via press release:
SYFY'S ROBUST SCRIPTED DEVELOPMENT SLATE FEATURES PROJECTS FROM KEVIN SORBO, LEE MAJORS, Sanctuary CREATIVE TEAM AND UNIVERSAL CABLE PRODUCTIONS
Los Angeles, California - July 30, 2010 - Building upon solid ratings and critical acclaim for returning hits Warehouse 13 and Eureka, and newcomer Haven, Syfy today announced a rich development slate of seven scripted projects featuring television icons Lee Majors and Kevin Sorbo; the Sanctuary creative team of Damian Kindler, Martin Wood and Amanda Tapping; a swashbuckling space opera and an alien version of The Office from Universal Cable Productions plus a single camera 1/2-hour about fighting zombies and a dramedy featuring supernatural villains.
In making the announcement, Mark Stern, Executive Vice President, Programming, Syfy, and Co-Head, Original Content, Universal Cable Productions, said: "One of our key agendas is to continue the extraordinary growth and momentum of our popular dramas. Through partnerships with these formidable talents, in front of and behind the camera, we hope to expand our powerful brand by offering our viewers an imaginative next generation of programming."
BALL & CHAIN
After months of emotional tumult, Edgar and Mallory call their relationship quits. As they say their final goodbyes, the ex-lovers are nearly hit by a meteorite that, it turns out, imbues them with extraordinary powers. Unfortunately, the powers only work when they are in close proximity to each other. Though the last thing they want to do is stay together, they'll need to try if they hope to overcome the newly arrived other-worldly forces that threaten to destroy them and anyone else who gets in the way.
Executive Producers: Bob Cooper and J.J. Jamieson for Landscape Entertainment
Executive Producer/Writer: Andrew Miller
Studios: A Universal Cable Productions/Fremantle Media co-production
ME AND LEE
In this 1/2-hour single-camera series, a down-on-his-luck 20-something undergoes back surgery, only to find that the procedure did not go well. Enter Lee Majors, who claims he has the perfect solution. He entices the young man into his ultra high-tech lab and makes him bionic. Now intrinsically bound together, Majors tries helping his new partner get his life back on track.
Executive Producers/Writers: Matthew Salzberg and Jenji Kohan
Executive Producer: Steven Pearl
Studio: Lionsgate
ORION
National Treasure meets Firefly in this swashbuckling space opera about an adventurous female relic hunter and her team as they hunt down -- and sometimes steal -- valuable and powerful objects to sell on the black market, all while staying one step ahead of the bounty hunters hot on their heels.
Co-Executive Producers/Writers: Dirk Blackman & Howard McCain
Co-Executive Producers: George Krstic & Ryuhei Kitamura
Supervising Producer: F.J. Desanto
Studio: Universal Cable Productions
SHERWOOD
In this "Robin Hood" story for the 23rd century, a young man of privilege teams up with a misfit spaceship crew to right the wrongs of his family.
Writer: Damian Kindler
Executive Producers: Damian Kindler, Martin Wood, and Amanda Tapping for
My Plastic Badgers Productions
LEGENDARY
A 1/2-hour single-camera series in which Kevin Sorbo plays an exaggerated version of himself... a former syndicated television series star. When a fan approaches Sorbo to enlist his skills in combating the underworld mythological creatures that threaten to destroy Los Angeles, an unlikely partnership is formed. Together, they use their intimate knowledge of the myths of Hercules to defeat a myriad of beasts.
Executive Producer: David Eick
Supervising Producers/Writers: Adam Karp & Royal McGraw
Producer: Kevin Sorbo
Studio: Universal Cable Productions
HUMAN RELATIONS
The Office meets Men in Black in this project featuring an office Temp who slowly discovers that his off-kilter and odd-ball bosses at the strange hi-tech "ad agency" where he works are really aliens working on a plan to destroy the Earth.
Co-Executive Producer/Writer: Scott Prendergast
Executive Producers: Michael Rotenberg and Tom Lassally for 3 Arts
Executive Producers: John Altschuler and Dave Krinsky for Ternion
Studio: Universal Cable Productions
ZEROS
In this 1/2-hour single-camera satire, when the zombie population of Marshall City overcomes the 30-foot barrier separating the infected people from the rest of the city, the Zombie Extermination and Removal Operations company (the Zeros) are called in to keep the peace. When they can get out of their own way long enough to focus on a case, they are pretty effective with very unorthodox methods.
Executive Producers: David Kenin and Steve Brenner
Co-Executive Producers: Chris Provost & Dave Hales
Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in more than 96 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. (Syfy. Imagine greater.
Other than the stupid animated adult cartoon, I can't remember the last scripted half hour show they have done. Now they are doing a whole bunch. Certainly ambitious.
So what exactly does this mean? I know that they are “in development,” but does that mean that pilots have been ordered for all of them, or that some (or all) of them are definitely going to series? Or does it mean less than that?
It sounds like they ordered pilots for all these projects, but no necessarily to series.
WTF? This sounds like a press release from April Fool's Day. None of these shows sound good at all.
Where are they getting all this money to develop shows? They're throwing stuff out right and left – cheap and not made to last stuff it looks like but still. Do they have a factory somewhere, where little robots are churning this stuff out? I envision writers chained in basements with computer generated plot programs that mix and match scenarios dependent on the 'theme' of the latest show. LOL Sorry, but seriously, two 'reality' shows with actors willing to make fun of themselves?
Looks like another slate of average yet palatable shows from Syfy.
Another thing, I noticed the line about the relic hunter and remembered there was a terrible syndicated show about a female relic hunter starring Tia Carrere
There was indeed such a show. I like the National Treasure meets Firefly description, you know that's how it was presented, details to be filled in later.
Is it just me or does it seem like Syfy has some sort of deadline they're working towards? Like, Syfy, since the name change has X number of years, (I'm guessing 4 or so) to become a viable network or it's gonna be cut loose from the NBCU family or something. It just seems like they're really ramping up production to try and get as many hours filled as quickly as possible. What's the rush? The Comcast deal? Does every cable entity in the family have to prove their worth or be thrown to the wolves or something? There's just something about all this that smells of desperation rather than a spate of creativity.
TWO space based shows in development? Please, let SyFy pick them up! Please, let them be GOOD! I miss the fun and adventure and space exploration of the SG-1/SGA kind and I hate the “woe is me” dreariness of SGU!
Haven is solid? I thought they dropped considerably?
“Sherwood” – My advice to the Sanctuary team – concentrate on Sanctuary, please! Sherwood sounds dull – although if the team brings the same energy to it as they do on Sanctuary, it might surprise. But if takes ANY energy away from Sanctuary, Sanctuary will suffer. So don't do it!
“Ball and Chain” is a ripoff of that Will Smith movie, “Hancock” – FAIL.
“Me and Lee” – completely stupid. Doomed.
“Orion” – might actually have potential if done well (always the critical point).
“Legendary” – stupid make-work for Sorbo.
“Human Relations” – might work, again if done well.
“Zeros” – As a comedy, it might work, sort of like “Shaun of the Dead”.
I got the feeling one of them will be pick upped. Not sure which one through.
Sanctuary team now has the experience to produce truly off world enviroments an aliens on a TV budget through.
Orion and Sherwood sound interesting, but the rest of it sounds like complete crap. Of course, as with other announcements like this, it could be 2-3 years before Syfy actually greenlights anything, if at all. I'm still waiting for their mini-series based on The Diamond Age announced several years ago.
From this i say Haven is in big trouble, and it should be
Alright, what I've waited my entire life for: a live action version of “Rocket Robin Hood”! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket_Robin_Hood
I think only two of these have any amount of potential, and those are 'Orion' and 'Sherwood.' Everything else, eh, not so much.
Wow. I just read that Me and Lee was a failed 2007 pilot for Fox co-starring Jamie Kennedy. He's even got the pilot to watch on his myspace page. Horrible. Syfy really can't do better than a 3 year old failed pilot?
Wow…Just wow… People get paid in US dollars to develop crap like this?
*packs bags, mails self to Hollywood*
“Ball & Chain” was also a pilot that was done before, based on the Scott Lobdell comic book. Dan Cortese starred: http://thefutoncritic.com/devwatch/ball-and-chain/
Man, that's even worse. From 2002? I know they say Hollywood has run out of ideas, but this is ridiculous.
It isn't that Hollywood ran out of ideas, it is more like the executives who pick these dingleberries are devoid of imagination and welcome retreads that might make a buck.