meme: tv shows that should be
1. Comment to this post with "I surrender!" and I'll assign you the basis of some tv show idea. (Science fiction show, medical drama, criminal procedure, etc...)
2. Create a cast of characters, including the actors who'd play them
3. Add in any actor photos, character bios and show synopsis that you want.
4. Post to your own journal.
Ffutures asked for Military series - due to a sudden change of alliances a large combat force (e.g. an army division or similar) finds itself trapped in hostile territory and has to fight its way to freedom. Any era, any setting.
I call it Under The Shadow.
The backstory...
History swerved left: Because the Louisiana Purchase was bargained down to end at the Mississippi River... Whether you call it a trading zone, an empire, or something else, the Commanche made a deal with the United States of America - territory status in line for full statehood once a few conditions are met. Foremost at the moment being to drop their Spanish Mexican allies like a hot potato.
Abruptly, Mexican troops stationed on the southern zone of Commanche territory found themselves trapped in a land that no longer desired their presence. Forced to leave, they could not simply march south, as the depots and many forts between them and home were now in Commanche hands. East was America. And the British were too far north to be any aid.
So west would be their destination. Alta California, their goal.
The backstory...
"Unexpectedly, from the regions of the east, invaders of obscure race marched in confidence of victory against our land."
--the ancient Egyptian historian Manetho.
Ahane Neal - Daragh O'Malley
Naal Walsh - Damian Lewis
Jerry Vaskian - Nathan Fillion
Eznik Harrow - Naveen Andrews
Damian Nicanor Montoya - Gregg Rainwater
Rosa Maria Montoya - Irán Castillo
Maria Montoya - Sarah Shahi
Soldiers:
Ahane Neal
Trying to do what he can with what they have - which is a trick, as most episodes see them low on food and ammunition.
Ahane is patient with his men and with those under his care - but not with his enemies.
Naal Walsh
Naal is of the opinion that supplies not be wasted, and Colonel Montoya should just be left for the Commanche to take (some days he thinks the same of the daughters, some days he doesn't).
Naal's first concern is for the safety and well-being of his men, which has led to at least a few face-offs with his commanding officer.
Jerry Vaskian
Proud to be in the US Army, Jerry's job is to keep an eye on Neal's merry band and make sure the Irish and Mexicans don't try to stir up trouble; his job is also to make sure the local tribes don't shoot the wrong people. (his command of the Commanche language is good enough - you wouldn't want him with your grocery list, though - and knows only a smattering of other Indian languages)
For a while, Jerry was wondering who he'd pissed off to be saddled with a task like his. Then he saw the Montoya girls (Sarah Shahi and Irán Castillo). Now, whenever he has occassion to cross their paths, he is his charming self, full of flattery, hand-kissing, regaling, the whole nine yards - and is sure to rub Neal's nose in it - before heading off to what he was supposed to be doing.
Jerry emigrated to the Americas as a teen eager for adventure. He travels with his fellow Armenian Eznik Harrow (Naveen Andrews) on missions for the US Army. When asked why he chose this line of work, Jerry says, "If I'd wanted to live a life of luxury, I would've stayed in the family business."
Eznik Harrow
While he's following Neal and the others alongside Jerry, Eznik (or "Nicky" as he lets people call him) isn't in the military. Instead, he's a wildlife collector with the ambition of becoming a naturalist.
The son of immigrants, he wants to do his job and get paid, so he can bring over other relatives. That said, he gets cross if someone tries to bribe him.
Born and raised Christian, Eznik has no problem with his friend Jerry doing salat (circumstances permitting).
Damian Nicanor Montoya
Colonel in command of a town tasked with maintaining the balance of trade with the Commanches, he was removed from office in a nasty bit of in-commandancia politics.
He and his daughters were placed under the protection - and the authority of - Captain Ahane Neal.
His daughters were permitted to take more than one change of clothes with them; Damian was not, and he doesn't like borrowing clothes, but sometimes he doesn't have much option {as in the above photo}.
While not a schemer, he plans ahead - even for when they reach Alta California.
Civilians and everyone else:
Rosa Maria Montoya
The family scholar, well-versed in all the Greek and Roman classics...and the working of a myriad of gunpowder-based weapons.
A loner, she nonetheless enjoys hearing about other lands - the more foreign the customs, the better.
Helena Maria Montoya
The naturalist of the family; if she had been born a boy, her father would've arranged for her to be given a small country parish where she could study to her heart's content.
Like many saints and natural philosophers before her, Helena Maria prefers the company of the birds, over the company of man. Though, that said, she's more likely than Rosa Maria is, to allow someone to begin courting her - a very long courtship, mind you.
Quotes and factoids:
* Eznik Harrow's ambition isn't that unlikely - look at how a poor Welsh boy by the name of Alfred Wallace was able to do the same around that time.
* "Not a word, not one word. Can't believe I'm suddenly so unrecognizable with just a bit of stuff in my hair to make it look grey - which I still think was a right wacked idea." -Neal; episode 4.
* Nathan Fillion was originally cast as Colonel Montoya, but he requested a change, in part so he could kiss Shahi's and Castillo's hands a lot... but mostly so fans brains wouldn't explode. {"we don't want to out-Supernatural Supernatural, after all" one crewmember was reported to have said anon}
* "I'm sorry, did you just call my friend here a black? And there was a curse word, wasn't there, as well?" *fight scene* "Is that black or blue?" "A bit of both, I believe." -Jerry to bigot, Jerry, Eznik.
* In the original script and the original pilot, the Persian Emperor Xerxes was supposed to have been trapped when Anatolia defected to the side of Sparta and Athens (400s BC). Cast in this script, Sarah Shahi was to be Xerxes' daughter, and Iran Castillo to be a noble from the region of Caria in Anatolia; Daragh O'Malley was cast at this point, though his role is uncertain.
* Both the original pilot and the series pilot were filmed in the Republic of Turkey, the latter with period-authentic Mexican artillery. Colonel Montoya's home was in fact the residence of a pasha in the 1800s.
*
2. Create a cast of characters, including the actors who'd play them
3. Add in any actor photos, character bios and show synopsis that you want.
4. Post to your own journal.
Ffutures asked for Military series - due to a sudden change of alliances a large combat force (e.g. an army division or similar) finds itself trapped in hostile territory and has to fight its way to freedom. Any era, any setting.
I call it Under The Shadow.
The backstory...
History swerved left: Because the Louisiana Purchase was bargained down to end at the Mississippi River... Whether you call it a trading zone, an empire, or something else, the Commanche made a deal with the United States of America - territory status in line for full statehood once a few conditions are met. Foremost at the moment being to drop their Spanish Mexican allies like a hot potato.
Abruptly, Mexican troops stationed on the southern zone of Commanche territory found themselves trapped in a land that no longer desired their presence. Forced to leave, they could not simply march south, as the depots and many forts between them and home were now in Commanche hands. East was America. And the British were too far north to be any aid.
So west would be their destination. Alta California, their goal.
The backstory...
"Unexpectedly, from the regions of the east, invaders of obscure race marched in confidence of victory against our land."
--the ancient Egyptian historian Manetho.
Ahane Neal - Daragh O'Malley
Naal Walsh - Damian Lewis
Jerry Vaskian - Nathan Fillion
Eznik Harrow - Naveen Andrews
Damian Nicanor Montoya - Gregg Rainwater
Rosa Maria Montoya - Irán Castillo
Maria Montoya - Sarah Shahi
Soldiers:
Ahane Neal
Trying to do what he can with what they have - which is a trick, as most episodes see them low on food and ammunition.
Ahane is patient with his men and with those under his care - but not with his enemies.
Naal Walsh
Naal is of the opinion that supplies not be wasted, and Colonel Montoya should just be left for the Commanche to take (some days he thinks the same of the daughters, some days he doesn't).
Naal's first concern is for the safety and well-being of his men, which has led to at least a few face-offs with his commanding officer.
Jerry Vaskian
Proud to be in the US Army, Jerry's job is to keep an eye on Neal's merry band and make sure the Irish and Mexicans don't try to stir up trouble; his job is also to make sure the local tribes don't shoot the wrong people. (his command of the Commanche language is good enough - you wouldn't want him with your grocery list, though - and knows only a smattering of other Indian languages)
For a while, Jerry was wondering who he'd pissed off to be saddled with a task like his. Then he saw the Montoya girls (Sarah Shahi and Irán Castillo). Now, whenever he has occassion to cross their paths, he is his charming self, full of flattery, hand-kissing, regaling, the whole nine yards - and is sure to rub Neal's nose in it - before heading off to what he was supposed to be doing.
Jerry emigrated to the Americas as a teen eager for adventure. He travels with his fellow Armenian Eznik Harrow (Naveen Andrews) on missions for the US Army. When asked why he chose this line of work, Jerry says, "If I'd wanted to live a life of luxury, I would've stayed in the family business."
Eznik Harrow
While he's following Neal and the others alongside Jerry, Eznik (or "Nicky" as he lets people call him) isn't in the military. Instead, he's a wildlife collector with the ambition of becoming a naturalist.
The son of immigrants, he wants to do his job and get paid, so he can bring over other relatives. That said, he gets cross if someone tries to bribe him.
Born and raised Christian, Eznik has no problem with his friend Jerry doing salat (circumstances permitting).
Damian Nicanor Montoya
Colonel in command of a town tasked with maintaining the balance of trade with the Commanches, he was removed from office in a nasty bit of in-commandancia politics.
He and his daughters were placed under the protection - and the authority of - Captain Ahane Neal.
His daughters were permitted to take more than one change of clothes with them; Damian was not, and he doesn't like borrowing clothes, but sometimes he doesn't have much option {as in the above photo}.
While not a schemer, he plans ahead - even for when they reach Alta California.
Civilians and everyone else:
Rosa Maria Montoya
The family scholar, well-versed in all the Greek and Roman classics...and the working of a myriad of gunpowder-based weapons.
A loner, she nonetheless enjoys hearing about other lands - the more foreign the customs, the better.
Helena Maria Montoya
The naturalist of the family; if she had been born a boy, her father would've arranged for her to be given a small country parish where she could study to her heart's content.
Like many saints and natural philosophers before her, Helena Maria prefers the company of the birds, over the company of man. Though, that said, she's more likely than Rosa Maria is, to allow someone to begin courting her - a very long courtship, mind you.
Quotes and factoids:
* Eznik Harrow's ambition isn't that unlikely - look at how a poor Welsh boy by the name of Alfred Wallace was able to do the same around that time.
* "Not a word, not one word. Can't believe I'm suddenly so unrecognizable with just a bit of stuff in my hair to make it look grey - which I still think was a right wacked idea." -Neal; episode 4.
* Nathan Fillion was originally cast as Colonel Montoya, but he requested a change, in part so he could kiss Shahi's and Castillo's hands a lot... but mostly so fans brains wouldn't explode. {"we don't want to out-Supernatural Supernatural, after all" one crewmember was reported to have said anon}
* "I'm sorry, did you just call my friend here a black? And there was a curse word, wasn't there, as well?" *fight scene* "Is that black or blue?" "A bit of both, I believe." -Jerry to bigot, Jerry, Eznik.
* In the original script and the original pilot, the Persian Emperor Xerxes was supposed to have been trapped when Anatolia defected to the side of Sparta and Athens (400s BC). Cast in this script, Sarah Shahi was to be Xerxes' daughter, and Iran Castillo to be a noble from the region of Caria in Anatolia; Daragh O'Malley was cast at this point, though his role is uncertain.
* Both the original pilot and the series pilot were filmed in the Republic of Turkey, the latter with period-authentic Mexican artillery. Colonel Montoya's home was in fact the residence of a pasha in the 1800s.
*