AMC kicked off Thanksgiving week by ordering a pair of pilots, the period drama “Knifeman” and the futuristic drama “Galyntine.”
Both pilots will be produced in 2014 for AMC Studios and will be under consideration for a 2015 premiere on AMC.
You may recall that “Knifeman” was previously being developed with David Cronenberg as director and Tim Roth as star, though neither appear to still be involved.
Inspired by Wendy Moore’s “The Knife Man: Blood, Body Snatching and the Birth of Modern Surgery,” the Rolin Jones scripted pilot focuses on John Tattersall (John Hunter was the focus of the book), a boundary-breaking surgeon who ran an operating theater out of his home and also engaged in some good-natured grave-robbing with his brother. The drama is set in 18th Century London.
In addition to Jones (“United States of Tara”), “Knifeman” will be executive produced by Ron Fitzgerald, Josh Donnen and Robert Zotnowski.
“Galyntine” comes from David Zucker and Ridley Scott’s Scott Free Productions and was created by Jason Cahill (“Halt and Catch Fire”). AMC says that the pilot “takes place at a time after a cataclysmic technology-induced disaster has resulted in a new society that has eschewed any form of technology.” So… “Revolution”?
“The Walking Dead” veteran Greg Nicotero will serve as executive producer on “Galyntine.”
“These are both highly original and ambitious pilots that take us into worlds that we haven”t seen on TV before,” blurbs Joel Stillerman, AMC”s executive vice president of programming, production and digital content. “The bawdiness and fun of ‘Knifeman’ and London in the mid-18th century; and the completely unique take on a post-apocalyptic world in ‘Galyntine’ are right in AMC”s wheelhouse of making television that is both unexpected and unconventional. They”re both driven by creative and production teams that we know are capable of delivering ground-breaking television.”
AMC’s 2014 slate includes the premieres of the dramas “Turn” and “Halt and Catch Fire,” as well as the second half of the fourth “Walking Dead” season (and the first half of the fifth), the first half of the final season of “Mad Men” and the return of “Hell on Wheels.”