I've been rereading this series and I'm still amazed by it. If nothing else, I appreciate it more now that I'm old enough to understand some things better. I just read #18 and I was pissed and I cried when the captain of the Ascalin turned traitor.
The reason they put it on Nick was because the series was sold to younger children. However, the actions and ideas are way too r-rated for kid's tv. You can't go through one book with someone either having a limb torn off or a hole blown through them. Sometimes they even die and have to be revived (either through time travel or an actual shock to the heart).
It's a tricky situation. The networks would have the budget for it but they probably wouldn't go near it. Syfy (because it's sci-fi) or CW (because it's about teens) might be interested but they don't have the budget. Either way, the FCC would have a cow if they heard about a show about child soldiers (even 14-15 year old soldiers). *sigh* It'd be really cool if HBO picked it up but that would probably require quite a few of us selling our souls to the devil...
The way the books were published almost lends itself to a 5 season set-up.
Season 1 --> Books 1 - 12
mid-season 2 parter: MM1
Season 2 --> 13 - 22
Mid-season 2 parter: MM2
Season 3 --> 23 - 33
Mid-season 2 parter: MM3
Season 4 --> 34 - 44
Mid-season 2 parter: MM4
Season 5 --> 45 - 54
And in between seasons there could be made-for-tv/direct to dvd/feature films made based on the Chronicles books.
Also, there are a lot of plots that could be thrown out such as the helmacrons and whatnot to make room for the more important things (like the David trilogy). I just had a laugh. Season 2 ends with David trapped as a rat. Season 3 starts with helmacrons. How anti-climactic is that? Ratings would tank hard...
I would love it if Josh Friedman (Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles) got a hold of this.