sf/f TV development news - 2013

[Kimi3013]

If the Warehouse 12 gets a go ahead, they better call it Warehouse 12. That way it leaves Warehouse 11, Warehouse 10 and so on up for grabs so we can have a new spin-off every few years^^ (love that show).

[Christopher]

Kimi3013 wrote:

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If the Warehouse 12 gets a go ahead, they better call it Warehouse 12. That way it leaves Warehouse 11, Warehouse 10 and so on up for grabs so we can have a new spin-off every few years^^ (love that show).

One thought I had, given that

Warehouse 13 has apparently been destroyed, which means it might be time to move on to Warehouse 14,

is that they could retool the show into a sort of anthology series following the adventures of Warehouse agents from many generations throughout history. The episode "3...2...1" showed that such a broader view of Warehouse history can work, and indeed the worldbuilding of the history/mythology of the Warehouses is just about the most successful element of the series. Maybe you could have a "wheel" approach -- an episode about the modern cast, then an episode about H.G. and her team, then an episode about some other Warehouse team from another era, then repeat the cycle. So if they did, say, a 21-episode season, you'd get 7 episodes with the main cast, 7 with H.G. and her bunch, maybe 3-4 with Jack & Rebecca in the '60s, and 3-4 about various other teams and eras.

[23skidoo]

Unless they clone Elizabeth Montgomery, a Bewitched remake isn't gonna work. Some shows are simply too connected to the actor. Even the Nicole Kidman movie, for all its faults, had the good sense to be about the making of a remake rather than doing a straight story.

Unless the "duelling" Beauty and the Beast projects feature a character named Vincent, they aren't remakes. That's like calling a retelling of Snow White a remake of the Disney movie. Now if they are new versions of the 1980s TV series ... to a degree my "cloning" comment above also stands, as that show was popular because of the chemistry between Ron Perlman (who could probably return to the part easily enough if he can get away from Sons of Anarchy) and Linda Hamilton.

The most bizarre one on that list is the new version of The Munsters. Modern Family meets True Blood? I'm getting flashbacks to when they brought The Brady Bunch back in the 1990s and turned it into a drama. It ain't gonna work. And once again, I go back to the whole "the personalities made the show work" thing. There's a reason why the many attempts at remaking The Munsters over the years (remember The Munsters Today? The numerous made-for-TV movies?) failed - no Fred Gwynne, no Al Lewis, and no actors who really stepped up to take their place. Changing the format isn't what will make a revival work. They pretty much would need to cast Jim Carrey as Herman to get people interested.

There are a few items on that list that sound interesting, but I'm not holding my breath on any of them. (Even if they do get made, they could end up dropping the ball like with the Wonder Woman pilot.) I'm finding myself completely apathetic towards the current crop of fantasy shows this fall as it is.

Alex

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

Christopher wrote:

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Am I right that this refers to the '80s Linda Hamilton/Ron Perlman series and not the fairy tale?

The CW version is a remake of the 1980s series, while the ABC version is a reimagining of the fairy tale.

A few more that are in development:

666 Park (ABC) - Drama about an innocent couple from the midwest that moves to New York and gets hired to be resident managers of a building on the Upper East Side where unbeknownst to the couple, the residents have all unwittingly made deals with the Devil to have their deepest needs, ambitions and desires fulfilled.

Ex-Comm (ABC) - Follows a newly-elected President and his top secret “Executive Committee” (a.k.a. Ex-Comm), the government’s covert team of America’s most elite minds who investigate and protect our nation from the strangest occurrences and “conspiracy theory truths” out there.

The Magicians (Fox) - An adaptation of the fantasy novel series by Lev Grossman about a group of 20-somethings in New York who study magic and have access to a magical world.

[Greg Cox]

23skidoo wrote:

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Now if they are new versions of the 1980s TV series ... to a degree my "cloning" comment above also stands, as that show was popular because of the chemistry between Ron Perlman (who could probably return to the part easily enough if he can get away from Sons of Anarchy) and Linda Hamilton.
Alex

I have to imagine that the CW (and especially the CW) would want somebody younger as Vincent . . . .

[Christopher]

Out Of My Vulcan Mind wrote:

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The CW version is a remake of the 1980s series, while the ABC version is a reimagining of the fairy tale.

Then it's misleading to refer to them as duelling remakes of the same thing. The '80s series only had a title in common with the fairy tale. They weren't even close to being the same story.

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

Also, there's an error on the list: Year Zero is Trent Reznor's dystopian sci-fi HBO miniseries, while Zero Hour is a series in development at ABC about a mystery surrounding the Twelve Apostles.

[bigdaddy]

Last Hope, Spurce Code, The Last Resort, and Stranger Plant all sound interesting to me.

[Kegg]

Out Of My Vulcan Mind wrote:

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Also, there's an error on the list: Year Zero is Trent Reznor's dystopian sci-fi HBO miniseries, while Zero Hour is a series in development at ABC about a mystery surrounding the Twelve Apostles.

Year Zero now sounds more interesting to me, even if 'dystopian sci-fi by the guy Kegg chiefly remembers as the fellow who did the music for Quake' is by itself not much of a premise.

[Temis the Vorta]

Kelthaz wrote:

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It's all too mundane for me. I much prefer the Farscape style of science fiction. American Gods is the only show I'm intersted in, and that is solely because of Neil Gaiman.

Now I feel kind of bad for including it, since folks seem to be liking that one. It's the only one I didn't get from The Futon Critic's database as being actively in development for 2012-13 - it's still listed as in development for 2011-12, which can be a sign that it's been passed over. Sorry if I'm getting anyone's hopes up.

Out Of My Vulcan Mind wrote:

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A few more that are in development:

666 Park (ABC) - Drama about an innocent couple from the midwest that moves to New York and gets hired to be resident managers of a building on the Upper East Side where unbeknownst to the couple, the residents have all unwittingly made deals with the Devil to have their deepest needs, ambitions and desires fulfilled.

Ex-Comm (ABC) - Follows a newly-elected President and his top secret “Executive Committee” (a.k.a. Ex-Comm), the government’s covert team of America’s most elite minds who investigate and protect our nation from the strangest occurrences and “conspiracy theory truths” out there.

The Magicians (Fox) - An adaptation of the fantasy novel series by Lev Grossman about a group of 20-somethings in New York who study magic and have access to a magical world.

Thanks. The Futon Critic's database is never thorough (though he does a heroic job, I'll give him that. ) 666 Park sounds like it could be fun (although it would be more fun on cable). I can't believe I forgot about Ex-Comm when I just did a thread about it a few days ago.

What's up with ABC, anyway? Are they going for the throw-it-against-the-wall approach? If so, they should try to get a wider range of premises in the mix. I see no point in ordering a dozen shows that all sound the same. How are they going to tell which ones deserve to go to pilot?

Also, there's an error on the list: Year Zero is Trent Reznor's dystopian sci-fi HBO miniseries, while Zero Hour is a series in development at ABC about a mystery surrounding the Twelve Apostles.

Oh thanks! I got those two mixed up. Then Year Zero is yet another show to add to the list. I wondered why Reznor was adding some weird religious angle.

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

ABC accounts for about half of the SFF shows in development for next season at the broadcast networks. Needless to say, a lot of them won't get past the script stage.

[sojourner]

Pretty sure I saw an episode of the 90's Outer Limits that was based on Under the Dome.

[Temis the Vorta]

I just wonder what the thought process is behind that. To distinguish a couple dozen scripts from each other, I'd think it would be helpful for them to be on as wide a variety of topics as possible. Space opera, sf/f in historical settings, sf/f comedy, shows about genetic engineering, shows about intelligent robots, shows about dystopian future police states, time travel, virtual reality, anthology series, just go hog wild.

If you're just flailing wildly, why not try everything out? Maybe there's somebody out there who's actually capable of coming up with a workable time travel TV series. If Syfy is experimenting with a TV-video game crossover, why not do your own experiment?

[Silvercrest]

Christopher wrote:

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Not very familiar with the comics characters, and this description of their powers doesn't make them sound very useful or flexible. Still, it would depend on the writing and characterization.

They're more useful and flexible than it sounds. Her daggers consist of "life force", which allows her to stun or kill living opponents by overloading them. She can also infuse the unconscious or dying with additional life force to revive them.

His darkness can blind people, but he can also use it to drain life force from anyone in contact with it. People exposed to it tend to suffer manifestations of their worst fears, whether he drains them or not. It also allows him to teleport.

Still not very interesting characters, though.

That sounds profoundly uninteresting to me.

It sounds like the hook for Captain Power.

Post-apocalyptic, I assume.

No, budget cuts.

Mistral wrote:

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Wondering about Last Hope. Gonna take some clever writing to explain why no one builds another hospital.

Seriously, that was my first thought as well.

Christopher wrote:

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Hey, how about getting DC to co-produce this show and making it about the bottle city of Kandor? I mean, come on, Stephen, we've seen you tackle Maine once or twice before.

Anyone remember The Aladdin Effect?

Temis the Bleeding Aorta wrote:

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Haunted (ABC) - drama about a paranormal investigator who each week helps the living move on from a spirit that can't let go.

Didn't Matthew Fox already do this one?

[Starbreaker]

Cloak & Dagger (ABC Family) - sounds horrible

Defiance (SyFy) – sounds horrible

Hyde (ABC) - sounds horrible

Jeckyll & Hyde (also ABC, how’s that for a split personality?) sounds stupid

Last Hope (Showtime) -eh....

The Last Resort (ABC) - interesting premise... but what is the series about?

Mockingbird (ABC Family) -meh

Pandemic (FOX) - meh

Powers (FX) - meh

Source Code (CBS) - could be interesting. enjoyed the movie.

Stranger Planet (FOX) – could be really stupid

Untitled Frankenstein Project (NBC) - no... just no

Untitled Fun with DNA Project (ABC) - ugh.. no

Untitled Warehouse 13 Spinoff Project (SyFy) - I could get behind some Steampunk

Zero Hour (HBO) – I would watch this

Supernatural/Fantasy/Horror

ABC and CW have dueling Beauty & the Beast remakes in development. - no

American Gods (HBO) – didn't like the novel, but it could make a good TV adaptation

Bewitched (CBS) - no

The Damned (Showtime) - I like Showtime... sure

Haunted (ABC) - nooooooooo

The Munsters (NBC) – no

Pillars of Smoke (NBC) - sounds just vague enough to be interesting

The Seven Wonders (ABC) - could be awesome or stupid

Sleepers (CBS) - old and tired

The Spectre (FOX) - meh...

Under the Dome (Showtime) – love King...

Untitled Ghost Hunters Project (TNT) - meh...

Untitled I See Dead People Project (CBS) - no...

Untitled More Weird Shit in British Columbia Forests Project (TNT) - no...

Untitled Harry Potter for Grownups Project (ABC) - maybe...

Wasteland (TNT) - maybe... probably not

The Watchers (ABC) - stupid

Wicked Good (ABC) - sounds horrible