Hey Netflix, I Hear You’re Looking for New Shows …

So some news slipped across my radar this morning that Netflix, determined to claw back a sudden drop of subscribers, has put $18 billion toward pursuing new content to woo audiences with. Included among these, from what I gather, is a desire for a “female Jack Ryan,” aka a female action-adventure protagonist with intrigue, action, etc etc.

Netflix, might I humbly suggest Colony and the rest of the UNSEC Space Trilogy?

It’s got exactly what you want: Annalyne Neres, the South American mercenary who is one of the three primary characters, is absolutely an action star. There’s political intrigue as the three protagonists maneuver their way through various competing factions, there’s action as negotiation gives way to frantic, dangerous violence—

Oh, and did I mention it’s Science-Fiction? In other words, the perfect thing to fill the void left among viewers now that The Expanse is over and done.

Action, intrigue, mystery, and an audience of the streaming market that’s currently looking for the “next big thing.”

Better yet, it’s complete. The final book of the trilogy is coming out later this year, so a successful first season wouldn’t need to panic and stall while some finale is figured out. No filler needed. A complete story, and the rights are available and ready.

Continue reading

Why You Should Watch … Galavant

mv5bmjewndcymdk4of5bml5banbnxkftztgwndkymjm5mze40._v1_Today’s post doesn’t have much to do with reading. The title, admittedly, gives that away, but I’ve been around long enough to know that sometimes even I skim over a title in my haste to read the article (and surely, I can’t be the only one?) so … Yeah, today’s post isn’t about a book. Or a series of articles.

Today’s post is about a TV show.

Now look, I promise I won’t do this often. Mine is a site dedicated first and foremost to writing and fiction.

But … sands and storms did this show never get the credit it deserved. At all. Personally, I think it had somewhat to do with the medium. Premiering on a cable network that likely had no idea what to make of it, it seemed a hard sell on an audience that is shrinking by the year (cable TV). I suspect that had Galavant shown up on some other network, like Amazon or Netflix, right off of the bat, we might have seen three, four, or even five seasons rather than the meager two it ran on ABC.

Why? Well, personally, I’m not sure execs knew what to make of Galavant. Or the general television audience. It’s … not a normal show. It’s a show that would stand out perfectly on Netflix or Amazon as a show that’s made for an audience that’s always looking forward. But for a more traditional, status-quo seeking cable network audience? It’s kind of a hard sell.

Okay, enough beating around the bush. What is Galavant? Well … are you ready? Galavant, as I would describe, is:

*Inhales* A musical, meta, fourth-wall aware, fantasy comedy. And yes, I mean musical in the sense that everyone breaks out into song and dance with astonishing regularity. Several times per episode, actually. And they’re aware they do it (see the “meta” tag). Sometimes they’re even aware that there’s been a commercial break, or that most viewers only Tivo the show for later and aren’t watching it live (fourth-wall what?).

Continue reading