Firefly and
Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon is returning to television with a brand new sci-fi series that has just been greenlit by HBO.
Titled
The Nevers, the series is described as
“an epic science fiction drama about a gang of Victorian women who find themselves with unusual abilities, relentless enemies, and a mission that might change the world.”
Whedon, who is probably best known around these parts for his contribution to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as director of
The Avengers and
Age of Ultron, will serve as showrunner.
The Nevers marks Whedon's return to the small screen and it's the first show he has created since Fox's
Dollhouse.
Whedon said of the project's approval:
“I honestly couldn’t be more excited. The Nevers is maybe the most ambitious narrative I’ve created, and I can’t imagine a better home for it than HBO. Not only are they the masters of cinematic long-form, but their instant understanding of my odd, intimate epic was as emotional as it was incisive. It’s been too long since I created an entirely new fictional world, and the HBO team offer not just scope and experience, not just ‘prestige,’ but a passionate collaboration. I could go on, but — I’m impatiently grateful to say — I have work to do.”
According to sources, HBO was engaged in a bidding war with rival Netflix which could explain why the premium cable network gave the project a direct-to-series order. The news comes just a day after Netflix snapped HBO's 18-year streak as the most-nominated outlet at the Emmys. HBO programming president Casey Bloys added:
"We have long been fans of the incredibly talented and prolific Joss Whedon and we can’t think of a better project than The Nevers with which to welcome him to the HBO family," HBO programming president Casey Bloys said. "We look forward to meeting the strange, multifaceted characters of The Nevers, to learn their stories, see them in action and share them with our viewers. We’re honored that Joss chose HBO as the place to build his ambitious new world and we are excited to get started."
An episode count has not been determined and
The Nevers does not yet have a premiere date.