SCI FI Takes the Lock off Warehouse 13

SCI FI Channel has greenlit production on the new series called Warehouse 13 which, not surprisingly, is about a warehouse full of bizarre objects and the agents who guard it. The series stars Eddie McClintock (Bones, My Boys, Desperate Housewives), Joanne Kelly (Vanished, Jeremiah, Slings and Arrows) and Saul Rubinek (Frasier, Blind Justice, A Nero Wolfe Mystery).  And here’s the synopsis:

After saving the life of the President, two Secret Service agents find themselves abruptly transferred to Warehouse 13 — a massive, top secret storage facility in windswept South Dakota which houses every strange artifact, mysterious relic, fantastical object and supernatural souvenir ever collected by the U.S. government. The Warehouse’s caretaker Artie (Rubinek) charges Pete (McClintock) and Myka (Kelly) with chasing down reports of supernatural and paranormal activity in search of new objects to cache at the Warehouse, as well as helping him to control the warehouse itself.

All of which sounded really good to me until I read this quote:

“Warehouse 13 is an exciting, imaginative, fun, adventure show with an amazing team that will continue to broaden our audience,” says Mark Stern. “It is a perfect companion series to Eureka which is a proven success and currently SCI FI’s most watched original series.”

Grrr.  I don’t want fun and imaginative.  I want cool and scary.  I want it to be like John Winchester’s storage unit or the vault from Friday the 13th the Series. I will reserve a bit of judgement as the pilot was written in part by Jane Espenson of Buffy fame, but if the above quote is on point then I won’t be watching past the first episode. Maybe he’s got it all wrong.  I can hope, can’t I?

Production is slated to begin this February in Toronto for a July 2009 premiere with a two-hour pilot followed by 11 episodes.

WAREHOUSE 13 — “Pilot” — Pictured: (l-r) Saul Rubinek as Artie Nelsen, Joanne Kelly as Myka Bering, Eddie McClintock as Pete Lattimer — SCI FI Channel Photo: Philippe Bosse