The 2018 American Music Awards list of nominees is topped Cardi B and Drake, with both artists earning eight nominations. Ed Sheeran and Post Malone follow close behind with six each, and Camila Cabello snagged five nominations including New Artist of the Year and Favorite Music Video.
This year’s awards show will air live on ABC on Tuesday, October 9th at 8pm ET. Tracee Ellis Ross has been tapped to host the American Music Awards which will take place at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Ross is also executive producing along with Barry Adelman and Mark Bracco.
Voting is now open in all categories with the exception of New Artist of the Year, Favorite Social Artist, and Collaboration of the Year. Fans can vote at VoteAMAs.com or on Twitter by tweeting the nominee’s name (or Twitter handle), the category, and the hashtag #AMAs.
2018 American Music Awards Nominees:
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Drake
Imagine Dragons
Post Malone
Ed Sheeran
Taylor Swift
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR PRESENTED BY CAPITAL ONE SAVOR CARD
Camila Cabello
Cardi B
Khalid
Dua Lipa
XXXTENTACION
COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR
Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug “Havana”
Post Malone ft. 21 Savage “Rockstar”
Bruno Mars & Cardi B “Finesse”
Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line “Meant To Be”
Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey “The Middle”
TOUR OF THE YEAR
Beyoncé & JAY-Z
Bruno Mars
Ed Sheeran
Taylor Swift
U2
FAVORITE MUSIC VIDEO
Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug “Havana”
Cardi B “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)”
Drake “God’s Plan”
FAVORITE SOCIAL ARTIST
BTS
Cardi B
Ariana Grande
Demi Lovato
Shawn Mendes
FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – POP/ROCK
Drake
Post Malone
Ed Sheeran
FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – POP/ROCK
Camila Cabello
Cardi B
Taylor Swift
FAVORITE DUO OR GROUP – POP/ROCK
Imagine Dragons
Maroon 5
Migos
FAVORITE ALBUM – POP/ROCK
Drake “Scorpion”
Ed Sheeran “÷ (Divide)”
Taylor Swift “reputation”
FAVORITE SONG- POP/ROCK
Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug “Havana”
Drake “God’s Plan”
Ed Sheeran “Perfect”
FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – COUNTRY
Kane Brown
Luke Bryan
Thomas Rhett
FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – COUNTRY
Kelsea Ballerini
Maren Morris
Carrie Underwood
FAVORITE DUO or GROUP – COUNTRY
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
LANCO
FAVORITE ALBUM – COUNTRY
Kane Brown “Kane Brown”
Luke Combs “This One’s For You”
Thomas Rhett “Life Changes”
FAVORITE SONG – COUNTRY
Kane Brown “Heaven”
Dan + Shay “Tequila”
Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line “Meant To Be”
FAVORITE ARTIST – RAP/HIP-HOP
Cardi B
Drake
Post Malone
FAVORITE ALBUM – RAP/HIP-HOP
Drake “Scorpion”
Lil Uzi Vert “Luv Is Rage 2”
Post Malone “beerbongs & bentleys”
FAVORITE SONG – RAP/HIP-HOP
Cardi B “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)”
Drake “God’s Plan”
Post Malone ft. 21 Savage “Rockstar”
FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – SOUL/R&B
Khalid
Bruno Mars
The Weeknd
FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – SOUL/R&B
Ella Mai
Rihanna
SZA
Chris Meloni as Nick Sax and Patton Oswald as Happy! (Photo by: Syfy)
Syfy’s confirmed they will be presenting panels at the 2018 New York Comic Con for new shows Nightflyers and Deadly Class as well as returning series Happy!. In addition, Syfy Wire has been named this year’s official streaming partner and will be broadcasting live from the NYCC during its four day run, October 4 through October 7.
Among the stars and producers expected to attend the New York Comic Con are Nightflyers‘ David Ajala, Eoin Macken, Gretchen Mol, David Bartis, Jeff Buhler, and Gene Klein. Happy!‘s jam-packed panel will include Christopher Meloni, Ritchie Coster, Patrick Fischler, Chris Fitzgerald, Lili Mirojnick, Medina Senghore, Patrick MacManus, Grant Morrison, and Brian Taylor. Deadly Class is also expected to have cast members in attendance at the NYCC.
Syfy’s 2018 New York Comic Con Schedule:
NIGHTFLYERS – Friday, October 5, 4:30-6pm
Experience the terror with an exclusive world premiere screening of the highly-anticipated SYFY series, Nightflyers, based on the novella by George R.R. Martin. Set in the year 2093, the series follows a group of maverick scientists and a powerful telepath as they embark on an expedition aboard The Nightflyer – the most advanced ship ever built. As they race towards first contact, terrifying and violent events begin to occur, causing the once tight-knit crew to mistrust each other. It’s not long before their main mission becomes survival. Unlike anything you’ve seen before, Nightflyers combines horror and science fiction in a way that Martin himself has described as “Psycho in space.” Following the screening, an exclusive Q&A session with the cast and creators follows.
Panelists: David Ajala, Eoin Macken, Gretchen Mol, David Bartis, Jeff Buhler, Gene Klein
HAPPY! – Saturday, October 6, Noon-1pm
Join the cast and creators of SYFY’s hit series as they look back on the insanity of Season 1 and tease the even crazier second season. Based on the graphic novel of the same name by New York Times best-selling author Grant Morrison and Darick Robertson, Happy! follows Nick Sax (Christopher Meloni), an intoxicated, corrupt ex-cop turned hit man whose life is forever changed by his new partner-in-crime – a tiny, relentlessly positive, imaginary, blue winged horse named “Happy” (voiced by Patton Oswalt).
Panelists: Christopher Meloni, Ritchie Coster, Patrick Fischler, Chris Fitzgerald, Lili Mirojnick, Medina Senghore, Patrick MacManus, Grant Morrison, Brian Taylor
DEADLY CLASS – Saturday, October 6, 1-2:30pm
Be the first to see the premiere episode of the highly anticipated new SYFY series, Deadly Class, based on the hit graphic novel by Rick Remender and Wes Craig. Executive produced by the Russo Brothers (Avengers: Infinity War), Deadly Class follows the story of Marcus, a teen living on the streets who is recruited into Kings Dominion, an elite private academy where the world’s top crime families send their next generations to learn the deadly arts. After the screening, join the cast and creators for an exclusive Q&A.
SYFY WIRE HOSTS THE GREAT DEBATE – Sunday, October 7, 10:30-11:30am
What superfan doesn’t love a good debate? Who’s coming back from the Snapture? Reboot or remake? Shared universe or stand-alone? Join celebrity favorites from the sci-fi universe for the ultimate debate as they share their thoughts, feelings and theories on the genre’s most hotly contested topics while our moderator keeps the peace. After each round, you’ll get to settle the debate by casting your vote for the most convincing argument.
Panelists: Orlando Jones, Adam Savage, additional names TBD
The poster for Paramount Pictures’ Overlord features blood drops falling from the sky, mimicking the fall of parachutes from an airplane. The new poster opts to promote the film’s producer, J.J. Abrams, to sell the project rather than list the names of the cast. Director Julius Avery (Son of a Gun) gets a mention as do screenwriters Billy Ray (an Oscar nominee for Captain Phillips) and Mark L. Smith (The Revenant), but the stars are missing from the film’s new poster.
The action horror film’s cast includes Jovan Adepo, Wyatt Russell (Lodge 49, Ingrid Goes West), John Magaro (Orange is the New Black), Mathilde Ollivier (The Misfortunes of Francois Jane), Pilou Asbæk (Game of Thrones), Bokeem Woodbine (Fargo, Underground), Iain De Caestecker (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), and Jacob Anderson (Game of Thrones).
In addition to J.J. Abrams, Lindsey Weber serves as a producer. Jo Burn, Jon Cohen and Cory Bennett Lewis are involved as executive producers. Overlord‘s behind the scenes team includes cinematographers Laurie Rose and Fabian Wagner, editor Matt Evans, production designer Jon Henson, and costumer designer Anna B. Sheppard, with music by Jed Kurzel.
The film’s been rated R for strong bloody violence, disturbing images, language, and brief sexual content. Paramount Pictures is set to release Overlord in theaters and IMAX on November 9, 2018.
The Overlord Plot:
“In the upcoming WWII horror-thriller Overlord, a group of American paratroopers drop into Nazi-occupied France on the eve of D-Day. As they struggle to carry out their seemingly impossible mission, they discover a secret Nazi lab carrying out terrifying and bizarre supernatural experiments.”
The cast of Season 27 of ‘Dancing With the Stars’ was revealed live on ‘Good Morning America’ (ABC/Lou Rocco)
ABC’s revealed the dance pairings for the upcoming 27th season of Dancing with the Stars. Among the “stars” showing off their dance moves will be Evanna Lynch, best known for playing Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter films, and original Dukes of Hazzard cast member John Schneider. The celebs also include The Bachelorette fan favorite Joe Amabile and Olympic Gold medal winner Mary Lou Retton.
Season 27 of Dancing with the Stars will premiere on Monday, September 24, 2018 at 8pm ET/PT. Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews return as hosts, with Len Goodman back as head judge. Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba are also set for a new season as judges.
The season 27 celebrities and professional dance partners are:
Alexis Ren with Alan Bersten
Bobby Bones with Sharna Burgess
Danelle Umstead with Artem Chigvintsev
DeMarcus Ware with Lindsay Arnold
Evanna Lynch with Keo Motsepe
Joe “Grocery Store Joe” Amabile with Jenna Johnson
John Schneider with Emma Slater
Juan Pablo Di Pace with Cheryl Burke
Mary Lou Retton with Sasha Farber
Milo Manheim with Witney Carson
Nancy McKeon with Val Chmerkovskiy
Nikki Glaser with Gleb Savchenko
Tinashe with Brandon Armstrong
Details on the Dancing with the Stars Season 27 Celebrities, Courtesy of ABC
ALEXIS REN – Alexis Ren is one of the most famous social media models today. She began her modeling career at the age of 13 working at Brandy Melville. Since then, Ren has garnered huge social media recognition with over 12 million fans across her social networks. She recently campaigned with Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, and was on the cover of Maxim’s August 2017 edition. She recently received the acclamation of being Rookie of the Year for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Collection 2018.
BOBBY BONES – Dubbed “The most powerful man in country music” (Forbes), Bobby Bones continues to be an unstoppable force. With a “fiercely devoted following” (Washington Post) tuning in to his nationally syndicated radio show, “The Bobby Bones Show” broadcasts to more than 120 stations and is the No. 1 Country morning show with millions of listeners each week. The show recently garnered its third ACM Award for National On-Air Personality of the Year, also earning a 2017 Country Music Association award for National Broadcast Personality of the Year and earned Bones the title of youngest-ever inductee into the prestigious National Radio Hall of Fame.
The “media multitasker” (Billboard) also launched his own podcast, BobbyCast, which features candid long-form interviews with top artists and industry figures, and has been downloaded more than 6 million times. With his undeniable knack for recognizing and supporting new talent, Bones brought his expertise to the latest season of ABC’s American Idol as a mentor.
He is also a touring stand-up comedian, philanthropist and chart-topping comedy artist – a true “jack of all trades” (ESPN). His new book, “Fail Until You Don’t: Fight. Grind. Repeat.,” landed at No. 1 on the New York Times Bestseller list. It follows his debut memoir, “Bare Bones: I’m Not Lonely If You’re Reading This Book,” which also landed at No. 1 on the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers Lists.
DANELLE UMSTEAD – At the age of 13, Danelle Umstead was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a genetic eye condition where the retina progressively degenerates and eventually causes blindness. She has no central vision and is losing her peripheral vision. Currently, her spotted vision limits her sight to less than five feet without any detail. Her father, Peter, first introduced her to adaptive skiing in 2001.
Skiing not only gave Danelle her life back, it also led to meeting her husband, Rob, while skiing in Taos, New Mexico, in 2005. Her severe vision requires her to ski with a guide, a job which Rob has taken on since summer 2008. As her guide, Rob skis a few feet in front of Danelle and acts as her “eyes” on the course. As Team Vision4Gold, Danelle and Rob have won 3 Paralympic bronze medals, 4 World Championship medals and over 50 Alpine Skiing World Cup medals.
Danelle and Rob made history at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Paralympic Games as the first husband and wife visually impaired ski race team to compete and medal for Team USA. They earned bronze medals in both the downhill and super combined events in Vancouver and ended that season with the overall and Super G World Cup titles. The duo also earned a bronze medal in the super combined at the 2014 Sochi Winter Paralympic Games.
DEMARCUS WARE – DeMarcus Ware is widely regarded as one of the greatest defensive players in NFL History and is projected to be a first-ballot NFL Hall of Fame candidate upon his eligibility in 2021. Born and raised in Auburn, Alabama, Ware attended Auburn High School and played baseball, basketball and track, but was not a member of the football team until his junior year. The following season, he earned team MVP honors. He went on to Troy University.
As a senior, he was the Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year. His 27.5 sacks are second in Troy history and his 57 tackles for a loss is a school record. Ware was selected in the first round (11th overall) by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2005 NFL Draft and spent nine seasons with the franchise (2005-2013). He is the Cowboys’ all-time leader in sacks (117) and forced fumbles (32). He was signed by the Denver Broncos in 2014, where he helped lead the team to victory in Super Bowl 50.
He retired in March 2017 after 12 illustrious seasons in the NFL. Only Hall of Famers Reggie White and Lawrence Taylor averaged more sacks per game. He twice received the Butkus Award – given to the best linebackers in America who also uphold the responsibility of serving others by giving back. He was also the Dallas Cowboys nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award that is presented annually, honoring a player’s volunteer and charity work, as well as his excellence on the field.
EVANNA LYNCH – Evanna Lynch is best-known for playing the role of Luna Lovegood in Warner Bros’ Harry Potter film franchise, adapted from the best-selling book series of the same name. In 2010, Lynch scored a Best Supporting Actress nomination for Spike TV’s SCREAM Awards and a Best Performance in a Feature Film nomination for the Young Artist Awards.
Most recently, Lynch completed a two-month run at the Off-Broadway Irish Repertory Theatre in NYC as the co-lead of Enda Walsh’s cult classic play, “Disco Pigs.” Previously, Lynch played the titular character in My Name is Emily, the Simon Fitzmaurice-directed independent film, for which she received an IFTA Nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role and the Best Actress Award at the Victoria TX Indie Film Festival. Her other recent films include the BBC Lenny Henry biopic, Danny and the Human Zoo, the co-lead of the independent feature Addiction, opposite Ian Harding, as well as the hit festival movie GBF, opposite Megan Mullally, Rebecca Gayheart and Natasha Lyonne.
Nowadays, Lynch, an active philanthropist, devotes her free time largely to Animal Rights and Welfare advocacy and works to promote compassion and respect for animals. In late 2017, she launched a weekly podcast, The ChickPeeps, where she explores and educates listeners on the topic of living a vegan lifestyle. Lynch is also a proud ambassador for the Lumos Foundation and for STAE (Save the Asian Elephants), and has worked with UNICEF, Free The Children, The MS Society of Ireland and the Harry Potter Alliance (The HPA). Lynch has been a guest columnist for Independent.ie and The HP Alliance, speaking on issues such as Eating Disorders, Body Image, and Cyber Bullying.
JOE “GROCERY STORE JOE” AMABILE – Formerly one of the youngest traders on the Chicago stock exchange, Joe Amabile turned a successful career in big finance into a successful career in small business. He followed his family’s footsteps in the grocery store world, where he bought his own store. Lovingly referred to as “Grocery Store Joe,” Amabile was a fan favorite on The Bachelorette season 14 and went on to appear on Bachelor in Paradise season 5.
JOHN SCHNEIDER – John Schneider is best known for the iconic role of Bo Duke on the hit series The Dukes of Hazzard, as well as starring roles on Smallville, Tyler Perry’s The Haves and the Have Nots, and more. In addition to his extensive acting career, he is a celebrated country music artist with 10 albums to his credits and four No. 1 singles on the Billboard Country chart. This year, Schneider has launched an ambitious 52-song project, “The Odyssey,” releasing a song a week throughout 2018. A greatest hits collection is also due in October.
JUAN PABLO DI PACE – Juan Pablo Di Pace is an Argentine-born actor and director with an extensive musical theatre background. Multilingual and fluent in English, Spanish and Italian, Di Pace began his career in the United Kingdom appearing in the London musical “Chicago.” He then played the role of Danny Zuko in the Trieste production of “Grease” in Italy, which he also directed.
Di Pace is best-known for his role as the passionate Fernando on Netflix’s original series, Fuller House, and for the iconic role of Jesus Christ on NBC’s A.D. The Bible Continues, produced by Mark Burnett and Roma Downey. Di Pace’s other credits include a recurring role on the NBC series, Camp, opposite Rachel Griffiths, and guest-starring roles on TBS’s Angie Tribeca and FOX’s Rosewood. Di Pace has made several appearances on British television, including The Catherine Tate Show, Aftersun, New Tricks’ and River City.
He made his film debut in Survival Island, opposite Billy Zane. He is heavily featured in the film classic, Mamma Mia!, alongside Meryl Streep, playing the role of Petros. As a musician, Di Pace recorded three original cast albums – “Mamma Mia, The Movie Soundtrack,” “Saturday Night Fever” and “Mas de 100 Mentiras” – and released an album for his One Man Show, “Primer Acto” (Act One).
MARY LOU RETTON – Mary Lou Retton catapulted to international fame and ignited a new era of American dominance in gymnastics during the 1984 Summer Olympics, when she became the first American woman to win a gold medal in gymnastics, scoring two perfect 10s along the way. She would win five medals during the 1984 Olympics, the most won by any athlete during that summer’s games. She was also the first woman ever to appear on the iconic Wheaties box.
In 1997, she was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame. Retton retired from competitive gymnastics in 1986. She served as a commentator for NBC at the 1988 Olympics, wrote a daily column for USA Today during the 1992 and 1996 Olympics, and co-hosted the television series “Road to Olympic Gold.” On the big screen, she appeared in Scrooged and Naked Gun 33-1/3. On television, she has made appearances on Guiding Light, Knots Landing and Baywatch.
Today, Retton is a renowned motivational speaker and corporate spokesperson who travels the world as a “Fitness Ambassador,” promoting the benefits of proper nutrition and regular exercise. She remains deeply involved in the gymnastics community and is the mother of four daughters, all of whom are accomplished athletes, as well.
MILO MANHEIM – Milo Manheim is an up-and-coming American actor born and raised in Los Angeles. At the age of 7, he began his acting career in a local after-school program in Culver City, and he soon went on to perform in 15 musicals with Liza Monjauze Productions. These musicals include “Rent,” “Footloose,” “Tommy,” “A Chorus Line,” “Gypsy” and “Spring Awakening.” He was discovered when casting director Amber Horn saw his performance as Roger in the musical, “Rent.” This was a pivotal point in his budding career as she brought him in to audition for a new Disney Channel musical, Zombies.
After eight call-backs, Manheim got the coveted role of Zed. Zombies premiered on Feb. 26, 2018. He is set to appear in season three of ABC’s American Housewife.
NANCY MCKEON – Nancy McKeon is an actress, director and producer best known for playing the role of Jo Polniaczek on the beloved long-running 1980s sitcom The Facts of Life. She has since appeared in many other television series, including leading roles on the police drama The Division, the sitcom Can’t Hurry Love, with Mariska Hargitay, Style & Substance, with Jean Smart, and as the mother of Demi Lovato’s title character on Disney’s Sonny with a Chance.
NIKKI GLASER – Nikki Glaser currently hosts Comedy Central’s first live daily morning show, You Up with Nikki Glaser, for SiriusXM. Previously, she hosted, co-created and executive produced the critically acclaimed show Not Safe with Nikki Glaser, for Comedy Central. In film, Glaser appeared in Judd Apatow’s Trainwreck for Universal, and Henry Phillips’ movie, Punching the Clown.
On TV, she has fun guest star roles on NBC’s A.P. Bio and Freeform’s, Alone Together, and she previously appeared on Adam Ruins Everything, Inside Amy Schumer and @Midnight. She was a standout at the recent Comedy Central “Roast of Bruce Willis,” as well as last year’s “Roast of Rob Lowe.” Her highly praised Netflix stand-up special premiered last summer, and she has done sets on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Conan and Late Night with Seth Meyers.
TINASHE – Not only does the multiplatinum-certified R&B disruptor Tinashe sing, write and dance, but she also produces, mixes, engineers, creative directs and edits. As a result, she blazes past any and all boundaries. Co-mingling seductive R&B, edgy pop and a nocturnal electronic sensibility, she emerged as a fascinating, focused and fiery outlier in 2014 with her full-length debut, “Aquarius.” Powered by the double-platinum smash “2 On” [feat. ScHoolboy Q], the album crashed the Top 20 of the Billboard Top 200 upon arrival before popping up on many of the top year-end lists.
Between touring alongside everyone from Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj to Maroon 5, she revved up the official mixtape “Nightride.” Tinashe also has a presence in the worlds of beauty and fashion as well. Recognizing the artist’s inimitable fashion sense and untouchable and undeniable je ne sais quoi, Ralph Lauren placed her in a high-profile campaign with Bella Hadid and Hailey Baldwin. Beyond an exclusive performance for Karl Lagerfeld, other partnerships include Alexander Wang, Calvin Klein and M.A.C. Cosmetics, among others. Moreover, Juicy Couture sought her out to be the face of its exclusive Urban Outfitters collaboration. Presently, Tinashe is carefully preparing more new music heading into 2019.
Alex Kingston says Sky’s A Discovery of Witches separates itself from other projects of its genre in multiple ways, including the show’s look and elements that will appeal to adult viewers. “The themes and the arguments within the show are adult,” said Kingston. “It’s just got this sort of cool look to it and I think that’s what sets it apart.”
Alex Kingston was teamed up with her onscreen love interest, Valarie Pettiford, at the 2018 San Diego Comic Con to talk about the first season of A Discovery of Witches based on the bestselling book series by Deborah Harkness. Pettiford, a big fan of the supernatural who was thrilled to be a part of the show, and Kingston talked about their characters (Sarah Bishop and Emily Mather), the source material, and how they approached the show’s magical elements during our roundtable interview at Comic Con.
A Discovery of Witches premieres on Sky One on Friday, September 14, 2018.
Did you do any research into witchcraft before taking on the roles?
Valarie Pettiford: “I didn’t do a whole lot. I did…thank god for Google…I did Google some stuff just so I could get in the mindset. I know for me my character can ‘see’ and because I’m a dancer first I felt anything she does is almost like choreography. I wanted to make sure that was right, so I did read books on how people when they do spells and certain things, they have choreography, really, each one, individually. I wanted to make sure I stayed true to anyone who does practice the craft.”
Alex Kingston: “I didn’t prepare in that way because I didn’t know…I didn’t want to bring something to the table in the sense that it was then not going to be right. I wasn’t sure how they envisioned Sarah and Em and what their world was going to be like.
We had time because we are sort of slowly drip-fed into the show, we basically had time to sort of evolve during the show. I mean, for the first oh my gosh it seemed forever, all we ever were doing was sitting on the porch at the end of a phone. And in doing that and sitting on the porch, you sort of look around. You see how the porch has been designed, what sort of props and little bits and pieces the designers, along with Deborah, have created. And that kind of slowly also informed the sort of life that Sarah and Em were living, and also informed the kind of nature of their personalities a bit. So, yeah, that was it.
And in the interior because Sarah has her own special room where she makes her potions, her soaps, her creams that she’ll sell at the market – farmers markets and things – that felt very much like this is Sarah’s domain. But that was kind of it.
I was doing a show in South Africa at the same time for a little bit simultaneously and I did go and meet a witch doctor/healer. I wanted to talk to him as somebody who absolutely sees himself as a living, working witch, essentially. I spent some time with him in a very small somewhat scary interior little tiny house thing. I came back with some porcupine quills that I gave to Valarie. We had those also then on the set. Those are actually something that are used in some of the creams and potions that he was working on. But I’m not 100% sure what he would use them for because it’s an irritant. The tip of the porcupine quill is actually an irritant.”
With the novels having such a passionate fanbase, how are you feeling about delivering on the anticipation for the series?
Valarie Pettiford: “It’s always scary. I’m a fan of Harry Potter all that kind of stuff, so I know what that’s like as a fan when you have an idea what your favorite characters look like. You just have to trust that they’re going to do right by it. You also have to let go because things are going to be different. It’s not going to be like the book and it shouldn’t be. It’s a living, breathing thing. It’s a whole other venue.”
Alex Kingston: “There’s a very strong element within the Bishop household that is not present and is very much present in the book. It kind of is part of the atmosphere of the Bishop house. I know there was a lot of back and forth about whether this particular element should be added or not, but it was something that was going to be so costly and also in a way would slightly detract from the drive of the narrative that the decision was made not to include this element. That might be something that the fans might probably immediately go, ‘Oh my gosh.’ But I hope that they understand the reasons why and that it is that the story has to just keep being sort of pushed forward. But we were aware of that, weren’t we?”
Valarie Pettiford: “Yes.”
Alex Kingston: “But again like Valarie said, there are things that you just can’t…you can’t include everything. There are things that will have to fall by the wayside.”
Can you talk about the relationship between your characters and how they fit into Diana’s life?
Valarie Pettiford: “Well because we raised her because of what happened to her parents we have a huge influence on her. At the same time, she’s a willful soul and she wants to be normal. We’re like, ‘No, you’re not normal.’
Unfortunately, I’m not a mom in real life but I can only imagine what it’s like having your own children and when they grow up and you get into those 14, 15 rebellious years. We went through that with Diana and we had to let go. But, it’s a close dynamic. We’re just at a point, I think, in the story where it can be a little awkward because she’s very adamant about not using her powers. We’re very proud of who we are and what we’ve come to know as witches, and as creatures we’re starting to lose our powers, everyone – the vampires, daemons, and witches – because of what’s happening in the world. We really want her to own that and enjoy who she is.”
Alex Kingston: “Own her heritage.”
Valarie Pettiford: “So that changes the dynamic.”
Alex Kingston: “I think also again it’s sort of like anyone who’s gone through a tragedy – Diana’s parents were murdered and Sarah and Em know the reasons for their murder. They might even have suspicions as to who may have murdered them, but they don’t know for sure. But, certainly, there is darkness around the deaths of her parents and so to raise this child and to keep that child protected and to fear for that child’s safety as this girl gets older and wants to step out into the world, the answer for particularly Sarah is to be naturally over-protective, and without really being able to explain fully to Diana why. And even Diana going to Oxford and wanting to take the path of being a professor and writing a thesis, she’s far away from them. I think that doesn’t sit comfortably.
Em is incredibly supportive of what Diana’s doing but Sarah is conflicted. But I think Sarah and Diana are sort of closer in terms of their feistiness and stubbornness so, of course, they’re going to butt heads much more frequently.”
What do you think Em loves the most about Sarah, and Sarah loves the most about Em?
Valarie Pettiford: (Laughing) “Just look at her. I mean, this is it. I love that fieriness. She’s the ying to my yang.”
Alex Kingston: “They’ve been together a long time. They’ve kind of grown up together.”
Valarie Pettiford: “Respect. Respect. Respect.”
Alex Kingston: “I think because they are so different, I think they’ve just been drawn together.”
Valarie Pettiford: “I’ve been part of your family, being best friends with her sister.”
Alex Kingston: “She’s kind. She’s sexy. She’s a good cook.”
Valarie Pettiford: “Great in the kitchen! That is not Valarie at all but as Em, yes, I’m fantastic!”
Alex Kingston: “She’s amazing. She has amazing dance moves. She can sing.”
Valarie Pettiford: “I feel protected.”
Alex Kingston: “She just incredibly kind. I think Sarah absolutely loves her for that. Also, I think Sarah knows that she’s not necessarily pleasant to live with and she knows Em forgives her for that as well.”
Valarie Pettiford: “Loves her for it.”
It’s nice to embrace the flaws of the characters too, isn’t it?
Hot off its Best Screenplay award win at the Venice Film Festival, Netflix has released the official trailer for The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. The latest film from Joel Coen and Ethan Coen will have a limited theatrical run beginning on November 16, 2018. It’ll launch simultaneously on Netflix.
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs reunites the Coen brothers with one of their O Brother, Where Art Thou? stars, Tim Blake Nelson. The cast also includes Tyne Daly, James Franco, Brendan Gleeson, Bill Heck, Grainger Hines, Zoe Kazan, Harry Melling, Liam Neeson, Jonjo O’Neill, Chelcie Ross, Saul Rubinek, Tom Waits, Clancy Brown, Jefferson Mays, Stephen Root, and Willie Watson.
Joel and Ethan Coen wrote, produced and directed the Western. Megan Ellison, Sue Naegle and Robert Graf served as producers. The Coen brothers’ behind the scenes team included director of photography Bruno Delbonnel, production designer Jess Gonchor, set decorator Nancy Haigh, and costume designer Mary Zophres, with music by Carter Burwell.
Coming off its Venice Film Festival appearance, the Netflix film is sitting at a 94% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Variety’s Owen Gleiberman says the film’s “a pop fantasia that’s interested in the meaning of what a brutal place the Old West really was.” Time Magazine’s Stephanie Zacharek describes the Coen brothers film as “storybook lore, enjoyable in the way we always enjoy tall tales that have been handed down from one generation to the next. But it’s also laced with melancholy.”
The Plot:
“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a six-part Western anthology film, a series of tales about the American frontier told through the unique and incomparable voice of Joel and Ethan Coen. Each chapter tells a distinct story about the American West.”
Tim Blake Nelson stars in the Coen Brothers’ ‘The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.’ (Photo Courtesy of Netflix)
Damon Wayans, Jr leads the cast of another half-hour comedy following his lengthy stint on New Girl with a starring role in CBS’s Happy Together. The new comedy series makes its debut on Monday, October 1, 2018 and will air in the 8:30pm ET/PT time slot between The Neighborhood at 8pm ET/PT and Magnum P.I. at 9pm ET/PT.
Austen Earl, Tim McAuliffe, Ben Winston, Harry Styles, Michael Rotenberg and Jonathan Berry serve as executive producers.
The Happy Together Cast:
Damon Wayans, Jr stars as Jake, Amber Stevens West is Claire, and Felix Mallard plays Cooper James. The cast also includes Stephnie Weir as Bonnie, Victor Williams as Gerald, and Chris Parnell as Wayne.
The Happy Together Plot:
Happy Together stars Damon Wayans, Jr. in a comedy about a 30-something happily married couple who begin to reconnect with their younger, cooler selves when a young pop star drawn to their super ordinary suburban life unexpectedly moves in with them. Jake, an accountant, and his dream wife, Claire, a restaurant and bar designer, are very comfortably settled into their marriage, enjoying evenings together on the couch watching TV and scheduling time to change their outgoing voicemail message.
Their tame routine gets a makeover when Jake’s client, exuberant music superstar Cooper James, arrives on their doorstep looking for refuge from the paparazzi following a high-profile breakup with his girlfriend. Jake and Claire quickly discover there’s no way they can keep up with their world-famous houseguest’s effortlessly cool, fast-paced lifestyle. Cooper, however, enjoys Jake and Claire’s more relaxed way of life, discovering that a touch of ordinary can be extraordinary for all three of them.
Clayton Cardenas, JD Pardo, Vincent Rocco Vargas, and Richard Cabral in ‘Mayans M.C.’ season 1 episode 2 (Photo by Prashant Gupta / FX)
FX’s Mayans M.C. season one premiered on Tuesday, September 4, 2018 and brought in 6.8 million viewers overall, not including those who tuned in via VOD. The network reports Mayans M.C.’s premiere topped the premiere of Sons of Anarchy, Kurt Sutter’s critically acclaimed drama starring Charlie Hunnam, by 46%. Sutter’s Sons follow-up also earned the highest ratings of any new cable series this year in the major demographics.
The Sons of Anarchy follow-up stars JD Pardo as Ezekiel “EZ” Reyes. EZ is a prospect in the Mayans M.C. charter on the Cali/Mexi border. Episode one set up the world in which EZ operates and introduced the key players for the show’s first season including EZ’s brother, Angel (Clayton Cardenas), and his father, Felipe (Edward James Olmos), as well as the club’s relationship with the Galindo cartel run by Miguel Galindo (Danny Pino). It turns out EZ’s ex, Emily (Sarah Bolger), is Miguel’s wife. EZ broke up with his high school sweetheart while he was serving time and she had no choice but to move on.
In episode one titled “Perro/Oc,” it was also revealed that EZ is working with DEA Agent Kevin Jimenez (Maurice Compte) to take down the Galindo cartel. In addition, the first episode revealed another startling twist. There’s a faction within the Mayans M.C. that are actively working to destroy Galindo, even going as far as to turn trader against their own in order to cut the cartel’s hold over the club. The rebellion inside the club is led by EZ’s brother, Angel. And, Angel and his associates are working with Adelita (Carla Baratta) and her group who have all been affected by the cartel and are out for revenge.
Season one episode two begins with Adelita’s crew attacking the vehicle carrying Emily and her baby. They’re after the child as payback for the deaths ordered by Miguel Galindo. They kill Emily’s bodyguard and drive away with the baby, leaving Emily screaming in the dirt.
Meanwhile, Angel, EZ, Johnny “Coco” Cruz (Richard Cabral), and Che “Taza” Romero (Raoul Max Trujillo) hit the streets and local haunts looking for Louie and the Dogwood crew. They check out Louie’s girl’s place and are surprised when a child fires at them from a closet. He doesn’t know where his dad is, but the kid reveals his dad thinks they’re going to kill him.
Emily makes it home without her baby and Miguel’s told by Devante (Tony Plana), a trusted family consigliere, they might have a lead on the car. Miguel assures her he’s got everyone working on it, and he’ll call on the M.C. to pitch in on the hunt. Emily, visibly upset, knows she’s not supposed to talk about his “other” life, but wants to know about the rebels because they’ve become part of her world now. She demands to know the complete truth about the search for their baby.
Angel’s group meets up with other members of the club at Wonderland (an animal shelter) and reports in that they can’t find Dogwood. Wonderland helps both addicts and homeless dogs, with the addicts detoxing in dog kennels, sometimes alongside the homeless dogs. Although the woman who runs the place doesn’t have any info on new drug dealers moving into the area, she’s caring for a member of Dogwood and does the M.C. a favor by calling his club to pick him up, lying that he’s ready to leave.
Of course, a chase ensues when Louie and a couple of members of the Dogwood crew show up to retrieve their guy. The chase ends with the Dogwood car flipping over a small cliff. They don’t die but aren’t in any shape to run.
Louie immediately apologizes for using Coco’s little sister in a porn video. She’s only 16 and the clips are already on his porn site. Coco’s pissed but the guys make him back down. Instead of allowing him to kill Louie, they make a deal that the Dogwood crew will now pay the Mayans 24% of their drug business, double the normal rate. Louie has to give in – he doesn’t have a choice – and Obispo “Bishop” Losa (the club president) tells him there might be someone new trying to intrude on their business. He wants Louie to dig around and see what he can learn.
As they’re leaving, Coco says he has no idea what girl Louie was talking about. He claims he doesn’t have a 16-year-old sister who would do porn. The mood darkens when they get a call Galindo wants to meet.
The club meets up with Galindo’s men and Miguel requests they look for his son. EZ wants to know if Emily’s okay and Miguel confirms, after a brief pause, she hasn’t been harmed. Miguel says this is a personal favor and even asks please. Bishop agrees the club will help.
They’re told the car involved in the kidnapping’s description including a partial plate. As the number’s being read off, EZ flashes on a car he saw when they were by the dog kennels. (EZ has a photographic memory.)
EZ confronts his brother, sure they need to help rescue Emily’s son. He tells Angel’s guys the car is parked in a ditch not far from the dog kennel. He recites the full license plate number off the top of his head when the guys hesitate to believe him. Angel promises to call Adelita to find out what’s going on.
One of Miguel’s men shows his boss a video that just went online. The video has a voice-over of Adelita talking about the drug cartels and how all the officials are corrupt. The video zooms in on a trash can fire in which Miguel’s bundles of drugs (stolen in episode one) are being tossed onto the flames. Adelita says they want to take back what their grandfathers fought for. She ends by warning, “We can no longer be forgotten.”
The transcript of the speech has already been distributed on flyers posted everywhere. Adelita walks through the town amid the flyers, watching as her fellow citizens take in her message.
EZ stops by his dad’s butcher shop and says he has a situation. He needs his dad to call DEA Agent Kevin Jimenez and set up a meeting for that night. EZ refuses to tell his dad what’s going on, unwilling to draw him further into his problems. Felipe reminds him Jimenez will owe him if he keeps calling on him for help. EZ says he can handle the drugs and the violence, but he loves his brother too much to get him in more trouble.
Finally, EZ admits the rebels are attacking the cartel which is drawing in the club. He tells Felipe about Emily’s son being kidnapped, and he gets emotional when he admits he can’t let anything happen to the baby. Felipe assures him he can’t get out of this situation until the DEA gets exactly what it wants. He warns his son to live it – to earn trust – or else they’ll skin him alive.
Danny Pino as Miguel Galindo in ‘Mayans M.C.’ episode 2 (Photo by Prashant Gupta / FX)
Back at Miguel’s home, Devante thinks they need to meet the cruelty head-on. Miguel, however, doesn’t want to do anything that will put his son in danger. Their talk is interrupted by one of Miguel’s men saying they picked up a street vendor whose music could be heard in the background of the video.
And now for the episode’s cool Sons of Anarchy throwback.. It turns out the guy running Romero Bros Storage is Sons of Anarchy’s Chucky! Welcome, however briefly, to Mayans M.C., Michael Ornstein. Coco enters the office and claims he has to make a call. After Chucky leaves the room, Coco uses the computer to look at the girl Louie talked about on the porn site. Coco immediately picks her out even though the page is loaded with other women. He clicks on the link to her video but then gets called out of the office. (Romero Bros is Mayan’s version of Sons of Anarchy’s Teller-Morrow Automotive Repair.)
When Chucky returns, he looks at the browser history and also recognizes the girl as a Zito.
The M.C. head to the dress warehouse where Miguel is questioning the street vendor. The poor guy’s tied up and claims not to have noticed anything unusual about the trash can fire. He doesn’t know anything about the rebels. He remembers there were children playing around the fire, but otherwise he didn’t pay any attention.
One of Miguel’s men tosses hot grease in the vendor’s face. Bishop demands to know why Miguel made the club come to witness this, and Miguel says it’s because the vendor saw who took his son. EZ is caught whispering and Miguel tells him to speak up. EZ doesn’t back down and replies, “I said maybe if you didn’t treat them like greasy f*cking peasants, you’d still have your son.”
Miguel signals for a boy to be brought into the room. It’s the vendor’s young son and he’s stripped of his shirt and also tied up, as the vendor cries out for them to stop. Angel interrupts by claiming Dogwood just called and said they found the station wagon by the dog shelter.
Bishop asks to run the lead down before they hurt the boy. Miguel sends his enforcers with the crew.
As they’re leaving, EZ apologizes to Bishop for speaking out. He’s relieved to discover Bishop’s not angry.
The crew makes it to the station wagon and it turns out the license plate doesn’t belong to the vehicle. Bishop wants him to give Galindo the info anyway, thinking it might slow down the bloodshed.
Miguel’s guys pull away, leaving the Mayans behind. They quickly figure out the loose dogs nearby are supposed to be in the shelter.
The Galindo men are at the shelter, cages are open, dogs are running loose, and the woman in charge is being choked while they question her about the car and the baby. The Mayans arrive and both sides pull their guns as the M.C. defends the shelter and its staff. It’s mutually agreed the fight will continue with fists, not guns.
Windows are broken, blood’s shed, and the dogs provide the partial soundtrack with their barks. Bishop and the leader of Miguel’s men, Nestor (Gino Vento), agree this fight was long overdue and allow it to continue until the men have worked out their issues.
Back at the Galindo house, Emily informs Miguel she saw the video. She knows their child was stolen because of his drug dealing, and she reveals that one of the kidnappers was a child who didn’t flinch when they shot her bodyguard in the head. They were calm and methodical. She believes their son will be hurt and pleads with Miguel not to retaliate until they learn more.
Devante interrupts to speak with Miguel alone, informing him there must have been another car waiting and his baby was most likely driven directly into Mexico. Devante believes they have to strike immediately, but Miguel’s still unwilling to do so because he doesn’t want to risk his son’s life.
It’s revealed Miguel had a brother, Cristobal, who died while still a baby. While holding a photo of the child, Devante says, “Miguel, there’s something you need to know.”
Miguel’s mother explains Miguel’s father’s business partner Eduardo Perez betrayed them. He took the child and made a deal with the Sonora Cartel. They tried to use the baby to force her husband’s hand, but Miguel’s father didn’t make the deal. The baby didn’t die from pneumonia as Miguel had been told.
Miguel wonders if his mother’s insinuating that because she mourned the child but got pregnant soon after and had him, that he’s supposed to do the same with his son who’s named after his dead brother. Devante insists the only way to deal with this is to draw first blood.
As Devante turns to leave, Miguel says, “Our problem…do what you need to do.”
Angel, EZ, and Coco meet with Adelita. She’s worried they’re meeting in public, but Angel’s upset they’re having to deal with the backlash of her actions. Angel explains EZ used to be with Miguel’s wife and he still has feelings for her. He’s worried about the child, but Adelita assures him the boy’s fine for now. She doesn’t think Miguel will ever find her or her rebels.
As they walk a scream’s heard in the public plaza. Everyone starts running, gathering around the street vendor and his child who have been burned nearly beyond recognition. Copies of Adelita’s speech are stuffed in their mouths.
Later, the Mayans gather at their clubhouse to release some steam. EZ is with Felipe, but Angel and Coco down some brews and try and relax. They aren’t going to tell Bishop about the burned bodies yet.
Coco waits until everyone’s occupied and then takes off.
Miguel’s mom begins picking up items around the house and is about to pick up one of his son’s stuffed animals when he tells her to leave it alone. He sits alone, drinking, as she walks away.
Emily shows up at the butcher shop and greets Felipe with a hug. She made an excuse with Miguel’s mom that she’s picking up a roast because she wanted to see EZ. She admits she’s in shock and EZ tells her he’s sorry. She asks for his help and he agrees. She wants the truth and needs to talk to someone she can trust. She knows Miguel will retaliate and no one will tell her what’s going on.
EZ confirms Miguel already retaliated – two innocent people were burned to death and dumped in the square. Emily, crying, hugs EZ. She’s now aware she probably will not get her son back alive, but EZ promises he won’t let anything happen to her baby.
The episode ends with Coco cruising the streets, finding his mom hooking, and telling her to get in the car.
16 singles looking for love star in ‘Married at First Sight: Honeymoon Island’ (Photo by Rose Marie Cromwell Copyright 2018)
Lifetime’s set to debut two brand new Married at First Sight spin-offs this October. The network announced Married at First Sight: Honeymoon Island will premiere on Tuesday, October 23, 2018 at 10pm ET/PT before moving to its real time slot of Tuesdays at 9pm ET/PT. Married at First Sight: Happily Ever After will arrive on Tuesday, October 30th at 10pm ET/PT.
Season one of both shows will consist of eight episodes.
Per Lifetime, Married at First Sight: Honeymoon Island will give former Married at First Sight participants a shot at finding their soulmates. 16 participants made up of “fan favorites, unmatched candidates from previous seasons and the addition of some new faces, will be invited to an exotic island for the opportunity to make deep connections and work on falling in love. At the end of their stay, couples must decide whether they want to get married or leave the island alone.”
The season one Honeymoon Island singles are:
Bryan McKay (40) Miami, FL
Chris Perry (29) New York, NY
Corey Saunders (31) Boston, MA
Eric Acosta (31) Denver, CO
Jona Bienko (35) Como, CO
Shannon Raddler (33) Atlanta, GA
Travis Dalton (30) Bluffton, SC
Tyler Moody (26) Greeley, CO
Brandin Brosh (28) Biloxi, MS
Isabella McKenzie (25) Atlanta, GA
Jada Rashawn (27) San Antonio, TX
Jocelyn Thompson (30) Los Angeles, CA
Katie Muller (28) Denver, CO
Kimber Gardner (28) Las Vegas, NV
Lizzie Muse (30) Boston, MA
Mekalya Silvera (32) Miami, FL
Chris Coelen, Eric Detwiler, Cat Rodriguez, Ally Simpson, and Gena McCarthy serve as executive producers.
Married at First Sight: Happily Ever After has Coelen, Detwiler, Simpson, McCarthy, Alex Cross, and Shura Davison on board as executive producers.
The Married at First Sight: Happily Ever After Plot: “The series follows three couples from past seasons who have decided to stay married beyond the experiment, chronicling the daily milestones of married life – the good, the bad, and the ugly. Shawniece and Jephte from season six (Boston), and Ashley and Anthony from season five (Chicago), will be among the couples featured in the series.”
A Discovery of Witches author Deborah Harkness and actor Owen Teale (Game of Thrones) were teamed up at the San Diego Comic-Con to discuss the new series based on Harkness’ book series. Teale takes on the role of Peter Knox in the television adaptation which will debut on Sky One on September 14, 2018.
In addition to Teale, the cast of season one includes Teresa Palmer as Diana Bishop, Matthew Goode as Matthew Clairmont, Alex Kingston as Sarah Bishop, and Valarie Pettiford as Emily Mather. Elarica Johnson is Juliette, Trevor Eve plays Gerbert D’Aurillac, and Greg McHugh is Hamish Osborne.
Is there anything you needed to make sure made the leap from the book to the television adaptation?
Deborah Harkness: “When I first started meeting with Jane (Tranter), she was so on top of what the important things were about the story. It was more about how can we keep as much of it as possible. There were things where I wanted to be very sure, for example, that Diana was not turned into a graduate student or not an academic on the grounds that who really wants to see a college professor on the television, etc. There were certain little aspects of things. I didn’t really want to lose the science.”
Owen Teale: “Did you talk to people prior to Jane and Lachlan MacKinnon about making a film?”
Deborah Harkness: “Well, there was a kind of stampede when the book was first bought. It was first optioned by Warner Bros, so there was an 18 months option by Warner Bros. And, Warner Bros brought in an incredibly talented set of producers. […] They hired a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, David Auburn, to do the script. It just wasn’t possible to squash that book into 90 minutes. It wasn’t for lack of talent or lack of anybody trying.
It was utterly defeating and so we sort of paused and hit reset and had a moment to think and reflect. When I got off tour, it was just a case where I was pretty clear it should go to television. If you had a pool, a bucket full of people you can imagine, Jane Tranter would have just been at the top of that. I have such respect for her body of work that I kind of pinched myself.”
Owen Teale in ‘A Discovery of Witches’
Can you talk about the adaptation and how it will play to book fans and those who haven’t read the novels?
Deborah Harkness: “I think always with an adaptation what you hope you do is you can reach people who maybe the books didn’t reach. For whatever reason it wasn’t the right moment in their life, right? The first book came out seven years ago so people who were maybe 13 when the first book came out are now 20 and might be more interested in it than they would have been at 13. So, we’re always looking to expand the readership, the audience, as much as possible. But, I think really what we wanted to do was to bring aboard new fans without alienating existing fans of the book. That is actually a very hard nut to crack.”
Owen Teale: “The book is written in a certain style. You have the viewpoint of a voice seen through Diana Bishop. Unless you’re going to film it in exactly the same way where there’s voice-over narration explaining who these people are, what are you going to do? You have to build. You have to take these people and learn where are they at that particular moment when Diana Bishop is doing this. We live it very intensely, what happens to her at this moment. But where is Peter Knox? You have to start building their lives. It’s massive. You have to lose it in a way in order to rebuild it. It’s a huge amount of work.”
(After discussing the state of television, Owen Teale talked about his character.)
Owen Teale: “You wrote these two characters – Satu and Peter Knox – and he discovers this witch who has phenomenal power but she’s maverick and she’s alone to herself. He’s just a much more formal character who runs in the Congregation which is like the House of Representatives and the Senate, I guess. He is used to a political world of how to behave. He’s used to manipulating people, getting them to do what he wants, and he meets this witch who’s not on the same wavelength. She’s not against him; she just doesn’t understand. I found that so exciting. I got to work with this great actress, Malin Buska…”
Deborah Harkness: “I wish she had been here today on our all-witch panel because Owen and Malin – Peter and Satu – end up with this really interesting work relationship.”
Owen Teale: “We wouldn’t have had time if we were doing a film to do that.”
Deborah Harkness: “No. But you get this great sense… It kind of makes you, for anybody who’s read the books, think to yourself, ‘Oh my god, so while Diana and Matthew are back in the 16th century in series two, what are Peter and Satu going to get up to over the course of that that we’ve just not ever seen or been able to explore?’”
Owen Teale: “It was just a dynamic that was there. We could develop that and go further and further and further with that.”
There are obviously three books. Will there just be three seasons or are there plans to branch out beyond that to original material?
Deborah Harkness: “Well, what’s interesting is there are three books in the trilogy but there are additional books coming out in the world. So, there’s actually a new book coming out in September, four days after the television show, called Time’s Convert that goes into depth on the backstory of one of the vampire characters. So, it’s kind of an expanding book universe which may or may not affect what they decide to do with the characters on the screen. The next book sort of picks up about a year after the end of the third book, so there would be a way that they could just keep rolling on if they wanted to.
I think, as of now, we’re thrilled and delighted that Sky and Sundance want to make three seasons of it. But, you never know what might come and what good people like Owen will have room for on their schedule.”
