Pitch a new space opera!

[Fist McStrongpunch]

Well, I think most of us are going through withdrawal what with the near-total lack of space-based television right now. So here's where you can go ahead and pitch ideas for things you'd like to see. Premises, characters, titles. Go into as much or as little detail as you like.

Here's something: I'd like to see something that's basically Pirates of the Caribbean is space. Swashbuckling heroes and anti-heroes. Laser pistols that take a while to recharge, so people go at it with swords. Kinda like Treasure Planet, I guess, but live-action and not crappy.

Aaaaand GO!

 

[C.E. Evans]

The year 1,000,000 A.D. A crew of aliens on an exploration spaceship that return back to their quadrant only to find that it's been overrun by six-foot sentient cockroaches. The only hope for salvation lies in going back into the Galaxy and seeking out the only ones who ever defeated the insect invaders--the long since vanished Humans of the late planet Earth.

 

[Bob Morton]

Peter F. Hamilton's Commonwealth Saga and Void Saga.

 

[Santaman]

Perry Rhodan would be a good idea for a series if it was possible budget wise..
The scale of the whole thing is almost impossible to get into a series.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perry_Rhodan

 

[Gaith]

All of the solar system's planets are, and always have been, as teeming with life as ours, albeit in vastly different forms. (Jupiter and Saturn may be solid in this alternate reality.) And, whaddya know, they all achieve spaceflight around the same time.

... Some kerfuffles ensue.

 

[Admiral James Kirk]

Space Chase: A falsely convicted man escapes from a prison asteroid aboard an antique star cruiser. He plans on escaping our star system permanently but his FTL engines require an hour to charge before he can jump into hyperspace. Unfortunately the prison warden won't give him that hour. He's dispatched a fleet of superfast starfighters to bring him down. Can our hero out fly them or will he spend the rest of his life floating on a chunk of lifeless rock? The space chase is on!

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Lensman

 

[Klaus]

A miniseries about a REALISTIC mission to divert a dinosaur-killer-class asteroid...

 

[CaptJimboJones]

An Honor Harrington series based loosely on the first few books and disregards the latter two-thirds of the series.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ As long as it does NOT star Angelina Jolie, I'm all for an Honor Harrington series or film.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

To reiterate my old theme from similar threads: anything from Alastair Reynold's Revelation Space canon would be the dog's doodahs. As for pitching it - unfortunately, I don't have the skill set required to sell a show involving sentient hyperpigs to the men with the money. They'd likely want to cast Miss Piggy and other muppets - although that worked okay for Farscape.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Theres one obvious candidate that NEEDS to be in TV, and for which there is proven demand:

A new Star Trek series, set in the 23rd C, contemporary with TOS but dealing with the adventures of a different starship crew. Occasional cameos from the movie actors.

Ideally, I'd like to see it on FX or AMC, or Showtime if the subject matter doesn't seem too down market for them. Netflix is another possibility. Structure will be serialized, as per usual for cable dramas, but maybe less strictly serialized than normal.

Do it, Moonves!

 

[C.E. Evans]

The subject of a new Star Trek series is done to death over at the Future of Trek forum. Ideas for something other than a Trek series would be nice too.

 

[Sindatur]

Aliens, space ships, Political/Religious shenanigans and back stabbings, serialized, mysteries (Doesn't necessarily need to be all plotted out in advance, but, when you introduce a mystery, know the answer, no red herring mysteries that get conveniently ignored/forgotten or BS'ed outta nowhere).

 

[MANT!]

How the Solar System was Won...

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304192704577404383758002396.html


http://drell-7.deviantart.com/gallery/27169739#/d31lxdd

http://drell-7.deviantart.com/gallery/27169739

 

[Admiral2]

^ As long as it does NOT star Angelina Jolie, I'm all for an Honor Harrington series or film.

I got that beat. Whenever I imagine Honor Harrington filmed I picture Yancy Butler playing her.

The subject of a new Star Trek series is done to death over at the Future of Trek forum. Ideas for something other than a Trek series would be nice too.

Agreed. Here's my offering:

REPUBLIC

A vast and ruthless alien race conquers the capital world of the United Systems and eradicates the Legislature and the entire Executive Branch, save for one Cabinet member who is installed as the new President. This president, obeying the demands of the conquerors, orders the armed forces to stand down and the governments of the fifty member worlds to surrender and dissolve themselves. Those that comply will receive increased economic aid. Those that resist will be isolated and eventually destroyed.

The governor of the Lonestar System vows to not only resist, but to join with other dissenting systems in forming a new, legitimate government, one that will organize the forces necessary to return freedom and the rule of law to the rest of the republic.

 

[stj]

Capitalists in Orbit! Trillionaires hide out on space colonies at L4 and L5, the Moon and try to terraform Mars, while maintaining control of Earth with orbital nukes and the threat to divert an asteroid to obliterate the obsolete masses. The hanky panky amongst the trillionaires involves much nudity and simulated sex, as well as standard-issue backstabbing. The evil rebels seeking to overthrow the megacorps and their stockholders can show up occasionally for physical jeopardy before getting airlocked. Mucho violence when they do.

STARZ, in more ways than one!

 

[Admiral2]

Capitalists in Orbit! Trillionaires hide out on space colonies at L4 and L5, the Moon and try to terraform Mars, while maintaining control of Earth with orbital nukes and the threat to divert an asteroid to obliterate the obsolete masses. The hanky panky amongst the trillionaires involves much nudity and simulated sex, as well as standard-issue backstabbing. The evil rebels seeking to overthrow the megacorps and their stockholders can show up occasionally for physical jeopardy before getting airlocked. Mucho violence when they do.

STARZ, in more ways than one!

Biggest hit since Shameless!

 

[The Badger]

Lensman

Hell yes. I'm not sure how some of the elements would be received nowadays (no female Lensman, even if it is all a ploy, might not sit well with a modern audience), but this is the series that invented space opera*, and I'd love to see it on the screen. Proper Lensman that is, the anime version doesn't count.

*Actually, a case could be made for Smith's earlier Skylark series to claim that honour. I'd like to see that, too.

 

[Warped9]

The year 1,000,000 A.D. A crew of aliens on an exploration spaceship that return back to their quadrant only to find that it's been overrun by six-foot sentient cockroaches. The only hope for salvation lies in going back into the Galaxy and seeking out the only ones who ever defeated the insect invaders--the long since vanished Humans of the late planet Earth.

This actually sounds rather cool. If not this then I'd like to see an Alien Legion series, miniseries or 1-3 feature films. Live-action is what I'd like, but I'd also be happy with an animation even if it were straight-to-video.