 If there’s one recurring theme throughout my TCA Press Tour posts, it’s my ongoing desire to not name names when it comes to my brethren in the organization and their occasionally questionable questions that pop up here and there, and I’ll be maintaining that trend here as well. But with that having been said, I gotta say that there were some folks in the audience at the “New Amsterdam” panel who just would not let it lie that the series bore a bit of resemblance to the mythos of the “Highlander” films and TV shows. Okay, here’s the thing: both feature a lead character who’s an immortal. That’s pretty much where the resemblance dies. And lord knows the characters from “Highlander” aren’t the only immortals in all of fiction. I mean, right off the top of my head, I’m immediately thinking of Vandal Savage, from DC Comics, not to mention Immortal Man. Yeah, I know, once again, I’ve outed myself as a complete geek. But my point is that it really isn’t that hard to just sit back and accept that maybe the creators of “New Amsterdam” haven’t ever seen “Highlander,” which is exactly what executive producers David Manson and Allan Loeb both said outright. Or, at least, you’d think it wouldn’t be that hard. Unfortunately, dig this exact quote from one of my compatriots: “When I first looked at the show, I actually thought of ‘Highlander’ right away. For the producers, you just said that you’ve never seen it, that you’ve heard of it. I find that hard to believe. It was a hit show. It has a great fan following, still does today. It also had a couple of hit movies, which is what started the whole ‘Highlander’ franchise, with Christopher Lambert and Sean Connery. I find it a little bit surprising that you said you’ve never seen it.” Of course, Loeb and Manson echo each other’s sentiments once again, both saying, “I’ve never seen it.” The writer proceeds to bring up another point about the show, then she still would not let it die, saying, “I was just curious why you said you hadn’t seen it…” Finally, star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau ended everyone’s torture by interrupting with, “They’re lying. You’ve caught them out.” Manson assured this writer, “I’d be happy to tell you I had seen it if I had, but I haven’t,” while Loeb attempted to be funny about it all, adding, “I’ve seen ‘Dracula.’ He was immortal, too.” And, thankfully, that finally was the end of it…but, my God, how ridiculous is that, to keep pressing a point for that long after it’s been answered to the satisfaction of everyone else in the audience? Okay, sorry, that just really stuck in my craw. So, anyway, about “New Amsterdam”: it’s about a guy named John Amsterdam who’s been living in New York for 400 years and uses his knowledge of the city and its people to solve complex crimes. How is he 400 years old? Basically, he was cursed years ago, and he cannot die until he finds his one true love…so, of course, the premise of the series finds him searching for said love, even as he spends the rest of his time fighting crime. Yes, it’s a little bit like “Highlander,” but, then, it’s also a little bit like “Angel,” if you really want to get technical about it…but no matter what inspired it, it still sounds like an interest concept. The series will incorporate the occasional flashback to Amsterdam’s earlier years in conjunction with his present-day activities, so we’ll get to see what things were like in his olden days as well; plus, the producers have stated outright that he’s had children in the past, so he may well bump into his great-great-great-grandchildren while he’s out and about. Weird but cool. That sounds like “New Amsterdam” in a nutshell. Filed under: TV and Actors and News and Interviews and TV Dramas and External Entertainment and External TV Comments:
|
Is it just me or are a lot of shows being dogged in a similar manner this year? Highlander fans claim New Amsterdam is a retread, Forever Knight and Angel fans claim Moonlight is a retread, Quantum Leap fans are up in arms over Journeyman, etc… It’s not like any of those original shows/movies were created immaculately in a clean room. The mind boggles.
There is one additional similarity between Highlander and Amsterdam (and I am not suggesting there is anything wrong with that):
In Highlander, immortals cannot have children. However, once the lead character wins the ultimate prize he becomes “one with the universe” or some such thing and… can have children.
I understand, of course, that having children is not the same as true love. But there is a coupling, in Highlander, between mortality and the ability to have a family etc.
This is much more neatly played in Amsterdam, but it happens to be another similarity.
Actually, in “New Amsterdam,” the lead character CAN have children.
Its either everything has been done already or there isnt enough fresh new ideas out there. Everything gets recycled. X-men = Heroes, NA = Highlander the Series, etc, etc. The only show that has yet to be copied is “The Soup”, and when that happens, the whole world will end which should be around December 21 2012.
The creators of New Amsterdam are clearly lying when they say they’ve never seen Highlander. How could they not check it out for research purposes alone? I liked Highlander. I think this show has promise, but honestly, they should watch the Highlander tv show. It dealt with a lot of the little details of being immortal in a mortal world. Worth a look.
Immortality as a concept has existed long before “Highlander.”
Two words: Vandal Savage.
(Five more words: Yes, I AM a geek.)
There are many, many similarities between the pilot for “New Amsterdam” and “Highlander, the Series.” John Amsterdam is 400 years old. Duncan McLeod is 400 years old (well, about 412 now, I guess). John Amsterdam’s apartment or workspace (can’t tell exactly) is a large warehouse-like space that looks remarkably like the set of McLeod’s dojo. The Native American scenes in the “New Amsterdam” pilot could truly have been lifted right from “Highlander,” in which a Native American scenario is prominent. The flashbacks are done almost exactly the same as “Highlander” did theirs.
I saw this all in the first 15 minutes. In the next 45 minutes I saw a well-acted, well-written show with high production values and enough twists on the concept for me to say it’s refreshing, fun, sexy, interesting and, yes, original. I think of it as an homage to “Highlander,” not a rip-off. In fact, in the second episode the little boy asks Amsterdam “What if someone cut your head off?” It’s a priceless and precious moment.
You know what would really makie the homage perfect? A cross-over. So, producers, you’ve never seen “Highlander?” Uh, huh. Let me suggest you rent it or check out youtube — search “Methos” — and hire Peter Wingfield for a cameo. You’d have a legion of dedicated fans in the time it takes to say “Mi casa et su casa.” (Come on “Highlander” fans, we never thought those were the only kind of immortals, did we?)