TOOBWORLD TO GET "A.M.P.E.D." UP

Even though their attempt with 'Blade' failed (the series was canceled a week ago), Spike is gearing up for another original series. This time it's about a group of Minneapolis cops assigned to handle people with genetic mutations that render them violent and destructive.

'A.M.P.E.D.' will star Lee Tergesen Tony Curran, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Troy Winbush and Josh Biton. And it will be produced by Frank Spotnitz and Vince Gilligan, both executive producers on 'The X-Files'. (Not that the credit guarantees success or quality - Spotnitz also brought us the new version of 'Kolchak'.)

They don't have to spell it out, but I can see this being theoretically linked to an earlier series which starred Debra Messing, before she went on to acclaim in 'Will & Grace'.

That show was called 'Prey'. The next step in Mankind's evolution was 1.6 percent different from the rest of humanity in their DNA makeup, which had global warming as the catalyst. Messing played the research assistant to the scientist at a Pasadena university who first discovered the truth about these mutants, and who was murdered for that knowledge. Messing and her team found themselves practically alone in their hunt for these mutants because they had already infiltrated much of the government and the media.

So even before it gets out of the box, 'A.M.P.E.D.' has made a theoretical crossover. And even better, that will link it to yet another series, the latest incarnation of 'The Invisible Man', which ran on Sci-Fi a few years ago.

One of the actors from 'Prey', Vincent Ventresca, went on to star in that Sci-Fi show. In one episode of 'The Invisible Man', the mutant character played by Adam Storke, was held in a prison cell. Although never named, it was strongly suggested that this was the same character.

And we can pretty much go on from there with a theoretical link of "relateeveety" that a villain named Stark from the Chrysalis organization was kin to Nathan Stark of Global Dynamics in 'Eureka', Oregon. And 'Eureka' has made theoretical links to 'Dark Skies', 'Doctor Who', and 'The X-Files'.

But I'll give it a rest. I understand. Sometimes even I get a headache from it all......

BCnU!
Tele-Toby