the TV addict » Everwood

Brilliant Television Writing Does Not Guarantee Television Viewers

Tiffany Vogt — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 13:49:33 +0000

In response to my recent article “Superheroes Are Dropping Like Flies! An Investigation Why Television Seems to be the Genre’s Kryptonite,” one commenter offered his opinion that superhero shows are failing because the shows are not well-written. But unlike in the movie Field of Dreams, the theory of “If you build it, they will come,” does not hold true on television. In fact, if anything, time and time again, great writing is an anathema to the average television viewer. It does not lure in more viewers and it does not guarantee a higher retention rate. Great writing is but one ingredient needed to draw and retain viewers.

Examples of ratings-challenged television shows offering superior writing include a large number of “brilliant but cancelled” shows from the past decade. Among those are: TERRIERS, BATTLESTAR GALATICA, DEADWOOD, FIREFLY, VERONICA MARS, EVERWOOD, WONDERFALLS, ELI STONE, KINGS and even fan-favorites TERMINATOR: SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES and DOLLHOUSE. (If looking at the current television landscape, it also includes such current shows as the Emmy-winning MAD MEN and BREAKING BAD and newcomer FX’s JUSTIFIED. It appears that no matter how many awards or how much critical-acclaim, even those will not draw in viewers.)

What is fascinating about all these shows is that whether they were immediately heralded as “brilliantly written,” now that they are gone those are the tags we put on them. Why? Because they were. For whatever reason, the average viewer just did not see or perhaps appreciate the superior writing of these shows when they were on. It is certainly true that a small devoted and vocal bunch of viewers immediately saw and appreciated what they had — but in television, small is never better. Television shows only survive if they can pull in a large number of viewers. More viewers equals more ad revenue and thus a longer chance at longevity.

There is a reason all of these shows are now called “brilliant but cancelled” — they simply are.

But great writing just is not enough. Whatever viewers are looking for, it does not rest on the quality of writing alone. If that were true, a large portion of what is succeeding would have died a long time ago.

Instead, shows that offer comfort and familiarity succeed, like NCIS, NCIS:LA and THE MENTALIST. Those shows offer a steady stream of formulaic stories each week, but viewers flock to them. The consistency works in their favor. In addition, they offer surrogate families for viewers to visit each week. It is a winning combination of comfort and charisma.

Simply put, viewers crave “comfort food” television more than they seek out riskier fare such as MAD MEN and BREAKING BAD.

In addition, the prevalence of reality television shows perfectly illustrates how attractive and deep-rooted the mass television audience is with “voyeuristic” and competition shows. Viewers enjoy the titillation of peeking into someone else’s life and seeing what they are doing, such as TEEN MOM and JERSEY SHORE — alas, transparency into whether or not such reality TV shows are scripted, storyboarded or staged is not so clear to viewers. The average viewer also wants to see people engaged in dramatic, sensationalized competition shows such as DANCING WITH THE STARS and SURVIVOR. These types of shows offer another kind of viewing “food group” that satisfies the viewers’ cravings.

The last category is alternative scripted television. This is where shows like FRINGE, CHUCK and STARGATE: UNIVERSE consistently hover. They are not offering the “comfort food,” nor sensationalist/titillation of competitive and/or voyeuristic television shows. Instead, they are competing for the remnants of the available television audience — ones who are looking for something different, something entertaining, and, sometimes, something that will ultimately be labeled “brilliant but cancelled.”

While it is true that not every low-rated television show offers brilliant writing, it is true that most brilliantly written television shows tend to consistently pull in a lower number of viewers.

Over the years there have been anomalies as shows like THE WEST WING and LOST somehow eluded the curse of low-ratings while offering some of the best television writing ever to grace the television screen. But THE WEST WING and LOST also possessed more than one secret ingredient: they also offered large doses of “comfort food” and charisma. These were surrogate families that the mass viewing audience were more than happy to tune in to see every week.

Many have noted over the years that making a successful television show is like capturing “lightning in a bottle.” It is rare. It is extremely elusive. To gather each piece needed to launch and sustain a high-rated television show requires a remarkable number of “stars to align.” A show needs a great showrunner, fantastic directors, a phenomenal cast, brilliant writing, and a zillion other phenomenally talented crew to make it all work flawlessly.

It is not to say that the networks and studios do not try. They spend hundreds of millions of dollars each year trying to replicate “lightning in a bottle.” But even copycatting what has worked before is never a guarantee. Why? Because viewers are fickle. They do not always appreciate a recycling of a successful formula — sometimes they do, like with the CSI, LAW & ORDER and NCIS franchises. But other times, like with LOST and THE WEST WING, viewers tend to shy away from something they feel is a rehash of another successful show. One reason is that LOST and THE WEST WING were heavily serialized shows and once the story is done, it is done. The CSIs and LAW & ORDERs offer procedural stories — the crime of the week — and thus, it feels less like a repeat of a story already seen — and if it is, it is okay, because it is only for one episode, not 6 or 7 years.

The trick is to come up with something that will take all the key ingredients and whip up a new confection of television delights. Televisions shows require a special recipe for success — they cannot subsist on just one ingredient alone.

So in response to the edict that a television show failed because it was not written well, I remind you: there are lots of fantastically, if not brilliantly, written television shows that fail each year. If only writing alone would guarantee television viewers, then so many amazing televisions shows would still be on the air today. Alas, the average television viewer is not lured by writing. The average viewer’s taste seeks something much more elusive — a magic ingredient that is never really known.

Television success is like magic — it never feels real, but when it happens we are enchanted.

Tiffany Vogt is a contributing writer to The TV Addict. She has a great love for television and firmly believes that entertainment is a world of wondrous adventures that deserves to be shared and explored – she invites you to join her. Please feel free to contact Tiffany at Tiffany_Vogt_2000@yahoo.com or follow her at on Twitter (@TVWatchtower). Tiffany also writes as a columnist for NiceGirlsTV.

Gemini Gems: Gregory Smith Spills on the Possibility of an Ephram/Amy EVERWOOD Reunion on ROOKIE BLUE

theTVaddict — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 22:16:18 +0000

On Saturday November 13, Canada celebrated some of the best and brightest we have to offer the world of television at the 25th Annual Gemini Awards (Think: Canada’s Emmy equivalent). Hosted by GLEE’s Cory Monteith, we are not exaggerating when we say everybody who is anybody in the world of Canadian TV was there. Including, theTVaddict.com’s very own Melissa Girimonte (@thetelevixen on twitter) who, planted firmly on the red carpet had the enviable “job” of interviewing the likes of Nina Dobrev, Grace Park, the cast of ROOKIE BLUE, and more. Interviews we’ll be sharing all week in a series we’ve cleverly coined Gemini Gems.

How blown away were you with the success of ROOKIE BLUE’s first season both north and south of the border?
Gregory Smith: We were really nervous before it came on because we enjoyed doing the show so much and we had to wait while for it to actually air and when it did, for the numbers to come in the way that we did it was almost surreal.

Out of all the rookies last season, your character definitely was lacking in the romance department. Any chance Dov will get a girlfriend this season?
Yeah, I think so and maybe more than one!

And since you’re well aware of our obsession with your previous series, we have to ask if there is any chance that one of those lucky ladies might be Emily VanCamp?
You know, I tried, I spoke to her about it and she really likes the show, but the timing didn’t quite work out. We’d love to make it happen sometime in the future though as it would be a really fun little throwback for fans of EVERWOOD.

[Photo Credit: George Pimental/ACCT]

No longer in EVERWOOD anymore, we shine the spotlight on ROOKIE BLUE star Gregory Smith

theTVaddict — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 17:33:49 +0000

Trading in his backpack for a beretta, Gregory Smith has officially grown up.

“After EVERWOOD I could never play — at least on TV — another high school or college-aged kid,” explained the affable actor during our visit to the set of ROOKIE BLUE last fall. “Anyone who wore a backpack was out!”

Luckily for him — as well as his legion of fans from his time on the much-beloved brilliant-but-canceled WB series — his newest role, that of Dov Epstein, one of five rookie cops at the focal point of ROOKIE BLUE is 100% backpack free! Which is just one of the reasons why, after spending the better part of his post-EVERWOOD career travelling the world shooting films, he decided to return his hometown of Toronto (a city which he calls “my favorite place to shoot”) to enlist in ROOKIE BLUE.

“It takes a lot for the stars to align and for a project to turn out great, and while I was doing movies, I wasn’t quite as proud of them as some of the stuff I had done on EVERWOOD.” explained the actor. “ROOKIE BLUE was a great script, one I instantly fell in love with and the character was exactly the kind of part I was looking for.”

“As much as I loved Ephram, he was a very melancholic character that after enough time sort of seeped into my soul,” said Smith. “When I went back to TV I wanted to do something where people who knew EVERWOOD wouldn’t believe I was the same person. I wanted to show how I’d grown as both an actor as a person.”

Needless to say, mission accomplished.

With the exception of quirky character names and a shared Jewish heritage, over-eager adrenaline-junkie Dov Epstein and piano playing hopeless romantic Ephram Brown are two characters who are in no danger of being mistaken for one another in a police lineup anytime soon. Which is something you certainly don’t have to the artist formerly known as Ephram, who sees both characters as a snapshot of himself growing up.

“My teenage angst was immortalized in EVERWOOD. I was 18, rebelling against the world and so Ephram was pretty close to who I was at the time,” said Smith. “As I grew up and outgrew Ephram, I became a more actualized person who wasn’t quite as rebellious. Dov, my character on ROOKIE BLUE is now probably a lot closer to who I am now.”

“Who I am now,” being a Hollywood rarity: A young actor who has successfully managed to navigate the often perilous journey that is the transition from teenage stardom to well-adjusted and level-headed adult actor. So how did he do it?

“That’s a great question and something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately. I think I had just the right balance of success and failure. Successful enough that my confidence grew, but never enough so that I lost touch with reality,” said the actor, who was sure to credit his strong-willed mom, great friends and the fact that EVERWOOD shot in Utah, not Hollywood.

“It’s sort of hard to get in trouble in Utah. Believe me, I tried!”

Catch the series premiere of ROOKIE BLUE this Thursday June 24th at 9PM on ABC (Global TV in Canada)

We Take a Trip Down Memory Lane with EVERWOOD’s Gregory Smith

theTVaddict — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 13:56:22 +0000

Next Thursday, a new and exciting chapter in the career of actor Gregory Smith (pictured above, left) will begin thanks to his much-anticipated return to the small screen in ROOKIE BLUE. But before that happens, we thought it might be fun to look back one last (okay, probably not last) time on his remarkable time spent in that magical little town of EVERWOOD. What follows, an exclusive one-on-one with the artist formerly known as Ephram Brown, who was kind enough to indulge us with a few EVERWOOD-related questions while visiting the set of ROOKIE BLUE last fall.

How surprised were you when the CW pulled the rug out from under you and cancelled EVERWOOD? (A show which we inexplicably feel the need to mention attracted a VAMPIRE DIARIES sized audience for the majority of its run.)
Gregory Smith: Right up until the last minute, EVERWOOD was supposed to come back and we thought we were coming back. But because we knew there was a chance we weren’t coming back as a result of what was happening with the WB and UPN [merging into the CW] we shot two endings. It’s funny, because after we shot what turned out to be the final scene of the series — I don’t know if you remember, it was the scene with Amy and Ephram at the Ferris Wheel [Editor's note: How could we forget!] – I remember feeling really like we just shot a great moment for the show that probably never was going to see the light of day. I was almost bummed that we had done it to waste, but it turned out that was the scene they ended up using. It really was a last minute decision that sort of surprised everybody. But at the same time we ended on a high creatively.

You mentioned that was the scene they ended up using? What was the scene that fans never got to see?
I was trying to remember that. I basically ended up not going outside and somehow missed Amy. Amy ended up outside the house with the Ferris Wheel while I ended up with Madison. They were going to bring Sarah Lancaster back and continue that storyline.

If there is a silver-lining to EVERWOOD’s cancelation, it’s that the cast has flourished on so many different shows. Do you keep in touch with them and watch what they do?
I see Scott [Wolf] around Los Angeles all the time and speak regularly with Emily [VanCamp] and Chris Pratt, those are the two who I keep in touch with most. Chris is awesome by the way, glad he’s totally kicking ass and taking names now [on PARKS AND RECREATION] because he’s the funniest guy I’ve ever known. Sarah Drew, she needs her own show and she’ll get it for sure one day soon [Editor's Note: This interview was conducted prior to Drew signing on as a GREY' S ANATOMY series regular!]. The younger cast I keep in touch with often, but even Treat [Williams] and Tom (Amandes] we all keep in touch. We don’t have reunions but we all sort of keep in touch individually. Same goes for [Executive producers] Rina Mimoun and Mickey Liddell.

Fans were certainly rooting for Rina’s PRIVILEGED not to get canceled so that you might have had an opportunity to guest star.
Actually there was one episode of PRIVILEGED, I think maybe in the pilot, because I’m a photographer as well, they had an art show and they used all my pictures as set dressing for the art show. We all kind of pop up in each other’s lives in different kind of ways. And then of course I did guest star for Greg [Berlanti] on ELI STONE and the reason I ended up doing the ELI STONE thing is that I hope and plan to start directing so Greg let me shadow some directors. I was on the ELI STONE set for a month and then I ended up coming back a month later to do that guest spot.

Looking back on EVERWOOD, do you have a favorite episode?
The pilot, obviously because that was just so so life changing. There was an episode “The Unveiling,” episode 17 of the first season I really liked. And the last scene in the last episode was good. There are so many I have trouble remembering, but the one I talk about the most is probably the episode with the deer just because that deer hated me so much! The first shot I did with it, I had to walk it on a leash past a waterfall and as it turned out it was scared of the water. So it freaked out, bumped me and tried to run off. And then from that moment on it forever associated me with this terrible waterfall, so I had to do a whole episode with it and any chance it got it would knock me down and run away. Not necessarily my favorite, but definitely the episode I talk about the most.

And finally, your brother [actor Douglas Smith] guested on EVERWOOD as a high school wrestler, when can we expect him to return the favour and hook you up with a spot on BIG LOVE?
I don’t know. I really pushed for him on EVERWOOD and I never felt the same sort of reciprocation from BIG LOVE! But funny enough, the producers were talking about — which I don’t think will happen this season because we’re out of episodes — but if we get another season I think he’ll guest on ROOKIE BLUE. He was up here a little while ago and it would be fun. They might even have him come on as my brother, not sure if that would actually happen, but it could be fun. We’ve never been on screen together. Ever. On EVERWOOD we only passed each other in the hallway.

Stay tuned next week when we talk to Gregory Smith about his new series, ROOKIE BLUE, premiering on ABC (and Global TV in Canada) Thursday June 24 at 9PM.

We Measure the Awesomeness that was EVERWOOD

theTVaddict — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 01:45:28 +0000

What is the measure of a great television series? That’s the question we find ourselves reflecting on as we celebrate the much-anticipated third season release of EVERWOOD on DVD tomorrow. After-all, depending on your perspective, the success or failure of any television series can be gaged in a number of different ways. Where as a network executive might base a show’s success on the amount of dollars it generated, size of the audience it attracted, or number of seasons it lasted, we prefer to ask the question “Where are they now?” Were cast members with little to no discernible talent simply in the right place at the right time (Cough*Misha*cough*Barton*cough) Or were they — like the casts of FREAKS AND GEEKS, NEWSRADIO and ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT respectively — truly a unique group of individuals who were always destined for bigger ~~and better~~, well equally good things!

We for one certainly believe the gang from EVERWOOD falls in the latter category. But don’t take our word for it, see for yourself by checking out a few of the numbers we dug up after spending a little more time than we care to admit scouring IMDB in celebration of tomorrow’s DVD release.

The number of EVERWOOD alumi who have moved onto another regular television series gig: Gregory Smith (ROOKIE BLUE), Emily VanCamp (BROTHERS & SISTERS), Chris Pratt (PARKS & RECREATION), Sarah Drew (GREY’s ANATOMY), Scott Wolf (V), Sarah Lancaster (CHUCK), Marcia Cross (DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES), Steven R. McQueen (THE VAMPIRE DIARIES), Paul Wesley (Vampire Diaries), Jimmy Bennett (NO ORDINARY FAMILY)

The number of alumni who have appeared in other shows created by EVERWOOD showrunners Greg Berlanti and/or Rina Mimoun: Emily VanCamp (BROTHERS & SISTERS), Gregory Smith (ELI STONE), Stephanie Niznik (ELI STONE), Tom Amandes ( ELI STONE), Treat Williams (BROTHERS & SISTERS), Sarah Drew (PRIVILEGED)

The number of show serial guest star Tom Amandes has appeared in following EVERWOOD’s cancelation, including: THE GOOD GUYS, PARENTHOOD, BIG LOVE, THE DEEP END, EASTWICK, GREY’S ANATOMY, GREEK, ELI STONE, BOSTON LEGAL, PRIVATE PRACTICE, THE RICHES, NUMB3RS, CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM and WOMEN’S MURDER CLUB.

The combined number of Shonda Rhimes-related credits among the EVERWOOD alumni (One wonders if she was a fan?) Debra Mooney (PRIVATE PRACTICE, GREY’S ANATOMY), Tom Amandes (PRIVATE PRACTICE, GREY’S ANATOMY), Sarah Drew (PRIVATE PRACTICE, GREY’S ANATOMY), Stephanie Niznik (PRIVATE PRACTICE, GREY’S ANATOMY)

The combined number of acronym related credits (And yes, we realize we’re stretching things a wee bit for this one!) Emily VanCamp (LAW & ORDER: SVU), Vivien Cardone (LAW & ORDER: CI), Sarah Drew (LAW & ORDER: SVU), Scott Wolf (CSI: NY), Stephanie Niznik (CSI: MIAMI), John Beasley (CSI: MIAMI)

Don’t Forget! The Complete Third Season of EVERWOOD is available for a mere $25.99 (That’s 35% off) on Amazon

He’s Just a Small Town Boy: PARKS AND RECREATION Star Chris Pratt Talks Pawnee and EVERWOOD!

theTVaddict — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:16:23 +0000

One of the perks that comes with running a popular television-centric site is that every now and then something happens that’s so awesome you can’t help but think, “Did that really just happen?” Take, for example, the moment when PARKS AND RECREATION star Chris Pratt — whose career I’ve followed in a somewhat-obsessive-but-not-to-the-point-of-creepy-stalkerdom fashion — capped off our chat at an NBC event by suggesting we do a shot (or two) at the bar! (Knowing some of you would be skeptical, I made sure there’d be photographic evidence of this bonding moment, which can be found HERE.) And while that was more than enough to make the whole gig worthwhile for me, I made sure to ask a few questions about his time in both EVERWOOD and Pawnee so there’d be something in it for y’all, as well.

First off, you’ll have to forgive me for starting out with an EVERWOOD question or two because years later I still miss the show. Do you?
Chris Pratt: I wouldn’t say that I miss the show necessarily, but I look back on it really fondly. We had the greatest time and I’m really grateful to have been on it. From time to time I’ll miss living in Utah, I really liked Salt Lake City, but the amount of time we got [4 seasons] was perfect. We left fans wanting a little bit more which I think is a good thing so that the show didn’t have the chance to do that fifth season which might have caused it to jump the shark.

Do you still keep in touch with any of the cast members?
I do. I just went on a nice long hike with Greg [Smith] today. That’s a friendship that was developed there that I’ll never forget. He’s a really great friend and always will be. I’ll never look back on EVERWOOD with any negativity, it was just such an awesome opportunity and time in my life. You just bringing up the show makes me miss it even more.

Your former fictional girlfriends Sarah Drew is one of the busiest actresses in Hollywood, have you had the chance to catch her on anything.
Sarah Drew’s future is so bright she’s got to wear shades! I saw her on MAD MEN and she just gets better with time and with age and will be one of those actors who will work well into her eighties if she wants to. She’s just that good.

Speaking of working, this season has seen Andy find some fairly stable employment inside the government of Pawnee. Any chance this is just the first step of Andy’s political career?
That is a very good question. I think so. Andy would probably think so too. In fact, I think he’d make a great politician. He’s kind of wholesome and what’s that word that’s being thrown around for politicians lately… folksy? He’s very folksy and could appeal to a mass group of people. Plus he’s just dumb enough to not realize that he’s not in really in control. I think he’d be a wonderful candidate. Maybe he should run for Vice President?

And finally, on the relationship front, where do you think Andy and April are headed?
I don’t know how long Andy can remain oblivious of the fact that April likes him. I’ve really liked being able to do scenes with Aubrey [Plaza], but that’s really a question for the writers. All I know is that I hope they continue on because it’s made for a very fun work environment.

Thanks to high profile roles on THE OC and PARKS AND RECREATION you’re obviously more known for your comedic chops. But as any EVERWOOD fan can tell you, you injected some real and often unexpected emotional depth into Bright Abbott, a role that very easily could have ended up being your typical television comic relief. When PARKS AND RECREATION wraps up (seven or eight seasons from now) would you ever consider tackling a straight-on drama?
I’m too much of a beginner in acting to not consider everything but I feel like I’ve been a goofball my whole life so I can draw on my natural life experiences when it comes to comedy. In terms of drama I think I have it in me though and I’d love to be challenged with it and would love to try it.

PARKS AND RECREATION airs Thursdays at 8:30PM on NBC (CityTV in Canada)

Today’s TV Addict Top 5: Questions with V Star Scott Wolf

theTVaddict — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:28:00 +0000

As readers of this website can attest to, I’m only slightly obsessed with EVERWOOD. So before we get into V, I first have to ask you about your experience on the show.
Scott Wolf: I consider myself really lucky to have been able to have been a part of some really great stories and some really great casts but that one was really special, some of my greatest memories are of being part of the cast of EVERWOOD. As you probably know I was not part of the original cast and in a way I was sort of joining their Christmas dinner. But they were just really incredibly welcoming and the writers gave me some really fun stuff to do. I don’t have a typical bad guy face so anytime I’m cast as a good guy who has some baggage and some issues to work out it was fun. Plus, it was so nice to be a part of telling really compelling stories that years later people still stop you and say how much they loved. It really means something to me and is one of my favorite aspects about what I get to do.

Had the show not been unceremoniously cancelled by the CW (yup, still bitter) would viewers have been treated to the return of Dr. Jake Hartman?
While there was nothing ever really definitive at the time, I felt ready to potentially move onto other opportunities. I had only actually signed on to do one season of the show but was having so much fun and saw so much potential for the character that I think everybody felt it would be good to extend my stay to two seasons. And at two seasons, while they weren’t killing Jake — and there was always potential he would show back up in town — it felt like the story had come to a place where it made sense for Jake to move on.

After a two year hiatus, what brought you back to regular series television?
Throughout the last ten years or so since I finished PARTY OF FIVE I feel like I’ve been trying to balance my work life and my personal life. I seem to be lucky in the sense that I’ve been able to kind of step back into things and find opportunities to be a part of telling stories that really excite me. And this year, where I was excited about the idea of getting back on a series, I was lucky. It was a good year, and I think most people that work in television will tell you there was a lot of great material around and a lot of good ideas but there was nothing that grabbed me until I couldn’t quite put it down like the script for V. After reading the pilot I put it down, called the folks I worked with and was like, ‘Please, please, please, get me in a room with these people.’

Were you a fan of the original series?
I had an awareness of the original, but I did not really come to this series knowing anything about it. Our V has everything I love in a script: Incredible characters and great drama, it’s a thrilled wrapped in science fiction clothing.

In the season premiere, the majority of your scenes are with the V’s leader Anna (Morena Baccarin). How long until your character Chad Decker finds himself interacting with the rest of the cast?
The long answer is that I think the temptation in a show like this especially, when you have a large ensemble cast is to sort of mash everybody up as quickly as you can. And while it’s intriguing — this idea of seeing all these characters that we’re getting to know cross paths — I think the writers are being really smart. Making sure the stories are organic to the larger story we’re telling and ensuring that it doesn’t ever feel contrived. I’ve worked on other things where writers fell into that temptation at the expense of the greater story. In this case, if an alien ship showed up tomorrow morning people would still be having to live their lives. You just don’t jump out of your life into somebody else’s, even if it’s the biggest thing to ever happen to the world. Chad is still a news anchor and still going to be doing his job. But as we move forward, the short answer is yes. My character, thus far in his own work is obviously in contact with Anna, the leader of the Visitors and will continue to get opportunities through her, advance his career and carry out their messages. But I’m excited about the opportunity for Chad Decker to interview Erica (Elizabeth Mitchell), Ryan (Morris Chestnut) and Father Jack (Joel Gretsch) and I know that there are plans to move the story into that direction.

V premieres on ABC Tuesday November 3 at 8PM (CTV in Canada)

Exclusive: EVERWOOD’s Gregory Smith Returning to TV

theTVaddict — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:42:51 +0000

Photo Courtesy of @gregorythesmith

According to Gregory Smith’s Facebook status (and backed up by imdb and twitter), he’s most definitely not in EVERWOOD any more. In fact, he’s in his hometown of Toronto! Although it’s not yet been confirmed, it appears Smith has joined REAPER’s Missy Pergrym in the cast of the currently-shooting pilot COPPER. Billed as GREY’S ANATOMY meets NYPD BLUE, the series — following five pals enduring life as rookie cops — is a co-production between ABC and Canada’s own GLOBAL TV. The cross-border partnership makes sense seeing as the show was co-created by Tassie Cameron, who was one of the players involved with CTV’s FLASHPOINT, which proved surprisingly successful when aired by CBS. No definite airdate has been set, but the series is expected to hit the airwaves in 2010.

EVERWOOD: By The Numbers

theTVaddict — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 22:41:16 +0000

3.6: Average number of viewers (in millions) that EVERWOOD attracted in their final season.

2.2: Number of viewers (in millions) that the CW’s highly buzzed about GOSSIP GIRL attracted to their recent season finale.

89: The number of episodes that EVERWOOD lasted.

10: The number of episodes RUNAWAY lasted, the CW’s short-lived EVERWOOD replacement. And yes, in case you’re wondering, we’re still bitter.

18: The number of readers who have complained about EVERWOOD overload on theTVaddict.com today.

4: The number of women Dr. Andy Brown dated who then parlayed said role into another very successful television gig. (30 ROCK’s Jane Krakowski, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES’ Marcia Cross, MEN IN TRESS’ Anne Heche and LIFE IS WILD’s Stephanie Niznik)

3: The number of different actors who played Neena Feeney’s son Sam (Ben Hammond 3 episodes, Ryan Armstrong 8 episodes, Jimmy Bennett 3 episodes)

2: The number of cities that stood in for the fictional town of Everwood, Colorado. Fun Fact: While the series was shot primarily in Utah, the original pilot was actually shot in Calgary Canada)

1: The number of EVERWOOD residents currently on twitter. (See: @gregorythesmith

Win EVERWOOD Season 2 on DVD

theTVaddict — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:20:54 +0000

As much as we at theTVaddict.com would love to be able to pull our very own Oprah and say “You get a copy! You get a copy! You get a copy!” of what’s pretty much one of our all-time favorite shows, we’ve only got one copy of EVERWOOD on DVD to giveaway.

So if you’d like a shot at winning the phenomenal second season that has Ephram and Amy finally on the path to happily-ever-after, Doctors Brown and Abbott well-on-their-way to forming one of television’s most underrated bromances, not to mention fantastic guest starring turns by DESPERATE HOUSEWIVE’s Marcia Cross, NIP/TUCK’s Kelly Carlson, VERONICA MARS’ Kristen Bell, James Earl Jones and more — simply post away in the comments below with your favorite second season episode and why.

One winner will be chosen at random and notified via email on June 23, so be sure to enter using a valid email address. Not a winner? EVERWOOD Season 2 is now available on Amazon for only $25.99.