Image: thefilmstage.com
It’s a tale as old as time—two different networks developing similar TV series based on the same source material. This fall viewers were treated to two different television shows based on fairy tales of old—Once Upon a Time on ABC and Grimm on NBC. History will soon repeat itself as ABC and The CW are both putting TV shows based on Beauty and the Beast into the pipeline.
The ABC version of the popular fairy tale will be a dark, gritty reboot of the story, set in a mythical world. The story features a tough princess who makes a romantic connection with a beastly creature, which is more in line with the original fairy tale. Although ABC is owned by Disney, there’s no word yet on whether or not this version will have any relation to the animated film of the same name.
Image: fanpop.com
Meanwhile, the competing Beauty and the Beast project on The CW is actually a reboot of the 80’s television series, with some added procedural drama to boot. Beauty and the Beast featured Ron Perlman wearing heavy prosthetic makeup to portray Vincent, the beastly leader of a community of sewer dwellers. Vincent falls in love with Catherine, a district attorney played by Linda Hamilton. With its focus on romance and angst, this version is much more in line with The CW’s programming.
Since neither network has announced their lineup for next season, it’s anybody’s guess as to whether or not these projects ever see the light of day. However, it doesn’t take a magic mirror to predict that two networks will once again develop the same fairy tale projects in the future. Here are just a few of the untapped fairy tale stories that may one day become TV shows on competing networks.
Image: fashionfoodfatale.com
The Story: Little Red Riding Hood
The Networks: The CW, Fox
The Pitches:
Red Riding Hood (The CW) – A teen girl finds battles werewolves in a sleepy California town, while juggling school and a boyfriend.
Hood (Fox) – Agent Hood of the FBI uncovers a secret conspiracy by the World Organization Liberation Front, or WOLF, to replace high-power members of government with clones.
Image: blogspot.com
The Story: Sleeping Beauty
The Networks: CBS, ABC
The Pitches:
Sleeping Beauty (CBS) – Phillip Prince’s fairy godmother appears to him and tells him he must do a number of good deeds to get his wife to wake up out of her coma.
Briar Rose (ABC) – Fashion designer Rose Briarwood suffers from a strange family curse—whenever she pricks her finger, she falls asleep and can only be woken up by a kiss.
Image: tqn.com
The Story: Pinocchio
The Networks: Syfy, ABC Family
The Pitches:
P1n0ch10 (Syfy) – Pinocchio is a fully-sentient android on the run from the gangsters who run the space station Pleasure Island, where Pinocchio was once a slave.
P and the Gang (ABC Family) – A sitcom about a puppet named Pinocchio who is adopted by a family of humans, featuring Jim Henson’s Muppets.
