'Red Mars' Given Full Series Order at Spike

[Starbreaker]

Link

It's a 10 episode season adaptation written by J. Michael Straczynski. The article is poorly written, but I'm pretty excited about this news. I enjoyed the novel when I finally just powered through it (it's a long read). I think it could be a big hit if the budget is decent.

 

[publiusr]

We need more pro-spaceflight cinema

 

[atlantalliance]

Kim Stanley Robinson is a great writer, nice to see JMS on this

 

[JD]

I haven't read the books, but the I love the concept and I know the books are supposed to be good. I am a little confused by the writer ripping on Sens8 so much, most of what I'd heard about it was at least good. The only JMS written stuff I've seen/read is Babylon 5, so based on that I'm pretty optimistic.

 

[Jan]

This doesn't bode well at all.
Spike TV ‘Red Mars’ Series On Pause After Showrunner Exits

I hear Straczynski, who had written the pilot script out of his passion for the books, had the option to stay on as showrunner or leave and keep an executive producer credit. The writer, who had been busy in features and TV, opted for the latter, and Noah came in as showrunner. He has now departed too over what I heard were creative differences with Spike. There is no immediate replacement, leading to the break in pre-productuon.

"Creative differences" is never a good sign.

 

[Reverend]

Yeah whatever the exact circumstances, "creative differences" is usually code for "told to bugger off before they're fired."

 

[Jan]

Yeah whatever the exact circumstances, "creative differences" is usually code for "told to bugger off before they're fired."

Or "quit because they wanted me to do something really stupid."

 

[Reverend]

Or "quit because they wanted me to do something really stupid."

I'd say those are not mutually exclusive scenarios.

 

[Jan]

I'd say those are not mutually exclusive scenarios.

Very true. Probably the basis of many 'it was a decision mutually reached' announcements.

I'm more curious about the bit about JMS, though. He definitely said he was on board as showrunner in December and that seems to have quietly changed since then, long enough ago for somebody else to get fed up. To me this spells 'troubled property' in big neon letters.

 

[Christopher]

To be fair, though, Red Mars is a vast, sweeping epic spanning decades and set in a profoundly alien environment. It must be an incredibly difficult work to figure out how to adapt for television. So it doesn't really surprise me that different parties might have very different ideas about how to make it work, even with the best of intentions on all sides.

 

[JD]

The fact that they can't seem to keep a showrunner is a bit concerning. I'm not familiar with the book, but I know of it, and I love the idea of a TV series focused on the colonization of Mars. Hopefully they can get their stuff together and make a good show.