WB ORDERS FILMING OF NEW DS PILOT

[jimbo]

this article shows that DS is in some good company. It also delves a bit further into what I was saying the other day - that pilots "get scrapped for any number of reasons, and quality isn't always atop the list." And it's also the most interesting article I've come across so far...

I agree MB a very interesting article. I am almost now sold on the idea that the quality of the pilot was not a major factor in the WB passing on the pilot. In fact I believe that the WB executives started false rumors about how bad the pilot was just to try to save some face as to why they did a 180 on the pilot. I also think by the WB suddendly not using a focus group to screen its pilots, made it much easier to dispose of DS. Is there a conspiracy here?

In any event does anybody know the actual status of the DS pilot? Does the WB still have an option to air the pilot/series on the WB? Is it possible that the WB is still considering DS as a mid-season replacement even though they have not yet indicated this?

[Darren Gross]

(for those who may have found the previous post located her pompous or sarcastic, I've edited it. Accept my apologies.)

For info on the WBs next step and the process see reply 733 & 735 for more on that...

As for midseason, at this point, I think its just being suggested to soften the blow while the dust settles. I really don't believe midseason is being considered, but there's always a chance the network could become desperate if they have a large amount of shows that do disastrously. I doubt that will happen and we'll just have to cross our fingers and hope another network goes for it...

I wonder if there are LOST IN SPACE boards as passionate about their fave show?

[Misa]

Over at barnabasundead we are trying to organize something to get the show picked up by another network.

Why don't  you check out the site?

www.barnabasundead.com

Misa

[Midnite]

(for those who may have found the previous post located her pompous or sarcastic, I've edited it. Accept my apologies.)

That's very kind of you, Darren.  But FWIW, I never thought it was either, don't see any need for you to repeat yourself, and don't feel you have anything to apologize for.

[Mary]

Soap Opera Digest arrived in today's mail and it has an article about the "Days of Our Lives" serial killer victims  [spoiler]turning out to be alive.[/spoiler]All of the "victims" are interviewed including Alexis Thorpe.  Her interview took place before the WB fall lineup was announced and she was asked what it would mean for her future at DAYS if the DS pilot would be picked up.  She replied that Days is her priority but it would be "an amazing experience to do both."  How cool!  I hope there's a network out there that will pick up the pilot and if it would be NBC, I'm sure they could work it out for her to do both, but maybe another network could make it work too!

[Midnite]

Soap Opera Digest arrived in today's mail and it has an article about the "Days of Our Lives" serial killer victims ... All of the "victims" are interviewed including Alexis Thorpe.

Alexis Thorpe Online has posted the article and her entire interview, photos included:

http://alexis-thorpe.com/alexisthorpeonline/id115.html

Even the title of the article is a spoiler, so readers beware.

[jimbo]

I guess it was not too surprising to learn these days that NBC passed on the Transylvania potential pilot and series because it was too expensive. Article said other networks are interested in this vampire show.
www.comingsoon.net/news.php?id=4844

[jimbo]

Kristin of eonline doesn't have too many nice words to say about the DS Pilot these days. In response to a question, what happened to the DS pilot? she responds: { Jordan Levin said they had " other projects they thought more deserving". Translation: You know it's crap when it doesn't beat out Drew Carey's Green Screen.} Way to go Levin.

http://www.eonline.com/Gossip/Kristin/Trans/Archive2004/040524d.html

[Philippe Cordier]

Kristin of eonline doesn't have too many nice words to say about the DS Pilot these days. In response to a question, what happened to the DS pilot? she responds: { Jordan Levin said they had " other projects they thought more deserving". Translation: You know it's crap when it doesn't beat out Drew Carey's Green Screen.} Way to go Levin.

I followed the link and read the quote.  BTW, who is Jordan Levin?

My feeling is that the pilot may have been crap.  Considering how the WB was involved in producing it, I find it hard to believe they would have passed on it if it was really good.

Other networks haven't shown much enthusiasm for previous scripts/proposals, and I'm beginning to conclude that Dan Curtis Productions should just let "Dark Shadows" be.  Instead work hard at trying to keep the original series alive (as I keep saying, TV Land would seem to be the perfect new home; DS is about the only show from that era that hasn't been re-run on TV Land).

I was as hopeful and excited about the prospects of a new DS as anyone, but as I said before, I think no DS is better than a crappy new DS.

Of course, maybe the pilot was a masterpiece that was unjustly rejected for some corporate politics reason, but given the track record of previous DS proposals and the crappy quality of so many remakes of classics generally, I personally feel we may be better off with keeping our memory of the original show alive.

[victoriawinters]

Kristin of eonline doesn't have too many nice words to say about the DS Pilot these days. In response to a question, what happened to the DS pilot? she responds: { Jordan Levin said they had " other projects they thought more deserving". Translation: You know it's crap when it doesn't beat out Drew Carey's Green Screen.} Way to go Levin.

I followed the link and read the quote.  BTW, who is Jordan Levin?

President of WB.  The network, not WB Television.

I don't take Kristin too seriously these days since she is someone who was blaming DS for Angel's demise.  We don't know it's crap.  Just speculation.

Gotta see it to believe it.

In a footnote to the entire thing, we forget that John Wells Productions was heavily involved in the project.  Probably more so then Curtis.  It was Warner Bros. Television and John Wells Productions that got pilot going in the first place.  Funny, how this has slipped the radar.  I think if it were just Dan Curtis, it would not have made it too pilot.

The footnote is that Fox approved Jonny Zero for its year round line up.  It should appear in January 2005.  Production company is Warner Bros. Television and John Wells Productions.  Click here.

My uneducated guess is that WB went with cheap to produce stuff.  They are the lowest rated of all the networks.  Their accepted schedule shows no risk taking at all.

Frankly, after what WB did to Angel and the stupid montage thing after the last episode, I'm just glad that WB didn't get their mits on our show.  They would have disrespected it IMHO.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

and more:

"Other big names that struck out with fall 2004-05 pilots: Chris O'Donnell, Ricki Lake and Kirstie Alley as the stars of CBS comedies, and Sandra Bullock and Lisa Kudrow as sitcom producers; a remake of Mr. Ed, a comeback sitcom for Valerie Bertinelli and an animated comedy based on the childhood experiences of Chris Rock at Fox; remakes of Dark Shadows and Lost in Space at the WB; comedies starring Macaulay Culkin, Alyson Hannigan, Rob Reiner, Jeff Goldblum and Henry Winkler, and a reality show following the real-life Hollywood adventures of Austin Powers' Mini-Me, Verne Troyer at NBC; as well as comedies starring Jenny McCarthy, Tori Spelling, Charisma Carpenter and Shannon Elizabeth at UPN."

You can read the whole article here.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I don't take Kristin too seriously these days since she is someone who was blaming DS for Angel's demise.  We don't know it's crap.  Just speculation.

Exactly. Kristin was down on the DS pilot before it was even finished shooting. That remark was merely her sarcastic take on Levin's comment. And if we shared her POV, it would actually be quite funny...

[jimbo]

The creaturecorner website posted an alleged review of the DS pilot, Positive buzz for Shadows. I am glad to see a positive review if it is true. This review was also picked up by the horrorweb website.
www.creature-corner.com
www.horror-web.com/news4/news.php

[Midnite]

The creaturecorner website posted an alleged review of the DS pilot, Positive buzz for Shadows. I am glad to see a positive review if it is true. This review was also picked up by the horrorweb website.

Thanks, jimbo.  I can verify that it's a legitimate review by someone who has indeed seen the pilot, and I'm posting it in its entirety with the permission of the author.  There's nothing contained here that will spoil the suspense for first-time viewers.


I've seen it and thought it was terrific. Probably the fastest paced 40 mins of television I've seen. The casting is amazingly solid, despite the rushed nature of the casting process. Newman has two rich and memorable scenes as Barny (intro to the family & josette's room) and there are three really scary, chilling scenes. The show also had a wonderful SUSPIRIA inspired look with scenes bathed in primary colors that added to the film-quality visuals. Gould is excellent as David, Marley works as Victoria and I'm truly sad audiences won't get to see more of his sour, venom-dripping Roger. If a flaw can be aimed at it, it would simply be that its a very busy pilot that doesn't have much breathing time for the characters. It's not all action, there are nice dialogue scenes between Liz/Vicki, Vicki/Carolyn and Carolyn/Joe. It doesn't leave you lost or confused, but after seeing it, you really WANT to see the next episode and find out more about these characters and what happens to them. A flashy first episode combined with a quieter character focused second episode and it would have dug its hooks fiercely into an audience.

[Philippe Cordier]

I don't take Kristin too seriously these days since she is someone who was blaming DS for Angel's demise.  We don't know it's crap.  Just speculation.

Exactly. Kristin was down on the DS pilot before it was even finished shooting. That remark was merely her sarcastic take on Levin's comment.

I didn't know that and had no idea who "Kristin" was.  Your comment puts her remarks in an entirely different context, since I assumed she was an objective commentator.

Given the fantastic and exciting-to-read review of the pilot that Midnite has posted, I guess I'd have to backtrack on my speculation that the pilot might just have been a dud.

If it was as good as the review indicates, it sounds like a sure-fire thing -- much more exciting than the "safe bets" WB supposedly went with.  Yet the WB head's comments sound very dismissive.

The comments in the review about the visual look of the pilot, which had been mentioned in one of the interviews (I think with the writer), are very interesting.  I suspected that a "fantastical" look was being created after seeing the interior photograph of the ornate theater that was used for the interior of the Old House.  Fantastic rather than realistic.  Rather intriguing.

If the pilot is as good as the review by the anonymous source says, perhaps it stands some chance of being picked up by someone else.

Darn, I'd rather not get my hopes up again though.