SHOWTIME will try to rid itself of bugs, rats and other vermin by turning an edgy comic book about exterminators into a new TV series.
The project was first reported yesterday as “in development” by the Hollywood Reporter.
“The Exterminators,” from DC Comics’ adult-themed Vertigo brand, was originally conceived as a TV show that was sort of a dark-but-funny philosophical and social commentary like “Six Feet Under” – only with a rat-squashing ex-con-turned-bug killer as the main character.
But its creator couldn’t sell it to a network, so he turned it into a comic book.
Overall, the story follows the misadventures of the Bug-Bee-Gone extermination agency as they discover a massive conspiracy that pits the entire human race against mother nature’s nastiest pests.
Like the books, the TV series – from the producers of “Dexter” – will feature a collection of eccentric, soul-searching characters who deal with Khmer Rouge flashbacks, white supremacists, Egyptian mythology, corporate intrigue and a cockroach killing poison/narcotic that makes the user explode.
Showtime has spent a great deal of time and money over the last few years on original programming in a bid to position itself as a destination for viewers, much the same way HBO did with “Sex and the City” and “The Sopranos.”
Two of its most popular shows, “Weeds” (about a suburban mom-turned-pot dealer) and “Dexter” (which follows a serial killer who targets other serial killers) are critical hits.