Tag: ABC (Page 3 of 3)

“Life On Mars” producers explain what happened

April 1, 2009 /

In an interview with TV.com, Scott Rosenburg and Josh Applebaum talk about tonight’s series finale and why the show didn’t work on a major network.

TV.com: When did you find out that Life on Mars was not going to get picked up, and how did that change the production process for you?

Scott Rosenburg: We were crafting the 17th episode, and we always knew what it was going to be. It was a big culmination episode for us in a lot of ways. We knew the ratings were grim, and we went to ABC and we said, “Look, we know the ratings were grim.” We always knew what our end point was for a season finale and for a series finale, and we basically said, “Listen, we have this thing, and we’d love to be able to shoot two Act Six’s, you know, one for a series finale and one for a season finale.” And they came back to us and they said, “You can do the series finale.” We were like, “Okay, but what about the season finale?” And they were like, “Just do the series finale,” and that was a pretty good indication right there.

But it’s not something that [networks] often do. They usually wait ’til May, but it was a general true affection for the show in the executive’s suites at ABC, and because of that they let us actually wrap it up–because it just would have sucked to be cancelled and to have the 17th episode and all these cliff hangers. And now it exists as a complete thought. It’s got a beginning, middle, and an end.

TV.com: So the finale does have a full resolution. We will see exactly what’s going on with Sam.

Scott Rosenburg: Yes. Yes.

The duo go on to discuss the series finale.

While it will be sad to see the show go, this is soooooooo much better than ending the season with a bunch of cliffhangers and holding out hope that the show gets picked up for another season. I applaud the producers for confronting the network about the show’s future and the network for making a quick decision and allowing the creators to properly bring the season to a close.

External Entertainment, External TV, TV Action, TV Dramas, TV Sci-Fi

Greetings to the New Show: “Castle”

March 9, 2009 /

Nathan Fillion is one of those actors who just about everyone loves. There are exceptions to this, I’m sure, since nobody is universally adored, but based on my experience, girls tend to think he’s hot, most guys think he’s pretty cool, both genders think he’s funny, and just about everyone can imagine having a drink with the guy. That’s why we hate it when he ends up on a show that deserves to succeed but doesn’t (“Firefly,” “Drive”) or, worse, find himself within a series that isn’t nearly as good as he deserves…like, say, “Castle.”

Given that the guy’s coming off a relatively successful stint on “Desperate Housewives” as well as a phenomenal re-teaming with Joss Whedon (“Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog”), you’d think that Fillion would be looking for the best of all possible projects, in order to build on his career momentum. Unfortunately, there’s just no way “Castle” is going to be that project.

Brought to you by Andrew W. Marlowe, a man responsible for writing flicks like “Air Force One,” “End of Days,” and “Hollow Man,” the premise of “Castle” sounds like something that would’ve emerged during the 1980s. Famous mystery novelist Richard Castle (Fillion) is called in to help the NYPD solve a copycat murder based on his novels, and after teaming up with attractive young detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic), he decides to write a new series of novels using her as the basis of the lead character…and given that he’s friends with the mayor, it’s easy for him to pull a few strings and be allowed to work alongside Beckett when she’s on a case.

The semi-good news? The premise allows for gimmicky cameos by famous authors such as James Patterson and Stephen J. Cannell, both of whom turn up as Castle’s poker-playing cronies in the first episode, and provided you remember that most authors aren’t going to be great actors, it’s a fun idea.

The bad news? Nothing else in “Castle” is nearly as much fun.

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Actors, Actresses, External Entertainment, External TV, Pilots, Reviews, TV, TV Action, TV Comedies, TV Dramas, Video

ABC greenlights “V” pilot

January 27, 2009 /

When I was a kid, one of my favorite miniseries was “V,” the story about an alien invasion of Earth. I remember thinking that it was the coolest thing I had seen since “Star Wars.” I watched it again a few years ago and thought it was brutal. Ah, the innocence of childhood!

Anyhoo, according to Variety, ABC has given the go-ahead to a pilot that will re-imagine the ’80s miniseries.

New adaptation of the franchise was written by “The 4400” co-creator/exec producer Scott Peters. Peters is aboard to exec produce along with HDFilms principal Jason Hall. Warner Bros. TV, which was behind the original longform, is producing.

The new “V” centers on Erica Evans, a Homeland Security agent with an aimless son. When the aliens arrive, her son gloms on to them — causing tension within the family.

Like the original, show centers on visitors who say they’ve come to help the Earth — but their motives are nefarious.

“Battlestar Galactica” has set the bar for re-imagined series and I have a feeling that the new version of “V” will be a disappointment. I could never get into “The 4400” — and I love sci-fi — so Scott Peters’ involvement doesn’t fill me with warm, fuzzy feelings. Also, ABC has already bailed on a good alien invasion story — “Invasion” — that had a great cast, so I don’t have confidence that the network knows how to make this kind of story work.

But then again, they gave us “Lost,” so you never know.

Battlestar Galactica, External Entertainment, External TV, TV, TV Action, TV Dramas, TV Sci-Fi

TCA Tour, Jan. 2009: “Ashes to Ashes”

January 15, 2009 /

You know ABC’s “Life on Mars”? Okay, forget about it for a moment and jump back in time to the original BBC version of “Life on Mars.” After that series left the air in April 2007, rumors immediately began to swirl that there would be a sequel to the story, and in February of 2008, those rumors became a reality with the premiere of “Ashes to Ashes.” Sadly, however, we poor Americans have been stuck waiting around for the show to make its debut on BBC America ever since.

Thankfully, that wait will come to an end on March 7th.

If you’ve somehow managed to restrain yourself up ’til this point and don’t already know the storyline of “Ashes to Ashes,” here’s the deal: just as Sam Tyler was a modern-day cop transported back to the ’70s on “Life on Mars,” now it’s single mother and Detective Inspector Alex Drake who finds herself back in 1981…and, yes, she’ll be facing everyone’s favorite politically incorrect cop, Gene Hunt.

Music-wise, I’m particularly excited to hear what tunes will be offered up, given how many ’80s songs have been part of the soundtrack of my life, and it sounds like co-creator and writer Ashley Pharaoh has got quite a treat in store.

“In actual time, I was 21 in 1981, so I sadly was a New Romantic and had too much makeup and ribbons in my hair, so it was very dear to me, that stuff, and it was always going to be the soundtrack of ‘Ashes to Ashes,'” said Pharaoh. “Actually, we recreate a very famous New Romantic club from Soho: The Ritz Club. And Steve Strange, who ran the Ritz Club, guested in the episodes. Steve very Strange, we think he is, though.”

One of the first things Pharaoh wanted to do with a “Life on Mars” sequel was to change the male-male dynamic of the original series and bring a woman right into the heart of things.

“‘Life On Mars’ references back to sort of very male, British cop shows in the ’70s,” he explained, “and we wanted more sort of a ‘Moonlighting”’ feel, a brighter sense. And we thought it would be really good fun to take Gene Hunt on a journey with a very strong woman, feminist, intellectual from our time. The actress, Keeley Hawes, I’d worked with her before; I did a Thomas Hardy adaptation with her, ‘Under the Greenwood Tree,’ and I was knocked out. Whenever we met the producers and the writers with our little short list of actresses, she was always on the top, so it was a no-brainer, really, and I think it was a wonderful performance she gives as Alex Drake.”

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