In article
<263a1c36-59f4-4e4e-8e9e-a6a9b92eb63a@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
"DonnaLettow@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
" <DonnaLettow@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> spake thusly:
> The creators of New Amsterdam have stated in several interviews
> recently that they were totally unaware of Highlander.
>
> Not that I believe them for an instant.
Even if the creators didn't know about Highlander when they initially
developed the concept, wouldn't the network's legal department have
done due diligence/research before greenlighting the show? By the
time they were writing scripts for production, they should have been
aware of Highlander.
Significant similarities between Highlander and New Amsterdam:
* Immortality (of course)
* Reference in NA's third episode to beheading. I thought this was
intended as an homage to Highlander. Where else did the kid's
question come from? If it was intended as a reference to HL, it was
clever; if it was a random question, it was just weird.
* Older-looking bartender "friend" who is aware of the main
character's immortality, is a musician, has trouble walking, and has
a special relation****p (watcher vs. son) with the main character
* The main characters were about 400 years old at the time the show
was supposed to air. HL's McLeod was born in 1592 and the show
aired in 1992 (although the first episode says it was before
McLeod's 400th birthday), while NA's Amsterdam was born in 1607 and
the show was supposed to air in 2007. (logical)
* HL's McLeod has a gyspy curse that he will bury many women but marry
none. NA's John has an Indian curse/blessing that he will not die
until he finds his one true love.
* Extensive use of flashbacks (logical)
* Major female romantic interest is a doctor
* Doctor character discovers main character's ability to heal after an
injury. (logical)
* Female recurring character has the last name Delaney / Dillane
(sounds the same, spelled differently.) Although the character is a
more major character on NA than on HL.
* The goal/prize is achieving a normal mortal life (NA vs. HL movies.)
* NA and HL (movie #1) have a daughter/step-daughter/adopted-daughter
who looks older, acts as a secretary to the main character, and gets
a WWII-era flashback (although NA's Maggie is an adult during her
WWII-era flashback, while Rachel is a child. Note: not clear if
Maggie is a daughter or step-daughter.)
* First episode of NA involves a geriatric ex-lover who is an artist,
and didn't know of the main character's immortality. Highlander
previously used this concept in the season two episode "Studies in
Light."
* Second episode of NA involves an older woman who jealously commits
murder when her younger lover plans to leave her. HL did that in
the episode "Chivalry".
* Third episode of NA involves a shell-shocked veteran who appears to
have committed a murder, and only the main character believes in his
innocence. HL used this in the season 1 episode "The Innocent Man."
[As of this writing, only three episodes of NA have been aired.]
* Main character's forging of new birth certificate (logical)
* Main character's involvement in the antique business (logical)
Major differences:
* NA so far has a lot of detective work. HL sometimes had mysteries,
but was more focused on moral ambiguities rather than detective work
(not "who did what" but "so what should I do about it?") and on
action.
* In NA, immortality does not preclude having children. HL immortals
are sterile.
* In NA, the immortal started as a mortal who was cursed/blessed. In
HL (TV), immortality is triggered when a "pre-immortal" has their
"first death."
* In NA, no other immortals or supernatural creatures (yet), which
makes for a different show dynamic (so far.)
* In NA, no secret duels to the death in the modern world, which again
makes for a different dynamic.
* In NA, no use of Queen soundtracks. Come on, how can they not use
"Who Wants to Live Forever"?
Some of the similarities are natural. If you're going to have an
immortal character, you should make said character at least a few
hundred years old to increase your dramatic possibilities. [What was
Moonlight thinking?] If you're going to have a character who is
hundreds of years old, flashbacks are a logical way to tell stories.
Forged birth certificates and working with antiques are logical. If
NA wanted John to have lived in America the whole time and didn't want
him to be Native American, while maximizing his age, having him born
in the 1600s was a natural choice, and 400 years old is a nice round
number. Having a doctor discover the immortality is a logical plot
twist.
Some of the other similarities, though, stretch coincidence a lot
more. Especially the kid asking about beheading. If that wasn't a
reference to HL, why would the kid have asked that?
- Morty
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