Joss Whedon's 'S.H.I.E.L.D' TV series great for 'the whole family,' says ABC president
ABC Entertainment owns the television airing rights for two lucrative geek brands, now that parent company Walt Disney Pictures controls Marvel and has from Star Wars creator George Lucas. The network is prepping聽Joss Whedon鈥檚 S.H.I.E.L.D. TV series, with production getting underway this month for a .
Network president Paul Lee cites the Marvel universe鈥檚 cross-generational appeal and Whedon鈥檚 storytelling style as reasons to be hopeful that the pilot gets picked up for series. Meanwhile, there are plans to re-examine the dormant live-action TV show 鈥� which is a carryover from Lucas鈥� administration 鈥� and determine whether or not that鈥檚 something worth pursing.
Whedon鈥檚 show brings together Avengers veteran Clark Gregg reprising his Agent Phil Coulson, with television actors聽 (Stargate Universe) and (Nashville) among those playing S.H.I.E.L.D. employees created for the small screen. Speculation points to Samuel L. Jackson showing up as organization head (admittedly, the actor鈥檚 stirring that pot himself), but otherwise the series is shaping up as a separate entity that does not overlap with the Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline (e.g. Coulson鈥檚 alive and fine).
S.H.I.E.L.D. is expected to follow the template of Whedon鈥檚 cult TV creations聽Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly, examining contemporary family identity and moral responsibilities through a pop culture show that breezily see-saws between tongue-in-cheek action and serious drama (a la聽). That is, we anticipate as much emphasis on the (dysfunctional?) team dynamic as the characters鈥� world-saving deeds.
Lee assures that his fellow ABC executives recognize the series鈥� potential, in terms of how it meets the network鈥檚 鈥渟mart with heart鈥� criteria that means they have more shows watched by parents and kids together (known as 鈥渃o-viewed shows鈥�):
鈥淎bsolutely Marvel has the ability to bring the whole family around it. The truth about Joss is he has some great relationships in [S.H.I.E.L.D.] so there are a lot of really funny, male/female relationships 鈥� very flirtatious ones that go through it. But it鈥檚 also Joss too and it鈥檚 Marvel and there鈥檚 a lot of action to it.鈥�
The relatively diverse S.H.I.E.L.D. casting has Lee believing the show can appeal to 鈥渕en and women and kids,鈥� rather than just Marvel鈥檚 target male demographic. Hence, ABC heads will be watching the pilot earlier than those for other prospective new TV properties and plan to initiate marketing shortly after giving the series an official green-light (chances are good that will happen):
鈥淏y the way, the script鈥檚 great. So I don鈥檛 want to jinx it, because that may not mean a good pilot or a good series, but we鈥檙e very excited about it. Joss is wonderful to work with. And by the way, [he's] thrilled to be on television, which I鈥檓 enjoying!鈥�
Whedon鈥檚 last small screen foray, Dollhouse, wasn鈥檛 exactly a satisfying venture, but coming off Avengers鈥� $1.5. billion theatrical returns 鈥� and the increased carte blanche creative control that comes with it 鈥� has probably buoyed his spirits.
Meanwhile, ABC could be dusting off the 聽assembled by Lucas, producer Rick McCallum and geek-favorite writers like Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica, Caprica)聽for a live-action Star Wars TV series that unfolds during the years separating the prequel and 鈥渙riginal鈥� film trilogies. Lee鈥檚 informed 聽that such an option is being considered right now:
鈥淲e鈥檇 love to do something with Lucasfilm, we鈥檙e not sure what yet. We haven鈥檛 even sat down with them. We鈥檙e going to look at [the live-action series], we鈥檙e going to look at all of them, and see what鈥檚 right. We weren鈥檛 able to discuss this with them until [the acquisition] closed and it just closed. It鈥檚 definitely going to be part of the conversation.鈥�
However, the potential cost may prevent this. Lucas鈥� original estimates were that the required effects will cost $150-200 million or an average $3-5 million episode price tag; though, before the acquisition, steps were being taken by the filmmaker and Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) to reduce expenses to $50-60 million (or $1 million per episode). Indeed, Lee admits the scale and approach preferred by new Lucasfilm president 聽will affect their decision:
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be very much up to the Lucasfilm brands how they want to play it. We got to a point here with Marvel, a very special point, where we鈥檙e in the Marvel universe, and very relevantly so, but we鈥檙e not doing The Avengers. But聽S.H.I.E.L.D.聽is part of聽The Avengers. So maybe something oblique is the way to [approach the聽Star Wars聽universe] rather than going straight head-on at it.鈥�
Sandy Schaefer blogs at .
