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ER News Archive
CHILD'S PLAY
Published: June 15, 2004
By Jeff Bell
Oliver Davis isn't
kidding around about his career
It's ironic that Oliver
Davis' first acting gig was a commercial for Sylvan
Learning Center. If nothing else, this 10-year-old is a
remarkably quick study.
Little more than a year after taking up acting, the
Southern California native is finishing up his first
season on NBC's "ER,'' playing the mischievous son of
single mother and nurse Samantha Taggart (Linda Cardellini).
Davis has appeared in more than a dozen episodes of the
top-rated, Chicago-set medical drama -- and the public is
beginning to take notice.
"A lot of people have
looked at me curiously,'' says Davis, "but I couldn't
tell if it was just my bedhead or 'ER'.''
Come again? "I'm a late sleeper,'' he adds sheepishly.
He's wise to rest up for the camera. As Alex Taggart,
Davis indulges in some serious acting out -- from
dissecting dead squirrels to hiding severed body parts
in the hospital refrigerator. The latter stunt marked
his favorite moment of his favorite episode -- although
he's quick to point out that he and his character don't
share a predilection for extreme behavior.
"I don't steal fingers,'' he says, "but sometimes I can
be like him. He's a troubled kid. I'm not that troubled
but I know what he's feeling. His mom had him when she
was very young and she didn't really understand how to
be a mother.''
He may sound like the empathetic progeny of two Method
devotees raised by James Lipton (his dad is, after all,
a theatrical producer), but aside from some school
plays, Davis had until recently confined his
performances to the dinner table.
"He was always up and down, doing jokes, acting out a
scene (from) TV or the movies,'' says mom Maggie, a
holistic health care provider. "We used to tell Oliver,
'You could sell anything to anybody -- you should do
commercials.' ''
But although sister Morgan, 15, had acting aspirations
(she's appeared in an episode of "Frasier''), her kid
brother wanted no part of it. "I thought that once they
shot (a scene), you had to do it perfect that one
time,'' he explains. "And then (Morgan) said, 'No, you
can do as many takes as you want.' So I tried it out and
ended up really liking it.''
A JC Penney commercial was followed by the Sylvan spot
and -- just before he nabbed his "ER'' role -- a major
part in the upcoming indie comedy "The Almost Guys,''
where Davis plays the son of a repo man hiding from the
Mob. That film forced him to stretch as an actor.
"I had just turned 10 and wasn't used to using swear
words, and I had to,'' he says. "We did a few takes and
it got a little bit natural for me, but still there was
a fuzz in my voice. But then I did it and it was really
good.''
And did he hone that newly acquired "skill'' after
shooting wrapped? "Well, uh …'' He giggles impishly. "I
prefer not to answer that question.''
He's similarly tight-lipped (per mom's orders) regarding
"That's Just Rodney,'' the ABC pilot where he plays the
eldest son of stand-up comic Rodney Carrington. If the
network picks up the sitcom for the fall, he'll likely
juggle "Rodney" with an occasional "ER'' appearance. In
the business, that's known as "doing a Heather
Locklear'' -- although Davis is quick to evoke the name
of an even bigger star.
"(Just) like people know who Nicole Kidman is, it would
be cool if people knew who Oliver Davis was,'' he says.
Just when you think he's going all Young Hollywood on
you, though, Davis delivers his most heartfelt statement
yet.
"But I don't want to get into that yet -- I'm just a
kid.''
nwiTimes.com
ER ACTRESS PLAYS DOWN AGE REMARK
Published: June 10, 2004
Kingston, who plays surgeon Elizabeth Corday in the
US drama, said statements she made were "taken out of
context".
The actress, 41, had said producers and writers saw
her as one of "the old fogeys who are no longer
interesting".
But she has now said: "We are in mutual agreement
that the storyline for my character had run its course."
"Statements from an interview I recently gave were
spoken tongue-in-cheek and unfortunately have been taken
out of context," she said through her spokesman.
"I regret if these statements have affected the
producers.
"Like other former cast members who have moved on
from the show, I am looking forward to a creative and
successful future."
She had told the Radio Times it was "a shock and
upsetting" when the producers decided not to renew her
contract.
Kingston described suddenly feeling "very old" on
set, adding: "Does it mean that I'm the geriatric being
pushed out because she's too old?"
Kingston, the former wife of actor Ralph Fiennes,
said she also became "deeply unhappy" on the show and
was aware she was being used less and less.
'Reinventing itself'
The show "definitely seems to be taking a different
tone", she told the magazine.
"I understand it needs to keep reinventing itself in
order to keep going, and apparently I, according to the
producers, the writers, am part of the old fogeys who
are no longer interesting. In that respect it's a
shame," she said.
"It's fine to have young med students, but you need
to have figures of authority, people of different ages,
races, shapes and sizes.
"The classics are all on their way out. And what
happens when they've gone, which will be very soon?"
Kingston has also suggested her $150,000
(£81,000)-per-episode salary could have counted against
her.
'Run its course'
"I know for a fact that the newcomers aren't getting
much at all," she said.
TV network NBC said her character had "run its
course" over time.
Kingston has been in ER since the fourth series,
which aired in the US from 1997. The show is now into
its 10th series.
Kingston said she was returning to the UK to do a
film before returning to shoot the beginning of the next
series of ER.
She has remarried, to Florian Haertel, and has a
daughter, Salome.
BBC News
PRIME-TIME PLOTS TOOK DEADLY TOLL THIS SEASON
Published: June 02, 2004
By Joanne Weintraub
Is it just my
imagination, or is the prime-time body count getting a
little steep?
I'm not talking about
the deaths of anonymous bad guys or hapless extras. I'm
talking about characters we know and love. Or at least
like.
Or, in a few cases -
"ER's" luckless Dr. Romano comes to mind - characters
we've grown to tolerate, like a poorly socialized but
not outright dangerous house pet.
If I were a member of
the "ER" cast, I'd set aside a day each week to explore
other employment opportunities, just in case.
The past season's
death toll included the chronically crotchety Romano
(Paul Crane), put out of his misery by a falling
helicopter, as well as a pair of little-seen but
much-discussed loved ones, Chen's (Ming-Na) mother and
Weaver's (Laura Innes) life partner.
Carter (Noah Wyle)
managed to get out of Africa in one piece, as did - more
surprisingly - his new love, the pregnant Kem (Thandie
Newton). No sooner did viewers exhale, however, than Kem
gave birth to a stillborn baby.
As for guest stars,
those on hospital shows should never buy green bananas,
but the suicide of the architect played for several
weeks by Bob Newhart was especially cruel, what with
Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) having gotten so attached to
him.
To top it all off, the
season ended with the sound but not the sight of a car
accident involving Chen, Pratt (Mekhi Phifer) and Elgin
(James Earl). Earl was merely a guest star, so I figure
he's toast, but if I were Phifer or Ming-Na, I wouldn't
be turning down job offers, either.
JSOnline.com
NOAH WYLE TO STAR IN ACTION FILM
Published: June 01, 2004
Meet Noah Wyle, action star.
The long-serving "ER" doc has
taken the lead role in TNT's movie "The Librarian," an
action-adventure flick scheduled for late this year.
Dean Devlin ("Independence Day," "Godzilla") is
executive producing.
While a title like "The
Librarian" doesn't exactly set hearts racing, the
premise for the movie is intriguing. Wyle's character,
Flynn, serves as the librarian for a repository of
mythical objects from throughout human history, ranging
from the Golden Fleece to the Ark of the Covenant.
Flynn's job is to keep all
these things safely out of public view — the artifacts
are stored beneath the New York Public Library — and out
of the hands of those who would use them for the wrong
reasons.
Wyle has earned five Emmy
nominations, three Golden Globe nominations and five
Screen Actors Guild nominations for playing Dr. John
Carter on "ER," where he's the only original starring
cast member to remain with the show for its entire run
thus far.
His other credits include
"White Oleander" and "Donnie Darko" (the director's cut
opens tomorrow in Seattle).
David Titcher ("Around the
World in 80 Days") is writing "The Librarian" and will
serve as a co-producer with Marc Roskin and Kearie Peak .
Zap2it.com
GIVING ACTORS SHOTS
Published: May 07, 2004
By Anne Kelly-Saxenmeyer
On a typical day in March, John Levey--the
senior vp of Casting for John Wells Productions who
casts ER and oversees The West Wing, Third
Watch, and Wells' pilots--accomplishes more than
most people do in a week. On the low end, he sees 70 to
110 actors in an eight-day period just for ER,
creating and releasing a Breakdown and then spending
hours going through submissions with associate Sara
Isaacson. (They pride themselves on opening "damn near
everything.") This pilot season, he also oversaw casting
on Dark Shadows and cast two highly specific
series regular roles for the pilot Johnny Zero.
Says Levey, "Every day between looking for people for
ER we would spend time reading 15 to 25 young
people for those two parts alone, and then being on the
phone with the casting directors for Dark Shadows
and the agents who weren't getting to the casting
directors for Dark Shadows, as well as making
deals for the ER episode from the week before,
as well as being aware of and communicating with the
network about a major stunt casting that might be going
on on The West Wing or Third Watch,
dealing with the executives at John Wells Productions
and at Warner Bros.--we try to keep them in the loop
about what we're doing so that we can be responsible
partners--communicating with the New York office on a
daily basis, taking phone calls from my kids...." Levey
prefaces all of this by saying he doesn't "work crazy
hours."
"So, it's a full time job, but fortunately I still
really love it," he continues. "I still get a lot of
satisfaction when Thursday night at 10 or Wednesday
night at 9 or Friday night at 10 comes around, and the
shows are on the air. They all are compelling
television, and I'm really proud to be associated with
them."
Vital signs: Levey signed on at Warner
Bros. Television 18 years ago after transitioning from
his first career as an accomplished theatre director.
John Wells became Levey's main client--they collaborated
on China Beach and in 1994 began work on ER--and
in May 2003, Levey began working for Wells directly.
Over the past 10 years, cast arrivals and departures
have been business as usual on the hit NBC drama, and
Levey believes they've actually been key to the show's
longevity. "People in television live in fear of having
a break-out star and then having them leave, and one of
the great things about ER is that we've been in
constant flux," he says. "We've survived the departure
of really wonderful, important, popular actors, which I
think means that the franchise really works, and also I
think it's central to the long-term success of the show
because the hospital part of the show is a constant, but
the personal element of the show needs to be freshened
up by caring about new people."
Where a character on ER will end up once added
to the mix depends greatly upon what the actor brings to
the role. Says Levey, "One of the great things about
working with John, the writers, and [director] Chris
Chulack, is that they really have a sense of adventure
about it, so that you cast somebody and then you find
out what they do really well. Their role is fluid and
evolutionary based on the discovery process of, "What've
you got?" and, "Where can you take who you have and make
them the most interesting they can be?"
Lately, says Levey, casting has been in the business of
bringing a younger, sexier element to the ensemble,
hence the addition of Mekhi Phifer in 2002 after a
lengthy chase; this season, Linda Cardellini (Freaks
and Geeks); and for next season, Shane West (Once
and Again, A Walk to Remember). Less recognizable
additions have seemingly come out of nowhere, but in
reality have credits to their names. Sharif Atkins, who
plays Dr. Michael Gallant, for instance, was cast in a
Wells pilot titled The Big Time. When it didn't
go to series, Atkins was offered a holding deal and a
few-episode guest-star role on ER that was
quickly extended. A new face in the current season,
Parminder K. Nagra, who plays Neela Rasgotra, a role
created for her, came to Wells' attention in the soccer
movie Bend It Like Beckham. "When she was here
doing some publicity, we invited her over to say hello,
and John pretty much offered her the job in the room,"
says Levey. "It was spectacular, and she's been
outstanding."
Trying patients: The obvious challenge
of casting ER is continuing to find a new set
of guest-stars and, particularly, co-stars for each
episode--without repetition. When asked how well the
talent pool has served his needs, Levey says that
finding new child actors is never a problem, and that
even in most other age groups, he is constantly
introduced to great new talent. "The area that is
difficult is the older patients. The group in their 60s
and 70s gets 're-peopled' by the actors who were in
their 50s, but by then, for small parts, they're either
so experienced that they won't do them or there's a
reason why they're available."
While the sheer numbers Levey needs would seem to
suggest an accessible office, that's not exactly the
case. Given that he very rarely does "prereads" (a term
he doesn't use because it presumes that the actor will
be getting to producers), Levey relies on his instincts
and on his relationships with trusted agents and
managers in choosing five or six actors per role to send
directly to producers. If he doesn't know your rep, he
says, it's probably hard to get seen by him. "Some
people say it's hard to get in here, and we field
unhappy telephone calls from agents and managers," says
Levey. "But on some level I'm willing to challenge
people and say, 'OK, today you're getting a chance. Are
you really sure that this person who you think is really
right is going to do well? Because if they don't, this
is how you're going to establish a negative relationship
with my office.' Agents and managers will sell without
much conscience; it's their job. But the smart ones sell
carefully with me while they're forming a relationship.
Then if I'm in need or in trouble, I'll call them and
say, 'Hey, you did really well the last time I needed
this or that. Do you have [this]?' If they don't,
they'll say, 'No, I'm sorry I don't have that.' And
that's almost as good as having it, instead of BS-ing
me. I respond to accurate information, promptly. If
agents and managers are professional and good with me,
they start to develop a relationship because I need
them. But if they're full of crap, that gets revealed
really quickly, and then the absence of trust is what's
created."
Amazingly, Levey finds time throughout the season to do
two or three general meetings a week, on average. At
this time of year, many of those come out of the MFA and
BFA showcases from around the country, most of which
Isaacson attends. As far as other generals, says Levey,
they aren't "something you can get by asking" and they
tend to go to actors whom Levey or Isaacson spot in
plays or movies, on television shows, or who are
referred by highly reliable sources.
If you get in: If you're called into
Levey's office for a sizable role, chances are you're
already a seasoned auditioner. For the benefit of the
actor who might read for a co-star role, we ask Levey
for advice about the one- or two-line audition. "You
know in New York when those guys on the street have,
like, 50 watches on one arm, and they open their coat
and show you all their watches at once? Actors try to do
that, too," he says. "Instead of doing the work at hand,
they try to show you the depth and breadth of their
talent. That's not a good idea. Come in and do the work
at hand, and do it simply and honestly, and you might
get a chance later to show more breadth and depth and
talent. Being overly creative--what people think is
creative--you know, deciding it needs a Russian accent
or bringing to the one-line process-server who's
bringing a subpoena to the doctor some elaborate
backstory that has nothing to do with the script, it's
gilding the lily in a way that is of no value at all. I
think actors feel that this is their one shot, and they
have to find some incredible way to separate themselves
from everybody else. The way to separate yourself is by
doing simple, authentic, connected, real work where
you're actually what if-ing yourself into being the
person who's required and not anything more or anything
less."
"Of course, the whole question of manners is part of it,
too," Levey adds. "If you've worked with me 10 times and
you need something to get at something--you ask for
something special and there's a legitimate reason for
it--of course I'm always here trying to make actors'
space as advantageous for them to do good work as
possible. But if you come in for a part that doesn't
really require a huge emotional investment and you make
a demand--'Can I stand on my head and spit wooden
nickels?'--you know, it's not a good idea."
The standard: For Levey, getting the
job done in a thorough and timely manner requires
extremely efficient methods--which some actors may read
as harsh. A more accurate assessment, perhaps: Levey
responds to people who attend to their work as
diligently as he does.
For actors, that standard means continuing to study and
improve all the time. "Actors are unique among artists
in that they need each other to actually practice," says
Levey. "You need to keep your instrument tuned and keep
fresh and excited about what you're doing so you don't
start getting lazy and bored and phoning it in, because
it reads. We all know it; we watch television and say,
'Ugh, he is over his job. He's not having fun anymore.
There's nothing electric happening.' You have to keep
lighting your own fire, and I think there are two ways
to do that: One is to keep excited as a person by being
interested in the world, and the other is doing what you
do. You've got to quack like a duck or you're not a
duck." BSW
BackStage.com
LIFE WITH MY OTHER FAMILY
Published: May 06, 2004
By Debi Enker
I haven't missed an episode of ER
since the hospital drama began in February 1995. I feel
like I've lived with this vibrant, flawed, fraught
community of doctors and nurses; celebrated the births,
mourned the deaths, been saddened by the departures.
I fondly remember the roguish charm of pediatrician
Doug Ross (George Clooney), the troubled capability of
nurse Carol Hathaway (Julianna Marguilies), the prickly
perfectionism of trauma-surgeon Peter Benton (Eriq La
Salle). I can remember when the current series stalwart,
Dr John Carter (Noah Wyle), was a sensitive young
medical student, working hard to earn Benton's respect.
It's been a long and generally happy history,
although in recent times, some resuscitation has been
required. And now, in its 10th season, persistent
problems have been diagnosed and treated. There's been a
palpable infusion of energy as new characters have been
introduced and some of the regulars have been dragged
from the ruts they'd been stuck in. Characters who'd run
their course have been jettisoned, like the loathsome
livewire Dr Romano (Paul McCrane), who was splattered
under a crashing helicopter.
As fresh story arcs have opened up, injecting ER
with a vitality that had been lacking, the drama has
regained its admirable ability to pull an episode out of
the box that's simply dazzling, a shining example of the
very best that series television has to offer. That
happened six episodes back in "Freefall", the
jaw-dropping helicopter-crash episode, and was again
evident two weeks ago when the drama departed from its
usual terrain of the emergency ward for an episode in
which nurse and medical intern Abby Lockhart (Maura
Tierney) and a recent arrival, medical student Neela
Rasgotra (Parminder Nagra from Bend it Like Beckham),
did their rotation in the neo-natal intensive care unit.
One of the main problems confronting ER over
the past couple of seasons has been that some of its
core characters had drifted into hand-wringing
soap-opera antics. They'd become static, humourless,
emotionally paralysed, just plain painful. Poor Carter
spent years as a sad sack, shuffling around looking
righteous and wounded. His tepid affair with Abby seemed
like a failure of imagination on the part of the
writers. Meanwhile, in a libidinous, off-the-rails
incarnation of his former self, Dr Luka (Goran Visnjic)
jumped from bar to bedroom to broom closet, bedding
nurses, prostitutes and the parents of patients with
reckless abandon.
Both of these character troughs have been
productively resolved by the Congo interlude. Luka has
returned from Africa with an altered philosophy,
applying Third World economies in his First World
hospital and causing all manner of conflict. His
transformation has opened up a fascinating debate about
time and cost-saving strategies, contrasting the
constraints affecting health workers in Chicago with
those in the Congo.
Meanwhile, Carter has been allowed to smile. His time
in Africa renewed his passion for medicine and also
provided him with a loving partner in AIDS-clinic worker
Kem (Thandie Newton), a woman with enough energy to
light up an entire Chicago block as well as one
previously morose medico.
Carter and Kem have become part of ER's baby
boom, a burst of activity that has seen Dr Weaver (Laura
Innes) and her lesbian partner, Sandy (Lisa Vidal),
becoming parents, Dr Susan Lewis (Sherry Stringfield)
announcing she's pregnant, and Carter and Kem
anticipating the arrival of a baby boy.
Beyond the new directions for regular characters, the
ER ensemble has been enlivened by the arrivals
of Neela and nurse Sam Taggart. Played by Linda
Cardellini (formerly of the short-lived and
much-lamented Freaks and Geeks), no-nonsense
nurse Sam is a single mother with bags of attitude and a
mean right-hook.
Neela, who's an Anglo-Indian, has brought with her an
outsider's perspective. Last week, during a quick
conversation in a lift with Kem, the newcomers shared
their amazement at the super-sized food serves that
constitute standard fare in the US. That sense of
incredulity extends to the African episodes, in which
American foreign-aid policies and drug company practices
are lambasted. The inclusion of these kinds of
perspectives infuses ER with a new dimension.
Beyond this, though, are the ongoing attractions of a
rich ensemble: the stickler Weaver, impulsive Dr Pratt (Mekhi
Phifer), and surgeon Elizabeth Corday (Alex Kingston),
who remains at something of a loose-end since the death
of Dr Greene (Anthony Edwards).
Under the microscope themselves this week, ER
staff manage to appal a well-intentioned human resources
bureaucrat sent to assess their performances. An
outsider, he just doesn't get it. Patients who check in
here - the erratic Dr Pratt aside - couldn't be in
better hands.
The
Age.com
WHY NOAH REMAINS IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM
Published: May 01, 2004
ER star Noah
Wyle has watched every other member of the original cast
make an exit from TV’s ten-year-old medical drama.
But for Wyle,
there is nothing wrong with steady work on a award
winning series, even as you say goodbye to old
friends. Saying goodbye to Friends felt odder.
“That left me not just the last man standing on the
set, but the last man standing on the lot,” he
explains, speaking of Warner Bros studios in Burbank,
California,. where both series were filmed.
“Those two shows came on the air at the same time
(autumn 1994),” says Wyle. “We sold them together. We
promoted them together.” He even guest-starred on a
Friends episode.
“The day the cast filmed their last episode, I saw
them in the commissary. It was heavy. Here they were,
closing a defining chapter in each of their lives, and
all I could do was think: ’The end of that chapter’s
coming, for me.”’
Don’t quake, NBC! Sure, you’ll be losing your biggest
comedy in just a week. But your biggest drama, ER,
another staple of your “must-see” Thursday lineup,
will close out its season with new episodes the next
three weeks, then stay put in its 10 p.m. ET berth for
its return next fall.
And Dr John Carter – Wyle’s character – will remain as
attending physician at Chicago’s County General
Hospital.
Why is simple. Unlike George Clooney, Anthony Edwards,
Eriq La Salle, Julianna Margulies or Sherry
Stringfield (who left ER in 1996 then returned to the
fold in 2001), Wyle hasn’t found a compelling reason
to make the break from a series he still loves.
“I find the job extremely gratifying,” he says during
a recent visit to Manhattan, “and the story lines are
still exciting and in keeping with the character’s
continuity, which I’ve worked so hard to maintain all
these years.”
Carter in recent seasons has suffered a near-fatal
knife wound from a deranged patient and battled
substance abuse, and now he’s about to face a crisis
endangering the child he is expecting with his
girlfriend, whom he met on a medical-relief trip to
Africa.
The current ER troupe includes Laura Innes, Mekhi
Phifer, Alex Kingston, Goran Visnjic, Maura Tierney,
Ming-Na, Sharif Atkins, Parminder Nagra and Linda
Cardellini, along with Wyle, who steadily rose to his
leadership position – not unlike Carter.
Certainly Carter has come a long way since ER began.
He was a third-year medical student, wide-eyed at the
turmoil around him and often overwhelmed by it.
And from week one, Carter proved to be a juicy role
for Wyle, then a 22-year-old Hollywood native (and son
of an orthopaedic nurse), who, after studying drama at
Northwestern University, had scored only one prior
success: a small part in the film A Few Good Men.
“As Carter was getting comfortable in the environment
of a hospital, I was getting comfortable on a film
set,” Wyle recalls.
“To a certain degree, we had the same fear of failure,
the same driving motivations.” He chuckles. “Carter’s
craving for the approbation and approval of his
co-workers was equal to mine. You know?”
These days, Wyle echoes the hard-won maturity of the
character he plays. He is happily married to Tracy, a
former makeup artist; as the father of 18-month-old
Owen, he embraces parenthood: “I’ve never smiled
wider, felt happier, and – when I imagine what could
take those feelings away – never felt so vulnerable.”
Of course, even at 32, Wyle retains the boyish air
that first earned him heartthrob status. For his
interview, he is casually clad in jeans, yellow oxford
shirt and brown sweater, and tennis shoes. He displays
a couple days’ stubble on his baby face, along with
those arched, guileless eyebrows, which seem to
certify everything he says.
He has a serious manner, but when his interrogator
momentarily lags in asking the next question, Wyle
jumps in with a string of waggish answers:
“Six-foot-2. Brown and brown. Gemini,” he recites.
“Somewhere between 32– and 34-inch waist.”
His extra-ER credits include the thriller Enough
(2002), co-starring with Jennifer Lopez as a bad-guy
cop, and as Steve Jobs in the cable movie The Pirates
of Silicon Valley (1999). He was in the all-star
ensemble for the 2000 live-television production of
Fail Safe.
He’s also busy off-camera. Among his activities:
serving as spokesman for Cover the Uninsured Week
2004, an initiative co-chaired by former Presidents
Ford and Carter to draw attention to issue of
Americans lacking health coverage.
“The nightly news terrifies America about the
theoretical – things that probably will not come to
pass,” he says. “But the things that come to pass
every single day for 44 million Americans should be
newsworthy. For a week, it will be.”
News.Scotsman.com
O'HAU'S GOING HOLLYWOOD: FOUR TV PROJECTS SHOT HERE
Published: April 21, 2004
By Zenaida Serrano
The
impressive mock wreckage of a wide-bodied jet scattered
across a beach at Mokule'ia is just one of many
unmistakable signs that the television industry has
descended on O'ahu. In fact, no fewer than four
television networks are backing projects in the Islands.
The carcass of an L-1011 jetliner is a humongous prop
for ABC's two-hour pilot, "Lost," which has been filming
throughout the island and is slated to wrap Saturday.
Less
than a week later, on April 29, Fox producers will begin
filming the first of 12 regular episodes of "The North
Shore," with shooting also taking place at the Hawai'i
Film Studio in Diamond Head. NBC's cop-show pilot, "Hawai'i,"
wrapped earlier this month, and a WB project, "Rocky
Point," is scheduled to start shooting on the North
Shore in June.
With
"The North Shore" picked up as a series, at least for
one season, industry officials are optimistic. Locally
filmed network shows mean economic opportunities
statewide, said Walea Constantinau, commissioner at the
Honolulu Film Office.
"Having the interest of those three networks
simultaneously is tremendous for economic diversity,"
Constantinau said. "You not only have the immediate
injection of dollars that each one of those projects
brings, but you also have the incalculable worldwide
exposure when these (shows) come to air."
The
economic benefits to Hawai'i are "very widespread,"
Constantinau said, from employment of locally hired
talent and crew members to the business done with local
vendors, including hotels, airlines, and car and
furniture rental businesses.
"The
idea is to have as much of the crew from here as
possible," said Bill Nuss of "The North Shore," an
independent producer hired by the Fox network. Nuss and
Fox executives were in town this week to work on the
series and to support a tax credit for TV and film
productions that is being considered by the Legislature.
Spending on the Fox pilot, which wrapped filming at
Turtle Bay Resort last month, came to $6 million, said
Nuss, who was also involved with "Pacific Blue." The
series' 12 episodes will each be shot over an eight-day
period and will cost at least $2 million per show.
A full
season consists of 22 episodes, which would require
studio presence for at least 10 months in Hawai'i,
according to Fox representatives.
"The
North Shore," scheduled to premiere June 14, is set in
the fictional Grand Waimea Hotel. Construction of the
elaborate lobby complex is under way at the Hawa'i Film
Studio and will continue six days a week, 24 hours a day
in 12-hour shifts, Nuss said.
Originally created to be filmed in San Diego, but moved
to Hawai'i to take advantage of Act 221 investment tax
credits, and formerly called "O'ahu," "The North Shore"
has a storyline that's a cross between "Melrose Place"
and "Hotel," Nuss said. The show follows the lives and
loves of the luxury hotel's employees and its guests.
"What
'Melrose' was to '(Beverly Hills) 90210,' 'The North
Shore' is intended to be to 'The O.C.,' " Nuss said.
Producers are throwing around the possibility of having
"American Idol" finalist Jasmine Trias make a guest
appearance. They are also considering using local
musicians to perform the show's theme song.
Meanwhile, the cast and crew of ABC's "Lost" are
scheduled to wrap up the two-hour pilot this weekend,
executive producer Bryan Burk said, while on location in
Kualoa.
Filming of the show began March 11 in Los Angeles and
March 22 on O'ahu, with 12-hour work days, six days a
week. After filming of the pilot is completed, editing
will be done in Los Angeles, Burk said.
"Lost"
follows survivors of a plane crash on a deserted island.
"It
has elements of all your favorite genres: mystery,
action, adventure, romance, horror," said Burk, also an
associate producer on ABC's "Alias." "It has a little
bit of everything."
The
concept was developed by Lloyd Braun, chairman of ABC,
and J.J. Abrams, creator of "Alias," said Damon Lindelof,
also an executive producer on "Lost."
Creators came up with the idea that the island itself
had to serve as a character, adding elements of mystery
and suspense to the plot, said Lindelof, who has also
been involved with "Crossing Jordan" and "Nash Bridges."
"Lost"
has a main cast of 15 actors, including former "Party of
5" star Matthew Fox, who was on site last week at Kualoa,
where a large white tent, catering truck and several
trailers served as a temporary headquarters.
The
cast joins at least 230 local crew members — from
caterers on set to airline workers who flew cast members
to Honolulu, Burk said — in addition to another 50 crew
members in Los Angeles.
"
'Lost' is using a lot of local hires ... for extras and
background," said Brenda Ching, the Hawai'i district
executive of the Screen Actors Guild. "So we're real
pleased with that."
And
producers could not be happier with all the help they've
received. "Everyone here has been amazing," Burk said.
In
addition to Mokule'ia, locales have included Nu'uanu,
He'eia Kea and Kualoa, where the last scene of the show
was being shot last week.
"We're
shooting everywhere, and what I've discovered is this
island is gorgeous," Burk said. "You can point the
camera anywhere and it's a beautiful shot."
Burk
and Lindelof would not discuss the show's budget, but
jokingly said it was "more than $30" and "less than the
national deficit."
The
two producers have high hopes the show will get the
green light by the network.
"The
goal of any television show is to make a little movie
every week, so we're keeping true to that," Lindelof
said.
Filming of NBC's pilot, "Hawai'i," which follows a
diverse group of Honolulu police officers, wrapped early
this month. Production of WB's "Rocky Point" is
scheduled to begin this summer, but details are still
being worked out.
"That
one is still pending, but we're cautiously optimistic,"
Constantinau said.
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