ABC/CRAIG SJODINHello again from the press tour, where we were just treated to a screening of the cinematic Flash Forward pilot, which delivers more action and intrigue than most summer blockbusters at the multiplex.
Two things you need to know: (1) In the series, a global event causes everyone (OK, nearly everyone) on earth to lose consciousness and share a glimpse of their future on April 29, 2010. (2) Find a red magic marker and circle Sept. 24, 2009, on your calendar, because that's when this series premieres, and you do not want to be left behind on this epic journey, especially if you were one of those saddies who couldn't watch Lost live until you caught up on DVD.
Wanna get in early on this one? Read on...
Our personal flash-forward visions tell us this show is going to stick around for a while—and ABC has shown great commitment to the series. The pilot's obviously expensive production values, which makes Lost's plane crash look like a sandy fender-bender, should dispel any doubts. You'll see those expenses "up on the screen" in many ways, but most notably in the series opening crash sequence, which shut down L.A.'s 110 freeway intermittently for three days (!) and extensive kangaroo training. ("The kangaroo is a thing." We'll have more on the marsupial closer to the premiere.)
Unlike most scripted series, exec producer Jessika Borsiczky Goyer said, "We have the bible for the entire series mapped out." Adds her husband, show runner David Goyer, "To do the show justice we would need three seasons."
That said, the Flash Forward folks are adamant that viewers not be cheated. "By the end of the first season we'll get to April 29, 2010—and beyond," said exec producer Marc Guggenheim. (Look for April 29, which is not coincidentally a Thursday, the day the show airs, to be episode 21 of season one, give or take.)
Maybe more important than marsupials and enormous production budgets, however, is the show's star power: multiplexers Dominic Monaghan, John Cho and Joseph Fiennes are all series regulars, joined by TV favorites Sonya Walger (Lost's Penny Widmore), Law & Order's Courtney B. Vance, Family Guy's Seth McFarlane, ER's Alex Kingston and all-around superstar Gabrielle Union...you get the picture. As David Goyer said, you need a "large ensemble cast to tell a big cinematic story."
We'll be there for the telling. Thank you, ABC!