So. Network staffing season came and went and left me standing at the altar like a jilted groom.
It's very tough out there, especially for newer writers. Network TV writing staffs are shrinking at precisely the same time the networks are making tons of money. I know, it doesn't make sense. I've worked extensively in the corporate world and I never understood it when a company would cut back on the core reason they were making money.
I had meetings on lots of network shows over the past few months, but when it came time for staffing, they all ran out of money before getting to the lower-level positions.
A number of amazing, talented and very affordable writers I know are in the same sad position. Truth be told, it's not uncommon for newer writers to warm the benches for a season or two between gigs. That's when you hunker down and crank out original pilots and new specs and keep the creative gears greased. Which I was prepared to do. But thank goodness for the world of cable TV, which has come to my rescue.
My new gig: I've joined the writing staff of a brand new SyFy TV show called Defiance. I've signed a brick-thick stack of non-disclosure forms so legally impenetrable that I can tell you absolutely nothing about it.
But I can point you to this sneak preview trailer, and to a brief interview with showrunner Rockne O'Bannon, whom I was lucky enough to work with on V.
And there's this from The Hollywood Reporter:
Set on a future Earth, Defiance introduces players and Syfy viewers to a world ravaged by decades of conflict, where humans and aliens live together in a world the likes of which no one has seen. The game combines the frenetic action of a top-tier console shooter with the persistence, scale, and customization of an MMO, while its TV counterpart exudes the scope, story, and drama of a classic sci-fi epic. The game's story will take place in the San Francisco bay area, while the TV series will be set just outside of St. Louis, MO. Because they exist in a single universe, the show and the game will influence and evolve each other over time, with actions in both mediums driving the overall story of Defiance.
I think I am allowed to say this much: it's gonna be a helluva lotta fun.
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