As I sorted through the line-up of new fall shows, I noticed a few things. Particularly compared to the last few years, there are a lot fewer scifi/fantasy shows that have been scheduled. This is particularly noticeable on the major networks, which seem to be offering only two new scifi/fantasy shows.
The first of these is Dracula, starring Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as the titular character and appearing on NBC. The show seems like it's working to capitalize on the successes of shows like Downtown Abbey (it's from the same producers!) and even, to some degree Sherlock--a period show based on a major British literary character.
As Mary-Beth Connolly already pointed out, ABC is also offering a new fantasy show--a spin-off of Once Upon a Time set in Alice's Wonderland. Called Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, it seems like the show is a way to introduce more of the classic fantasy and fairy tale characters that the original show doesn't have room for.
Interestingly, the CW is the network with the most new scifi/fantasy offerings. For starters, theres The 100, a show about how humanity is trying to return to Earth 100 years after nuclear war--and they are sending 100 juvenile delinquents to scout out whether the planet is habitable:
The CW's other offering is The Tomorrow People, a show about a group of young adults who find that they are starting to have superpowers--telepathy, telekinesis, teleportation, etc. The trailer makes it come across quite a bit like X-Men Lite--the voiceover even contains the phrase, "There's a war out there," which I'm pretty sure was used in at least one of the X-Men films.
Finally, it seems that the Syfy network is offering a brief reality show called Cosworld that provides at inside look at some of the cosplay competitions around the country. I can't find a trailer for it, but it seems like it would be a lot of fun to watch for all the amazing costumes.
Stay tuned to see what we think come fall--and let us know which ones you're looking forward to!
By Jen Miller
