New telly shows thread

[Deckard]

Works for me. I mean, in the book he’s an outsider, looking at America he did not realise existed from the outside. He’s even got the name for it, “Shadow”. Ian McShane is someone else of dubious heritage, “Mr Wednesday”. Without giving away the plot, assuming it follows the book (and all all indications are it’s quite faithful to it), then there are as many Europeans in it as Americans.

Oh, it works for me as well. I am more expressing pride in the quality of British actors. For many years now they have been chosen over local talent to lead in Hollywood series and have been accepted in those roles as natural USAmericans (and it is the fact that they convincingly play USAmerican characters that most impresses me). It is quite a change from our actors seeming to be considered mostly suitable as film villains. I know that international diversity of the characters is important to both the book and the series (indeed, is one of the points of the story), no matter the origins of the actors playing them.

American Gods is a long-form series planned to run over many seasons. I therefore feel that it, like Preacher, will expand on the characters and include variants of many events from the original story without following it precisely. They might want the last season to be similar to the finale of the book, though.

Funny as just reading the new book of Neil's collected non-fiction works The View from the Cheap Seats and part way through in one of the essays he is talking about AG. BTW my partner hated it, I didn't mind it but didn't love it, don't why but for me his best work is The Ocean at the end of the Lane which I just adored.

[pogo]

American Gods is a long-form series planned to run over many seasons. I therefore feel that it, like Preacher, will expand on the characters and include variants of many events from the original story without following it precisely. They might want the last season to be similar to the finale of the book, though.

I don’t know. I think the series is meant to follow the book pretty closely, and the trailer certainly agrees with that. It’s too big a book for a 2 hour film, but 7-10 hours of television seems about right – a similar book to TV ratio to Game of Thrones, say.

And there’s only one book, American Gods. It’s a story with a beginning, middle and end. Anansi Boys is a sort of sequel, except it’s completely different with all new characters and much less substantial. Anyway, the BBC are supposed to be making a series out of it. Apart from that there’s only a short story, Monarch of the Glenn. So unless Gaiman is prepared to write new material (which he’s capable of but he’s also busy) I can’t see them making any more than one series.

[Harlequin]

American Gods is a long-form series planned to run over many seasons. I therefore feel that it, like Preacher, will expand on the characters and include variants of many events from the original story without following it precisely. They might want the last season to be similar to the finale of the book, though.

I don’t know. I think the series is meant to follow the book pretty closely, and the trailer certainly agrees with that. It’s too big a book for a 2 hour film, but 7-10 hours of television seems about right – a similar book to TV ratio to Game of Thrones, say.
… So unless Gaiman is prepared to write new material (which he’s capable of but he’s also busy) I can’t see them making any more than one series.

According to Den of Geek, there are multiple seasons planned.

Also,

One thing that’s absent from the book is organized religion. We don’t really see any priests, and we don’t really go into any churches. Is that something you’re more free to explore on the show?
Oh yeah, we get into Jesus and the big God as well. You know, so much of the book is exploring the more marginalized gods who are struggling to make their way in modern America without the strength of the believers that, say, Jesus and Buddha and Easter might have because of their public personas. So it wasn’t necessarily a part of the novel but ideally what our goal would be with this series - mine, Michael Green’s, Neil Gaiman’s - would be that the book American Gods is actually the Reader’s Digest version of the story.

The spin-off of American Gods takes place in its own isolated corner. Do you think there’s room to get to Anansi Boys or include it in some way?
Well, we don’t have the rights to Anansi Boys but we’re hoping that we will eventually. Mr. Nancy is going to play a major role in the series and potentially what we’re looking at with American Gods is developing a Marvel Universe, not with superheroes but with gods. As detailed and integrated as the Marvel Universe is, and doing that with deities is something that excited all of us.
…
Could there be actual superheroes, since we’re interpreting the idea of godhood so loosely in American Gods?
… We don’t necessarily cross over into those kind of broader superheroes but we do extend the thought form umbrella over other things that Americans believe in and may have manifested into reality because of those beliefs.

Something like urban legends, for example?
Yes, exactly.

[supermario]

Mr Robot

Uber-hacker vigilante thriller thing.



Looks promising.

Started on Universal channel on Sky last week. I thought it was great.

[Harlequin]

Mr Robot
Uber-hacker vigilante thriller thing.
…
Looks promising.

Started on Universal channel on Sky last week. I thought it was great.

I have the first season on DVD. Episode Three of the second season recently aired in the States.

[pogo]

According to Den of Geek, there are multiple seasons planned.

And according to Neil Gaiman?

lornaadanes asked: Do you know how many seasons of American Gods there's going to be?

Nope.

[Harlequin]

According to Den of Geek, there are multiple seasons planned.

And according to Neil Gaiman?

lornaadanes asked: Do you know how many seasons of American Gods there's going to be?

Nope.

Also according to Neil Gaiman

belovedblabber asked: Hi Mr. Gaiman. I'm a huge fan, but I suppose that's not what this ask is for. I was wondering something about the "American Gods" show (for which I am very exited.) When I was going through the cast list I didn't see anybody cast as Sam or her sister, nor an actor for Hinzelmann. I was wondering if the show will feature the story of Lakeside and it's inhabitants. Thank you very much for your writing.

Not in the first season.

Even producers rarely know how many years a long form series will go on for. That is often decided by ratings and the whims of network executives (who can even insist on more seasons than the producers wanted, as was the case for Lost). The news that Omid Abtahi (playing Salim, the salesman who encounters the Ifrit taxi driver) has been given an option to become a regular in Season Two, however, informs us that multiple seasons are planned. It also infers that the producers would like Salim to have far more story than the minute role he had in the book, as is also intended for other minor characters:

Is the plan to go beyond a single season then?
Yes.

… One of the exciting things for us in adapting this is that we get to expand characters, so Bilquis, who is only in a chapter of the book [actually two chapters], then you don’t see her again, is a major player in this world. Laura, who is kind of lurking in the background, she’s a major player in this world.

… One of the fun things about the television series we’re crafting is that for every moment that takes place, there are alternate points of view of that moment so we will see an episode that is primarily from Shadow’s point of view, and then the next episode will be primarily from Wednesday’s point of view, and then the next episode will be primarily from Laura’s point of view so there’s a fun to point of view when you’re adapting a novel like this, because it gives you the freedom to expand the world and the characters.

[pogo]

Even producers rarely know how many years a long form series will go on for. That is often decided by ratings and the whims of network executives (who can even insist on more seasons than the producers wanted, as was the case for Lost).

Ah, but this is not just any old producer, it’s Neil Gaiman. One thing he has been able to do, given his rock-star author status, is get a veto over adaptations of his work. In theory any author can do this, refuse to let their work be adapted until the right deal comes along. But few authors have the luxury or desire. Most are happy someone will pay for their work, and will sell the rights to the anyone interested or to the highest bidder.

But Gaiman is different, maintaining tight control over the use of his works. Sandman most famously stopped when he stopped writing it (until he returned to it). He has generally waited for the right person or people to come along before he lets his work be used. And when his work was being used without his permission he sued [Todd McFarlane].

So I am sure extra series will only go ahead with his explicit approval. Maybe he has agreed to it already, and will let STARZ make as many as they want, as long as they have the ratings. Or maybe he is waiting to see how this series turns out before agreeing to any more.

[Harlequin]

Even producers rarely know how many years a long form series will go on for. That is often decided by ratings and the whims of network executives (who can even insist on more seasons than the producers wanted, as was the case for Lost).

Ah, but this is not just any old producer, it’s Neil Gaiman. One thing he has been able to do, given his rock-star author status, is get a veto over adaptations of his work. In theory any author can do this, refuse to let their work be adapted until the right deal comes along. But few authors have the luxury or desire. Most are happy someone will pay for their work, and will sell the rights to the anyone interested or to the highest bidder.

But Gaiman is different, maintaining tight control over the use of his works. Sandman most famously stopped when he stopped writing it (until he returned to it). He has generally waited for the right person or people to come along before he lets his work be used. And when his work was being used without his permission he sued [Todd McFarlane].

So I am sure extra series will only go ahead with his explicit approval. Maybe he has agreed to it already, and will let STARZ make as many as they want, as long as they have the ratings. Or maybe he is waiting to see how this series turns out before agreeing to any more.

Writers cannot control network decisions just by owning the rights to something that is being adapted (not that he has them anymore – he sold the television adaptation rights to Fremantle Media). Aside from that, he has quite clearly stated that the bulk of the book's plot will not be covered in a single season.

[Deckard]

Watched 3 of the first seasons' 8 eps of Stranger Things last night and just loved it - Love the Carpenter type synths with the dark sci-fi Goonies feel and the kids are great. The thing with the xmas lights gave me goose bumps and its full of nods to the greats in all directions, Nightmare on Elm Street for the walls anyone ? Problem is I will finish watching it in two days

[Misfit]

Watched 3 of the first seasons' 8 eps of Stranger Things last night and just loved it - Love the Carpenter type synths with the dark sci-fi Goonies feel and the kids are great. The thing with the xmas lights gave me goose bumps and its full of nods to the greats in all directions, Nightmare on Elm Street for the walls anyone ? Problem is I will finish watching it in two days

It's brilliant. Really loved it.

We managed to force ourselves to only one episode a night, which is easier as my wife tends to go to bed early, and were out a couple of nights, so nearly made it last two weeks.

I'd have probably watched it in two nights if she wasn't interested though.

Releasing TV like this is awesome and terrible. It means you can actually have series like this that spread through word of mouth and people can still catch the first episode, whereas it would normally get cancelled as the initial 5 people would rave about it and then no one would understand what is going on when they tuned into episode 3.

But then of course you binge watch it and have to wait bloody ages for another series....

[Darkflame]

One trend I notice on Netflixs is shows have slower/longer title sequences.
Both Strangers Things and DareDevil's both work as excellent mood setters.

Cant help think most other places it would be cut to 2 seconds after the first few epps.

[Deckard]

I note the writers and directors of ST the Duffer Brothers did Wayward Pines so I've downloaded that series now too .....

[k345y]

Currently I'm totally hooked on Vikings.

It's the next best thing to GOT's I've yet to encounter.

[Deckard]

They used Elegiac by New Order in last nights ep Halfway through and its my fave series of the year so far