Double, trouble, toil and trouble.
The Salem Witch Trials are coming to WGN – America with a brand new series duly called, Salem. The series comes from nerd hero, producer Brannon Braga, who’s name you might recognize from some of the Star Trek series such as Enterprise of which Braga was at the helm, as well as Steven Spielberg‘s short lived FOX show Terra Nova.
The series of course takes place in the 17th century at the height of witch paranoia, and delves deeper into the black magic, and paranormal explanation behind the trials.Salem Lands Director Richard Shepard
Braga has landed director Richard Shepard who’s directing credits include The Matador starring Pierce Brosnan, and the HBO hit series Girls. Shepard has worked in television for a while now, generating some buzz for his movies but nothing noteworthy. However, if Braga is behind it we can expect to see some incredible story telling with characters that are complex and relatable.
We’re unsure about the program being aired on WGN – America, a Chicago based network, primarily because WGN hasn’t produced original content of this caliber before. They’ve delved into talk shows, and a hybrid television/online reality series, but nothing scripted at this level.
So this begs the question: can WGN break free from it’s status as a network that simply airs re-runs? Can it actually make a name for itself and produce quality programming? It’s a risky venture for the network, but one we hope proves fruitful nonetheless.