I will call this the reboot / revival edition of This Week In Sci-Fi TV as the first four pieces below all deal reworks and returns of existing properties.
ABC To Do A Live-Action Reboot Of ‘The Jetsons’
For some reason, the alphabet network has decided that we need a live-action re do of an animated favorite as they are working on bringing back The Jetsons as a new sitcom. The original series looked at modern suburban life in a future when almost everything is automated and first debuted on ABC in 1962. It only ran for one season before getting moved to Saturday mornings for endless reruns, though it did eventually get two seasons of new episodes in the 80’s. Robert Zemeckis is onboard as executive producer of the reboot and ABC has requested a pilot that they will likely consider during the 2018 Pilot Season.
Amazon’s #GalaxyQuest Reboot Is Back On Course
Amazon had previously considered a reboot / revival of the Star Trek spoof film Galaxy Quest which in various reports could have been a sequel to the first movie or an ongoing series. Momentum on that stalled in 2016 when Alan Rickman died, but it appears that the project is back on course again. Paul Scheer (The League) has been brought onboard to take over the writing chores from original screenwriter Robert Gordon for what Amazon describes as a “new take” on the concept. Whether that indicates a full reboot is uncertain, but they have welcomed back the original cast members. Interestingly, FOX already has The Orville set to debut this Fall (Thursdays at 9 PM EST) which looks to deliver a similar Star Trek-like comedy in space concept.
xHamster Offers To Produce Third Season Of #Sense8
And in the strangest news of the week, the porn site xHamster has posted an open letter to the Wachowskis offering to produce the third season of their cancelled series Sense8. Netflix has already agreed to produce a final two-hour finale for the show after a raucous fan campaign tried to change the streaming service’s mind about the cancellation. But now xHamster is offering to do a full third season. The site claims that it has a “long history of fighting for the rights of sexual speech” (the show is known for its open sexuality) and that its full production budget (which they assert is large) would be available for the show. They claim to be one of the most trafficked sites on the net with more daily visitors than the New York Times or ESPN, so the show would get exposure (you can see the full letter here). It seems like a longshot that a mainstream-produced series would make a jump to a porn site, and I’m guessing that the Wachowskis will decline the offer. But if fans are onboard with the idea, they could push for it and it’s not impossible that it could happen. Maybe Netflix could even partner with xHamster and stream the show after it has had its first run on the porn site. It will be interesting to see how and if this develops, and it may come down to how hard the fans push for that third season to happen.
BBC Working On A TV Reboot Of ‘The Birds’
In the reboots-we-do-not-need category, the BBC is working on adapting The Birds to a television series. Though word is that they will base it on the original 1952 novel and not the classic Alfred Hitchcock film from 1962. The story follows the events related to large numbers of birds going mad across the world, and the original book took place in the aftermath of World War II (as oposed to the contemporary setting for the Hitchcock film). Harry Potter producer David Heyman is attached to the project and the BBC will likely consider adding this to their schedule at some point in 2018.
Amazon Cast Two Leads For ‘Good Omens’
Amazon’s upcoming mini-series adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s and Terry Pratchett’s Good Omens had a major casting announcement this week. Michael Sheen (Underworld, Passengers) will play the angel Aziraphale and former Doctor David Tennant will play the demon Crowley. Variety gives the following description for the series:
The show is set in 2018 on the brink of an apocalypse as humanity prepares for a final judgment. But Aziraphale, a somewhat fussy angel, and Crowley, a demon, aren’t enthusiastic about the end of the world, and can’t seem to find the Antichrist.
The six-episode mini-series will likely join Amazon’s lineup of originals at some point in 2018.
Sci-Fi TV Status Report: CBS Shows ‘Salvation’ And ‘Zoo’ Are Both Struggling
CBS end-of-the-world drama Salvation opened to decent numbers last month, but it has slipped notably since then. In its latest outing, the show only managed a 0.4 rating based on the overnights for the 18-49 demographic with 2.9 million total viewers. I consider that show now to be On the Bubble, and it will move to Cancellation Likely status if its numbers do not turn around quickly. Zoo has actually improved slightly of late, pulling a 0.6 rating with 2.6 million total viewers on Thursday, but it is still performing no better than most repeats airing on CBS this Summer and I continue to believe it is in its final season.
Over on Syfy, Blood Drive slipped to a 0.10 rating with 343K total viewers on Wednesday, and I believe its chances of surviving into a second season have stalled. On Spike on Thursday, The Mist remained low at a 0.12 rating with 399K total viewers and I continue to consider it a Bubble show.
#DeathNote and #TheTick Debut Next Week
Two streaming service originals have their debuts this coming week as Netflix’s live-action movie adaptation of the Anime Death Note bows on Friday and Amazon’s reboot of The Tick also debuts on the same day. In addition to those two premieres, several shows will be wrapping up for the week. On Thursday, Spike’s The Mist will have its first season finale. On Friday, Syfy’s Dark Matter and Wynonna Earp will have their third and second season finales respectively. And on Sunday, Game of Thrones has its epic seventh season finale which will be an hour and a half long. You can keep up with the weekly listings of sci fi and fantasy shows here.
First Trailer For Syfy’s ‘Channel Zero: No-End House’
The second season of Syfy’s horror anthology series Channel Zero has its debut next month on September 20th. That series draws inspiration from the “Creepypasta” stories running around the internet and the upcoming season will be based on the “No-End House” tale. Syfy offers the following description for the upcoming season:
‘Channel Zero: No-End House’ tells the story of a young woman named Margot Sleator, played by Amy Forsyth, who visits the No-End House, a bizarre house of horrors that consists of a series of increasingly disturbing rooms. When she returns home, Margot realizes everything has changed.
You can see the preliminary Fall schedule of sci fi and fantasy shows here.
