From: larocqu@gaul.csd.uwo.ca (JOHN LAROCQUE)
Subject: Re: shatner's tek war article
Organization: Computer Science Dept., Univ. of Western Ontario, London, Canada
Distribution: rec
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1993 21:35:31 GMT

Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.starwars, rec.arts.sf.tv, rec.arts.startrek.current

>                SHATNER'S NOVELS COMING TO TV

>TORONTO -- Toronto's Atlantis Films has linked up with
>Universal Television in Los Angeles to produce a science-fiction
>TV series based on four best-selling novels by actor William Shatner.

For those interested in Will's Tek-War series, check out the comic
book series from Marvel's Epic Line. Written by Ron Goulart - who
assisted Will in writing and probably ghost wrote the entire
Tek series, and (formerly) drawn by Lee Sullivan, who did Robocop
comics for Marvel - this is one neat book. Buy this with your
Star Trek comics. For laughs. The first three issues had comments and
a picture from Shatner on the letters page. Incidently, the first issue
talked about an upcoming tv project yet to be worked out. Funny how
comic collectors are the first to know...

>Tek War will begin as a two hour pilot, to be shot in
>Toronto early this summer. Atlantis vice-president Peter Sussman
>said yesterday that no broadcasters have been lined up yet,
>but that the two companies are "confident we can place it fairly
>easily." He said the projected series will go into first-run syndication
>if a U.S. network or cable channel doesn't pick it up.

You mean after DS9 and Babylon Five and Time Trax and TNG and Space
Rangers (junk for all tastes - no flames) and the late lamented Mann
+ Machine. Hoo boy. Another exciting hour of TV every week.

>Shatner, star of the Star Trek TV and movie series,
>will direct the pilot and "occasionally act in the project,"
>according to a press release. He will also serve as co-executive
>producer with Sussman.

Hope he does a better job than on Star Trek V. Here the Globe +
Mail assumes he can act.   :-)

>Set in 2043, Tek War tells the story of a former cop who's
>been unfairly jailed for peddling and illegal "electronic mind
>stimulant technology" known as Tek. The TV series would
>follow the ex-cop from the time of his prison release, as he
>tracks down those who framed him.

Just like in the book and the first five issues of the comic.

>Sussman said that the "very, very expensive" production
>will require some special effects "that have never been
>attempted on television."

>Universal is responsible for such shows as Murder
>She Wrote and Northern Exposure. Atlantis's credits include
>the Diviners and Ray Bradbury Theatre. The companies
>collaborated on Men, a short-lived 1989 drama series for ABC and CTV

And Buck Rogers and Battlestar Galactica and the A-Team and the Incredible
Hulk and the 6 Million Dollar Man (incidently Harve Bennett worked on
this series, and now does Time Trax. Welcome back to TV).

-- 
***FEAR*AND*LOATHING**FEAR*AND*LOATHING**FEAR*AND*LOATHING**FEAR*AND*LOATHING**
**  John LaRocque         **   "If you're the new messiah.. I'm going to be  **
**  marshall.law@uwo.ca   **   the one to drive in the nails"  MARSHALL LAW  **
***FEAR*AND*LOATHING**FEAR*AND*LOATHING**FEAR*AND*LOATHING**FEAR*AND*LOATHING**