Hear Suzie and Shannon discuss these shows on Episode 131 of Hexed: Sisterhood of the Supernatural.
It's February which means it's the time to pour over listings of possible pilots for next years fall seasons. It's amazing to see the trends of sereis over time, as well as what shows make it from pilot to the actual fall schedule (see our post on last years lists), or winter - shows like Cult and Zero Hour just premiere in the past few weeks.
This time around we have a fair amount of dystopic and post-apocalyptic, and a few more romantic series too along with some heavy hitters like S.H.I.E.L.D and the Vampire Diaries spin off. Not too much fantasy this year, which is also interesting. Here's a look at the shows that fall under the Hexed umbrella of Paranormal, Fantasy, SciFi, Superhero and ...well... a few extra ones that we might like just for fun.
Due to the fact that there are SO MANY SHOWS, I'm going to split this into 2 posts, with this list being from the big 5 US networks of The CW, Fox, NBC, CBS and ABC. The specialty channel shows I'll put separately (see here), only because the chance of us specialty-programming isn't as likely up here in Canada are less than the Big 5.
Without further adieu...
Paranormal
Or at least hopefully/possibly paranormally-inclined
The Sixth Gun
Description: "Based on the best-selling Oni Press graphic novel, this supernatural Western follows the story of six mythical guns, each with its own other-worldly powers."
Description: "Based on the graphic novel of the same name, the supernatural western examines six mythical guns that each have their own otherworldly powers"
Genre: Paranormal/Western
Source: Based on graphic novel
Channel: NBC
Shannon's take: This one sounds awesome, it's not often you see supernatural/western as a mash-up and the few times I have see it be done it's been amazing. I'm got my eye on this one!
The Tomorrow People
Description: "Based on the U.K. series created by Roger Price, the drama tells the story of several young people from around the world who represent the next stage in human evolution, possessing special powers, including the ability to teleport and communicate with each other telepathically. Together they work to defeat the forces of evil."
Description: "In the vein of X-Men and Heroes, it’s the story of several young people from around the world who represent the next stage in human evolution, possessing special powers, including the ability to teleport and communicate with each other telepathically. Together they work to defeat the forces of evil. Based upon the original UK series created by Roger Price."
Description: "Adapted from the 1970s UK series, it follows several young people from around the world who represent the next stage in human evolution, all possessing special powers including the ability to teleport and communicate with each other telepathically. Together they work to defeat the forces of evil."
Cast includes Robbie Amell, Mark Pellegrino and Peyton List
Genre: Paranormal/Science Fiction
Source: Based on the 70's UK Series
Channel: The CW
Shannon's take: I'm always going to be interested shows that explore people with special powers like telepathy and teleportation so this hits high on my curiousity list. The only thing that holds back over-the-moon enthusiasm is it sounds a lot like Alphas which aired the past 2 summers and then was cancelled. But, that means there is room on the TV map for it too. Yes, I am a glass-half-full person!
Sleepy Hollow
Description: "A modern-day supernatural thriller based on the legend of Sleepy Hollow."
Description: "Described as a modern–day supernatural thriller based on The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow, it follows Ichabod Crane as he partners with Sleepy Hollow’s local female sheriff to solve the mysteries of a town ravaged by the battle between good and evil."
Description: "A modern-day supernatural thriller based on the legend of the titular Westchester Country, N.Y. town."
Cast includes Orlando Jones, Nicole Beharie and Katia Winter.
Genre: Paranormal/Horror
Source: Based on The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Channel: Fox
Shannon's take: Oddly, I think I would be MORE interested in this one if it was historically set given last years take-out-of-period show Elementary, but it will all be about who/what is the determination of good and evil. If it's supernaturally-inclined then I'm in. If it's more horror and procedural, than not likely for me.
Gothica
Description: "A sexy gothic soap set in the present day that weaves together a mythology that incorporates the legends of Dracula, Jekyll and Hyde, Frankenstein and Dorian Gray, among others."
Casting includes: Chris Egan (Dorian Gray), Tom Ellis (Victor Frankenstein)
Genre: Paranormal/Soap Opera/Drama
Channel: ABC
Shannon's take: Wow. This is ambitious, and I think the success will all be depending on the tone. I love the exploration of classic horror stories, I hope they go beyond the surface of the easy-to-pick-out the different characters and legends, but then again it *is* a soap. Wait, if it's a soap there needs to be romance... hmmm. I'm intrigued. Very intrigued. This one is gutsy, so I'm cheering for it to succeed.
The Originals
Description: "The series enters on the Original family of vampires, as Klaus returns to the supernatural melting pot that is the French Quarter of New Orleans — a town he helped build centuries ago — and is reunited with his diabolical former protégé Marcel."
Kinda spoiler-y Description: "This planted pilot, airing as an April episode of The Vampire Diaries, Klaus returns to the French Quarter of New Orleans, a supernatural melting pot that he helped build centuries ago, and is reunited with his diabolical former protégé Marcel"
A VERY SPOILERY Description: "A spinoff of the CW's The Vampire Diaries revolving around the Original family in New Orleans. In the episode, Klaus returns to the supernatural melting pot that is the French Quarter of New Orleans, a town he helped build centuries ago, and is reunited with his diabolical former protégé Marcel (Charles Michael Davis). Elijah, intent on helping his self-destructive brother find redemption, must side with Marcel's enemies in order to keep Klaus in line."
Genre: Paranormal/Vampire/Historical
Source: Based on The Vampire Diaries TV Series
Channel: The CW
Shannon's take: I have mixed feelings about this Vampire Diaries spin-off. In one way, I admire that The CW is catering to their audience and creating a show just for them, but on the other hand there is something about it that bugs me. Also the notion of it leads to huge potential spoilers around The Vampire Diaries this season, which are getting to be near-impossible to avoid.
The Returned
Description: "What happens when the people you have mourned and buried suddenly appear on your doorstep as if not a day's gone by? The lives of the people of Arcadia are forever changed when their deceased loved ones return. Based on a novel by Jason Mott."
Description: "The potential series asks the provocative question, “What happens when the people you have mourned and buried suddenly appear on your doorstep as if not a day’s gone by? The lives of the people of Aurora are forever changed when their deceased loved ones return.”"
Genre: Paranormal/Drama/Possibly Horror
Source: Based on a novel
Channel: ABC
Shannon's take: I think this one will likely not be a show for me, as I have a feeling it will be a faith-exploration. It's too early to say, it depends if it skews horror direction vs message-y vs something else entirely. We'll have to wait and see!
Believe
Description: "An unlikely relationship develops between a young girl named Bo with a gift and a man named Tate (Jake McLaughlin) sprung from prison who has been tasked with protecting her from the evil elements that hunt her power."
Genre: Little hard to tell, looks like Paranormal OR SciFi
Channel: NBC
Shannon's take: This is another one that it's hard to even tell the genre of it, and I'm guessing it's paranormal or scifi if it has a 'young girl with a gift'. Man, did they HAVE to call her Bo? Don't they watch Lost Girl? Anyway, I'll be curious to hear more, because there isn't enough to go on. How 'young' is the girl? Teen? Younger? Who is the audience? What's her power? And what/who is the 'evil elements'? Are they human? Lots of questions on this one.
Second Sight
Description: "Based on the U.K. by series of the same name by Paula Milne, thegothic psychological thriller revolves around a detective who is suddenly afflicted with an autoimmune virus that causes hallucinations reflective of his subconscious. He discovers that catching the killer depends as much on insight as eyesight."
Description: "A gothic psychological thriller about a detective who is suddenly afflicted with an autoimmune virus that causes hallucinations reflective of his subconscious. He discovers that catching the killer depends as much on insight as eyesight. Based on UK series."
Description: "Based on the British crime drama, the gothic psychological thriller follows a detective who is suddenly afflicted with an autoimmune virus that causes him to hallucinate about subjects in his subconscious. He soon learns that catching killers depends as much on insight as eyesight."
Cast includes: Jason Lee and Kim Dickens
Genre: Paranormal/Procedural/Mystery
Source: Based on UK Series
Channel: CBS
Shannon's take: I'm not a procedural fan, so this one won't likely be for me. Good casting though, and promising premise and starting point.
Fantasy
Wonderland
Description: "The modern-set follow-up to Lewis Carroll's Alice revolves around Clara, whose life took an unexplained turn for the worse seven years ago. A mysterious stranger tells her there may be an explanation after all ... that lies in the fantastical world of Wonderland."
Description: "Set in the world of Lewis Carroll’s Alice In Wonderland, Wonderland is set in modern times and centers on Alice and a new character, Clara. Seven years ago, Clara’s life took an unexplained turn for the worse, and a mysterious stranger tells her there may be an explanation after all… an explanation that lies in the fantastical world of Wonderland. To revive her dreams and get her life back on track, Clara must wage war against Wonderland’s reigning Queen, the woman we once knew as Alice."
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Modern retelling of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Channel: NBC
Shannon's take: Interesting premise, and I like the world of Alice in Wonderland so I'm curious about this one. It's also interesting to note the trending in TV where the protagonist is not who we would normally see as the main character of a story (Merlin is another example). Need to see more! And it's oddly the only fantasy I see, but we have more and more dystopic and post apocalyptic in the mix ahead.
Science Fiction
Oxygen
Description: "Passion and politics threaten the peace and an epic romance ignites between a human girl (Friday Night Lights' Aimee Teegarden) and an alien boy when he and eight others of his kind (The Orion 9) are integrated into a suburban high school ten years after they and hundreds of others landed on Earth and were immediately consigned to an internment camp where they’ve been imprisoned ever since."
Description: "Passion and politics threaten the peace and an epic romance ignites between a human girl and an alien boy when he and eight others of his kind (The Orion 9) are integrated into a suburban high school ten years after they and hundreds of others landed on Earth and were immediately consigned to an internment camp where they’ve been imprisoned ever since."
Cast includes Aimee Teegarden.
Genre: Science Fiction/Romance
Channel: The CW
Shannon's take: Oh.... this so sounds like Alien Nation meets Roswell. Of course that means I'm IN. Can't wait to hear more.
The Hundred
Description: "Ninety-seven years after a nuclear war has destroyed civilization, a spaceship housing the lone human survivors sends 100 juvenile delinquents back to Earth to investigate the possibility of re-colonizing the planet. Based on the forthcoming The Hundred book series (initial two-book order), written by Kass Morgan and published by Little, Brown."
Description: "Based on upcoming Alloy books written by Kass Morgan, the project is set 97 years after a nuclear war has destroyed civilization. A spaceship housing the lone human survivors sends 100 juvenile delinquents back to Earth to investigate the possibility of re-colonizing the planet."
Cast includes: Henry Ian Cusick
Genre: Science Fiction/Post Apocalyptic
Source: Based on forthcoming book series
Channel: The CW
Shannon's take: When I hear about this one, I keep having to get over the oddity of a show being based on a 'forthcoming series'. That just feels odd, but maybe it will be some of tie in to the show or influenced by, or who knows. Putting that aside, the idea is totally enough to get me interested because I would LOVE to see more science fiction on TV and starting with juvenile delinquents to investigate anything is a wild premise.
Delirium
Description: "Based on best-selling trilogy about a world where love is deemed illegal and is able to be eradicated with a special procedure. With 95 days to go until her scheduled treatment, Lena Holoway does the unthinkable: she falls in love."
Description: "The series is set in a world where love is deemed illegal and is able to be eradicated with a special procedure. With 95 days to go until her scheduled treatment, Lena Holoway does the unthinkable: she falls in love. Based on Lauren Oliver’s book trilogy."
Description: "Based on a bestselling trilogy about a world where love is deemed illegal and is able to be eradicated with a special procedure. But with 95 days to go until her scheduled treatment, lead character Lena Holoway does the unthinkable and falls in love."
Cast includes Emma Roberts, Billy Campbell, Gregg Sulkin and Corey Reynolds.
Genre: Romance/Dystopic/Science Fiction
Source: Based on book trilogy by Lauren Oliver
Channel: Fox
Shannon's take: I'm very curious about this one, and how it will read on the small screen. I'm a fan of dystopic which has been making lots of waves recently, so getting to see a dystopic series will be very cool. I'm not a fan of love being eradicated though, so I hope there is some kind of rebellion against that. I really need to read this book series! Even if just to avoid spoilers about the show!
The Selection
Description: "Set 300 years in the future, the drama is an epic romance centering on a working-class young woman chosen by lottery to participate in a competition with 25 other women for the Royal Prince's hand to become the nation's next queen. Balancing her loyalty to family, true love and the kingdom, she must attempt to remain true to herself as she navigates the cutthroat competition and palace intrigue, all while a budding rebellion threatens to topple the crown. Based book by Kiera Cass."
Description: "Getting a pilot order for the second year in a row, the project, based on Kiera Cass’ book series, is an epic romance set 300 years in the future. In it, a poor young woman is chosen by lottery to participate in a competition to become the next queen of a war-torn nation at a crossroads."
Cast includes: Sean Patrick Thomas and Peta Sergeant
Genre: Future-Historical/Science Fiction/Romance
Source: based on the Kiera Cass novel
Channel: The CW
Shannon's take: This one is a carry-over from last year, and honestly I don't really dig the premise at ALL. Feels like being forced into a pageant for getting to be a wife. In the FUTURE. Sigh. A lot will depend on the message/tone that they go with.
Intelligence
Description: "Centers on U.S. Cyber Command, a unit that has been created around one agent with a very special gift: a microchip that has been implanted in his brain that allows him to access the entire electromagnetic spectrum." Cast includes Josh Holloway and Michael Rady.
Genre: Science Fiction/Spy
Channel: CBS
Shannon's take: This sounds interesting, although I have know idea what accessing the entire electromagnetic spectrum would do for someone, and how it affects the character and their surroundings. Is it voluntary? Are they a tool? Are they a super-spy? Etc... So many questions. The only thing I'm a little gr-rr about it I'll probably confuse people because I talk a lot about the awesome 2006-2007 Canadian series of the same name!
Superhero
S.H.I.E.L.D.
Description: "Based on Marvel Comics' secret intelligence organization that has appeared in countless titles including Iron Man, Captain America and The Ultimates since being introduced in the 1960s. The military law-enforcement agency's moniker stands for Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistic Directorate, which also has evolved over time in the comics."
Description: "Based on a peacekeeping group found in both the Marvel comic book and feature film universes, including the 2012 movie The Avengers"
Description: "The adventures of the agents of a covert, quasi-military peace-keeping organization, S.H.I.E.L.D. (or the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division), which was featured in last summer’s Avengers movie."
Cast includes Ming-Na, Clark Gregg, Brett Dalton, Elizabeth Henstridge, Ian De Caestecker and Chloe Bennet.
Genre: Superhero/Science Fiction
Source: Marvel Comics
Channel: ABC
Shannon's take: It's a Joss Whedon and Superheroes. Of course this is a YES.
Not Paranormal/SciFi/Fantasy
But could be close enough, and is interest-piquing
Influence
Description: "Provocative workplace ensemble centered on the complicated relationship between two brothers (Steve Zahn) who head a unique agency designed to attack their clients’ problems using the real science of human motivation and manipulation."
Description: "Provocative workplace ensemble centers on relationship between two brothers — a bipolar genius in human psychology and a slick ex-con — who head a unique agency designed to solve their clients’ problems using the real science of human motivation and manipulation. In addition to helping clients, agency staff sometimes use their skills to manipulate each another."
Genre: Drama - although possibly Science-centric or SciFi
Channel: ABC
Shannon's take: I'm going out on a limb including this one, it's possible it could be a straight-up drama with no paranormal or scifi-y stuff at all but even so the premise sounds interesting and kind of reminds me of Lie To Me. The understanding the motivation part is the part that sounds cool, although I'm not interested in manipulation at all.
Blink
Description: "A warm, quirky, humorous drama about a family whose lives are forever changed, for better and worse, when the patriarch has a car crash resulting in a coma-like syndrome where he cannot speak or move, but can see and hear all. His narration and fantasy sequences emanating from his mind provide context and a wry counterpoint to the stories and conflicts of the family and his own situation."
Genre: Comedy/Drama/Possibly Paranormal and/or Fantasy
Channel: The CW
Shannon's take: Another one that I'm going out on a limb to include, but given that it's primarily noted as a comedy it will all be about if you find it funny. My track record with comedies is awful, so chances are it's not a Shannon show.
Girlfriend in a Coma
Description: "After almost two decades, a 34-year-old woman wakes up from a coma to find out she has a 17-year-old daughter from a pregnancy she was unaware of when her life was put on hold. Based on a book by Douglas Coupland." Cast includes Christina Ricci, Miranda Cosgrove and Daniel Stern.
Genre: Comedy/Possibly Paranormal
Source: based on novel by Douglas Copeland
Channel: NBC
Shannon's take: For me Christina Ricci being in the series and the Douglas Copeland connection are the pulls over anything else. And the title reminds me of a song, even though it's super morbid and oddly it's not our only coma-show that's on the slate! Who knew?
What shows are you interested in checking out of these possible pilots?
Looking for details on ALL the 2013-14 TV Pilots? Check out these awesome posts over at The Hollywood Reporter, TV Line and Deadline.
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