October 21, 2015
Pennsylvania residents who have travelled through the state frequently enough are probably familiar with the former coal town Centralia where a mine fire that broke out more than 50 years ago still burns.
The town, located in Columbia County, will be the centerpiece of the upcoming NBC dark drama aptly titled "Centralia."
According to Deadline, executive producer Meredith Averill is from Pottsville, which is near near Centralia, and has recently worked on a number of series including the CW's "Jane the Virgin" and CBS' "The Good Wife." More from Deadline on the series:
The remaining few residents of this ghost town are determined to preserve their homes but unaware of the evil that is slowly making its way to the surface. [Meredith] Averill is executive producing with Amblin TV’s Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey.
"Ghost town" may be an understatement. According to Census data, the community's population has dwindled from around 1,500 to just 10 since the blaze forced out much of the town's residents.
Also, it's unclear what "evil" is making its way to the surface. If you ask the few remaining residents, however, they might say big government. They fought an eminent domain case trying to force them out of the abandoned town, winning their case in 2013.
They'll be allowed to stay as long as they live despite concerns over potentially deadly gases from the underground inferno making their way to the surface. Most remaining residents before the lawsuit took the eminent domain money and left.
As for the show, there's no reported air date, cast or series length yet.
