New Drama from the producers of Glee and The X-Files

[ethsnafu]

Believe it or believe it not the worlds of Glee and The X-Files are about to collide as Howard Gordon and Ryan Murphy are to collaborate on an unnamed drama for 20th Century Fox. Here's the low-down.

How would you like to see a procedural that forces characters to face their worst phobias? One from the producers of The X-Files and Glee? Does that scare you? Well, you're gonna have to face your fear of it...

Deadline reports that Ryan Murphy (Glee) and Howard Gordon (X-Files) have joined together for this new, as-yet untitled drama, which is currently in negotiations to go to FOX. The pair will co-write and exec-produce the show, which will focus on a shrink who is "the person people go to when everything else has failed." Expect supernatural elements as well as "broader mysteries in the vein of" Mulder and Scully's adventures.

"We all are afraid of something, and fears keep us from living our lives," says Gordon.

Adventures in the vein of Mulder and Scully eh? It seems everyone is making The X-Files these days except Chris Carter. There's nothing new under the sun is there?

Eth

[Guest WaveCrest]

Read about this in the week on Digital Spy. The idea of tackling phobias in a drama series sounds new to me, but I wouldn't watch an episode about people's fears of high/tall places.

[ethsnafu]

I'm intrigued I have to confess. Here's some more information from collider.com and another reference to The "X-Files" so evidently they are using the show as a point of reference in the press releases they are sending out much like was done with "Fringe".

Ryan Murphy (co-creator, exec. producer, showrunner of Glee) and Howard Gordon (exec. producer and showrunner of 24) are teaming-up to present 20th Century Fox with an offer it could, but most likely won’t, refuse. Both key players in two of Fox’s bigger success stories of late, the pair are developing a television drama project that is currently in negotiations to air on said studio. The show is described as a “high-concept, character-driven procedural that deals with making people face their worst fears and phobias.” Somewhere, most likely alongside an octagon, Joe Rogan is thinking to himself “been there, done that.”

Per Deadline, Murphy and Gordon’s project will focus on a psychiatrist and will feature “supernatural elements but will revolve around broader mysteries in the vein of The X-Files.” Considering Gordon served as a writer-producer on Chris Carter’s award-winning series, it seems as if the untitled project is already off on the right foot to achieving that particular end.

Finally, while Fox has not officially picked up the show, it isn’t too much of a stretch (given the amount of success both Murphy and Gordon have contributed to the studio) to think that we will be seeing at least the series pilot on Fox in the near future. Given the contrasting elements of their recent creative outputs (Glee vs. 24), I’m interested in seeing how this series shapes up.

I'm thinking "The Fourth Kind" here folks. Scientist investigates fears which turn out to have an otherworldly explanation is pretty much the plot of that. I wonder if this will deal with alien abduction as was seen in "The Fourth Kind", that would be a super cool show and right in the territory of Gordon's former show.

Eth

[Earthnut]

There is an episode in season 3 of Criminal Minds that is almost exactly the same story line. The episode is called, “Scared to Death.” In Portland, the team is tracking down, not just an average ordinary killer, but he may be a psychiatrist. The team thinks that the doctor finds out what his victim's fear the most and uses that fear to kill them. The victims have all recently moved to Portland and have not developed strong ties to the area. (Michael O’Keefe plays Dr. Stan Howard.)

[Guest WaveCrest]

It would be great if the show was like The Fourth Kind, or has an episode to do with a fear of UFO's.

Michael O'Keefe I've seen in an episode of Night Stalker and one or two episodes of the Law & Order shows.

[ethsnafu]

The "thing you fear the most" idea has been used countless times in TV and film and what I find exciting is the prospect that this is going to be given a speculative twist. I hope enough distance between this show and "The X-Files" can be achieved and I would hope that further press releases stay shy of referring to Mulder and Scully although with Howard's work on that show it's probably inevitable that it will get discussed. It's a shame when something isn't given enough room to be its own beast.

Eth