The 'Watchmen' are coming


"Who watches the Watchmen?"

Earlier this week, Christmas came early when HBO announced that Damon Lindelof would adapt the famous graphic novel "Watchmen." "Watchmen" is one of the all time graphic novels, making the Time Magazine list of the 250 greatest novels of all time.

It was previously adapted into a very faithful film by Zach Snyder. I love the film, because I love the story, but I recognize the flaws. It wasn't a popular film with critics and had mixed reviews from fans.

Lindelof is well versed in mixed reviews. He's dealt with them all his career. Yet, he's been prolific in creating TV series. "L.O.S.T." despite its flaws was remarkable television. And "The Leftovers," another challenging book to adapt, was one of the best series of all time, largely thanks to Lindelof.

And both dealt with morally dubious stories and open-ended philosophical questions. Sounds like "Watchmen," doesn't it? So, naturally, I'm excited. Here's why:

* "Watchmen" is the perfect story for this time. It's set in the past, but it focused on the danger in believing in heroes and saviors. It focused on the flaws of those who'd propose to save the world. And it asked hard questions about the world and our leaders. Can you imagine a better time for this?

* HBO is the perfect home for such a show. HBO has the money, resources and patience to make this work. Look at what they've done with "Game of Thrones," another sprawling and supposedly unfilmable epic. They give people creative freedom, which is what is needed to nail this kind of adaptation.

* Lindelof's track record. Not only has he created great TV series, he has been passionate about advocating for the right ending. That happened with "L.O.S.T." and "The Leftovers." And this is the kind of show that needs to have a finite time and structure. I believe Lindelof is the right man for the job.

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