Inflating the balloons for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a massive undertaking. You could probably figure that out for yourself from watching it on TV, and I could probably quote a ton of figures at you, but even for a seasoned parade watcher myself, going “back-stage” – as I just did on Wednesday night – was a jarring, enlightening, and ultimately exuberant experience.

For those of you who don’t live in New York, you probably already know what goes on in the televised portion of the Macy’s Parade, from the bands, to the balloons, to the floats. What you may not know – as it’s a relatively recent event, starting in the past five years or so – is that the Balloon Inflation is an event in and of itself, drawing over one million New Yorkers are tourists to trek up and down the streets of the Upper West Side, the day before the parade, to watch the balloons get big.

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Tags Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Muppets, Spider-Man, Tim Burton

Think you know your Muppets inside and out (note: inside would be the “hand” part)? Think again… Here’s 10 awesome facts about Jim Henson’s lovable, furry creations you may not know:

1. Miss Piggy Is From Iowa

The karate-chopping oinker is – according to puppeteer and awesome dude Frank Oz – from Iowa originally. Family life? Wicked mother, dead father, and forced to enter beauty contests to pay the bills… That explains why she’s so aggressive, huh? Bonus Fact: Her full name is “Miss Piggy Lee.”

2. Rowlf Pre-Dates The Muppet Show

Okay, a lot of the Muppets pre-date the show, from Kermit – one of the oldest – to even Gonzo. But Rowlf had maybe the most TV experience of the lot, first appearing in Purina Dog Food commercials, then as the sidekick on The Jimmy Dean Show from 1963-1966. But the whole time, he hoped that something better would come along…

3. Speaking of Gonzo…

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Tags Muppets

Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere is justly lauded and loved by fans for moving TV fantasy to a new (darker) level… But how does it hold up after 15 years, particularly given the recently released collection of the series? Pretty darn well, Mr. Vandemar.

For those not familiar with Neverwhere, or the subsequent book, comic, and stage adaptations, the concept is simple: there are two Londons, London Above, and London Below. London Above is the one we know, and remains blissfully – magically – unaware of London Below. London Below is made up of the detritus of centuries, from Roman Centurians, to the homeless of today… Basically anyone you don’t usually like to look at? You don’t actually see ‘em. Read more...

Tags Neil Gaiman, Neverwhere

Want to get your first, good look at the Doctor Who 2011 Christmas Special? Good luck. Instead, we have the first official still from the BBC which shows a silhouetted figure doing… Something. Mysterious!

Okay, fine, it’s The Doctor running away from some fire, using his sonic screwdriver. But what else is going on here, while we try to drag out this post as long as possible? Well, the portals he’s running through are circular, so this definitely isn’t the Cube from Cube, or the sequel to the movie Cube – though it could be Cube: Zero, which showed that the first Cube had circular doors, before they developed square door technology. You guys all know the Canadian horror series Cube, right? Great. Read more...

Tags Doctor Who, Doctor Who Christmas Special

With the premiere of the second season based on A Clash of Kings on the way this spring, HBO offers some tantalizing glimpses of what's to come in this two-minute making-of piece.
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Tags A Clash of Kings, D.B. Weiss, David Benioff, Edward Dogliani, Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin, HBO

Just because it's the holiday season that doesn't mean we can't still be geeks. We searched through the magical internet machine for 10 geeky holiday decorations and put this list together to help you decorate your home the way a geek should.

Yoda and Spock Tree Toppers
Nothing says nerd like like a Yoda or Spock tree-topper and ThinkGeek is the place to get one. Both versions plug into the tree lights for a soft glow and they will set you back about $40. Read more...

Tags Geek Gifts, Holiday 2011, Holiday Decorations

By Danica Davidson

Perhaps the best way to know if a celebrity can really call themselves influential is if they get to guest star on The Simpsons. Last night fantasy writer and graphic novelist Neil Gaiman got yellow-fied as a star in the episode.

Gaiman, who provided his own voice, wasn’t just there for a brief cameo. Other writers have shown up on The Simpsons for a few token lines, but Gaiman takes up a bulk of the episode (spoilers ahead).

In it, Lisa discovers that YA books are churned out by pill-poppers and the authors seen on the back covers are just fake people with fake stories. Suddenly things make so much more sense. She decides she’s going to write her own novel to show what writing is really about. Homer also decides to write his own tween novel to show what writing is really about . . . money.

Instead of going at it alone, Homer decides to form a group that will write the book together, turning this into a clever Ocean’s Eleven spoof. He enlists the talents of several other Springfieldians — and Neil Gaiman. Read more...

Tags Neil Gaiman, The Simpsons

Happy about the casting for the upcoming Akira movie? What do you think about the possibilty a new Doctor Who movie might get made? Writers might be already hired for Man of Steel II -- too soon? Watch our staff writer Alex Zalben as he guest-stars on another edition of Talk Nerdy To Me, the new video column from MTV Movies:

Kristen Stewart Joining 'Akira'?

And don't forget to read Alex's recent thought-provoking articles on the Doctor Who movie and other topics:
10 Actors Who Could Replace Matt Smith As Doctor Who - And Be Time-Shatteringly Good
NBC Should Cancel 'Community' [Op-Ed]
Is A Doctor Who Movie On The Way? (And What Would It Be Like?)

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Discuss this story in our Movies/TV forums! Follow @MTVGeek on Twitter and be sure to "like" us on Facebook for the best geek news about comics, toys, gaming and more!

Tags Akira, Doctor Who, Man of Steel, Movies

A mostly so-so episode has a pretty jarring ending leading into the mid-season finale.

****Spoilers right off the bat, so be warned.****
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Tags CW, Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Supernatural

There’s a number of things I could say about this week’s Fringe, and I will in a moment… But first, given that this is the last episode before a relatively long (two month or so) break, and particularly as the series hit a ratings low with this episode, my thoughts naturally turned towards how this season has been so far. And the answer is: quietly spectacular.

Bit of an oxymoron, right? But more and more, I’ve been noticing how purposely silent this first half of the season has been. Sure, there’s been action beats, and tonight even there were packs of dogs barking and howling as they chased an invisible fugitive. But just as much time was spent on Olivia struggling with a migraine, walking through the nearly empty streets of Boston at three in the morning, before bumping into Agent Lincoln Lee. And even then, they mostly sat silently drinking coffee in an “okay” diner.

This isn’t the only time the show has eschewed dialogue, or noise of any kind, and this meditative, careful pacing is in direct contrast to the amped up insanity of Season Three. And I like it. It may be self destructive, as you won’t grab a lot of casual viewers by just focusing on an actor’s face for a few minutes, or refusing to explain most of what’s going on emotionally – and even physically – in a scene. But it’s highlighted some beautiful acting from the cast, who have grown tremendously over the past few years. Read more...

Tags Fringe