ABC picks up "Masters of Science Fiction"
02-24-06 | 11:37 AM
#1
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ABC picks up "Masters of Science Fiction"
ABC Television has picked up IDT Entertainment’s drama series “Masters of Science Fiction,” featuring works from some of the most well known authors of science fiction, the network announced today. Negotiations are underway to include works from Isaac Asimov (author of “I Robot” and “Nightfall”), Ray Bradbury (“The Martian Chronicles,” “Fahrenheit 451”), Harlan Ellison (“A Boy and His Dog,” “Jeffty is Five”) and Robert Heinlein (“The Puppet Masters,” “Stranger in a Strange Land”). IDT Entertainment, in association with Industry Entertainment, will produce a minimum of four one-hour episodes.
“With IDT Entertainment and Industry bringing such high-end talent, we’re very excited about this anthology,” said Quinn Taylor, senior vice president of Motion Pictures for Television and Miniseries, ABC Entertainment. “We’ve been trying to put together this kind of series because it has great potential to become appointment television.”
Writer Michael Tolkin (“The Rapture,” “The Player”) will adapt and direct one episode. Discussions are underway to feature such works as “The Discarded” by Harlan Ellison, “The Last Question” by Isaac Asimov, as well as for Ray Bradbury to adapt his own “Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed.”
“We’re delighted that ‘Masters of Science Fiction’ has found a broadcast home on ABC’s primetime lineup,” said John Hyde, COO of IDT Entertainment. “ABC is the perfect venue for these interpretations of science fiction’s seminal literary voices.”
“We are excited by the response we’re getting from the creative community,” says Industry Entertainment partner Keith Addis. “We are in advanced discussions with distinguished screenwriters and directors to bring the works of these science fiction icons to a broad audience in the most compelling and entertaining way.”
Production on the series will begin this May in Vancouver. Morris Berger, Steve Brown and John Hyde are executive producers for IDT Entertainment. Industry Entertainment’s Keith Addis, Brad Mendelsohn and Andrew Deane are executive producers, and Ben Browning and Adam Goldworm are co-producers.
“With IDT Entertainment and Industry bringing such high-end talent, we’re very excited about this anthology,” said Quinn Taylor, senior vice president of Motion Pictures for Television and Miniseries, ABC Entertainment. “We’ve been trying to put together this kind of series because it has great potential to become appointment television.”
Writer Michael Tolkin (“The Rapture,” “The Player”) will adapt and direct one episode. Discussions are underway to feature such works as “The Discarded” by Harlan Ellison, “The Last Question” by Isaac Asimov, as well as for Ray Bradbury to adapt his own “Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed.”
“We’re delighted that ‘Masters of Science Fiction’ has found a broadcast home on ABC’s primetime lineup,” said John Hyde, COO of IDT Entertainment. “ABC is the perfect venue for these interpretations of science fiction’s seminal literary voices.”
“We are excited by the response we’re getting from the creative community,” says Industry Entertainment partner Keith Addis. “We are in advanced discussions with distinguished screenwriters and directors to bring the works of these science fiction icons to a broad audience in the most compelling and entertaining way.”
Production on the series will begin this May in Vancouver. Morris Berger, Steve Brown and John Hyde are executive producers for IDT Entertainment. Industry Entertainment’s Keith Addis, Brad Mendelsohn and Andrew Deane are executive producers, and Ben Browning and Adam Goldworm are co-producers.
I certainly hope it turns out better than it's "sister" show Masters of Horror and also that the network constraints it'll have over not being on Showtime won't cause too many problems.
02-24-06 | 12:25 PM
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It looks a little more promising if they would adapt existing works rather than having them write something just for this venue as with Masters of Horror. That would pretty much be a given in Asimov's case.
02-24-06 | 02:11 PM
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From: Austin, TX
“The Last Question” by Isaac Asimov
07-26-07 | 08:38 AM
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Originally Posted by Chew
Nope, it hasn't aired as yet. Next Saturday is the first episode.
A year and a half after the article.
A year and a half after the article.
07-26-07 | 01:19 PM
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Well here's to hoping this turns out better than Master of Horror S1 did. I see a lot of potential here, both for good and bad. I'm curious to know what Bradbury they plan to adapt...
07-27-07 | 11:41 AM
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From: Virginia Beach, VA
no Bradbury adaptation...
Episode 1 Clean Escape-adapted from John Kessel
Episode 2 Awakening-adapted from Howard Fast
Episode 3 Jerry was a Man-adapted from Robert A. Heinlein
Episode 4 Discarded-adapted from Harlan Ellison
Unaired Little Brother-adapted from Walter Mosley
Unaired Watchbird-adapted from Robert Sheckley
Episode 1 Clean Escape-adapted from John Kessel
Episode 2 Awakening-adapted from Howard Fast
Episode 3 Jerry was a Man-adapted from Robert A. Heinlein
Episode 4 Discarded-adapted from Harlan Ellison
Unaired Little Brother-adapted from Walter Mosley
Unaired Watchbird-adapted from Robert Sheckley
07-27-07 | 07:56 PM
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None of the episodes have been aired yet. Unaired means it is not scheduled to be aired on TV. The show will run each Saturday night during August. Maybe we will have the option to watch the two unaired episodes on ABC.com after the four episode run is completed on TV.
08-03-07 | 01:45 PM
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Masters of Science Fiction too artistic for ABC
"The shame of it is that from the looks of the first two hour-long installments, the network is appallingly firing a fatal bullet through an anthology project of genuine artistic vision. The problem is, it apparently doesn't track as nearly shallow enough for the suits whose job it is to prevent pretty much anything that's unique and imaginative from accidentally leaking out to the public."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/television_masters_dc
"The shame of it is that from the looks of the first two hour-long installments, the network is appallingly firing a fatal bullet through an anthology project of genuine artistic vision. The problem is, it apparently doesn't track as nearly shallow enough for the suits whose job it is to prevent pretty much anything that's unique and imaginative from accidentally leaking out to the public."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/television_masters_dc
Could it be?
08-04-07 | 08:55 AM
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Well If this show turns out to be actually good, heres what will happen...
1. It will debut with decent/strong ratings.
2. It will see a small decline in the ratings.
3. It will be one of the least watched shows of the night.
4. It won't be renewed for another season.
5. It will be replaced by another ABC reality show or Grey's Anatomy repeats.
Then after it's been cancelled by the network...
1. People will send some "Strange" things to the network.
2. ABC will renew it for 8 more episodes.
3. The DVD release is announced.
4. The DVD is Released.
5. The 8 episodes are aired, then cancelled offically.
6. The 8 episodes that aired for the second season will never be released on DVD & people will be pissed.
1. It will debut with decent/strong ratings.
2. It will see a small decline in the ratings.
3. It will be one of the least watched shows of the night.
4. It won't be renewed for another season.
5. It will be replaced by another ABC reality show or Grey's Anatomy repeats.
Then after it's been cancelled by the network...
1. People will send some "Strange" things to the network.
2. ABC will renew it for 8 more episodes.
3. The DVD release is announced.
4. The DVD is Released.
5. The 8 episodes are aired, then cancelled offically.
6. The 8 episodes that aired for the second season will never be released on DVD & people will be pissed.
08-04-07 | 08:54 PM
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whether or not the show is actually good, heres what will happen...
1. No one will watch it because they never even knew it existed.
2. The few of that do know about it probably won't watch because Masters of Horror sucks, or we will watch it but then wish we hadn't.
3. ABC will cancel production after 6 episodes are completed, but will air four episodes or fewer because of contractual obligations.
4. ABC will spin the cancellation by calling it a "special limited series"
5. Starz Media very likely already had a deal lined up with Anchor Bay to release the episodes on DVD because they know where their bread is buttered.
1. No one will watch it because they never even knew it existed.
2. The few of that do know about it probably won't watch because Masters of Horror sucks, or we will watch it but then wish we hadn't.
3. ABC will cancel production after 6 episodes are completed, but will air four episodes or fewer because of contractual obligations.
4. ABC will spin the cancellation by calling it a "special limited series"
5. Starz Media very likely already had a deal lined up with Anchor Bay to release the episodes on DVD because they know where their bread is buttered.
08-04-07 | 10:36 PM
#20
I watched "The Clean Escape" for two reasons: 1) Sam Waterston was in it [and so was Judy Davis], and 2) there was nothing else on.
It was okay. Not anything really spectacular. Wasn't familiar with the concept or the author's work but watched it nonetheless.
In the end I didn't think it was a wasted hour of TV, but I will watch the Terry O'Quinn ep next week.
I was a fan of Amazing Stories, so I figured why not give this a shot.
It was okay. Not anything really spectacular. Wasn't familiar with the concept or the author's work but watched it nonetheless.
In the end I didn't think it was a wasted hour of TV, but I will watch the Terry O'Quinn ep next week.
I was a fan of Amazing Stories, so I figured why not give this a shot.
08-05-07 | 01:04 AM
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yeah there really wasn't anything else on so I checked it out too. It was pretty decent, wasn't terrible. It reminded me of a similar episode of The Outer Limits
08-05-07 | 02:39 PM
#22
Originally Posted by mikeporter
Masters of Science Fiction too artistic for ABC
"The shame of it is that from the looks of the first two hour-long installments, the network is appallingly firing a fatal bullet through an anthology project of genuine artistic vision. The problem is, it apparently doesn't track as nearly shallow enough for the suits whose job it is to prevent pretty much anything that's unique and imaginative from accidentally leaking out to the public."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/television_masters_dc
"The shame of it is that from the looks of the first two hour-long installments, the network is appallingly firing a fatal bullet through an anthology project of genuine artistic vision. The problem is, it apparently doesn't track as nearly shallow enough for the suits whose job it is to prevent pretty much anything that's unique and imaginative from accidentally leaking out to the public."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/television_masters_dc
I guess with this imposed "Siberia" of air-times, there aren't going to be any re-showings in the near future? My tv has been out for the last week, but I hope to up and running again early this week.
08-05-07 | 02:56 PM
#23
When they said that the show was hosted by Dr. Hawkins, I figured we'd get to see the good doctor, but he just "voice overs" narration. It's kind of creepier that way. 
08-05-07 | 07:00 PM
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Originally Posted by Goldberg74
When they said that the show was hosted by Dr. Hawkins, I figured we'd get to see the good doctor, but he just "voice overs" narration. It's kind of creepier that way.
No offense to Mr. Hawkins, but I think it might have been more creepy to see him actually hosting! I find the voiceover much more effective. This was a gripping first episode and finally captured, for me, the magic of those old anthology shows. I hope they follow through and broadcast the rest of the series.
