Spielberg Produced Female Astronaut Drama Greenlit by CBS

If Steven Spielberg resume as a director has an equal, it’s his legacy as a producer. Well, at least it is for this fan of Pinky and the Brain, Animaniacs, Freakazoid!, and Tiny Toon Adventures.

Okay, I suppose he’s also produced some live action television that’s made it’s mark, and that’s probably the legacy that CBS is trading on by greenlighting an entire first season of Spielberg’s new show Extant.

From Digital Spy:

Extant is a futuristic thriller about a female astronaut trying to reconnect with her family when she returns after a year in outer space.

Her experiences lead to events that ultimately will change the course of human history.

Spielberg will serve as an executive producer for the series, which will be distributed worldwide by CBS Studios International.

“Extant is a very original concept with layers of humanity, mystery and surprise that reveal [themselves] throughout the script,” said Nina Tassler, President of CBS Entertainment.

The series will premiere next summer with thirteen episodes, and there isn’t even a pilot yet. It’s hard to tell exactly what sort of science fictional ground the series will tread from the brief description offered so far. Are we going to be drawing connections to Contact, Close Encounters, The X-Files, or is this simply going to be a story about the psychology of exploration and isolation? In any case, a female astronaut in a lead role is certainly enough to grab our attention.

(via Digital Spy.)