We're Getting a S.H.I.E.L.D. TV Series!

Several big announcements involving new television series this evening. Eddie Murphy and "The Shield" creator Shawn Ryan are trying to get a new "Beverly Hills Cop" off the ground as an hourlong procedural. "The Descent" director Neil Marshall is prepping "Black Sails," a prequel series to "Treasure Island" for Starz.

However, the big one is the news that the rumored Marvel universe television series may be about to become a reality. ABC has ordered a pilot for "S.H.I.E.L.D.," an action adventure show based on that secret agency we saw featured heavily in this summer's "The Avengers." Even better, Joss Whedon's going to co-write and maybe direct the pilot. His brother Jed and sister-in-law Maurissa Tancharoen will be also be co-writing, and probably doing the bulk of the heavy lifting if "S.H.I.E.L.D." goes to series. No complaints from me, as those two were also a big part of "Dollhouse" and "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog."

For those fans who were worried that Joss Whedon had quit television for good after "Dollhouse," this is great news. What's not so great news is that "S.H.I.E.L.D." is going to be an ABC series, because it's Disney. While ABC has a few geeky series to their credit, they're very, very family friendly, and I don't know if they're going to be a good fit for the kind of cult-attracting, mythology-heavy, nerdbait television shows that Whedon and his cohorts like to construct. Whedon made no secret of his clashes with FOX on "Dollhouse," and I don't think I was alone in assuming that if Whedon returned to television, it would probably be with a cable series where he could retain more creative control, and where smaller, niche audiences wouldn't be so much of a problem. The networks may be experimenting with limited series and other format changes, but this hasn't made much of a difference in the content quality.

Then again, I think something set in the Marvel universe has a good chance of attracting audiences beyond the "Buffy" and "Firefly" crowd, especially since, as I mentioned in yesterday's post, "The Avengers" is now the third highest grossing film of all time. And if "S.H.I.E.L.D." is going to be maintaining continuity with the other Marvel universe movies that are coming down the pipe, the synergy levels are going to be off the charts. I'm sure that "S.H.I.E.L.D." is going to maintain a good amount of narrative distance from the big storylines in the films, so we're not looking at a situation like the Ron Howard plans for "The Dark Tower," with its multiple interlocking movies and shows. And I highly doubt we're going to get more than a cameo from anyone who actually appeared in "The Avengers. Still, the possibility of references and crossovers is very exciting for a Marvel fan to think about.

And with Whedon involved, even peripherally, there's a very good chance that this is going come off better than your usual low rent spinoff series. After all, Whedon figured out how to resurrect "Buffy: the Vampire Slayer" as a television series, "Firefly" as a movie, and is continuing both of them and "Angel" as comics. If there's anyone who can handle transitions from medium to medium, it's him. The best thing about "S.H.I.E.L.D." right now is that it's obvious not going to try and be an "Avengers" series. It's not going to be a superhero show with all the baggage from the movies, but a spy procedural that happens to take place in the same universe. That means a whole new cast of characters, new concepts, and a lot more room for creative maneuvering.

On the flip side, more time in the Marvel universe means less time for Joss Whedon to pursue his own projects like "Cabin in the Woods" and the "Dr. Horrible" sequel. I would much rather see a new series from Whedon based on one of his own ideas instead of something based on pre-existing material that is going to inevitably be subject to all kinds of constraints enforced by Disney and Marvel. Then again, Whedon might just take a producing or consulting role after the pilot, the way most big Hollywood directors do when they get involved with TV shows these days. Martin Scorsese only directed the "Boardwalk Empire" pilot, and Bryan Singer didn't stick around for more than two episodes of "House."

Of course, this is all premature speculation. Promising as it sounds, "S.H.I.E.L.D." may not get past the pilot stage. Even if the pilot comes out well, the price tag may be too high for a full series, or any number of things could happen that could quash the project. A pilot being ordered now means that the earliest we would see a series would be in the fall of 2013, and a lot can happen in a year.

Still, I can't help but feel excited about the possibilities.
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