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TV Wasteland: Before the Boys Were Lost
Syfy explores Peter Pan’s origins in Neverland By
Rob Vaux
November 28, 2011
Neverland comes to the Syfy Channel
© Syfy
Syfy does rather well for itself when it re-tasks or reinterprets popular favorites. They scored big ratings for Tin Man and Alice, and despite a few rocky elements, those efforts succeeded in finding new wrinkles to their timeworn stories. Syfy is attempting it again with Neverland – set to premiere this Sunday – and it may be on stronger dramatic ground than ever before.
The basic idea holds great potential, charting how Peter Pan first came to Neverland and the origins of his conflict with Captain Hook. He begins life as a London street urchin before finding himself in Neverland: a place where he can never age and which will provide him the childhood his mortal life presumably denied him. We learn more about peripheral figures like Tiger Lilly and the Lost Boys in the process, as well as meeting Hook’s paramour Elizabeth Bonny (a relation to Anne?), who turns him into a bloodthirsty buccaneer.
The cast gives further cause for hope. Keira Knightley plays Tinkerbell and future Spidey villain Rhys Ifans portrays Hook. Perhaps most promising, Bob Hoskins returns as Smee: a role he originated with Steven Spielberg’s Hook and which he used to absolutely steal the show on that otherwise misbegotten production. None of them can guarantee quality, of course – and this is Syfy we’re talking about, so there’s always the chance of a massive screw-up – but the names are much more high-profile than we could have imagined, and with some good screenwriting, Neverland could easily become a grade-A winner. We’ll keep our fingers crossed and tune in Sunday, December 4 at 9:00 PM EST, when it premieres on Syfy. The conclusion runs Monday the 5th.
Monday
Terra Nova (Fox, 8:00 PM EST)
Taylor and Mira have it out in the middle of the jungle – maybe not the brightest of moves – while Jim gets closer to tracking down the Sixer mole.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (ABC, 8:00 PM EST)
It arrives a tad early, perhaps, but Chuck Jones’s immortal adaptation of the Dr. Seuss classic is always welcome.
Shrek the Halls (ABC, 8:30 PM EST)
Shrek is really more of a Halloween guy than a Christmas guy, but he and the gang get together for a little holiday cheer.
Avatar (Cinemax, 7:15 PM EST)
James Cameron has promised a sequel to this box office blockbuster. I’m curious as to the impact its presumed 3D content will have, given A) how rapidly people are souring on the format and yet B) how well-regarded Avatar’s 3D effects remain.
Sweeney Todd (IFC, 8:00 PM EST)
Tim Burton delivers a ghoulishly good version of the grand guignol musical, earning Johnny Depp an Oscar nomination in the process.
Room 205 (IFC, 10:30 PM EST)
This Danish import finds a naïve young student inadvertently unleashing a demon on his college campus.
Friday the 13th (Syfy, 7:00 PM EST)
This is the 2009 remake – watered down as usual for Syfy’s basic cable timidity.
Resident Evil (Syfy, 9:00 PM EST)
Milla Jovovich slips on the red Alice dress for the first time in Paul W.S. Anderson’s adaptation of the popular video game.
Tuesday
Sanctuary (Syfy, 10:00 PM EST)
Adam Worth returns as a virtual avatar with a plan to enter the real world. Apparently, the plan is so fiendish that they couldn’t wait until Friday night to thwart it.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (CBS, 8:00 PM EST)
Another holiday classic emerges on CBS; judging by the hour-long running time, they’ll repeat the airing at 8:30 PM (or else add 38 minutes of commercials to a 22-minute show).
12 Monkeys (Cinemax, 10:00 PM EST)
Terry Gilliam’s mind-bending time travel story – based on a short French film – has held up extremely well in the ensuing years. Brad Pitt received his first Oscar nomination and Bruce Willis really should have.
I, Robot (FX, 7:30 PM EST)
Will Smith appropriates another sci-fi classic, resulting in a well-groomed studio actioner that bears only a passing resemblance to the Isaac Asimov source material.
Wednesday
Ghost Hunters (Syfy, 9:00 PM EST)
The team visits a mysterious Elks Lodge in Connecticut, haunted by the unquiet spirits of those denied a snazzy fez-and-sash combination.
American Horror Story (FX, 10:00 PM EST)
Mena Suvari guest stars as the ghost of the infamous Black Dahlia, who pops in for a visit and likely laments the fact that they never caught the bastard who killed her.
Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa (The CW, 8:00 PM EST)
Kermit and friends try to return three letters to St. Nick when they inadvertently prevent them from arriving.
Sky High (Disney, 8:30 PM EST)
Bruce Campbell, Lynda Carter and Kurt Russell are among the cameos in this surprisingly fun story about a high school for burgeoning superheroes.
Miracle on 34th Street (FMC, 8:00 PM EST)
Sir Richard Attenborough stars in a well-received remake of the holiday classic, about a department store Santa who may or may not be the real deal.
Zombieland (FX, 8:00 PM EST)
Halloween shows up a month late with this well-regarded riff on zombie apocalypse scenarios. Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson headline a very strong cast, though the final story left me a little cold.
TRON: Legacy (Starz, 7:54 PM EST)
Would you like me to sing its praises further? Because I will if you want…
Thursday
Burn Notice (USA, 10:00 PM EST)
Sam and Michael try to help Beatriz, who shows up with a Russian assassin on her tail, while Fiona and Jesses take a trip to the Cayman Islands.
Troy (Syfy, 6:00 PM EST)
Brad Pitt wears a thong, for those so interested.
National Treasure: Book of Secrets (Syfy, 9:00 PM EST)
Nicholas Cage’s patriotic treasure hunter is after a page from John Wilkes Booth’s diary, with help from one of the more ridiculous screenplays to come down the pike in recent years.
The Shining (IFC, 8:00 PM EST)
If you’re looking for a horror film in keeping with the cold and snow, Stanley Kubrick has you covered.
Predators (HBO, 8:00 PM EST)
Start with eight professional soldiers and killers. Place them in an alien jungle with no hope of escape. Add three space iguanas armed to the teeth and mix thoroughly. Garnish with mid-80s action movie icons and serve.
The Big Bang Theory, The Vampire Diaries and The Secret Circle are reruns.
Friday
Nikita (The CW, 8:00 PM EST)
Nikita’s after a second black box, and she enlists Owen to help her get it.
Supernatural (The CW, 9:00 PM EST)
Sam and Dean have a deadline to work with on their latest mission, while Bobby tackles a deeply personal case with connections to his past.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Cartoon, 8:0 PM EST)
Anakin, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka infiltrate a band of nefarious slavers: a mission that pushes Anakin a little closer to his emphysema-laden destiny.
Addams Family Values (AMC, 8:00 PM EST)
The second entry in the Addams Family films finds Charles Addams’ ghoulish creations dealing with summer camp and a homicidal nanny (Joan Cusack) with her eye on Uncle Fester. As with the first film, it ages like fine wine, and remains as subversively funny now as it did when it hit theaters.
The A-Team (Cinemax, 7:45 PM EST)
Dear haters: B.A. Baracus has the word “Pity” and “Fool” tattooed on his knuckles in this film. If you cannot perceive the Awesome of that, frankly, I feel sorry for you.
Terminator Salvation (TNT, 8:00 PM EST)
Christian Bale has been better, the franchise was over two movies previous, and we really didn’t need to see the “magic” of a nude CG Arnold Schwarzenegger. That said, the film actually makes a very good exploration of the post-Judgment Day world, as long as you can forgive the fact that there’s no actual story.
Grimm, Fringe and Young Justice are off for the week. Sanctuary is a rerun of the episode they ran on Tuesday, allowing you to catch up if you missed it.
Saturday
Primeval (BBC America, 9:00 PM EST)
A carpet of futuristic beetles arrives via a secretly opened anomaly, forcing the ARC to be locked down before they can break free.
The Adjustment Bureau (HBO, 8:00 PM EST)
HBO premieres a fair-to-middling sci-fi romance about a cadre of behind-the-scenes beings who dictate our destinies, and what happens when a bright young couple inadvertently disrupts their plan.
Mad Max (Cinemax, 7:20 PM EST)
It made Mel Gibson a star and its riveting blend of low-budget sci-fi and high-octane stunts still can’t be beat.
Hostel and Hostel Part II (IFC, 8:05 PM EST and 10:05 PM EST)
They’re both equally repellant, but one made a lot of money and the other one didn’t. Go figure.
I Am Number Four (Showtime, 7:00 PM EST)
Alex Pettyfer stars as a young fugitive from outer space hiding on our planet. It’s fairly thin soup, but Kevin J. Durand has a great cameo as the chief baddie, and Timothy Olyphant makes a welcome presence as Pettyfer’s mentor. Also, this Australian chick starts flying around on wires towards the end and She. Is. Awesome.
The Indiana Jones Quadrology (Syfy, 1:00 PM EST, 3:35 PM EST, 6:12 PM EST and 9:04 PM EST)
Syfy airs every one of the ubiquitous archaeologist’s big-screen adventures in order, starting with Raiders at 1:00 PM and ending with Crystal Skull at 9:04 PM. There’s worse franchises to sit through during a lazy Saturday afternoon… a lot worse.
Sunday
Once Upon a Time (ABC, 8:00 PM EST)
David has to choose between Mary Margaret and Kathryn, and I’m guessing the writers will have a few twists wrapped up in it.
Dexter (Showtime, 9:00 PM EST)
Dexter has a lead on the Doomsday Killer’s next victim, hoping to identify him before he gets whacked.
Neverland (Syfy, 9:00 PM EST)
Syfy unveils the first part of its new miniseries about the origins of Peter Pan and the founding of the Lost Boys. See the top of the article for more.
V for Vendetta (BBC America, 9:00 PM EST)
Parts of this adaptation of Alan Moore’s seminal graphic novel are awe-inspiring… which make its copious missteps and ill-conceived attempt to comment on then-contemporary Bush administration policies all the more disappointing.
2001: A Space Odyssey (Sundance, 6:00 PM EST)
The inimitable classic returns for an uncut airing on Sundance. If you haven’t seen it, find the biggest TV you can before firing it up.
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Wasn't Hook supposed to be Blackbeard's bosun?