Pick Of The Pilots – Early 2018 Edition
It’s that time of year again, when we take a look through all the pilots being offered up as sacrificial lambs to the tv gods, and pick out the ones we’d like to see spared! The list below only includes pilots which have not yet been picked up to series. We may do another list later which covers the shows which are going to get at least one season. It’s also not a full list of all the pilots, but ones that have piqued our interest here at Geektown.
COMEDY
MAN OF THE HOUSE – ABC
Two recently divorced sisters decide to move in together to raise their kids under one roof. The oldest kid and only son is left to figure out what manhood means in a world where he’s now completely surrounded by females. One of the sisters will be played by ‘How I Met Your Mother’ and ‘Buffy’ star Alyson Hannigan.
Why are we excited?
For one, it’s Alyson Hannigan… I think that’s self-explanatory… but also the writers are quite interesting too. Frank Pines wrote on ‘The New Adventures of Old Christine’, and Vijal Patel wrote on ‘The Middle’ and ‘Black-ish’, two of the most popular US comedies out there at the moment.
UPLOAD – Amazon
Set in a future where humans are able to “upload” themselves into their preferred choice of afterlife. When Nathan meets his early death, he is greeted by the Nora in his version of heaven. As Nathan grows accustomed to life away from his loved ones, the alive Nora struggles to stay afloat working her job alongside Nathan in the afterlife. Robbie Amell and Andy Allo to star.
Why are we excited?
Firstly, it’s great to see Robbie Amell (aka ‘The Flash’s’ O.G. Firestorm) in a new show, but also the creator of the series is Greg Daniels, co-creator of ‘The Office US’, ‘Parks and Recreation’ and ‘King of the Hill’. That’s a resume of someone whose work is worth checking out.
MAKING FRIENDS – Amazon
Mark is a brilliant guy with an artificial intelligence degree who creates robots and spends his days hanging out with them as his main group of friends. Adhir Kalyan and Georgia King to star.
Why are we excited?
It’s from the creators of ‘How I Met Your Mother’, and exec produced by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg. If that doesn’t pique your interest, I’m not sure what will.
AVENUE5 (working title) – HBO
Not much is known about the series right now, other than it’s set in the future, and believed to mainly take place on a spaceship, and it’s from Armando Iannucci, creator of ‘Veep’ and ‘The Thick Of It’...
Why are we excited?
It’s Armando Iannucci doing a space comedy. I don’t think we really need any more reason than that!
DRAMA
L.A. CONFIDENTIAL – CBS
Based on the James Ellroy’s novel and 1997 feature film, this adaptation comes from Arnon Milchan, producer of the movie, and is written by Jordan Harper (‘Gotham’, ‘The Mentalist’). Interestingly, it will have the tone, music and style of a modern-day drama but will still be set in the 1950s, which is going to make for an “intriguing” juxtaposition. The story premise is still similar, as it follows 3 homicide detectives, a female reporter and an up-and-coming actress as the detectives pursue a sadistic serial killer among the secrets and lies of gritty, glamorous ’50s LA. Mark Webber, Shea Whigham, Alana Arenas, Brian J. Smith, Walton Goggins set to star.
Why are we excited?
I would say it’s less excitement and more intrigue for this project. CBS seems like an odd fit for a show which you would think would sit better on a cable network. However, Harper is a solid writer, and the assembled cast is not to be sniffed at. It’s one we’re watching with interest.
MAGNUM P.I. – CBS
Thomas Magnum (Jay Hernandez – ‘Scandal, ‘Suicide Squad’) is a decorated ex-Navy SEAL who returns from Afghanistan and becomes a private investigator. He’s helped out by ex-Navy buddies TC and Rick. The biggest change comes with the character of Higgins who has been gender-switched in this iteration to be Juliet Higgins (Perdita Weeks – ‘Penny Dreadful’, ‘The Tudors’), a disavowed former MI:6 agent. Together they, solve crimes, taking on cases no one else will touch, along with exploring the bond between a group of ex-military guys as they deal with the aftermath of war.
Why are we excited?
It’s pretty easy to see what this show is going to be, as it comes from Peter Lenkov and Eric Guggenheim, two of the team behind the ‘Hawaii Five-O’ and ‘MacGyver’ reboots. Both of those have been big hits for CBS, so it’s in a solid set of hands. I know some people will be saying no one but world’s greatest acting moustache (carried on the face of Tom Selleck) can be Magnum, but I have faith they can pull this off.
CHARMED – The CW
This new take on the show comes from ‘Jane the Virgin’ creator Jennie Snyder Urman, with writers Jessica O’Toole & Amy Rardin, and is described as “fierce, funny, and feminist”. It centres on three sisters in a college town who discover they are witches after the tragic death of their mother. Between vanquishing supernatural demons, tearing down the patriarchy, and maintaining familial bonds, a witch’s work is never done. Sarah Jeffery (‘Shades of Blue’, ‘Wayward Pines’), Madeleine Mantock(‘Into the Badlands’, ‘The Tomorrow People’), and Melonie Diaz (‘Fruitvale Station’, ‘The Breaks’) to star as the sisters.
Why are we excited?
Another reboot and this one has not only upset fans of the original but also the original cast, so not off to the best start. However, Urman is an interesting show creator, and it’s a new take on the show. The three sisters aren’t direct copies from the original series, so I think, if they tread carefully enough, it could work.
THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT – The CW
When a prison spaceship carrying the universe’s most deadly aliens crashes in Southern California, two young women with bigger dreams than working at a kids pizza place in the Valley are recruited by a space cop to hunt down the escaped criminals, who have camouflaged themselves as eccentric Angelenos. Based on the book by Iva-Marie Palmer. Cast includes Gage Golightly, Quinta Brunson, and Josh Helman.
Why are we excited?
So… Justin Halpern & Patrick Schumacker haven’t had the best runs with shows – ‘Powerless’, ‘$#*! My Dad Says’ and ‘Surviving Jack’ all didn’t survive very long. However, this one is exec produced by ‘iZombie’s’ Rob Thomas, and it’s such a wonderfully bonkers premise, we just want to see it!
WAYWARD SISTERS – The CW
‘Wayward Sisters’ is based around Sheriff Jody Mills (Kim Rhodes) and a group of troubled young women, all orphaned by supernatural events, who have now become hunters. As we suspected, Jody’s two ‘adopted’ kids, Claire Novak (Kathryn Newton), and Alex Jones (Katherine Ramdeen) will form part of the group.
Why are we excited?
‘Supernatural’ is taking its sweet time coming to the UK this season (it is on the way to E4 soon, we promise!) However, the “backdoor pilot” for ‘Wayward Sisters’ has already aired in the US, and gone down pretty well it seems. It’s a ‘Supernatural’ spin-off that actually looks like it might work!
WATCHMEN – HBO
Based on Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons critically acclaimed, seminal graphic novel, ‘Watchmen’ is set in an alternate reality where the arrival of costumed heroes have altered history, changing events like the Vietnam War and Nixon’s presidency. The story is set in the 1980’s, at a time when heroes have been mostly outlawed, except a few who are sanctioned by the government. Doctor Manhattan, the only hero with actual superpowers (rather than just a natty mask/cape combo), has given the US a massive advantage over the USSR. Unfortunately, that has only managed to raise tensions between the two superpowers… Meanwhile, someone has started to bump off ex-heroes, leading vigilante Rorschach to investigate and contact his old teammates. What they uncover is a conspiracy which could change the world as they know it.
Why are we excited?
The ‘Watchmen’ graphic novel really is required reading for any self-respecting geek. Zack Snyder took a decent enough stab at bringing it to screen in film form, but in reality, it should always have been a tv series. Damon Lindelof (‘Lost’, ‘Star Trek’ movies, ‘The Leftovers’) is the man behind this version, and, we think, has the skill and geek cred to make it work. Nicole Kassell, who has directed ‘The Americans’, ‘The Leftovers’, ‘The Following’ and ‘The Killing’, makes the break from directing shows with “The” in the title to direct the pilot.
DEADLY CLASS – Syfy
‘Deadly Class’ is a coming-of-age drama set in a high school… except this is no educational establishment. This is Kings Dominion School for the Deadly Arts, the most brutal high school on earth, where the world’s top crime families send the next generation of assassins to be trained. The story is set against the backdrop of late 80’s counter culture, and centres around Marcus Lopez, a young lad whose grades suck and is failing ‘Dismemberment 101’. The jocks – who happen to be the children of Joseph Stalin’s top assassin – are hassling his friends, and the girl he’s crushing on has a double-digit body count… At this school, murder is an art, killing is a craft, and the dagger in your back isn’t always metaphorical. Cast includes Benedict Wong, Benjamin Wadsworth, Lana Condor, Maria Gabriela de Faria, Luke Tennie, Liam James, Michel Duval.
Why are we excited?
Rick Remender, the creator of the original comic book, is actually writing the show, which we would say is a good sign. He’s also joined by Joe & Anthony Russo, aka the brothers currently in charge of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so it’s fair to say, they know what they’re doing when it comes to bringing comic books to screen!
TREMORS – Syfy
‘Tremors’ – the film – was set in the ex-mining town of Perfection, Nevada. Repairmen Valentine McKee (Kevin Bacon) and his friend Earl stumble across a bunch of mysterious deaths, and a concerned seismologist, who is finding some very unnatural readings below the ground. It turns out these readings are being caused by giant burrowing worm-like monsters (Graboids), with a taste for human flesh! The plucky townsfolk must band together to save their town, and possibly, the world! Now, the Graboid worms are back, and McKee is their only hope… that is if he can overcome his age, alcoholism, and delusional hero complex… Emily Tremaine, Megan Ketch, and Shiloh Fernandez are also set to star.
Why are we excited?
Whilst this might feel like a reboot, it isn’t. It’s a continuation of the movie, complete with Kevin Bacon returning to star… and who doesn’t love more Kevin Bacon! Andrew Miller, who wrote the highly underrated ‘The Secret Circle’ is penning the pilot, and this seems like the perfect storm of B-movie craziness that could work for a Syfy tv show!
As we said at the top of the article, these are all currently pilots, so may not go to series. We’ll let you know when we have more information on any of them being picked up!
