We’re just a couple of days out from the premiere ofTeacup, the newhorrorseries that’s set to hitPeacockon October 10 with its first two episodes. Loosely based on the bookStingerby Robert McCammon, the show features Yvonne Strahovski (Dexter,The Handmaid’s Tale) and Scott Speedman (Underworld,The Strangers) as part of a larger cast of characters that reside in rural Georgia, and must band together to face a mysterious threat in an all out battle for survival. Now, ahead of the series premiere, creator Ian McCullochis already addressing what the future holds forTeacupshould the series become a success, and the approach he takes to writing the show. Honestly,it makes us a little nervous.
Speaking withScreenRant, McCulloch discussedhis unconventional method of writing the series, saying that he approaches things from the POV of the audience, meaning – like us – he’s not entirely sure what’s going to happen next when he puts pen to page. While he did say that he does have a few ideas about whereTeacupcould go in future seasons,at this pointhe has no idea how it will end.
“I have some ideas, but I am a writer who doesn’t like to make his job easy, meaning, I don’t know what happens in the end. I write as an audience member. I like to see what happens as I write, which, by the way, I don’t recommend that. It’s really difficult and not the smartest way to do things. [Chuckles] But if I knew everything that happened — say it was going to be six seasons — then I’m not having fun. Then, I’m just dictating, I’m just a court stenographer. I want to be surprised as to what happens, as to what a character does, as to where things go. So, do I have some ideas? Yes. Do I know what happens? Absolutely not.”
Ian McCulloch Has Put Teacup In Dangerous Territory
While it’s understandable that McCulloch doesn’t want to know everything that happens before he sits down to write, considering that takes some of the creative spark out of the process, to not know where your show is going can often lead to disaster. It happened withLOST, where showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse admitted that theyregularly painted themselves into a corner they struggled to get out of. We all know how that turned out, and seeing as Stephen Kingrecently comparedTeacuptoLOST, well, that doesn’t necessarily fill us with hope.
Speaking of King, that brings up the point thatMcCulloch’s approach is far more conducive to writing novels, as both he and author Lee Child (Reacher) have said on numerous occasions that when they start a book, they let events unfold as they write, and have little knowledge of where the story might end up save for a couple of major plot points. That process has served them well, and catapulted them into the stratosphere of success, as the pair have sold a combined total of more than 500 million novels.
10 Best TV Series Adapted From Famous Novels
These series prove that novel adaptations remain a viable source of inspiration for successful tv.
When it comes to TV, however, there’s much more pressure to produce content on a regular basis, andyou don’t have the luxury of taking six months or more to write an episode. As such, if there’s no plan in place beforehand, things can quickly become a jumbled mess, which is glaringly obvious in the final product. Let’s hope thatTeacup, and its quick, 30-minute episodes, don’t fall into that category, and that the first ever adaptation of a McCammon novel doesn’t cause Hollywood to shy away from future books that are more than worthy of a good translation.
Teacup is a horror thriller series that follows a group of people thrust into the middle of rural Georgia who must face off with an unknown threat to stay alive.
