Word is buzzing around the telepathic ether that Dimension Films the genre arm of the Weinstein Company is developing a TV series based on the movie Scanners.
For those who don't know their sci-fi cinema, or read my Discount Bin Movie Club posts, Scanners was a 1980 Canadian movie written and directed by a then up and coming David Cronenberg. The plot concerned a group of people affected by a drug called Ephemerol that their mothers took while pregnant. The in utero exposure to the drug gave these telepathic and telekinetic powers, meaning that they could read minds, called "scanning" in the film, as well as do things like this: (not for the squeamish)
The downside is that the constant mental chatter of everyone around them makes them social misfits and often misdiagnosed as schizophrenic unless they get regular doses of Ephemerol to control their powers. Then there's ConSec, a global security firm that doesn't know if they should use the Scanners or kill them, and a competition between scientist Dr. Paul Ruth and rogue Scanner Darryl Revok over who can play god the biggest.
There were sequels made in Canada in the 1990s, but their connection to original film and filmmakers was tangential at best, and they were generally forgotten about a day before they were released in theaters. Dimension Films eventually got their hands on the rights to Scanners, originally planning to do a remake, but that project died in development. Now they're talking a TV Series.
So let's look at the pros and cons of this idea.
PROS:
NARRATIVE LEGS: Unlike a lot of movies, Scanners ended with a lot of questions unanswered. (SPOILER ALERT) Cameron Vale, the film's "good guy," lost his body in the final battle, but took over the body of his rival Darryl Revok. ConSec was badly battered, but not destroyed, and Revok's meddling with Ephemerol has possibly created hundreds if not thousands of new Scanners all over the world.
That has possibilities, especially if they pick up the story after where they left off. That new Scanner generation will be turning 30: How did they turn out? What are they up to? What happened to ConSec in the aftermath? What eventually became of the Vale/Revok hybrid thingy created at the end of the movie? These are all open doors that lead to a variety of narrative directions. So yes, it can be done and go in interesting directions.
CONS:
WHO WILL AIR IT?: Despite their constants attempts major networks don't do "imagination" genres very well. Science Fiction and Fantasy rely on a singular, clear vision of a project from beginning to end with set parameters defining the nature of the fantastical elements. Major networks are all about meddling, muddling, and trying to create something called the "least objectionable programming."
They also have a habit of giving a show like this the greenlight, only to completely screw the hell out of it if it's not a blockbuster straight out of the gate, ensuring that most get canceled within a season or two.
If the show is to succeed it would probably do better on a cable channel with a track record of genre programming.
WHAT ABOUT THE WEINSTEINS?: Don't forget Dimension Films is a division of the Weinstein Company. TWC has a bad habit of making questionable creative decisions, unnecessary enemies, and alienating business partners. That's bad enough in the movies, but a guarantee of certain death in television.
While I think the show does have possibilities, I'm just too convinced that the Weinsteins will find some way to screw it all up, and kill it in the development process.
For those who don't know their sci-fi cinema, or read my Discount Bin Movie Club posts, Scanners was a 1980 Canadian movie written and directed by a then up and coming David Cronenberg. The plot concerned a group of people affected by a drug called Ephemerol that their mothers took while pregnant. The in utero exposure to the drug gave these telepathic and telekinetic powers, meaning that they could read minds, called "scanning" in the film, as well as do things like this: (not for the squeamish)
The downside is that the constant mental chatter of everyone around them makes them social misfits and often misdiagnosed as schizophrenic unless they get regular doses of Ephemerol to control their powers. Then there's ConSec, a global security firm that doesn't know if they should use the Scanners or kill them, and a competition between scientist Dr. Paul Ruth and rogue Scanner Darryl Revok over who can play god the biggest.
There were sequels made in Canada in the 1990s, but their connection to original film and filmmakers was tangential at best, and they were generally forgotten about a day before they were released in theaters. Dimension Films eventually got their hands on the rights to Scanners, originally planning to do a remake, but that project died in development. Now they're talking a TV Series.
So let's look at the pros and cons of this idea.
NARRATIVE LEGS: Unlike a lot of movies, Scanners ended with a lot of questions unanswered. (SPOILER ALERT) Cameron Vale, the film's "good guy," lost his body in the final battle, but took over the body of his rival Darryl Revok. ConSec was badly battered, but not destroyed, and Revok's meddling with Ephemerol has possibly created hundreds if not thousands of new Scanners all over the world.
That has possibilities, especially if they pick up the story after where they left off. That new Scanner generation will be turning 30: How did they turn out? What are they up to? What happened to ConSec in the aftermath? What eventually became of the Vale/Revok hybrid thingy created at the end of the movie? These are all open doors that lead to a variety of narrative directions. So yes, it can be done and go in interesting directions.
CONS:
WHO WILL AIR IT?: Despite their constants attempts major networks don't do "imagination" genres very well. Science Fiction and Fantasy rely on a singular, clear vision of a project from beginning to end with set parameters defining the nature of the fantastical elements. Major networks are all about meddling, muddling, and trying to create something called the "least objectionable programming."
They also have a habit of giving a show like this the greenlight, only to completely screw the hell out of it if it's not a blockbuster straight out of the gate, ensuring that most get canceled within a season or two.
If the show is to succeed it would probably do better on a cable channel with a track record of genre programming.
WHAT ABOUT THE WEINSTEINS?: Don't forget Dimension Films is a division of the Weinstein Company. TWC has a bad habit of making questionable creative decisions, unnecessary enemies, and alienating business partners. That's bad enough in the movies, but a guarantee of certain death in television.
While I think the show does have possibilities, I'm just too convinced that the Weinsteins will find some way to screw it all up, and kill it in the development process.
Despite their constants attempts major networks don't do "imagination" genres very well. Science Fiction and Fantasy rely on a singular, clear vision of a project from beginning to end with set parameters defining the nature of the fantastical elements. Major networks are all about meddling, muddling, and trying to create something called the "least objectionable programming."
ReplyDeleteWell... kind of depends, doesn't it? If a show has a fairly high budget, than it will need to go for the least objectionable programming in order to attract the greatest number of viewers and make a profit. On the other hand, shows that work with a smaller budget (and thus require a small audience to make a profit), can afford to take greater risks in storytelling.
Furious D said:
ReplyDeleteUnlike a lot of movies, Scanners ended with a lot of questions unanswered. (SPOILER ALERT) Cameron Vale, the film's "good guy," lost his body in the final battle, but took over the body of his rival Darryl Revok. ConSec was badly battered, but not destroyed, and Revok's meddling with Ephemerol has possibly created hundreds if not thousands of new Scanners all over the world.
That has possibilities, especially if they pick up the story after where they left off. That new Scanner generation will be turning 30: How did they turn out? What are they up to? What happened to ConSec in the aftermath? What eventually became of the Vale/Revok hybrid thingy created at the end of the movie? These are all open doors that lead to a variety of narrative directions. So yes, it can be done and go in interesting directions.
You're right Furious, these ideas could lead to dozens of great stories.
I guarantee that none of them will be addressed in the series and that instead it will be the same crap that we've seen in any fantasy-based series.
All creative energy will be spent trying to make the show as close a rip-off of "True Blood" (or whatever similar show is popular when "Scanners" airs) as is legally permissible.
There's something about TV that kills creativity and all those "endless possibilities" become the same old thing.
You should look at the story ideas Rod Serling floated for the Planet of the Apes tv show. They were all good. None were ever used, replaced instead by a story wherein the hero has to win a horse race.
Just look at the rapid decline in quality of the original Star Trek from first episode to last. It makes me think you simply can't do sci-fi or fantasy on TV unless you write out the entire series ahead of time like "Babylon 5".