Doorways
P r i n c i p a l C a s t | ||
Dr. Thomas Mason Cat Thane |
George Newbern Anne LeGuernec Robert Knepper |
S y n o p s i s |
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T r a v e l l i n g B e t w e e n D i m e n s i o n s |
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R e v i e w |
After ABC failed to pick up the pilot due to a network shuffle in management, Martin and Columbia Pictures shopped the episode around to the other networks. None of which were interested. Coincidently, Fox Network developed a similarly themed show for its 1995 season called Sliders. Doorways has its share of flaws, most noticeably weak special effects and stunts which are largely due to budgetary constraints. Martin claims the effects would have been cleaned up had the pilot got picked up. However, the acting and script show strong potential. The first alternate universe they are transported to resembles a low-tech post-apocalyptic world in which we soon learn that all plastics and petroleum-based products have vanished. Genetically modified bacteria designed to eat oil from oil spills apparently got out of control. While not critical to the plot the premise does give the world a unique feel with horse drawn vehicles, hot air balloons, and bicycles being the main modes of transport ion. Cat and Thomas narrowly evade Thane on this world and escape through another doorway. The final scene has them atop of an alternate universe Mount Rushmore with faces of Susan B. Anthony, Benjamin Franklin, Davey Crockett and a Native American figure instead of the more familiar faces of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln. The special effects of this scene are particularly atrocious, which Martin attributes to the fact that the director Peter Werner insisted that a 3D model be built to accommodate the type of shot he wanted. Martin had wanted to use a matte painting, which had been the original concept. While George R.R. Martin admits the "wheelbarrows full of money" were an attractive incentive to working in television, he soon realized that his true passion lay in writing novels. Martin had previously worked on Beauty and Beast first as a writer, then script editor and finaly as an executive producer. Following this final stage in his television career trying to develop his own series such as Doorways he returned to writing novels full-time.
You may also be interested in "GRRM: a rretrospective" published in 2003 by Subterranean Press. It contains Over 400,000 words. More than 1,000 pages, including nine novellas, unpublished teleplays, rare, never before collected short stories, and a small volume's worth of introductions and commentary. Including the Doorways pilot/ first draft, which is NOT the pilot that was eventually produced.
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R e l a t e d L i n k s |
Official George R. R. Martin Website The author's offical website, complete with bibliography, merchandise for sale, and a list of upcoming signings. http://www.georgerrmartin.com Doorways at Internet Movie Database Internet Movie Database entry for Doorways includes cast and crew listing, plot summary, and user comments. http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0106752/ Return to Andy's Anachronisms Home Return to Television Review Index
Review Posted: 2003-09-27 |