How an Animorphs TV show should be done

[SageKiller]

It sounded good till you said Tobias is human.  That's so wrong in so many ways.  You would have to rewrite almost everything from that book on, it would all be different if he was human most of the time.

I liked the ending just as it is, its the most logical ending and the one that fits the characters best.

[morfowt]

Here's how I would do a show.

It would either be a cartoon or computer animated. That way they don't have to build robots and train animals. Or have part live action and part computer animated.

I would also retain all the little side stunts throughout the series, instead of getting rid of them later on. Like Rachel trying to keep a guy from using catle prods on elephants, or Cassie morphing a mouse to test out a maze for a school project, or the group trying to save a litter of baby skunks. It was cute, and made the plot less dark and serious.

I would redo the episode where David returns. Instead of keeping him a mouse, I would have Crayak give him full morphing powers back, and return his normal Human form in exchange for killing Jake. So in later episodes he'd be a major enemy. He wouldn't succeed in killing Jake, though. I would also have Crayak give David the kind of morphing abilities that Crayak tempted Rachel with in one of her later books. You know, going straight from one morph into another, morphing things without having to aquire them first, and going Super David.

The Chronicles books would be special double length episodes. Each episode would be an hour long probably, and the Chronicles would be two hours. I'd also make a Crayak Chronicles to explain him better.

The ending would go out the window. I'd attempt to make the series lighter, so maybe fewer people would try to justify that kind of ending. I'd also let it be a real ending, and not name the episode "The beginning". Bad name for the last book in the series.

I would not have Cassie let Tom get away with the escafil device, and I'd give the auxilaries a better role in defeating the Yeerks. It's ok if Ax is tempted to betray his friends. I didn't like it so much, but it at least makes more sense than what Cassie did. That was just stupid of her.

I would also do something better with the Yeerk Peace Movement, and actually have Aftran join the group. She would be kept alive with the help of Eric, since I know the Chee are capable of making kondrona machines. Otherwise, the Yeerk in Eric's head would have died.

Karen would be Aftran's voluntary host for the purpose of helping both the Animorphs and the YPM.

That's about all I can think of for now. I'm not sure about the music, or what voices should be done for the characters. I might post something else later.

I think the only thing I agreed with you, was these two:

I would also retain all the little side stunts throughout the series, instead of getting rid of them later on. Like Rachel trying to keep a guy from using catle prods on elephants, or Cassie morphing a mouse to test out a maze for a school project, or the group trying to save a litter of baby skunks. It was cute, and made the plot less dark and serious.

I would redo the episode where David returns. Instead of keeping him a mouse, I would have Crayak give him full morphing powers back, and return his normal Human form in exchange for killing Jake. So in later episodes he'd be a major enemy. He wouldn't succeed in killing Jake, though. I would also have Crayak give David the kind of morphing abilities that Crayak tempted Rachel with in one of her later books. You know, going straight from one morph into another, morphing things without having to aquire them first, and going Super David.

the first, yeah that would be fun

the second, I was thinking that too.

all the others, I think that'd be pretty bad. I think it should follow the books exactly, or at least important points (like the ending). I think at the most, I'll agree to get rid of the cliffhanger. maybe a few non-important books like #14 or #28, you can change the plots a little.

[RYTX]

I don't know enough about the "biz" to drop any names, but I'd want it to be CGI solely because no matter how good it is live things rarely interact well with CGI thingys.
Each book gets an hour, ideally, some would have to go over, with MM's and Chronicles as "special movie events"
No changing major plot devices either, morph rules, character limations, etc. It's why people hate book to video translations so much. The Harry Potter films all look nice, but still so many complain cause one or two *coughs*million*cough* are left out. I could have lived with the old show's stupid effects and bad acting, but they removed so much and added such stupid stuff that it was hardly Animorphs the series, just the same names and powers.
Keep the ending, and here's why: This is not a kids show, it was not a kids book.The books where young adult, and regardless of that label it was designed for folks from about 10-13 or so. But by the end it had grown up, huge shifts in the rules of who could die, what was funny, who would suffer. This has to be shaped as something 12 and 13 yr olds can get into, but inspire more thought than Spongebob. Honestly, if don't right it could draw a good sized adult fan base. (I'm thinking either CW or Sci-fi channel)
The only reason I can't see the books as they are now as screen plays is do to narration. Characters going into this monologues on their thoughts, which is fine on paper, but boring as hell to watch. And it's not like Scrubs where you can zip off to other regions of relevance.
anywhoo, the story is already there, it would draw who it draws, but the story itself would be fine, really the biggest complications would be putting those long winded zones into something briefer and more entertaining; Like what I should have done with this post

[Duff]

I think CGI would be great for all the animals and aliens, with real life actors, instead of trying to mix real and CGI animals because that always looks fake at some point

Or go with cartoons, but that would aim the show towards a younger audience which would affect the story telling, so if they could keep the adult themes with an old school batman kind of animation then that would work

for actual stories, I know I'll get killed for it, but I wouldnt mind some origional stories, not any mysterious disc bull**** or the crap the tv show put out, but a quality writing team, preferably overseen by K or M (although thats really unlikely), who are all actually fans of the books. And then bring in the book stories for all the major plot points. That would give a chance to have more than 54 episodes and keep things interesting for us

[Chad32]

the first, yeah that would be fun

the second, I was thinking that too.

all the others, I think that'd be pretty bad. I think it should follow the books exactly, or at least important points (like the ending). I think at the most, I'll agree to get rid of the cliffhanger. maybe a few non-important books like #14 or #28, you can change the plots a little.

I'm glad you like some of my stuff. I kind of thought David would be a nice loose-canon type villain for the series. Not really loyal to anyone but himself, and not afraid of anyone either.

What do you think of giving the auxilaries a more vital role? Or do you include that part with the other things you would be against? I might even be tempted to put each Animorph in charge of different platoons or something. Like each main Animorph is in charge of a small group of Auxilaries, with Jake still leading the main animorphs. This would start in the last season, and go on until the ending.

And the YPM. You don't like that idea?

I'd also make Eva and Loren more involved in the late series.

I would kind of make the show like Avatar. That is, even though there's a war going on, it still wouldn't be a dark, tragic war story. This comparison has been made before, and I agree with it. War stories don't have to be tragic to be good or realistic. And Avatar is pretty realistic except for the element bending.

For anyone wondering, I would keep Cassie's battle morph a wolf. I know I started that thread discussing if Cassie should have been different. Some creature that could fight without actually ripping someone's throat out. However, a wolf gives something to the group that the other animals don't: running endurance. That probably should not be traded too hastily.

[Duff]

you cant change any major plots or characters or themes, thats just that

[morfowt]

the first, yeah that would be fun

the second, I was thinking that too.

all the others, I think that'd be pretty bad. I think it should follow the books exactly, or at least important points (like the ending). I think at the most, I'll agree to get rid of the cliffhanger. maybe a few non-important books like #14 or #28, you can change the plots a little.

I'm glad you like some of my stuff. I kind of thought David would be a nice loose-canon type villain for the series. Not really loyal to anyone but himself, and not afraid of anyone either.

What do you think of giving the auxilaries a more vital role? Or do you include that part with the other things you would be against? I might even be tempted to put each Animorph in charge of different platoons or something. Like each main Animorph is in charge of a small group of Auxilaries, with Jake still leading the main animorphs. This would start in the last season, and go on until the ending.

And the YPM. You don't like that idea?

I'd also make Eva and Loren more involved in the late series.

I would kind of make the show like Avatar. That is, even though there's a war going on, it still wouldn't be a dark, tragic war story. This comparison has been made before, and I agree with it. War stories don't have to be tragic to be good or realistic. And Avatar is pretty realistic except for the element bending.

For anyone wondering, I would keep Cassie's battle morph a wolf. I know I started that thread discussing if Cassie should have been different. Some creature that could fight without actually ripping someone's throat out. However, a wolf gives something to the group that the other animals don't: running endurance. That probably should not be traded too hastily.

nah, I don't think you should change the plot too much. might create some continuity problems, or something.

[wolfev]

Why are you guys against the series for being so tragic? Isn't that why you read it in the first place? Its not like it got tragic later on either. From book 1 it was tragic and that is the general theme. And Avatar is quite tragic at times.

[filmstu2005]

No, nothing wrong about it being tragic. Avatar does have tragic moments and the story would be a serious tale, not some comical fluffy b.s. But if I were to be the creator of the show (one day people, One day. Im serious), then I would still add in some lighter moments, to ease the tragedies.

I really like that idea about David. I haven't really thought about it yet. The way you described it though, it seemed like it was coming from David's perspective and not Rachel's. And i think that book was VERY important in Rachel's story arc, kind of like the closing to her personal tale. But it would definitely work if David came back as the villain with the help of the Crayak, but Rachel was the one tempted by the Crayak with power. And in the final act she and David would battle it out, Super Rachel vs Super David. That would be nice. Of course we both know how it would end, and i would absolutely stay true to the final scene in that book.  Oh, and I wouldnt use David as a regular villain. I'd give him his own episode though, during the showing of his story, so we get a perspective on his new Animorph lifestyle. Good and the Bad.

If there's anyone I want to make a regular villain, it would be Fenestre, Visser Three's twin. Way too interesting to just use once.

As for Cassie, she HAS to let Tom get away with the escafil device. The reason you say you would change that is b/c 1) you probably dont like Cassie 2) You probably have a personal vendetta against her for letting Tom take the cube, which was an important tide-changing part of the story. When telling a really good and compelling dramatic storyline you have to remember one thing: The Apocalypse HAS to happen. Or at least start to happen. All hope has to appear lost for the hero(es). They have to be in their darkest hour.  Plus it was very important in Cassie's storyline with Jake in the final arc. It was a big secret and led to Ax harboring some hatred there for her.  So i think its important. It really made the Animorph look hopeless.

Im going to be honest. I didn't like the ending. I thought it was rushed and without the proper planning. KA probably convinced herself it was the best way to end a story. Now, I dont want some happy Power Rangers ending for the series. Tragedy does happen and the aftermath of war is never pretty. But I would still add in some lighter moments and make the ending flow well. Has to be good planning.

Like for one, I thought the battle b/w Rachel vs Tom really should have been Tom vs Jake. Brother against brother. Something jake had been dreading since day one The Invasion. Why not use that for the drama? I would have Jake send Rachel after Tom only to later on be approached by the Ellimist during the final battle, and after an Ellimist-toned conversation, have him move Jake to Rachel's side on the Blade Ship, or just switch their places. I dont know right now, but I think something like that would be better, having Jake fight his brother. I thought just having Rachel do it was very anti-climatic.

[filmstu2005]

Oh, and Animation is definitely the best way to go. At least if you want to be able to show everything written in the series. Even KA herself thought it would be better that way. As do I. 3D CGI would be cool, but it would solely depend on what type and the look. Animation I would honestly prefer, and I was thinking somewhere along the lines of that show X-Men Evolution, where they reverted the X-Men back to their teen years.

Or maybe just a whole new look of animation, but something definitely serious and less comical

[Chad32]

Why are you guys against the series for being so tragic? Isn't that why you read it in the first place? Its not like it got tragic later on either. From book 1 it was tragic and that is the general theme. And Avatar is quite tragic at times.

No, I didn't. I got into the series because AX cracked me up in book eight, and because I thought the changing into animals was interesting. I don't like tragic tales. That's why I think Romeo and Juliet is stupid as sin.

I do feel angry against Cassie for letting Tom get away with the morphing cube. The general idea was good, but the way she did it was horrible. I don't think Jake excluding Cassie from a later group meeting was harsh in any way, or beyond wrong as Tobias put it.

I dislike people like her, who let emotion cloud their judgement. It's weak. I guess I'm more like Marco. Instead of letting morals be my guideline, I kind of make them a side note after I've decided what to do.

Cassie is my least favorite character, even though some of what she does is rather charming. Like saving the animals and stuff.

I would change some major plot points, but I'd also try to stay true to other major plot points. That's only natural, since I'm different from KA, and have different ideas and policies. I did not get into Animorphs because it was a tragic and serious tale. That's just something I noticed along the path, and the ending was like smacking into a brick wall. I would definitely downgrade the seriousness of the books. There would still be some battles, and shades of gray. I would just not have it be some serious, tragic war story that tries to teach kids that war is bad. They'll learn that soon enough, without a book writer's help.

I know Avatar has tragic elements, but I would be VERY surprised if the creators end the series like KA ended animorphs.

[Tim Bruening]

1) An animated TV series for kids by Bruce W. Timm and Paul Dini playing on Saturday mornings on the CW or FOX or Cartoon Network.

Amber Heard as the voice of Rachel, Aaron Ashmore as the voice of Jake, Jessica Szohr as the voice of Cassie, Victor Rasuk as the voice of Marco, Hugo Weaving as the voice of Visser Three and Tony Goldwyn as the voice of Principal Chapman.

2) A much darker and teen-oriented TV series for the CW. Here, the gang is 16 rather than 13.

It's 4 seasons long tops. 45 minutes long for each 24 episodes of each of the maximum 4 seasons. Very big budget for this limited series because of expensive f/x. (IF there's a season 5, it will be set 4 years after the events of the last season.)

*Adapts all the regular books and the megamorphs books with original stories filling in the rest of the episodes in the four seasons. **Brian Henson directs the two-hour pilot which is an adaptation of "The Invasion." (Stephen Norrington could also work). Developed for television by Mike Werb and Michael Colleary.

The theme song is "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" by Fuel and "What I've Done" by Linkin Park plays at the end of the pilot. ("It Ends Tonight" by All American Rejects and "Savin' Me" by Nickelback and "From Yesterday" by 30 Seconds to Mars and "Fine Again" by Seether and "Have you passed through this night" by Explosions in the Sky are also featured on the soundtrack.)

Each of the four megamorphs books is adapted into a two-or-three parter for each one of the four seasons. "The Andalite's Gift" is a two-parter and the season 1 finale. "In the Time of Dinosaurs" as a three-parter in the middle of season 2. "Elfangor's Secret" as a three-parter for the beginning of season 3. "Back to Before" (minus the deus ex machina ending; the resolution will be completely changed) as a two-parter in the middle of season 4.

It's set in Seattle rather than Northern California but the location will only be alluded to rather than outright revealed until the final episode.

Marco is 100% Hispanic rather than only 50% Hispanic from his mother's side. Eva, his mother, dies in the series.

"The Andalite Chronicles" and "The Hork-Bajir Chronicles" (and maybe "Visser") are all adapted as straight-to-DVD movies. There will be plenty of references to the past of these characters in the TV series so know one HAS to see these films to understand what's going on in the show.

The Andalite homeworld is actually given a name rather than being unlikely referred to as 'the Andalite honeworld.' The planet is called 'Andal' now.

Hugo Weaving as the voice of Visser Three. Tony Goldwyn plays Principal Chapman.

The Yeerks don't get the morphing cube.

The Hork-Bajir are puppets, the Taxxons are CGI, the Chee are puppets and CGI, the animals are puppets trained and CGI and the Andalite's are costumed people with make-up and puppets.

Like the original TV series, you can morph clothes and shoes just fine. (The rest of the rules still apply though ie. the two-hour time limit, can't morph from one to the next, etc.)

Kind of pointless, but each episode is titled "The [something]" like the books-with the exception of the Megamorph adaptations of course.

An animorph narrates each episode but only a brief voice-over at the beginning (starting with 'My name is [insert name]') and ending of each episode ala "The Twilight Zone."

The Ellimist no longer has that covoluted origin story of before. The Ellimist will simply be a benevolent member of a type 4 alien species called Ellmists (like the Q of "Star Trek"). Same for Crayak. (Go here to learn more about type I, II, III, IV civilizations: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kardashev_Scale).

Actually, I'm going to seriously downplay the two super aliens' effect influence on the Animorphs' lives. For example, in "Back to Before," there's not gonna be any of this 'stacking the deck' crap and 'subtemporarily grounded' nonsense and it'll just be a glimpse that the Ellimist shows a tired Jake, ready to quit, how important his role in the fight is.

Tobias is intially stuck as a hawk like in the books but the Ellimist later gives him his morphing power back but does NOT have to live as a hawk and only morph into a human for two hours. (You're obviously gonna have to rewrite "The Illusion" here.)

At the series finale, Applegate's pessimistic ending is gone and Rachel and Tom live and there's no cliffhanger. What's wrong with a happy ending as long as it's not sappy (ex. "Harry Potter" epilouge)?


*Hell, KA Applegate herself can jump in and offer ideas for original episodes from time to time.
**Actually, I want the Jim Henson Company and their puppets to back this show after seeing their great work on the brilliant TV space opera "Farscape" and the film "Labyrinth."

Perhaps it could be done like Buffy the Vampire Slayer.