Is This Thing On? Ideas Destined for Hollywood Part III

Recently, I received a great question from a fan of my blog, which resulted in an idea that I would like to flesh out a bit. Here was the original exchange from The formal Letters:

fL: J Paul, with Smallville coming to an end and Life Unexpected being cancelled, the CW's lineup has weakened. What types of shows would you pitch to the network to reinvigorate the current offering? - Bailey Carson., Athens, GA.

JP: After catching some re-runs of the classic western The Big Valley recently, I am thinking the CW needs to offer a western. I would say rebooting The Big Valley, bringing back Nick, Heath and Audra Barkley with a much more modern spin would be brilliant. As for a cast: Brandon Routh as Nick, Justin Harley as Heath and Aimee Teegarden as Audra? Adrianne Palicki / Brooklyn Decker? Just sayin'.

On the surface, this idea seems a bit far fetched, and honestly, I am not sold on the idea that a "Western" could work today. But, I am convinced that what made the Barkley family and their story so riveting can still be captured in a modern reboot.

First of all though, I would throw out the isolationism of the ranch and put the Barkley family in the heart of a city they are very connected to and have a vested interest in. The Big Valley could quickly become a living and breathing metaphor for the city the Barkley's reside in. Instead of the large mansion set on acres of land, the family could live in a luxurious pent house in a city's epicenter.

The show would begin at the funeral of the Barkley matriarch, Victoria. There, Nick, Heath and Audra grieve with others who tell stories of her strength and her influence on the "Valley" itself. The story needs to establish an emotional connection between the people that attend and the deceased as well as the Barkley children.

Moving the plot along, we come to find out that Victoria's death was directly connected to the disappearance of the eldest Barkley son, Jarrod, a lawyer who uncovered something so dark within the city's fabric that he set in motion a fundamental battle between good and evil, freedom and bondage.

Nick and Heath, the city's most decorated detectives vow to uncover who was behind their mother's murder, find their brother and set things in their city right. Unfortunately, they have no idea how deep the corruption is, and how many enemies they have made and will make along the way.

Audra, their smart and sexy sister, a photo journalism major joins her brothers to set things right. She is broken hearted by her brother's disappearance and her mothers murder, but her love for Nick and her loyalty to Heath give her the strength to enter into the web of deception that covers her family, attempting to suffocate them.

Filmed in bright blue hues with blacks, grays and vibrant yellows and reds, this show would be visually stunning. It would also be emotionally charged. Rooted in the bonds and blood of a family whose power, influence and courage uplifts a city and fights against all the injustice that would try to prevail over voiceless and powerless citizens. Built on strong dialog, storylines and music, The Big Valley, could be just as successful as the original for a new generation of young viewers.