“Battlestar Galactica” isn’t the only cable series behemoth looking to ends it run in the near future. The popular FX series “The Shield” did just that over the weekend, a show that proved basic cable could be the home for blockbuster television, especially in areas that were least expected like AMC (where Emmy-winning “Mad Men” airs). But how much of an influence has “The Shield” had on particular shows? Creator Shawn Ryan told TV Guide’s Mickey O’Connor that SciFi Channel’s signature series has a little “Shield” to be thankful for this holiday season. “We were making a show that was very, very fiscally responsible,” Ryan said. “And that’s the thing, in my opinion, that caused AMC, SciFi, TNT and TBS to really ramp up their production. Because, all of a sudden, if your costs …

The following contains MAJOR SPOILERS for “The Dreamscape,” the ninth episode of the Fox series, “Fringe.” A businessman makes a suicidal exit through a high-rise window, desperate to escape a frightening swarm of razor-tipped butterflies. That’s right, “Fringe” takes one of nature’s few adorable insects and weaponizes it into a deadly flying paper cut. Ouch! But like most occurrences in this program, not all is as it appears. And as the episode title suggests, “The Dreamscape,” mind tricks run rampant. Agent Olivia Dunham and the Bishops are tasked to investigate the death of the businessman, Mark (Ptolemy Slocum), which occurred at the Massive Dynamic building. He was a promising analyst with the tech giant. Walter notes unusual cuts on Mark unrelated to the fall. At the same time, …