![]() ![]() "I think…we took a chance, and it has allowed other people to make TV shows that take a chance." Image courtesy of HBO I thought that gave permission to do Sopranos and Six Feet Under," he said. "HBO trusted me, as the writer and producer, to make the show I wanted, as opposed to the show they thought they wanted. The three aforementioned Fontana series along with the short-lived The Beat share the same universe with creator Dick Wolf's Law & Order and Chicago franchises. Elsewhere and the police procedural series Homicide: Life on the Street. In the meantime, enjoy the insanity of the ride, if you can make any sense of it.Įmerald City premieres Friday, January 6th on NBC.Before Oz, Fontana was already a creative force with his contributions in the medical drama St. Emerald City will not have as much leeway, and it remains to be seen if viewers latch on to a visually sumptuous but narratively messy take on an old story. Because even its greatest critical and creative triumphs - Hannibal foremost among them - have not turned out to be hits.įor cable and premium networks, that’s not as much of an issue, since niche series for small audiences can still find a home without as much pressure. Though NBC, more than almost any other broadcast network, has tried pushing the boundaries of what audiences expect from the Big Four, it still hesitates. The series also feels a little hamstrung by its place on broadcast. There are prophesies and beasts and magic and a lot of simmering romances (yes even for the Wizard), though accents are all over the place and its “one long movie” structure leaves it episodically a little week. Dorothy gets caught in the middle, as do a number of convoluted points regarding science vs magic, and the power of guns (there is a lot of violence, and this is a show that’s not afraid to kill kids - even if most resurrect in one way or another).Įssentially, think of this first season of Emerald City as a long origin story for Dorothy’s adventures in a distinctly steampunk-y Oz, which plays out like any good mythological quest or half-decent RPG. Instead, we get a whole “chosen one” mythology that has an awkward introduction and a predictable trajectory, with the Wicked Witch of the West ( Ana Ularu) and a passive-aggressive and manipulative Glinda ( Joely Richardson) teaming up to work on bringing a young heir to power against the Wizard. Ymmv on whether or not that’s a good thing. But what it makes clear is that Dorothy’s quest to find the Wizard ( Vincent D’Onofrio) in order to get home is not going to end up anywhere near the original. Emerald City takes its time in finding and revealing the Tin Man and Cowardly Lion, and I won’t spoil those moments. In this more violent and grittier version, even Toto gets a makeover as a German Shepherd rather than a Cairn Terrier, and the Scarecrow (played by Oliver Jackson-Cohen) is now a hot former fighter with amnesia who is Dorothy’s first friend in this hostile land. Instead of being thanked for her service, however, in this version Dorothy is waterboarded by what look like vikings. On the night of the fateful twister, Dorothy finds her birth mother wounded and telling her she is in danger, but in another instant Dorothy is swept up in a police car (it’s best to not ask too many questions) and delivered to Oz, where she accidentally runs over a witch. Dorothy Gale ( Adria Arjona) is still a resident of Kansas, but she’s an adult who works at a hospital and is drumming up the courage to confront her birth mother, who lives nearby.
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