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Author Topic: Death's Apprentice  (Read 1566 times)

Fellfrosch

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Death's Apprentice
« on: May 22, 2003, 12:41:10 PM »
A few years ago, Tage and I got involved with local author Dave Wolverton in his attempt to start a production company. We eventually realized that his eyes were a little bigger than his capacity to follow through, so nothing much happened with it, but in the process we came up with about a dozen in-depth treatments for TV shows. One of these, developed exclusively by Tage and I, was about a high school girl who becomes an apprentice to Death. She has to go around a collect souls from people who are scheduled to die, and occasionally she has to collect them by force from people who refuse to die. It had some very interesting elements, and in the years since Tage and I keep coming back to it and wishing we could actually do something with it.

The thing is, somebody already did--it's coming out on Showtime in a month. The people involved have no connection to us, so we're not crying plagiarism or anything, but the concept is remarkably similar. I mean amazingly similar. It's one of those times where you really wish you'd done something with the idea instead of just sitting on it.
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"Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you walk into an open sewer and die." --Mel Brooks

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Entsuropi

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Re: Death's Apprentice
« Reply #1 on: May 22, 2003, 01:32:33 PM »
Go and read "Mort" by terry prattchet. Same concept. The book is over 10 years old now.
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Fellfrosch

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Re: Death's Apprentice
« Reply #2 on: May 22, 2003, 02:33:11 PM »
Yeah, the idea itself isn't wildly original or anything. The show's creator says he got most of his inspiration about some Piers Anthony book with a similar theme. Still, it makes me wish we'd actually finished writing the pilot and sent it off. Obviously somebody else thinks it's a good idea too.

Fell, don't forget that Adam did most of the script writing for the idea back in the day. I wish I could remember his last name, I bet he'd get a good laugh at seeing this show.

For those of you with Showtime, the TV series is called "Dead Like Me" and premiers at the end of the month. June 29, I believe.
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Fellfrosch

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Re: Death's Apprentice
« Reply #3 on: May 23, 2003, 02:25:14 PM »
That's right, Adam. I bet he's the guy that sold us out!

I know the actual concept of death's apprentice isn't new, but honestly, the description of this show is VERY close to our idea. It's just suprising, so I mentioned it.
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EUOL

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Re: Death's Apprentice
« Reply #4 on: May 23, 2003, 03:14:22 PM »
No big black guy, though.
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Fellfrosch

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Re: Death's Apprentice
« Reply #5 on: May 23, 2003, 05:34:41 PM »
Yeah, that's too bad. All TV shows could be improved by the addition of a big black guy.
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"Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you walk into an open sewer and die." --Mel Brooks

My author website: http://www.fearfulsymmetry.net
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