I remember hearing speculation about a "Scream" TV series, but now it seems to be a reality- MTV has just ordered a pilot version of the acclaimed slasher series, a personal favorite of mine, and Wes Craven may even be behind the camera for it. We don't have a storyline for the series, or even a writer, but fans of the film are already divided on it. I'm not exactly opposed to a series like this- and I'd rather see a TV show than another sequel, to be honest- but how will it be done?
One of my problems with the
Scream sequels, most notably
Scream 3, is that the series forgot what made the original so great- the fact that it mixed horror and meta comedy together seamlessly. Sure, the original film was funny and had some great one liners, but it was still legitimately scary. The legendary opening scene to the original freaked me out quite a bit as a kid. Nothing from the sequels ever even came close. Sure, there were some cool scenes but, generally speaking, they relied more on meta-humor. I have a feeling MTV will be going in that direction too.
I'm also wondering about how the mystery of the series will be developed. I could see MTV taking a "Pretty Little Liars" approach and stretch everything out for numerous seasons- a decision I would hate. The film franchise could barely make the mystery last an hour and a half before it started to become clear who the killer was. I just don't think a serious would work if the mystery as to who the killer was lasted past a season. So, maybe take the "American Horror Story" approach and have a new storyline/cast every year? That could be interesting- but I don't think they'll go for it.
Obviously, this is all speculation. We don't have enough information to write anything but speculation. Now, anybody that follows TV news knows that just because a pilot has been ordered, we don't know if the series will ever actually see the light of day. Hell, it wouldn't be the first property-based pilot to get the boot- remember NBC's "Wonder Woman"? Or the planned "L.A. Confidential" series starring Kiefer Sutherland. But I'm already a bit pessimistic when it comes to the possibility of a "Scream" series. I just can't imagine the series turning out okay and, best case scenario, it's a mildly entertaining guilty pleasure. Granted, with Craven involved I can't be totally upset. And I suppose it's best to move the franchise to television as opposed to having a terrible sequel. But, a part of me just wishes Sidney and the rest of the gang at Woodsboro just moved on after the original.
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