Just a little curious about which sites you are interested in news from at the KryptonSite Network Twitter feed. I'm assuming that most of you are there primarily for Smallville/KryptonSite updates, though I'm hopeful there's more you're looking for information about :)
Either way, if you could take the time to answer this poll, I'd appreciate it.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Advance Review: V Episode #4 "It's Only The Beginning"
At VisitorSite.net I've posted my review for "It's Only The Beginning," the November 24 "2009 finale" episode of V.
It definitely doesn't look like it'll be the last one. But, for some mostly non-spoilery thoughts, check out the review and spread the word!
It definitely doesn't look like it'll be the last one. But, for some mostly non-spoilery thoughts, check out the review and spread the word!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
More From Roland Emmerich On The 2012 TV Series
The Huffington Post has posted a new interview with producer Roland Emmerich where he talks a bit more about the prospect of a TV spin-off for 2012.
Here are some relevant highlights:
Q: Well, speaking of sequels, the word is that you're interested in making a TV show called 2013.RE: Well, that's different because that's something like Lost, which has a totally different feel to it. It's more a little bit of District 9. These ships show up in Africa, there are some survivors and they're not happy people because they were left behind. Now how do you start off a new society? That has nearly no visual effects. It's all about characters and what will the future bring, hold for us.
Q: 2013 is going to happen pretty soon after this movie comes out. Do you have any actors or places in mind?
RE: No. We just made a deal with ABC, and we're very happy about that. I'm already discussing with the people who write it, and tried to help them with what this could be.
The original idea is from Harald, me and Mark Worden [this is actually a typo- he means "Mark Gordon"]. Mark is big on TV. Harald and I had an idea that everyone should do a TV show, because there were a lot of things that we couldn't incorporate into 2012 and it was so interesting.
What happens after all of this? We couldn't be riding the script. We had to end it at one point. We left at where they just discovered Africa is still existing and has risen a couple thousand feet, but that's it. And we ended on a really, really small note about a little girl who overcame her fear in a way. It's a very small way, which is very important and ends in something very personal.
I think a sequel is silly. There are certain sequels that work for me. But to make a sequel for a disaster movie, the people would expect a certain kind of visual effects. But [for 2012] there would actually be only what's happening between people, and that you can do a TV show week after week.
You can read the full article here.
Considering the ending of the movie [spoiler warning], would 2013 really be an appropriate title? Of course, Day One is already taken...
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
The CW Reactivates The Global Frequency
Global Frequency, the fantastic comic book mini-series by Warren Ellis, was first done as a TV series pilot by Leverage showrunner John Rogers back in 2005. It was hoped that it would go to series, but unfortunately, a change in executives at The WB network pushed the project out the door.
The pilot eventually leaked online to almost unanimously positive reviews. In it, Michelle Forbes played the enigmatic Miranda Zero.
Now, The CW has apparently ordered a script for a new Global Frequency TV project, four years after the original project died. It's definitely quite different from the other shows the network has in development - and it could make a good Friday night pairing with Smallville as both shows would probably skew male rather than the usual female-targeted programming on other nights.
You can read more about Global Frequency - and the general concept behind the show - at Frequencysite.com - one of the first sites ever created for the KryptonSite Network, now back in action!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Remaking The Un-remake-able
The recent passing of Equalizer star Edward Woodward got me to thinking about those TV show concepts that were created reviving classic television mainstays for a modern audience with new actors, and how the concept rarely if ever works. It also got me to thinking about some of the projects that are in the pipeline from the major TV networks. Some of this is also inspired by the reaction some had to my recent column where I predicted that some network "genius" will try to bring back The X-Files someday. (Hi, Mariko.)
Anyhow, the trend has become almost predictable: A TV studio finds out they have the rights to a popular concept and feels the urge to "reimagine" it for a new audience. Though unlike ensemble pieces like V or Battlestar Galactica, a series focusing on just one lead rarely flies in re-make land. Here are some examples:
The Bionic Woman - Although Michelle Ryan has since impressed on Merlin or Doctor Who, the top feeling you had when watching this short-lived ABC remake is "she's no Lindsay Wagner." The fact that the show also wasn't very good might've also hurt.
Night Stalker - ABC tried reviving Kolchak: The Night Stalker with Stuart Townsend, but unlike the Bionic reimiagining, this one was actually good. Some of the plots were very X-Files-like, but at the end of the day, audiences are probably more used to their Carl Kolchak being an older, slightly crotchety type. Carl Kolchak should not be "hot." Although cashing in on a known quantity often gets a show a lot of publicity before a program airs, this show might have had a better chance if it had no comparison to something that was so well-loved before.
Kojak - I don't think audience racism (the possibility of not accepting a Black actor as Kojak) hurt the USA Network's revival - the biggest thing getting in the way was that people had something in their mind for what Kojak is, and for a lot of those people, it's Telly Savalas. I never saw this show either way, so I can't say if it was any good or not.
---
For Fall 2010, NBC is developing a revival of The Rockford Files and House's David Shore is producing it. While it's great to have someone of such talent behind it, it's also worrisome, as the main character of Jim Rockford owed a lot to the actor that played him, James Garner.
I can't really think of anyone else as Rockford, if they are indeed totally redoing it, no matter how talented the people behind and in front of the camera may be. I'll be watching curiously, and who knows - I may like it! - but like the whole Bionic Woman thing, I don't know who could top the original.
Over on CBS, the producers of Fringe are bringing back Hawaii Five-O as a sequel to the original series rather than a remake. I actually think this one might work, if it's done well. Maybe while they're at it they can find out if the Five-O pilot that was allegedly produced around 1998 or so actually exists.
But then again... will people respond to a new CBS procedural that's not part of a current franchise? A few years back, Dick Wolf did Dragnet for NBC, and audiences yawned, despite having a great cast. Could Five-O meet the same fate?
Your thoughts are welcome. And if it's not clear, for the most part I love TV series revivals when they're done right, perhaps because they resonate with nostalgia for me in some ways.
Anyhow, the trend has become almost predictable: A TV studio finds out they have the rights to a popular concept and feels the urge to "reimagine" it for a new audience. Though unlike ensemble pieces like V or Battlestar Galactica, a series focusing on just one lead rarely flies in re-make land. Here are some examples:
The Bionic Woman - Although Michelle Ryan has since impressed on Merlin or Doctor Who, the top feeling you had when watching this short-lived ABC remake is "she's no Lindsay Wagner." The fact that the show also wasn't very good might've also hurt.
Night Stalker - ABC tried reviving Kolchak: The Night Stalker with Stuart Townsend, but unlike the Bionic reimiagining, this one was actually good. Some of the plots were very X-Files-like, but at the end of the day, audiences are probably more used to their Carl Kolchak being an older, slightly crotchety type. Carl Kolchak should not be "hot." Although cashing in on a known quantity often gets a show a lot of publicity before a program airs, this show might have had a better chance if it had no comparison to something that was so well-loved before.
Kojak - I don't think audience racism (the possibility of not accepting a Black actor as Kojak) hurt the USA Network's revival - the biggest thing getting in the way was that people had something in their mind for what Kojak is, and for a lot of those people, it's Telly Savalas. I never saw this show either way, so I can't say if it was any good or not.
---
For Fall 2010, NBC is developing a revival of The Rockford Files and House's David Shore is producing it. While it's great to have someone of such talent behind it, it's also worrisome, as the main character of Jim Rockford owed a lot to the actor that played him, James Garner.
I can't really think of anyone else as Rockford, if they are indeed totally redoing it, no matter how talented the people behind and in front of the camera may be. I'll be watching curiously, and who knows - I may like it! - but like the whole Bionic Woman thing, I don't know who could top the original.
Over on CBS, the producers of Fringe are bringing back Hawaii Five-O as a sequel to the original series rather than a remake. I actually think this one might work, if it's done well. Maybe while they're at it they can find out if the Five-O pilot that was allegedly produced around 1998 or so actually exists.
But then again... will people respond to a new CBS procedural that's not part of a current franchise? A few years back, Dick Wolf did Dragnet for NBC, and audiences yawned, despite having a great cast. Could Five-O meet the same fate?
Your thoughts are welcome. And if it's not clear, for the most part I love TV series revivals when they're done right, perhaps because they resonate with nostalgia for me in some ways.
More On The 2012 TV Series
Producer Roland Emmerich said a bit more about the proposed 2012 sequel television series with MTV News.
Here's a video clip:
I may be in the minority here, but I enjoyed 2012 and would be very curious to see what happens next with a new civilization.
In other news, the FX cable channel has bought the rights to air the movie 2012 in 2012. Some media outlets have erroneously said FX has picked up the series, though that doesn't appear to be the case - at least not yet.
Here's a video clip:
I may be in the minority here, but I enjoyed 2012 and would be very curious to see what happens next with a new civilization.
In other news, the FX cable channel has bought the rights to air the movie 2012 in 2012. Some media outlets have erroneously said FX has picked up the series, though that doesn't appear to be the case - at least not yet.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Six TV Series Revivals I'd Love To See
With the recent announcement that Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles developer Josh Friedman is developing a Charlie's Angels remake for ABC Studios, so soon after the network's recent big launch of V, it got me thinking about some other TV "classics" that I think might work with a revival.
Bringing back an old series is often a slippery slope - comparisons to the source material are always going to come into play, and in a case like, say, Bionic Woman, where your leading lady is no Lindsay Wagner and the concept is far more complicated than it has to be, it can be trouble. V seems to have done well by having its own unique but familiar take on the Visitors; Battlestar Galactica also ran with its original source material and created something of its own. NBC's failed Knight Rider had issues, too, not realizing that a big reason why the original series worked was the interplay between David Hasselhoff's Michael Knight and the car, KITT, ably voiced by William Daniels, who gave the car a life of its own. Instead, they gave us characters with more issues than we needed to care about, a KITT that didn't seem to be as cool as the original model of 25 years ago, and supporting characters who were meant to be "funny" but came off more on the side of "annoying."
With that said... here are six series or concepts that I think could be just as fresh today, if done right. I don't expect everyone to agree with my choices, but I would love to hear some feedback in the comments section here. Here's that list.
#1. Dallas
Dallas premiered in 1978 and lasted until 1991, covering the entire 80's and being very representative of the riches and greed that many associate with that decade. The show gave us one of TV's best villains, J.R. Ewing, and also popularized the "season finale cliffhangers" that we still get on TV today.
In the late 1990's, CBS aired the first of two reunion TV-movies for the series, J.R. Returns. The movie was quite successful, and one of my favorite aspects of the movie was that the sons of J.R. and Bobby - John Ross and Christopher - were now becoming adults with good (or bad) habits of their own. Unfortunately the "younger generation" was completely forgotten by the time CBS aired the second reunion movie, War of the Ewings, and it's a shame -- Dallas is a concept that has always been generational. The feud between the Ewings and the Barnes family started with the "older generation" of Jock Ewing and Digger Barnes, continued to their sons, and it'd be really interesting to see what the third generation would do. The fact that the oil industry isn't very revered these days would also put a VERY different spin on the concept.
Allegedly, a new Dallas series or pilot exploring that "next generation" is in development for the TNT cable network. However, the lack of mainstream press on this project makes me wonder if this is just a rumor or a pipe dream. If it happens, though, I would watch every week. Concepts like 90210 and especially Melrose Place are very shaky to do a revival or a sequel series in the same continuity - but in this case, because the series had always been generational, I think this would work.
#2. 21 Jump Street
So The CW likes mining FOX hits to get their teen demographic. That much is pretty clear. So why hasn't anyone tried to revive 21 Jump Street for TV already?
21 Jump Street was one of FOX's first hits, especially among the teen demographics, and among other things it featured a young actor named Johnny Depp among its cast. The concept was pretty straightforward - young-looking cops go undercover, usually into a high school, to solve crimes that also involve young people. The CW already likes hiring 30 year olds to play high schoolers (hello, Teddy from 90210) so a series like this seems like it'd be a no-brainer. I think The CW's target audience would love it. And even better... most viewers under 25 have never even heard of or seen the original series, which would prevent people from making unfair comparisons.
#3. The X-Files
Blasphemy, you say. But I can guarantee that sometime in the next 15 years, some TV executive is going to think bringing The X-Files back to TV is a good idea. We've seen how well TV audiences reacted to X-Files substitutes like Doggett and Reyes, and ultimately it wasn't too pretty, but still... could the Powers That Be resist? I doubt it.
Though it's almost too bad that there is no X-Files on TV by 2012. Weren't there some prophecies in the original series having to do with that year? Either way, with the right casting, and the right creative people, I think I could actually get behind that and like it.
#4. Faith the Vampire Slayer
Vampires are hot right now. Eliza Dushku doesn't have a job anymore. Need I say more? (I count this since it would technically be a revival of Buffy).
#5. The Dukes of Hazzard
This is probably the most mockable choice on my list. Full disclosure: The Dukes of Hazzard was the first "favorite TV show" I ever had. What appealed to me about it then (and still appeals to me now) was the whole "right vs. wrong, Hatfields vs. McCoys" type feel to it, with characters who may have fought, but ultimately, the show was about family. There was adventure, there were fast cars, and there was Rosco chasing them and falling into a ditch.
The Dukes also might be one of the most difficult series to revive, either as a sequel or as a remake, mostly because we saw how bad it was when the two leads were replaced in 1982, and then we saw how it was even worse with the two craptacular movies that came out in this past decade. But remembering the core concept of family - and the fact that the Dukes is about car chases and not a constant flow of sex jokes - and they might be onto something. Get two good looking guys as the leads and a girl who looks good in short shorts, and a sheriff who's actually funny, and it'd work. Involve original cast members and it'd be even better. But would the audience of 2010 be interested? Possibly not. I know I'd watch, if it was done right.
#6. The Love Boat
UPN tried this in 1998 with The Love Boat: The Next Wave, which, despite having a great cast (including Robert Urich and Smallville's Phil Morris!), was kind of lost at sea. There were probably a number of factors against it - not just the fact that it was on UPN; the awful truth is that the D-list guest stars they got on just weren't interesting enough.
Where was Charo, for example? And what a lot of people forget is, although The Love Boat seemed to be a depository for washed-up actors... a lot of the stars they had on that show were still appearing on popular series at the times they took their cruise. They had folks like Sherman Hemsley, Robert Reed, Jaclyn Smith, Suzanne Somers, Marion Ross... and all at the peaks of their careers.
Now, look at the success of shows like Dancing With The Stars or even VH1's Celebreality line-up. A lot of people now love to think "whatever happened to?" Now, wouldn't you like to see your favorite actors... on a cruise? No?
Well, I would. It's just cheesy enough that it'd be easy guilty pleasure TV for me. Bonus if they did episodes that paired up classic TV couples like, say, Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher, as different characters for episodes.
Honorable Mention: CHiPs
TNT tried a remake with a TV-movie in 1999 and I really enjoyed it. But would people enjoy a light-hearted show about two members of the California Highway Patrol today? I don't know. I'm not counting it among my six, either, because I believe there's a movie in development starring Wilmer Valderrama... and my Spidey senses predict that it's going to be stupid.
----
Anyhow, what are your thoughts? Leave them in the comments!
Bringing back an old series is often a slippery slope - comparisons to the source material are always going to come into play, and in a case like, say, Bionic Woman, where your leading lady is no Lindsay Wagner and the concept is far more complicated than it has to be, it can be trouble. V seems to have done well by having its own unique but familiar take on the Visitors; Battlestar Galactica also ran with its original source material and created something of its own. NBC's failed Knight Rider had issues, too, not realizing that a big reason why the original series worked was the interplay between David Hasselhoff's Michael Knight and the car, KITT, ably voiced by William Daniels, who gave the car a life of its own. Instead, they gave us characters with more issues than we needed to care about, a KITT that didn't seem to be as cool as the original model of 25 years ago, and supporting characters who were meant to be "funny" but came off more on the side of "annoying."
With that said... here are six series or concepts that I think could be just as fresh today, if done right. I don't expect everyone to agree with my choices, but I would love to hear some feedback in the comments section here. Here's that list.
#1. Dallas
Dallas premiered in 1978 and lasted until 1991, covering the entire 80's and being very representative of the riches and greed that many associate with that decade. The show gave us one of TV's best villains, J.R. Ewing, and also popularized the "season finale cliffhangers" that we still get on TV today.
In the late 1990's, CBS aired the first of two reunion TV-movies for the series, J.R. Returns. The movie was quite successful, and one of my favorite aspects of the movie was that the sons of J.R. and Bobby - John Ross and Christopher - were now becoming adults with good (or bad) habits of their own. Unfortunately the "younger generation" was completely forgotten by the time CBS aired the second reunion movie, War of the Ewings, and it's a shame -- Dallas is a concept that has always been generational. The feud between the Ewings and the Barnes family started with the "older generation" of Jock Ewing and Digger Barnes, continued to their sons, and it'd be really interesting to see what the third generation would do. The fact that the oil industry isn't very revered these days would also put a VERY different spin on the concept.
Allegedly, a new Dallas series or pilot exploring that "next generation" is in development for the TNT cable network. However, the lack of mainstream press on this project makes me wonder if this is just a rumor or a pipe dream. If it happens, though, I would watch every week. Concepts like 90210 and especially Melrose Place are very shaky to do a revival or a sequel series in the same continuity - but in this case, because the series had always been generational, I think this would work.
#2. 21 Jump Street
So The CW likes mining FOX hits to get their teen demographic. That much is pretty clear. So why hasn't anyone tried to revive 21 Jump Street for TV already?
21 Jump Street was one of FOX's first hits, especially among the teen demographics, and among other things it featured a young actor named Johnny Depp among its cast. The concept was pretty straightforward - young-looking cops go undercover, usually into a high school, to solve crimes that also involve young people. The CW already likes hiring 30 year olds to play high schoolers (hello, Teddy from 90210) so a series like this seems like it'd be a no-brainer. I think The CW's target audience would love it. And even better... most viewers under 25 have never even heard of or seen the original series, which would prevent people from making unfair comparisons.
#3. The X-Files
Blasphemy, you say. But I can guarantee that sometime in the next 15 years, some TV executive is going to think bringing The X-Files back to TV is a good idea. We've seen how well TV audiences reacted to X-Files substitutes like Doggett and Reyes, and ultimately it wasn't too pretty, but still... could the Powers That Be resist? I doubt it.
Though it's almost too bad that there is no X-Files on TV by 2012. Weren't there some prophecies in the original series having to do with that year? Either way, with the right casting, and the right creative people, I think I could actually get behind that and like it.
#4. Faith the Vampire Slayer
Vampires are hot right now. Eliza Dushku doesn't have a job anymore. Need I say more? (I count this since it would technically be a revival of Buffy).
#5. The Dukes of Hazzard
This is probably the most mockable choice on my list. Full disclosure: The Dukes of Hazzard was the first "favorite TV show" I ever had. What appealed to me about it then (and still appeals to me now) was the whole "right vs. wrong, Hatfields vs. McCoys" type feel to it, with characters who may have fought, but ultimately, the show was about family. There was adventure, there were fast cars, and there was Rosco chasing them and falling into a ditch.
The Dukes also might be one of the most difficult series to revive, either as a sequel or as a remake, mostly because we saw how bad it was when the two leads were replaced in 1982, and then we saw how it was even worse with the two craptacular movies that came out in this past decade. But remembering the core concept of family - and the fact that the Dukes is about car chases and not a constant flow of sex jokes - and they might be onto something. Get two good looking guys as the leads and a girl who looks good in short shorts, and a sheriff who's actually funny, and it'd work. Involve original cast members and it'd be even better. But would the audience of 2010 be interested? Possibly not. I know I'd watch, if it was done right.
#6. The Love Boat
UPN tried this in 1998 with The Love Boat: The Next Wave, which, despite having a great cast (including Robert Urich and Smallville's Phil Morris!), was kind of lost at sea. There were probably a number of factors against it - not just the fact that it was on UPN; the awful truth is that the D-list guest stars they got on just weren't interesting enough.
Where was Charo, for example? And what a lot of people forget is, although The Love Boat seemed to be a depository for washed-up actors... a lot of the stars they had on that show were still appearing on popular series at the times they took their cruise. They had folks like Sherman Hemsley, Robert Reed, Jaclyn Smith, Suzanne Somers, Marion Ross... and all at the peaks of their careers.
Now, look at the success of shows like Dancing With The Stars or even VH1's Celebreality line-up. A lot of people now love to think "whatever happened to?" Now, wouldn't you like to see your favorite actors... on a cruise? No?
Well, I would. It's just cheesy enough that it'd be easy guilty pleasure TV for me. Bonus if they did episodes that paired up classic TV couples like, say, Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher, as different characters for episodes.
Honorable Mention: CHiPs
TNT tried a remake with a TV-movie in 1999 and I really enjoyed it. But would people enjoy a light-hearted show about two members of the California Highway Patrol today? I don't know. I'm not counting it among my six, either, because I believe there's a movie in development starring Wilmer Valderrama... and my Spidey senses predict that it's going to be stupid.
----
Anyhow, what are your thoughts? Leave them in the comments!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
KryptonSite Network Favorites Up For People's Choice Awards
Decisions, decisions.
This year's nominees for the People's Choice Awards are now up for voting, and several KryptonSite Network favorites are nominated.
These include:
Zachary Quinto (Heroes, Star Trek) for Favorite Breakout Movie Actor
Both V and Vampire Diaries for Favorite New TV Drama
Glee for Favorite New TV Comedy
Vote now and show your support!
This year's nominees for the People's Choice Awards are now up for voting, and several KryptonSite Network favorites are nominated.
These include:
Zachary Quinto (Heroes, Star Trek) for Favorite Breakout Movie Actor
Both V and Vampire Diaries for Favorite New TV Drama
Glee for Favorite New TV Comedy
Vote now and show your support!
Two Minutes From Tonight's V
ABC has released two minutes from tonight's episode of V.
Check it out below, and be sure to swing by KryptonSite's V portal, VisitorSite.net!
Check it out below, and be sure to swing by KryptonSite's V portal, VisitorSite.net!
Monday, November 9, 2009
New Smallville Titles Posted On KryptonSite
On KryptonSite, we've just posted the titles for the 13th and 14th episodes of Smallville Season 9.
Episode #9.13 will be titled "Hubris," and Episode #9.14 is titled "Conspiracy."
http://www.kryptonsite.com/smallvillespoilers.htm
(Now let's see how long before our favorite content thief posts THAT as their own news without credit!)
Episode #9.13 will be titled "Hubris," and Episode #9.14 is titled "Conspiracy."
http://www.kryptonsite.com/smallvillespoilers.htm
(Now let's see how long before our favorite content thief posts THAT as their own news without credit!)
Thursday, November 5, 2009
2012: The Television Series?
The movie 2012 doesn't come out until November 13, but that hasn't stopped one of the movie's producers from speaking to Entertainment Weekly about a possible television spin-off.
Titled 2013, such a television series would explore what happens after the end of the world. Possible spoilers below from the EW article...
What do you think? Yea? Nay? Take it to the comments here, or talk about it on the KryptonSite Forum.
Titled 2013, such a television series would explore what happens after the end of the world. Possible spoilers below from the EW article...
“The plan is that it is 2013 and it’s about what happens after the disaster,” Emmerich told EW while walking the red carpet for the 2012 premiere Tuesday. “It is about the resettling of Earth. That is very, very fascinating. (2012 writer/producer) Harald Kloser and I came up with the idea and we have the luxury of having a producer on the film who is a big TV producer, Mark Gordon. We said to Mark, ‘Why don’t you do a TV show that picks up where the movie leaves off and call it 2013?’ I think it will focus on a group of people who survived but not on the boats … maybe they were on a piece of land that was spared or one that became an island in the process of the crust moving. There are so many possibilities of what they could do and I’d be excited to watch it.”Such a big series comes on the heels of the recent huge successful launch of V. ABC's other genre series, Flashforward, has also done fairly well although it has fallen a little bit in ratings in recent weeks.
What do you think? Yea? Nay? Take it to the comments here, or talk about it on the KryptonSite Forum.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Exclusive Interview: Laura Vandervoort Talks V And A Smallville Return
V premieres on ABC on November 3, and to promote the big premiere, the KryptonSite Network's VisitorSite.net conducted an interview with Laura Vandervoort, who talks about her role of "Lisa" on V, the possibility of a Smallville return, and more.
Read the interview at VisitorSite.net!
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