I’ve been looking forward to NBC’s Day One, a new post-apocalyptic sci-fi series. What’s it about? “The aftermath of a global event that devastates the world’s infrastructures, a small band of survivors strives to rebuild society and unravel the mysteries of why the event took place and what the future has in store. Told from the point of view of an eclectic group of neighbors in a Van Nuys, California apartment building, this journey of survival will show us that hope is found in the smallest of victories and heroes are born every day.” Day One comes from executive producer/writer Jesse Alexander (Heroes, Lost, Alias) and director Alex Graves (Fringe). It stars David Lyons, Julie Gonzalo, Adam Campbell, and Xander Berkeley (24). Alexander describes the show: “It is the story of ordinary people working together to save the world from an extraordinary threat. Though Day One’s prime time adventures are simple and compelling, its mythology is vast and designed to be experienced across multiple media platforms.” Sounds awesome.
NBC originally planned on airing Day One with the standard 13-episode run after the Winter Olympics. The latest news confirms that NBC has changed their minds and plans on airing it as a two-hour movie, see how that does, and move on from there. If the backdoor pilot receives positive feedback and high ratings NBC has the option to turn it into a regular weekly series. NBC Entertainment President Angela Bromstad: “We’ve always looked at Day Oneas a big event for us and not necessarily a show that would be an ongoing…you know, a returning show for a second season. It would depend on its success. I think just by the nature of the genre, [these genre shows] tend to get a little narrow.” So why did NBC decide to make the switch from series to TV movie? Sources are blaming it on the high expensive of computer-generated images required for realism and the ratings drop with similar sci-fi shows like ABC’s FlashForward and V.
Check out the trailer below. If you are at all interested in it, please give the show a try when it airs after the Olympics. If the two-hour TV movie is any good, it will deserve a 13-episode order.
