#tv show ideas

[perlamaritr1]

WE NEED AN ANIMAL CROSSING TV SHOW

WE NEED AN ANIMAL CROSSING TV SHOW

WE NEED AN ANIMAL CROSSING TV SHOW

WE NEED AN ANIMAL CROSSING TV SHOW

WE NEED AN ANIMAL CROSSING TV SHOW

WE NEED AN ANIMAL CROSSING TV SHOW

WE NEED AN ANIMAL CROSSING TV SHOW

[lonelywretchjervistetch]

My DCCU Interlude: The Legion of Super-Heroes (Part 1)

Prologue: Long Live the Legion

This year, I've decided to give into my unending nerd urges (...nerdges?), and have been writing essays on how I would create a DC cinematic universe, similar to how James Gunn and Peter Safran have been given to reins to do the same. Except, y'know, they're talented nerds with extensive filmmaking and writing careers, and I'm...a nerd. BUT nevertheless, I've been jumping in headfirst, and honestly, I've enjoyed it.

Up until now, I've finished a series on Superman. And that was a lot, but it's nowhere near the end. In fact, Superman is a lynchpin for a particular corner of my DCCU, focusing upon space and the cosmic (unsurprisingly). The other two lynchpins are Batman (for street crime and down-to-Earth stuff) and Wonder Woman (for magic and mysticism), which shouldn't be too surprising. But while they would each launch segments of my DCCU that would involve multiple other films and projects, television series would also be involved with each hero, ideally. James Gunn is, of course, doing the same, and Marvel's been doing this for years now. So, when I had to think about a series associated with the Man of Steel that I would want to see...well, there's only one choice, really.

I am a huge fan of the Legion of Super-Heroes. They've had a shit-ton of incarnations over the years, in comics and in other media, for good and for bad. But the Legion is one of the first DC hero groups I faithfully followed, starting with the 2005Waid/Kitson Reboot run, which I still remember fondly. And the Legion is, of course, inexorably linked with Superman, as their first appearance involved them recruiting a teenaged Superboy into the group from the 31st Century. So, naturally, this was the FIRST group I thought of when I thought about a TV series. After the animated series is one of the best adaptations of its time period, especially in the second season.

But why talk about this now? I mean, I'm in the middle of my Batman series, so why interrupt that? Well, it's Legion of Super-Heroes Appreciation Week here on the ol' hellsite, so for those people who are fellow fans of the Legion, and also want to read the desperate rambles of a midly-obsessive and frustrated nerd, why not take advantage? I would contribute art to this, but my time is weirdly limited. I have drawn my version of Saturn Girl, though, so feel free to check that out if you want to. Anyway, lemme get into the mini-series here. Starting with one question...why not a movie?

Chapter One: Soap and Space

Let me preface this by saying...I don't like the 2023 movie. At all. Don't get me wrong here. It looks great, voice acting is quite good, and some of the character designs are stellar. But goddamn it, for a Legion of Super-Heroes project, they dropped the ball SO goddamn hard, in a lot of ways. Also, Mon-El...what the fuck have you done to Mon-El? God, that movie pissed me off SO hard the entire time...but I digress. Jest because I didn't like that movie, that doesn't mean a film based on the Legion is impossible. But I also think that it...doesn't really work as well as a TV series would.

The reason for this, in my opinion, is because of what the Legion is at its best: a soap opera and a space opera combined. One of the best things about the Legion is its setting and its members. During its height, the Legion was a massive team brimming both with interpersonal conflict (because, after all, we're mostly dealing with teenagers at first), as well as set amongst a wider sociopolitical interplanetary conflict that these guys are supposed to navigate amongst. It's Teen Titans...IN SPACE. That rules. It rules so hard.

One of the things that makes the Legion so very compelling is simply the fact that you get to know the characters, and their personal struggles. And given that most of these guys are aliens, despite how human they often look, those interpersonal conflicts are made even more complicated, and even more interesting as a result. A movie honestly can't balance all of that in a way that feels authentic to the Legion. The animated series technically did this, but still steered away from a lot of the soap opera aspect in lieu of making it more of an action series. And obviously, it's gotta be an action series...but it could and should be much more than that.

OK, what about multiple movies? Again, for a group as large as the Legion is, even making a franchise isn't exactly guaranteed to work for all of these diverse characters. And, uh, that's assuming you'd be able to MAKE a franchise. How many times have we been comic book films made with a franchise in mind, only to perform so badly that the entire idea is scrapped? So, no, we're not relying on a possible set of sequels. Instead, let's plan a story over the course of seasons, with each season of this series acting as a discrete story (just in case it gets cancelled prematurely).

OK, what about medium? Should it be animated or live-action? Well...I actually vote for the latter, IF the budget it high enough. Let's not skimp on the budget for a wide-sweeping space opera, if we can help it. But the, if that's a problem, then animated is a viable option. After all, it's worked before, and it can work again. The only caveat here, for both, is that we're aiming for a platform like HBO, or at the very least not the CW or a more public network. Reasons for this are because more money is available from HBO and such, and also because...well, frankly, we want a mature show of actual good quality. CW quality ain't gonna cut it, sorry.

OK, so we have a mature-leaning series of good quality, packed full of drama in multiple facets, with a large cast that the audience can follow and latch onto. Lastly, because each season is meant to be insular to a certain degree, there's an overarching plot for each season, which concludes with the season finale. Commonplace, obviously, but important nonetheless. With all of that out of the way, we should now talk about a few things here, right? Those things are:

Setting: Where is our series set, and what are the day-to-day struggles associated with the setting? Where is the Legion within this setting, and how do they interact with it? What notable people or forces can be found here and drive everyday existence?

Cast: This is a huge potential cast, so who are we primarily following when the series starts? For that matter, how large is the Legion when the series begins, and will that number change over the course of the first season? Who are the major characters, and can the Legion be put into groups that can be followed? And finally, what are the backstories and interpersonal relationships amongst the primary cast of characters?

Story: What is the main conflict over the course of the season, and who are the major players? What are the stakes as we lead up to the season finale, and how will our characters resolve it? How will this conflict change our characters or the setting, whether or not the characters actually solve the problem? And what other problems or consequences will result from this resolution?

And all of those things, frankly, are super goddamn basic in terms of storytelling, but still important to keep in mind as we go through the planned season. For each season, we'll assume 12 episodes, which is a reasonable number of episodes to assume per season. And before I start plotting this whole thing out, I'm gonna put together a brief synopsis to sum up the season 1 plans. Once that's done, I'll be going through the above three points one at a time, then looking at a potential future for the series. And if people are interested in more, I may just oblige that request! So...what's this theoretical season one about?

The 31st Century is a peaceful utopia on a knife's edge. Building tensions are bringing the United Planets close to dissolution, if not to outright war. This strife has led to conflict, and a lack of faith in authority across the cosmos, especially on the famously rebellious planet Earth. And amongst all of this, forces are trying to widen the gulf between civilizations that much farther apart. A group of young heroes, inspired by legends a millennium past, have stepped up to the plate, calling themselves the Legion of Super-Heroes. Learning to work together under difficult circumstances, the young heroes must navigate many threats.

Leader of the group Rokk Krinn struggles both with his compatriots, and also the difficult role of leader thrust upon him, while struggling to balance a life amongst all of the stress placed upon him. The silent Imra Ardeen works against culture shock, while also feeling a deep and profound duty to her home world of Titan, and a palpable distance from her responsibilities to that moon of Saturn. Garth Ranzz comes from a planet in economic strife, on the brink of leaving the United Planets. With his older brother and twin sister on different sides of the conflict, he must navigate both family and political strife, while finding his own path amidst conflict with Rokk and burgeoning feelings for Imra.

Newcomers to the organization are now navigating this new environment. Chief amongst them is Lyle Norg, a superhero enthusiast and brilliant teenage scientist who has given himself powers of invisibility. Tinya Wazzo is a highly connected young woman with her own responsibilities, a mysterious demeanor, and an agenda of her own to pursue. Luornu Durgo is an exile from her home, which she talks about very little, but still seeks to return to with her good deeds. And Elgar Degep, who comes to the Legion on recommendation from a secretive benefactor, claims to be a descendant of ancient Earth heroes, but hides a much more insidious secret.

This small and young group of heroes has many opponents to their success. The Science Police of Metropolis are wary of their presence, and their extremely ambitious leaders are in constant conflict with the heroes they see as vigilantes. Behind the scenes, a cult named the Dark Circle seeks to take advantage of the strife, driving criminals across the United Planets to strike against the police and the Legion alike. And beneath it all, corruption within the United Planets itself seeks to set the Legion up for a fall, influenced by a greater power beyond their understanding.

A rough synopsis, but believe me...I have ideas. So very many ideas. But I'll go into that further in future essays. So, if you're interested, stay tuned for more of that! And if you actually read this mess...honestly, thank you, I appreciate it. Long like the Legion.

See you in Part Two!

[graznot]

I love all Batman bits about the nuts an bolts about hiding that Bruce Wayne is Batman and being and doing Bruce things instead of Batman things. I have come across some glorious ones on here, thank you tumblr.

I want an entire show dedicated to that.

The opening 2 min can always be him doing Batman shit but the rest of it is Bruce. Alfred vaguely annoyed that he’s damaged equipment but has made chicken noodle soup because it was cold out.

Going over his schedule for Bruce industries because he does public events and talk show he won’t do because the host is an ass, shows he will do because they’re lovely and let me play with a box of calico kittens and let him get away with barely answering questions.

Bruce goes to therapy, because Albert insists. There can be whole plotlines about going through therapists, about how to get help out of therapy without outing the Batman, does he ever find a therapist that can be completely trusted? Bonus points if one of them is Dr Harley Quin.

What does being Bruce but not being “on” for the public look like?

Does he have a Bruce, but less obviously so getup so the press don’t follow him? Like, what he’d wears when he want to do random ass shit because he has a ton of money an can.

The side kicks are at an older age, but Bruce wants to go to the Zoo and they’re all busy. Alfred just looks at his watch “What time do you want to leave for the Zoo Master Wayne?” And Alfred says it in the slightly higher tone he’d used when Bruce was a child. Bruce grins “If you’re not busy?” They go, it’s adorable. There’s hugging and Alfred’s warnings about tummy aches are ignored.

[ofdinosanddais1]

Writing prompts that pop into my mind where idk if I have enough brain stuff to turn into actual stories:

Story where people from different dimensions are teleported onto a random island. One is a superhero. One is a royal monarch. One is an elf with magic and also a bow and arrow. One is a newsboy from the 1800s. One is a spaceship pilot from the future. And then one is a normal person from our dimension. Shenanigans ensue as they try to grapple with the differences and also try to figure out how tf to get off the island.

A team of illegal vigilantes who have different superpowers that they have little control over to the point it's disabling. One of them is a teleporter who can't control where they teleport most of the time so they could just be working at wendys and then suddenly, instead of taking someone's order at the drive-thru, they're suddenly in Norway. Another is someone with impenetrable skin but their internal organ can still take damage so if they need something as simple as an appendectomy, doctors have to figure out how to do it without being able to cut into the person. Then there's someone who can talk to literally any animal or insect they want but if they talk to a human, nobody can understand them. Yes, it's overall a greater metaphor on disability.

A tv parody show on medical dramas where doctors do everything but instead of the focus on doctors, it's about all the techs and assistants that medical dramas never mention and all of the absurd rule violations. So I'm talking about phlebotomists, MRI/X-Ray/CT techs, pharmacy techs, CNAs. Literally all the specialties never mentioned. But the doctors still act like they're in a medical drama and the other staff act like they work in a god damn hospital. So you'll have doctors drawing blood and the phlebotomist right behind them like "wtf?" and then when they need an MRI done, the MRI tech goes to do their job and the surgeons are there doing it instead. Or how a doctor is there performing physical therapy on someone while the physical therapist is haplessly trying to stop them.

An office-style espionage agency where everyone is terrible at their job that they're amazing at it.

A show about a gang but it's a musical comedy so you've got a bunch of gang members threatening people via song and dance. It's also a commentary about crime and how it's allowed to run rampant in order to fill up prisons for slave labor.

[fandomscatscomics]

Help I just had the BEST dream for a cop show so it would have our classic badass lady, old mentor guy, tech person, and maybe that one other guy BUT then it would have our undercover person who would be the most badass on the show and this person would just be an absolute twink. The show would have little romance and if romance did come into play it wouldn't really be focused on. I NEED this show pls

[shitdickfuckmothafucka]

New reality tv show idea:

“Hidden Micropenis”

Contestants date each other but one of them has a micropenis and they have to either breakup or commit to the person forever before finding out their penis size.

[mossy-addison]

I just had the Greatest TV show idea.

It’s a ghost hunting show, but it’s between one of those super techie ghost hunters and the spiritualist hunters. Like a psychic and a ghostbuster type stuff

[sh4dow-th3-h3dg3hog]

TV show idea: gay man and lesbian who are married and in the process of divorcing while trying to raise two kids. They get along really well and are pretty much best friends so the court doesn't believe they should get divorced since they're "happily married".

I feel like this has the potential for some interesting episodes, and I definitely think it would work best as something more adult

Bonus points if one of the kids is trans!

[lightmotif139]

Idea: A home makeover reality show, only it's fictional and it's a sitcom.

[perlamaritr1]

The main characters for the Animal Crossing TV show would be: A naive boy. A video game girl(the player who has escaped from the Animal Crossing realm along with the other characters in the game). The video game girl’s lazy companion, Bob(who appears at the beginning of each episode). Isabelle. Tom Nook. The boy’s sentient Nintendo Switch companion.

Recurring characters: Rover. KK Slider. The boy’s scientist parents. Goldie. Rosie. Margie. Stitches. Timmy and Tommy. Digby. Marshal. A select few surviving human citizens such as scientists, the boy’s friends, a clumsy biologist, a cyborg farmer, the boy’s foster sister, and the mayor of New York. Various other surviving species such as robots, dogs, cats, bees, and a sentient cyborg potted plant. Carmen the rabbit. Hugh the pig. Mabel and Sable. Mr Resetti. THE VOID.

There are a ton of minor characters in the Animal Crossing TV show, so there’s always room for improvement.

The first five episodes are a prologue to the series, and are called: “Our Population is Still Growing”, “It’s Been a Wild World”, “Remembering the City Folk”, “Turning Over a New Leaf”, and “Off to New Horizons!”.

[lonelywretchjervistetch]

My DCCU Interlude: The Legion of Super-Heroes (Part 2)

Chapter Two: Foundations

OK, so now that I've laid out some of the threads to be explored in this prospective series, who are our main players? Obviously, the Legion is a massive organization in the comics, whose roster has fluctuated wildly over the years. And would I love to include some crazy-ass characters in my Legion show? Oh, abso-goddamn-lutely. Gimme Tellus, Gates, Blok, Comet Queen, et cetera, PLEASE. But again, I'm talking about the first prospective season of this show, which should entice the audience to watch, and the studios to renew for future seasons. So, OK, nothing crazy.

The main characters really should be some iconic members of the Legion, upon whom we build the rest of the cast. And sure, a lot of properties, including the animated series, have included the group I'm going to propose here. But the difference here should be in characterization. This is going to be a lived-in galaxy, and we'll see quite a few unique characters and cultures, despite the familiar names. Honestly, Young Justice did this really well, even though we barely saw the Legion outside of a few members.

By the way, as I talk about these characters, I'm mostly going to focus on my ideal versions of them, rather then break down their comic book appearances and iterations. And that's because, frankly, there are...a lot of them. I'll be taking all of these incarnations into account with my versions of the characters, but I'll also be thinking about what character traits would work well in a series, and what I think each of these characters represent. There are a lot of accounts of these characters, and I encourage you to look into them if you're curious...but there's a lot of history for these guys, as well as at least 5 versions of the characters in some cases. It gets...complicated.

In this essay, we'll look at the core members, with the newbies for the season getting their own essay. We're looking at a seven-person roster, after all, with some initially getting more attention than others. And again, these should be familiar, especially to those Legion fans out there who may be reading this essay, or pretend-watching this pretend show. So, let's get started with the basics.

Oh, and, uh, strap in. This is a long one.

Cosmic Boy: Hero of Braal

Rokk Krinn , of all the original members of the Legion, is probably the most stereotypically lawful good. Serious about being a hero, as well as interested in the moral good, he's definitely the goodest of boys...ideally. And that kind of character is...never really the most popular. So, every version of Rokk Krinn has had flaws and conflict to grapple with, from outside or within. For the most part, Cosmic Boy has been shown to be a bit too controlling, or a bit too self-serious. And while that's usually seen to be a consequence of balancing responsibilities, I have a different take.

The way I see him, Rokk is a hero worshipper. And I'm referring specifically to the heroes of the 21st century, especially Superman. While Superman shouldn't be the only hero known to the future, Rokk should revere him greatly. I actually think it's Rokk's idea to form the Legion of Superheroes in Superman's image, based on his love for him, as well as what he represents to Earth and the galaxy at large. So, my Rokk will be trying to live up to the legacy of Superman, as well as the expectations he puts on himself, and placed upon him by others. Which means...yeah, he's gonna be a little stressed out.

But that's not to say that he has no fun. Let's talk about my version of Braal for a second. Braal is Rokk's home planet, and there hasn't been a whole lot about it presented in the comics. So, for this theoretical TV series, that makes it essentially a blank slate for my to carve into. There are two things I'm keeping about Braal from the comics. One, its inhabitants, or at least a decent group of its inhabitants, have the ability to manipulate magnetic fields. And two, they're big sports fans. And combining both of these gives us an interesting foundation, in my opinion.

My version of Braal in a world in economic crisis, and in desperate need of better representation on the global stage. See, Braal will be one of the first worlds of the United Planets, referred to as the "First Ring" by some. While not the most disparaged world in the system by any means, there's a serious class dispute on this world, with the bridge between the classes being based in entertainment and amenities. Essentially, it's a throwback to ancient Rome at its most corrupt, but in a somewhat more futuristic setting. I guess, technically, I'm making...oh, shit.

Gah, shit, I'm making The Hunger Games, aren't I? Well, you know what? Fuck it. Sure. Braal is essentially Panem from the Hunger Games, at least in terms of class division. The higher classes coordinate with the United Planets on behalf of the lower classes, but mostly end up serving themselves. Entertainment, especially in the form of sports, is a way for the lower classes to ascend, and an appeasement measure in turn.

Those not in sports can seek opportunity through the thriving export business of Braal, which specializes in refining metals and manufacturing metal goods. This goes back to the history of the planet, which was settled in the year 2271 by human astropioneers and prospectors, looking for a planet rich with resources to settle. They happened upon the metal-rich Braal, which they founded as a mining planet. To easily harvest this material with limited manpower, the pioneers utilized a unique innovation of their time-period: Infinity Serum. Derived from a number of developments made centuries prior by many individuals, these serums originally utilized the genetic material of metahumans, isolating their abilities to bestow these abilities on non-powered individuals. And, yes, I am absolutely referring to something in my Superman proposed film series (check out this essay for more info). Young Justice fans also know that I'm talking about here.

So, that said, these astropioneers had a number of old serums that they brought with them in order to quickly adapt to the conditions of the planet they settled. In this case, because of the need to quickly mine and refine metals, the settlers used IS: Magenta, an Infinity Serum originally derived from genetic material collected from metahumans Frances Kane, Neal Emerson, William Everett, Jacob Baker, and Rhea Jones. Once readings of the planet were taken on approach, the pioneers began a regimen of this serum, eventually developing the magnetic powers that would allow them to harvest metal and move quickly (via flight) over the planet's surface.

Because of the nature of this planet, the architecture is essentially entirely metallic. A civilization of chrome and metal, they use magnetic technology for transportation, as well as the ability to manipulate magnetism for flight for much of the population. Not all Braalians have the same amount of magnetic ability, which is due to individual genetics and family lines, as well as emigration onto the planet early in its history. However, those who wish to gain those abilities may be granted permission to obtain new serums, which are restricted by government control.

There's a lot more to think about when discussing a civilization essentially built around metal and magnetism, but I like to imagine Braal as a sort of neo-Rome, with the masses gathering around big arena sports. One of the most prominent is the sport of magno, a ball-sport with similarities to the Mesoamerican ball game and gladiator sports, in which the athletes harnessed their magnetic abilities, while the arena added more entertainment by bringing in new and unknown environments and threats during the games. And Rokk was one of the finest athletes in Braal.

A native of its capital city, Venado, he was a young magno prodigy, starting from an early age, and ascending from relative poverty. His prominent role in his family and as a people's hero of sorts is imposed on him at an early age. Which, y'know, is obviously problematic for a teenager with a still developing brain. At the age of 16, he was chosen as one of a group of young ambassadors to represent Braal to the United Planets on somewhat of a diplomatic mission. Thus, Rokk's sense of responsibility and duty towards his home begins early, as he's sent to NuMetropolis, the seat of the UP, as an advocate for his economically struggling homeworld, and for the lower end of the vast class divide that plagues it.

And there's the set up for our first member, and first leader At least, he's the first leader at the beginning of the season. See, Rokk's first season story will, unsurprisingly, revolve around his dealings with the weight of his responsibility, which will seem fairly easy on first blush, but takes quite the toll on him over time. And his successes and failings (of which there will be plenty) will add up by the end of the season. And who knows? By the end, Rokk may not be the leader any more. And who would be the leader? Well...I know somebody who would initially want the role, at the very least.

Lightning Lad: Rebel of Winath

Before I jump into this guy, I wanna preface this section by saying this: my Lightning Lad is not necessarily White or Black. Why is that important to stay up front? Well, firstly, I used the original Garth (whom I very much enjoy) in the cover image for the section. That's because I'm using all of the Final Crisis covers for these three, since I like them, and they shoe multiple designs of the characters in each image. Good artwork courtesy of the late, great George Perez.

And secondly, I want to make something absolutely goddamn clear: Bendis' version of Lightning Lad is genuinely offensive to me as a Black person. Why? Oh, I dunno, maybe it was the idea that making Garth dark-skinned was an after-thought, rather than the original concept for that version of the character, as evidence by the original artwork of the new Rebirth Legion, which was quickly recalled by editorial for the sake of pandering. And that's made even WORSE when you see what Bendis DID with the subsequent choice to make Garth dark-skinned. Not a Black American, but dark-skinned. AND THAT IS AN IMPORTANT GODDAMN DISTINCTION. Why?

...Bendis, what the fuck?

Really? You're asked to make a character dark-skinned instead of his normal light-skinned origin, and you decide the right origin for that character is to show them fighting the cops, because they come from a poor, low class ghetto world, and then showing that they come from a too-big family struggling to live within limited means? YOU GAVE LIGHTNING LAD THE MOST STEREOTYPICALLY BLACK ORIGIN, DESPITE HAVING NOTHING TO DO WITH EARTH

That is...enormously offensive in every possible way to me. DC Comics editorial pandered to modern movements and made him Black, when that wasn't originally the plan, and Bendis responded by making THE WORST POSSIBLE ORIGIN FOR A DARK-SKINNED CHARACTER POSSIBLE. Look, I'm not saying that Garth needs to be a white ginger kid, a black kid, or any particular race in general. Same with Rokk and Imra, by the way. They come from different planets, and even if they're descended from humans, why the hell do they need to adhere to any particular race or skin color? Race-blind casting if this is a live-action show, that's what I say.

And you maybe thinking, "Calm down, Lonely, it was probably a response to BLM protests happening at the time." NOPE! This was a full FOUR MONTHS PRIOR. Goddamn it, this shit gets me so fucking angry. That said, though, there's one more argument both for and against Garth being dark-skinned, and that's having to do with his powers. Because, uh...in case you don't know...

...the number of Black characters with electricity powers is, frankly, ridiculous. And sure, you could say that Lightning Lad being black is a fun little nod to that weird comic-book trend. But, uh...honestly, it's getting to be a stereotype at this point, and I'm don't know if I'm about that. So, is my Garth Black? I, uh...I don't know. I like it for the sake of diversity, obviously, but I'm also not a huge fan of contributing another Black electricity user to the public zeitgeist, especially because I'd also be including his sister and brother in that number, making the problem even more prominent. I dunno, come up with your own opinion here, but...for now, let's take race out of the equation.

'Cause, uh, here's the fun thing about writing a character or origin for a character: race doesn't have to matter. Not saying it never should, because it obviously should in some instances, but, like...you can write a character however you want to despite race if you want. You, uh...you got that comic book writers? 'Cause you don't seem to. Looking at you, origin of Ironheart that includes her Dad being killed in a drive-by shooting, for Chrissakes. Who wrote that anyw...GOD FUCKING DAMMIT BENDIS WHAT THE HELL

...

Winath. An agricultural planet, Winath is a pretty normal place. Which is pretty astonishing, considering its surroundings aren't quite as hospitable. A Goldilocks planet with a mostly temperate climate, this was settled with the intention to act as a breadbasket for the galaxy. It was, however, a fairly large planet, and early 24th Century colonists had an innovative way of settling it quickly. Like the colonists of Braal, they used one of the Infinity Serums to inoculate themselves and provide useful powers. In this case, they used IS-Black, which used the genetic material of ancient metahumans such as Danton Black, Jaina Hudson, Frederick von Frankenstein, and Simon Ecks to bestow the power of self-replication upon the user.

This worked well at first, until three generations in, when scientists realized two problems. One, this would inevitably lead to excess inbreeding, and two, population growth at that kind of exponential rate would exhaust the resaources of this planet, similar to what had occurred on Earth. So, two solutions were developed. First, genetic limiters were placed on the populus to block their abilities. This didn't fully work on everyone, instead putting limits on how many duplicates an individual could produce in some cases. Therefore, the second measure was put into place, and the colonists who retained this ability traveled to a nearby world within the system: Cargg. More on that one later, of course.

So, who was left on Winath? Powerless colonists who farmed the lands and expanded normally, never gaining too far beyond their means, and working together in cohesive agrarian communities to supply food to their corner of the galaxy and themselves. But an unseen quirk had emerged as a result of the genetic tampering. While an individual could no longer create a duplicate of themselves, the next generation of Winathians showed a massive proportion of twins born. This side-effect would continue, and most births of Winathians would be twins. This eventually resulted in superstition surrounding individual births, and those single siblings would become somewhat ostracized by society.

However, another interesting quirk would eventually be discovered. It turns out that the serum limiters suppressed the ability for Winathians to divide. But what wasn't known by anyone, due to spotty record-keeping in the 21st century, was that one of the sources of metahuman DNA, Simon Ecks, was also an electrokinetic. Which meant that, given the right stimulus, Winathians could potentially develop a secondary ability to control, store, and release energy in the form of electricity. However, on a peaceful agrarian planet like Winath, what could cause that amount of electricity, other than some kind of freak accident?

Enter the Ranzz children, Garth, Ayla, and Mekt.

Born in the 31st Century, the Ranzz siblings came from a normal family. Mekt was a single birth, the result of a troubled pregnancy (which is actually rare on Winath), and was born with white hair (another feature inherited from Simon Ecks). As such, he was ostracized as a child, and grew up quite troubled. However, always rushing to his defense were younger twin siblings Garth and Ayla, who really did love their brother, and were loved by him. An important note there to revisit later. Also, Garth and Ayla being fraternal twins rather than identical ones was also a point of contention for many people.

In any case, the Ranzz kids grew up fairly happy and content, with the exception of Mekt to a degree. His troubled life eventually caused him to fall in with a less-than-savory group of single kids in his generation, worsening his reputation. When he was 16, and Garth and Ayla were 12, Mekt was accepting controversial smuggling jobs as a part of his gang, hired by off-worlders such as the interplanetary gang leader Tharok. On one of these jobs to a nearby dangerous moon, Garth and Ayla hid as stowaways on Mekt's ship. But unbeknownst to all of them, this was a trap, and what Mekt was smuggling was a powerful EMP bomb meant to knock out Winath's power supply, crippling a corner of the galaxy as part of a terrorist plot by the Dark Circle. Yup, I'm getting rid of the Lightning Beasts. 'Cause that's silly (even though the animated series did a GREAT job with it, admittedly).

Needless to say, though...things didn't go as planned. Mekt was meant to take the fall, but with Ayla and Garth revealing themselves in the midst of the affair, Mekt was delayed just long enough for the blast to detonate in an isolated field, away from the intended target. Once detonated, an electric field powerful enough to vaporize most people went off. And yet...the Ranzz siblings survived, changed permanently as a result.

Garth and Ayla took a bit to recover from this, but eventually awoke with electrokinetic abilities, which were awakened by the inherited instability of the Ecks serum. Dubbed miracles by most, the two were arguably made better by the experience. Mekt, on the other hand, realized that this would be an even more isolating experience. And, feeling guilt for having changed his siblings' lives forever, he sought revenge against the person who sought to frame him: Tharok. After that, Mekt disappears for a while, not truly saying goodbye to his siblings and disappearing for several years. But just before he leaves, he goes after Tharok. And let's just say that only half of that guy is gonna survive the encounter.

As time passes, though, Garth becomes less than satisfied with his life on Winath. While Ayla adapts to her powers and this new existence (and maybe learns how to use them slightly differently than her brother does), Garth wants to use his powers to help people, like he had failed to do for his brother (in his eyes). Despite the protests of his family, Garth sees an opportunity to leave and explore the galaxy in the form of the United Planets summit on Earth, and sneaks away in the dead of night to do so, and to fulfill his destiny, while also trying to find his lost brother. And this, of course, will lead Garth to found the Legion of Superheroes.

Garth's story is that of the accidental hero with a chip on his shoulder. His perceived failings leaves him eager to prove himself any way he can, and that leads to rash decisions and actions that his friends have to deal with. It'll also eventually lead to the loss of his arm, but that's another story for another season, of course. His role in this Legion isn't exactly the hothead he is in some incarnations, but the one of the passionate hero who tends not to look before he leaps. So basically, he'll have a lot of consequences to deal with throughout this series, almost all of his own making. And then...there was one.

Saturn Girl: Child of Titan

We're finally at the girl character! Look, more often than not, as I'm sure you know, reader, the token female character is portrayed as the heart of the team, or the sensitive one, or some other stereotypical folderol. In this case, though, I'm leading HARD into Jean grey vibes with Imra, as a person who can read minds and understand people...but is also a bit too powerful for her own good...or for her own people. So, since this has already been WAY too long, let's jump right into my version of the moon Titan.

One of the oldest of the First Ring planets, Titan is a moon of the planet Saturn, and was the first one settled in the early 23rd century. Meant essentially as an outpost to other worlds beyond the solar system, Titan was an intriguing colony location with some problems. Mainly, the lack of breathable air there is somewhat of a problem for long stays, which were often necessary. So, they used the early and easily-developed serum IS-Clay, which used the genetic material of...hoo boy, here we go: Simon Jones, Lilith Clay, Steven Dayton, Tommy Monaghan, Hector Hammond, Manchester Black, an unknown source, and a source kept top-secret. Yeah. Lots of stuff in there. Anyway, that serum gave the recipients psychic abilities, and was later perfected and limited to just supply telepathic abilities. This was so communication could take place without the need for breathing, and instantly over large distances. After all, comms equipment may not work well in a corrosive and flammable atmosphere, so exceptions must be made.

Over time, physical changes amongst the population would occur, simply due to changes in the gene pool over time. Vocal cords, without usage, would likely atrophy somewhat. Not completely, but definitely to the extent where Titanians would speak essentially with their minds, not their voices. Because of lower temperatures, and because of Allen's rule, Titanians would be on the shorter and stouter side, being a bit stockier as a result. So, ideally, the design or actress for Imra would match those parameters.

Additionally, Titan was one of the few planets of the First Ring that had pre-existing civilizations. Long before the human settlers, Martians had settled the planet, with the Red subspecies in particular being the inhabitants of this world. But due to their war with the White Martians, their civilization on Titan was destroyed long before human settlement. The last of these was Jemm, Son of Saturn, who lived during the 21st century, and was known by settlers as a historical figure. However, after a few generations of regular mental communication, some Titanians developed a makeshift hive-mind of sorts, breaking off from the main society and forming their own eccentric collective known as the Espers. This eccentric group would worship Jemm and the ancient Saturnians as essentially gods, and they would become a sort of terrorist group on Titan, trying to change the burgeoning society into something far different from Earth's and more alien. These extremist views got worse and worse over the centuries, until considered a very dangerous cult in the 31st century as a result. And those who know...know.

But the Espers aren't Titan's only issue. As generations pass, the telepathic abilities of the population get progressively stronger and stronger. Personal boundaries begin to disappear due to greater telepathy, leading to the development of even stronger mental boundaries and walls. Most of this power development is peaceful, and Titan is a typically peaceful society. But there is a fear of the next generation being far more powerful than the last. Enter Imra Ardeen.

Born to a fairly well-off family (she's the high-class to Rokk's low and Garth's middle), Imra is one of the most powerful members of her generation. Now, obviously, this is the direction in which Mary Sue walks, but this power isn't effortless for Imra. Not only is this power genuinely difficult for her to control, but it alienates her from those around her. Because she has to keep her power hidden from those around her, she closes herself off mentally, which is a no-no to a society that's mostly open with each other. And the uncertainty surrounding her behavior leads to mistrust. Mistrust leads fear, fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and...well, you know.

Imra is the misunderstood hero, and rather than leaving Titan voluntarily, she's effectively exiled from her home, amidst fears that she's secretly an Esper, or...well, even more dangerous than that. And to be honest, Imra is INCREDIBLY powerful, due to the inheritance of a powerful psychic gift. She's also one of the few Titanians to speak out loud, purely to avoid using her mind. And that is, of course, another Titanian taboo. So, Imra, isolated and ostracized from an entire planetary society, leaves Titan. And if she can help it, she's not going back. This is a shame and a secret for her to bear. However, she will be sought out by the Espers, who seek to add her to her number, especially their own child prodigy, one Meta Ulnoor. Again, if you know, you know.

Imra, once she gets to Earth, is a private and closed off person, but also picks up information very quickly due to her gifts. She's constantly holding herself back, and is always on guard as a result. However, her friends, especially Garth, will eventually get her to enjoy life on Earth, open up a bit, and even guide towards a way to control her powers and emotions that doesn't revolve around repression. Yeah, Imra's an interesting one in my estimation, and seeing her change and open up would be very interesting in my opinion. And given that she's one of the most popular and iconic of the original Legion, I think that's pretty fitting. Even though, ironically, her entry is the shortest one here, but come on...this essay is long enough.

Epilogue: A Balanced Trio

So, there you have it: my versions of the original three with the potential for interesting stories and interrelationships. The more responsible and dutiful Rokk reigns Garth's wilder tendencies in, while Imra grounds Rokk into a more practical reality (and away from hero-worshipping idealism), and Garth helps Imra to enjoy life and let her guard down a bit more than usual. The three balance each other out, but each have distinct personalities outside of each other's influence.

In the first season, these three obviously will be major players, and each will serve as the main anchor for a season-long story, which will tie together by the end of the season. In fact, I've already hinted at that ending story at least twice, although I've obviously left a lot out. We'll get there, though. In the meantime, we have more members of the Legion to fill out. And, in fact, they'll come together as a separate anchor for the season's storyline...but again, we'll get to that one later. In the meantime, I'm taking a break for a minute. This essay took...a while. See you soon!

See you in Part Three!

[ilovehelenkeller]

They should make a tv show with no conflict so I don't get worried.

[oh-great-authoress]

Someone write this—I want to watch this show already.

The urban fantasy show I actually want to see is a hospital drama with a dedicated wing for supernatural illnesses.

Vampirism. Lycanthropy. Cheap spells gone wrong. A woman brought in for her prenatal has to be told her baby is a lindworm. Someone is literally being followed by the anthropomorphic personification of the Black Death.

Someone somewhere out there is having their perception of the world irreparably shattered by the knowledge that magic is real, and at the other side is a team of doctors who have to roll their eyes and pull out Grimm’s Complete Fairy Tales because some high school kid tried to go Carrie with a cheap spellbook and turn all the kids at prom into frogs, and the doctors have to wrangle a couple dozen teenagers into admitting if they have a true love who can break the spell.

[thewickedbohemian]

TV idea poll: unscripted edition

Explanations

this quiz show wouldn't be getting into any political-y topics so you wouldn't be tested on stuff like climate change or certain election results, questions would be more like "what were George Washington's false teeth made of" or "does sugar make kids hyper". If he weren't doing Jeopardy (whether I think he should is another matter entirely) I'd want Ken Jennings to host this because he wrote a book called Because I Said So that's essentially this but specifically about stuff that kids get told by parents (like if soda settles an upset stomach or if running through rain keeps you drier). Only problem being finding a quiz format that can make sure a specialized quiz show like this can have enough questions to be sustainable (aka this wouldn't be set up like Jeopardy)

you know the common trend of people buying historical homes and doing stuff like knocking all the interior walls down and painting everything white, well this show would aim to help reverse that trend and bring things back to how they used to be or w/e but still in a way that accommodates the family's needs and restores any cool historical stuff that might not have been changed by the family just fallen into disrepair etc. etc. while all the while teaching people the history connected to the building. I say building and I say houses etc. in the poll option because while the bulk of this restoration-makeover show would be houses if it takes off maybe they could do more than just that and e.g. some business or local-ish government could have the show restore their building for the free publicity. This one's kinda the hardest to describe of the three and that's why I'm rambling but you get the vibe. Only problem would be the kind of people who'd do the kinds of things to houses/buildings that I'd want this show to fix (though it wouldn't all be fixing, perhaps some would just be historical restoration with no bad changes to undo) might not want those changes undone but we can't makeover their building without their consent

I know there's some people who might see a filk-themed (if you don't know what filk is, sci-fi-and-fantasy often-folk-but-not-always music) singing contest as filk selling out but I thought this would be a really cool way to shed some light on it esp. as (though they'd probably be too big to bring on even as guest judges) we're getting a lot of people in the music industry unafraid to be openly geeky. And that's also why winning would help the filker contestants towards a mainstream music career to help bring this kind of stuff more explicitly to the musical mainstream. As for how this show would work every episode (at least up to, like, the quarterfinals or w/e) would have a theme like, say, Superhero Week or Witch Week or Arthurian Week and that theme would carry into the two challenge-round-things of the episode, the first one being just performing an existing filk song on that theme but the second one (as filk's as much about the writing) would be to write and perform an original filk song on that theme. The voting or w/e would work like it normally does on singing competitions but there'd be one round of it after each performance and the eliminated singer would be the one with the lowest average vote total (calculated by taking the sum of their scores from both rounds and dividing by two). Main problem other than the whole dichotomy balance of mainstream vs obscure would be finding the right celebs who are the right combination of geek-connections and music-connections to find a host and a judge panel without being either too big for a gig like this or too unknown outside (no pun intended) filk circles

[tomthefanboy]

It's Happy Hour Somewhere

I want to see a travelogue show where a barfly/mixologist travels with their designated driver companion to all 24 timezones on the planet to see if the old saying is true. Have them fly out to some of the more remote places of the Pacific, do a train ride through South Asia, a road trip across the US and Canada. With the drinker being challenged to not just find a bar that observes happy hour and get there on time (typically 4pm-6pm to encourage after-work drinkers to stop by on their way home) but also try whatever local specialty cockatail they have there.

Something of a cross between No Reservations and Travel Sick.

If @dropoutdottvhad this kind of money I would love to see Grant O'Brian and @samreich in the wild.

[lilmonkboi]

My idea

TV Show idea name:

Ernest Linton, Planet Defender

Plot: A devious and adventurous 12-year-old boy and his goofy but dependable best friend try to live a fantasy life on a faraway planet while defending it from the perils of Earth. The person who can control anything on Ernest's home planet Sunspot is a half-god, half-scientist named Professor Crustinnex, with the help of his annoying but good-hearted and loyal Martians. Luckily, Ernest and his friend Trevor have a secret laboratory as well, where they go to investigate Professor Crustinnex's schemes. The duo are always on their toes whenever a celestial, technical, or earthy obstacle gets in their way.