A bunch of sci-fi TV folk sat down for some geek-talk during the last Hollywood panel of Saturday. Some news-ish tidibits were thrown out to the crowd, too.
Ronald Moore’s cylon-less show Virtuality will start shooting on Monday in Vancouver, with Peter Berg directing. Moore said the show takes place 40-ish years in the future and will document mankind’s first interstellar journey aboard the good ship Phaeton.
Because the trip is so long, the crewmembers use virtual reality, which will allow the show to explore different genres, even Westerns, according to Moore. He revealed that one character will struggle with virtual reality pregnancy—and the problems with raising a virtual baby. The end result will probably be more thoughtful and entertaining than a Tamagatchi.
Moore said the series will be character-driven and layered, following the crewmembers’ lives in v.r., as well as the troubles encountered by Phaeton— all the while a documentary is being filmed on board.
Also announced:
The American remake of Life On Mars picked up two impressive cast members. The Sopranos’ Michael Imperioli and Harvey freaking Keitel will give the show some street cred, which is aiming pretty high, with executive producer Josh Applebaum citing “The French Connection”, “Serpico” and “Mean Streets” as inspirations for its 70’s feel.
Applebaum said the series is scrapping the leaked pilot and starting an entirely new mythology from the 2006 British series—with the original creators’ blessings, of course.