Deadline.com is reporting that the network Showtime has bought the TV script adaptation of the comic Chew. We have posted on the site previously about the possibility of a forthrcoming adaptation inolving Circle of Confusion (the company behind some show called Walking Dead) and as of right now they are still attached. The script was written by Terri Hughes Burton and Ron Mibauer of Eureka (a show I still have not watched but hear is quite odd, and therefore hopefully befitting).
So what do I think? I think it's surprising that episodes will only be a half hour, I would have expected something meatier (yuk yuk). I also think Showtime is a good home for a book like this. While it's certainly had it's ups and downs, I do love the show Dexter. And Dexter demonstrates to us that Showtime can do violence, which Chew requires is masticatory spades.
But what do you think, iFanbase? Excited? Not yet reading the book? Can't be long till the topic of casting comes up, and we all do love arguing over fake casting.
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Good for the creators.
Super pumped!!! Been reading since issue #1 and it’s one of the books I look forward to every single month.
Hopefully they cast Ken Leung as Tony Chu (He just seems like the perfect person for the character after his role in Lost).
I think Showtime is the perfect choice. I love Dexter, and Chew has that same mixture of grusome and dark humor. This is awesome!
I JUST bought a page from Chew a few days ago, serendipity!
I think it’s a good fit for Showtime.
This could be a ton of fun! if they pack as much into a scene as guillory does and go over the top just a bit, i think it will work well.
Looks like another premium channel to subscribe too.
Now that we’ve been over saturated with comic book movies, it seems we’re gonna get the same with tv shows. Which is fine by me. 🙂
Eureka is a fantastic show.
First Walking Dead, then Powers, and now Chew? Some of my favorite comics are being adapted to tv, which is great! come on Sea Bear vs Grizzly Shark! 🙂
I’m delighted by this news! The writers of the pilot being from Eureke makes perfect sense and I think Showtime will do a good job. My only concern is that the comic book medium is so perfect for Chew, pacing wise, that I’m worried they’ll have to add content to fill up a full hour show without passing the comic in story. It’s not like Walking Dead with tons of story already laid out by Kirkman and ilk. Of course that might not even be a bad thing, just something I’m thinking about.
Also, Ryan? You haven’t seen Eureka yet? What’s the hold up, dude? It’s even streaming on Netflix. Watch the Pilot, you’ll love it. Trust me.
This is wonderful.
John Cho (Harold and Kumar, FlashForward) as Tony seems like an obvious choice. Can’t wait!
@rhaykal Wow you are totally right on that. I’d love to see that.
This should be fantastic.
As John Layman himself has said, Ken Leung would be perfect. Somebody start a petition.
Love Chew. I don’t know what it would be like as a show, but I’m prepared to be positive.
Layman was one of the first people to tout Ken Leung (Miles from Lost) for the role of Tony Chu. Did so in an early letter column. And it’s been in my mind ever since.
During the final season of Lost, Miles and Sawyer (Josh Holloway) were partners as detectives in the alt-flashes. I couldn’t help but see them as Tony Chu & John Colby.
This is great news because since it’s going to be on Showtime, the show is going to have much more freedom then being on a network. Being only 30mins seems to be a bit weird at first but it does make sense because the series is so fast paced. Also, I wonder how quickly they are going to deivate from the source considering it takes forever to release an issue. (Granted it’s the only series I don’t mind wanting for but still..)
Great minds apparently think alike. Right after I posted my last comment here, I read this from Rob Guillory on Twitter:
“Wouldn’t be mad if fans started a “Ken Leung 4 Chu, Josh Holloway 4 Colby” campaign. Just sayin’. Instant syndication, right?”
I think the show would work great in 30 minute episodes. The maybe an hour pilot to get all the exposition out of the way but after that I thnk the issues would work pretty well in 30 minutes chunks. This would get bonus points from me if it was an animated show but I think we all know this isn’t going to happen.
Awesome news, made even more awesome for me because we actually have Showtime here, so I can watch it as it comes out.
Not really worried that it’s 30 min episodes. Showtime has been honing their craft with shorter episodes for years, I’m sure they are up to the challenge.
Tony Chu reminds me of a korean Ed Norton.
Some might think I’m crazy, but since the character’s introduction in Chew, I always thought John Rhys-Davies would make an amazing Savoy.
Fantastic news. I think it’ll really translate well – it’s the perfect kind of property – a premise with lots of wiggle room for original episodes, and a rich mythology to mine for the long-term arcs.
Yeah, I can actually see this being pretty good considering that it’s Showtime. It’s a heck of a concept to adapt to live action, but it’s one the reasons why I think it could turn out alright.
I don’t read Chew and I don’t get Showtime, so this will basically have zero effect on me. However, I love it when comics get adapted for other medium, especially non-super hero comics. I think it keeps the industry alive, as the creators get a nice cash windfall to help them pay the bills so they can keep putting out the comics. In that regard, it’s great news.
To think that there might be Walking Dead, Chew, Powers, and Lock & Key tv series on all at the same time is crazy. Who’da thunk it?
@j206 Plus, isn’t a Fables show getting ready to shoot a Pilot? Wonder Woman, too. it’s comics everywhere!
YES! I know it’s not going to be anything like the book but I’m still excited to see what can happen
This could be exceptional.
@rhaykal: You’re exactly right about Ken Lueng. That was my first thought when I read this headline.
I’ve read bits and pieces of Chew here and there. It’s on my trade list, under about 30 other books. I’ll probably get to it by the time the show premieres. Lookin forward to it thought. Showtime’s become a really great channel. This could work nicely.
Sounds like good news to me. Half an hour episodes make sense on Showtime, especially if there gonna be sort of like the issues. Hour episodes on network tv usually run from 39-46 minutes of actual airtime with al the commercials, with Showtime a half an hour show is actually half an hour and that’s perfect for the issue feel (even if they go the route of Walking Dead and mix things up so that current fans of the book can still have new things to discover).
Hooray! Scalped should be next!
This is awesme! So happy for John and Rob!!!
Looks like someone on Facebook took Guillory’s advice.
“Wouldn’t be mad if fans started a “Ken Leung 4 Chu, Josh Holloway 4 Colby” campaign. Just sayin’. Instant syndication, right?”
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ken-Leung-4-Tony-Chu-Josh-Holloway-4-Colby/151309211598544
I would love to see Ken Leung and Josh Holloway in this. When the cop episode of LOST first came out I thought they would be perfect.
I’m really excited about this and I love that it’s on a channel that will give them a little bit of freedom. Am I the only one that assumed it would be animated when I first read the headline? I’m so into Guillory’s work that I didn’t consider that it wouldn’t just look like the series.