A series I perceived (until about a minute ago) as horribly unpromising, Syfy’s “Alphas,” has just hired as showrunner the great Ira Steven Behr, who masterminded both “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” and “The 4400,” according to Deadline Hollywood.
The pilot was penned by and Michael Karnow (“House of Buggin’”) and Zak Penn, best known perhaps for scripting such awful Marvel Comics movies as “Elektra,” “Fantastic Four,” “Incredible Hulk” and “X-Men: The Last Stand.” (He also turned in a draft for “The Avengers” before Marvel wised up and hired Joss Whedon to write and direct.)
Before “DS9,” Behr was a major force behind the later (better) episodes of “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”
Syfy earlier this month ordered 11 hourlong episodes of the series in addition to its already-shot 90-minute pilot.
The series will follow a team of civilians who possess overdeveloped neurological abilities. A version drafted for ABC featured a hot girl who could bend people to her will, a “Rain Man”-type autistic savant, an ex-FBI agent who could use adrenaline to give himself super-strength, and a woman who could destroy stuff with her voice.
Laura Mennell (Jenny Slater in “Watchmen”) plays Hot Girl. Malik Yoba (“Defying Gravity”) plays Adrenaline Man. David Strathairn (“Good Night, And Good Luck”) plays their leader, Dr. Lee Rosen. Callum Keith Rennie (Leoben Conoy on “Battlestar Galatica”) is also in the pilot.
Find all of Deadline’s exclusive on the matter here.
