J.J. Abrams 'Alcatraz'

[WyldeMan45]

After spending so much time on a mysterious, deserted island, you would think being surrounded by water on all sides once again would be furthest from J.J. Abrams’ mind, but apparently not. Deadline reports Abrams and Lost writer/producer Elizabeth Sarnoff are shopping around a spec script for a drama series called Alcatraz. An early version of the script came from Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt but the current version came from Sarnoff herself. Since this is an Abrams sanctioned project from Bad Robot, the plot of the series is shrouded in mystery. We’ll be keeping our ears to the ground for anymore details as this potential series develops, but for now just Abrams involvement is enough to get me excited.

[Alpha]

JJ hasn't disappointed me yet. Sounds promising.

[WyldeMan45]

I've been to the Rock and that is one hauntingly fantastical location. I am very anxious for details on the show.

[Arvin Clone]

With Elizabeth Sarnoff and J.J. being involved, I wonder if it will be something mysterious? I don't want their version of Prison Break or Escape from Alcatraz.

[seeweda]

Ya will be interesting to see what decade the show is based in. Be cool if was based in the 50s or 60s.

[WyldeMan45]

Originally Posted by Arvin Clone

With Elizabeth Sarnoff and J.J. being involved, I wonder if it will be something mysterious? I don't want their version of Prison Break or Escape from Alcatraz.

Either way i'm sure there is an 85% chance it will involve time travel or alternate universes lol.

Originally Posted by seeweda

Ya will be interesting to see what decade the show is based in. Be cool if was based in the 50s or 60s.

Capone and most the other gangsters where there in the mid-30's when it first opened. Not to mention The Rock was closed in '63. So I hope it takes place a lot earlier than the 50's or '60s.

[Gamma_Winstead]

Can't say I care much for JJ. He only jelped create and direct the pilot of Lost. After that he was GONE.

And the Undercovers looks like crap.

[WyldeMan45]

Originally Posted by gamma626

Can't say I care much for JJ. He only jelped create and direct the pilot of Lost. After that he was GONE.

And the Undercovers looks like crap.

Never liked Alias, avoided it based on previews alone. Lost had its great moments but that was mainly Cuse and Lindelof and I had hopes for Undercovers but it looks like a very light-hearted comedic kind of show and not my thing. I really like Fringe though so he has that going for him.

[primitiveskin]

Nowadays with JJ's shows, since he's got so many irons in the fire, he may be a show's (co-)creator, but the success or failure will depend on the other executive producer(s), who will be the actual show runner(s), which in this case would be Elizabeth Sarnoff. Lost was definitely Lindelof and Cuse's baby, but recognition also has to be given to their man in Hawaii, Jack Bender. Bender not only directed a good number of episodes, but also helped to keep the production on track when many times Lindelof and Cuse would still be at the production offices in Burbank.

[Gamma_Winstead]

Originally Posted by WyldeMan45

Never liked Alias, avoided it based on previews alone. Lost had its great moments but that was mainly Cuse and Lindelof and I had hopes for Undercovers but it looks like a very light-hearted comedic kind of show and not my thing. I really like Fringe though so he has that going for him.

Even then, he hasn't done much with Fringe either.

[WyldeMan45]

Originally Posted by gamma626

Even then, he hasn't done much with Fringe either.

Yeah that's true, he does tend to attach his name to everything and than bail. So you have a good point, he hasn't really done much of anything if you think about it.

[Moviefan1203]

This potential show definitely has some promise, it'll be interesting to see if it ever gets off the ground. Anything about Alcatraz piques my interest though, that place is fascinating.

[mredman]

Originally Posted by Alpha

JJ hasn't disappointed me yet. Sounds promising.

Me either. this man is the new Spielberg. Alias, LOST and Fringe is 3 of the best shows ever

[mredman]

Originally Posted by WyldeMan45

Yeah that's true, he does tend to attach his name to everything and than bail. So you have a good point, he hasn't really done much of anything if you think about it.

Well he is an executive on the shows and i am sure he has a hand in the storylines. Especially for Fringe. When he is interviewed on the blu ray sets and in the press for the show he really sounds like he is on top of everything behind that show

[Arvin Clone]

I'm a big fan of J.J. Abrams. It's true that He bails on a show, but only when He's confident that He's left it in good hands. He knew that Lost would do fine with Lindelof and Cuse running the show. Whether you like Him or not. You can't argue against His success. None of His shows have lasted less than three years. Networks like that!

[Walts Ghost]

I'm all for it, this could be interesting. I lovee J.J.'s previous work, so I'll definitely be checking this out when it starts. I wonder what he could do with Alcatraz to make it mysterious...

[mredman]

Originally Posted by Arvin Clone

I'm a big fan of J.J. Abrams. It's true that He bails on a show, but only when He's confident that He's left it in good hands. He knew that Lost would do fine with Lindelof and Cuse running the show. Whether you like Him or not. You can't argue against His success. None of His shows have lasted less than three years. Networks like that!

he hasn't bailed on Fringe yet. he is still promoting it and telling new stuff about season 3. So i don't think it is true that he bails on his shows. And i am sure he is right there in the background of all his shows to see how its going and giving advice

[primitiveskin]

Don't get me wrong, Bad Robot is the vanity label attached to Abrams' various and sundry film and TV productions, but when you're super busy, you just can't be involved in the day-to-day decision-making, whether it be creative or financial, otherwise everything suffers. The best thing that can happen is that he hires excellent and skilled writers as show runners, who can run the writers' room and make the tough decisions about how to spend a show's budget so that every episode isn't going over-budget all of the time, and when to save some money on an earlier episode to have more money available to do something really spectacular on something like a season finale, if that's something that's desired and required.

The heavy lifting on any show will always be the executive producer(s), who you will either recognize or not recognize as being the show runner(s), and the co-executive producers, who are also writers that may have some supervisory duties on the set, and aren't cooped up, slaving away in a sunless writers' room. People who are co-executive producers, and can do that job well, can one day become show runners themselves, whether it's a show of their own creation or they're hired by someone like Abrams. At best, Abrams is a consultant on the shows that he has launched, because it's just not feasible to be writing scripts or directing episodes all of the time when he's got so many other things demanding his attention.

[WyldeMan45]

WOAH! I am officially watching!

Jorge Garcia to Star

The Fox drama Alcatraz is quickly developing into a dragnet for Lost fans. Key Lost writer Elizabeth Sarnoff is the showrunner. Lost co-creator J.J. Abrams is executive producer. And now, according to Deadline, Lost fan favorite Jorge Garcia will star.

The drama centers on a team FBI agents that investigates the mystery of a group of missing Alcatraz prisoners who disappeared thirty years ago. Garcia will play Dr. Diego Soto, the world’s foremost expert on Alcatraz, described as a “hippie geek.” Awesome.

Bryan Burk (Fringe) joins Abrams and Sarnoff as producer; Danny Cannon (CSI) will direct the pilot, which shoots in January in San Franciso and Vancouver. Glad to hear they’ll shoot some of the show on location in Frisco. The aerials, at the very least.

[detective392]

Originally Posted by WyldeMan45

WOAH! I am officially watching!

Jorge Garcia to Star

Awesome will be tuning in for sure now. Was hoping he would be back on TV soon. Really hope it ends up on cable but I think it will be a network show which means cancellation will soon follow knowing all the good shows end way to early on network.