Alcatraz from JJ Abrams: to be sf/f

[JarodRussell]

bigdaddy wrote:

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What he seems to do is make 6-7 episodes of a show, and then ditch it, so his name is attacted to it when he goes off and does something else.

That's real love for the subject, lol.

[Silent_Bob]

OdoWanKenobi wrote:

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Wait...did I miss something? When did the guy who made Lost, Alias, and the latest Star Trek movie stop being awesome?

When did he start?

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

It's not yet clear from that description that the show will be SFF, although I wouldn't bet against it. If it is an SFF show that'll add to what is already a huge number of SFF shows in development by the broadcast networks for the 2011/2012 season, well above the normal number and way above the slim number developed for the 2010/2011 season.

[AviTrek]

Out Of My Vulcan Mind wrote:

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It's not yet clear from that description that the show will be SFF, although I wouldn't bet against it. If it is an SFF show that'll add to what is already a huge number of SFF shows in development by the broadcast networks for the 2011/2012 season, well above the normal number and way above the slim number developed for the 2010/2011 season.

The number of pilots is a little high, but not that out of the ordinary. Let's see how many of these shows get picked up for a series before getting too excited.

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

AviTrek wrote:

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The number of pilots is a little high, but not that out of the ordinary.

Edited: I looked back at past development seasons to make sure I was comparing apples to apples and actually you're right, it's a little over the norm, but I overstated earlier. I was looking at all development for 2011/2012 (including scripts not yet ordered to pilot) whereas I only had in mind actual pilots shot from previous development seasons.

Let's see how many of these shows get picked up for a series before getting too excited.

Sure, as always.

[Starbreaker]

Alcatraz has scored Sarah Jones (Sons of Anarchy, Big Love) as the female lead. Link

[jefferiestubes8]

Abrams has recruited two more actors who have appeared on his previous series - Jonny Coyne and Jason Butler Harner - for the pilot.

Coyne, who did a two-episode arc on Abrams' NBC drama Undercovers this fall, will play the lead role of Alcatraz Warden Edwin James. Harner, who guest starred in the pilot for Abrams' Fringe, will play the supporting role of Associate Warden E.B. Tiller who enjoys and abuses his power.

http://www.deadline.com/2010/12/two-...ilot-alcatraz/

[Temis the Vorta]

Yeah on second thought, this premise doesn't absolutely need to be sf/f, but I still think it's going to have at least light genre elements.

That guy they tapped to play the mean warden sure looks the type, huh?

[PsychoPere]

Sam Neill will be one of the stars.

Neill will play Emerson Hauser, the head of a government agency who radiates authority and piercing intelligence.

[Starbreaker]

Oh Lords of Kobol, Sam Neill picks horrible TV scripts.

Happy Town, Crusoe anyone? He hasn't been in good movies in forever either.

[jefferiestubes8]

Tube Talk recently got a sneak preview of the Alcatraz pilot, so here's our thoughts on what we saw...

WHAT WORKS...
WHAT DOESN'T...
FINAL THOUGHTS

also the 2:45 length trailer in 720p is at the link.

August 11 2011
'Alcatraz': First Look at Fox's new sci-fi drama


looks pretty good. Sam Neill, yeah!
I'll be watching.
I hope it doesn't turn into a Fox police procedural with a little mythology.

[Christopher]

Temis the Vorta wrote:

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Yeah on second thought, this premise doesn't absolutely need to be sf/f, but I still think it's going to have at least light genre elements.

One detail that hasn't been mentioned so far in this thread is that the inmates that have now reappeared look exactly the same as they did 30 years ago. Pretty much any explanation for that would have to be SF/F: time travel, suspended animation, anti-aging treatments, clones, robot duplicates, mystical doppelgangers. Even if they were just impostors who'd gotten cosmetic surgery, the degree of surgical perfection required would be somewhat science-fictional.

[Professor Zoom]

A friend of mine had a copy of the pilot. Pass. I think it will quickly descend into "inmate of the week." I think it's to narrow of an idea to last for 5 years. Mighta been a good movie idea...

[Temis the Vorta]

Christopher wrote:

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One detail that hasn't been mentioned so far in this thread is that the inmates that have now reappeared look exactly the same as they did 30 years ago. Pretty much any explanation for that would have to be SF/F: time travel, suspended animation, anti-aging treatments, clones, robot duplicates, mystical doppelgangers. Even if they were just impostors who'd gotten cosmetic surgery, the degree of surgical perfection required would be somewhat science-fictional.

When I originally posted that ten months ago, I don't remember the reading that they looked young. So I guess I was going on the assumption they'd be old guys.

[Christopher]

Oh, I hadn't noticed this was a resurrected thread from the past. How fitting...