RDM developing Wild Wild West remake

[Owain Taggart]

Part of being successful in a crowded industry is knowing how to set yourself apart from the rest, and that can be applied to many industries such as music, movies, TV shows, etc, and not only entertainment. We all know how difficult it is to create Sci-fi that feels original, so in making something feel original when the genre is already very crowded, it's the execution that matters, and I think that's what BSG really did well in terms of setting itself apart. It may not be the most original Sci-Fi ever created, but it was different and fresh enough to stand out, and that's what made it successful. Being that Steampunk isn't a crowded genre, I look forward to seeing more of it, especially with RDM's skill of making everything old new again.

 

[Trent Roman]

And making everything new old again.

Since the BSG finale, I don't know that I have any trust in Moore as a storyteller. His strength lies in conception. I wouldn't mind seeing his take on a western steampunk setting, but let somebody who actually knows how to tell a story do the overall arc-plotting.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[Too Much Fun]

I love Moore's contributions to Star Trek and enjoyed his "Battlestar Galactica" from mid season one all the way to the series finale, but I think he should do something original for a change. Between this and writing a big screen re-interpretation of "The Thing", it sounds like he lacks the courage to try anything completely new, preferring to just adapt previously existing properties to his vision.

 

[Nerys Myk]

I always enjoyed WWW as a kid. Cant say I enjoyed Moores BSG towards the end, though. Got too dark and every character became unlikeable. Caprica seems headed in the same direction. So I hope his take on WWW doent take that path. It was movie Bond with a western twist. I dont think dark and unlikeable will work with that.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

I dunno, his BSG was remarkably original for a skiffy TV series that takes place in space.

No, it was remarkably unoriginal and mainstream-...

Whatever - I've watched enough of these things to know better. Frankly, the only TV space operas I've seen in twenty-odd years that are novel or original enough to be worth the time spent watching them are his BSG and Farscape.

I admit to having a soft spot for stuff like Enterprise because it punches my Star Trek buttons - but then, I still like macaroni and cheese occasionally too.

There's been other clever skiffy stuff over the years, but only one other great thing involving spaceships and it was decidely not space opera.

 

[RandyS]

All this has made me want to watch the old Wild Wild West show.

 

[Lapis Exilis]

I love Moore's contributions to Star Trek and enjoyed his "Battlestar Galactica" from mid season one all the way to the series finale, but I think he should do something original for a change. Between this and writing a big screen re-interpretation of "The Thing", it sounds like he lacks the courage to try anything completely new, preferring to just adapt previously existing properties to his vision.

Moore has headed up some (in the grand scheme of television) minor series with small, dedicated followings. You think he has the clout to pitch original material and get it made? For all we know, he's pitched 15 fabulous original ideas (or 15 mediocre original ideas) - and then he took the job he could get. Just like anybody would.

I say this being entirely indifferent to the guy. Loved the latter bits of DS9, found BSG tiresome fairly quickly, though it had some moments. I imagine he, like most people in Hollywood, is a fair to middling creator just trying to keep a consistent paycheck coming in.

As for WWW, all I know of it is the last 5 minutes I tended to see before reruns of Star Trek when I was in high school. Seems like a solid enough idea to roll out again.

 

[JWD75]

As I'm a fan of the steampunk genre I'll definitely check this show out, if it gets made. I just hope it's not as stupid as the Will Smith movie.

 

[Too Much Fun]

Moore has headed up some (in the grand scheme of television) minor series with small, dedicated followings. You think he has the clout to pitch original material and get it made? For all we know, he's pitched 15 fabulous original ideas (or 15 mediocre original ideas) - and then he took the job he could get. Just like anybody would.

That's a good point. I had not considered the possibility that he simply hasn't been given the opportunity to work on his own original material, but I figured that having a series as successful as "Battlestar Galactica" and contributing heavily to the success of two other series (with experience going back 20 years) would be enough to get him a shot doing at least one original series idea. It's not unheard of.

Look at someone like Vince Gilligan, for example. The only TV series he had a lot of success writing on was "The X-Files", but that was enough to get him a shot at starting his own original "Breaking Bad". As you say, there's no way of knowing for sure if Moore prefers to 'reimagine' things or if he wanted to do more original stuff and wasn't allowed, but based on his track record, I think the former is more likely.

 

[doubleohfive]

I just hope Moore goes for the fun and whimsy of the original this time. Enough with the gritty, cynical reboots.

But a full-on steampunk series would be a nice thing to have on TV.

Agree 100% on both counts. I thought RDM did a fantastic job reinventing BSG as a gritty, cynical reboot. But enough is enough. Not everything has to be dark and conspiracy-filled. I'd be quite happy if it came back in the style of Adventures of Brisco County Jr. We saw RDM try to take a fun show and turn it gritty before with Bionic Woman and we saw how well that turned out.

They also need to make sure the have the right actors for the two key roles. The movie failed in part because it got the equation half wrong: Kevin Kline was perfect choice for Artremis, but Will Smith was stunt casting that failed (George Clooney I agree would have been perfect back in the day).

Of course, with RDM's tendency to gender-swap (characters, that is) I fully expect the show to end up featuring Tricia Helfer as Jane West. Which actually sounds kind of cool.

Alex

Ron Moore had nothing to do with the Bionic Woman reboot ... that was all David Eick.

 

[Harvey]

Again, Moore tried something original with Virtuality. I loved the results, but the network disliked it, and it died as a movie of the week. For better or worse, it seems like his remake/sequel projects are the ones that get off the ground (all four feature films he's written are sequels or prequels--Generations, First Contact, Mission: Impossible 2, and The Thing).

There's also his fantasy series in development, but any attempt to read it as "original" has probably died with the endless Harry Potter comparisons by media reporting of the project.

And, to reiterate, Ronald D. Moore had nothing to do with the Bionic Woman remake.

 

[Captaindemotion]

I've never seen any of the original show (did it ever air on this side of the pond?) and haven't seen the 1999 movie (avoided it because of the stinky reviews). I'll approach this with an open mind. I think Moore's BSG is probably the best sci-fi tv show of all time and DS9 is my favourite Trek show, so my hopes are high.

I wish people wouldn't get so high and mighty about remaking shows. Hell, even Shakespeare's Henry IV and Henry V weren't the first tellings of either story. BSG, Ocean's 11, The Untouchables; just three examples of remakes improving on the originals.

 

[RJDiogenes]

No, it was remarkably unoriginal and mainstream-- to the point of using contemporary props and settings for an alien civilization that existed a long time ago in a whatever far, far away. And that, for some reason, was part of its appeal....

Yup. Thus making it unlike any previous "skiffy TV series that takes place in space" and thus, by definition, original within that category. Which is exactly what Dennis just said.

I see. Calling mainstream banality "sci fi" makes it original in context-- you may have me on a technicality there.

Sir, I ask that your slave behave himself.

Oh, I snuck under the fence a while ago.

Says the guy posting on a Trek board.....Star Trek...known for slapping a piece of foam latex on a person's forehead and calling them an alien. How's that for originality? Hypocrite much?

Even if that was the best that Star Trek ever did it would still be light years ahead of nuBSG.

Whatever - I've watched enough of these things to know better. Frankly, the only TV space operas I've seen in twenty-odd years that are novel or original enough to be worth the time spent watching them are his BSG and Farscape.

Well, I've watched enough to know better as well. Farscape was a worthy show, but nuBSG was just an example of a fad that should have ended with the 80s reaching a painful level of self parody.

 

[stj]

The original Wild Wild West was most notable for Ross Martin's Artemus Gordon. Robert Conrad was quite able, but the duo was like Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin: The true original is the sidekick. Moore has never done good characters, despite the misapprehensions of scifi fans on this bbs. It is extremely unlikely that a Moore character will draw a mass audience.

Steampunk in general suffers from a failure of imagination, resetting science fictional props into a feebly realized past hoping that makes them look new. Most steampunk is too heavyhanded for the absurdity but still too trivial in its goals. It is very unlikely that a medium like television is going to find a way to make steampunk viable.

 

[Haggis and tatties]

I quite enjoyed the Will Smith movie, i thought the effects in it were pretty good, especially the wheel chair ones with Kenneth Branagh.

 

[Forbin]

All this has made me want to watch the old Wild Wild West show.

It's on DVD, go for it! I thoroughly enjoyed watching it again.

 

[Landed]

Even if that was the best that Star Trek ever did it would still be light years ahead of nuBSG.

Wait....so you're saying that Star Trek....a franchise that spawned so many spin-offs, is more original than Moore's take on BSG?

but nuBSG was just an example of a fad that should have ended with the 80s reaching a painful level of self parody.

Yeah, I'd love to hear you back that one up. I think, at this point, you're just trolling.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Yeah, I'd love to hear you back that one up. I think, at this point, you're just trolling.

It's certainly not well supported - actually, not supported at all.

 

[RJDiogenes]

^^ All you need to do is watch it, really.

Wait....so you're saying that Star Trek....a franchise that spawned so many spin-offs, is more original than Moore's take on BSG?

I have no idea what your statement is trying to prove, but the answer to your question is obviously yes.

 

[Gepard]

^^ All you need to do is watch it, really.

So those of us who have and think you're spouting nonsense are...what, exactly?