are Vampires the "Next Big Thing" for '08? Twilight, Tru Calling...

Re: are Vampires the "Next Big Thing" for '08? Twilight, Tru Calling.

Wrong. Well, the studios ARE going to crank out a lot of Earth-based scifi series in the *hopes* of making the next big thing on the cheap, but none of them will succeed. Further, there is a difference between "What is everyone making next year" and "what is the next big thing". last year reality shows and American Gladiators were by that logic "the next big thing"

No, I mean the o-so-hard to catch, "what grabs the hearts and minds of fans and critics"

I agree that "Caprica" will flop; Ron Moore isn't involved, and when people think "BSG prequel" they think "Cylon Revolt" not "I fell asleep watching Mad Men, woke up, and said "hey, cram some references to the Adama family and religious strife into that, crank out some scripts, and we'll call it a BSG prequel!" ugh...I get the same feel from "Caprica" that I did for "Enterprise"

Eleventh Hour and My Own Worst Enemy are both more police shows and 24 clones than scifi.

Life on Mars I do not seriously expect to gain a very wide following due to the way they're releasing it

Even with Heroes-staff at the helm I don't expect "Kings" to do well

Knight Rider remake, a shameless and frankly foolish attempt to cash in on BSG (seriously....someone was dumb enough to personally connect the dots as "BSG was based on an old show, therefore remakes of old shows are in now" rather than "people like Ron Moore's edgy writing style". It will be a laughingstock.

As for Warehouse 13 and Revolution: more guaranteed flops from the Skiffy Channel: I literally turned off my TV in abject disgust after watching the Eureka pilot...and they turned it into their new flagship series pushing aside Stargate in the process? And now come season 3, even the critics and initial viewers are over the "honeymoon period", its not "new" anymore, and they're realizing how formulaic it is.

No, no, the only NEW stuff worth following is Fringe and Dollhouse (returning shows Heroes and Pushing Daisies are great though)

Dollhouse I actually have very very high hopes for, but the only problem is, I get the fear that Fox will yank the plug on it like they did Firefly (I hope an understandable fear)

As for "Fringe"....increasingly I think it sounds like a desperate attempt to make a new X-Files and is a Lost-clone from the guys who brought us Lost! The leaked pilot was awful, the characters seem stupid, yikes


why is everyone stuck on thinking that "scifi" is only live-action crud? Last year while we were suffering through "Flash Gordon", the animated series "Death Note" was becoming a cult hit on Adult Swim:

isn't it ironic that the Emmys ignore scifi because "it's stupid scifi for kids", YET many scifi fans here ignore good shows like Death Note, or Venture Bros, just because "it's stupid cartoons, for kids"?!

Death Note already has a live-action film in Japan, and they're talking about a live-action English-version film

PLUS, they've CONFIRMED, yes CONFIRMED that Simpsons Treehouse of Horror 2008 will be a Death Note parody! If that's not Big, what is?!



Light Yagami is given a supernatural "Death Note" (Death Notebook) by a bored soul-reaper; a book that if you write anyone's name in it, they will die of a heart attack (it's like an evil chain letter curse). The rules are that you can kill anyone, so long as you know their name and know what they look like (you have to think about their face as they write it; this was done to avoid killing people with the same name). Within a matter of days, Light kills hundreds of criminals, earning him the public nickname "Kira" (Japanese slurred version of "Killer") "Light" effectively ceases to exist, and goes mad with power, utterly consumed by being "Kira".

Kira plans to become the God of a New World, where he decides who is evil and deserves life and death.

How can anyone stop Kira? he has the powers of a God and is untraceable. The police are baffled at the wave of deaths and can't even figure out of "Kira" is real or a myth, much less where he may be

So Interpol brings in "the world's greatest detective": a recluse known only by the letter "L", who only communicates over scrambled internet feeds.

So the series becomes a deadly game of cat-and-also-cat, a battle of wits between Kira and L.

Can L catch Kira? Who will win Kira vs. L? Who is....Justice?


"Death Note" is more innovative and creative than any of the regurgitated stuff they're throwing at us this fall.

 

Re: are Vampires the "Next Big Thing" for '08? Twilight, Tru Calling.

Ripper at least still has a chance.

 

Re: are Vampires the "Next Big Thing" for '08? Twilight, Tru Calling.

Eureka is still a lot of fun. I don't think anyone expects it to be terribly deep, but then neither was Stargate most of the time. It's got good characters, and usually manages to avoid getting *too* out-there.

Besides, all of us who work for companies contracting with DoD *wish* we had projects half as cool as the stuff on that show.

 

Re: are Vampires the "Next Big Thing" for '08? Twilight, Tru Calling.

I agree with Lindley, Eureka is simple fun, taking bug ideas and poking gentle fun at them.

 

Re: are Vampires the "Next Big Thing" for '08? Twilight, Tru Calling.

You win, Temis. You caught me scoffing at the superficiality of female fans when it comes to vampires. Men are probably worse. We love superheroines, for example, primarily because of their tight outfits.

 

Re: are Vampires the "Next Big Thing" for '08? Twilight, Tru Calling.

Magiere of the Dhampir series always wears quite frumpy, covering clothes or armour, most of her outfits are not flattering but shes still beautiful. Then again shes a Dhampir not a Vampire so maybe that doesn't count.

And I know Selene always wears tight PVC but its always played down in the movie and its made clear the Death Dealer clan all wear it as a functional basis for other battle gear/layers over the top of it. Cause you know they don't have to breathe, sweat or pee so they can be encased in it as long as necessary.

There is a trend now for them to not be flashy, decadent or seemingly perfect. I'm purposefully ignoring Ultraviolet's "become a Vampire and you turn into a supermodel" thing which is just stupid.

 

Re: are Vampires the "Next Big Thing" for '08? Twilight, Tru Calling.

Scifi Channel just posted a non-comprehensive list of "new" shows (not including returning shows) :

(Btw, I've noticed that "Scifi Wire" is lately acting less like a simple "reposting news outlet", and they've started posting special interest features/ OP Ed pieces, like SyfyPortal or AICN....poorly. The morons they hired seem like just a few techies they gave the keys to who have no grasp of TV (ugh)

anyway they list it as (for Fall, thus excluding Dollhouse) in descending odds of success:

• Fringe
• Knight Rider
• Life on Mars
• Kings
• My Own Worst Enemy
• Tru Blood
• The Ex List
• Eleventh Hour

Now my problem with this list is that they lump 24-clones into a "scifi" list. But out of this, the "shows to watch out for" seem to be Fringe, and Tru Blood.

I do predict Fringe will flop. As for Tru Blood, I think it will do well, because its an HBO show and thus can be of better quality, but that's a two-edged sword because it also means a smaller audience. Good luck to them.

Knight Rider....as I said before, some idiot execs looked at BSG and said "remakes must be "in" now...". Heck, even Scifi Channel says "yeah, but that didn't work out for Bionic Woman"

"Kings"....doesn't sound inherently bad but very very ambitious; I like it more now that they say its not what I thought it was: guy running around acting out religious myth in everyday life; but is actually an alternate-history story, i.e. its like a modern-day version of the Bible with a modern America (caled "Gilboa") but it has a king and a military commander (David Shepherd, of course) gets invited to court after a military victory. So that DOES sound better than what I'd heard before.


Nonetheless, given that I don't get HBO, my plan is just to watch Tru Blood on DVD, and I have no hope for any of the other "new" scifi shows.

Meanwhile, for once we have GOOD returning shows, and thus I'll be watching Heroes Season 3, Terminator season 2, and Pushing Daisies season 2.

If there is a "next big thing" for the next year I do think its Terminator; what with both the series and movie being out (plus I *love* veteran BSG writer Toni Graphia, who left at the end of season 2 to join Terminator; plus they've got the music of Bear McCreary)

 

Re: are Vampires the "Next Big Thing" for '08? Twilight, Tru Calling.

Vampires were the new big thing like ten or twenty years ago.

 

Re: are Vampires the "Next Big Thing" for '08? Twilight, Tru Calling.

Yes but with three big theatrical releases in as many months featuring them, two or three TV shows in less than a year and a Buffy revival it seems their making a come back.

See? you really can't kill them.

 

Re: are Vampires the "Next Big Thing" for '08? Twilight, Tru Calling.

At least they have not brought out Vampire Jesus.
He gave his blood for you, now he wants it back.

 

Re: are Vampires the "Next Big Thing" for '08? Twilight, Tru Calling.

OMG! is this for real?!? That's amazing b/c although Death Note is a very popular anime, its still anime, one that is unlike Pokemon or Sailor moon kiddie aimed ilk, that most people who don't follow that stuff (even if it was on Adult Swim) would never have heard of, so its really unusual that such a mainstream show like the Simpson's would parody it. Id like to watch this just to see if they do any jabs at anime cliches...

 

Re: are Vampires the "Next Big Thing" for '08? Twilight, Tru Calling.

Uhh, there was a low budget Vampire porn movie with Jesus returning actually.

 

Re: are Vampires the "Next Big Thing" for '08? Twilight, Tru Calling.

I agree with their placement of Eleventh Hour - that's got flop written all over it. But I'm not sanguine about the odds of any of them succeeding, and I think people are overrating Fringe's chances.

And I really, truly hope Knight Rider goes down in flames, just on general principle.

As for Life on Mars, here's a tidbit I didn't know:

You're kidding me. Urk. Not that I was planning to watch it, but even Harvey Keitel couldn't induce me to bother with a show with a premise that trivial.

They already have succeeded. The most-watch sci fi shows currently on the air are all in this category: Lost, Heroes, Sarah Connor Chronicles, Chuck. Or CW's babies: Supernatural, Smallville, Reaper. Pushing Daisies is the most out-there show in terms of setting, but it's still nominally Earth, and I'd call that more fantasy than sci fi anyway.

What you should have complained about is that I cheated by making the category so absurdly large that of course it would turn out I was "right." And I wouldn't be surprised if one or two succeeded, anyway...but the next big thing has not really materialized, based on either the current successful shows, or the new ones being tried out. What is obvious is that everyone is scared of space-based sci fi.

The Eureka pilot was too lightweight for me, too, but there's an audience for that kind of stuff. Skiffy is going to slot Warehouse 13 in the lightweight category. Revolution looks like it's destined for the heavyweight BSG-style division, along with Caprica. There's nothing wrong with having a two-pronged strategy like this; it shows smart thinking on Skiffy's part (I guess it had to happen eventually, huh?)

 

Re: are Vampires the "Next Big Thing" for '08? Twilight, Tru Calling.

Not quite, actually.

It has not been confirmed as the actual televised Treehouse of Horror for 2008. It will be in the Treehouse of Horror comic series for 2008. Big difference.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/new...-halloween-comic-to-feature-death-note-parody

 

Re: are Vampires the "Next Big Thing" for '08? Twilight, Tru Calling.

This is...well sort of wrong. And simplistic. The big comic-book superhero craze was actually started by Blade. This was a major surprise hit for Marvel, who were putting feelers out there to see how people would respond to a comic book character being adapted right. Before that you had some success with Batman before the abysmal Batman and Robin. You also had some indy flicks like Dick Tracy being a success and being able to adapt comic/superheros to screen.

Again yes and no. LotR and Harry Potter captured the fantasy movement but also book adaption and epics in general. Hence why Beowolf came out and such.

Yes and no. I believe it is a fad, similar to the others but it's cyclic. Vampires, werewolves, Frankenstein monster, mummies aren't exactly...how do you say new? No, that wouldn't be right. I don't think it will be the next big thing because it's always been a big thing. Vampires have always been part of the myth and lore of story telling. It's the way they are told that is different.

Nope but that doesn't mean I won't peek. I think they do hold promise now that Harry Potter mania has died and people move on. It is very rare that a book store holds midnight parties, but they did for Potter, they did for Twilight's new book Breaking Dawn, and I believe they will do the same for Eragon. The fact that these books translate to the Potter 'generation', kids getting into Harry Potter and that fantasy and looking for another fantasy book adapting in modern time is very key here. The fact they are of age when Potter is now ending is major.

 

Re: are Vampires the "Next Big Thing" for '08? Twilight, Tru Calling.

No kidding! We need to get them into healthy stories like one about a brooding, violent rich guy who flaunts the law to beat the hell out of people, inspiring criminals to madness and resulting in the love of his life getting blown to pieces. 'Cause I sure have seen a hell of a lot of boys eating that up over the last few weeks...

 

Re: are Vampires the "Next Big Thing" for '08? Twilight, Tru Calling.

Which was also a vampire movie!

(And inspired yet another vampire-themed tv series.)

 

Re: are Vampires the "Next Big Thing" for '08? Twilight, Tru Calling.

Thanks a lot for the spoiler. Why is that six month rule so hard for people to remember?

 

Re: are Vampires the "Next Big Thing" for '08? Twilight, Tru Calling.

Well....alright, THIS picture is a very popular fanart that has been circulating around the internet...

but YES, they have confirmed that TreeHouse of Horror 2008 is going to parody Death Note!

 

Re: are Vampires the "Next Big Thing" for '08? Twilight, Tru Calling.

I'm not meaning to nitpick (and I'm not sure why I even care about this), but is it not True Blood (with the "u"), and not "Tru"? I get confused every time V spells it that way...