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Post by snacky on Oct 31, 2015 20:47:22 GMT
I recently had cause to check on an episode of an old SyFy steampunk show, The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne. I watched this at the time it first aired around 15 years ago. It never made it past the first season because it was cheaply made (had that same dark, stage designed look as early MM) and not very well written. However, the characters will intriguing and well-cast, and they tapped the popular imagination for all sorts of fantasy/alternative/secret history tropes. While I was checking the show for elements that were later recycled for DaVinci's Demons, it seems to me that this show (which was Canadian) might also have been a resource for MM. They had a steam man, a mole machine, and of course a dirigible: and of course William read Jules Verne as a child. Also, while the plots were silly, the female character was the strongest one of the bunch, mentally and physically. DaVinci's Demons stole a plot where the inventor/futurist's weapons were used against him: I wonder if that will be recycled into MM - a sequential killer that uses William's machines...? Does anyone else remember this show? After watching a rerun, I wish it had lasted for more than one season. It also occurs to me that it didn't catch on because they were trying to maintain eternal UST between two of the characters, so there wasn't any romantic progress to give the sense of an underlying character arc: i.e., no way to get addicted to "what happens next". I have to point out that DaVinci's Demons does everything Jules Verne did a lot better: there's the steampunk inventions and a claim that DaVinci can actually see the future (like Jules Verne), there's ongoing romantic relationships, there's a quest for DaVinci's mother as well as a "book of knowledge" (this was also in Jules Verne), and the hubris theme. Below is a great ad for this season's DaVinci's Demons (totally nabbed for my desktop wallpaper). Compare the emotional impact to the static ad for Jules Verne below it.   It occurs to me that my favorite MM ad is a variation on the Jules Verne one above. However, I think it does a better job letting the atmosphere and props stand in for "drama" of standard headshots. MM always gets bonus points for the homburg, too, since it references a whole canon of noir mysteries.  This ad is also good - it's more in the spirit of the DaVinci one since the shadow implies a threat of murder:  |
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Post by snacky on Nov 3, 2015 3:08:40 GMT
While I'm waiting for tonight's MM ep, I've been speculating that Chris Demetral, if he could still manage to look around 20, would make a credible son for William. That's still too young for Ettie Weston, but possible for a logging camp fling and a young priest-ridden William determined to lose his virginity. A 20 year old son that takes William's name would solve the mystery of "Bill Murdoch" without an annoying kid on the scene. Instead, a young William Jr. could bring trouble like Capt. Picard's pseudo-son in Star Trek: TNG. (ironically a very young Chris Demetral actually did play Riker's son in an ST:TNG episode). According to Wikipedia, Chris Demetral quit acting, and it would be a matter of genes and luck for him to look 20-ish. Still, I think it would be genius casting if Chris could look that young. Chris as Jules Verne:  Chris wearing not-a-homburg circa 2008. Definitely looks older. No idea what he looks like today.  |
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Post by snacky on Nov 3, 2015 3:40:38 GMT
The mystery would be something like who is using William's name to write bad checks or secure debts. Or a question of why William has a prison record (that disrupts some promotion William was seeking or disqualifies him from some award. Or he's a known card sharp and/or grifter. There might be a bounty out for Will Jrs. arrest, and the police station receives a Wanted poster for William Murdoch! Once the identity of the scoundrel is revealed, George could sympathize re: dealing with trouble-making sons. Will Jr. could refuse to have anything to do with his father (mirroring William's poor relationship with his own father). He could be in more than one ep if William has to bail him out. Or, while Will Jr spurns William's attempts to establish a relationship, Father Keegan might step in with some mentorship and/or tough love. Or, Will Jr. could be identified by a calling card in his pocket, but he has amnesia or claims to have amnesia in order to wriggle out of responsibility for his crimes. The need to fake amnesia might prevent him from telling William Sr. who he was a cad to seduce-and-betray during his lumbersexual days. There could be a long redemption arc where Will Jr. eventually joins law enforcement or the Pinkertons. The Pinkertons would be better because he could do the right thing as he sees it and still conflict with William Sr.'s investigations. I'm having waaaaaaaaaay too much fun with Fantasy Football MM here. I still can't imagine anyone other than Chris Demetral playing this role: but it's the Chris Demetral from 15 years ago.  |
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Post by Fallenbelle on Nov 4, 2015 10:16:49 GMT
While I'm waiting for tonight's MM ep, I've been speculating that Chris Demetral, if he could still manage to look around 20, would make a credible son for William. That's still too young for Ettie Weston, but possible for a logging camp fling and a young priest-ridden William determined to lose his virginity. A 20 year old son that takes William's name would solve the mystery of "Bill Murdoch" without an annoying kid on the scene. Instead, a young William Jr. could bring trouble like Capt. Picard's pseudo-son in Star Trek: TNG. (ironically a very young Chris Demetral actually did play Riker's son in an ST:TNG episode). According to Wikipedia, Chris Demetral quit acting, and it would be a matter of genes and luck for him to look 20-ish. Still, I think it would be genius casting if Chris could look that young. Chris as Jules Verne: Chris wearing not-a-homburg circa 2008. Definitely looks older. No idea what he looks like today. I've thought about there being a long lost son coming in and being William's biological child and being the link that helps make the Murdoch clan be the "blue bloods" as described RoD, and I think something like it is entirely plausible. I know that RoD was a separate show, but it established a pretty firm canon of Murdoch's descendants that I feel MM would have had to agree with at least in part before the episode was ever greenlighted. As for how he shows up, it needn't be that dramatic because just his showing up would be a major event. As for why he hadn't shown up before, it easy: he was growing up, his mother finally passed on, etc. |
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Post by snacky on Nov 4, 2015 21:21:53 GMT
While I'm waiting for tonight's MM ep, I've been speculating that Chris Demetral, if he could still manage to look around 20, would make a credible son for William. That's still too young for Ettie Weston, but possible for a logging camp fling and a young priest-ridden William determined to lose his virginity. A 20 year old son that takes William's name would solve the mystery of "Bill Murdoch" without an annoying kid on the scene. Instead, a young William Jr. could bring trouble like Capt. Picard's pseudo-son in Star Trek: TNG. (ironically a very young Chris Demetral actually did play Riker's son in an ST:TNG episode). According to Wikipedia, Chris Demetral quit acting, and it would be a matter of genes and luck for him to look 20-ish. Still, I think it would be genius casting if Chris could look that young. Chris as Jules Verne: Chris wearing not-a-homburg circa 2008. Definitely looks older. No idea what he looks like today. I've thought about there being a long lost son coming in and being William's biological child and being the link that helps make the Murdoch clan be the "blue bloods" as described RoD, and I think something like it is entirely plausible. I know that RoD was a separate show, but it established a pretty firm canon of Murdoch's descendants that I feel MM would have had to agree with at least in part before the episode was ever greenlighted. As for how he shows up, it needn't be that dramatic because just his showing up would be a major event. As for why he hadn't shown up before, it easy: he was growing up, his mother finally passed on, etc. I like this scenario a lot better than Julia becoming pregnant. I feel that a Julia pregnancy would somehow confirm the traditional "princess arc" for women: a girl meets a handsome prince, their wedding features the bride in a princess dress, and the bride is ultimately fulfilled by becoming pregnant. MM has been striving to portray independent, powerful women at a time when they were fighting for their rights as autonomous human beings. Perhaps it's Julia's destiny to never have children, but William will love her anyway for what she has to offer in her own right. Also, if William has a grown son, we can skip all the cloying baby scenes and the spunky and/or genius kid scenes. Been there, done that. Also a grown son with complicated history suddenly dumped into William's life would create a lot of angst. Any other choice of actor? I still wish Chris Demetral could get in a time machine. |
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Post by snacky on Nov 5, 2015 7:36:42 GMT
Still entertaining myself with this line of imaginary thought.
I can also see MM ripping off ST:TNG by making a possible son turn out to be the product of some other fling at the logging camp.
William could spend a lot of time coming to terms with the fact he missed out on the opportunity to teach a little tyke all about science and start to find ways to mentor a young man. Just when he starts to bond with Will Jr., the boom falls, and it turns out they aren't related after all.
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Post by omgurl40 on Dec 6, 2015 13:53:30 GMT
Still entertaining myself with this line of imaginary thought. I can also see MM ripping off ST:TNG by making a possible son turn out to be the product of some other fling at the logging camp. William could spend a lot of time coming to terms with the fact he missed out on the opportunity to teach a little tyke all about science and start to find ways to mentor a young man. Just when he starts to bond with Will Jr., the boom falls, and it turns out they aren't related after all. What about a nephew instead - perhaps Jasper Linney had a fling in his youth and the young fellow happens to look like Murdoch as well? Was just thinking about SAJV the other day - it was very hit or miss at times (they couldn't decide if they wanted the show to be sci-fi alternative history or more of a suspense fantasy/horror theme) but was a lot of fun and had some great characters and good performances. Would love to see Michael Praed on MM sometime, he's been a favorite of mine since the Robin Of Sherwood days |
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Post by snacky on Dec 7, 2015 2:20:46 GMT
SAVJ was campy: at the time their cgi was also cutting-edge, which was part of the appeal. There is a comedy sci-fi genre that occasionally pops up. Brisco County Jr was the same thing, but with more expensive American production values. Such shows usually don't last long: most of the joke gets exhausted during the first 5 episodes.
I think DaVinci's Demons is a great example of what can be done with the same materials to create longer-lasting dramatic arcs. It's a bummer that show is on high end pay cable. That limited what could have been a large cult show audience.
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Post by snacky on Dec 7, 2015 2:26:42 GMT
You will have to pick another son for Jasper. Demetral looks more like a young William!
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