"Strangers" (TV Series)

compound

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I have a concept for a TV series based on an also-ran superhero series published by defunct mid-90s line Ultraverse (released by Malibu).

The original series was called The Strangers, and created by Steve Englehart. (My version drops the "The" from the title.)

Here is a basic desciription of the original series, from Wikipedia, and a fan's sarcastic (but still fanboy-ishly affectionate) description of the first issue. (Unfortunately, the pictures are missing.)

My version retains the basic concept, and most of the primary characters, but it messes around with the execution. No more costumes, and probably no code-names either. And they don't even decide to form a team, until the middle of the first season.


THE PREMISE

Some time in late 2005. A San Francisco cable car on the Powell-Hyde line, carrying 59 passengers, is hit by what appears to be a bolt of lightning, derailing it, and nearly killing the driver of a nearby car. (Initially, the authorities consider the possibility of a terrorist attack, of course.)

The passengers are rushed to various hospitals, and most of them recover to varying extents, over the next week. (Other than a few notable exceptions.)

Eventually, some of the survivors of the crash are visited by a man who identifyies himself variously as a representative of the San Francisco Municipal Railway authorities, an "insurance agent", and a Federal officer. He seems to be monitoring the survivors for any hint of paranormal abilities.

Meanwhile, chance, probability -- or fate? -- seems to bring the remaining survivors together, as the begin to encounter each other, with alarming frequency. Could there be a higher force bringing them together?

As these Strangers begin to form a ragtag support group, to help understand the changes they are going through, they realize that they have become the bearers of wonderous -- and potentially tragic -- gifts.

They find themselves caught up in an alarming power struggle between a quasi-Government agency known as Aladdin, and an age-old secret society called The Lodge, led by the mysterious Rex Mundi. But who is on whose side?

All will be revealed when the Strangers encounter Yrial, an dangeorus individual who may be either a visitor from a lost lunar colony, or a complete lunatic.


TARGET AUDIENCE
Obviously, fans of Lost and Heroes, as well as "intelligent deconstructionist superhero" fare, like JMS' Rising Stars, or Supreme Power.


I'll explain the characters in greater detail, in a few hours' time.
 
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I have a concept for a TV series based on an also-ran superhero series published by defunct mid-90s line Ultraverse (released by Malibu).

The original series was called The Strangers, and created by Steve Englehart. (My version drops the "The" from the title.)

Here is a basic desciription of the original series, from Wikipedia, and a fan's sarcastic (but still fanboy-ishly affectionate) description of the first issue. (Unfortunately, the pictures are missing.)

My version retains the basic concept, and most of the primary characters, but it messes around with the execution. No more costumes, and probably no code-names either. And they don't even decide to form a team, until the middle of the first season.


THE PREMISE

Some time in late 2005. A San Francisco cable car on the Powell-Hyde line, carrying 59 passengers, is hit by what appears to be a bolt of lightning, derailing it, and nearly killing the driver of a nearby car. (Initially, the authorities consider the possibility of a terrorist attack, of course.)

The passengers are rushed to various hospitals, and most of them recover to varying extents, over the next week. (Other than a few notable exceptions.)

Eventually, some of the survivors of the crash are visited by a man who identifyies himself variously as a representative of the San Francisco Municipal Railway authorities, an "insurance agent", and a Federal officer. He seems to be monitoring the survivors for any hint of paranormal abilities.

Meanwhile, chance, probability -- or fate? -- seems to bring the remaining survivors together, as the begin to encounter each other, with alarming frequency. Could there be a higher force bringing them together?

As these Strangers begin to form a ragtag support group, to help understand the changes they are going through, they realize that they have become the bearers of wonderous -- and potentially tragic -- gifts.

They find themselves caught up in an alarming power struggle between a quasi-Government agency known as Aladdin, and an age-old secret society called The Lodge, led by the mysterious Rex Mundi. But who is on whose side?

All will be revealed when the Strangers encounter Yrial, an dangeorus individual who may be either a visitor from a lost lunar colony, or a complete lunatic.


TARGET AUDIENCE
Obviously, fans of Lost and Heroes, as well as "intelligent deconstructionist superhero" fare, like JMS' Rising Stars, or Supreme Power.


I'll explain the characters in greater detail, in a few hours' time.

We keep the robo-hooker, right?
 
We keep the robo-hooker, right?
Actually, she's the character I'm having the most difficulty to update, for obvious reasons. But "Candy" is too integral to the story to leave out or replace altogether.

I'll be posting some of my ideas for the other characters here, over the next few days.

PROPOSED TITLE CARD for the series:
strangers.jpg


SERIES REGULARS

BOB HARDIN

Powers: Matter/Energy Conversion; capable of transforming anything in his hands into a different form of matter including solids, liquids, gasses and energy; powers seemingly alchemical in nature.

In the original comic: "Atom Bob". A college student in his late teens, who eventually goes rogue.
atombob.jpg


In the TV series: An 40ish administrative clerk in a temp agency. Has never quite outlived his brief stint as the lead singer of Atom Bob and the New Clear Warheads, a modestly influential Bay Area punk band from the late 80s, who still have a modest cult following among younger fans today. Screwed out of his royalties by an unscrupulous record label, because of his naive refusal to sign a contract on paper. Interprets the Jumpstart as his chance to start over.

nelson.jpg

Best remembered as the rebellious John Bender in teen classic The Breakfast Club, Nelson has recently been appearing in mostly quirky indie features (the most prominent one being a cameo in Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back). But he's very capable of playing the wilful Hardin, giving the character a "Locke-ish" sense of self-determination and resolve to pull himself out of his pathetic circumstances. Nelson doesn't shy away from 'genre' work, having voiced Hot Rod in the original Transformers animated movie, and starred in the misguided film version of DC's Steel. In fact, just last year, he starred in Black Hole, a Sci-Fi Network original film.

I know some people frown upon the casting of 'inactive' perfromers, but frankly, if producers and casting directors never took chances on former "has-beens" as lead actors, we would never have 24 or Arrested Development. So i'm going with my gut on this one.
 
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This is so cool. That is all.
 
I wonder when Compound's going to get around to finishing this.

I hope it gets picked up by FOX. They're really good at developing new stuff for TV.
 
This is still way better than Heroes.

I miss compound and his awesome ideas.
 

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