Amazon is working on a new version of "The Tick" based on the comic cartoon series. The TV show is in the midst of casting and pre-production, and creator Ben Edlund said that the small screen version will be a lot more different from the original.
Edlund came up with "The Tick" in the 80s and he's also behind the television series for Amazon's streaming site, Amazon Prime. But to adapt to a rising trend among superhero films and shows, the new version will be "darker and more grounded," Edlund told Entertainment Weekly. "It's going to have a real story, a real hero's myth," he added.
Fans who grew up reading "The Tick" and watching its first live-action incarnation on TV in 2001 are skeptical of this change considering that the character has his own brand of humor. The Tick is good-natured and friendly, and he's also prone to dish out cheesy inspirational speeches. Will a darker version work? The new show will find Tick recovering from a memory loss, which might have an effect the change in the tone of the series.
As writers are cleaning up the plot's structure, the producers are confident that the "The Tick" will do better in a streaming platform, where binge-watching is encouraged. In 2001, Fox ran "The Tick" as an episodic series, only to yank this off the air after nine episodes. But, 15 years onwards, the show still has a cult following and it's this audience that Amazon hopes to tap to watch the new version.
Meanwhile, casting announcements for "The Tick" have started and on top of the list is British comedian Peter Serafinowicz. He takes over the role played by Patrick Warburton in the 2001 series, but Warburton is still part of the Amazon show as one of the producers, per Deadline.
Joining Serafinowicz on the "The Tick" are actors is Brendan Hines ("Suits") who will play Superian, another superhero, and Griffin Newman ("Vinyl") as Tick's sidekick Arthur. Valorie Curry ("House of Lies") is also in the show as Dot.
Will you be watching the pilot episode of "The Tick" when it comes out?
