Ellis creates a series for AMC [Archive]

Everlost_MI

06-16-2006, 04:53 PM

Right from Warren Ellis' website/blog... (http://www.warrenellis.com/)

I have been engaged by the American cable company AMC to write the half-hour pilot for a TV series I created. The contract calls the show “black comedy/science fiction.” Christina Wayne at AMC, who, along with Vlad Wolynetz have just been unreasonably good to deal with, recently described it as a “sf/entertainment-industry ‘dramedy’.”

As with all TV Things, everything could go horribly wrong. But this is the deal I’ve been waiting for, with people who understand the project and format I want to work in. And you know something’s going right when people in TV are telling you to go more experimental and take more risks. This isn’t your US network tv experience.

I’m writing the pilot at the moment. (And I should particularly thank Joss Whedon and John Rogers for their insights into the process.) More details will hopefully follow as the project progresses. Or, you know, a tearstained screed if it doesn’t.
I am most interested...anyone else?

Dr.Finger

06-16-2006, 04:56 PM

I am definitely interested, but I didn't realize that AMC was producing shows.

thecrazyd

06-16-2006, 04:58 PM

Yaaay! The only downside is he may have to cut back his comic writing to 7 regular monthly books.

SexualChoc

06-16-2006, 05:08 PM

I am very interested. Though the odds on me ever seeing it are slim to none. Still, there's hope.

KNOTE

06-16-2006, 05:09 PM

OHHHH my god. If an Ellis-scripted television show ever starts, I would definitely have to consider getting cable. Transmetropolitan is my favorite comic of all time. Something tells me no corporate television is ready for his vision.

Spigot

06-16-2006, 05:11 PM

I'm interested. Hopefully this won't go the way of the ill-fated Global Frequency.

mightbe

06-16-2006, 05:22 PM

Soo... what was global frequency, Spig?

And yes, I'm intersted in it.

fitbabits

06-16-2006, 05:26 PM

Color me curious.

Kefkataran

06-16-2006, 05:34 PM

Very excited/interested, especially since he's gotten tips from Whedon. Here's hoping it happens. And here's hoping I have AMC on my satelite. :p

Spigot

06-16-2006, 05:35 PM

Soo... what was global frequency, Spig?

And yes, I'm intersted in it.
Global Frequency (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Frequency) was a graphic novel series by Ellis that was going to be made into a TV show at one point.

Lots of info here (http://www.frequencysite.com/).

My friend sent me the pilot episode last year but that was before I really had gotten into comics again and didn't know who Ellis was. Now I wish I knew where I'd stashed that file...

It is probably available on a peer to peer site, if you're a bad and nasty person and use those filthy, filthy programs :rolleyes:

Kelegacy

06-16-2006, 06:41 PM

Very excited/interested, especially since he's gotten tips from Whedon. Here's hoping it happens. And here's hoping I have AMC on my satelite. :p
Can I chime in and say that I didn't enjoy Serenity as much as the rest of the general populace, and I dislike most of Whedon's other works?

*puts on goalie helmet*

thecrazyd

06-16-2006, 06:47 PM

Can I chime in and say that I didn't enjoy Serenity as much as the rest of the general populace, and I dislike most of Whedon's other works?

*puts on goalie helmet*
Can I chime in and say you have horrible taste and are probably a child molester? Leading studies have shown that people that do not like Serenity are all child molesters. It's a fact, look it up.

mightbe

06-16-2006, 06:53 PM

Can I chime in and say that I didn't enjoy Serenity as much as the rest of the general populace, and I dislike most of Whedon's other works?

*puts on goalie helmet*

I mostly agree with you, Kel.

With the exception of the Firefly series, I find Whedon's dross to be unwatchable. I did like Firefly's no holds barred schlock with openly aggressive melodrama. It was near and dear to what I want in my entertainment.

Much the same reason I enjoy Cowboy Bebop.

Kelegacy

06-16-2006, 08:13 PM

Can I chime in and say you have horrible taste and are probably a child molester? Leading studies have shown that people that do not like Serenity are all child molesters. It's a fact, look it up.
:eek:

But I'm not. :(

RandomViolence

06-16-2006, 10:29 PM

:eek:

But I'm not. :(

Don't make me bring out the photographs!

Sazime

06-16-2006, 11:58 PM

It's a bummer that Global Frequency never saw the light of day. But this has me excited.

Spigot

06-17-2006, 06:07 AM

Kelegacy... for shame.

I resisted Buffy back in the day as I thought it was just some stupid show. Then I picked up the first season and never looked back. Joss is one of the few bright lights in the entertainment world these days.

And anyone who thinks differently than me is WRONG! JUST PLAIN WRONG!

Heretic Machine

06-17-2006, 09:56 AM

Those who deny the word of Whedon must be purged... Only then will the Joss be satisfied, and grant us further holy works on undeserving hedonist networks.

Kefkataran

06-17-2006, 10:44 AM

Can I chime in and say that I didn't enjoy Serenity as much as the rest of the general populace, and I dislike most of Whedon's other works?

I'm a bit surprised, but that's your opinion I suppose. Speaking comics-wise, though, Whedon's Astonishing X-Men *destroys* any other X-books of the last five years.

Wedge

06-17-2006, 06:16 PM

I resisted Buffy back in the day as I thought it was just some stupid show. Then I picked up the first season and never looked back.

Same story here, exept that it was a friend that was tired of me being a child molester, so he gave me season 1 & 2 of Buffy. Fixed me right up!

See, Kelegacy? The cure is only a season away!

*edit: And color me interested as well.*

Kelegacy

06-17-2006, 10:29 PM

I'm a bit surprised, but that's your opinion I suppose. Speaking comics-wise, though, Whedon's Astonishing X-Men *destroys* any other X-books of the last five years.
I don't read comics, but I do see television from time to time, and movies. And the overabundance of Whedon fandom here made me check out Serenity, which I thought was just okay. I was actually on a date one night and looking for a flick to rent. The girl I was with saw me consider Serenity at the movie store and she said it was stupid--she had already seen it. I instantly thought "this date is stupid" until I rented the film at a later time and, while not disappointed, wasn't impressed.

Oh well. Maybe it was the hype, and could never match my expectations. I've seen his tv stuff and never was drawn in either. *shrug*

Kefkataran

06-17-2006, 10:38 PM

Oh well. Maybe it was the hype, and could never match my expectations. I've seen his tv stuff and never was drawn in either. *shrug*

Part of it may be that Serenity is MUCH better if you've watched Firefly. But you should read comics. Specifically Transmetropolitan followed by Astonishing X-Men. :p

Kelegacy

06-17-2006, 10:56 PM

Part of it may be that Serenity is MUCH better if you've watched Firefly. But you should read comics. Specifically Transmetropolitan followed by Astonishing X-Men. :p
I saw ONE episode of Firefly, or maybe 1.5 episodes to be exact, and never felt truly engaged. And comics...I've tried. I used to read them a lot as a kid, and always enjoyed them as long as they didn't feature superheroes--I despised them for the most part, and still do. Now I'd rather read sci-fi or fantas novels instead of comics for some reason. Maybe I outgrew them, but the main reason is I don't have the time to spend with them, at least not compared to the time I'm willing to give to full length books.

Kefkataran

06-19-2006, 05:21 AM

And comics...I've tried. I used to read them a lot as a kid, and always enjoyed them as long as they didn't feature superheroes--I despised them for the most part, and still do. Now I'd rather read sci-fi or fantas novels instead of comics for some reason. Maybe I outgrew them, but the main reason is I don't have the time to spend with them, at least not compared to the time I'm willing to give to full length books.

Which is weird, since comics generally take so much less time to read.

Spigot

06-19-2006, 05:53 AM

Which is weird, since comics generally take so much less time to read.
Kelegacy can't handle all the pictures.

I agree though. I can whip through a stack of issues and a graphic novel in an hour or two but whenever I try to sit and read an actual novel I get sidetracked by kids or games or other things. I'm having a lot more trouble reading real books of late while the comics seem to have taken over what little reading time I do have.

I think it's because I know it will only take an evening or two of reading a trade before bed to get through it while spending the same amount of time on a novel will barely get me through it. I don't know what happened to my reading speed in the last year or two. I've gone from at least a book a week to maybe a book a month. It's all Evil Avatar's fault (nothing to do with having the wee nipper occupying most of my free time...)

Kelegacy

06-19-2006, 07:00 AM

Which is weird, since comics generally take so much less time to read.
It's a different kind of read. Vastly, for me. Comics never seem to be as involved, and because they have a prominent visual aid you need not use your imagination as fully. With novels you have to piece together landscapes, transfer words into worlds. Comics do that for you for the most part.

That's not a slam on comics, but I just am not drawn into the comic world as I am in other areas of entertainment. But you are correct, I'd probably like Transmetropolitan (though I only read a bit of it so far) or anything that isn't superhero stuff. For some reason the notion of superheroes is silly to me.

Kefkataran

06-19-2006, 08:15 AM

Comics are definitely a very different medium than novel. It's more about really getting the author/artist's vision than actively creating your own, in most cases. But obviously, as you said, that's not a knock on comics -- it's just part of how they're supposed to be.

Well, there's a ton of good non-superhero stuff around right now. Y: The Last Man, Exterminators, American Virgin, and Testament all spring to mind. Also, the Walking Dead. And Fell. And Desolation Jones. Hell, probably some others I'm not thinking of for some reason as well.