Whedonesque : Comments on 9512 : Tim Minear's new show "Drive" picked up for pilot.

This site will work and look better in a browser that supports web standards, but it is accessible to any browser or Internet device.

February 11 2006

Tim Minear's new show "Drive" picked up for pilot. Read on for Tim's description of the show, posted on Buffistas.

"Tim Minear - Feb 10, 2006 6:54:51 pm PST

Okay, so now I can mention, my pilot got picked up today. Go team.
"

"
Okay, the show is called "Drive." The network is, um, Fox. And it's a big, sprawling, ensemble that is utterly serialized. In the pilot, for instance, there are... let me count... about 16 possibly regular characters.
"

"
Which means I got me some killin' to do.
"

gossi | Cast&Crew | 23:21 CET | 50 comments total | tags:

Go, Tim!

cronopio | February 11, 23:27 CET

Assuming this gets picked up for series, this will be Tim's first show where he shares sole 'Created by' credits - possibly (and hopefully probably) marking Tim's rise from writer to writer/producer, showrunner, co-creator etc. Kudos, Tim - and well deserved. Plus, Magnoliaesque series? I'll have me some of that.

gossi | February 11, 23:29 CET

BUT WHY FOX?!?!?!

I love Tim to pieces, I just don't think I could handle another premature cancellation.

MySerenity | February 11, 23:42 CET

Yay Tim! Here is hoping he beats the 13 Episode Dvd curse this time!

Kessie | February 11, 23:49 CET

As much as I dislike Fox for ending shows early, I'm glad they let Tim have another crack, better then nothing. I think I'm become so used to disappointment, I don't expect the show to last 5 years or one year, so if it lasts long, it's a bonus.

SeanValen | February 11, 23:57 CET

Correction - Tim points out it's created with Ben Queen (who worked on Century City). Didn't realise. My bad.

gossi | February 11, 23:58 CET

FOX? and highly serialized? lots of characters?

recipe for cancellation. Hopefully it would be shown on a day that is not Thursday or Friday.

Mr Universe | February 12, 00:19 CET

Hopefully it gets picked up past pilot. Being so very British, 13 episodes is more than I normally see of a series anyway.

gossi | February 12, 00:21 CET

GO TIM!

I sure hope this one gets picked up. I'm really missing some good ME writing these days. As long as it appears on my television screen, you bet you boots I'll be there. Thirteen eps is better than nothing.

zimshan | February 12, 00:31 CET

Haha. This is a joke, right? Oh, Tim. *eyeroll*

Christopher | February 12, 00:50 CET

A big congrats to Tim. Great news.

Reddygirl | February 12, 01:22 CET

Haha. This is a joke, right? Oh, Tim. *eyeroll*

Why would it be a joke?

gossi | February 12, 01:23 CET

Congratulations to Tim. Hopefully, this third one will a charm for the Fox network. Wow, sixteen characters. And I thought Joss was brave opening with nine (ten if you count the ship). Wish Tim the best of luck with the pilot.

Madhatter | February 12, 01:30 CET

Hey, cool!

Tim added in the Buffista's thread: "I like to think of it as "Magnolia" on wheels with a dash of "North by Northwest" every week."

So, there's some sort of spy-intrigue and a convoy of some sort... I got nothing.

Also "My pilot got picked up." What does that mean exactly? A pilot will be produced and then shopped around, or a pilot was made and it has been "picked up" to be made into a series?

Septimus | February 12, 01:33 CET

Fox Broadcasting Corporation is funding the pilot from Tim and 20th Century Fox, and will then review it with a view to an additional 12 episode order. As far as I know, anyway. It hasn't been shot yet. Unless I'm wrong. Like, again.

Magnolia has always been on my favourite movie list, as I love the ensemble element and arcy plot. It was probably more suited to series, though, than movies. Plus, Cruise actually gets to act in it - it's almost as if he shares something of himself in that film.

[ edited by gossi on 2006-02-11 23:43 ]

gossi | February 12, 01:42 CET

I think Tim explained that Fox will finance the pilot. If they like the pilot, they'll buy the show. [Edit: Or, what gossi said.]

*fingers crossed for Tim*

Y'know, I'd watch anything he put on the air....

[ edited by XanFan32 on 2006-02-11 23:49 ]

XanFan32 | February 12, 01:44 CET

I just found out Tim killed Doyle. He is dead to me. DEAD. Or somethin'.

Also, VH-1 has a David Hasslehoff night. That's pretty scary.

gossi | February 12, 01:53 CET

Well, the lad's got grit anyway. Presumably he has some kind of exclusive deal with Fox but you have to wonder how many times he can stand to go back there before just accepting defeat, waiting out the term of the contract then making off with armloads of paper-clips, staples and the glue that holds modern civilization together, Post-its.

I like to think of it as "Magnolia" on wheels with a dash of "North by Northwest" every week

A whole bunch of characters you really care about take turns driving off Mt. Rushmore ? Now, that's got potential ;).

Hopefully it'll reach the dizzy heights of say 22 episodes before Fox, y'know, realises it's good and cancels it.

it's almost as if he shares something of himself in that film.

You mean apart from a close-up view of all his teeth ?

[ edited by Saje on 2006-02-11 23:55 ]

Saje | February 12, 01:54 CET

Gossi, that is scary, and wrong, sooo wrong*shudders* I think i need to rub my skin with an iron wool pad to get rid of the dirt. And I was referring to the David Hasselholf thing not Doyle....

kurya | February 12, 01:56 CET

We haven't even got to the pilot shooting and it's the C word!

Presumably he has some kind of exclusive deal with Fox but you have to wonder how many times he can stand to go back there before just accepting defeat, waiting out the term of the contract then making off with armloads of paper-clips, staples and the glue that holds modern civilization together, Post-its.

Somebody create Tim an account. Also, whilst I can't speak for Tim (read: I'm not him), I do remember he saying on Buffistas that he's not entirely sobbing over the prospect of moving onto new stories every so often. I loved Tim's work on Angel. Really, truly. Then, Firefly. Out of Gas. High. Then we had Wonderfalls, which was greatness. Then The Inside -- which I liked a great deal (occasionally with the inexplainable TV love - the relationship between the characters in that show was so broken and twisted it owned me). Not entirely sure how it'd sustain longer term interest, though.

Now.. Possibly 'Drive'. Lots of Minear'n'friends. Minear orgy.

Now, I know Joss isn't in the love with the whole cancellation thing, and I doubt Tim wants to get cancelled (or rather, have his shows cancelled) - but from a viewer perspective I can deal with it. The only weak part of the chain is -- as always -- the broadcaster situation. Taking a show off after a month and then waiting a few years for the DVD is shit.

By the way, 20th Century Fox don't have to sell a show to FOX -- but let's face it, they'll probably get first dibs.

gossi | February 12, 02:06 CET

Will it or won't it use the R.E.M. song as the theme tune?

Caroline | February 12, 02:08 CET

Tim is my favourite - I hope he finally has his chance to get a hit.

aapac | February 12, 02:50 CET

Will it or won't it use the R.E.M. song as the theme tune?

I was thinking the exact same thing.

Simon | February 12, 02:51 CET

Series=Football
FOX=Lucy
Tim=Charlie Brown

Son Of Shadow | February 12, 03:12 CET

Hah! Great analogy, Son of Shadow!

Actually though, Tim said (and I just read it again in Buffy Magazine) that he doesn't really mind if they keep paying him gobs of cash to make these series that get xxld and go to dvd. So I guess he's getting well-compensated for his shows being taken off the lineup, and he doesn't seem too hurt about it.

Still, I imagine it must chap just a wee bit, hmm? Best of luck with this one, Tim.

Willowy | February 12, 03:19 CET

Son of Shadow, that may be the funniest thing I've ever read! And so, so sad... I'm laughing AND crying.

Haunt | February 12, 03:54 CET

Is there supposed to be a link to something other than Whedonesque? Because endless loopy thing up top...

Nebula1400 | February 12, 03:54 CET

Nebula1400, that is on purpose I believe.

TamaraC | February 12, 04:06 CET

I don't mind terribly the idea of a show only running for 13 eps either. As long as it has time to arc. Tim definatelly did that with Wonderfalls, I haven't seen the Inside as yet. I do love me some TM! He's very good at what he does, and if we can't have a new Joss show, then a Minnear one is a nice substitute.

ETA: I'm with Nebula1400, how come it's linking back to Whedonesque Gossi? Can't it be linked to Buffistas for some reason?

[ edited by nixygirl on 2006-02-12 02:09 ]

nixygirl | February 12, 04:06 CET

Yeah, Tim is one of three Mutant Enemy alums other than The Joss that I plan to follow wherever they go and whatever they do... Tim, David Fury and Drew Goddard.

Haunt | February 12, 04:09 CET

I think Caroline is being kind about Buffista links because our server doesn't do so well under the strain when we get linked here.

Allyson | February 12, 04:33 CET

I linked it directly to Whedonesque instead of Buffistas to prevent killing their server.

gossi | February 12, 04:40 CET

OK fair enough. Thanx for the explain-y. I'm off to search that now, I wanna read it all in context. I'm with the 'let's give Tim an account' crowd, or better still, the let's make Minearesque little crowd of, me, and
*poke* Gossi *poke*

[ edited by nixygirl on 2006-02-12 03:20 ]

nixygirl | February 12, 05:14 CET

Hurrrraaaah! Rawk on, Tim!

Lunakitty | February 12, 05:52 CET

BTW, gossi, thank you so much for the info. I truly hope this works out for Tim. He has his dog day coming.

Madhatter | February 12, 05:56 CET

Haunt, isn't Jeff Bell still with Alias?? His Alias episodes were so beautiful.

Son of Shadow, so funny! And so true!

I'll be looking out for this one. Congrats, Tim!

Harmalicious | February 12, 06:19 CET

Yay for more Tim, even on Fox (though having just watched the last 4 episodes of Arrested Development I'm feeling a little more bitter than usual). Anyway here's hoping the pilot gets picked up.

Paul_Rocks | February 12, 06:20 CET

I hope this pilot gets picked up. I love Minear's work. In my book he's second only to Joss. Good luck, Tim!

[ edited by ElectricSpaceGirl on 2006-02-12 04:36 ]

electricspacegirl | February 12, 06:33 CET

Woohoo! Here's hoping this gets past the pilot-stage. New Tim stuff is always good. To me, he's probably second to Joss as well. Or, possibly, that could be Aaron Sorkin. Not quite sure there. I used to love Tim's Angel-eps to bits, as well as his work on Firefly, but never quite got into Wonderfalls as much as everyone else. Not sure why. Loved me some 'The Inside' though, so I'm very much looking forward to new Minear on our screens.

Unfortunately, we'll probably have to wait quite some time before this turns up, right?

[ edited by GVH on 2006-02-12 04:45 ]

GVH | February 12, 06:44 CET

GVH, if it enters production soon, it could well be on screens in August/September time.

gossi | February 12, 06:47 CET

I'm curious what the plot is about? Any word on that?

Madhatter | February 12, 06:51 CET

The pilot is picked up. Whether the series gets greenlit up depends on whether they like the pilot.

It's way too early to speculate on when it would air.

Allyson | February 12, 06:55 CET

I haven't had the opporunity to watch the remaining episodes of The Inside yet, only what aired on North American TV (so I think only six episodes made it on screen? And seven were unaired?). I feel like I should finish the "current" Minear series before I start on the next. Maybe DVDs will be announced for The Inside before Drive debuts?

Kris | February 12, 06:58 CET

I'm not keen on the looping links - is there anywhere else remotely relevant we can link to?

Caroline | February 12, 12:54 CET

I was among a handful of Browncoats to who Tim described "Drive" to, outside of the Burbank Hilton, at Flanvention. We swore to Tim that we wouldn't tell a soul, and as far as I can tell, the six of us kept it to ourselves. Good on us.

What I recall thinking is that "Drive" is to "The Greatest Race" what "Lost" is to "Survivor".
I also recall Tim saying that FOX is exactlly where he wants "Drive" to be. It's the right demographic that he's shooting for.

We must keep in mind that the folks running Fox now aren't the same as the Sandy Grushow generation that doomed Firefly.

I was saddened by the loss of "The Inside", but I did note that FOX shouldered the responsibility for its' ratings failure. They acknowledged that they blew it by not premiering it earlier in the season.

So if Tim's good with FOX then so am I. I know I'll be watching if the pilot gets picked up.

p.s. Kris. Tim told me that, as of December 10th, there were no plans to issue "The Inside" on DVD. Yup, I want 'em too.

[ edited by Caroline on 2006-02-12 19:26 ]

Rick_Bilyeu | February 12, 16:27 CET

Tim is one of three Mutant Enemy alums other than The Joss that I plan to follow wherever they go and whatever they do... Tim, David Fury and Drew Goddard.

I'd definitely add David Greenwalt to that list. Profit and Miracles are both incredibly good.

MissKittysMom | February 12, 18:25 CET

Not until Monday, Caroline, when it hits the trades.

I don't think anyone at Buffistas would mind if posts in our threads weren't treated as linkable news sources, but I can't speak for the board, either. They haven't voted me official spokeswoman or anything.

Allyson | February 12, 21:07 CET

I opened a discussion about direct linkage in our Bureaucracy thread if any Whedonesquers are interested in participating.

Allyson | February 12, 21:46 CET

Ah, thanks Allyson.

Madhatter | February 12, 23:37 CET

MissKittysMom, you're absolutely right. So I guess that makes FIVE ex-ME's that I'd follow anywhere... Minear, Fury, Goddard, Bell and Greenwalt. Of course there's also Espenson and Edlund and Petrie and Kirshner and Greenberg and DeKnight...

Pretty much everybody but Noxon. *shrug*

Haunt | February 13, 06:10 CET

You need to log in to be able to post comments.
About membership.

« Older Anthony Head recording two songs w... | Empire UK magazine look back at Se... Newer »