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View Full Version : SCI FI Channel Doubles Dramatic Series Development........GRRRRRR


AyuRocks
03-31-2003, 07:27 PM
Press Release Source: SCI FI Channel

SCI FI Channel Doubles Dramatic Series Development
Monday March 31, 5:10 pm ET

NEW YORK, March 31 /PRNewswire/ -- SCI FI Channel, already a leader in original dramatic series in cable, announced today that it has doubled its series development for '04-'05. The ambitious new programming slate broadens the reach of the Channel by traveling through the varied universes of comic book publishing, celebrity producers and A-list writers -- as well as the ever-expanding cosmos of SCI FI's successful Stargate franchise. Projects include:

Dead Lawyers -- DreamWorks Television (Taken) produces this one-hour series with a deliciously judicious concept. Sleazy unscrupulous lawyers, in order to redeem themselves, come back from the dead to defend everyone they screwed when they were alive -- and it's all pro bono! When hotshot defense attorney Jimmy Quinn is run over by a bus, he finds himself in his own version of hell: a law firm on earth composed of other dead lawyers, all trying to right miscarriages of justice in order to redeem themselves. Executive produced by The Zanuck Company and DreamWorks Television. Distributed by USACE. Story by Christopher Murphey and Andy Lieberman. Script by Murphey.

The Divide -- What if the weirdest trio you could imagine -- a latenight DJ, his dead twin sister, and the local coroner -- teamed up to fight crime? In this new mystery series, a knowingly bogus late-night radio psychic discovers his abilities are real when visited by the ghost of his twin sister. Together with the aid of the local female coroner, they put together the missing pieces of unsolved crimes. A little supernatural vision from beyond the grave mixed with forensic science here on earth -- a perfect recipe for solving the intriguing mysteries of the dead and the living! Produced for SCI FI by Lions Gate, the production company behind USA Network's hit show The Dead Zone, executive produced by Stan Brooks and written by Frank Military and Dean White.

Legion -- Whoopi Goldberg, Stephen Garrett and Jane Featherstone executive produce this series about a young man who sells his soul to the devil to save his daughter's life. He soon discovers the price he has paid is higher than he thought possible. He must leave his family -- and wander the world with the terrifying ability to recognize other demonically possessed souls. Our hero begins an action-packed adventure to destroy the minions of darkness, and perhaps free himself from eternal damnation. Produced by Kudos Film & Television, Ltd., Whoop, Inc. and Tom Leonardis, written by Tony Jordan, and distributed by USACE.

Stargate: Atlantis -- A whole new adventure with a new team begins in the successful Stargate universe. In this spin-off from MGM Worldwide Television, a secret base left by the originators of the Stargate is found in the most unlikely of places-on Earth buried within the ruins of the legendary civilization Atlantis. The implications of this discovery lead the team to a distant universe, where they find a primitive human civilization threatened by a sinister new enemy.

Painkiller Jane (in development, 2-hour backdoor pilot) -- Based on the Event Comics series, SCI FI and MGM Worldwide Television once again partner, this time to bring to life a virtually indestructible super-heroine for the new millennium, Painkiller Jane. This action-hero series is based on a young marine officer, Jane Browning, who is exposed to a biochemical weapon that changes her genetically, endowing her with incredible self-healing powers. She becomes an ultra-covert agent fighting crime while struggling to remain free from those who would now use her gifts for sinister purposes. Written by John Harrison (writer/director SCI FI's Frank Herbert's Dune & writer/co-producer Children of Dune) and Don Opper. Harrison, Opper and Greg Gold are attached as executive producers. Harrison will direct.

Clive Barker's The Evil One -- Created for SCI FI from the visionary mind of Clive Barker (Wishmaster, Lord of Illusion, Hellraiser, Candyman) comes a new exploration in thriller fiction. It's not always easy being the bad guy -- and, frankly, it's hard to get truly evil help these days. Told from the perspective of an evil demon, this new series from Barker turns traditional narrative on its ear -- where each week, the forces of good and evil do battle. However, in this weekly series, the Anti-Hero often wins ... Produced by Seraphim, Inc. Executive produced by Clive Barker. Format by Barker. Distributed by USA Cable Entertainment.

Total Eclipse -- Jeremy Cross arrives at his new teaching and research position at Greylock, a beautiful and prestigious college, only to discover that the school is a nexus of the otherworldly, arcane, and supernatural. As if tenure wasn't hard enough to get, the faculty's IQ goes up every year, intelligent wolves roam the forests, and the research covers time travel, extrasensory perception, and anything else on the edge of science. Distributed by USACE. Executive produced and written by Steve Aspis.

Suture Girl -- Developed from the Gretchen Culver character in the incredibly popular "Spawn" comic book series, this action series features an extraordinary heroine. After being violently murdered by a serial killer, a beautiful former advertising executive is literally stitched back to life and imbued with special powers by a mysterious gypsy woman. Now, living amongst her new family in the gypsy community, Suture -- still curiously beautiful -- is a voice for the oppressed and a court of last resort, as she fearlessly fights evil with the help of a handsome crusading lawyer. Written by Alan McElroy ("Spawn," "Ecks vs. Sever"), the back-door pilot will be executive produced for SCI FI by Fireworks Entertainment and Edmonds Entertainment's CEO/President Tracey E. Edmonda, Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, and Edmonds Entertainment's head of television Sheila Ducksworth. McFarlane will also serve as a producer.

Previously announced series projects currently in development include Quantum Leap, Anonymous Rex, Reveille's 1000 Days and Brother Voodoo.

SCI FI Channel transmits fantastic images to 80 million human homes. Launched in 1992, SCI FI features a continuous stream of cinematic hits, new and original series, and special events, as well as classic sci-fi, fantasy, and horror programming. Check out SCIFI.COM®, the SCI FI Channel's award-winning Web site, at www.scifi.com. SCI FI Channel is a program service of Universal Television Networks, part of the Universal Television Group (www.universalstudios.com), a division of Vivendi Universal Entertainment (VUE), the U.S.-based film, television and recreation entity of Vivendi Universal, a global media and communications company.


Ashley

Evie
03-31-2003, 08:54 PM
*screams*

Twich
03-31-2003, 09:20 PM
God help us...Suture Girl...


:help: :help: :help: :help: :hork: :hork: :hork: :sniper: :shutup: :headbang: :headbang: :thud: :thud: :thud: :thud: :bawl: :bawl: :spew: :spew: :bawl: :bawl: :bawl:

Mivonks
03-31-2003, 09:39 PM
Please, please. PLEASE, tell me this is an April Fool's joke!!

:eek:

Matt
Another Oz Scaper

Dante'-wants-blood!!
03-31-2003, 09:45 PM
And they weren't happy with Farscape's overall ratings. Just wait until the second episodes of all of this dren.

Oh yeah, and "Legion" sounds like a rip-off of Brimstone.:mad: :mad: :mad:

Tokeya
03-31-2003, 10:22 PM
Oh, ok so THIS is Sci-Fi :rolleyes:

Suture Girl -- the back-door pilot will be executive produced for SCI FI by Fireworks Entertainment and Edmonds Entertainment's CEO/President Tracey E. Edmonda, Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, and Edmonds Entertainment's head of television Sheila Ducksworth.

Babyface?? :eek: And to think there was a time I respected his eye for talent.

RojAvon
04-01-2003, 08:00 AM
You guys are frelling with me. These post's aren't real....are they?

(that's the sad thing....any other network and we'd be saying how stupid do you think we are....no network would put this on....but with SciFi.....yeah...it just might be true.)

Twich
04-01-2003, 08:14 AM
Um...no..they are official Sci Fi channel releases I believe....

AyuRocks
04-01-2003, 08:28 AM
Yea, I got it from Yahoo News. It's from PRNewsWire.

Ashley

tribsaint
04-01-2003, 08:30 AM
I'm almost glad that sciffy is trying to boot out farscape...I don't want a good show like that being affiliated with this dren!

fermicat
04-01-2003, 10:33 AM
I did verify that these came from PR NewsWire, and I know they are dated yesterday, but it is possible these are an April Fool's prank?



And if they *are* real, how awful is it that people would think the shows are a joke?


WHAT is the MATTER with those people!!!:eek:

AyuRocks
04-01-2003, 01:31 PM
These are all coming out because the end of the first quarter was yesterday.

BTW - :hork: :hork: :hork:

Ashley

Sunderflame
04-01-2003, 01:49 PM
May I join you in:hork: :hork: :hork: :help: :thud: :thud: :thud:

vhsiv
11-03-2003, 02:10 PM
Sexy Rexy? (http://publishersweekly.reviewsnews.com/index.asp?layout=article&articleid=CA333111)

Random House's Jonathan Karp is so impressed with Eric Garcia's new novel, Hot and Sweaty Rex, he's willing to throw his literary reputation behind it. "I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that this is the best dinosaur mafia novel ever written," says Karp, editorial director and Garcia's editor.

Garcia began to dominate that underpopulated literary niche with his first novel, Anonymous Rex. There he introduced Vincent Rubio, a private detective who happens to be a velociraptor disguised as a human—turns out reports of dinosaurs' extinction were exaggerated. They still walk among us, albeit in scaled-down proportions that enable them, encased in latex suits, to pass as human.

Garcia followed up his debut with a prequel, Casual Rex. Hot and Sweaty is the third installment in the genre-bending series, which combines mystery, science fiction, noir and, above all, comedy. It's the kind of originality that inevitably gets an author branded a "cult" novelist. "I think anytime you sort of get this rabid group of followers you get labeled, 'cult,' which is totally cool with me," Garcia says. On the other hand, he adds, "I would not be uncomfortable with the label 'J.K. Rowling–level superstar,' either."

Stardom for this novelist seems likely to arrive via the screen. Matchstick Men, Garcia's one published non-Rex novel, was made into a movie released in September. Exposure from the high-profile film, which stars Nicolas Cage, is expected to stoke interest in Garcia's other books.

The Rex titles will get a more direct publicity hit with the forthcoming SciFi Channel series based on the books, scheduled to debut next summer or fall. Garcia is heavily involved in the series, writing scripts and acting as co-executive producer. Though he thinks of himself as a novelist first, he's done the math and knows that even a marginally successful television show will reach more people than a blockbuster novel.

Garcia has also recently sold a title to ReganBooks, Cassandra French's Finishing School for Boys. The author describes the dinosaur-free novel as "Sex and the City meets Misery. It's sort of my twisted take on chick lit, so again, I'm genre jumping," he says.

As for whether there will be a book four in the Rex series, Garcia reports he's keeping an open mind. While he says, "I don't have anything in me that is burning to write the next one," this 30-year-old husband, father and dog owner living in suburban L.A. clearly feels a strong affinity for Vincent, the slightly dangerous protagonist of his signature series. "If I was a cool P.I.," he admits, "that would be me."

Despite having a tail and claws, Vincent is quite a hit with the (human) ladies, and Garcia notes his editor's predilection for playing up the inter-species sex angle. "At least as it relates to my books, I know that interests him." Karp agrees. "He's not afraid to take risks. A lot of authors are a little skittish when it comes to inter-species sex, but Eric Garcia dove right into it," he says. "And I have to say, I thought those scenes were pretty hot." —Karen Holt

Great Expectations: Karp believes the SciFi Channel series will propel Garcia from cult novelist to bestselling author. "He's too unconventional and too goddamn funny to play it straight and he's not going to have a predictable career," says Karp. "But this kind of imagination and inventiveness ultimately finds its audience."
--------------------
Does anybody besides me get the feeling that there are some twisted folk over at Skiffy, programming to a narrow demographic of close personal friends who enjoy really bad jokes?

Darth Buddha
11-03-2003, 02:14 PM
Oh, I see it...

Scare Tactics...

The Dren Team...

The more they play THAT margin, the more room is left for somebody to start up a Science Fiction channel like they used to be.

PrairieScaper
11-03-2003, 02:27 PM
Actually, I read Anonymous Rex a few years ago. It was amusing, I liked it. Hard to imagine how it could possibly be done live-action on Skiffy, unless they are actually willing to invest in decent special effects. What are the odds?

Digger
11-03-2003, 02:28 PM
Great Expectations: Karp believes the SciFi Channel series will propel Garcia from cult novelist to bestselling author.
Wasn't "The Chronicle" also based on a series of books? I'll bet that guy's publisher said the same thing. Of course he'll be singing a different tune when skiffy cancels the show after 8 or 10 eps. That is, if it ever gets aired at all.

vhsiv
11-03-2003, 02:51 PM
Originally posted by PrairieScaper
Actually, I read Anonymous Rex a few years ago. It was amusing, I liked it. Hard to imagine how it could possibly be done live-action on Skiffy, unless they are actually willing to invest in decent special effects. And the RUBBER SUIT...

As a concept *on paper* I can imagine something like this being fairly amusing and entertaining, like Vonnegut novels. But as a weekly scripted series?

All I can imagine is some awful re-imagining of 'H.R. Puffinstuff' as an Elmore Leonard creation...

Digger
11-03-2003, 03:00 PM
All I can imagine is some awful re-imagining of 'H.R. Puffinstuff' as an Elmore Leonard creation...
If the production values were any good that might be interesting. But more likely the "dino's" will probably look like Sleestax when the mask comes off.

vhsiv
11-03-2003, 03:04 PM
Originally posted by me
All I can imagine is some awful re-imagining of 'H.R. Puffinstuff' as an Elmore Leonard creation...
Originally posted by Digger
If the production values were any good that might be interesting. But more likely the "dino's" will probably look like Sleestax when the mask comes off. Digger, you are being overly generous.

That talking flute still gives me the creeps...

Digger
11-03-2003, 03:06 PM
That talking flute still gives me the creeps..
Me too.

vhsiv
11-03-2003, 03:20 PM
And the Sleestak are still pretty creepy as well.

If I was one of those kids in 'Land of the Lost', I would have given up the ghost, and jumped into a gyser or off a cliff or something. There's nothing worse than a world made of badly painted styrofoam populated by carnivorous dinosaurs large and small.

Especially when you are the only dietary variation...

(What programmer back then decided that this was *good* or *valuable* entertainment for kids on Saturday mornings?)

trubador
11-03-2003, 03:22 PM
HEY! What happened to :snicker: Mansquito? I've been waiting for that series to air. It's the best concept of the entire lot.

Darth Buddha
11-03-2003, 03:23 PM
Hey, I learned a lot from that one "wise sleestak", Enik, from the past. He had some good karma.

Those new sleestaks, though, were just degenerates.

mfa96
11-03-2003, 04:54 PM
Where's the sci in the sci-fi network?

All this sounds to me like they are trying to get the jump on the new Horror Network coming up....:kitty: :grr:

AnnieBW
11-03-2003, 07:37 PM
Dinosaurs wearing latex suits? Hmmm... sounds like someone's ripping off the "human suits" that the aliens in "Men In Black" wore. And "Dead Lawyers" sounds like Wolfram and Hart from "Angel".

Jeeze, will someone at NBC PLEASE get this channel some new development folks?

Then again, this is the network that came up with "Fear Factor" and "Average Joe". :rolleyes:

- Annie

vhsiv
11-03-2003, 08:09 PM
Originally posted by AnnieBW
Dinosaurs wearing latex suits? Hmmm... sounds like someone's ripping off the "human suits" that the aliens in "Men In Black" wore. And "Dead Lawyers" sounds like Wolfram and Hart from "Angel". Well, you know Annie, half the new scripted dramas on tv are 'Buffy' knock-offs - spunky chicks with supernatural connections - 'Tru Calling', 'Joan of Arcadia', 'Dead Like Me' and 'Wonderfalls'. There's an article about it here (http://www.salon.com/ent/tv/feature/2003/10/13/spirit/index_np.html).

And after a little more thought on the 'Anonymous Rex' front, I'm reminded of 'V', even though that doesn't seem to be the direction the whole thing is headed...

Scaper989
11-04-2003, 04:46 PM
Sleestak scarey? A turtle could out run them. "Ohh, here comes
a Sleestak! Walk away! Walk away! :D

Dead Lawyers -- Sounds just like "Good VS Evil" to me.

The Divide -- I don't remember the name of the show this is
stolen from, but the dead advisor person was a criminal. It was
on about a year ago, I don't think it lasted a full season.

Legion -- Direct rip-off of "Brimstone".

Stargate: Atlantis -- Ok, they're only ripping themselves off.
Guess since the original is near and end, they want to milk this
puppy for all it's worth. So we're supposed to believe the
"ancients" or whoever built the stargates made THREE of
them on Earth?

Painkiller Jane -- Sounds like Wolverene to me. Rip-off target:
X-Men.

Clive Barker's The Evil One -- May actually be original.

Suture Girl -- Spawn rip-off. The movie wasn't even that good.

Sexxy Rexy -- Rip-of victem: V, as Vhsiv pointed out.