• Welcome! The TrekBBS is the number one place to chat about Star Trek with like-minded fans.
    If you are not already a member then please register an account and join in the discussion!

CW developing Deadman series

Temis the Vorta

Temis the Vorta

Fleet Admiral
Admiral
Deadman at CW.

With Smallville ending its 10-season run this past May, the CW has made launching a new superhero franchise based on a DC property a priority. The network’s first effort this development season is Deadman, a drama based on the DC Comics books by Arnold Drake and Carmine Infantino, which will be written and executive produced by Supernatural creator Eric Kripke. The project is about the spirit of a murdered man, Boston Brand, who lives on as he inhabits other people’s bodies and helps them solve crises in their own lives.
Click to expand...

So a dead guy does Quantum Leap. Sounds pretty formulaic and predictable, crime-of-the-week. Is there anything about the comic series that could elevate it beyond that?
 
sounds interesting. i like Deadman but i can't see it being as popular as Smallville or Supernatural.
 
They had best mention the Flying Graysons in passing during the pilot.

:)

I was watching Buck Rogers yesterday, they were in a spaceport and the announcement girl on the intercom was paging Adam Strange, and talking about incoming shuttles from Thanager.

It's amazing what one can get past legal if they have enough gall and they're typing faster than the suits can read.
 
Finally! I've been saying for years that Deadman would lend itself perfectly to tv. It's basically QUANTUM LEAP meets THE FUGITIVE, with maybe a bit of GHOST thrown in. Sounds like a natural to me.

So, whatever happened to that RAVEN show the CW was developing? I haven't heard anything about that for a while . . . .
 
Guy Gardener said:
They had best mention the Flying Graysons in passing during the pilot.

:)

I was watching Buck Rogers yesterday, they were in a spaceport and the announcement girl on the intercom was paging Adam Strange, and talking about incoming shuttles from Thanager.

It's amazing what one can get past legal if they have enough gall and they're typing faster than the suits can read.
Click to expand...
Not that big a deal since its just using the names.
 
Greg Cox said:
Finally! I've been saying for years that Deadman would lend itself perfectly to tv. It's basically QUANTUM LEAP meets THE FUGITIVE, with maybe a bit of GHOST thrown in. Sounds like a natural to me.
Click to expand...
It was developed as a feature film by Guillermo del Toro a few years ago. He was going to produce, along with Don Murphy, with Nikolaj Arcel directing.

So, whatever happened to that RAVEN show the CW was developing? I haven't heard anything about that for a while . . . .
Click to expand...
The new head of the CW was asked about it recently and he said it was something developed by the previous management team and he's not continuing with it.
 
Sounds more logical than Quantum Leap. Don't get me wrong. I liked the show. But it didn't make any sense, even for science fiction.
 
Deadman could work and if they play the license correctly open up the entire mystic side of the DC universe. Madame Xanadu, Zantanna, Etrigan, Doctor Occult, Blue Devil, and so on. Wishful thinking I know but searching for the mysterious Hook could lead us many places in the DC universe not just criminal or freak of the week.
 
I don't know why it'd be wishful thinking. Smallville had all sorts of superhero guest stars. More than I thought there'd be.
 
This show would probably be unrecognizable from the comics.

First, they would get rid of the costume. Who want their lead spending half his time in a full face mask.

Rama will be out. His resurrection will be attributed to some mysterious voice, that people can believe is God.

There will be a love interest. Most likely someone he knew before his death. Someone who he can't let go .

It's possible he will find a coma patient or someone he can inhabit on a regular basis so he can interact with the love interest above.

Half of what he does will be for the love interest or her friends in some way.

He will probably look like himself to viewers while posessing a body. Why pay a star if he spends half of his time off screen.

Searching for the Hook would be thrown out, or his killer will be someone close to home, so he doesn't have to hit the road and be away from the love interest.

They will change his name. I can't see them calling the character Boston.

There will be a computer savy sidekick who knows his secret who can help him. (Think Chloe Sullivan)
 
Vendikarr said:
This show would probably be unrecognizable from the comics.

First, they would get rid of the costume. Who want their lead spending half his time in a full face mask.

Rama will be out. His resurrection will be attributed to some mysterious voice, that people can believe is God.

There will be a love interest. Most likely someone he knew before his death. Someone who he can't let go .


)
Click to expand...

Those are all good ideas. If I was adapting DEADMAN for tv, the first thing I'd do was ditch the garish red circus costume and halloween mask. He's invisible after all; why give him a flamboyant comic book costume, especially if he's a ghost and not a superhero?

I don't think they have to tie him down to one location, though. TV is full of successful shows about homeless wanderers: THE FUGITIVE, KUNG FU, THE INCREDIBLE HULK, QUANTUM LEAP, SUPERNATURAL . . . .
 
Greg Cox said:
He's invisible after all; why give him a flamboyant comic book costume, especially if he's a ghost and not a superhero?
Click to expand...
In the comic book he's wearing the costume and mask as part of his acrobat act when he's murdered. That's why his ghost retains that appearance. If the lead is going to spend most of his screen time inhabiting other people's bodies - taking on their clothing but retaining his own appearance for the viewer, as was the case in Quantum Leap - then keeping the costume and mask (albeit perhaps redesigned somewhat) for the limited screen time where he's actually in spectral form could be a useful visual storytelling tool.
 
Icemizer said:
Deadman could work and if they play the license correctly open up the entire mystic side of the DC universe. Madame Xanadu, Zantanna, Etrigan, Doctor Occult, Blue Devil, and so on. Wishful thinking I know but searching for the mysterious Hook could lead us many places in the DC universe not just criminal or freak of the week.
Click to expand...

That does sound interesting.

First, they would get rid of the costume. Who want their lead spending half his time in a full face mask.
Click to expand...
A costume doesn't seem right or relevant for the premise if the lead character is inhabiting other people's bodies (while wearing their clothes a la Scott Bakula?)

He will probably look like himself to viewers while posessing a body. Why pay a star if he spends half of his time off screen.
Click to expand...
Undoubtedly.

There will be a love interest. Most likely someone he knew before his death. Someone who he can't let go.
Click to expand...
You know the CW so well. :D

They will change his name. I can't see them calling the character Boston.
Click to expand...
Why not? He could be nicknamed "Boz." Very CW.
 
Out Of My Vulcan Mind said:
Greg Cox said:
He's invisible after all; why give him a flamboyant comic book costume, especially if he's a ghost and not a superhero?
Click to expand...
In the comic book he's wearing the costume and mask as part of his acrobat act when he's murdered. That's why his ghost retains that appearance. If the lead is going to spend most of his screen time inhabiting other people's bodies - taking on their clothing but retaining his own appearance for the viewer, as was the case in Quantum Leap - then keeping the costume and mask (albeit perhaps redesigned somewhat) for the limited screen time where he's actually in spectral form could be a useful visual storytelling tool.
Click to expand...

Oh, I understand the explanation from the comics. I remember reading the old Neal Adams issues back in the sixties. But this is a tv show, not comic book. There's no reason he needs to wear a garish superhero costume . . . and the success of SMALLVILLE suggests that you're more likely to run ten seasons without one!

Especially since we're not talking a costumed vigilante here. We're basically talking Patrick Swayze in GHOST, with a bit of Scott Bakula and David Janssen thrown in.

As I recall, the guy in QUANTUM LEAP wasn't wearing a spacesuit . . . . .
 
I agree, they need to ditch the costume. Our boy Boz will have two visual depictions onscreen: as himself, and wearing the clothes of his inhabitee-du-jour. When he's himself, we need to see him looking "normal" and relatable, in regular-guy clothes. Otherwise, there's no time when we see him as a normal person.
 
Vendikarr said:
There will be a love interest. Most likely someone he knew before his death. Someone who he can't let go .
Click to expand...


I see a future episode where Boston Brand inhabit's a woman and he tries to re connect with his past love interest.

The male 18-49 demo will love it

;)
 
Greg Cox said:
Vendikarr said:
This show would probably be unrecognizable from the comics.

First, they would get rid of the costume. Who want their lead spending half his time in a full face mask.

Rama will be out. His resurrection will be attributed to some mysterious voice, that people can believe is God.

There will be a love interest. Most likely someone he knew before his death. Someone who he can't let go .


)
Click to expand...

Those are all good ideas. If I was adapting DEADMAN for tv, the first thing I'd do was ditch the garish red circus costume and halloween mask. He's invisible after all; why give him a flamboyant comic book costume, especially if he's a ghost and not a superhero?

I don't think they have to tie him down to one location, though. TV is full of successful shows about homeless wanderers: THE FUGITIVE, KUNG FU, THE INCREDIBLE HULK, QUANTUM LEAP, SUPERNATURAL . . . .
Click to expand...

Yes, but the wandering show can be more expensive. More outdoor locations and no standing sets. Setting it somewhere is more cost effective.

But perhaps Kripke could do it. Supernatural was a wandering show, but it even began to rely more on Bobby's house and their tacky motel set redressed each week.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
If you are not already a member then please register an account and join in the discussion!

Sign up / Register


Back
Top