It’s pilot season over at The CW, and their slate of new shows has a decidedly up-our-alley theme to it. From the return of a classic to the best-named show ever, the network’s got some interesting ideas in the mix.
Tales from the Darkside
Yes, the horror-based Twilight Zone clone is back and hopefully will be bringing with it, it’s amazing opening narration. This time, the series comes from the mind of Joe Hill (Horns, Locke & Key) with Scorpion‘s Heather Kadin and the omnipresent team of Orci & Kurtzman, but make no mistake it’s Hill’s baby. More horror and more anthologies can only be good for TV (or not so good, they tend to be a mixed bag but let’s hope for the best).
Cordon
CW golden child Julie Plec (The Vampire Diaries, The Originals) gets another shot after the network gave up on Tomorrow People, despite its six loyal viewers who all hate me. Cordon, based on a Belgian series, follows the survivors trapped in a quarantine zone after a deadly epidemic breaks out in Atlanta. It sounds like it could be interesting, but with my… let’s say “hang-ups” about germs, I think I’ll be passing on this one.
Dead People
From former-Dawson’s Creek writer Tom Kapinos, comes this series about a “down-on-his-luck, semi-alcoholic but charming” cabbie who, after a near-death experience gains the ability to see ghosts – including his “dead ex-wife he has never gotten over.” I really hope they mean ex-wife that died, and not that he’s a widower for multiple reasons. 1 – the tacky wording, B – it’s so much more interesting/fun/less maudlin if she’s like “dammit, I thought I was finally rid of you” only to end up as his ghost sidekick.
Cheerleader Death Squad
With a title like that, does it even matter what this show’s about? Good thing the concept is great too. “A disgraced CIA agent ends up working at an elite Washington, D.C. prep school” where he trains the girls to become spies. Oh, hell yes. The only thing giving me pause is its pedigree. It comes from Marc Cherry (Desperate Housewives), along with Neal Baer (Under the Dome) and Dan Truly (Blue Bloods).
Now, these probably won’t all get picked up but if they do almost all of The CW’s programming will be genre shows. When did The House that Tweens Built become better at being SyFy than SyFy?
