Sci-Fi Storm

A duo of returning items…first, the 80s sci-fi program Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future is underdevelopment as a reboot under the title of Phoenix Rising, with original co-creator Gary Goddard on board with former Syfy executives Greg Vitale and Craig Engler.

The original show followed a small band of guerilla fighters in the 22nd century revolting again the intelligent machines which enslaved mankind after the Metal Wars. The show was notable not only for their storylines that could appeal to kids and adults, but also the direct marketing the show also as a “game” that kids could play along with using specially equipped toys they needed to purchase. The show proved to be expensive to produce and the complex storylines and allegories drew criticism, and it was canceled after one season.

In other news, it appears that a fourth Star Trek reboot movie is already in the works, and this one will feature the return of Captain Kirk’s father, who was played (briefly) in the first movie by Chris Hemsworth. Not sure how that will be accomplished, but it’s Star Trek, and the “Kelvin Timeline” was kicked off by playing with time travel…

Could the cult favorite SF kids show Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future, known for having a deep, intense stories despite being seen as a toy marketing gimmick, make a comeback 25 years since it debuted in 1987?

It seems so, as the people involved spoke with the folks over at io9. The new show, however, will be a more adult-oriented 60-minute show, compared to the original 30-minute kids show.

Long time readers of Sci-Fi Storm are probably already asking – is J. Michael Straczynski, who wrote many of the most memorable episodes, involved in the show? Apparently not, according to producer Roger Lay, who says that JMS told him and other producers that’s he’s happy with what he’s already done with the show in the 80s. JMS was always the biggest cheerleader for the show over the years, being involved in the [asin=B005OZJE8K]DVD release[/sfs] in 2011, and outlines a trilogy of feature films, but the producers didn’t want to go that route, and JMS wasn’t interested in going back to the episodic format.

But anyways, this has the potential to be a great SF show, and they’ve already got a script from the team of Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens (Star Trek: Enterprise, Primeval: The New World) and they’ve begun shopping it around internationally, with at least one network very interested.