Zombies and Conan

There's some exciting news from AMC! "The Walking Dead", the cable channel's new series based on the graphic novel of the same name, has received a second season!!!

In other TV news, Conan O'Brien's new show, "Conan", is premiering tonight on TBS. Although experts have projected that O'Brien's ratings will not be able to compete with "The Tonight Show" (by virtue of being on cable versus network television), I hope he will be very successful and I will be a regular viewer, as I was a fan of "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" from way back. Go Team Conan!!!

Mike White has been offered the chance to direct Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which is exciting, considering his success with School of Rock. I think White is an excellent choice and I am crossing my fingers that he will accept the offer. Scarlett Johansson has been approached to play Elizabeth Bennett and Bradley Cooper has signed on to play Darcy. I am definitely looking forward to this hilarious adaptation coming to the big screen.

Image: Conan

Geek of the Week: NPH

Neil Patrick Harris may seem awesomely cool (which he is), but he's also awesomely geeky. And he's been geeky since way back. His first notable role was Doogie Howser, from "Doogie Howser, M.D.", where he played a precocious uber-genius who became a doctor at 14. Harris is a smart cookie himself - graduating with honors from La Cueva High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Since then, he has starred in multiple Broadway plays, worked with Michael J. Nelson on a RiffTrax commentary, and had a guest starring role on "Glee". Harris is probably most famous, however, for his role as womanizing cad Barney Stinson* on "How I Met Your Mother" and for playing Dr. Horrible on Joss Whedon's "Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog". He also enjoys performing magic and voiced Dick Grayson (Nightwing) in the animated film Batman: Under the Red Hood, released on DVD in July 2010.

*Barney is also geeky. He loves Star Wars (he even has a storm trooper in his apartment), he does magic, and he plays laser tag.

Updates and an Important PSA

Man, I can't believe it's November already. It certainly doesn't feel like November here, as we have had one of the warmest falls in a very long time. I'm definitely enjoying it, but I'm a little worried about the backlash from the upcoming winter. Of course, since it is November, that means Christmas is right around the corner. I've already begun my Christmas gift giving list and, this year, I'll be posting geek gift giving ideas throughout the season, beginning on November 22nd.

Starting next week on Sunday, I will resume posting a "Geek of the Week". If you have suggestions, please please PLEASE email me or throw a comment my way. Eventually, I'm going to run out of people to feature . . . unless I get some knowledgeable readers to hook me up!

Now for some seriousness. I try not to get too preachy or political on here, because that's not what this blog is about, but I felt like this message was too important not to post: