While at FanExpo, I attended a panel held by Space (the Canadian science fiction and fantasy channel, for those of you located elsewhere), where they talked about some of the more prominent shows they have lined up, and as we all gear up to watch the season premiere of Doctor Who tonight (for those of us who haven’t already seen it, tumblr), I thought it was the appropriate time to tell you all about them.
The first one, based on Kelly Armstrong’s book Bitten, is all about the world’s only female werewolf. Why is there only one female wolf? Honestly, I have no idea. While I haven’t read Bitten, I have read some of her books dealing with witches. I remember enjoying them as I was reading them, but years later, I cannot recall what any of them are about. Make of that what you will. Armstrong was at the panel and seemed to have no problem handing over the story to those more knowledgeable about writing for television. Perhaps this means the TV version will be a bit more memorable.
Andrew Lee Potts will appear in the Primeval spin off as a way to “pass the torch”
Next came Primeval: New World, and before I even had a chance to roll my eyes, the preview screened for us made it very clear that this was a spin off, not a remake, of the UK show. I’ve caught a few episodes of the original, and even when I didn’t know the overall story, watching people go head to head with dinosaurs is always fun on some level. That being said, the producer kept insisting that the dinosaurs looked more real than the ones in Jurassic Park, and having seen the preview… not really. I mean, they certainly definitely could look worse, but there was a very obvious CG-quality to them. That being said, I’m going to check it out. Dinosaurs are always fun, and there are new characters rather than crappy remakes of older ones.
Panic Button looks like something I would have loved when I was a teenager, and will probably catch more than a few episodes when it airs. The preview deliberately used the likes of Saw and Paranormal Activity as comparisons, which sets high standards for a reality TV show. While shows like Fear Factor and Scare Tactics rely more on the humour, Panic Button looks like it means serious business for its contestants. Everyone is given a psychological evaluation before entering a haunted house tailored to their specific fears. To win, you must make it through every increasingly terrifying level of the building, but if you get too scared, you can press the panic button and remove yourself immediately. The fact that more emphasis seems to be placed on horror gives me hope, though I full recognize that this could fail horribly if done incorrectly.
Finally, there’s Orphan Black which… okay, I’m warning you all now, the phrase “street-smart girl” came up immediately, and my opinion of this program dropped. It’s not that the street-smart girl archetype can’t be done, it’s just that it doesn’t have a history of being done well, usually resorting to a pale woman in grungy clothes, too much eyeliner, and no actual street smarts besides looking unhappy in the most edgy way possible. This one deals with cloning, where the street smart girl assumes the life of an identical woman who commits suicide, and discovers that there are more versions of her out there. Unless it turns out this girl actually has some street smarts beyond looking fashionably discontent, I’m going to remain wary.
Do any of these catch your fancy, or will you stick to your old favourites? Let me know!
