The Expanse - officially saved by Amazon

[JohnC]

http://www.deadline.com/2014/04/syfy-fives-10-episode-order-to-space-opera-the-expanse-from-mark-fergus-hawk-ostby-alcon-entertainment/

They've ordered 10 episodes based on a series of books of the same name. They say it's their most ambitious series to date.

Quote

A thriller set 200 years in the future, The Expanse follows the case of a missing young woman who brings a hardened detective and a rogue ship’s captain together in a race across the solar system to expose the greatest conspiracy in human history.

I don't know what the books are like, but I've seen comparisons to Game of Thrones in space on more than one site. I just hope that when they say it's the most ambitious show to date, they are actually going to put effort behind the words. Seems to be word going around that they will be giving it a big budget with the intent of taking aim at premium cable shows.

[The Disco]

If they make Space: Above and Beyond with tits, swearing and a big budget then you can count me in.

[Harsin]

First two books were quite decent, but I thought the third was a big step down in quality. Probably a result of them going 'Oh shit, how can we stretch this out?' after their publisher giving them a big bag of cash to change it from a trilogy to however many novels it's going to be now.

[cassidy]

Well I loved all 3 books so cannot wait for this series.

[Uncle Mike]

Well, I've only read book 1 and it was good, if a little over-long (which obviously plagues the genre anyway.) I'd be interested if they made TV of it.

[Harsin]

First trailer.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/thomas-jane-fedora-expanse-trailer-764081

Looks bloody awful with production values straight from the 90s.

[Monkeyboy]

I've read the first two books, and it really needs a bigger budget to do it justice. Even though it's confined to our solar system, the scope feels big, which isn't something I'm getting with that shoddy trailer.

[RubberJohnny]

I keep seeing that HOTAS everywhere now after Elite.

[Dr Derek Doctors]

The sets look a little cheap, but otherwise I'm intrigued, which isn't something you can usually say about the drek that sci-fi's outflow pipes spit out.

[Spacehost]

I'm hyped. I'm guessing they're a long while off finishing post production for all the EPIC SPACE SHIT that happens in the first book.

Still annoyed at them swapping the pork-pie hat for a fedora, mind.

[cassidy]

Really looking forward to this as the books are superb and just get better and better. Just a bit concerned how their gonna do the gravity effects on people any justice on a telly budget. Oh and Id have preferred it if the sets look a bit filthier as well seems a bit too clean.

[Spacehost]

At least in the books fancy zero-G bits generally only happen in big set-piece events, as most of the time they're under thrust or on a planet or moon or some other convenient gravity-providing thing. Agree about the filthiness though, I don't think you'd see litter everywhere (as you'd recycle everything in space) but it should look a bit more lived-in. It's very "TV science fiction" at the moment.

[Spacehost]

They showed the pilot at Comic Con and it's been very well received apparently.

New trailer:

[TehStu]

Not heard of the books, but that looks OK actually. Agreed on how clean it looks, the future always looks so clean. BSG did that better.

[jonamok]

Looks like clips from 5 different shows.

Oh and:

Mike Ehrmantraut! I'm in!

Tyreese. I'm out.

[deerokus]

Not liking Miller's hat.

[Alex W.]

I just finished the first book and changing the hat is just completely inexcusable. It's like the third main character.

[JohnC]

What was the hat originally?

[Alex W.]

A pork pie.

[Butters]

I'm another that's just finished the first book, which I largely enjoyed, so I'll give this a go. I see there's another three books, so I'm guessing they'll have been signed up as well and we'll be getting them at a future date (presuming the show doesn't flop of course)?

[Clyde]

I have the book there waiting, but as for the show I don't know if I'm convinced.

[gizmo1990]

Posted this in the thread I made when the Search function again lied to me about this threads existence!

I'm really really disappointed by that trailer. I'm aware some people loathe the books but I'm absolutely loving them, just finished the third one. How they keep churning them out at the rate they do is amazing.

This though looks very very cheap. That's forgivable and understandable given the budget I imagine it has. However the shot selection, the art direction etc look so bloody awful with no substance at all. The casting, my goodness, they all look terrible. All the main characters look too young and clean cut and bear no resembalance to the book, imo. Holden should be some mega charismatic Han Solo type rogue but looks stiff as a board. Miller should be some old hard boiled detective but is instead some lean brooding male model. Were attempts even made to experiment with making Belters look physically different? Probably not.

I need to forget I ever saw the trailer, so disappointed.

[Butters]

So do the books get better as they go then Gizmo1990?

I have to agree about the cheap look. I'll still watch it, but it looked a little 'clean'.

[Harsin]

I thought they got progressively worse. The first was by far the highlight. The last one I read was the equivalent of one of those episodes of TNG where Picard would go down to a planet and spend 45 minutes trying to solve an arguement between space hippies and the alien of the week.

[gizmo1990]

So do the books get better as they go then Gizmo1990?

I have to agree about the cheap look. I'll still watch it, but it looked a little 'clean'.

I wouldn't say they got better, rather they've kept roughly the same quality. I'd agree that out of the three I've read so far, that the first book is the best.

However the others have kept me enthralled with some great set ups and character development. Give book two a pop. If you liked the first I can't imagine why you'd not like it.

I'm saving the forth for my hols.

[Butters]

I wouldn't say they got better, rather they've kept roughly the same quality. I'd agree that out of the three I've read so far, that the first book is the best.

However the others have kept me enthralled with some great set ups and character development. Give book two a pop. If you liked the first I can't imagine why you'd not like it.

I'm saving the forth for my hols.

Cheers. Will definitely give the second a go. Intrigued as to where they're going to take it next.

[footle]

Were attempts even made to experiment with making Belters look physically different? Probably not.

Not much - according to Abraham on twitter finding 7 foot tall slender actors is a bit of a waste of time.

I didn't get on with Leviathan Wakes. Perhaps I'll try it again.

[gizmo1990]

Not much - according to Abraham on twitter finding 7 foot tall slender actors is a bit of a waste of time.

No shit! There's other ways to attempt it tho, cgi, camera angles, prosthetics, mixes etc. Experiment! The Belters and their differences to everyone else are a crucial element of the books world. It's fucking poor it really is.

Especially given that you can see that they've written the books with the absolute intention of filming them. It's part of what drew me into their world, they write so visually and with excellent dialogue.

Therefore to see that world (only in trailers I know) a pale imitation imo of what they wrote, urgh. I'd presume too that the writers wielded a fair amount of power given their grrm connection. I just don't get how they could get it so colossally wrong. And if they can't get the basics right, why bother in the first place?? They're not short of a bob or two surely.

[Spacehost]

One of the writers did a blog post about the issue, and it basically came down to them either having to compromise on the acting talent to get loads of skinny people who didn't suit the roles as well as the other auditions, or going with the people they thought worked best in the role.

You could do a lot of wonky CGI and prosthetic work and stilts and stuff but it'd probably put an already absurdly pricey show over budget.

FWIW I'm a raving fan of the books and it doesn't bother me. Miller's Hat is the worst casting mistake IMO.

[gizmo1990]

Well it's a moot point, it's in the can so it's done and dusted. I disagree though and feel they could and should have gone another route. Even held out for a movie deal which may have afforded them the budget to do things right. It's the obvious example for me to bring up but it's not far short of the hobbits all being 6ft...

What is all this wonky shit that people mention too? There is a lot of amazing prosthetic and cgi work available now, some really genius stuff. And if it's been stated somewhere that it's an absurdly expensive show then they've singularly failed already because it sure doesn't look like it!

Fuck the hat hating too. I'd be okay with him wearing a Fez as long as the actor fitted the part. The single worst thing about what we've seen so far is the casting. Not one of them fits the image of their book characters. Sure it's subjective but I fail to see how any book reader can say that the actors chime with their book readings, imo.