Vancouver: As go the springtime daffodils and crocuses in Vancouver, so go local pilot productions: five proposed new series for u.s. networks have sprouted in March to add to the series already in or heading for longer-term production.

Among the newcomers are two from 20th Century Fox and Fox Network.

Chris Carter brings his new science-fiction show Harsh Realm to Vancouver crews. Based on a comic book series of the same name, Harsh Realm is about a man whose real and dream-state lives begin to intertwine. The pilot features Scott Bairstow (Party of Five) in the lead role, while Terry O’Quinn will do double duty and continue appearing in Millennium, too. Max Martini (Saving Private Ryan) and DB Sweeney (Strange Luck) also star.

Production of the pilot is scheduled to run until April 9.

Then Glen Morgan and James Wong – one-time Carter proteges – are executive producing the Fox pilot The Wonder Cabinet. The series is about a team of scientists exploring biological anomalies at a mysterious medical facility called The Wonder Cabinet. Production is scheduled to run until April 18.

The Jim Henson Company, meanwhile, is forging a series called The Master of Horror and Suspense for nbc. About a writer named Bill Master, the pilot will be in production until April Fool’s Day.

Columbia TriStar – which doesn’t discuss its pilots with the press (because they may not be picked up) – has a one-hour pilot for cbs called The Expert, which wraps production March 24. The series proposal is produced by and stars Steven Weber (Wings).

And unusual for b.c. is the half-hour comedy pilot Partners also being produced for TriStar. Likewise, few details are available about Partners, which wraps a week of production March 23.

*Now playing

With Beggars and Choosers, Dufferin Gate’s new West Coast office gets into full swing. The service production for Granada in the u.k. and Showtime consists of 22 one hours, including a two-hour opener that airs in June. In the series, a Los Angeles television executive not so loosely based on Brandon Tartikoff struggles with life and business.

Vancouver native Cal Schumiatcher acts as producer and Rose Lam, head of the Dufferin Gate Western office, oversees general production including Showtime’s Prince of Mirrors – The Rich Donato Story and Storm in Summer, a remake of the Rod Serling story, this time with Peter Falk.

*MOW TV

Fear of Flying, a small-screen sequel to the big-screen Ray Liotta flick, crams as much genre as it can into the two-hour television event: an action drama involving biological weapons, terrorism and a plane full of people phobic about flying.

Overseen for u.s. partners by Ogden Gavanski’s Milestone Productions (which recently assumed majority control for the next season of cbc’s Nothing Too Good for a Cowboy), Fear of Flying stars Jennifer Beals and Craig Sheffer and needs a five-week production shoot (ending April 16). The production’s affiliated network and air date will be announced later.

And Knots Landing star Michelle Lee returns to Vancouver for her latest television foray, Unconditional Love for cbs. Production runs to April 15 for this story about a woman who stands by her husband when he is convicted of a murder. She ends up solving the murder.

*Dogma ’99

The wave of guerrilla filmmaking in Vancouver continues to gain steam with three new entries.

Filmmaker Marc Retailleau (Versatile Pictures), following the rigid Dogma ’95 mandate of Danish auteur Lars Von Trier, is making Noroc with locals Babz Chula and Jay Brazeau. About a Romanian photographer and his struggle to stay in Canada, the film, according to the Dogma style, uses only hand-held cameras, natural light and ambient sound. Production, at North Vancouver’s Versatile Shipyards, wraps March 22.

And The Hot Karl, a 16mm feature, is in production throughout April. A dark comedy, Karl is about a writer trying to live the tales he creates on the page – a situation that leads to ‘freaky’ characters. Matt Formagin is the writer, David Langlois is the director and Shawn Angelski produces the first feature.

Seeking Winonas, meanwhile, is an ultra-low-budget comedy about what happens when two guys who want to be movie directors meet two girls who want to be nightclub owners. No one, by the way, is named Winona, including the roster of local actors.

Winonas executive producer and writer Dave Shaw says the production has been shot on digital video and will eventually be upgraded to 35mm. Production wrapped March 21.

*Neighborhood watch

Vancouver actress Joely Collins, her mom Andrea Collins and Michael Andaluz (Wunderkind Productions) have sold the distribution of their hour-long rave party documentary Summer Love to Catalyst Television in Europe. The documentary follows the stories of a music festival’s host, promoters, performer and partygoers.

* Open for business is the newly minted Victoria Independent Film Producers Association, a professional group dedicated to strengthening and promoting the art and business of independent production on southern Vancouver Island.

Members work with domestic and international broadcasters and agencies. As a united voice, say organizers, vifpa will give local producers more clout when lobbying on funding, tax credits, Canadian content and myriad other production issues.

For more information, call David Springbett at (250) 480-5256 or Nora Arajs at (250) 380-6656.

* Harvey Zlatarits heads up new company Media Werkz, which has been created to handle ongoing projects such as: The Next Waltz, a one-hour doc on the Danube River; On the Ball, a one-hour doc about a kids’ soccer team; Owen, a one-hour doc about a 17-year-old Canadian being groomed to play pro soccer; and a host of cd-rom projects. Media Werks also produces SkiView 98/99, a series of daily skiing updates, for kvos.