Joss Whedon Returns to TV for New HBO Sci-Fi Series ‘The Nevers’

In what is guaranteed to make geeks everywhere shout with glee, it’s been announced that Avengers director Joss Whedon is heading back to TV, for a new sci-fi series that will air on HBO.

The series is titled The Nevers, and is being described as an “epic science fiction drama about a gang of Victorian women who find themselves with unusual abilities, relentless enemies, and a mission that might change the world.”

The series was picked up by HBO, which won it in a bidding war with Netflix, according to sources at EW. It’s already been given a direct-to-series order, though the exact planned episode count has not been revealed yet.

Whedon has released the following statement on the matter:

“I honestly couldn’t be more excited. The Nevers is maybe the most ambitious narrative I’ve created, and I can’t imagine a better home for it than HBO. Not only are they the masters of cinematic long-form, but their instant understanding of my odd, intimate epic was as emotional as it was incisive. It’s been too long since I created an entirely new fictional world, and the HBO team offer not just scope and experience, not just ‘prestige,’ but a passionate collaboration. I could go on, but — I’m impatiently grateful to say — I have work to do.”

HBO’s Casey Bloys followed with the following statement:

“We have long been fans of the incredibly talented and prolific Joss Whedon and we can’t think of a better project than The Nevers with which to welcome him to the HBO family. We look forward to meeting the strange, multifaceted characters of The Nevers, to learn their stories, see them in action and share them with our viewers. We’re honored that Joss chose HBO as the place to build his ambitious new world and we are excited to get started.”

The premise sounds like classic Whedon TV, with its genre blends of period piece and sci-fi; the set of strong female leads; and the quirky oddity that has been the “secret sauce” of Whedon’s best works. The TV / Film creator came to prominence with his cult-hit creations like Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and Firefly, so The Nevers will instantly get a boost in terms of hype – especially since it will be presented on the high-art canvas of an HBO series. Whedon’s Westworld? Let the fan discussion begin…

We’ll keep you updated on what develops with Joss Whedon’s and HBO’s The Nevers.