US TV SF Pilots Round-Up

The Hollywood Reporter sticks it neck out to predict which new shows will get picked up for series next season

To be honest, the 2010/11 TV season in the US doesn’t look set to be a classic year for small screen SF and fantasy. There are few enough genre pilots in contention, and of those, not all will necessarily get made. But sifting through The Hollywood Reporter ’s predictions of which shows may actually reach our screens, here’s the news on the SF and fantasy front. And you never know, a couple of them might turn out to be the NEXT BIG THING (and we’re not just talking the dinosaurs in the Spielberg show).

Terra Nova – produced by Steven Spielberg, this show is, according to the article, “as much of a lock as a drama can be” (we think that means it’s a dead cert). Allegedly, Fox has already ordered 13 scripts. It features a family from 100 years in the future who travel back in time 150 million years to prehistoric Earth ruled by dinosaurs (hmm, is it just a modern version of Land Of The Lost ?). Star Trek ’s Brannon Braga is among the executive producers.

No Ordinary Family – a superhero comedy drama for ABC about a superpowered family, which is considered "solid” for pick-up. Showrunner is Greg ( Everwood , Dirty, Sexy Money ) Berlanti, and it stars Michael ( The Shield ) Chiklis as Jim (the dad) and Julie ( Angel ) Benz as his wife, a scientist who is described as “a gifted scientist who develops a power for superspeed”.

Betwixt – this one’s a teen supernatural drama from the home of teen supernatural dramas, The CW. Adapted from a novel by Tara Bray Smith, it’s the story of three “changelings” who save humans from evil (maybe they'll become ITV executives and axe Britain’s Got Talent ).

Dave is a TV and film journalist who specializes in the science fiction and fantasy genres. He's written books about film posters and post-apocalypses, alongside writing for SFX Magazine for many years.