Three New Genre Series in the Works at The CW

Steve Barton   |  

Nov 13, 2012

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We caught wind of three new series in the works at The CW which, while not strictly horror-based, should still be of interest to genre fans. Read on for the details!

First up is an original project called “Sick” from Trey Callaway (co-executive producer of “CSI: NY”) and Sean Hood (Halloween: Resurrection, Fear Itself, and “Masters of Horror”), who wrote the script and sold it directly to The CW. “Sick” is set in a world where youths are quarantined after a mysterious virus makes adults allergic to teenagers. Described as a cross between Contagion and The Hunger Games, it centers on a band of teens who escape from their containment units and go on the run from authorities.

Next is “Jane Whitefield,” based on the Vanishing Act book series by Thomas Perry. Produced by Carol Mendelsohn (“CSI”) and written by Natalie Chaidez (“Heroes,” “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles”), “Jane Whitefield” centers on a quirky young woman in search of her biological parents and her own identity who runs a private investigation/”eraser” company in Portland. CBS TV Studios and studio-based Mendelsohn Prods. produce, with Mendelsohn, Chaidez, Perry, Bob Wunsch, and Carol Mendelsohn Prods.’ Julie Weitz exec producing.

Here’s the Vanishing Act book synopsis; looks like they’re changing it up a bit for TV:

Jane Whitefield is a Native American guide who leads people out of the wilderness–not the tree-filled variety but the kind created by enemies who want you dead. She is in the one-woman business of helping the desperate disappear. Thanks to her membership in the Wolf Clan of the Seneca tribe, she can fool any pursuer, cover any trail, and then provide her clients with new identities, complete with authentic paperwork. Jane knows all the tricks, ancient and modern; in fact, she has invented several of them herself. So she is only mildly surprised to find an intruder waiting for her when she returns home one day. An ex-cop suspected of embezzling, John Felker wants Jane to do for him what she did for his buddy Harry Kemple: make him vanish. But as Jane opens a door out of the world for Felker, she walks into a trap that will take all her heritage and cunning to escape…

Lastly is an adaptation of UK series “Tomorrow People.” Greg Berlanti (“Arrow”) and Julie Plec (“The Vampire Diaries”) will executive produce the project, written by Phil Klemmer (“Chuck”). In the vein of X-Men and “Heroes,” “Tomorrow People” is the story of several young people from around the world who represent the next stage in human evolution, possessing special powers, including the ability to teleport and communicate with each other telepathically. Together they work to defeat the forces of evil.

Created by Roger Price, “The Tomorrow People,” ITV’s answer to BBC’s “Dr. Who,” ran on the commercial broadcaster for eight seasons from 1973-1979. It developed a strong cult following and was a favorite of Berlanti and Plec, who are good friends from college. They had been chasing the rights to “Tomorrow People” for more than a decade, finally tracking them down to FremantleMedia, which rarely licenses its formats to other studios. But, given the level of auspices and Berlanti and Plec’s passion for the project, the company made an exception and will co-produce the adaptation with Warner Bros. TV and studio-based Berlanti Prods. Berlanti, Plec, Klemmer, and Berlanti Prods’ Melissa Berman executive produce, with SVP Scripted Programming Tony Optican overseeing for Fremantle. This is not the first attempt to reboot “The Tomorrow People.” ITV tried it in the early 1990s, with the new series running for three seasons.

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