5 X-Men & Fantastic Four TV Shows Fox Needs to Make

[Kalen O.]

Wait don't forget that FOX did Generation X and the sad thing is they only air one time. And they also did Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and it star was the David Hasselhoef and it also air one time only.

So how can they make anything better than movie. for I would think the TV shows would fall short.

You do realize both those things were at least twenty years ago and there is literally an entire new generation of creative minds working at FOX these days, right? I mean, I can at least KINDA get complaints about this based on disliking the X-Men movies, but really? Generation X and Hasselhoff's Nick Fury?

Hey, this one time, two decades ago, people totally unrelated to the people working at a network now made a bad TV movie with technology that's literally decades out of date now and thus all future shows that are even a little similar are doomed to fail.

Edit: And as to comments about network budgets, HEROES ran for four seasons. It failed for a lot of reasons in later seasons, but its budget was least of those. Shows with even large casts of superpowered individuals are totally feasible from a budget standpoint. It depends on what powers are represented and how often they're used. X-Factor is easy to depict from a budget standpoint. Probably won't see Teresa or Monet flying much, but other than that their powers are pretty cheap, same with Strong Guy. Madrox's powers, piece of cake. Layla's don't require a budget at all, Rictor didn't even have powers for most of the series, and half a dozen shows about werewolves prove that Rahne's aren't going to break the bank either. Or New Mutants or Academy X - Karma, Moonstar, Cypher, all simple. Cannonball, Sunspot and Magma are the only ones that would represent any challenge. Later generations of mutants aren't much more difficult either.

[TheRealWashout]

I think an X-Statix series would be perfect for TV.

[j9ac9k]

Some kind of "X- Academy" or "Xavier Institute" show seems like an obvious choice - interchangeable young cast, brand recognition with the big "X" (which is why "New Mutants" isn't as good a name) and they could actually be a farm team for future features. The Star Trek franchise is actually a good example for how they took a TV cast into movies. And while there's a plethora of young characters who haven't been translated into live-action yet, they shouldn't be so beholden to comic book continuity. (i.e. why not have a young Sunfire at the academy?) They should feel free to write their own stories and build their own mythology.

I also love the idea of "X-Factor Investigations" with Madrox as the lead, but definitely keep it in the "modern noir" milieu and start with a small cast whose powers won't break the budget - Wolfsbane, Big Guy and a slightly powered down Monet. (or Cypher if you really want to keep the FX budget low - ha ) The best blueprint for this would be the "Angel" tv show - a supernatural detective show that was a spin-off that maintained ties to the main franchise and used its history, but also built its own mythology.

[Ozymandas]

They look good to me, although I'd replace Johnny Storm with the Thing, who has always been more popular with audiences and is simply a more interesting character, IMHO. He works great in team-up situations, as well.

Also I'd like to see considered: FF (The Future Foundation), Original X-Men (Cyke, Jean, Angel, Beast & Iceman as young teens having simple, lower-stakes adventures) & X-Statix.

[YoungThanos]

No thank you and I hope Disney has a say in this to!

[Exciter]

I'm really curious as to what these Marvel licensing contracts look like. Do movie rights equate to the rights to make a TV series from the property? Marvel is making a Spider-Man television series now and X-Men characters like Wolverine appear. Perhaps there is an exemption for cartoons? It's fascinating.

[saul_on_the_road_to_damascus]

Some kind of "X- Academy" or "Xavier Institute" show seems like an obvious choice - interchangeable young cast, brand recognition with the big "X" (which is why "New Mutants" isn't as good a name) and they could actually be a farm team for future features. The Star Trek franchise is actually a good example for how they took a TV cast into movies. And while there's a plethora of young characters who haven't been translated into live-action yet, they shouldn't be so beholden to comic book continuity. (i.e. why not have a young Sunfire at the academy?) They should feel free to write their own stories and build their own mythology.

I also love the idea of "X-Factor Investigations" with Madrox as the lead, but definitely keep it in the "modern noir" milieu and start with a small cast whose powers won't break the budget - Wolfsbane, Big Guy and a slightly powered down Monet. (or Cypher if you really want to keep the FX budget low - ha ) The best blueprint for this would be the "Angel" tv show - a supernatural detective show that was a spin-off that maintained ties to the main franchise and used its history, but also built its own mythology.

I always though X-Factor resembled Angel. I think you could get away with having Syren(sp) on the team. Rictor to since he wouldn't have powers.

[Goggindowner]

I think an X-Statix series would be perfect for TV.

I would watch it.

As to the ones suggested in the article, the only one I see really having a concept that would be stretchable enough to be a long running TV series is X-Factor, since it could basically run as something in the vein of Law & Order, NCIS, CSI, Criminal Minds, Bones, Fringe, etc etc etc. Case of the week, but a back story that spans most of a season. Plus, as noted above, the budget for the powers involved in the series wouldn't break the bank, and the entire thing could be filmed in Vancouver and sound stages.

A Doom series could work, I suppose, but political drama series tend to feel burned out after a few seasons, at least to me. Scandal may be the hottest thing on ABC right now, but the concept is getting pretty thin, and with House of Cards, eventually the guy has to get his comeuppance and the series wraps. Yeah, I guess two or three seasons of a good show is nothing to thumb your nose at, but I would rather see a good show that can go on indefinitely.

[saul_on_the_road_to_damascus]

I would watch it.

As to the ones suggested in the article, the only one I see really having a concept that would be stretchable enough to be a long running TV series is X-Factor, since it could basically run as something in the vein of Law & Order, NCIS, CSI, Criminal Minds, Bones, Fringe, etc etc etc. Case of the week, but a back story that spans most of a season. Plus, as noted above, the budget for the powers involved in the series wouldn't break the bank, and the entire thing could be filmed in Vancouver and sound stages.

A Doom series could work, I suppose, but political drama series tend to feel burned out after a few seasons, at least to me. Scandal may be the hottest thing on ABC right now, but the concept is getting pretty thin, and with House of Cards, eventually the guy has to get his comeuppance and the series wraps. Yeah, I guess two or three seasons of a good show is nothing to thumb your nose at, but I would rather see a good show that can go on indefinitely.

No show should go on indefinitely.

[Goggindowner]

No show should go on indefinitely.

Tell that to the people making Dr Who.....

[SamuelbelievesinCyclops]

Come on! Make an X-factor series!

It's superheroes + crime drama!

Everybody loves both!

[saul_on_the_road_to_damascus]

Tell that to the people making Dr Who.....

That's not the same thing. Not even remotely close.

[Goggindowner]

That's not the same thing. Not even remotely close.

How so? Doctor Who is a television show, so how is it not the same thing?

Law & Order was on the air for years after it's entire original cast was gone. 20 years of television: 456 episodes. If structured correctly, I think X-Factor as a concept has a better chance of accomplishing something like that than anything else listed in the article. No, it isn't indefinite, but still a VERY long time.

[Flash Gordon]

Kitty pryde isn't a student she's a teacher. I'd love to see an X-Factor series based on Pad's previous series.

She was a student for a very long time.

She'd be a great focus for a show like XAVIER'S SCHOOL. Pretty much a boarding school, with mutant powers and mysterious teachers that secretly are the X-Men. Even the smelly, hairy old guy who hangs around the school all the time smoking cigars and grunting.

[saul_on_the_road_to_damascus]

How so? Doctor Who is a television show, so how is it not the same thing?

Law & Order was on the air for years after it's entire original cast was gone. 20 years of television: 456 episodes. If structured correctly, I think X-Factor as a concept has a better chance of accomplishing something like that than anything else listed in the article. No, it isn't indefinite, but still a VERY long time.

Doctor who changes the cast completely. Shows like law and order and er have gradually changed their casts. X-factor would always have to have madrox. Sure syrin, darwin and wolvesbane can leave and come back but you can't reboot it completely with the comic and anyone who plays jamie is going to be worn out playing multiple versions of him self eventually.