sf/f fall pilot pickups: first up, zombies

[Trent Roman]

(tho' I'd much prefer a series about Maenads)

True Blood sort-of did that:

Spoiler: True Blood Season 2

The main antagonist of the second season is revealed to be a Maenad, and as the town gradually falls under her spells they start acting much as the Maenads of legend, albeit more focused on the sex and intoxication and less tearing-of-limbs, although a few hearts do get ripped out.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[Kegg]

True Blood sort-of did that:

Alright, that's it. I'm giving that show a try.

I hear it's either good or so bad it's good or something like that depending on who I'm talking to. But any show with Southern vampires and Maenads cannot be all bad (and I liked the one scene I saw, where the innocent girl from church choir service gets vampirized.)

 

[FluffyUnbound]

[Zombies and Ancient Rome! Heh]

Zombies and Rome? I've got a short on just that topic with a publisher. What project are you referring to specifically?

Please see my signature.

There! I spammed! At last, overt spam! No "hints", no "asides", no "pointedly appearing in certain threads". Actual spam!

Muwahahahahahahaha

 

[tharpdevenport]

Might as well start a running thread. Have I missed any previous genuine sf/f fall pilot pickups?

AMC greenlights The Walking Dead.

I'm not counting Push: The TV series since it doesn't have a home yet.

Someone started a thread about sci-fi/fantasy series coming the new season. I commented on some of them, so if you want to take a look threw my posts to find that thread (since I don't feel like it), jump on right in.

But there were a bunch.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

There may have been a lot of zombie movies and games but I think this is a first for TV. I'm not familiar with the source material beyond that it's generally well-regarded but I'll definitely give it a spin.

 

[Trent Roman]

Please see my signature.

Bloink. I guess I've just gotten used to glossing over signatures.

Seems like an interesting project. I notice you're using Lucius Artorius Castus. He's often seen as an Arthurian precursor--does that play into the story?

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

humanising a zombie misses the point.

Read Philip Nutman's Wet Work and you'll change your mind:

Spoiler: the book

It's a zombie thing, but there are different 'stages' of zombism. Some are the standard Romero type zombies, but on the other end are the 'smart' dead - they retain their full intelligence and personality, they can do things like put on new clothes, drive cars, organize ambushes using guns (which they do to secure new food sources), in fact they even take over the government which they soon rename the 'United States of Hell'.

 

[FluffyUnbound]

Please see my signature.

Bloink. I guess I've just gotten used to glossing over signatures.

Seems like an interesting project. I notice you're using Lucius Artorius Castus. He's often seen as an Arthurian precursor--does that play into the story?

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

A little. Not in an Arthurian fantasy sort of way. It's noted in passing as a historical curiosity, and there is one joke that comes up in the narrative that I could not deny myself.

 

[Vendikarr]

Well, if this is going to be a running thread, TNT just ordered nine episodes, plus the pilot of an alien invasion series.

Details here.

The cable network on Thursday picked up to series all three of its
pilots, the Steven Spielberg-produced alien invasion drama starring
Noah Wyle, the George Clooney-produced "Delta Blues" starring Jason
Lee and "Rizzoli," starring Angie Harmon.

All three have received orders for nine episodes in addition to the
pilot.

The alien invasion project, written by Robert Rodat from an idea he
conceived with Spielberg, is set shortly after aliens have wiped out
most of the human population. Wyle plays the leader of a ragtag group
of soldiers and civilians who struggle against the occupying alien
force, with Moon Bloodgood, Jessy Schram, Seychelle Gabriel and Maxim
Knight co-starring.

DreamWorks TV is producing the project, with Spielberg, Rodat, Justin
Falvey and Darryl Frank executive producing.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Zombies are definitely saturated at this point, but they're less annoying than vampires for the simple reason that no one tries to have plots where teenage girls fall in love with zombies.

Please don't give Hollywood any ideas.

You read my mind. CW, here we come.

The story centers on an existentially tormented zombie who begins an unlikely friendship with the girlfriend of one of his victims and starts a chain reaction that will transform him and his fellow zombies.

Suddenly I'm rooting for the zombies to wipe out all of humanity.

Might as well start a running thread. Have I missed any previous genuine sf/f fall pilot pickups?

AMC greenlights The Walking Dead.

I'm not counting Push: The TV series since it doesn't have a home yet.

Someone started a thread about sci-fi/fantasy series coming the new season. I commented on some of them, so if you want to take a look threw my posts to find that thread (since I don't feel like it), jump on right in.

But there were a bunch.

That was probably my thread. But that was about pilots - now it's time to get down to what's actually going to hit the airwaves (or cables) come fall.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Whatever happened to Revolution? The "American Revolution in space"-type show?

 

[Ryan]

Zombies are definitely saturated at this point, but they're less annoying than vampires for the simple reason that no one tries to have plots where teenage girls fall in love with zombies.

Not so fast my friend... I saw this a couple days ago

Jonathan Levine (The Wackness, All the Boys Love Mandy Lane)) will write and direct an adaptation of Isaac Marion's zombie romance novel "Warm Bodies" for Summit Entertainment. Levine will be directing the "zombie-love" project described as Twilight meets Shaun of the Dead.

The story centers on an existentially tormented zombie who begins an unlikely friendship with the girlfriend of one of his victims and starts a chain reaction that will transform him and his fellow zombies.

It's sorta been done before as comedy/satire. My Boyfriend's Back and Fido come immediately to mind.

 

[Harvey]

RE: Revolution. They filmed the pilot. It wasn't picked up. That's it, as far as I know.

 

[Ryan]

They're led by a police officer ? That's boring.

If it makes you feel better Rick acts more like an over-bearing emo kid than a police officer...

I'm hoping they change the series a hell of a lot because Kirkman is absolutely in love with melodrama.

 

[Hermiod]

They're led by a police officer ? That's boring.

If it makes you feel better Rick acts more like an over-bearing emo kid than a police officer...

I'm hoping they change the series a hell of a lot because Kirkman is absolutely in love with melodrama.

By snipping the second paragraph, you've kind of skipped over the pop culture reference I was making.

 

[FluffyUnbound]

Please see my signature.

Bloink. I guess I've just gotten used to glossing over signatures.

Seems like an interesting project. I notice you're using Lucius Artorius Castus. He's often seen as an Arthurian precursor--does that play into the story?

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

Trent, by the way, if it's cool to ask, what is your project all about?

 

[FluffyUnbound]

Well, if this is going to be a running thread, TNT just ordered nine episodes, plus the pilot of an alien invasion series.

Details here.

The cable network on Thursday picked up to series all three of its
pilots, the Steven Spielberg-produced alien invasion drama starring
Noah Wyle, the George Clooney-produced "Delta Blues" starring Jason
Lee and "Rizzoli," starring Angie Harmon.

All three have received orders for nine episodes in addition to the
pilot.

The alien invasion project, written by Robert Rodat from an idea he
conceived with Spielberg, is set shortly after aliens have wiped out
most of the human population. Wyle plays the leader of a ragtag group
of soldiers and civilians who struggle against the occupying alien
force, with Moon Bloodgood, Jessy Schram, Seychelle Gabriel and Maxim
Knight co-starring.

DreamWorks TV is producing the project, with Spielberg, Rodat, Justin
Falvey and Darryl Frank executive producing.

The good thing is that TNT really, really supports and pushes their shows, so maybe this will actually be given a chance to succeed, unlike a lot of sci-fi that makes it to the 5 majors.

 

[Trent Roman]

Trent, by the way, if it's cool to ask, what is your project all about?

Just a short story, waiting with the publisher for more entries to make an antho. It's a zombification of the events from Ceasar's assassination to the Battle of Actium, as the emperor's death unleashes a plague of undeath which Octavian, Marc Anthony and Cleopatra make uneasy alliance against.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[Ryan]

They're led by a police officer ? That's boring.

If it makes you feel better Rick acts more like an over-bearing emo kid than a police officer...

I'm hoping they change the series a hell of a lot because Kirkman is absolutely in love with melodrama.

By snipping the second paragraph, you've kind of skipped over the pop culture reference I was making.

I got it. It was a L4D reference.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

RE: Revolution. They filmed the pilot. It wasn't picked up. That's it, as far as I know.

Given how often it gets mentioned around here, maybe skiffy should rethink that. For a concept with such a low profile to make such a lasting impression seems signficant.