NBCUniversal’s entering the streaming service game with “Peacock,” set to launch in April 2020. According to NBC’s official announcement, the new service will feature viewer favorites including The Office, 30 Rock, and Parks and Recreation as well as new comedies, dramas, and unscripted series.
Subscribers can also expect to see feature films from Universal Pictures, Focus Features, DreamWorks Animation, and Illumination on the service.
“The name Peacock pays homage to the quality content that audiences have come to expect from NBCUniversal – whether it’s culture-defining dramas from innovative creators like Sam Esmail, laugh-out-loud comedies from legends like Lorne Michaels and Mike Schur, blockbusters from Universal Pictures, or buzzy unscripted programming from the people who do it best at Bravo and E!,” stated Bonnie Hammer, Chairman of Direct-to-Consumer and Digital Enterprises. “Peacock will be the go-to place for both the timely and timeless – from can’t-miss Olympic moments and the 2020 election, to classic fan favorites like The Office.”
The 15,000 hours of content will include:
DRAMAS
Peacock will offer a broad slate of original dramas, including Dr. Death, based on the true-crime podcast starring Jamie Dornan, Emmy and Golden Globe winner Alec Baldwin and Golden Globe winner Christian Slater; a reboot of the critically acclaimed and award-winning Battlestar Galactica, from Golden Globe winner and Emmy-nominated Mr. Robot and Homecoming EP Sam Esmail; Brave New World, based on the dystopian novel by Aldous Huxley and starring Alden Ehrenreich (Solo: A Star Wars Story) and Golden Globe Award nominee Demi Moore; Angelyne, a limited series from Golden Globe Award nominee Emmy Rossum; and One of Us Is Lying, based on the New York Times best-selling young adult mystery-thriller.
COMEDIES
The platform’s new original comedies include Rutherford Falls, co-created by Emmy and Peabody Award-winner Mike Schur, Ed Helms, and Sierra Teller Ornelas, and starring Ed Helms; Straight Talk, from Emmy Award nominee Rashida Jones and NAACP Image Award winner Jada Pinkett Smith; reboots of two beloved series – Saved By the Bell, from Emmy Award winner Tracey Wigfield (30 Rock), featuring original cast members including Elizabeth Berkley and Mario Lopez, and Punky Brewster, starring Soleil Moon Frye as a grown-up version of her former character; an all-new season of A.P.Bio, starring Glenn Howerton and Patton Oswalt; and the second movie spinoff from the long-running series Psych.
UNSCRIPTED
Peacock will feature a broad array of the most-talked-about unscripted programming, including a new Saturday Night Live docuseries, Who Wrote That, from creator Lorne Michaels, exploring the famous personalities in front of and behind the camera; an original talk show series from Jimmy Fallon, in collaboration with Matador Content and Universal Television Alternative Studio; a weekly late night show starring Amber Ruffin and executive produced by Seth Meyers; and a spinoff of Bravo’s successful The Real Housewives franchise.
FILMS
Universal Pictures is developing premium original films and animated series to debut on Peacock with prominent talent and filmmakers. Additionally, DreamWorks Animation, the beloved kids and family brand and the studio behind animated hits Shrek, Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon, will create original animated content for Peacock, making the platform a must-have offering for the entire family.
Melissa Benoist will be sporting a new haircut and a new Supergirl suit when The CW’s Supergirl returns for its fifth season. The skirt’s gone and instead she’ll be fighting crime in pants, a change Melissa Benoist and executive producer Sarah Schechter support.
Teamed up for the roundtable interviews at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con, Benoist and Schechter also discussed Kara’s journey going into season five. Although they kept the interview spoiler-free, we did learn that Lena’s reaction upon learning her friend Kara is Supergirl will be featured in the first episode of season five.
Is there a scene where it’s explained how you cut your hair?
Melissa Benoist: “Sadly, we don’t but I do know how it happens. This is how Clark Kent also shaves. She laser-beams into a mirror which reflects back and cuts it. That’s how he shaves his stubble. That’s what I’ve been told.”
Sarah Schechter: “Really glad you knew the answer to that.”
You’ve been able to address Supergirl’s motto on the show. How does getting that motto out into the world feel for you?
Melissa Benoist: “I think it’s the most important aspect of our show and our responsibility to do so. I think that is part of the reason that we went so topical last season. I think our show is always stronger when we lean into politics more because it is so engrained in Superman and Supergirl’s identities.”
And you’re directing this season?
Melissa Benoist: “I’m very excited. I’m really looking into it. We have such a great group of cast and crew and producers. I feel very supported and a little bit terrified. I’m happy it’s happening.”
Sarah Schechter: “Melissa’s been quietly making some music videos on set that you might have seen.”
Melissa Benoist: (Laughing, to Sarah) “Have you seen them?”
Sarah Schechter: “Yeah. That’s why you got the job.”
Melissa Benoist: “That was my pitch?”
Sarah Schechter: “Yeah.”
Where do you feel Kara left off in season four and what her journey will be as a person in season five?
Melissa Benoist: “I’m just always concerned because I’m so fortunate in my character arc that I get to do so much on this show. I’m never really wishing that I could do something as a character. So, I’m always concerned that she keeps moving forward, that we keep exploring her femininity and what it means to be a woman in today’s world and how women relate to each other and their relationships. Just across the board, too, how she interacts with everyone. And, empowerment. So, as long as that is a trajectory that’s moving up and forward, I’m happy.”
And your opinion of the new costume?
Melissa Benoist: “I love it! I love it. I was very happy with the skirt for a long time, but I think it will be good.”
Sarah Schechter: “I think when we moved to Vancouver, the skirt became slightly less practical in the winter months. I think also one of the things that’s so great about the show is we’ve watched Kara grow up. I don’t think growing up is something that only happens when you’re a kid. I think it continues to happen your whole life.”
Melissa Benoist: “Absolutely.”
Sarah Schechter: “And so it feels symbolically like a nice… As she’s standing in her power, those pants are more comfortable.”
What can you tease about the first episode?
Sarah Schechter: “I think something we can tease – it’s not a huge spoiler – but really central is Lena’s reaction to the reveal of who Kara is and that betrayal which is really justified and fair for her to have. But what she’s going to do with it I think is going to be very intense for everyone.”
Are there any changes this season because of the scope of the “Crisis” cross-over and how big it is? It’s like shooting a film in the middle of your season.
Sarah Schechter: “Every season there is. First, there’s all these showrunners getting together and breaking the story. And then there are all of our incredible crews, all of our line crews, our production managers, and A.D.s figuring out how to do this because it is the most complicated scheduling nightmare you could imagine. What’s good is that every year it’s gotten bigger because we’ve learned from what we’ve done. We’ve learned how to do it better. I don’t even remember if we shut down the other sets the first year. We’re learning every time.”
Netflix has set an October 4, 2019 premiere date for the third season of the critically acclaimed – and twisted – animated series, Big Mouth. The very adult animated comedy, created by best friends Nick Kroll and Andrew Goldberg along with Mark Levin and Jennifer Flackett, just unveiled a trailer for season three along with a brand new poster.
Nick Kroll and John Mulaney lead the voice cast. Also showing up to lend their voices to the half-hour animated comedy are Maya Rudolph, Jason Mantzoukas, Jordan Peele, Fred Armisen, Jenny Slate, and Jessi Klein.
Kroll, Goldberg, Levin, and Flackett executive produce the Netflix production.
The Season 3 Plot, Courtesy of Netflix:
In Season 3, Big Mouth focuses on what’s like to be going through puberty now. The show continues exploring human sexuality and everything around it, tackling issues such as cell phone addiction, female anger, the vast spectrum of sexuality, Adderall abuse, dick pics, toxic masculinity, and of course “how to have an orgasm.”
As the end of seventh grade rapidly approaches, Thandie Newton shakes things up as Missy’s new Hormone Monstress, and Ali Wong joins the cast as a new student who makes everyone at Bridgeton Middle question their sexuality. The season culminates with a superhero showdown that brings long-simmering tensions to a head and tests even the strongest friendships.
Poster for season 3 of ‘Big Mouth’ (Photo Courtesy of Netflix)
The CW’s second season of the fantasy action series The Outpost edges closer to the season finale with episode 11, “Nothing Short of Heroic.” Episode 11 was directed by Kurt Knight from a script by Jason Faller and Kynan Griffin and will air September 19, 2019.
New episodes of season two arrive on Thursdays at 9pm ET/PT.
The season two cast is led by Jessica Green as Talon. Imogen Waterhouse plays Gwynn, Anand Desai-Barochia is Janzo, Jake Stormoen is Captain Garret Spears, Philip Brodie is Everit Dred, Robyn Malcolm is The Mistress, and Andrew Howard plays Marshal Withers.
Jason Faller and Kynan Griffin created the series and serve as executive producers with Marc Roskin and Rachel Olschan-Wilson. Jennifer Griffin and Jonathan English produce.
The “Nothing Short of Heroic” Plot – BOTH SIDES NOW – Garret (Stormoen) runs into Talon (Jessica Green), now a Prime Order captive as Gwynn’s (Waterhouse) lost relation has a claim to the throne. Meanwhile, Janzo (Desai-Barochai) becomes desperate to find a plagueling cure. Lastly, a devastating Prime Order weapon is revealed.
The Outpost Plot:
“Having defeated Dred and retaken the Outpost, Talon (Green) and Gwynn prepare for war. Talon delves deeper into demon summoning, while Gwynn (Waterhouse) recruits allies. The Prime Order trinity known as “The Three” reveal mysterious powers as they send spies, assassins, and a devastating weapon to the Outpost. As Talon uncovers the legacy of her people, she must decide who to trust, and separate her real friends from her enemies before the Prime Order attacks.”
The CW’s Legacies star Danielle Rose Russell admits she really loves playing the badass version of Hope Mikaelson in The Originals spin-off series. Russell loves slaying monsters and doing action scenes, both of which she’ll have a chance to do again when the series returns for season two.
During our roundtable discussion at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con, Danielle Rose Russell shared a little of what’s planed for the second season which takes place in a world in which Hope’s family and friends no longer remember her. Fans can expect a little heartbreak, a lot of drama, and perhaps even some new romantic entanglements when Legacies returns on October 10, 2019 at 9pm ET/PT after Supernatural.
How much more do you think Hope Mikaelson can take after everything in The Originals and everything last season?
Danielle Rose Russell: “I don’t know. I think it if wasn’t drama TV she would have been somewhere far away. But, no. Her character, she’s very resilient and very strong and very brave. But you’ve got to give her a break. I mean, poor thing. Poor thing – it’s just constantly. But it’s fun for me as an actress. I really, really enjoy playing the darker parts and struggling characters.”
Do you think this season we are going to see Hope tap more into the Klaus or Hayley part of who she is?
Danielle Rose Russell: “I feel more Hayley, to be honest with you. I think that she knows what she wants. She wants to protect those that she loves. I think she definitely tapped more into the whole Klaus bit with the sacrificing of herself, getting a little bit darker this year. I think she knows why she did what she did, and she knows she has to do whatever she can to protect the people she loves.”
What did you think when you read the first script for the second season?
Danielle Rose Russell: “It was so exciting. I got the first script in an email and I screamed. I was like, ‘Oh my god, I’m in a scene!’ I know the basic plot points of what we’re trying to go for this year, but it’s so cool to see it executed on paper with all the things you’re going to get to do and not do. But yeah, it’s always very exciting to get a new script. I still get excited.”
Do you think Hope will feel a responsibility to help with things that don’t directly affect the people she loves, like the possible merge with the Gemini coven?
Danielle Rose Russell: “I don’t know the answer. But I think if she knew a way to help, she would do it. I think that she’s proven that time and time again. So, maybe?”
Do you think there’s any possibility of Hope discovering a romantic relationship this season that’s not Landon?
Danielle Rose Russell: “Yeah, maybe. In a world without her, you can see character dynamics happen that wouldn’t normally happen. And, it’s justified in a different way. I feel like if you would have separated Hope and Landon last year, it would have made no sense. But separating them now and then exploring other people maybe – or even themselves – is something really interesting. It’s refreshing, you know?
Don’t get me wrong, I hope that Hope and Landon will always have high regards for one another. But it’s also beautiful to see how two people can go on opposite ends of the earth and then find their way back to each other. So, we’ll see.”
Matt Davis may have spoiled that you see Landon with someone else. Would she be able to get over that?
Danielle Rose Russell: “I mean, she can’t be mad at him. She knows that logically, but it still hurts. It still kills her, actually. And I think that it’s something that you’re definitely going to see. You’re definitely going to see it.
When she does see Landon with someone else, it’s probably the most heartbreaking thing. You see how that relationship pans out and how this relationship with Hope separated pans out as well. And it’s a fun little love triangle, maybe.”
How will Hope’s dark side be explored this season?
Danielle Rose Russell: “I don’t think she’s going to go fully dark. I think that there’s a place for that down the line as the show kind of grows with these characters. But I’d really love to play that for an entire season or something. I think that it’s definitely obvious you’re going to see how being in Malivore has affected her and seeing people she loves with other people has affected her.
I don’t know if she’s going to go dark. I think she’s going to really isolate herself though because she’s kind of been forced to do that and see that new way of opening herself up to people again. I wouldn’t say she’s going to be dark; she’s different. She’s changed.”
Will Hope’s sexuality be explored more? In season one there was a moment between her and Josie.
Danielle Rose Russell: “Maybe. I actually don’t know the answer to that but I think if there’s any time to do it it would probably be now. I mean, I think new characters we’ll come across will definitely show maybe more interest in her… I don’t even know what to say because I can’t spoil anything. But, maybe… I can give you maybe.”
The CW’s Supernatural stars have always been a huge draw at the San Diego Comic-Con, but their appearance at the 2019 sold-out pop culture event was bittersweet. The 2019 convention marked the final SDCC appearance of Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Misha Collins, and Alexander Calvert as Supernatural cast members, which also meant it was our final Comic-Con roundtable interviews with the popular cast.
During our interviews in support of the 15th and final season, Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles shared their hopes for the series’ legacy while Misha Collins admitted he has one wish for the end of Castiel’s storyline. Collins also joked about Castiel’s longevity on the series and shared what he considers to have been Cas’ most shocking moments.
Season 15 is set to premiere on October 10, 2019.
Did you ever think Supernatural would last this long?
Misha Collins: “Oh yeah, I knew right away that the show was going to run for 15 seasons and that I was going to be a regular character right off. (Laughing) I think you would have to have such hubris to think that the show would last this long, or that my character would last. I do have a lot of hubris. So yeah, no, everything has been sort of a shock and actually, even the end of the show is something of a shock.
There was a while there where I was starting to think this is never going to end. And, it is. That’s also kind of surprising.”
What was your reaction when you read the finale to season 14? Did they give you a preview of season 15 at that time?
Misha Collins: “No, that wasn’t terribly shocking. But they don’t ever give us a, ‘Don’t worry, guys…’ That conversation doesn’t happen on Supernatural.
We actually spoke years ago on the Spirit Awards red carpet when you first joined the show and you were so excited. Do you carry on that same excitement every season?
Misha Collins: “No fucking way. I am jaded and bored out of my mind, and I hope that conveys.
I, unfortunately, have to remind myself to be excited. It’s one of those things where I find myself in the situation where I have a great job, pays well, it has a workable schedule that allows me to see my kids, that comes with incredible fandom that I can mobilize to do really cool charitable things. That has given me celebrity and all these other great things, and yet sometimes I get like, ‘Oh, god, I don’t want to go to work.’ It’s just amazing. It doesn’t matter how good things are, it’s hard to stay exuberant and excited all the time. I definitely have to remind myself to be grateful and excited. Maybe it’s just my inherent personality flaws.”
I hope the ending ends up that it’s all a dream.
Misha Collins: (Laughing) “Or we can do something like Lost or Game of Thrones… Something that satisfies the fans.
For the final season, what do you want to see Castiel do that he hasn’t done?
Misha Collins: “Ultimately I would want to see Castiel die on the show and in a way that doesn’t feel like it’s leaving the door open for resurrection. Like a really final finale for the character, and I would be really happy if that death was some sort of real sacrifice that helped the world and humanity and ideally saved Sam and Dean. Yeah, I kind of hope for a heroic exit for Cas.”
What was the most shocking moment for Cas over the seasons?
Misha Collins: “I was pretty shocked when Cas became Lucifer. That was a big surprise to me. I was really excited when Cas became human. In the beginning when I first got on the show, I was just happy to see he hadn’t been killed yet. And then there was a certain point – I don’t know when it was…maybe season eight or so – where I started feeling like I don’t think they’re going to kill my character. ‘I think he’s going to stick around for a while. Cool.’”
Matthew Macfadyen and Nicholas Braun in ‘Succession’ season 2 episode 7 (Photo: Graeme Hunter/HBO)
HBO’s released plot descriptions and confirmed air dates for the final three episodes of the critically acclaimed one-hour drama, Succession. Season one was nominated for five Emmys, including Outstanding Drama Series, and the show’s second season has actually been more compelling than its first. (Rotten Tomatoes has season one sitting at 87% fresh while season two scored a 96% fresh rating).
Showrunner Jesse Armstrong created the dysfunctional family drama and executive produces with Adam McKay, Frank Rich, Kevin Messick, Will Ferrell, Jane Tranter, Mark Mylod, Tony Roche, and Scott Ferguson.
The strong ensemble cast is led by Brian Cox and includes Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin, and Sarah Snook. Hiam Abbass, Alan Ruck, Nicholas Braun, Matthew Macfadyen, Peter Friedman, Rob Yang, J. Smith Cameron, Dagmara Dominczyk, and Arian Moayed also star in season two.
The Season 2 Plot:
“Beginning where season one dramatically left off, season two follows the Roy family as they struggle to retain control of their empire, and while the future looks increasingly uncertain, it is the past that threatens to ultimately destroy them.”
Succession September and October Episodes:
Season 2, episode 7: “Return”
Debut date: SUNDAY, SEPT. 22 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
When Kendall (Jeremy Strong) and Roman (Kieran Culkin) are sent to the UK to negotiate with their mother, Caroline (Harriet Walter), an uninvited Shiv (Sarah Snook) shows up to get answers from her father, who has been dodging her. Rhea’s (Holly Hunter) continued presence raises eyebrows amongst the Roy kids, as Logan (Brian Cox) seeks her counsel. Later, Kendall is forced to confront what happened last time he was in the UK. Back in New York, Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) encounters unexpected pressure during an internal investigation and Greg (Nicholas Braun) goes to great lengths to protect himself.
Written by Jonathan Glatzer; directed by Becky Martin.
Season 2, episode 8: “Dundee”
Debut date: SUNDAY, SEPT. 29 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
The entire Roy clan travels to Logan’s (Brian Cox) hometown of Dundee, Scotland for a celebration of Logan’s fifty years in the business. There, Logan reflects on his past and the company’s future, while Shiv (Sarah Snook) defiantly looks to her family for support in taking down Rhea (Holly Hunter). Ewan (James Cromwell) gives Greg (Nicholas Braun) an ultimatum about working at Waystar. Kendall (Jeremy Strong) becomes enamored with Jennifer, an actress in Willa’s play. A former employee proves difficult to silence, worrying Logan’s inner circle.
Written by Mary Laws; directed by Kevin Bray.
Season 2, episode 9: “DC”
Debut date: SUNDAY, OCT. 6 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
With the shareholders meeting imminent and Waystar Royco in a precarious position after a whistleblower makes headlines, Logan (Brian Cox), Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Gerri (J. Smith-Cameron) and Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) testify before Congress and face tough questions from a determined Gil Eavis (Eric Bogosian). Shiv (Sarah Snook) speaks candidly to Kira (Sally Murphy), a victim who is set to be a key witness. In Turkey, Roman’s (Kieran Culkin) business pitch takes a chilling turn.
Written by Jesse Armstrong; directed by Mark Mylod.
Rosa Salazar describes the rotoscoping process used in bringing Amazon Studios’ gorgeous new series Undone to life as similar to the old Disney films. “They were filmed live-action and then they were traced because they didn’t know how to animate yet. It is that same style that Disney used in the very beginning only now we do have the technology,” explained Salazar. “It’s more crisp. It’s more life-like. It’s more rich.”
Undone was created by BoJack Horseman’s Raphael Bob-Waksberg and Kate Purdy and centers around Alma (Rosa Salazar), a young woman who develops a different relationship with space and time than most people do as the result of a car accident.
The eight-episode first season of Undone premiered on Amazon Prime on Friday, September 13, 2019. Immediately following its debut, the show’s rating on Rotten Tomatoes was a stunning 100% fresh, with critics calling it riveting, beautiful, thought-provoking, and a must-see.
During roundtable interviews at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con, Rosa Salazar described how the process worked on set. “The things that were different about it were that we were only interacting with certain things. Sometimes there were things that were taped down to the floor. Like, ‘Oh, by the way, you just walked through a couch.’ They painted it later so remember there’s a couch here and don’t walk through it,” said Salazar.
“But if you and I were doing a dinner scene, they would wheel out a table and two chairs and props that we would absolutely have to interact with,” added Salazar. “All of those things would be rotolined, which means traced, and then hand-painted in later. All of the backdrops are actually hand-painted – classically painted – oil paintings. So even something as banal as a tiled wall in a bathroom is a classically painted oil painting. There’s something like 200 oil paintings per episode.”
Rosa Salazar remembers how she felt the first time she watched herself in a fully rotoscoped episode of Undone. “Well, it’s interesting because I’ve done this before where I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s me!’ But that was a more mutated version of me. This is just simply me. Everything is in the right portion. I loved it. I love doing things like that. I like to disengage with myself, my body, my skeleton. I like to experience it the way you experience, and I can because I have this sort of barrier, although it’s undeniably me.
I loved it. When I saw it, I was extremely proud of it. They let me watch the first two episodes – they gave me a link which never give anyone a link – but I watched it religiously over and over. I’m hypercritical. I can find something wrong in Heaven. I can always find something. I’m so critical of my work and extremely hard on myself, but I could find nothing wrong with it. I’m so proud of it. I’m probably the proudest of this than I’ve ever been of anything in my life because it touches on a few key things that I dealt with in my own life – mental illness, the death of a father, charged relationship with a mother, sibling relationship, love relationship, and questioning my own reality…my own spirituality.”
Summing the experience up, Salazar said, “What did I feel when I watched it the first time? Everything. I cried a lot.”
So, who is Alma and where do we meet her in the story? “Alma is 28 years old and she’s having sort of a quarter-life crisis,” explained Salazar. “Like, ‘I’m at this age where I’m seeing the monotony, seeing the patterns here. Is this it? Is there nothing more to it than this? I wake up, I get dressed, eat breakfast, go to work, I come home.’”
Salazar describes Alma as unraveling following the death of her father. “No one really wants to talk about it. Her sister is very much like, ‘You grow up. You get married. You have kids. You grow old and then you have grandkids. The whole plan is there.’ She’s the opposite side of the spectrum which, quite frankly, it seems like an anecdote. She’s not aware that Alma’s like on a treadmill.”
The story advances into surreal territory after a car accident. “She gets into a fight with her sister and suffers a near-fatal car accident. She slips into a coma and when she wakes up, she starts to see her deceased father – communicate with him,” explained Salazar. “She asks him, ‘Am I going crazy?’ And his answer’s quite vague. He’s like, ‘No…no. Well, kind of.’
I think that’s really the question we’re all sort of asking the whole series. Is she just crazy? Is none of this real? Is it all in her mind? Or, is she a shaman? Does she have magical abilities or is she just schizophrenic? She hit her front lobe and now she’s crazy?
She’s sort of going on this journey through her spirituality trying to figure out where she is in this world and what is her own reality. While also going on a journey with her dead father back to the night when he was killed to see if she can change the course of events, if she can have him back.”
Asked how she thinks Undone is able to give a unique twist to a manipulation of time story, Rosa Salazar credited the fact it’s rotoscoped. “When you have that ability to seamlessly morph in and out of scenes, seamlessly morph from floating through sky to falling into a bed, it becomes more fluid. We don’t know where one thing begins and one thing ends. Through animation we really start to mess with where we are, when it is,” said Salazar. “It also makes you lost, in a way. You’re like, ‘Where am I?’ and I think that’s on purpose. You’re with her on this journey. When you’re confused, she’s confused.”
Netflix’s upcoming post-apocalyptic drama Daybreak stars Matthew Broderick – forever known to generations of movie fans as problem student Ferris Bueller – taking on the role of a high school principal. The streaming service has set an October 24, 2019 premiere date and just debuted new photos along with a teaser trailer in support of the series’ upcoming debut.
In addition to Matthew Broderick as Glendale High School’s Principal Michael Burr, the cast includes Krysta Rodriguez as the biology teacher; Colin Ford as our hero and every-teen, 17-year-old Josh Wheeler; Sophie Simnett as Sam Dean, the most widely admired girl at Glendale High; Austin Crute as contemplative samurai Wesley Fists; Alyvia Alyn Lind as highly unstable kid genius Angelica Green; Cody Kearsley as Turbo Bro Jock, the bloodthirsty leader of the jocks; Jeanté Godlock as Mona Lisa, his badass right-hand woman; and Gregory Kasyan as Eli Cardashyan (not that Kardashian). (Descriptions courtesy of Netflix.)
Aron Eli Coleite, Brad Peyton, and Jeff Fierson serve as executive producers.
The Daybreak Plot:
In this post-apocalyptic, genre-bending series, the city of Glendale, California is populated by marauding gangs of jocks, gamers, the 4-H Club, and other fearsome tribes who are kicking ass as they fight to survive in the wake of a nuclear blast (on the night of Homecoming…ugh).
Following an eclectic group of survivors as they navigate this strange and treacherous world, Daybreak is part samurai saga, part endearing coming-of-age story, and part Battle Royale. This Generation A series (A for Apocalypse! Get it?) is rated TV MA.
A scene from ‘Daybreak’ (Photo by Ursula Coyote/Netflix)A scene from season one of ‘Daybreak’ (Photo by Ursula Coyote/Netflix)Sophie Simnett and Matthew Broderick in season 1 (Photo by Ursula Coyote/Netflix)
The cast of ABC’s new 2019-2020 primetime drama Emergence had a bit of difficulty describing the series during the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con. Series stars Allison Tolman and Alexa Swinton had to be particularly careful when choosing their words, given the mysterious nature of a key central character.
In a nutshell, Emergence focuses on Police Chief Jo Evans (Tolman) who finds a young girl (Swinton) at the scene of a mysterious accident. Where did the girl come from and how is she involved in the accident? Neither of those questions were answered during our roundtable interviews at Comic-Con. However, Tolman and Swinton did seem to have already developed quite a bond offscreen and had fun being cagey with their answers.
Allison Tolman and Alexa Swinton teased that anyone who wants to learn the answers will just have to tune in to the series and find out for themselves. “Tuesdays at 10 starting on September 24th at 10pm because the second you tune in, you will watch with commercial breaks,” said Swinton, laughing.
“All your questions will be answered…eventually. We can’t foresee what your questions might be,” joked Tolman. “I mean, there really is so little we can truly tell you. There are so many surprises and so many twists on where things are going.”
“This is a thriller so you know it’s going to have special effects and most likely guns, which it does,” replied Swinton when asked what it was that got her excited about Emergence. “I also think that it was probably the fact that the writing was so amazing and the fact that this character was so new to me. I’m in other dramas but this one was more like, honestly, she can be innocent. She’s sort of is innocent while also being a little…”
Tolman helped out her young co-star in her attempt to describe her character. “It’s fun to play a character that has a lot of mystery to them,” said Tolman.
“It is because you sort of feel like you’re holding a string in front of everyone’s heads. Sort of like, ‘I know things that you don’t, each and every one of you!’” teased Swinton.
Allison Tolman and Alexa Swinton in ‘Emergence’ season 1 (ABC/Virginia Sherwood)
Allison Tolman said part of the appeal was the fact she truly loves this genre. “I love sci-fi thrillers. I love a little bit of mystery. I like a spooky, spooky mood. I love a lighthouse and a cloudy night,” said Tolman, referencing the season one poster.
Tolman and Swinton’s co-stars had a less difficult time descripting their Emergence characters.
“I play Officer Chris. I’m a young officer on Chief Jo’s force at the police department,” said Robert Bailey Jr. “And I happen to be on the crash site when we find Piper and thus get dragged into the big conspiracy around who this little girl is. He’s just a young cop, very earnest, wants to be like Jo. He’s known her since he was young and she’s a big part of why he became a cop. I think this is going to change his whole mindset on what he thinks of her, what he thinks about being a cop, and who he is in the larger world around him as everything kind of gets out of whack.”
Owain Yeoman joked that he fancies his character, Benny Gallagher, is named after the Gallagher brothers from Oasis.
“He’s an investigative reporter who appears at the crash site and seems to have…it’s kind of hard to know where his allegiances are lying at this point,” explained Yeoman. “It’s definitely a little bit of a grey area. He uses a lot of humor to divert. He’s very cheeky and charming, which is totally unlike me. But I think underneath all of that there is a genuine desire to get to the bottom of this mystery.
I feel as if there’s a banter and a kinship that’s developing with Allison’s character. Who knows where that might go, whether it becomes a romantic thing or whether it’s just one of those things where they are just in something together.”
Zabryna Guevara believes the show’s young star is so endearing that everyone will quickly fall in love with her character. “We all quickly start to find that we are concerned about her safety. And that’s part of what becomes us going deeper is it’s important for us to find out what her origin is to make her safer,” said Guevara, describing her character Abby Fraiser’s relationship to the mysterious young girl.
Donald Faison and Ashley Aufderheide play father and daughter in the series and were teamed up for roundtable interviews. Asked if they instantly bonded, they confirmed it wasn’t difficult to capture the family vibe as they’re both easy to like.
Donald Faison explained his connection to the series’ central mystery. “I’m kind of thrust into it by accident. I think we all are but my character mostly because all he wants to do mostly is spend time with his daughter and this new girl comes in and is taking that time away from him,” said Faison. “So, he’s trying to find ways to be around (his daughter) and things happen, you know what I mean? And crazy things happen. And then he realizes he has to stay close to his family again even though Jo and Alex are divorced. His daughter means so much to him and Jo means so much to him. It’s a different type of divorce. They’re still really good friends; they’re just not in love anymore. That happens sometimes. I don’t think we see that on television often.
Anyway, he’s thrust into it when he sees what this girl can do. He’s like, ‘I’ve got to protect my daughter. I’ve got to protect my ex-wife. I’ve got to protect her dad, and I’ve got to protect this little girl, too, because there’s something special about her.'”
Faison came the closest to spilling the beans about the mystery but wouldn’t clarify what the girl can do. He did confirm she has “abilities.”
Series creators Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters, who were also paired up for interviews, shed a little more light on the show’s premise and what they’re hoping will appeal to viewers.
“There’s a large scale emergency event that happens that basically sucks our lead character, Jo, into the story,” said Butters. “I think it kind of pulls her into the mystery right away, and so I think that people will be drawn in. It’s a mystery, it’s a thriller, and it’s a family show. I think that the relationships that you see develop even within the pilot is something that draws you in as much as the sort of thriller/mystery.”
Fazekas added, “I think you don’t have to be a family show fan only to appreciate it. And you don’t have to be a sci-fi fan. It hits a lot of different genres and there’s something for a lot of different people.”
“Something we’ve always loved doing is mixing genres,” said Butters.
Fazekas says tonally the show is inspired by the Spielberg films they watched while they were growing up. Films such as Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T.. “If you’ve seen Close Encounters recently, there’s legitimately scary moments in that but it’s also about wonder. And then just the story of finding a kid.
[Emergence] is somewhat based on a true story of somebody that my husband worked with where there was a cop in the ’60s or ’70s who found a little kid at a crime scene and basically just took the kid home and adopted her and raised her. Which seems like, ‘Oh, 1970s, I guess you could do that then.’ You hear a story like that and you’re immediately like, ‘Oh I really like this person.’ What I love about someone who does that is there’s no sort of thinking about should I do this. She just instantly is like, ‘This is the right thing to do so let’s just do that.’ I love that as a character. I love that it’s a real person. But I thought that was a nice way to hook into Allison’s character right away.”
