Image Credit: Everett Collection
There’s been a flurry of pilot pickups over the last 24 hours and I’ve been waiting for a truly intriguing one to kick off a rundown post and — hello — we have a winner: ABC has ordered a crime drama where Edger Allen Poe solves mysteries.
I know. It sounds like some kind of dream within a dream. But here’s the official description for Poe: “Crime procedural following Edgar Allan Poe as the world’s very first detective, using unconventional methods to investigate dark mysteries in 1840s Boston.”
Thus quoth the raven: “What the f–k?”
If the show makes it to air and becomes a hit, what’s next? POE: Miami? Ernest Hemingway: Medical Examiner?
Literary figures are actually in vogue this pilot season with a couple Sherlock Holmes projects in the works too. And thing is, I’m making fun of this idea, but I would watch Poe in a heartbeat over most other more conventional shows that make it to this stage.
Here’s some other projects picked up:
– ABC’s Pan Am project is moving to pilot. Another intriguing period drama, this one is described as “a sexy soap set against the Jet-Age, focusing on the stewardesses and pilots and their glamorous world full of exciting adventures.”
– ABC’s Lost and Found is a multi-camera comedy about “a narcissistic New York City bartender and party girl has her life turned upside down when the conservative 18 year old son she gave up for adoption shows up on her doorstep.”
– ABC’s Work It, another multi-cam comedy, is about “two out of work car salesmen realize that it is now a woman’s world and decide that in order to find work again and succeed they are going to have to dress as women to get jobs as pharmaceuticals reps. Doing this inadvertently makes them better men, husbands and fathers but also makes them appreciate the sanctuary of their guy’s nights at the local bar where they can really be themselves.”
–NBC’s Special Investigations L.A., a drama in the style of Traffic, set in the world of crime, law enforcement, and politics in modern-day Los Angeles.
Pilot development sheet: Here’s what’s been picked up so far
Did Poe actually live any in Boston any in the 1840s? Wikipedia doesn’t mention any time there that late in his life.
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More than I trust the television industry.
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Yes, he was born there and published his first book “Tamerlane” which he didn’t really consider a book. So yes he did reside there at an early point in his life after being born there.
Work It sounds a lot like the 80′s comedy Bosom Buddies. I loved that show as a kid so despite the fact that I generally avoid comedies I’d give this a shot with the right casting.
It seems like the Poe show would make more sense in Baltimore. Poe didn’t like Boston even though he was born there.
True that! I mean the Ravens are named after him & their mascot is named Poe!
Argh! Boston?! Poe was born in Boston, but only visited there a couple times during his life. He had great contempt for Bostonians and their literary world. This show should be, NEEDS to be set in Philadelphia, the dark gothic city where Poe first started writing URBAN gothic tales and Philly is the city where Poe wrote and published the very first mystery detective story.
I know TV does whatever the hell it wants with the facts. But Philly would be so much better a choice than Boston.
Isn’t there a Poe movie coming out starring John Cusack about solving a mystery?
Wait what? I was reading over the other ABC possible pilots and the one called “Lost and Found” is EXACTLY like the CW show that they canceled called Life Unexpected! Such a great show and now after they canceled it on the CW they are planning to make a duplicate on ABC? Messed up! Lawsuit should ensue.
It’s a little bit different than that. Lux was never what I’d call conservative, and Cate was…Cate. This is more a female Baze finds Alex P. Keaton on her doorstep one day.
Multi camera? *Groan* Please, ABC, just because CBS’ comedies do well, it doesn’t mean we need more laugh-track sitcoms.
So we’ve got “Falcon Crest on an Airplane,” “Life Unexpected Meets Family Ties,” and “Bosom Buddies Redux.” The 80s really HAVE come back around, haven’t they. At least the Edgar Allan Poe drama sounds interesting, albeit in a 100% Hollywood, 0% Historically Accurate kind of way.
Booger soup
Snot salad
Since Poe basically invented the detective genre, this sounds like a cool idea.
If I could, I would set my DVR for Poe right now.
I’ve lost count of how many pilots there are featuring men trying to survive in a “woman’s world”. No, we didn’t solve sexism and misogyny & pretending that (presumably white) men are suffering at the hands of women is insulting.
It’s EDGAR ALLAN Poe. I think it’s a great idea. http://www.poebicentennial.com
Is it Edger(sic) Allen(sic) Poe or
Edgar Allan Poe? Geeez.
“I’ve lost count of how many pilots there are featuring men trying to survive in a “woman’s world”. No, we didn’t solve sexism and misogyny & pretending that (presumably white) men are suffering at the hands of women is insulting.”
The premise doesn’t make sense. Sure women dominate some fields but most prestigious fields are still dominated by men. I don’t get why so many writers in Hollywood think white guys are an oppressed group.
For more information about Poe’s real connections to Boston,
check out the Edgar Allan Poe Foundation of Boston’s website
at http://www.poeboston.org/home.html