Fox Updating King Arthur as Police Procedural Drama 'Camelot'

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**Asterios**

would have been better to go with Camelot 3000 TV version of the comicbook.

**sebster**

Stormonu wrote:
I thought for sure you were going to link to West Side Story...

I think I'll pass on this one. Sounds like something the SyFy channel would turn down.

I didn't click on the link because I assumed it was West Side Story. The mention of New York through me - I had always assumed 'Verona Beach' was modeled after Los Angeles, not New York.

Anyhow, I dare that if Romeo and Juliet had been re-worked so that it was a police procedural, then not even Claire Danes and Leonardo di Caprio could have saved it.

**AduroT**

sebster wrote:
Stormonu wrote:
I thought for sure you were going to link to West Side Story...

I think I'll pass on this one. Sounds like something the SyFy channel would turn down.

I didn't click on the link because I assumed it was West Side Story. The mention of New York through me - I had always assumed 'Verona Beach' was modeled after Los Angeles, not New York.

Anyhow, I dare that if Romeo and Juliet had been re-worked so that it was a police procedural, then not even Claire Danes and Leonardo di Caprio could have saved it.

We watched the one linked way back in school. Iirc it's actually quite good and I like how the old dialogue matches up with the modern setting. "Hand me my longsword" as he reaches for a shotgun, ect.

**reds8n**

Asterios wrote:
would have been better to go with Camelot 3000 TV version of the comicbook.

I'd be 101% behind that.

**Selym**

Well... Erm...

Could work as a "Monster of the Week" kinda thing. Maybe Excalibur is a nuclear weapon here?

**Overread**

It very much sounds like a kind of police style Buffy mixed with a super-hero aspect and coupled to "historical mythology". So the mythology gives it "depth" whilst the rest is your standard formula.

I mean it sounds daft and silly but who knows it might be entertaining at best.

**Alpharius**

I can't wait!

As long as Excalibur isn't a spray can, of course...

**Asterios**

reds8n wrote:
Asterios wrote:
would have been better to go with Camelot 3000 TV version of the comicbook.

I'd be 101% behind that.

you do realize we are aging ourselves there

**Alpharius**

Early to Mid 80's, FTW!

**AndrewGPaul**

I don't see the problem with adaptations of Shakespeare plays being set in modern times (The Lion King, Scotland PA, Ian McKellen's Richard III, a version of Julius Caesar set in modern Africa, ...). After all, it's what he did with all his "historical" plays.

At first I read the title of this thread to mean that someone was doing some sort of crime-fighting procedural set in medieval times - like Cadfael, but with more knights and fewer monks. I'd've watched that.

**HirogenHunter**

toasteroven wrote:
*Starts working on police procedural based on the epic of Gilgamesh*

ToasterOven, keep working, because that actually sounds awesome.

As for the Camelot idea... might be dumb enough to be fun, but that would depend a lot on the scriptwriters and actors. If they're bad, it could be hilariously bad, if they're good, it might be endearing, but if they're all competent to average, well, it'll be a mess. But the idea is worth a chuckle.

**reds8n**

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/oliver-twist-procedural-set-at-925383

'Twist' hails from Joel Silver and Lionsgate Television.
NBC is putting a new twist on Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist.

The network is teaming with Joel Silver and Lionsgate to develop drama Twist, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

The drama, which has received a script commitment, is described as a modern take on Dickens' second novel that was originally published as a serial in the 1830s. Twist's logline is as follows: A sexy contemporary take on Oliver Twist with a struggling 20-something female (Twist) who finally finds a true sense of family in a strange group of talented outcasts who use their unique skills to take down wealthy criminals.

Writing duo Chad Damiani and J.P. Lavin (who are also adapting game Fruit Ninja as a movie) will pen the script. The duo will exec produce alongside Silver and his Lionsgate Television-based Silver Pictures Television banner. Silver Pictures Television president Rodney Ferrell will also exec produce the Lionsgate TV project.

Dickens' Oliver Twist centered on Oliver Twist, an orphan who is sold into apprenticeship with an undertaker who eventually escapes and travels to London where he meets the Artful Dodger and elderly criminal Fagin, who oversees the gang of juvenile pickpockets.

The Twist news comes days after Fox announced it was updating the tale of King Arthur as Camelot, a modern-day police procedural. Both projects arrive as familiar IP continues to be in high demand as broadcast networks, cable and streaming services look to cut through a cluttered landscape featuring more than 400 original scripted series. Remaking famed classics is no surprise as Fox has found success with its twist on Sleepy Hollow, among other IP.

Oliver Twist was last remade as a feature film in 2005 by Roman Polanski that starred Ben Kingsley as Fagin and Barney Clark as Oliver. Other adaptations have included Broadway and Tony-winning musical Oliver! as well as the 1968 British musical feature film, which won producer John Woolf a best picture Oscar and Carol Reed the best director, among other prizes.

Silver most recently produced feature The Nice Guys, starring Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling. He next has the George Clooney-directed Suburbicon due. His TV credits include Veronica Mars, Moonlight and the syndicated Tales From the Crypt.

For Lionsgate, Twist marks the latest project for the indie studio. It has New People with Silver Pictures TV set up at Freeform with Don Roos attached to write and direct.

Damiani and Lavin are repped by Paradigm, Stephen Crawford at Industry Entertainment and attorney Eric Suddleson.

..there are at least one or two other genres right ?

**Kilkrazy**

"Twist" sounds like just a variation on "Hustle" or any other crooks with a heart of gold theme except it uses the name Twist out of Dickens's original story for the sake of generating some publicity.

In other words you could write exactly the same story without any reference to Charles Dickens's original.

**SlaveToDorkness**

(who are also adapting game Fruit Ninja as a movie)

Aaaaand, I'm done with Hollywood.

**Asterios**

bah do an action packed drama about modern day Templars trying to protect secrets from the Government, while searching for a great prize.

oh wait that is the modern day Templars

**Ahtman**

A sexy contemporary take on Oliver Twist

I feel like they may have misunderstood the story somehow. Plus I am worried about how someone saw something about a kid and thought what it needed was to be sexy.

**gorgon**

I think Killkrazy has the way of it. The showrunners don't think it has anything to do with Dickens. They're just referencing Dickens to create a hook for publicity and audiences.

This is why we live in the age of reboots and "updates." It's not because "Hollywood is out of ideas," it's because selling something original is risky compared to something with name recognition and familiarity. The latter category brings an automatic audience, at least in theory (*cough* Ghostbusters *cough*).

**BrianDavion**

gorgon wrote:
I think Killkrazy has the way of it. The showrunners don't think it has anything to do with Dickens. They're just referencing Dickens to create a hook for publicity and audiences.

This is why we live in the age of reboots and "updates." It's not because "Hollywood is out of ideas," it's because selling something original is risky compared to something with name recognition and familiarity. The latter category brings an automatic audience, at least in theory (*cough* Ghostbusters *cough*).

ohh it brings an autromatic audiance, ghostbusters just immediatly proceeded to insult them, belittle them and drive them away

**toasteroven**

(ultimate crime: i liked the new ghostbusters)

Back on topic, "sexy oliver twist" is... quite worrying. The real question is how they would handle Fagin, though.

**Asterios**

toasteroven wrote:
(ultimate crime: i liked the new ghostbusters)

Back on topic, "sexy oliver twist" is... quite worrying. The real question is how they would handle Fagin, though.

I'm thinking a Pimp who has his prostitutes steal from their customers or such.

**Alpharius**

Yeah, that's probably not going to be the angle they take.

At all.

**Asterios**

Alpharius wrote:
Yeah, that's probably not going to be the angle they take.

At all.

this is Hollywood and what better story then a prostitute who goes from rags to riches, oh wait thats pretty woman

or were you being sarcastic ?

**WhiteBobcat**

If they want a story about an awakening of magic in a gritty urban setting, it's called Shadowrun...which already has enough fluff to sustain years of TV development. Not to mention the themes of social stratification, losing one's humanity to technology, and the rise of corporate power to rival governments, would all be super-relevant these days.

But I guess it's cheaper to use a public domain setting like Camelot and just lift plots from the dozens of other procedural dramas out there.

**Alpharius**

WhiteBobcat wrote:
If they want a story about an awakening of magic in a gritty urban setting, it's called Shadowrun...which already has enough fluff to sustain years of TV development. Not to mention the themes of social stratification, losing one's humanity to technology, and the rise of corporate power to rival governments, would all be super-relevant these days.

But I guess it's cheaper to use a public domain setting like Camelot and just lift plots from the dozens of other procedural dramas out there.

Well that and being WAY more recognizable to the average TV viewer vs. a rather obscure Science Fantasy Setting that peaked...some 20 years ago?

**Andrew1975**

GREAT, what else can we ruin. Lets see, they turned John Constantine and Hell Blazer into a Procedural and that failed pretty miserably Thanks NBC!

Fox then turned Lucifer into a Procedural.....I can't actually believe that is still on.

**gorgon**

Alpharius wrote:
WhiteBobcat wrote:
If they want a story about an awakening of magic in a gritty urban setting, it's called Shadowrun...which already has enough fluff to sustain years of TV development. Not to mention the themes of social stratification, losing one's humanity to technology, and the rise of corporate power to rival governments, would all be super-relevant these days.

But I guess it's cheaper to use a public domain setting like Camelot and just lift plots from the dozens of other procedural dramas out there.

Well that and being WAY more recognizable to the average TV viewer vs. a rather obscure Science Fantasy Setting that peaked...some 20 years ago?

Well, you figure Vampire: the Masquerade was done already...

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Andrew1975 wrote:
GREAT, what else can we ruin. Lets see, they turned John Constantine and Hell Blazer into a Procedural and that failed pretty miserably Thanks NBC!

Fox then turned Lucifer into a Procedural.....I can't actually believe that is still on.

It's not that they're turning Arthurian mythos into a procedural...it's more like they're creating another procedural and rubbing a little Arthur on it to set it apart from the pack.

**Tannhauser42**

Andrew1975 wrote:
GREAT, what else can we ruin.

The new MacGyver starts in a week or so, I think. I watched the trailer. It did not inspire me to watch the show.

**PourSpelur**

+Read in Announcer-Man voice+
In a world built built without her in mind, one woman must overcome staggering odds. No arms, no legs, all heart. She must find a way to descend the stairs, either by herself or alongside friends she meets on her journey.....she must get down.
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