When it comes to our favorite fictional serial killer, suspension of disbelief is pretty much par for the course. Which is why we’ve gladly put aside our question as to how on earth Dexter Morgan’s employer, the Miami PD has yet to clue into his extra-curricular activities in lieu of a far bigger mystery: Just how on earth does a blood splatter analyst afford to support a wife and three kids in a spacious suburban alcove, plus an oceanfront condo and a boat on his public servant salary?

In the world of STARGATE UNIVERSE, mankind is capable of harnessing the power of a Stargate to travel millions of miles away, transport themselves to-and-from ships at will, and protect themselves with state of the art weaponry. Yet David Blue’s Eli Wallace is still using an iPhone.

Be it father William or brother Tommy, the Walker family hasn’t exactly had the most stellar track record when it comes to family members working in the family business. Yet Uncle Saul and Holly waited all of three-minutes to hand over the financials and entrust the future of Ojai Foods to very-sketchy illegitimate step-son Ryan.

Giving us yet another reason for us to worry about the American educational system comes GLEE’s Will Shuster, who has yet to clue into the fact that his wife is wearing a fake pregnancy belly.

Only in the world of MELROSE PLACE do men who look like they’ve just stepped out of an Abercrombie and Fitch catalogue have to hire call girls like Stephanie Jacobsen’s Lauren. We’re just sayin’

Good News: Proving that no politician on either side of the aisle is safe, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE delivered a scathing (and fairly accurate) assessment of President Obama’s progress (or lack-their of) over his first 10 months in office. Bad News: We’re still waiting for Fred Armisen to deliver a convincing Obama impersonation. [ZonTV]

Good News: Thanks to the tweet heard ’round the world, BONES gets some much deserved publicity. Bad News: All it took was a production shutdown due to a rumoured case of swine flu. [TVMoJoe]

Thanks to the void left by BATTLESTAR GALCATICA ending its run combined with our rejuvenated interest in all things space courtesy of JJ. Abrams successful STAR TREK re-boot, Sy Fy’s third incarnation of the STARGATE universe, appropriately titled just that, could not have arrived at a better time. Which is why last night, this TV Addict went where I have never gone before and subjected myself to an actual entire episode of STARGATE.

The two-hour pilot kicked off with a literal bang, when some space baddies (who this STARGATE virgin can only assume have a history of blowing stuff up) attacked a planet — forcing the mysterious Dr. Nicholas Rush (Played by ‘foreigner’ Robert Carlyle, so you know he’s both really smart and obviously ‘up to something’) to shepherd a ragtag group of military types (like Louis Ferreira’s Colonel Young and Brian J. Smith’s Lieutenant Scott), politicos (Elyse Levesque’s Senator’s daughter) and computer nerds (David Blue’s Eli Wallace, serving as a guide into the STARGATE universe for us neophytes), among others — haphazardly through a Stargate. Destination: Who-knows-where!

Of course, ‘who-knows-where’ turned out to be the Destiny, an ancient ship, which as luck would have it, came complete with a Stargate of its very own. Not to mention, enough problems to provide for a solid twenty-two episodes (or more!) of adventure. Giving the crew — when they’re not searching for ways in which to find home — ample opportunity to jump from planet-to-planet for spare parts.

An adventure we’d be a lot more excited for, had ’spare parts’ not also served as an apt metaphor for one of our biggest problems with the show. From the ragtag fleet of painfully generic character archetypes (See: the ex-con, the strong female and Blue’s nerdy comic relief that treads dangerously close to Wesley Crusher levels of annoyance.) to the fact that try as they might, SGU’s pilot failed to introduce even one original story-line (Power struggle between the brilliant but morally ambiguous scientist and the political figure! Hmmm…. Where have I seen that before?), it’s hard to ignore the total lack of originality on the creative team’s part. Especially when the shaky camera docu-drama feel and the dark corridors devoid of light practically beg comparisons of the less-than-kind variety to that of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA.

That said, as all good pilots must, there certainly were more than enough interesting plot threads and likeable personalities (Full disclosure: We have a soft spot for both David Blue and Ming-Na — assuming of course her character ever gets to do anything!) to entice me to jump on the STARGATE bandwagon and give this series a shot.

Will you be joining me for the ride?

2:59PM: David Blue comes out of the closet… as a huge nerd/ geek. Explains the actor, “It’s a great role to play because I get to come onto the show, watch the Stargate turn on, and like anyone of us in the same situation be absolutely flabbergasted.” Adds co-creator Brad Wright, “David Blue is our on-set focus group.”

3:01PM: Still apprehensive about this nerdy Sci Fi SyFy show? Perhaps co-creator Robert Cooper’s taste in television can entice you, “I’m a huge fan of FIREFLY, which kind of set the bar for modern day science fiction for us. I’m a big fan of the SHIELD, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS and their shooting styles and the way they use character to forward their series.”

3:03PM: Actor Lou Diamond Phillip’s gets the panel’s biggest laugh by explaining how he came to the role. “Like Edward James Olmos [on BSG] they needed another three-named ethnic guy.”

3:04PM: Bad news for fans of the Wraith, not to mention Vancouver’s latex industry. Creators Wright and Cooper promise that SGU is stepping away from rubber-faced english speaking aliens.

3:06PM: A TCA reporter congratulates Lou Diamond Phillips for making it out of the jungle [on NBC's I'M A CELEBRITY....] with his dignity, which we’re *sure* he appreciated being brought up in a roomful of well, anybody.

3:09PM: Spoiler Alert: There is a device on the show which will allow people on the ship to switch consciousness with people on earth. Begging the obvious question, isn’t that what the Stargate is for?

3:11PM: David Blue really is a geek. He just tried to talk quantum theory at a TCA panel. Me no follow.

3:12PM: Wright clarifies, we will run into aliens, just not rubber-faced english speaking ones. Phew.

3:12PM: Robert Carlyle recounts what attracted him to the project… can’t focus… mesmerized by the coolness of his accent.

3:13PM: Ming-Na calls San Diego Comic Con, “a tremendous experience, 4,500 screaming fans, I felt like a rock star, I want to cut an album.” Hey, if William Shatner can do it…

3:14PM: David Blue mentions he’s on twitter. Which yeah, we’re not gonna lie, we already know… because we’re like totally twitter bff’s!

3:15PM: Wright re-iterates that original fans of the franchise will be rewarded, but their goal this time really is a mainstream audience… on SyFy… really?

3:16PM: In response to whether or not 24: REDEMPTION was a trial balloon for doing American television, Robert Carlyle responds, “Yes and No. I tend to always go towards projects where I like the people. Kiefer Sutherland and I are very good friends and he’s always on the phone saying, “You gotta do 24.” Which I really enjoyed. But more of an indication was when I played Hitler for CBS [HITLER: THE RISE OF EVIL] and HUMAN TRAFFICKING. Both very joyful experiences.” Added Wright, “We’re Canadian, so he’s not entirely doing American television.”

3:17PM: In case you didn’t get the message, once again, the producers honestly believe that STARGATE virgins can tune in, watch the show and find out in the course of the first two hours through the introduction of Eli [David's characters] to the program. Eli’s introduction is the audiences.

Direct from Comic Con comes a gritty, dark and exciting new look at STARGATE UNIVERSE. Or with apologies to CAPRICA fans, what SyFy is definitely hoping is BATTLESTAR GALACTICA Version 2.0.

A dark and ominous tone reminiscent of our dearly departed BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, an enticing mission (”survival”) and UGLY BETTY’s David Blue… finally a STARGATE [UNIVERSE] we can get behind! How about you?

Now far be it from theTVaddict.com to toot our own horn (Oh who are we kidding, did you see our inclusion in Rick Ellis’ 30 Essential Twitter Feeds for TV Fans?) But we just wanted to take a moment to congratulate one of the nicest guys in Hollywood: David Blue. Who as reported first by Michael Ausiello (seriously, not bitter at all), has been tapped to join the cast of Sci Fi Channel’s much buzzed about STARGATE UNIVERSE as Eli Wallace, a total slacker, who just so happens to be a genius when it comes to anything he puts his mind to.

The congratulatory self-pat on the back comes in when you realize that Blue won the role two months after taking part in an exclusive interview with theTVaddict.com and mere weeks after making it into our illustrious Top 10 TV “Davids” of 2008.” Coincidence? We think not.

But in all seriousness, welcome to Canada David… now go buy some warm clothes, it’s freezing here.

Good News: Sci Fi has announced that Robert Carlyle (24: REDEMPTION) has signed on to lead the new STARGATE UNIVERSE. Bad News: For Robert Carlyle’s career. I mean correct us if we’re wrong, but is STARGATE not where careers go to die? [Source]

Good News: Saturday marked Amy Poehler’s SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE swan song. Bad News: For SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, who just lost the only cast member worth staying up to 11:30 for.

One of the most interesting parts of theTVaddict.com’s recent SCI FI press tour was visiting the set of STARGATE ATLANTIS. Even with the show being on hiatus, a very pregnant Rachel Luttrell, a not so pregnant David Hewlett as well as show-runners Joe Mallozzi and Paul Mullie were kind enough to take an hour out of their day to talk to some very excited reporters.

Series: STARGATE ATLANTIS

Episode: “Echoes”, airing Friday, April 20 on the Sci Fi Channel

Series overview: The STARGATE spin-off focuses on a group of scientists residing in and studying the culture of the lost city of Atlantis, which it turns out is in another galaxy.

Their take: The Sci-Fi Channel’s listing reads as such: Atlantis becomes a ghost town when spirits try to warn Teyla of an impending disaster.

Our take: A ghostly woman in white and a kinda creepy-looking burned guy – both of whom are spirits – begin appearing to several Atlantis residents while a scientist (bumbling and geeky in the manner of all B-movie/series characters) investigates the sudden arrival of several whale-like creatures. It takes the Atlantians a whole lot longer than us to figure out that the two phenomenon are connected. There’s much talk – often in bad accents – of “ancients” and the pre-requisite cocky pilot does more than his share of eye-rolling and hammy acting. Midway through the episode, a spaceship – piloted by THE X-FILES alum Mitch Pileggi – suddenly appears, apparently wanting to dock. With almost no explanation as to how (aside from an odd reference to the Macarena… we kid you not) the various Stargaters figure out what’s going on. Can they save the day? What do you think?

Accessibility: You won’t remember the character’s names or have much of a clue how they’re connected – if at all – to one another, but the cast is generally appealing and the story relatively self-contained. You’ll find recognizable elements of every sci-fi show from STAR TREK (the good guys use a transporter and even talk about being “beamed up”) to FARSCAPE (it’s hard not to see Joe Flanigan’s Sheppard as a knock-off of Ben Browder’s Crichton). And maybe it’s that very sense of familiarity that makes it so easy to dive into this rather cartoonish but inexplicably entertaining series. A first-time viewer will be a tad confused by mention of Ancients and Wraths, but find the episode fairly easy to follow. Despite being science fiction, it ain’t rocket science. When the closing credits roll, heck, you just might be compelled to come back next week.