sf/f TV development news - 2013

[RJDiogenes]

Christopher wrote:

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^Saying that creativity "should" only be approached in a certain way is advocating censorship, or at least it's the first step in that direction and should be guarded against carefully.

No, advocating creativity is advocating creativity. But feel free to diligently guard against it if you like.

Your problem is that you're defining originality in a very narrow and illegitimate way, as being solely about making up new character names or settings or whatever. That's complete rubbish. Like I said, originality is in what you do with the ideas, not where they come from. There are countless examples of creators taking pre-existing characters and plots and doing wildly original things with them, and there are sadly even more examples of creators inventing new characters and situations and doing painfully unoriginal and cliched things with them.

Yes, a lot of people have done well with somebody else's ideas.

[xortex]

Christopher wrote:

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^Saying that creativity "should" only be approached in a certain way is advocating censorship, or at least it's the first step in that direction and should be guarded against carefully.

Your problem is that you're defining originality in a very narrow and illegitimate way, as being solely about making up new character names or settings or whatever. That's complete rubbish. Like I said, originality is in what you do with the ideas, not where they come from. There are countless examples of creators taking pre-existing characters and plots and doing wildly original things with them, and there are sadly even more examples of creators inventing new characters and situations and doing painfully unoriginal and cliched things with them.

This doesn't mean you can rip off a premise or a plot situation. Reexpressing the concept is one thing as ideas can't be stolen except for their ultimate expression.

[jefferiestubes8]

not for the usa market yet. but maybe it will get picked up here too:

LONDON -- U.K. shingle Kudos Film and Television is to develop a remake of what it hopes will be another high-profile Scandinavian TV drama, Swedish sci-fi skein "Real Humans."

Both the format and international rights to "Real Humans," produced in Sweden by Sveriges Television (SVT) and Matador Films, have been acquired by Shine, which owns Kudos.

The 10-part "Real Humans" is due to bow on SVT in early 2012.

Story focuses on a new generation of robots, so-called "Hu-bots," so advanced it is almost impossible to distinguish them from people.

Created and written by Lars Lundstrom, "Real Humans" is helmed by Harald Hamrell and Levan Akin.

Kudos to remake 'Real Humans'
Swedish sci-fi skein to bow on SVT

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...erlanti-261801

Syfy is looking to bring Booster Gold to life on the small screen.

The story will center on Booster Gold, a washed-up athlete from the future who travels back to the present in hopes of becoming the greatest super hero of all time. Instead of chasing criminals, however, his main priority is chasing fame and money. But Booster Gold discovers that being a hero takes more than just a megawatt smile, and that the future doesn’t happen without first protecting the present.

You can also talk about it here; http://trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=151862

I like the character so I am excited about this and hope something becomes of it.

[Temis the Vorta]

Thanks for posting that - I've been following Deadline but they appear to be ignoring SyFy development. Is sci fi really that icky and beneath their dignity?

[RJDiogenes]

Yes. Yes, it is.

[Temis the Vorta]

I guess Nikki Finke is still bitter about Farscape's cancellation.

[Temis the Vorta]

Here's something interesting:

The Walking Dead executive producer Gale Ann Hurd developing Area 51 drama.

From zombies to aliens. The Walking Dead executive producer Gale Anne Hurd and her Valhalla Entertainment have optioned Annie Jacobsen’s book Area 51: An Uncensored History of America’s Top Secret Military Base for a potential TV series. The hourlong project, which will be taken out to the networks shortly, will be written by feature scribe Karl Gajdusek. It will follow two men working on the base who are thrust into danger when they uncover secrets that the government will protect at any cost.

Two men? Not trying for the Mulder & Scully thing? Then again, there's no reason they couldn't, with two guys. Time to start taking risks! Especially if this ends up on cable, where it needs to be.

I'll add it to the Big List when & if a network picks it up. (I wonder if AMC might be interested - but they already have an aliens-on-Earth show in development.)

[AviTrek]

jefferiestubes8 wrote:

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not for the usa market yet. but maybe it will get picked up here too:

Kudos to remake 'Real Humans'
Swedish sci-fi skein to bow on SVT

I bet BBCA picks up the US rights.

Temis the Vorta wrote:

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Here's something interesting:

The Walking Dead executive producer Gale Ann Hurd developing Area 51 drama.

Two men? Not trying for the Mulder & Scully thing? Then again, there's no reason they couldn't, with two guys. Time to start taking risks! Especially if this ends up on cable, where it needs to be.

I'll add it to the Big List when & if a network picks it up. (I wonder if AMC might be interested - but they already have an aliens-on-Earth show in development.)

I bet AMC takes a look at this too. Given their production approach it wouldn't shock me to see them look at a bunch of different alien pitches and then pick the best one to go to pilot.

[Hugo Rune]

If it is still in development, my "show for 2012" (other than Powers) is Chew. Back in April this year it was bandied around that the comic book, Chew, was in development by SHOWTIME, which is frankly a great fit for such a bizarre and idiosyncratic funny book.

http://screenrant.com/chew-tv-series...e-yman-107681/

The award winning series follows FDA agent Tony Chu as he investigates bizarre, food-related crimes by means of the psychic visions he receives after consuming any kind of food – including human flesh. Known as a cibopath, Chu and his partner Mason Savoy navigate a world where chicken, and all other bird-related meats are considered contraband, after a devastating bird-flu epidemic kills 23 million Americans.

The first edition was one of the funnier and most inventive comics I read this year and the series holds this quality level up. The intention of SHOWTIME turning this into a Weeds-like 30 minute dramedy seem perfect and I hope this will make it onto the air.

Given Temis is not a fan of procedurals as a rule, I found the "spin" on the genre in this book to make the entire thing fresh, funny and brilliantly wacky, and might give her pause


Hugo - can you pass the beets

[Temis the Vorta]

That might, indeed, give me pause. I'll add it to the list.

Given his name, the lead character is Asian? That would certainly be a departure from practically every show on TV, where it's hard to find a lead character who isn't white. Ken Leong (Lost), Ian Anthony Dale (The Event) or Reggie Lee (currently being wasted in a nothing role on Grimm) would be at the top of my list.

[Temis the Vorta]

ABC's suburban-alien comedy goes to pilot.

The project, which will be produced by ABC Studios, centers on a family that moves into a highly desirable gated community in New Jersey only to discover that the entire neighborhood is made up of aliens disguised as humans.

Sounds fun. Sci fi comedy is just as scarce as space opera nowadays so I'm happy to see more of either.

Also, AMC wants more braaaaaiiiinnns.

AMC Networks CEO Josh Sapan told analysts at the UBS Annual Global Media and Communications Conference that he’s “exploring changing the mix of content on AMC” based on the recent success of its zombiefest The Walking Dead – and four non-fiction series he plans to introduce beginning next year.

Well, okay, he doesn't mean more zombies or even necessarily more sci fi, but what is making TWD such a monster hit is the combo of grownup, serious draaahma in an over-the-top fantastical setting that amps the tension up to a 12. If AMC were to sub in, say, aliens or newly sentient robots for zombies, I think that could work very well for them and tap into the same market.

[Temis the Vorta]

It's still officially the New Year's holiday, but the news is already rolling in, and it's off to an auspicious start!

Two really hot looking guys cast in NBC's Beautiful People.

James Murray (Chaos) and Patrick Heusinger (Royal Pains) are set to co-star in the NBC drama pilot Beautiful People. The project, written by Michael McDonald, is set in the near future in a society where humans co-exist with mechanical androids that look like people but are treated like second-class citizens. It centers on the very wealthy Lydia whose late husband founded the firm that makes Mechanicals. Murray will play her son, a handsome and very successful attorney who’s lived a rich and privileged life but makes a name for himself by publicly suggesting that Mechanicals might have civil rights — a notion that’s largely scoffed at. Heusinger will play a family man employed as a servant in Lydia’s home who is in fact a Mechanical, but after one of his daughters is killed in a car accident, he proves to be “defective” as he’s plagued with forbidden emotions like grief and loss.

Okay it sounds corny but sort of interesting. Very reminiscent of Caprica in some ways. A broadcast-friendly Caprica - more formulaic, less complicated, more direct - could be worth watching.

I saw Murray in Chaos - he was good as a snarky Scot. Don't know about the other guy, but he has the right look for the "soulful Data role."

I'm a little confused by the description - do the androids have the ability to have offspring in some natural way a la BSG, or does the android factory assign them android babies or what?

Since this is the time of year when news like this starts rolling in, I'll keep this going as an ongoing thread.

[stonester1]

Eh.

[V]

I'm mostly looking forward to Young Justice season 2 and Avatar: The Legend of Korra.

Plus Archer season 3 and Delocated season 3.

Delocated counts as scifi; it had an extended parody of that movie "Face/Off"!