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TCA panel

Interview with Karen Barroeta, Mark Tacher, Isabella Castillo and Alejandro Nones

Posted on September 26, 2021September 26, 2021 by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

Karen Barroeta, Mark Tacher, Isabella Castillo and Alejandro Nones from Telemundo's "Malverde: El Santo Patrón"

Interview with Executive Producer Karen Barroeta and actors Mark Tacher, Isabella Castillo and Alejandro Nones from “Malverde: El Santo Patrón” on Telemundo by Suzanne 9/13/21

I’m not a native Spanish speaker, so I don’t usually watch Telemundo. However, I did watch an episode or two of this series before our recent TCA panel with the actors. It was quite entertaining. The show is set in the old west and reminds me of the Western shows I grew up watching, such as Bonanza, The Big Valley, The Virginian and many more. There are a lot of characters in the show that you meet at once, though, so I had a little trouble sometimes telling them apart. It got a bit easier as time went on. The series has subtitles, so it’s easy to watch and get caught up in the story. It’s a timeless story of good versus evil. In fact, the main character is a bit like a sexy Robin Hood, but with some mystical powers. You should really check it out September 28 on Telemundo.

The panel included the executive producer and 3 of the actors. Unfortunately, the main star, Pedro Fernández, was not there, but the three that were there were very entertaining. The cast is from all different parts of Latin America. On the panel, Tacher is from Mexico; Castillo is from Cuba; and Nones is from Venezuela.

Curious, I asked EP Karen Barroeta if there are many western series on Telemundo. Her reply surprised me: “Actually, this is the first period piece we’ve produced, and we really worked on it for the past six years and thought that it could be something that audiences could be really interested in. So, it was a big challenge for us, but we are happy with the results. Hopefully, audiences will believe so as well.” I agree with her…I think audiences will enjoy it as I did.

She was also asked to compare the real-life tales of Malverde to their show. They did a lot of research into the folklore and then fleshed out the details in the story with fictional elements. They based their show on “what he meant for people and how he lost his parents and how he became a legend. He was part of the Yoreme. His family came from the Native — those Indians in Mexico, and so he learned how to create medicine to help people. So not only he was a Robin Hood, but he also had the ability to cure, and that’s how his name came about. So, we did take a lot from what it was recorded in history, but we did give it a bit of fiction in terms of the people that were around him and how he fought for justice.” Besides Malverde and the main characters created for the show, there are historical figures as well, such as president Porfirio Díaz and the revolutionary fighter Pancho Villa. “So, we brought a lot of reality in terms of the historical personas and characters that were real at that time, and so we incorporated it because we know that Malverde was fighting for justice. He was trying to help his people. And, so, I think it’s somehow very tied to how he was in reality. But, in TV, we like to make magic, and we brought some additional resources, elements, and characters, to make it more entertaining.”

She was also asked about what elements about Malverde’s character that they chose to put in (or not) , and she responded that they created the love story (between him and Carolina as well as him and Isabel) to make it more appealing to audiences. She seemed to feel bad that we were only asking her questions, so she suggested that the actors help answer this question. Tacher added that their story is not just a dry account of Malverde but a real story about how he lived and loved, which is what the audiences should like. Castillo chimed in to add that they really don’t know many details about Malverde, so they have to fill that in. And her character, La China Navajas, is based on many different women who fought for revolution in Mexico. She points out that they don’t really know if Malverde existed and whether he had these mystical powers that were attributed to him.

Someone else asked if Malverde was as well known as Emiliano Zapata. Karen said that it’s hard to compare the two because they’re very different Zapata was a revolutionary war hero and Malverde was a mythical figure – a saint. People have altars in Mexico, and his figure is frequently on their altars. Some have tattoos of him. He’s a saint in their culture. Actor Nones added his own take on it: “Zapata is someone kids studied in school, and Malverde is somebody that people from the north in Culiacán and Sinaloa grow with this in the streets. And people talk, and people follow him as a saint with a lot of devotion.”

some of the cast from "Malverde: El Santo Patrón" on Telemundo

Karen told us that it took six years to bring this project to the screen. They first did a lot of research and then put together a demo reel, which they showed to focus groups. They received a good reaction from them. “We saw how our audience here in the United States, an Hispanic audience, was so excited about knowing more, and so we just started the development process three years ago. And the pandemic started just when we were getting ready to start building the back lot that we built in Cumbres del Ajusco in Mexico. And, so, production all in all between the preproduction and the production – I can say was probably a year and a half. So, it’s been a project that took some time.”

Castillo confided that, since she grew up in Cuba, she’d never heard of Malverde until she traveled to Mexico. She discovered that many thought of him as the patron saint of Narcos, but he had nothing to do with them or the drug trafficking. He was a much more positive figure.

Nones had heard a lot about him during his travels and work in Mexico. Six years ago, he was in Culiacán and learned a lot about him at the chapel that bears his name from the son of the person who created the chapel.

Tacher, who, as I mentioned above, is Mexican, related that they don’t learn about pre-revolutionary characters like Malverde in Mexican schools. He heard about him later from people in Culiacán, Sinaloa, where he’s known as the patron saint of the needy. He let us know that Telemundo’s research into the saint was not easy because he’s most popular in certain areas of Mexico.

One of the other members of the press said that he’s also a teacher, so he had been concerned about whether Malverde would be a hero and a positive message. Karen told him, “This is a story of an amazing man who suffered being a young kid by having his father killed by the aristocrats, and he was raised by these Indians who taught him a lot about, like I said before, how to cure people. And he grew up seeing the difference between the aristocrats and the people that didn’t — that they would just fight to have food and education for their kids. So, he fought for justice. He aligned with the revolution to make sure he could bring some equality to those in need. And he was never, like, siding with criminals or with the real bandits. Yes, he did take maybe from the aristocrat’s gold mines, and he would give to the poor. But we are telling the story of a hero, of a legend, and that will show all positive traits. So, I’m not sure if we are necessarily saying it the way you commented it, but we are definitely bringing out this beautiful human being who fought for justice. And the way we position it is he would never want to shoot a gun to kill someone but just to defend himself. He would always say, ‘Never shoot to kill. Never do it.'”

The actors agreed with her that his story is a positive one. Tacher told us that there was virtually no drug trafficking in the world back at that time (the late 1800’s). Of course, that’s because most drugs were legal until the early part of the 20th century. Heroin, opium and pot were legal in Mexico until the 20’s and in the US until the 30’s.

Tacher was next asked why people seem to love stories of lawbreakers like Malverde. He replied thoughtfully: “I think we are always fascinated by those kinds of guys because they are always in the line of what is good or bad in the social medium — in a social medium, you know. So, it’s very difficult not to fall in love with these kinds of characters that help but also that dare to break a little bit — not to break but to bend the system a little bit. And they are always searching for new ways to bring joy to people even though they become a concern to other people. So that’s why I think we are always in love with these kinds of characters because they are almost always on the brink of success and failure.”

The actors were then asked what they had learned from doing their research for the show. Castillo really hadn’t known much about the Mexican Revolution, so she loved learning about it. Nones had previously done a play about the period, so he was already familiar with it. Tacher enjoyed “living” in the era where they had no electricity and shooting in a simple town where there were no cell phone signals. Then they did the scenes in the series where they brought electricity and light to the town. He said, Iit was amazing. It was like bringing Mexico to a new era. And I lived that way because I just thought to myself, ‘What would I do if I lived in that age without any kind of light?’ Yeah, you will survive, but that had to be hard.”

Castillo elaborated on what he said, explaining that the studio built this small town in the woods where there was nothing but a lot of cactus. She also mentioned that her character has a “controversial” storyline that is even difficult in today’s world (she never explained what she meant, but my guess is that her character is a lesbian). She went on, “we still have to fight for equality and for justice still in 2021, you know. So, when you go back to the good old days, it’s, like, oh, my god, since back in the day, people have been fighting for something that we are still fighting for today, you know. So, for us, it was, like, a joy. It was a pleasure to be part of this project and to participate in all of these historical events that still are taking place nowadays.”

There was a lot of joking around between the actors as they were asked to talk about their characters. That was very funny.

Nones plays Nazario Aguilar, the right hand to Malverde, who has an illness that makes it difficult if he gets injured. Aguilar risks his life for Malverde and because it’s the right thing to do. He loved being in the period piece with all of the details that make it seem authentic to the time.

Castillo loves her character and talked about how strong her character is. “She doesn’t change who she is for anyone, and she has actually taught me many things. She came to Malverde’s life when she was an orphan. Pretty much they killed her whole entire family.” She finds a family with Malverde and Aguilar. Castillo loves the other actors, the action and “choosing characters that break the stereotypes,” such as this woman who had to survive alongside men. She continued, “What I love about my character is that she’s the only girl in a band of only men, and she manages to survive back in the day, 1910, which it was difficult to be a girl surrounded by men because you would have to make them respect you, you know. And she gained the respect from men, and that’s something that’s really, really valuable, especially back in the day.”

The female soldiers are called “Soldaderas” and Tacher pointed out that there’s an old Mexican song called “La Adelita” about the women soldiers of the revolution. His character is Vicente del Rio, who is ” an American-born, greedy entrepreneur that moves to the north region of Mexico because he knows of its riches, but sooner than later, he didn’t know that he would fall in love with our beautiful protagonist, Isabel.” There is a lot of conflict between del Rio and Malverde (in part because Malverde and Isabel had a past relationship). Castillo then teased Tacher about del Rio’s mustache, and they joked around because he didn’t like wearing the mustache at all.

MORE INFO:

poster for "Malverde: El Santo Patrón" on Telemundo

Set in 1910 and inspired by real events, ‘Malverde: El Santo Patrón’ tells the story of Jesús Juárez “Malverde,” one of the biggest and most controversial Mexican characters of the last 150 years, an outlaw who ultimately became a legendary figure, a religious icon, and protector of the innocent, poor and dispossessed. The high-octane production shows the life of Malverde, from his turbulent childhood as an orphan in Sinaloa, Mexico, through his young adulthood during the Mexican Revolution, when he encountered war and danger as well as romance. Rising to heights of unexpected power, he became a Robin Hood-type figure admired by women from all social classes but tormented by unresolved feelings for his childhood girlfriend, Isabel. With the federal authorities increasingly concerned with Malverde’s steadily growing power in the early years of the Revolution, it will take more than love or God to safeguard the hero known as “El Santo Patrón” from those out to destroy him.

Karen Barroeta

Karen Barroeta is a television industry executive with more than 20 years of experience in broadcast, pay TV & content distribution. Throughout her career, Karen has been responsible for leading efforts in Programming, Creative, Marketing, PR and Ad Sales for international and Hispanic-language markets and has cultivated a strong expertise in media management and strategic thinking. Karen is a forward-thinking, results-driven executive who has excelled at leading teams improving the quality of the creative output, enhancing productivity as well as improving operational and communication workflows while building internal partnerships.

Recently, Karen has been appointed Executive Vice President of Production and Development at Telemundo Global Studios. In this new role, Barroeta is responsible for leading the development strategy of the Studios, along with the management and execution of long-form scripted productions across all platforms. She will also oversee the alternative content team and identify projects for pilots, behind-the-scenes productions and digital capsules.

In addition, Karen works closely with Marcos Santana, President of Telemundo Global Studios, to jointly manage and execute long-form scripted productions across all platforms.

Previously, Karen successfully held the Senior Vice President role of Marketing and Creative for Telemundo Network and Universo including Entertainment, News & Sports. In this role, Barroeta was part of the network’s core content team leading the strategic development and execution of all brand and consumer-marketing initiatives across the company’s platforms, including oversight of the media planning and experiential practices. She also collaborated with Telemundo Station Group and NBCUniversal distribution and affiliate teams while leading the Shared Services & scheduling strategies

Karen holds an MBA from the University of Miami, a Master of Arts in Television Production & Digital Media from Emerson College, and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Florida Atlantic University.

Mark Tacher

Mark Tacher is a Mexican actor born in Mexico City. He has a degree in acting from CEFAT (Tv Azteca Actoral Training Center). In addition, he studies music, guitar, singing and DJ at the G Martell academy in Mexico. He perfected his vocal technique with maestro Óscar Sámano (MET from NY and student of Pavarotti) in Mexico. Years later he studied Actoral Perfection Techniques, The truth without effort in Venezuela.

His artistic career debuted in 1996 as a host on the Tv Azteca program “Nintendomanía” and which lasted until 1998 when he began his role as an actor.

“Perla”, “Trestimes Sofía” and “Háblame de amor” were his first acting projects. In 2000 he had his first leading role in “Tío Alberto” and 2002 “Get on my motorcycle.” In 2003 he participated in “Mirada de mujer, el returno” being his last novel on Tv Azteca.

He recently participated in the Queen of the South 2 giving life to Alejandro Alcalá and Operación Pacífico from the hand of Telemundo, the latter being one of the protagonists giving life to Colonel Gabriel Pedraza.

Isabella Castillo

Isabella Castillo was born on December 23, 1994 in Havana, Cuba. She was born in a musical family, her mother Delia Diaz de Villegas was a known singer in the island. Her father, Jose Castillo is a drummer and her sister Giselle Castillo graduated from the university in Music Education. In 1997 she migrated to Belize City and months later she moved to Miami, Florida (USA). At the age of 5 years, she decided she wanted to sing in one of her mother’s show, she blew them away with her powerful voice and small age. She took voice, dance and acting lessons. In 2007 she went to Madrid, Spain for a casting for the musical Ana Frank – Un Canto a la Vida. She got the part of Anne Frank and moved with her parents to Spain. She received the award Premio Gran Via for Best Revelation in a Musical. When the musical ended she came back to the United States and was casted to play the part of Andrea Giron in El Fantasma de Elena with Telemundo. After the end of this soap opera she was casted for Grachi and became the main character in the TV series Grachi for Nickelodeon. She won the Nickelodeon’s Kids Choice Awards Mexico 2011 for Best Female Artist in a TV series. Right now she finished filming Grachi second season and is traveling through out Latin America with Grachi the Musical.

Alejandro Nones

Alejandro Nones (born December 9, 1982) is a Venezuelan actor and model. He began his acting career in Mexico, on film Así del precipicio, and later was hired by Televisa to act in the telenovela Lola, érase una vez. He is an actor and producer, known for Who Killed Sara? (2021), Cuna de Lobos (2019) and Amar a muerte (2018).

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

Mark Tacher, Isabella Castillo and Alejandro Nones from "Malverde: El Santo Patrón" on Telemundo

Review of “FBI: International”

Posted on September 25, 2021September 10, 2023 by TvMegasite Admin

TV Review!

"FBI: International" cast on CBS

“FBI: International” on CBS Review by Suzanne 9/25/21

I have to admit that I’m not a fan of the “FBI” shows. I just find them a bit boring and formulaic. They have some good actors, but they just don’t excite me very much. If I had nothing better to do, I would watch them, or the “NCIS” shows, or the “Law and Order” shows, or…. Zzzzzzzzz I’m sorry! I dozed off a second there, just trying to remember all of these franchise shows. (Ha ha!)

These series all seem geared toward action junkies or old people. I mean REALLY old because I’m 60, which is pretty old, and they don’t hold any great thrill for me. But I know they’re very popular. They must be – why else would they now have THREE of them, all on the same night? I guess the three hours of programming is a good match against shows like “The Masked Singer” on FOX.

This new series is set in Europe. Unlike “FBI” and “FBI: Most Wanted,” the show has mostly young people. There is no wise older person to show the young people how it should be done. That might be a mistake, but we’ll have to wait and see how the stories play out.

I watched the three-episode premiere this week (tying all three series together), and I was impressed with the fact that I could watch all three without really knowing any of the other characters on the shows. They make it really easy to follow. You could watch any of these shows and not worry about episodes that you missed. They’re all pretty self-contained.

The international aspect of the show makes it very interesting. They have to deal with things that the other shows don’t, such as worrying about local law enforcement more and not being able to carry guns. I like that detail of it a lot.

Check it out and see if it appeals to you.

MORE INFORMATION:

From Emmy Award winner Dick Wolf and the team behind FBI and the “Law & Order” brand, faced-paced drama FBI: INTERNATIONAL is the third iteration of the successful FBI brand that follows the elite operatives of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s International Fly Team. Headquartered in Budapest, they travel the world with the mission of tracking and neutralizing threats against American citizens wherever they may be, putting their lives on the line to protect the U.S. and its people. The Fly Team’s Special Agent Scott Forrester, their accomplished and dedicated leader, puts his missions ahead of his personal life and is rarely seen without the team’s “secret weapon” – their trusty Schutzhund dog, Tank. Second in command is Special Agent Jamie Kellett, not afraid to tussle – in an alley or courtroom – and her extensive network of informants is a powerful resource. Special Agent Andre Raines shines in the field and makes good use of his accounting background in tracking criminal enterprises’ moving money; and the group’s newest member is Special Agent Cameron Vo, a competitive West Point grad who excels at interrogation and strategy. A key part of the mix is the unflappable Europol Agent Katrin Jaeger, a multilinguistic liaison between the FBI Fly Team and each host country they inhabit. Always at the scene where American interests are at risk, FBI: INTERNATIONAL is a globe-trotting depiction of law enforcement overseas.

	The series premieres at a special time on Tuesday, Sept. 21 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) as part of a three-hour crossover premiere event with FBI and FBI: MOST WANTED to kick off the new season of “All-FBI Tuesdays” on the CBS Television Network and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

ON AIR:	Tuesday (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) as of Sept. 28

ORIGINATION:	Budapest

FORMAT	Drama (Filmed in HD)

STARRING:	Luke Kleintank	(Special Agent Scott Forrester)
	Heida Reed	(Special Agent Jamie Kellett)
	Carter Redwood	(Special Agent Andre Raines)
	Vinessa Vidotto	(Special Agent Cameron Vo)
AND:	Christiane Paul	(Europol Agent Katrin Jaeger)

PRODUCED BY:	Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with CBS Studios

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS:	Dick Wolf, Derek Haas, Matt Olmstead, Michael Katleman, Arthur Forney and Peter Jankowski

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

Read Our Interview with Wolk

The opinions in these articles are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TVMEG.COM or its other volunteers.

"FBI: International" cast on CBS

Primetime TV Review: Ordinary Joe

Posted on September 24, 2021September 10, 2023 by Eva Diaz

TV Review!

“Ordinary Joe” Review on by Eva 9/24/2021

I decided to watch Ordinary Joe because it sounded interesting… but when I watched the show, I found it to be confusing.

The show centers around Joe Kimbreau (James Wolk), who graduates from college and has a choice to make of what to do with the rest of his graduation day. Joe’s first option ]is to ask Amy (Natalie Martinez), whom he just met, on a date. Joe’s second choice is to go with his girlfriend, Jenny (Elizabeth Lail), to the beach for a talk. His third choice for the day is to go to dinner with his family. The show then follows Joe’s three possible choices or timelines. If he goes with Amy on a date, he becomes a famous musician, marries her and they try to have a child; if he goes with Jenny, he becomes a nurse with a disabled son and an unhappy marriage. If Joe chooses dinner with his family, he becomes a cop who is single but still wonders what happened to Amy and Jenny.

This show is a bit confusing because it switches randomly from Joe’s three parallel lives, and you have to really pay attention to understand what Joe is doing and which life he is living. I really like James Wolk as Joe – he makes the best of what he is given and gives the audience a reason to root for Joe, hoping that he will solve his problems.

I think this show needs to work on being a little less confusing… maybe if they dealt with one of Joe’s lives in each episode, instead of all three lives in the same episode, it would work better. I think the show will do okay because it comes after “The Voice” on Monday nights. I will keep watching it to see if it improves, but for now I will give it 3 out of 5 stars.

MORE INFORMATION:

ORDINARY JOE (NBC)

BROADCAST HISTORY:
9/20/21 – ???

STATUS:
currently airing (fall 2021)TIME SLOT:
mondays from 10:00 PM-11:00 PM ESTCURRENT SEASON:
1 (??? episodes)VISIT THE OFFICIAL WEB SITE

DESCRIPTION:
(from NBC’s web site, September 2021) Life is all about the choices you make – and sometimes, what you do in a single moment can change everything. This new heartfelt, life-affirming drama follows Joe Kimbreau, who faces one of these decisions at his college graduation. The three parallel stories that diverge from that night find Joe and the people around him with different careers, relationships and family lives, showing the unexpected ways that things change – and stay the same. But when it comes down to it, there is no “right” choice; no matter what happens, Joe’s life is always messy, exciting, tough, unpredictable… and beautiful.

PRINCIPAL CAST INFORMATION:
· Charlie Barnett as Eric Payne
· Elizabeth Lail
· James Wolk as Joe Kimbrough
· Natalie Martinez as Amy

CREW INFORMATION:
· Adam Davidson as EP/DIR (Pilot)
· Adam Kassan as EP
· Garrett Lerner as CRTR/EP
· Howard Klein as EP
· Matt Reeves as EP
· Rafi Crohn as EP
· Russel Friend as CRTR/EP

GENRE(S):
· drama

STUDIO INFORMATION:
· 20th Century Fox Television
· 3 Arts Entertainment
· 6th & Idaho
· Universal Television

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

The opinions in these articles are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TVMEG.COM or its other volunteers.

Please visit our “Law and Order” site!

Interview with Christopher Meloni

Posted on September 23, 2021September 25, 2021 by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

Christopher Meloni of "Law & Order: Organized Crime" on NBC

Interview with Christopher Meloni of “Law & Order: Organized Crime” on NBC by Suzanne 9/13/21

We had a chat via Zoom with NBC stars for the TCA panels. This particular panel was supposed to feature Mariska Hargitay (Olivia Benson) as well as Christopher Meloni (Elliot Stabler), but she was held up due to a change in her shooting schedule. That was a real shame because we would have all loved to see her with him. He didn’t seem as if he was in a great mood, but he gave each question serious thought and consideration.

If you’re reading this, you probably know already that he played the same character on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” for 11 years. He left at the end of season 11 because of a contract dispute. Last April he returned to SVU and then premiered this new show, OC, but with plenty of crossover between the two shows (especially with Hargitay).

I asked him the question that everyone wants to know… I knew that he probably couldn’t answer it, but I was interested in how he would handle the question, either way. I said, “I’m on a lot of “Law & Order” Facebook groups, and most of them seem to want your characters to have a real love affair. Should they stay hopeful on that score? Anything you can tell us. I know you can’t give spoilers.” He replied, “Sure. Hope springs eternal. I mean, why not? I think it’s going to be a collaborative effort between both showrunners for “SVU” and “OC,” and I believe, with Mariska and I, to kind of figure it all out. It’s a complicated relationship. So, we’ll see.” That was actually a lot more positive answer than I expected. It was very diplomatic, for sure.

Here are more questions from the panel. This was the next question: Elliot goes undercover this season, so he was asked whether this would affect his relationship with his former partner, Benson (Hargitay), since they were close last season. He mentioned that he had spoken to real-life undercover cops, and they had confirmed that they do tend to lose themselves in their jobs. He thinks Elliot is doing that, as well as still dealing with the stress of losing his wife and all that he went through last season, and not sure how Benson fits into his life (both personally and professionally). Benson sees that he might be going through all this. He and Benson do engage with each other professional quite a bit, and ” and a little bit from the personal side.”

He was also asked whether he’d learned anything about himself from his years of playing Elliot. He responded, “I’ve learned a lot about myself. It’s been a wonderful journey. I think because, you know, to play this character for as long as I have, or I guess any character, but I always thought of him as a man under pressure, and has maybe examined how I engage the world, how I deal with personal relationships, how maybe certain blind spots that I have, and I’ve had to work on. You know, you really do grow with the character. Because as you mature as a human being, I think you bring those lessons to bear to your character. So, you know, you march hand—in—hand with the thing that you’ve created. And it’s been very rewarding. So, I’ve learned more than I could speak of in this short of time.”

Someone else asked why Dick Wolf decided (possibly in collaboration with him or other writers) to put Elliot in Organized Crime rather than in other possibly detective groups. He asserted that it was Wolf’s idea from the beginning. He feels that it was because there was so much rich storytelling that could be told about the crime families and how they work, and that one crime family investigation would fit well into an 8-episode format. He was also asked whether there might be a possibility of any mention of his cop character in Syfy’s “Happy,” but he didn’t think they would do that because they were in two different universes. He compared it to having a crossover between “Grey’s Anatomy” and a Marvel Universe show.

Another person from the press asked him about “the most emotional and challenging story lines to play on a personal level, something that was difficult” for him to play. He gave an interesting answer, “Well, you know, anytime I’ve had to deal with children and traumas inflicted upon children, those are always — those always strike a very deep chord. I’ve always found those very difficult, but oddly enough, kind of the easiest to play, because there’s no searching for the emotional content within myself. You know, I know exactly how I feel. I’m very — there’s such clarity in my place in this world when children are involved.”

I’m sure he’s been asked this question many times: whether he ever had the itch to go back and play Stabler after he left SVU back in 2011. He asserted that he never looked back. Once he was done, that was it. He enjoyed acting in other projects and traveling. He added, “I think to Dick’s credit, he — I don’t know — maybe he sensed I wasn’t as interested in revisiting how, you know, the “SVU” tells a story, which is great, and they do it so wonderfully. So, when he pitched this more serialized expression of his latest idea of a “Law & Order” show, the “OC,” I really thought it was kind of a stroke of genius. I didn’t think that was even kind of anything he was thinking about. So, I was pleasantly pleased and surprised and excited when I got the pitch. And it was just on the basis of the type of storytelling that the “OC” allows us. And I just think it just allows for a little more in—depth analysis of characters and relationships and that kind of stuff. So, I appreciated that. And I think with Ilene Chaiken running the show, it’s really lived up to what Dick had hoped for.”

He was asked if he’d ever binge-watched “Law & Order” SVU,” but he admitted that he never had. He was there when it was filmed, and that was enough. The same journalist also asked him if he would tell us about the “four new recurring characters” on the second season. He seemed taken aback by that question. He named three – “Dash Mihok, Vinnie Jones, Lolita Davidovich and Michael Raymond-James.” He said that some of the cast are part of their task force and some are from the new crime family they’ll be going after. He elaborated, “We’re dealing with an Albanian crime family. You get to see a little bit of the hierarchy. It’s very much a family organization. And there’s a kind of Shakespearean intrigue that surrounds it.” That sounds interesting!

Since he mentioned leaving SVU earlier, he was asked about Mariska, “What has been the greatest joy of working with her? What
qualities does she have that has made the journey a real joy for you? And what have been some of the challenges?” He gave a very long answer. Basically, he said that they were two strong personalities that worked well together. The characters were, “finding each
other’s dance steps. And I would argue we found those dance steps 80 percent of the time, but 20 percent of the time we didn’t. And, you know, that’s where — I don’t know — just stuff happens. And it can be creatively wonderful stuff, and it can be challenging stuff. And it’s just stuff. Because at the end of the day, I think we see each other and know each other at our cores, and we love and honor and respect each other’s gifts. We have forgiven each other’s trespasses.” He said that they grew up together on the show . They both built their own separate families at the same time and both had each other’s best interests at heart. He was quite effusive in his praise of her: “She’s open and honest and trustworthy and a ball of light. She radiates a goodness and a warmth and an inclusiveness. You know, she’s just a wonderful energy to be around. And she’s a hard worker. ” He praised her for how she carried on after he left the show.” They like working together and look forward to it. He never really answered the question about any challenges.

Next he was asked whether any parts of Elliot had rubbed off on him, or vice versa. He didn’t think so. He compared Elliot to himself, saying that Elliot was both more flawed and more heroic than he. He went on, “I think we both strive for the same sense of justice that, you know — I mean, I think this is life, right? And it’s difficult if you have a sense of right and wrong, and the world makes it difficult for one who has a sense of honor and justice, and you see reality is at times difficult in that regard. So, I would like to — I would strive to be as honorable as Elliott is, as flawed as he is. But no. We both have the same kind of walk, and that’s about it, I think.”

He was asked whether he thought all of the spinoffs were a good thing or not. He thinks that they’re both good and bad as it’s part of their business. It’s expensive to “It’s expensive to launch a show, very expensive to maintain a show, and very expensive to get eyeballs to the show, to your product. So, I just kind of think those pressures lend itself to that kind of programming.” He thinks the audience doesn’t mind as long as the product is a good one.

He was also asked why he thinks fans are so crazy about a Benson-Stabler relationship. He thinks that part of the reason is because their parting in 2011 was so abrupt, and they had so much chemistry for years before that. There was never any kind of answer as to the will-they-or-won’t-they question.

Another writer asked how his working with Mariska different this time than it was the first time around. He answered that they were young and didn’t know each other the first time around. It was all new, fresh and exciting. This time, when he returned, it felt both important and comfortable. “And I haven’t examined it beyond that… “I don’t have that relationship with any other actor walking the earth, because I’ve never worked with anyone for as long as I had with Mariska.” They were revisiting their relationship. “all of that in a package of grief, because of the circumstances under which I was reintroduced. So, it was a completely different dynamic, and yet I think the cornerstone of it all was a playfulness, a humor that we just always have with each other, and a camaraderie. Love and camaraderie.”

He was asked a good storyline question about whether Stabler would still be working with the team or whether he’ll be more in charge this season. He responded that Sgt. Bell is definitely still in command, not Elliot. He went on, “I find it a very interesting dynamic. I was surprised by it all, and I loved it. I thought it was a very good idea. Danielle Moné Truitt is wonderful to work with. Yeah. So, yeah. Elliott is more on the outside in the first series of eight from the unit. They’re kind of more of the, you know — they’re HQ to whom I report, and they do the logistical hard work while Elliott tries to get intel and is on the inside.”

The last person pointed out that Meloni is also great at comedy. He asked which he would like to do next, after he leaves OC? He instantly replied without hesitation that it would be comedy. “I’m in one swimming pool and I want to go try the other, see how the other water — how refreshing the other water is.” Well, let’s hope that’s not for a long time…at least not until we see how he and Olivia are able to really connect, finally.

MORE INFO:

Season 2 Preview Episode 202 Preview

Christopher Meloni of "Law & Order: Organized Crime" on NBC “LAW & ORDER: ORGANIZED CRIME”

“THE MAN WITH NO IDENTITY”

ORIGINAL

09/23/2021 (10:00PM – 11:00PM) (Thursday) : SEASON PREMIERE – After taking down Wheatley’s (Dylan McDermott) drug empire and discovering his wife’s killer, Det. Stabler (Christopher Meloni) must infiltrate a notorious crime family aiming to take over New York City’s cocaine trade. Sgt. Bell (Danielle Moné Truitt) is forced to work with a rival colleague when their investigations collide. Also starring Ainsley Seiger.

TV-14

The series stars Christopher Meloni, Dylan McDermott, Danielle Moné Truitt, Tamara Taylor and Ainsley Seiger.

Dick Wolf, Ilene Chaiken, Fred Berner, Terry Miller, Arthur Forney and Peter Jankowski serve as executive producers. “Law & Order: Organized Crime” is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Wolf Entertainment.

Christopher Meloni

Elliot Stabler, “Law & Order: Organized Crime”

Christopher Meloni returns to his iconic character, Elliot Stabler, in the new NBC drama series “Law & Order: Organized Crime.”

Meloni was last seen starring on the Hulu British comedy “Maxxx.”

Meloni starred in SYFY’s dark comedy “Happy!” based on Grant Morrison and Darick Robertson’s graphic novel. In addition to his starring role as Nick Sax, he directed an episode as well as executive produced the series. Meloni also co-starred in the third season of the critically acclaimed Hulu series “The Handmaid’s Tale” as Commander Winslow, a powerful and magnetic commander who hosts the Waterfords on an important trip.

Meloni had a guest arc on the breakout FX series “Pose,” from Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. He also appeared in the landmark historical series “Underground,” executive produced by John Legend, and directed an episode.

Following his breakout role on “NYPD Blue,” Meloni was cast in HBO’s gritty prison drama “Oz” and then moved on to “Law & Order: SVU,” where he received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. Following his 12 seasons on “SVU,” Meloni returned to HBO in Alan Ball’s wildly popular drama “True Blood” and the Julie Louis-Dreyfus-starrer “Veep.”

On the film side, Meloni’s credits include “Diary of a Teenage Girl,” “White Bird in a Blizzard,” “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For,” “Man of Steel,” “42,” “They Came Together,” the Terry Gilliam films “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” and “Twelve Monkeys,” “Bound,” “Runaway Bride,” “Nights in Rodanthe,” and the cult favorites “Wet Hot American Summer,” “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle” and its first sequel, “Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay.”

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

Mariska Hargitay of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and Christopher Meloni of "Law & Order: Organized Crime" on NBC

Interview with the “Alter Ego” Judges and Host

Posted on September 21, 2021March 15, 2023 by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

Judges and host of "Alter Ego" on FOX

Interview with judges Nick Lachey, Grimes, and will.i.am, host Rocsi Diaz, executive producer Matilda Zoltowski, and FOX’s President of Alternative Entertainment & Specials, Rob Wade of “Alter Ego” on FOX Suzanne 9/8/21

Alter Ego is the new FOX music competition show. It’s very unusual in that the singers create an avatar of themselves to perform through. The judges and audience see them not as themselves, but as their avatar.

2 NIGHT SEASON PREMIERE WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 22 & THURSDAY, SEPT. 23

I attended the FOX TCA panel for the show. Normally, they give us “screeners” – an episode or two of the show to watch ahead of time. Instead, we got one compilation episode. I’m not sure why. It was interesting, though. I don’t really watch non-fiction shows, but I might have to tune in to some of this to see what it’s really like.

On the panel, they told us “lost dreams and second chances are reignited when singers become the stars they’ve always wanted to be. However, these contestants won’t perform as themselves, rather, they’ll help create their dream avatar alter ego, reinventing and transforming themselves like never before. Talent and technology come together, creating a singing competition unlike anything the world has ever seen.” Then we saw a clip.

The panel consisted of judges Nick Lachey, Grimes, and will.i.am, host Rocsi Diaz, executive producer Matilda Zoltowski, and FOX’s President of Alternative Entertainment & Specials, Rob Wade. I’d only heard of Lachey and will.i.am, but that’s fine because I only was able to ask one question.

My question was admittedly a little lame. I should have asked about the technology behind the avatars because no one really asked that, and I’m curious. On the TV screen, we see the judges and audience looking at the avatar, which lookes like a real person on the stage. Is that how it looks in real life, or is it all special effects? I would love to know. Instead, I asked Nick Lachey a question about being a judge. I made an error because I thought he had been a judge on another reality show. My mistake because he was a contestant, not a judge. Whoops! I should have done more research. My bad. But he gave a great answer, anyway.

The first journalist asked the producers about the idea behind the show and what they hoped people would take out of having avatars perform. The answer was basically that they have this amazing technology that they can use now, and that they could get performers with amazing voices that we wouldn’t necessarily see on other competition shows. I guess he means, people who are not very attractive. What else would she mean? I mean, we’ve seen plenty of plus-sized people, and people of all different colors, races, genders, ages and orientations competing. The only thing left is unattractive people. From what the clips are showing, all of the contestants are choosing avatars much thinner than themselves, and some much more light-skinned than themselves. I wonder what criticisms people will have of the show. It’s, of course, also a way for those who are gender-fluid to have avatars to reflect who they feel like inside. I don’t know if that will be enough to counteract the other problems, though. We shall see!

The next press person asked about the design of the avatars and whether body diversity came into play. The producer answered that they have a real mix of different types of people and “huge diversity on every level.” She revealed that they have 20 different alter egos, which is something I didn’t know from watching the clips. It appears that the contestants are able to change what their avatars are wearing and other features. The producer maintained that they wanted to have alter egos that would appearl to a wide audience – people of all different types. She concluded, “I think there’s something there for everybody.”

Another writer asked why the alter egos look “fantastical” rather than just looking like regular humans. Hmm, here’s someone who probably hasn’t played a lot of video games or done online role-playing. That’s kind of the point – to look different than we are, dude. Producer Wade admitted that trying to make the avatars look like regular humans didn’t really look good. The avatars looked “creepy.” They thought that having them more colorful and fun would be better and people could connect to them. He also added, “why do a show called ALTER EGO with avatars if you’re just going to replicate human beings? They should be something a little bit more fantastical, a little bit superhero like, in a way.”

Judge Grimes interjected that she thought that since so many people are into video games, that they’re used to connecting with the “crazier type” of characters. will.i.am also added his input by comparing people dressing up in different colors, expressing themselves, or wearing costumes for Comic-Con, or various artists who look “fantastical” like these alter egos. He said, “This is beyond makeup. This is beyond, you know, a hat and glasses. It’s beyond freaking tailored suits that fit you perfectly. This is your spirit tailored, whooo. This is, like, your passion tailored. This is putting makeup on your spirit.” He got very excited, and everyone laughed. Nick Lachey advised us to tune in to the series because this is just a small taste of what will.i.am commentary is like.

The next interviewer ask about how genders will be changed, which was a variation on the body diversity question already asked. will.i.am put it well when he declared that “the imagination is genderless and it’s beautiful.” He went on to explained that when he writes songs, sometimes it’s from a female point of view (especially if he’s writing it for a female singer, such as Fergie. He’s “dialing into my inner femininity.” He once again indulged in hyperbole about the show and its performers in this regard. Lachey chimed in to talk about it from the POV of an entertaining – how it can be “truly liberating” to step into an alter ego. He says the way it came together in the show blew his mind. Grimes noted that the show makes “gender fluidity more casual”. Diaz pointed out that what will make viewers really invested in the stories of the performers is that they get to live out these experiences in such a liberating way and really be themselves for the first time. It was touching for them, and she believes it will be for the audience at home as well.

Then it was my turn to ask a question. Bear in mind that I was already a middle-aged adult by the time “98 Degrees” became a big hit, so that wasn’t my music. I had completely forgotten that Lachey was in that group. I had mostly seen him in “Charmed,” where he played Leslie St. Claire in 2004. He modestly replied, “To call me an actor is a liberal use of the word “acting.” After graciously correcting me that he’d never been a judge, he said that he had been a host before on music competition shows, so he was excited to step into the role of judge. He admitted that he was a bit of a skeptic at first (about the alter egos) because he doesn’t play video Alter Ego fairy avatar games and isn’t really into technology tha tmuch. He thought it was really cool to be asked to be part of it, though. In the end, “what I took away from it was, there’s such a humanity, despite all the mind blowing technology, and it’s incredible, and you’ll see it when it premieres on the 22nd. I mean, it’s incredible technology, but there’s still a humanity that comes through in these performances. These are real emotions. These are real people behind the alter egos, and that life experience, all the things that you channel as an artist, all those things you channel into your performance, those things come through in a very real way through the technology, which is a beautiful, beautiful thing to see. And again, I always use this word, but, you know, confluence of technology and artistry, and the way those things came together on this show is something unlike we’ve seen on TV ever. And so, I’m so excited. I mean, I got to watch it firsthand. I’m so excited for (my dog, Brandy, barked here) come together. And, apparently, that dog agrees with me. They’re excited.” Everyone laughed because it was very funny.

They joked around about how Lachey told a lot of “dad jokes.”

The next journalist asked Nick if there were logistical complications, since he lives in Hawaii and the show is in Los Angeles. Lachey confirmed that he does have a lot of frequent flyer miles. However, he was able to be back in L.A., bringing his son Charlie with him while he filmed the show and spent time there. He admitted, “I’ve done a lot of great things in my career, and I’m truly appreciative of each and every one of them, but this was one of the unique and special things I was able to be a part of. So, I’m glad it was able to be worked out, and I’m glad I was able do it.”

The same person asked him being a contestant on “The Masked Singer” and how that informed him for this show. He compared being in the “Piglet” costume to having an alter ego because it frees you to create a character and be whomever you want to be. He told us that the singers in “Alter Ego” are all incredible, but they all have struggled in some ways, but the show allowed them “truly feel liberated, and let their true talent shine through. And we all were lucky enough to be witnesses to that, and I think that’s a beautiful thing. That’s the real … humanity of this show. These are all humans with real emotions, and real struggles, and real experiences, and they bring all that to their performances, and they bring all that to their alter egos. And to watch all those things come together on this is a beautiful thing.”

Another journalist asked will.i.am about the current technology available (and being used on the show), and how he would have used that back when he was in the Black-Eyed Peas. Will gave a very long answer where he basically said that it would have freed them all to be different characters – and play different instruments- within their band.

That same man asked Graimes, who’s a producer as well as a performer, how she judges the show’s performers. Grimes didn’t really answer his questions. She did admit that she has “huge stage fright” and was already looking into this sort of technology to use in her own performances.

There many more questions, but these were the most interesting. Check out this unusual show!

Here is the audio version of it.

Interview Transcribed by Jamie of http://www.scifivision.com

MORE INFO:

ALTER EGO is the world’s first avatar singing competition series and the next iteration of the musical competition show. On ALTER EGO, lost dreams and second chances are reignited when singers from all walks of life become the stars they’ve always wanted to be. However, these contestants won’t perform as themselves. Rather, they’ll be given the chance to show how they’ve always wanted to be seen, creating their dream avatar ALTER EGO to reinvent themselves, while showcasing their unique performance style via motion capture technology. The judges table features some of the biggest names in music, including iconic singer/songwriter and seven-time Grammy Award winner Alanis Morissette; actor, singer and television personality Nick Lachey; acclaimed Canadian producer, songwriter, singer and visual artist Grimes; and multi-Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter, producer, entrepreneur and actor will.i.am. Emmy Award-winning personality Rocsi Diaz will host the musical spectacle. In ALTER EGO, talent and technology come together to create a singing competition unlike anything the world has ever seen.

GRIMES

as Judge

Bio

Claire Boucher is the producer of the alter ego Grimes and an award-winning music video director, as well as a music writer, artist, producer, engineer and singer-songwriter. The world got its first glimpse of this vision on her 2010 full-length debut, “Geidi Primes,” which drew its inspiration from the David Lynch adaptation of Frank Herbert’s “Dune.” Her sophomore outing, “Halfaxa,” followed the same year. Over the course of three weeks, 2012’s “Visions” came to life in her apartment and would be recorded solely on Garage Band. 2015 marked a commercial breakthrough on “Art Angels.” It appeared in the Top 5 of year-end lists by Pitchfork, Billboard, Consequence of Sound, The New York Times and Rolling Stone, in addition to being named Album of the Year by Stereogum, NME and Exclaim! In 2018, she made another conscious evolution, turning back to formative influences, such as Tool and Nine Inch Nails for inspiration — a style first hinted at on 2016’s “Suicide Squad” soundtrack contribution, “Medieval Warfare.” In 2020, she released “Miss Anthropocene,” a concept album about an anthropomorphic goddess of climate change, which received rave reviews. The album title stems from the words Misanthrope, “a person who dislikes humankind and avoids human society,” and Anthropocene, “the current geological age, viewed as the period during which human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment.” In 2021, she set the NFT world on fire with the release of WarNymph Collection Vol 1 By Grimes x Mac. The collection contains 10 artworks, including a unique video work set to original music composed specifically for the project. Through the character of WarNymph, Grimes explores the fluidity of identity in the virtual age: the ability to create, augment and splinter ourselves into unlimited avatars.

NICK LACHEY as Judge

Bio

Singer, actor and television personality Nick Lachey rose to fame as the lead singer of the multi-Platinum boy band 98 Degrees, selling more than 10 million records. He also has released four solo studio albums. Currently, Nick can be seen co-hosting “Love is Blind” with his wife Vanessa Lachey. In 2021, Lachey won the fifth season of THE MASKED SINGER as The Piglet. Lachey has had a long hosting career, serving as host on “The Sing Off” and “Big Morning Buzz Live.”

In addition to his work in music and television, Lachey remains a constant advocate for children’s and humanitarian causes through his work with organizations including Autism Speaks, Feeding America, Make-a-Wish Foundation, The Boys & Girls Club, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), VH-1 Save The Music, The Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and The Cincinnati School for Performing Arts. He is also founder and President of The Nick Lachey Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to helping children, families and communities in need throughout the United States.

Lachey was raised in Cincinnati, OH, and attended the School for Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA), Miami University and University of Southern California. Lachey currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife Vanessa and three children.

will.i.am

as Judge

Bio

Seven-time Grammy Award winner will.i.am has been at the forefront of the contemporary American hip hop movement for more than 20 years. He is best known as a songwriter, producer, actor and entrepreneur, and globally recognized as a founding member of Black Eyed Peas, one of the best-selling groups of all time. He has released four solo albums and eight studio albums with Black Eyed Peas. The act was one of the first to recognize the mainstream potential of electronic dance music and held the No. 1 spot on the Hot 100 for a record 26 consecutive weeks after “I Gotta Feeling” replaced “Boom Boom Pow” atop the chart — more than any other act in the history of the Hot 100. The Emmy and CLIO Award-winning music video, “Yes We Can,” mobilized a generation during the 2008 U.S. Presidential election. He has worked with countless Grammy Award-winning artists as a producer and currently serves as a Coach on “The Voice UK” and “The Voice Kids.”

He has starred in several animated feature films, including “Rio,” “Rio 2” and “Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa,” as well as the live-action “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.” Founded in 2009, will.i.am’s i.am Angel Foundation supports in-class and after-school STEAM education programs for disadvantaged youth in grades K – 12. The Foundation also funds the Boyle Heights STEM Magnet High School in Los Angeles, and the i.am Scholarship program that provides gap funding to college-bound program students.

ALANIS MORISSETTE

as Judge

Bio

Since 1995, Alanis Morissette has been one of the most influential singer-songwriter-musicians in contemporary music. Her deeply expressive music and performances have earned vast critical praise and seven Grammy Awards. Morissette’s 1995 debut, “Jagged Little Pill,” was followed by nine more eclectic and acclaimed albums.

She has contributed musically to theatrical releases and has acted on the big and small screens. Outside of entertainment, she is an avid supporter of female empowerment, as well as spiritual, psychological and physical wellness. In 2016, Morissette launched “Conversation with Alanis Morissette,” a monthly podcast that features conversations with a variety of revered authors, doctors, educators and therapists, covering a wide range of psycho-social topics, extending from spirituality to developmentalism to art. On December 5, 2019, the Broadway musical “Jagged Little Pill” debuted at the Broadhurst Theatre in New York City, and was nominated for 15 Tony Awards. Most recently, Morissette released her ninth studio album, “Such Pretty Forks In The Road,” to rave reviews. For more information see www.alanis.com.

ROCSI DIAZ

as Host

Bio

Emmy Award-winning television host Rocsi Diaz is best known as the former co-host of ultra-popular mega music show “106 & Park.” She has interviewed everyone from Lady Gaga to Barack Obama. As a co-host and daily correspondent on “Entertainment Tonight,” Diaz was known for setting the tone for what’s hot in music, movies and entertainment. She reached 85 million homes worldwide during her time with “106 & Park,” and has since gone to host “The Daily Share,” “Dating Naked,” “Behind The Movie,” “Chatter” and “Cannonball.” With a massive social media presence, Diaz reaches millions of followers across all platforms.

MATILDA ZOLTOWSKI

Executive Producer/Showrunner

Bio

Matilda Zoltowski is a talented producer who has worked on some of the biggest and most successful properties in unscripted television. She began her career in the U.K., where she worked on “Big Brother” and “Strictly Come Dancing,” the inspiration for “Dancing With The Stars.” Her work on “Strictly Come Dancing” gave her the opportunity to develop and produce “Dancing With The Stars” in the U.S., on which she was a co-executive producer for eight seasons.

Zoltowski has developed and produced many different types of unscripted series that have attracted major talent, including cooking series “The Taste,” starring Anthony Bourdain; “Off Their Rockers,” with Betty White; “Bring The Funny,” with Kenan Thompson and Chrissy Teigen; and “I Can Do That,” with Marlon Wayans. Most recently, she served as executive producer for all four seasons of “World of Dance,” starring Jennifer Lopez.

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

Alter Ego ad

Interview with the cast of “Ordinary Joe” on NBC

Posted on September 19, 2021September 19, 2021 by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

cast of "Ordinary Joe" on NBC

Interview with actors James Wolk, Elizabeth Lail, Natalie Martinez, Charlie Barnett and executive producers Garrett Lerner and Russell Friend of “Ordinary Joe” on NBC by Suzanne 9/13/21

This was a wonderful TV Critics Association panel for a fun new show. I admit that I’m a fan of lead actor James Wolk. He’s been great in so many shows, such as “Mad Men,” “Watchmen,” and “Zoo.” He’s more than just a pretty face. I know, that’s a terribly sexist thing to say. This is a beautiful cast, though. It was nice to meet his co-stars as well. Everyone there obviously has high hopes for this show, so I hope it succeeds.

The show focuses on Wolk’s character, Joe, and the three choices he has in life after college. If he goes to meet his girlfriend, Jenny (Lail), then he ends up with her. If he meets up with this other woman he just met, Amy (Martinez), then he ends up with her. If he goes out with his family, then he has a different path. We see him on all three paths, how his life turns out, depending on which road he takes. Seeing the first two episodes was interesting. I want to see how they’ll carry this over a whole season. There is Nurse Joe, Cop Joe and Rock Star Joe. Personally, the last one is my favorite.

Because this was a TCA panel and not a regular interview, I was only able to ask one question, and I’m not allowed to share the transcript or recording with you. It was very enjoyable, though.

When I asked my question, which was about singing, Wolk immediately started singing a Billy Joel song to me (swoon!), so that was charming. In the show, when Joe is young, he’s graduating as a music major. He wants to be a rock star – the next Billy Joel. That struck me as a bit odd, given his age.

In the interview, I asked, “Jim, were you a fan of Billy Joel before this show, and had you been singing his songs for fun, or anything like that? You seem a little young to be a Billy Joel fan, to be honest (laughs).” He replied that the mom of an old friend of his used to listen to his albums, and he enjoys singing his music, but he did admit that he’s not as big of a fan of his music as his character, Joe, is. Charlie Barnett (who plays his best friend, Eric) objected to my question and said that “There’s no age limit to good music.” Well, that’s true, but most people, I don’t think, are quite so much into real oldies that they didn’t grow up with as they are their own teenage or childhood music. Now, I don’t know when Joe was born, but Wolk was born in 1985, which was after the bulk of Billy Joel’s hits, so it would be pretty odd for him to aspire to be like him. It would be as if I aspired to be the next Connie Francis or Brenda Lee. I’m sure most people reading this barely know who those women are. The guys who wrote the show are probably a lot older, so Billy Joel was their music more than Wolk’s. He does have a lovely singing voice, though, and he sang “Piano Man” very well in one of the episodes (I was a music major, just like the character, Joe).

Wolk graciously told us all that the other cast members present there are also really good singers, so he hinted that they may have an all-singing episode one day. Everyone seemed to like that idea.

Check out the series and let me know which Joe is your favorite!

Joe's three paths after graduation

Here’s another review of the show that gives you a lot of information. I agree with a lot of it…however, I don’t think it’s nearly as bland as this reviewer thinks it is. A large part of it rests on how much you like James Wolk and the other actors.

MORE INFO:

Life is all about the choices you make – and sometimes what you do in a single moment can change everything. This new heartfelt, life-affirming drama follows Joe Kimbreau, who faces one of these decisions at his college graduation. The three parallel stories that diverge from that night find Joe and the people around him with different careers, relationships and family lives, showing the unexpected ways that things change – and stay the same. But when it comes down to it, there is no “right” choice; no matter what happens, Joe’s life is always messy, exciting, tough, unpredictable … and beautiful.

The cast includes James Wolk, Natalie Martinez, Elizabeth Lail and Charlie Barnett.

Russel Friend and Garrett Lerner will write and executive produce along with executive producers Matt Reeves, Adam Kassan, Rafi Crohn, Howard Klein. Adam Davidson will direct and executive produce the pilot episode.

“Ordinary Joe” is produced by 20th Television, Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, 6th & Idaho, 3 Arts.

breaking news | March 31, 2021

• NBC has ordered the drama “Ordinary Joe” to series.

• W/EP: Russel Friend, Garrett Lerner

• NW/EP: Matt Reeves, Adam Kassan, Rafi Crohn, Howard Klein

• D/EP (pilot only): Adam Davidson

• “I still remember when Matt Reeves shared this passion project back when I worked at Twentieth. Russel and Garrett wrote such a compelling and emotional script that was expertly executed from page to screen,” said Lisa Katz, President, Scripted Content, Entertainment and Streaming. “We love how ‘Ordinary Joe’ lets us experience the universal question of ‘what if’ through an incredible cast of characters and engaging storylines.”

• Cast: James Wolk, Natalie Martinez, Charlie Barnett, Elizabeth Lail

• Logline: Explores the three parallel lives of the show’s main character after he makes a pivotal choice at a crossroads in his life. The series asks the question of how different life might look if you made your decision based on love, loyalty or passion.

• Produced by: 20th Television, Universal Television (a division of Universal Studio Group), 6th & Idaho, 3 Arts

James Wolk

Joe Kimbreau, “Ordinary Joe”

James Wolk stars as Joe Kimbreau in the new NBC drama “Ordinary Joe.”

Wolk was recently be seen on the HBO series “Watchmen,” written by Damon Lindoff, based off the comic book series. He also co-stars on the CBS All Access series “Tell Me a Story,” created and produced by Kevin Williamson, which was renewed for a second season. It takes the world’s most beloved fairy tales and reimagines them as a dark and twisted psychological thriller. He also recurred on season two of Amazon’s legal drama series “Goliath,” created by David E. Kelley and Jonathan Shapiro, and starring opposite Billy Bob Thornton.

Wolk is also known for his starring role on the CBS summer series, “Zoo,” which ran for three seasons. Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by acclaimed writer James Patterson, “Zoo” centers on Jackson Oz (James Wolk) – a young American zoologist, who begins to notice the strange behavior of the animals, leading to a wave of violent animal-on-human attacks across the globe.

In 2010, Wolk nabbed the lead role in the critically acclaimed but short-lived Fox series, “Lone Star” and co-starred on the the Golden Globe-nominated USA miniseries “Political Animals.” Wolk also notably recurred on the award-winning and critically acclaimed AMC series “Mad Men” and starred opposite Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar in the CBS comedy “The Crazy Ones.” Other television credits include “Billions,” “Happy Endings,” and “Shameless.”

Wolk, a native of Farmington Hills, Mich., and 2007 graduate of the University of Michigan drama school, began his career in the CBS/ Hallmark Hall of Fame special “Front of the Class.”

Wolk also appeared on stage in the Tony Award-nominated production “Next Fall,” written by Geoffrey Nauffts and directed by Sheryl Kaller, for its West Coast debut at the Geffen Playhouse.

On the big screen, Wolk made his film debut in Disney’s “You Again.” His film credits include “For a Good Time Call,” “There’s Always Woodstock” and “The Is Happening.” Wolk notably co-starred in the 2015 critically acclaimed film “The Stanford Prison Experiment,” which premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize.

Wolk resides in Los Angeles.

Charlie Barnett

Eric Payne, “Ordinary Joe”

Charlie Barnett stars as Eric Payne, the best friend of Joe Kimbreau, in the new NBC drama “Ordinary Joe.”

Barnett is familiar to NBC audiences, starring for three seasons as Peter Mills on “Chicago Fire.” Born in Sarasota, Fla., Barnett began performing at a young age, participating in local opera and musical theater productions before graduating from the Juilliard School.

Barnett’s TV career began with guest star roles on “Law & Order: SVU” and “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” before landing his first series regular role on “Chicago Fire.” He then joined the second season of “Secrets and Lies” followed by a series regular role on the CW military drama “Valor.”

In 2019, Barnett starred alongside Natasha Lyonne in the Emmy Award-nominated Netflix series “Russian Doll.”

Other notable TV credits include a series regular role on Armistead Maupin’s “Tales of the City” as well as guest starring roles on “You,” “Special,” “Orange Is the New Black” and “Arrow.” He debuted on the big screen alongside Will Smith and Josh Brolin in “Men and Black 3.”

Offscreen, Barnett is an avid history buff, enjoys cooking, volunteering, hosting friends and family, horseback riding, sailing, and almost anything involving nature.

Elizabeth Lail

Jenny Banks, “Ordinary Joe”

Elizabeth Lail plays Jenny Banks on the new NBC drama “Ordinary Joe.”

Lail, who also can be currently seen in HBO Max’s reboot of “Gossip Girl,” is best known for her breakout role as Guinevere Beck in the addicting drama “You,” opposite Penn Badgley. The series premiered on Lifetime in 2018 and quickly became a big hit when it moved over to Netflix.

Lail’s other film and television credits include “Countdown,” “Videosyncrasy” and ABC’s “Once Upon a Time.” She made her theater debut in Ken Urban’s Off Broadway play, “Nibbler” directed by Ben Kamine.

Lail is a BFA graduate from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

Natalie Martinez

Amy Kindelan, “Ordinary Joe”

Natalie Martinez plays Amy Kindelan on the new NBC drama “Ordinary Joe.”

Martinez, who will be seen in Warner Bros.’ “Reminiscence” with Hugh Jackman and Rebecca Ferguson, appeared in Quibi’s 2020 action thriller “The Fugitive.” In that same year, she also co-starred in CBS All Access’ “The Stand” and previous to that appeared in the Netflix sci-fi series “The I-Land.” Additional TV credits include “The Crossing,” “APB,” “Detroit 1-8-7,” “Under the Dome,” “Secrets & Lies,” “Kingdom.”

On the film side, Martinez’s credits include “Message from the King,” “Keep Watching,” “Self/less,” “Broken City” and “End of Watch.”

Martinez first gained recognition after being hand-picked by Jennifer Lopez to become the spokesmodel for her fashion line, JLO by Jennifer Lopez. From there, she went on to star in several music videos, and the telenovelas “Fashion House” and “Saints & Sinners.”

Originally from Miami, Martinez currently resides in Los Angeles.

Garrett Lerner and Russel Friend

Executive Producers, “Ordinary Joe”

Garrett Lerner and Russel Friend executive produce the new NBC drama “Ordinary Joe.”

Previously, they were executive producers on “House M.D.,” where they were nominated for four Emmys Awards and won the WGA Award for Outstanding Episodic Drama. Other writing credits include “Glee,” “Home Before Dark,” “Altered Carbon,” “Roswell,” “Rise” and “Boston Public.”

Lerner and Friend graduated from the USC Peter Stark Program in 1995.

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

"Ordinary Joe" premieres 9/20 on NBC

DVD Review of “The Equalizer: Season One”

Posted on September 15, 2021September 10, 2023 by TvMegasite Admin

TV Review!

“The Equalizer: Season One” Review by Suzanne 9/15/21

This is a vigilante show, which is similar to a superhero show. There’s a thin line that sometimes can be hard to find. Batman is a vigilante, but he has no super powers. Robyn McCall (Queen Latifah) is a former CIA agent who now secretly helps people who are victims of evil doers (especially female victims). She has a team helping her, including her former CIA handler (played by the amazing Chris Noth). She tries to redeem herself with each person she helps – she has a lot to make up for from her shady past. She also lives with her Aunt Vi (the always-underrated Lorraine Toussaint), who helps her raise her teenaged daughter, Delilah.

There’s a lot of great action in the show, but the violence has been toned down quite a bit since the 80’s version of this series. Perhaps they think that female audience members won’t like it. At any rate, it gives them time to focus more on story and characters. The first season was a big hit, and the second season is doing pretty well. CBS is packed with remakes and reboots, but this show stands out as one of the best. Queen Latifah herself deserves a lot of the credit, but the writing is also very good.

The DVD has some nice extras: 3 behind-the-scenes specials, as well as the regular deleted scenes and gag reel. This would make a good gift for any teen or adult.

MORE INFORMATION:

Buy This DVD!

THE EQUALIZER: SEASON ONE
Street Date: September 21
Format: DVD
Description: THE EQUALIZER is a reimagining of the classic series following Robyn McCall, an enigmatic woman with a mysterious background who uses her extensive skills as a former CIA operative to help those with nowhere else to turn. McCall presents to most as an average single mom who is quietly raising her teenage daughter. But to a trusted few, she is The Equalizer – an anonymous guardian angel and defender of the downtrodden, who’s also dogged in her pursuit of personal redemption. Robyn’s clandestine work remains a secret from her smart and observant daughter, Delilah, and her aunt Vi, who lives with Robyn to help her balance life as a working mother. Joining Robyn as champions of justice are William Bishop, her former CIA handler and longtime friend; Melody “Mel” Bayani, an edgy bar owner and a colleague from Robyn’s past; and Harry Keshegian, a paranoid and brilliant white-hat hacker. As Robyn aids the oppressed and exploited, her work garners the attention of shrewd NYPD Detective Marcus Dante, who doggedly seeks to uncover the identity of the vigilante known as The Equalizer.

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

The opinions in these articles are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TVMEG.COM or its other volunteers.

cast of "The Equalizer" on CBS

Review of “NCIS: Hawaii”

Posted on September 15, 2021September 10, 2023 by TvMegasite Admin

TV Review!

cast of "NCIS: Hawaii" on CBS

“NCIS: Hawaii” on CBS Review by Suzanne 9/15/21

I love shows filmed on Oahu because we lived there for three wonderful years. I hope to go back one day. It really is paradise, like they say. I would look out and just be constantly amazed at where I was and what I was seeing. The actors in shows like this, and “Magnum PI” and “Hawaii Five-0” are so lucky to live and work there.

They do a good job showing the island – not just the tourist or downtown areas, but also where the locals go. They also show the food, the language and some of its cultural traditions. The cast is very diverse. Star Vanessa Lachey is half Filipina (there are many Filipino-Americans and other Asian descendants in Hawaii). The rest of the cast is from New Zealand, Canada and other places, with ancestry from Lebanon, the Pacific Islands, Hawaii, Polynesia (New Zealand), United Arab Emirates and more. It’s great that they have a woman in charge, too, which is a first for the NCIS franchise. CBS has really made great strides in its casting the past few years to put women and people of color in the forefront of their shows.

Do I even have to mention that the stories and characters are great? Of course they are. It’s NCIS. The writing is always top-notch. Someone in the military is murdered, and they investigate, and they find the killer (and usually more than they bargained for). There’s going to be action, good-natured joking around, and some romance. Each of the characters in the regular cast has compelling backstories. What more could you ask for? Check it out Mondays.

MORE INFORMATION:

NCIS: Hawaii poster

The world’s most successful television series continues on the seductive shores of the Aloha State with NCIS: HAWAI ‘ I, where the first female Special Agent in Charge of NCIS Pearl Harbor, Jane Tennant, has thrived and risen through the ranks by equal parts confidence and strategy in a system that has pushed back on her every step of the way. Together with her unwavering team of specialists, they balance duty to family and country while investigating high-stakes crimes involving military personnel, national security and the mysteries of the sun-drenched island paradise itself.

Premiered Monday, Sept. 20 on the CBS Television Network and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

ON AIR:

Monday (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT)

ORIGINATION:

Oahu, Hawaii

FORMAT:

Drama (Filmed in HD)

STARRING:	Vanessa Lachey	(Special Agent in Charge Jane Tennant)
	Alex Tarrant	(Kai)
	Noah Mills	(Jesse Boone)
	Yasmine Al-Bustami	(Lucy Tara)
	Jason Antoon	(Ernie Malik)
	Tori Anderson	(Kate Whistler)
	Kian Talan	(Alex Tennant)

PRODUCED BY:

CBS Television Studios

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS:

Matt Bosack, Jan Nash and Christopher Silber; Larry Teng (initial episode only)

VANESSA LACHEY STARS AS SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE OF NCIS PEARL HARBOR JANE TENNANT, WHOSE TEAM INVESTIGATES HIGH-STAKES CRIMES INVOLVING MILITARY PERSONNEL AND NATIONAL SECURITY IN THE ALOHA STATE, ON THE SERIES PREMIERE OF “NCIS: HAWAI`I,” MONDAY, SEPT. 20

Series Also Stars Alex Tarrant, Noah Mills, Yasmine Al-Bustami, Jason Antoon,

Tori Anderson and Kian Talan

“Pilot” – Vanessa Lachey stars as Special Agent in Charge of NCIS Pearl Harbor Jane Tennant, who, with her unwavering team of specialists, balances duty, family and country, while investigating high-stakes crimes involving military personnel, national security and the mysteries of the sun-drenched island paradise itself. In the premiere episode, an experimental Naval aircraft crashes on Oahu, and Tennant and her team must find who is behind it before classified state secrets are exposed, on the series premiere of NCIS: HAWAI`I, Monday, Sept. 20 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+. Series also stars Alex Tarrant, Noah Mills, Yasmine Al-Bustami, Jason Antoon, Tori Anderson and Kian Talan.

REGULAR CAST:

Vanessa Lachey	(Special Agent in Charge Jane Tennant)
Alex Tarrant	(Kai Holman)
Noah Mills	(Jesse Boone)
Yasmine Al-Bustami	(Lucy Tara)
Jason Antoon	(Ernie Malik)
Tori Anderson	(Kate Whistler)
Kian Talan	(Alex Tennant)

GUEST CAST:

Mahina Anna Maria Napoleon	(Julie Tennant)
Moses Goods	(Wally Holman)
Enver Gjokaj	(Captain Milius)
Danielle Nuela Zalopany	(Hina)
Ron Yuan	(Big Luna)
Erica Wong	(Myra)
Jamaal Burcher	(Charles Randolph)
Amber Olivia Abara	(Sally)
Ryan Pagan	(HPD Officer)
Chris Kim	(HPD Officer 2)
Blaze Laniola Cosner	(Moke)
Jordan Matlock	(Mainlander 1)
Jacob White	(Mainlander 2)
Joanna K. Patterson	(Female Bartender)
Chris Magpoc	(M.E. Tech)
Pedro Lemus Jr.	(Navy Honor Guard)
Louis Steiner	(Master at Arms)

WRITTEN BY: Matt Bosack, Jan Nash and Christopher Silber

DIRECTED BY: Larry Teng

GENRE: Drama, Crime, Mystery

Official CBS website: https://www.cbs.com/shows/ncis-hawaii/

Website: https://www.cbs.com/shows/ncis-hawaii/

CBS Twitter: https://twitter.com/CBSTweet

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NCISHawaiiCBS/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NCISHawaiiCBS

Instagram: @NCISHawaiiCBS

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

Brad Neeley’s Homecoming: Return to Streaming

The opinions in these articles are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TVMEG.COM or its other volunteers.

Some of the "NCIS: Hawaii" cast on CBS

Interview with the cast of “Harper House”

Posted on September 10, 2021June 13, 2025 by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

THE HARPER HOUSE -- The adult animated comedy series, THE HARPER HOUSE, with voice cast, Rhea Seehorn, Jason Lee, Tatiana Maslany, Ryan Flynn, Gabourey Sidibe, Gary Anthony Williams, Nyima Funk, VyVy Nguyen and Lance Krall on the Paramount+ series THE GOOD FIGHT. Photo: CBS Studios©2021 Paramount+, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Interview with Rhea Seehorn, Jason Lee, Ryan Flynn, Gabourey Sidibe, Gary Anthony Williams, Nyima Funk, Brad Neely, and Katie Krentz of “The Harper House” on Paramount+ by Suzanne 8/31/21

The Harper House Cast

Rhea Seehorn – “Debbie Harper”

Jason Lee – “Freddie Harper”

Ryan Flynn – “Todd Harper”

Gabourey Sidibe – “Shauna Bradley”

Gary Anthony Williams – “Gbenge Bradley”

Nyima Funk – “Katrina Bradley”

Brad Neely – Creator & Showrunner

Katie Krentz – Executive Producer

I was at this panel, and I asked Gary Anthony Williams (Gbenge) a question. He’s been a favorite of mine ever since he played Clarence on “Boston Legal.” Unfortunately, I was not sent a transcript for the interview, and we weren’t allowed to record it. If I’d known ahead of time, I would have taken notes, at least. Here is what I remember, and what I’ve been able to piece together.

Everyone on the panel was very funny and had me crying (because I was laughing so hard), especially Gary and his comedy partner, Nyima Funk (Katrina). They should have their own podcast or talk show… I know I asked him something about Arkansas, since I lived there at the time. The show takes place in River Creek, Arkansas. I don’t remember what he said, unfortunately. Fortunately, I did get to speak to him years later, about his role on “Night Court” on NBC.

The panel officially announced the premiere date for Harper House set for September 16, 2021, and debuted its first-look trailer with key cast members and creative team in attendance

Premiere date and trailer: The show’s debut on September 16, 2021 was confirmed, and the first full trailer was shown—featuring cast members Rhea Seehorn, Jason Lee, Ryan Flynn, and Tatiana Maslany.

Cast & creative team: Brad Neely (creator/writer), along with key cast members, participated in the event—primarily to introduce the series and its tone .

Rhea Seehorn on taking “different risks” On the August 31 TCA Zoom panel, Seehorn reflected on how the animated format allowed her to stretch creatively: “There were risks you could take because this is a very different type of storytelling on this show… But there was also risks I felt that I could try out vocally.” Seehorn contrasted voice acting in The Harper House with her live-action role in Better Call Saul, discussing how the medium demands broader expressive range: “You do get to explore a lot… you need to carry out your humor, your drama, your real moments, your more outlandish moments, your subtext. Everything has to all be done vocally as opposed to subtleties that you can do on camera…” Experimenting in the studio, trusting animators.

She also highlighted the playful creative process between voice recording and animation: “Sometimes I would try things and leave it to the animators to figure out… understanding sometimes when [creator] Brad [Neely] knew how it would be animated, versus choices that hadn’t been made yet, and being a part of that process.”

Here are some other links having to do with the show and its cast:

Meet the Voice Cast

Wikipedia

The 10 Smartest Characters

Paramount+ brings “peak” animation to Comic-Con@home with “The Harper House”and “Stephen Colbert Presents Tooning Out the News”

MORE INFO:

CBS ALL ACCESS ANNOUNCES VOICE CAST FOR ANIMATED SERIES “THE HARPER HOUSE”

Voice Cast Includes Rhea Seehorn, Jason Lee, Tatiana Maslany, Ryan Flynn, VyVy Nguyen, Roberta Colindrez, Gabourey Sidibe, Gary Anthony Williams and More

New Animated Series from Brad Neely and Katie Krentz Coming to CBS All Access in 2021

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Oct. 15, 2020 – CBS All Access, ViacomCBS’ digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service, today announced the voice cast for its upcoming adult animated comedy THE HARPER HOUSE, created by Brad Neely. THE HARPER HOUSE will star Rhea Seehorn, Jason Lee, Tatiana Maslany and Ryan Flynn as the Harper family, with VyVy Nguyen, Lance Krall, Roberta Colindrez, Tessa Skara, John “Spud” McConnell, Chris Diamantopoulos, Joanna Hausmann, Gabourey Sidibe, Nyima Funk and Gary Anthony Williams also voicing characters in the series.

THE HARPER HOUSE follows an overconfident female head of a household, as she struggles to regain a higher status for herself and for her family of oddballs, after losing her job and moving from the rich side to the poor side of an Arkansas small town. To save money, they’ve moved into their inherited Victorian fixer-upper, the historic Harper House.

The Harpers:

Rhea Seehorn (“Better Call Saul,” “Veep”) will voice Debbie Harper, the aforementioned breadwinner of the Harper household, who takes pride in being the queen of her home.

Jason Lee (“My Name is Earl,” “Alvin and the Chipmunks”) will voice Freddie Harper, a fretful, stay-at-home, helicopter dad. A neurotic control freak, Freddie runs the home while his wife makes the money, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Tatiana Maslany (“Orphan Black,” “Perry Mason”) will voice Ollie Harper, the extroverted, free-spirited daughter. Recklessly optimistic and pretty gullible, Ollie usually has a completely different takeaway than her 11-year-old twin brother, Todd.

Newcomer Ryan Flynn (“Stupidface”) will voice Todd Harper, the smart-ass, intellectual son with a mean potty mouth. Where Ollie shines with people, Todd excels at school and generally only gets along with his family.

The Bradleys:

Gabourey Sidibe (“Precious,” “Empire”) will voice Shauna Bradley, the cunning and resourceful classmate of Ollie and Todd whose family lives across the street from the Harper House. Her confidence and savvy can even be intimidating to the adults in her life.

Nyima Funk (“Key and Peele,” “Detroiters”) will voice Katrina Bradley, the sarcastic co-owner, with her husband Gbenge, of Bradleys’ Bookshop. Constantly bewildered by her new neighbors, she grows to accept the Harpers and their unique contributions to the north side of town.

Gary Anthony Williams (“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows,” “American Dad!”) will voice Gbenge Bradley, the proud patriarch of the Bradley family, who eventually warms to the Harper family and Freddie’s increasingly desperate attempts to be his friend.

Also cast in the series are VyVy Nguyen (“Young Sheldon,” “Parenthood”) and Lance Krall (“Fameless,” “Breaking In”), who will voice mother-son duo Gwen and JimJoe Dang. Gwen owns the Vietnamese market and cafe that the Harpers frequent, while her son JimJoe attends school with the Harper children. Roberta Colindrez (“Vida,” “The Deuce”) will voice Tonya Acosta, a carefree yet supportive friend of Debbie’s, while Tessa Skara (“The Calling,” “High Maintenance”) and John “Spud” McConnell (“Hap and Leonard,” “Underground”) will voice Debbie’s perky Southern-belle sister Brenna and loving father Daddie Dan. Additionally, Chris Diamantopoulos (“Silicon Valley”) will voice, among others, Dr. Morocco, the principal at the Harper children’s school who exhibits a mysterious and odd demeanor that may lead one to believe he lives a potentially criminal private life alongside Joanna Hausmann (“Bill Nye Saves the World”), who will voice Ms. Gonzalez, a teacher at the Harper children’s school who is fresh out of grad school and eager to employ all of her new teaching methods.

Creator Brad Neely serves as executive producer alongside Katie Krentz. The series is produced by CBS Eye Animation Productions, CBS Studios’ new animation arm, in association with 219 Productions. Titmouse (“Big Mouth”), the Emmy Award-winning independent animation production company, serves as the animation studio for the series.

THE HARPER HOUSE joins CBS All Access’ growing slate of original series that currently includes THE GOOD FIGHT, THE TWILIGHT ZONE, TOONING OUT THE NEWS, NO ACTIVITY, WHY WOMEN KILL, INTERROGATION, THE THOMAS JOHN EXPERIENCE and TELL ME A STORY, as well as the upcoming limited event series THE STAND, TEXAS 6, THAT ANIMAL RESCUE SHOW, THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH, THAT ANIMAL RESCUE SHOW and GUILTY PARTY. CBS All Access is also the exclusive domestic home to STAR TREK: DISCOVERY, STAR TREK: PICARD, the animated series STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS, and the upcoming U.S.S Enterprise set series STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS.

About CBS All Access:

CBS All Access is ViacomCBS’ direct-to-consumer digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service. CBS All Access gives subscribers the ability to watch more than 20,000 episodes and movies on demand – including exclusive original series, current and past seasons of hit shows from the CBS Television Network and growing libraries from brands across the ViacomCBS portfolio including BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Smithsonian and more, as well as a wealth of films from Paramount Pictures. The service is also the streaming home to unmatched sports programming, including every CBS Sports event, from golf to football to basketball and more, plus exclusive streaming rights for major sports properties, including some of the world’s biggest and most popular soccer leagues. CBS All Access also enables subscribers to stream local CBS stations live across the U.S. in addition to the ability to stream ViacomCBS Digital’s other live channels: CBSN for 24/7 news, CBS Sports HQ for sports news and analysis, and ET Live for entertainment coverage.

The service is currently available across all major device platforms including online, mobile and connected TV and OTT platforms and services. Versions of CBS All Access have launched internationally in Canada and Australia (10 All Access), with unique but similar content and pricing plans. For more details on CBS All Access, please visit https://www.cbs.com/all-access.

About CBS Studios:

CBS Studios is one of the industry’s leading suppliers of programming with more than 70 series currently in production across broadcast and cable networks, streaming services and other emerging platforms. The Studio’s expansive portfolio spans a diverse slate of commercially successful and critically acclaimed scripted programming, genre-defining franchises including the ever-growing “Star Trek” universe, award-winning late night and daytime talk shows, and an extensive library of iconic intellectual property.

Episode 1: “The Harper House”

Series Premiere. After being let go from her high-paying job, Debbie Harper (Rhea Seehorn), her husband Freddie (Jason Lee), and their twins, Todd (Ryan Flynn) and Ollie (Tatiana Maslany), move into a Victorian fixer-upper on the poorer side of town and attempt to win over their new neighbors by hosting a WrestleMonium watch party.

Written by: Brad Neely

Directed by: Scott Bern

Episode 2: “Conflicting Parenting Books”

Debbie and Freddie’s conflicting parenting styles become more apparent. Meanwhile, Todd and Ollie compete in the “Leaf-A-Thon” at their new school.

Written by: Brad Neely

Directed by: Chuck Sheetz

Episode 3: “The Perfect Gift/ Marg Truck”

Freddie, Todd and Ollie compete to find the perfect birthday gift for Debbie. Meanwhile, Debbie and her best friend, Tonya, see a brilliant, but illegal, business opportunity in a margarita food truck.

Written by: Brad Neely

Directed by: Liza Singer

Episode 4: “That Old House/ Friend Stacking”

Debbie and Freddie find the perfect friends, but are annoyed when they turn out to be friend-stackers. Todd struggles to move on from the past.

Written by: Brad Neely

Directed by: Scott Bern

Episode 5: “Baby Talk/ Coupon Kid”

With her sister Brenna’s questionable support, Debbie resorts to “baby talk” to make sales at Awning Con. Meanwhile, Shauna Bradley scams an impressionable Freddie.

Written by: Brad Neely

Directed by: Chuck Sheetz

Episode 6: “Everyone In Town Must Eat A Piece Of Barack Obama Before Midnight Or The World Ends”

When Ollie believes everyone must consume a piece of President Barack Obama in order to save the town, Debbie worries about her gullibility. Todd is determined to stop Mayor Kelly Frakes’ fracking expansion plan.

Written by: Brad Neely

Directed by: Sarah Seember Huisken Key art for "The Harper House" on Paramount+

Episode 7: “Marshmallow Tests”

Opposite personality traits become more apparent in the Harper family when Debbie and Freddie collaborate on a business idea and when Todd and Ollie search for a new toy on the market.

Written by: Brad Neely

Directed by: Scott Bern

Episode 8: “Home Alone On The 4th Of July”

The Harpers celebrate the Fourth of July at the River Creek Fourth Fest and it’s far from a relaxing holiday; Freddie consumes a questionable funnel cake and Debbie protects the neighborhood from a robbery… or so she thinks.

Written by: Brad Neely

Directed by: Chuck Sheetz

Episode 9: “Deathbed Wish / Make the Lie Real”

A trip with Daddy Dan and Brenna commemorating her mother’s passing proves to be more enlightening than Debbie imagined. Meanwhile, Freddie ropes Tonya, Ollie and Todd into a scheme to impress Gbenge.

Written by: Brad Neely

Directed by: Sarah Seember Huisken

Gbenge Bradley, voiced by Gary Anthony Williams Katrina Bradley, voiced by Nyima Funk

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

DVD Review of “Magnum P.I.: Season Three”

Posted on September 10, 2021September 10, 2023 by TvMegasite Admin

TV Review!

“Magnum P.I.: Season Three” Review by Suzanne 9/10/21

It took me a while to warm up to this series because it’s so different from the original. Jay Hernandez, a handsome young Latino actor, is a very different Thomas Magnum than the one played back in the 80’s by Tom Selleck. It makes sense because TV has changed a lot. It’s no longer mostly-white and male. Most shows are ensemble pieces – the star of the show is no longer a lone wolf. Hernandez has a nice laid-back energy but is still a good hero. The main difference is that Higgins (Perdita Weeks) is a sexy woman, so she and Magnum have a lot of sexual chemistry. In this season, they’re finally partners, working together in the PI agency.

Because of COVID, there are only 16 episodes this season. Also, the DVD features are rather thin. There’s a gag reel, deleted scenes and not much else. That’s too bad. I wonder if that’s due to the shortened season?

This would still make a good gift for any TV fans. There is a lot of great action, comedy, drama and romance in the show. Also, Roger E. Mosley (the original TC) guest stars in one memorable episode. Check it out!

MORE INFORMATION:

Buy the DVD!

MAGNUM P.I.: SEASON THREE
Street Date: September 14
Format: DVD
Description: MAGNUM P.I. is a modern take on the classic series centering on Thomas Magnum, a decorated former Navy SEAL who, upon returning home from Afghanistan, repurposes his military skills to become a private investigator. A charming rogue, an American hero and a die-hard Detroit Tigers fan, Magnum lives in a guest cottage on Robin’s Nest, the luxurious estate where he works as a security consultant to supplement his P.I. business. The “majordomo” of the property is Juliet Higgins, a beautiful and commanding disavowed MI:6 agent whose second job is to keep Magnum in line, with the help of her two Dobermans. When Magnum needs back-up on a job, he turns to his trusted buddies and fellow POW survivors, Theodore “TC” Calvin, a former Marine chopper pilot who runs Island Hoppers, a helicopter tour business, and Orville “Rick” Wright, a former Marine door-gunner-turned-impresario of Oahu’s coolest nightclub and the most connected man on the island. Suspicious of Magnum’s casual attitude and presence at his crime scenes, Detective Gordon Katsumoto finds that he and Magnum are more alike than either of them care to admit. One of Magnum’s biggest supporters is Teuila “Kumu” Tuileta, the unofficial “House Mom” and cultural curator of Robin’s Nest. With keys to a vintage Ferrari in one hand, aviator sunglasses in the other, and an Old Düsseldorf longneck chilling in the fridge, Thomas Magnum is back on the case!

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

Paramount+ Press Release- Main Title Sequence Unveiled

The opinions in these articles are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TVMEG.COM or its other volunteers.

cast of MAGNUM P.I.: SEASON THREE

“Star Trek: Prodigy” TCA Panel

Posted on September 2, 2021June 12, 2025 by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

TCA Interview for “Star Trek: Prodigy” on Paramount+ and Nickelodeon by Suzanne 8/31/21

I attended this panel for the TV Critics Association, but unfortunately, I did not get to ask a question. As a fan of “Star Trek,” I enjoyed watching the panel. However, they didn’t send me a transcript (as they usually do). Since they didn’t tell me ahead of time that I wouldn’t get a transcript, I didn’t record it, or even take notes, so I couldn’t write up my own article about it. I found bits and pieces online about the panel, written by some other journalists.

The panel was basically about introducing the show and its characters. They showed the opening sequence and talked a lot about the music for the show. Katherine Janeway is a main character (voiced by Kate Mulgrew). Mulgrew is happy to be included in this new series. The show is aimed at kids, which is a first for the Star Trek franchise. It will be airing on Nickelodeon as well as Paramount+.

Jimmi Simpson (“Westworld”) voices an evil robot. John Noble (“Lord of the Rings”) voices another villain, named The Diviner. This is the first Star Trek series with no humans on the starship. Indeed, they’re all inexperienced because they take the ship to escape a hard life and journey out into the galaxy in it, learning as they go. It looks like a great show, whether it’s aimed at kids or not. They’re clearly putting a lot into this.

Tue, Aug 31, 2021, 2:41 PM 11:40 AM

ATTENDEES

Kate Mulgrew – “Hologram Janeway”

Brett Gray – “Dal“

Ella Purnell – “Gwyn”

John Noble – “The Diviner”

Jimmi Simpson – “Drednok”

Kevin Hageman – Executive Producer

Dan Hageman – Executive Producer

Ben Hibon – Director/Co-Executive Producer

Alex Kurtzman – Executive Producer

Heather Kadin – Executive Producer

Ramsey Naito – President, Nickelodeon Animation

Tweets from Star Trek on Paramount+

Deadline – Kate Mulgrew Talks Revisiting Janeway

TrekMovie – First Look at Villains

They also discussed the return of “The Game,” and two other new shows, “Harper House” and “The Mayor of Kingstown.”

MORE INFO: Official Site Trailer Watch on Netflix

Star Trek: Prodigy is the first Star Trek series aimed at younger audiences and follows a motley crew of young aliens who must figure out how to work together while navigating a greater galaxy, in search of a better future. These six young outcasts know nothing about the ship they have commandeered – a first in the history of the Star Trek franchise – but over the course of their adventures together, they will each be introduced to Starfleet and the ideals it represents.

Episode 101/102 – “Lost & Found” (Available to stream Thursday, October 28th)
Part 1 and Part 2. Exiled on a mining colony outside Federation space, a group of lawless teens discover a derelict Starfleet ship. Dal must gather an unlikely crew for their newfound ship if they are going to escape Tars Lamora, but The Diviner and his daughter Gwyn have other plans.
Written By: Kevin & Dan Hageman Directed By: Ben Hibon

Episode 103 – “Starstruck” (Available to stream Thursday, November 4th)
Even with the guidance of their hologram advisor Janeway, the crew of the U.S.S. Protostar is tested when their ship is on a dangerous cosmic collision course.
Written By: Chad Quandt Directed By: Alan Wan

Episode 104 – “Dreamcatcher” (Available to stream Thursday, November 11th)
The crew has their first away mission on an undiscovered planet that manifests their deepest desires, only to realize the planet has desires of its own.
Written By: Lisa Schultz Boyd Directed By: Steve Ahn, Sung Shin

Episode 105 – “Terror Firma” (Available to stream Thursday, November 18th)
Marooned on a deadly planet, the crew must work together with their captive Gwyn to stay alive…except the planet isn’t the only thing in pursuit.
Written By: Julie Benson, Shawna Benson Directed By: Olga Ulanova

Episode 106 – “Kobayashi” (Available to stream Thursday, January 6th)
As Gwyn struggles to find her role aboard the U.S.S. Protostar, Dal tests his leadership skills in the newly discovered holodeck.
Written By: Aaron J. Waltke Directed By: Alan Wan

Episode 107 – “First Con-tact” (Available to stream Thursday, January 13th)
When a mentor from Dal’s past persuades him to use their Federation cover for personal gain, they quickly discover Starfleet has protocols for a reason.
Written By: Diandra Pendleton-Thompson Directed By: Steve Ahn, Sung Shin

Episode 108 – “Time Amok” (Available to stream Thursday, January 20th)
When the U.S.S. Protostar is fractured in time by an anomaly, Hologram Janeway must synchronize the disjointed crew and save their ship before it destructs.
Written By: Nikhil S. Jayaram Directed By: Olga Ulanova, Sung Shin

Episode 109 – “A Moral Star, Part 1” (Available to stream Thursday, January 27th)
The crew forgo their dreams of Starfleet to return to Tars Lamora in a no-win scenario.
Written By: S1 Writers Room (Kevin & Dan Hageman, Julie Benson, Shawna Benson, Lisa Schultz Boyd, Nikhil S. Jayaram, Diandra Pendleton-Thompson, Chad Quandt, Aaron J. Waltke) Directed By: Ben Hibon

Episode 110 – “A Moral Star, Part 2” (Available to stream Thursday, February 3rd)
When the plan goes awry, the crew must improvise. Meanwhile, Gwyn discovers a dark truth that will forever jeopardize their quest toward salvation.
Written By: S1 Writers Room (Kevin & Dan Hageman, Julie Benson, Shawna Benson, Lisa Schultz Boyd, Nikhil S. Jayaram, Diandra Pendleton-Thompson, Chad Quandt, Aaron J. Waltke) Directed By: Ben Hibon

Episode 111 – “Asylum” (Available to stream Thursday, October 27th)
At the edge of Federation space, the crew applies for asylum at a comm relay outpost, only for their starship to reveal its shocking true purpose.
Written By: Kevin & Dan Hageman Directed By: Steve In Chang Ahn & Sung Shin

Episode 112 – “Let Sleeping Borg Lie” (Available to stream Thursday, November 3rd)
When the crew encounters a dormant Borg Cube, Zero risks everything to save their ship.
Written By: Diandra Pendleton-Thompson Directed By: Olga Ulanova & Sung Shin

Episode 113 – “All the World’s a Stage” (Available to stream Thursday, November 10th)
The crew answers a distress call to find a colony trapped in Starfleet’s past.
Written By: Aaron J. Waltke Directed By: Andrew L. Schmidt

Episode 114 – “Crossroads” (Available to stream Thursday, November 17th)
When the crew attempts to secure transport to the Federation, they unwittingly cross paths with the Vice Admiral who is hunting them.
Written By: Lisa Schultz Boyd Directed By: Steve In Chang Ahn & Sung Shin

Episode 115 – “Masquerade” (Available to stream Thursday, November 24th)
Trapped in the Neutral Zone, the crew encounters a rogue geneticist who sheds light on Dal’s past.
Written By: Nikhil S. Jayaram Directed By: Sung Shin

Episode 116 – “Preludes” (Available to stream Thursday, December 1)
A Starfleet Admiral digs into the past of the Protostar crew. Meanwhile, the Diviner recalls his life’s mission.
Written By: S1 Writers Room (Kevin & Dan Hageman, Julie Benson, Shawna Benson, Lisa Schultz Boyd, Nikhil S. Jayaram, Diandra Pendleton-Thompson, Chad Quandt, Aaron J. Waltke) Directed By: Steve In Chang Ahn & Sung Shin

Episode 117 – “Ghost in the Machine” (Available to stream Thursday, December 8)
When the crew gets trapped in the holodeck by a mysterious malfunction, they aren’t sure what’s programmed or what’s real.
Written By: Chad Quandt Directed By: Andrew L. Schmidt

Episode 118 – “Mindwalk” (Available to stream Thursday, December 15)
Desperate to warn Starfleet of their dilemma, a daring experiment goes awry as Dal inadvertently swaps minds with a Starfleet Vice Admiral.
Written By: Julie Benson, Shawna Benson Directed By: Sung Shin

Episode 119 – “Supernova, Part 1” (Available to stream Thursday, December 22)
Surrounded by the Federation armada, the crew attempts to stop their ship from destroying all of Starfleet.
Written By: Erin McNamara
Directed By: Andrew L. Schmidt

Episode 120 – “Supernova, Part 2” (Available to stream Thursday, December 29)
As the Federation hangs in the balance, the crew must make the ultimate sacrifice to save Starfleet’s future.
Written By: Kevin & Dan Hageman Directed By: Ben Hibon

Developed by Emmy® Award winners Kevin and Dan Hageman (Trollhunters and Ninjago), the CG-animated series Star Trek: Prodigy is the first Star Trek series aimed at younger audiences, and follows a motley crew of young aliens who must figure out how to work together while navigating a greater galaxy, in search of a better future. These six young outcasts know nothing about the ship they have commandeered – a first in the history of the Star Trek franchise – but over the course of their adventures together, they will each be introduced to Starfleet and the ideals it represents. "Star Trek: Prodigy" cast on Paramount+ (photo from YouTube)

Star Trek: Prodigy is from CBS’ Eye Animation Productions, CBS Studios’ animation arm; Nickelodeon Animation, led by president of animation Ramsey Naito; Secret Hideout; and Roddenberry Entertainment. Alex Kurtzman, Heather Kadin, Aaron Baiers, Katie Krentz, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth serve as executive producers, alongside co-showrunners Kevin and Dan Hageman. Ben Hibon directs, executive produces and serves as the creative lead of the animated series. Aaron Waltke and Patrick Krebs also currently serve as co-executive producers.

The Star Trek: Prodigy voice cast includes Kate Mulgrew (Hologram Kathryn Janeway), Brett Gray (Dal), Ella Purnell (Gwyn), Rylee Alazraqui (Rok-Tahk), Angus Imrie (Zero), Jason Mantzoukas (Jankom Pog), Dee Bradley Baker (Murf), John Noble (The Diviner) and Jimmi Simpson (Drednok).

Star Trek: Prodigy will stream on Netflix globally (excluding Canada, Nordics, CEE, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Russia, Belarus and Mainland China) and Season 1 is currently available on SkyShowtime in the Nordics, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and Central and Eastern Europe with Season 2 coming soon. Season two has launched in France on France Televisions channels and Okoo.

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

DVD Review of “SEAL Team: Season Four”

Posted on September 1, 2021November 24, 2021 by TvMegasite Admin

TV DVD Review!

“SEAL Team: Season Four” Review by Suzanne 9/1/21

This is the kind of standard action show with interesting personalities and lots of explosions, chases, gunfights and all those things some viewers enjoy. The characters travel to all of these different countries and deal with terrorists, but the show focuses a lot on the characters, their problems, their families and their evolution in the show. Leader Jason (David Boreanaz) has been leading these teams a long time and it’s wearing on him. He still has to lead the others as they go through their own troubles. It’s essentially a male soap opera with lots of action. If you like shows like “NCIS: Los Angeles,” you should love this one as well.

It has a very devoted fan based and ranks high on Rotten Tomatoes. However, the broadcast TV ratings declined quite a bit in the last season, so now they’ve moved it to Paramount+.

The DVD set should be a great present for anyone who likes action, adventure and good characters. It has all of the usual extras: audio commentary, deleted scenes and three different features: “Brothers in Arms,” “Meeting of the Minds,” and “If You Build It.”

MORE INFORMATION:

Buy the DVD!

SEAL Team: Season Three

Street Date: August 25, 2020

Format: DVD

Description: SEAL Team is a military drama that follows the professional and personal lives of the most elite unit of Navy SEALs as they train, plan, and execute the most dangerous, high-stakes missions our country can ask of them. Jason Hayes is the respected, intense leader of the Tier One team whose home life has suffered as a result of his extensive warrior’s existence. His team includes his trusted confidant, Ray Perry, the longest-tenured operator with whom Jason shares an ingrained shorthand; Sonny Quinn, an exceptional, loyal soldier with a checkered past who still combats self-destructive tendencies; and Clay Spenser, a young, multilingual, second-generation SEAL with insatiable drive and dedication. Vital to the team‘s success are troop commander Lt. Cdr. Eric Blackburn, who serves as a leader and confidant both on and off the battlefield; CIA analyst Mandy Ellis, who has sacrificed everything in her drive to root out evil and take down terrorists; and Ensign Lisa Davis, a no-nonsense, take-charge officer. Deployed on clandestine missions worldwide at a moment’s notice, and knowing the toll it takes on them and their families, this tight-knit SEAL team displays unwavering patriotism and fearless dedication even in the face of overwhelming odds.

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

The opinions in these articles are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TVMEG.COM or its other volunteers.

cast of SEAL Team on CBS

Interview with Jeff Daniels and Maura Tierney

Posted on August 30, 2021September 11, 2023 by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

"American Rust" cast

Interview with Jeff Daniels, Maura Tierney, Bill Camp, David Alvarez, Alex Neustaedter, Julia Mayorga, Mark Pellegrino, Rob Yang (he/him) and showrunner/EP Dan Futterman of “American Rust” on Showtime by Suzanne 8/24/21

This is such a talented cast. We usually only get one question, at most, for these TV Critics Association press panels, so I was very torn about whom to ask a question. Thankfully, I was able to ask questions of Jeff Daniels and Maura Tierney, and then later, David Alvarez, so I was ecstatic. I asked Jeff about the motivations behind what his character, Del, does, in the first episode, to cover up for Grace’s son, who appears to have murdered someone. Then I asked Maura a rather lame question about being in a triangle between him and Mark Pellegrino’s character (Virgil). She gave it a much better answer than it deserved. Then I asked David about his character, who is a little away from what the others are doing, since his character, Isaac, wanders around town a bit. However, he’s quite important to the story. He did the best he could, not wanting to share spoilers.

I hope you can watch this show, which is based on a best-selling novel…it has really good writing and acting. It’s a little dark and slow, so I hope that doesn’t disappoint anyone.

The TCA doesn’t allow us to take photos, recordings, etc. but here’s my article:

: “American Rust” Premieres on SHOWTIME: A Complicated Family Drama and Murder Mystery

On Sunday, September 12th, SHOWTIME is set to premiere its latest compelling drama series, “American Rust.” This intricately woven tale of family, crime, and the American Dream boasts a stellar ensemble cast and promises to captivate viewers from the very first episode.

“American Rust” is a gripping narrative anchored by the exceptional performances of Jeff Daniels, Maura Tierney, Bill Camp, David Alvarez, Alex Neustaedter, Julia Mayorga, Mark Pellegrino, and Rob Yang. Showrunner and executive producer Dan Futterman has masterfully adapted Philipp Meyer’s novel into a riveting television experience.

As the premiere date draws near, the cast and creative team gathered for a panel discussion to offer insights into the series and the unique challenges they faced during production.

A Year of Reflection and Adaptation

During the panel discussion, Dan Futterman shed light on how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the production of “American Rust.” He shared that after a table read, the production had to be shut down temporarily. The yearlong delay provided a unique opportunity to refine the scripts, making them more efficient and practical for shooting under pandemic-related restrictions.

“We did lots of cutting of extraneous scenes,” Futterman explained. “You end up doing more of that in the editing room. But it was helpful to be able to do that up front.”

While the core story remained intact, the pandemic-induced hiatus allowed the team to streamline the narrative, ensuring it would be feasible to shoot given the constraints imposed by the ongoing health crisis.

Jeff Daniels: The Complexity of Del Harris

Jeff Daniels, who plays the central character, Del Harris, discussed the complexities of his role. Del is a character grappling with contradictions, a man of honor who struggles with addiction and often takes on the roles of cop, judge, and jury when under the influence of narcotics.

Daniels emphasized the character’s duality, saying, “A lot of what we’re going for in this is real people, their good and their bad, their strong and their weak. Just like people in real life.”

He also pointed out that Del’s commitment to the rule of law and his desire to do the right thing in a world where that is often challenged by circumstances sets him apart from other characters.

Comparing Del to Atticus Finch

When asked if Del could be compared to Atticus Finch, another iconic character he portrayed in “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Daniels drew a parallel between the two but highlighted a crucial difference.

“Only in — much like Jim Comey, the three of them believed in the rule of law, believed in right and wrong, telling the truth. That’s where Del kind of veers off. He kind of fudges that. So that’s kind of where it ends,” Daniels noted.

He went on to emphasize that, despite the challenges Del faces, his commitment to doing the right thing remains a central aspect of his character.

The Challenge of Doing the Right Thing

Continuing the discussion on doing the right thing, Daniels remarked, “I guess you’ve got to fight for that nowadays. I guess you might not — maybe right doesn’t matter anymore. Maybe truth doesn’t matter. Maybe facts don’t matter. All the things that we’ve been living with for the last four or five years.”

Del’s unwavering commitment to the law and decency in a world where these values are often questioned or compromised is a defining characteristic that sets him apart as a character.

Navigating the Perils of Young Adulthood

David Alvarez, Alex Neustaedter, and Julia Mayorga, who play younger characters in “American Rust,” discussed the challenges their characters face as young adults. They emphasized that the series reflects the idea that young people’s lives can quickly take unexpected turns, highlighting the precariousness of youth and the potential long-term consequences of their actions.

Alvarez noted, “Each decision we make throughout the season is really important. It will impact the rest of our story and our journey and who we become as people.”

Mayorga added, “It follows you, and you can’t get rid of it. Maybe the truth comes out. It’s just difficult. I think you have to be mindful, even this young, of what we do.”

The younger cast members explored the theme of mistakes and their enduring impact, emphasizing that in today’s world, actions have consequences, and being mindful of one’s choices is crucial.

Jeff Daniels: Transitioning to Television

Jeff Daniels, known for his illustrious career in theater and film, addressed his transition to television over the past decade. He attributed this shift to the evolution of television and the opportunities it now offers actors.

“The honest answer is Jim Gandolfini made it happen,” Daniels said. He explained how cable networks like SHOWTIME, HBO, and streaming platforms have transformed the landscape of television, providing actors with diverse and challenging roles.

He also emphasized that television has allowed actors to delve deeper into their characters over the course of a series, an opportunity not always available in film.

A Riveting and Timely Drama

“American Rust” is a multifaceted drama that delves into the complexities of family, justice, and the American Dream. With its talented cast, compelling storytelling, and timely themes, the series promises to be a standout addition to SHOWTIME’s lineup.

As viewers prepare to embark on this journey through the rust belt of America, they can expect a gripping narrative that raises profound questions about morality, responsibility, and the pursuit of justice in a world where the lines between right and wrong are often blurred.

“American Rust” premieres on SHOWTIME on Sunday, September 12th, and is set to be a must-watch series for fans of compelling drama and thought-provoking storytelling.

MORE INFO: Teaser

"AmKey Art for AMERICAN RUST. Photo credit: Matthias Clamer/SHOWTIME.erican

ABOUT THE SHOW

Starring Emmy winner and Tony nominee Jeff Daniels (THE COMEY RULE, The Newsroom, Godless, The Looming Tower) and Emmy nominee Maura Tierney (YOUR HONOR, THE AFFAIR, The Report, Beautiful Boy), on Sunday, September 12 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The season will consist of nine episodes. Daniels also executive produces the series, reteaming with Oscar nominee Dan Futterman (The Looming Tower, Capote, Foxcatcher), who serves as executive producer, writer and showrunner. The series, currently in production in Pittsburgh, is co-produced with Boat Rocker Studios.

AMERICAN RUST also stars Bill Camp (The Queen’s Gambit), David Alvarez (West Side Story), Alex Neustaedter (Colony), Julia Mayorga (It Is Decidedly So), Mark Pellegrino (Supernatural) and Rob Yang (The Resident). The series is executive produced by Futterman, Daniels, Michael De Luca (Escape From Dannemora), Adam Rapp (The Looming Tower), Paul Martino (Inside Game), Katie O’Connell Marsh (Narcos, Hannibal) for Boat Rocker Studios, and Elisa Ellis.

Based on Philipp Meyer’s celebrated debut novel, AMERICAN RUST is a compelling family drama and a timeless story of wanting a brighter future while being held prisoner by the past. The story of survival and transcendence is told through the eyes of complicated and compromised chief of police Del Harris (Daniels) of a Pennsylvania Rust Belt town full of good people making bad choices. When news of a murder rips through the town, Harris must decide what lengths he is willing to take to protect the son of the woman he loves (Tierney).

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

Jeff Daniels and Maura Tierney in "American Rust" on Showtime

DVD Review of “NCIS: New Orleans: The Complete Series”

Posted on August 25, 2021September 10, 2023 by TvMegasite Admin

TV Review!

“NCIS: New Orleans: The Complete Series” Review by Suzanne 8/25/21

It’s a shame that this show only had 7 seasons. I don’t know why the NCIS audiences never really warmed to it. Perhaps it’s just that three NCIS shows at once is too much. Then again, they did start NCIS: Hawaii this year. I don’t know why they put the various NCIS shows on different nights, rather than making one programming block night the way they do with FBI, and the way NBC does with the Chicago One shows. I think part of the reason they canceled the show is that they’re trying to make their shows more diverse, and it doesn’t look so good to have the three NCIS shows, all headed by old white guys. The sinking ratings certainly didn’t help.

Whatever the reason, it ended, and it makes me sad. I do love Scott Bakula in every show he does (even though we’re both getting older, and he’s not as cute as he used to be). It’s sad that they had to shoot their last season during the pandemic and only had 16 episodes. I loved the rest of the cast, too. Three of them I knew from other shows, so they really probably a lot of experience to their characters. The writing for the show was always top-notch, and the city of New Orleans was like another character on the show. The whole show had a different tone because of being set in New Orleans. It’s a shame they lost one of their major characters, Chris (Lucas Black), but at least the series did have a happy ending this year.

I’m so grateful to have this complete set of the series, so I can rewatch it all at once (or binge as the kids say). It’s great to see all of the various actors that came and went during the season. I hope that we see Scott Bakula again in something else good really soon.

There are a ton of special features, but most of them are the same ones we saw in the previous seasonal sets (aside from some new audio commentary). The set is really for people who don’t have all the other DVDs. I don’t think they’ll be coming out with a Blu-ray version, so you might as well buy this one. It would make a great gift, too.

Read Our Review of NCIS: New Orleans: The Final Season”

MORE INFORMATION:

NCIS: NEW ORLEANS: THE FINAL SEASON & THE COMPLETE SERIES
Street Date: August 31, 2021
Format: DVD
Description: NCIS: NEW ORLEANS is a drama about the local field office that investigates criminal cases involving military personnel in The Big Easy, a city known for its music, entertainment and decadence. Leading the team is Special Agent Dwayne Pride, a.k.a. “King,” a native of New Orleans who is driven by his need to do what is right. Working with Pride is tough and acerbic Special Agent Tammy Gregorio, a former FBI Agent who was sent to New Orleans to investigate NCIS and upon completion joined Pride’s team, Forensic Agent Sebastian Lund, a brilliant scientist who left the lab and, after much training, became an agent, Special Agent Hannah Khoury, a seasoned agent who specializes in international counter-intelligence and has spent most of her career on overseas assignments; and Quentin Carter, a former Marine with a wry sense of humor and an independent streak, who makes it a point never to stay in one place long enough to get too comfortable. Supporting them is coroner Dr. Loretta Wade, who is as eccentric as she is smart, and Investigative Computer Specialist Patton Plame, an animated and talented hacker. Helping Pride is Rita Devereaux, who after a successful career as an attorney with the Department of Justice, returns to her hometown of New Orleans to pursue a relationship with him. This colorful city that harbors a dark side is a magnet for service personnel on leave, and when overindulgence is followed by trouble, Pride’s team is at its best.

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

The opinions in these articles are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TVMEG.COM or its other volunteers.

cast of NCIS: New Orleans

DVD Review of “NCIS: New Orleans: The Final Season”

Posted on August 25, 2021September 10, 2023 by TvMegasite Admin

TV Review!

“NCIS: New Orleans: The Final Season” Review by Suzanne 8/25/21

It’s a shame that this show only had 7 seasons. I’m really going to miss it. I think that they tried so hard to emulate the feel of New Orleans that they made it too different from the other two NCIS series. It didn’t the fast-pace and high-energy that the others had. It was more laid back.

Whatever the reason, this was the last season, and it makes me sad. It’s really a shame that they had to shoot their last season during the pandemic and only had 16 episodes. I love star Scott Bakula (Pride) and the rest of the cast, too. It’s a shame they lost one of their major characters, Chris (Lucas Black), last year – but at least the series did have a happy ending this year.

Like most of the shows on TV today, each of the characters have their own issues to work through, so they spent this season working on those. I hope that we get to see some of these actors show up occasionally on the other NCIS series. The DVD set is a good one, with three special features: “Season 7: Pride and Joy,” “The Best of Times” and “The Perfect Pair.” I’m looking forward to watching the complete series set, which should have more special features. This DVD should make a great gift for anyone.

Read Our Review of “NCIS: New Orleans: The Complete Series”

MORE INFORMATION:

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

The opinions in these articles are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TVMEG.COM or its other volunteers.

cast of NCIS: New Orleans

DVD Review of “NCIS: Los Angeles: Season 12”

Posted on August 20, 2021September 10, 2023 by TvMegasite Admin

TV Review!

“NCIS: Los Angeles: Season 12” Review by Suzanne 8/20/21

This was always my least favorite of the NCIS franchise. I think it’s because they seem to spend a lot more time traveling to desert countries and fighting terrorists than the other shows. I also think they have a lot more action or violence, and there is a lot more macho military bravado going on with the characters.The trouble with shows that have so much violence or action-oriented stories is that they always feel they have to keep topping themselves each season, which can get ridiculous after awhile. Stopping a nuclear threat is one example from this season where it really veered into the unbelievable.

Other than that, it has the same interesting stories and characters as most dramas on CBS. I remember when this show started, so it’s shocking to see that it’s been on for twelve years already. I hope they can keep going with the show for a few more years. I love the way the team works together, especially G and Sam, and Deeks and Kensi. Hetty came back to the show, too.

The DVD should make a great gift for anyone who likes lots of action. It includes audio commentary (provided by Daniela Rush (Kensi), a feature about Rush directing an episode, deleted scenes and a feature about Season 12 “Greater by the Dozen.” They’re very fun to watch.

MORE INFORMATION:

NCIS: LOS ANGELES: THE TWELFTH SEASON
Street Date: August 24, 2021
Format: DVD
Description: NCIS: LOS ANGELES is a drama about the high-stakes world of a division of NCIS that is charged with apprehending dangerous and elusive criminals, who pose a threat to the nation’s security. By assuming false identities and utilizing the most advanced technology, this team of highly trained agents goes deep undercover, putting their lives on the line in the field to bring down their targets. Special Agent “G” Callen is a chameleon who transforms himself into whomever he needs to be to infiltrate the criminal underworld. His partner is Special Agent Sam Hanna, a former U.S. Navy SEAL who has seen action in both Afghanistan and Iraq. The team includes the all-knowing Henrietta “Hetty” Lange, who handles the politics of the job and is tasked with providing everything from micro-surveillance cameras to cars for the team; Special Agent Kensi Blye, the exceptionally bright daughter of a slain Marine who lives for the adrenaline rush that comes with undercover work; Marty Deeks, a seasoned LAPD undercover detective who was recruited to the team by Hetty; tech operator Eric Beale, who has mastered every gadget and computer in the Ops Center; intelligence analyst Nell Jones, who won the team’s respect with her spot-on assessments and her shrewd insights; Fatima Namazi, a Middle East specialist and a razor-sharp cryptologist; and former FBI Agent Devin Rountree, whose unique upbringing, discipline and athletic ability are a welcome addition to the team. Armed with the latest in high-tech gear and sent regularly into life-threatening situations, this tight-knit unit relies on each other to do what is necessary to protect national interests.

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

The opinions in these articles are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TVMEG.COM or its other volunteers.

Photo

DVD Review of “S.W.A.T. Season 4”

Posted on August 20, 2021September 10, 2023 by TvMegasite Admin

TV Review!

“S.W.A.T. Season 4” Review by Suzanne 8/20/21

This show always has a lot of great action, led by series star Shemar Moore (Hondo). Honestly, I just love him…I’ve been a fan ever since he was on “The Young and the Restless.” I even got to meet him once and get my picture taken with him at a charity event. He’s always outstanding on his shows, including “Criminal Minds” and now this one. What’s amazing is that when he first started, he was not a great actor. However, he was not only gorgeous, but he just had that certain something that makes great TV stars. Also, he clearly worked hard on his acting skills because now he’s as good as anyone else. From all accounts, he’s a really great guy, too. He does a great job of keeping in contact with his fans on social media.

This season, they added a new character: the global pandemic. They chose to use the real-life drama to make drama for their show, and it worked. Many shows just ignored it or only dealt with it briefly. It was brave of them to do it. They also dealt with other real world issues, such as white supremacy, protesters, sex trafficking and the public’s current attitudes towards the police as well as personal issues each of the team members were going through.

This is one of the few reboot/remake shows that CBS has done that is even better than the original series. The reason is obviously Shemar Moore. This DVD set would make a great gift of anyone. It lacks special features. It only has a blooper reel and one behind-the-scenes feature: Special Tactics: Tanker Takedown.

MORE INFORMATION:

SONY Pictures Home Entertainment

THREE FAN-FAVORITE SERIES ARRIVE ON DISC AHEAD OF THEIR FALL PREMIERES

THE GOOD DOCTOR SEASON 3
AVAILABLE ON DVD AUGUST 4

THE BLACKLIST SEASON 7
AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY™ AND DVD AUGUST 11

S.W.A.T. SEASON 3
AVAILABLE ON DVD AUGUST 18

S.W.A.T. SEASON 3

SYNOPSIS
Torn between loyalty to where he was raised and allegiance to his brothers in blue, former Marine Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson (Shemar Moore) has everything it takes to be an excellent leader and bridge the divide between his two worlds. With Hondo leading the charge, his team of dedicated men and women bravely put themselves at risk to protect their community and save lives.

DVD BONUS FEATURES

Deleted Scenes
Blooper Reel

CREDITS
Executive Producers: Shawn Ryan, Aaron Rahsaan Thomas, Neal H. Moritz, Andrew Dettmann, Justin Lin, Marney Hochman, Pavun Shetty, Billy Gierhart, Craig Gore, Alison Cross, Michael Jones-Morales, Paul Bernard
Cast: Shemar Moore, Alex Russell, Lina Esco, Kenny Johnson, David Lim, Patrick St. Esprit, Amy Farrington, and Jay Harrington
Developed by: Aaron Rahsaan Thomas and Shawn Ryan
Based on the series “S.W.A.T.” Created by Robert Hamner, Developed by Rick Husky

SPECS
Approximately 886 minutes
DVD: 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen | Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Twitter: @SonyPicsHomeEnt
Instagram: @sonypictureshomeentertainment
Facebook: Facebook.com/sonypictureshomeentertainmentofficial

ABOUT SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition, and distribution; television production, acquisition, and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. SPE’s Motion Picture Group production organizations include Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, TriStar Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Stage 6 Films, AFFIRM Films, and Sony Pictures Classics. For additional information, visit http://www.sonypictures.com/corp/divisions.html.

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

The opinions in these articles are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TVMEG.COM or its other volunteers.

S.W.A.T. Season 4 cast pic

DVD Review of “NCIS: The Eighteenth Season”

Posted on August 15, 2021September 10, 2023 by TvMegasite Admin

TV Review!

“NCIS: The Eighteenth Season” Review by Suzanne 8/15/21

Somehow, this show keeps going on and on. This is the last season where Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) leads the pack. He’s retiring and will only be seen occasionally in the Nineteenth season. Gary Cole takes over the NCIS team. The interesting thing is that Harmon is only 5 years older than Cole.

The show’s cast has gone through many changes. I believe Sean Murray (Tim) is now the only remaining regular character on the show (since it started in 2003; however, he didn’t join the show until episode 7). He came in as a very junior member of the team, so that seems really strange. I don’t think NCIS will last very long without Gibbs. The ratings have been going down steadily this season. Maybe they’ll let them get to Season 20 and stop. That would be nice.

I think the show is still plenty enjoyable because they have new regular characters and new cases. As long as you enjoy the show, does it really matter if Gibbs is till around? Gary Cole is an excellent actor and a good replacement. I think it’s hard for fans to lose Ducky and Gibbs (both retiring). The show is really still feeling the loss of Tony, Ziva and Abby.

Back to season 18. They packed a lot of great action and story into this season. There are only 16 episodes, due to COVID. There are quite a few deaths of minor characters, and another regular cast member leaves. The show always has many mysteries, twists, shootings, fighting, explosions and more. Check it out!

MORE INFORMATION:

Buy This DVD!

NCIS: The Eighteenth Season

Street Date: August 17

Format: DVD

Description: Originally conceived as a spinoff of the American legal drama JAG, NCIS has evolved into a major television franchise spread across three different series. Following a fictional team of special agents known as the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the show combines elements of police procedural dramas with military drama to create incredibly engaging episodes. Voted American’s favorite television show in 2011, NCIS routinely premieres to over 15 million viewers each season.

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

The opinions in these articles are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TVMEG.COM or its other volunteers.

NCIS cast on CBS

DVD Review of “Blue Bloods: The Eleventh Season”

Posted on August 14, 2021September 10, 2023 by TvMegasite Admin

TV Review!

“Blue Bloods: The Eleventh Season” Review by Suzanne 8/14/21

This is always a good family soap opera. It’s also a cop show, but that’s incidental, in a way. The family in this show really could work anywhere. What makes the show interesting is how they relate to one another in their working-class, New York City way. Tom Selleck is the alpha male in his pack, but he’s also a loving father and grandfather.

Even after eleven seasons, they don’t seem to run out of ideas for stories. In part, that’s because the cast is so large. There’s always more to tell about the Reagan clan. They introduced a new family member this year: Joe Hill, son of the late Joe Reagan.

It’s no surprise that the show’s demographics are older and more conservative. However, the show does not shy away from discussing today’s issues, particularly those that involve the police. This season they argue about police brutality.

The DVD has deleted scenes and two features: “The Story of the Reagans: Season 11” and “Shades of Blue.” It would make a great gift for anyone who is fond of the police or Tom Selleck (especially those over 60).

Buy This DVD!

Blue Bloods: The Eleventh Season

Street Date: August 17

Format: DVD

Description: Blue Bloods follows the Reagans, an Irish-American Catholic family in New York City with a history of work in law enforcement. Starring Tom Selleck as NYC Police Commissioner Frank Reagan, the cast also includes Donnie Wahlberg, Bridget Moynahan, Will Estes, and Len Cariou. Shot on location in New York City, the series has been praised for its performances, especially from Selleck, and has premiered to millions of viewers each season since it began in 2011.

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

The opinions in these articles are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TVMEG.COM or its other volunteers.

some of "Blue Bloods" cast

Interview with Tracy Birdsall

Posted on July 25, 2021March 15, 2023 by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

Actress Tracey Birdsall

Interview with Tracy Birdsall of “I Think You Should Leave” and other movies/shows by Suzanne 7/21/21

I admit that I’d never heard of Tracy, or this weird little comedy show, before her publicist contacted me for an interview. Once I started viewing her other work, though, I could see that she’s been around a while and has done many movies and shows. We had a really nice chat.

Suzanne: So, are you calling from LA?

Tracey: I am.

Suzanne: Okay. Cool. You’ve lived there pretty much most your life, right?

Tracey: I have. Yeah, I mean, I’ve left; I followed projects, but I kind of always come back here. Yeah.

Suzanne: That’s nice. Yeah, I’m from San Diego originally.

Tracey: Oh, nice. I lived down there for a long time. I lived in Rancho Bernardo, it’s near Rancho Santa Fe.

Suzanne: Oh, that’s a really nice area.

Tracey: Yeah, it’s beautiful.

Suzanne: I don’t have to tell you that. We always go back. We haven’t lived there in a long time, but we always go back to visit family and friends and everything. So, yeah, it’s so beautiful.

Tracey: You kind of can’t beat that weather too. I mean, it’s it’s better than LA. You know, I mean, it’s spectacular.

Suzanne: Yeah, it’s kind of ruined me, even though I’ve lived many other places.

Tracey: Where are you at now?

Suzanne: I’m in Arkansas right now.

Tracey: Oh, wow, believe it or not, I have an uncle in Arkansas. I haven’t seen him since I was a teenager.

Suzanne: What part, do you know?

Tracey: I really don’t. I really don’t. Yeah, he moved there, and he hasn’t come back in a long time. It’s my mom’s baby brother, but I keep in touch with him on social media, I hate to say. You know, you do what you can.

Suzanne: Right. It’s funny how many people say “Oh, I used to live in Arkansas,” or “I know somebody there.” It’s funny.

Tracey: Yeah, he’s actually the only one I know, and it’s one of the few places I’ve never been.

Suzanne: Oh, well, it’s very pretty here. You know, like most of the South, there’s lots of trees, so we get lots of rain and humidity.

Tracey: And beautiful lakes. He’s sent us some beautiful pictures of some lakes and things like that. It’s a really spectacular place.

Suzanne: Yeah, it does have a lot of pretty lakes; you’re right. Yeah, it’s beautiful here, and we live kind in a town, but it’s a small town. So, it’s kind of woodsy. So, it’s very pretty right around where I live. You can’t beat it.

Tracey: Did you guys get a big influx of people when the pandemic hit?

Suzanne: No, and, actually, this was a good place to be during the pandemic, because we didn’t –

Tracey: That’s what I would think, yeah.

Suzanne: It’s not my favorite place to live, because I’m a city girl, but it’s been really nice during the pandemic, I have to say, even though cases are up here now, I mean, the relative number of cases, you know, it’s nothing like being in a big city.

Tracey: Yeah, I’m kind of in between. I’m just outside of LA. So, it’s like, I’m close enough where I can be in town in 15, 20 minutes, but little on the outskirts. I was in Malibu until the fires hit. I lived in the same house for 16 years, and I’m kind of a little off since then. It’s like I don’t really know what to settle into, you know?

Suzanne: Oh, did you lose your house?

Tracey: Oh, yeah. All the way down to like, literally – it was a two story, a big house. It was two stories, and you probably could have put a measuring stick into the ground, and the debris was less than, I don’t know, 12 to 15 inches, like, completely gone, everything. It was just nuts.

Suzanne: So many people lost their homes and stuff.

Tracey: Like 600 just in our area.

Suzanne: Well, I’m glad you got to move somewhere else, at least.

Tracey: Yeah, you know, I’ve been filming so much since the house burned down that it’s like I haven’t really – like I’ve moved into a house, but you don’t get that homey feeling. I went and hung a picture on the wall. I hung it, because I’m always leaving, and then the pandemic hits, and you’re like, “Okay, this is weird”

Suzanne: So, you started acting when you were pretty young, right?

Tracey: I was really young. Yeah. I mean, when I was a little girl, I started singing and dancing lessons, and I went right into theater and musical theater, you know, before I can even remember. So, it just it started at a young age, and then I just built it from there, and I just trained and worked really hard. That’s what you do.

Suzanne: So, how old were you when you booked your first gig?

Tracey: Professionally, I was 15 when I did my first gig. I mean, I’d done theater and things before that, but my first professional gig was actually a Sunkist soda commercial. They ran for 10 years. You know, they just kept reshooting them and redoing them and re-running them. That was kind of my beginning.

Suzanne: Yeah. I probably saw it. I don’t remember, since it was a long time ago. You’re you’re about the same age as I am. So, I was in high school.

Tracey: Well, you know, what’s funny about it is I did one at 15 and one at 16, and the one when I’m 15, I really look like a little kid in it when I looked at it. Then, when I’m 16, I changed so much. I’m like, “That’s amazing.” I would have never known that if I wasn’t looking back at these things, because I still felt like a little kid. But it’s just really funny how when you do TV, film commercials, all these things; there’re all these markers of how old you were when you did certain things, and it’s kind of interesting.

Suzanne: Yeah, I guess that would be the case. That would be cool. You could put together a little thing with like excerpts of different things you’ve done over the years, like your life in film.

Tracey: Yeah, maybe maybe when I stop working.

Suzanne: Yeah. When you have like an anniversary party or something like that you could put it together, or somebody should put it together for you, really.

Tracey: That’s the plan. That’s the plan. It’s funny.

Suzanne: So, if you had to do it all over again, would you still choose the same career?

Tracey: Well, I would, because I didn’t really choose it and go after it. I was drawn towards it, because I love entertaining people; I love the land of make believe. I love training in things. So, it was kind of a natural progression for me, where it was just taking all the things that I love to do and keeping studying them and working on them. Then, it just kept growing. I think that the real pinnacle was when I started getting into sci-fi, because I was a tomboy. So, all the sporting activities that I did, running and stuff like that, really paid off, because not everybody wants to go do that. I kind of thrive on it. So, it’s just, if I look back on my life, it just kind of looks like it was a training field for what it was going to become.

Suzanne: All right, well, let me come back to your running. I’ve got a question regarding that kind of thing later. But let me tell you, if I ask you a question that you think is too personal, or you don’t want to answer, just let me know; I’m fine with that. So, here’s one that I don’t know if you want to answer it. So, looking at the list of your shows and movies, on IMDB, there’s a gap between 2000 and 2010. What did you do during that time?

Tracey: It’s actually not a huge gap. See, what happened was it used to be that we [thought] we aged out of of our industry. We were pretty much told when we were younger that you can work as much as you can until you’re 30, and then you have to go find something else to do, and everybody kind of knows that that was the way that it worked. Now, I actually took time off. I love remodeling houses and working on things and traveling. And I looked over my shoulder, and I had friends that were still working. So, you start looking at it, and you contact people in the industry, and they’re like, “Oh, no, it’s changed.” I’ve literally found, I think it’s been at the end of the baby boomers, that every year that I get older, that marker gets pushed older. So, it was kind of hard to get my niche back in, because I had my realm and my people and stuff like that, and then I took time off. Then, I’m like, “Well, I can still keep keep working.” So, I came back, and I went heavily into training. I studied with Margie Haber, and she’s just a real dream as far as a coach. I just kind of gave it my all and got myself back into the industry, but it was kind of a shocking thing and an exciting thing, because we can work forever. We can as long as you’re willing to put out the effort, because everybody knows this isn’t an easy job. As long as you’re willing to put out the effort we can we can pretty much keep going forever now you’ve seen.

Suzanne: Well, you’ve been in quite a few movies the last eight years. Is there something particular that happened around 2013 or 2014 to get your career going so much better?

Tracey: I think a lot of it is we get out of something what we put into something. So, I always put some effort in, and I always tried to be in a project and always tried to have something going. And I was a single mom. I mean, I raised two kids, three kids on my own. Then, one day I kind of sat there, and I was like, “Well what do I have? How much harder do I have to go work in order to work consistently again?” And it was pretty much all the time. So, I used to always look at something, and, “Oh, this will take me five hours to prepare for,” and “this will take me eight hours to prepare for;” “this will take me a month to prepare for.” I stopped looking at life that way, and I just started pushing everything aside when I had a project or a really big audition, and [started] really putting everything that I had into it. That was when I really noticed a difference. So, looking back on it, it’s probably that way in every industry, but it was really my effort that I put out more so than that which anybody else [did]. I couldn’t blame it on anybody else. I can’t give anybody else that credit. It just has to do with sheer effort and hours.

Suzanne: Okay, well, going back a bit, I noticed that you were on Loving for three years playing Amy Sanders. Our site has a lot of soap opera fans. What what was that experience like?

Tracey: You know, I was really young, and it was wonderful, because I was actually living in New York City. I was with [unintelligible] out there and had a print agent out there and a commercial agent out there. So, they brought me in, and Amy was actually pregnant. I forget who the relative was, but it was one of his later family. So, then, they brought her back again, and she was still pregnant. Now, mind you, this was almost 14 or 15 months later, which I thought was really funny, but nobody picked up on it. And then the storyline continued later on, and the child was supposed to be missing and things like that, but I think that they were at that point into ratings and going with the other storylines, and so that kind of fizzled out.

But as far as an experience, it was amazing. I mean, I just loved it. Everybody was wonderful to me, and now it’s kind of where I got my eyes into the land of soap and how different it is than regular TV or film, which it’s completely different.

Suzanne: Yeah, and I’ve heard it’s a great training ground too.

Tracey: It’s a good training ground; it’s very consistent. So, you always know what to expect when you show up, [but], you know, there’s only so far you can take the character development unless you’re one of the main characters throughout the whole thing. So, it was something that I’ve had the opportunity to do.

So, since then, I’ve done a couple little stints, but it’s not the direction that I chose to go in, just because I like really getting into the depth of a character and just really exploring it. But boy, it’s a fantastic job if you just want consistent work within the industry.

Suzanne: Yeah. And you were briefly on The Young and the Restless. How did that come about?

Tracey: That was old-fashioned auditioning. So, that was really fun. I mean, that was with Tucker McCall, and that was just a really fun little stint, but it was just, you know, we do so many auditions for so many projects and many of them we forget we auditioned for the time that we book them, because there’s usually such a long time period in between the two. They talked to me about bringing that character back a little bit, and then that kind of fizzled. That was when they were looking at maybe replacing one of the characters, and then that didn’t happen. They renegotiated her contract instead. So, it’s just, I think, soap is such a fascinating world, because it’s so different than the rest of the industry.

Suzanne: Yeah. And Tucker was played by Stephen Nichols, who’s one of my favorite actors. How was it working with him?

Tracey: He’s a really nice guy, and I have to tell you, I mean, most of the experience that I’ve had working in any of the mediums, the people are really kind. You get to that level, no matter what the medium, and people are professionals. They’re polite. They’re kind. Everybody’s there to do their jobs. Yeah, Stephen was a really great guy.

Suzanne: Cool, he always seemed really nice. So, you said there was another soap you were on? I didn’t see that one on there.

Tracey: No, those are the two soaps that I did.

Suzanne: So, you recently did an episode of I Think You should Leave with Tim Robinson on Netflix. Can you tell us about landing that role and what you went through for it?

Tracey: Sure. I mean, again, that is another thing that was traditional auditioning [and] taped at home, because it was during the pandemic. We taped it at the beginning of the pandemic. Then, I think almost a year later, I got the call, and they wanted to make sure that I had all the protocols in place, and I still looked the same, and that was a fun project, especially because we’d all been locked up so much inside. I mean, I did some pickup shots for a couple other projects that I’m working on, but it was nice to have somebody go into production, and it was an interesting production, because of all the COVID protocols put in place. But what a cast. What a great group of guys and what a funny show. I just absolutely love that type of humor.

Suzanne: Yeah, and that episode, that part that you did with the alien bar or whatever, that was fun.

Tracey: It was really fun, and Tim was hilarious. Tim Robinson was there. Zach was there that day. So, it was just a really enjoyable shoot. I hope to work with them more next time, because I really enjoyed that type of humor. If you’ll notice in my past, I always try to make sure I keep comedy alive, because it’s something I was trained in a lot when I was younger. It isn’t where the majority of my work is coming from, but anytime I get the chance, I just absolutely love the genre.

Suzanne: Oh, yeah, I was watching your movie earlier. I haven’t finished it yet. Shoot, the name is escaping me.

Tracey: Who’s Jenna…?

Suzanne: Who’s Jenna…? Thank you so much. Yeah, that is cute. Like I said, I have to finish watching it later; I had to stop and do some other stuff, but that was fun.

Tracey: That was really fun, and [when] I actually shot Who’s Jenna…? – I was lead in both that and Rogue Warrior, and when we shot those, I only had a week off between the two. So, that was an interesting thing to go from a heavy sci-fi action and from a comedy like that, but it challenging. It was fun. One of them is grueling, and one of them is like a dance. I think comedy’s like a dance.

Suzanne: I was looking for Rogue Warrior, but I guess it’s not in my Roku for free…So, had you watched that show I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson before you were appearing on it?

Tracey: I’ll tell you the funny story about that is when I got the audition call, I hadn’t seen it. I usually will watch about 10 or 15 minutes of the show, just to get the tone of it before I tape an audition, and I literally sat down to watch 10 or 15 minutes, and I watched the entire season. I was laughing so hard. So, that was fun. I became an immediate fan of the show.

Suzanne: And now you have all these sci-fi movies coming out. Were you a fan of sci-fi before?

Tracey: Yeah, ever since I was a little kid. My dad was a sci-fi nut, and so it’s kind of I guess genetically bred into me. So, that’s been when my career got really, really fun. It was always a lot of hard work, and it was always fun, but when it got really fun is when I started to get to play in that genre.

Suzanne: Do you know what shows your dad liked?

Tracey: We watch Star Trek with a bowl of rocky road ice cream in our laps constantly. So, that was a big one. Logan’s Run. I mean, there’re just too many of them to even count. Pretty much everything that was sci-fi we watched.

Suzanne: Big Star Wars fan?

Tracey: Big Star Wars fan, big Doctor Who fan. I just love it all.

Suzanne: Cool. And do you have anything else besides these movies that are coming out that you’re working on now or preparing to work on?

Tracey: Well, The Time War‘s coming out, which is a time travel television series. It’s an eight hour series we’ve been working on for about five years now. So, it’s finally, luckily coming to fruition. Then, Rogue Warrior, there’s a TV series based upon it that’s some backstory and also the future of it, called Age of Darkness that will be out right behind The Time War. They’re both in the end stages of post-production. Then, I have a film called Hotel Underground that I shot in Melbourne, Australia right before the pandemic. Hopefully, that’ll be slated for release soon too.

Suzanne: Have you finished working on these, or you haven’t worked on them yet?

Tracey: We finished them all.

Suzanne: Okay. So, what I meant is do you have something that you’re working on now, or that you’re preparing to work on?

Tracey: No, actually, I Think You Should Leave is the the second to last thing that I filmed besides pick up shots for The Time War, and everything else is finished and coming out. It’s kind of when I get to take a little break, and then it’ll come back up again. It always does.

Suzanne: Okay, well, you said you work all the time, so it sounds like you need a vacation.

Tracey: You know, it will be nice to have just a couple of months off, and then I’m happy to jump back in.

Suzanne: And I have to say, you look really great for someone who’s close to my age. What is your secret?

Tracey: That’s really funny. Thank you. Mostly, I don’t know, lots of exercise. I’m a vegan. Even with skincare, like I don’t put products on my skin; I put ingredients on my skin. So, it’s kind of like vegan but for the skin. So, I guess just good healthy eating and staying active and taking care of yourself. Plus, I looked 12 when I was 25, so I kind of had some extra years there.

Suzanne: Sure. No, I completely understand that, because everybody tells me I look good for my age. I don’t put the work into it you do, so I don’t look as good as you do, but I look a lot younger than I am. So, I understand that completely. We’ve got good genes to make us look younger, right?

Tracey: I think a lot of it is genetics. I think there’s an attitude. So much is attitude too.

Suzanne: Yeah, definitely. I completely agree with that.

Tracey: I don’t plan on ever getting old. I don’t know about you.

Suzanne: No, definitely not. I’m one of those lucky people where my hair hasn’t started to go gray yet. So, I’m like, “don’t go” every time there’s a gray hair. I’m like, “no.”

Tracey: You’re like, “No, you must [not] go.”

Here is the audio version of it.

Interview Transcribed by Jamie of http://www.scifivision.com

MORE INFO:

Tracey Birdsall, who plays Janeane.

Birdsall and Robinson in "I Think You Should Leave" on Netflix

An award-winning actress well regarded for her versatility, Birdsall‘s many credits include TV’s THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS and ROGUE WARRIOR. She is currently filming the 8-hour sci-fi series THE TIME WAR, in which she has the lead role .

Netflix recently premiered the second season of the critically-acclaimed sketch comedy series I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson.
Quote from Tim Robinson and co-creator, Zach Kanin: “We are very excited to be working with The Lonely Island, Irony Point, and Netflix to make another season of “I Think You Should Leave.” We are so thankful we get to do it again!”
The series pokes fun at life’s most bizarre and mundane situations. The first season saw Robinson and a few of his famous friends navigate awkward workplace drama, host an intervention in a Garfield themed house, talk their way out of a babysitter’s fake hit and run, and much more.
The series was created by Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin, and is produced by The Lonely Island and Irony Point.
The first season was nominated for a 2019 TCA award in the category of Outstanding Achievement in Sketch/Variety.

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

Back to the GH Articles Page

Tracey Birdsall in "Rogue Warrior"

GH Opinion Article 7/20/21

Posted on July 20, 2021September 10, 2023 by TvMegasite Admin

Lenny and Phyllis at the Tan-O on GH

Our Opinions

5 Reasons why Sonny and Nina in Nixon Falls Is a Good Story By Suzanne

I just started watching the show again after an absence of a few years. It’s not that I intentionally stopped watching…I just watch a lot of TV and fell behind. I was slowly, ever so slowly, catching up, but I’m still back in 2018. I’ve decided to try to watch the new ones so that I can edit our daily GH Transcripts and write some of the GH Updates while our regular writer Anthony catches up on past episodes. He’s behind, too. It’s so easy to fall behind in these busy times. The pandemic slowed some people down, but for those of us who worked at home (as well as essential workers and others), we never slowed down.

Even though I haven’t watched many episodes in the past 3 years, I do still regularly read the GH news and spoilers, and I read other fans’ posts about it on Twitter and Facebook, so I know what’s been going on.

I know that a lot of fans are not happy with the fact that Sonny has been stuck in a small town with amnesia, away from his friends and family (who think he’s dead). It’s not usually a good idea to stick one or two characters off on their own for too long because the fun of a soap is seeing everyone in the cast interact. I’m not saying I’m a huge fan of Nina and Sonny’s “romance,” but here are a few good reasons to have this story.

#1 It keeps Maurice Benard happy. He’s the star of the show, as we were reminded recently when the shows EP said it. He obviously wanted to do something different than playing the same mob boss every day. It’s good to keep him happy so he doesn’t decide to retire. I know that not everyone loves him, but he’s very popular, so I do believe the show would suffer without him. Even though they had to create a different town and set of characters, I give them props for doing a pretty good job of it. Lenny and Phyllis are very likable. Maybe Maurice just got tired of wearing suits every day….he might be enjoying wearing those blue collar shirts. 😉

#2 It was a good choice for the Cyrus storyline because getting Sonny out of the way created a lot of problems for the other people in Port Charles, and they had to band together to get rid of him.

#3 It’s forcing Jason and Carly together. Now, most of us don’t really want to see them in a romantic relationship at this point. It’s been too long since they were together (1996, to be exact). They’re great friends, and they shouldn’t screw that up. I believe the writers are only putting them together to create more conflict for Jason and Britt (not to mention, Jason and Sam) as well as making it worse for Sonny’s eventual return. Hopefully, Jason and Carly won’t actually sleep together. Thank goodness she’s too old to get pregnant, too. Well, never say never in Soap Land…

#4 Having one of the characters leave town, lose their memory, and then everyone thinks he’s dead… that’s a soap trope by now. In fact, Sonny did something similar years ago when he was stabbed and nursed back to health by Angel (who was really boring). Micky Horton on Days did it way back in 1973. Victor on Y&R has done it a few times. It happened to Tad on All My Children, too. Those story memories are just off the top of my head, so I’m sure there are many more examples.

#5 The eventual reveal will be great – when Sonny gets his memory back and finds out that Nina kept his existence a secret from his family. I’m sure Carly will have a few slaps to give, too. With a real mobster, Nina would be dead from that kind of thing, but Sonny rarely kills anyone, so most likely Nina will just be persona non grata for a while around Port Charles. It would be really great if Sonny just forgave her because he still loves her, but I’m not going to hold my breath. Will Jason and Carly be sleeping together by then? Maybe. There will be a long list of people just waiting to yell at Nina (or worse).

The only thing I don’t like about this story is that Nina is the perpetual victim. She always makes the worst choices when it comes to love: Valentin, Franco, Jax and now a married mobster. Soap characters often have these problems, but hers seem to be worst than most. She was in a coma for 12 years because her evil mother put her there to steal her money, and she stole her baby, too. She can’t have more children, and the one she did have was dead by the time she learned about her.

It’s not only too sad to have her go through so many horrible love affairs, but it makes her look really dumb to keep making such poor decisions. This time it’s not just her romantic heart on the line, but she’ll probably also have a hard time getting permission to see grandson Wiley again, too. It’s great for Cynthia Watros because she’s outstanding in the role, but I just wish that Nina would have a nice, fun fling once in a while.

Most people hate change, but life – and daytime drama – is all about change. Fans want their favorite couples to stay together forever, and that’s just not what these shows are about. I can’t wait for the fireworks when Nina is found out!

The opinions in these articles are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TVMEG.COM or its other volunteers.

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Sonny and Nina kiss on GH

Leverage Articles

Posted on July 3, 2021July 21, 2023 by TvMegasite Admin

Interviews and Writing about the show!

Hardison (Aldis Hodge) working on his computer

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Interview with Noah Wyle, Gina Bellman, Beth Reisgraf and Aleyse Shannon 11/2/22

Interview with Christian Kane and Beth Riesgraf 9/30/21

Interview with Gina Bellman (Sophie) and Aleyse Shannon (Brenna) 9/30/21

Interview with Executive Producers Dean Devlin and Kate Rorick 9/29/21

Interview with Dean Devlin and Christian Kane about “Almost Paradise” 4/2/20

Review 11/10/2012

Interview with Beth Riesgraf and Aldis Hodge 11/7/12

Review 11/29/11

Interview with Aldis Hodge 6/9/11

Interview with Timothy Hutton and Beth Riesgraf 12/1/10

Review 6/10/10

Interview with Timothy Hutton 5/24/10

Interview with Dean Devlin 2/11/10

Review 12/29/09

Interview with Aldis Hodge 8/14/09

Interview with Aldis Hodge 1/10/09

Leverage: Redemption cast members from various interviews

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Interview with Chi Muoi Lo

Posted on June 29, 2021 by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

Chi Muoi Lo

Interview with actor/manager Chi Muoi Lo by Suzanne 5/25/21

This was a very interesting call! It went on for quite a while…unfortunately, I had to end the call for another interview.

Here is the audio version of it.

Suzanne: Why did you decide to make a video series about acting?

Chi: …I’ve been frustrated for 20 years. You know, I own a company called Element Management. I bought the company. So, you know, every year used to be nine schools they consider the Ivy League school for actors. I went to one of them called ATT – Yale, Julliard, NYU, Temple University, Carnegie Mellon, but the problem of those most pseudo schools is, every year they would have a showcase in New York and Los Angeles, and the power to be would go there to watch the show, and that’s how you’d get discovered if you got the goods and all that. But the frustrating thing is that I started realizing that even the school that I went to, I was at the right age to go to it, but everybody else wasn’t. I was like, 18 when I went, but it was a master program. So, suddenly a school like Temple University, NYU, Juilliard, no, actually, Yale, ACT. So, those schools are master programs. So, your career is over before it begins when you graduate from these schools, because it’s a young business, and if you’re going to start out your career, it should be around 21, and hopefully, you get the maturity and the training there, that would be ideal. So, it’s very frustrating.

And then, the reality is, they don’t talk about the business. You spend – you know, you talk about USC, the last time I checked it’s $268,000 to get your four year degree, and when you come out, it’s an undergraduate program, which is good, but when you come out, kind of your career is over. I mean, when you come out, you don’t know anything about the business, how to break in, how to get your SAG card, how to do anything about it.

And the reason you know nothing about it has to do with the people who are teaching can’t teach the business, because they never made it, or they’re not in it. So, you can’t teach something you don’t know. Like, say for example, I use as an example so you can understand what I’m talking about – death. We all kind of know what death is. We see it on TV; we read it. We know somebody who it has happened to; we see it in films and all that, but do we really know what death is or the grieving of death or the nuance that death comes with? No, not until somebody who is close to us [dies]. Like my mom died two years ago. And then, you realize what death means, the five stages. Do you grieve? How long is the grieving? You realize, you know, it never ends. You miss the person, and somewhere along the line, you have to have acceptance and all of that. So, sort of same thing with the acting business. You cannot teach something if you never experienced it. If you don’t do it, if you’re not out there doing it, or you never succeeded, or you don’t know –

The changing environment of show business is drastic sometimes. Like 2008 with the crash, but they were in the process of changing the industry. We changed to digital; it used to be hardcopy, like people who submitted picture resume hardcopy but never tried to change into digital to submit everything online. And the guy who owned a breakdown service literally monopolized the entire industry. He’s sitting on a cash cow, I would call it.

But anyway, there were 30% of actors that [were] dropped. I mean, they just couldn’t understand how to change over work, because when they were 35 or 40, they didn’t know how to deal with internet or how to transfer a resume to that thing. And the agency business and the manager business does not work either, because you have so many clients, and they couldn’t take care of them. So there’re tons of working actor who just got dropped and had no representation. And it took them a while if [they] applied for representation. So, those are the changes like that, and they are so drastic and so dramatic, that if you don’t teach these things, then people don’t know, and that’s the problem with the schools.

So, I wanted to do this six years ago, and I taught like the classes three times only, and I’m not a teacher. Really, I did it for my clients, and then, literally, I just got bored talking about it over and over. And then somebody gave me an idea. They said, “Why don’t you put it on tape? Then, you never have to talk about it.” And I said, “Good idea,” and then suddenly, once I started the process, it just got bigger and bigger and bigger. It became seven episodes, and over 12 hours of everything about the business, nothing about the craft. You know, I think the craft is being taken care of. So, nothing about the craft. So, you can get this thing at masteringthebusinessofacting.com. And I didn’t want to charge that much money either, because I think the kids already have been – I’m going to use a slang word – screwed over, in this education already. I just did not want to charge more than $199 or whatever to get this seven, episodes, twelve hours of information all about the business on every aspect of business. And it covers three different kinds of actors: the one who want to break into the business, the working actors, and the rising stars.

Suzanne: How many people have bought into your program so far? If you can say?

Chi: A lot. We actually did [better] than we imagined. What’s fascinating about marketing in the what we call [unintelligible] ecommerce, I guess…Yeah. So, it’s fascinating how you use Facebook, Instagram, Google, you know, they only target the people who have interest in this business. So, imagine, in the old days, if you are advertising something, you pay millions of dollars on TV, and half your audience are never reached; they don’t need it. But this is specific. It’s not going to target somebody who’s interested in nursing, interested in skiing or anything. You have to be interested in show business or have somewhere along line…[They use an algorithm] I guess, so they can know who you are. So, when you go to Google, or you go to your Facebook or whatever and that, those ads will pop up.

Suzanne: It’s the same on my site, we have that kind of Google Ads with targeted advertising.

Chi: Right. So, we did really, really well for just basically three months. We launched like February 23. But my intention is I think we could make a deal with this school that’s very interested in it already. And I want to start in high school, because I went to high school performing arts, and also then definitely undergraduate, because you cannot teach the craft and not talk about the business. The business is 60%, but you can take a bad actor who knows about the business and understands the business, who will have a better chance of succeeding than a great actor who doesn’t understanding anything about the business.

Suzanne: Right. Now you used to be an actor, and then you became a manager, so what prompted you to make that move?

Chi: Well, I am I’m still an actor. I just love to act. Acting is my favorite talent of them all. I’m an actor, writer, director, producer and [have] my own management company. So, I’m about to produce a TV series. It’s seven seasons, 13 episodes, called Life in Threes. It’s inspired by a true story, really, really great. I’m very excited about it.

But being an actor, the change over has a lot to do with I just [understood] the business really [quickly], because I’ve been into acting since I was 10. So, there’re a lot at of mistakes I made as an actor, but I succeeded at a very young age. I worked a lot.

[Like,] I just graduated on a Saturday, came down here on a Sunday. There was a writer strike. After three months it was over, and I worked like like crazy. I think it only took four years, and I got my own TV show, but I was guest starring all over the place. I think I was tired of it, and then my show came along.

But I’ve worked a lot, and the mistakes I made, and I think, again, I talk about it, and mastering the business of acting, I wish I had guidance. I managed a few, I only managed five people. I personally only managed five people, but my other people manage other people. But I personally have managed five people and these people made a lot of money. [I could] just sit on my ass and make tons of money right now because they’re all working. But I wish I had someone like me, guiding me, and I look back and I say well, “Would you be able to find somebody like you?” And the answer is probably no, because – let me be clear here, so that people don’t think I’m a pompous ass here. I don’t know anything about how to change a tire. I don’t know how to do oil change, and if you ask me to clean my house, I don’t know how to do that. I don’t know anything about how to operate my computer without my assistant. I don’t know how to fax [anything] if it’s new equipment. If it’s equipment I’ve used before, sure I would know how to do it, but I’m a terrible driver. I’m a walking stereotype. So, you can name all that, but this is one area that I can say that I really know what I’m talking about, which is the acting business and the acting stuff.

So, when I was starting out, I wish I had met someone who I really could trust and believed that they could guide me, and could gladly say, “Chi, what the hell are you doing? You’re 27 years old. You don’t need to direct a movie right now; wait until you’re 40!” So, that was a mistake I made, as an actor. There was no reason for me to direct a movie when my career as an actor was on the rise. You know, “Finish the series, make big budget movies and all that, you know…wait for the right project to come along.”

This discrimination – being an Asian actor in Hollywood is not easy [for] someone like me, how I look, my height, and all that. I usually get jobs that are really tough to get, and they’re strong acting jobs. So, visually, I don’t look like your typical, whatever you want that to be, because I’m almost like a leading man trapped in a character body.

So, in a way, when I directed the movie, it took me five years out of the game. And when you’re five years out of the game, some people think you’re just dead. So, in two of those years I had to promote the movie and get it into the theaters. Now we made money [on the movie] called Catfish and Black Bean Sauce; we made money and all that, but the problem comes – then I decided, to answer your question about why it matters, I bought the management company, because I wanted to control half the information, but then I discovered that I’m actually good at what I do as a manager. I could understand the business and all that. And when you have success, and you know what you’re talking about, it’s how you make things happen. People will listen to you.

So, that’s what I wish I had, but I don’t think anyone at that time would be that aggressive. And you have to understand, the agency business and the management business is a bunch of crap, in a way. So let me tell you – do you mind if I tell you about the agency business?

Suzanne: A little bit. Yeah, go ahead.

Chi: It’s a scam. It’s an illusion. So, let’s let’s break it down to two tiers. Okay, the first tier [is] CA, ICM, William Morris, and Endeavour. Second tier is Giersh, Innovative, APA, Abrams, or now they call themselves Eight Threes, whatever. So, at the first tier, CA, you have 5000 clients, and you have 100 agents. 100 agents cannot take care of 5000 clients. They can’t. It’s impossible. So, the people who make money are being taken care of. So, you can literally take care of 1/3 of your clients; the rest you really can’t. So, you bullshit around until people figure it out. You know, it is what it is. That’s why they say you will get lost in these places. Then you should go to second tiers. Like you take Giersh. You cannot have 22 agents to take care of 3000 clients, so, the same thing, and sometimes they make fake auditions.

Suzanne: What do you mean, fake auditions?

Chi: They make fake auditions and give them to their clients and pretend like it’s a real audition.

Suzanne: Really? Wow.

Chi: Yeah! I know…I mean, last year, even including this year on forward, it’s all self tape. Self tape has been around for seven, eight years. Last year and this year, it’s all self [taping].

So, a client can [unintelligible] “Oh, you got one?” “We got you one. Here’s your audition,” this and all that.

And then, you get all excited and the role looks so right for you, and you put your energy and time into it. You get your coach. You put it on tape and all that, and you send it in, and you give it to your agent. They say, “Great. Let’s see where it goes.” It [goes] nowhere. They pretend to download it, so you don’t know where it went.

And the reality, so what’s the problem? Okay, so let’s just say you are an actress in your 30s and the role was so right for you, and you’re so excited and all that, and you let’s say you’re a white actress, but what you don’t realize is the break that I sent you only had [unintelligible] they could get the listing enough to produce it and casting, and the storyline, what the story is about. But what you realize, if you look deeper into the breakdown of what they sent you, is the age is missing, and the ethnicity is missing. So, you’re 30 something, but they’re really looking for a 20 something year old character, and you’re white, but the role is for a black girl.

Suzanne: So, they faked it. Yeah, I see what you’re saying.

Chi: So, even if it’s real, they didn’t know and call you in for it. Even if it’s a white role and the character [unintelligible], they didn’t call you in. So a lot of people, like I have kids that I manage who are saying, “Gee, my friend Michael got a lot of auditions. I don’t know how he gets so many auditions.” I say, “Really? Okay.” But you know, I get suspicious. Even the watermark doesn’t even say his name, because it’s a fake audition. The watermark doesn’t say your name? If you’re name’s not on there, then it’s a fake audition. But they have to do it, because, like what I said, you cannot cater to 3000 clients when you have 22 agents. You can’t!

Suzanne: Well, you answered a question before I even asked [you], so that’s good.

Chi: The manager problem is this. Managers these days, you’ve got to be very careful, because the old school managers are a dying breed. We consider ourselves old school managers, and we charge 15%. But…there’re more managers than agents now, and each company pops up out of nowhere, and then you look deeper into it and you realize, “Oh, there’re a bunch of agents who got fired or decided to quit their jobs and form a management company.” So, here’s the problem with it. You cannot be a mommy; you cannot be a daddy until you become a mommy. So, what I call an agent is a “daddy,” and a manager’s a “mommy.” And so if you’ve been a daddy for 15 years, your personalities are set, and you can’t switch to be a mommy or think you can be a mommy. You don’t know how to be a mommy. You bring every skill set that you had as a daddy into a mommy’s job, and it doesn’t work, because what is called managing, managing the actors for a job, you are not just sending them out on auditions. So, these people are [unintelligible] clients only like 10 minutes or whatever and all that, because they don’t know how to operate as a manager, because, what did they do? They bring these skills; they have like 60 clients. You can’t be a manager and have 60 clients. You’re an agent. And of course you charge 10%, but then you get all the perks of being a manager. You can produce; some people can get 15%. You get residuals, which an agent can’t get. If any manager has over 30 clients, I say they’re not real good managers. You can’t.

Suzanne: So, you were talking before about, you’re not a teacher, and you put this video series together. So, did you ever foresee that maybe you would ever, like tour around the country giving talks about acting and getting people to sign up? Or is that not something that you were interested in?

Chi: I tend to do two Q&As a year. They have two packages. One is for the seven episode 13 webinar, and every year, there will still be changes, you know, like I talk about COVID now. Then, there’s going to be new stuff and all that. So, I would add on. I would tape a day to talk about seven to ten segments and then add on two Q&As every six months. So, then it’s a three hour thing. And then we will add onto that every year. So, people can opt in to the lifetime which is $100 more, or $299, and that will be a lifetime for life. And then every year you get new information from mastering the business of acting. And it should be that, because things change all the time.

Suzanne: So, that’s on all online?

Chi: It’s online, all online, and yeah, I think I can promote this thing for two more months, and then after this, I think I’m ready to go to my next project. I just can’t. I’m not a teacher nor am I one of those people. You know, I think a teacher is somebody who is very nurturing and has a lot of patience. That’s not me. And I think it’s a wonderful thing when people can teach.

Suzanne: Okay, what is your next project? You have an idea yet?

Chi: Oh, no, no, I have it. It’s called Life in Threes.

Suzanne: Your series that you’re talking about?

Chi: Yeah, it tells a story about an 85 year old Chinese woman with early stage dementia, who moves into a nursing home in Philadelphia in order to take care of one last piece of unfinished business before the disease gets the best of her. It’s there that she [becomes] friends with a young Caucasian orderly and a African American nurse. She helps them to make sense of their lives as she recounts the story of her life’s journey that begins in China, moves on to Vietnam, and ends in contemporary America.

Suzanne: And are you basing this on a relative of yours?

Chi: My mom.

Suzanne: Your mom. Okay.

Chi: Yeah, it’s a true story about my mother [unintelligible] especially an epic story that spans seven decades, while three lives unravel in the present. So, it’s a story about three characters, and each season is a decade. So it [starts] in the 20s.

Suzanne: That sounds interesting.

Chi: Oh, it’s the four years that…I was able to write it better when she passed away. It’s something I’d been wanting to do for a long time. I didn’t know how to. It’s basically Joy Luck Club meets This is Us.

Suzanne: Yeah, okay, I can see that. I have two more short questions for you before I have to go on to another call I have. So, I saw that Tyler Christopher is one of your clients. I’m a longtime fan of his from watching the soaps. So, what’s he doing now?

Chi: He’s in Indiana, and he’s waiting for a role right for him. [He] have to come back out. And you know, this year is really tough if you’re not in town. It’s just really, really tough to be able to do what you need to do, but he’s doing well. And he told me he’s ready to come back, so get him a role. I said, when everything’s calmed down, we’ll definitely do that.

Suzanne: Okay. Well, I’m looking forward to seeing him on my TV again.

Chi: Yeah, it’s crazy how he made a lot of money on the soap. It’s very rare that people can make the kind of money on a soap.

Suzanne: Yeah, and now I have a slightly more serious question. It’s seems like Hollywood is hiring more people of color, including Asians, for not only acting roles, but writers, directors and so forth. Do you think they’re making real changes? Or do you think it’s kind of a passing fad, and they’ll try to revert back to their old ways.

Chi: I think the change will stay. Here’s the reason why. Not only the pressure and the reality of the world is changing and all that, it has to do with with – and it’s good news and bad news for American minorities. It’s a global market. So, if you look at, let’s just say film is an easy way to talk about it. So, if you look at it, it’s a global market, and you’re going to need to represent everything globally. So, if you watch a movie, like Wonder Woman or anything like that, you’ll see they will cast people from different countries. Like, have you seen The Martian?

Suzanne: No, I haven’t.

Chi: [For] The Martian just somebody just came up with the idea, you know, we need to connect the Chinese into this movie, how do we do that? So, they add just one little storyline that they are going to need a Chinese rocket booster into the storyline, that the Chinese are going to help them out. By adding that storyline, before they even shoot a frame, they will guarantee themselves $150 million that will pay the bills [unintelligible] the budget. So, right there, you can understand why the global market is forcing the change. So, is the [unintelligible] true? Yes, it is. And it’s a little harsh right now.

First of all, Caucasian actors – and usually, like I remember, I have to take one of my clients, the kid that I’d nurtured for 10 years, and I want him to hear it. Because, you know, I’m busy with the mommy, and you know, he’s your child, sometimes they don’t listen to you after you’ve been with them for a long time. So, I forced him to listen to an agent that we were signing, a big agent. I said, “Tell him what’s going on with the market and understand what’s going on.” So, he said, “[unintelligible] really simple.” I said, “Okay.”

Five years ago or whatever, you have a cast. Let’s just say, this is your cast on a TV show. You have maybe four Caucasian actors, and then you add one black and one Hispanic. That’d be your cast. Now the cast is going to be forced to change. Your cast can be maybe two Caucasians, you know, one African American, one Asian, and one Latino. So, literally, half the jobs of Caucasian actors are gone. So, is that something that’s going to stay? I believe so. I think once you start in that direction, it’s hard to change back. It’s the same thing about about gays in America. If you if you look at what happened in the 90s, with with Will & Grace and other shows, Glee, and on and on, I mean, did the writer purposely start changing things little by little? And before you know it, now, the gays are not an issue. But right now, [transgender] is. You know, people have a discrimination towards transgenders. But as a gay man, or whatever, and all that, you know, it’s not that big of an issue anymore, not for the kids. If I’m a high school kid [unintelligible] it’s no big deal.

So, how do you reverse that? You can’t. You don’t. You don’t want to reverse that.

So, I think the #metoo movement did a wonderful thing for women and for minorities and all of that, that it forced the industry to not allow to ask for your quote, that’s by law now. So, by not [being] able to ask about your quote, then they cannot. In the old days, there’s no way a woman could match the money. You know, if you look at like the show called – the Kevin Spacey show – what was that show?

Suzanne: Oh, I know the one you’re talking about. I can’t think of the name either.

Chi: Yeah. So, it took her four years or three years, actually. She was not getting paid what he was getting. He was getting 450 and back in and all that. So, finally the #metoo movement – before the #metoo movement came along, her manager was smart enough to do a TV [unintelligible] on her, and her TV [unintelligible] was much bigger than his, and then pointed out that she’s bigger than he is. And it’s true. Who the hell would like Kevin Spacey? Nobody likes Kevin Spacey. So, she got the same money as he did…So now they put this thing in that you cannot ask about people’s quote. Then you have to pay everybody the same way. Depends on what roles, what position they’re in, in the cast ranking.

Interview Transcribed by Jamie of http://www.scifivision.com

MORE INFO:

Actor turned Hollywood Manager, Chi Muoi Lo, has taken his 30 years of experience in the entertainment industry and created a 7-episode online subscription series, Mastering the Business of Acting. Hearing thousands of stories of how young actors have been exploited in the entertainment industry, he felt that he needed to share his knowledge in a way that set him apart from other programs offering similar advice. Mastering the Business of Acting primarily focuses on those trying to break into the business, it also includes information necessary for the working actors and rising stars. He has also included insight from industry professionals such as John Frank Levy (4X Emmy Award-Winning Casting Director), Todd Eisner (Talent Agent at 3Arts),Karen Molina White (Actress, “Proud Family”) and Nancy Hower (Director of Startrek Voyager).

Chi covers a variety of topics ranging from:

How to break into the business
How to maintain a successful acting career
The art and business of auditioning
The new technological advancements that now all actors are expected to be experienced in

Born in Phan Rang, Vietnam, to Chinese parents Chi moved to the U.S. at the age of two after the fall of Saigon. Upon their arrival, Chi and his family were placed in the Indian Town Gap Refugee Camp where they became sponsored by the Jewish League of America and moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was there that Chi was raised with his nine brothers and three sisters. He caught the acting bug at age 10 and when he finally decided to make the move to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of acting, Chi had the luck he hoped for, booking roles and working continuously. He left his mark with his outstanding performance starring in the critically acclaimed and highly rated Vanishing Son mini-series and starred in MOW Faith of My Father, Sucker Free City and Shannon’s Deal. He has also appeared as Guest Lead on numerous shows such as on “Nip Tuck,” “Cold Case,” “Murder in The First,” “CSI,” “NYPD Blue,” “Malcolm in the Middle,” “Smallville,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and many more.

Chi is the owner of the production company, Black Hawk Entertainment and the CEO of the talent management company Allen Edelman Management. His clients include Karen Malina White (Disney’s “I Didn’t Do It”), Steven Krueger (CW’s “Roswell: New Mexico”), Tyler Christopher (“Days of Our Lives”), and many more. Chi’s debut as an actor-writer-director was with the feature film Catfish In Black Bean Sauce and was met with great success and made Variety’s “Top 50 of 2001 Limited-Release Winner At The Box Office.” As a manager, he nurtured the careers of countless clients over the years. Through this nurturing, he has heard countless experiences that actors have shared with him about their auditions, and he has done it all for his clients – pitching, dealing with talent agents and casting agents, negotiating series deals and film deals with studios.

Proofread and Edited by Brenda