Prime-time TV Tabletop

This fall I've actually been keeping up with a few prime-time TV shows -- something I don't often do -- for a very particular reason: tabletop ideas. There is no better application for consumable media than gaming, I say, and there are some shows ripe for the picking. Since these shows are still on-going I won't be giving away any spoilers -- meaning this post will be vague. What should be here, though, is a bit of a spotlight for three shows to watch or look into (all of which you're likely already watching, if you've made your way here).

First up is Sleepy Hollow on Fox, which is going to be back on air in a few days. I will say that I enjoy the show quite a bit, but it does have a somewhat silly over-arching storyline. The real meat to dig into here, I feel, is the individual baddies or situations that occur each week. Most any of them that have occurred, so far, can be ported over to your favorite system as-is and they often have some interesting abilities or quirks that would allow for a nice, lengthy adventure (or more).

Second is Marvel: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on ABC. This is a program that, I think, quite a few tabletop gamers and geeks are keeping up with, so it should be one of the more familiar titles on this post. One of the great aspects of it is how the shows plays out as a typical tabletop game experience. The team of agents feel quite similar to a band of PCs and the different episodes and events are reminiscent of adventures -- with the over-arching storyline being the central storyline of a campaign. What could be pulled from it? Just about anything, really. Though, I will say that I don't feel too strongly about any individual part -- they just kind of work as a whole.

Lastly, The Tomorrow People, on CW. This is likely the lesser-known show of the post, and, of the three, my least favorite so far. That said, it does have an interesting and useable setting and premise -- people being born with the potential for psychic abilities and a shady organization that hunts them. That might seem quite basic and familiar, but the details (possibly spoilery, so I won't mention them) in the show do help to flesh it out and make it more unique. It does have the fewest episodes out of the three, so I'm hoping the show will start to pick up more soon and pique my interest more.

And that's that. I'll likely have a more in-depth post about these series -- and the ideas they spawn -- in the future, when the shows have finished their seasons and I can feel better about being more spoilery. Until then, I definitely recommend checking them out -- you should be able to catch episodes, for free, on their network's websites. So, not much reason to miss them, really.