Spike is headed to space. Today, the network announced they’ve greenlit a new original scripted series titled Red Mars.
The series will be an adaptation of Kim Stanley Robinson’s popular Mars Trilogy novels that include: Red Mars, Green Mars, and Blue Mars.
Robinson’s trilogy “chronicles mankind’s colonization and transformation of the red planet.” The series is being developed by J. Michael Straczynski, who has previously worked on Sense8 and Babylon Five.
All ten episodes of the one-hour series are schedule to premiere in January 2017.
Read the official announcement below:
New York, NY, December 8, 2015 — Spike is bringing Kim Stanley Robinson’s award-winning “Mars Trilogy” to television with Skydance Television serving as the studio on the original one-hour scripted series, titled “Red Mars.”
The books, “Red Mars,” “Green Mars,” and “Blue Mars,” chronicles mankind’s colonization and transformation of the red planet, have been adapted in 21 languages and are regarded as the best novels ever written on the subject.
“Red Mars” will be Executive Produced and written by J. Michael Straczynski whose works include “Sense8,” “Babylon Five” and “Changeling.” The straight-to-series project will be Executive Produced by Emmy(R)-Award winner Vince Gerardis (“Game of Thrones, “Flash Forward”) who brought the project to Spike and has shepherded development, along with Skydance’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Marcy Ross (Skydance’s 2015 feature films are “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation” and “Terminator Genisys” and current television series include “Grace and Frankie” and “Manhattan”).
“The heart and soul of Red Mars is about humanity,” said Sharon Levy, Executive Vice President, Original Series, Spike. “This group of strangers must find a way to live together and survive under the most daunting conditions mankind has ever faced to become the first living generation of Martians. They will be each other’s greatest source of strength – and if they can’t coexist- the greatest reason for failure.”
“We are thrilled to join forces with Spike to bring Kim Stanley Robinson’s dynamic world of the Mars trilogy to television audiences for the first time ever, particularly in the brilliant creative voice of science fiction legend J. Michael Straczynski,” added Marcy Ross, President of Skydance Television.
“The Mars Trilogy” won several awards including the prestigious Nebula(R) and Hugo(R) Awards. Robinson, a New York Times best-selling author, will consult on the series. “I look forward to being a part of bringing my long time client’s literary achievement to the screen,” said Gerardis. “Its themes are important to the future we are creating.”
Spike has ordered 10 one-hour episodes of “Red Mars,” the most ambitious project in network history. Spike’s first scripted original dramatic series in nine years will go into production next summer and will debut on Spike in January 2017. This past July, Spike premiered “Tut,” its first original scripted mini-series in almost a decade to strong ratings, averaging 2.2 million viewers over three nights.
“Red Mars” follows the first settlers charged with terraforming a mysterious planet, all of whom have competed to be a part of the mission. The series delves into the lives of these relative strangers, cut off from everything they’ve ever known and living in the harshest environment imaginable. Over time, viewers will witness the mind-blowing evolution of humans and technology as they learn to adapt in their inhospitable new home.”
What do you think? Have you read the Mars Trilogy? Will you be watching the TV adaptation on Spike?
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