FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

6. The show had a big overarching mythology

Jason Fuchs was very inspired by Lost when writing the pilot for Big Thunder. Like the creators did for Lost, Jason Fuchs built his series around a big central mystery that would be compelling for viewers of all ages. That mystery would have unfolded over time as the series progressed. It was a bold decision to do an hour-long pilot with a central mystery, but Fuchs was eager to tell an ambitious story. It’s too bad we weren’t able to see that come to fruition.

7. Each episode would have focused on the doctor's duties

Image © Disney.

While there was a bigger story at play, Big Thunder was also a medical procedural, meaning that most episodes would contain cases the main character would have to solve. Frontier medicine wasn’t nearly as advanced as the medicine we have now, so the problems the characters needed to solve and the solutions would be a lot different than on other medical shows like House or Grey’s Anatomy. The core of most episodes would have revolved around the big city doctor taking care of patients in the small mining town his family moved to.

8. Some big names were attached to the series

Image © Disney.

Big Thunder had a lot going for it with several influential moviemakers involved in its creation. It was executive-produced by Melissa Rosenberg, who penned the five-film Twilight franchise. Another executive producer was Chris Morgan, writer of movies like Wanted and the Fast and the Furious series. On the acting side, Big Thunder nabbed Irish actor Ed MacLiam, popular in the United Kingdom for his role on the hit show EastEnders. The impressive pedigree of the cast and crew, among other things, leads to the next fact.

9. It was a big surprise that Big Thunder wasn't picked up to series

Image © Disney

Several media outlets expected Big Thunder to air on ABC. On the Nerdist Writer’s Panel host Ben Blacker seemed confident that the show would move forward when in conversation with Jason Fuchs. Additionally, popular Hollywood website and magazine Vulture named Big Thunder one of the 10 most promising network pilots of 2013. Nevertheless, at the 2013 May upfronts ABC did not include Big Thunder on its fall schedule.

10. Big Thunder is only one of numerous attempts to bring theme park attractions alive as stories

Image © Disney.

After the massive success of Pirates of the Caribbean, no way is Disney going to stop developing their theme park attractions for other media. As I mentioned, the film Tomorrowland is in the works for a May 2015 release date. In addition, the Disney-owned Marvel is publishing some great comics about hidden Disney gems. The first, Seekers of the Weird, is a story that takes place in Imagineer Rolly Crump’s never built “Museum of the Weird” attraction that would have served as a supernatural relic-filled add-on to The Haunted Mansion circa 1965. And, coming soon, Marvel is bringing EPCOT Center’s “Journey Into Imagination” attraction to the page with the Disney Kingdoms series Figment.

While it's sad that Big Thunder didn’t make it into our living rooms, it certainly had an interesting journey in its pursuit to the small screen. And remember, there’s a lot more Disney Park-themed content coming our way. I’ll explore it more in the weeks to come.

 
FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

Add new comment

About Theme Park Tourist

Theme Park Tourist is one of the web’s leading sources of essential information and entertaining articles about theme parks in Orlando and beyond.

We are one of the world’s largest theme park guide sites, hosting detailed guides to more than 80 theme parks around the globe.

Find Out More About Us...

Plan Your Trip

Our theme park guides contain reviews and ratings of rides, restaurants and hotels at more than 80 theme parks worldwide.

You can even print them.

Start Planning Now...