The first night of Comic-Con is not really the first night: it's preview night, when fans catch an advance look at some of the big genre TV pilots that American networks will try to seduce audiences with in coming months. And might even get picked up by British broadcasters too. The three pilots premiered on Wednesday: The Human Target, based on a DC Comics character and produced by McG (yes, McG) and starring a cast of other SF cast-offs - Fringe's Mark Valley is the lead, with a guest spot from Tricia Helfer - better known as the sexiest Cylon in the galaxy.
And, frankly, that's enough about that one - it came off, for what it's worth, like any other adventure-of-the-week action series. It may come to the UK … but may prove unmemorable and short-lived when it does.
Next up was V. For those who don't remember the 1983 original, this is, like Battlestar Galactica, a re-imagining of something old - but with the extra shininess and topical references that the intervening 25 years have given it.
Aliens come to Earth, proclaiming their wish for peace and seeking help from humans. Turns out they are not quite so nice (in fact, it involves a great deal of stabbiness, reptilian scales and general carnage).
What's going to be revealing is how much the show is dictated by budget. Large floating cockroaches above cities are not cheap things to provide, CGI-wise. The fact that the aliens take human form helps, of course, since anything more complicated gets ever so pricey. The likelihood of coming to British screens? Medium to good: it's got more chance of long-lasting appeal.
And then there's The Vampire Diaries. "I'm a vampire: and this is my story …" it began, and proceeded to collect unimaginable numbers of tortured-teenage-TV cliches in a pile and then roll around in them for 42 minutes.
Audiences like Gossip Girl and 90210, right? And they also like Twilight. That, basically, sums up the whole conversation the producers had when talking about this adaptation. "So you know what would be great? …" And then they proceeded to go precisely where you think this is going, even though there must have been voices of reason. But they have a point: there's a Twilight panel at Comic-Con this week, and the queue for it started around 24 hours before, by people who'd brought tents. And air mattresses.
All I know is, yes, it's probably likely to make it to British screens, because some buyer, somewhere, is going to say: "90210 hot teens, but also bloodsuckers? My God, they'll love it". And if it does get bought in, it's worth getting some friends round and conducting some kind of drinking game - because judging by the reaction of the preview audience, this series is promising to be funny in all the wrong places.
There were groans, there was laughing, and there was one cheer … when someone from Lost turned up on screen. But perhaps this wasn't the core audience: if they're really reaching out to Twilight fans, the ones who would otherwise be watching and getting excited about it here at Comic-Con were already bedding down for the night outside the convention centre.
So just in case the powers that be are reading, and your casting vote makes the difference: Which would you prefer? The Lizard v Humans Struggling With Destruction of Humanity Saga? Or Hot Vampire Teens Struggling With Lust-based Angst Soap? Or just a standard comic-book action thriller?
