A Steampunk Television Series In The Works!
Get to know Bruce Boxleitner's Lantern City
This article ran earlier today on the Steampunk Empire Symposium site and has been reprinted here with permission of the author
A new project in the works from Bruce Boxleitner has the steampunk community buzzing. It's his upcoming Lantern City (lanterncitytv.com) television series. Working with Brute Force Leather's own Thomas Willeford (picture left below with Boxleitner) this project shows great promise and momentum. Those of you keeping score will recognize Willeford's work well as his gadgets were featured in the steampunk episode of TV series Castle with Nathan Fillion.
From the show's website we get an initial description of the series...
The new steampunk show Lantern City, from executive producer Bruce Boxleitner, is an exciting foray into fan-inspired and fan-created television. It combines first-rate storytelling, innovative production design, and a rich world that fans will fall in love with. Even though it will blend great science fiction with dynamic storylines, at its heart the show asks two questions: how far would you go to be with the person you love and what lengths would you go to in order to survive?
Lantern City highlights the steampunk genre to create a one-of-a-kind television experience. Other properties have had steampunk elements, but this is the first mainstream television show to proudly wear the label of steampunk. Current fans of the subgenre will not be disappointed and it will attract a much wider audience to the long television-neglected world of steampunk. The show is unique in that it allows viewers to be involved in the process - a first for any television show.
What is the nature of the story? Again, consulting the show's site...
Lantern City is the southern-most city in Hetra, a world parallel to Earth, and is bordered on the south by the Silver Sea and has the largest river in Hetra, the Faudnice River, running through its heart. The city was always known for its commerce, agriculture, innovation, and trade; because of its isolated geography it never developed a real military power. Lantern City was difficult to travel to by land and it had the ability to control who came in and out of its ports.
Eventually, a band of warlords from the outlands of Hetra conquered the surrounding areas leaving Lantern City as their final target. The onslaught of refugees from the other cities gave the citizens of Lantern City ample warning to protect themselves, However almost no one in Lantern City had minds for military strategy or any real combat experience. This was the perfect opportunity for soldier and entrepreneur Isaac Foster Grey to rise to power and "save" the city from the invaders. To secure the city after the battles for Lantern City's existence, Grey had a wall built around the city and enacted isolationist policies.
Over one hundred years later, the citizens of Lantern City know little about the rest of Hetra.
Since so few citizens know anything about the history of Lantern City or anything about Hetra, a myth has replaced the actual history. Many of the working class citizens and the members of the Underground believe that a peasant named Nolvan inspired thousands to travel as far south as they could and establish a new and free place called Lantern City. It wasn't until the Grey Empire tricked the populous and took over that the citizens weren't free.
Many of the working class are waiting for the next Nolvan to arrive and save them from their fates.
Certainly a project to keep an eye on, and one that sounds like we'll all be celebrating when it receives the green light.
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