Revisiting Iconic TV: Struggle Between Creator and Fandom

Returning to a classic universe and beloved characters is a complex investment. Revisiting a popular fictional scenario sounds great. A ready-made fanbase means guaranteed high ratings and positive reviews, right? The answer is a complicated yes and no.

Revivals like Teen Wolf: The Movie, Veronica Mars, and Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life all highlighted the quandary of revisiting TV show worlds, especially those that begin in a character’s teen years, and then return after a few years to showcase the characters’ adult lives.

 

Most revivals prove a crash and burn experience that rarely leads to another screen outing. Why? In simple terms, the expectations of viewers and the vision of the writer/creator rarely align. Both sides are emotionally invested, yet hold different priorities.  

Creator vs Fan

The question, of course is who does the world belong to? Without the series creator and their imagination and vision, it would not exist. But it could not have been renewed each season without a loyal audience providing consistently successful ratings.

 

The relationship is symbiotic. Both groups need each other. But when it comes to a TV show return, the parameters of the relationship have changed. Often, the new dynamic fails to satisfy due in part to differing expectations of the fictional world’s evolution.

 

This is never more obvious than when the audience met their heroes as insecure teenagers. To fans, those onscreen connections were special/unbreakable, and lead characters were meant to become happy and successful, personally and/or professionally.

Writers and Conflict

For the creator, revisiting the show means a chance to throw new challenges at the characters. But having given the series some form of closure in the finale, they feel the need to deliver a world where the previously created or implied HEA is now toast.

 

Audiences assume the series will begin again at the next phase of Happily Ever After—even if chaos ensues later. Yet creators consistently begin a series in a familiar world with a discontented, messy set-up, fueling viewer dissatisfaction from the get-go.

 

One of two paths is usually taken. In pursuit of conflict, writers may regress characters in a revisited series so they can return to a similar narrative framework, rehashing variations of past plots, albeit now with world-weary versions of popular characters.

 

Alternately, writers choose the complete opposite, presenting new relationships, new settings, and almost new personalities for those in beloved fictional worlds, sometimes completely at odds with the iconic small screen reality fans have cherished.

 

For the creator, the original episodes were birthed by their past self who lived in another world, with a different perspective. In a sense they’re burdened by the expectation of new output that somehow reflects who they were then, not who they are now.

Fans and Character Growth

Fans are often genuinely invested in the happiness of iconic characters. Having watched their personal journey for years—a staggered upward climb of growing self-awareness and personal evolution—audiences assume this evolution continued post-series.

 

For the fans, iconic characters are larger than life. For the creators, humanizing these icons with mundane failures and disappointments is more appealing, often wiping clean series elements considered canon that originally endeared the show to audiences.

 

Fans can also forget reality itself has changed in the interim. Many beloved TV shows of the past are now criticized for problematic content in terms of representation, whether racial, sexual or gender-oriented. Definitions of acceptable humor also change.

 

A few hours cannot provide equal emotional satisfaction as multiple seasons of TV, especially if fans waited years for a “faithful” revisit. Minutes spent on new characters feel wasted, even if creators view these as reflective of authentic life changes.

 

Treatment of ships also fuels fan dissatisfaction. Romantic couples the series spent years creating, may be swept aside in a revisit, the break-up in the show’s past. Fun for the writer who gets to play with new dynamics. Not so fun for invested fandoms.

Practical Considerations

A fan of a series expects the most popular stars to appear, and the most beloved ships to continue or eventuate. Yet certain talent can be in high demand, impossible to schedule, too expensive for the project, or contracted to competitor networks.

 

Stars can also be uninterested. Perhaps they didn’t enjoy working on the show, or playing a popular character hindered their career post-series, making them unwilling to bring the character to life again. Management could argue against an appearance.

 

Studios and production companies may have “thoughts” on the focal points of the new outing. General audiences remember the hit years, not so much later storylines, leading to a push for a return to set-ups marketed early on in the original series.

Lessons Learned

The undocumented time period between the original series and the follow-up series or film, is a lead source of conflict. Making the time gap larger, and/or the changes in circumstance starker and more unexpected, simply exacerbates an already thorny issue.

 

Imagine an old friend you admire moved overseas to marry and enjoy a new job, with plans to have multiple children. Later, you meet again to discover they are now unemployed, widowed, and their remaining family member has a terminal illness.

 

Now, imagine instead they’re happy when you reconnect but have returned to a similar state of affairs as when you met a decade ago. Both of these scenarios feel an unsatisfactory outcome for a loved friend—and echo fan responses to revisited television.

 

A battle between two groups who believe they “know” the best path forward for a fictional universe. For creators, finding an effective middle ground that honors the past while shaping a longer future for the series, is frankly easier said than done.

Why Hellbound is the Standout Series for 2021

 An intelligent scripted TV series that holds a mirror to modern culture was never going to be widely embraced.

Hellbound is a South Korean 6 episode series that sees random members of the community receiving messages warning of their time of upcoming death. Bizarre creatures appear, brutally killing the condemned, before disappearing again, seemingly into thin air.

As expected, the increase in killings has severe ramifications on society. The plot starts just as the phenomena begins, taking us through the ensuing years.

Hellbound tackles hard issues, including religion, and government: the symbiosis that develops, and the way religious organisations generally adapt to the fears of the many, while benefiting the few.

South Korean dramas are often lauded for quality writing, and this is no exception. But while critics celebrate the series, less enthused reviews by the everyday global audience are showing more about the reviewers, than the material itself.

The anger of those who don't like to think beyond the obvious; the confusion of those who have lost the ability to process storytelling that isn't simply a spoon-fed linear narrative; the indignation of those made uncomfortable at the portrayal of judgmental and dogmatic mindsets.

The unease of those unwilling to consider the role of religion in their behavioural patterns; the boredom of those for whom television only entertains if it is truly empty of social commentary.

The discomfort of those who see aspects of themselves onscreen, and the outrage of those who want to live in a shallow world rather than imagine reshaping it.

…Do I sound critical? That's because I am. Entertainment doesn't need to be empty, or an endless visceral thrill. Contrary to today’s popular thinking, television that challenges are not inherently flawed.

The creatures of Hellbound are a metaphor for occurrences that humanity cannot explain. In response, society will always attempt to create a suitable narrative. This is the way it has always been. And often, when fear prevails, there is an ugliness embedded in the result.

Many have criticised Hellbound for plot holes, when they actually mean character inconsistencies that accurately reflect human irrationality, especially in the face of an existential crisis.

The pandemic itself has shown humanity’s obsession with choosing a narrative: creating a personal or societal mish mash of beliefs to uphold the idea of a reality they can accept. It can be argued, the discomfort and dissatisfaction with Hellbound arises from resentment at this subconscious tendency being placed under scrutiny.

The unknown has always fascinated writers. Hellbound offers us the result of a society dealing with the unexplainable. It also encompasses personal journeys within this context. Often gritty, and gory, it isn’t fun. It’s brutal, challenging, and riveting.

Characters grapple with existential dread, revenge vs justice, the definition of sin, and the complexities of family. While there are traditionally “good” characters, they are in the minority. Almost everyone becomes flawed and erratic under the pressure.

Equating death with “failed” living permeates the human consciousness. Hellbound takes that vague discomfort and moves it to the forefront. The point of life becomes avoiding premature death.

On the technical front, I loved the dark cinematography and the story’s structure. The cast are outstanding. My only real criticism was that the monster CGI wasn’t as disturbing in the way the story itself. I found the dementors in Harry Potter much more unsettling. I think if they had been amorphous, they would have proven more visually impacting.

Science Fiction TV Turns Toward Biology

Rather than the coldness of computers, imaginative organic science has been popular in scifi TV recently, the prevalence of machinery giving way to a more biological interpretation of the mysteries of the universe. To put it bluntly, spores, trees and fungi infect our perception of the future.

Imagining Future Science

What will science allow humanity to do in the future? That is the core of science fiction. For many years the focus was on projecting a version of current technology. Yet recently it feels like a more imaginative interpretation is happening.

Plants and organisms, even if they're made of light and data rather than solid matter, are everywhere. Has the way we think about what is possible, changed?

Contrary to popular belief, science isn't linear. It experiences trends. One recurrent theme has been time, or the manipulation of time, and that has bled into our entertainment, bringing with it an almost spiritual aspect.

Below are some popular television shows that include an organic element (for want of a better term). Perhaps organisms are the ultimate storytelling metaphor for life and a sense of mortality. Maybe, like time, they are symbolic of the boundaries that fascinate humanity the most.

12 Monkeys

The red forest is an integral part of this show's mythology.

12 Monkeys is a beautifully written series. Time travel is a twisting concept and it can be difficult to maintain a narrative hold. The show begins with the character of Cole being sent back in time to stop a plague that wipes out humanity. He partners with the virologist Cassie, and they encounter resistance from a group called The 12 Monkeys.

The 12 Monkeys are revealed to be fanatics dedicated to bringing The Red Forest into existence. The red forest exists beyond time. At certain points characters drink tea made from leaves sourced in the red forest, and experience visions.

The scenes in the red forest are eerie and compelling. They tie in with science but seem to speak to a primal part of the mind.

Star Trek Discovery

A recent addition to the Star Trek television universe, Discovery moves beyond the standard ways of navigating through space that have been created by Star Trek over the years, and introduces the Spore Drive.

You'll see a lot of debate online regarding the plausibility of this tech. The Spore Drive takes the ship from one place to another in an instance. Basically the idea is the technology utilizes a network of spores to move across the galaxy.

Rather than arguing the logistics or potentiality, my interest is focused on the fact it is a spore-driven concept: modeled on an organic idea. That at the heart (or should that be seed) of Star Trek's greatest engineering technology, are spores.

 The OA

An alternate reality thriller, The OA follows a lead character that inadvertently travelled across dimensions, a journey kick started by a series of body motions that need to be carried out by a group.

The recent season introduced the idea of a giant tree network that spreads across dimensions. The tree communicated with our lead. Seeds and branches are utilized as a way of explaining a complex multiverse reality. The tree also represents a continuing thematic thread for the show: that community is essential to survival.

The OA is at heart a series about alternate realities but it uses this exploration of a possible corner of science to also explore the concept of self. The OA appears to blend science and the spiritual, but it's interesting that a large reveal in regards to interdimensionality takes science to an organic place.

The Expanse

A brilliant example of science fiction TV, one of the story cornerstones to kick start the show is Detective Miller's hunt for a missing woman. By the end of the first season we see that she has been taken over by a seemingly sentient organism.

The Expanse includes a lot of political drama. Conspiracies abound, thanks to a book series that provides fantastic fodder in terms of complex narrative. But it was the futuristic organism (I've seen it referenced online as protomolecule) transforming people that cements an organic element within a series that prides itself on scientific accuracy.

Aliens are behind the infectious construct. The plot is quite complex and becomes more so when it's revealed humanity has begun its own experiments using the protomolecule. But a protomolecule that manipulates biomass, with references to seeds and infections, makes it a great example of an organic representation of futuristic science.

In conclusion…

What messages are currently echoing across small screens in the science fiction genre?

Perhaps that everything in the universe is interconnected. That our minds relate to plants and living organisms as representations of life and death, themes that are always a human preoccupation even when we're travelling the stars.

It's interesting to see where our cultural imagination takes us. Here's to constantly intriguing unfolding scifi stories on the small screen.

Six Pilots To Pitch aka You Wanna Watch This?

In the last year I’ve worked on finalizing half a dozen pilot scripts for competitions, pitch packages and as projects with other creatives.

Details about the shows are below. Feel free to let me know what appeals the most. The goal, of course, is to sell them all!

Each is a one-hour scripted drama with a written pilot and a planned season of storylines including multiple subplots. The end of every pilot episode has a great set-up or plot twist for the series.

Why do I think I have the ability to script a popular drama, you ask?

On the writing front I’ve written three novels, have a short story collection coming out soon, covered television for newsprint and websites, had my TV blog links liked and reposted by cast and crew of US shows I’ve discussed, written scripts and production schedules for music videos, and work as a features and content writer. (Oh, and took scriptwriting units at university.)

And of course I’ve watched thousands of one-hour TV dramas. I’ve counted scenes, subplots, noted trends, and compared small screen storytelling styles from around the globe. From the technical to the entertaining, structural to visual, I’m certain I can create material that will appeal to the current market.

Before you check out these six TV shows, please note the scripts are copyrighted for those feeling slight-ly too inspired by the concepts.

...We all know how this meme ends.

Saving Beauty

Interpretation of Sleeping Beauty by painter Thomas
Ralph Spence. My version has less flowers, more sword fighting. 

Logline: Sleeping Beauty is considered a disempowered female character. But what if falling asleep makes her powerful? And what if she’s the one saving the kingdom?

The concept: On her 17^th birthday Princess Ava discovers she’s a Dreamer. The ability to manipulate the dreamscape threatens the power of the High Queen, and all Dreamers are sentenced to death.

Friends and family manage to save Ava’s life, but at a terrible cost. Now the Robin, commander of the rebels, wants to enlist and control her. Only a powerful Dreamer can defeat the High Family.

Whoever controls the dreamscape, controls the world. Ava’s only choice is to become a leader, and control her own destiny.

Elements that stand out: The Sleepers. In each kingdom, once an heir is born, a member of the royal couple is put into an enchanted sleep by the mages. This way the High Queen and High King control the other royals. Once a year they wake up. The rest of the time their consciousness is locked in the dreamscape.

The High Princes. Four brothers make up the High Family. The mysterious mage Alex, identical twins Marcus and Jerome, and the beautiful prince Alex. Their history is complicated, as is their struggle for power.

What I like most about the series: The people who love Princess Ava are as dangerous to her as her enemies. Most of the characters want to protect, manipulate, kill, or use her.

This is a tale of a teenage girl’s empowerment in a ruthless world where everyone has an agenda.

Key sells: Fantasy, Teen, Dream State, Female Empowerment, Action, Adventure.

*Read a sample here.

The Guardians

Logline: Guardian angels have been released from their duty of care but are still bound to a soul. They fight for control of this reality by manipulating their assigned human. The story moves between the present day where people begin to hear a single voice and a future where mankind is at war on behalf of the angel factions.

The concept: People begin to hear one voice, and see an “imaginary friend”. Most think they’re going crazy. Slowly they accept the apparitions are telling the truth: guardian angels are no longer silent, or forced to protect us—and they’re not going away.

Guardians know every memory and desire. Some want to be friends, others want to break people and use them like puppets. Control of this reality through humans is the end game.

In the future timeline set a few years forward, the characters lead very different lives, fighting for various angel factions.

Elements that stand out: Complex Characters. The leads range from an elderly businesswoman mourning the recent death of her wife to a young male veteran dealing with PTSD and life as a stay at home dad.

Guardians appearing/disappearing. In some scenes the audience sees what the characters see which is a person standing beside them. In others, the angels aren’t visible; reminding us it’s all happening in people’s heads.

A split timeline. War rages in the near future. Just a few years have passed yet the leads have changed immensely.

What I like most about the series: The friendship between a young Mexican American teenage girl who is a cutter as a result of bullying, and a young Japanese-Korean teen guy living in America who doesn’t seem to have a guardian.

Key sells: Supernatural, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Science Fiction.

Insta-Dead

Logline: America’s favorite teen social media star Sally is murdered. The prime suspects are Sally’s six famous Instagram “besties”. Her sister Amy takes Sally’s place in the social media crew to unearth the killer.

The concept: When Sally is murdered at a party, her quiet sister Amy decides to find the killer. The only way into Sally’s famous crew is to become an Instagram icon—but Amy doesn’t use social media.

Signing with Sally’s agency, she learns online fame is big business. The number one rule: protect your persona at all costs. Endless parties, fake relationships, online stalkers and the politics of endorsement make it clear Amy is in over her head.

The six teens at the party with Sally claim they want to clear their names but one has to be the murderer. As she learns more about their lives (and lies), Amy discovers the murder was meticulously planned. Instagram posts hold the clues—she just needs to figure out what to look for…

Elements that stand out: If you grew up on a diet of Buffy, Veronica Mars and Pretty Little Liars, you’ll know how great it is to watch teenage girls find their strengths and navigate risky waters.

At first Amy doesn’t have the social skills to tackle the case. And the more she learns about Sally, the more she realizes she hardly knew her sister.

What I like most about the series: The teen leads are ambitious but also insecure, and will do anything to keep their secrets hidden. The mean girls (and boys) have millions—in money, and followers.

When everybody is so good at being fake it’s hard to tell whom to trust.

Key sells: Teen, Murder Mystery, Social Media, Female Lead.

Sound

Logline: Residents of the quarantined city of Sound live off performances by the world’s best musicians. The groundbreaking experiment sees the body source energy from sound waves—but with unexpected side effects. Facing a food-deprived future, how far will those in power go to hide the truth?

The concept: Based off my novel, the plot follows the arrival of a young woman, Cecilia (Ces) in the city of Sound. Live performances are amplified through special speakers, with citizens surviving on a mix of food and sound waves.

Ces moves into Hotel Vigoroso, owned by the famous musician Jesse. His previous band mate Michael no longer speaks to him, having been changed by the music. Turns out, making tunes has as many side effects as feeding on them.

Regular visits to the Clinic are meant to help the people of Sound. Yet those detained are often never seen again. And with patrollers observing more than they police and protect, the streets are not safe.

The experiment calls for minimal tech, and the city has no contact with the outside world. Resident artist Brad teaches Ces about life in the city, along with Daisy, a veteran and survivor of a terrorist attack whose fractured mind may be the key to keeping the citizens of Sound alive.

Elements that stand out: A love of music. Sound amplifies the idea you can become addicted to a musician’s output.

The cultists. Ceruleans wear blue robes and animal masks. They live in an abandoned theatre, and many work in city’s red light district. Now and again the officials collect them in “sweeps”. Many never return.

The children. The side effects of Sound are most obvious in babies born in the city, a fact hidden from the world.

What I like most about the series: As the story progresses the audience wonders if Ces may be an unreliable narrator. How much of her experiences can be trusted? Visual symbols that act as clues and moments of delusion show Ces’ perspective might not be one hundred per cent trustworthy.

Key sells: Science fiction, music, dystopia, psychological thriller.

Jedi AF

 

If you haven't seen the EXO Lightsaber
clip go and watch it right this minute.

Logline: In an alternate version of the present day Jedi and Sith are members of society. Identified by a special gene, many work in law enforcement or for the underworld, while others are rogues or loners. When a powerful teenager emerges from the city’s slums, the fight is on to secure his services and gain control of his power over the Force.

The concept: Disney owns Star Wars so this is almost impossible to pitch but since I was a child, writing Jedi’s into the real world has been my dream. Lightsaber fights on the streets after dark… How cool would that be? Teen angst meets the Force in neon-soaked settings. Young Jedi are prone to becoming vigilantes and young Sith are prone to running in packs

Certain Jedi and Sith bloodlines have become surrogate royal families, ruling the corporate world—or the Underworld. And after a century of relative peace, Jedi and Sith are on the verge of outright war.

With, Anti-Force sentiment is high among ordinary humans, a special task force, made up of Jedi and Sith exists to monitor Force users. Powerful Force users are considered dangerous and must choose an affiliation: Jedi or Sith.

For a poor teen with no allies it’s a dangerous time to discover you can control the Force.  

Elements that stand out: Blurring the line between the Jedi and the Sith. In this reality some Sith are kind, some Jedi ruthless. Good and evil are less distinct.

The visuals. Kpop group EXO released Lightsaber in 2015 in conjunction with Disney, a collaborative MV/film that captures the visual aesthetic of a modern Jedi/Sith drama.

What I like most about the series: The Jedi/Sith conflict being transplanted to a gritty, urban setting. The series draws from but is not limited to existing mythology.

Jedi, Sith and Social Media. The idea of young people posting about and stanning famous Jedi (or Sith) is a surreal side note.

Key sells: Teen, Star Wars, Jedi, Action, Adventure.

Gateway

Logline: In near-future New York the drug Gateway is the darling of the party scene, but users don’t realize the dahlia-printed paper slips open the door to more than the subconscious. Taking the petal lets you see into the Otherworld. And sometimes, gods and spirits hitch a ride back.

The concept: The pilot establishes Gateway is a supernatural drug that opens the mind to the  Otherworld, allowing creatures banished from Earth millennia ago to possess a human while the drug lasts.

Most consider Gateway a hallucinogenic. Only a few know the Otherworld is real, short-term possession happens, and the gods have a plan to stay on Earth permanently.

Mysterious Gateway dealer Col sells mostly to rich kids on the clubbing scene. One night he reluctantly gives Gateway to some friends, setting off an unexpected chain of events.

Now Col and Brianna have to find the secret government agency that took their friends, deal with a possession and a vengeful god’s agenda, all while avoiding the two cops closing in on Col.

The story follows a mix of characters caught up in an Otherworld conspiracy. They’re knowingly, or unknowingly connected. And every one of them has secrets they want to protect, even the gods.

Elements that stand out: Futuristic Graffiti. A fusion of tech and street art hides messages on walls that only phone filters and programmed eyewear can find.

Vigilante Parkour Crew. Female lead Briana is a member of The 88, who uses holos to hide their profiles. “Faceless protecting the faceless. Justice for areas cops won’t cover.”

Visions. Those on Gateway see things from the past, as well as looking into the Otherworld. More than one doorway in the mind opens.

What I like most about the series: Love triangle. The musician Sara relies on Gateway to see her muse in the Otherworld, the fae Tristan. She also lives with Agent Barnes, who tracks Gateway dealers.

Halfies. Alex and Simon are known as halfies because one parent was on Gateway and possessed by a God during conception. Halfies have special talents, including the ability to sense when a possessed person is near, but are prone to emotional issues.

The atmosphere. Mostly shot at night, Gateway is dark and fast paced and has an eerie, tense vibe. The visual style could be called “dystopian tech”.

Key sells: Supernatural, Drama, Nightlife, Psychological Thriller, Procedural, Action.

Thanks for reading. My email is gilliano@iinet.net.au if you have any queries.