Warehouse 13 pilot script – CliqueClack preview

You may be a fan of Stargate Atlantis, Ghost Hunters, Sanctuary or any number of other Sci Fi shows, but let’s face it; its crown jewel is Battlestar Galactica. So, one has to wonder: what’s going to happen at Sci Fi when BSG is over?

You may recall that last October, I went on a little “ride-along” with the Ghost Hunters, accompanied by a representative of NBC Universal/Sci Fi. We had a lot of time to kill in between everything going on, so we talked a bit about what Sci Fi is banking on — what will be the next “big” show for them — now with Stargate Atlantis over and Battlestar Galactica right behind it?

Caprica? Nope. Her answer: Warehouse 13.

Seeing as I had an opportunity to give the pilot script a look (or at least one of its later revisions), I had to see if there was something to this new show. Does it read like a show that could gather a cult-like following? After all, it’s written by BSG alum Jane Espenson.

First, let’s go over the plot. The show centers on two Secret Service agents who, after saving the President’s life, are rapidly reassigned to oversee a huge, mysterious “warehouse,” located in the middle of nowhere (i.e., South Dakota).  We quickly find out that this warehouse — Warehouse 13 — is a very old storage facility for anything strange, supernatural or otherworldly that the U.S. government happens upon. By old, I mean since at least the 1800s, and by huge, I mean impossibly so — it’s built into the side of a mountain and, inside, stretches out of sight.

The agents, Myka (Joanne Kelly) and Pete (Eddie McClintock) aren’t alone at the Warehouse. With them is the current caretaker, Artie (Saul Rubinek), who’s been taking care of the Warehouse and its contents for quite some time. Artie introduces the agents to the Warehouse and gradually reveals some of its odd contents. For example, there’s a teapot that produces seemingly random objects when you make a wish and rub it, and a football that, when thrown, circumvents the globe within a couple of days and returns to the thrower (as long as he’s back to catch it). And there are LOTS more where those came from, with even stranger properties.

In this particular episode, the agents are sent to retrieve the second half of a mysterious object that’s causing people to act the opposite of their nature when the object is split and the people are within a piece’s proximity. It proves to be a much more difficult task than the two anticipated, leading them to decide that protecting the contents of the Warehouse (and anything that should belong in the Warehouse) is a very worthwhile task.

The casting of Rubinek as Artie is a perfect choice. Artie is a quirky and neurotic character with something to hide, though seems a bit innocent at first glance. McClintock fits the bill as the gruff Pete Lattimer, though I don’t know enough about Joanne Kelly to know how well she’ll fare as Myka Bering. CCH Pounder, the mysterious new “boss” for the two relocated agents, is another great casting choice.

Warehouse 13 shares some things in common with TV shows gone by such as The X-Files, Friday the 13th and the mini-series The Lost Room. With a seemingly endless amount of artifacts to watch over — most with undocumented properties — there won’t be lack of writing material, that’s for sure. But can Warehouse 13 carry on a cult-like following that shows like Stargate and Battlestar Galactica have?

If the writers can stay away from too many object-of-the-week episodes and continue to dive us deeper into the why and how of Warehouse 13, there’s a possibility that it could be a huge success. As with most scripts, it’s going to take watching the actual episode on-screen to make me truly excited or disappointed. For now, though, call me cautiously optimistic, but I can’t yet give it my cult stamp of approval quite yet.

Look for Warehouse 13 to premiere sometime later this year on Sci Fi.

Clacked by Keith McDuffee
on Jan 13, 2009 @ 17:03 EST5EDT