All good things must come to an end and so it is with FOX’s spectacular sci-fi series, Fringe, which will conclude its fifth and final season in a two-hour finale on Friday, January 18th starting at 8PM ET/PT.  Created by J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, Fringe was an X-Files for a new generation, as it followed a team of specialized investigators into all things paranormal and supernatural.  Though it’s struggled with ratings throughout the years, the show’s smart writing, impressive cast and dark humor have earned Fringe a rabid fan base, one that sadly will not get to see the cast and crew return to Comic-Con any longer.

Starring Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, John Noble, Lance Reddick, Jasika Nicole and Blair Brown, the two-hour series finale of Fringe will also celebrate its 100th episode.  Your guess is as good as mine as to what the final episode code word will be.  Hit the jump for the full press release. 

The critically acclaimed and fan-favorite sci-fi drama series Fringe is back for a fifth and final 13-episode season. Promising to deliver a climactic and satisfying conclusion, things will pick up in 2036, when the Observers have become ruthless rulers who will reign supreme. Now, the Fringe team will make a final stand, bringing together all that they have witnessed, in order to battle and protect the world.

During this recent interview to promote the show’s return, showrunner/writer/executive producer J.H. Wyman talked about when they decided to set the final season in the future, where Peter (Joshua Jackson) and Olivia’s (Anna Torv) journey will go and how Walter (John Noble) has changed now, how he’s learned to constrain his ideas with a TV show budget, his reticence in changing the show so dramatically for the final season, what has changed most from the original plan, the major challenges they faced in bringing everything to a satisfying conclusion, whether there was always an intention to make the Observers the bad guys, and what he will take away from his experience on Fringe.  Check out what he had to say after the jump, but be are that there are some spoilers.

Fringe cast members basked in an outpouring of fan love during their last appearance at Comic-Con on Sunday, in recognition of the show’s fifth and final season (comprised of 13 episodes), which will begin filming next week.  Unlike previous years, the cast members have been told more details about the season’s storylines and how their characters will be affected.  The premiere episode will be set in 2036, and Olivia (Anna Torv) is alive, but not pregnant.

The cast has been coming to Comic-Con since the show began, and its increasing popularity was acknowledged by organizers who moved the panel from Ballroom 20 to the 6,000-seat Hall H.  After the panel, co-stars Joshua Jackson and Anna Torv sat down with members of the press to talk about the show’s success and how they hope to make the final season their best yet.  Check out what they had to say after the jump.

Much to the relief of plenty of fans, Fox has renewed Fringe for a fifth and final season.  It’s no secret that the show isn’t exactly a ratings smash, but the series has picked up considerable critical acclaim throughout its four-season run thus far.  Per TV Line, Fringe will return next season for a final run of 13 episodes, allowing it to reach the magic 100-episode number that makes it eligible for the lucrative business of syndication.  Fox president Kevin Reilly had this to say about the order:

“Bringing it back for a final 13 allows us to provide the climactic conclusion that its passionate and loyal fans deserve.”

Since the show was on the brink of cancellation, they show two endings to the current fourth season—one season finale, and one series finale.  Sadly, I stopped watching the show after only a couple of episodes so I can’t join in on the excitement that’s sure to come with this news, but I plan on catching up with the show sooner rather than later (thank you, Netflix).

I’m way behind on my Fringe, but the promo material for season four makes a strong case for why I should catch up.  We posted the first four teasers in the “Where is Peter Bishop?” series last month.  Yesterday, Fox released the final entry—this time a full trailer.  The network still isn’t quite ready to answer that question, since Joshua Jackson appears only in brief flashes.  But the season premieres next Friday, September 23, so hopefully the devout among you won’t have to wait too long to find out.  Watch the trailer after the jump.

The Fringe Panel opened with what appeared to be an ordinary ol’ boring sizzle reel. Events from the previous season played out across the screen: the battle between two universes, Olivia trapped on the “other side”, Broyles barking out orders, Walter attempting to save the day, Astrid assisting… all the characters given a moment or two (Lincoln Lee, Nina Sharp, Charlie Francis) everyone except the male lead of the show. Peter Bishop was nowhere to be found. His de-existence branching out to  the very marketing of the show. What happened to Peter? How will he be brought back into existence (i.e. on the show)? Can he be? For the answers to these questions, hit the jump.

The 37^th Annual Saturn Awards were held last night. The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films honored the best in film, television, special effects and more. Inception was the big winner of the night, taking home five awards including Best Science Fiction Film. Other winners in the top categories include Fringe for Best Network Series, Breaking Bad for best Cable Series, Let Me In for Best Horror Film, Alice in Wonderland for Best Fantasy Film and Salt for Best Action/Adventure Film.

Hit the jump to see the full list of winners, and don’t forget to check out Collider’s interviews from the red carpet at the event. We spoke with Brandon Routh, Fringe’s Lance Reddick, and producer Dean Devlin.

The regular TV season is winding down, and it looks like Fox’s death-defiant sci-fi series Fringe is really going to deliver in their season finale. Fox has just released an epic new movie-style trailer for the finale, and it’s pretty crazy. I can’t imagine where this series is going, but I’m glad that a fourth season has already been greenlit so we can see what’s in store down the road. Rather than take up anymore of your time, I’ll just let this fantastic trailer speak for itself.  Check it out after the jump.

Even with a move to Friday night that upset many fans of the drama series, Fringe has been holding strong with its devoted followers, thanks to strong stories from its creative team and great acting from its cast, including co-stars Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson and John Noble. During a recent interview, executive producers Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman talked about the feedback from the network on the show’s Friday ratings, what’s exciting them about the storytelling path they’re currently on, how things will be escalating in both worlds, how the relationship between Peter (Jackson) and Olivia (Torv) will be getting worse and better, that they already know where they would take the series through Season 5, and how they get many of their ideas from their own nightmares. They also teased what viewers can expect from the next episode, “6B,” airing on February 18^th. Check out what they had to say after the jump:

If last night is any indication of its future viewership, then Fox’s Fringe should be in good shape going forward.  Last night, J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, and Bob Orci’s sci-fi series debuted in its “death sentence” Friday time slot to a viewership almost identical to its previous Thursday numbers.  Per InsideTV, the episode entitled “The Firefly” garnered 4.9 million viewers with 1.9 of those belonging to the preliminary adults 18-49 mold.  In fact, Fox’s coupling of Fringe and Kitchen Nightmares made it the top network among the 18-49 demographic.

For the sake of comparison, if we take Fringe‘s 18-49 numbers from last night (1.9) and pit them against their latest numbers from the fall (1.7, according to TV by the Numbers), we see that the show not only held its own in the Friday death slot but it somehow managed to increase viewership.  Of course, depending on your feelings toward the show, you’re either saying “way to hold strong” or “you’re just delaying the inevitable.”  Regardless, right now the ghost of Joss Whedon’s late Firefly is smiling.

In its mind-bending third season, the Fox television drama Fringe continues to explore otherworldly cases and unexplainable science. As the events of the first two seasons unfolded, it prompted Special Agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) to search for details about her forgotten and perplexing past. Those findings led her to uncover the existence of a parallel universe and recover her childhood ability to detect objects from that universe, which shockingly led her to learn that Peter (Joshua Jackson) is from the other side. When a distraught Peter returned to his origins to reconnect with his roots and his birth mother, Walter (John Noble) and Olivia were pitted against their doppelgangers, which left an imprisoned Olivia stuck in the parallel universe, fighting to find her way home, while Peter and Walter try to move on with their lives, unknowingly alongside alternate Olivia.

During a recent interview to discuss where things are headed in Season 3, actress Anna Torv talked about the challenge in playing two versions of the same character, the way that neither side is good or bad, and how she’s interested in the ethical and moral divide between humanity and science. Check out what she had to say after the jump:

After almost giving up  on JJ Abrams’ Fringe after a borderline-mundane first season, I sat down with season two of the series to see if it had improved.  There wasn’t anything wrong with season one, per se, it just didn’t make me feel like I was missing out on much when I didn’t bother DVR’ing season two.  I’m happy to report, then, that not only does Fringe improve in season two, it nearly becomes a completely different show.  Full review’s after the jump, folks.

After the shocking turns of events that left an imprisoned Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) stuck in the alternate universe, Fringe returns for Season 3 and viewers will get to find out if she can fight her way home while Peter (Joshua Jackson) and Walter (John Noble) try to move on with their lives unknowingly alongside alternate Olivia. As Walter copes with the consequences of his choices, the story will now alternate between “over here” and “over there,” from one universe to the other, as both Fringe team work to solve unexplainable cases.

In a recent interview to promote the launch of the new season, executive producers Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman talked about their approach in alternating the episodes from one universe to the other, the shift in dynamics with the other versions of the characters and the journey that the characters will be taking. Check out what they had to say after the jump:

At last week’s Saturn Awards (yes, I’m still posting interviews from the event), I got to speak with Anna Torv on the red carpet before the show.  As one of the stars of the great FOX show, Fringe, we talked about what happened last season, what does she know about next season, Comic-Con, HBO’s The Pacific,  and Lance Reddick.  Hit the jump to watch the interview.

If you’re a fan of Fringe, you’ll be happy to know Fox has picked it up for a third season.  EW is reporting the news and I can confirm it.  While the show doesn’t get huge numbers on Thursday nights (about 7.6 million viewers), it’s an extremely competitive night on TV and the show has managed to hold its own.  Also, it does well in the all-important 18-49 demographic and when you factor in DVR numbers.

As a big fan of the show, I’m glad it’s coming back.  I’m also happy for the early renewal as it gives executive producers Jeff Pinkner,  J.H. Wyman, Bryan Burk and J.J. Abrams time to write a great season finale.  Fringe also stars Anna Torv (Olivia Dunham), Joshua Jackson (Peter Bishop), John Noble (Walter Bishop), Lance Reddick (Phillip Broyles) and Jasika Nicole (Astrid Farnsworth).