TV show ideas (for real)

most tv sucks these days, but there are some shining examples of good writing, acting, camera work, etc... we call those Deadwood and Arrested Development. Family Guy sucks ass, though...

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anarky
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TV show ideas (for real)

Post by anarky »

Surprised we don't have this already.

Transformers (Because they're going to keep rebooting it every three or four years, anyway.) Either live action or high-end animation. Totally different twist on things. Cybertron was destroyed eons ago by Thunderwing, a Decepticon scientist who tried to put an end to the civil war with some sort of bizarre invention. The Decepticons were scattered across the universe. Some wound up on Earth. They immediately took new forms, but, oops, this used up most of their energon, and they can't use human fuels as efficiently. So they hide among us.

Of course, no one knows that at first. The cast is almost entirely human: Sam "Spike" Witwicky, his brother Buster, Chip, Josie Beller, Verity Carlos, and other characters with names taken from all over TF lore. Spike has been having some weird dreams about an alien invasion, and the (sort of) team assembles around him. They're investigating reports of machines acting on their own. No one believes them. A couple of big corporations and even government agencies (maybe with names like Sector Seven and The Machination) actively try to stop them. The episodes have a sort of X-Files feel to them: team hears about (for example) an 80s-style radio that seems to brainwash people. Or reports of a metal jaguar. Or people being run over by trains when no trains are scheduled on a particular track. Or a Luger pistol whose owners always seem to wind up dead after seemingly going nuts and shooting up tons of bystanders. Whatever. They investigate, and they slowly build their knowledge of a mysterious force trying to clandestinely build up tons of energy, and to transform it into a previously-unknown (to humans) form of distilled liquid energy. And they slowly realize that this threat is a hell of a lot more dangerous than even they'd imagined.

You do not see a single Autobot. (Okay, maybe one of the loose cannons like Grimlock could show up in some capacity. Certainly not a real do-gooder like Bumblebee.) Until later in the season, when the humans get closer to the truth, the name is never spoken by any Decepticon. The Decepticons do not transform; they don't have the energon. That's what they're after.

At the end of the first season, Spike finds out why he's been having the dreams--a decapitated Autobot is also on Earth, imprisoned by a few 'Cons who have remained in hiding in robot mode, and sending out telepathic messages to the most receptive human mind he could locate. (Two guesses who he is, and the first doesn't count.) Spike must merge with him to fend off the Decepticons, who have finally regained their transformation abilities. And he learns of the existence of other Autobots. Some may be on Earth. Certainly not more than a couple. Even if the humans can contact the Autobots, they have no way to know if they got the message, and it would be at least several episodes before they could arrive.
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RoIIo Tomassi
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Re: TV show ideas (for real)

Post by RoIIo Tomassi »

So it's a Transformers series with NO Transformers? For an entire season? I don't think anyone would tune in. Even diehard TF fans.
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Re: TV show ideas (for real)

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You get Decepticons. Just one at a time.

I was thinking of how fucking epic it would be to see a Transformer turn into a giant robot for the first time after a lot of buildup (where it's clear there's a conspiracy of intelligent mechanical beings, but not that they can transform--not sure how you could hide that, though). So many things in comics and sci-fi seem passe now, but should be the opposite. You see a car turn into a giant fucking robot who wants to kill you, your first thought shouldn't be, "Oh, this hasn't happened in a week, tops."

It's sorta, I guess, the premise of the original Infiltration series taken to the extreme.

I thought of it after joking about Astrotrain appearing on Thomas and Friends. I got to thinking how cool it would be if the Decepticons existed, but couldn't transform, and how epic it could be to build up to it. You get basically homicidal talking vehicles, then, out of the blue, one of them becomes a huge fucking robot.

You'd have to have some killer-strong human characters, though. None of this Shia LeBoof shit. Obviously the story would have to be strong enough to stand on its own without lots of explosions and bewbs and shit--I'm thinking the way the BBC approaches its sci-fi shows. (Or X-Files. Which was basically a show about aliens without aliens.)

To really work, you'd have to come up with some other title (but, still, something that would work once the Transformers actually show up). And kinda obscure Hasbro's involvement. But, hey, the best G.I. Joe TV show (or movie, for that matter) was based on throwing the characters in the most un-Joe world possible.
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Re: TV show ideas (for real)

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I was gonna put this in the 'Dream Topic' but I thought about it and came here instead.
I had this absolutely fantastic dream last night. I time traveled back to the 1780s and was having a spirited discussion with some of the Founding Fathers in somebody's study or wherever they'd retire after a dinner party to drink and have good natured arguments with each other. It was me, explaining future events and technology to them. Like cell phones, and television, and airplanes. Then I had to backtrack and explain trains and cars, and radios, etc. And I was also giving them highlights on Constitutional Amendments and History in general, like women not getting the vote for almost another 150 years. The Civil War. Basically how their foundation of govt has shaped the nation almost 250 years later. It was one of those dreams that seems to happen in "real time" because I was explaining all kinds of stuff to them for hour and hours. Like Eisenhower's Interstate System. And Lobbyists. And Gay Marriage(which dumbfounded them). Explaining satellites to them was a hoot, which led to the Space Race and the moon landing and the ISS, etc. Ben Franklin about pooped himself.

And it occurred to me after I woke up that this would make such an awesome Television Series. Because even after I woke up I kept coming up with new things I wanted to tell them. Like Seward's Folly and then explaining about oil drilling and offshore oil drilling and the Middle East. Or the Gun Control Debate. Or explaining the Stock Market and how individuals have multi billions of dollars. Or how TV now "remembers" every single thing a politician ever says or does, so they've become experts and saying stuff without actually saying or commiting to anything. And it goes on and on.

But the show would have the Founding Fathers reacting to and then discussing/arguing the ramifications of their original intent for these laws against what actually is happening. Things they couldn't possibly have foreseen in 1790. Such as America stretching from coast to coast, but it only takes four hours to get from one end to the other. Or instant communication with anyone anywhere in the world. Or the Population being 300+ Million now, but the House only being 500 guys. And by showing their reactions to this stuff(both positive and negative) perhaps give viewers of the show pause about things we take for granted.

The possibilities for each episode are boundless. I dunno. What do you think?
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Re: TV show ideas (for real)

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That'd be cool.

Only problem is, you'd put a lot of effort into making each person react the way the historical record would indicate they would, and half the country would bitch about anything you did.

Also, if you're accurate, there'd be little things that everyone would complain about because they think they're inaccurate, like Thomas Jefferson being an anal-retentive douche.
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Re: TV show ideas (for real)

Post by RoIIo Tomassi »

I think this kind of show would Invite bitching from half the country. I'm cool with that.

And yes I'd try to make people act historically accurate.
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Re: TV show ideas (for real)

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You've got to piss off the liberals, too, because everyone has the founding fathers totally wrong.

Jeff Probst: I'm back in the 1780s again, folks, at historical Random Spot in Philadelphia. Hello, it's Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, and over here's John Adams. Howdy folks! I'm here from the time of the first African American President!

Benjamin Franklin: You mean like Septimus Severus, the first African Emperor of Rome?

Jeff: Uh, um....

John Adams: Oh, don't mind Ben. He's a pompous know-it-all. He's asking if you mean what you obviously mean, that this president is a white guy who's from Africa.

Jeff: No, he's definitely black.

Thomas Jefferson (spitting in rage): That's impossible!

Benjamin: No kidding. It's scientifically proven that the inferior Negroid race simple lacks the cranial capacity that the job would require.

Jeff: Nope. His father was a black guy from Kenya, and his mom is a white woman fro--

John: Well, there you go. He obviously got more from his mom's side, but, seriously, that interracial stuff is gross.

(Thomas Jefferson sort of shrugs and snickers nervously.)

Jeff: Well, that's not what I'm here for today. I want to chat with you fellows and find out your true feelings on gay marriage.

John: Well, of course, all marriages should be gay! If you're not gay, then you don't love your wife.

Jeff: Not exactly. See, in the 21st century, "gay" means "homosexual."

Benjamin (farting in surprise): You mean, as in two blokes getting married?

John: That's preposterous!

Thomas: That's disgusting!

John: Why, if you allowed this sort of chicanery, you would open the doors to all sorts of deviancy! Why, what's next? A man marrying a colored woman?

Thomas (whispering): I'd be cool with that.
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Re: TV show ideas (for real)

Post by RoIIo Tomassi »

They wouldn't understand the term "African American". Or the term "Politically Correct" for that matter.

George Washington should be the one guy who's infallibly PC, regardless of historical accuracy.
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Re: TV show ideas (for real)

Post by vynsane »

RoIIo Tomassi wrote:George Washington should be the one guy who's infallibly PC, regardless of historical accuracy.
for some odd-ass reason, i pictured phil hartman playing g.wash as the unfrozen caveman lawyer, and had a good chuckle.
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anarky
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Re: TV show ideas (for real)

Post by anarky »

Here's one:

There have been some really good dramas, mostly on cable, where the protagonist is someone who is unquestionably a bad guy. Tony Soprano. Nucky Thompson. Walter White. Al Swearengen. It seems almost a given now; at any point, there will be at least one excellent show where the villain is the hero. But, at one point, this would've been taboo. Not sure at what point this unspoken boundary was broken (obviously by the time of Sopranos, if not before), but it became okay for the show to center around the baddies, and those became the better shows because, well, the villain-as-protagonist offers up so many possibilities.

And there have been a lot of superhero TV shows, live action and animated, of varying levels of quality.

So why has no one ever picked out a particularly interesting supervillain, one who can run up against multiple heroes and usually come out ahead, and made a show about him? Hell, it could even be an original supervillain with made-up heroes, just make him the focus of the show.

The closest I can think of to this would be the short-lived Spawn cartoon on HBO. But Spawn's definitely more the anti-hero type, not a true villain.

I'm thinking pick one of the truly iconic baddies, but not one who's been overdone, or has appeared as a villain on another show, and focus on his formative years. Young Dr. Doom. Young Kingpin. But not Young Luthor, since he's been beaten into the fucking ground. And definitely no one like Red Skull, who you simply can't like because he's a fucking Nazi. Even better: do this, and have it tie directly into the movie about the hero.

What, too obvious? Or too scary for network suits?
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Re: TV show ideas (for real)

Post by anarky »

Random thought from earlier: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Animated Series.

There's so much history hinted at in the movies, and tons more historical and legendary people and events to play with. It could be set before, during, or after the movies--or all three. Jack Sparrow doesn't have to be the focus, at least not of all the episodes. He probably shouldn't be--the guy's cool, but could easily be overdone. Get someone like Dini or Timm or Filoni onboard, and top-notch writers and voice talent.

It boggles my mind that Disney set up this huge world, it clearly caught on, and they've only explored it in a handful of movies focused on one dude.
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