"The Returned," an American
remake of the French format "Les Revenants," will air from March 9 on
the cable network. The fantasy drama series is written and produced by
former "Lost" showrunner Carlton Cuse.
First
aired on the French cable network Canal+ in fall 2012, "Les Revenants"
has garnered glowing reviews and was honored at the 2013 International
Emmy Awards with the title of best drama.
The French-language series has
even developed a strong following abroad, as its first season was
broadcast in the original format on Channel 4 in England with the title
"Rebound" and on Sundance in the US as "The Returned."
Also titled "The Returned," the
forthcoming American adaptation will reprise the premise of the
original: a small town is rocked by the sudden return amongst the living
of several dead individuals, who have no idea of their death and
resurrection. While they attempt to carry on with their lives where they
left off, the loved ones who have been grieving their death struggle to
come to terms with their new circumstances.
Mark Pellegrino (Jacob on "Lost"), Tandi
Wright ("Jack the Giant Slayer") and Jeremy Sisto ("Law & Order")
star in this remake from Carlton Cuse, who is described in the media reports as "something of an expert at
fantasy drama TV thanks to his time as a producer and showrunner on Lost."
In the writing room, J.J. Abrams' former colleague enlisted the
help of Raelle Tucker, a screenwriter and producer on another famous
drama series with supernatural elements: "True Blood."
The French channel Canal+ is known for its quality drama programs, so there is probably a good chance that the original source material is solid.
