Redartz: Good day, all! Today we feature a topic suggested by our friend and frequent commenter, Charlie Horse 47: given the plethora of shows the past few years centered on and around our favorite heroes, what characters have been overlooked by the "Powers that Be"?
Martinex1: There sure have been a lot of programs over the decades that fall into our hobby wheelhouse. It may have seemed sparse when we were growing up, but between Saturday morning live-action shows and the occasional nighttime classic we still had some choices. Today though with Supergirl, The Flash, Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Daredevil, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and the upcoming Defenders, it is a good thing that somebody invented the DVR.
Redartz: Quite right! I don't know what I'd do without Netflix and CW on Demand from our cable provider. It's almost an embarrasment of riches, hero-wise. Who would have thought, thirty years ago, what we'd have to choose from today?
Martinex1: I still have a fondness in my heart for that strange Shazam! show. Riding the highways and biways in a Winnebago with a guy named Mentor, Billy Batson converses with animated Greek gods, yells "Shazam," becomes Captain Marvel, and fights some bullies on dirt bikes, saves a girl who loves horses, and protects kids from falling boulders! It is so bad it is good!
Redartz: Back in the day, I was nuts over The Green Hornet, and of course Batman. I also liked Incredible Hulk , and watched (but was less than ecstatic about) Nicholas Hammond as Spider-Man. Now I never miss Gotham, Supergirl, Flash and Legends. It's amazing to me, each week, how much detail and attention is given in these shows to their four color origins.
Martinex1: As far as what I would like to see some day on TV, I will stay off the A-List and leave those characters for the theaters. I'd like small screen versions of Monark Starstalker (from Marvel Premiere fame) in a more cerebral space adventure ala Space 1999. Or 3-D Man in a 1950's battle with shape changing Skrulls. Or even better, ROM's adventures against the Dire Wraiths in Clairton, West Virginia.
I'd also like to see a fourth-wall breaking version of She-Hulk on TV.
The only casting selections I can think of would be Timothy Olyphant as Starstalker. And I'd like to see Lance Henriksen, Peter Weller, and Bill Paxton as Skrulls.
Redartz: What (who?) would I like to see? Like you, Marti, I'd avoid the big guns and leave them for the big screen. How about...Deadman- great potential as a crime/horror meld. Man-Thing: could be done as a creepy anthology, kind of like Gerber's original version was. And Marti, I'd tune in to watch your 4th. wall She-Hulk every episode!
What shows would all of you schedule? Any casting suggestions? Go for it, the networks are listening...
15 comments:
Oo-- I kinda like the Deadman suggestion a lot. Although-- it would be awfully easy for it to slip into a structure more reminiscent of QUANTUM LEAP than anything else (main character taking on the body/identity of different folks every episode, solving that week's dilemma, then moving on. A little bit of THE HULK and THE FUGITIVE in that format as well-). Y'know, five years ago- before the TV horror craze crested-- I think this could have been a HUGE hit, though. Especially if handled in a deft, non-formulaic, horror-focused way.
If he wasn't wrapped up in the cinematic Avengers so tightly, I'd stump strongly for a VISION series. He's uniquely capable of sustaining storylines that run the gamut from street-level to world-shattering. He has that time-honored hook of being a character who is perpetually discovering his own humanity-- thus his personal growth becomes a necessary and driving aspect of the series. And he's visually quite cool-- but has a nice human "identity" (thanks to the long-established "Image Transducer" or whatever the heck that thing that all of the visually-challenging MU characters use is. . . ). Victor Shade? Was that it?
Oh! Which makes me think--- The Phantom Stranger? (Back to horror again)
HB
The 70s were NOT a good decade for our beloved comics heroes. I liked the Animated Trek series and recall vividly trying to enjoy SHAZAM (I did for the most part...., from the 'That's All We Had' files..), at least after Star Wars we got some 'Jason of Star Command', but for the most part, the 70s were terrible because I still had the 60s cartoons in mind, the animated Quest (covered yesterday), the FF, Spidey, Marvel Superheroes, Dozer's Batman and Green Hornet.
Who could compared to all that..? I hated the gritty *realism* that sunk most good shows, hence why I loved Space:1999 so much. It was a more 'mature' non-hero series, ALL done in space, no Shatner smug-hammyness, space was indeed a very scary place of dark terror and unknowns.
Like Doug and Karen, I really enjoyed Avengers EMH series a few years back as well as the Green Lantern cable series (the first few seasons, anyways...). Very true to the subject matter and character-writing, at least from what I came to enjoy in the comics. I haven't taken in much in the last 5-6 years, other than the Mark Hamill episodes of 'The Flash'.
Hello Dudes and Dudettes, Colin B has implanted Tintin in my head from yesterday's blog! This would be a most excellent family weekly with free wheeling adventures a la Johnny Quest! If you've never read any Tintins, you should! (In my humble opinion, lol!). In meantime I'm all about reading Tintin in the Land of the Pharaohs this week!!!
Hmmm... I was also very disappointed in the Nicholas Hammond Spiderman. I'd like to see a Spiderman done in the style of the Silver and Bronze Age comics. Action with great super villains but also with continuing story elements, subplots, supporting characters - Gwen, Mary Jane, Flash, Harry, Aunt May, Anna Watson, JJJ, Robbie, Ned, Betty - the whole gang.
Tom
Also, I'm somewhat saturated with supheroes and would enjoy a Master of Kung Fu or Kid Colt Outlaw series! Though,I am really digging Gotham it really is not a superhero show. Im actually not sure what the genre is. That Penguin cracks me up!!!
Movie and TV adaptations of super-heroes aren't my thing. In fact movies and TV aren't really my thing at all.
But it's wonderful to know the characters are being rediscovered and reinterpreted. To have my young daughters quizzing me about The Avengers and Ant-Man etc. makes me very happy.
So in that spirit I'll suggest a character who would offer lots of continuity value to expand the MU on TV.
Perhaps a show in which The Watcher shares his 'What If...' stories, like a superhero-based Twilight Zone or Tales of the Unexpected. These would be one and done stories linking into other shows in some clever way, keeping the Internet guessing.
Jon Sable-- there was a tv series in 1987 but I heard it wasn't that good, and changed the comic story. Get Mike Grell to write it.
Power Man + Iron Fist-- this would be a natural, solving cases. Keep the business going.
The Warriors Three/Tales of Asgard-- this would be a fun show. Lower level adventures than Thor, with the camaraderie of the main characters.
Kamandi-- all the wildness of that Kirby future! With modern effects.
Moon Knight-- like detective show but with supernatural elements. Great for an actor with his split personality.
Love the Deadman idea.
Charlie- Gotham is an enjoyable show. Robin Lord Taylor is great as Penguin, got to meet him at a convention two years ago.
Colin Bray- your suggestion of the Watcher is terrific! Watching the Watcher...
Here's another thought: Conan the Barbarian. The movies haven't really shined, so give it a go on the small screen. I could see Conan on cable, ala "Game of Thrones"...
Oh yeah, Redartz a Conan series would be cool, if it had the right actors/budget; for that matter, a Warlord series would probably work too. (There's an upcoming episode of Legends of Tomorrow called "Land of the Lost" which I'm hoping is a Warlord/Skartaris episode.)
I was going to say Jon Sable, but Garett beat me to it; wasn't Rene Russo in that TV show?
I'd absolutely love to see a DC show set in the late 30s-early 40s, but done in a very pulpy, noirish style ... kind of an All-Star Squadron/Sandman Mystery Theatre cross. (Come to think of it, Sandman Mystery Theatre would make a great show on its own.) :)
I thought the '90s Flash was a nice attempt to cash in on the Burton Batman popularity, sure wish it had another season.
But Bill Cosby can sure do that to a competitor, didn't he..? Grrrrr.
I would like to add my vote to Moon Knight: If Gotham is a Batman show without Batman, Moon Knight would be a Batman show with a Batman inspired character. Make it "reality based", fighting crime, police corruption, mob syndicates, that street level crime fighter. What may be lacking is that "big reason" or "big mystery". There has to be some big reason for Moon Knight to be Moon Knight.
The New Mutants!!! Kids are hot right now!!! You could start with Wolfsbane, Sunspot and Mirage. Add Cannonball and then Karma. Could work. You could have Mirage as the first team leader, then when you add Karma, she would want to lead, being older and more experienced. There's your tension.
Much like Hallmark is doing with it's Mystery Movies, you could have a rotating series featuring Werewolf by Night, Frankenstein's Monster, and Dracula. Ohh, through in Tigra. You could have a recurring team of "mystery investigators" made up of Patsy Walker, Damion Hellstrom and Barbara Norriss that time the team together. Later you could add Isaac Christians. OOooh, and they could be aided by an inside man who we find out is a scientist at a huge multi-corporation by the name of Henry McCoy!!!
There you go.....
(Out there in the spotlight you're a million miles away
Every ounce of energy you try to give away
As the sweat pours out your body like the music that you play
Later in the evening as you lie awake in bed
With the echoes from the amplifiers ringin' in your head
You smoke the day's last cigarette, remembering what she said
Here I am, on a road again
There I am, up on the stage
Here I go, playing star again
There I go, turn the page
Here I am, on a road again
There I am, on the stage, yeah
Here I go, playing star again
There I go, there I go).
PS: Two thieves break into an office and steal a calendar. They each got six months.....
Can a robot do that!!! I think not.....
Dang dang dang........."throw in Tigra".
Redartz, there was a Conan series in the late '90s called Conan The Adventurer starring Ralf Moeller (but I've never seen it).
When I was a kid, during the Sci-Fi craze in the mid/late 70's, I really wanted a live action Green Lantern series where he roamed his Sector fighting crime. Heck, I wouldn't have even minded if Itty tagged along. I thought that would be a good fit. However, I have never made it through the live action movie, but I did enjoy the animated series on Netflix a couple of years ago.
I would have loved the Kamandi series back in the day, too. It would still be great.
I love the idea of the 30's/40's JSA/All Star Squadron series and the Deadman series would be cool, too.
Dudes, I don't know who mentioned kamandi but I like it! I still enjoy the original planet of the apes so...
Post a Comment