SciFi Channel: One good idea, one bad
Written on April 6, 2004 by Vic HoltremanThe SciFi Channel has gone from longshot to contender status in the last few years. They're now playing with the big boys as far as advertising dollars.
They recenly announced a number of upcoming projects and two of them caught my eye. One really brought a grin to my face, but the other made me cringe, and I'll tell you why...
Here's the good one:
"'History of the Devil' will be a six-hour series dealing with the devil, who is trying to weasel his way back into heaven with the help of a New York defense attorney. "
For some reason, the Devil using a lawyer to try to get back into Heaven just brought a smile to my face. Once in a while someone comes up with a concept that just sounds perfect. Doesn't happen often, but it does happen.
Now for the bad one:
"Original series will include an untitled project characterized as 'Sex and the City' meets an alien population in an urban drama about an eventual invasion of the city. Joel Schumacher will direct the series.[emphasis mine]"
Why is this a bad idea? I've got three words for you "Batman and Robin". I'm sorry, but after what he did to the Batman franchise, any project this man touches is forever tainted as far as I'm concerned.
'Nuff said.
Source: Yahoo! News
The concept in History of the Devil has been done before, most notably in The Simpsons. It can work well if it's done right, but inject a little too much sappy drama or too many cheesy one-liners, and it all goes straight out the window. It's a concept with good potential, but it's difficult to execute properly.
Anything based on Sex and the City is something I will be unlikely to watch. The subject matter about aliens will reduce those odds even more. Both of Joel Schumacher's Batman movies were terrible, but he has done well with other types of movies. (Falling Down and Tigerland come to mind.) He just needs the right material, but I doubt whether this TV series is it.
Brian
