agentorange [Celluloid 05.08.12] post apocalyptic scifi



J.J. Abrams' new post-apocalyptic show, Revolution, is officially a go on NBC and the first picture of the cast in costume has appeared online. Bows, arrows, these guys look a little more like a band of merry men than apocalypse survivors. But who knows, that might be the whole point.

Synopsis:
"A family struggles to reunite in a post-apocalyptic American landscape: a world of empty cities, local militias and heroic freedom fighters, where every single piece of technology — computers, planes, cars, phones, even lights — has mysteriously blacked out... forever."

We've mentioned previously that fans of S. M. Stirling's long-running "Change World series" (aka Emberverse series) will recognize similarities in the concept of a mysterious loss of all electronic devices and energy of, really, any kind. Somehow with the show being on NBC, I doubt it will be quite as good.

Here's an interesting twist: The pilot is being directed by Iron Man's John Favreau.

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Charles Widmore (1 year ago) Reply

This show will probably be a convoluted mess like Lost was, divided between flashbacks and endless scenes of the cast walking through the jungle (concrete in this case.)

Lenman_99 (1 year ago) Reply

They sure look well feed for being a PA landscape. At least the makeup still works.

Acrobatic Flea (1 year ago) Reply

They also seem very clean and dressed in non-tatty clothing!

anon (1 year ago) Reply

@Charles Widmore ,

Don't let the "produced by J.J. Abrams" tag fool you. I doubt if he had anything to do with this except produced it with his production company. This is Eric Kripke's show, and the man knows what he's doing. Look at the first 5 years of Supernatural an example.

rek (1 year ago) Reply

I think you meant to say "look at the first three years of Supernatural". Because season 4 is where the show went off the rails, and it's only now recovering under Sara Gamble.

Fredster (1 year ago) Reply

Perfect clothing, perfect skin, make-up & hair, even a cute teenager, this does not bode well. Another Terra Nova or Flash Forward, or Event etc, etc.

Beppe (1 year ago) Reply

I'd like to know what technology is. "computers, planes, cars, phones,even lights" seems refer to an emp. This should be a world with steam engines, old kick started bikes and so on. But I think they will show all non muscle powered devices stopped by a supernatural force. It's not for me!

agentorange (1 year ago) Reply

In the Emberverse series The Change doesn't only effect electrical devices but also combustible machinery like guns. I wonder if this is why they are using bows and arrows.

Beppe (1 year ago) Reply

I must admit my ignorance but I really can't imagine such an event, unless as a sum of multiple causes.

donc48 (1 year ago) Reply

In any PA event the first two items that will be consumed would be gas and Ammo. Think about it gas goes stale after about a year and you all those Call of Duty players mindlessly blazing away. So depending on the length of time after the event the bows and arrows and spears make sence. About the casts apperance come on guys the is Hollywood. You can't expect oily hair torn cloths and ratty beards.

CrazyYog (1 year ago) Reply

I believe I read somewhere that diesel fuel would last for years, I may be mistaken.

I don't like the idea of guns not working.

zombieja (1 year ago) Reply

I read the synopsis and I want to like it and watch it... and then I look at the photo again. Surprised there's not some strategically placed black smudges on some of there faces. Looks like they've got all the stock character boxes checked off. sigh.

Speedy (1 year ago) Reply

Hmm, all electronics etc go dark? Did the nucs get time to shut down? Did the ferezers at the CDC and the anti escape systems in the deadly sections work? Did the planes landing at the airports crash into the cities? Did the gas pipes crack and blow? did the anti fire systems work? Have not seen this, probably will not make it to Australia till it is canceled. But getting my star destroyer ready to drive through the holes in the plot.

walkerredeye (1 year ago) Reply

I clicked the link to this page without really reading and i thought "hang on this looks a little like Stirling's emberverse" in the world of the change one thing happens to make things go wrong giving stirling 2 worlds to play with, the world of "the chnage" which is a bit conneticut yankee in a group of reenactors (i believe the americans amongst you would understand these types as SCA ?) seizes power and throws the world into a drudgey feudal society. the main opponants for this are a paganistic society modelling itself on celtic fables and a bunch of professional mounted fighters with a much more benign feudalism (oh and later on some really crazy tolkein wannabes), the change itself negates ALL electronics as well as some cheimcal processes for example disel and petrol will still burn in lamps but not with enough vehemence to make internal combustion work, gun pwoder and other fulminates flat out do not work but nerve gas still does, there has also been some change in the laws of physics (i forget the science as it is at best hinted at and im no scientist) but steam power also no longer works. The books are well worth a read and not as bleak as the more usual PA literate, ok VAST numbers of people die but it is from starvation and banditry not radiation or zombies, ifn you have a foot in fantasy as well as PA literate I believe you will enjoy the books immmensly and want to run a role game in the world. Also the otehr fractural world books are fun too; VERY conneticut yankee (the isle of nantucket actually...) but more in the court of odyessyus than arthur>
I am certainly intretsed in the sereis but I really doubt it will run totally true to the books as some of the key players in the books seem very different as far as I can match these shiny survivors to the characters in the books.

rek (1 year ago) Reply

It sounds like virtually any other PA-ish series I've ever seen. I'd love for someone to put an original spin on it for once.

jp (10 months ago) Reply

I swear to god. I had already thought of this situation before. Doesn't it anger you when you come up with something, then a little while later it becomes mainstream through somebody else? Dammit.