Glen here...
...with some news about Fox Broadcasting's proposed Buckaroo Banzai television project.
Sources close to the Fox development / production process have indicated that the Buckaroo Banzai series pilot script (referred to frequently over the last several months here on Coaxial) has been received "quite warmly" by the folks over at Fox. This means the Fox people liked it, and will be keeping the Banzai television project around for further development.
Sources indicate that...at this point in time...Banzai is being eyed as a mid-season replacement series for Fox. Needless to say, it's a bit too late for the project to be prepped as a mid-season replacement this season - as "mid-season" (in television terms) is already upon us (February-March).
Presumably, this suggests that Buckaroo Banzai would most likely hit the air shortly after the beginning of 2000 - after some of Fox's Fall 1999 programming bites the dust, thus opening up a time slot for BB.
Even though this scenario has Buckaroo debuting a little later than many of us would have liked, it is actually a very good thing - as it gives series overlords Earl MacRauch and W.D. Richter (who brought us the original Banzai motion picture) more time to pull the project together - and do it right.
There are sketchy indications that project morale is high inside both Fox and Team Banzai, but SOURCES ARE QUICK TO REMIND ME THAT THIS SITUATION IS STILL SOMEWHAT FLUID. The project could be accelerated, or pushed back even further. At this point in time, however, the likelihood of a Buckaroo Banzai television project becoming reality appears to be rather high.
In other Banzai related news, I have received multiple and consistent reports indicating that a Buckaroo Banzai DVD release (all souped up with goodies and extras) is a very strong probability. No word on possible street dates, but a Banzai "Special Edition" is something that was actually in the wind back when those things called laserdiscs were still around. Now that The Age Of Banzai seems to be upon us, I'm told a fulfilling DVD release may well be coming our way. And so might the release of Michael Boddicker's original score.
Both of these coveted items may be some time in coming, though. But the possibilities exist, and they are strong.
So there you have it folks. Slowly but surely...slowly but surely. Now, if only Fox would let Buckaroo Banzai and the Hong Kong Cavaliers perform Auld Lange Syne at 12 a.m. January 1, 2000 during its New Year's night broadcast. What a wonderful world it could be...
