Sunday, July 25, 2010

NWZ Unfilmed Script : "Reasonable Doubts"

I was asked about the unfilmed scripts in a comment to another post. It would be better for me to answer some of these queries in new posts rather than burying the information in the comments to an unrelated post.

First off, I cannot share scans of the scripts for free. Please do not ask. I am bound by a promise to another person, and the scripts were very expensive. I cannot and will not give them away for free. If we would ever get people who would be willing to pay a fair price for copies, then we could get a return on our investment and more people would be able to read them.

One of the scripts is called "Reasonable Doubts." This script is for an unfilmed episode from the fourth season. The fourth season was cut short due to one of the production companies pulling out, so only part of the season was filmed.

Here is a short summary of the events that occur in this script:

The Monterey stagecoach that is carrying the garrison's payroll is ambushed by bandits. DeSoto and his men arrive just in time to hear the wounded coach driver regain consciousness briefly and accuse a wounded passenger, Domingo Cano, of staging the ambush. The coach driver dies seconds later, leaving DeSoto no chance to question him. DeSoto assumes that Cano is guilty and plans to hang him the next day. After Don Diego hears of the arrest and planned execution, he decides to investigate. As Zorro, he frees Cano and quickly searches for clues at the scene of the ambush while pursued by DeSoto and the soldiers.

That is an incomplete summary that I wrote a long time ago, and I do not wish to pull out the script and try for a more complete one. My general impression after reading this script is that it would have made for an average episode.

Following is a scan of the first page of the script. Click on the image to see a larger version that can be read more easily.


Look for information on another unfilmed script in an upcoming post.

Note: Many of you are posting as "Anonymous," which I currently have enabled on this blog. I am kindly requesting that you add your initials or some identifier to the end of your comments. When the comments posted are by Anonymous, Anonymous, Anonymous, and Anonymous, it makes it hard to know how many people that represents. I really don't want to squelch the discussion, but I will change to Google ID required within a few days if necessary in order to force people to be counted as separate individuals. This would not affect any polls, but it would require you to create a Google account in order to comment. Thanks for your understanding and cooperation.

7 comments:

Zorro fan said...

Very interesting I must say. What a shame, that these unfilmed scripts never were filmed. The series should have gone on until cast and crew decided to make a finale.

I was wondering how you have obtained these scripts? How many does there exist? Who wrote them? How long are a Zorro script (I have always wanted to know that)?

Another thing, and i Guess this really belongs in another blog, but why were the number of episodes produced uneven from season 1-3? They made 25 episodes the first year, then 30 (which is a number that is unheard of in these days and even then!) and finally 20 episodes in the third season. Now they did air 25 per year, but 5 of the episodes aired during the 3rd season were made during the 2nd. Why is that? I wonder if it has anything to do with money? Probably...

And finally, I have posted the anonymous post which I havn't posted myself - all the rest under the name anonymous until this date is mine. I hope that clears things up and helps you to keep a record of visitors and so on! :)

These will be in another post, since there isn't room here...

Zorro fan said...

Posts NOT by me below, other posts under the name anonymous IS me:
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Anonymous said...
1. Duncan Regehr-Zorro/Diego
2. Patrice Martinez-Victoria
3. Juan Diego Botto- Felipe
4. James Victor-Mendoza
5. Michael Tylo-Alcalde Ramon
6. Henry Darrow-Alejandro
7. Efrem Zimbalist Jr.- Alejandro
8. John Hertzler-Alcalde De Soto
9. Toronado-Toronado :)

June 26, 2010 12:36 PM
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Anonymous said...
i think that it should become zorro the next generation.

July 21, 2010 8:48 AM
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Anonymous said...
Danny,

I love your enthusiasm. I've been working on the NWZ finale project for two years now. You'd be amazed at how much goes into making something like this happen. It's getting closer but there's still some hurdles to overcome.

Daryl

July 21, 2010 4:59 PM
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Anonymous said...
I would like that come also in French and Spanish languages

July 22, 2010 3:09 AM
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Anonymous said...
it should be called the new world Zorro i like that name

July 22, 2010 9:41 PM
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Anonymous said...
New World was the name of the production company. Family Channel was the name cable channel that aired the series. Zorro was actually the official title of the series. The same is true of the "Disney" Zorro series. It was originally title "Zorro". Disney is descriptive of who made it. New World Zorro needs a name to set it apart from the Disney series. In other parts of the world the series isn't necessarily referred to as New World or Family Channel Zorro. Also people who aren't die hard fans may confuse it with the Disney series or even the Alain Delon movie which was titled "Zorro". Hence the need for a title that sets it apart from all other Zorro's in the mind of the average everyday shopper. If the title "New World Zorro" is what does that then it's up to the majority to jump on board and express their opinion.

Personally I like:
New World Zorro
The Family Channel Zorro
The Family Channel's New World Zorro

However, my vote doesn't count. But yours does.

Daryl

July 23, 2010 11:13 AM
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Anonymous said...
Is it possible the title "The Wonder World of Zorro" might remind people of old "The World World of Disney" program? If so, might that lead them to believe these are part of the Disney Zorro collection?

Daryl

July 23, 2010 8:51 PM
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Anonymous said...
Interestingly Both the 1981 and 1997 animated Zorro series were titled "The New Adventures of Zorro".

Daryl

July 23, 2010 10:02 PM
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Zorro fan said...

Here is part two of the posts under the ANONYMOUS NOT BE ME:
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Anonymous said...
The DVD's will be released. As Jennifer stated it's the bonus material that's determining the release date. There's an incredible amount of footage that both ZPI and A&E must go through to select what they want to use. Then they have to process it, clean it up and convert it for DVD. That takes time. They are working as fast as they can to get it done. I was originally told fall for a time frame but fall could be anywhere from Sept to early Nov. Now ZPI is saying December. That seems more realistic. Getting this on the market is a priority. So please be patient. And be happy that this show is finally going to be available on DVD after so many years. Rest assured that I'll pass along updates as I get them.

Daryl

July 24, 2010 12:42 PM
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Anonymous said...
http://www.zorro.com/new_world.html

January 20, 2010 1:32 PM
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Anonymous said...
I myself want a slant with the New World Zorro. I LOVE the science involved! For one. The other, Toronado is a MUCH smarter horse, and is quite essential as a fighting tool!

August 12, 2009 11:35 PM
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Anonymous said...
I too would like a Disney style ZORRO. Could make a good listen. The new world doesn't do much for me personally.

August 16, 2009 1:36 PM
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Anonymous said...
I would LOVE it!!!!!!!

August 26, 2009 8:09 PM
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Anonymous said...
I want a New World Zorro. As much as the Disney Zorro is thrilling, I prefer the NW Zorro. I agree that the science and the horse put it above, although there was no comparing the sword fighting. Too bad by now sword fighting isn't as well regarded as it was then. It was hard not watching both oponents "play.

May 21, 2010 9:19 AM
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Anonymous said...
anyone who would like to have a look at the Spanish dubs can check here:
http://tvu.org.ru/index.php?show=season&sid=5110

until released on DVD ;)

FZ

June 5, 2009 9:03 PM
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Anonymous said...
Do you know when the episodes were filmed and how long production was for a season? For instance, did they film from march to july?

December 22, 2008 9:08 AM
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Anonymous said...
Thanks Jennifer. Do you know how what the schedule was like? Did they film 3 episodes a week or something like that? Thanks.

December 30, 2008 9:38 PM
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Jennifer White said...

That helps, thanks! :) I get email notices each time there is a comment, and it has been making my head spin with all of these emails that say "Anonymous." :) I feel like I'm responding to a huge crowd of different people, when there aren't really that many different people.

A Zorro fan in Germany tracked down the scripts from a few dealers. He is very tenacious, whereas I am not willing to search endlessly to the degree that he is. He is the one who provided me copies of the scripts. I have around 30 of the scripts for the series, plus the couple (?) that are unfilmed. I have to pull them out before I'll be able to remember how many unfilmed ones I have.

The fourth season unfilmed ones are easy to figure out, since only half the fourth season was filmed. All I can assume from the one that is probably from the second season is that they passed on it for other ones that they preferred to film.

We have no idea about the existence of other unfilmed scripts. It would be nice if "Stranger Than Fiction" would come to light. The DVD release may help bring some stuff to light. It should go far towards renewing interest in the series.

I have a detailed synopsis of another unfilmed script that I will post soon, like probably tomorrow.

The scripts run around 25 pages, and I am about to edit the post to contain an image of the very first page of the script. All of the pages run like the first page, so that will give you an idea of how much is in them.

I'll answer the question of the lengths of the seasons here, because I really don't know. I do know that the series was planned to be a 100 episode series, so it was probably supposed to end with the fourth season, but not all of the shows were filmed. It seems like they filmed a bunch of extra shows during the second season, but I don't know why. I believe that a few of the 3rd season shows were actually filmed during the second season. These are shows that do not have the alcalde in them, so they were able to save the old shows for later.

Zorro fan said...

I am glad that I could help with posting the ANONYMOUS posts, which I haven't written. Though I do feel a bit dumb, because it probably would have been easier just to include my own ones instead of the others. But the I didn't realise that there were so many posts submitted by ANONYMOUS bloggers, and when I first had begun the work I just decided to end it. Well, it sounds like it helped, so I guess it is all fine.

Now it is really interesting to see a original page from a Zorro script. I have seen one earlier posted by the musician Fish, who appeared on the series in the episode "The Newcomers".

The first unfilmed script you mention "Reasonable Doubts" sound a bit like the "Rush to Judgement" episode from season 3. The next one you mention "The Surprise Visit" doesn't sound like a very good episode at all. I am glad they didn't film that one. I sounds a bit Far-stretched on me. And thanks for telling the lenght of the scripts - an interesting fact I think.

I wish they had made all 100 episodes. As to why the made an uneven number of episodes, I don't know too, but I guess it must have been a money issue.

One of the producers, directors, writers, Robert L. McCoullough states in an interview, that there probable were less than 10 unfilmed episodes: http://fansofduncanregehr.com/site/Misc/mccullough.htm

JMY said...

What are the known facts about the edning to the series?

Was there a episode planned after "The Discovery"? Or was the ending just a way to screw the audience and make them want more?

Is there any synopsis or scripts that describes the "real" ending to the series?


Need to know =)

Jennifer White said...

The series ran out of money, so they ended the series on a cliffhanger. We do not know what would have happened if the series had been funded better and could have continued.