TCA 2012: ‘Revolution’ Team Assures Scientific Justification for Power Outage Premise

Among the many reservations reporters tried to voice for the the creative team behind Revolution during its Tuesday Television Critics Association panel, the absence of electricity in the upcoming NBC drama appeared to be the toughest pill to swallow.  

“The laws of physics have changed,” creator Eric Kripke (Supernatural) said of the world, set 15 years after power went off across the globe.

But just because the rules have changed, does not mean they’re ignoring them. Kripke says a physicist was brought into the writers room early in the story breaking process to verify the series’ plausibility.  

“We did our homework, and we came up with something that actually is quite possible,” said Kripke. “We pitched him the secret as to why all of the power went out, and his face just lit up. He said, ‘That’s absolutely possible’.”

The reassurance of a plan, and a realistic one at that, should help the freshman drama find a few more viewers — but the population’s noticeable fatigue with heavily serialized network dramas was also a topic of concern during the panel.

“The audience has a tremendous capacity for sophisticated storylines,” said pilot director Jon Favreau. “There’s always going to be smart television.”

Kripke echoed his sentiments, though he was quick to point out that it wasn’t all about serial storylines.

“I’m not a fan of endless mystery in storytelling,” he said. “I like to know where the mythology is going and that we’re getting there in exciting, fast-paced way… I never get too precious with questions, because you can answer then and then ask new ones.”

The duo also said that the grim prospect of powerless United States shouldn’t have anything expecting a dystopian drama. They skirted darker references such as Mad Max and The Road in favor of something more akin to the fantasy of Lord of the Rings.

And when subject turned to the notion of gun control mentioned in the pilot, with unspoken references to the Colorado Dark Knight Rises shootings, Kripke was quick to dismiss that was an overlaying issue — or something they’ll shy away from.

“I think we’re talking about a broader canvas than that,” Kripke said, referencing to the pre-Revolutionary War elements in the story. “What we’re really talking about is a very patriotic show that is in many ways about people fighting for freedom.”