Last night while I was laughing myself off the couch during Last Comic Standing, I became intrigued by a new version of summer television: Fear Itself.
Fear Itself is a series that has been put together by the powers that be at NBC. It spans thirteen “episodes,” and each episode serves as homage to the suspense/horror genre and attempts to push its boundaries. Each episode is put together by a different filmmaker and has a different cast, and each episode is designed to, well, give you the shivers, which is so cliché but also true.
While the horror genre isn’t really my thing, I have to admit that I am intrigued by this version of summertime viewing. Usually during the summer months between seasons, major television networks devolve into low budget reality television that is put together so badly even reality television fans won’t admit to watching. Fear Itself, on the other hand, treats viewers to “mini movies” (also known as Original Programming). If this takes off, the summers could finally be free of the “crap television” stereotype they’ve been saddled with for years.
The series is being produced by Lionsgate and IE Indy TV. It was created by Mick Garris and is being executive produced by Andrew Deane, who is known for his work on “Masters of Horror.” Episode directors include Eric Roberts (Heroes), Steve Niles (30 Days of Night), Darren Bousman (Saw 2, 3, and 4), John Landis (An American Werewolf in London) and Cynthia Watros (Lost).
If you are a fan of the horror genre or simply want to watch a television series that isn’t based upon cameras following around the under-educated as they vie for world fame by way of ingesting awful creatures, Fear Itself is certainly promising. If the ratings are high enough, we could start to see original programming all year long!
