We reported earlier this week that Platinum Studios is teaming with First Family to produce half-hour TV series and direct-to-DVD movies based on the upcoming Platinum graphic novels Spaced and Meet the Haunteds. We have since discussed the unique properties with Platinum Studios Chairman Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, who previously brought the Men In Black property to Sony from his Malibu Comics label.

Rosenberg says both the Spaced and Meet the Haunteds series will be live action "with heavy CG elements." He also says director Adam Rifkin (The Dark Backward, Detroit Rock City, Night at the Golden Eagle) fell in love with the Spaced concept and jumped at the chance to write and helm the pilot.

In Spaced, teenager Danny Mason finds himself sharing his body with a mischievous alien named Bok. "We never really see Bok, but he can morph out onto Danny’s hand, or say, onto a table or any other object Danny is touching," Rosenberg explains. "Bok tends to get bored and falls asleep when he’s controlling the body, which can cause problems, especially if Danny’s behind the wheel of a car or something." Despite the sci-fi element and opportunities for digital animation effects, Rosenberg asserts that they want to keep the show somewhat reality-based like Fox’s Malcolm in the Middle.

Meet the Haunteds is a family comedy about a white family that moves into an old mansion that turns out to be haunted by the ghosts of an African-American family. Rosenberg notes that half of the cast of characters will be apparitions brought to the screen through a combination of live actors and computer animation.

According to Rosenberg, the goal was to have broadcast deals in place for the TV shows by next year, with the made-for-video features coming out over the following couple of months.

Dean Valentine, who was the only Disney executive to ever supervise the three divisions Walt Disney Television, Touchstone Television and Walt Disney TV Animation, will exec produce both projects along with Rosenberg and First Family exec Scott Imergut.

Platinum has comics-to-film adaptation deals in place with Sony for Cowboys & Aliens, Disney for Unique and Miramax for Mal Chance. It also licensed its Jeremiah to Showtime for a primetime sci-fi drama that returns to Friday nights starting September 3.