espite the small number of new shows being offered this fall, there is more speculative fiction television available than ever before. Beyond that, plenty of new shows wait in the wings for their turn.
While the big three networks churn out yet another family sitcom, boring reality show or stale medical drama, many of the upcoming SF shows from smaller networks, cable channels and syndication will take viewers places they haven't been before on TV (Dark Angel, Freakylinks, Freedom). Some of the new shows will also revisit old friends (Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda, The Outer Limits, Riverworld).
These days every single night of television offers SF opportunities, except Saturday, which has become a desert with little original programming at all. There are two nights that have major showdowns brewing. On Tuesday nights Angel and James Cameron's Dark Angel face off, and on Friday nights UPN (Freedom, Level 9) and Fox (Freakylinks) go toe to toe.
Two major themes show up in several of the new series. Matrix-type fight scenes invade Freedom, Andromeda, The Immortal and Dark Angel, as characters decide that running really fast up a wall to leap on a bad guy is a good thing. Also, dead people abound as the influence from The Sixth Sense and The Blair Witch Project worms its way into Freakylinks, All Souls, and Dead Last. Additionally, the ranks of female action heroes grow even larger with Dark Angel, Queen of Swords, Sheena and SCI FI's Black Scorpion.
The biggest scare right now in Hollywood has to do with three possible strikes that could cripple television and movie production. A strike by the Writers Guild of America (set to strike May 1), the Screen Actors Guild (set to strike June 30), or the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (also set for June 30) could prove devastating for the industry.
Because the potential for a strike is very real, entertainment executives have begun putting projects on the fast track and ordering extra episodes of shows that are already in production. Projects that might not have been made are now being pushed through, actors are skipping time off to make sure they get projects in, and popular writers are very busy. Only one thing's for sure. If even one strike were to drag on for any length of time, the 2001 fall television season may be very sad indeed.
Our annual TV Preview has been split into two parts this year. This week's section provides the scoop on New Shows; Midseason and Beyond; and Movies, Miniseries and Specials. Part 1 ran last week and covered Canceled Shows as well as Returning and Continuing Shows.
Wings veteran Steven Weber stars in a new comedy about an advertising executive named Jack Nagle who, after a blind date gone bad, is cursed to have bad luck. Chris Elliott plays Jack's friend and roommate, Larry.
Prediction:Cursed will do great in the ratings when it premieres, but that doesn't mean a lot considering it has Friends as a lead-in. Stark Raving Mad was in a similar position last year, with Frasier as a lead-in, and the show still died. The key will be how much of the Friends audience Cursed can keep around. Beyond the enormous pressure of living up to "Must See TV," Cursed has had problems of its own. The show's creators, Mitchel Katlin and Nat Bernstein, quit a couple of weeks ago over those notorious "creative differences." Adam Chase (a writer on Friends) will take over. In the meantime, the show shut down production for retooling. A look at an early version of Cursed revealed pretty standard sitcom stuff. While there were a few laughs along the way, this cast can do much better. Let's hope this troubled show can lose its curse and provide some funny material for Weber and Elliott. Still, when a show's creators walk a month before the premiere, it can't be a good thing.
Dark Angel
Fox, Tuesday, 9 p.m. Premieres Oct. 3
She's beautiful, she has an attitude and, by the way, she possesses super-human strength and speed. In fact, she can pretty much kick anyone's butt. She is Max (Jessica Alba), a genetically enhanced human created by the government on the "let's create a perfect superhuman soldier" plan. When she was nine, Max and several other proto-soldiers tried to escape the government facility that was their home. Max made it, but she's not sure about the others. About the time Max escaped, terrorists set off an electromagnetic pulse in the earth's atmosphere, taking out hard drives, computer networks and electric money, and sending America into a depression. Now an adult, Max works as a bike messenger and hides out from government surveillance. When she needs to, she steals to get enough money to help her search for the others like her. And when her conscience gets the better of her, she helps out a cyber-journalist named Logan Cale (Michael Weatherly), who is on a mission to help the helpless.
Prediction: It's interesting that Fox decided to schedule Dark Angel opposite WB's Angel. This will be the most fiercely fought battle this season as the two Angels square off, looking for the same audience. While Dark Angel is SF and Angel is dark fantasy, their themes are still the same and they both deal with a reluctant hero who helps those who can't help themselves. The truth is that Fox has really big expectations for Dark Angel. Even if the series attracted every viewer away from Angel, it wouldn't be enough to keep it on the air. Fox is one of the big boys now--for Dark Angel to hit, it needs to cross over into the mainstream audience. Even though the two-hour pilot cost an estimated $10 million to make--and it's looking good, baby--will the story appeal to the millions of viewers needed to make this show a hit? Sure, it's from James Cameron (Titanic, Terminator, Aliens), but it'll take more than name power to draw those kinds of numbers. The pilot does have some breathtaking scenes, and the series feels like its world has real people in it. The Matrix-like action works well to enhance the idea that Max is special. The best guess is that Dark Angel will hurt Angel's ratings initially. It seems unlikely, however, that Buffy's dedicated fans will abandon their favorite universe. Now that Night Visions has moved off to midseason, one smart move would swoop Dark Angel over to Fridays for a pairing with Freakylinks, perhaps in The X-Files' old time slot. And Fox does remember those Friday night X-Files ratings.
Freakylinks
Fox, Friday, 9 p.m. Premieres Oct. 6
Derek Barnes (Ethan Embry) was working for his twin brother, Adam, doing research for Adam's website about the paranormal, when Adam suddenly died under mysterious circumstances. Derek took over the Web site, changed its name to Freakylinks and continued the family business from his home in Florida. Devoted to debunking the strange and unusual and exploring the fantastic, Derek and his crew search for answers. He's doing just fine until he receives an email with a picture of a still-living Adam. Now Derek finds himself drawn into a subculture of the frightening and unusual by a strange shapeshifting creature that may be evil. If Derek doesn't follow, he may never know the truth about his brother. And if he does follow, it could cost him his life and much, much more.
Prediction:Freakylinks has gone through quite a bit of upheaval, including a change from the original title Fearsum. The bone of contention appears to be the network's decision to change the series from dark and edgy to "popcorny." Gone is executive producer Tommy Thompson, while the series creators, David S. Goyer (writer of Blade) and Gregg Hale (producer of The Blair Witch Project) have moved into the background and serve only as consultants. While it's impossible to know what the original version would have looked like, the Freakylinks pilot does appear to be a strange hybrid. The first quarter of the pilot seems as light and airy as, well, popcorn. Once the story finally gets going, there's definitely a spooky Blair Witch feel to the goings-on. While Fox may want popcorn, if Freakylinks is going to live up to its promise, it needs to find a consistent tone. Although this series may have been through the wringer behind the scenes, wait until the season starts. Freakylinks is facing tough competition from UPN's high-tech computer cops in Level 9, CBS's high-tech forensic cops in C.S.I. and reruns of SCI FI's Farscape. Fox will have no patience if this show doesn't take off quickly. The best guess is that if Freakylinks doesn't pull ratings, The Lone Gunmen and Night Visions will rush out of the wings to replace it.
Freedom
UPN, Friday, 8 p.m. Premieres Oct. 27
At the height of American peace and prosperity, a terrorist act takes out Air Force One and the president, plunging the country into a state of emergency. The Joint Chiefs of Staff take over, dissolving the government and suspending the Constitution. The new Regime establishes martial law, and the media is secretly censored. Four former Special Forces soldiers end up working for the Resistance. They must learn to work as a team in their fight against the Regime in the hope that, over time, they will be able to help restore the America that was lost.
Prediction: Two freshmen series make their debut on UPN this season as the network tries to stake a claim on Friday nights with Freedom and Level 9. While Freedom wasn't available for preview, we can expect lots of martial arts and Matrix-like action from executive producer Joel Silver (The Matrix, Lethal Weapon). Friday night is a busy night for a new series, but with SCI FI's The Invisible Man headed toward reruns, the only real competition comes from CBS's The Fugitive. Regardless of how good or bad the show is, there's no way to predict its future. If the UPN network survives the season, and if Freedom shows any life at all, the best guess is that the show should also survive.
Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda Syndicated Premieres the week of Oct. 2
Kevin Sorbo (from Hercules: The Legendary Journeys) plays Dylan Hunt, the captain of an artificially intelligent starship, the Andromeda Ascendant, hailing from the Commonwealth that governs three galaxies. When the Commonwealth is betrayed, a surprise attack by the Nietzscheans sends the Andromeda into the event horizon of a black hole. Three hundred years later, a salvage ship retrieves the Andromeda with plans to sell her, only to find Dylan alive, having been frozen in time due to the black hole. Devastated by the news that everyone he knows is dead and that the Commonwealth has been lost, Dylan "sets out to weave together the many diverse cultures of the known worlds until they are once again united." Dylan recruits the crew of the salvage ship for the Andromeda, who for their own different reasons take up his cause.
Prediction: No need to predict. The Tribune Entertainment Company (Gene Roddenberry's Earth: Final Conflict, BeastMaster), in conjunction with Fireworks Entertainment, have ordered 44 episodes--enough for two full seasons. That shows a lot of confidence, and why not. Based on an idea from Gene Roddenberry, the series was developed by Robert Hewitt Wolfe (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine). But the real muscle behind this kind of syndication deal has to do with Sorbo, who is fresh from the syndi hit Hercules, and executive producers Majel Barrett Roddenberry and Allan Eastman (Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine). So does the series live up to the hype? Not really, but what series could? Sorbo has a terrific touch with comedy and action, which is what made him so good as Hercules. Most of the characters look and act a little too human, with an amazingly '90s demeanor for a series set in the far future. While Andromeda seems pretty lightweight, this show has a long, long way to go and there's plenty of time to add depth to the series.
The Immortal
Syndicated Premieres the week of Oct. 2
There can be only two ... two shows about immortals, that is. Taking over Highlander's territory, is a new show about an immortal fighting the ultimate battle against demons. He even has long hair and a sword. The story begins in 17th-century Japan when Rafe Cain (Lorenzo Lamas of Renegade) is rescued by the mystical Yashiro (Robert Ito) after his ship sinks. Rafe starts his life over in Japan, as he marries and has a child. Unfortunately, evil demons named Mallick and Vashita kill his wife and kidnap his daughter. Rafe pleads to God for immortality to avenge his wife's murder and find his daughter, but instead it is his evil enemy Mallick who grants his wish. Rafe swears vengeance, which locks him in a battle that may never end.
Prediction: The Immortal has an order for 22 episodes from co-producers Peace Arch Entertainment Group, Inc. and Studio Eight Productions. No preview was available, but Lamas is the perfect guy to pick up the sword and carry a story about immortals. In fact, his immortal can walk up walls and has been sending demons to hell for 400 years. Producers promise the "action of Matrix (highlighting Lamas' physical and athletic skills), with the mysticism of Kung Fu and the intrigue of X-Files." That sounds pretty ambitious for this action adventure series. Highlander left a void that wasn't filled by Highlander: The Raven, so fans will probably settle for lots of sword fights. Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope The Immortal doesn't disappoint.
Level 9
UPN, Friday, 9 p.m. Premieres Oct. 27
When high-tech criminals and anarchists do the unthinkable, who ya gonna call? How about Level 9, the government's elite, top secret group that's the country's last and only hope for defense. This group of computer wizards can get into any computer system and use methods of surveillance about which most police departments and government agencies only dream. The folks at Level 9 don't need fingerprints to find their man--they have satellite photos and surveillance cameras, and can listen in on virtually any conversation. The team is lead by Annie Price, a former FBI agent, who realizes the danger a cyber terrorist poses. The bad guys have a team, too. It's called "The Great Uprising," and it's led by a master hacker called CrayZhorse. If CrayZhorse has his way, the world will be plunged into anarchy. It's up to Price and her team to stop him.
Prediction:Level 9 will run after Freedom on UPN and will have a lot more competition than the earlier show. The high-tech cop show will go head to head with Freakylinks on Fox, the forensic high-tech cop show C.S.I. and reruns of the SCI FI's Farscape. That may be enough to fracture any audience Level 9 might try to accumulate. However, because of UPN's uncertain future, the network is likely to stay with the show unless the ratings drop off the charts. As for the show itself, an initial look at an early version of Level 9 reveals a straightforward program in which the team catches the bad guy, with hints that the really bad guy, CrayZhorse, is going to cause lots more trouble in episodes to come. A show about computers and technology that includes significant amounts of action seems an odd combination. There is a major casting change in the leads in the second episode, so it's impossible to tell if it works. What is clear is that unless they clean up their storytelling, there are enough plot holes to fill the Grand Canyon. Any problems may well be taken care of by the Oct. 27 premiere. Time will tell.
Queen of Swords
Syndicated Premieres the week of Oct. 2
Upon learning of her father's death in 19th-century California, a young Spanish aristocrat, Tessa Alvarado (Tessie Santiago), travels to the new world only to learn that the colonel now in charge rules the land mercilessly.
Tessa believes that her father may have been murdered, and she is horrified to witness the colonel abusing his power and taxing his subjects to the point of starvation. Her father appears to her in a dream, giving Tessa the strength to do something about the colonel's tyranny. Upon waking, she knows she must protect the weak and punish the unjust from behind a mask as the Queen of Swords.
Prediction:Queen of Swords is syndicated, so it will have an order for a full season. In the season premiere, newcomer Santiago looks a bit unconvincing wielding a sword. While that's part of her character in this opening episode, Santiago will most likely grow into the role as the tough and athletic Queen of Swords. It's as old-fashioned in feeling as its antecedent Zorro, but it's well produced with lots of action. Joining the female action-hero roster with Relic Hunter, look for Queen to perform solidly for the same audience that Relic attracts. Highlander fans take note: Peter Wingfield (who played Methos in Highlander) plays Dr. Robert Helm in Queen.
Sheena
Syndicated Premieres the week of Oct. 2
Baywatch beauty Gena Lee Nolin stars as Sheena in an updated version of the comic book heroine's adventures. Orphaned as a child in the African jungle, Sheena was raised by the last living member of the Kaya tribe, who taught her the importance of protecting and communing with animals. She developed the magical ability to transform into an animal by feeling the spirit of the animal inside her. Sheena becomes the protector of her tropical paradise which is threatened by advancing modern civilization.
Prediction: Billed as a "sexy, action-adventure series," Sheena was developed by Doug Schwartz (Baywatch) and Steven L. Sears (Xena: Warrior Princess). Sheena wasn't available for preview, so it's impossible to know this show's chances. It's been a long time since television viewers have been to the jungle, although the show does seem to have a bit in common with BeastMaster.
Reiko Aylesworth stars in this series about three doctors who must face evil spirits and other odd happenings in a 300-year-old haunted Boston hospital. UPN has only contracted for six episodes, which doesn't show a lot of confidence in the show on the channel's part. It's produced by Mark Frost; written by Stuart Gillard and Stephen Tolkin.
Black ScorpionSCI FI, First Quarter of 2001
Michelle Lintel plays Darcy Walker, a second-generation LA cop who creates a superhero alter ego named Black Scorpion after her father is murdered by the evil Breathtaker (Adam West).
Black Scorpion is dangerous, ruthless and sexy, and does things the by-the-book Darcy can't do. Wearing a leather disguise, Darcy uses high-tech weapons and the Black Scorpionmobile to fight a colorful assortment of evil villains. Darcy quickly begins to love the freedom Black Scorpion's mask gives her, perhaps a little too much. SCI FI has announced plans to create a new night of original programming that will include Matthew Blackheart: Monster Smasher, so it's possible Black Scorpion may be planned as a companion to that series.
Dangerous AgeWB, Summer 2001
Coca-Cola will be the only sponsor for this new action comedy about a teenaged secret agent. Michael Piller (Star Trek: The Next Generation) and Alan Spencer will produce.
Dead LastWB, Midseason Replacement
Members of a struggling rock band are just about to get their big break when they run across a cursed amulet (is there any other kind?) that gives them the ability to see the ghosts that walk among us. From the writers of Grosse Pointe Blank and High Fidelity.
Destination MirNBC, Third or Fourth Quarter 2001
Mark Burnett (creator of Survivor) has found a place where no game show contestant has gone before--space. NBC has shelled out over $40 million for the rights to Destination Mir, which will offer contestants a chance to win a ticket that's worth way more than $1 million. It's actually worth more like $20 million. In Destination Mir, 10 American contestants will train in Star City, Russia, a cosmonaut training camp near Moscow, for a chance to travel to the 15-year-old Mir space station. The training will last 13 to 15 weeks and trainers will eliminate one contestant each week until they have a winner. And NBC may not be the only one headed for space. How about a trip on the space shuttle to the brand new international space station? CBS, ABC and Fox are meeting with Dreamtime Holdings, which is pitching a reality show a la Mir. There's only one problem. No one's talked to NASA about it yet.
Dog DaysNBC, Midseason Replacement
Six episodes of this comedy about a girl and her talking dog have been ordered.
DoomsdayUPN, Fall 2001
Radio's Howard Stern will lend his voice to this animated comedy from Film Roman (The Simpsons, King of the Hill). In the series, a family named Bradley travels around post-apocalyptic America in their RV searching for family values and a new home. It seems a mysterious burst of radiation took out most of the civilized world. Along the way, they will face mutated humans, barbaric road warriors, 50-foot hillbillies and IRS agents. Unfortunately for the world, the IRS was the only branch of the government to survive. Stern will voice Orinthal, the family dog.
In Search OfUSA Network and Fox, Fall 2001
From 1976-82 Leonard Nimoy hosted the original version of this series that explored unusual natural phenomena and the paranormal. USA Network and Fox have ordered eight new episodes, and the series will air on both networks. The initial episodes will examine Ancient Astronauts, Bigfoot, The Loch Ness Monster and Voodoo. The official Web site will encourage visitors to vote on subjects they would like to see explored and to help in the research of episodes that are in development. There's no word on who the host will be.
The Lone GunmenFox, TBA
Yes, those popular conspiracy-theory-spouting computer hackers from The X-Files now have their own show, courtesy of Chris Carter and Fox. Originally scheduled for fall, this spin-off is now waiting in the wings for a debut date. Frohike (Tom Braidwood), Langly (Dean Haglund) and Byers (Bruce Harwood) will explore government and corporate intrigue, conspiracies and cover-ups. Now if only they could get a date. The Lone Gunmen could make it onto the air by midseason, but that may depend on how Dark Angel and Freakylinks do.
Matthew Blackheart: Monster SmasherSCI FI, First Quarter 2001
That handsome hero Matthew Blackheart (Robert Bogue) is actually a military Frankenstein who was created during World War II by order of FDR. His mission was to stamp out evil and smash monsters created by mad scientist Dr. Mortas. Blackheart is revived after five decades of being cryogenically frozen, and now must face life in New York City. SCI FI has ordered 22 hour-long episodes of this comic action series from New Line Television, and Matthew Blackheart is expected to anchor a brand new night of original SCI FI programming.
News From The EdgeNBC, Midseason Replacement
A reporter who has had some hard luck takes a job at a tabloid newspaper and discovers that the weird news stories reported are real. Look for Men in Black that may not be of this earth. Written by Silvio Horta (Urban Legend).
Night VisionsFox, Midseason Replacement
Originally scheduled to premiere this fall, Fox has stated it couldn't devote enough marketing resources to launch the show, so it plans to use Night Visions as a midseason replacement. This Twilight Zone-like anthology series is set to be hosted by punk rocker Henry Rollins.
Each episode of Night Visions will offer two 30-minute stories.
Featured actors will include Aidan Quinn, Bridget Fonda, Bill Pullman and Brian Dennehy. Directors will include Joe Dante (Gremlins) and Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre).
The Oblongs WB, Midseason Replacement
This animated series is based on Angus Oblong's dark series of children's books, Creepy Susie and 13 Other Tragic Tales. The series is about a bizarre family that has been inflicted with a number of physical and emotional abnormalities. The Oblongs is brought to the WB by Oblong, Jace Richdale (The Simpsons) and Bruce Helford (The Drew Carey Show).
The Outer LimitsSCI FI, March 2001
Canceled by Showtime after six seasons, it looked like The Outer Limits might be history. Fortunately, SCI FI brought this award-winning anthology series back to life and has ordered a full season of 22 new episodes. Additionally, three of those episodes will be used as pilots for potential series. Each of the three pilots will be scripted and cast carefully, and will have a larger budget than the normal $1.1 million per episode. SCI FI's contract with MGM also includes the original 49 episodes of the 1963 ABC series, The Outer Limits. The black and white episodes will become available to the cable network in January of 2002. Brent Karl Clackson will continue as the show's producer.
RiverworldTBA
Alex Proyas (The Crow, Dark City) has been tapped as executive producer for a new one-hour television show which will be based on Philip José Farmer's Riverworld novel series. Proyas will direct the pilot and several of the episodes. Riverworld is a mysterious place where every person who has died between 99000 B.C. and 2200 A.D. has been resurrected along a seemingly endless river. The books tell the story of several travelers who are looking to discover how the river and the resurrection came to be. In Farmer's Riverworld everyone starts out naked, so it will be interesting to see how that aspect is dealt with.
These books offer a terrific foundation for a television series. The series is being developed by Alliance Atlantis Entertainment, which has also developed Gene Roddenberry's Earth: Final Conflict, Peter Benchley's Amazon, and BeastMaster.
Special Unit 2UPN, Midseason Replacement
Special Unit 2 is a highly secret, high-tech division of the New York Police Department. Their mission is to hunt down a species that's a hybrid of humans and invertebrates known as Links (as in the missing link). This malicious species has hidden itself from the human race, while causing some of humanity's worst disasters. Starring Alexondra Lee, Michael Landes and Danny Woodburn, with Evan Katz as executive producer.
Starship RegularsShowtime, June 2001
For the first time ever, an animated internet comedy will make its way to television as a half-hour live-action series. Starship Regulars is about ordinary working stiffs, both human and other species, who live on an interplanetary military spaceship. The deal was struck between Showtime and Icebox.com. Rob LaZebnik (co-executive producer of The Simpsons) is the co-founder of Icebox and creator of the series.
Starship Regulars is slated to become part of Showtime's Sci-Friday science fiction programming, which includes Stargate SG-1.
Strange FrequencyVH1, First Quarter 2001
VH1 premieres their first drama series with a Twilight Zone-ish two-hour television movie. Spine-tingling tales mix rock mythology with the unknown. Starring Eric Roberts, Judd Nelson, Holland Taylor and Danny Masterson.
Teen-Age Clark Kent ProjectWB, Fall 2001
Set in the present day, a 15-year-old Clark Kent discovers his super powers and must learn how to deal with them and all that teenage stuff as well. Look for Smallville to be portrayed darker, with a bit of Twin Peaks mixed in to the traditional wholesome version. Lex Luthor and a young Lois Lane will be featured, as well. The WB has ordered 13 hour-long episodes.
The TickFox, Midseason Replacement
Based on the comic book and animated series by Ben Edlund, this live-action show features superhero The Tick fighting the never-ending battle of good versus evil. Created by Edlund and directed by Barry Sonnenfeld (Men in Black), it stars Patrick Warburton (Seinfeld) in the lead role.
UltravioletFox, TBA
Based on the cool British miniseries, a New York City cop discovers vampires exist, along with a secret organization that hunts them down. The pilot was written by Chip Johannessen (Millennium) and Howard Gordon (The X-Files, Buffy).
Border PatrolUPN's Tuesday Night at the Movies, TBA
When a man breaks out of hell, it's up to the afterworld's border patrol squad to track him down and bring him back. Where's Ezekiel from the TV series Brimstone when you need him?
Code Red: The Rubicon ConspiracyUPN's Tuesday Night at the Movies, TBA
A team of military experts discovers a highly radioactive area in the African jungle. While searching for the cause of the radiation, they find an installation built during Kennedy's presidency that was created for alien transportation and communication.
Curse of the TalismanUPN's Tuesday Night at the Movies, TBA
Halloween night brings an invasion of flying gargoyles to a small town whose residents must fight to survive.
Dark Prince: The True Story of DraculaUSA, Oct. 31
There must be something about Rudolf Martin. Joss Whedon cast him as Dracula in Buffy's season premiere and here he is again, this time playing the real Dracula. Set to air on Halloween night, Dark Prince is the tale of the eccentric 15th-century Romanian ruler known as Vlad the Impaler.
DeadmanTNT, TBA
Based on the DC Comics series, this movie is about a stunt man who is murdered, but returns as a spirit who can possess the body of his nerdy accountant brother. Jason Pomerance is the writer on the project, which is being proposed as a potential TV series. There actually appears to be little similarity to the comic book series version, about a circus performer whose spirit searches for the assassin who killed him.
DinotopiaABC, TBA
In what might be the most expensive miniseries ever, Robert Halmi, Jr. (Gulliver's Travels, Merlin) will bring to ABC a land where dinosaurs and humans live together in harmony. Based on the best-selling book series by illustrator James Gurney, the miniseries is expected to cost $75 million. In Gurney's Dinotopia, a biologist named Arthur Denison and his 12-year-old son discover a lost continent in 1862. In this world, dinosaurs and humans cohabitate and interact in exotic cities. The script is by Simon Moore (Gulliver's Travels), and Marco Brambilla will direct.
Execution Live UPN's Tuesday Night at the Movies, TBA
In the future, victims of crimes can get an "eye for an eye" through this reality television show. Maybe the producers should just rename this television movie Survivor so they can get the really big ratings.
Fi Sci Specials with Penn Jillette SCI FI, First Quarter 2001
Jillette promises to address burning questions and unearth the twisted science behind such things as killer tomato attacks and wormholes with strange tendencies. Clips, reenactments and interviews will be used to find the truth. The executive producer is Mark Phillips.
Frank Herbert's DuneSCI FI, begins Dec. 3
SCI FI brings the best-selling science fiction adventure of all time to widescreen television in a six-hour "scini-series" event. Promising a faithful adaptation of the messianic saga of fate, witchcraft, romance and political intrigue, the mini will star award-winning actors William Hurt and Giancarlo Giannini, and newcomer Alec Newman (who plays Paul Atreides). It's also supposed to have really cool sandworms.
The budget was more than $20 million, and the crew included Academy Award winners cinematographer Vittoria Storaro and costume designer Theodor Pistek. Written and directed by John Harrison (Tales from the Darkside: The Movie).
Future SWATUPN's Tuesday Night at the Movies, TBA
In the future, a high-tech government SWAT team springs into action.
The Hound of the BaskervillesOdyssey Network, TBA
Matt Frewer (Max Headroom) will play Sherlock Holmes in this adaptation of the classic story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In the story, Sir Henry Baskerville returns to his ancestral home in England after his uncle is mysteriously killed. Holmes and Watson take up the case even though the local villagers believe the murder must be due to the Baskerville family curse. Directed by Rodney Gibbons (Little Men) from a script by Joe Wiesenfeld (The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, A Knight in Camelot). Frewer must like the role. He'll play Holmes in three additional movies, including The Sign of Four.
The Infinite Worlds of H.G. WellsOdyssey Network, TBA
Hallmark Entertainment will present a series of original movies that combine the real H.G. Wells with his fantastic stories. The six-hour project will have an 80-year-old Wells (Tom Ward) being interviewed in 1946 by a young reporter. Wells' stories are intertwined as flashbacks from his earlier days at the Imperial College of London. Featured short stories will include "The New Accelerator," "Brownlow's Newspaper," "The Crystal Egg," "The Remarkable Case of Davidson's Eyes," "The Truth About Pyecraft" and "The Stolen Bacillus." These stories were written between 1894 and 1897 and examine how technology can be used for good or evil. Created by Nick Willing (Alice in Wonderland) and executive produced by Robert Halmi, Sr., this project was originally announced as a new original series for Odyssey, but will now most likely be presented as three two-hour movies. A series is still possible.
The Last DebateShowtime, Fourth Quarter 2000
Current members of the House of Representatives, political reporters and other real-life Washington, D.C. types will have cameos in the upcoming telefilm about four journalists who manipulate a presidential debate to help the candidate who they think should be elected to win. James Garner and Peter Gallagher star.
The Mists of AvalonTNT, 2001
Academy Award winner Anjelica Huston, Emmy winner Julianna Margulies, and Academy Award nominee Joan Allen star in this four-hour miniseries about the women behind the King Arthur legend. The mini is based on Marion Zimmer Bradley's novel of the same name, with Uli Edel (Last Exit to Brooklyn) set to direct from a script by Gavin Scott.
NostradamusSCI FI, Oct. 13
Time travel, reincarnation and clairvoyance--this television movie seems to have it all. Rob Estes plays homicide detective Michael Nostrand, who is hot on the trail of a 15th-century, time-traveling assassin. During his pursuit, Nostrand discovers that he was Nostradamus in a past life. The movie also stars Joely Fisher as a psychic FBI agent.
PossessedShowtime, Sunday, Oct. 22
This original movie from Showtime is based on a real life account of a Catholic Church-sanctioned exorcism that was performed in 1949. The tale was later fictionalized and turned into 1973's The Exorcist. In Possessed, after the death of his aunt, strange and frightening things begin to happen around a boy named Robbie Mannheim. When science and medicine can't explain or stop what's happening to Robbie, his parents finally turn to the Church. Father William Bowdern, who suffers devastating memories of his time as a chaplain during World War II, reluctantly takes on the case. In order to save Robbie, Father Bowdern must face the demonic forces that have a hold on the young boy, as well as go up against a powerful archbishop. Starring Timothy Dalton and Piper Laurie.
The Red SneakersShowtime, TBA
Reggie Reynolds is a 17-year-old high school math whiz.
However, when he meets a mystical junk shop proprietor named Zeke (Gregory Hines), he is given a pair of red sneakers that magically turn him into a basketball phenomenon. Hines makes his television directorial debut.
Let's do the "Time Warp" again, as VH1 celebrates the 25th anniversary of this camp classic. The show includes a cast reunion.
Shadow Of The Blair WitchSCI FI, Sunday, Oct. 22
This one-hour movie special will offer a taste of the new film Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadow, which opens Oct. 27. The special will feature a unique film preview experience with original characters and a plotline that parallels the film.
SCI FI did much the same thing with its Curse of the Blair Witch, which aired at the same time the hit The Blair Witch Project was in theaters. Shadow Of The Blair Witch will follow the murder trial of Jeff Patterson, a Burkittsville resident with a questionable history that includes child abduction, cultist beliefs and a violent imagination. The special was written by Ben Rock, who wrote Curse and was a production designer on the original Project.
The SightFX, Oct. 29
Written and directed by Paul Anderson (Mortal Kombat), this haunted hotel story deals with a successful architect (Andrew McCarthy) who runs up against 21 restless spirits and a serial murder that was never solved.
Stephen King's Rose RedABC, November 2001
From an original script by Stephen King, this six-hour miniseries tackles a haunted mansion, Rose Red, which was built in 1907 by a Seattle oil magnate. A team of psychics investigates, along with a 15-year-old autistic girl, waking up the ghosts of the past and unleashing the truth behind the secrets. Rose Red stars Nancy Travis, Judith Ivey, Kimberly Brown, Julian Sands and Matt Keeslar. King wrote the mini after his 1999 accident.
Thought CrimesUSA, May or June 2001
This movie about a telepathic woman who can hear the inner voices of others is from Jan De Bont (Speed) and Lucas Foster's Blue Tulip Productions. USA is using the movie as a pilot for a possible series.
Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer are adapting their original movie script as a television movie, and Breck Eisner (who directed the pilot for the SCI FI series The Invisible Man) is slated to direct.
Voyage of the UnicornOdyssey Network, January 2001
Emmy Award winner Beau Bridges will star in this original four-hour miniseries from Hallmark Entertainment and the Sextant Entertainment Group. After his wife's death, a university professor (Bridges) and his two young daughters embark on a fantastic journey aboard the ship Unicorn, and encounter trolls, fairies, minotaurs and other mythical creatures. The miniseries is based on the 1996 novel Voyage of the Basset by James C. Christensen. Robert Halmi, Sr. and Robert Halmi, Jr. are executive producers.
The Wyvern MysteryPBS, Oct. 12 and 19
Based on the Gothic horror novel by J. Sheridan Le Fanu, this two-parter tells the tale of an evil 19th-century squire who owns a mysterious estate.
Yesterday's ChildrenCBS, Oct. 15
A woman (Jane Seymour) has dreams about her past life as an Irish woman in the 1930s.
espite the small number of new shows being offered this fall, there is more speculative fiction television available than ever before. Beyond that, plenty of new shows wait in the wings for their turn.
