Thursday, September 07, 2006

Young Terminator Chronicles


Earlier today I got on the phone with Black Dahlia screenwriter Josh Friedman*, and one of the topics of conversation ended up being The Sarah Connor Chronicles, the newly greenlit Terminator TV show he is executive producing and writing.

The Sarah Connor Chronicles takes place between Terminator 2 and Terminator 3, which has left fans wondering what the heck is this show going to be about anyway? Is it just going to be Sarah and John Connor as mom and son, sort of an Alice with rocket launchers instead of Mel’s Diner? Will there be any Terminators in the show? Friedman was as cryptic as possible, but did let loose some tantalizing hints.

“I would like to be able to explore as many different avenues of Terminator mythology as possible,” he told me. “I think to do a show that is a completely Terminator-less environment would probably not be, in the long run, a wise move or the most interesting thing.”

From CHUD, 'Ever since the success of 24 and Lost serialized dramas have been the networks’ latest fascination. Friedman says that while he likes long story arcs, he’s not bringing the show in that direction. “I always go back to The X-Files, which I think did a good job of balancing close-ended stories with mythology stories,” Friedman said. “The show will certainly not be a close-ended, procedural adventure of the week show. I would say it’s going to be a hybrid. It’ll be somewhere in between – it’s not going to be a Terminator of the week show, but it’s also not going to be soap opera.”

And Friedman knows you're paying attention to this show, and he has only one thing to ask of you. "I read the talk backs, and people are pissed. They don’t want you to mess with it. The internet has a love/hate thing with the properties they love – they want more and they want it done well, but they hate it if Cameron’s not involved. All I ask is that people withhold judgment until they see it. I think it’s pretty fucking cool."'

2 comments:

JPX said...

Is there any way on Earth that this isn't going to totally suck?

Octopunk said...

Sounds like this guy's taking a page from Avi Arad's book with this "something in-between" stance. "It's not this...or that." Everybody wants you to think they've got an idea that's newer than what you've seen. As if.

I remember skimming some Terminator comics and thinking it was lame because ultimately there's tons of people bouncing in from the future. It cheapens the idea.

Maybe the Sarah Conner chronicles can be about the other Sarah Conners in the phone book. You know, do the dishes, make lunch for the kids, answer the door, get shot in the head...

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