Eureka's Back: What to Expect

Season 3 of Eureka premieres Tuesday night at 9 p.m. with the promise of a much lighter set of storylines than last year's increasingly dark surprises.

Ed Quinn told me at the Sci Fi up fronts that there was a deliberate effort made to make season 3 brighter and more colorful after all the angst and confrontation last year. But the big change we do know about promises confrontation aplenty: Frances Fisher (Glory Days) has joined the cast as Eva Thorne, otherwise known as "The Fixer." Called in to "fix" Eureka after the metal-eating bacteria caused extensive damage at the end of last season, Thorne has been given complete control and has a reputation for getting her way no matter what.

Zane (Niall Matter), the cocky, high-tech criminal who's also the town's latest and most promising genius – not to mention a love interest for Jo (Erica Cerra) – is going to get some continuing exposure after his splashy arrival late in season 2. And his cameo appearance in the promo video (see below) suggests a continuing presence for Zoe's new boyfriend, the quiet, curly-haired Lucas (Vanya Asher), also added toward the end of last season.

Here's more on Eureka:

• About 'Eureka': Essential Information
• 'Eureka' Image Gallery
• 'Eureka' Cast and Characters
• 'Eureka' DVD releases
• 'Eureka' Episode Guide

Sci Fi is airing a marathon of all thirteen episodes of season 2 all day Tuesday, leading straight into the season 3 premiere at 9 p.m.

The new season is being promoted by a very cute video in which Colin Ferguson and cast sing (more or less) a version of the Mr. Rogers theme, "Won't You Be My Neighbor" in a big production number. And the fact that Colin Ferguson can't sing just makes him all the more endearing, doesn't it?