#axe-fx-three

[usafphantom2]

In addition to the C-390, South Korea will buy more F-35A fighters

In addition to buying Embraer's C-390, South Korea will buy 20 more Lockheed Martin F-35A stealth fighters by 2028.

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 12/04/2023 - 22:33 in Military

South Korea chose the U.S.-based Lockheed Martin Aeronautics F-35A as its stealth aircraft as part of the country's project to introduce next-generation fighters.

The Administration of the South Korean Defense Acquisition Program (DAPA) announced on Monday the decision to bring 20 more units of the F-35A poacher fighters by 2028 as part of the second phase of the country's Fighter eXperimental (F-X) project, which will cost about 4.26 trillion won ($3.3 billion).

The decision comes after the country has already purchased 40 F-35A stealth fighters in the first phase of the FX project, which were fully deployed in January last year.

The stealth fighter is a key military feature of the country's Kill Chain, part of South Korea's Three-axis system, designed to combat North Korea's growing nuclear and missile threats.

This morning, in a surprising move, the South Korean weapons acquisition agency chose the C-390 Millennium, a military transport plane manufactured by the Brazilian aeronautical company Embraer, winning the Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules and the Airbus A400M Atlas.

In the first phase of the FX project, Seoul chose the U.S. four-engine C-130J turboprop military transport plane, which was again expected to be the country's choice in the second phase.

The country will spend about 710 billion won ($444.3 million) to buy additional military transport aircraft by 2026, according to DAPA.

South Korea, technically at war with North Korea 70 years after an armistice, has been carrying out the project to replace old fighters since 2012, as part of the country's efforts to build the Three Axis system.

The system, introduced in response to the Pyeongyang fifth nuclear test in 2016, aims to defend the country's territory by developing a Kill Chain to preventively attack the source of an attack; intercept incoming missiles using Korea's Air and Missile Defense (KAMD); and employ Korea's Massive Punishment and Retaliation (KMPR) campaign to eliminate the opponent's command and control.

Being one of the three axes of the system, the goal of the Kill Chain is to preventively eliminate North Korea's military threat before the launch of a missile. Stealth aircraft play a key role in the Kill Chain system.

But South Korea lacks reconnaissance capabilities, so it is buying the stealth jets abroad.

The plans of the fourth and second phases for the mass production of K21 infantry combat vehicles and light attack helicopters (LAH), respectively, were also approved on Monday, according to DAPA.

The K21 infantry combat vehicle was developed by South Korea's national technology to replace the K200A1 infantry combat vehicles.

The country is also developing LAHs with its proprietary technology to replace the 500MD and AH-1S military helicopters, a 5.7 trillion won (US$ 4.4 billion) project that will last until 2031.

Hanwha Systems Co., a South Korean developer of defense and IT systems, is developing and supplying key components, including a target acquisition designation system (TADS) and an electro-optical system that supports reconnaissance and attack missions, for the country's LAHs.

Tags: Military AviationC-390 MillenniumF-35 Lightning IILockheed MartinROKAF - Republic of Korea Air Force/South Korea Air Force

Sharing

tweet

Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has work published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. Uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

Related news

AERONAUTICAL ACCIDENTS

After weeks of 'detailed' planning, the U.S. Navy removes the P-8 that swayed the runway from the sea

04/12/2023 - 19:54

HELICOPTERS

Philippine Air Force receives third and last batch of T129 ATAK helicopters

12/04/2023 - 16:00

MILITARY

Japan received observer status in the Eurodrone program

12/04/2023 - 2:00 PM

A new video shared by the Ukrainian Air Force shows a MiG-29 jet fighter making an extremely low passage.

MILITARY

VIDEO: Ukrainian Air Force releases incredible video of a MiG-29 in a passage "scratling" the ground

04/12/2023 - 12:00

MILITARY

Top Aces reaches 2,000 flight hours in providing ADAIR services for 5ª generation fighter pilots

12/04/2023 - 11:00

EMBRAER

South Korea selects Embraer C-390 as new military transport aircraft

04/12/2023 - 08:29

[happychildcreation]

I just bought two kemper profiler racks , boss GT-PRO , three axe fxs , two line6 helix's , boss VF-1 , two TC electronic G-systems ....

[aion-rsa]

Hulu New Releases: April 2021

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

While the first day of spring technically belongs to March, everyone knows that it kicks into high gear in April. To celebrate the changing of the seasons, Hulu is finally bringing back its signature original series for April 2021.

Season 4 of the multiple Emmy award-winning The Handmaid’s Tale premieres on April 28. It’s been awhile since we’ve seen June and her dystopian world. In fact, it’s been so long that our own world decided to endure its own dystopian pandemic in the meantime. Hopefully this series’ return will mean we can keep our political and social collapses on television where they belong.

Aside from The Handmaid’s Tale, Hulu isn’t brining much else to the table in terms of originals this month. Thankfully, the one other original that Hulu has in store for April sounds completely righteous. Sasquatch, the latest docuseries from the Duplass brothers producing team, will cover exactly what the title promises. This three-part series heads off to the Pacific Northwest for a tale about an elicit pot farm and the possibility that three men were viciously murdered by Big Foot on it. Sign us up!

Library titles for Hulu in April 2021 are also pretty thin. But April 1 does feature the arrival Mad Max (1980) and Die Hard (1988). Then April 28 sees the arrival of…well, Arrival (2016). Those aren’t bad streaming options in case the weather in April decides to not be spring-like.

Hulu New Releases – April 2021

April 1 Amy Schumer Learns to Cook: Complete Season 1 (Food Network) Caribbean Life: Complete Seasons 18 & 19 (HGTV) Chopped: Complete Season 44 (Food Network) Chopped Sweets: Complete Season 1 (Food Network) Christina On The Coast: Complete Season 2 (HGTV) Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives: Complete Seasons 34 & 35 (Food Network) Doubling Down with the Derricos: Complete Season 1 (TLC) Extreme Makeover: Home Edition: Complete Season 1 (HGTV) Guy’s Grocery Games: Complete Season 22 (Food Network) Naked and Afraid XL: Complete Season 6 (Discovery) Say Yes to the Dress: Complete Season 19 (TLC) Tournament of Champions: Complete Season 1 (Food Network) Undercover Billionaire: Complete Season 1 (Discovery) UniKitty: Complete Season 3 (Cartoon Network) Vegas Chef Prizefight: Complete Season 1 (Food Network) Worst Cooks in America: Complete Season 18 (Food Network) Higurashi: When They Cry: Season 1, Epsiodes 1-12 (DUBBED) (Funimation) 2012 (2009)    28 Days Later (2003)   A Hologram for the King (2016)         A Low Down Dirty Shame (1994)       A Simple Plan (1998)  The Abyss (1989)        Before We Go (2015)  Bug (2007)      Bulworth (1998)          Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)  Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1974)        Changing Lanes (2002)           Chappaquiddick (2017)           Chato’s Land (1972)    Cheech & Chong’s Still Smokin’ (1983)           Cohen and Tate (1989)           The Color Purple (1985)         The Dead Zone (1983) The Devil’s Double (2011)      Devil in a Blue Dress (1995)    Die Hard (1988)          Die Hard With A Vengeance (1995)   Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)          Dude, Where’s My Car? (2000)          Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) Frankie & Alice (2014) Friends With Benefits (2011)  Garden State (2004)   The Gift (2000)            Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003)          Guess Who (2005)      Hancock (2008)           The Hunting Party (1971)       In The Mix (2005)        Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport (2000)   Lady in a Cage (1964) Larry The Cable Guy: Health Inspector (2006)           Life Of Crime (2014)   Live Free Or Die Hard (2007)  Mad Max (1980)         Madea Goes To Jail (Theatrical Feature) (2009)        The Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959)      The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)   Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2004)  Monster’s Ball (2001) Motel Hell (1980)        Napoleon Dynamite (2004)    Never Back Down (2008)        New in Town (2009)   Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009)       The Out-Of-Towners (1999)   The Pawnbroker (1964)          Platoon (1986)            The Polar Express (2004)        The Preacher’s Wife (1996)    The Program (1993)    Ramona and Beezus (2009)    The Replacement Killers (1998)          Rio (2011)       The Sandlot (1993)     Scary Movie 4 (2006)  Sex And The City (2008)          Sex And The City 2 (2010)       Shaft (2000)    Shrek 2 (2002) The Skull (1965)          Sleeping With The Enemy (1991)       Sliver (1993)    So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993) Star Trek: Generations (1994) Step Up Revolution (2012)     The Sum of All Fears (2002)    That Thing You Do! (1996)      The Upside (2017)      Vanilla Sky (2001)       Virtuosity (1995)         Waiting to Exhale (1995)        War (2007)      Warriors of Virtue (1997)       What About Bob? (1991)        Where the Heart Is (2000)      Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)          

April 2 WEWORK: OR THE MAKING AND BREAKING OF A $47 BILLION UNICORN : Documentary Premiere (Hulu Original) Law & Order: Organized Crime: Series Premiere (NBC) Manifest: Season 3 Premiere (NBC) The Moody’s: Season 2 Finale (Fox) Real Housewives of New York City: Complete Season 12 (Bravo)

April 3 Hysterical: Series Premiere (FX) Blair Witch (2016)       

April 5 Girl (2020)       

April 7 Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World: Season 1, Epsiodes 1-12 (DUBBED) (Funimation)

April 8 Home Economics: Series Premiere (ABC)

April 9 Everything’s Gonna Be Okay: Season 2 Premiere (Freeform) Rebel: Series Premiere (ABC) The Standard (2020)   Stars Fell on Alabama (2021)

April 10 The Day I Became a God: Season 1, Epsiodes 1-12 (DUBBED) (Funimation) Desierto (2015)           Knuckledust (2020)     

April 12 Paranormal Activity 4 (2012)  Spontaneous (2020)   

April 15        Real Housewives of Beverly Hills: Complete Season 10 (Bravo)

April 16      Fly Like A Girl (2020)   Songbird (2020)

April 17      Modern Persuasion (2020)     Thelma (2017)

April 20   Sasquatch: Documentary Series Premiere (Hulu Original)

April 21  Cruel Summer: Series Premiere (Freeform)

April 22   GRETA THUNBERG: A YEAR TO CHANGE THE WORLD: Documentary Premiere (PBS)

April 23        The Place of No Words (2020)           

April 25       Wild Mountain Thyme (2021)

April 26   The Oscars Red Carpet Show: Special (ABC) The 93rd Oscars: Special (ABC)

April 28   The Handmaid’s Tale: Season 4 Premiere (Hulu Original) Arrival (2016)  

April 30      The Judge (2014)

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Leaving Hulu – April 2021

April 27 Our Idiot Brother (2011)

April 30 50/50 (2011) 9 to 5 (1980) Affliction (1998) Article 99 (1992) Beloved (1998) Bloody Sunday (2002) Blow (2001) Body of Evidence (1993) Changing Lanes (2002) Chato’s Land (1972) Cocktail (1988) Cohen and Tate (1989) Crimes Of The Heart (1987) Damien – Omen II (1978) Devil in a Blue Dress (1995) Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988) The Dukes of Hazzard (2005) Escape from Alcatraz (1979) Everything Must Go (2011) Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974) From Hell (2001) G.I. Jane (1997) Garfield (2004) Gargoyles: Wings of Darkness (2004) Happy Tears (2010) The Haunting In Connecticut (2009) The Haunting In Connecticut 2: Ghosts Of Georgia (2013) Hitman’s Run (1999) How Do You Know (2010) The Hunting Party (1971) The January Man (1989) Jennifer 8 (1992) Jumping The Broom (2011) The Last Waltz (1978) Mad Max (1980) Madea Goes To Jail (Theatrical Feature) (2009) Mafia! (Jane Austen’s) (1998) The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2004) Motel Hell (1980) Mousehunt (1997) My Best Friend’S Girl (2008) Never Back Down (2008) Ninja Assassin (2009) The Omen (1976) (1976) Only God Forgives (2013) Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2009) Platoon (1986) Pretty Woman (1990) The Prince Of Tides (1991) The Replacement Killers (1998) Sands of Iwo Jima (1950) Shaft (2000) The Shootist (1976) Sideways (2004) Strategic Air Command (1955) The Taking Of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009) Teresa’s Tattoo (1994) That Thing You Do! (1996) Two Weeks (2006) Waking Ned Devine (1998) Walking Tall (1973) Warriors of Virtue (1997) What About Bob? (1991) The Whole Nine Yards (2000) Wonder Boys (2000) X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) Young Adult (2011)

The post Hulu New Releases: April 2021 appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3wgWtl6

[x--daughters-of-darkness--x]

Evanescence: “Guitarists need to be honest. Use your voice. We don’t need fake – we need humanity and real people”

Jen Majura and Troy McLawhorn wax lyrical on the high-octane gear, influences and themes behind the band's upcoming fifth album, The Bitter Truth

The Bitter Truth, the fifth full-length from Evanescence set for release in March 2021, will be their first album of new material in a decade. The American arena group led by singer/keyboardist Amy Lee had already released three singles, though the record’s completion was stalled by the virus pandemic that dominated headlines for much of the year.

The first sessions took place at the beginning of 2020 with rock super producer Nick Raskulinecz [Foo Fighters, Rush, Alice In Chains] in his Nashville studio, spawning the tracks we’ve heard so far – Wasted On You, The Game Is Over and Use My Voice. Then, of course, came Covid, putting an end to safe travel and forcing virtually all plans to change.

For the members in America, it was incredibly problematic. For German guitarist Jen Majura, who joined in 2015, it was an absolute nightmare. Nevertheless, the group kept chiseling away and fleshing out their parts for album number five.

When Guitar World tracks down Majura and co-guitarist Troy McLawhorn towards the end of 2020, things are still very much in the process of being finalized...

Looking back now, that session in Nashville must feel like a very long time ago!

Majura: “Definitely! What hit me so hard was that we’d recorded that first chunk of songs and waved goodbye at the airport, thinking we’d be back in a couple of weeks. And then suddenly this pandemic hit, airports were all shut!

“I had never felt more apart from my friends in the States than since this all started. It’s so unnatural for me not to be there! I’m very old-school – I like my tube amp and 4x12 cabinet. I like to sit in the studio with the humans I’m working with and creating in the moment.

“Being away from Amy and the boys while working on material has felt so unnatural to me, but that’s the we have to do it and we have to make the best out of it. The time we spent with Nick in Nashville was the happiest ever.

“It felt amazing to see these songs coming to life – you have this idea but when you are all in a room creating, things change and become better, you end up trying out different ways. It’s such a vibrant and beautiful way of working. But I get it, there’s this thing called corona, so you know…”

This will be your first album working together on new material. How do you go about splitting guitar parts?

McLawhorn: “Whenever we’re jamming, if someone comes up with up something cool, they play it. There’s no set thing. So far I’ve probably played the majority of the lead guitar – if Jen comes up with something she is always welcome to play whatever it is. It’s a good working relationship. The first batch of songs, the first three that came out, were done in one session before the coronavirus hit. We were all together for those ones.

“But then Jen flew home back to Germany and we were supposed to tour in Europe, but it all got cancelled. Everything we’ve done since then has been without Jen with us, we’ve been kinda flying sessions back and forth. I probably played a lot of the guitar on the album, but she’s been coming up with cool ideas and putting her stamp on it too.”

The Game Is Over definitely feels like the heavier side of Evanescence…

McLawhorn: “There’s a lot of good stuff like that on this one, stuff that people will be surprised by maybe. There’s a fair amount of that aggressive type of music, but it’s a good mixture. So far everyone’s heard the lighter side of the album, like Use My Voice and Wasted On You… but then there’s The Game Is Over. It was a lot of fun to play and there’s more heavy stuff on there too!”

Majura: “That bridge is so heavy, I love it! It’s going back to the real rock roots and having lots of fun. When you have a low-tuned guitar you have to be a bit careful – you can’t just smash your strings but they will warp a bit.

“I remember forcing myself, especially during the bridge, to play gentle even though it had this badass attitude. It took me a couple of takes… the first ones were completely out of tune [laughs]!”

Jen, it must have been a rollercoaster five years for you. How did you end up getting the gig?

Majura: “What happened was that I was playing bass in another band, not really being happy as I’m a guitar player. We happened to play two festivals, one in Germany and one in the Czech Republic. And it turns out Testament were playing the same days as us.

“I’m a huge Alex Skolnick fan, so we ended up talking and keeping in touch. A couple of days later, I got this very mysterious email from him saying, ‘Jen! Some friends of mine are going to contact you and I can’t reveal too much but I think it’s something you should say yes to!’ I was wondering what the hell he was talking about…

“And then a day later, I got this email from Evanescence’s management asking if I would be interested in… and I didn’t even finish reading the email. I just immediately replied ‘Yes!’ and sent it. That was a total no-brainer.

“So this was around July 2015 and the next evening I was on the phone with Amy talking. She invited me to come visit her in New York and hang out. I thought, ‘Okay… cool!’ and three days later I was on a plane flying to fuckin’ New York wondering if this was really happening. It was insane.”

Did you bring your guitar?

Majura: “I didn’t! I asked her if I needed to bring one and she said, ‘Nah, I know you can play, I’ve seen plenty of videos – let’s just hang out!’ And that’s exactly what we did for the next three days. Hanging out, long walks and talks, going out for dinner or to a concert. Becoming friends and getting to know each other on a more human relationship kind of base.

“I realize now that’s the biggest deal when you have to replace a member. A band is a family. I’d like to quote Rob Zombie on that, because he said it in the movie Hired Gun!

“Finding a good player is the easy part – the world is full of virtuosos. You also need someone who can commit to touring, being on the road and that whole lifestyle. The third and last thing, also the toughest, is that you need people you can stand hanging out with 24/7.

“Concerts are only 90 minutes – what about all the other hours in the day? You need to all fit together. Within those first few days with Amy, I realized we both had a strong work ethic and know exactly what we want, which is beautiful.

“She’s a very strong character. I appreciate her musicality and personality too, she quickly became one of my best friends because we laughed about the same things and then figured out we both love Sex and the City [laugh]! I am so grateful and thankful to have experienced everything I have with her and the boys.”

Troy, you’ve been a member of Seether and filled in for Sevendust on some tours, but you’ve been an on/off member of Evanescence for over a decade now…

McLawhorn: “Yeah, to be honest, I never really left Evanescence. We have big breaks between albums. When I did my first tour with the band, Amy told me she was taking a long break, probably around four or five years. I just went out to find something to do in the meantime and ended up playing in Seether for a few years…

“When it was time for me to leave, it coincided with Amy being ready to do another album. And it was a huge coincidence. I ended up in New York and went to Amy’s house. I was having trouble in Seether and wasn’t happy there, and she said she’d love me to come work on the new album. That’s how it all went down.

“There seems to be some pretty long breaks in between albums with this band but I think that’s part of Amy’s creative process. She likes to take her time when she’s writing the lyrics. The final product always turns out really nice that way, so why mess with it?”

What can you tell us about the gear responsible for the guitar sounds on this album?

Majura: “I signed up with Synergy Amps in November last year. When I joined, I think Steve Vai was the only big name working with them, but I figured if it’s Steve Vai it’s gotta be fucking great. So I went over to check their amp out and I was very skeptical. It looks like a tube amp but with all these holes and parts missing!

“But I plugged in, hit one chord and realized it was actually phenomenal. They’ve sent all the different modules to me, like the Diezel, and the perfect solution for me was the Friedman HBE. It has the perfect rock and roll sound for my solos but it also has the mighty depth of high-gain stuff too – which are all frequencies you need for Evanescence.

“I was originally expecting I’d go with the Diezel one, but the Friedman felt more right for me. I’m very open-minded when it comes to technology. You have two modules, each with two channels, so you get a four-channel amp made out of your favorites.

“For example, I could combine a Vox AC30 Brian May sound with a Diezel VH4. It’s phenomenal what they’ve managed to open up for us musicians in terms of sound options. It’s been my tour rig and studio rig ever since.”

McLawhorn: “I used a combination of different things on this album. On The Game Is Over, it was basically my live setup which is an Orange Rockerverb 100, with an analog pedalboard.

“A big part of the tone I get from the amp comes down to a 10-band EQ I use to boost the mids on the lead channel. That’s about it – I don’t really use overdrive pedals or anything like that and probably use less gain than most modern guitarists. I almost use EQ to find a modern sound, instead of more gain.

“I also have a Fractal Axe-Fx III, which I’ve used here and there on the album, especially for clean parts – it’s really good for that. I’ve done some overdubs with the II as well, stuff that has a lot of effects or sounds really wet – Axe-Fx is great for that, too. I also have a 1969 Marshall Superbass 100 which we split with a Bogner Ecstasy or Uberschall, and used for the rhythm tracks on a couple of songs.”

And how about for guitars?

Majura: “I’ve been with Ibanez for many years now and I’m very happy. They deliver the most perfect instruments. You pick up an instrument and either like it or not. Some of them seem to instantly merge with your system – you become one – and that is true of most Ibanez guitars, at least for me.

“Of course I’ve played Les Pauls and other things, but they’re really not my style. I have so many Ibanez guitars now. I think the AZ series was such a smart move – the family is even bigger and better now… Look at players like Tim Henson, who is just amazing. He makes me feel so old. He’ll be nailing it and I’m at home just playing along to AC/DC or something!

“For pedals, I stick with the Line 6 Helix pedalboard because I remember at my first rehearsal in 2015, they would tell me certain parts would need a chorus or flanger or this or that. At the end of the rehearsal I had a battery of pedals in front of me and realized I couldn’t do it. I’ve never been a pedal dancer. I went to Line 6 asking for a solution and they were just about to come out with the Helix… it was perfect.”

McLawhorn: “I was using a baritone PRS SE. I changed the pickups out, but that’s it – I love the guitar and how it plays. I tried a few different sets, most by Seymour Duncan. One of my seven-strings has a Seymour that my tech put in on the road and I don’t know which one it is! He just found it in my guitar coffin and asked if we should throw it in. It stayed for the rest of the tour – it was probably a JB, who knows!

“But the one on the record is the Distortion (SH-6). I really like how they sound. At first, they were a little hot for what I like – I tend to prefer somewhere in between modern metal and classic rock. It felt like really high gain, way too much, especially when switching from my other guitars. But he really lowered the pickup down and that fixed everything, making everything super-tight and adding some nice mids.”

Use My Voice has a really powerful message behind it…

Majura: “Yes! Another thing that connects me and Amy very strongly is that we both went through moments in our careers where males would tell us, ‘You’re just a girl – what do you know?’ It’s time for strong women – in rock or wherever – to stand up and say being good at a craft has nothing to do with gender. It’s been happening for way too long.

“That feeling of our voices being suppressed needs to change, because every voice matters. We’re all the same. It does not matter if you are male or female or transgender… humans are humans. I think we should spend more time understanding why we’re the same. Use My Voice is an important message for women to stand up and be heard.”

Where do you think your influences differ as guitar players?

Majura: “The first guitar hero I had at around 10 or 11 was Steve Vai. He was so revolutionary in terms of what he’s done for the guitar world, both sound-wise and crafts-wise. Electric guitar wouldn’t be what it is today without Steve Vai.

“I respect him so much for how he feels and talks through his instrument. He’s influenced my thinking about a lot of things. He’s an amazing person, not just an amazing musician.

“Then I got into Nuno Bettencourt, who plays for the sake of the song instead of showing off. Which is what I tried to do on my first solo album, Inzenity, everyone expected a shred album and it wasn’t. I played for the song. If it didn’t require a guitar solo then fine, I’d just leave it. I didn’t need to prove to the world how good I was.

“Nuno also has the percussive style of playing, which brings this tone that I really like. And finally, Angus Young. I’ve been playing in an AC/DC tribute band for four years and I love his playing.”

McLawhorn: “A lot of them for me were the classic players while I was growing up. So Ace Frehley for sure… KISS were like Slipknot for us who grew up in the '70s [laughs]! Then there’s Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix. Tony Iommi as well, he was a massive influence on me as a kid.

“Eddie Van Halen was a huge influence on me, too – it was very sad that we lost him so early and so young. When Van Halen came out, I started taking guitar very seriously. The bluesy side of his playing always appealed to me but he also had all that technical prowess, too. A very inspiring guitar player for so many people.”

What advice can you offer anyone out there hoping to become a good session player?

McLawhorn: “You need to know how to communicate with people. I’ve done sessions with some Nashville guys that have this shorthand way of writing music. Reading music and knowing theory is always important… I wish I knew more myself.

“It puts you at ease walking into a session knowing you read and play anything back. I can’t really do that – I just really really listen and learn things by memory. I can read some music but that’s going back to trumpet at high school [laughs]. So I rely on communication always!”

Majura: “I think guitar players need to be honest. Use your voice. Be real. Be pure. We don’t need fake, we need humanity and real people. What I love about people like Mattias IA Eklundh is he’s just himself. He’s pure and innovative in a really interesting way.

“I’ve gotten to know guys like him, Guthrie Govan, Richie Kotzen and Jeff Waters – they’re all awesome and very honest players. I think one should never think one has seen it all and learned it all.

“We need to keep in mind we’re all on a journey in search of becoming better. In terms of advice, I always have to say being open to different styles is so important. There’s something to learn every day. You should never stop trying to improve to make the world a better place. You should never stop learning… that’s what makes you human.”

[wirrrp]

Vision datacrunching 1

So, I'm working on how much of the slurry default should be biased towards having vision problems.  The relevant gene is 2 letters long, and is any combination of the following: {XxAaFfNn}.  X for normal, A for astigmatism, F for farsighted, N for nearsighted.

According to google, about 75% of adult humans use some kind of vision correction.  I'm going to guess it's slightly less common in trolls, due to what I will broadly refer to as selection pressure, so I'll aim for 40%.  I made 10,000 sets of peepers, and narrowed it down to look only at this gene, and here's what my first try produced.

First, the very clearcut cases.  3930 or 39% had the XX gene, meaning perfect vision with no defects.  Next, there were 119 NN, 2 Nn, 127 AA, and 51 FF -- or around 30% having a strong and definitive type of vision impairment.  Now, I either need to find ways to interpret the remaining data in the way I want, or I need to change what data gets produced.

There were only 2 cases that contained a capital X and a capital vision-impairment, so I'll ignore those for now.  The next biggest category is capital X followed by a different lowercase letter (Xa, Xf, Xn) -- there are 4864 of these, or 49%.  Next, a lowercase letter followed by capital X -- there are only 589 of those, or 6%.  Next, the mixed group -- with two vision impairment genes, where at leastone is lowercase.  There's only 313 / 3% of those.

If X+lowercase produces perfect or near-perfect vision, that gives us 88% of the population having perfect vision.  If we go lowercase+X doing that, we'll have 45% perfect vision.  I want to keep the mixed cases as examples of bad eyesight, so I'm going to take that first option, and tweak the incidence of lowercase first letters up a bit. I'm also going to scatter lowercase X around, and see if that helps.  Ready for second test.  

As long as I'm here, I'll also check out how the mutant eye placement is going.

Looks like there's 54 or 5% of the group that have one or more spare eyes during grubhood, that they grow out of with their first pupation.  Mostly on the back, a few on the front or tail, one on the head.  I think around 50 of them will pass the cut, which seems fair for Alternia.

Of those with permanent extra eyes, I see 33 with one or more stray eyes on the face, three with specifically a forehead eye, and 8 with eyes on the back of the head.  Those will probably make it just fine, as long as they can find partners during the season -- and as long as their hair doesn't bother their eyes too much.  There's another 14 with stray eyes along their back or spine, which is more inconvenient, less immediately obvious, and potentially more useful. Being able to see behind you has advantages, and at least some of them will be able to find shirts that accentuate the eye in a good way.  On a similar note, there's 4 with eyes on the chest / front of torso, which is less useful and slightly more offputting I think.  Still, only a little awkward.

Slightly more awkward are the ones that have eyes on hands or other extremities.  There's 4 "extremity" trolls, which could have them on tails or wings if they have any, or possibly on hands or feet.  There's three with eyes on the back of the hands, which is probably passable and fine.  

..but... now we're getting to the less viable zone.  There's one with an eye on the palms, who will probably have a hard time holding weapons or other tools firmly.  There's one with eyes on their fingertips, who will have a hard time using their hands for much of anything -- I think that one Could make it on some Beforuses, but definitely not Alternia.  There's another four who have eyes at the tips of their grublegs, which will go away after first pupation -- if they make it that long.  There's also six individuals that will have a malformation or loss of their primary two eyes during a pupation, so they'll have to deal with blindness either as a wriggler or an adult.

So... for stray eyes like this, out of a random sample of 10,000 trolls, we have 65 passable extra-eye mutations (0.65%), and 12 (0.12%) who will have significant problems.  That seems pretty good.  I'll compare which mutations came up how often in the next batch, as well.

Raw data below. ----------------------------------------------------- {XX:3930}

{XF:2}

{Xa:1904} {Xf:399} {Xn:2561}

{aX:223} {fX:163} {nX:203}

{an:113} {fa:1} {fn:79} {na:1} {Nf:3} {Af:3} {Fa:60} {Na:53}

{NN:119} {Nn:2} {AA:127} {FF:51} ----------------------------------------------------- {one stray on the back of the grub form}x40 {one stray on the face}x30 {one stray on the back of the body}x8 {one stray on the back of the head}x7 {one stray on the front of the grub form}x4 {one stray on the grubleg tips}x4 {one stray on the spine}x4 {one stray on the tail-grub form}x4 {one stray on the extremity}x3 {several strays on the face}x3 {several strays on the forehead}x2 {one stray on the back of the hands}x2 {one stray on the chest/ribcage}x2 {one stray on the front of the body}x2 {one stray on the fingertips} {one stray on the forehead} {one stray on the head in grub form} {one stray on the palms} {one stray on the torso/back} {several strays on the back of the hands} {several strays on the back of the head} {several strays on the extremities} {several strays on the front of the body} {several strays on the front of the grub form} {several strays on the torso/back} {"--which will be lost after first pupation"}x6 -----------------------------------------------------

[mcbastardsmausoleum]

All 8 titles announced for the Severin Films BLACK FRIDAY SALE - DETAILS!

Severin Films have now announced the full line up of their Annual Severin Films' Black Friday Sale! New to the announcement are the rarely-seen EuroSleaze masterpiece CASTLE OF THE CREEPING FLESH, our brand new original production TALES OF THE UNCANNY: THE ULTIMATE SURVEY OF ANTHOLOGY HORROR which includes three feature length horror anthologies, Buddy Giovinazzo's explosive – and long-unseen – drama NO WAY HOME (limited to 2,500 numbered copies), and THE COLOUR OUT OF SPACE Audio Book, read by Richard Stanley and packaged in a purple clamshell case with digital download code. The sale also will include the first ever authorized Blu-ray release of Severin's original horror anthology THE THEATRE BIZARRE in special 2-disc digipak packaging with slipcase, the Blu-ray premiere of the hallucinatory horror in THE ATTIC EXPEDITIONS featuring Seth Green, Jeffrey Combs, Ted Raimi and Alice Cooper, a new edition of PLAGUE TOWN packed with illuminating bonus features with slipcase, and the worldwide Blu-ray premiere of Douglas Buck's devastating anthology FAMILY PORTRAITS.

There are also two new episodes of the Severin Films Podcast! Both episodes feature surprise special guests and the smooth sounds of

RENDEZVOUS!

After Hours too!

https://linktr.ee/severinfilms

CASTLE OF THE CREEPING FLESH

(1968)

From writer/director Adrian Hoven – creator of the infamous MARK OF THE DEVIL – comes a rarely-seen EuroSleaze masterpiece packed with krimi depravity, mondo-style shocks and graphic gothic insanity: When a group of bourgeois swingers stumble upon the creepy castle of the cursed Earl of Saxon, they’ll discover an unholy nightmare of sexual violence, bombastic philosophy, deranged performances, grisly medical experiments, inappropriate music cues and one very pissed off bear. A stellar cast of Jess Franco regulars including Janine Raynaud (SUCCUBUS), Howard Vernon (SHE KILLED IN ECSTASY) and Michel Lemoine (KISS ME MONSTER) star in this sumptuous platter of late ‘60s filthwürst – also known as CASTLE OF BLOODY LUST – now scanned uncut & uncensored from the German negative for the first time ever in America.

Special Features:

- Adrian in the Castle of Bloody Lust – Archival Interview with Joyce Hoven and Percy Hoven

- MARK OF THE DEVIL Q&A with The Hoven Family at Austrian Pulp Film Fest

- Locations Featurette

- Trailers – English / German / Alt Title APPOINTMENT WITH LUST

- Textless Opening Credit Sequence

- German Opening Credit Sequence

-

Exclusive Black Friday Edition includes a Limited Slip Case!

Specs:

Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1

Audio: English Mono and German Mono

Subtitles: English

Closed Captions: English SDH

Region Free

TALES OF THE UNCANNY:

THE ULTIMATE SURVEY OF ANTHOLOGY HORROR

(2020)

When Covid-19 hit, Severin Films chief David Gregory and House Of Psychotic Women author Kier-La Janisse decided to ask their industry friends which Top 5 films and segments that would make the ultimate horror anthology. The result became an international Zoom-enabled documentary featuring Eli Roth, Joe Dante, Greg Nicotero, Mark Hartley, Mick Garris, Ernest Dickerson, Joko Anwar, Ramsey Campbell, David DeCoteau, Kim Newman, Jovanka Vuckovic, Luigi Cozzi, Tom Savini, Jenn Wexler, Larry Fessenden, Richard Stanley, Brian Trenchard-Smith, Brian Yuzna, Gary Sherman, Rebekah McKendry and Roger Corman in a candid discussion of the best portmanteaus in film/TV history. As a Bonus, Severin is proud to include the rarely-seen 1919 German compendium EERIE TALES, the thought-lost 1949 French/Belgian anthology HISTORIES EXTRAORDINAIRE/UNUSUAL TALES, and a limited second disc with Black Friday Exclusive Bonus Horror Anthology: MASTER OF HORROR (1965) Scanned in 2k from Jack H. Harris’ dupe negative.

Special Features:

- Bonus Horror Anthology: EERIE TALES (1919) from broadcast tape master

- Bonus Horror Anthology: UNUSUAL TALES (1949) New 2k scan from only known 16mm print from Brussels Film Archive

- Limited second disc with Black Friday Exclusive Bonus Horror Anthology: MASTER OF HORROR (1965) Scanned in 2k from Jack H. Harris’ dupe negative.

- Exclusive Limited Black Friday Edition includes Disc 2 MASTER OF HORROR feature!

Specs:

Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1

Audio: English 2.0

Closed Captions: English

Region Free

THE COLOUR OUT OF SPACE

(Audio Book)

“West of Arkham the hills rise wild, and there are valleys with deep woods that no axe has ever cut.” So begins this legendary sci-fi/horror tale by H.P. Lovecraft about a meteorite that crashes in the fictional New England town of Arkham and proceeds to deform all vegetation on “the blasted heath” while driving its inhabitants slowly and homicidally insane. Read by award-winning filmmaker Richard Stanley – whose 2019 movie adaptation starring Nicolas Cage was called “a trippy rainbow of the gory and grotesque” (Daily Mirror) – The Colour Out Of Space remains one of the most startling and significant works in modern horror history.

Read by award-winning filmmaker Richard Stanley – HARDWARE, DUST DEVIL, COLOR OUT OF SPACE – "The Colour Out Of Space" remains one of the most startling and significant works in modern horror history.

Specs:

Purple cassette tape of audio recording

Digital download code of audio recording

Total run time: 84 minutes

THE THEATRE BIZARRE

(2011) 

The concept was unprecedented: Enlist seven of horror’s most transgressive filmmakers – Douglas Buck (FAMILY PORTRAITS), Buddy Giovinazzo (COMBAT SHOCK), David Gregory (PLAGUE TOWN), Karim Hussain (SUBCONSCIOUS CRUELTY), Jeremy Kasten (THE ATTIC EXPEDITIONS), splatter FX legend Tom Savini and Richard Stanley (HARDWARE) – and give them total creative freedom to create their own short films inspired by the Grand Guignol.The result – starring genre icons like Udo Kier (FLESH FOR FRANKENSTEIN), Catriona MacColl (THE BEYOND), Lynn Lowry (THE CRAZIES) and Debbie Rochon (AMERICAN NIGHTMARE) – has been called “wildly unique” (Dread Central), “hilarious, grotesque and scary” (Bloody Disgusting) and “one of the best horror anthologies of all time” (Paste). Experience “a trip you’ll never forget” (Mondo Digital), finally officially available on Blu-ray with hours of exclusive Special Features.

Special Features:

- 2020 Filmmakers Audio Commentary

- 2012 Filmmakers Audio Commentary

- Backstage: The Making of THE THEATRE BIZARRE - New feature length documentary featuring interviews with Directors Douglas Buck, Buddy Giovinazzo, David Gregory, Karim Hussain, Jeremy Kasten, Tom Savini, Richard Stanley, Producers Daryl J. Tucker, Fabrice Lambot, Michael Ruggiero, Actors Udo Kier, Catriona MacColl, Lynn Lowry, Victoria Maurette, Kaniehtiio Horn and more.

- French TV On-Set Report on Richard Stanley's Return to Genre Filmmaking

- Making of VISION STAINS by Filmmaker Pat Tremblay

- Making of THE ACCIDENT by Filmmaker Pat Tremblay

- Shock Till You Drop's Choice Cuts with Buddy Giovinazzo

- Shock Till You Drop's Choice Cuts with David Gregory

- Shock Till You Drop's Choice Cuts with Jeremy Kasten

- Boswell Scores - Interview with THE MOTHER OF TOADS & VISION STAINS Soundtrack Composer Simon Boswell

- THE MOTHER OF TOADS - Extended Cut

-Trailers

-

Exclusive to this Limited Black Friday Edition are an exclusive Slip Case and fold-out Digipak (showcasing original artwork for each anthology segment), as well as the first ever official soundtrack CD (with compositions by Simon Boswell, Susan DiBona, Bobb Freund, Pierre Marchand, Eric Powell and Mark Raskin).

Specs:

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1

Audio: English 5.1 & 2.0, French 2.0

Closed Captions: English SDH

Region Free

THE ATTIC EXPEDITIONS

(2001)

It’s been called “imaginative and audacious” (Los Angeles Times), “fantastic and surreal” (Classic Horror) and “an ideal film that verges towards masterpiece” (Weird Wild Realm). Now experience the Blu-ray premiere of the hallucinatory debut by director Jeremy Kasten (THE DEAD ONES, THE THEATRE BIZARRE, THE WIZARD OF GORE remake) about a young man committed to an asylum where madness, mayhem and murder may rip apart his mind forever. Seth Green (ROBOT CHICKEN), Jeffrey Combs (RE-ANIMATOR), Andras Jones (A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 4), Ted Raimi (SKINNER), Wendy Robie (TWIN PEAKS) and Alice Cooper star in the 2001 shocker Fangoria hailed as “an ambitious first feature laced with a wonderful cast, quirky charms and cool twists”, scanned in 2k from the original negative with all-new special features.

Special Features:

- Cast & Crew 20 Year Pandemic Reunion & Story of Making THE ATTIC EXPEDITIONS, featuring Jeremy Kasten, Seth Green, Jeffrey Combs, Tim Heidecker and many more

- Alice Cooper & Jeffrey Combs Internet Reunion

- Horror Scholar Adam Rockoff Contextualizes THE ATTIC EXPEDITIONS

-

Exclusive Limited Black Friday Edition includes the first ever release of the original motion picture soundtrack CD.

Specs:

Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1

Audio: English 5.1 & 2.0

Closed Captions: English

Region 0/Free

PLAGUE TOWN

(2008)

A tourist family lost in the Irish countryside. A remote village that hides a hideous secret. And the taboo-bashing indie horror milestone that has been called “maniacally twisted” (Horror News), “chilling and disturbing” (Blu-ray.com) and “an experience that goes where most mainstream horror fears to tread” (Fangoria). Experience this “brilliant” (Quiet Earth) hybrid of grisly ‘70s shockers and graphic 21st century folk-horror – hailed as “an icy hand gradually sliding along the back of your neck for 90 minutes” (Mondo Digital) – from co-writer/director David Gregory (BLOOD & FLESH: THE REEL LIFE & GHASTLY DEATH OF AL ADAMSON) and the producers of STAKELAND, now featuring an uncensored HD master and Special Features produced exclusively for this edition.

Special Features:

- 2009 Audio Commentary - Audio Commentary with Director David Gregory & Producer Derek Curl

- White Lace & Button Eyes - The Making of PLAGUE TOWN by Documentary Filmmaker Howard S. Berger

- A Visit to Plague Town - Behind the Scenes Featurette

- The Sounds of Plague Town

- Trailer

- Short Films - SCATHED, TIL DEATH

-

Exclusive Limited Black Friday Edition includes exclusive Slip Case and the first ever release of the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack CD.

Specs:

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Audio: English 5.1 & 2.0

Closed Captions: English

Region 0/Free

FAMILY PORTRAITS

(2006)

Over the course of seven years, three short films about the brutal dissolution of the American family – Cutting Moments (1997), Home (1998) and Prologue (2003) – elicited both horrified gasps and standing ovations at film festivals around the world. When combined into a theatrical feature, this trilogy by writer/producer/director/editor Douglas Buck – whose directing credits would eventually include the SISTERS remake and ‘The Accident’ segment of THE THEATRE BIZARRE – was hailed as “nightmarish” (The New York Times), “like Todd Solondz on crack” (Digitally Obsessed) and “the most chilling portrait of the loss of humanity in the manicured lawns of Middle America ever made” (LA Weekly). Buck’s “unbearably intense and enormously moving” (Filmecho) stunner is now scanned in 2k from the original negative for the first time ever with all-new Special Features.

Special Features:

- Commentary with Director Douglas Buck

- Commentary with Maitland McDonagh

- AFTER ALL - Early Short Film

- CUTTING MOMENTS Interviews, Circa 1998

- That’s Dark - Podcast on CUTTING MOMENTS & Interview with Director Douglas Buck

- Deleted Scene - Prologue

- Behind the Scenes - Prologue

- Stills Galleries

- Trailer

Specs:

Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1

Audio: English Mono

Closed Captions: English

Region 0/Free

[shanie-the-toyaddict]

SHANIE’S ACTION FIGURE UPDATE! 11/03/2020

Top Figure – Romana I (Doctor Who) Second Row – Ivar Elite 80, Mia Yim Basic 113, Io Shirai Elite 79 Third Row – Charlotte Ultimate Edition 6, Bayley Elite 80 Bottom Figure – The Rock Ultimate Edition 6

SO! Time for another figure update!

These are all figures I got at the end of Oct, plus one yesterday (The Rock) There was a bit of a drought there for a while, as I was saving up for a large order all at once. But I received all of these in a week's time and wanted to make one big update for all of them.  

Let me start off by saying that I’m stoked about the Romana figure. It’s not perfect, by a long shot, (that head is a bit iffy, although I’ve seen on youtube that it’s not the sculpt it’s the paint,) but the creation of the unique tunic for her gives me great hope for the future of the line. We haven’t had this much detail put into a companion figure since Oswin Oswald back in 2014, I think I said? Naturally we did have a couple wonderful Missy figures there, but for companions? It’s been nothing but repaints for over half a decade. The specific detail for this Romana makes me think there’s hope for the entire Character Options line... unless the figure is a repaint of someone I’m not aware of. I don’t think though, the tunic is too perfect to the episode. If I’m wrong correct me, but I don’t think I am.

Moving on to the WWE Figures... well, first of all, I *will* be repainting Ivar’s beard. In E80, they gave both Ivar and Erik solid black beards and, again correct me if I’m wrong, both their beards are BROWN. (This is the exact opposite issue of the Kevin Owens figure from that set who for some reason they made a redhead. It piques my shipper interest, but my OCD is screaming) It should be noted that I will be getting Erik, but he was on backorder when I bought this shipment, so he’s coming whenever the next lot gets ordered.

Mia Yim is trash. I only picked her up because I don’t see us getting a Mia elite any time soon. Maybe I can put my Nikki Cross mask on her and pretend she’s in Retribution.

Io is pretty snazzy, but I didn’t like her coat, so she’s getting displayed like this. Not much to say there, solid figure, moving on.

Now, the Horsewomen. First of all, I’m not a fan of Charlotte. However, this figure is GORGEOUS. Finally, we got a headsculpt that looks like Charlotte (a huge plus) and a good robe to go with it. The only thing I wish they could have done better was the detail on the robe. I know that detail on soft goods is hella difficult but that robe she wore was so beautiful and this one is just... pink. If her costume underneath wasn’t designed to match the pink robe, I’d put the old Elite robe on the UE instead. It didn’t have the collar, but it was at least shiny with a lining. I feel they skimped out on the robe here. Bayley, however... well, the face scan isn’t perfect and can go either way. From some angles, it works. Other, like this one, she has troll face. Bayley is a beautiful woman and by trying to give her a smirking expression, they made her kind of ugly. But it’s an improvement over her old figures by default of being updated and I’m posing her with the axe from her Heel look debut (which was included) and the SD women’s belt (which was not).

Finally, that brings us to the last figure and HOLY CRAP IS THAT AMAZING!

I wish I had the ingenuity, skill, and resources to do a full photoshoot of the UE Rock figure because it’s gorgeous. Damn near perfect. The only tiny pieces of criticism I have is that the sideburns need the True FX effect, the Brahma Bull on the shirt is too big, and he needs track pants. However, that last one is fully fixable as I have a spare pair of track pants laying around from a Shane custom I tried (and failed) to make. So, once I find the baggie they’re in, The Rock is getting pants. Other than that, it’s a stellar figure, 9.5 out of 10. The only figure I have nicer is the UE Cena from the previous set. All in all, some decent figures, but outside of the Rock figure, they could all use some work. Once I give Ivar a fresh coat of paint, he’ll be great. I don’t have the skill to repaint Romana, so she’ll just stay as she is. The rest will just go on my shelf as is (other than giving The Great One his pants). I plan on making an order soon for Elite 81, plus the few E80 and before figures I still need. One of those will be the updated KO figure, although, like the Viking Raiders, Kev is getting a dye job. Anyway, that does it for this week's edition of Shanie’s Action Figure Update! Stay tuned in about three weeks for another edition. Same crap blog, same crap hellsite.

[silentundergroundstudio]

AXE FX III At A Glance - AXE FX 3 vs AXE FX 2 vs AX8

[thedeaditeslayer]

Bruce Campbell exclusive on reboot of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! for Travel Channel.

Fan favorite actor Bruce Campbell is executive producer and host of the reboot of Travel Channel’s new series Ripley’s Believe It or Not!

Filmed inside Ripley’s warehouse, each segment is a thorough concise look at unique individuals who blow people’s minds with their gifts. It runs the gamut from physical exceptionalism to flat-out death-defying deeds. Steering this eye-candy-licious ship is Campbell.

Over the film and television career of actor Bruce Campbell, we have loved his take on horror roles (Ash Williams in The Evil Dead franchise), perfectly honed dramatic characters (President Ronald Reagan on Fargo), and most recently as the critically acclaimed developer Gary Green in a three-episode arc on AMC’s Lodge 49.

Of course, Burn Notice fans loved him as Sam Axe, and legions of Starz’ Ash vs. Evil Dead fans are bereft over Ash’s recent cancellation and demise there.

This latest venture for Campbell sees him entering the production side of TV as well, and his instincts are dead-on accurate for what reality TV watchers want, well crafted true stories with no wasted frames, lots of heart, and plenty of jaw-dropping reveals.

We screened the premiere episode and were completely riveted to the tales.

Ohio native Rick Smith flicks playing cards at lethal speeds while dreadlocked Dai Andrews can swallow curved swords and live to talk about it. Tyler Scheuer takes it on the chin — literally — as he balances heavy odd objects.

Toronto native “Twisty” Troy James is a handsome contortionist who has worked in many TV shows (FX The Strain, CW’s The Flash) and movie roles, with his mentor Roberto Campanella referring to him as a “natural talent” and a “walking talking natural effect.”

The 10-episode, hour-long series is inspired by Robert Ripley’s love of the extraordinary in humanity, and Campbell is a good steward of this. We spoke to Campbell by phone yesterday for a fascinating interview:

Monsters & Critics: I’m incredibly jealous of you.

Bruce Campbell: Why is that?

M&C: Well, the Ripley’s Warehouse. You got to work in it… and poke around.

Bruce Campbell: Oh yes… I’ll never tell. I’ll never tell the secrets that I saw.

M&C: But what was the standout item that was a jaw-dropper for you?

Bruce Campbell: Well they always rotate displays. They had a [President Donald] Trump in the foyer. They had a life-size Trump. So I got a thumbs-up picture with that. So I’ve had a picture taken with a president.

They also had a life-size replica of the tallest guy ever. And when they do that, that’s different than a photograph. And they have all these great craftsmen that work in the warehouse doing prosthetics and doing these life-size replicas of things. And when you see that life-size of the tallest man ever, you go, “How does anyone get that big?” It really puts it in perspective.

So stuff like that was cool. I’m a sucker for enormous, oversized objects.

M&C: I think I saw that in the background on the premiere episode…

Bruce Campbell: Oh yeah, it’s hard to hide that guy.

M&C:  I love that you’re serving as host, but you’re also wearing the executive producer hat. I’m sure someone like yourself, with a bazillion fans from every level, gets pitched a million things. Who contacted you? I know that you were aware of Ripley’s and you liked it as a kid…

Bruce Campbell: Oh, of course. Things come across your desk. They tracked down my agent, and then he throws it at you and you either ignore it or say yes, or no, or maybe.

And Ripley’s, soon as they said that, I’m like, “Okay, I’ve heard of that.” And, “Who’s it for?” “Travel Channel.” “Okay, I’ve heard of that.” So they were two for two, and that’s helpful.

I knew Ripley’s and I was fascinated by a lot of that stuff anyway. I felt it’s a pretty good fit for the Evil Dead crowd because we’re basically talking about people who live on the edge … these people who push it.

So it’s pretty good. It felt right. And the Travel Channel … it’s not your father’s Travel Channel anymore. So it’s a good fit for Travel Channel because they’re doing all these crazy, creep investigations now and stuff. I think it fits it right in.

M&C: Dovetailing on what you said earlier, I think we’re all fascinated with the human body. So much good, bad and otherworldly can happen in the human form; and afflictions, to gifts, talents.

Bruce Campbell: To DNA glitches.

M&C: Yes, exactly. And I think that that’s an interesting thing that the show… we don’t have “the freak show” anymore… but Ripley’s show, you’re kind of bringing back a Victorian freak show but in a much more humane and cerebral context...

Bruce Campbell: Well we don’t use the F-word anymore. We don’t, not in our Ripley world. Because you’ve got your ordinary people, and that’s you and me and our neighbor.

These people really are the extraordinary, beyond ordinary. What we’re doing is, we’re celebrating it. And my job as a producer… My input was tone.

So that you’re celebrating people who’ve overcome challenges; they are achieving great achievements just through tenacity and practice and focus. And a lot of life lessons in here. So the takeaway is very positive.

If it’s different from any other incarnation, it would be that — that people are not on parade.

Now granted, [there’s] no shortage of eye candy. There’s going to be a lot that’s going to make your eyes pop out. But in context, we want you to get to know these people, to understand, and in some cases respect their decisions.

M&C: Right. Each segment was really well-rounded for the time beat that it was, and you gave really good backstory. And it showed how people were prospering and making great livings, and absolutely celebrating their uniqueness. I like that you do that.

Bruce Campbell: It’s an incredibly dense hour. It’s a small hour. It’s like six or seven stories per hour. It’s crazy.

M&C: Yes. The first episode, Rick Smith with the flying lethal playing cards…The fact that he could lethally dismember someone’s finger…

Bruce Campbell: Yeah. He’ll kill you!  At a press conference, he could kill you. He could kill you at a press conference. By the way, we’re going to try to drag some of these folks to conventions.

Because I told them, I said, “Look, this is what I do. You’ve got to…” How many boring movie panels have you witnessed, you know? Oh, it was very hot that day. Yes, my suit didn’t fit right. And we thought that was funny. “No, let’s get a panel of Ripley’s participants. I’ll give you a panel.” So we’re going to San Diego Comic-Con. We have a panel coming on, that Saturday.

M&C: You know it’s going to be standing-room-only. People are going to be hanging from the rafters…

Bruce Campbell: Well, it’s the right fit for that crowd too. And look, this is not Marvel. This is real, folks. These are real superheroes, for the most part.

M&C: When you look at your career, characters like Ash Williams, and Sam Axe… and then you’ve done very serious stuff in Fargo, and you had a great part in Lodge 49, which is a fun series. What kind of roles do you enjoy the most?

Bruce Campbell: Just mix it up. I think the fun is mixing it up. Because from Detroit, my hometown, as a factory worker you would hope that they had a thing called “job rotation.”

You’re putting tires on one week; next week, they move you to fenders; next week, you’re putting windows in. So you don’t go crazy. Because there’s a lot of rinse-repeat, in what we do. Television is done in a formulaic style, for the most part, at a certain speed, certain pace. And you have to kind of fold in, and get used to that.

But over the years, it’s been fun to also to exploit opportunities when they come up. Take something that is a little more out of the box. I’m doing Peter and the Wolf in front of my local orchestra, at the Britt Festival, here in Jacksonville, Oregon, this summer. And I’m all giddy about it.

I’m like, “Okay, yeah. Let’s do something with an orchestra.” So I’m going to narrate Peter and the Wolf.  It is fun to actually live where you live. To participate. Because you can go hide, that’s pretty easy. But nice thing is, where I live, my neighbors… they could so give a crap about who I am or what I’ve done.

A neighbor… the week I moved in, he was a rancher across the street… he comes up the driveway. He goes, “I understand you’re a cowboy in a TV show.” I said, “Yes sir, I was.” He goes, “You know how to ride?” I said, “I think so.” He goes, “You want to help me run a hundred head of cattle up the road on Saturday?” I’m like, “Yeah, if you’ve got a horse.” “Yeah, I’ve got a horse.” I’m like, “Okay.”

So I met him on a Saturday. Met all the neighbors. We helped him run a hundred head of cattle up the road. And, there you go. I was a member of the neighborhood.

What’s nice is, you can actually just get out. As an actor, you actually don’t have to hide. Some actors spend way too much time hiding.  I hide in plain sight. I’m behind you at the post office. I’m the guy with the cat hair all over his jacket.

M&C: Switching gears. So obviously I’ve trolled your Twitter feed. I’m looking for MK11 clues like everyone else…

Bruce Campbell: Oh, it’s gotten out of hand. It’s gotten completely out of hand. Here’s the absolute truth of it all: I’m a bad liar. So, here’s the truth of it.

There is an Evil Dead game that’s coming out. And it’s a fully immersive game. It’s going to be very intense. And we hope to be absolutely mind-blowing, like some new game.

But in the meantime what happens is, Evil Dead’s been reintroduced. Ash vs Evil Dead sort of made it relevant again. And there’s a lot of requests just to have Ash pop up, like a guest star, in a movie, or on a TV show. Have him pop up and do some crap.

So Dead by Daylight was pretty much that. Pop up, do a thing. But people thought that (a) I was a liar that, “Oh, I thought you were retiring Ash.” And then (b) that, “Oh, I guess Ash is now in this game,” like he was a fully immersed player.

And we started to see the ads for it like that. We were like, “Ahh, don’t misconstrue this.” I’m just popping in literally, saying like a dozen lines. Like, “Hey, come on baby,” or whatever. And he may pop up in other games.

M&C: Yes. Well, Mortal Kombat 11 (MK11). That’s where all the chatter is landing.

Bruce Campbell: It is.

M&C: And?

Bruce Campbell: Sure. Well, I would have to say that I can’t say anything officially. They have alluded to it because there’s a little chainsaw revving at the end when they allude to new characters. So there’s nothing I can say, but I can say that Ash has popped up in other games. And if he does pop up in this one, it’ll be in the same fashion.

It would be like a blink-don’t-miss it or load him for a quick little run at this, you know?

We’re saving full Ash. Full Ash is coming. We hope that this is just a warm-up, honestly. We’re actually doing it because… We’re saying it’s okay to do because it’s just sort of whetting people’s appetite for playing a game as Ash, which can be fun.

He’s a big trash talker. And he’s one of the few flawed heroes. He’s like you. He’s like your neighbor being a hero. It’s like you being a hero, just you putting a chainsaw on your arm. That’s what I think is cool.

M&C: It’s like giving a monkey a razor blade. Not a good idea.

Bruce Campbell: (laughs) Totally! Exactly. That’s dangerous. Give him a switchblade. That’s a better image. Like he pops it out, “Let’s go. Let’s rumble.”

M&C:  Right. Your fans are something. Do the men meltdown easier than the women when they meet you in person? When I read interviews by fanboys who can’t hide it, it’s kind of cringey.

Bruce Campbell: It was mostly fanboys. My wife was always, “You have fun on your tours, with your fanboys.” Because she knew there was going to be no hotel-room keys being thrown my way because the demographics were like 90% guys.

And I’ve watched it go to 75-25. And now it’s basically 50-50, as far as fandom. And I’m saying that across the board, not just for me per se. Fandom is out of the closet. Geeks are out of the closest. The industry is currently run by geeks. It’s all good. It’s just, everything’s out of the closet now.

Our proof of our love of entertainment is out of the closet now. There’s more conventions than there ever have been, by 10 times. And the amount of TV that we actually binge is 10 times than we thought we were binging. It’s amazing.

M&C:  To me, Ripley’s is almost like a history lesson, but time-traveling into the modern day…new stories…

Bruce Campbell: Well it’s seeing humans… What can the human body do? Question mark. What can it do? And this show answers some of those questions, in an amazing way. Blind kid just wants to ride his bicycle, just like another kid. Right?

He learns to echo-locate like a bat. Because bats fly around and go “click click,” little clicks, and it bounces off of the objects that they’re flying around. They can know how far away it is. Kid saw a bat do that. He was like, “Wait a second. I’m going to do that.”

So he starts clicking and bouncing sound off of buildings, and even trees. He knows how close they are, alleyways. And dog on it if he doesn’t learn how to ride a bike. And he gets so good at it, he’s teaching other blind kids how to do it so they can just ride a frickin’ bike. What a great story, what a great story.

Everything has to be a car accident, you know? These are really… I’d say 92% of our stories are uplifting.

M&C: Well I like you’re producing ethos. I hope you produce more interesting television, because boy, we sure could use it.

Bruce Campbell: Well I think you can have interesting and entertaining, and uplifting, at the same time, without even trying to be uplifting. If you pick the right subject matter, it is its own story. So these people are amazing. I hope the world can meet a lot of these people. I can’t wait to meet them. I haven’t met them.

M&C: Wow. Comic-Con. That’s going to be amazing. You’re going to be on a panel with them.

Bruce Campbell: Oh, yeah. It’ll be the first time for a lot of these people.

M&C: You’re known as a character actor, with these leading-man good looks, and you’ve aged really well. By the way, you look amazing. Whoever’s styling you and doing your hair, and suiting you up for the show gets an A. You look terrific.

Bruce Campbell: I’ll pass the word along.

M&C: No, you really do. You’re like the opposite of [Burn Notice] Sam Axe. You’re a sharp-dressed man as ZZ Top says. But who’s your favorite character actor?

Bruce Campbell: Jack Carson.

M&C: Who? Jack Carson?

Bruce Campbell: Yep, and that’s exactly… The response that you had is the one that I always get. “Who?”

But Jack Carson is your neighbor, he’s a cab driver, he’s the bartender. He plays a lot of the same characters, but he’s sort of the everyman. And he’s a guy that, you see him in a movie and you go, “Oh, that guy. I like that guy.” He’s not the steak. He’s the sizzle.

So that’s fun. There’s definitely guys that I look up to and go, “Who is that guy?” Because the guy had a great… worked forever.

[happychildcreation]

today I has bought like three different axe-fx units , two kemper racks and tons of other studio crap ... I has spent like 30k euros since friday ...

[ghaw2007]

Proposed TV Series

Proposed TV Series

To air on: HBO/HBO Canada, Encore, TV One, Flix, Starz, Cinemax, TNT, CBS, TBS, BET, TVGN, FX/FX Canada, USA, ABC, Showtime, DirectTV, IFC, AMC, Epix, MTV, MuchMusic, SundanceTV, Bravo (Canada), Netflix, ReelzChannel, Hallmark Channel, Hulu, Showcase, E!, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, Cloo, Ion, WE tv, Oxygen, Chiller, Universal HD, WGN America, VH1, ABC Family, TV Land, Lifetime/Lifetime Canada, MTV, Centric, Bounce TV, Comedy Central, Antenna TV, CMT/CMT (Canada), City, This TV, BBC America, Nickelodeon|Nick At Nite, Me-TV, ASPiRE, Retro TV, Pivot, Esquire Network, Cozi TV, Up, My Family TV, Tuff TV, AXS TV, Logo TV, Up, and TruTV.

NOTE: NBC, A&E, Spike, Bravo (America), The CW, Syfy, Amazon Studios, and FOX are not included in the list of networks/VOD services

AmeriAfri: A mix of Twin Peaks, Desperate Housewives & The Wire. Written by Rick Famuyiwa & Gina Prince-Bythewood. P.C.S.A.: The life of Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus. Written by Ron Hutchinson, Robert Schenkkan & Shem Bitterman. White People: Loosely based on J.T. Rogers' play of the same name about the lives of three ordinary Americans placed under the spotlight: Martin, a high powered attorney for a white-shoe law firm in St. Louis, MO; Mara Lynn, a housewife and former homecoming queen in Fayetteville, NC; and Alan, a professor struggling to find his way in New York City. Through heart-wrenching confessions, they wrestle with guilt, prejudice, and the price they and their children must pay for their actions. White People is a candid, brutally honest meditation on race and language in our culture. Written by J.T. Rogers. Pittsburgh Cycle: Based on August Wilson's The Pittsburgh Cycle. Written by Vaun Monroe. Da Brick: Contemporary exploration of what it means to be an African man in supposedly post-racial America and is loosely inspired by aspects of Mike Tyson’s youth. Written by John Ridley. Consultant: M. K. Asante. All Signs of Death: Based on Charlie Huston's The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death. Written by Charlie Huston. Wars And Battles: Loosely based on the Weather Underground and Symbionese Liberation Army in 1964. Written by Terry Green & Sibyl Gardner. [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Sylvester Magee, the last American legal slave to die. Written by Joshua Allen & Sterling Norman Anderson. [[]]: About a Malcolm X type Christian and human rights activist in 1967. Written by Daniel Beaty & Anthony Grooms. Consultant: Jared A. Ball. Luke Cage: Based on the comic book character of the same name who obtained his powers in an accident that left him with near-impervious skin and superhuman strength. Written by Philip Levens & Matt Pyken. HOMO: An unflinching examination of homosexuality in America and Canada. Loosely based on the lives of Fred Phelps, Steve Drain and K. Ryan Jones' Fall From Grace. Set in Greensboro, NC. Written by Bruce Norris. Centrality: An unflinching examination of America's racial animus loosely based on the 1989 Central Park Jogger case. Written by Barbara Hall & Kevin Arkadie. [[]]: Loosely based on Before They Die and The Tulsa Lynching of 1921: A Hidden Story about the Tulsa race riot and its aftermath. Written by Daniel Omotosho Black & Marcus Gardley. Consultant: David Bradley. Concealed Destruction: Loosely based on the mystery surrounding Johnny Gosch, Eugene Wade Martin, Paul Bonacci, Jesse Dirkhising, Boys Town, NE, Nancy Schaefer, and Noreen Gosch's Why Johnny Can't Come Home. Inspired by Alternative Views' groundbreaking Boys For Sale. Written by John Zinman & Patrick Massett. [[]]: Loosely based on the aftermath of the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Written by Eric Jerome Dickey & Nathan McCall. Consultant: Dr. L'Heureux Lewis. Burke: Based on Andrew Vachss' book series about a man named Burke and his battle against child abusers. Written by Dave Andron & Taylor Elmore. Parable of The Sower: Based on Octavia E. Butler's book series of the same name. It centers on a woman who possesses what Butler dubbed hyperempathy – the ability to feel the perceived pain and other sensations of others – who develops a benign philosophical and religious system during her childhood in the remnants of a gated community in Los Angeles. Written by Stephen Belber & Richard Levine & Thomas L. Moran. Shades of Black: Exploring the lives of the teachers, students, and administrators at an African centered Charter high school. Written by Robert Alexander & Kia Corthron. Consultant: Dr. David Stephens. The Jagged Orbit: Based on John Brunner's book of the same name. Set in the United States of America in 2014, when interracial tensions have passed the breaking point. Written by Ted Humphrey. Without Kings (aka American Cunts): The lives of black women living in St. Louis, MO. Set in 2006 and inspired by YouTube's 5723michael, Tommy Sotomayor, TheAdviseShowTV, Zo Williams, and Amos N. Wilson. Written by . The Syndicate: Loosely based on the Cerrito, Genna, Smaldone, Lanza, and Giordana crime families. Set in 1952. Based in Houston, TX. Written by David Goldschmid & Nathan Fissell. [[]]: Loosely based on Samuel R. Delany memoirs' Heavenly Breakfast, The Motion of Light in Water, Times Square Red, Times Square Blue. A mix of Knots Landing, All In The Family & Twin Peaks. Written by Samuel R. Delany & Harley Peyton. Tales of Hannah: Loosely based on the life of Hannah Elias, the first black female millionaire in America. Written by Ntozake Shange & Kia Corthron. Thurgood: Loosely based on the life of Thurgood Marshall. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on Madam C.J. Walker: Building a Business Empire and The Black Rose: The Dramatic Story of Madam C.J. Walker about the life of Madam C. J. Walker. Written by Dominique Morisseau & Y York. Black Jaguar: Loosely based on the Black Panther Party in 1968. Inspired by All Power To The People. Set in Newark, NJ. Written by Robert Alexander. Consultant: Daryl T. Hinmon. ABORTION: Loosely based on the lives of David Gunn, John Britton, Barnett Slepian, and George Tiller. Written by Sarah Ruhl & Richard Greenberg. Burning Water: Loosely based on the life of Judith Reisman, founder of the modern anti-Kinsey movement. Written by . Oryx and Crake: Based on Margaret Atwood's book of the same name including The Year of The Flood. Written by Albert Kim & Christine Boylan. Sun Days: The personal and professional lives of a fictional professional football team in Columbus, OH. Think: Any Given Sunday meets Desperate Housewives. Written by Josh Senter & Eric Haywood. The Terrible Girls: Loosely based on Jacqueline Goldfinger's play of the same name about friendship, obsession, and Southern sensibilities. Written by Jacqueline Goldfinger. [[]]: Loosely based on the lives of Danny Casolaro, Chauncey W. Bailey Jr., Gary Webb, Alan Berg, Don Bolles, Walter Liggett, and Manuel de Dios Unanue. Written by Rafael Alvarez, William F. Zorzi & George Pelecanos. New World: 1728: About the Atlantic slave trade in 1728. Written by David Barr III & Derrell G. Owens. Consultant: Edward P. Jones. 21st Century Triad: A fictionalized exploration of Sam Sheppard's life, narcissism, machiavellianism, and psychopathy in modern day San Diego, CA. A mix of Revenge, The Fugitive, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and Eyes Wide Shut. Written by Dan LeFranc & Chris Collins. The Eight Wonder: Based on Bill Cosgriff's book of the same name about a working–class family in upstate New York dealing with divorce, poverty, adultery, and the trials of raising a developmentally-delayed child. A dramedy that moves from the hardscrabble world of lawn maintenance to the high precincts of the Parisian art world and back again. Written by Bill Cosgriff. Humanland: Depicting daily life in a San Diego mental institution, from the perspectives of staff members and patients. Written by Thomas Gibson & Daniel Reitz. Moms.Single: An ethnically divorced family deals with issues of race, divorce, relationships, and parenting through humor and honesty. Written by M. Esther Sherman. Hammon: The life of an African college professor, Hammon Aiken, in 1949. Written by Michele Val Jean & Mat Johnson. Consultant: Richard Wesley. Words of Warner: The life of an African novelist and playwright in 1953. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Louis E. Lomax. Written by Rebecca Gilman. [[]]: Loosely based on Oscar Micheaux's The Forged Note: A Romance of The Darker Races. Written by . Zinzi: Based on Phyllis MacBryde's musical and novel of the same name. Ripped from her tribal roots in South Africa and cast into the fertile jazz world of post World War II Harlem, a young girl struggles to find her way amid the challenges of a racially divided America. Written by Phyllis MacBryde. [[]]: Loosely based on Metropia; a group of multicultural, multi-ethnic, hip and happening, twenty-somethings living in Philadelphia, PA. The series reflects the diverse cultural make up of Philadelphia and deals with adult contemporary themes - education, employment, social/cultural issues and sexual themes. Written by Jill Golick. Birds of A Feather: Based on the British comedy of the same name about two sisters whose lives had taken very different routes. Written by Sheila Callaghan. The Shockwave Rider: Loosely based on John Brunner's book of the same name about a survivor in a hypothetical world of quickly changing identities, fashions and lifestyles, where individuals are still controlled and oppressed by a powerful and secretive state apparatus. His highly developed computer skills enable him to use any public telephone to punch in a new identity, thus reinventing himself, within hours. As a fugitive, he must do this from time to time in order to escape capture. Written by . Absalom, Absalom!: Loosely based on William Faulkner's book of the same name. Written by Michele Val Jean & Judy Tate. Where The Blood Mixes: Based on Kevin Loring's book of the same name about family, loss, redemption and healing. Floyd and Mooch, raised in residential schools, must confront their past when Floyd’s daughter Christine returns to Kumsheen after twenty years, to discover her past and her family. Written by Kevin Loring, Richard Wagamese & George Elliott Clarke. Dry: Based on Augusten Burroughs' book of the same name about an advertising executive trying to get sober. Written by Augusten Burroughs. Three Days Before The Shooting: Based on Ralph Ellison's book of the same name about man of indeterminate race who assumes a white identity and eventually becomes a race-baiting U.S. senator named Adam Sunraider. Written by . Some Girls: My Life In A Harem: Loosely based on Jillian Lauren's book of the same name. Written by Christina Anderson & Sharon Bridgforth. Sold: Loosely based on Zana Muhsen's book of the same name. Written by Tanya Barfield. Amos Fortune, Free Man: Loosely based on Elizabeth Yates' book of the same name. Written by Robert Alexander. (900): Loosely based on Zakiyyah Alexander's play of the same name. A young woman applies for a job in the phone sex industry and finds herself caught up in a twisted, comedic oral-sex romp. While navigating a dark world of golden showers, dominatrixes, and overly imaginative callers who demand more than sex, we find that identity is fluid and nothing is more ominous than the sound of a dial tone. Written by Zakiyyah Alexander. Fiona Range: Based on Mary McGarry Morris' book of the same name about Fiona's attempts to clean her life up, find love in the midst of loneliness and confusion, and find balance in the midst of seemingly insurmountable emotional chaos. Written by Julia Jordan. Rolling Heads: Loosely based on Frontline's The Education of Michelle Rhee. Think: Boston Public meets The Wire. Written by Jed Seidel, George Pelecanos & Henry Robles. Wonder of The World: Based on David Lindsay-Abaire's book of the same name about a wife named Cass who suddenly leaves her husband (after discovering his sexual fetish involving Barbie heads), and hops a bus to Niagara Falls in search of freedom, enlightenment and the meaning of life. Written by David Lindsay-Abaire. Matadors: Centers on two feuding families who battle each other as one populates the Chicago district attorney's office and the other manages an influential private law firm. Written by Jack Orman. Marion: Loosely based on the life of Marion S. Barry Jr. Written by . Two Hands: Loosely based on the lives of Muhammad Ali, Rahman Ali, Laila Ali, George Foreman, Freeda Foreman, Joe Frazier, Jackie Frazier-Lyde, Marvis Frazier, Roger Leonard, and Sugar Ray Leonard. Written by . The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman: Loosely based on Ernest J. Gaines' book of the same name. Written by Lydia R. Diamond. Dress Your Family in Corduroy And Denim: Based on David Sedaris' book of the same name. Written by Kristoffer Diaz. Half A Heart: Based on Rosellen Brown's book of the same name which traces the lives of several people who participated in the civil rights movement and continue to live in its shadow. Written by Tina Mabry & Regina Taylor. Pure Poetry: Based on Binnie Kirshenbaum's book of the same name. Written by Kirsten Greenidge & Eugenie Chan. Checks & Balances: Explores the lives, loves & machinations of workers at Ambrose/Craner/Ellison, a fictional independent Wall Street investment house. Set in New York City. Written by David Adjmi & Reggie Rock Bythewood. Mich Max: The ongoings of a fictional maximum-security prison in Michigan. Think: Oz in 2008. Written by . Manchild In The Promised Land: Loosely based on Claude Brown's book of the same name. Written by . Fauxfer: The examination of cultural clashes between a transplanted philosophical Chicago disc jockey and the townspeople of fictional of Fauxfer, South Dakota. Think: Northern Exposure meets American Beauty. Written by Melanie Marnich, Lydia Millet & Jim Vallely. Fork It Over: Loosely based on Alan Richman's book of the same name as his inexhaustible hunger & unquenchable curiosity lead him into the world of professional eaters & culinary journalism. Written by Chiori Miyagawa. The Darkness of Days: The events leading up to the Rwandan Genocide in August 1993 and its aftermath. Written by . My Day, Your Day: A post Vietnam War drama set in Charlotte, North Carolina. Written by Karen Harris & Susan Wald. Brooke III: Loosely based on the life of Edward William Brooke III. Written by Kathryn Grant. I'll Have A...: Based on Debra Ginsberg's Waiting: The True Confessions Of A Waitress. Think: a scripted version of The Restaurant. Written by Robert Kauzlaric. Double Billing: An expose of the legal profession. Loosely based on Cameron Stracher's Double Billing & William R. Keates' Proceed With Caution. A mix of Ally McBeal, The Practice, Suits, and Damages. Written by Carlos Murillo & Gina Gionfriddo. Me Talk Pretty One Day: Based on David Sedaris' life & book of the same name. Written by Samuel D. Hunter. The Subject Steve: Based on Sam Lipsyte's book of the same name. A dark satire in which the protagonist, Steve, is diagnosed with a vague but deadly disease called Prexis that sounds suspiciously like terminal boredom with modern life. Written by Dan LeFranc. Easy Steps: Satirical look at the self-help industry. Written by Steven Dietz. Faces: Multiple storylines dealing with issues like depression, poverty, addiction (drug, food, sex, alchohol), abuse (physical, mental, sexual), suicide, homophobia, violence (gangs, rape), eating disorders, and learning/physical disabilities. Based in Indianapolis, IN. Written by Joshua Allen, Djanet Sears & Daniel Beaty. Consultants: Dr. Umar Abdullah Johnson, John Potash & Raymond Winbush. Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow: It's about the moments which defined yesterday, the trials & tribulations facing us today, and the outcomes which will lead into tomorrow. Blending social & political issues, love & romance, action & adventure, spirituality & mystery themes. Based in San Antonio, TX. Written by Tarell Alvin McCraney, Bobby Smith Jr. & James Christy. Dr. Kenan, Medicine Man: The life of an African doctor in 1937. Based in Raleigh, NC. Written by . Present Minds: The ongoings of an historically black college in 1973. Written by Marcus Gardley & Shay Youngblood. This Side of Paradise: Loosely based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's book of the same name which examines the lives and morality of post-World War I youth. Written by Michael Werwie. Raindrops And Sunshine: Coming of age drama about the lives of college students and recent graduates in South Carolina. Written by Cynthia Whitcomb & Jasmine Love. Topdog/Underdog: Loosely based on Suzan-Lori Parks' play of the same name chronicles the adult lives of two brothers as they cope with women, work, poverty, gambling, white supremacy, and their troubled upbringings. Written by Suzan-Lori Parks. Zubat & Clark: Best friends who host an afternoon drive home radio talk show in Washington, D.C. Dayvide Zubat is a moderate and Jon E. Clark is a libertarian. A mix of Politically Incorrect, WKRP In Cincinnati and NewsRadio. Written by Skander Halim. The Twenty-Seventh City: Loosely based on Jonathan Franzen's book of the same name. A partly satirical thriller that studies a family unravelling under intense pressure, the novel is set amidst intricate political conspiracy and financial upheaval in St. Louis, MO in 1984. Written by Jonathan Franzen. Origin/Terminus: Government agents investigating paranormal activity, unexplained phenomena & conspiracies as they encounter secret societies who are in search of the truth of the planet. Think: The X Files meets Alias. Written by Ryan Farley & Tammy Ryan. Following The Yellow Brick Road Down The Rabbit Hole: Loosely based on the play of the same name about Cissy, a young Catholic girl who challenges the church as she grapples with her own developing body and consciousness. Along the way, in her quest to crack the mysteries of religion and sexuality, she encounters older siblings, friends, mothers, teachers and clergy all brought to life in an invigorating performance by the playwright, who seamlessly transforms from one character to another. Written by Terri Campion. Silicon Follies: Based on Thomas Scoville's book of the same name - a satire of Silicon Valley and its technological trappings; portraying a world as rich with youth and enthusiasm as it is with hypocrisy and loneliness. Written by Peter DeLaurier. The Council: Loosely based on The Council, a black crime syndicate. Written by . The Town: Based on Bentley Little's book of the same name in which bizarre events begin to occure shortly after a man returns to his old hometown of McGuane, AZ with his wife and three children. Written by Nicole Burdette. Where The Sun Never Sets: A dark comedy of ideas, a married couple finds itself trapped in a perilously perfect world. Written by Bob Clyman. Outer Banks: Spoiled heiress turned hotel manager makes the best of a bad situation - learning to live with quirky beach locals and tourists. Written by Mary Carroll-Hackett. Kick Me: Based on Paul Feig's book of the same name. Think: Freaks & Geeks: Part 2. Written by Paul Feig & Bob Nickman. Who's Sorry Now: Based on Joe Pantoliano's book of the same name. Written by Joe Pantoliano & Travis Milloy. Times of Ordinary Men: An unflinching examination of the human condition in modern day America. A group of angels are tasked with bringing guidance and messages from God to various people who are at a crossroads in their lives. Think: Touched By An Angel meets Six Feet Under. Theme song: Wendy Lands' Angels & Ordinary Men. Written by Nancy Miller. A Brief History of The Flood: Based in Jean Harfenist's book of the same name which chronicles the lives of a Minnesota family as narrated by the main character, Lillian Anderson. Written by Jane Ann Crum. The Wanting Seed: Loosely based on Anthony Burgess' book of the same name. Written by Jacquelyn Reingold. Mundy's Town: The rise and fall of an African mayor of a predominately white American town in March 1978. Written by Stephen Godchaux & Jeni Mahoney. I Am Woman: Based on Andrea Lee's Interested Women. Written by Jackie Sibblies Drury. Ray Who?: Loosely based on the disappearance of Ray Gricar, District Attorney for Centre County, PA. Written by Doug Wright. Consultant: C.J. Box. Innocents: Loosely based on Cathy Coote's book of the same name about a twisted love affair between a college student and teacher from the student's point of view. Written by Morris Panych & Keira Loughran. Plainsong: Based on Kent Haruf's book of the same name about eight compassionately imagined characters whose lives undergo radical change during the course of one year. Written by Eisa Davis & Lee Blessing. The Chronicles of Amber: Based on Roger Zelazny's book series of the same name. Written by . Cornelius aka Robert: Loosely based on the life of Cornelius Calvin Sale Jr., the longest-serving member of the U.S. Congress, in 1939. Written by . ...And I: The relationships people have with their work, friends, family & the world around them in Lexington, KY. Written by Christine Conradt & Ramin Bahrani. Strong Motion: Loosely based on Jonathan Franzen's book of the same name about a dysfunctional family, and uses seismic events on the American East Coast as a metaphor for the quakes that occur in family life. It explores themes such as abortion, feminism, corporate malfeasance, and exploitative capitalism. Written by Michael Conforti & Hal Corley. The Rulers of The Ages: Lives of those between the ages of 50 and 70. Written by Richard Russo. Welcome To Temptation: Based on Jennifer Crusie's book of the same name about two slightly twisted sisters and a town chock full of hunks, coots, and petty politics. Written by Madi Distefano. Life of The Party: Set to the backdrop of a dysfunctional DJ/Entertainment Company. Think: Arrested Development meets Party Down. Written by Robert N. King. Heart of America: Kansas City, 1961 - Former high school buddies watch their teenage marriages crumble as they face the changing times from the sanctuary of their neighborhood tavern. Written by Rogers Turrentine. Why Girls Are Weird: Based on Pamela Ribon's book of the same name. Written by Meg Bennett. The Secret Lives of Married Men: Based on David Leddick's book of the same name about homosexual men who were married - and those who still are - to women. Written by Cheryl Dunye. Sons of The Prophet: Loosely based on Stephen Karam's play of the same name. Written by Stephen Karam. Speech And Debate: Loosely based on Stephen Karam's play of the same name about three misfit teenagers who live in Salem, Oregon. Written by Stephen Karam. Sellevision: Based on Augusten Burroughs' book of the same name- A relentless spoof of cable's home-shopping mania. Written by D.W. Gregory. Tuffy: Based on Paul Beatty's book, Tuff, about the unusual coming-of-age of 19-year-old, obese african Winston "Tuffy" Foshay, who tries to rise above his rough-and-tumble life on the vicious streets of Spanish Harlem. Written by . The Camel Club: Based on David Baldacci's book series of the same name. Written by David Baldacci. Hiram: Free Man: Loosely based on the life of Hiram Rhodes Revels, the first African elected to either chamber of the US Congress. Written by . Shaw: Loosely based on David Baldacci's The Whole Truth and Deliver Us From Evil about Shaw, an operative for a secret global intelligence agency, and Katie James, a disgraced investigative journalist. Written by . Multiple Pieces: Based on David Baldacci's Sean King and Michelle Maxwell book series about two discredited agents who enter a maze of lies, secrets, and deadly coincidences, they uncover a violence that shattered their lives were really a long time in the making - and are a long way from over. Written by . Joe College: Based on Tom Perrotta's book of the same name about an English major at Yale who's stuck with the peculiarities of his roommates, a horrendous crush on a fellow student, while struggling to complete his junior year. Written by Michael Golamco. JAX: About the personal and professional lives of a fictional professional basketball team in Jacksonville, FL. Written by Andrew Case. Life As A Loser: Based on Will Leitch's book of the same name. Written by Christina Calvit. [[]]: Loosely based on Maurice Jackson's Let This Voice Be Heard about the life Anthony Benezet, an abolitionist and educator, in 1750s Philadelphia. Written by . A Dangerous Woman: Based on Mary McGarry Morris' book of the same name about a Vermont woman who is most dangerous to herself. Written by Elisabeth Karlin. The White Boy Shuffle: Based on Paul Beatty's book of the same name about a gleefully satiric gloss on black American history and culture. Written by Paul Beatty & Lynn Nottage. The Rebel Wife: Based on the novel of the same name about young widow trying to survive in the violent world of Reconstruction Alabama, where the old gentility masks a continuing war fueled by hatred, treachery, and still-powerful secrets. Written by Taylor M. Polites. His Children: Based on the British comedy, Bread, about a staunchly Catholic family. In this case, it will be a staunchly Christian family. Written by . [[]]: Slavery in Georgia during the 1850s. Written by . Consultant: Charles R. Johnson. G.L.B.: Loosely based on the life of Glenn Burke and Billy Beans' Going The Other Way: Lessons From A Life In And Out of Major League Baseball. Written by C. Jay Cox & Ira Sachs. Some Dark Places of The Earth: Loosely based on Claire Kiechel's play of the same name. In an ex-pat community in Brussels, ten-year-old Bee imagines herself inside the nightly newscasts of her radio journalist father. When her mother begins an affair with the diplomat next door, Bee recruits the man’s son to help realize her fantasies. As their make-believe escalates, a new reality threatens the fragile world the two families have constructed. Written by Claire Kiechel. Midnight At Noon: On the run after robbing a bank during the great depression, two brothers find themselves trapped in the harsh region known as the Dust Bowl where a ruthless killer hunts them down. Written by Nathaniel Halpern. Hi-De-Hi!: Based on the British comedy of the same name which was set in a holiday camp during the 1950s and 1960s. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Frederick Douglass. Written by . Last of The Summer Wine: Based on the British comedy of the same name about the adventures of three elderly, unmarried friends. Think: The male version of The Golden Girls. Written by . San Soccer: The personal and professional lives of a fictional professional soccer team in San Antonio, TX. Written by Neil Landau & Victor Lodato. Call Time: Written by Josh Woodle. American Frontier: A tale of conquest, survival, persistence, and the merging of peoples and cultures that gave birth and continuing life to America in 1817. Written by . Never The Twain: Based on the British comedy of the same name about two male next-door neighbours and rival antique dealers engaged in continuous one-upmanship. Written by . New York Day: About the lives of people working at a fictional newspaper in 1951. Written by Rebecca Gilman, David Ehrman & Travis Donnelly. The King of America: Based on Samantha Gillison's book of the same name about Stephen Hesse—loosely modeled on Michael Rockefeller, who disappeared 40 years ago in then Dutch New Guinea while collecting primitive art for his father's collection—is an excruciatingly lonely, earnest kid struggling to develop an identity under the crushing weight of his father's millions. Written by . Detroit 365: A gritty drama based in Detroit, MI dealing with social, cultural, sexual and political issues. Written by Joe R. Lansdale. Consultants: Dr. Boyce Watkins & Demetrius Darnell Walker. Recalling What Lies: Loosely based on Alice Pencavel's play of the same name about the nature of boundaries - the crossing and violation of boundaries - in different relationships and on many different levels. It also addresses the concept of memory: how accurate it is, how it defines us, and ultimately how valuable it is. Written by Alice Pencavel. North/South/East/West: A post Korean War drama set in South Bend, IN. Think: Homefront in 1953. Written by Lynn Marie Latham & Bernard Lechowick. Consultant: Russell Banks The Thin Red Line: The ongoings of a firehouse in a small city in 1998. Written by Scott Teems. Americana: Satire on American culture, media & politics. A small town businessman becomes the mayor of a metropolis. Written by Qui Nguyen & Stephen Axelrod. Forty Days At Kamas: Based on Preston Fleming's book series of the same name. Written by Preston Fleming. Some Kind of Fairy Tale: Based on the book of the same name. Written by Graham Joyce. A Long Way From Home: Based on Connie Briscoe's book of the same name about an enslaved mother, daughter, and grandmother of President James Madison. Written by Connie Briscoe. Anti-Anything: Revolving around the life of a working class bigot and his family. Think: All In The Family meets The Office. Written by . Two Trains Running: Loosely based on Andrew Vachss' book of the name name. Written by Robert Nathan. A Modern Feeling: Loosely based on Jason Kim's play of the same name about two homosexual men struggling to find meaning and direction. Written by Jason Kim. Women of The Otherworld: Based on Kelly Armstrong's book series. Written by Julian Sampson & Kelley Armstrong. Margin of Error: Centers on a workaholic campaign strategist who launches a new political campaign every season. Written by D.V. DeVincentis. [[]]: Loosely based on lives of the Scottsboro Boys. Written by . Table 21: Loosely based on T. Rafael Cimino's book of the same name. New York City in December 1999: As one millennium ends and another begins, an erratic chain of events unfold that could change the face of the Italian Mafia forever. In the turmoil, a vacuum is created when one family falls, creating an unprecedented void of power and a subsequent struggle for control of the underworld.Think: The Godfather meets Crash. Written by T. Rafael Cimino. Walls of Stone: A post-Stonewall drama in NYC. Written by Christopher Shinn & Laura Maria Censabella. Alongside Night: Based on J. Neil Schulman's book of the same name. Written by . Mr. Peters' Connections: Based on Arthur Miller's play of the same name. The title character is a former pilot who worked for the airline in its glory days. He recalls flying into a thousand sunsets and bedding eighteen Rockettes in a month, eventually marrying one of them. Now he is an aging, befuddled man lost in a world he no longer understands. Written by Jessica Queller & Thomas Bezucha. Mara Dyer: Based on Michelle Hodkin's book series. Written by Michelle Hodkin. columbinus: Loosely based on Stephen Karam's play of the same name about alienation, hostility and social pressure in high schools. Written by Stephen Karam. Tilda: Satire about the entertainment industry centering on a powerful and reclusive Hollywood blogger. Written by Bill Condon and Cynthia Mort. Juvy: The ongoings of a juvenile detention facility in St. Louis, MO. Written by James DeMonaco & Tom Reilly. When The Bough Breaks: Based on Johnathan Kellerman's book series about Alex Delaware, a forensic psychologist. Written by Nick Santora & Scott Kaufer. One Fifth Avenue: Based on Candace Bushnell's book of the same name about the residents of the prestigious building. Written by Candace Bushnell. Lambs of Men: Loosely based on Charles Dodd White's book of the same name. When a gruesome act of violence stuns the insular mountain community, father and son must journey together to see justice carried out while coming to terms with a deeply troubled family history. Written by Charles Dodd White. Man In The Blue Moon: Based on Michael Morris' book of the same name. While the world is embroiled in World War I, Ella fights her own personal battle to keep the mystical Florida land that has been in her family for generations from the hands of an unscrupulous banker. Written by Michael Morris & Angelina Burnett. Rocco Perri: Loosely based on the life of Rocco Perri. Written by Tobin Addington. Wonders of The Invisible World: Based on Patricia A. McKillip's book of the same name. Written by . American Rock: Based on the life of Nelson Rockefeller in 1957. Written by . Print Men: The personal and professional lives of workers at a men's magazine in 1953. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the disapperance of Hale Boggs and Nick Begich. Written by Nancy Noever. Gonzo: About war journalists in the 1980s searching for a missing comrade in a 24/7-on-edge Central American country rattled by corruption, greed, and political intrigue. Written by Michael Oates Palmer. Unreal Estate: Based on Michael Gross’ book of the same name Unreal Estate: Money, Ambition and the Lust for Land in Los Angeles. Written by Steve Atkinson. The Master Butchers Singing Club: Based on Louise Erdich's book of the same name. Having survived World War I, Fidelis Waldvogel returns to his quiet German village and marries the pregnant widow of his best friend, killed in action. They soon relocate to Argus, ND. When the Old World meets the New--in the person of Delphine Watzka--the great adventure of Fidelis's life begins. Written by . A Curse of Angels: Based on Janyce Lapore's play of the same name about a steelworker Salvador Vinta, an opera lover who rules his family with forbidden love and an iron hand. Written by Janyce Lapore. Canary: The residents of a small West Virginia coal mining town intersect and affect one another in surprising, often humorous ways, as their lives are inextricably shaped by their surroundings. Written by Craig Zobel. Confessions of Georgia Nicholson: Based on Louise Rennison's book series. Written by . The Corrections: Based on Jonathan Franzen's book of the same name. Written by Noah Baumbach. Wocke & Woll: The personal and professional lives of a sports agent, and his group of associates. Think: Sports Night meets The Office. Written by . Crossing The River: Loosely based on Caryl Phillips' book of the same name about about three black people during different time periods and in different continents as they struggle with the separation from their native Africa. Written by . Tree of Smoke: Based on Denis Johnson's book of the same name about a man who joins the CIA in 1965, and begins working in Vietnam during the American involvement there. Written by Jorge Zamacona & Jeff York. Nathaniel of Virginia: Based on the life of Nat Turner. Written by . Brotherhood of War: Based on W. E. B. Griffin's book series about the United States Army from World War II through the Vietnam War. The story centers around the careers of four U.S. Army officers who were lieutenants in the early 1940s. Written by . 3,600 Seconds: Behind the scenes of a TV newsmagazine in 1972. Think: The Eleventh Hour meets 60 Minutes. Written by . Common Prayer: Loosely based on Joan Didion's A Book of Common Prayer. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on Joan Didion's Slouching Towards Bethlehem and The White Album. Written by . Night Fighter: Based on David Sherman's book series of the same name about the kind of activities experienced by the US Marines and Vietnamese Popular Forces units of the combat-outpost type of the Combined Action Program of the United States Marine Corps. Written by . Spring/Fall: Set in New York City against the backdrop of the fashion world, the project centered on the dysfunctional partnership between two women with different approaches to career, family and friendship. Written by Kate Robin. Lawless: Written by Tom S. Parker & Jim Jennewein. Black Orchid: Based on the comic book character. Written by . Cuomo: Loosely based on the Cuomo family in 1972. Written by Carla Robinson. [[]]: Based on the life of Sigmund Freud beginning in 1885. Written by . Queen & Country: Based on the comic book series of the same name about a female operative of the Special Operations Section of SIS, colloquially known as the Minders. Written by . Couples: Loosely based on John Updike's book of the same name. Written by . X: Loosely based on David Henry Sterry's Chicken: Self-Portrait of A Young Man For Rent, Confessions of A Sex Maniac, Unzipped: A True Story of Sex, Drugs, Rollerskates and Murder, Master of Ceremonies: A True Story of Love, Murder, Roller Skates and Chippendales and Hos, Hookers, Call Girls and Rant Boys: Professionals Writing On Life, Love, Money and Sex. About people leaving behind their former lives [ex-stripper; ex-white supremacist; ex-escort; ex-homosexual; ex-gambler]. Written by . The Poisonwood Bible: Loosely based on Barbara Kingsolver's book of the same name and the Congo Crisis. Written by . James Lanza: Loosely based on the life of James Lanza, an American mobster and boss of the San Francisco crime family. Written by Nilo Cruz. What Looks Like Crazy On An Ordinary Day: Loosely based on Pearl Cleage's book of the same name about a black woman who has moved back to her hometown following a positive diagnosis for HIV. Written by . The Last Thing He Wanted: Loosely based on Joan Didion's book of the same name about a woman who inherits her father's position as an arms dealer for the U.S. Government. Written by . Let It Blurt: Based on Jim DeRogatis' book of the same name. Written by . 100 Bullets: Based on the comic book of the same name. Written by David S. Goyer. Full Tilt Boogie: About a middle-aged pot pilot who juggles his life as a smuggler busting the USA/Mexican border with his responsibilities as a father and ex-husband. Written by Amber Crawford-Idell. American Vampire: Based on the comic book series of the same name. Written by Scott Snyder. The Stand: Based on Stephen King's The Stand: The Complete & Uncut Edition book of the same name. Written by . The Sandman: Based on Neil Gaiman's comic book series of the same name. Written by Neil Gaiman. The Catcher Was A Spy: Loosely based on Nicholas Dawidoff's book of the same name. Written by . Amnesia Moon: Loosely based on Jonathan Lethem's book of the same name. The protagonist is a survivalist named Chaos, who lives in an abandoned megaplex after an apparent nuclear strike. The residents of his town of Hatfork are reliant on a sinister messianic figure named Kellogg for food. Kellogg also has powerful dreams, which he transfers into the minds of others. Chaos's mind is especially receptive, making him reluctant to sleep. Written by . Of Lights and Flowers: About those trying to rebuild their lives in Anchorage, AK after the most powerful recorded earthquake in American history. Written by Janet Allard. 11/22/63: Based on Stephen King's book of the same name about a time traveler who attempts to prevent the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Written by . 60 Minute Man: A suburban dad suspects he's involved in a government conspiracy after he discovers his memory is erased during one hour of each day. Written by Graham Yost. The Catcher In The Rye: Loosely based on J. D. Salinger's book of the same name. Written by . All 'Bout Leguizamo: Loosely based on John Leguizamo's Freak, Sexaholix... A Love Story, Ghetto Klown & Pimps, Hos, Playa Hatas, And All The Rest of My Hollywood Friends: My Life. Written by John Leguizamo. Cane River: Loosely based on Lalita Tademy's book of the same name about four generations of slave-born females from 1830s to 1930s. Written by Lalita Tademy, Karen Hall & Misan Sagay. Hi School: Parody of high school life. Written by Peter Saji & Tami Sagher. Music for Torching: Loosely based on the book of the same name about a dysfunctional suburban family in modern-day America dealing with various issues, including sex, social consciousness, infidelity and school violence. Written by A. M. Homes. A Marriage: The anatomy of a couple’s marriage. Written by Marshall Herskovitz & Edward Zwick. Rabbit, Run: Based on John Updike's six books about Harry Angstrom. Written by . 20 Questions: There's nothing that fascinates people quite like a government conspiracy. Unless you're an innocent man caught up in the middle of one and running for your life. Written by Thomas Hines. Retribution: Based on John Fulton's book of the same name about struggle with and against the demands of family loyalty, love, loss, and sexual desire. Written by Lydia Woodward & Marsha Norman. American Man: Delving into the complex, troubling, and humorous contradictions, illusions, and realities of contemporary manhood. Written by David Brind & Merritt Johnson. A View of The Ocean: Loosely based on Jan de Hartog's memoir of the same name - unflinching look at death and the process of dying. Written by Elizabeth Savage Sullivan. William's Law: Loosely based on the life of William O. Douglas, who served 13,358 days on the United States Supreme Court. Written by . Dark Horse: Conspiracy thriller about an undergraduate who's struck by lightning the exact moment his estranged father, a respected neurosurgeon, is killed during an attempt to assassinate a politician likely to have become the next President. Written by Harald Kloser & Roland Emmerich. Downwardly Mobile: The proprietor of a mobile home park serves as a surrogate mother to all the unique people who live there in a challenging economy. Written by Eric Gilliland. Awesometown: A peek behind the curtain of modern 20-something relationships. Written by Adam Sztykiel. One Drop: Loosely based on Bliss Broyard's memoir of the same name. Written by . All Fall Down: A successful female attorney who ends up joining her father's family law practice when she leaves her high-powered big city law firm and moves home to Savannah, GA, where her crazy relatives live. Think: Family Law meets Northern Exposure. Written by Rina Mimoun. Service Included: Loosely based on Phoebe Damrosch's memoir of the same name. Written by . The Center Cannot Hold: Loosely based on Elyn Saks' memoir of the same name. Written by . Snopes of Mississippi: Based on William Faulkner's The Hamlet, The Town, and The Mansion. Written by . Of The Farm: Loosely based on John Updike's book of the same name. Written by . Counter Culture: Three aging sisters who run their family diner together in West Texas find that sibling dynamics are always getting in the way of getting the job done. Written by Stephnie Weir. The Florist's Daughter: Loosely based on Patricia Hampl's memoir of the same name. An elliptical account of family and loss. Written by Lisa Melamed & Alison Tatlock. County: Revolves around the lives of staff members in a frenetic underfunded and morally compromising L.A. County hospital. Think: ER in 2013. Written by Jason Katims. 18 & Beyond: The ongoings of a college campus and its rivalry with a local university. A mix of Felicity, Blue Mountain State and Veronica Mars. Written by Becky Hartman Edwards & Terrence Coli. Scruples: Based on the 1978 bestselling book about a rich and powerful clothes designer in a world of sex, revenge and scandal. Written by Bob Brush & Mel Harris. Laws of Burger: Based on the life of Warren E. Burger. Written by . Empire State: A sprawling drama about two battling families (one rich, one not) in New York. Written by Jeffrey Reiner & Michael Seitzman. Sold!: Exposing the hilarious underbelly of the high-stakes real estate world and finds enough sex, greed, deceit and betrayal to last a lifetime. Written by Silvio Horta. In The Beauty of The Lilies: Loosely based on John Updike's book of the same name. Written by . Bare David: Loosely based on David Sedaris' Naked, Holidays On Ice and Barrel Fever. Written by David Sedaris. The Revelation: Loosely based on Bentley Little's book of the same name. A tale of horror set in a small northern Arizona town, this first novel begins with the desecration of an Episcopal church and the disappearance of the priest and his family. Written by . Possible Side Effects: Loosely based on Augusten Burroughs' Possible Side Effects, A Wolf At The Table, You Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas, and Magical Thinking. Written by Augusten Burroughs. The Falcon: Based on the comic book character of the same name. Written by . Black Lightning: Based on the comic book character of the same name. Written by . After Innocence: Loosely based on the documentary of the same name and the Innocence Project about men who were exonerated from death row by DNA evidence. Written by . The Invisible College: Based on the comic book series of the same name about a secret organization battling against physical and psychic oppression using time travel, magic, meditation, and physical violence. Their enemies are the Archons of Outer Church, interdimensional alien gods who have already enslaved most of the human race without their knowledge. Written by . Jupiter Fences: An examination of American popular culture, the underclass, subcultures and alternative lifestyles. Think: Veronica Mars meets Picket Fences. Written by Jeff Melvoin, Tammy Ader & Cathy Belben. [[]]: The lives of social workers in Charlotte, N.C. A mix of East Side/West Side, Judging Amy and The Wire. Written by Robert Gately & Naomi Lamont. [[]]: A mix of Once and Again, thirtysomething, My So-Called Life, Sisters, and Henry James' The Golden Bowl. Written by Barbara Marshall & Geetika Lizardi. The Basic Eight: Loosely based on the book of the same name about Flannery Culp's high school experiences. Written by Daniel Handler. Diary: Loosely baed on Chuck Palahniuk's book of the same name. Misty Wilmot, a once-promising young artist currently working as a waitress in a hotel. Once her husband is in a coma after a suicide attempt, Misty soon finds herself a pawn in a larger conspiracy that threatens to cost hundreds of lives. Written by Chuck Palahniuk. The Crusades: Based on the comic book series. set in a fictionalised San Francisco and featured a large cast of characters whose lives are thrown into disarray by the sudden appearance of a murderous 11th Century Knight in the city. Main Characters included Anton Marx, a leftwing political radio "shock jock", his fact checker girlfriend Venus Kostopikas, her friend Detective Addas Petronas and the rival gangsters Tony Quetone and "the Pope". Written by Steven T. Seagle. Advise and Consent: Based on Allen Drury's Advise and Consent book series. Written by . Black: Loosely based on the life of Hugo Lafayette Black who served as a senator and an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court for three decades. Written by . Vice Town: Loosely based on the life of Hiram C. Gill in 1892 as he deals with "open town" and "closed town" factions while being a lawyer and politician. Written by . The Gospel According to Larry: Based on Janet Tashjian's book series of the same name revolving around seventeen-year-old Josh Swensen, an articulate teen whose dream is to change the world. He creates his own website which he calls "The Gospel According to Larry" because Larry was the most un-biblical name he could think of. He writes articles on this site "preaching" his feelings and ideas about making the world a better place. Written by Janet Tashjian. Royal House: Loosely based on the Biblical story of King David, but set in a kingdom that culturally and technologically resembles the present-day America. Think: Kings in 2013. Written by Michael Green. Brew City: Written by Wendy Calhoun. Paradise Palms: Written by Shelley Meals & Darin Goldberg. 2197 AD: Written by Marina Alburger. Bad Apple: Written by John Francis Whelpley. [[]]: Loosely based on the life of James Strom Thurmond in 1946. Con: Written by Dawn Comer Jefferson. The Bullring: A Mexican American businessman investigates the murder of a farm labor union organizer and uncovers a conspiracy between the union, a drug cartel and the company where the businessman works. The businessman must risk his career and his life to bring the murderers to justice. Written by Luke Garza. Cities in Flight: Based on James Blish's book series of the same name. Written by . Say Something Funny: His family's Lower East Side deli is both a job and a refuge from reality for a jokester with a broken heart. 10 years ago, his father committed suicide in the next room. Now, he must reconcile himself with loss or go down the same path his father did. Written by James Francis Nevins. "Fuck Your Parliament": Satirical look at American political relations with Canada, South Africa, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Think: The West Wing meets Veep. Written by . Chasing Alice: After a series of mysterious child abductions, a young FBI agent's obsession with the supernatural leads him on a wild adventure into a magical fairy tale land, where he befriends famous characters, outwits villains, rescues children, and rediscovers his long-lost sister. Written by Keiko Tamura & Tasha Hardy. BLITZKRIEG: A wannabe crime lord dreams of building an empire in Toronto, but he never counted on the array of thieves, killers and cops who are out to stop him. Written by Schuyler Willson. Thesis: A grad student's thesis research unintentionally gets him caught up with the mob. Written by Richard Averill. Red Rover: A teenager from an abusive background is drawn into the violent world of a charismatic stranger who promises he will never be a victim again. Written by Philip Landa. [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Hilmar Moore, the longest-serving elected official in America, and Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Written by . Stockholm, Pennsylvania: 19 years after her kidnapping, Leia is returned home to her parents where she discovers her name is Leanne and her birthday isn't in March. As Leia longs for the life she remembers and the man who made her who she is, Leia's mother works harder than ever to get her daughter back by any means necessary. Written by Nikole Beckwith. Victoria of Homer: Loosely based on the life of Victoria Woodhull. Written by Liz Tigelaar. Living Life: Based on David Soleil's experience as a motivational speaker who has lost his motivation to live. Theme song: Kate Bush's Part Heart. Written by David Soleil. Our Brothers: Inspired by Why I Hate Abercrombie and Fitch: Essays On Race And Sexuality. Written by . Consultant: Cleo Manago. Tubman: Based on the life of William Vacanarat S. Tubman, President of Liberia from 1944-1971. Written by . Moodyology: Loosely based on the life of Raymond Moody and his involvement in parapsychology. Think: Medium meets The X-Files. Written by . [[]]: Based on the United States Army Intelligence Support Activity, a unit tasked to collect actionable intelligence in advance of missions by other US special operations forces in counter-terrorist operations. Think: The Unit meets Army Wives. Written by Paul Redford, Sharon Lee Watson & Carol Flint. Mister J.J.: Based on the life of John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the United States. Written by . Steele's Land: How civilization comes together from chaos by organizing itself around symbols in 1890s Oklahoma Territory. A mix of Deadwood, Cimarron Strip, and The Lazarus Man. Written by . Doktor Sleepless: Loosely based on Warren Ellis's comic book series of the same name about a trust-fund baby and boy genius who is shunned by the counter-culture he helped found. After disappearing from the city of Heavenside three years ago, he suddenly returns having undergone some changes during the interim. Upon his return, he's transformed himself from a relatively mundane man into what he describes as a cartoon mad scientist. Written by . JEG: Loosely based on the life of James E. McGreevey. Think: The West Wing meets Citizen Baines. Written by Karyn Usher & Paula Yoo. Humanial: A mix of Moonlighting, Seeing Things, Remington Steele, and Medium. Written by Glenn Gordon Caron. Think, You Are: A mix of Now and Again, Alias and The Prisoner. Written by Daniel Arkin & Rick Eid. [[]]: The personal and professional life of Isaac Wint, pastor of a non-denominational megachurch in Austin, TX. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the lives of Ralph Lauren, Donna Karan, Gianni Versace, and Calvin Klein. Written by Sally Sussman Morina. More Than Kin: An adaptation of Less Than Kind about a family struggling to operate a driving school out of their home in Omaha, NE. Written by . American Century: Harry Block, a World War II veteran, fakes his own death and makes his way to Central America to create a new identity for himself as Harry Kraft, a hard-drinking smuggler. During a war in Guatemala, a CIA operative blackmails Block into assassinating Rosa de Santiis, a popular leader in opposition to the CIA puppet dictator General Zavala. Afterward, he heads back to the United States, taking a road trip from Hollywood to Chicago to New York, exploring myriad avenues of 1950s American culture. Written by Howard Chaykin. Transmetropolitan: Based on the comic book of the same name. Spider Jerusalem dedicates himself to fighting the corruption and abuse of power of two successive American presidents; he and his assistants strive to keep their world from turning more dystopian than it already is while dealing with the struggles of fame and power, brought about due to the popularity of Spider via his articles. Written by . Deadenders: Loosely based on the comic book series of the same name about a post-apocalyptic future in New Bethleham. Written by Ed Brubaker. [[]]: The ongoings of a Motown-esque record company in the 1970s. Written by Trey Ellis & Travis Donnelly. Southern Ranch: Loosely based on the Dumas Brothel and Chicken Ranch in 1952. Written by . Oh! Calcutta!: Loosely based on the musical of the same name. Written by . Rule of The Bone: Loosely based on Russell Banks' book of the same name about a teenage drug dealer living with his mother and his abusive stepfather. He runs away from home to live with his best friend and a biker gang. Bone, although a hardened drug dealer on the outside, is revealed to be quite compassionate, wanting to free an abused girl named Froggy from her captor and to return his mentor I-Man back to his home. In the end he gives up on family. Written by . The Motion of Water: Loosely based on the Galveston and Florida Keys hurricanes. Written by . Breath & Blood: Loosely based on the life of Herman Webster Mudgett, The Torture Doctor, and H. H. Holmes: America's First Serial Killer in 1917. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on Mike Resnick's Distant Replay about a man who sees a woman that looks exactly like his deceased wife. As he gets to know her, he discovers that she has too many things in common for this to be a coincidence. Think Dollhouse meets Now and Again. Written by . The Fortress of Solitude: Loosely based on Jonathan Lethem's book of the same name about two teenage friends, one European and one African, who discover a magic ring. It explores the issues of race and culture, gentrification, self-discovery, and music. Written by . Chip Off The Old Bloch: An examination of father/son relationships loosely based on Michael Chabon's Manhood For Amateurs: The Pleasures and Regrets of a Husband, Father, and Son. Written by . You Don't Love Me Yet: About alternative music in modern day Los Angeles. Written by Jonathan Lethem. Chronic City: Based on Jonathan Lethem's book of the same name about a circle of friends including a faded child-star actor, a cultural critic, a hack ghost-writer of autobiographies, and a city official. Written by . Thicker Than Blackwater: Loosely based on Brian Azzarello's comic book series, Loveless, about the dynamic relationship between Wes Cutter, a sheriff, and the townspeople (most of whom hate him), the fate of Cutter's wife, and the lingering feelings of animosity between North and South after the end of the US Civil War. Written by Brian Azzarello. Tenth of December: Based on George Saunders' book of the same name. Written by . Werewolves In Their Youth: Loosely based on Michael Chabon's book of the same name about problems arising in marriages. Written by . Husband & Wife: A fictionalized version of Married in America set in Louisville, KY. Written by Linda Gase, Anthony Sparks & Jeffrey Stepakoff. Philyations: A mix of Babyfather, Sex & The City and Manchild in 2002. Set in Philadelphia, PA. Written by Thomas Bradshaw & Alexa Junge. Faces of January: Loosely based on Patricia Highsmith's The Two Faces of January, The Glass Cell, Those Who Walk Away, and the life of Joseph Weil. Written by . The Sense of The Past: Loosely based on Henry James book of the same name about an American who trades places with a remote ancestor in early 19th century England, and encounters many complications in his new surroundings. Written by . Black Fury: Loosely based on the comic book series of the same name about Miss Fury. Her alter ego is wealthy socialite Marla Drake. Written by . Thomas/Tommy/Tom: Loosely based on Patricia Highsmith's Tom Ripley book series. Written by . The King of America: Loosely based on Rod Glenn book of the same name. Set in an America where the future merges with the past, the king is betrayed by his closest friend, plunging the nation into a civil war.As the two sides collide, the king is cast into a desperate chase across America as Lexus dedicates every resource to the hunt. Written by . Women of Manhattan: Loosely based on John Patrick Shanley's play of the same name about the lives of three NYC women: one has recently split up with her boyfriend, one is married, and one is considered a fag hag by the other two. Written by . The Authority: Based on Warren Ellis's comic book series of the same name about a team of superheroes who get the job done by any means necessary. Written by . Shock & Awe: Loosely based on Keith Harmon Snow, a former genocide investigator who is considered persona non grata in Rwanda and Ethiopia. Written by . Crooked Little Vein: Loosely based on Warren Ellis's book of the same name about Michael McGill, a burned-out private investigator, who is hired by a corrupt White House Chief of Staff to find a second "secret" U.S. Constitution, which had been lost in a whorehouse by Richard Nixon. What follows is a scavenger hunt across America, exposing its seedier side along the way. McGill is joined by surreal college student side-kick, Trix, who is writing a thesis on sexual fetishes. Written by . Black Summer: Loosely based on Warren Ellis's comic book series of the same name about The Seven Guns, an association of politically-aware scientist-inventors, who create their own superhuman enhancements through extreme body modifications experiments. Written by . Global Frequency: Loosely based on Warren Ellis's comic book series of the same name about an independent, covert intelligence organization headed by a former intelligence agent. The purpose of the organization is to protect and rescue the world from the consequences of the various secret projects that the governments of the world have established, which are unknown to the public at large. The people on the Global Frequency are chosen and called on for their specialized skills in a variety of areas, from military personnel, intelligence agents, police detectives to scientific researchers, academics, athletes, former criminals and assassins. These threats that the organization deals with are equally varied and usually world-threatening, ranging from rogue military operations and paranormal phenomena to terrorist attacks and religious cults. Written by Scott Nimerfro & John Rogers. Dangerous Bill: Loosely based on the life of Bill Hicks, a stand-up comedian, satirist, and social critic. Written by . 13th Grade: A slacker 18 year old as he navigates the world of community college after just being dumped by his girlfriend. Written by Derek Waters. Cripro: A spoof on crime procedurals about a washed-up TV action hero - who at the peak of his career was ceremonially deputized by local law enforcement - falsely believes he can solve crimes in real life. His student, Jason, becomes his sidekick. Think: Lookwell meets Reno 911!. Written by Conan O'Brien, Robert Smigel & Andy Richter. Consultant: Peter Blauner Tear A Bull (aka Double T): A satirical look at the personal and professional lives of a low-level member of the Texas Legislature and his staff. Written by Larry Wilmore. Consultant: Lee Blessing. Infinite Jest: Based on David Foster Wallace's book of the same name about the missing master copy of a film cartridge, titled Infinite Jest and referred to in the novel as "the Entertainment" or "the samizdat". The film, so entertaining to its viewers that they lose all interest in anything other than viewing it and thus eventually die, was the final work of James O. Incandenza before his suicide by microwave. He completed it during a stint of sobriety requested by its lead actress, Joelle Van Dyne. Quebecois separatists are interested in acquiring a master, redistributable copy of the work to aid in acts of terrorism against the United States. The United States Office of Unspecified Services is seeking to intercept the master copy of the film to prevent mass dissemination and the destabilization of the Organization of North American Nations. Joelle and later Hal seek treatment for substance abuse problems at The Ennet House Drug and Alcohol Recovery House, and Marathe visits the rehabilitation center to pursue a lead on the master copy of the Entertainment, tying the characters and plots together. Written by . I Am Monica Saunders: A fictionalized version of Martha Stewart in 1996. Written by Bob Bartlett. Addicks: A pair of recovering addicts: one's an ex-drug dealer/gigolo, the other's an heir to a fortune he can't collect until he's sober. Written by Jason Dean Hall & Justin Spitzer. American Darkness: A man relocates his family to a town run by a powerful, but mysterious tycoon. They soon realize that not everything in the town is as it seems. A mix of Picket Fences, American Gothic, The Dead Zone, The X-Files, and A Clockwork Orange. Written by . Beat Generation: A group of American post-World War II writers who come to prominence in the 1950s, as well as the cultural phenomena they document and inspire. Central elements of the beat culture include rejection of received standards, innovations in style, experimentation with drugs, alternative sexualities, an interest in Eastern religion, a rejection of materialism, and explicit portrayals of the human condition. Written by . American Post: The personal and professional lives of staff at a Huffington Post-type website. A mix of The Eleventh Hour, and The Newsroom. Written by Cherie Bennett & Jeff Gottesfeld. Consultant: Gerald Early The Marriage Plot: Loosely based on Jeffrey Eugenides's book of the same name about three female college friends beginning in their senior year in 1982. Written by . I Do, Sometimes: Exploring mixed-orientation marriages. A mix of Far From Heaven, Once & Again, Mulligans, A Single Man, and Shortbus. Written by Todd Haynes & Eileen Myers. Big Machine: Based on Victor LaValle's book of the same name. Ricky Rice is an ex-junkie African bus station porter survivor of a suicide cult whose life is changed when a mysterious letter arrives summoning him to a remote compound in Vermont. Written by Victor LaValle. The Broom of The System: Loosely based on David Foster Wallace's book of the same name about an emotionally challenged woman questions her own reality as she navigates three separate crises: her great-grandmother's escape from a nursing home, a neurotic boyfriend, and a suddenly vocal pet cockatiel. Written by . Scalped: Based on the comic book series of the same name about the residents of an Indian reservation in modern-day South Dakota as they grapple with organized crime, poverty, alcoholism, local politics and the preservation of their cultural identity. Written by . All That Is: Loosely based on James Slater’s book of the same name about a naval officer who returns to America and finds a position as a book editor. In this world of dinners, deals, and literary careers, Bowman finds that he fits in perfectly. But despite his success, what eludes him is love. His first marriage goes bad, another fails to happen, and finally he meets a woman who enthralls him—before setting him on a course he could never have imagined for himself. Romantic and haunting as it explores a life unfolding in a world on the brink of change. It is a dazzling, sometimes devastating labyrinth of love and ambition, a fiercely intimate account of the great shocks and grand pleasures of being alive. Written by . With or Without You: Loosely based on Domenica Ruta’s book of the same name. Domenica grew up in a working-class, unforgiving town north of Boston, in a trash-filled house on a dead-end road surrounded by a river and a salt marsh. Her mother, Kathi, a notorious local figure, was a drug addict and sometimes dealer whose life swung between welfare and riches, and whose highbrow taste was at odds with her hardscrabble life. And yet she managed, despite the chaos she created, to instill in her daughter a love of stories. Written by . The Glass Castle: Loosely based on Jeannette Walls’ book of the same name. Written by . Where'd You Go, Bernadette: Based on Maria Semple's book of the same name. Once a revered architect, Bernadette has become such a neurotic mess that she outsources her simplest errands to a virtual assistant in India. When Bernadette suddenly disappears, Bee follows her mother's unusual paper trail to track her down. Written by Maria Semple. Triburbia: Based on Karl Taro Greenfeld's book of the same name about a group of families in a fashionable Manhattan neighborhood wrestling with the dark realities of their lives. A hip group of fathers meet every morning for breakfast and banter while glossing over the dysfunction festering in the privacy of their airy lofts: affairs, bad marriages, bad kids, accusations of fabricating a memoir, etc. These one-percenters appear to have everything, but they're ruined by too many options; as a result, their lives end up looking like those of dissatisfied suburbanites, only a bit uglier. Written by . We Only Know So Much: Loosely based on Elizabeth Crane's book of the same name about a dysfunctional family: Jean, the people-pleasing mother who's having an affair; her husband, Gordon, an insufferable know-it-all who's losing his memory; Priscilla, a text-a-minute brat who dreams of becoming a reality TV star; and Otis, an offbeat loner longing for love. Our narrator is an omniscient We who reports the goings-on of the family with the breathless glee of an incurable gossip. Written by Elle Triedman & Nikki Toscano. Inside: Based on Alix Ohlin's book of the same name. A therapist rescues a man from an attempted suicide only to fall in love with him; a deeply troubled aspiring actress takes in the homeless runaway sleeping on her doorstep; a divorcée starved for connection leaves one hopeless situation for another. Written by . The Expats: Loosely based on Chris Pavone's book of the same name. When her husband, Dexter, lands a high-paying job in Luxembourg, Kate Moore gladly quits her secret life as a CIA agent to reinvent herself as an expat housewife. But she has to put her espionage skills to use again when another American couple arrives in town and tells her that Dexter might have a secret life of his own. Written by . Ten Thousand Saints: Based on Eleanor Henderson's book of the same name about a group of friends, lovers, parents and children through the straight-edge music scene and the early days of the AIDS epidemic. Written by . Drop City: Loosely based on T. Coraghessan Boyle's book of the same name. It is 1970, and a California commune has decided to relocate to the last frontier—the unforgiving landscape of interior Alaska—in the ultimate expression of going back to the land. Armed with the spirit of adventure and naïve optimism, the inhabitants arrive in the wilderness of Alaska only to find their utopia already populated by other young homesteaders. When the two communities collide, unexpected friendships and dangerous enmities are born as everyone struggles with the bare essentials of life: love, nourishment, and a roof over one’s head. Written by . Wonderland: Loosely based on Joyce Carol Oates's book of the same name. Written by . [[]]: The exploits of a record label. Written by Dan Ahearn & David Caudle. [[]]: A mysterious institute which studies the human mind. A mix of Dollhouse, The Second Lady, The Manchurian Candidate, The Pretender, and Now and Again. Written by Javier Grillo-Marxuach, Juan Carlos Coto & Dean Widenmann. [[]]: Loosely based on the Atlanta Child Murders and Charles Sanders. Written by Geoffrey S. Fletcher. [[]]: Loosely based on the lives of Alfred Kinsey, Richard von Krafft-Ebing, Havelock Ellis, Magnus Hirschfeld, Kurt Freund & Vern Bullough. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Ralph David Abernathy Sr.. Written by . [[]]: The exploits of the sex industry in 1973. A mix of Boogie Nights and The Fluffer. Written by . [[]]: The personal and professional lives of the Kentucky Supreme Court justices. Think: First Monday meets The West Wing. Written by Evan Katz, Ellen Herman & Christopher Ambrose. [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Harry Belafonte. Written by . [[]]: A former football player, Redde Wycel, is charged with the murder of his ex wife, and tries to uncover the truth about her death. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the Breckinridge family in 1797. Written by . The Man: Loosely based on Irving Wallace's book of the same name about the socio-political consequences in U.S. society when a black man becomes President of America. Written by . Ooh! Ah!: The lives of sex therapists and their clients. Written by Jim Leonard & Kate Robin. [[]]: Loosely based on the life of George Edwin Taylor. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Sam Cooke. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on The Jackson 5 in 1975. Written by . Pause: The ongoings of a Rolling Stone type magazine in 1977. Written by Jon Harmon Feldman & Dana Baratta. [[]]: Comedic look at married life. A mix of Mad About You, Married People, and The King of Queens. Written by Michael J. Weithorn, David Litt & Rob Ulin. News Rock: The ongoings of a fictional TV news station. Think: Cop Rock with journalists. Written by Bob Lowry, Michael Hollinger & Adam Gwon. [[]]: The lives of hospice care workers. Theme song: Audra Mae's My Lonely Worry. Written by Dahvi Waller & Joan Binder Weiss. [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Brad Blanton, the man who developed radical honesty. Written by . [[]]: The lives of a Spice Girls type group. Written by Mike Herro & David Strauss. [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Stokely Carmichael. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the life of James Bevel. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the life of James Arthur Baldwin, a novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, and social critic. Written by . [[]]: The life of a Marilyn Monroe type woman in 1964. Written by Josh Reims & Bruce Miller. [[]]: A fictionalized version of The Phil Donahue Show. Written by . [[]]: A spoof on court shows about two judges. A mix of Judge Judy and Judge Joe Brown. Written by Jennifer Celotta & Anthony Q. Farrell. [[]]: The complexities of open relationships. A mix of Swingtown and Once and Again. Theme by Melissa McClelland. Written by Mike Kelley & David Schulner. [[]]: Loosely based on Lisa Arends's Lessons From the End of A Marriage. Written by Victoria Morrow, Coleman Herbert & Scott Teems. Private Nature: The ongoings of an escort agency in San Francisco. Written by Gina Fattore & Tom Kapinos. [[]]: Loosely based on the life of David Vitter. Written by . [[]]: The life of a Vince McMahon type man. Written by Daniel Chun & Phil Johnston. [[]]: The life of an Estée Lauder type woman. Written by Katherine Fugate. American District: The ongoings of a Washington, D.C. based public relations firm. A mix of The Good Wife and The West Wing. Written by Barry M. Schkolnick, Steve Lichtman & Alexandra Cunningham. [[]]: Loosely based on the lives of Ted Haggard and Paul Barnes. Written by . American Politricks (aka American Complex): Satire on American politics and the mainstream media. A mix of That's My Bush! and Veep. Theme song: Morrissey's Let Me Kiss You. Written by David Bickel, Halsted Sullivan & Ken Urban. [[]]: The lives of members of a Ku Klux Klan type of group in 1924. Written by Keith Josef Adkins. Seasons of Life: Coming of age 1965 drama in San Francisco, CA. Written by Toni Graphia & Jill Gordon. Flycatcher: The life of an Anita Bryant type woman in 1979. Written by . American Tabloid: Loosely based on James Ellroy's Underworld USA Trilogy about political and legal corruption. Written by . Fill In The Blanks: An espionage team of former members of the FBI, DIA, DEA, and CIA. A mix of Counterstrike, The Equalizer, La Femme Nikita, Alias, and The Unit. Written by David Mamet & Lynn Mamet. Consultant: Stephen L. Carter. American Tycoon: Loosely based on Harold Robbins' Tycoon about an entrepreneur who builds an empire in broadcasting. Written by Anne Kenney & Daniel Steck. [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Theodore Roosevelt Mason Howard, a civil rights/fraternal organization leader, entrepreneur and surgeon. Written by . American Blaks (aka So Blak!): A no holds barred satire on black life in America. Loosely based on the lives of Richard Pryor, Dick Gregory, Patrice O'Neal, and Steve "The Dean" Williams. Written by Warren Hutcherson, Malcolm D. Lee & Lamont Ferrell. Cookbrity: The life of a Bobby Flay type celebrity cook. Written by Peter Ocko, Allison Silverman & Vijal Patel. [[]]: The life of a Rush Limbaugh/Glenn Beck/Mark Levin type radio talk show host. Written by Angus MacLachlan. American Peaks: Loosely based on the Thurston County ritual abuse case, Dissociative identity disorder, File 18, and the lives of John DeCamp, Elizabeth Loftus and Valerie Sinason. Written by . International Cunts (aka i-Cunts): A blistering look at humanity. Written by . K Is For Killing: Loosely based on Daniel Easterman's book of the same name in which America is ruled by a coalition of the America First Committee and Ku Klux Klan. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Jim Jones. Written by . [[]]: A mix of Nowhere Man, The Prisoner, The Pretender, North by Northwest, and Three Days of the Condor. Written by Laurence Andries & Sam Humphrey. To Live & Die In Tucson: An unflinching look at mental health issues in America. Set in Tucson, AZ. Written by Davey Holmes. [[]]: Based on the Black Arts Movement. Written by . 21st Century Matches: The life of a Patti Stanger type woman. Written by Melanie Marnich & Barry O'Brien. [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Ralph Waldo Greene Jr.. Written by . [[]]: The lives of a White Panther Party type political collective in 1968. Written by . The Broken Hearts Club: A coming of age drama loosely based on The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy. Written by . [[]]: The life of an Ann Coulter type woman. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Marcus Mosiah Garvey Jr. Written by . [[]]: The ongoings of the Allegheny County council. A mix of The West Wing and Boss. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Eddie Noel. Written by . [[]]: The life of a JFK Jr. type socialite. Written by Roger Wolfson. [[]]: The ongoings of a non-denominational Christian college in Bakersfield, CA. Written by . [[]]: The life of the governor of Ohio and his staff. Think: The West Wing meets House of Cards. Written by . [[]]: The ongoings of a Christian Voice type political advocacy group. Written by . Peachtree Lines: The personal and professional life of Lincoln Rylan, mayor of Atlanta, and his staff. A mix of The West Wing, Boss, and House of Cards. Written by . The Fake & The Fakest: A fictionalized version of The Real Housewives. Written by Linwood Boomer & Matt Hubbard. [[]]: The life of a George Wallace type politician. Written by . Polialk: Satire on American political talk shows. A mix of Crossfire, Firing Line, The McLaughlin Group, and The Chris Matthews Show. Theme song: Lydia Taylor's Love A Little Harder. Written by Robert Carlock, Bob Brush & Norma Safford Vela. [[]]: The life of a Daniel Keenan Savage type man. Written by . Phantom Stranger: Based on the comic book character of the same name with unspecified paranormal origins who battles mysterious and occult forces. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Ella Fitzgerald. Written by Darnell Martin & Michael Elliot. [[]]: The ongoings of a public-access television station. Think: Public Access meets Alternative Views in 1999. Written by . [[]]: The life of a Steve Forbes type publishing executive. Written by Taylor Elmore. [[]]: The life of a David Geffen type record executive, screen/theatrical producer, and philanthropist in 1982. Written by R. Scott Gemmill. [[]]: The life of a Matthew Nathan Drudge type man in 2003. Written by . [[]]: A mix of Regarding Henry, Marvin's Room, Bringing Out the Dead, Wit, Closer, The Squid and the Whale, and Margot at the Wedding. Written by Noah Baumbach, Rick Moody & Ann Patchett. [[]]: A mix of White Sands, The Man Who Knew Too Much, North by Northwest, and Freedomland. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on Upton Sinclair's The Jungle about poverty, the absence of social programs, unpleasant living and working conditions, and the hopelessness prevalent among the working class, which is contrasted with the deeply rooted corruption of people in power. Written by . [[]]: The ongoings of a National Review type magazine. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Orval Faubus. Written by Gregory Poirier & Paul Redford. Atomic Knight: Loosely based on the comic book character of the same name. Written by . [[]]: The ongoings of an interior design firm in Minneapolis, MN. A mix of Designing Women, Will & Grace, and The Office. Written by Carrie Kemper, Graham Wagner & David M. Matthews. [[]]: The ongoings of a venture capital firm. A mix of Profit, Revenge, and Chinatown. Written by . The Royal Tenenbaums: Loosely based on the film of the same name. Written by Anthony Q. Farrell & Derek Ahonen. Sidney's Window: Loosely based on Lorraine Hansberry's The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window about a man named Sidney, his pitfalls within his personal life, and struggles in Bohemian culture. Written by . The Good Widow: A mix of The Good Wife, The Brethren, The Confession, and the D.C. Madam scandal of 2006. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the events leading up to Ruby Ridge. Written by . [[]]: The ongoings of a Bank of America type bank in 2005. Inspired by The International. Written by . Drof Men: The ongoings of a multinational automaker in 1987. Think: Mad Men with cars. Written by Will Rokos. [[]]: The ongoings of a pharmaceutical corporation. Written by Melinda Hsu Taylor & Robert L. Rovner. [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Joe Francis, creator of Girls Gone Wild. Written by . [[]]: The rise and fall of a pop music group in 1966. Inspired by Paul McCartney Died In 1966 urban legend. Written by . [[]]: The ongoings of a male revue in 2008. Written by Rob Fresco, Jill E. Blotevogel & Jason Ning. Undisclosed: Loosely based on Michal Milstein & Marlin Marynick's Undisclosed: Secrets of The AIDS Epidemic. Written by . American Krime (aka Krime In The USA): A mockumentary-style parody of law enforcement documentary shows and crime procedurals. A mix of Reno 911!, Miami Vice, Law & Order, NYPD Blue, and the CSI franchise. Written by Sean Abley, Liz Duffy Adams & Jeffrey Adams. It's Just Sex: Satire on the American sexual revolution. Written by Thomas McCarthy. [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Andy Warhol. Written by Michael Dahlie & Allison Lynn. [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Walter Washington, the first mayor of the District of Columbia. Written by . American Fluff: The life of a male fluffer. Written by Steve Hely. [[]]: Set against the backdrop of the Holy Week Uprising. A mix of I'll Fly Away, Homefront, Any Day Now, and Crash. Written by Gregory Allen Howard, Gary Hardwick, Rob Hardy & Brian Bird. [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Johnnie L. Cochran Jr.. Written by . [[]]: The ongoings of a cosmetics company in 1992. Think: Mad Men with makeup. Written by Amy Herzog & Lisa Joy. [[]]: The personal and professional lives of clinical psychologists. Written by . [[]]: The ongoings of a modeling agency in 2006. Written by Annie Weisman & Natalie Krinsky. [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Tina Turner in 1987. Written by Janine Sherman Barrois & Elizabeth Hunter. [[]]: The ongoings of an upscale lifestyle company and fashion retailer. Written by Wendy Mericle & Sara Parriott. [[]]: The ongoings of a real estate firm. Written by Adele Lim & William H. Brown. [[]]: The life of a cultural critic. Written by Thomas McCarthy. [[]]: Loosely based on the life of James Brown. Written by Reggie Rock Bythewood & Gina Prince-Bythewood. Empire: Based on Orson Scott Card's book series of the same name about a possible second American Civil War, this time between the Right Wing and Left Wing in the near future. Written by . [[]]: A spoof on primetime serials centering around a wealthy clan. A mix of Dallas, Dynasty, Falcon Crest, The Colbys, Titans, and Pasadena. Written by Matt Whitney, Jeanne Leitenberg & Annemarie Navar-Gill. [[]]: Based on David Wellington's werewolf series Frostbite and Overwinter. Written by . [[]]: A mix of The Parallax View, The Domino Principle, Blow Out, No Way Out and Enemy of The State. Written by David Ayer & John Sayles. Animal Man: Based on the comic book character of the same name. Bernhard Baker acquires the ability to temporarily “borrow” the abilities of animals. Using these powers, he fights crime as the costumed superhero. Written by . Philly Blues (aka Bluesidelphia): The lives of the Philadelphia Police Department's officers. A mix of The Chicago Code, Southland, Miami Vice, and Robbery Homicide Division. Written by David Graziano, Angela Amato Velez & Todd A. Kessler. Etta Jenks: Loosely based on the play of the same name about a young woman who chases her dreams to sun-soaked LA to become a movie star, but soon the shadows of this city rear up to claim her. Etta aspires to succeed but is sucked down into the porn industry, a world which seduces and abuses, and can illuminate your name in dirty neon. A dark comic thriller about sex and survival. Written by Marlane Gomard Meyer. [[]]: The life of Andrew Johnson, 17th President of the United States, in 1837. Written by . Jack: Loosely based on the life of John Arthur Johnson in 1933. Written by . Dayworld: Loosely based on Philip José Farmer's book series of the same name about a dystopian future in which an overpopulated world solves the problem by allocating people only one day per week. For the rest of the six days they are 'stoned,' a kind of suspended animation. Written by Rand Ravich, Far Shariat & Hans Tobeason. [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Joseph Nicolosi, founder of the NARTH. Written by . [[]]: The ongoings of a Peoples Temple type religious organization in 1991. Written by . [[]]: A satirical look at suburban life with an examination of the Christian left, Christian right, social conservatism, and libertarian conservatism ideologies. A mix of Polyester, Celebrity, American Beauty & Desperate Housewives. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Richard Wayne Penniman aka Little Richard. Written by . [[]]: The lives of U.S. armed forces members returning home from the Afghanistan and Iraq War. Written by Lydia Woodward, Moira Walley-Beckett & Nancy Hult Ganis. [[]]: The lives of political consultants, campaign managers, lobbyists, and advocacy journalists. A mix of Lou Grant, The West Wing, Breaking News, and The Eleventh Hour. Written by Adam Johnson. [[]]: The ongoings of a Minor League Baseball team in Ohio. Written by Jamie Gorenberg & David Schladweiler. The Tales of Alvin Maker: Based on Orson Scott Card's book series about a man who discovers he has incredible powers for creating and shaping things around him. It takes place in an alternate history of the American frontier in the early 19th century, to some extent based on early American folklore and superstition. Written by Orson Scott Card. Congorilla: Based on the comic book character of the same name. Written by . The Rule of Fate: Loosely based on the play of the same name about a Hollywood film family. Written by Marlane Gomard Meyer. Mister Harding: The life of Warren G. Harding in 1920. Written by . [[]]: A fictionalized version of The Day the Music Died in 1999. Written by . [[]]: The ongoings of a casual dining restaurant chain. Written by John A. Norris & Terrence Coli. [[]]: The life of a federal judge in Texas. Written by Carol Flint, Lauren Schmidt Hissrich & Peter Noah. Sharp Teeth: Based on Toby Barlow's book of the same name about packs of werewolves struggling for power in the underbelly of Los Angeles. Written by Angelina Burnett & Sarah Thorp. Teendom: A parody of teen television series and films. A mix of Election, Heathers, Varsity Blues, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Bring It On, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Never Been Kissed, Cruel Intentions, Mean Girls, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Clueless, Dead Poets Society, Lean On Me, Juno, Veronica Mars, Dawson's Creek, My So-Called Life, Gilmore Girls, Gossip Girl, Ready or Not, Popular, and But I'm a Cheerleader. Written by David B. Harris, Austin Winsberg & Emily Whitesell. [[]]: The life of a Helen Kendrick Johnson type writer and prominent activist opposing the women's suffrage movement in 1911. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Karl Heinrich Ulrichs, pioneer of the modern homosexual rights movement, in 1935. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Leonard Matlovich in 1991. Written by . [[]]: The ongoings of a Philadelphia private club in 1962. Loosely based on the Yale Club of New York City. Written by . [[]]: The ongoings of an alternative medical practice in Omaha, NE. Written by Yahlin Chang, Tom Garrigus & Patrick Harbinson. Polymerican: The lives of polyamorous people. Written by Tracy Letts. [[]]: Loosely based on the lives of Kenneth Bancroft Clark and Mamie Phipps Clark. Written by Diane Ademu-John. [[]]: A man runs for elected office after a 20 year break. A mix of Citizen Baines, The Wire, and Boss. Written by James Yoshimura, Robert Schenkkan & Jesse Stern. The Geography of Luck: Loosely based on the play of the same name about a former rockabilly star who is released from prison on parole. He was serving a sentence for murdering his wife. Written by Marlane Gomard Meyer. Little, Big: Loosely based on John Crowley's book of the same name about the intertwined family trees of the Drinkwaters and their relations—from the turn of the twentieth century to a sparsely-described dystopian future America ruled by a sinister despot. Written by John Crowley. Four Freedoms: Loosely based on John Crowley's book of the same name centering around a fictional aircraft manufacturing plant during the 1940s. Written by . The Story Sisters: Loosely based on Alice Hoffman's book of the same name: a dark family saga of three sisters plagued by uncommon sadness. Written by Alice Hoffman. Women and Men: Loosely based on Joseph McElroy's book of the same name about the life, the partly mythic ancestry, and the partly science fictional future of James Mayn, a business and technology journalist. Written by . Mister Roosevelt: The life of Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1911. Written by . [[]]: Mystery surrounding the death of a deputy mayor in 1989. Upon his death, shoeboxes and briefcases with more than $900,000 in cash are found in his home along with 19 cases of whiskey, 8 transistor radios, and 102 packs of cigarettes. Inspired by Paul Taylor Powell. Written by Salvatore Stabile. The Wicked Years: Based on the book series of the same name which are a revisionist take on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and related books. Written by Gregory Maguire & Chris Provenzano. [[]]: The life of a Washington, D.C. socialite and philanthropist. Written by Tristine Skyler & Kath Lingenfelter. [[]]: Loosely based on the life of John Nance Garner IV in 1979. Written by . [[]]: The life of Abigail Adams. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Cordell Hull, the longest serving U.S. Secretary of State. Written by . The Color of Water: Loosely based on the memoir The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother. Written by James McBride & Craig Brewer. [[]]: Life in the Confederate States of America in 1861. Written by Andre Jacquemetton, Maria Jacquemetton, Michael C. Martin & Tanya Hamilton. [[]]: Life in the Roman Empire. Written by Scott Buck & John Milius. [[]]: Loosely based on Joseph and His Friend: A Story of Pennsylvania. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Henry Gerber, a homosexual rights activist, in 1931. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Idi Amin. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Robert Mugabe in 1973. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Don Mellett in 1929, a journalist who was assassinated after confronting local organized crime. Written by Steve Lichtman, Rob Ackerman & John Mankiewicz. [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Patrice Lumumba. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Walter Liggett in 1946 who exposed a criminal syndicate between organized crime and the Minnesota political establishment. Written by Shelley Meals & Darin Goldberg. [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Dulcie September. Written by Becky Mode & Karyn Usher. Outline of My Lover: Loosely based on Douglas A. Martin's book of the same name in which the central character has a long term romantic relationship with the lead singer of a successful southern alternative band. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Louis Botha, the first Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on Philip José Farmer's A Barnstormer in Oz in which the Hank Stover, a pilot and the son of Dorothy Gale, finds himself in Oz when his plane gets lost in a green cloud over Kansas. The Oz he discovers is on the brink of civil war; he encounters Erakna, the new Wicked Witch. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Leslie Lynch King, Jr., the first unelected President of America. Written by . [[]]: A journalist with close ties to the Mafia in the 80s. Written by Brian Burns & Edward Fitzgerald Burns. [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Jan Smuts who served as Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa from 1919 until 1924 and from 1939 until 1948. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Elijah Parish Lovejoy in 1849. Written by Lewis Colick & John Pielmeier. [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Hendrik Verwoerd, the man behind the conception and implementation of apartheid. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the life of James Earl Carter Jr., the 39th President of America. Written by . Fade: Loosely based on Robert Cormier's book of the same name about a teenage boy who discovers he can "fade". "Fading" is the term used for becoming invisible. Written by James Stoteraux, Chad Fiveash & Abby Gewanter. [[]]: Loosely based on the life of F. W. de Klerk, the last State President of apartheid-era South Africa. Written by . In The Middle of The Night: Loosely based on Robert Cormier's book of the same name about a teenage boy whose father was involved in a tragic accident that killed several children. He's not allowed to drive or answer the phone and his family moves so often he's always the new kid in school. But one afternoon, Denny disobeys his parents and answers a phone call, after which he finds himself drawn into a relationship with the mystery caller...someone who wants revenge. Written by David Fury & Frank Renzulli. [[]]: Based on Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves and The Whalestoe Letters. Written by Mark Z. Danielewski. [[]]: Based on the actions of the African National Congress in 1912. Written by . Here On Earth: Loosely based on Alice Hoffman's book of the same name about a woman who returns with her teenage daughter to the Massachusetts town where she grew up. After returning to the town that she grew up in, she finds herself reunited with a lost love. This dark and twisted tale tells of the capabilities of love and how far one is willing to go for it. Written by . [[]]: Based on the actions of the National Party, the governing party of South Africa from June 1948 until May 1994. Written by Ann Peacock, Troy Blacklaws, Mark Behr & Shawn Slovo. [[]]: Loosely based on the British series Absolutely Fabulous. Written by . [[]]: The life of a Jesse Woodson James type man in 1897. Written by Kater Gordon. [[]]: Loosely based on the American Indian Movement, a Native American organization in 1968. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the British series The Vicar of Dibley. Written by . Are You Served?: Loosely based on the British series Are You Being Served?. Written by . [[]]: Based on William Edward Burghardt Du Bois's Black Flame trilogy. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Mark R. M. Wahlberg in 1993. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the British series Only Fools and Horses. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Charles Lindbergh. Written by Rolin Jones & Robin Veith. 191: Based on the Southern Victory Series by Harry Turtledove which depicts a world in which the Confederacy won the American Civil War. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Robert George Seale, co-founder of the Black Panther Party. Written by . Resurrection Day: Loosely based on the book of the same name where the Cuban missile crisis escalated to a full-scale war, the Soviet Union is devastated, and the USA has been reduced to a third-rate power, relying on Britain for aid. Written by Brendan DuBois. [[]]: Based on Philip José Farmer's trilogy A Feast Unknown, Lord of the Trees and The Mad Goblin. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the kidnapping of Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr. in 1982. Written by Andre Jacquemetton & Maria Jacquemetton. [[]]: Based on the Civil War book series by Newt Gingrich, William R. Forstchen, and Albert S. Hanser. Written by . The World Next Door: Loosely based on the book of the same name. It takes place in the mid-1990s, at two interlinked alternate realities. In one of them, the Cuban Missile Crisis had escalated into a major nuclear exchange. What was left of the United States disintegrated into numerous virtually-independent enclaves, though President John F. Kennedy is still alive in a bunker somewhere. Written by Brad Ferguson. [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Pocahontas in 1829. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on Replay. A radio journalist dies and awakens back in 1963 in his 18-year-old body. He then begins to relive his life with intact memories of the previous 25 years. This happens repeatedly with different events in each cycle. Written by George Mastras. 1—9—9—0: An examination of life in the 1990s. Set in Austin, TX. Written by Patrick Sheane Duncan & Paul J. Levine & Gennifer Hutchinson. Codex Alera: Based on Jim Butcher's book series of the same name. It chronicles the coming-of-age of Tavi in the realm of Alera, an empire similar to Rome, on the world of Carna. Every Aleran has some degree of command over elemental forces or spirits called furies, save for Tavi, who is considered unusual for his lack of one. As the aging First Lord struggles to maintain his hold on a realm on the brink of civil war, Tavi must use all of his intelligence to save Alera. Written by Jim Butcher. [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Rajmund Roman T. Polański. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Lena Horne. Written by Kasi Lemmons & Vondie Curtis-Hall. [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Lucille Ball. Written by . [[]]: A time travel comedy/drama/musical reimagining of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 2000. Written by . [[]]: A parallel universe inhabited by humans, werewolves, ghosts, legendary creatures, and genetically engineered animals with human characteristics. Written by Scott Nimerfro & Sebastian Gutierrez. [[]]: Based on the life of Heracles, his consorts and children. Written by John Shiban & Sam Catlin. The Spellman Files: Based on Lisa Lutz's book series of the same name about a family of private investigators, who, while very close knit, are also intensely suspicious and spend much time investigating each other. Written by . [[]]: Based on George Pelecanos's Derek Strange and Terry Quinn, private investigators in Washington D.C. Written by . In The Garden: Loosely based on Norman Allen's play of the same name. The lives of four urban sophisticates are rocked by the arrival of a young man who is everything but what he seems. With unworldly charisma, the man constructs a web of seduction and theology grounded in the lessons of the New Testament. With high comedy and thought-provoking drama, it blends sexual conventions, high fashion, Nietzsche, and Christ in an uber-theatrical rollercoaster ride. Written by Norman Allen. The Good Spouse: A satire on American political scandals and how marriages are dealt in the midst of controversy. Inspired by The Good Wife. Written by . The Good Council: A satire on American politics in a small sized city. Written by . The Good State: A satire on state politics. Written by . The Bad Wife: A controversial female mayor deals with her personal and professional life amdist a sex scandal. Inspired by Linda Lusk. Written by . The Blue Code: A spoof on law enforcement shows. Think: Reno 911! meets The Chicago Code. Written by . American Special: The personal and professional lives of a top secret special forces team. A mix of The Unit, Last Resort, Strike Back, and Homeland. Written by . The Good Ambassador: A satire on American international relations. Think: The Office meets The West Wing. Written by . [[]]: The life of a polygamist family in Utah. Written by . Passing Seasons: A contemporary western about American social issues with drugs being the central focus. A mix of American Beauty, Far From Heaven, American History X, Six Feet Under, and Breaking Bad. Written by . American Dysfunction: Exploring the dynamics of dysfunction among American families. Written by . A.B.U.S.E.: The impact various forms of abuse (drug, sexual, physical, psychological) has on the lives of Americans. Written by . [[]]: A mysterious man's quest to join high society in 1983. Explores themes of reinvention, social upheaval, decadence, and personal, sexual and racial politics. Written by . Good Families: A satire on primetime serials such as Dallas, Knots Landing, Falcon Crest, and Desperate Housewives. Written by . The Good Couple: A satire on modern relationships. Written by . American Circuit: The ongoings of an American private military company. Written by . [[]]: The ongoings of a publishing company in 1977. Written by . [[]]: Homosexuality from 1949 to present day. Written by . Crime, She Wrote: A spoof on Murder, She Wrote. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the Hatfield–McCoy feud in 1974. Written by . Good Health: A satire on the American health industry. Written by . The Good Company: A satire on corporate America. Written by . [[]]: The personal and professional lives of lawyers in the field of family law. A mix of Family Law, Judging Amy, and The Good Wife. Written by . [[]]: A deep exploration of sociopolitical themes and African American culture in Detroit. Written by . [[]]: The adult entertainment industry in 1973. Written by . [[]]: The life of an addiction counselor and recovering drug addict. Written by Jeffrey Lieber & Scott Erik Sommer. [[]]: The personal and professional life of a sports writer. Written by . Tales of The City: Based on Armistead Maupin's book series of the same name. Written by . American Collar: An examination of social classes. Written by . [[]]: An examination of dissociative identity disorder. Written by . Insatiable: Set in a small town where everyone has some sort of addiction. Written by Liz Brixius. [[]]: An examination of male prostitution. Written by . Blue In The USA: A mix of Sex & The City. Written by . Diary of A Manhattan Call Girl: Based on Tracy Quan's book series of the same name. Written by . [[]]: Loosely based on the life of Xaviera Hollander, a former call girl and madam. Written by . [[]]: An examination of intergenerational warfare through the lens of the 2007 financial crisis after a Michigan mayor files a Chapter 9 bankruptcy petition. Written by . [[]]: An examination of international criminal law. Written by . [[]]: An in depth look at personality disorders. Written by . [[]]: An examination of Christianity in America. Written by . T.H.R.I.L.L.E.R.: A legal, medical, political, and erotic thriller. Written by . U.N.D.E.R.G.R.O.U.N.D.: An examination of the underground life revolving around a team of rogue individuals: a journalist, a doctor, a lawyer, and a police detective. Written by . [[]]: An examination of the Reconstruction Era. Written by . [[]]: The ongoings of a fictional American airline set in 1970 and headquartered in Philadelphia. Written by Mike Daniels & Nick Thiel. [[]]: An examination of the impact of various political, sports, racial, sexual, and educational scandals in St. Louis, MO. Inspired by the Atlanta Public Schools cheating scandal. Written by . [[]]: The life of a travelling salesman in the Birmingham, AL area. Revolving around the ancient Egyptian concept of truth, balance, order, law, morality, and justice in 1974. Written by . [[]]: The ongoings of a Columbus, OH team in a fictional Canadian football league expansion in 2004. Written by . [[]]: Based on Karen Marie Moning's Fever book series. Written by . [[]]: An examination of anthropology and sociology in modern America. Written by . [[]]: The events leading up to Arizona Territory becoming the 48th state in 1910. Written by . [[]]: The ongoings of a multinational retail corporation based in Missouri. Written by . [[]]: The events leading up to the California Gold Rush and statehood in 1847. Written by . [[]]: The ongoings of a mysterious boomtown in 1988. Written by Ted Mann, Kem Nunn & James D. Parriott. [[]]: The ongoings of a multinational mass media and entertainment company. Think: Profit meets Mad Men. Written by . [[]]: The exploits of the judge advocates in the Department of the Army’s Office of the Judge Advocate General. Written by . [[]]: An examination of the Iraq War. Written by . [[]]: The ongoings of an academic health science centre in San Antonio, TX. Written by Regina Corrado & Nichole Beattie. [[]]: The ongoings of a sundown town in Texas during the 1940s. Written by . [[]]: The life of a professional golfer. Written by . [[]]: The world of professional and amateur handball. Written by . [[]]: The life of a freelance security consultant and trainer. Written by . [[]]: Based on Gregory Benford's Galactic Center Saga book series. Written by . [[]]: The ongoings of the United States Department of Justice Criminal Division. Written by . [[]]: A suburban gothic about the ongoings of a picturesque city with themes of naturalism. A mix of Twin Peaks and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Written by . [[]]: An examination of hip hop culture in 1980. Written by . [[]]: An examination of African-American culture in Philadelphia during the 1990s. Written by Charles Murray, Ryan Coogler, Nelson George & Dee Rees. [[]]: The ongoings of a Los Angeles full-service talent and literary agency in 2004. Written by . [[]]: Based on Jack Womack's Dryco book series. Written by . [[]]: An examination of masculism in America. Written by . [[]]: The life of a business magnate in 1977. Written by Mitch Glazer & Eduardo Machado.

Will This Make You Laugh?: Stand-up comedians performing. A modern version of One Night Stand, ComicView, Premium Blend, Def Comedy Jam, and Comedy Central Presents. Hosted by Alonzo Bodden. Mysteries of The World: Profiling mysteries and featuring reenactments of unsolved crimes, missing persons, conspiracy theories and unexplained paranormal phenomena. A mix of Unsolved Mysteries, History's Mysteries, Encounters With The Unexplained, Conspiracies, Conspiracy?, Unsolved History, Ancient Mysteries, and Final Witness. Hosted by . ********************************************** Cinnamon Girl: About the lives of four women at the crossroads of the late 1960s political, artistic, social and sexual rebellions. Written by Anthony Tambakis & Renee Zellweger. The Return of Daniel Shepherd: A family thrown into disarray when their son returns home after thirteen years missing. When his abductors turn up murdered, he is the prime suspect. That further shrouds the mystery surrounding this family: the boy’s father, a former FBI operative-turned-college criminology teacher; his mother, a stay-at-home-mom-turned-congresswoman; and his fraternal twin brother. Written by David Hubbard. The Viagra Diaries: Based on Barbara Rose Brooker's book of the same name about Claire who, after her husband has a mid-life crisis and leaves her, struggles with being single for the first time in three decades. Written by Darren Star. The Escape Artist: Siblings who help people disappear. Written by Rina Mimoun & Scott Foley. Stuck In Reverse: A father who has a near-death experience attempts to reconnect with his estranged children. Written by Scott King. Generation Ex: Explores second marriages and co-parenting. Written by Moe Jelline. Taxi 22: American adaptation of Taxi 0-22 about a politically incorrect taxi driver in NYC struggling to keep his life together. Written by Brett C. Leonard. Just Say No: A family dealing with co-dependence and addiction. Written by David Seltzer. Blanco County: Based on Ben Rehder's book series of the same name about a baseball player who becomes sheriff of his small Texas hometown. Written by Rob Thomas. Shadow Counsel: Ethan, a former JAG attorney now working as a criminal lawyer in NYC, is recruited by the FBI to crack an ongoing investigation. He serves as a shadow counsel – a secret lawyer who operates behind the scenes and completely off the record to circumvent existing roadblocks in classified cases. His life rapidly descends into chaos as he finds himself on the run, unsure of who his friends are or who he can trust. Written by Barry Schindel. Powers: Based on Brian Michael Bendis's comic book series of the same name that combines the genres of superhero fantasy, crime noir and the police procedural. It follows the lives of two homicide detectives assigned to investigate cases involving people with superhuman abilities, who are referred to colloquially as "powers". Written by Brian Michael Bendis & Charlie Huston.

TV Revivals *[[Quantum Leap]]; Written by [[Donald P. Bellisario]] & [[John C. Kelley]] *[[Picket Fences]]; Written by [[David E. Kelley]] & [[Christopher Ambrose]] *[[Homefront|Homefront (U.S. TV series)]] ; Written by [[Lynn Marie Latham]], [[Bernard Lechowick]] & [[Jeff Gottesfeld]] *[[Freaks and Geeks]]; Written by [[Judd Apatow]], [[J. Elvis Weinstein]] & [[Mike White|Mike White (filmmaker)]] *[[Traders|Traders (TV series)]]; Written by [[Hart Hanson]], [[David Shore]] & [[Peter Blake|Peter Blake (writer)]] *[[The Eleventh Hour|The Eleventh Hour (CTV series)]] ; Written by [[Semi Chellas]], [[Ilana Frank]] & [[Jonathan Igla]] *[[Touched By An Angel]]; Written by [[Luke Schelhaas]], [[Ken LaZebnik]] & [[Brian Bird]] *[[Falcon Crest]]; Written by [[Scott Hamner]], [[Christian McLaughlin]] & [[Valerie Ahern]]

[nicerackcanada]

Building guitar rigs at Nice Rack Canada is an enjoyable way to spend every work day, but occasionally things get dialled up a notch, or 3.

A fantastic client recently came to our shop with a few boxes full of his favourite audio tools, wanting them built into a comprehensive guitar rig that could answer any of his creative urges.

The client gave us carte blanche to devise the signal flow and make hardware choices as we deemed fit for the task.

The criteria for the rig was;

Pristine Dry Tones

Lush, Warm & Deep Effects

Homages to the client’s musical heroes

Instant Accessibility to every function & favourite presets

Forward Flexibility

We developed this Wet / Dry / Wet system to capitalize on the client’s extensive collection of Marshalls and Marshall clones. Although the client is a dedicated Jimmy Page fan, he does not like the aesthetic of three of Page’s “secret weapons”, Supros, the AC30 & Whammy pedal. Hence we added the Fractal Audio Axe FX II XL+ to cover the Supro, AC30 & Whammy Pedal tones.

Starting right from the beginning of the signal chain at the guitar we spec’d the Shure Axient UHF system. Switching the input frequencies was the first homage to a hero, the Mike Hill Input Switcher as used by Angus Young.

Sharp eyes may notice that the 3x Furman units are seeing different input voltages. Here’s why. The primary Furman is the P1800AR which regulates output to 120VAC from the 105 to 125VAC input range, this unit powers the Effects Rack & the secondary Furman (PL-8) in the UHF Rack. The PL-8 supplies power to the UHF system, switcher, battery chargers & VariAC. The output of the VariAC supplies the 3rd Furman (PL-8) , which supplies “browned” 110VAC to the Amplifiers.

Continuing the homage to heroes a Solo Dallas Shaffer Replica Boost was installed in the system. The companding effect of this boost is truly it’s own unique flavour that must be played through to understand the simple beauty of this tool that helped shape the history of rock n roll.

Also visible in this photo is a custom system mixer for Delay & Reverb “Spillover”, with switchable Phase Inversion for the Wet signal. Also in the box are Switchable Phase Inverters & Ground Isolation Transformers for each amp feed

A 2nd homage can be seen in this photo, a pair of Tape Echoes in stereo. We had pushed for original Maestros, but based on availability had to settle for units pictured made by some jerk in California. As with any product made by the Trumpian pedal cloner who hates Canada, we’ll discount the labour time involved in substituting any of his pieces in any system build. Once we can find the right Tape Echoes in mint condition, the Tape Echoes by Asshat will be gone.

To fully exploit the potential of the Axe FX II XL+’s signal routing capabilities, we have engineered a switching solution using the RJM Music Effect Gizmos to be able to place the Axe FX “pre” connections before or after the collection of analog Boosts, OD’s & Fuzzes.

The “post” connections of the Axe FX on a per preset basis can be routed into the analog Left & Right Wet Amps for effects only presets, or into the FRFR cabinets with Amp & Cabinet simulations in use.

The TC Electronic G Major 2 was chosen for the system to cover the myriad of classic TC Electronic Effects flavours in the most compact & MIDI integrated unit that TC manufactures.

In Drawer #1 we have some modern classics by Strymon, the Big Sky, TimeLine & Deco. The Deco has been modded to accept MIDi control via an RJM Music Mini Amp Gizmo to engage the Saturation, Double & Favourite Functions.

The Analogman Chorus has a unique flavour about it that the client loves and it stands out from the other Choruses in the rig by Fractal, TC Electronic & Strymon.

The MXR Phaser has been owned by the client since it was brand new. To honour it’s history we replaced the bottom plate with a modified version that allows for connections to a regulated & isolated power supply without devaluing the enclosure.

In Drawer #2 things get a lot hairier, and a little smoother.

The Tone Bender comes with a little modern rock history having been acquired from Mike Turner of Our Lady Peace.

Stuart Castledine’s beautifully crafted Olympic Fuzz takes the harmonics a little hotter. For convenience and ethics, we replaced the bottom plate with a modified version that allows for connections to a regulated & isolated power supply, while allowing battery source materials to be used to power the economy of the future.

Chicago Iron’s take on the Octavio cranks the harmonic stacking into “hang on for the ride” territory, with all the bliss you can imagine that the ride would bring.

Each of the Fuzz pedals has a custom Nice Rack Canada “Fuzz Buffer” in line before the pedal to optimize the input impedance to match the output of the client’s favourite Les Paul.

Regardless of which effect may be in the signal path before the fuzz, the fuzz pedal “breaks up” as it would with the Les Paul plugged directly into the fuzz.

Robert Keeley’s modern perfect take on a classic compressor provides the smooth. Just enough sponge to dig into without it getting annoying, and a super low noise floor. Keeley is setting the standard for independent brands making analog effects.

In Drawer #3, we’ve got a plethora of harmonic stacking devices from mild to wild. This drawer is wonderful snapshot of current guitar technology by some of the brightest minds of our time. Mad Professor, Lovepedal, Skreddy, Catalinbread, Barber, Friedman, J Rockett & Xotic, all competently demonstrating why they populate the rigs of pros who know and tone junkies that crave the good stuff.

In Drawer #4 sounds wobble so pleasantly, they punch and they get creamy.

Stuart Castledine’s Supra Vibe will get you right into “Machine Gun” mode and we mean that in the most reverent way possible.

The Strymon Mobius provides a wide array of modulations with distinct flavours to separate it from the TC Electronic & Fractal Audio  modulations.

The Xotic EP boost is used in unity setting to widen the bandwidth of the signal when desired.

The Lovepedal COT50 provides a nice punch to the front of the amp to take it from clean to breaking when pushed.

The Klon Centaur provides the creamy smooth breakup that has spawned a legion of follow on designs.

As you can see in each drawer, we used the often imitated & never duplicated power supplies by the legendary Voodoo Lab.

Tucked in next to the Solo Dallas Shaffer replica and the RJM Music Mini Amp Gizmo is the “secret sauce”, The Chase Tone Secret PreAmp.

The controller board for the rig features a Castledine Wah, TC Electronic PolyTune 2 Mini, modified Boss FV500 expression pedal and the last word in MIDI controllers.

When building a rig of this magnitude the only acceptable controller for the job is the RJM Music MasterMind GT-22.

We’ve been proud to be installed the MasterMind series of controllers dating back to serial # Beta 1 of the GT series, and serial #1 of the LT/7 & PBC controllers as well. RJM Music’s contribution to guitar rig technology and the music industry is a unheralded accomplishment. RJM Music has made many things possible for guitar players that were but a dream a decade ago.

While RJM Music is a little over a decade old there is compelling testimony to say that they are setting standards that leave the competition far behind. Check out their pro users list and you’ll  see exactly what we mean.

Regardless of what the criteria is for your rig, Nice Rack Canada can embrace it and expand it’s capabilities beyond your imagination’s limits.

[queensugardaily]

20 Television Shows That I Enjoyed Watching In 2018

Television in 2018 is a year that for me belonged to Pose on FX. I published Pose FX Is The Glamour, Humor and Drama TV Needs after I watched the series premiere and live tweeted Pose all its first season. I often gush about how much I enjoy the writing, direction, acting, aesthetics and music of a show that captures complicated stories of love and loss from multiple perspectives (e.g. romantic, platonic, familial, communal), all while centering queer and trans people of colour. Epic. Other new (or new to me) television shows/series that really impressed me include Sharp Objects and Big Little Lies. The complex portrayals of women in both of these are fire!

There are some TV shows listed below that are repeats from previous years’ lists: Queen Sugar, Travelers, How To Get Away With Murder, Lucifer, Daredevil, Imposters and Blindspot. Queen Sugar and HTGAWM continue to offer multiple well-written and exciting Black women characters that I enjoy watching. Black Lightning is one that I can add to the list, with interesting portrayals of Black women and also centers a Black family. It interests me way more than Luke Cage, which did not make my list this year. Red Table Talk is also new and the only show of its type on my list; it is the only talk show that I currently watch. Three generations of Black women centering love, loss and life with good discussion among themselves as well as with interesting guests make it a show I cannot skip. I constantly rave about Travelers and think it is one of the absolute best sci-fi television shows of modern times. The writing on ethics and ethical dilemmas alone is impressive. Manifest is probably the most ridiculous show that I watch of new shows but is utterly entertaining and lighter than some shows I watch, nevertheless. Need some lightness now and again. Conversely, some TV shows that were regulars on my yearly lists and TV Roster in the past got the ax in 2018. They include: Arrow, The Flash, Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, Scorpion and Suits. I just kinda lost interest in these and felt ready to move on.

Something that is a bit different about this list versus previous years’ lists is I kinda went back and watched several procedurals that I never saw in real time, including White Collar, Covert Affairs and Perception. My interests tend to be character-driven and I enjoy how various types of relationships and interior lives are depicted even in complicated circumstances. I have always watched (and heavily critiqued) procedurals since the days of watching In The Heat of The Night as a child with my parents. I also watched almost all (skipped the last few episodes of season 12 as I am not ready yet) of Parts Unknown in 2018 as to why it appears highly on this list but not previous years. I finally watched this incredible show where voices around the world are heard, lead by a voice that so many people around the world will miss; Anthony Bourdain. Salt Fat Acid Heat picks up this food story mantle and in a way I love even more than Parts Unknown. Samin Nosrat is a gem who captured what is magical about people, food and culture in a beautifully conveyed way where I surprised myself crying through some parts. Sometimes humans…aren’t so great. She captured the times when humans are.

See the FULL list and ranking here

[dndeed]

Critical Role Miniature Rollout: C2E29

With Andrew Harshman

A summary and review of the minis used on Critical Role.

A quick disclaimer up top, in much the same way fighting an invisible opponent can be difficult, identifying minis with the live show mini cam quality was pretty tricky. Please forgive any lapses in accuracy and completeness.

Grab something to drink and prepare a dish best served cold, it’s time for Critical Role Miniature Rollout Campaign 2 Episode 29! 

The Characters

The Mighty Nein and Shakäste Steamforged Games Critical Role Miniatures Photo by @RogueReader47

Originally Frumpkin was just part of Caleb’s model base. Fortunately, he has been given his own mini. This cat’s a full fledged party member. He’s gotta have his own mini and it sure looks good. Very natural, very cat like.

Shakäste is looking super suave. As with the other figures, this is such a well executed rendition of the official art. The miniature looks exactly like the art by @ornerine. Now that I’m seeing this character as a fully painted figure, I gotta wonder about Shakäste’s morning routine. With this many belts, it has to be a minimum three hour process. Which just makes Shakäste that much cooler.

Kidnapped Party Member Legendary Realms Mummy 

Seen in the left prison chamber, this is a clever usage of the Legendary Realms mummy mini. It has a pretty distinct appearance and works well in this capacity. It looks somewhat familiar, not unlike Shakäste outfit in fact.

The Villains

Lorenzo Steamforged Games Photo from Matthew Mercer’s Twitter

Everyone take notes, this is the proper way to do a boss battle. Kidnap half the party, murderlize a beloved character, then get a professional miniature studio to custom sculpt a figure. What a miniature! 

When word starting getting around the internets that Lorenzo was potentially a shapshifted oni, I got to worrying. Not about the longevity of the party, but about the potential oni mini choices. There are some solid prepaints in the D&D Miniatures Game back catalog, but those are well out of production. The two currently available onis are frankly terribly in comparison. 

How silly of me to worry. Of course Matthew Mercer and Steamforged Games did it right. A phenomenal figure for a monumentous session and story point. Talk about table presence, even zoomed out on a live feed, this mini looked amazing. DMs, let’s learn from this excellent example of a villain confrontation.

The List

Campaign Coins DEVEN RUE COMPASS ROSE

Dwarven Forge Dungeons

Dwarven Forge Dungeon of Doom

Legendary Realms Double Bed

Tiny Furniture Medieval Bath Furniture

Dungeon of Doom LED Torch Wall

Deadly Foes Dressing: Candelabra

Dwarven Forge Dungeon of Doom Vaulted Doorway

Dungeon of Doom Vaulted Narrow Door

Legendary Realms Wooden Chest

Legendary Realms Beds

Dwarven Forge Medieval Furniture Set

Dwarven Forge Dungeon of Doom Vaulted Open Arch Wall

Dwarven Forge Dungeon of Doom Bars Insert

Dwarven Forge Dungeon of Doom, 4x4 Dungeon Floor

Dungeon Floor Pack A

Dungeon of Doom Passage Wall

Legendary Realms Hirst Arts Open Barrel

Legendary Realms Wooden Large Open Crate

Short Rubble Pile

Deadly Foes Dressing: Cage

Legendary Realms Hirst Arts Wooden Large Open Crate

Crown of Fangs Dressing: Rectangular Table

Deadly Foes Dressing: Candelabra

Dwarven Forge Dungeon of Doom Weapon Rack

Dwarven Forge Castle Builder Stone Stairs

Dwarven Forge Dungeons Door Pack

Icons of the Realms Adventurer’s Camp Weapon Rack

Dwarven Forge Dungeon of Doom Vaulted Door Corner

Dwarven Forge  LED Lighted Brazier

Axe N Shield Single Flyer Risers - Clear Mithril

Real Game FX Fog Monster Remote Controlled LED Terrain

Legendary Realms Mummy 

Rusty Dragon Inn Dressing: Table

Desert of Desolation #32 Rot Scarab Swarm

Lost Coast #008 Lamashtu Thug 1

Lost Coast #013 Lamashtu Thug 2

Lightfoot Halfling Rogue Epic Level Starter Set

Deathknell #25 Voice of Battle

Rusty Dragon Inn Dressing: Crate

Steamforged Games Critical Role Miniatures

Steamforged Games Oni

Unknown Green Spiritual Weapon Marker

The Terrain

Sour Nest Dungeon Furnaces Real Game FX Fog Monster Remote Controlled LED Terrain

What I thought initially was a piece from the Dwarven Forge Sewers set turned out to be a lighting item by company Real Game FX. They do some excellent work, I’ve played at a table that used one of their tabletop fog machines. This component is really cool, but it did not get to shine due to the live lighting conditions. I’m sure the next time we see these they will have their LEDs active.

Not a whole lot of new terrain, say for the Dwarven Forge  LED Lighted Brazier and Dwarven Forge Dungeon of Doom Bars Insert which were both used to wonderful effect. A good amount of furniture again in this episode and I got my wish from last blog post:

We have seen a lot of tables on Campaign 2, I am eagerly awaiting the moment when one of them gets flipped dramatically to provide cover. 

Prato, my man!

The Spells

Party Spells Desert of Desolation #32 Rot Scarab Swarm and Unknown Green Spiritual Weapon Marker 

It is a little tough to see, Rot Scarab Swarm is the figure in the left section of the dungeon, near the green spiritual weapon I’ve been unable to identify. A convenient miniature and it’s perfectly employed here. This mini has a glossy paint finish that really pops and is most appropriate for an exotic beetle. 

The Villains

Iron Shepherd Lackeys Lost Coast #008 Lamashtu Thug 1 and Lost Coast #013 Lamashtu Thug 2 

Generally I stick to reviewing/discussing only the miniatures that have not been seen previously in Campaign 2. But I have a crackpot prediction to share. I conspiracy theory based on minis, a Conspiramini Theory if you will. 

The Mighty Nein pursue three members of the Iron Shepherds through the first level of the basement dungeon, Prato, Rusa, and a hireling dressing in the signature black and red Iron Shepherd attire. The mini is the dual dagger wielding Pathfinder Battles Lost Coast #013 Lamashtu Thug 2 figure. But in the following scene down in the second level of the Sour Nest basement, the hireling is replaced with Lost Coast #008 Lamashtu Thug 1 a similar character with a crossbow.

I posit that this is not a mini swap to portray the change in equipment, nor a simple oversight, but in fact a deliberate choice indicating that a member of the Iron Shepherds has survived! Hopefully this will pan out better than my other conspiramini theories.

Closing Remarks

Is it Thursday yet? Yes it is. Very excited for the new episode tonight. 

#criticalroleminiaturerollout

[orendamagau]

Bi-Weekly TV/Movie Wrapup (Part One)

Fallen behind in the world of visual entertainment? Well fret no more as Cal Behrendt take a look at some exciting new shows and movies that have dropped in the last two weeks!

The 70th Primetime Emmy Awards (NBC)

The biggest award show for the television industry, the 2018 Emmys (hosted by SNL’s Michael Che and Colin Jost) were a very mixed bag. Bill Hader and Henry Winkler — who won his first-ever Emmy despite five previous nominations stretching back to 1976 — picked up Emmys for their work in Barry. The Academy finally recognised some of the best talent to grace our screens in a long time, but even a shock mid-telecast proposal couldn't even save a trainwreck of a ceremony.

Even a shock mid-telecast proposal couldn't even save a trainwreck of a ceremony

Arguably the biggest surprise of the night was The Americans picking up two Emmys for its swan song run. Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg picked up the Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series Emmy for the series finale START. In the same episode, Matthew Rhys finally picked up the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his performance as Phillip Jennings (one of my all-time favourite characters and acting performances). But despite this, the Emmys still dropped the ball in many spots. How the hell did Keri Russell not win Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, and how did the consensus worst season of Game of Thrones win Best Drama Series ahead of The Americans? To me, nothing was worse so than the awkward-as-hell gags where Che and Jost kept cutting back to Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen — self-claimed Emmy ‘experts’ — throughout the ceremony. These gags were painfully unfunny and poorly timed, and they really took away from the rest of the telecast. It only shined in the unexpected moments, like Glenn Weiss’ proposal to Jan Svendsen, and Sandra Oh awarding the Emmy to LaLa Land after ripping the envelope.

How the hell did Keri Russell not win Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series?

BoJack Horseman Season Five (Netflix)

Everybody’s favourite sad horse show has returned for another season. Once again, creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg and the crew have created a strong season of one of the best shows currently running. Season Five continues to make these characters feel so real that it is hard to believe this is a cartoon about anthropomorphic animals.

Everybody’s favourite sad horse show has returned for another season

The season also hits many topical issues right on the head, from the perfectly-timed examination of #MeToo to casting race-appropriate actors and actresses. Season Five is a perfect addition to a series that seems to get stronger every year. Once again we have a handful of standout episodes, but the episode Free Churro stands high and proud above everything else this show has done. It pushes the boundaries of what an animated show should be doing. If this episode and Will Arnett’s performance don't find their way into the Emmy winners circle in 2019, I will be madder about this than I will be about Twin Peaks' Emmy snubs.

American Vandal Season Two (Netflix)

Also dropping on the same day as BoJack, true-crime mockumentary series American Vandal makes its return. Season Two introduces a new setting and crime, with the crew travelling to Washington to investigate the ‘Turd Burglar’ — a student who is doing crap-filled pranks at St Bernardine’s. It could have easily been a re-tread of the first season, but Season Two expands on a lot of the previous issues to make yet another engrossing season. Not only do we get another fantastic mystery filled with twists and turns, but we also get a perfect examination of high school culture and how, in this social media-driven age, a lot of us feel lonelier than ever. But American Vandal is not content with just doing all that. It also pulls together a number of strong performances to anchor the season: from Travis Tope’s oddly charming Kevin McClain to Melvin Gregg’s MVP performance as DeMarcus Tillman, a basketball prodigy who, underneath the bright and popular exterior, is an insecure individual who just wants to be loved for something other than his basketball. American Vandal Season Two is a fantastic follow-up and shows why this program has quietly become one of the best shows out there.

American Vandal Season Two…shows why this program has quietly become one of the best shows out there.

Also Released:

Maniac Season One (Netflix)

Jonah Hill and Emma Stone star in this Cary Fukunaga-directed miniseries about two strangers who connect during a pharmaceutical trial. Many critics have praised the performances and the direction as well as the overall aesthetic of the series. I think my friend summed it up the best so far: “No idea what’s going on, but Jonah Hill and Emma Stone are great. It is well and truly some weird shit.”

It is well and truly some weird shit.

American Horror Story Season Eight (FX)

The long-running FX horror anthology has returned for another season with the eighth instalment, Apocalypse, which marks a departure from previous seasons. Not only is it set in the futuristic year of 2021, but it crosses over two past seasons — Season One’s Murder House and Season Three’s Coven — into one story. Two episodes have aired so far, and early reviews state that it's another solid entry into the franchise.

The Good Cop Season One (Netflix)

Do you like Josh Groban? Well then, I have the show for you! This Netflix police procedural stars Groban as a cop who goes by-the-book rather than become like his father (played by Tony Danza), who went to prison for being a dirty cop. The Good Cop sees them pair up to solve mysteries in New York, in a premise that sounds as 90s NBC-core as you can get. Most of the reviews I have read have pegged it as pretty mediocre, but if you love shows like Law and Order running in the background while you do other stuff you'll get a kick out of The Good Cop.

A premise that sounds as 90s NBC-core as you can get

Movies

Lizzie (Saban Films/Roadside Attractions)

The story of axe-murderer Lizzie Borden has been covered a lot over recent years. But this biographical thriller directed by Craig William Macneill jumps on top of the crowd, covering the story from a more feminist angle. According to critics, Chloë Sevigny and Kristen Stewart turn in strong performances as Lizzie Borden and Bridget Sullivan respectively, but it appears a common complaint is the story is not as gripping as it could be.

Colette (Bleecker Street/Lionsgate)

Colette follows the life of French novelist Gabrielle Colette, with Keira Knightley taking on the main role. It's directed by Wash Westmoreland, one of the most interesting names in the business,  having directed 2014’s Still Alice. Early reviews have been glowing across the board, with critics praising the performance of Knightley who turns in one of the strongest performances in her career to date. Also praised is the direction and overarching themes of feminism and the battle against misogyny Colette experienced. Colette won’t be released in Australia for a while yet, but keep your eyes open for this film when it does release. It's a potential early Oscar contender.

Early reviews have been glowing across the board

The Sisters Brothers (Annapurna Pictures)

This Western dark comedy focuses on a pair of hitmen searching for a chemist in 1800’s America. It features one of the most stacked acting lists I have seen in a while: John C. Reilly and Joaquin Phoenix take on the titular roles of the Sisters brothers alongside Jake Gyllenhaal, Riz Ahmed, Allison Tolman and Carol Kane. Early reviews peg this film as one driven strongly by the Western genre whilst focusing on a strong character study of family and familial relationships. This movie has already picked up an award for director Jacques Audiard, who claimed the Silver Lion for Best Director at the 2018 Venice International Film Festival. This film will definitely be one to watch when it drops in Australia in the near future.

[cherrypixelbun]

RAMBLE: Booting a portable DOS collection, the pros and cons

Quite a while ago I posted screenshots of a bootable FreeDOS USB stick that I have with a collection of games installed. Like I mentioned in my initial Twitter post about it, I was inspired to do it by Lazy Game Reviews, who made a video where he had a full install on a high-end PC. After that I had an idea. “What if I could run my DOS games from anywhere, not just on a single PC." I got a USB stick, and went to work finding a portable solution.

What I did was not a full installation of FreeDOS. Instead I used a program called Rufus for making bootable USB sticks. Normally you’re supposed to give it the ISO of whatever OS you wish to boot but it gives you MS-DOS and FreeDOS as built in options. While I could have gone all in with actual MS-DOS, FreeDOS has better compatibility with modern hardware. FreeDOS also has a USB installer available on their website, but it’s just that. An installer for putting the operating system onto a hard drive. When installed via Rufus, you don’t get the full packages that you can download from the FreeDOS website. Instead you get just the kernel, the very bare essential thing needed to boot the operating system. While this works good enough for a lot of games, quite a few of them require extra memory of some kind. DOS on it’s own only uses 640k of RAM, even if you have 4GB on your system. After manually creating and editing my own CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT (the two important system settings files), all my DOS stick boots at startup is HIMEMX (For that extended memory), CuteMouse (A wonderful generic mouse driver), and 4DOS (An enhanced command line interface). In retrospect I probably could have extracted a full setup from a virtual machine, but what I have now is functional. This so far works with just about everything I’ve thrown at it, aside from games with CPU speed issues, but this was a problem even when DOS was relevant and not a modern incompatibility.

I’ve tested this USB stick on a handful of computer setups to see how much compatibility varied. The first was my personal desktop. It’s got an AMD FX-4350, an Nvidia 750Ti, and 8GB of RAM. The second was my HP Spectre x360 laptop. The third was a salvaged embedded all-in-one PC that was originally part of a fancy restaurant cash register. It has an Intel Celeron 420, no GPU, and 2GB of RAM. I use it pretty much as a DOS gaming machine with Xubuntu on the hard drive for the pitiful amount of Linux and Windows games (via Wine) that it could run as well as downloading/moving games without having to use my main desktop. Each computer booted into DOS just fine.

First, I should address the issues that were present among all three computers. The first and what is probably a dealbreaker for a lot of people. The sound, or lack thereof. While modern video displays are just as capable of running FreeDOS as ones from decades ago, none of the sound devices in any of the computers I tried had compatible drivers. The only sound I could get was from the “PC Speaker”. A simple device that can play simple square-wave tones and not much else. Sure a clever developer could get some decent sound effects and music but for the most part all you get from it are beeps and boops. Back in the day this was an actual loudspeaker in IBM compatible PCs, but most beepers these days are tiny piezoelectric beepers. While it still works, it doesn’t produce as good of sound quality. The DSS MP3 player was impressive in DOSBox, but on my home computer you had to really try and pick out the music as the poor little buzzer struggled to play pretty much anything from the new wave pop of XTC to the heavy metal of Aria. There is the OPL2LPT that I could plug into the all-in-one for some FM synth music but it’s expensive and would only be used on one machine. I don’t mind the beeping however, I’d rather have that rather than no sound at all.

Video is a better story, but still one with caveats. The first thing to note is that newer Nvidia cards don’t seem to play too well with CGA and EGA graphical modes. While the HP laptop and the all-in-one had no issue displaying those outdated visual standards, my 750ti gave everything a green tint. Some text modes, like when trying to play PC-Man or Paratrooper had invisible text. LGR also ran into this issue in his video so it is something with Nvidia GPUs. While disappointing, I can’t really fault Nvidia for not playing well with graphics modes that aren’t used by modern computers. This second quirk is more of a nitpick than anything serious. This “problem” is the aspect ratio. While you can set most monitors and TVs to correct aspect ratios, this could potentially cause issues with the more “unusual” video modes. I wouldn’t know firsthand with DOS, but I usually handle aspect ratios on the driver-side of things because my monitor can be weird about some resolutions even when using Windows 7. Of course DOS doesn’t do this in software, so whatever you’re running gets stretched to the aspect ratio of the display. It’s a pet peeve of mine to see 4:3 stretched but it’s not a dealbreaker. If you’re lucky, some 3D games like Car & Driver let you adjust the aspect ratio or set a custom resolution.

So putting aside those limitations, what can you play on this USB stick? Here’s a list of the things I’ve got on here and run with no issue:

Doom I & II

The Oregon Trail 2nd Edition

Silpheed

Super Street Fighter II

Retro City Rampage 486

Sim City 2000

Arkanoid 1&2

Jazz Jackrabbit

Paku Paku

Rise of the Triad

Shadow President

Ancient Domains of Mystery (The free version, which still gets updated but lacks features from the paid release. Said paid release only supports modern PCs AFAIK)

Tales of Middle Earth (2.0, Maj’Eyal is only for modern PCs)

Golden Axe

PC-Man

Paratrooper

Alley Cat

robotloveskitten

Catacomb 3D (original)

Softdisk Catacomb Trilogy

ChampProgramming games

Wolfenstein 3D

Duke Nukem 3D

A lot of much older DOS games have their speed tied to the CPU so are completely unplayable on modern PCs, hence why it’s mostly 90′s games on there. Your mileage still varies, but it’s nowhere as much of a crapshoot as trying to play something from 1983. Overall, I’m happy with the results. It boots fast and without having to run another OS underneath like DOSBox means that I don’t have to worry about a game struggling on my new space age machines. I recommend anyone who has a spare USB stick try the same thing. It’s easy, doesn’t take up much space on the stick, and probably will run on your machine just fine.