Netflix Picks Up Locke & Key
After Hulu recently passed on the television adaptation of the Locke & Key comic it had in the works, Netflix has stepped in and is near to giving the property a direct-to-series order. Hulu had produced a pilot but decided not to move forward with the series. Netflix will not use Hulu’s pilot, but will instead redevelop the series, though Carlton Cuse and and comic book creator Joe Hill will stay onboard the production. Locke & Key follows the Locke family who discover that they have inherited magical keys that possess great powers. FOX developed a pilot back in 2011 but passed on it, so this property has been a long time coming to television.
Season 9 of TWD Will Bring Major Cast Changes to the Series
A major shakeup to the cast of AMC’s The Walking Dead is on the way for the show’s upcoming ninth season. Note that spoiler-phobes may not want to proceed because the changes will definitely impact the storylines. Word broke this week that series star Andrew Lincoln will be “phased out” in the coming season and that Norman Reedus (who will be getting a $20 million deal) will be shifted into the lead role. Also leaving the show is Laura Cohen who will be starring in the upcoming ABC series Whiskey Cavalier. Both Lincoln and Cohen will only appear in a handful of episodes in the ninth season, though there is no definitive word at this point on whether their characters will be killed off (the typical way that actors depart from the show).
Sci Fi TV Development: Syfy Places Pilot Order for Resident Alien, NBC Developing Cul-de-Sac
In development news, Syfy has placed a pilot order for a television adaptation of the Dark Horse comic series Resident Alien by Peter Horgan and Steve Parkhouse. Deadline Hollywood gives the following description for the project:
Resident Alien is described as a dark, twisted and comedic fish-out-of-water story. Adapted for television by Chris Sheridan (Family Guy), it follows a crash-landed alien named Harry who, after taking on the identity of a small-town Colorado doctor, slowly begins to wrestle with the moral dilemma of his secret mission on Earth — ultimately asking the question, “Are human beings worth saving?”
This comes from Universal Cable Productions, Dark Horse Entertainment and Amblin TV meaning that the network’s parent company would have at least partial ownership of the show. Syfy will likely be considering adding this to its schedule at some point in 2019.
NBC has put into development the horror series Cul-de-Sac with Blumhouse Television. Deadline Hollywood gives the following description:
Cul-De-Sac is a serialized drama about three families living in a suburban cul-de-sac who begin to experience terrifying events and come to realize there’s something sinister invading their perfect middle-class dream.
The network will likely be considering that one either as a late season entry or as a Summer series for next year.
Sci Fi TV Status Report: Netflix Renews The Rain for a Second Season, NBC’s Reverie has Poor Debut
Netflix gave a second season renewal to its post-apocalyptic series The Rain this week. The series is a Danish production that streams in the U.S. with subtitles. Netflix has not revealed the viewership for the show (they usually keep those numbers under wraps), but apparently it has done well enough in the States and overseas to justify the renewal. Two other Netflix shows currently waiting for renewal announcements are new series Altered Carbon and Sophomore entry 3%.
In ratings news, NBC’s new series Reverie had its debut on Wednesday and only managed a 0.6 rating with 2.9 million total viewers. Those are tepid numbers even for a Summer entry and place this show’s future very much in doubt. This one was originally planned for a mid-season start, but was pushed on the schedule suggesting that the network lost faith in it. Be sure to follow CancelledSciFi.com and the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site to keep track of the renewal / cancellation prospects of your favorite shows.
Sci Fi TV Schedule: Premieres for Humans and Cloak & Dagger, Finale for Sense8
This coming week brings two more Summers premieres along with a couple of finales. On Tuesday, AMC’s Humans returns for its third season at 10 PM EST. On Thursday, Freeform’s new series Cloak & Dagger, based on the Marvel Comic of the same name, has its bow with a two-hour episode. Also on that day, the fan-demanded finale for Netflix’s Sense8 will be available for streaming. And apparently ABC is pushing its cancelled series The Crossing to Saturday with what I believe are the last two episodes of the show airing on that night (that one will also air a new ep in its regular Monday timeslot next week). You can see the full Summer schedule of sci fi and fantasy shows at this link and you can keep up with the weekly listings at this link.
