Exploring Humanity Through Sci-Fi

A Conversation with Executive Producer Simon Allen

Reinventing Ankh‑Morpork for a New Medium

The Watch is one of the most daring and divisive fantasy adaptations of the last decade — a punk‑rock, genre‑bending police procedural inspired by Terry Pratchett’s Ankh‑Morpork City Watch. Developed by BBC Studios for BBC America, the series premiered 3 January 2021 and later arrived on BBC iPlayer on 1 July 2021, introducing viewers to a world where crime, chaos, magic, satire, and rebellion collide.

In this episode of Rewind, Tony chatted with Simon Allen, the executive producer who led the charge in transforming Pratchett’s beloved Watch into a modern, serialized fantasy adventure. Together, they explore the creative decisions, challenges, inspirations, and controversies behind bringing the Discworld’s most dysfunctional police force to life.

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Bill Nye & Brannon Braga on Science, Disasters, and the Stories That Save Lives

In this special edition of Rewind, Tony explores the explosive, urgent, and deeply scientific world of The End Is Nye — a series that confronts real natural disasters and shows how science can help us survive, adapt, and rebuild.

This episode features two conversations woven together:

Bill Nye, host of The End Is Nye, on the science behind extreme weather, natural disasters, and the solutions that can protect us.

Brannon Braga, executive producer, on crafting six disaster scenarios, balancing fear with hope, and how his past work — from Star Trek Voyager to Cosmos to The Orville — shaped the series’ tone and mission.

Together, these interviews reveal how science communication, cinematic storytelling, and real‑world urgency collide in one of the most ambitious disaster‑science series ever made.

“Sci‑Fi Talk Plus — your universe, unlocked.”

In this episode, Tony chats with actor Mark O’Brien, who stars as Josh in the mind‑bending parallel‑universe thriller Parallel. The conversation explores how Mark approaches characters caught between moral tension, existential stakes, and the unknown — themes that echo across his standout performances in Arrival and Bad Times at the El Royale.

Mark breaks down the creative and psychological challenges of starring in Parallel, a sci‑fi film where a group of friends discover a mirror that opens doorways into alternate realities.

“Sci‑Fi Talk Plus — your universe, unlocked.”

Building the Dune Prequel Universe

In this chapter of Journey to Arrakis, Tony chatted with bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson, the longtime creative partner of Brian Herbert, to explore how the two architects of modern Dune lore constructed the sweeping prequel era — from House Atreides to The Butlerian Jihad and beyond.

This episode dives into the craft, research, and narrative engineering behind the novels that broadened the Imperium’s history, deepened its mythology, and introduced generations of readers to the political, spiritual, and ecological foundations of Frank Herbert’s universe.

Listeners also experience another atmospheric moment from the Dune Audio Book, courtesy of Macmillan Audio, adding sonic texture to the conversation.

 

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Prosthetic Makeup Effects Designer — Spider‑Noir, Fallout, Star Trek: Picard
Tony zoomed with acclaimed prosthetic makeup effects designer Vincent Van Dyke, whose work continues to redefine how genre characters are built — physically, digitally, and emotionally. From the noir‑soaked streets of Spider‑Noir to the irradiated wastelands of Fallout, Vincent shares the craft, innovation, and storytelling instincts behind some of today’s most memorable transformations.

Spider‑Noir — Building a Stylized, Shadow‑Driven World

Jack Huston’s Sandman

The Mutated Man‑Spider

Fallout — Designing The Ghoul

Digital Scanning vs. Plaster Casting

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