Off Network Science Fiction Television Preview

The five broadcast networks are not the only ones who have been busy lately working on bringing more Science Fiction and Fantasy television offerings to the small screen. Several of the cable channels currently have series in the works or waiting in the wings.

Sci Fi Channel

Sci Fi looks to be busy in the upcoming season as they have quite a number of shows in various stages of development as well as the return on Stargate Atlantis in late Summer and the back half of Battlestar Galactica season four in early 2009. In addition to that, at least three new shows are currently in the casting / pre-production stage.

Battlestar Galactica prequel, Caprica, is probably the most anticipated of the new shows as it will continue to expand on concepts introduced in BSG. Set fifty years prior to the events of Galactica, it will center around the lives of two families, the Adamas and the Graystones, on opposing sides of the debate to create the Cylons. Esai Morales (Jericho) has been tagged to play Joseph Adama and David Eick will executive produce. I look forward to this series which should continue the tradition of the excellent and engaging story-telling of its predecessor (successor?).

Also moving forward on Sci Fi is the dramedy Warehouse 13 which chronicles the adventures of two FBI agents assigned to monitor a warehouse where various extraterrestrial and supernatural artifacts are stored. This one sounds like it could be a good companion to the excellent Eureka which returns for its third season this summer. The Sci Fi Channel has also started casting Revolution, a series about a colonial planet struggling for its independence from Earth. Among those cast are Oscar nominee Peter Fonda.

Along with these, the Sci Fi Channel has at least six other projects in the works which include The Awesomes, Deputized, Sanctuary (a small screen version of the web series), The Stranded, True Believer, and the mini-series Alice (the Halmi clan returns yet again to ravage classic literature). On top of this, word is that as many as three Battlestar Galactica movies could air in the upcoming season. Plus, fans are currently barraging the channel with requests to pickup recently cancelled series Jericho and Moonlight, so the Sci Fi schedule looks to get pretty crowded. They did make some room, though, by choosing not to bring back Painkiller Jane or Flash Gordon (haven’t heard too much buzz from the Save Flash campaign; they must have fallen asleep two episodes in to the first season marathon).

HBO

The pay channel’s long delayed vampire series, True Blood, will finally make it to the schedule in September. This series is based Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire novel series and will be produced by Alan Ball (Six Feet Under). It had been set to bow in Spring 2008, but the writer’s strike pushed it back.

Cartoon Network

Star Wars: Clone Wars returns to the Cartoon Network, this time as a weekly thirty minute series. It will pick up where the two previous animated mini-series left off and continue to expand on the saga of Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi taking place between the events that occurred in the movies Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Currently George Lucas plans to produce around 100 episodes of the series. However, if it pulls in the ratings and sells more products, expect him to keep it on the air longer.
AMC

David Seltzer (The Omen) is developing the science fiction/horror series 99 Stories for AMC. It is about a group of people trapped in a high-tech building trying to find their way out. According to Seltzer, each story will present a different challenge for the group. Sounds like a re-worked version of the Cube movies and its premise seems somewhat limited. However, if they get one episode for each story in the building, then that will take them past four seasons.

Syndication

Sam Raimi (Brisco County Jr., Hercules, Xena, Spider Man movies) returns to the small screen to executive produce Wizard’s First Rule. Based on Terry Goodkind's "Sword of Truth" books, the series has already begun production on its 22 episode first season and is expected to show up in September 2008.

In addition to the shows mention above, George Lucas has started production on his live action Star Wars series which will take place between the events in Episodes III: Revenge of the Sith and Episode IV: A New Hope. He plans on shopping the series around after he has completed several episodes. Also, producers of the supernatural series The Oaks are shopping that property around after FOX recently kicked it to the curb.

There are plenty of shows in the works and on the drawing board, so stay tuned to the Axiom’s Edge website for news on all upcoming Science Fiction and Fantasy television series.

-JJJ

Full List of Science Fiction and Fantasy Shows on the Schedule for the Upcoming Season

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