George Takei to Appear on Series Premiere of Fangasm

NEW YORK – September 20, 2013 – On the series premiere of Syfy’s Fangasm on Tuesday, September 24 at 10:00 p.m., Star Trek’s George Takei makes a surprise visit that becomes a life-changing moment for the gang. In an unexpected and emotional moment, Mr. Takei shares laughs and insight on what it means to be a fan of the movies, TV shows and stories that inspire us. One roommate in particular is sincerely moved as he recounts how Star Trek shaped his childhood and brought his family closer together.

Syfy’s Fangasm follows seven fanboys and fangirls – Andrew Duvall, Sal Fringo, Kristin Hackett, Molly McIsaac, Paul Perkins, Mike Reed and Dani Snow. The gang lives and breathes all things science fiction, comic books, collectibles, cosplay, life-action role playing games and pop culture. The tight-knit group of big bangers spend the summer living together in Los Angeles and interning at Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo – the dream job of their lifetimes.

Fangasm is produced by the creators of Jersey Shore, 495 Productions, with Executive Producers SallyAnn Salsano, Joel Zimmer and Charlie Newton.

Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in more than 98 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. (Syfy. Imagine greater.)

Syfy Releases Fall Programming Schedule

NEW YORK – August 27, 2013 – This Fall, Syfy will take viewers to imaginative new programming heights led by the premiere of the provocative reality series Fangasm (September 24) and Naked Vegas (October 29), which journey into the worlds of super fans and body painting art; the season returns of Ghost Mine (September 4), Haven (September 13), Ghost Hunters (October 9) and Haunted Highway (November 27), as well as a special Scare Tactics marathon (October 21).

Syfy will also unleash nearly 600 hours of scary programming during its 6th annual 31 Days of Halloween month-long spook-a-thon dripping with bloodcurdling theatrical and original movies.

In November, Sharknado’s Cassie Scerbo returns to Syfy in the Original Movie Bering Sea Beast.

Syfy will kick off the Fall season with its traditional Labor Day weekend movie marathon.

Highlights of Syfy’s 2013 Fall Programming Schedule (All Times ET/PT)

SEPTEMBER

GHOST MINE (SEASON 2 PREMIERE)
Returns Wednesday, September 4 at 10PM – In Season 2, the hardened team of gold miners and paranormal investigators return to Eastern Oregon’s notoriously haunted Crescent Mine to continue their quest for gold and evidence of ghosts. The investigators and miners delve further into the mine’s mysterious history revealing new information about the recurring Masonic symbols, Native American presence and the spirit of “Joe,” all while battling the elements in hopes of striking it rich. This season, they’ve revamped the popular Remote Investigator of Paranormal Activity (RIPA) and brought in a surprise new addition to the team. The Season 2 premiere will be preceded by the 9PM one-hour special, Ghost Mine: Back on the Mountain, hosted by Adam Copeland (Haven), in which the miners and investigators gather ‘round the campfire to reminisce about the highs and lows of last season.

RAGIN CAJUN REDNECK GATORS (ORIGINAL MOVIE PREMIERE)
Premieres Thursday, September 5 at 9PM – Contaminated moonshine dumped in a Louisiana swamp turns the bayou’s gators (and the people who eat them) into deadly mutants. The movie stars Victor Webster (Continuum) and Jordan Hinson (Eureka).

HAVEN (SEASON 4 PREMIERE)
Returns Friday, September 13 at 10PM – Season 4 of Haven picks up six months after the devastating events of the Season 3 cliffhanger in which the town was pummeled by a violent meteor storm. Audrey (Emily Rose) and Duke (Eric Balfour) vanished into thin air, leaving an injured Nathan (Lucas Bryant) marooned in Haven. This season, Colin Ferguson (Eureka) returns to Syfy playing William, a handsome mysterious stranger, whose secret agenda leads him to Audrey. Haven, based on the novella The Colorado Kid from renowned author Stephen King, follows former FBI agent Audrey Parker, who becomes a cop in the small town of Haven, Maine, and soon discovers the town’s many secrets – which also hold the key to unlocking the mysteries of her lost past.

During its third season, Haven was the #1 cable drama (based on Live + 7 data) in Adults 18-49, Adults 25-54 and total viewers in its Friday 10PM time period.

ROBOCROC (ORIGINAL MOVIE PREMIERE)
Premieres Saturday, September 14 at 9PM – A military nanotech experiment goes awry, infecting a huge crocodile in a zoo and transforming it into a metal killing machine. Robocroc stars Corin Nemec (Stargate SG-1) and Dee Wallace.

FANGASM (SERIES PREMIERE)
Premieres Tuesday, September 24 at 10PM – Syfy celebrates superfan culture with Fangasm, a new docuseries that follows seven very different people whose uber-obsessions from comic books and collectibles, science fiction and fantasy to cosplay and live action role-playing have brought them together for the summer experience of a lifetime: living together and interning together at Stan Lee’s Comikaze. Known as Los Angeles’ largest pop-culture convention, the cast must contend with oversized personalities and conflicting passions as they vie to impress the organization for a once-in-a-lifetime dream job within Lee’s staff.

OCTOBER

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN (6TH ANNUAL EVENT)
Returns Tuesday, October 1 – Thursday, October 31 – 31 Days of Halloween will unleash nearly 600 hours of bloodcurdling programming with original series, a trio of terrifying Saturday Original Movies and theatricals.

GHOST HUNTERS (FALL SEASON PREMIERE)
Returns Wednesday, October 9 at 10PM – Get into the Halloween spirit with the Ghost Hunters as Season 9 continues with a month of brand-new investigations at all-new locations. Jason, Steve, Tango, Amy, Adam and Britt continue their mission of helping ease the minds of homeowners and public institution employees alike when they investigate a mansion in Monticello, AR, with a dark history of secret love and suicide; the Rendall Building in Shreveport, LA; a former insane asylum and animal testing lab in Scott Township, PA; The Surf Hotel on Block Island, RI, and historic Hyde Hall in Cooperstown, NY.

SCARE TACTICS (SEASON 5 MARATHON)
Premieres Monday, October 21 from 8-11PM – Tracy Morgan is back! He’s hosting a special marathon of all-new episodes of Scare Tactics, the hidden camera show with a sci-fi twist that pulls outrageous pranks on unsuspecting friends and family. In this batch of episodes, our subjects will be subjected to post-Voodoo ceremony zombie attacks at a cemetery, a meat-eating fly experiment gone horribly wrong and a homicidal comedian at a comedy award show that Tracy “hosts.”

NAKED VEGAS (SERIES PREMIERE)
Premieres Tuesday, October 29 at 10PM – Set amidst the fast-paced glitter of life on the Las Vegas Strip, Syfy will transport viewers inside the provocative and imaginative world of body painting art in this new six-part docuseries. When casinos, clubs, events, conventions, celebrities, magicians, fashion designers – or anyone in between – wants to throw a memorable opening, they call the Skin Team. These five accomplished artists – including Nicholas “Nix” Herrera from Syfy’s hit series Face Off – comprise Las Vegas' hottest and most innovative body painting company, creating amazing displays of artwork on naked female and male models. Each hour-long episode of Naked Vegas will highlight the chemistry and creative skills of the artists' different personalities as they collaborate on a major client job while navigating the economics of the business.

SCARECROW (ORIGINAL MOVIE PREMIERE)
Premieres in October – A group of teens and their teacher are stranded in the countryside when they discover that the local legend of a murderous scarecrow creature is real – and the creature is after them. Scarecrow stars Robin Dunne (Sanctuary) and Lacey Chabert.

THE RITUAL (working title) (ORIGINAL MOVIE PREMIERE)
Premieres in October – An American college student studying in Japan risks her own life to save the spirit of her dead mother who killed herself in the notorious Suicide Forest. The Ritual stars Cassie Thomson and Graham Wardle.

ZOMBIE NIGHT (ORIGINAL MOVIE PREMIERE)
Premieres in October – Two families in a small American town face off against zombies in a long night of horror, torn between helping each other and saving themselves. Zombie Night stars Darryl Hannah, Anthony Michael Hall and Shirley Jones.

NOVEMBER

HAUNTED HIGHWAY (SEASON 2 PREMIERE)
Returns Wednesday, November 27 at 10PM – In an unprecedented first, the premiere episode of Haunted Highway will feature our two teams – Jack Osbourne & Dana Workman and Jael de Pardo & Devin Marble – partnering up to take on their biggest investigation yet: a journey to the remote island of Dry Tortugas. Located 80 miles off the coast of Florida, the four will conduct their own first-person investigation into an abandoned military fort that’s rumored to harbor the ghost of a possible Lincoln assassination conspirator. Fueled by eyewitness interviews and evidence collected with state-of-the-art equipment, this new season will push our two teams further off the beaten path and self-document harrowing face-to-face encounters with the paranormal in some of America’s darkest and most remote regions. Cases include investigations into the ghosts of the famous Donner party, werewolf-like creatures in the bayous of Louisiana, ghosts and Iowa’s own Black Angel of Death.

BERING SEA BEAST (ORIGINAL MOVIE PREMIERE)
Premieres in November – While prospecting for gold, a brother and sister accidentally disturb a colony of sea vampires in an underwater cave. Cassie Scerbo (Sharknado), Jonathan Lipnicki and Kevin Dobson star in Bering Sea Beast.

Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in more than 98 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. NBCUniversal is owned by Comcast Corporation.(Syfy. Imagine greater.)

Syfy Celebrates Fanboy and Fangirl Culture with New Docu-Series

NEW YORK – August 12, 2013 – Syfy celebrates superfan culture with Fangasm (formerly titled Fandemonium), a new docu-series that follows seven very different people whose niche uber-obsessions run the gamut from comic books and collectibles to science fiction and fantasy to cosplay and live action role playing. Living together and working together at Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo, Los Angeles’ largest pop-culture convention, the cast must contend with each others oversized personalities and conflicting passions as they vie for a opportunities within Lee’s organization. Because when different passions come together – you get a real big bang.Fangasm debuts Tuesday, September 24 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on Syfy.

These roommates stop at nothing to prove their fan-cred to each other, debating everything from favorite superheroes, Star Wars vs. Star Trek, and even what they would do in the event of a real zombie apocalypse. And while the claws do come out, this hilarious and loveable group is ultimately bound together by a shared joy of fandom.

Over the course of the season, the eager group dives into their internships at Comikaze as it prepares for the upcoming Comikaze Expo – the comic, gaming, anime, sci-fi, fantasy horror and general pop-culture expo held each November in Los Angeles. The massive convention is a year-round business, run by Lee, Regina Carpinelli (who guides the interns as their supervisor) and Cassandra Peterson (better known as Elvira Mistress of the Dark). The pressure is on for the interns, who all have high hopes of earning an actual job with the organization. Throughout the summer, they are thrust into a myriad of assignments, both in the field and at the Comikaze Expo headquarters. They pitch comic book ideas to Lee, clean a storage space belonging to Elvira, and pull out all the stops to plan for the star-studded Comikaze launch party. Along the way they get to meet the original Mr. Sulu himself, George Takei, a truly emotional and dream moment for one of the interns.

Can’t wait for Fangasm? Coming soon, www.syfy.com will reveal exclusive videos shot by the cast from inside their house. Sound off on Twitter with the official Fangasm hashtag @FangasmSyfy and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fangasmsyfy.

Meet the cast:
ANDREW DUVALL – 27 – Valdosta, GA (Hometown) and Los Angeles, CA
Andrew always dreamed of being the Captain of the Starship Enterprise, but instead he works for Enterprise Rent-A-Car. When he’s not in his Star Trek uniform watching Star Trek marathons he can be found playingMagic: The Gathering. Sometimes he’ll do both at once. Andrew is self-aware in the best possible way, and loves making people laugh.

DANI SNOW – 26 – Burbank, CA
Dani was raised on the original Star Wars movies and the works of Tolkien. Reading Harry Potter and watching Lord of the Rings did not make her popular, but after high school she blossomed socially, and gravitated towards fellow geeks. She’s played a pirate at a Renaissance Pleasure Faire, and tours the convention circuit with The Damsels of Dorkington, a comedy troupe. She now spends her days doing special effects makeup on short films, performing comedy whenever she can and using her Harry Potter knowledge at her job to help identify copyrighted material online for the franchise.

KRISTEN HACKETT – 23 – New York, NY
Kristin is a single and sexy comic book fangirl living in New York City. She loves that the city she lives in is also the dwelling place of her favorite superheroes, namely Spider-Man and Nightwing. Her three passions in life are blogging geek culture, comics and fashion. With All-American good looks she is often hit on by jocks and meatheads; however, she’s only attracted to super dorky and nerdy guys. Her passion for comics and graphic novels is evidenced by her massive collection and commitment to travel the country to attend every comic convention possible, which she covers for her websites. She admits she is a hoarder when it comes to collectibles, and she was even compelled to create a giant spreadsheet for her collection of 600+ graphic novels. The obsessions are only overshadowed by her closet full of custom cosplay outfits. A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology, Kristin enjoys designing and creating her own costumes.

MIKE REED – 22 – Ybor City District of Tampa (Hometown) and New York, NY
Mike considers himself the ultimate comic book and superhero fan. He loves all DC comics and wants to live his life like Superman. He’s an active cosplayer and founded his own group called Team Avalanche, making amazing costumes and putting on shows across Florida. Even though he’s a nerd, he has quite the charm on the ladies. By night he will go to the club with a confident swagger, and by day he will sport spandex. Though he just received an amazing promotion at his job, he’s willing to quit for the opportunity to be an intern for Stan Lee’s Comikaze.

MOLLY McISAAC – 24 – Soldotna, AK (Hometown) and Seattle, WA
Molly is determined to show the world that not all fangirls are "the comic book guy.” A self-proclaimed fashionista and cosplay queen, she blasts away nerd stereotypes by being incredibly social and fond of the nightlife. Steadfast in her feminist beliefs, Molly is often labeled a "difficult woman" or "kind of crazy,” but it's just because she's incredibly confident and not afraid to be loud if she doesn't agree with someone or something. This makes dating difficult – especially since she only likes successful, professional geeks! But her social views do not mean her geeky interests fall to the wayside: she's particularly fond of anime, comic books, cosplay, video games, and LARPing. With incredibly sharp wit, an army of fanboys, and a secret belief that she's more intelligent than most people, Molly is a powerful force to be reckoned with.

PAUL PERKINS – 22 – Sacramento, CA
Getting this internship would be a double win for Paul. In one fell swoop he’d have a job and move out of his parent’s house. It’s every true nerd’s dream! Paul is passionate about all things comic books, sci-fi and Yu-Gi-Oh tournaments. He is a huge film buff with a massive collection of over 2,000 movies. While Paul is opinionated and outspoken, when it comes to girls he crawls right back into his shell. He lacks confidence around women, which he says is part of the reason he hasn’t had a girlfriend in over four years – that and the fact he likes to dress up as a Marvel superhero.

SALVATORE FRINGO – 25 – Amsterdam, NY
Salvatore is not what you’d call a shy geek. He’s loud and vocal about what he loves, and what he loves are superheroes. While he’s a huge fan of the heroes of the Marvel Universe, he doesn't discriminate against any characters because of their publisher. He may not be a gifted engineering genius like his comic book idol Tony Stark, but he does teach kids how to create their own superheroes, all while he dresses like Iron Man. He thinks of himself as a new breed of geek because he’s “attractive, funny, cocky…but with a sweet side.” He’s hoping that sweet side will be sweet enough to land him his real life Pepper Potts.

Fangasm is produced by 495 productions with Executive Producers SallyAnn Salsano and Joel Zimmer.

Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in more than 98 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. (Syfy. Imagine greater.)