TV Interview!

Warren Christie, Amy Acker and Emily Fox of "The Watchful Eye" on Freeform

Interview with Warren Christie, Amy Acker and Emily Fox of “The Watchful Eye” on Freeform by Suzanne 1/19/23

I really enjoyed speaking to these three stars. I’ve been a huge fan of Warren’s since he starred in “Alphas” on Syfy, and Amy Acker since she played Fred on “Angel” years ago. They have been in many great shows, as I told them in this interview. Showrunner Emily Fox is also quite successful and has done some wonderful shows. Not only that, but I watched 8 episodes of this show and really enjoyed it. I hope you will, too!

MORE INFO:

"The Watchful Eye" on Freeform

Freeform Picks Up New Drama ‘The Watchful Eye’ (FKA ‘The Nanny’) to Series From Ryan Seacrest Productions

Mariel Molino Leads Ensemble Cast

Freeform has ordered new scripted series, “The Watchful Eye,” from Ryan Seacrest Productions. It is created by Julie Durk (“Grace and Frankie”), who also serves as consultant. Emily Fox (“Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist”) is showrunner and executive producer. Ryan Seacrest Productions’ Ryan Seacrest, Nina Wass, Andrea Shay and Jeffrey Reiner serve as executive producers with Reiner (“Dirty John”) directing the pilot. The series is produced by ABC Signature.

“The Watchful Eye” follows Elena Santos, a young woman with a complicated past, maneuvering her way into working as a live-in nanny for an affluent family in Manhattan. She quickly learns that everyone in the mysterious building has deadly secrets and ulterior motives. What they don’t know, however, is that Elena has some shocking secrets of her own.

“I’m incredibly excited about this series because it presents a contemporary twist on the classic mystery and thriller genre,” stated Jamila Hunter, EVP of Programming and Development for Freeform. “Julie, Emily and everyone on the team have created a surprising world of haves and have-nots that’s perfect for Freeform’s audience.”

“We are so excited to be working with our partners at Freeform and ABC Signature on ‘The Watchful Eye,’ an updated twist on a classic Hitchcockian thriller featuring an empowered female lead who’s got an ax to grind,” say Fox, Wass and Shay. “An elegant New York City apartment building called The Greybourne provides a backdrop where nothing is as it seems and where the palace intrigue has an undercurrent of terror. Elena Santos is very much a force to be reckoned with, and the Manhattan power players who underestimate her may soon realize they’ve met their match. In this day and age, who doesn’t secretly long to eat the rich?”

“The Watchful Eye” cast is led by Mariel Molino (“Promised Land”) who plays Elena Santos, a bright, savvy young woman hired as the live-in nanny to a wealthy widower and his young son. When Elena moves into The Greybourne, a landmark Manhattan apartment building, she quickly learns about the complex politics among its wealthy inhabitants and a history riddled with mystery and tragedy. Luckily, Elena is more than equipped to handle anything that comes her way on her own terms. Warren Christie (“The Village”) plays Matthew, a self-made architect dealing with grief and confusion over his wife’s death and its impact on his young son. Kelly Bishop (“Gilmore Girls”) portrays Mrs. Ivey, a lifelong resident of The Greybourne who rules the roost and is accustomed to getting her way through a potent combination of wealth, power and sheer force of will.

Additional cast includes Amy Acker (“The Gifted”) as Tory, a woman who instantly dislikes the fresh-faced, eager young nanny hired by her handsome brother-in-law, Matthew. Jon Ecker (“Firefly Lane”) stars as Scott, Elena’s sharp and cunning boyfriend who has helped arrange for Elena to get a live-in job at The Greybourne. Lex Lumpkin (“All That”) portrays Elliott, a precocious teenager who lives in The Greybourne and strikes up an instant friendship with Elena. Henry Joseph Samiri (“The Bold and the Beautiful”) as Jasper, Matthew’s son, an intelligent but withdrawn child still reeling from the recent death of his mother. Aliyah Royale (“The Walking Dead: The World Beyond”) rounds out the cast as Ginny, who works alongside Elena as a nanny and is one of the few people who can get past her new friend’s tough outer shell.

About Freeform
Freeform’s distinct brand of coming-of-age programming helps to position it as the No. 1 primetime cable network in entertainment among Adults, Women and Men 18-34 in the 2021/2022 TV season to date. Connecting to audiences with its bold original programming and immersive social engagement, Freeform channels the force and momentum of its young adult audience in its quest for progress with authentic, groundbreaking original series such as Emmy®-nominated “grown-ish,” “Good Trouble,” “Motherland: Fort Salem,” “Single Drunk Female” and “Cruel Summer,” which was the No. 1 new cable drama of 2021 among Women 18-34. Last year, Freeform aired four of the Top 15 scripted cable original series among Women 18-34 — more than any other network, with “grown-ish” ranking as cable’s No. 1 live-action comedy series of the year in the demo.

About ABC Signature
One of the Disney Television Studios, ABC Signature produces many of ABC Entertainment’s most significant hits, including “Grey’s Anatomy,” and “Station 19”; co-productions “The Good Doctor,” “A Million Little Things,” “The Rookie,” “The Rookie: Feds” and “Home Economics,” and late-night talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” ABC Signature’s returning and upcoming series include “grown-ish” “The Watchful Eye” and “Everything’s Trash” for Freeform; “The Wilds” for Amazon and “Godfather of Harlem” for EPIX; “Bad Sisters” and “Five Days at Memorial” for Apple; “Reasonable Doubt” and “This Fool” for Hulu. For streaming service Disney +, series include “The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers,” “Big Shot” and the upcoming “National Treasure: Edge of History” and “Muppets Mayhem.”

About RSP
Ryan Seacrest Productions (RSP) is an Emmy-winning entertainment production company, founded by Seacrest in 2008. RSP produced the E! hit cable series “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” and its spin-offs, as well as the new Hulu series “The Kardashians.” The production company has a lengthy resume of other projects including Netflix’s “Insatiable,” NBC’s drama series “Shades of Blue,” “E! Live from the Red Carpet,” and Bravo’s “Shahs of Sunset.” The company also produced the Emmy Award-winning reality series “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution.”

The cast of "The Watchful Eye" on Freeform

The Watchful Eye: Season 1 Lead Sheet

“The Watchful Eye” — Season 1
Premieres January 30, 2023

“The Watchful Eye” cast is led by Mariel Molino (“Promised Land”), who plays Elena Santos, a bright, savvy young woman hired as the live-in nanny to a wealthy widower and his young son. When Elena moves into The Greybourne, a landmark Manhattan apartment building, she quickly learns about the complex politics among its wealthy inhabitants and a history riddled with mystery and tragedy. Luckily, Elena is more than equipped to handle anything that comes her way on her own terms. Warren Christie (“The Village”) plays Matthew, a self-made architect dealing with grief and confusion over his wife’s death and its impact on his young son. Kelly Bishop (“Gilmore Girls”) portrays Mrs. Ivey, a lifelong resident of The Greybourne who rules the roost and is accustomed to getting her way through a potent combination of wealth, power and sheer force of will.

Additional cast includes Amy Acker (“The Gifted”) as Tory, a woman who instantly dislikes the fresh-faced, eager young nanny hired by her handsome brother-in-law, Matthew. Jon Ecker (“Firefly Lane”) stars as Scott, Elena’s sharp and cunning boyfriend who has helped arrange for Elena to get a live-in job at The Greybourne. Lex Lumpkin (“All That”) portrays Elliott, a precocious teenager who lives in The Greybourne and strikes up an instant friendship with Elena. Henry Joseph Samiri (“The Bold and the Beautiful”) as Jasper, Matthew’s son, an intelligent but withdrawn child still reeling from the recent death of his mother. Aliyah Royale (“The Walking Dead: The World Beyond”) rounds out the cast as Ginny, who works alongside Elena as a nanny and is one of the few people who can get past her new friend’s tough outer shell.

“The Watchful Eye” is from Ryan Seacrest Productions and is created by Julie Durk (“Grace and Frankie”), who also serves as consultant. Emily Fox (“Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist”) is showrunner and executive producer. Ryan Seacrest, Nina Wass, Andrea Shay and Jeffrey Reiner serve as executive producers, with Reiner (“Dirty John”) directing the pilot. The series is produced by ABC Signature, a part of Disney Television Studios.

Episode 1001

Air Date: 01/30/2023 “Hen in the Fox House”

A young woman is thrust into the world of old money and deadly secrets after accepting a nanny job from a handsome widower.

Warren Christie

Matthew, Freeform, The Watchful Eye

Warren Christie plays Matthew, a self-made architect dealing with grief and confusion over his wife’s death and its impact on his young son on Freeform’s “The Watchful Eye.”

Recently, Christie starred opposite Robin Wright in her award-winning directorial debut, “Land.” Christie’s additional film credits include a starring role in the Weinstein Company’s feature “Apollo 18” and as Reese Witherspoon’s ex-husband in “This Means War,” alongside Chris Pine.
His television credits include the NBC Drama series “The Village,” as a series lead role on USA’s “Eyewitness” opposite Julianne Nicholson, and in a recurring guest star role on ABC’s “The Catch.” He was previously seen as a heavily recurring on NBC’s hit series “Chicago Fire,” playing the role of fireman Scott Rice. Christie has also had recurring roles on ABC’s “Motive,” Bravo’s “Girlfriend’s Guide To Divorce,” and CBS’s “Zoo.” He is also known for his leading role on “Alphas,” his series regular role on “October Road,” and the series “Happy Town,” all airing on ABC.

Amy Acker

Tory, Freeform, The Watchful Eye

Amy Acker stars as Tory, a woman who instantly dislikes the fresh-faced, eager young nanny hired by her handsome brother-in-law Matthew on Freeform’s “The Watchful Eye.”
Acker is known to millions of fans throughout the world for her long-running starring role as Winifred “Fred” Burkle/Illyria in Joss Whedon’s hit sci-fi/fantasy series “Angel.” For her portrayal, Acker received four Saturn Award nominations, winning in 2004 for Best Supporting Actress. Other notable television credits include a reoccurring role in the Fox hit series “9-1-1: Lone Star” and starring roles in Fox’s “The Gifted” and the hit CBS series “Person of Interest.”
On the big screen, Acker starred in the role of Beatrice in Joss Whedon’s “Much Ado About Nothing.” From the Atlantic, “Maybe the most spectacular recent example of a young American movie and television actor tackling a classical part is Acker’s radiant Beatrice in ‘Much Ado About Nothing,’ Joss Whedon’s nimble, and very faithful, 2012 movie of one of Shakespeare’s sprightliest comedies.” She has also starred in “The Cabin in the Woods” and appeared in the Leonardo DiCaprio-Tom Hanks hit film “Catch Me If You Can.” She has also appeared in several independent features, including “The Energy Specialist,” “Let’s Kill Ward’s Wife,” “21 and a Wake-Up” and “The Novice.”

Emily Fox

Showrunner and Executive Producer, Freeform, The Watchful Eye

Emily Fox is the showrunner and executive producer of Freeform’s “The Watchful Eye.”

Prior to the series on Freeform, Fox developed “Skin Tight,” about the war between Guess and Jordache, as a limited series for Amazon. She also served as showrunner on “Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce” for Bravo and worked on the Netflix series “A Series of Unfortunate Events.” Fox created the beloved VH1 series “Hindsight,” the critically acclaimed series is certified as 100% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

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Warren Christie, Amy Acker and Emily Fox of "The Watchful Eye" on Freeform