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J.J. Abrams Talks ‘11.22.63.’, ‘Star Wars’ Box Office, and the End of ‘Person of Interest’

By
Fred Topel
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Sarah Gadon James Franco in 11 22 63
Sarah Gadon and James Franco in ‘11.22.63.’ (Photo © 2015 Hulu)

Filmmaker J.J. Abrams was on hand at the Television Critics Association’s winter event promoting HULU’s new event series 11.22.63. from Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions. The series stars James Franco, Sarah Gadon, Daniel Webber, and Chris Cooper, and was executive produced by Abrams, Stephen King, writer Bridget Carpenter, and director Kevin Macdonald. Based on Stephen King’s novel, the nine-episode series will premiere on Presidents Day, February 15, 2016.

In addition to discussing 11.22.63., Abrams graciously answered a few questions on Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Person of Interest during an interview with a few members of the press at the TCAs.

J.J. Abrams Interview:

Showing the first two hours at Sundance, is that a validation of 11.22.63. even before most people have seen it?

J.J. Abrams: “Honestly, I’m not even sure how that came about except it’s a fun way to get this out into the world. I know that everyone here is excited we’re doing it. But I’m just grateful that they would do it.”

How much were you actually able to be involved with 11.22.63. given your involvement with Star Wars: The Force Awakens at the same time?

J.J. Abrams: “My involvement in this was mostly about when Stephen King reached out and asked me if I wanted to be involved. I loved the book so much and he knew that, and he’d already sent me a copy of the book – signed copies – because I’d already told him how much I loved it. This is about a year or so later he sent me an email and asked if we should do this together. I was so excited about it and part of it was my responsibility, as the prep on Star Wars was heating up, was figuring out who was the right person to do this with. We’d wanted to work with Bridget [Carpenter] for a long time; we were very lucky to get to do it on this. And then as it went along it was mostly about reading scripts and giving notes. Obviously I had a day job when I was shooting the movie, it was a little bit easier in editorial, in post, to get to look at the dailies or cuts. But Bridget, luckily, doesn’t need to be babysat or handheld. She was a wonderful partner to work with.”

How do you wrap your head around a billion-dollar domestic take for Star Wars: The Force Awakens?
J.J. Abrams: “I’m grateful to anyone who’s gone to see the movie and when I hear anecdotally people have gone seven, eight times, I just want to apologize to, I’m guessing, their parents. [Laughing] No, honestly, I’m just very grateful and I can’t believe that it’s done. It was three years of very intense work by a lot of people so I’m just so happy that all the work that everyone did, even the people who you don’t even see in the movie – the puppeteers who were painted out – I watched them in 125-degree heat in Abu Dhabi and then we mercifully painted them out of the movie. I’m just so glad that people get to see all the work that this amazing crew and cast did. And so whatever the numbers are, I’m just so grateful the movie’s out there and has been well received.”

What would you say to someone who saw it for the ninth time last night?

J.J. Abrams: “I would say you’ve seen it more than I have.”

Will Westworld be ready for this summer and does the series have the opportunity to explore other worlds in that robotic theme?

J.J. Abrams: “I was such a fan of the original Westworld and I can’t wait for you to see what Jonah [Nolan] and Lisa [Joy] are doing on this one. But, it’s still being worked on so it’s one thing at a time. It’s something that’s worth waiting for. It’s going to be great.”

How are you finding the experience of working with streaming and cable networks?

J.J. Abrams: “I feel lucky that every partner is different and we’ve been incredibly lucky to get to work with the right partners for the right projects. I feel like we’re in that situation with HULU on this one.”

Are you hoping for Oscar nominations on Thursday? Do you think about that?

J.J. Abrams: “I’m only hoping that there are certain people that I know deserve it desperately and it would be wonderful if they got it. The gift of working on that film is such that I don’t need any further validation than the movie being out there and people liking the movie. But there are people that I will be disappointed if they don’t get nominated because I think that the work that they did was so really exemplary.”

Is there anyone, in particular, you can say you’d like to see nominated?

J.J. Abrams: “No, because if I mention eight people, the ninth person would be like, ‘Thanks!’ But honestly, it feels sort of obvious to me who deserves that kind of recognition. They might not even care. This may be something where they’re like, ‘Oh, please.’ But I feel like I saw how hard some of these artists’ work and I feel like they’re deserving. But they probably don’t.”

Like BB-8?

J.J. Abrams: [Laughing] “I’m hoping for a new category.”

In an era where so many shows are being rebooted, do you ever consider bringing back any of your old shows in new formats or as continuations?

J.J. Abrams: “I haven’t and I don’t. I do feel like I’ve been working on a number of reboots or sequels enough so that I really feel like I’ve had my share of those and I really look forward to telling new stories and producing new characters. I’m sort of hungry for that.”

So no Felicity follow-up then?

J.J. Abrams: “Not yet. But I’ve got to tell you I did love doing that show so much and I loved working with those people. I know it was a different time and everyone was just starting in that way, but that was such a special time working with that cast and that crew. I do miss that feeling of doing a show that is a romantic and smaller drama/comedy. I would love to do that. So, not necessarily a Felicity reboot but yeah.”

What are you hearing about Person of Interest and when it might be back? There’s a lot of speculation this is the final season.

J.J. Abrams: “My guess is it is the final season. The only heartbreak there is how much and how good the story is, how much good story there was to come if it continued. But Jonah and Greg Plageman have done such an amazing job on that show and I know what these episodes are that they’ve done wrapping it up. We don’t yet have a schedule but I know they will see the light of day. People will get to see these episodes. I know the power of that story. Again, to have a show that goes on as many as that has, it’s very hard to complain. It’s a miracle to get a show on the air and to have it last that long is something that you should be grateful for. But, I do love that show and I would love to have seen it continue.”

Will there be a series finale? Are you planning for that episode?

J.J. Abrams: “Yes, that’s sort of the goal. But obviously things can be valuable and adjust based on I suppose a miraculous performance of this thing. But I think the idea is essentially that this would be the finale.”

Do you pay attention to any of the social media memes?

J.J. Abrams: “I think like anyone you’re either forwarded things or you discover things yourself. I know that there are probably a vast majority that I’m unaware of, but there are some that sometimes you stumble upon and some are funnier than others. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.”




‘Black Sails’ Star Toby Stephens Describes Season 3’s Captain Flint

By
Fred Topel
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Toby Stephens Black Sails Season 3
Toby Stephens as Captain Flint in ‘Black Sails’ season three (Photo © 2016 Starz Entertainment, LLC)

Season three of Starz’ high seas pirate adventure Black Sails kicks off on January 23, 2016 with Captain Flint (Toby Stephens) still reeling from the devastating events in the season two finale and prepared to wage a campaign of terror. During Starz’ Television Critics Association’s winter 2016 press event, Stephens revealed details on Captain Flint’s state of mind in season three.


“I mean, it is what happens at the back end of season two that propels him into this particularly nihilistic phase,” said Stephens. “But I think that what is great about the journey of this character, and it is really a journey, is that although he goes to these depths of trying to negate his human side, he can’t really escape it. His struggle is really with himself and his own humanity and that trying to remove [himself], trying to isolate that from himself, he can’t do it. He’s constantly reminded that he is a human being. And I think it’s far more interesting than just playing somebody who is relentlessly dark. It’s got to be a struggle. I think this particular series is really him finding his purpose again. That’s the story for his arc, but particularly for Flint.”

Black Sails’ showrunner/executive producer Jonathan E. Steinberg expanded on Stephens‘ description, saying, ”I think if season two was about, at least in terms of Flint’s story,  a guy who was at war with himself and trying to figure out which of these two identities that both inhabit him is the one he wants to identify with and then you reach this endpoint where he decides, ‘I’m just going to be the monster everyone thinks I am.’ We wanted to tell the story about how his humanity was going to resist that and that, at the end of the day, is part of what I think makes Captain Flint this tragic figure is that he is seen as a monster by everyone but himself and that there is this war going on for him to reconcile that and try to find a place for his humanity in it.”

I think as we got through what became structured as an odyssey for him through the third season of a guy who went off to war and couldn’t find his way home, it became a story about him locating that humanity through people he loves, who are not with him anymore, and, then, finding a place to point it. And I think part of part of this is about trying to, for him, find meaning in the violence and meaning in the sacrifice he’s made and a way to stand up against civilization and not have it just be nihilism. To try to find a way to, sort of, apply that.”

Steinberg continued, “I think underlying all of this story is this idea that when they were just thieves, everyone tolerated it, and it was just factored into the way you did business in that world. When they start talking about wanting to unwind the social order and it starts to stick, that’s when people get scared and when London gets scared and when somebody has to step in and do something about it. And so I think both of those stories are on a collision course, you know, Flint and Teach [Ray Stevenson] and Vane [Zach McGowan] on one side and the new character of Woodes Rogers [Luke Roberts] on the other of this governor who is coming in to finally stamp this down and try to make it go away and push the frontier back a little bit further.”


The sets, costumes, and special effects on Black Sails are first-rate and at the TCAs Stephens was asked about being on the set and acting knowing much of what’s happening in a scene will be added in later. “I think it’s probably an act of faith because, you know, you can see the storyboards, but you don’t know what it’s going to be like when it’s fully rendered,” explained Stephens. “But having worked on various other seasons of this, particularly season two, for example, where there was a lot more special effects, you kind of know that it’s going to be of a very high standard. But it is a bit of an act of faith. You have to work in all of the stuff that’s happening into your performance without it actually being there to a certain extent, although, for example, in the storm sequence, it was pretty easy to do that because you had jet engines propelling water sideways at us at about a hundred miles an hour. So that didn’t take much imagination. But some of the other stuff, you have to kind of figure that in. But I was extremely proud and impressed by the end result,”

Also of Interest: One-on-One with Black Sails‘ Blackbeard, Ray Stevenson

‘Shadowhunters’ – Katherine McNamara on Playing Clary and ‘The Mortal Instrument’ Books

By
Fred Topel
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Shadowhunters Cast Photo
Dominic Sherwood, Katherine McNamara, and Alberto Rosende in ‘Shadowhunters’ (Photo: ABC Family / John Medland)

Author Cassandra Clare’s bestselling book series The Mortal Instruments makes the leap to the small screen as the new TV series Shadowhunters, premiering on January 12, 2016 at 9pm ET/PT on Freeform. Clare’s first book of the series was made into a feature film in 2013, however, the television series will allow the complex world of demons and Shadowhunters a better chance to unfold over the course of 13 episodes.

At the Television Critics Association’s winter 2016 press event, I had the opportunity to learn more about Shadowhunters from series star Katherine McNamara who plays Clary Fray, the teenager at the heart of Clare’s novels.

The Plot: “Based on the bestselling young adult fantasy book series The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunters follows Clary Fray, who finds out on her birthday that she is not who she thinks she is but rather comes from a long line of Shadowhunters – human-angel hybrids who hunt down demons. Now thrown into the world of demon hunting after her mother is kidnapped, Clary must rely on the mysterious Jace and his fellow Shadowhunters Isabelle and Alec to navigate this new dark world. With her best friend, Simon, in tow, Clary must now live among faeries, warlocks, vampires, and werewolves to find answers that could help her find her mother.

Nothing is as it seems, including her close family friend Luke, who knows more than he is letting on, as well as the enigmatic warlock Magnus Bane, who could hold the key to unlocking Clary’s past.”

Katherine McNamara Shadowhunters Interview

Why is this fantasy world so popular?

Katherine McNamara: “Something that I found early on and meeting the fans and seeing everything that’s gone on is that these fans are drawn to these books not necessarily because it’s a world of fantasy, but because these characters are relatable. That’s especially true of The Mortal Instruments series which is what Shadowhunters is based on. Yes, we may have warlocks and demons and werewolves and vampires, but they’re kids. They’re still growing up and falling in love for the first time. They’re learning things, what their place is in the world, and who they love and what that means for who they are as people.”

Did you read those kind of books when you were growing up?

Katherine McNamara: “Absolutely. I love those kind of books. I read them voraciously.”

What did you geek out on?

Katherine McNamara: “All of them. I’m a huge fan of The Maze Runner series, Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, The Mortal Instruments – all of the above. There’s so many elements that just take you away to other worlds and they can really make you just feel something different and feel powerful when you’re a kid.”

And then to be in one, what’s that like?

Katherine McNamara: “It’s very exciting. It’s so exciting because so many kids have fallen in love with these characters and grown up with them, and they’ve become their heroes. And to be tasked with bringing them to life is so exciting. You feel that love and that support, and it’s also a huge responsibility because these characters mean so much to these people. You just want to do it justice. You just want to do right by the story.”

Would you like to keep your hair this way or are you done with it?

Katherine McNamara: “I think for me personally it’s become such an iconic part of Clary that I wouldn’t want to do the exact same color for another character because it is such a big part of who she is. It just wouldn’t feel right. But I would absolutely do red; I would do a different shade. Naturally I’m a strawberry blonde. I’m a ginger at heart. But I’ve been blonde, I’ve had brunette wigs, I’ve done a myriad of colors. I just love changing things up. I’m a chameleon. I’m an actor and I like to think of myself as a blank slate.”

How did the finished effects in the pilot measure up to what you imagined when you were shooting it?

Katherine McNamara: “I was actually really pleased by how it turned out. I had no idea what the special effects were really going to look like. I had no sort of concept of what everything was going to be when it all came together because we did so many reshoots and little things here and there. They’ve been tweaking things for months and when I finally saw it it came together in such a way that I think really accomplished what we set out to do. No pilot is perfect; there’s still a long way to go, but I think it’s a good starting point and a good way to introduce the audience to our world and to these characters and kind of pull them into our journey. Whether people have read the books and know the story or whether they’re new to our world, it gives us a chance to let us draw them into this world and take them on this journey. They will not regret it.”

Can you see being in this for a long period of time?

Katherine McNamara: “Absolutely, and that’s something that really attracted me to the project initially is that Clary is a character – all of these characters really because they’re based on such a rich wealth of books – they are so developed fully developed and they’re so invested in the journey for each character. The way the relationships change and the way the characters evolve over the course of the story is such a vast difference. Where Clary is starts at the beginning of book one and where she ends up at the end of book six is a completely different character.”

Had you read the books before you got the part?

Katherine McNamara: “No. I read most of the first book during the casting process, and then I read a lot about it online. But I’m just finishing the sixth book this week.”

Do you see yourself in her at all?

Katherine McNamara: “I do. And obviously because I started reading the book during the audition process, I was hoping. But now that I’ve known all these people for a long time – I practically lived with them for six months – we’ve become such a family and I know them so well. It’s amazing to read the book and hear their voices and see their faces. It makes it so much more visceral and much more special for me.”

Are you happy you had the luxury of a season to do this book?

Katherine McNamara: “Yes. That’s why I think television is such a good medium for this story because there is such a rich world and such a rich mythology behind this world that with television we have 13 hours essentially to not only explain this world and how it all works, but also to keep the story moving simultaneously. So it’s kind of the perfect storm for this story to be put on to the screen.”

When you got cast did you immediately hear from the fans?

Katherine McNamara: “I did and it’s a funny story. They announced on Twitter that they were going to announce who Clary was. They said, ‘We’re going to announce Clary in two hours,’ and I still hadn’t heard anything, so I assumed it wasn’t me. I knew it was between me and one other girl. I got a call from my team saying, ‘Hold up, they haven’t said anything yet, just wait.’ So I’m waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting. I’m at the gym trying to work things out so I don’t lose my mind and I get a call 10 minutes before they’re going to announce it. And of course Twitter’s going berserk, and I get a call 10 minutes before they announce saying, ‘Congratulations, you got the part. And, oh, by the way your phone’s about to blow up.’”

And did it?

Katherine McNamara: “It did. My phone quit working because there were tweets, instagrams, text messages, phone calls, emails…everything was all happening at once. I had to put my phone down for the rest of the day. I couldn’t do anything. I had to put my phone down for the rest of the day. I couldn’t call anyone and I couldn’t do anything.”

Do you have to watch what you put on social media now?

Katherine McNamara: “I’ve been working for a few years in different projects and so I learned that I don’t really ever put too many personal things on social media because you have to be so careful. I use social media more as a marketing tool. It’s a way of including the fans in the work process, to drive them to things that will excite them about the project. That’s what it’s all about and kind of including them in the process of making the show or the film.”

What was one scene from the book you couldn’t wait to film?

Katherine McNamara: “Oh, there’s so many. Probably the first scene were Jace and Clary meet. The two of them have such an instant connection. And the whole sequence at Pandemonium because that so sets up the story and the world of what Shadowhunters are and how badass they are, and Jace and Clary’s connection is kind of the catalyst for the whole story. That was very exciting to shoot.”

What was one thing from Cassandra Clare’s books that really helped you figure out who Clary is and helped you get into the character?

Katherine McNamara: “There’s little things. She includes these little details and little reactions, little nuances of who these people really are that open a door and shed a lot of light onto who they are on the inside. There’s a lot of that. She creates such a rich world and these relationships and these characters are so well-developed that you can’t help but be drawn.”

When you met Cassandra Clare, what did you ask her about Clary?

Katherine McNamara: “I asked her a lot of things. I wanted to know if Clary cries, how she reacts in these situations, if she was this, how strong she was and how she felt about certain things and about her background – what happened before the books that really isn’t included. There were a lot of questions that I had for her, but Cassandra’s books are kind of our starting point. They’re our blueprint because we’re this new interpretation. We’re not a carbon copy of the book. It’s this new interpretation of the story that we’re excited to share with the fans.”

Does Clary cry?

Katherine McNamara: “Sometimes. At the beginning of the story she’s so thrown off her game, her whole world is destroyed so it takes her a minute to get her bearings. But once she does, she rocks through it and does what she can not to let that side show.”

Is there a scene from the next books you can’t wait to film, if you get more seasons?

Katherine McNamara: “There’s so many. I would love to film, for book fans, the end of book three. It’s probably my favorite thing. There’s a huge finale to book three I would love to shoot.”

When you got into acting was action hero something you’ve always wanted to do?

Katherine McNamara: “Absolutely. I want to do everything. I want to do every genre, every kind of role, everything. I’m a chameleon; I want to do it all.”

Also of Interest: Interview with Dominic Sherwood (‘Jace’)




2016 Golden Globes: Recap and Winners List

By
Rebecca Murray
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Ricky Gervais Golden Globes 2016
Ricky Gervais hosts the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards (Photo by: Paul Drinkwater/NBC)

There were upsets galore at the 2016 Golden Globes, with Rachel Bloom from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend seemingly coming out of nowhere to snag the best actress in a comedy series award in a category that included Jamie Lee Curtis, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Gina Rodriguez, and Lily Tomlin. Bloom’s award was one of the first of the evening and set up a night of surprises that included Mozart in the Jungle earning the best comedy series award, Oscar Isaac winning for Show Me a Hero, and Lady Gaga winning the best actress in a limited series over Kirsten Dunst, Felicity Huffman, Queen Latifah, and Sarah Hay.

Two films that aren’t comedies – The Martian and Joy – won in comedy movie categories, and Aaron Sorkin’s win for the Steve Jobs screenplay was a shocker. Less shocking was The Revenant‘s win in three categories: Best Motion Picture Drama, Best Director, and Best Actor, Drama. Leonardo DiCaprio’s odds of winning an Oscar just improved and after delivering a thank you speech recalling the amount of work that went into The Revenant and thanking his director and co-stars (in particular Tom Hardy), DiCaprio finished up by recognizing the First Nations people represented in the film. “It is time that we recognize your history and that we protect your indigenous lands from corporate interests and people that are out there to exploit them. It is time that we heard your voice and protected this planet for future generations.”

Host Ricky Gervais was missing for a good deal of the broadcast, but did get in some pretty wicked zingers in his limited time on stage. Gervais kicked off the Golden Globes shushing the star-studded crowd, calling them disgusting, pill-popping sexual deviants. His monologue also included calling out Caitlin Jenner’s driving, Jeffrey Tambor’s large testicles, NBC’s lack of nominations, and Jennifer Lawrence’s campaign for equal pay for women. Gervais pointed out that the Globes really don’t mean a thing and that no one but the winners actually care about these awards. Not shying away from the biting the hand that feeds him, Gervais said the Globes are decided upon by nice old confused journalists who like to meet celebrities so that they can take selfies with them.

2016 Golden Globes – The Nominees and Winners:


BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
CAROL
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
WINNER: THE REVENANT
ROOM
SPOTLIGHT

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
CATE BLANCHETT – CAROL
WINNER: BRIE LARSON – ROOM
ROONEY MARA – CAROL
SAOIRSE RONAN – BROOKLYN
ALICIA VIKANDER – THE DANISH GIRL

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
BRYAN CRANSTON – TRUMBO
WINNER: LEONARDO DICAPRIO – THE REVENANT
MICHAEL FASSBENDER – STEVE JOBS
EDDIE REDMAYNE – THE DANISH GIRL
WILL SMITH – CONCUSSION

BEST MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
THE BIG SHORT
JOY
WINNER: THE MARTIAN
SPY
TRAINWRECK

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
WINNER: JENNIFER LAWRENCE – JOY
MELISSA MCCARTHY – SPY
AMY SCHUMER – TRAINWRECK
MAGGIE SMITH – THE LADY IN THE VAN
LILY TOMLIN – GRANDMA

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
CHRISTIAN BALE – THE BIG SHORT
STEVE CARELL – THE BIG SHORT
WINNER: MATT DAMON – THE MARTIAN
AL PACINO – DANNY COLLINS
MARK RUFFALO – INFINITELY POLAR BEAR

BEST MOTION PICTURE – ANIMATED
ANOMALISA
THE GOOD DINOSAUR
WINNER: INSIDE OUT
THE PEANUTS MOVIE
SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE

BEST MOTION PICTURE – FOREIGN LANGUAGE
THE BRAND NEW TESTAMENT (BELGIUM / FRANCE / LUXEMBOURG)
THE CLUB (CHILE)
THE FENCER (FINLAND / GERMANY / ESTONIA)
MUSTANG (FRANCE)
WINNER: SON OF SAUL (HUNGARY)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE
JANE FONDA – YOUTH
JENNIFER JASON LEIGH – THE HATEFUL EIGHT
HELEN MIRREN – TRUMBO
ALICIA VIKANDER – EX MACHINA
WINNER: KATE WINSLET – STEVE JOBS

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE
PAUL DANO – LOVE & MERCY
IDRIS ELBA – BEASTS OF NO NATION
MARK RYLANCE – BRIDGE OF SPIES
MICHAEL SHANNON – 99 HOMES
WINNER: SYLVESTER STALLONE – CREED

BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE
TODD HAYNES – CAROL
WINNER: ALEJANDRO G. IÑÁRRITU – THE REVENANT
TOM MCCARTHY – SPOTLIGHT
GEORGE MILLER – MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
RIDLEY SCOTT – THE MARTIAN

BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE
EMMA DONOGHUE – ROOM
TOM MCCARTHY, JOSH SINGER – SPOTLIGHT
CHARLES RANDOLPH, ADAM MCKAY – THE BIG SHORT
WINNER: AARON SORKIN – STEVE JOBS
QUENTIN TARANTINO – THE HATEFUL EIGHT

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – MOTION PICTURE
CARTER BURWELL – CAROL
ALEXANDRE DESPLAT – THE DANISH GIRL
WINNER: ENNIO MORRICONE – THE HATEFUL EIGHT
DANIEL PEMBERTON – STEVE JOBS
RYUICHI SAKAMOTO, ALVA NOTO – THE REVENANT

BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE
“LOVE ME LIKE YOU DO” — FIFTY SHADES OF GREY
“ONE KIND OF LOVE” — LOVE & MERCY
“SEE YOU AGAIN” — FURIOUS 7
“SIMPLE SONG #3” — YOUTH
WINNER: “WRITING’S ON THE WALL” — SPECTRE

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
EMPIRE
GAME OF THRONES
WINNER: MR. ROBOT
NARCOS
OUTLANDER

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
CAITRIONA BALFE – OUTLANDER
VIOLA DAVIS – HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER
EVA GREEN – PENNY DREADFUL
WINNER: TARAJI P. HENSON – EMPIRE
ROBIN WRIGHT – HOUSE OF CARDS

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
WINNER: JON HAMM – MAD MEN
RAMI MALEK – MR. ROBOT
WAGNER MOURA – NARCOS
BOB ODENKIRK – BETTER CALL SAUL
LIEV SCHREIBER – RAY DONOVAN

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
CASUAL
WINNER: MOZART IN THE JUNGLE
ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK
SILICON VALLEY
TRANSPARENT

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
WINNER: RACHEL BLOOM – CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND
JAMIE LEE CURTIS – SCREAM QUEENS
JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS – VEEP
GINA RODRIGUEZ – JANE THE VIRGIN
LILY TOMLIN – GRACE AND FRANKIE

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
AZIZ ANSARI – MASTER OF NONE
WINNER: GAEL GARCÍA BERNAL – MOZART IN THE JUNGLE
ROB LOWE – THE GRINDER
PATRICK STEWART – BLUNT TALK
JEFFREY TAMBOR – TRANSPARENT

BEST TELEVISION LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
AMERICAN CRIME
AMERICAN HORROR STORY: HOTEL
FARGO
FLESH & BONE
WINNER: WOLF HALL

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
KIRSTEN DUNST – FARGO
WINNER: LADY GAGA – AMERICAN HORROR STORY: HOTEL
SARAH HAY – FLESH & BONE
FELICITY HUFFMAN – AMERICAN CRIME
QUEEN LATIFAH – BESSIE

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
IDRIS ELBA – LUTHER
WINNER: OSCAR ISAAC – SHOW ME A HERO
DAVID OYELOWO – NIGHTINGALE
MARK RYLANCE – WOLF HALL
PATRICK WILSON – FARGO

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
UZO ADUBA – ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK
JOANNE FROGGATT – DOWNTON ABBEY
REGINA KING – AMERICAN CRIME
JUDITH LIGHT – TRANSPARENT
WINNER: MAURA TIERNEY – THE AFFAIR

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
ALAN CUMMING – THE GOOD WIFE
DAMIAN LEWIS – WOLF HALL
BEN MENDELSOHN – BLOODLINE
TOBIAS MENZIES – OUTLANDER
WINNER: CHRISTIAN SLATER – MR. ROBOT

Hugh Dancy Knows What a Fourth Season of ‘Hannibal’ Would Look Like

By
Rebecca Murray
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Hugh Dance at 2015 San Diego Comic Con
Hugh Dancy at the 2015 SD Comic Con (Photo by Richard Chavez)

Hugh Dancy was in LA for the Television Critics Association’s panel for his new HULU series, The Path, and of course Hannibal was still on the minds of Dancy and the television critics in attendance. Immediately after the show was cancelled by NBC following its third season, there was talk that Hannibal would be picked up by Netflix or some other network. Nothing has come of those talks yet, but fans and the stars of the series are still holding out hope.

Asked if his character, Will Graham, would have taken a backseat to Clarice if they’d gotten to do Silence of the Lambs, Dancy replied, “I don’t believe so. I think, first of all, we didn’t have the rights to Silence of the Lambs. Bryan had pitched to me…not pitched but described to me in a kind of overview what he wanted to do with a fourth season had there been one and it was fantastic. It was really a complete restart in a way without describing it because, who knows, god knows maybe some way we’ll get to do it in the future. I would love that. But it took us back to the first season in a very unexpected way, but made total sense of that cliffhanger ending. I mean, it seemed justified. And it was born out of a part of one of the books so it was still coming out of that universe, but it wasn’t the Clarice part of Silence of the Lambs.


Dancy hasn’t given up on the idea of a fourth season of Hannibal. “I just think that if I keep saying it, it might happen,” said Dancy, laughing. But, he hasn’t heard any recent news about the show being close to being picked up by any outlet. “Not that I know of for sure. I know there were conversations. I know it was complicated for lots of reasons that I was probably like very, very late to the party to know about. The fans honestly were better informed than I was about a lot of stuff. But all I can say is I know that Bryan’s very busy, Mads [Mikkelsen] is busy, I’m busy right now but I know that all of us would, I think, happily come back in the future if we could.”

There were also rumors of a new Hannibal movie, but Dancy says he doesn’t know anything about that. “I think we would be very happy to return in some capacity. I think the idea of a movie is really interesting. Obviously one of the things that we did on the show, Bryan did really, was that very languorous, very image-rich storytelling. How to fit that into a movie, I’m not sure. But as I was saying, the version of a fourth season [Bryan] described to me maybe would work well in that capacity. I just know that I’d like it to happen in the future. It’d be great.”

‘The Shannara Chronicles’ – Ivana Baquero Interview on Her Character, the Books, and the Fantasy Genre

By
Fred Topel
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Ivana Baquero The Shannara Chronicles
Ivana Baquero stars in ‘The Shannara Chronicles’ (Photo Credit: MTV)

Ivana Baquero is a huge fan of fantasy books and films, and so taking on one of the lead roles in MTV’s The Shannara Chronicles was a perfect fit for the fantasy fan. Baquero plays Eretria in the TV series based on Terry Brooks’ bestselling book series, with MTV now airing episodes on Tuesday nights at 10pm ET/PT.

In support of The Shannara Chronicles first season, we chatted with Baquero to find out who Eretria is and what viewers can expect when they tune in to check out this fantasy action-adventure.

Ivana Baquero Interview:

What goes through your mind every time you get into character as Eretria?

Ivana Baquero: “She’s definitely got two sides to her. For one, she’s this sort of gruff, even a bit selfish, quite a badass girl but on the other hand, she’s really vulnerable. She hasn’t been taught to be compassionate, to love, to be affectionate. I get to balance those two things and I always had that in mind when I got into character because I didn’t want people to think she was one thing or she was the other thing. I wanted it to be a round character where you could empathize with her decisions.”

What do you like the most about Eretria?

Ivana Baquero: “I love that she’s so resourceful because she had to basically learn how to survive on her own. She does come from a Rover clan. They’re a nomadic group of thieves that roam around the Four Lands. She lives with them and her dad, Cephero, he’s the leader of the group. Nevertheless, she’s had to basically learn how to fend for herself and survive and learn how to use weapons. I really admire and love that about her and that’s one of the coolest parts I think about the character. I was really excited that I got the opportunity to work on that stuff and learn how to fight with weapons, horseback ride. I would say that side of her is my favorite.”

What are some things you don’t like about her?

Ivana Baquero: “I don’t like to judge my characters when I play them, but in saying that, without judging her, I do think many of the decisions she makes are probably not the right ones. Especially on how she acts in front of Wil and what she has to do to survive. Some of those things I might like less, but she is learning, at the end of the day, and she doesn’t know any better so I can’t really judge her for that. So we’ll see what happens with Eretria.”

What new training did you have to do for this role?

Ivana Baquero: “Most of the things I did were new to me. All I knew was horseback riding before I started the show. Other than that, we learned how to use weapons. That included swords, in my case daggers, whips and also we got to do a lot of personal training. Besides classic exercise that included learning how to box and how to fight I learned a lot of things like self defense. It was super interesting. I just felt so empowered after every day. I felt like I could basically defend myself and be a bit of a badass myself. We went through a lot of training. We learned so many things.”

Had you read the books before the audition?

Ivana Baquero: “No, I hadn’t read the books before. I didn’t actually know about the books. It’s funny, in Spain they were published ages ago when these books originally came out. Then they never got reprinted so there weren’t any more books left at all in Spain. It was missing. Obviously once I got cast, I read the books. Even though the show is an adaptation, I still wanted to know what Terry Brooks had created. I was very interested because I myself am a big fan of Tolkien so I love those kinds of fantasy worlds. It was just a lot of fun. It didn’t feel like work.”

What were some scenes from the book you couldn’t wait to do?

Ivana Baquero: “You know, to be honest it was a little bit of everything. I’m a really big sucker for fantasy. I love all of that stuff. I’ve always said as a joke I wouldn’t mind being a tree in Lord of the Rings, if I could just experience the whole thing and just be there. If anything, I was looking forward to horseback riding because that’s something I love doing anyways. I was very looking forward to that.”

How do you like New Zealand?

Ivana Baquero: “I love New Zealand. It’s such a wonderful place. It’s got everything and people are so welcoming. They’re so nice. And obviously the land itself is so beautiful and you get the best of both worlds. You’ve got cities but then you’ve got the most amazing, beautiful nature. It’s so beautiful and I love exploring it.”

Are you more of a nature girl or a city girl?

Ivana Baquero: “It’s funny that you ask this because I’ve always considered myself a city girl and ever since I did Shannara it’s sort of changed for me. I’m starting to really appreciate nature even more and I feel at ease in it. It makes me feel so relaxed and so at peace when I’m able to discover these amazing places. So, I would say I’m actually more of a nature girl now.”

Shannara Chronicles Cast
AMBERLE (Poppy Drayton), WIL (Austin Butler), and ERETRIA (Ivana Baquero) in ‘The Shannara Chronicles’

The three main characters aren’t just automatically a team and instead cross paths, split up, and cross paths again. Does that continue throughout the season?

Ivana Baquero: “It does for a bit. There’s definitely a lot of back and forth in the beginning and a lot of time spent with each character individually so you get to bond with each and get to know about each. Eventually they end up teaming up to go on this quest to save the world, so you’ll see how they come together as the show goes on rather than having them separately shown.”

It’s interesting they don’t just jump right into this as a team and instead the trust has to be earned.

Ivana Baquero: “Totally. And I think the love triangle also adds a lot to that because you never know. That seems to be an arc throughout the show. I definitely agree with you and I think it makes it richer and more interesting, rather than have them just automatically together.”

You said you’ve always wanted to do fantasy. Have you also wanted to do action?

Ivana Baquero: “To be honest, I’d never thought about action. I love the genre, too, but I’d never done action before. I’ve done a lot of drama, fantasy, scary movies, but I’d never done action. It was so much fun to do. I think it’s probably one of my favorite genres at the moment. Every day is like a new adventure and every day you get to learn new things. It keeps you on your toes and it’s really, really cool. And in this show you have the best of both worlds because you’ve got the action and then obviously there’s a lot of character development and a lot of things you can do with your character too. It was really such a great opportunity.”

Are the complexities that fans loved in the books present in the show? They won’t be toning any character down?

Ivana Baquero: “They are not toning Eretria or I think anyone else down. They are very faithful, I think, in that regard. Terry Brooks is always overlooking the project so I think there’s none of that. Speaking of Eretria in particular, she always keeps her edge. All of the characters grow into being even more fierce and into really wanting to go on this quest and fight for what they think is right. So by any means it’s not toned down. The stakes get higher and higher as the show goes on.”

Looking back on your experience with Pan’s Labyrinth, what do you see when you watch that film now?

Ivana Baquero: “It’s strange but it got to a point after watching it so many times that I can see it as a different person. And also because I was younger and I looked different, when I watch the movie I’m not thinking it’s me. It’s just like this different person in the screen, which in a way is good because it helps you watch the movie in a more relaxed way and appreciate different things in the film rather than just look at yourself and go, ‘Oh my god I did this.’ It’s special and beautiful in that way.”

Additional The Shannara Chronicles Interviews:




‘Free State of Jones’ Trailer, Poster and New Photos

By
Rebecca Murray
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Free State of Jones Poster

STX Entertainment’s action drama Free State of Jones has released an official trailer along with the movie poster and new photos featuring Matthew McConaughey. Written and directed by Gary Ross (The Hunger Games, Seabiscuit, Pleasantville), the cast also includes Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mahershala Ali, and Keri Russell.


The Plot: Free State of Jones is an epic action-drama set during the Civil War and tells the story of defiant Southern farmer, Newt Knight, and his extraordinary armed rebellion against the Confederacy. Banding together with other small farmers and local slaves, Knight launched an uprising that led Jones County, Mississippi to secede from the Confederacy, creating a Free State of Jones. Knight continued his struggle into Reconstruction, distinguishing him as a compelling, if controversial, figure of defiance long beyond the War.

Watch the Free State of Jones trailer:

Free State of Jones Matthew McConaughey
Matthew McConaughey stars in ‘Free State of Jones’ (Photo © 2015 STX Productions, LLC)

Free State of Jones Matthew McConaughey
A scene from ‘Free State of Jones’ (Photo © 2015 STX Productions, LLC)

‘Shadowhunters:’ Dominic Sherwood Interview on Playing Jace and Learning the Mythology

By
Fred Topel
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Dominic Sherwood Shadowhunters
Dominic Sherwood as Jace Wayland in ‘Shadowhunters’ (Photo by Vu Ong / ABC Family)

Freeform (formerly known as ABC Family) is set to premiere the new fantasy series Shadowhunters starring Dominic Sherwood and Katherine McNamara on January 12, 2016 at 9pm ET/PT with an episode titled ‘The Mortal Cup.’ The series is based on Cassandra Clare’s bestselling The Mortal Instruments books and centers on Clary Fray (McNamara), a teenager who suddenly discovers there are demons and other dangerous creatures living among humans and that Shadowhunters (human-angel hybrids) are charged with hunting them down. Sherwood stars as Jace, a powerful Shadowhunter who introduces Clary to this dark and dangerous world.

At the 2016 winter Television Critics Association press event, I sat down for a one-on-one with Sherwood to discuss Shadowhunters, playing Jace, and learning the mythology created by author Cassandra Clare.

Exclusive Dominic Sherwood Interview:

When you say a line like, “I’m the best chance you’ve got,” do you feel like a hero?

Dominic Sherwood: “Yes and no. There are a few lines in the pilot that are laden with meaning that come into fruition later on in the series. There’s a certain arrogance to Jace so him saying, ‘I’m the best chance you’ve got,’ I think he just like saying it and he likes being the hero. But, yeah, it makes me feel like a hero, but also you’ll understand why later on. They’re not meaningless lines.”


Could you imagine Stallone or Bruce Willis saying something like that?

Dominic Sherwood: [Laughing] “Absolutely, yeah.”

Your character has a lot of the mythology to explain. Did it feel like a mouthful?

Dominic Sherwood: “Yes and no. Yeah, it did and then as I read the book and I understood it more, I was able to put myself in that place where I get it, especially for Jace because it’s nothing to him. It’s just how he was raised. A ‘stele’ to you and I is a pen, and it’s no different than me or you describing a pen because he just understands what it is and how it works.

It’s a mouthful to start with and then as your knowledge grows, it becomes easy.”

Were those sections harder to memorize than others because you have to be careful to get it exactly right?

Dominic Sherwood: “We had to get it exactly right. We also have conversations with the producers and the directors about the phrasing and how you pronounce certain words. Some of them, they were written down in the book but that’s up to someone else’s interpretations on how these words were pronounced. We had to be careful that it was very unified and we all said the same things. But they weren’t any harder to learn because once I got my head around it, it was everyday language.”

How does the sword feel in your hand?

Dominic Sherwood: “It feels great in my hand. It feels fantastic. They designed it for me so it was my grip-size and it was made for me in particular. I feel very good with it. And, also, whenever I have a free moment I’m practicing with it. Jace has been doing this his entire life so I have to look like I’m very comfortable with this sword. We get all these different kinds of sword training and fencing so you just feel comfortable with this weapon in the same way a soldier in Iraq feels comfortable with his M4.”

How heavy is the sword?

Dominic Sherwood: “Not as heavy as you would think, actually. Not as heavy as you would think. The light – the blue glow – is a practical effect on set so every now and then the device that lights it up comes loose and that feels very strange because I get used to the weight of the sword and then something feels different all of a sudden and I have to give it to props because I don’t know what I’ve done to my sword. But, they’re not overly heavy.”

Did you spend any time with Cassandra Clare?

Dominic Sherwood: “We did. She came a few times which is wonderful and she seemed very happy with everything, which is great. And then we did some press at New York Comic Con so we got to meet her.”

What questions did you have for her about Jace?

Dominic Sherwood: “It wasn’t so much questions as it was just like, ‘Please be happy with what I’m doing. You created this character. I really, really hope that you are enjoying your experience.’ She came quite late – not late in the process, she’s been very active throughout – but she came to the set in like episodes four or five so we were like four episodes deep at that point. So if she came to set and was like, ‘I hate everything,’ it would have been too late. I just wanted her to be happy with what we’ve done and she seemed to be very, which was good.”

What was one thing from the books that really helped you with Jace?

Dominic Sherwood: “His arrogance is constantly replayed in the books. I’m actually quite like an insular person. I like to kind of keep my thoughts and my feelings inside me a little more so becoming this kind of arrogant person… It’s in the books and with the lines in the books, and the different physical attributes he has for that – he’s always playing with his stele and that’s something I do in the series. It wasn’t great for me because I’m quite clumsy and I dropped it and broke – I think I broke 13 all together. That’s what we counted them as, which isn’t great. But things like that, the intricacies of Jace helped me make a more rounded character.”

What was a scene from the book that you couldn’t wait to film?

Dominic Sherwood: “The slapping scene. There’s a slapping scene where Clary hits Jace for the first time, and I was excited to film that.”

Did it live up to your expectations?

Dominic Sherwood: “She’s a lot stronger than you would think! She’s a very small girl but she’s got quite a slap on her. So, yeah, it did. It absolutely did.”

What are you looking forward to doing in season two?

Dominic Sherwood: “In season two we expand our world a little more. In season one we’re predominately in New York. We are a couple of other places, but mostly it’s in New York. From what I’ve heard, the rumors I’ve heard from the writers room, we go a little further afield in season two. I’m excited for that.”

Where are you shooting for the New York scenes?

Dominic Sherwood: “In Toronto. We shot the series in Toronto.”

If the setting moves in season two, will Toronto still be doubling for other cities?

Dominic Sherwood: “I don’t know. Here’s the thing: it’s so clock and dagger, they’re not telling me anything. I don’t know. I love to travel as well, it’s one of my other passions so hopefully they’ll fly me all over the world. That would be great. ‘We’re shooting this scene in New Zealand.’ ‘Lovely! Let’s go to New Zealand for a week.’”

As soon as you were cast as Jace did you start hearing from fans?

Dominic Sherwood: [Laughing] “Oh yeah. I heard a whole bunch from the fans, which was fantastic. I don’t think I read one negative comment that day which was so overwhelming for me. You kind of expect, especially for something that already has a fan base, you almost expect it to be like 50/50. 50% great comments and 50% of them hate me, and that wasn’t the case. I feel blessed, honestly, that people have accepted me into this well-loved character.”

Did you reply to any of those comments?

Dominic Sherwood: “I reply as much as I can. I’m not very good at the Twitter machine and the Facebook. I’m a little like a grandpa in that way; it kind of frightens me. I try and reply and if someone says it’s their birthday, I’ll always try and say happy birthday if I can. I got a message from someone the other day who said they were being bullied and I put it on my Twitter. I put my opinion on bullying on my Twitter because it’s unacceptable and I know it’s something that affects a lot of people. I wanted to share my opinion with the world. But, yeah, other than that I always feel like someone’s going to ask me what happens in episode 13 and I’ll be like, ‘Oh, this happens…’ and then I’d be like, ‘I shouldn’t have said that because I’ve given away the entire season.’ It’s safer for me to kind of keep it in my head.”

Which scenes did you audition with?

Dominic Sherwood: “We auditioned with a scene where we bring Clary into the Institute for the first time and she wakes up in the infirmary. That was it. That was my audition scene. That was all I did was just that one scene.”

Did you see The Mortal Instruments movie?

Dominic Sherwood: “I did. I did see The Mortal Instruments movie.”

Before or after this?

Dominic Sherwood: “I saw it before and then I watched it once again afterwards for kind of a stimulus and like learning different things about the world and the terms and stuff.”

Do you feel privileged to have the whole season to do the story?

Dominic Sherwood: “Massively so. I think the story, especially the books, they very much lend themselves to a TV show. I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been for them to film a movie and to try and fit all of this mythology into a movie. I can’t imagine. They did a very good job but I feel blessed we have 13 episodes to try and fit all of this mythology.”

Did that Jace do a good job?

Dominic Sherwood: “I think so. Jamie Campbell Bower, I think he’s a great guy. He’s very good-looking and he’s got the long, wavy hair. Yeah.”

What are you going to do between seasons?

Dominic Sherwood: “I don’t know yet. We’ll see. I’ve been inundated. I had a little time off when we finished season one. Me and my girlfriend got a puppy so I’m trying to deal with raising a puppy. And then I went back home and I had some time off. I came back here two days ago and I’m straight back into press. When press dies down, I can try and figure out what’s next and read the 15 scripts that have been sitting on my desk for two weeks.”

What’s your puppy’s name?

Dominic Sherwood: “Her name is Boo and she’s a Chocolate Lab. She’s a maniac. [Laughing] She got me up at 7am before I had to come here, which is great.”

‘Outlander’ Season 2: Diana Gabaldon, Ronald D. Moore on the Collaborative Process

By
Fred Topel
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Ronald D Moore Outlander Costumes Display
Showrunner Ronald D. Moore pictured in 2015 at an exhibit of costumes from the first season of the STARZ Original Series ‘Outlander (Photo by Matt Sayles / Invision for STARZ / AP Images)

Starz’ Outlander panel at the Television Critics Association in Los Angeles featured the series’ lead actors Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe, writer/executive producer Ronald D. Moore, and author Diana Gabaldon. The foursome fielded questions from members of the television media anxious to learn about season two of the critically acclaimed – and now People’s Choice Award-winning – series. Outlander‘s has been well received by fans of Gabaldon’s bestselling book series, and Moore and Gabaldon have developed a real collaborative working relationship that ensures the TV series will remain as faithful as possible to the novels.

“From the beginning, I went to Diana, I spent a weekend with her before I sold the project and talked about the process of adaptation, ideas I had at the primeval stages of the project. She was always very generous with the material and spirit of, ‘I know there’s going to be changes and you’ll do right by us.’ Since, it’s still been very positive,” explained Moore. “I send Diana outlines and scripts and script changes and cuts and dailies. She’ll see things and ask questions. We can use her as a sounding board. If we made this change, what’s the butterfly effect of that down the line of the books?”


Gabaldon’s appreciative of being given an active role in the process of bringing her characters alive on the screen. “It’s been great from my point of view. They’ve included me to an amazing extent. When we first wrote the contract, my agent said, ‘They’re making you a consultant. This is a way of paying you more. They may use you, they may not. They may be paying you to stay away, which is what usually happens,'” said Gabaldon. “I was very pleased they wanted to talk about things.”

In fact, Gabaldon’s involvement in the second season has expanded a bit from season one. “I actually wrote one of the scripts for season two. It’s way different than writing a novel, for sure. It was deeply entertaining to be on set while that was being shot. I knew things flexed but to see why things flex, an actor pulls out their sides and says, ‘I can’t say this.’ Or it’s too long and they slash it,” explained Gabaldon.

Asked if her participation in the series has added to her work load of writing, Gabaldon replied, “When I started writing Outlander I had two full-time jobs and kids. Time expands to fill the work available.”

Gabaldon’s response to a question about whether her involvement in the series will keep her from making the deadline for her next book generated a lot of coverage immediately after the TCA Q&A wrapped up. She was asked if Outlander the series would slow down her writing in a question that specifically mentioned George R.R. Martin missing deadlines. Her response has blown up on the internet, however she didn’t call out Martin; the person asking the question offered Martin as an example. “Unlike George, I write no matter where I am or whatever I’m doing,” replied Gabaldon. “He admits it himself. He likes to travel and he can’t write when he travels. Everybody’s got their own writing mechanism. As I said, when I began writing I had two fulltime jobs and children. I just wrote in any moments I had. I have a couple hours in the middle of the night I can count on when things are quiet and that’s my main writing time, but I will write in the middle of the day.”

Gabaldon’s editors ask her when she believes she’ll be finished with a book, and it normally takes six weeks from when she finishes writing to get it published. “They call me when they think it’s close, ‘Do you have an estimate?’ I say I have an estimate, but it’s going to be wrong. It’s always going to take longer. Do they listen? Never. Next thing I know it’s listed on Amazon.”

Sam Heughan pointed out that he’s seen her writing on the set while filming was underway and Gabaldon explained, “I could on the inside scenes because there’s a long stretch where they turn things around while you’re sitting there. When it’s outside, no, because you’re standing in ankle deep mud for 14 hours. I can do things in my head but can’t actually write.”

After the TCA panel was finished, I asked Moore if we’d be seeing Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe age this season as they do in the books. Moore confirmed it will happen, but not in season two.

– You can check out our coverage of Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe’s portion of the Q&A here.

More on Outlander Season 2: Sam Heughan Interview / Ronald D Moore Interview / Caitriona Balfe Interview / Diana Gabaldon Interview

‘Doctor Who’ Spin-Off and an Adele Special Coming to BBC America

By
Rebecca Murray
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Adele 25

During BBC AMERICA’s presentation at the 2016 Television Critics Association event in Los Angeles today, the network announced more Doctor Who is on the way in the form of a ‘companion’ series. Titled Class and set in contemporary London, the new series comes from author Patrick Ness (A Monster Calls) and will be a BBC AMERICA co-production. The Doctor Who team of Steven Moffat and Brian Minchin are executive producing the eight part series which will debut later this year.

“I’m astounded and thrilled to be entering the Doctor Who universe, which is as vast as time and space itself,” stated Ness. “I can’t wait for people to meet the heroes of Class, to meet the all-new villains and aliens, to remember that the horrors of the darkest corners of existence are just about on par with having to pass your exams.”


BBC AMERICA also announced Prey starring John Simm, Philip Glenister and Rosie Cavaliero will kick off its six episode run on February 25, 2016 at 10pm ET. The thriller was created and written by Chris Lunt and will, according to the network, play out as two three-part stories. The first three episodes are directed by Nick Murphy (The Awakening) with Lewis Arnold (Humans) directing the second set of three.

Details on Prey: “In the first three episodes, John Simm is Detective Constable Marcus Farrow, a man on the run, who will do things he never thought possible to clear his name for the sake of his family. The second story stars Philip Glenister as prison officer David Murdoch whose life spirals out of control when he receives an unexpected phone call threatening the life of his pregnant daughter. Rosie Cavaliero is Detective Sergeant Susan Reinhardt, a recurring character tasked with catching them.”

Grammy winner Adele will also have her own special airing on Valentine’s Day at 10pm ET. Adele: Live in London will feature songs from her latest album, 25, and some of her earlier hits. “This is the music event of the year,” said Graham Norton, host of the special. “This opportunity to spend an hour with Adele, her music and her stories is a truly rare treat. If I wasn’t hosting this special I’d be sad at home watching it!”

“With each of these shows we aim to cut through the noise and provide the innovation and originality our fans have come to love and celebrate,” said Sarah Barnett, President BBC AMERICA. “We’re excited about a fresh twist on the Doctor Who universe, an unconventional take on the crime drama that keeps you guessing at every turn, and an audience with the fabulous Adele.”

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