TV Jots

The Wizard of Oz Enters a New Millennium

It doesn’t premiere until December, but Sci Fi Channel’s Tin Man is already getting the online comic book treatment, à la NBC’s Heroes. The original six-hour mini-series production, a strikingly wicked adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s classic 1900 children’s book The Wizard of Oz (I know—is it really that old?!), stars Zooey Deschanel (the younger sister of Bones star Emily Deschanel) as a bored waitress named DG whose life takes a turn for the weird when a tornado roars through her Midwestern town.

During her surreal trip to O.Z., also known as The Outer Zone, she meets many an interestingly odd character, including her trio of eventual companions: Cain (Neal McDonough), an ex-Tin Man—the moniker given to policemen in O.Z.—with a scarred heart; Glitch (Alan Cumming), a man missing half of his brain; and Raw (Raoul Trujillo), a wolfish being lacking courage. Together, the group eventually confronts the evil sorceress Azkadellia (Kathleen Robertson) in a battle to save both O.Z. and their lives. And, of course, how good could the mini-series be if it didn’t have a few mysterious secrets for viewers to help unearth, too?

Although Sci Fi has not yet released the accompanying online comic book for Tin Man, which will provide more extensive background information on certain characters, I have several preview images to give interested parties an idea of what to expect. Personally, I think the artwork looks mighty fine, and I’m really looking forward to the production when it premieres.

For additional information on the mini-series’ cast, plot, and general look, visit the Tin Man Web site assembled by the Sci Fi Channel.

Tin Man photo and images courtesy of the Sci Fi Channel

Tags: comic book, Sci Fi Channel, television, Tin Man, tv