More at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/jun/12/salman-rushdie-write-tv-drama
Interesting development and the article also covers some of his views on TV vs movies vs novel.
Salman Rushdie to pen Sci-fi TV show
- Thread starter JoeZhang
- Start date
More at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/jun/12/salman-rushdie-write-tv-drama
Interesting development and the article also covers some of his views on TV vs movies vs novel.
I've been wondering when Showtime would do another sci fi series. They are part of CBS, which holds the rights to a little franchise called "Star Trek," hint hint. Maybe if Rushdie's show is successful (and it certainly sounds intriguing - put The Wire, The Sopranos and Mad Men in a sci fi blender and hit puree), Showtime will see the value in expanding their sf/f programming.
As for Rushdie's comments, serialized TV certainly has a lot of the same compelling aspects as novels, but I don't plan to give up reading anytime soon.
But since Rushdie is a writer, he is absolutely right to stick with TV, which is writer-dominated, and not bother with movies, where even a famous writer will be lower on the food chain.
As for Rushdie's comments, serialized TV certainly has a lot of the same compelling aspects as novels, but I don't plan to give up reading anytime soon.
But since Rushdie is a writer, he is absolutely right to stick with TV, which is writer-dominated, and not bother with movies, where even a famous writer will be lower on the food chain.
Well, as I've observed in other threads, a Showtime return to the genre wouldn't be something like Stargate (or a similarly named property).
If you want to follow the HBO model of cable drama, then it's going to be a HBO-type TV show.
Now that doesn't actually mean they'd liberally name drop HBO and HBO-style cable dramas as an influence -
Nevermind...
Anyway, I've never read any Rushdie so I have no idea how interested I should be about this news, though it sounds good enough. The vague premise he hints at -
Sounds a little like Invasion of the Body Snatchers: The Series. Which I guess could work.
They wouldn't make Stargate like they made it originally, and certainly not as it's degenerated into pap (pop pap?
) under Skiffy's regime.But I can envision both Stargate and Star Trek made as HBO or Showtime type shows. They would be more intensely serialized, more character based, deal with tougher scenarios without the tendency to rush right to an easy, simplistic happy ending, and would have no reservations about sex and violence if it were a necessary part of the story (but would feel no need include such things "just because we can.")
Instead of frak frak frak, we'd get real swear words, at least on Stargate. Star Trek people are too evolved for anything grittier than "double dumb-ass on you."
Basically, they'd follow more in the BSG mold. There would be no need to make the characters quite that dastardly, but what I mean is that kind of grown-up sensibility.
Will it be offensive to Muslims?
Infidels: The Next Generation, showing the adventures of Cpt Benedict XIII on the USS Papal City.
Any Muslims who would be offended by Rushdie are going to be pretty offended by the soft-core porn that Showtime airs, so I don't figure them for subscribers.
Given the plot description and that it will be on Showtime I suggest they title this Snatch.
Judging by reports of the last days of the 9/11 guys and bin Laden they probably do watch and then will still be offended.
Any Muslims who would be offended by Rushdie are going to be pretty offended by the soft-core porn that Showtime airs, so I don't figure them for subscribers.
Judging by reports of the last days of the 9/11 guys and bin Laden they probably do watch and then will still be offended.
Any Muslims who would be offended by Rushdie are going to be pretty offended by the soft-core porn that Showtime airs, so I don't figure them for subscribers.
Erm.... you realize Rushdie wrote a book in the 80s that pretty much pissed off the entire Muslim world and caused him to have to go into hiding to prevent himself from being killed, right?
Iranian religious fundamentalists =/= the entire Muslim world
Any Muslims who would be offended by Rushdie are going to be pretty offended by the soft-core porn that Showtime airs, so I don't figure them for subscribers.
Erm.... you realize Rushdie wrote a book in the 80s that pretty much pissed off the entire Muslim world and caused him to have to go into hiding to prevent himself from being killed, right?
Didn't they try that with Stargate: Universe? Not that I was actually watching.
I suppose I could see a space opera TV series in the HBO/BSG mold, but I'd doubt it'd use either the Star Trek or Stargate brand names. Star Trek's got the crowd-pleasing (and PG) film franchise well under way, and I don't know if Showtime still has rights to Stargate anymore.
More likely, in the less than likely scenario I see that going forward, probably an adaption of some book series.
Any Muslims who would be offended by Rushdie are going to be pretty offended by the soft-core porn that Showtime airs, so I don't figure them for subscribers.
Erm.... you realize Rushdie wrote a book in the 80s that pretty much pissed off the entire Muslim world and caused him to have to go into hiding to prevent himself from being killed, right?
Yeah I heard about that. I was joking around about the notion that anyone with those sensibilites would be subscribing to a channel like Showtime. Or admit to it.
Yeah, they tried and fell waaay short of the mark. I figure Showtime and Salman Rushdie might have a better chance of actually pulling off a groundbreaking, original, grownup, etc sort of show. The Stargate producers & writers never displayed much interest or ability doing anything much beyond the expected sort of action-based fodder, so I was less than astonished when they conclusively demonstrated that they never had the ability to do more. I'd known for years they were nothing more than a bunch of hacks. MGM needs to reboot the whole franchise with a new, better creative team.
The movies are Paramount's baby. If CBS wants to get in on the action, they have to put it on TV. Star Trek is a known brand name, which makes it far more attractive to Hollywood than any newly invented name. That's why every other movie and TV show seems to be a remake or sequel nowadays.
This sounds terrific. They're certainly going for some pretty big literary guns on this thing. At the very least it ought to be interesting.