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SMALLVILLE Showrunners To Pitch MARTIAN MANHUNTER Series To The CW In 2009??
I am – Hercules!!
On page 22 of the current TV Guide (the one with next week’s listings and the cast of “CSI NY” on the cover), there’s talk that “Smallville” won’t be back for ninth season because Tom Welling, who turns 32 in April, is not contracted for that season and may have tired of playing Superboy.
If a deal with Welling can’t be reached? An excerpt from the TV Guide piece:
[Showrunner Darren] Swimmer suggests a Smallville spinoff starring Phil Morris (John Jones aka Martian Manhunter), who next appears Jan. 22.
The Manhunter, a charter member of the Justice League who played a major role in the recent “Final Frontier” direct-to-DVD movie, has all the powers of Superman and a few more, including telepathy, clairvoyance and invisibility. He can also shapeshift, change himself to steel or stone and “phase” through walls and other solid objects. In “Smallville” he can also heal others. He was introduced in a 1955 issue of Detective Comics.
Morris may still be best beloved for his memorable portrayal of the Cochranesque attorney Jackie Childs on “Seinfeld.”
"Smallville" producers had earlier pitched to The CW "The Graysons," a look at the circus days of the boy who would become Batman's sidekick, but Warner Bros. execs put the kibosh on that notion.
“Smallville” returns Jan. 15 with Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, Lightning Lad, Doomsday and the atomic axe-wielding Persuader in tow.
Fresh Whedon!!
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Boxed Set Blowout!!
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... in general hasn't been terribly kind to film makers since Total Recall unfortunately.
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I've heard worse ideas. Better than Aquaman.
Rather see the Walt Simonson Manhunter but whatever... -
No one loves me...
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..but hasn't Manhunter lost his powers in the Smallville universe? Would that mean we just get a smallville cop show?
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he'll get 'em back somehow. It's Smallville for God's sake. how many times now has Clark lost his powers and gotten them back?
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Dec 06, 2008 6:35:27 PM CST
Any chance this version of Manhunter won't be a big pussy like o
by cash907
I'm kinda tired of TV show's gimping out these badass superheroes, frankly. Flying towards the sun steals his powers? The eff are you kidding SV writers? Fire messes the guy up because it's *fire* not because it's yellow. He's the Manhunter, not Hal Effing Jordan.
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Dec 06, 2008 6:52:39 PM CST
These losers are pitching around a lot of vapor these days...
by drmanhattansunit
As Smallville drags on toward oblivion their desperation for work is palpable.
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I thought it was already decided that this was Smallville's last season. I guess it was never officially official, but it really feels that way. They're pushing him pretty hard toward the cape, setting up the Lois & Clark romance, setting up an effective way of getting rid of Chloe (my guess is that her death is what will finally lead to him becoming Superman). Lex is already (mostly) gone. I'm not sure there's much more they can do. Of course, I've been saying that for about five years now. I've enjoyed this show enough to keep watching it this long, but come on, people, it's time to end the damn thing already.
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Just because someone has an idea for something doesn't make it a reality. People watch Smallville just because of Superman. I'd imagine a Martian Manhunter show would have a small percentage of what Smallville has currently in terms of viewers.
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Manhunter basically has every superpower ever?
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Killing comic book characters is pointless. It has no shock value. Just put them away until a competent writer can tell some good stories with them. DC is at an all time low these days. Didio needs to be sodomized.
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Excluding the animated stuff, which is a completely different animal, and Smallville, all the other DC-based shows have been either been dud: Flash (cancelled second season), Birds of Prey (cancelled first season), Justice League, Aquaman (weren't picked up after bad pilots) and The Graysons (couldn't even get green-lit). The truth of the matter is that besides Smallville (which appears to be a fluke), Warner Bros. handling of live-action DC stuff is less then inspired. I think maybe they should stay away from doing any sort of comic book based shows for a while.
But If YOU are going to do a comic book show, though, either stay away from the Smallville formula (which is basically X-Files meets Dawson Creek) and do a something like Deadman (a supernatural Fugitive) or the Demon (a supernatural Incredible Hulk) which follows a different plot outline; or find one of the better known heroes and figure a way to explore him in a new and interesting way. However, very few of the heroes in DC are as well known but have such potential for a different direction as Superman is. Smallville works because while everyone is familiar with Superman, a lot of people are not familiar with the Superboy legend or his teen years. It is something that has been hinted at but not seen often on television or in the movies. Plus, it is a superhero show without a lot of the trappings of a superhero to bog it down – no costume or alter ego, and no costumed villains (usually).
That is why I think something like Gotham Central could work. Everyone is familiar with the Batman and Gotham City, why not do a Hill Street Blues or NYPD Blue of a comic book city and have references to many of the comic book stories while still retaining some sort of “realism”. It could even take place years ago and star a young Detective Gordon. The big arc of the entire series could be revision of the entire comic book Batman legend: Gordon is the investigating officer in the murders of Thomas and Martha Wayne and is looking for the killer, Joe Chill and the man who hired him, Lew Moxon, while at the same time he deals with corruption and the strange criminals who stalk the city. The show practically writes itself (ok, maybe not but you can see the potential!
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Get it over with already.
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...a "Martian Manhunter Variety Hour." Maybe he wasn't that serious?
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Animal Man?
How about a single season JLA rather than a film?
Spielberg is always doing single miniseries and with commercial and critical acclaim!
Don't try to come up with cash cows and you will make money! Strange as it seems but it's true. -
Dec 06, 2008 8:26:19 PM CST
Oh.. btw Martian Manhunter is 4th tier rest of the world.
by damien chowder
So it's stupid to even think it.
So how about a freaking 2 season only Green Lantern thats true to the comics? I feckin wish! But no..
It's always better to pander to non-fans first! Fuck you company execs. -
Swimmer then says, "A Martian Manhunter Variety Hour might be fun!" Making me think he said it tongue-in-cheek.
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Since Martian Manhunter never really had his own series, and was always just parts of various versions of the JLA and other teamups, he would be a great launching pad to develop a small screen version of JLU. They have really started to turn Smallville into the next chapter this year (why did it not happen in season 3 again?). I see lots of potential to get many different wild versions of characters from DCU here. Maybe we'll see a version of GL (Please not Kyle, Garner would be awesome though) or Huntress, Question, I would love to see Ray Palmer, THE TORNADO. Lots of potential. Financial backing from Wayne (who remains a silent partner) or go crazy and bring Hartley back to bankroll the Justice League of sorts. I say calling it JLA or Justice would be pretty sweet. I do agree that it needs to be a spinoff. Don't bring back the name Smallville without Supes.
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The problem with Gotham Central is that it will be like BOP again. Sure Hutnress is in it --- kinda, and Oracle, and a very off version of Lance. It will see the same thing. Missing the mark.
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Just a few of the rumored Smallville spin-offs that never panned out.
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go over about as well as any Martian Manhunter solo book ever did. Aside from Dr. Manhattan, he does have the best set of powers of any superhero in the DCU.
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Are these people high on crack???!!!
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make it so
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Why must we think for these people??? Don't they know a good franchise when they see one??? I love Phil Morris, but Martian Manhunter is a side character, not a series lead, unless they are planning to go all When The Earth Stood Still on their take of the character.Anyway, The Question is a great and largely untapped character who deserves to be explored.
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If they do it, they should make some damn sense out of his powers. I say limited powers to shapeshifting (including super-strength, phasing, invisibility) and psionics(including telepathy, telekinetic flight, and TK blast, aka "martian vision")
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The animated one wasn't half bad, probably mostly off putting to people because of the style of animation(and apparently the theme song, but I thought it was a thousand times better than Teen Titans). A show about the Legion could be great. I've actually liked what the NEW show runners have done with Smallville BTW. Being rid of both Lana and Lex has helped them, and sucker me if they didn't make Doomsday work after all (okay, hiding him in shadow a lot helped, and the guy who plays Darth Vader's apprentice wasn't bad casting either). Tess Mercer isn't the most impressive addition, but hell, she's not bad for a single season. Still no one seems to remember Michael McKean's Perry White or that 20-year-olds can't run dipshit mobiles, let alone major companies, but apart from that the show is better than it used to be. What I worry is who in their right mind thought the adventures of Dick Grayson BEFORE Batman was a good idea? The worst part of Smallville has always been that they stuff too much into the wrong end of Clark Kent's career and in the process cheapen his later adventures (seriously, would it have killed them to have him start wearing glasses or move him away from the farm before his parents). Doing the same to Robin is beyond retarded, a pathetic attempt to bank on the Batman character's world without doing what people WANT to see--namely Batman. That's why Birds of Prey crashed. Now Martian Manhunter isn't the same thing, but I'd hate to see a show about him stuck in the Smallville version of the DC universe. The actor is good but what a let down with the costumes and the over-complicated Krypton plot. Give us a show about the guy we saw in Justice League: New Frontiers and THAT would be worth seeing. Also surprised they're not trying to something with Justin Hartley, I could have almost bought an Aquaman show because of him, why not a Green Arrow show? Or hell, make him Green Lantern, he could do that too. And poor Kyle Gallner, I have a feeling if he ever does show up as "Impulse" again, it'll just be to die. Either of them could carry a new series too though. That said, I think any spin off after Smallville ends will fail because NOTHING new in the sci-fi/fantasy genre seems to survive anymore. Networks aren't realistic or patient enough, possibly because red-bull addicted AD morons are starting to have economic pull. I think genre shows are going to need to go back to syndication to get to the audience that's being deprived these days.
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why not green lantern??? just shamelessly rip off the geoff johns run and its an ace in the hole...or start with an aging hal jordan, have him turn to parallax in the season 1 finale and have a pre-lantern subplot leading up to kyle becoming green lantern which would also happen in the season 1 finale...non comic readers would love the plot twist and the teenage girls (a demographic that smallville had, at least, in the early seasons) green lantern done right can compete with any superhero if done right. and if you gave up on lantern long ago, your opinion doesn't count cause geoff johns isn't human and seems to have a hand in anything that dc does right.
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If I could add something, I would introduce the concept of Batman, sort of like a shadowy and unseen element, badluck, or instant karma, one who is whispered about as an urban legend that people speak of...like a ghost or a serial killer...that they are unsure really exists, or not??? He would be nuanced, as the sort of force no one is quite sure as to whether it is good, evil, or indifferent...creature, a force of nature, or man...or just plain rumor, like the Mothman Prophecies...or like Todd McFarlene's new take on Spawn; the one he recently hoped to turn into a movie--where you never see Spawn, you just see him attacking from the shadows...and evidence of those attacks but without any real evidence that it was anything other than an imagined artifact of the mind's eye ala mass hallucinations.
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smallville's latest season had me go from completely not caring to one of the small handful of shows i really look foward to week to week. and if you haven't seen the new season your opinion about smallville doesn't count (as your opinion on lantern wouldn't count too if you ignore johns) They should get on with it and let him be superman cause i want to see what their take on superman would be after taking a very different spin on the characters/plots of superman. not doing a superman show would be like saying no to a (large and heavy) suitcase of gold. if i was welling i'd be sick of superboy too, calling it quits on superboy is understandable, but saying no to being superman every week is something else entirely.
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they made a jla pilot? were superman and batman in it? who else was?
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Yeah, they made it and it was awful. If you search the internets you can find it. The team was the mid-90s JLA so no Superman or Batman. It was all Martian Manhunter, Flash, Green Latern (the black one), Green Arrow, and Black Canary.
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You never even have to mention his days as Robin.
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idea. It gets around any continuity problems being so far in the future. I just hope that someday when another Star Trek series comes around it'll be set 100 years beyond Voyager.
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can't believe it didn't cross my mind
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My wife wants a Green Arrow show. Considering the budgets they're throwing at these shows, it could certainly work.
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cash in on Dark Knight mania w/ out batman. I wish they'd give Birds of Prey another shot.
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There was a live-action pilot made with David Ogden Stiers (MASH)as the Martian Manhunter, alongside the Atom, Flash/Barry Allen, Green Lantern/Guy Gardner, Fire,and Ice versus the Weather Man, played by Miguel Ferrer. Wasn't very good. You can probably youtube parts of it.
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What ever happened to that proposed Green Arrow movie - Supermax or whatever it was called?
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Dec 07, 2008 12:18:41 AM CST
My girl's fave character (after I forced her to watch Justice Le
by dingbatty
Hope they don't screw it up.
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Dec 07, 2008 12:27:26 AM CST
A Martian Manhunter "alien detective" show could work, but...
by spyguy
...I'd rather watch shows featuring The Flash, Starman (Jack Knight), Nightwing, The Doom Patrol, Rip Hunter, Hourman (Rick Tyler), and Sandman (Wesley Dodds in the '30s).
On the upside, a Martian Manhunter TV show would certainly persuade DC to bring J'onn back to life in the comics far quicker than anticipated.
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I thought that was gone years ago.
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won't happen
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Michael Dorn, that dude that looked like one of the Jacksons from SG-1, or Black Bauer. But seriously, if it's anything like MM is on Smallville, it's gonna be lame.
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they're reading waaayy too far into it.
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for managing to think of something lamer than the Graysons. WB should be renamed the 'Instead Of' channel. Like, 'instead of' a green bald alien can we make him a hip black tough guy ? and now that they want a full show it will be 'instead of' a tough hip black guy can we make him a cute 18 year old blonde guy? And instead of a martian can we make him a californian? And instead of a manhunter can we make him an angst ridden college student? Yup, "The Martian Manhunter" is going to be a hit. Hey, instead of 'TV Executives' can we make you 'homeless, suicidal washups'? that would be great, take a memo, Grace....
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Lets admit it comic book fans, we worry way to much about trying to make sure things resemble the current DC universe and what is consider current continuity instead of looking at the 70 years of DC comics for stories to mine. As a general rule whenever they make a show based on a comic, they should pretty much not pigeon hole themselves on the current comic depiction of that character and modern continuity and instead look at the complete history of that comic or character as inspiration for that show.
That is why I think a show like Gotham Central would work. First step, throw out the comic Gotham Central. As much as I think it is a great comic, fanboys are going to complain it doesn’t follow the comic closely enough and whine every time it goes against modern comic continuity. In fact, don’t even call it Gotham Central. Call it Gotham Blues or Gotham City Homicide or Gotham: Special Crimes Unit or anything you want, or just Gotham. But MAKE it your own!
Now make the show about something besides following a superhero around. Smallville works because like I said before it follows a period that is somewhat known by the fans, that Clark Kent grew up in Smallville where he learned how to use his powers, but it is something that hasn’t been covered much in film or television. It allows us to explore a new chapter in Clark Kent life and allows us to see Superman in a completely new and original way – as a teenager trying to find his way in the world.
So how do you do a show based in Gotham? First off, don’t have it be about Batman (at least not directly) but instead have it be about the city that needs him and why they need him. Have it about a young homicide detective named James Gordon trying to learn the ropes in Gotham City. Have it be about Gordon’s friends, a philanthropist doctor and his wife named Dr. Thomas and Martha Wayne, and their son Bruce. Have it be about the people Wayne has crossed, Lew Maxton, Joe Chill and Boss Thorne. Have it be about the strange, psychotic-criminals that seemed to flock to Gotham that the police are forced to try to handle. Have it be about the corruption that permeates the force, etc.
DON”T have it be about current comic continuity and storylines, unless they are great stories. There is 70 years of Batman plots, you don’t have to just do the ones that were done in the last 5 years. DON’T have it linked with the Batman movies, Nolan’s or Burton’s. Create your own mythology and versions of the characters.
The reason I think this show could work, it shows how despite the actions of good cops, like Gordon, Gotham really needs a unique protector and why he is so essential when he arrives. Plus, you can have a a myriad of stories involving the Batman mythos unfold before our eyes: a story involving a young Selina Kyle; a young criminal who earns the nickname the Penguin; the murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne; the investigation into Joe Chill and Lew Maxton; Harvey Dent’s fist case for the DA office; the story of a criminal who forges the identity of the Red Hood; the origin of Joker Venom; etc. And the series can finally lead up to a big climax where the now teenage Bruce Wayne has a gun on Joe Chill (or Maxton) and is about to kill them when he is talked out of it by Det. Gordon, planting the seeds of the Batman identity.
I’m not saying they should follow verbatim what I just said (but if they do I expect a check), but I was just giving you some examples of how many potential stories there are about a Gotham police station.
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Holy shits 'n giggles, what a bad idea. Maybe the Soup Nazi can gust star as the Red Skull. I know Skull is Marvel, shut your pig-face.
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Once again, if they try to not make a show based on a current comic and instead focus on an aspect of another legend, it could have worked. If Smallville deals with the birth of a hero and the origins of many of his mythos, Birds of Prey (hated that title) should have dealt with the legacy of another legend and the aftermath and consequences of his disappearance. But so much of that show was marred by stupidity and cheesiness. I mean, Selina Kyle is a meta-human and she works as a bartender in a trendy club; Dinah Lance is na annoying, teenage telepath. I mean, honestly, what kind of crap was this?
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pull the plug & be DONE!
The series is ending. And on a low note. Let it go. We don't need a spinoff of this character, or of Lana, or of Chloe or of Ma Kent. Pull the plug. -
WB wants to keep its budget level without having to blast money on CGI every week. solution? A character who doesnt have any CGI type powers or abilties. And since Bats is not going to get a live TV sereis, then Batgirl using Cassandra is the best option. Having travelling to different cities carrying out the work of Wayne/Batman, whilst being chased by a Justice League taskforce. Set the story in really grimey cities that look like something out of HBO'sThe Wire like Philadephia. And have Batgirl being chased like a female Jason Bourne. WB to a lesser extent have made have made Smallvilles characters too camp. Especially the JL members. A gimey Batgirl will readress that balance. for ab example of the environments Batgil thirves in watch Louis Theroux' Law and disorder in Philadelphia from the BBC.
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I have it..got it off some dude off ebay around 99 not the best quality..but everthing dogrobber said was correct lol. I'll have to dig it up and give it another views...all I can remember about it its not very good..but I do see some potential good ideas in thier..being annoyed oh how someone figured out Fires identity something about some earrings, it needs a little bigger budget and The Flash costume looking very cheap, stood out even more so since 7 yrs before the 1990's Live Action show had a much better costume.
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Seems like a natural fit to me...you have Brainiac as the villain now on the show, Clark knows who he is and what he's capable of so why not bring Brainaic 5 in with the Legion?
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Apparently the only black guy in Kansas lived in Smallville, but after a few seasons he dissappeared. Did the townfolk of Smallville put on white sheets and ran him out of town? Clark seemed to have amnesia about the black guy, because he never talked about him. You would think he would ask Chloe, "Where was that black kid? Did he go to another school or something?"
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Could have flashbacks like Highlander and follow Etrigan/Jason Blood through the centuries fighting evil.
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And they still have him playing Superboy. How depressing.
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I would love it if they gave this show a proper send off.
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Bring back a new series of ass-kicking Wonder Woman!
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I assume it started when he was like 16.. he needs to get a fucking job
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He started working for the Daily Planet on the second episode of this season.
This show got tired 4-5 years ago. I really wish they'd just try a Superman show with Welling. The contrived stories keeping him OUT OF the cape seem almost desperate at times, since they set it up early in the show (seasons 1-3) for him to become Superman. I guess people need to stop watching to get this story moving. -
14!!!! He went through four (or shit, maybe five) years of high school! I don't recall if he was shown graduating either, probably happened but it was such a joke by the third season, it didn't matter. Welling is also older than the guy who played Superman in Superman Returns. Of course, Welling seems younger than Reeve did, but that's not a completely good thing either after so many seasons as the supposedly younger version of the character. The reason it's gotten better is they've left the Smallville setting and its many crutches behind mostly--though it's still a shame that he lives alone in the farm house and that anyone would get married in his barn. Lex also was running around in circles, I don't blame the actor for leaving despite a truncated-by-the-strike final season. Smallville is best if you ignore huge chunks of its run because it's so not the definitive take on young Clark's life. How could it be with stupid Native American caves, two Supergirls, evil Jor-El and then evil Zor-El, other Kryptonians on Earth, Zod as a phantom, Jimmy Olsen equal age to Clark Kent, Lana Lang looking like an exotic model and not a small town country girl, Kryptonite freaks all over Smallville destroying the idea that its a quiet little berg in the heartland, and Clark Kent not flying at all but walking around without glasses for everyone to see? It didn't improve at all on these aspects of the character, it just did what it did and you have to ignore or forgive it in order to watch (or you can just rant like I do, I know I'm such a bitch).
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why not a live action Teen Titans? Just askin'.
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Seriously forget Martian Manhunter make a show based on Cyborg. Lee Thompson Young is more than capable of acting and carrying an entire series on CW.
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I love the idea of this, even though I'm not familiar with the comic (more of a current Marvel reader). But the idea of a real police force dealing with a world in which superheroes are a reality could be interesting. In which it's a given at the beginning of the show that superheroes exist in the world. There was a similar idea some years back on Marvel mutants with something called District X, which I quite liked. That could be a good series too. Unfortunately, it will never happen because they don't want to step on the Nolan movies. Martian Manhunter could be interesting because it could go any direction. Definitely better than the Graysons.
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Morris is good as Martian Manhunter but I couldn't see watching a series based on that character.
Now the Smallville Green Arrow and perhaps Black Canary, sure.
And as someone else said, Cyborg would be a better option if going for a younger audience.
There are plenty of characters in DC's stable that are ripe for tv. I, for one, would love to see Mike Grell's Warlord in some live action form.
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That is the character that makes the most sense for a CW show.
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No Costumes: Truthfully, most superhero shows don’t work. Besides the original Batman, Wonder Woman and Lois & Clark series, there has been few superhero shows about guys in tights that actually works. Despite the grounds that superheroes have made in the big screen, on TV it seems to be hard for an audience to accept a person with a cape or a mask and costume. They can accept a guy turning into a green monster or a teenager with powers, but I think once the costume is put on someone it makes the show lose some sort of “reality”. The tv shows in the past two decades that have been the most like comic books – X-Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Heroes, Sarah Connor Chronicles – have been able to get away with that because the characters weren’t costumed heroes but regular people who happen to run into superhero like adventures or possess comic book like powers. If you do a show have it either be about before that heroes career got started or about someone who operates in a superhero world but isn’t necessarily a superhero (Constatine would have been a good series in this regard).
Another genre besides the superhero genre: One of the factors for Smallville and some other super-hero shows success has been that the show itself usually fits into another genre. As I mentioned above, Smallville is basically a teen drama like Dawson Creek or the OC; the Incredible Hulk was the Fugitive; and even Lois & Clark figured out a new spin of the Superman mythos by making the show part romantic comedy/adventure, alá Moonlighting. Whatever show they do next should be able to fit into one of the better established TV genres, such a detective show, policier, hospital drama, courtroom drama, family drama, etc.
Big mythos to draw from: The truth of the matter is that very few properties in DC – or comics in general – have enough audience awareness and history to make people interested in following it. I mean, everyone is aware of Superman and has at least a passing knowledge of his mythos: Daily Planet, Lex Luthor, Lois Lane, Krypton, Jor-El, Ma & Pa Kent, Smallville, Jimmy Olsen, Perry White, and maybe even Lana Lang and Krypto the Super-Dog. Same with Batman. But how many people know anything about Green Arrow, or Aquaman, or Martian Manhunter. Hell, I am a comic book fan and I can’t name more than maybe two or three supporting characters for those guys combined. So that leaves you with doing a show connected to the Superman mythos, the Batman mythos, or some sort of show that explores the DC universe’s mythos in a whole.
When all of these things are taken in consideration that is why I think a Gotham Central-like show would be the best. But there are plenty of other shows they could make by following these three guidelines. They could try to do that Super-Max idea about a super villain prison (prison uniforms instead of costumes; basically Oz and Prison Break for super villains; and the ability to tap into the entire DC universe), a Legion of Superheroes show (futuristic uniforms instead of costumes; space opera like Battlestar Galatica and Star Trek; and be able to tap into the Superman myths and the rest of the DC universe), and even try to do a Birds of Prey-like show again (Huntress can wear a standard outfit but it doesn’t have to be a costume; any good Batman story is also a classic detective story; and she would be tied into the Batman mythos – she is Bruce Wayne and Catwoman’s daughter!).
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No Costumes: Truthfully, most superhero shows don’t work. Besides the original Batman, Wonder Woman and Lois & Clark series, there has been few superhero shows about guys in tights that actually works. Despite the grounds that superheroes have made in the big screen, on TV it seems to be hard for an audience to accept a person with a cape or a mask and costume. They can accept a guy turning into a green monster or a teenager with powers, but I think once the costume is put on someone it makes the show lose some sort of “reality”. The tv shows in the past two decades that have been the most like comic books – X-Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Heroes, Sarah Connor Chronicles – have been able to get away with that because the characters weren’t costumed heroes but regular people who happen to run into superhero like adventures or possess comic book like powers. If you do a show have it either be about before that heroes career got started or about someone who operates in a superhero world but isn’t necessarily a superhero (Constatine would have been a good series in this regard).
Another genre besides the superhero genre: One of the factors for Smallville and some other super-hero shows success has been that the show itself usually fits into another genre. As I mentioned above, Smallville is basically a teen drama like Dawson Creek or the OC; the Incredible Hulk was the Fugitive; and even Lois & Clark figured out a new spin of the Superman mythos by making the show part romantic comedy/adventure, alá Moonlighting. Whatever show they do next should be able to fit into one of the better established TV genres, such a detective show, policier, hospital drama, courtroom drama, family drama, etc.
Big mythos to draw from: The truth of the matter is that very few properties in DC – or comics in general – have enough audience awareness and history to make people interested in following it. I mean, everyone is aware of Superman and has at least a passing knowledge of his mythos: Daily Planet, Lex Luthor, Lois Lane, Krypton, Jor-El, Ma & Pa Kent, Smallville, Jimmy Olsen, Perry White, and maybe even Lana Lang and Krypto the Super-Dog. Same with Batman. But how many people know anything about Green Arrow, or Aquaman, or Martian Manhunter. Hell, I am a comic book fan and I can’t name more than maybe two or three supporting characters for those guys combined. So that leaves you with doing a show connected to the Superman mythos, the Batman mythos, or some sort of show that explores the DC universe’s mythos in a whole.
When all of these things are taken in consideration that is why I think a Gotham Central-like show would be the best. But there are plenty of other shows they could make by following these three guidelines. They could try to do that Super-Max idea about a super villain prison (prison uniforms instead of costumes; basically Oz and Prison Break for super villains; and the ability to tap into the entire DC universe), a Legion of Superheroes show (futuristic uniforms instead of costumes; space opera like Battlestar Galatica and Star Trek; and be able to tap into the Superman myths and the rest of the DC universe), and even try to do a Birds of Prey-like show again (Huntress can wear a standard outfit but it doesn’t have to be a costume; any good Batman story is also a classic detective story; and she would be tied into the Batman mythos – she is Bruce Wayne and Catwoman’s daughter!).
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If you want a genre program do something else. Hire Whedon or Straczynski or Abrams... I don't know, just someone else with an original idea!
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How much money has TDK made this year?!A LOT! Now was The Dark Knight a camp light fluffy story like Smallville? No. So therefore the audience is ready for a dark and grimey take on the DC characters. This is why Cassandra's Batgirl is ripe for a good development deal. The pitch could be like this:
Jessica Alba's Dark Angel meets HBO's THe Wire meets Jason Bourne meets The Fugitve.
On. To. A. Winner. -
Just thought I'd fix that.
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But don't friggin give them redemption and emo shite. A plain old The Sopranos type of angle where you liked them but knew they'd slice your face up at any given moment.
DC and WB execs you suck so much when here at TB we come up with better ideas than you. For shame. -
I see a Legion of Doom ensemble, with the the theme song naturally by Eartha Kitt singing "I wanna be evol"
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Dec 07, 2008 5:52:45 PM CST
Surley after it took enough effort to get Smallville on screen..
by clonerangeruk
...& where the Aquaman pilot failed, surley Martian Manhunter hasn't got a hope. Mabye the teen JLA would work better as a series than on the big screen for now, after all most of the cast is already in place...?
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J'Onn was cool. He joined every single JLA incarnation until the present. Killing him off pissed me off. He's a cornerstone. I'd love a show about him. Men in Black hunt alien, who hunts criminals as an Earth detective. Throw in Wade Eiling, Anthony Ivo & Amazo, maybe even Despero for a grand finale? My only request? Make. Him. Green. If all we see is Jackie Chiles with glowing red eyes, I will not be cool.
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Anybody watch the Mission: Impossible remake show? I think it aired in the late 90s. Phill Morris played Grant Colier, son of Barney Colier, who was his real-life dad in the original. He can act if he's given his own platform
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Luthor comes back for it, uses Toyman to create a Grundy and a Bizzaro, then meets Brainiac. Sinestro trains the rookie Jordan, Crane and Nigma challenge the new bat, Grodd comes to Central and uses Cold as a guide, Manta surfaces mysteriously, and Cheetah befriends Giganta in a 'Thelma & Louise' type scenario. Yep. I can see it, set to Bowie's "Heart's Filthy Lesson".
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In the comics, Leagues changed, but J'Onn stayed the same. What if they used him as a platform to view other heroes of the DC universe? Like how Spectre was the nararrator of Kingdom Come, tying all things in? J'Onn could go watch the Flash one episode, and invisibly help him solve the case. Next week, he helps Atom stop Chronos or some shit. But the heroes he's helping never see him. It could be the years before he introduced himself to the world, with humor similar to 3rd Rock from the Sun, since Earth is all-new to him.
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JUST MAKE IT A JUSTICE LEAGUE SHOW!
I mean this way no need to make a stupid movie that will piss people off, and we could have the already established actors on Smallville in the spinoff, and have Clark not being around answered simply by the fact that he left to finish his training, and the next time he will be seen will be when he's fully ready to be SUPERMAN.
The JLA will take over while he's off training, and they don't have to introduce BATMAN at all.
I would say then after 5 seasons of that show make a big screen JLA movie where Tom Welling plays SUPERMAN.
Believe me by then he will do it for less then it cost to get Routh!
Welling hasn't exactly had directors tear down his door handing him roles.
And that's coming from me a smallville fan, and I feel TOM WELLING should be on the big screen as SUPERMAN. But let's be honest Tom you are typecast as SUPERMAN! Deal with it! This is your role, and the role you was born to play! Take it to the big screen either right after the show ends or once you enjoy taking 5 years off from not working. -
I think of shows built around 50 year old black character actors, so I'm really looking forward to watching this on my television. I'm thinking March/April or so.
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http://tinyurl.com/yomw9r
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At this point I wouldn't mind just seeing a Smallville movie with Tom Welling donning the tights. This season really has been superior to the others with story and acting. The last episode with Lois and Clark had perfect on screen chemistry between the two and showed they really should do more with that angle. Of all the choices thown out there including BJ Routh, Welling makes a much more convincing Supes. Either do a Smallville big screen movie or reboot with Welling. He has built the character up too much not to have him as a proper Supes at least once.
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instead of a movie, I think X-Men First Class should be a series, start from scratch with a new cast and actually develop the team over time. Maybe only flashbacks to pre-team stuff, but don't do Smallville stuff. Make it actually about the training of a team. That way we can actually see Cyclops develop as a leader. And do it right and place it securely in the Marvel universe. None of this mutant x shit.
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they can deal with various villains of j'onn j'onzz, invent new villains, make the series take place in another city-- or multiple cities.. focus on his detective life, and de-emphasize any green-transformations..
only closet racists would have such animosity to a martian manhunter series.. -
You know, that's a really great idea. It always bugged me how Batman would catch the crooks and just leave them tied to a pole with a note that says "To Gordon: Keep Under Wraps" or something like that. I mean, do they just take Batman's word thaqt they're guilty or what? Any good lawyer would motion for a dismissal if that actually happened. A CSI Gotham show could be about the detectives trying to work backwards to figure out how to get evidence to convict the criminals Batman leaves for them. Do it all serious CSI style and it could be really cool.
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I like the guy playing Martian Manhunter. They were smart to bring him back this season. I don't understand why they won't do a Green Arrow or Justice League spin-off, though. Those sound like much better ideas. This new season of "Smallville" is a vast improvement on last season, BTW. The show is much better w/o the Lana drama and once Lex went bad, his storylines began to get really old really fast. I like the guy playing Doomsday and the girl playing Tess. She's no Lex, but I can why they brought her on to sort of take his place. The Clark & Lois stuff has been great. I like the way their relationship is developing and Erica Durance is knocking the emotional scenes out of the park. I'm enjoying Chloe's storyline. I have no idea where they're going w/ it, but it looks like James Marsters will be back. I also like how Clark is getting closer and closer to his destiny. He's now working at the Daily Planet and saving people all over instead of just saving people in his home town and occasionally in Metropolis. This may be the last season, even though the ratings are still high for The CW. I could understand them wanting to create a spin-off. After all, they're doing a freaking "Gossip Girl" spin-off & a "Melrose Place" remake. Why bother coming up w/ any original ideas at all?
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