Exclusive: Shawn Ryan in talks to revive Terriers via Kickstarter

Shawn Ryan, creator of The Shield and executive producer of forthcoming ABC drama Last Resort, is in talks to produce a two hour movie based on cancelled FX comedy drama Terriers through crowd funding site Kickstarter.

He would become the most high profile TV producer to raise funds through the nascent funding service.

The show which was created by Ted Griffin, was cancelled in December 2010 after its first season on the US cable network.

However, Ryan told TBI that he doesn’t think the stories “have been rung out” and following surprisingly high viewing figures from online video service Netflix, would like to try and work with Griffin to close it off via a two hour TV movie.

“I’ve had friends who’ve raised money for indie movies through Kickstarter and I started to think that if you wanted to make a 2 hour movie that capped off that series, how would it cost to make it and would there be a way to raise the money via a combination of Netflix and Kickstarter, he said.

He added: “It’s a very nervous time in the TV industry because paradigms are changing  but it’s also exciting because in the past the show would have been dead and gone and never to be revived but is there a way to do something.”

Ryan is in talks with Griffin and if he approves the idea, will discuss with Fox 21, the company that produced the original series.

“I don’t own the rights, Fox 21 does but maybe there’d be some upside for them if they didn’t have to chip in a dime but all of a sudden had a two hour movie as an asset that they could add to what they have on Netflix, maybe they’d go for it,” he said.