True blood debuts big
It’s good news for true fanatics. Last night’s terrestrial premiere of the hit vampire show True Blood proved to be a big ratings grabber for Channel 4, according to IMDB, pulling in 1.56 million viewers despite airing late in the evening. This is a noticeable jump up from its UK debut on digital channel FX in July when just 292,000 tuned in for the season one pilot. The most recent episodes in America have pulled in excess of 5 million viewers, but Channel 4 managed to trump the show’s debut on HBO when it aired to just 1.4 million eager eyes. I vant to suck your ratings… ahem.

Richard Curtis reveals Doctor Who plot details
As if this week's reveal of a new logo and the flood of on-set pictures weren't enough, plot details are starting to trickle through on the Richard Curtis penned episode of the new series of Doctor Who. Speaking to Shortlist Magazine the Love Actually director revealed his episode for new Doctor Matt Smith would feature artist Vincent Van Gogh stabbing a yellow monster, sunflowers on the rampage perhaps? Curtis also mentions again that the episode will air in February, much earlier than previously expected, but this has yet to be confirmed by the BBC.

Spider-Man 4 writer to tackle Venom
He's already tackling a re-write on web-head's fourth instalment, but now the Heat Vision blog is reporting that Pleasantville director Gary Ross is set to write and possibly direct a Spidey spin-off featuring antihero Venom. There's no news on whether Topher Grace, who starred as Venom in Spider-Man 3, is to return, though it seems unlikely as he'll soon be face to face with a very different alien hunter in Nimrod Antal's Predator re-boot. Not that we're complaining or anything.

Caprica gets new writer
Writer/producer Kevin Murphy has joined the cast of Battlestar Galactica spin-off Caprica according to Variety. He's set to co-executive produce the show and has started work writing his first script for the Syfy series, set to air January 2010 in the States. Murphy has previous form in genre TV, writing and producing for Reaper, Weird Science and erm... Desperate Housewives.

The Living And The Dead alive on the big screen
Comics2film are reporting that Robert Tinnell and Todd Livingston's graphic novel The Living and the Dead is set to be adapted into a feature. Director Brad Anderson, the man responsible for creepy Christian Bale thriller The Machinist, is set to direct. The comic takes place in the 19th century and tells the tale of a dark figure who lures victims to their death during Grand Guignol theatre performances. Doesn't sound like our idea of a good night out.