Sci Fi TV Development: Metropolis and New J.J. Abrams Series on the Way
Yet another DC prequel series without the main character is on the way as that company has announced plans for a live action Metropolis TV show that will run on their upcoming streaming service. They have given the following description for the series which sounds sort of like Superman (without Superman) meets Fringe:
Metropolis will follow Lois Lane and Lex Luthor as they investigate the world of fringe science and expose the city’s dark and bizarre secrets. Airing exclusively on DC’s upcoming digital service, it promises to show us a wondrous and awe-inspiring City of Tomorrow, before the emergence of Superman, and establish much of the Man of Steel’s world leading up to his arrival.
A live action Titans series is already in the works for that streaming service. The other DC prequel shows are Gotham, currently in its fourth season on FOX, and Krypton, which debuts on Syfy in March.
HBO has given a direct-to-series order to the J.J. Abrams series Demimonde which Deadline Hollywood describes as “an epic and intimate sci-fi fantasy drama” which is “centered around a world’s battle against a monstrous, oppressive force”. The word Demimonde is of French origin meaning “half-world” and comes from Alexandre Dumas’ Le Demi-Monde referring to “a distinct circle or world that is often an isolated part of a larger world” or “the world of prostitution”. Apple had been in the bidding for the series, but HBO won out and will likely target getting this show on its schedule at some point in 2019.
Zachary Quinto followed Leonard Nimoy as Spock in the big screen reboot of the Star Trek franchise that began in 2011, and he will follow Nimoy once again as host of The History Channel’s reboot of the 70’s series In Search Of. For good or for bad, the new show will have more of a reality show twist to it as it will present unscripted investigations into the mysterious and unexplained.
Sci Fi TV Status Report: Syfy Will Stay Happy!
Coming as no surprise, Syfy announced this week that its dark fantasy Happy! will be returning for a second season. It’s not quite the “breakout hit” Deadline Hollywood claims it is, but it has been a solid performer for its network. It bowed in December with a 0.4 rating based on same day viewing in the 18-49 demographic, the best debut Syfy had seen in a while. But it quickly slipped to less than half those numbers, averaging a 0.18 rating since its premiere. But those are decent ratings for that network these days and I have been expecting this one to get the renewal nod.
Trending up in the ratings last weekend were Starz’s Counterpart and USA’s Falling Water. The former series improved to a 0.11 rating based on same day viewing in the 18-49 demographic, up from the 0.09 score for its debut. That show received a two-season order from Starz in advance of its premiere. Falling Water improved its ratings for a second straight week, pulling a 0.13 score on Saturday night. It is currently On the Bubble because its numbers are low for a USA entry. Be sure to follow CancelledSciFi.com and the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter site for the latest ratings results and the renewal / cancellation status of your favorite shows.
Sci Fi TV Schedule: Channel Zero Returns for Its Third Season
Next week brings the return of Syfy’s season-long anthology series Channel Zero, and the third season (subtitled “Butcher’s Block”) will be based on the creepypasta “Search and Rescue Woods”. Also next week, TNT’s The Librarians will be wrapping up its fourth season and and Star Trek: Discovery will have its first season finale. Later in the month of February, we can look forward to the debut of Stargate: Origins on the Stargate Command streaming service (see trailer below) and the return of Star Wars: Rebels to wrap up its fourth and final season. You can see the full Mid-Season schedule of sci fi and fantasy shows at this link and you can keep up with the weekly listings at this link.
Sci Fi TV Trailers: Castle Rock, Stargate: Origins, Constantine on Legends of Tomorrow
Hulu has released a new trailer for their Stephen King series Castle Rock which is set to debut on that streaming service later this year.
A new trailer for the upcoming Stargate: Origins has dropped. That prequel series will debut on the Stargate Command streaming service on February 15th:
Constantine is back when Legends of Tomorrow resumes its third season on February 12th (in its new Monday 8 PM EST timeslot). Here is a teaser for that.
More Sci Fi TV News
Luc Besson and EuropaCorp have signed a mult-film deal to produce movies exclusively for Netflix and SlashFilm.com suggests one these could be a lower-budget Valerian sequel.
The CW has added reboots of Charmed and Roswell to the list of pilots it is considering for the 2018-19 season. You can see the full rundown of sci fi TV pilots at this link.
Syfy and USA have given the greenlight for their shows to drop F-bombs at will. Because that will bring back the viewers that at currently tuning out . . .
Jeff Pierre will be joining the cast of Once Upon A Time as the character Prince Naveen from the Disney animated movie The Princess and the Frog.
Last Week’s Post: ABC Orders Female-Lead Greatest American Hero Reboot, Netflix Could Grab Cloverfield 3, and More Read
