Is it a good thing when a lawyer starts to create comic books, writes screenplays, creates video games and can also be called a TV producer? I call it a good start. Especially if it’s Marc Guggenheim.
Fresh off of Eli Stone, Guggenheim’s present task is being the executive producer for ABC’s FlashForward.
FlashForward is about a moment in time when the entire population of Earth blacks out for 2 minutes and 17 seconds and during that short span of time, they get a glimpse into their future 6 months from that moment.
Though the show is based on the book of the same name by Robert J. Sawyer, and if you’ve read the book, you might be thinking you know where the story is headed. You may want to rethink your assumptions.
At least, that’s my recommendation since David Goyer and Brannon Braga have taken the story in a different direction from the book.
The first and obvious change is the vision of the future. In the book, humanity got a 21-year look into their future. Here, it’s 6 months.
As I wrote in an earlier article, the first season of FlashForward is going to be self contained and the finale will answer the most obvious question there is, and that would be what the black out was all about. To me that’s a great premise, having answers that is. I’ve heard a lot of promises about answering mysteries from another show that never materialized, so I am a bit sensitized to that right now.
But, Guggenheim has a vision. That vision is inspired by the cast which includes such talent as Joseph Fiennes, John Cho, Jack Davenport and Courtney B. Vance. With his vision and this cast, he feels that he can create a high quality show over several seasons and he truly believes that the show can achieve success that’s on par with Lost. In fact, our initial reports on the show indicated that the plan is for five 22-episode seasons.
The comparison with Lost is interesting, being that folks are already comparing this to the time traveling islanders of Lost.
As we’ve pointed out before, first impressions of FlashForward’s pilot episode left people with good impressions. I hope those good impressions turn into approval by the much coveted Nielsen viewers and some decent television for us.
With Goyer and Braga on board, I have a feeling we may be in for a nice bit of television. Do you agree with that?
Source: Think Mcfly Think, with thanks to the fine interview by Sean Gerski.
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