NBC orders ‘Taken’ prequel straight to series

What happens before the events of “Taken“? Do you call it “Not Taken Yet”? It’s a little bit of a confusing idea for a series, but let’s be honest: At this point, network television is doing just about everything that it can to recycle old ideas, and this latest one is certainly no exception.

According to a new report from Deadline, NBC has ordered straight to series a prequel to the Liam Neeson film, and it will feature the character of Bryan receiving some of the “particular set of skills” that he earned prior to the start of the quest to rescue his daughter. In other words, this sounds just like a regular CIA show. We don’t know precisely what is going to make this so different than anything else that we’ve seen before.

The biggest question that we have is who the network is going to cast in the lead role. One of the only reasons why the “Taken” movies have become such a big success is because you have someone in Neeson who is such a strong, magnetic performer. Without getting him in the cast, we are not entirely sure just what the end results are going to be.

Still, we wonder if just using existing IPs is going to be what ultimately allows NBC and other major networks to start to get ahead once more in the ratings. This is why CBS has a new “Rush Hour” next year, why Fox is premiering “Minority Report” on Monday, and why “Fatal Attraction” is also in development.

What do you think about the idea of a “Taken” prequel series, and are you higher on it than we are at the moment? Let us know what you think right away in the comments, and head over here to get some other TV news on everything we cover at the site sent right to you via our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: NBC.)