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The Wertzone
SF&F In Print & On Screen
Saturday, 16 January 2077
Support The Wertzone on Patreon
After much debate (and some requests) I have signed up with crowdfunding service Patreon to better support future blogging efforts. You can find my Patreon page here and more information after the jump.
Wednesday, 26 February 2025
RIP Michelle Trachtenberg
Tuesday, 25 February 2025
SKYBLIVION developers re-commit to 2025 release
Warner Brothers shuts down iconic studio Monolith Productions
Akiva Goldsman developing three Irwin Allen reboots for television
Akiva Goldsman (Fringe, Star Trek) is developing a new TV project based on three classic Irwin Allen TV shows. New iterations of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Time Tunnel and Land of the Giants are being worked on.
Goldsman and producers Jon Jashni and Derek Thielges are developing the three shows for Legendary Television, with a view to creating an Allen-based "expanded universe," with the three shows either co-existing in the same universe or being merged into one project (somehow).
Irwin Allen (1916-91) was a prolific writer and producer in both film and television. He is best-known to the general audience for producing the hit disaster movies The Poseidon Adventure (1972) and The Towering Inferno (1974), and creating and running the hit TV show Lost in Space (1965-68). Lost in Space is not part of the current deal as it was remade by Netflix in 2018-21, who retain certain rights.
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964-68, 110 episodes) was a development of a stand-alone movie, released in 1961; the film's sets and VFX models were retained for use in the film. The TV show is set on board the advanced submarine Seaview as it explores the oceans, undertaking scientific research, rescue operations and, occasionally, military missions. As was often the case with Allen's projects, the show started off grounded and (relatively) realistic, but became more unhinged as it proceeded, bringing in aliens and time travel. seaQuest DSV (1993-96) was something of a spiritual successor to this show.
The Time Tunnel (1966-67, 30 episodes) saw two scientists build an experimental "time tunnel" and then become lost in time after its inadvertent activation. The two scientists took part in many of the major events of history, guided by a team back at base who served as their "man in the van" group. The show only lasted one season. Intriguingly, Allen planned something of an evolution in the premise, with the scientists eventually being rescued, followed by the show deliberately sending them on missions into the past and future for different purposes. The later Quantum Leap seems to have taken some moderate inspiration from this earlier show.
Land of the Giants (1968-70, 51 episodes) was arguably Allen's most outlandish premise, with a passenger aircraft being dragged through a "dimension lock" and crashing. The crew find themselves at the mercy of "Giants," humanoids who are twelve times larger than themselves. Rather than having been shrunk through some mechanism, they quickly confirm they are on another planet and the Giants are aliens. The show saw the humans trying to return home without allowing the Giants to follow them and invade Earth, sometimes helped by sympathetic Giants. The show had no resolution, as it was cancelled at the end of the second season with little warning. Notably, the show did introduce a time travel element towards its end, creating the intriguing notion of the entire show being a time loop.
It'll be interesting to see what ideas they have in mind for these projects. The Irwin Allen shows were very entertaining, in a cheesy and somewhat repetitive way (understandable given the lack of time and budget), but had a lot of potential.
Amazon resurrects CULTURE TV project, based on the Iain M. Banks novels
Monday, 17 February 2025
RIP Viktor Antonov
Thursday, 13 February 2025
Netflix and Wizards of the Coast put FORGOTTEN REALMS live-action show into development
Monday, 10 February 2025
RIP Chris Moore
Esteemed British science fiction artist Chris Moore has sadly passed away at the age of 77. Moore is best-known for his memorable covers for Gollancz books, including for their SF Masterworks line, and his frequent art for the likes of Alastair Reynolds and William Gibson.
Moore was born in Rotherham, South Yorkshire in 1947. He was educated at Mexborough Grammar School and Doncaster Art School. In 1972 he joined forces with Michael Morris to form Moore Morris Ltd., and worked on graphic design and cover art for book, magazine and record covers, operating out of Covent Garden in London. The partnership dissolved in 1980, when Moore moved out of the capital. During his time there he'd created cover art for artists including Rod Stewart, Journey, Fleetwood Mac, Status Quo, Pentangle and Rick Wakeman.
In 1974, art director Peter Bennet suggested that Moore start creating covers for science fiction novels, a genre Moore had little interest in or knowledge of (outside of seeing 2001: A Space Odyssey). But Moore agreed and was soon producing art for new books and reprints alike of Isaac Asimov, Larry Niven, Anne McCaffrey, Clifford D. Simak and Arthur C. Clarke. Heading into the 1980s, he also become a preferred cover artist for mainstream authors including Jeffrey Archer, Jackie Collins and Wilbur Smith.
In 1989 Moore was sought out to produce concept art for Stanley Kubrick's A.I., but Kubrick took against Moore's agent and tried to go around him to employ Moore directly, which Moore felt was unethical so passed on the opportunity.