As the second season of HAVEN, Syfy’s supernatural summer series prepares to wrap up its second season, the single biggest question on every fan’s mind — well, aside that is from why anyone in their right mind would live in a town plagued with doppelgangers, thieves and flesh eating children (Oh My!) — is will the big mythological arcs introduced this season be nicely tied up with a bow, or will they be left-hanging with a doozy of a cliff-hanger? [Read more…]
Search Results for: star-crossed
TEEN WOLF! COVERT AFFAIRS! FALLING SKIES! Why the Summer of 2011 Offers Some of Television’s Best Thrills and Chills
For fans and avid television viewers, this summer has offered an abundance of riches. From the break-out alien sensation FALLING SKIES to the addictive TEEN WOLF to teenage crushes on THE NINE LIVES OF CHLOE KING to the creepy medical mysteries of TORCHWOOD, no matter what one could possibly be looking for, this summer had it on TV. It is said that ‘it is good to be king.’ But on TV, it is better to be the most talked about summer hits of the season. The following is a quick round up of shows that you may already be watching, but if you have not yet discovered these shows, you are invited to check them out and become as enamored as everyone else. [Read more…]
Every Adventure Has A Beginning: An Appreciation of the World of TORCHWOOD
As a spin-off from the globally popular sci-fi series DOCTOR WHO, it seemed impossible to conceive that Russell T Davies could create two addictive universes. Yet upon the creation of Captain Jack Harkness in Series 1 of DOCTOR WHO, which starred Christopher Eccleston, that is exactly what happened. Creating a character larger than the multi-episode arc could contain, Russell T Davies did the unthinkable and with a wave of his magical wand – the writing pen – he dazzled fans once again by creating TORCHWOOD. Not only poaching one of the more flamboyant and captivating characters of the new series of DOCTOR WHO, Russell also chose to use an anagram of DOCTOR WHO and came up with the name TORCHWOOD.
Thus, one year after his successful debut as Captain Jack in DOCTOR WHO, John Barrowman debuted in his own television series as the infamous time-traveler now stuck on Earth. Being an earthbound extraterrestrial was not the entirety of Jack’s claim to fame. As viewers quickly found out, Jack is immortal. Even a bullet to the head at point blank range did little to phase Jack’s regenerative powers. Touched by the hand of god, or The Doctor in this case, Jack was not only abandoned on Earth, he had been cursed to live for eternity upon it. But a resourceful and resilient man, Jack ingratiated himself with the British government and was bestowed with his own secret government branch called Torchwood.
As seen through the eyes of a new recruit Gwen Cooper (fantastically portrayed by Eve Myles), who stumbled upon Torchwood as the series began, the entirety of the first three season of TORCHWOOD followed the star-crossed adventures and many loves of Gwen and Jack. Jack being an other-worldly being never felt constrained by our mere human relationship standards and continued to live his eternal life connecting romantically and physically with anyone and everything that struck his fancy. Gwen was also soon caught up in the no boundaries type of lifestyle and found herself connecting on all levels with other beings and humans of both persuasions. [Read more…]
Summer Scoop: A few candid insights from writer/producer Jeff Davis and director Russell Mulcahy on MTV’s TEEN WOLF
In MTV’s new supernatural series TEEN WOLF, the typical coming-of-age story is given a new twist — a teenage boy must not only navigate through high school, he must figure out the challenges of being a werewolf in the midst of the most heightened years of his life. Writer and executive producer Jeff Davis and director Russell Mulcahy talked about what drew them to the TEEN WOLF series and teased a bit about what to expect as the show debuts.
Jeff Davis (Executive Producer/Writer)
How was the tone for the show established in choosing between campy vs. dark?
Jeff: The tone was set right off-the-bat from the first meeting with MTV. It was their idea to do the show. I had a meeting with MTV . .. . [MTV] said they were attached to TEEN WOLF the series and asked would I be interested in writing it. So I asked MTV at the meeting, I said, ‘How do you guys see adapting this for a TV series because the original is very much a comedy and, to me, it’s actually a basketball movie.’ . . . . So they said, ‘We want to do it a little different — a little darker, sexier’ and I said, ‘Well, what if we did it kind of like The Lost Boys?’ Which was an ’80’s movie that I still love to this day. I mean, I love Teen Wolf very much. But The Lost Boys just stuck in my head ’cause it is scary, it’s sexy, and it’s still funny — really funny, like Corey Feldman, the Frog Brothers. I mean, you always remember them. So that’s really the paradigm we chose. It’s The Lost Boys with a little bit of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer thrown in. . . It’s funny. We talk about this being a remake or reboot, and after talking with MTV a little while ago, I said, ‘Since it’s MTV, maybe we should call it a remix.’ We’ve taken an old classic and kind of given it a new beat. How’s that for a sound bite?
Summer Scoop: A Candid Conversation with Tyler Posey, Crystal Reed, Tyler Hoechlin, Colton Haynes and Holland Roden about MTV’s new series TEEN WOLF
In MTV’s new dark thriller TEEN WOLF, a teen boy’s life is irrevocably changed after being bitten by a werewolf. While he struggles to adjust to his new physical changes, the world around him shifts as well. He discovers he is not alone and meets a mentor of sorts who helps guide him through the transformations and navigating an increasingly tricky social scene at school. Then, as if that were not enough, he finds out that he is not necessarily the predator in this story; that he may be the prey as well when it is revealed that a team of hunters have moved into town and are tightening their net.
Thus, the cursed and conflicted Scott McCall (Tyler Posey), his mysterious mentor Derek Hale (Tyler Hoechlin) and the new girl in town Allison Argent (Crystal Reed) are all caught up in the thorny tale of star-crossed romance amidst a modern day horror story.
Taking a few minutes to talk with the press about what makes TEEN WOLF a must-see show of this summer, Tyler Posey, Crystal Reed and Tyler Hoechlin candidly shared their insights and offered a few sneak teases.
[Read more…]
The Secret to Television Success: Why some TV shows are succeeding when others are failing?
With the 2010-2011 television season wrapping up and a large number of shows getting pink slips, it leads us to wonder why some shows are succeeding in the face of great competition on the television landscape.
Just look at the top scripted television series, it is a menagerie. It is hard to pin-point the one thing that keeps viewers tuning in. It is a charismatic character, a gripping storyline, the novelty of concept, or simply that it offers “comfort food” to a viewing audience craving a specific kind of TV show?
A Twist of FRINGE: Amidst Tragedy An Unexpected Love Story Blooms
In the most recent episode of FRINGE entitled “Bloodlines,” Fauxlivia’s pregnancy took a dramatic turn after she was kidnapped and her baby’s gestation period medically accelerated. While speeding up and manipulating Fauxlivia’s pregnancy was stunning enough, the real story was about another revelation: Agent Lincoln Lee’s confession of his love for her.
Turning the tables on fans that had been bemoaning the discovery that Fauxlivia was carrying Peter’s child, FRINGE took the extremely unpopular storyline and turned it into a fan-favorite. For in one fell swoop, it unmasked Lincoln’s feelings for Fauxlivia and created a star-crossed love affair for which fans could suddenly root. There had always been a hint of special feelings on Lincoln’s side for Fauxlivia, but as long as she was happily involved with her boyfriend Frank, Lincoln kept his feelings to himself and allowed her to live in peace.
Yet fate delivered an unexpected twist for them all when the Alt-Fringe Division sent Fauxlivia into our universe replacing Olivia and claimed our Olivia as their own using false memories to convince her that she was Fauxlivia. That switch had long-term ramifications as Fauxlivia fell in love with Peter in our universe and Olivia struggled with her identity in the alt-verse leading Lincoln to believe that there may be a chance for him as he continued to watch protectively over her after her breakdown.
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Ranking the Loneliest Hearts on Television
For those who saw this week’s episode of GLEE, aptly entitled “Silly Love Songs,” we were all cheering for Rachel Berry and her beau Finn Hudson to reconcile. Alas, as foreshadowed by fellow single-lady Mercedes, all the great divas only make it big after their hearts have been broken. Despite this apropos declaration, we hoped against hope that Rachel and Finn would have a chance — after all, they were the poster-child of love that the fans were rooting for since day one. That Finn chose his ex-girlfriend Quinn stung; especially after he confessed that there had never been fireworks when he kissed Rachel. In the end, as Rachel defiantly sang “Firework,” it was our hearts that felt crushed.
Another young love that we had been rooting for was Alex and Thom on NIKITA. Alas, their star-crossed love affair ended all too abruptly when Alex was forced to kill Thom in order to protect her cover inside Division. All season long the tenderhearted Thom had watched over and protected Alex, and then once he discovered her betrayal, he forsook his feelings and tried to unmask her treachery. His loyalty to Division was only noble in his ignorance. If he had truly known who he was aligned with, he would not have been so quick to try to kill Alex. So their budding romance was cut-short and we will never know if Alex and Thom could have been destined to enjoy a great love. We would have loved to watch it play out.
Is Romance Dead on Television?
When looking out over the television landscape today, one would be hard pressed to find even a few crumbs of romance. There are oodles of relationships, people sharing intimacy, and more than a fair share of people breaking-up and making-up. But there is very little actual romance. As a viewer who is drawn to the likes of classic Jane Austen, I find myself shifting through the primetime television shows in search of even a sliver of a romance. In fact, it feels rarer than if one were to go panhandling for gold itself.
Romance is not about people falling into bed, shacking-up, or making out with their flavor of the month boyfriend or girlfriend. Instead, it is something much more delicate and elusive. Romance is a hint of a soft whisper, the briefest of caress, or a stolen look of desire. Perhaps it is naive to believe that viewers are even looking for romance on television today.
But I imagine that there are more than just a few of us turning the channels, pouring over our TV schedules and praying for a miracle as we watch what is currently being broadcast. Crime procedurals, legal dramas, medical dramas, family dramedies and teenage angst are all fine — if that is what you are in the mood for. But, then there are the days, when I sit in front of my television wishing that it could magically offer an escape from the harsh world we live in — to be transported some place where there is beauty, love and engaging stories of people searching for and finding love.
Time Magazine Critic Jumps Shark On BIG LOVE
It’s sad when someone who should be an expert on something reveals just how little they know about the genre on which they’re pontificating. Take, for example, Time magazine’s Richard Corliss, who on Sunday decided to declare that BIG LOVE had jumped the shark several weeks earlier. Unfortunately, he gets off to something of a rocky start by wrongly stating that everything from a wedding to a birth is an indication that a show has jumped the shark (as opposed to those being examples of, um, actual plot developments). But he then goes on to claim that the January 24th episode of the polygamy-in-suburbia drama jumped the shark by having Sarah take in an Indian woman and her child, Margene kiss stepson Ben, Alby begin an illicit affair and Nicki pull a gun.
Did a lot happen in the episode? You betcha. Was it a “jump-the-shark” moment? Not by a longshot.