Mark Hamill talks LEGO Star Wars SMART Play

The LEGO Group has made Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) a Junior Executive Director of Information, J.E.D.I for short, and on April 8th, fans can call 1-877-80-ASK-MARK from noon to 8pm ET to ask about the new LEGO Star Wars SMART Play sets, with select callers invited to join a live video chat with the actor.

"Hamill, who most recently played Luke via voiceover in the animated series “LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy,” is now teaming up with LEGO to promote the company’s latest “Star Wars” sets, which use its new SMART Play technology. SMART Play, which was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, involves the use of a custom-made chip to make LEGO sets more interactive with bricks that light up, make sounds and react as they’re played with.

As part of a new campaign, LEGO has declared Hamill its junior executive director of information − or J.E.D.I. Speaking over Zoom, the actor enthusiastically points to a nameplate with his J.E.D.I. title. “Do you get the acronym there?” he quips.

On April 8, fans can call 1-877-80-ASK-MARK from noon to 8 p.m. ET to hear facts from Hamill about the LEGO sets, and a select number of callers will be invited to join a live video chat with him.

It’s an appropriate role for the actor, who has always seen toys as “therapeutic” and says he has never outgrown his love for them. In fact, one of the first things he did when he started making money early in his career was go back and buy toys he “wanted as a kid that we couldn’t afford,” he says, giving the game Lie Detector as an example."

Powered by the innovative LEGO SMART Brick, which is packed with pioneering, world-first technologies, LEGO SMART Play is a groundbreaking new platform that brings LEGO creations to life like never before.

Discover LEGO Star Wars on LEGO AU, CA, UK and US (affiliate links).

Are you excited about LEGO SMART Play LEGO Star Wars sets? Let me know in the comments below.

Dark Matter returns on Apple TV

Apple TV is home to prestige sci-fi series from For All Mankind to Silo. Dark Matter is returning for a second season on the Cupertino-based tech titan's streamer.

Adapted from Blake Crouch’s novel of the same name, Dark Matter first premiered in 2024, and it follows the story of physics professor Jason Dessen (Joel Edgerton), who gets abducted by, well, himself, but a version from another timeline.

As Dark Matter fans (myself included) will recall, it took a lot of dimension-hopping for Jason to find “his” wife, Daniela (Jennifer Connelly), and teenage son, Charlie (Oakes Fegley). This quest included many confrontations with other Jasons, including the ruthless, FOMO-strangled version of him who invented “the Box” — a TARDIS-like device that allows him to visit different realities that look like his own but are often catastrophically altered.

Read the official synopsis for season two:

“Season 2 picks up with the Dessens as they settle into a quiet life in a world that finally seems safe until the unimaginable forces them to run once again. As Jason’s obsession with the Box deepens, Daniela’s (Connelly) growing paranoia pushes her to the brink, threatening to tear their fragile stability apart. Elsewhere, Amanda (Braga) and Ryan (Simpson) join forces in a desperate attempt to find their way home. With Blair (Brugel) determined to stop him, Leighton (Okeniyi) relentlessly chases his grand vision of creating a perfect world.”

Like His Dark Materials, the multiverse theme resonates with me. What if I hadn't had a life-changing head injury in primary school, or what if I hadn't survived?

Dark Matter season two premieres on 28th August. Stream Dark Matter season one on Apple TV.

Are you looking forward to Dark Matter season two on Apple TV? Let me know in the comments below.

The Daleks' Master Plan now streaming

It's Good Friday for Doctor Who fans (myself included). The BBC has released two missing episodes of The Daleks' Master Plan, starring William Hartnell as the First Doctor, on BBC iPlayer in the UK and on the Doctor Who Classic YouTube channel in the US.

The recovery means that the first three instalments of a once totally missing 12-part story now exist. They provide a dark and gritty outing for the Daleks, who were being groomed by their creator, Terry Nation, for their own series, and life outside of Doctor Who. Indeed, The Daleks’ Master Plan was not sold by the BBC to overseas broadcasters.

Film is Fabulous! have collaborated with BBC Archives to enable these programmes to be returned to the BBC. BBC Archives has ensured that the original 16mm telerecordings are restored – meaning viewers will be able to watch them in the best possible condition on BBC iPlayer.

For further information and to donate, visit Film is Fabulous!

Have you watched The Daleks' Master Plan? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below.

Darth Maul character commentary with Dave Filoni

Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord debuts this month on Disney+. Not only will Maul have his revenge, but his journey will also continue with a second season.

Lucasfilm has released a Darth Maul character commentary with Dave Filoni.



Read the official synopsis:

"Go behind the scenes with Dave Filoni (President & Chief Creative Officer, Lucasfilm) as he analyzes Darth Maul’s character across S5E16 of Star Wars: Clone Wars and S2E22 of Star Wars: Rebels. Filoni provides a look into Maul’s hunger for power and major fight scenes from his perspective as Supervising Director on Star Wars: Clone Wars and SD/Creator on Star Wars: Rebels."

Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord is created by Dave Filoni, based on Star Wars and characters created by George Lucas. The series is developed by Dave Filoni and Matt Michnovetz. Brad Rau is the supervising director.

The executive producers are Dave Filoni, Athena Yvette Portillo, Matt Michnovetz, Brad Rau, Carrie Beck, and Josh Rimes. Alex Spotswood is the co-executive producer.

The voice cast includes Sam Witwer as Maul, Gideon Adlon as Devon Izara, Oscar nominee Wagner Moura as Brander Lawson, Richard Ayoade as Two-Boots, Dennis Haysbert as Master Eeko-Dio-Daki, Chris Diamantopoulos as Looti Vario, Charlie Bushnell as Rylee Lawson, Vanessa Marshall as Rook Kast, David C. Collins as Spybot, A.J. LoCascio as Marrok, and Steve Blum as Icarus.

The two-episode premiere of Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord streams on 6th April only on Disney+.

Are you looking forward to Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord on Disney+? Let me know in the comments below.

50 years of Apple

Today marks the 50th anniversary of Apple. The Cupertino-based tech titan was started by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne in a small garage in 1976. It was incorporated in 1977.

Dad initially looked at an Apple II for his business, but went with a Commodore PET (the first computer I saw in person). My earliest memory of using an Apple Macintosh computer was during a work experience week at a Cornwall-based design agency that my dad had hired in 1987. Creative work I'd developed was used in GCSE Art.

As an 8-bit Commodore and Sinclair kid, I was instantly smitten with the Macintosh's intuitive graphical user interface (GUI). Years earlier, Apple co-founder Jobs visited Xerox PARC (Palo Alto Research Center) and saw the future...

In college, I used Macs to design newsletters, albums, and video covers for Media Studies. With student friends, we taught ourselves desktop publishing (DTP), a skill I use to this day.

However, it would be another decade before I owned my first Macintosh computer, a Performa 5200. This all-in-one machine enabled me to create my first website in the era of dial-up internet. MacWorld and MacUser magazines were my gotos before the advent of broadband and social media.

Over the decades, I’ve owned the following Apple devices:

Macintosh Performa 5200
iMac DV SE
LCD iMac G4
iPod classic
iMac Intel Core 2 Duo
Apple AirPort Extreme
iPod touch
iPad 3
Apple AirPort Time Capsule
iPad Pro (2016)
Apple TV 4K
iPhone SE (2020)
27-inch iMac (2020)
iPad Pro (M1)
AirPods
iPhone 16 Pro
iPad Pro (M4)

Sir Jony Ive's iconic all-in-one iMac design would become a cultural phenomenon, appearing in everything from Jennifer Lopez's iconic pop promo for If You Had My Love to television series, foreshadowing the Cupertino-based company's rise, Lazarus-like, under the auspices of the then returning co-founder Jobs, from imminent collapse into the consumer electronics giant we know today.

Without the iMac, there would be no iPod, iPhone or iPad and quite possibly no Apple.

What are your Apple memories? Let me know in the comments below.

Masters of the Universe official trailer

Mattel Films and Amazon MGM Studios have dropped an official trailer for Masters of the Universe.



Read the official synopsis:

"After being separated for 15 years, the Sword of Power leads Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) back to Eternia, where he discovers his home shattered under the fiendish rule of Skeletor (Jared Leto). To save his family and his world, Adam must join forces with his closest allies, Teela (Camila Mendes) and Duncan/Man-At-Arms (Idris Elba), and embrace his true destiny as He-Man — the most powerful man in the universe."

Masters of the Universe is directed by Travis Knight (Bumblebee) from a script by Chris Butler. It stars Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Adam/He-Man, alongside Camila Mendes as Teela, Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn, Idris Elba as Man-At-Arms, Morena Baccarin as The Sorceress of Castle Grayskull, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson as Malcolm/Fisto, and Jared Leto as Skeletor.

“There’s an inherent silliness to it, which we are acknowledging and embracing,” director Travis Knight said in a recent interview with Empire. “I think it’s a virtue, actually. And it’s woven into the script to help some of these things make sense to a modern audience. Like, why would that character have that stupid name? Well, over the course of the movie we show you why.”

Masters of the Universe is in cinemas on 5th June 2026.

Are you looking forward to Masters of the Universe? Let me know in the comments below.

HBO Max casts its streaming spell

On Thursday, HBO Max launched in the UK. This is six years after first launching in the US.

Ahead of the eagerly awaited launch, HBO Max dropped an official trailer for its Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone series, which debuts exclusively on the streamer this Christmas.



HBO Max had a complicated and protracted rollout as HBO has a storied history with Sky.

For years, Sky Atlantic has been the exclusive home to the award-winning Game of Thrones, The Last of Us, Westworld and many more prestige dramas from HBO. That said, if you're already a Sky or NOW (formerly NOW TV) subscriber, HBO Max Basic with Ads is bundled for free as an added value.

Currently, I'm subscribing to a discounted annual NOW Entertainment & HBO Max membership and am looking forward to checking out The Pitt on the HBO Max hub.

HBO Max needs to convince viewers to sign up for another subscription service amid a cost of living crisis, battling the likes of Netflix, Disney+, Paramount+ and Apple TV.

If you only want to watch Warner Bros. Discovery content, HBO Max offers 5 plans:

Basic with Ads - £4.99/month
Standard with Ads - £5.99/month
Standard - £9.99/month
Premium - £14.99/month
TNT Sports - £30.99/month

There are also annual saver plans.

HBO Max is available across all major devices, including select phones, tablets, computers, TVs, streaming players, set-top boxes, and game consoles. My initial impressions of watching TNT Sports on HBO Max are positive, and I won't miss discovery+.

The future of HBO Max is uncertain. Paramount outbid Netflix to buy Warner Bros. Discovery and, subject to regulatory approval, is looking to consolidate its brands. HBO Max has a greater brand awareness than Paramount+. Just saying.

Are you subscribing to HBO Max? Let me know in the comments below.

The End of Oak Street teaser trailer

An enigmatic teaser trailer for The End of Oak Street has dropped. The mysterious sci-fi thriller is produced by JJ Abrams (Super 8) and directed by David Robert Mitchell (It Follows).



Read the official synopsis:

"After a mysterious cosmic event rips Oak Street from suburbia and transports their neighborhood to someplace unknown, the Platt family soon discovers that their very survival depends on them sticking together as they navigate their now unrecognizable surroundings."

Starring Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor, THE END OF OAK STREET also stars Maisy Stella and Christian Convery. The film is written and directed by David Robert Mitchell and produced by JJ Abrams, Hannah Minghella, Jon Cohen, David Robert Mitchell, Matt Jackson and Tommy Harper. The executive producers are Chris Bender, Jake Weiner, Joanne Lee and Leeann Stonebreaker.

With its seemingly seventies setting, possible links to Abrams' Super 8 and Cloverfield (10 Cloverfield Lane starred McGregor's wife, Mary Elizabeth Winstead), and a score by Michael Giacchino, The End of Oak Street is right up my Spielbergian suburban street.

Are you looking forward to The End of Oak Street? Let me know in the comments below.

Ryan Gosling teases Star Wars: Starfighter

While promoting Project Hail Mary on BBC Radio, Ryan Gosling shared a story from the set of Star Wars: Starfighter.

“There is a thing that happened on Star Wars — I’m going to have to tread carefully — but I went to the creature shop early to see everything that they were building so that I could find ways to interact with them in the film because I didn’t want them to just be going by in the background,” Gosling said.

“And I found one very special one that was meant to be background, and I asked if I could have a scene [with it], and it ended up being one of the most fun scenes I’ve ever done.”

Gosling revealed: “As my wrap present, they made me a model. And so I have it in my house now.”

The upcoming film directed by Shawn Levy stars Ryan Gosling, Flynn Gray, Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Simon Bird, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, and Amy Adams.

Star Wars: Starfighter, a standalone story set 5 years after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, is due for release on 28th May 2027 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of George Lucas' space opera.

Are you looking forward to Star Wars: Starfighter? Let me know in the comments below.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy cancelled

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy has been cancelled after only two seasons. The second season recently wrapped and has yet to be shown on Paramount+.

“We’re incredibly proud of the ambition, passion, and creativity that went into bringing ‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’ to life,” CBS Studios and Paramount+ said in a joint statement. “The series introduced audiences to a bold new group of characters, welcomed familiar faces, and expanded the ‘Star Trek’ universe in exciting new ways. We’re grateful to Alex Kurtzman, Noga Landau, Gaia Violo, and the entire cast and crew who pushed storytelling boundaries in the spirit of Gene Roddenberry’s vision. We look forward to sharing the upcoming second and final season with everyone, and continuing to celebrate the cast, crew, and all that was accomplished with this series.”

The cast included Sandro Rosta, Karim Diané, Kerrice Brooks, George Hawkins, Bella Shepard, and Zoë Steiner, along with heavy hitters like Holly Hunter, Paul Giamatti, Gina Yashere, Robert Picardo, and Tig Notaro. Tatiana Maslany even showed up in a guest role.

I wasn't expecting to enjoy the latest Star Trek spin-off series as much as I have! From Jeff Russo's opening theme, which pays homage to Jerry Goldsmith, to a shiny San Fransico and flying robots, it's the most fun and inclusive Star Trek has been since the first season of Star Trek: Discovery.

Series showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau released the letter below to the cast and crew of Starfleet Academy, republished in Variety.

"It’s been my and Noga’s joy and privilege to help carry Gene Roddenberry’s extraordinary vision forward with Starfleet Academy, thanks to the hundreds of hardworking humans who pour every ounce of their talents into the work daily with imagination and reverence. We are in post-production now on what will be the second and final season. We’re so proud of what we’ve accomplished together on this show, and the world will get to see the work of these extraordinary artists when season two airs. We will finish strong.

Whether you’re working on Star Trek or part of the marvel that is Star Trek fandom — its very heart, soul, and conscience —the joy comes from adventuring across boundaries of time, space, and the humanly possible in service to Roddenberry’s transformative vision of the future. That incomparable vision was fueled by an inexhaustible optimism. Star Trek places its bet on the best in human nature. It dares to imagine a society of “infinite diversity in infinite combinations,” free of war, hate, poverty, disease, and repression, and dedicated to the spirit of scientific inquiry and respect for all life, whether carbon or silicon-based, green-skinned or blue.

But make no mistake: Gene Roddenberry wasn’t some starry-eyed dreamer. He was a decorated Army bomber pilot in the Pacific Theater. He had seen first-hand the grim consequences of the worst of human nature. And his vision of the future wasn’t just a promise of hope. It was also a warning. In a fraught, frightening time of intolerance and violence, Star Trek said: Look! We made it! But just barely. First, we had to put all those ancient scourges behind us. It said that what makes us glorious as a species, and gives us hope for the future and the galaxy is inextricably linked to what makes us dangerous to each other, to this one world we presently inhabit, and to ourselves. That dual message—of hope and of warning—isn’t just a pretty dream but a call to action, to think about who we are in a different way.

Please don’t take our word for it. Take Gene’s:

“Star Trek was an attempt to say that humanity will reach maturity and wisdom on the day that it begins not just to tolerate, but take a special delight in differences in ideas and differences in life forms. […] If we cannot learn to actually enjoy those small differences, to take a positive delight in those small differences between our own kind, here on this planet, then we do not deserve to go out into space and meet the diversity that is almost certainly out there.”

With enduring hope that his vision of the future is possible, for our children, their children, and every future cadet in Starfleet Academy: Live Long and Prosper."

A mix of toxic fandom and media ownership means many of our favourite franchises, including Doctor Who and Star Trek, are facing an uncertain future. Before the announcement, I'd cancelled my annual subscription to Paramount+. Like many, I'm suffering from subscription fatigue amid a cost of living crisis.

Are you disappointed that Star Trek: Starfleet Academy has been cancelled? Will you be cancelling Paramount+? Let me know in the comments below.