The Last Generation
October 23, 2007
My first novel, published 2003.
Optioned by Touchstone TV 2005
You tube: The Last Generation Postaer
NBC eyeing Postaer’s ‘Last Generation’
Speaking of TV (as if we speak of much else), Euro RSCG Chicago creative head Steffan Postaer may have a second career ahead of him. Word is that renowned producer Mike Medavoy, co-founder of Orion Pictures and former chairman of Tri-Star Pictures, has optioned Postaer’s self-published novel, The Last Generation, as a pilot for NBC.
Given the slate of supernatural-heavy new programming coming next year, this story, about a future in which humans can no longer reproduce (“It’s not the end of the world. Just the end of us”), might just have a chance.
—Posted by Aaron Baar
The fall guys
Nets get busy stocking future slates
By JOSEF ADALIAN
This article was updated at 11:21 p.m.
Even before the 2005-06 season gets under way next month, the Big Six are already shaking off their summer doldrums and getting to work setting up a slew of potential series for the 2006-07 season.
NBC is eyeing a pair of projects from Sarah Timberman’s 25 C Prods. and has already made a major put pilot commitment to a serialized kidnapping drama from scribe Jason Smilovic and helmer Michael Dinner.
And Fox appears to have won a tussle with ABC over a comedy project exec produced by “Elf” helmer Jon Favreau.
Meanwhile, Mike Medavoy is eyeing his first foray into network television, closing in on a script deal for the provocatively titled “The Last Generation” at NBC. Touchstone Television is attached to produce the project, which examines a culture in which humans can no longer reproduce.
On the studio side, Imagine Television has pacted with scribes Patrick Massett and John Zinman (“Veritas”) to develop the medical drama “Bethesda,” set at the famed naval hospital.
Peacock stepped up to land the Smilovic project, which was hotly pursued by Fox. Skein will tell the story of a kidnapping over the course of an entire season a la “24.” Smilovic (“Karen Sisco”) will write and exec produce, with Dinner (“Invasion”) on board to exec produce and possibly direct.
Timberman and partner Carl Beverly will also exec produce via Timberman’s Sony-based 25 C shingle.
“It could be a really big spectacle with twists and turns and some real compelling character work,” said NBC exec VP Ghen Maynard.
Timberman’s 25 C is also said to be in talks with NBC to set up a project from feature scribe-helmer Richard LaGravanese (“Living Out Loud”) and Marie Weiss (“The Ref”); details of project were sketchy late Thursday and a final deal is said to be a few days away.
Maynard and NBC declined comment on the LaGravanese deal.
Over at Fox, net competed with ABC and won the rights to the Favreau laffer. Half-hour will be penned and possibly directed by Favreau, who may take on a writing partner for the project.
Faison Love, who starred in Favreau’s “Elf,” is set to star in the untitled laffer, which will revolve around a Gotham token collector in the newly gentrified Harlem.
“Jon’s looking to do a true social commentary where he can explore issues of race and class in a way that isn’t being done in narrative television right now,” said Fox comedy chief Jeremy Gold.
Favreau and Gold worked together last when the helmer directed Judd Apatow’s “Life on Parole,” a pilot developed with Gold at 20th.
Net has made a script commitment with a small penalty attached if the project doesn’t go to pilot. Talks are under way to have 20th Century Fox TV produce.
Meanwhile, Medavoy’s “The Last Generation” reps the producer’s first big push into series television, though the former exec said he prefers to think of it as “putting my toe into TV.”
Based on the book of the same name by Steffan Postaer, “Last Generation” will be written for TV by Mikko Alanne and produced for the Peacock by Touchstone. Negotiations for the book rights are ongoing, and the deal at NBC is not yet set.
Medavoy and Brad Fischer of Phoenix Pictures are expected to exec produce.
Fischer said “Generation” would be set in the not-too-distant future. “We want it to be very much connected to reality,” he explained.
Medavoy said he’s “been thinking of doing television for a long time” and may eventually mull the idea of setting up a first-look or development deal at a studio.
“It’s the same creative medium (as film), and I hope to do something that’s fairly bold and different from what you see all the time,” he said.
As for the Massett/Ziman project, duo are looking to create a sort of “MASH” on the home front, exploring the lives of doctors as they deal with fallout from political and military actions.
Imagine is expected to begin shopping the idea to nets in the next few weeks.
Scribes — who wrote the first draft for “Lara Craft: Tomb Raider” — have also pacted with Mission Pictures to write the feature “Best Before,” about a world in which people know the exact date they’ll die. Concept’s based loosely on radio play “The Uncertainty Principle,” by Marcy Kahan; Andrew Hauptman and Tracy Falco are set to produce for Mission.
Read the full article at:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117927068.html
Read the novel…
Go to lastgeneration.net
Order from Amazon or wherever.
You buy it, like it, I’ll sign the damn thing and reward you with karma.
UPDATE: When Children of Men came out NBC bagged on the pilot. I press on. View the funky newspaper ad I wrote & posted. I’m still selling books…
The Boss, not so much…
October 23, 2007
Took my wife to Bruce Springsteen last night at the United Center here in Chicago. I don’t own one of his bazillion albums but I figured he’s an American Icon so…
Anyway, we left after 8 songs. We were indifferent to his music. And all the sweating and fist pumping in Chicago wasn’t going to change that. Let’s face it, the Boss sings honky tonk best suited to frat parties and NY Jet tailgate parties. You heard one song you’ve essentially heard them all: a chick on bike on a back road in Jersey. in the words of another NY icon: Yada, yada, yada.
The Van Halen concert was a lot more fun. Eddie rules.
