TV Articles – Page 16 – World’s Best Media

What I Want to See: Doctor Who

Published on December 20, 2017November 17, 2020 by Michael Christopher Cole1 Comment

As you’re probably aware, Christmas is coming, but what you might not be aware of is that every year on Christmas, Doctor Who releases a Christmas special. These specials aren’t just goofy Christmas specials like many other franchises might create, but are part of the continuity of the series. In this particular special, we will see the 12th Doctor, played by Peter Capaldi, regenerate into the 13th Doctor who will be played by Jodie Whitaker.

Whitaker will play the first female Doctor in this show’s 54 year run. There is some controversy over it, but there is also precedent with other Time Lords (the Doctor’s race) becoming Time Ladies upon regeneration. It’s really not a big deal. I promise. Or at least it shouldn’t be.

The fact that it shouldn’t be a big deal, is actually what I want to see with this show. If Whitaker follows the trend she’ll be on for about 3 seasons (other than the 9th Doctor Christopher Eccleston, all modern Doctors have had 3). I’m hoping that while the writers are making the character female, and can introduce elements of the female experience, I hope they don’t change fundamentals of the show’s structure in order to pander.

Doctor Who has romance in many of its storylines, but ultimately the Doctor him/herself is not inherently romantic or driven by these stories. David Tennant’s tenth Doctor was in love with Rose, and with it came heartbreak and all of those things that romance comes with, but the Doctor stayed focused on saving the world. Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor had something of a romance with River Song, (spoiler alert she’s his wife) but again, it was secondary to his main story of saving the world.

I will not mind them having flirtations, or even a genuine love story in the 13th Doctor’s story, but the character cannot be defined by any relationship. There seems to be a tendency in fiction, and perhaps in non-fiction to define people by their relationships, and the Doctor whether he’s a he, or she’s a she, should not be defined by an individual relationship, but rather his or her love for life, and the living. We get to see the Doctor over the last 10 seasons breaking down as severely over loss of friendship as loss of romantic love, and just as deeply at the loss off a species as that of the loss of a single life. This is the Doctor’s strength as a character, and there isn’t anything inherently male or female about that (although if written well a female Doctor may shine brighter in this way).

Lastly, sexuality. The doctor has mostly been portrayed as heterosexual, but I would argue that this doesn’t seem like a very strict rule at all. I don’t care, in the inevitable romances that will occur (hopefully in small doses) whether or not the character is engaged in straight or lesbian relationships, as long as it’s about character, and not sticking with continuity, or sending a message. The companions are where sexual orientation seems to be best displayed, having had some of each, and the Doctor seems to be beyond that. So I hope that will remain the case when it comes to the 13th Doctor.

Doctor Who: An Introduction to the Whoniverse

Published on December 7, 2017November 17, 2020 by Michael Christopher Cole1 Comment

Doctor Who, is one of my favorite sci-fi shows, and I wanted to write a little about it now, in case there are any non-Who fan’s that might be interested in getting into it. I think I may be the only one here at World’s Best Media who is a fan of the Doctor, and so I’ll be your guide to the Whoniverse.

First, I want to let you know a few things about Doctor Who. The name of the show is a joke, the main character is only known by the name “the Doctor” which often prompts new characters to ask “Doctor Who.” This will be important because if I refer to “Doctor Who,” I mean the show, and if I refer to “the Doctor” I mean the character.

Doctor Who first aired November 23^rd 1963, and continued until 1989 before being canceled. There was then a 1996 reboot/continuation movie which failed, and finally a series reboot/continuation in 2005, which is currently still going on.

The Doctor is a time-traveling alien from the planet Gallifrey, and a race known as the Time-Lords. When the show started, episodes in which they traveled to the past were largely educational teaching history, and when they would travel to the future they would teach about science and technology. Eventually, the show became more or less, just entertainment.

When the first actor to play the Doctor (William Hartnell) became too ill to continue on the show, the producers had to come up with a way of replacing him, which wouldn’t cause too much disruption to the show itself. Their idea, was that Time-Lords (not referred to as such until later) were able to ‘regenerate’ into a new body. This over the last 54 years has allowed for multiple actors playing the Doctor to cross paths, and for the show to go through mini soft reboots of the character every time. The Doctor isn’t entirely the same man, with the same quirks across multiple bodies, which has allowed for actors to play the character differently, and allows it to remain fresh.

Now, my own knowledge of Doctor Who, mainly focuses on the series starting in 2005, although I have made a point of watching some episodes from each of the previous incarnations. As of today, we’re on the 12^th version of the Doctor (except for one that was retconned in known as The War Doctor), but on this year’s Christmas special we will get the 13^th Doctor, and the first female to play the Doctor. I’ll talk more about her in a “What I Want to See: Doctor Who” which I’m planning to be out sometime later this month.

Last think you should know about the plot and structure, is the TARDIS, which is the Doctor’s time-machine, space-ship, friend, and occasional lover. It’s the blue police box that you see at Newbury Comics, or on Facebook. It is essentially an all-powerful vehicle for the Doctor’s personal use. Also, it’s bigger on the inside.

Alright, so know you know the idea of the Doctor, and the tenure of the show, but what I want to talk about is the tone of the show. The show is very much a serialized show, which follows story archs across episodes and seasons, but the tone is not necessarily. The tone can vary from episode to episode, in a way that is similar to something more like an anthology. Some episodes are whimsical and silly, like the works of Douglas Adams (Adams wrote The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, but also wrote for Doctor Who in the 80’s) or more serious and dramatic, showing off the Doctor’s emotional range, and then there are some very scary horror episodes.

I thought it might be helpful, if I recommended some episodes based on these different breakdowns, so you can get a sense not only of the character, but of the different tonal shifts. It’s kind of a long list, but I’m covering about 10 years (you’re welcome for not trying to cover 54) worth of TV spanning 4 actors.

So here’s the list:

Rose- Season 1, episode 1. This episode serves to introduce a new generation to Doctor Who. It is a little bit goofy, a little bit dramatic, fast paced, and kind of manages to fit so much of what Doctor Who is into an hour. It also starts us off with Christopher Eccleston who is the Ninth version of the Doctor, as well as introducing us to Rose, whom is his companion. (The Doctor always has a companion, typically a young woman.)
Dalek- Season 1, episode 6. This introduces us to the Dalek, which is a race of armored aliens, which are arguably the quintessential Doctor Who villains. In this episode we also get to see a combination of the Doctor’s wrath as well as the Doctor’s compassion.
Father’s Day- Season 1, episode 8. The reason I’m suggesting this one, is that it goes into 2 things that the show really has a great opportunity to do. They get to tell intricate time-travel stories which are both using the time travel as a plot device, as well as using it as a genuine part of the story. Also it’s a really touching story of the redemption of a character who wouldn’t have had one without time travel.
The Empty Child, The Doctor Dances- Season 1, Episodes 9 and 10. This is a two part story, and it is simultaneously in the top 5 scariest Doctor Who episodes, and a genuinely heart-warming story. I can’t tell you too much about it without giving away too much, but if you want an idea of how creepy it is, imagine a young child in 1940’s England with a gasmask stuck on his face asking everyone “Are you my mummy?” I cannot even do an impression of that voice without my wife getting mad at how creeped out she is!

The Christmas Invasion- Season 2, Episode 0. This is the first episode with David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor, and while the plot is somewhat dumb in this episode, it’s a big tonal shift from the previous episodes, and it shows all of the range that David Tennant is going to have as the Doctor. Also it has one of my all-time favorite jokes in the show’s run.
Army of Ghosts, Doomsday- Season 2, Episode 12 and 13. Another two part story (Doctor Who loves 2 part stories), is perhaps best watched after having had seasons 1 and 2 fully ingested to appreciate, but there are a lot of memes that you’ll understand better after these episodes.
Human Nature and The Family of Blood- Season 3, Episode 8 and 9. This two parter is WWI era, and the Doctor thinks he is a human and not a time-lord. It shows a huge moral conflict, and some of the more sinister human villains in the show’s run. This leans on the dramatic/scary side of things.
Blink- Season 3, Episode 10. This is a very Doctor-lite episode, and is very much a stand-alone episode, with the only real piece that ever has relevance again being the villains it introduces. If you’re looking for something scary with an interesting time-travel structure, this is the best episode to start with. Many people have done lists of Doctor Who episodes, and this is routinely placed as the best single episode, or the best episode to show a non-Who fan to try to show them. It’s undeniably great.

The Doctor’s Daughter- Season 4, Episode 6. Some of the episodes on this list are cool in a way that can’t fully be explained, and the only thing that I can specifically point to in this episode is the Doctor’s monologue at the end, but it’s an episode on a future planet with a society of people being cloned rapidly, and killed rapidly in a war they don’t even understand. Honestly, just a cool episode.
Silence in the Library and Forest of the Dead- Season 4, Episodes 8 and 9. This episode tells the story of 2 time-travelers, the Doctor, and River Song, who meet while heading in opposite directions via time travel. I don’t want to tell too much about the structure, but at the time that I watched these episodes, this was the most innovative time-travel concept I had seen, and I think still may be.
Midnight- Season 4, episode 10. This is another stand-alone horror episode. I have only watched it once, because whenever my wife and I rewatch the series, she makes me skip over this one, because it creeps her out too much (I think worse than the gasmasks). It’s about an alien virus which takes over a human host on a resort planet’s ‘excursion’ to a diamond waterfall. The whole episode basically takes place in a space version of a tour-bus, and if you’re not genuinely creeped out by it, you should get checked out.
The Stolen Earth and Journey’s End- Season 4, episode 12 and 13. It wraps up some story-lines, and it gives characters their moment to shine, and is a bigger deal than when Eccleston left (because he didn’t like doing the show).
The Eleventh Hour- Season 5, episode 1. This is your introduction to Matt Smith, the eleventh Doctor, the newest companion (Karen Gillan), and it’s a pretty cool episode. It tends to land on the goofier end of things, with the new Doctor making lots of goofy jokes, and with a little more sexual humor (nothing too risqué) than most other episodes. You may not fall in love with the 11^th Doctor in this episode, but maybe you’ll fall in love with Amelia Pond.
Vincent and the Doctor- Season 5, Episode 10. Honestly, the ‘bad guy/monster’ in this episode isn’t the highlight, in fact 7 times out of 10 on Doctor Who the monster isn’t the highlight, but in this episode the Doctor and Amelia, meet Vincent Van Gogh, and their interactions with him are amazing examples of character work.

The Pandorica Opens and The Big Bang- Season 5, episodes 12 and 13. These two episodes include appearances by nearly every alien race that the Doctor has faced, a really cool time travel structure (this might be the one that trumps the Silence in the Library and The Forest of the Dead), it has huge stakes and the Doctor delivers a kick-ass monologue. These 2 episodes might be the highlight of Matt Smith as the Doctor.
All of Season 6. Matt Smith isn’t a bad doctor, but he comes immediately after arguably the best doctor, and so it takes a little while to fully get on the Matt Smith train. The 2 part finale of season 5 gets us there, and then season 6 has an over-arching story that is the best season in the shows run. I can’t really emphasize enough that this whole season is a gem. You have the doctor thinking he’s a cowboy, you start off the season and end the season in roughly the same place, with something catastrophic happening, and the whole season fills in the blanks of how you get there. There are guest appearances by Richard Nixon, and one of the creepiest new alien races that the Doctor has to face off against. Sorry, can’t give you any specific episodes. I will however, tell you to skip all of season 7 to make up for the abundance of episodes I’m throwing at you.
Time Heist- Season 8, episode 5. Does the title not sell you on it? It’s a time-travel heist film in just an hour! It’s the first on my list featuring the twelfth Doctor, Peter Capaldi. That’s all you’re getting.
Flatline- Season 8, episode 9. Honestly, just a really cool Twilight Zone style scifi episode, where the concept is the selling point. Basically, due to dimensional breakdown (like 3D turning into 2D) the Doctor is trapped in his TARDIS, and his newest companion Clara, has to help him get out.
The Husbands of River Song- Season 9, episode 13. This ends up being a companion piece to The Silence in the Library and The Forest of the Dead, but I can’t tell you anymore, because of “Spoilers!”
Pilot- Season 10, episode 1. This is an episode which introduces us to another new companion, Bill (Pearl Mackie) and it might be the saddest episode, but character-wise it’s incredible. Bill, a young lesbian woman living in a foster home as a young adult, is just about the saddest and loneliest character the show has.
Extremis- Season 10, episode 6. This has some amazing work by both Peter Capaldi and Pearl Mackie, as well as Matt Lucas who plays Nardole. Matt Lucas as Nardole plays off as almost a perfect impression of the Doctor, but he’s almost always relegated to manning the TARDIS. I suspect he was cast because he would make an excellent Doctor if it weren’t for all of the physical toll that the role entails (both Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi had to have knee surgery from all of the running.)

With that, you’ll have an idea of what the show is. I do recommend watching in its entirety, but if you’re just looking to get an idea and start off before Jodie Whitaker takes over the role, these are my suggestions.

What I Want to See: Trollhunters

Published on December 2, 2017November 17, 2020 by Michael Christopher Cole1 Comment

You might not have heard of Dreamworks’ animated show Trollhunters on Netflix. Until I talked to Paul about potentially writing about it on here, I wasn’t aware of anyone I knew who had watched it, other than myself. But it’s a great show, and I cannot recommend it enough. I started watching it, because I wanted to watch something that would keep my son’s attention (he was 9 months old when we began season 1) but wasn’t so inane that I would go blank behind the eyes. So, when I saw the poster on Netflix, and it boasted that it was created by Guillermo del Toro (director of Hellboy 1 & 2, Pan’s Labyrinth, and Pacific Rim) I thought it might be a good fit for us.

Trollhunters, is an action adventure cartoon that I think pretty much all ages can enjoy. It tells the story of Jim Lake Jr. who becomes the first human ever to become a trollhunter, when the previous trollhunter is killed in action. (These aren’t really spoilers as it’s kind of all revealed in the first 5 minutes of episode one.) Jim is in high school, and much like other YA fiction, he is thrust into a world that mixes his normal growing up troubles with life and death stakes. In this way, it’s not too original, but it is fun!

Trollhunters, thrives in it’s characters. Jim is less steadfast than a typical Harry Potter kind of protagonist, but is a more believable teen for it, and it makes the call to responsibility even more impressive. Toby, his best friend, plays on the typical scared side-kick trope, while at the same time being a total bad-ass, which shines through in his ability to help out with Jim’s training, and his own desire to do the right thing. Blinky and AAARRRGGHH!!! (that’s how IMDb spells it) are my two favorite characters, because they are the trolls who are tasked with helping Jim to become the trollhunter that the good troll community needs him to be. Blinky is voiced by Kelsey Grammer, and it is endlessly amusing to hear him read lines that seem so silly, with such gravitas.

So, what do I want to see with Trollhunters? Well, in order to answer that, I need to explain something. Jim, is voiced by Anton Yelchin, who died in an accident more than a year ago. Yelchin had finished recording season one by the time he died, but until recently, I hadn’t realized that he had also recorded (not sure if it’s complete or there is some patchwork with another actor) season two.

Yelchin does a great job voicing Jim, but I don’t think he has to be the voice. That is where I come to my point. I’m glad we get two seasons of Anton Yelchin, but I really hope, that Trollhunters is going where it naturally would have, had Yelchin lived. His death was tragic, and I don’t mean that in a disrespectful way, but as far as the story is concerned, I don’t want it to shift to reflect his death.

It’s something that many TV shows, and movies have to deal with, this idea that if someone dies, they have to figure out how to move on with their story, and unfortunately it seems to rarely work out well. When Heath Ledger died for example, he was working on the Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, and in order to finish the movie, they recast with Jude Law, Johnny Depp, and Colin Farrell. Because of the nature of the story, it didn’t seem to have too significant of an effect on the movie (which seemed like it may have been a mess regardless) but look at the other posthumous Ledger movie, The Dark Knight. Sure, Ledger had finished The Dark Knight, and so that movie remains untarnished by the flaws of a mid production death, but as a franchise, what would the third film have been had Ledger lived? It’s something I’ve wondered since before The Dark Knight Rises was released.

The point is this, Anton Yelchin is great in this role, but ultimately, we don’t have a Ledger situation, where recasting seems sacrilegious, we have a voice over of a teenage character, and there are a lot of ways of adjusting to a new actor, without being disrespectful to Yelchin, and without having to shift the storyline, or the tone of the story.

Check out Trollhunters on Netflix if you watch the first episode, you’ll get the feel for the show, and I think you’ll fall in love with it! Season two comes out on December 15.

First Look: Robin from the upcoming live action Teen Titans series

Published on December 2, 2017November 17, 2020 by theworldsbestblogwithpaulwrightLeave a comment

Warner Bros is starting their own DC TV streaming service in 2018 (the way we watch TV is about to get real fucking weird. Stay tuned for more from me on that). Among the original content set to debut on this streaming is Season 3 of the incredible and beloved Young Justice Animated series. As well as a live action Teen Titans series. Now we have our first look at the Titan’s team leader and by far it’s most well known member, Dick Grayson AKA Robin:

Robin is being played by Brenton Thwaites best known for being the poor bastard who had to run around with Johnny Depp on most recent Pirates of The Caribbean movie. A few years back he starred in a great little sci-if film called The Signal, which is pretty cool and underrated. Definitely check it out if you can. I was happy with this casting because he’s more or less the right age, he certainly looks the part, and even when he’s been in some movies that are complete DOG SHIT he’s always likable and the quality of some of the horrible movies he’s been in have had nothing to do with his performance.

The mask is a little “wonky”, but otherwise I really dig the costume. It definitely seems to be inspired by the Batman Arkham video games, which is a good thing. It’ll be interesting to see how well some of the other Titans translate to another medium. The roster includes Starfire, Beast Boy, Hawk, Dove, and maybe Raven, but I’m not 100% certain about that last one.

Bottom line for me is obviously I’m very intrigued to see how theyll handle translating this to TV. Dick Grayson is one of my favorite DC characters so I’m really excited to see DC using him in live action. This is the only time we’ve seen him in live action besides Chis O’Donnel playing him in the good awful, franchise killing Batman Forver and Batman and Robin. Side Note: I mean, Chris O’Donnell is like 30 fucking year old in that first flick. So Bruce Wayne just decided to adobt an adult man. That’s a pretty fucking bizarre scenario. If you follow this site at all you know they’ve already got me hook, line, and sinker. Of course I’m going to watch this fucking show.

(Chris O’Donnell’s face in this pic looks like he just saw himself in a mirror)

I’ll be interested to see how this ties into the DC Universe. Will it be it own thing, with it’s own version of Batman, The Joker, etc.? Will it be in the DCEU? Or is it part of The CW’s Arrow-verse? Who know? But I’m looking forward to finding out.

Teen Titans will premiere on Warner Bros. DC TV streaming service sometime in 2018.

Thanks as always for reading!

-Paul

CRISIS ON EARTH-X Trailer

Published on November 21, 2017November 17, 2020 by theworldsbestblogwithpaulwrightLeave a comment

Here’s a nice pallet cleanser if you were disappointed in the Justice League Movie, The CW’s Annual 2-Night Superhero Crossover Event. These are always a blast. I look forward to them every year. It’ll be airing across all 4 Shows, over 2 nights: Mon 11/27 – Tue 11/28 from 8PM to 10PM. So it’s like one big movie! Check out the trailer:

I know I can’t wait!

-Paul

TRAILER: Marvel’s Runaways (A Hulu Original Series)

Published on October 27, 2017November 17, 2020 by theworldsbestblogwithpaulwrightLeave a comment

Hulu dropped their most recent trailer for their attempt to thrown their hat into the Marvel Cinematic Universe ring, THE RUNAWAYS. Check out the trailer and make sure to read below to be eligible for our contest:

Runaways written by Brian K. Vaughn with art by Adrian Alphona was an excellent and wildly unique comic book series when it was first published by Marvel beginning in 2003. It followed a group a teenagers from wealthy L.A. families (who are only really friends with each other because their parents are friends) who find out their parents are actually super villains. We’re talikng mad scientists, sorcerers, kingpins of crime, evil aliens, etc.

(The cast of the show and the cast from the Comics)

One night at one of their semi -regular family get togethers, the kids accidentally witness their parents ritualistically sacrifice an innocent girl. They freak out and “Runaway” together. Their parent have the local police in their pocket. But while they’re figuring out what to do, each of them realizes that they have some kind of superpower or super weapon that their parents intended to eventually pass on to them. I wont spoil what they are because that’s part of the fun, but they’re unique and really cool.

(The Pride: The parents)

So with their new powers and super weapons in tow, they decide to go out on their own to make up for the evil their parents have done and take down their supervillain (current youth oriented colloquialism for ‘parents”), a group that calls themselves The Pride. It’s an incredible book. It’s one of Vaughn’s best creations and that’s saying something. I think the trailer looks cool. They’re definitely following pretty close to the source material. And with a few exceptions, Marvel can be counted on for some pretty solid TV. I’m definitely curious to see if Hulu can deliver a Marvel show at the same level of quality as the best of the Netflix shows. I know I’ll be watching. The show premieres on November 21st so that will be a fun binge over the long Thanksgiving weekend.

SPECIAL BONUS CONTEST!!! The first person who can tell me which of The Runaways’ evil parents has already been briefly seen in a MCU film AND which film specifically they appear in, will get a $15 AMAZON GIFT CARD (Immediately family members are not eligible and friend eligibility will be judged on case by case basis). Send me a message through the “CONTACT” link, which you can find by clicking the upper right corner of the Homepage. If you’re the winner, I’ll respond and get your info to send you the gift card. Contest ends on 11/1/17. NO CHEATING!!!!! Don’t just Google. Knowledge of the films and/or comics are the only way to win this contest. If you get the answer right, a simple follow up question will be asked to ensure that it was not simply googled before you’re eligible to claim your prize. Guesses are acceptable as long is the reason behind the guess is given. Some thought and rationale must be put in into the guess, not just a blind throw of the dart.

HINT: All of these were original characters when Vaughn created them in 2003 (So no Kingpin or Loki or Ultron), but we absolutely have seen one of the parents in a recent Marvel film. I will admit this is a tough one guys.

Podcast Bonus: A Tribute To Spike…

Published on October 25, 2017November 17, 2020 by theworldsbestblogwithpaulwrightLeave a comment

When Tim and I recorded our Buffy The Vampire Slayer podcast, we had A LOT to cover. It’s a dense show, with a complex mythology and fascinating cast of characters. Then there are the spinoffs and comic book continuations. Basically, it was a lot to cover.

Arguably the 3 most important characters in the entire “Buffyverse” are Buffy, Angel, and Spike. We touched on Spike, but I felt like he deserved more. So knowing that Spike is one of his favorite fictional characters of all time, I asked Tim to record a mini bonus podcast all about Spike. If you haven’t seen the show, after listening to this, you’ll hopefully understand why we find him so compelling. Tim did a great job on this one, enjoy! Don’t forget, all of our podcast are also available on iTunes:

https://www.spreaker.com/episode/13115375

Podcast: Paul & Tim’s Buffy The Vampire Slayer Episode!

Published on October 24, 2017November 17, 2020 by theworldsbestblogwithpaulwrightLeave a comment

Our Halloween themed podcast series continues as Tim and I talk about one of our favorite TV series, Buffy The Vampire Slayer. I’ve always felt that the title keeps some people from giving Buffy a chance, but it is without a doubt one the best TV shows of all time. If you’ve ever been curious about this weird show with a hot blonde who kicks the ever loving shit out of monsters or if you’re a longtime Buffy fanatic, this is a great podcast episode to dive into. We cover Buffy, the excellent spinoff Angel, and even discuss some of the canonical comic book continuations. Below I have some cast, monster, and character photos if you’ve never seen the show. Give it a listen! Also available on iTunes!

https://www.spreaker.com/episode/13101633

(Buffy cast from left to right: Xander, Cordelia, Giles, Buffy, Angel, Willow, Oz)

(Angel, who is 250 years old, creeping on 17 year old Buffy. He’s a creep!)

(Vampire bad ass and Tim’s favorite character, Spike)

(The Gentlemen: One of the most horrifying groups of monsters Buffy has faced. Christ, look at these guys. Creepy as fuck)

(The Hero, The Slayer… Buffy Summers)

Check out this cool Rick and Morty video!

Published on October 22, 2017November 17, 2020 by theworldsbestblogwithpaulwrightLeave a comment

I’m pretty sure Justin Roiland (The voice Rick and Morty) was drunk when he recorded this. It sounds like they were just fucking around while recording audio and decided to animate and post this as a treat to the fans

What I Want To See: Game of Thrones Spin-off by Guest Correspondent Mike Cole!

Published on October 4, 2017November 16, 2020 by Michael Christopher Cole1 Comment

What I Want to See:
Game of Thrones Spin-Off

Writer: Michael Cole

Recently, it was announced that a FIFTH Game of the Thrones spin-off is in development over at HBO. I’m likely to give them all a try, but if we’re looking at it being franchised to that level, I have something very specific I would like to see happen, and I think you’ll want to see this too.
I should clarify that, obviously, we don’t know how the original series is going to end, and at least a couple of the spin-offs have been called prequels. We don’t know who will survive the final season, whether Westeros will be alive and well, severely damaged, or a White Walker infested hell-scape. Because we have no clue what’s coming, keep in mind that my pitch, which is a spin-off taking place after the events of original show is contingent on at least two of the characters surviving.
After the winter is over, or however the show ends, I want to see a spin-off starring Tormund and The Hound. We’ve now had 7 seasons, with all kinds of amazing speeches and conversations, and other character interactions, and I can honestly say none of them have entertained me more than the ten minutes of screen time that Tormund and the Hound shared in the season finale.

This two minute interaction, is essentially the trailer for the show I want to see, throw in a bit of their brutal battle scene, and you get the exact reason why I think this show would be incredible.
These two are a buddy comedy, THE buddy comedy, we’ve been waiting for. They are the Murtaugh and Riggs, or the Foley and Taggart, of gritty fantasy, or really of all fantasy. They have the necessary grit that’s been lacking in a lot of buddy comedies, the reluctance of the Hound to like Tormund, they’re perfect!
My idea, is that Tormund and The Hound (Sandor Clegane) walk the countryside after the great war, and end up defending villages and towns from all kinds of Westerosian danger. Structurally, think about Hercules: The Legendary Journeys starring Kevin Sorbo. In that show, Hercules and Iolaus, traveled around in the same manner, in this show however, Tormund isn’t a trusty side-kick, but rather a kick-ass partner to The Hound. In addition to the title characters, I think occasionally they would run into Brienne of Tarth, who would be this show’s Xena. As on GoT Tormund would pursue Brienne and lightly antagonize The Hound, and the show in the tone that those ten brilliant minutes of screen time have created.

The Hound’s desire to get himself killed, to just keep doing whatever he thinks is right until the day comes when someone or something ends his life, really means that if he doesn’t die in the finale of the show, it’s likely he’s going to go about doing this anyway, whether it’s alone or with a partner. Tormund on the other hand, doesn’t necessarily seem to seek death, but seems to find an excitement (to really live) by facing down those he opposes. The interesting nature of having two people approaching the same problems in the same way, for completely opposite reasons, would make for a lot of interesting character work and potentially some awesome philosophy to be interweaved into this tapestry.
I don’t know how many seasons this structure could run for without getting old, but I would think if you did at least one for every land mass or if you introduced seasonal story arches to go with the serial style of the episodes, you could probably make the show go for a little while, and personally I think most good drama or comedy/drama shows are doing shorter runs, and so I think ‘Tormund and The Hound’ is the winning formula for HBO to go with for their 6th spin-off (unless they’ve already thought about it and it’s one of the first 5).