[Werthead]

Indeed.

I think we can assume this is not going to be very good. The Smallville team are doing a TV series based on The Elfstones of Shannara, with John Favreau (the director of the first two Iron Man films) helming the pilot. And it'll air on MTV.

This post has been edited by Werthead: 06 December 2013 - 07:30 PM

[Aptorian]

Not having read any of the Shannara books I can't comment on the quality of that content but in terms of production value, the seasons of Smallville I watched (1-6) were of a great production quality. If the books supply the story and the production crew have the budget this could be a good show.

[QuickTidal]

Werthead, on 06 December 2013 - 07:30 PM, said:

Indeed.

I think we can assume this is not going to be very good. The Smallville team are doing a TV series based on The Elfstones of Shannara, with John Favreau (the director of the first two Iron Man films) helming the pilot. And it'll air on MTV.

Sorry, what crack are you on?

SMALLVILLE had great production value for network TV...and not only did it also spawn the idea that became MERLIN in the UK (a show so popular that when it ended they had to replace it as best they could...ATLANTIS) but the final few seasons of the show really embraced its comic book roots. S1-4-ish were great for Teen drama, and S5-10 were like Comic Book cheese fun.

Seems like a perfect fit for Brook's Shannara series actually.

And Jon Favreau is a brilliant director in this milieu.

And comparison to GAME OF THRONES? The source material calls for SMALLVILLE more than it does GoT.

Weak, Wert. Super weak.

[worry]

I think Wert was trolling. Forest Trolling to be specific!!

[Macros]

I've (as far as I'm aware) never read any of the Shanarra books. I just hope this doesn't come out as low budget cheese because that would undo whatever good work agot and lotr has done towards getting rid of that god awful.mental picture I get when I see fantasy adaptation written somewhere.

if its a hit it means we could see stuff I actually want to see/think deserves adaptation, so that would he good, hell if its entertaining I might try the books

[McLovin]

Well, why the hell not? They got enough source material for like 20 seasons.

[D'rek]

Is it weird that MTV is airing this? They're not exactly the first station that would come to mind when I think Shannara on TV.

[McLovin]

Is it weird that MTV is the last station that comes to mind thinking about music on TV?

[worry]

While I don't watch any of it personally, I think at least Awkward and Teen Wolf have gotten pretty decent critical responses. MTV's original scripted programming goal (as opposed to all that "unscripted" programming they do) seems to be to compete with the CW and ABC Family, demographic-wise. Still not sure how Shannara fits into that, since even though it's age-appropriate, it's not exactly soapy at all. I guess teen nerds have spending cash too, and haven't been captured by the other networks yet?

[worry]

Bunheads, Arrow, Nikita, and Supernatural aside, of course.

[Werthead]

QuickTidal, on 06 December 2013 - 07:52 PM, said:

SMALLVILLE had great production value for network TV...and not only did it also spawn the idea that became MERLIN in the UK (a show so popular that when it ended they had to replace it as best they could...ATLANTIS) but the final few seasons of the show really embraced its comic book roots. S1-4-ish were great for Teen drama, and S5-10 were like Comic Book cheese fun.

It was more from the POV that the SHANNARA books (particularly the early ones) are shit, actually. SMALLVILLE was cheesy fun, sure, as was MERLIN, but both had great source material (the SUPERMAN and King Arthur mythos respectively). This won't have that.

As for comparisons with GoT, I agree that they are unwarranted but almost every single news report brings it up as they are in the same genre.

[QuickTidal]

Werthead, on 08 December 2013 - 04:15 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 06 December 2013 - 07:52 PM, said:

SMALLVILLE had great production value for network TV...and not only did it also spawn the idea that became MERLIN in the UK (a show so popular that when it ended they had to replace it as best they could...ATLANTIS) but the final few seasons of the show really embraced its comic book roots. S1-4-ish were great for Teen drama, and S5-10 were like Comic Book cheese fun.

It was more from the POV that the SHANNARA books (particularly the early ones) are shit, actually. SMALLVILLE was cheesy fun, sure, as was MERLIN, but both had great source material (the SUPERMAN and King Arthur mythos respectively). This won't have that.

As for comparisons with GoT, I agree that they are unwarranted but almost every single news report brings it up as they are in the same genre.

Thy crack. She is weak.

[Abyss]

I dunno, on the one hand i have a great fondness for the Shannara books, but on the other i fear this will be far more Legend of the Seeker than Game of Thrones. Tho Brooks leans somewhat YA, the material itself is very the kind of epic quest cast of thousands massive budget thing that becomes several hours of screaming in the forest on a network tv dollarcount. SWORD is basically one big travelogue and ELFSTONES is massive in terms of battles, creepy crawlies and set pieces.

worry, on 06 December 2013 - 09:13 PM, said:

I think Wert was trolling. Forest Trolling to be specific!!

You mean ROCK trolling, of course.

McLovin, on 06 December 2013 - 09:46 PM, said:

Well, why the hell not? They got enough source material for like 20 seasons.

Because i seriously doubt much of it makes it into the series besides the names.

D, on 06 December 2013 - 09:49 PM, said:

Is it weird that MTV is airing this? They're not exactly the first station that would come to mind when I think Shannara on TV.

McLovin, on 06 December 2013 - 09:51 PM, said:

Is it weird that MTV is the last station that comes to mind thinking about music on TV?

MTV isn't music television any more. It hasn't been for years. It's a tv station like any other with a rather sad tilt towards bad reality tv and occasional halfhearted attempts at drama in between variations of JERSEY SHORE.

Wert, on 06 December 2013 - 07:52 PM, said:

...It was more from the POV that the SHANNARA books (particularly the early ones) are shit, actually. SMALLVILLE was cheesy fun, sure, as was MERLIN, but both had great source material (the SUPERMAN and King Arthur mythos respectively). This won't have that.

As for comparisons with GoT, I agree that they are unwarranted but almost every single news report brings it up as they are in the same genre.

SWORD is derivative of LoTR and astoundingly unoriginal even for when it was written, it's cute intro fantasy but that's about it... otoh i'd argue ELFSTONES is a great classic fantasy story, surprisingly dark, with some brilliant battles, WISHSONG's characters shine (FFS... Garet Jax), and the HERITAGE series has a lot of surprisingly great parts and original ideas. The FIRST KING and the JERLE SHANNARA trilo were Brooks phoning it in... he took the archetypes and plots from the earlier books and just moved them around a little to mediocre effect..., and i haven't read much since then, only having recently picked up an audiobook of JAKKA RUUS, but overall i think the series is worth reading at least to the end of HERITAGE.

But can it make a good tv show...? I seriously doubt it. SIF worked because it has mostly human drama, little magic, and the character stories are what truly made the series great. Arya learning the sword and her instructor fighting to defend her is compelling human drama. SHANNARA works because a weapons master and a mercenary can grab a broken tree and attack a kraken that's in the midst of trashing a castle... that's not compelling human drama, that's pure fantasy lit gold, and tv isn't going to give us that.

[QuickTidal]

I would like to point out you quoted Wert's answer to me, but it looks like you're quoting me, which you aren't.


MODGOD NOTICED OF FIXED, TNX.

This post has been edited by Abyss: 09 December 2013 - 07:09 PM

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 09 December 2013 - 04:46 PM, said:

SWORD is derivative of LoTR and astoundingly unoriginal even for when it was written, it's cute intro fantasy but that's about it... otoh i'd argue ELFSTONES is a great classic fantasy story, surprisingly dark, with some brilliant battles, WISHSONG's characters shine (FFS... Garet Jax), and the HERITAGE series has a lot of surprisingly great parts and original ideas. The FIRST KING and the JERLE SHANNARA trilo were Brooks phoning it in... he took the archetypes and plots from the earlier books and just moved them around a little to mediocre effect..., and i haven't read much since then, only having recently picked up an audiobook of JAKKA RUUS, but overall i think the series is worth reading at least to the end of HERITAGE.

But can it make a good tv show...? I seriously doubt it. SIF worked because it has mostly human drama, little magic, and the character stories are what truly made the series great. Arya learning the sword and her instructor fighting to defend her is compelling human drama. SHANNARA works because a weapons master and a mercenary can grab a broken tree and attack a kraken that's in the midst of trashing a castle... that's not compelling human drama, that's pure fantasy lit gold, and tv isn't going to give us that.

I think they should have adapted the KNIGHT OF THE WORD series first...it would have been genius to do a season for each of those three books, and then transition to Shannara gradually. That way you play off current trends about Apocalypse fiction, and move into fantasy territory.

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 09 December 2013 - 06:49 PM, said:

I think they should have adapted the KNIGHT OF THE WORD series first...it would have been genius to do a season for each of those three books, and then transition to Shannara gradually. That way you play off current trends about Apocalypse fiction, and move into fantasy territory.

I didn't love KNIGHT OF THE WORD. Trite, unambitious, each book was essentially 'everyone angsts alot and not much happens til the big finish', which wouldn't work in tv which needs a point to each episode. I liked the the time-visions, and the demons, and i suppose those concepts in and of themselves could fuel a decent show, but the disconnect between that and Shannara is likely too much for tv viewers, with too much ground to cover before you get to the more recent books where Brooks' drew the series' together,

[Blend]

I feel another Legend of the Seeker coming on....

[worry]

You better get that checked out.

[Abyss]

It should pass with fluids and bed rest.



And diarrhea and bleeding from the eyes.

[worry]

Soooo...MTV ordered 10 episodes instead of just going to pilot, and the season will be based on Elfstones.