in the big gun: Apple honcho Steve Jobs.
     
Jobs, who was appointed to the Disney board of directors in 2006, has given Disney access to the blueprints for his Apple Store and has told Disney engineers to "think bigger." Jobs' vision is that the stores will no longer be purely retail centers, but "Imagination Centers" that show off "Pixar-esque winks and nods."
     
According to Jobs, the stores will also have some form of scent component. "If a clip from Disney's coming 'A Christmas Carol' is playing in the theater, the whole store might suddenly be made to smell like a Christmas tree," said Jobs in a press release.
   
I often talk about films and remakes that have no right to be made. This week we're hitting stage shows.
     
Melissa Gilbert of "Little House on the Prairie" is launching a touring musical version of the show. Gilbert, who played Laura in the TV series, will play Ma in the musical version.
     
The national tour kicks off in that Mecca of Broadway extravaganzas, St. Paul, Minn.
   
Lee Unkrich, director of Disney/Pixar's upcoming "Toy Story 3" has unveiled the film's cast. According to a recent video blog by Unkrich, most of the cast has remained intact.
     
Names like Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Wallace Shawn and John Ratzenberger will be joined by new castmembers Ned Beatty, Michael Keaton, Timothy Dalton and Whoopi Goldberg.
     
Blake Clark of "The Waterboy" will replace the late Jim Varney as Slinky.
   
I got some cool news for my fellow Gleeks out there. (Gleeks = the official term for fans of the Fox hit "Glee.")
     
How would you like the chance to see the cast perform some of your favorite tunes live? According to Fox Broadcasting president Kevin Reilly, you may get the chance soon.
     
The series' music has been blowing up on iTunes and with a soundtrack due out on Nov. 3, the iron is officially hot. And while nothing is confirmed, "Glee" co-creator Ryan Murphy says that a tour would most likely be scheduled around spring 2010.
     
One place the tour won't land? The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
     
The organizers of the parade were instructed by NBC to rescind an offer to the cast to perform. Kinda makes sense. Why would a network flat out promote one of their rival network's biggest hits? Still, pretty lame NBC.
   
Here's what else is happening ...
     
Hey "SpongeBob SquarePants" fans, your favorite underwater cartoon character is getting married!
     
The event will happen in a one-hour special called "Truth or Square" and will feature the celebrity voices of Ricky Gervais, Rosario Dawson, Craig Ferguson, Will Ferrell, LeBron James, Robin Williams and others.
     
The episode airs at 8 p.m. Nov. 6 on Nickelodeon
   
According to the New England Genealogical Society, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are more than just childhood pals. They're also related.
     
Researchers found that Damon and Affleck are descended from William Knowlton Jr., a bricklayer who came to the states from England around 1630. This makes the pair tenth cousins. Once removed, of course.
     
Keep up the good work, NEGS.
   
According to Bloody-Disgusting.com, iconic director John Landis has announced that his next film will be "Burke and Hare." The film is based on the infamous British duo that supplied a British medical school with cadavers they obtained from grave robbing or flat out murder.
     
And starring as the duo? Former "Doctor Who" star David Tennant and "Shaun of the Dead's" Simon Pegg. We'll be keeping an eye on this one.
   
Paramount Pictures is looking to cast Chris Pine as the next Jack Ryan.
     
Pine, who took on the role of Captain Kirk in the "Star Trek" reboot would fill the shoes of the Tom Clancy-created action hero that has been previously played by Harrison Ford, Alec Baldwin and Ben Affleck.
   
Lastly, some sad news as we learn that wrestling legend Captain Lou Albano passed away Wednesday at the age of 76. May his rubber bands live on in our memories.


 
 

From @juliebenz on Twitter...

Shooting season finale.follow @chrisvroman...remember this face. Big reveal in december.

So who is this guy? Could this be Rita's first husband? Maybe a sibling Dex didn't know he had? Could it have anything to do with the tourist murders that have been going on?

Or perhaps he's connected to the major character death that might be hinted to at the end of this Sunday's episode?

Thoughts?