One comic book-based TV series that was conspicuous by its absence at the recent TV upfront presentations for advertisers was the live-action Titans series that Akiva Goldsman was prepping for TNT.  Back in September Variety reported that TNT was close to ordering a pilot on the Teen Titans property (see "'Teen Titans' Live Action"), but there was no announcement of the series at TNT’s upfront event.

When asked by TV Line about the status of the live-action Teen Titans, TNT President Kevin Reilly said "Akiva’s been very busy doing some other things, but hopes, maybe this summer to finalize casting and ramp up production."

So far so good for those interested in seeing a gritty live-action version of the Teen Titans, though everything is likely predicated on the current superhero TV shows continuing to do well in the ratings.  Reilly is very aware of what could be a surfeit of superheroes on the small screen--witness what he said about his meeting with Goldsman: "I sat down with Akiva and said--and he ultimately agreed--that the [TV] landscape right now is well-serviced on the superhero front.  So what space is this (the live-action Teen Titans show) going to inhabit?  And really what he wants to do is be very true to the source material."

The good news is that Reilly, in spite of any reservations he may have about the current state of the TV marketplace, does believe that "source material" was a groundbreaking comic book series, particularly in its early years: "There were consequences to things that happened; it wasn’t somebody died and they moved on. There was the first superhero to be an addict [in Roy Harper’s Speedy]. It’s a coming-of-age story for Robin, who feels like Batman has betrayed him."

The Teen Titans who are rumored to be included in the script for the pilot of the new Teen Titans series include Dick Grayson/Robin, Barbara Gordon, Hawk/Hank Hall, Dove/Dawn Granger, Raven/Rachel Roth, and the alien princess Starfire.