BBC does Flash Gordon?
As has been discussed, we all want a new Flash Gordon series, but this time we'd want a better one, ideally with a higher budget and better episodes earlier in the season. I was thinking about this and it hit me: Why doesn't BBC make the next series? Look at Dr. Who. That has got to easily be the best show I've ever seen (not that I watch a lot of tv, but meh). Perhaps if we petitioned them with enough support and ideas, they'd give it a try. So, I say we GIVE it a try at least. In this thread, we can post ideas for people to play various characters, which characters/cantons we'd like to see, possibly plot ideas, etc. And if we can get along well enough and get organized enough, we can also figure out exactly HOW to contact BBC about this.
RULES OF THIS THREAD!!!! (And yes, you must all follow these)
1.) NO FIGHTING! I *know* that there's a lot of arguements going on around here, but I don't care! There are a million other threads for beating each other up virtually. If you must fight, do it *there*! I also don't want to hear things like "He's a troll!" or "He started it!" or "He's just using lots of different accounts!". Again, I don't CARE! No trolling is done here, I don't care who started what, and it doesn't matter if a person has forty accounts. We're all getting along here. Which brings us to...
2.) Respect each other's ideas! If Person A thinks that the Deviates should be brought back and Person B doesn't like that, talk it over *nicely*. None of this "Deviates suck!" nonsense. We're all more mature than that.
3.) Post to add to something (ideas, constructive criticism, etc). Don't just randomly get into a discussion on ducks or something.
4.) If you have any information on getting this to BBC that would help, POST IT!
5.) If you don't follow the rules, you will be totally IGNORED. That means that any ideas you have, even if they're the best in the world, will be left out.
6.) Have fun! This is for everyone so enjoy yourself!
My ideas:
Characters that I'd like to see would be Flash, Dale, and Zarkov (duh) along with Ming (again duh) and Aura.
I wouldn't mind Flash and Dale being younger, say college age, but no romantic love triangle. They are already going steady.
Zarkov is a scientist working on a top secret government project - a rocket with a warp-drive type device - and is sent off to Mongo with them by mistake. While I do like the idea of Zarkov being quirky and funny, I don't want him to be so obviously paranoid. I'd like it if he was quirky, but once you looked past that you can tell he's intelligent and knows what he's doing.
Ming would be a bit more complex. Kind of like Captain Videl, from Pan's Labyrinth. He manipulates others to get his way, but has no problem torturing or getting his own hands dirty. He also seems slightly unbalanced - when he loses control of a situation, he begins to act unnecessarily irrational or violent. He also has a large harem and becomes obssessed with putting Dale in it. He tries often (and unsuccessfully) to keep Aura on a short leash, for the sake of appearances. He is able to veil his cruel deeds (albiet thinnly)
I'd like Aura to be more like a huntress/outdoors person (I did like Anna Van Hoft's version of her though). She starts out somewhat bratty, with little regard for the lives of Mongo citizens like Hawkmen or Lionmen (who she hunts like game for fun). The only tribe she is close to is the Verdan, because of her love of the forest and because she and Barin are secretly lovers. Because of this, she often tries to protect the Verdan in secret from her father's plans of conquest. Aura tries to win Flash's attention at first, but in the end her runnings in with him change her to a kinder person and she and Barin attempt to overthrow/directly confront Ming.
Barin, I'd definitely like to see. He and Aura are already lovers. He tries to protect his people from Ming by any means.
Prince Vultan might be one of Flash's allies and similar in age to him maybe? Dunno too much about him. The Hawkmen should have wings growing out of their backs and live in the mountains though. And they hate the Lionmen. They aren't really trusted and Aura hates them.
The Lionmen are the strongest tribe on Mongo and aren't trusted (much like the Hawkmen) and Aura hates them. They live in the jungles. Their pride is led by Thun and has qualities of a lion's pack.
The Tridents are the fish/shark people that live in the ocean (though they can come above water, with special support systems). They were originaly one of the three tribes to lead Mongo. They are officially led by King Nephetit, but most problems are handled by his daughter, Princess Nereus. The Tridents attempt to remain withdrawn and neutral in most Mongo affairs now. There are hints that Nereus has feelings for Flash, which leads her to assist him more and more.
The Humans are a new tribe idea I had. When the Hawkmen, Verdan, and Tridents ruled Mongo, the humans were considered mainly for making up the military, as they were the largest tribe and therefore considered the most expendable. They can't live underwater or fly and aren't knowledgeable of the land or extremely strong. They became the ruling class when one of the strongest humans in the military, Ming, took power.
My idea for a pilot: Flash is a college student who is more interested in car racing and other sports. When his class goes on a field trip to a base (NASA or something similar), Flash manages to annoy the teacher by arriving late and attracting a lot of attention by driving up recklessly in his car. When the tour starts, Flash falls back with his girlfriend Dale. The two sneak off and Flash, fooling around, climbs into a finished (but untested) spaceship. Dale follows. This attracts the attention of the scientist working on the ship, Zarkov, who orders them out. To distract Zarkov, Dale pretends that they were interested in how the ship worked and asks him questions about it. Zarkov tells her that the ship is built to run using a special engine that, when powered enough, can cause the ship to pretty much warp fantastic distances. Using it, NASA could theoretically use it to send man to explore planets galaxies away. Before it can be tested though, the destination must be further looked into, as if there is no energy sources when engine stops, the ship cannot return. Somehow (of course) the spaceship gets turned on and the engine is activated. Flash, Dale, and Zarkov are all sent into space, where they crash-land on Mongo. Their arrival brings about the attention of the various tribe leaders, along with Ming the Merciless and his daughter, Aura. Flash, Dale, and Zarkov must fight the forces of Mongo while trying to find an energy force to return home.
The Backstory/Twist (uncovered gradually by Flash and Co.) Before Ming took power, Mongo was ruled in a joint leadership between the rulers of the Trident, Hawkmen, and Verdan tribes (this was because those three tribes represented the ocean, sky, and earth). This form of government became threatened however, when the people began to demand that the queen of the Tridents marry one of the two ruling kings (either the Hawkmen or the Verdan). She chose the king of the Verdans and this caused an outcry from the Hawkmen tribe, fearing that they would be thrown from power. In the midst of the fighting between the three tribes that broke out, Ming the Merciless held a coup and successfully managed to restore "peace", with himself as the sole ruler of Mongo. While the fighting between tribes settled shortly after, it resumed with a vengence when a bloody massacre, supposedly done by the Hawkmen and aided by the Lion Men, was launched. As a result of the attack on Ming's palace in Mingo City, many human nobles and higher-ups lost their lives, including Ming's wife and Aura's mother. As a result, Aura hates all Hawkmen and Lion Men and routinely hunts them like game for fun. It is later revealed that Ming in fact launched the massacre himself (he hired human assasins who he later poisoned) as a part of his plan to keep the tribes divided (if they ever united in discontent, they could easily overthrow the humans). When Aura finds out, she is furious, especially since Ming does not seem at all upset over the death of Aura's mother.
There we go. Anyone else?