Fox on the fringe
Hoping to recapture the magic (and the ratings) of THE X-FILES, Fox Television has made a commitment to Warner Bros.-Bad Robot to finance FRINGE, a new sinister series from J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci. The show will launch with a two-hour pilot budgeted at over $10-million.
“Fringe” mixes elements of “The X-Files” and Paddy Chayefsky’s “Altered States” with what Abrams calls “a slight ‘Twilight Zone’ vibe.” It will focus on brilliant but possibly crazy research scientist Walter Bishop, his estranged son and a female FBI agent who brings them together.
Episodes will explore self-contained mysteries of the paranormal, as well as the relationships between the three leads.
“So much of the story is relatable people in extraordinary situations,” Abrams said. “The show is definitely a nod to ‘Altered States’ and ‘Scanners’ and that whole Michael Crichton/Robin Cook world of medicine and science.”
There’ll also be an overriding mythology that will come into play from time to time, as well as a healthy dose of humor.
“It does the stuff my favorite TV shows and movies do, which is to combine genres that shouldn’t fit together,” Abrams said. “It’s definitely meant to scare the hell out of you, but it’s also meant to make you laugh… It pushes all the buttons of things we loved from our childhood.”
[...] director, Jackson offered some comments on FRINGE, the upcoming sci-fi television series that earned a bit of buzz last year when Fox plunked down big bucks to purchase the spec script for the pilot. Written by J. J. Abrams, [...]