sf/f TV development news - 2013

[Christopher]

Re: the state of sf/f TV development for 2012-13

Am I right that this refers to the '80s Linda Hamilton/Ron Perlman series and not the fairy tale?

The CW version is a remake of the 1980s series, while the ABC version is a reimagining of the fairy tale.

Then it's misleading to refer to them as duelling remakes of the same thing. The '80s series only had a title in common with the fairy tale. They weren't even close to being the same story.

 

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

Re: the state of sf/f TV development for 2012-13

Also, there's an error on the list: Year Zero is Trent Reznor's dystopian sci-fi HBO miniseries, while Zero Hour is a series in development at ABC about a mystery surrounding the Twelve Apostles.

 

[bigdaddy]

Re: the state of sf/f TV development for 2012-13

Last Hope, Spurce Code, The Last Resort, and Stranger Plant all sound interesting to me.

 

[Kegg]

Re: the state of sf/f TV development for 2012-13

Also, there's an error on the list: Year Zero is Trent Reznor's dystopian sci-fi HBO miniseries, while Zero Hour is a series in development at ABC about a mystery surrounding the Twelve Apostles.

Year Zero now sounds more interesting to me, even if 'dystopian sci-fi by the guy Kegg chiefly remembers as the fellow who did the music for Quake' is by itself not much of a premise.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Re: the state of sf/f TV development for 2012-13

It's all too mundane for me. I much prefer the Farscape style of science fiction. American Gods is the only show I'm intersted in, and that is solely because of Neil Gaiman.

Now I feel kind of bad for including it, since folks seem to be liking that one. It's the only one I didn't get from The Futon Critic's database as being actively in development for 2012-13 - it's still listed as in development for 2011-12, which can be a sign that it's been passed over. Sorry if I'm getting anyone's hopes up.

A few more that are in development:

666 Park (ABC) - Drama about an innocent couple from the midwest that moves to New York and gets hired to be resident managers of a building on the Upper East Side where unbeknownst to the couple, the residents have all unwittingly made deals with the Devil to have their deepest needs, ambitions and desires fulfilled.

Ex-Comm (ABC) - Follows a newly-elected President and his top secret “Executive Committee” (a.k.a. Ex-Comm), the government’s covert team of America’s most elite minds who investigate and protect our nation from the strangest occurrences and “conspiracy theory truths” out there.

The Magicians (Fox) - An adaptation of the fantasy novel series by Lev Grossman about a group of 20-somethings in New York who study magic and have access to a magical world.

Thanks. The Futon Critic's database is never thorough (though he does a heroic job, I'll give him that. ) 666 Park sounds like it could be fun (although it would be more fun on cable). I can't believe I forgot about Ex-Comm when I just did a thread about it a few days ago.

What's up with ABC, anyway? Are they going for the throw-it-against-the-wall approach? If so, they should try to get a wider range of premises in the mix. I see no point in ordering a dozen shows that all sound the same. How are they going to tell which ones deserve to go to pilot?

Also, there's an error on the list: Year Zero is Trent Reznor's dystopian sci-fi HBO miniseries, while Zero Hour is a series in development at ABC about a mystery surrounding the Twelve Apostles.

Oh thanks! I got those two mixed up. Then Year Zero is yet another show to add to the list. I wondered why Reznor was adding some weird religious angle.

 

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

Re: the state of sf/f TV development for 2012-13

ABC accounts for about half of the SFF shows in development for next season at the broadcast networks. Needless to say, a lot of them won't get past the script stage.

 

[sojourner]

Re: the state of sf/f TV development for 2012-13

Pretty sure I saw an episode of the 90's Outer Limits that was based on Under the Dome.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Re: the state of sf/f TV development for 2012-13

I just wonder what the thought process is behind that. To distinguish a couple dozen scripts from each other, I'd think it would be helpful for them to be on as wide a variety of topics as possible. Space opera, sf/f in historical settings, sf/f comedy, shows about genetic engineering, shows about intelligent robots, shows about dystopian future police states, time travel, virtual reality, anthology series, just go hog wild.

If you're just flailing wildly, why not try everything out? Maybe there's somebody out there who's actually capable of coming up with a workable time travel TV series. If Syfy is experimenting with a TV-video game crossover, why not do your own experiment?

 

[Silvercrest]

Re: the state of sf/f TV development for 2012-13

Cloak & Dagger (ABC Family) - drama based on the Marvel comic of the same name about teen runaways in New York city who develop superpowers - he can engulf enemies in darkness, she can emit daggers of light - after being forced to take experimental drugs.

Not very familiar with the comics characters, and this description of their powers doesn't make them sound very useful or flexible. Still, it would depend on the writing and characterization.

They're more useful and flexible than it sounds. Her daggers consist of "life force", which allows her to stun or kill living opponents by overloading them. She can also infuse the unconscious or dying with additional life force to revive them.

His darkness can blind people, but he can also use it to drain life force from anyone in contact with it. People exposed to it tend to suffer manifestations of their worst fears, whether he drains them or not. It also allows him to teleport.

Still not very interesting characters, though.

Defiance (SyFy) – Rockne O’Bannon is behind this experiment in the “first multi-platform shooter MMO which interconnects with a global television program.” The plotline appears to be pretty much a first-person shooter game, ported to TV.

That sounds profoundly uninteresting to me.

It sounds like the hook for Captain Power.

Last Hope (Showtime) - drama about the last hospital on planet earth.

Post-apocalyptic, I assume.

No, budget cuts.

Wondering about Last Hope. Gonna take some clever writing to explain why no one builds another hospital.

Seriously, that was my first thought as well.

Under the Dome (Showtime) – drama based on Stephen King's novel about locals at a Maine vacation spot who battle one another when a force field suddenly surrounds their town and cuts them off from the rest of the world.

Hey, how about getting DC to co-produce this show and making it about the bottle city of Kandor? I mean, come on, Stephen, we've seen you tackle Maine once or twice before.

Anyone remember The Aladdin Effect?

Haunted (ABC) - drama about a paranormal investigator who each week helps the living move on from a spirit that can't let go.

Didn't Matthew Fox already do this one?

 

[Starbreaker]

Re: the state of sf/f TV development for 2012-13

Cloak & Dagger (ABC Family) - sounds horrible

Defiance (SyFy) – sounds horrible

Hyde (ABC) - sounds horrible

Jeckyll & Hyde (also ABC, how’s that for a split personality?) sounds stupid

Last Hope (Showtime) -eh....

The Last Resort (ABC) - interesting premise... but what is the series about?

Mockingbird (ABC Family) -meh

Pandemic (FOX) - meh

Powers (FX) - meh

Source Code (CBS) - could be interesting. enjoyed the movie.

Stranger Planet (FOX) – could be really stupid

Untitled Frankenstein Project (NBC) - no... just no

Untitled Fun with DNA Project (ABC) - ugh.. no

Untitled Warehouse 13 Spinoff Project (SyFy) - I could get behind some Steampunk

Zero Hour (HBO) – I would watch this

Supernatural/Fantasy/Horror

ABC and CW have dueling Beauty & the Beast remakes in development. - no

American Gods (HBO) – didn't like the novel, but it could make a good TV adaptation

Bewitched (CBS) - no

The Damned (Showtime) - I like Showtime... sure

Haunted (ABC) - nooooooooo

The Munsters (NBC) – no

Pillars of Smoke (NBC) - sounds just vague enough to be interesting

The Seven Wonders (ABC) - could be awesome or stupid

Sleepers (CBS) - old and tired

The Spectre (FOX) - meh...

Under the Dome (Showtime) – love King...

Untitled Ghost Hunters Project (TNT) - meh...

Untitled I See Dead People Project (CBS) - no...

Untitled More Weird Shit in British Columbia Forests Project (TNT) - no...

Untitled Harry Potter for Grownups Project (ABC) - maybe...

Wasteland (TNT) - maybe... probably not

The Watchers (ABC) - stupid

Wicked Good (ABC) - sounds horrible

 

[James Cole]

Re: the state of sf/f TV development for 2012-13

Didn't see this one mentioned yet that Deadline reported on from Michele Fazekas & Tara Butters (Reaper, Dollhouse).

At the CW, ICM-repped Fazekas and Butters have an untitled Alien Bounty Hunter project, about a young woman who, on the first day of her new job, discovers that the cosmetics company for which she is working is actually a cover business for a secret governmental project that monitors alien activity on Earth. With its high-concept and a supernatural theme, the project is reminiscent of the duo’s cult CW dramedy Reaper, which was produced by ABC Studios. It also reunites several key Reaper auspices: creators/showrunners Fazekas and Butters; CW president Mark Pedowitz, who oversaw the series as president of ABC Studios; and CW’s EVP development Thom Sherman, who developed the show at the CW.

 

[Greg Cox]

Re: the state of sf/f TV development for 2012-13

Isn't DEADMAN in development too?

(I can't believe we live in an era in which both Deadman and the Spectre have tv deals. Somewhere the Phantom Stranger is phoning his agent . . . .)

 

[Vendikarr]

Re: the state of sf/f TV development for 2012-13

(I can't believe we live in an era in which both Deadman and the Spectre have tv deals. Somewhere the Phantom Stranger is phoning his agent . . . .)

Which would make a funny short on Adult Swim.

 

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

Re: the state of sf/f TV development for 2012-13

Isn't DEADMAN in development too?

Yeah, it's in development at the CW. I didn't notice it missing from the OP's list.

 

[jefferiestubes8]

SyFy development

SyFy has a project in development of interest:
The Adjustment Bureau adaptation to series in development for SyFy

the use of portals being the scifi plot device.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Re: the state of sf/f TV development for 2012-13

Thanks, everyone, keep em coming! I'll create an updated master list, because, I dunno, it's fun.

Deadman actually is listed at The Futon Critic, I just overlooked it.

small screen take on the dc Comics hero, the spirit of a murdered man who lives on as he inhabits other people's bodies and helps them solve crises in their own live

 

[Christopher]

Re: the state of sf/f TV development for 2012-13

So between Deadman and Source Code, that's two projects in development that are probably being pitched via comparisons to Quantum Leap.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Re: the state of sf/f TV development for 2012-13

The total now stands at 20 for Sci Fi and 21 for Fantasy/Supernatural/Horror.

 

[USS Kongo]

Re: the state of sf/f TV development for 2012-13

I really enjoyed the Source Code film, but I'm afraid they'll just water down (and ruin) the concept for TV. Everything else on that list is just "meh" for me. I sorely miss space-based SF shows, as well.

Sean

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Re: the state of sf/f TV development for 2012-13

Source Code was an excellent movie. I'll watch the series pilot, but I'm not hopeful.