Does anyone else have a negative knee-jerk reaction to the word gritty? I’m guilty of using the adjective even though seeing it used to describe a comic book, film, or TV series often makes me want to tune out. The word is on my mind today because there’s a “gritty” adaptation of Little Women in development at The CW. You read that correctly.
Learn more about the project in today’s TV-Cap and also: see new Walking Dead characters, watch a silly clip from Lifetime’s unauthorized Full House movie, and more.
Huh. When books are adapted for television, concessions must be made. I get that. Sometimes it’s for the best. But sometimes, I just scratch my head. Case in point: Deadline announced The CW is moving forward with development of an adaptation of Little Women. The family drama by Louisa May Alcott was published in 1868 and 1869, and centers on four sisters and how they grow up. It has a lot of fascinating commentary on gender roles. I have feelings about it, OK? So, I also have feelings about this adaptation. Written by Alexis Jolly (a dude) and executive produced by Jolly and Michael Weatherly (another dude), this Little Women is a “hyper-stylized, gritty” adaptation. The girls are half-sisters struggling to survive in the dystopic streets of Philadelphia and “unravel a conspiracy that stretches far beyond anything they have ever imagined – all while trying not to kill each other in the process.” I realize that’s not a ton of information to go on, but I am raising my eyebrow so high. [Comic Book Resources, gif via Panda Whale]
He’s Radiant. As Kara Zor-El embraces her heritage, more and more villains will undoubtedly cause trouble for her in Supergirl. One of those villains will be Ben Krull, a.k.a. Reactron. Chris Browning has been cast as the baddie in the CBS series and will appear in the third episode. He comes to National City to take out his anger at Superman on Supergirl. [TVLine]
It’s Not Over. The terror will continue on MTV. The network has already renewed Scream for a second season. The first season is only half over, but it doesn’t sound like they’ll be dragging out the killer reveal to next season. [The Hollywood Reporter]
Mostly from the Comics. The Walking Dead will introduce at least three more survivors in the upcoming sixth season, and Entertainment Weekly has revealed closer looks at them. The additions include Merritt Wever as Dr. Denise Cloyd, Corey Hawkins as Heath, and Ethan Embry as Carter. They’re all inspired by characters in the comics in some way, and you can get more details on their roles right here.
Turtles and Dinos. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are great. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated in a cute style to match the Playmates Half-Shell Heroes action figure line are even better. That will be the look in a new 2D animated special coming to Nickelodeon on November 22nd: Half-Shell Heroes: Blast to the Past. The turtles will travel through time to the Jurassic Era and befriend dinosaurs and deal with aliens. Turtles riding dinosaurs. Bless. [IGN]
Tig Is Everywhere. Tig Notaro has been maintaining a full dance card this year. She’s appeared in specials on Showtime and Netflix and soon, she’ll be on HBO. Her streak is continuing with a series greenlight from Amazon. They’ve picked up a pilot starring and written by Notaro. Diablo Cody will share writing duties, and Louis C.K. will executive produce. [Nerdist]
Picking on the Twins. Oh, Lifetime. Thank you for making me collapse into a giggle fit with the first clip from the Unauthorized Full House Story. The movie goes behind-the-scenes of the family series, and if the whole thing is as ridiculous as this clip that features a John Stamos stand-in (Justin Gaston) being frustrated with the Olsen twins, I am so on board. I mean, the actor playing Bob Saget (Garrett Brawith) makes a stripper joke and everything. The movie will debut on August 22nd. [TVLine]
Musical Boost. In case you’ve forgotten, NBC is doing another live musical this December. They’re tackling The Wiz, and they’ve just added some powerhouses to the cast. Queen Latifah will play the Wiz, and Mary J. Blige will play Evillene. I guess they’ll probably work out. The musical is scheduled for December 3rd. [The Hollywood Reporter]
From Vine to the Ark. Today I have learned there is such a thing as Vine stars–as in, people who are famous because of Vine. Shawn Mendes is a talented singer with a huge Vine following (over four million people keep tabs on his videos), and he’ll be making the jump from Vine to TV for the third season of The 100. Mendes reached out to The 100 executive producer Jason Rothenberg on Twitter about working together, and as a result, Mendes will appear in the Season 3 premiere. He’ll be playing a survivor on the ark who has to use his talents to get out of a tricky situation. [TV Fanatic]
Ah, Nostalgia. Who’s ready for a walk into the past? Revisit the days of ThunderCats by watching the above video featuring segments of the last ThunderCats recording session. The expressions on their faces are my favorite, and man, the power in their voices–wow. [Nerdist]
What’s your initial reaction to the Little Women news? Let me know in the comments and please feel free to share gif reactions with me on Twitter.
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Featured Image: Penguin Australia
