Will the new JJ Abrams television series be the next Lost or the next Alcatraz?

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

We are at that time of year when the networks announce which shows are getting cancelled, which are getting renewed, and what new series we can get excited about for the next season. Sometimes the shows live up to the hype and sometimes they just crash and burn (AWAKE, ALCATRAZ, TERRA NOVA, etc).

As a confirmed member of the Church of Abrams, I tend to give anything with the JJ seal of approval the benefit of at least viewing the pilot. But, as of late, shows that bear his name are about as quality as those that say “from executive producer Steven Spielberg.”

NBC just unveiled their new fall shows and, aside from the Hannibal Lecter series, JJ Abrams REVOLUTION piqued my interest the most.

Plot: Our entire way of life depends on electricity. So what would happen if it just stopped working? Well, one day, like a switch turned off, the world is suddenly thrust back into the dark ages. Planes fall from the sky, hospitals shut down, and communication is impossible. And without any modern technology, who can tell us why?

Now, 15 years later, life is back to what it once was long before the industrial revolution: families living in quiet cul-de-sacs, and when the sun goes down, the lanterns and candles are lit. Life is slower and sweeter. Or is it?

On the fringes of small farming communities, danger lurks. And a young woman’s life is dramatically changed when a local militia arrives and kills her father, who mysteriously – and unbeknownst to her – had something to do with the blackout. This brutal encounter sets her and two unlikely companions off on a daring coming-of-age journey to find answers about the past in the hopes of reclaiming the future.

Sounds very badass to me. Featuring BREAKING BAD supervillain Giancarlo Esposito and TWILIGHT alum Billy Burke, REVOLUTION could be the next big genre series on television.

Check out the trailer for the Jon Favreau directed pilot.

There are definitely some cheezy moments in the trailer that remind me a bit too much of TERRA NOVA crossed with THE HUNGER GAMES, but I am definitely putting this on my DVR to at least test drive.

What do you think of the trailer for REVOLUTION?