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On the run from the National Security Agency, Zeta is joined by [[Rosalie Rowan]], a sarcastic, street-smart runaway searching for her family. With Ro's help, "Zee" learns that his only chance for freedom is to find his creator, Doctor [[Eli Selig]]. |
On the run from the National Security Agency, Zeta is joined by [[Rosalie Rowan]], a sarcastic, street-smart runaway searching for her family. With Ro's help, "Zee" learns that his only chance for freedom is to find his creator, Doctor [[Eli Selig]]. |
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| − | Goodman said he had the idea for a spinoff from "[[Zeta (episode)|Zeta]]" when the episode was in pre-production, after the ''Batman Beyond'' team had been |
+ | Goodman said he had the idea for a spinoff from "[[Zeta (episode)|Zeta]]" when the episode was in pre-production, after the ''Batman Beyond'' team had been socialising after the Emmy Awards: "The Fugitive but with a runaway robot". His original intention was to make a show "darker" than ''Batman Beyond'' and the intention was to use the original design, with use of laser guns. The network pushed for a more kid-friendly, lighter approach. Zeta's design was redone to be more "relatable" as a result, a decision Goodman felt was correct, and Zeta was possibly recast due to a network design for a friendlier voice. <ref>[https://youtu.be/rhp9gWiHl10?t=513 Watchtower Database: "Bob Goodman Reveals THE ZETA PROJECT Season 3...and 4?! (24-Hour Birthday Bash)"], 07:00 to 08:00, 11:00 to 12:50, 26:31 to 28:10, 30:05 to 31:30</ref> |
The network's directive led to the show being brightly coloured, often set in daylight, and with an entirely pacifistic Zeta and somewhat less aggressive Bennett. (Notably, when both appear in ''Beyond'' episode "[[Countdown]]", they are far more violent than on ''Zeta Project'' with Zeta throwing Jokerz off a bridge and Bennett recklessly endangering bystanders!) Underneath the surface brightness, however, the show remained about a former sanctioned killer, with plots involving extrajudicial assassinations, government coverups, and the basic idea of the government (as one character put it) "sending infiltration units home to their [targets] wives and kids"<ref>Zeta's handler, "[[Lost and Found]]"</ref>. |
The network's directive led to the show being brightly coloured, often set in daylight, and with an entirely pacifistic Zeta and somewhat less aggressive Bennett. (Notably, when both appear in ''Beyond'' episode "[[Countdown]]", they are far more violent than on ''Zeta Project'' with Zeta throwing Jokerz off a bridge and Bennett recklessly endangering bystanders!) Underneath the surface brightness, however, the show remained about a former sanctioned killer, with plots involving extrajudicial assassinations, government coverups, and the basic idea of the government (as one character put it) "sending infiltration units home to their [targets] wives and kids"<ref>Zeta's handler, "[[Lost and Found]]"</ref>. |
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[[Z-8|Robots based on Zeta's original form]] would appear in ''[[Justice League Unlimited]]'', an intentional nod to show the start of the government's synthoid projects. <ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhp9gWiHl10 Watchtower Database: "Bob Goodman Reveals THE ZETA PROJECT Season 3...and 4?! (24-Hour Birthday Bash)"], 43:00 to 43:25</ref> |
[[Z-8|Robots based on Zeta's original form]] would appear in ''[[Justice League Unlimited]]'', an intentional nod to show the start of the government's synthoid projects. <ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhp9gWiHl10 Watchtower Database: "Bob Goodman Reveals THE ZETA PROJECT Season 3...and 4?! (24-Hour Birthday Bash)"], 43:00 to 43:25</ref> |
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| − | It had almost cancelled after S1 due to the events of 9/11 and to save it, the show had to cut the word "terrorist". <ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhp9gWiHl10 Watchtower Database: "Bob Goodman Reveals THE ZETA PROJECT Season 3...and 4?! (24-Hour Birthday Bash)"], 47:30 to 49:30</ref> You can see [[Brother's Day]] abruptly be called 'criminals' instead when they appear in S2. |
+ | It had almost been cancelled after S1 due to the events of 9/11 and to save it, the show had to cut the word "terrorist". <ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhp9gWiHl10 Watchtower Database: "Bob Goodman Reveals THE ZETA PROJECT Season 3...and 4?! (24-Hour Birthday Bash)"], 47:30 to 49:30</ref> You can see [[Brother's Day]] abruptly be called 'criminals' instead when they appear in S2. |
==Cancellation and unmade seasons== |
==Cancellation and unmade seasons== |
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| − | Goodman planned a four year semi-serialised arc. A now-lost online flash game called ''Zeta 3D'' came out in May 2001 with an Infiltration Unit 8. In his ''Watchtower'' interview, Goodman confirmed he did have plans for an IU8 (but has since forgotten most of them) and had some input in the game. <ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhp9gWiHl10 Watchtower Database: "Bob Goodman Reveals THE ZETA PROJECT Season 3...and 4?! (24-Hour Birthday Bash)"], 37:10 to 39:00</ref> |
+ | Goodman planned a four year semi-serialised arc, partly mapped out based on ''The Fugitive'' and how many episodes Lt. Gerard (for Bennett) and the One-Armed Man (Selig) made appearances. A now-lost online flash game called ''Zeta Quest 3D'' came out in May 2001 with an Infiltration Unit 8. In his ''Watchtower'' interview, Goodman confirmed he did have plans for an IU8 (but has since forgotten most of them) and had some input in the game. <ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhp9gWiHl10 Watchtower Database: "Bob Goodman Reveals THE ZETA PROJECT Season 3...and 4?! (24-Hour Birthday Bash)"], 37:10 to 39:00</ref> |
However, the show was cancelled in its second season at the eleventh hour, with the crew unsure if the network would renew it. The show was ordered to have a cliffhanger, the death of [[Eli Selig]] and a robotic hand out of the water, as a ratings boost just in case the network decided to renew. Robert Goodman said in an interview with ''Worlds Finest Online'' that this made him unsure where to take the show. "I also knew that if we did come back, the network wanted to take the show in directions I didn't want to go... I was wondering if it wouldn't be best to let the curtain go down right then and there." <ref>[http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/zetaproject/backstage/rg04.php The World's Finest talks to Series Creator, Robert Goodman]</ref> |
However, the show was cancelled in its second season at the eleventh hour, with the crew unsure if the network would renew it. The show was ordered to have a cliffhanger, the death of [[Eli Selig]] and a robotic hand out of the water, as a ratings boost just in case the network decided to renew. Robert Goodman said in an interview with ''Worlds Finest Online'' that this made him unsure where to take the show. "I also knew that if we did come back, the network wanted to take the show in directions I didn't want to go... I was wondering if it wouldn't be best to let the curtain go down right then and there." <ref>[http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/zetaproject/backstage/rg04.php The World's Finest talks to Series Creator, Robert Goodman]</ref> |
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== Zeta revival pitch == |
== Zeta revival pitch == |
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| − | [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Schneider_(screen_actor) Jon Schnieder] planned to create a live-action ''Zeta Project'' reboot with Bob Goodman. He originally mentioned it on his website, which was confirmed in 2020 by Goodman. It would not have been modeled after ''The Fugitive'' |
+ | [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Schneider_(screen_actor) Jon Schnieder] planned to create a live-action ''Zeta Project'' reboot with Bob Goodman. He originally mentioned it on his website, which was confirmed in 2020 by Goodman. It would not have been modeled after ''The Fugitive'' was WB TV had recently done a failed reboot of it and it was a "dirty word" at the company. Instead, Ro was an FBI cyber crimes agent and Zeta had 'replaced' her partner, and they would solve tech crimes every week in a procedural.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhp9gWiHl10 Watchtower Database: "Bob Goodman Reveals THE ZETA PROJECT Season 3...and 4?! (24-Hour Birthday Bash)"], 23:10 to 26:30</ref> |
== Cast == |
== Cast == |
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Revision as of 19:29, 8 May 2021
The Zeta Project is an animated series that ran from 2001 to 2002. It was a spinoff of the Batman Beyond episode "Zeta".
Infiltration Unit Zeta was built by the government to replace and eliminate targeted enemies. On one mission, however, he learned that the man he was sent to kill was innocent and made the decision not to destroy anymore. Unfortunately for Zeta, the government believes he has been reprogrammed by the organization he had been infiltrating and will stop at nothing to retrieve the renegade synthoid.
On the run from the National Security Agency, Zeta is joined by Rosalie Rowan, a sarcastic, street-smart runaway searching for her family. With Ro's help, "Zee" learns that his only chance for freedom is to find his creator, Doctor Eli Selig.
Goodman said he had the idea for a spinoff from "Zeta" when the episode was in pre-production, after the Batman Beyond team had been socialising after the Emmy Awards: "The Fugitive but with a runaway robot". His original intention was to make a show "darker" than Batman Beyond and the intention was to use the original design, with use of laser guns. The network pushed for a more kid-friendly, lighter approach. Zeta's design was redone to be more "relatable" as a result, a decision Goodman felt was correct, and Zeta was possibly recast due to a network design for a friendlier voice. [1]
The network's directive led to the show being brightly coloured, often set in daylight, and with an entirely pacifistic Zeta and somewhat less aggressive Bennett. (Notably, when both appear in Beyond episode "Countdown", they are far more violent than on Zeta Project with Zeta throwing Jokerz off a bridge and Bennett recklessly endangering bystanders!) Underneath the surface brightness, however, the show remained about a former sanctioned killer, with plots involving extrajudicial assassinations, government coverups, and the basic idea of the government (as one character put it) "sending infiltration units home to their [targets] wives and kids"[2].
Robots based on Zeta's original form would appear in Justice League Unlimited, an intentional nod to show the start of the government's synthoid projects. [3]
It had almost been cancelled after S1 due to the events of 9/11 and to save it, the show had to cut the word "terrorist". [4] You can see Brother's Day abruptly be called 'criminals' instead when they appear in S2.
Cancellation and unmade seasons
Goodman planned a four year semi-serialised arc, partly mapped out based on The Fugitive and how many episodes Lt. Gerard (for Bennett) and the One-Armed Man (Selig) made appearances. A now-lost online flash game called Zeta Quest 3D came out in May 2001 with an Infiltration Unit 8. In his Watchtower interview, Goodman confirmed he did have plans for an IU8 (but has since forgotten most of them) and had some input in the game. [5]
However, the show was cancelled in its second season at the eleventh hour, with the crew unsure if the network would renew it. The show was ordered to have a cliffhanger, the death of Eli Selig and a robotic hand out of the water, as a ratings boost just in case the network decided to renew. Robert Goodman said in an interview with Worlds Finest Online that this made him unsure where to take the show. "I also knew that if we did come back, the network wanted to take the show in directions I didn't want to go... I was wondering if it wouldn't be best to let the curtain go down right then and there." [6]
On 12 May 2013, Goodman finally revealed one of those directions when he tweeted that "one of the twists the network wanted" was that Ro would be a robot.[7]
In an interview with Watchtower Database on 30th October 2020, Goodman would reveal that the show had been cancelled because he quit, saying the network's kid friendly demands ("no fighting, no bad guys") was making it "impossible" to produce the show he wanted or get stories through. (Several episodes had natural disasters as a threat because this was what they had to use instead of villains) The final straw was that the Season 3 WB wanted was about Zeta and Ro as public good guys solving crimes together. WB was unable to get a replacement showrunner. [8]
Goodman made it clear that Zeta and Ro wouldn't have become a couple; "sorry to disappoint, 'shippers." [9]
Zeta revival pitch
Jon Schnieder planned to create a live-action Zeta Project reboot with Bob Goodman. He originally mentioned it on his website, which was confirmed in 2020 by Goodman. It would not have been modeled after The Fugitive was WB TV had recently done a failed reboot of it and it was a "dirty word" at the company. Instead, Ro was an FBI cyber crimes agent and Zeta had 'replaced' her partner, and they would solve tech crimes every week in a procedural.[10]
Cast
- Diedrich Bader as Zeta / Zee
- Julie Nathanson as Ro
- Kurtwood Smith as Agent Bennet
- Michael Rosenbaum as Agent West
- Lauren Tom as Agent Lee
Production Crew
Creators
- Robert Goodman — Series Creator, Producer, Writer
Producers
- Haven Alexander — Associate Producer
- Alan Burnett — Producer, Writer
- Liz Holzman — Supervising Producer
- Jean MacCurdy — Executive Producer
- Kathryn Page — Associate Producer
Directors
- Bob Davies — Director
- Bob Doucette — Director
- Curt Geda — Director
- Liz Holzman — Director
- T.J. House — Director
- Tim Maltby — Director
- Dan Riba — Director
Writers
- Hilary J. Bader — Writer
- Kevin Hopps — Writer
- Ralph Soll — Writer
- Rich Fogel — Writer
- Stacey Liss Goodman — Writer
- Wendell Morris — Writer
- Tom Sheppard — Writer
- Paul Diamond — Writer
- Katy Cooper — Writer
- Ned Teitelbaum — Writer
- Joseph Kuhr — Writer
- Liz Holzman — Writer
- Randy Rogel — Writer
- Lyle Weldon — Writer
- David Benullo — Writer
- Christopher Simmons — Writer
Casting
- Leslie Lamers — Casting Director
- Andrea Romano — Casting Director, Voice Direction
Episodes
Season One
| Airdate Order | Prod. Order | Title | Directed by | Written by | Airdate | Opponent(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 01 | The Accomplice | Curt Geda | Robert Goodman | January 27, 2001 | Agent Bennet & NSA |
| 02 | 02 | His Maker's Name | Tim Maltby | Hilary J. Bader | February 3, 2001 | Agent Bennet & NSA |
| 03 | 04 | Remote Control | Curt Geda | Ralph Soll | February 10, 2001 | Bucky & Donald Tannor |
| 04 | 03 | Change of Heart | Bob Doucette | Kevin Hopps | February 17, 2001 | Agent Bennet & NSA |
| 05 | 05 | The Next Gen | Tim Maltby | Hilary J. Bader | February 24, 2001 | IU7 |
| 06 | 06 | West Bound | Bob Doucette | Stacey Liss Goodman & Robert Goodman | March 10, 2001 | Agent Bennet & NSA |
| 07 | 07 | Hicksburg | Curt Geda | Paul Diamond | March 31, 2001 | Agent Bennet & NSA |
| 08 | 08 | Shadows | Tim Maltby | Hilary J. Bader | April 7, 2001 | IU7 |
| 09 | 09 | Crime Waves | Bob Doucette | Kevin Hopps | April 14, 2001 | Sven |
| 10 | 10 | Taffy Time | Tim Maltby | Hilary J. Bader | May 5, 2001 | Krick |
| 11 | 11 | Ro's Reunion | Tim Maltby | Katy Cooper & Ned Teitelbaum | May 12, 2001 | Agent Bennet & NSA, Harry Lux |
| 12 | 12 | Kid Genius | Bob Doucette | Paul Diamond | August 11, 2001 | Donald Tannor |
| 13 | 13 | Absolute Zero | Curt Geda | Robert Goodman & Kevin Hopps | March 23, 2002 | Agent Bennet & NSA |
Season Two
| Airdate Order | Prod. Order | Title | Directed by | Written by | Airdate | Opponent(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 14 | Wired, Part I | Curt Geda | Robert Goodman | March 30, 2002 | Agent Bennet & NSA, Meg, Plug and Buss |
| 02 | 15 | Wired, Part II | Liz Holzman | Robert Goodman | April 6, 2002 | Agent Bennet & NSA |
| 03 | 19 | Resume Mission | Rob Davies | Ralph Soll | April 13, 2002 | IU7 |
| 04 | 16 | Hunt in the Hub | T.J. House | Paul Diamond | April 20, 2002 | Thomas Boyle, NSA |
| 05 | 17 | Ro's Gift | Rob Davies | Hilary J. Bader & Joseph Kuhr | April 27, 2002 | Brain Trust |
| 06 | 20 | Lost and Found | Curt Geda & T.J. House | Randy Rogel | May 11, 2002 | Krick |
| 07 | 24 | Eye of the Storm | Tim Maltby | Ralph Soll | May 18, 2002 | Tornadoes |
| 08 | 18 | Quality Time | Tim Maltby | Kevin Hopps & Ralph Soll | July 13, 2002 | Agent Bennet |
| 09 | 21 | On the Wire | Curt Geda | Joseph Kuhr | July 20, 2002 | Agent Bennet & NSA |
| 10 | 22 | Cabin Pressure | Rob Davies & Olaf Miller | Lyle Weldon | July 27, 2002 | Agent Bennet & NSA |
| 11 | 25 | The River Rising | Curt Geda | Paul Diamond | August 3, 2002 | Agent Bennet & NSA, No-Tech |
| 12 | 26 | The Hologram Man | Rob Davies | Robert Goodman & Joseph Kuhr | August 10, 2002 | Brother's Day, Agent Bennet & NSA |
| 13 | 23 | The Wrong Morph | Curt Geda | David Benullo | August 17, 2002 | Dr. Myrell, Blake |
Home Video
See also
References
- ↑ Watchtower Database: "Bob Goodman Reveals THE ZETA PROJECT Season 3...and 4?! (24-Hour Birthday Bash)", 07:00 to 08:00, 11:00 to 12:50, 26:31 to 28:10, 30:05 to 31:30
- ↑ Zeta's handler, "Lost and Found"
- ↑ Watchtower Database: "Bob Goodman Reveals THE ZETA PROJECT Season 3...and 4?! (24-Hour Birthday Bash)", 43:00 to 43:25
- ↑ Watchtower Database: "Bob Goodman Reveals THE ZETA PROJECT Season 3...and 4?! (24-Hour Birthday Bash)", 47:30 to 49:30
- ↑ Watchtower Database: "Bob Goodman Reveals THE ZETA PROJECT Season 3...and 4?! (24-Hour Birthday Bash)", 37:10 to 39:00
- ↑ The World's Finest talks to Series Creator, Robert Goodman
- ↑ Screenshot of tweets between Goodman and Nathanson, "The Zeta Project" tumblr
- ↑ Watchtower Database: "Bob Goodman Reveals THE ZETA PROJECT Season 3...and 4?! (24-Hour Birthday Bash)", 47:30 to 54:55
- ↑ The World's Finest talks to Series Creator, Robert Goodman: "They already love each other plenty," says Goodman. "It's the kind of love that's between two close friends, or even more to the point, between siblings... It was really never my intention that they be anything more than that."
- ↑ Watchtower Database: "Bob Goodman Reveals THE ZETA PROJECT Season 3...and 4?! (24-Hour Birthday Bash)", 23:10 to 26:30