David Eick is writing a pilot script for a TV version of Children of Men. The story originated with P.D. James's science-fiction novel and was adapted for film in 2006 with Clive Owen in the lead role.
Eick, who steered the Battlestar Galactia and Bionic Woman remakes, is looking to make the proposed series a faithful adaptation of the book. "It's really taking root more in the origins of the novels in that it will focus on the cultural movement in which young people become the society's utter focus," he explained to Sci Fi Wire. "Much like our culture, whenever Lindsay Lohan does something [and] it becomes the headline of every news show, it's about how, when you don't have a responsibility to the next generation and you're free to do whatever you want, where do you draw the line?"
Eick added that the pilot would differ from the film and explore ideas of social responsibility and freedom. "It's a very compelling, human question that science-fiction has always explored extremely provocatively," he said. "It's not really a war show like the movie was. It's more an exploration of that issue."
Elsewhere, Doctor Who will lose 1.5m viewers per show because of BBC One's decision to move it from 7pm to 6.20pm, according to executive producer Russell T Davies. The drama will take up the new slot when it returns on April 5 to allow I'd Do Anything to air at 7.10pm. Davies said he was worried because the series is the last full run of Who before 2010. Next year there will be three specials. "At 6.20pm, it'll get 1.5m less viewers than it already has," he said, speaking at a Broadcast event in London. "I've told them this, but they won't shift at all. You need to maintain slots and they've gone and cocked it up now. Maybe they're right, but I think they're wrong."
The producer, who was behind the revival of the show, also confessed to rewriting others' scripts if he did not like them. He said: "I'll rewrite 100% if I have to. With Steven Moffat's scripts, I don't touch a word, but anyone else's I do... We're not there to experiment and we're not there to let someone fail. You've got to do everything you can to make it brilliant every week."
In other news, Tahmoh Penikett, Fran Kranz, Dichen Lachman and Enver Gjokaj have joined the new series from Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon. The drama is about a group of men and women, known as dolls, who are charged with carrying out a series of "assignments". They can be imprinted with different memories, skills, language and abilities appropriate to each task.
Penikett (Battlestar Galactica) will play FBI agent Paul Smith who wants to find the dolls, viewed by others as an urban myth. Kranz (Welcome to the Captain) joins as bright-spark programmer Topher Brink who does the imprinting. Lachman (Neighbours) and Gjokaj takes the role of dolls Sierra and Victor respectively. Both are friends of main doll Echo who begins to become self-aware. Eliza Dushku (Buffy, Angel) has already signed to play Echo.
Fox is planning a seven-episode season of the show for September.
Further reading: Welcome to Josh Whedon's Dollhouse
Eick, who steered the Battlestar Galactia and Bionic Woman remakes, is looking to make the proposed series a faithful adaptation of the book. "It's really taking root more in the origins of the novels in that it will focus on the cultural movement in which young people become the society's utter focus," he explained to Sci Fi Wire. "Much like our culture, whenever Lindsay Lohan does something [and] it becomes the headline of every news show, it's about how, when you don't have a responsibility to the next generation and you're free to do whatever you want, where do you draw the line?"
Eick added that the pilot would differ from the film and explore ideas of social responsibility and freedom. "It's a very compelling, human question that science-fiction has always explored extremely provocatively," he said. "It's not really a war show like the movie was. It's more an exploration of that issue."
Elsewhere, Doctor Who will lose 1.5m viewers per show because of BBC One's decision to move it from 7pm to 6.20pm, according to executive producer Russell T Davies. The drama will take up the new slot when it returns on April 5 to allow I'd Do Anything to air at 7.10pm. Davies said he was worried because the series is the last full run of Who before 2010. Next year there will be three specials. "At 6.20pm, it'll get 1.5m less viewers than it already has," he said, speaking at a Broadcast event in London. "I've told them this, but they won't shift at all. You need to maintain slots and they've gone and cocked it up now. Maybe they're right, but I think they're wrong."
The producer, who was behind the revival of the show, also confessed to rewriting others' scripts if he did not like them. He said: "I'll rewrite 100% if I have to. With Steven Moffat's scripts, I don't touch a word, but anyone else's I do... We're not there to experiment and we're not there to let someone fail. You've got to do everything you can to make it brilliant every week."
In other news, Tahmoh Penikett, Fran Kranz, Dichen Lachman and Enver Gjokaj have joined the new series from Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon. The drama is about a group of men and women, known as dolls, who are charged with carrying out a series of "assignments". They can be imprinted with different memories, skills, language and abilities appropriate to each task.
Penikett (Battlestar Galactica) will play FBI agent Paul Smith who wants to find the dolls, viewed by others as an urban myth. Kranz (Welcome to the Captain) joins as bright-spark programmer Topher Brink who does the imprinting. Lachman (Neighbours) and Gjokaj takes the role of dolls Sierra and Victor respectively. Both are friends of main doll Echo who begins to become self-aware. Eliza Dushku (Buffy, Angel) has already signed to play Echo.
Fox is planning a seven-episode season of the show for September.
Further reading: Welcome to Josh Whedon's Dollhouse
