If you could choose a series HBO would make

[JonArryn]

So, I was thinking about this after reading some things on the internet. And I don't wanna be a fanboy or anything, but if you look at HBO's track record, it is pretty damn insane. There are other good tv networks, but none that comes close to the amount of quality shows HBO does. Take a look at this list: http://www.imdb.com/list/ahY7qaxH2pQ/.

About ten or maybe eight of those shows could be in the running for best series ever made. And I haven't seen them all, but I know what kind of quality they have.

And they can portray violent and sex without censoring anything, which often brings a lot of grittiness to the shows. Anyway, now to why I made this thread. It is so you can choose what kind of show you'd like HBO to make. It has to be based on material that already exists, like a comic book, book, opera etc. Otherwise you can just come up with whatever, and that would undermine the point.

My contribution is that they need to turn the comic book series Scalped into a show. Ten 55 minute episodes would probably cover it. Maybe twelve episodes. The more, the better in my opinion. The comic book has been described as the best HBO show not on TV, and has been compared to works like The Wire and Deadwood. There are morally gray characters, with the main villain being one of the best and most morally ambiguous villains I've ever encountered. There are many characters and none seem shallow or unnuanced. Kinda like The Wire, you never feel bored when you're not with the main caracter, because the other characters are equally interesting or some even more interesting. Some people say Dash (the main charcter of Scalped) isn't as interesting as some of the other characters and have a problem with that, and I may agree with that. But to be fair, McNulty was never the most interesting character either. Nor was JAck in Lost. So that the main character isn't the most interesting, is not always a bad thing, IMO. And I've heard similar things about Deadwood with Seth and Al (although I haven't seen the show).

But others have mentioned that they'd like if Scalped was adapted by HBO. Because of the high writing quality and how they turn The Prairie Rose indian reservation into a character, much like Baltimore in The Wire and Deadwood in Deadwood. And while I don't think it quite reach The Wire levels, it is pretty damn near, which means it is totally worth making. Since The Wire is the best television show ever made being just behind it is very, very good. And it feels like HBO must make Scalped for it to be as good as it can be. There is a lot of violence and sex that is really central to the story, and nothing of that should need to be compromised. But at the center of it it is a damn good story, with really good characters. It is pretty character driven and by the end pretty much every character has changed, for better or worse.

Anyway, Scalped is on my wishlist for shows that HBO should make. Go ahead and mention your dream adaptation.

Scalped is basically about the lives of different indians on the indian reservation Prairie Rose. At the center of it is undercover FBI agent Dash Bad Horse that has come back to the rez after 15 years to take down the criminal rez leader Lincoln Red Crow once and for all. A damn good story which you should read if you haven't.

[Pliskin]

I'd already be happy if this project comes to fruition :

http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/85890-guillermo-del-toro-is-hatching-a-monster-of-a-series-at-hbo-based-on-manga-by-naoki-urasawawritten-by-dr-whosherlock-writer-steven-thompson/

[AndrewBaelish]

A sci-fi show. That is all.

[Reposado]

cant wait for the first poster to suggest a song of ice and fire. oh how we will all laugh.

[JonArryn]

A sci-fi show. That is all.

While I like sci-fi as much as the next guy, I don't think it's necessarily something that HBO should do. There are many other networks that would be qualified to make a sci-fi show too, and have done (BSG, Firefely, Stargate etc.). And while HBO has done some fantasy-esque stuff (GOT and Carnivale, the latter which I haven't seen) it feels like the realistic, modern day character-driven shows are where they really excel. So while yes, it would be nice if they did make a sci-fi show, presonally I think there are other things they can make that probably suits them more and that I would anticipate more than any sci-fi concept.

[JonArryn]

cant wait for the first poster to suggest a song of ice and fire. oh how we will all laugh.

Hehe. Would be nice if they'd adapt it better than they have now though. Season 2 deviated way too much in a direction which was a lot worse than the source. It kinda feels like the writers got hubris after season 1's sucess, and now think that they are much better writers in plot and dialogue than GRRM, which they in no way are (otherwise I can't see why they would change so damn much). There are too much changing of plots and characters, whcih in turn make you as a book reader pretty damn pissed off. But there are countless posts on this, so I shan't make it any longer.

[Roose Seal]

American Gods

^Regarding AG though, I don't know if they're going to incorporate the "Coming to america" chapters, but I'd love to see a mini-series based on the two slave siblings story.

I would like a bona fide horror show. Not a cheap slasher/gorefest but an intelligent terror/horror drama with compelling characters and unique atmosphere, something like Darabont's The Mist or the Laura Palmer storyline in Twin Peaks (when you scrape the whodunit aspect on the surface, it's a horrifying tragedy of a story).

Or maybe the opposite: an intentionally outrageous horror show inspired by Junji Ito circa Uzumaki or Tomie.

also, NO ZOMBIES ffs.

I would also like some urban fantasy show with a strong mythology and a completely mysterious premise, like the miniseries The Lost Room. I loved that mini-series. Even if it was only 3 episodes long it managed to create a really intriguing mythology and I would've loved to see it stretched over 10, maybe 12 episodes.

[Reposado]

I would like a bona fide horror show. Not a cheap slasher/gorefest but an intelligent terror/horror drama with compelling characters and unique atmosphere, something like Darabont's The Mist or the Laura Palmer storyline in Twin Peaks (when you scrape the whodunit aspect on the surface, it's a horrifying tragedy of a story).

bates motel (on a and e right now) is kinda like that. its more suspense then horror. but it fulfills most of that list

[Jaxom 1974]

Pern.

[Scion of Valyria]

I would like a bona fide horror show. Not a cheap slasher/gorefest but an intelligent terror/horror drama with compelling characters and unique atmosphere, something like Darabont's The Mist or the Laura Palmer storyline in Twin Peaks (when you scrape the whodunit aspect on the surface, it's a horrifying tragedy of a story).

I'd like to see something like a more horror-oriented Twin Peaks or something come back. Preferably nothing post-apocalyptic and for the love of God no damn zombies. A sci-fi would be pretty sweet too.

Any genre series that isn't based off an existing book or comic would be more than welcome.

But, top of the list, I'd love to see a pulp-adventure kind of series. The 21st century needs our own Allan Quatermain. I'll even let the not-based-on-something-already-around rule slide. I'd settle for a Tomb Raider or Uncharted series.

[SkynJay]

Pern.

I think per would be best animated. Bad CGI dragons scare me.

Id like a remake, extension of Never where.

[Lord Lymond Lychester]

cant wait for the first poster to suggest a song of ice and fire. oh how we will all laugh.

All joking aside I really would like them to make a Roberts Rebellion miniseries or something to seperate the 3rd and 4th books, primarily so GRRM has a year to catch up, and to give the background info that hasn't been explained nearly as well as in the books (generally just who was who/who did what in the rebellion)

But as for other series I'd like to see I feel the Kenzie-Genaro novels by Dennis Lehane would make for a good private detective series, not sure if they've done a detective series at all, but this would make for some good tv, gritty, great twists, great secondary characters some with reoccurring roles. Gone Baby Gone was already made into a movie, but considering how late it is in the series I couldn't see it being too big of an issue

[sologdin]

silmarillion as a weekly.

[Reposado]

Id like a remake, extension of Never where.

perhaps with a slightly bigger budget this time

All joking aside I really would like them to make a Roberts Rebellion miniseries or something to seperate the 3rd and 4th books, primarily so GRRM has a year to catch up, and to give the background info that hasn't been explained nearly as well as in the books (generally just who was who/who did what in the rebellion)

ive thought about this and other have mentioned it, but theres two maybe three problems.

1. while it would be fantastic for the production team to have another year to prepare for the upcoming got seasons, the kid actors cant really take a two year gap in seasons without aging

2. the major parts of the rebellion are exactly the things the show is weak with. battles, moving armies about, fight scenes. it would probably be way to expensive.

maybe three. perhaps some of these events are better left clouded.

what i do think would be good is a series of hbo movies based on dunk and egg

[DragonAge93]

An epic medieval TV series, whether it be their own made up medieval fantasy world, or something on the crusades or the Wars of the Roses.

[Matrim Fox Cauthon]

A proper Dune mini-series with an age and size-appropriate Paul.

[Francis Buck]

A ten-episode Shogun miniseries.

Preferably written and directed by yours truly (trust me, it would be excellent).

[thenedstark]

A show or at least a mini-series based on the historical Hannibal of Carthage. This man was one of the greatest generals in history. His crossing of the Alps to march on Italy was one of the most heroic events in all of history and his rivalry with Scipio Africanus was legendary. Even his later life in exile has something of the tragic fallen hero story in it. I would say there is a lot of drama and quality TV material waiting to be written and televised based on this.

[Ser Rodrigo Belmonte]

I don't think they could afford the cost of making 2 epic medieval/fantasy shows at the same time. Remember rome got cancelled cause they couldn't afford to do it as well as GoT simultaneously. I think an urban fantasy would be great as well. I really hope monster gets green lit(yes I know it's not fantasy)

[The Killer Snark]

Matrim beat me to it. A properly extensive and completely faithful adaptation of the Dune novels, climaxing eventually with Chapterhouse Dune. Extensive voiceover might be needed, if well done, to bring more of the character of the books, i.e. their exquisite poetry. The previous mini-series was more faithful than the film, but the acting in the second series was aberrant and they over-simplified the story arcs, as well as turning Leto II into a fortune cookie spouting Yoda figure contradictory to his intellectual and moral complexity as a literary character.