ABC’s The Gates is one of the first new summer series to debut for 2010, and already we’ve done a bit of coverage of the show. I started things off with a script review, before screeners were made available to press-types. I thought things sounded pretty interesting, and the writing held a lot of promise for a series that could keep viewers engaged and interested for quite a while.
Not long after that post was done, Deb and I caught the pilot screener, of which Deb wrote her thoughts earlier this month. Now that I can compare the script against how the show was actually brought to the screen, I can safely say I agree with her: it’s pretty much the same old, same old. Not a whole lot of new stuff to be had here. Interesting how one’s mind often puts written word to a mental screen, and the finished product can never match that vision.
Assuming you’ve given the pilot episode a look, what do you think? Will you be sticking around for more?
Clacked by Keith McDuffee 
on Jun 20, 2010 @ 21:41 EST5EDT
I’m going to stick with it strictly for the involvement of Richard Hatem. Cause I lovem.
I’m really only going to give it a few more episodes because its summer, and there’s not much else on. If it were regular season, I’d be done.
Vampires have always had that embodiment of fear and desire that makes them incredibly cool, something that few other mythological or supernatural figures capture. The only other I can think of would be the cylons which are almost a science fiction interpretation of the vampire, what with their superhuman strength, near immortality, and their description within the holy texts as being lower demons.
So at the moment, because of True Blood, vampires are even more ‘in’ than normal. But there’s always a danger for any new vampire series, that it’ll be the one that emerges when people’s thirst for vampires has been completely satiated, and one more series just seems glutonous. Fortunately, I don’t think The Gates is in danger of that. Not only does it have enough going for it in terms of acting and story, but as far as I can tell, the appetite for vampires is far from over. By the same token, I think fans’ appetites for techno-vampires, the cylons, has only just begun.
Alot unfolded towards the end of Season 1.
Could use more ‘celebrity’ vampires from film…even an appearance from cross films, i.e. highlander (if you are that old to remember). Similar to how Fringe brought in LN.
It may lack the spin of True Blood, let’s face it, the HBO (sex & story lines) seem to appeal to the masses. The Gates is a mix of Desparate Housewives, Murder (She Didn’t Write)
What it lacks in plot it makes up in creativity. Its alittle too confined…to the gated community.
Just my opinion….it has potential, we’ll see if it can survive of thirst.