SciFiAndTvTalk

CTV's Saving Hope Begins Production June 1st on Season Four

Erica Durance as Dr. Alex Reid in Saving Hope. Photo copyright of CTV/Bell Media.

CTV announced today in association with Ilana Frank’s ICF Films and Entertainment One (eOne), that production is set to begin Monday, June 1 on Season 4 of its hit original drama Saving Hope. The start of production announcement comes ahead of CTV’s 2015 Upfront presentation taking place June 4 in Toronto, where the 18-episode fourth season will shoot until December 2015. A finalist for a Golden Screen Award at the 2015 Canadian Screen Awards, Saving Hope stars Erica Durance as Dr. Alex Reid. All past episodes of the series are streaming now on CraveTV.

“The Season 3 finale was shocking and gripping, and left fans wanting more. We can't wait to begin a new season of engaging twists and turns, and emotional highs and lows, featuring both our exceptional returning cast, and intriguing new characters,” said Corrie Coe, Senior Vice-President, Independent Production, Bell Media. “With such a talented team, led by ICF Films and eOne, Season 4 is looking to be another remarkable season for Saving Hope.”

Saving Hope’s emotional Season 3 finale saw life and death collide as Dr. Alex Reid (Erica Durance) became a new mom, delivering a healthy baby boy named Luke Reid. In a shocking turn of events, the episode culminated in a devastating accident at an off-site army base, which saw the death of one of Hope Zion’s own. Season 4 picks up nine months after the devastating accident, as the Hope Zion staff continue to deal with the aftermath of the death of their colleague and friend, Dr. Joel Goran. Alex (Durance) is back at work following maternity leave, trying to balance motherhood and a busy O.R. Meanwhile, Dr. Charlie Harris (Michael Shanks) continues to be haunted by his ghost-seeing abilities and the looming question of whether or not he is Baby Luke's biological father.

Saving Hope stars 2013 Canadian Screen Award nominee Erica Durance (Smallville), Michael Shanks (Stargate SG-1), 2013 Canadian Screen Award-winner Wendy Crewson (Revenge), Michelle Nolden (Republic of Doyle), Benjamin Ayres (Less than Kind), Julia Taylor Ross (Rookie Blue), and Huse Madhavji (Call Me Fitz).

Joining the cast this season in recurring roles are Kim Shaw (The Good Wife) as Dr. Cassie Williams, a book smart intern learning how to practice medicine, not just read about it , and Max Bennett (Anna Karenina) as Dr. Patrick Curtis, a surgical fellow who has been filling in during Alex’s mat leave. Travis Milne (Rookie Blue) will also appear in a four-episode arc. Canadian Screen Award-winner Jason Priestley (Call Me Fitz), series star Michael Shanks, and Peter Stebbings (The Listener) return to direct episodes this season.

Saving Hope is produced by ICF Films with eOne, in association with CTV, with the participation of the Canada Media Fund and the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit. The series is executive produced by Ilana Frank, John Morayniss, and Margaret O’Brien for eOne. Adam Pettle is Executive Producer and Showrunner. All distribution rights are handled by eOne. For Bell Media, Carrie Paupst Shaughnessy is Production Executive, Drama, Independent Production; Tom Hastings is Director, Drama, Independent Production; Corrie Coe is Senior Vice-President, Independent Production; Mike Cosentino is Senior Vice-President, Programming, CTV Networks and CraveTV; Phil King is President – CTV, Sports, and Entertainment Programming.

As noted above, photo copyright of CTV and Bell Media, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

Ash Vs Evil Dead - All New Teaser (STARZ)

The STARZ Original series Ash vs Evil Dead is rolling out new teasers this week for the 10-episode first season of the half-hour series executive produced by Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert, Bruce Campbell, the original filmmakers of the franchise, and Craig DiGregorio who will serve as executive producer and showrunner.  Ash vs Evil Dead, which is currently in production in New Zealand, is the long-awaited follow-up to the classic horror film franchise The Evil Dead and is set to premiere on STARZ in Fall 2015.

Campbell will be reprising his role as Ash, the stock boy, aging lothario and chainsaw-handed monster hunter who has spent the last 30 years avoiding responsibility, maturity and the terrors of the Evil Dead.  When a Deadite plague threatens to destroy all of mankind, Ash is finally forced to face his demons –personal and literal.  Destiny, it turns out, has no plans to release the unlikely hero from its “Evil” grip.

The cast is led by Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead, Burn Notice) in the role of Ash Williams, Lucy Lawless (Salem, Spartacus) as Ruby a mysterious figure who believes Ash is the cause of the Evil outbreaks, Ray Santiago (Touch, Meet the Fockers) as Pablo Simon Bolivar, an idealistic immigrant who becomes Ash’s loyal sidekick, Dana DeLorenzo (A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas) as Kelly Maxwell, a moody wild child trying to outrun her past and Jill Marie Jones (Sleepy Hollow) as Amanda Fisher, a disgraced Michigan State Trooper set to find our anti-hero Ash and prove his responsibility in the grisly murder of her partner.

Raimi is directing the first episode of Ash vs Evil Dead that he wrote with Ivan Raimi (Darkman, Army of Darkness, Drag Me to Hell), and Tom Spezialy (Chuck, Reaper, Desperate Housewives”). Raimi will also serve as executive producer, with Rob Tapert (Evil Dead, Spartacus, Xena: Warrior Princess) and Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead, Burn Notice) along with Craig DiGregorio (Workaholics, Chuck” who will serve as executive producer/showrunner. Ivan Raimi will co-executive produce and Aaron Lam (Spartacus) and Chloe Smith (Spartacus) will serve as producers. Check out the teaser below!

This Week on Outlander - "To Ransom A Man's Soul" (STARZ)

(L-R): Angus Mhor (Stephen Walters), Claire Randall (Caitriona Balfe), Murtagh Fitzgibbons (Duncan Lacroix) and Rupert Mackenzie (Grant O'Rourke). Photo copyright of STARZ.

This week on the season finale of Outlander, a plan is put in place to attempt to free Jamie (Sam Heughan) from Wentworth Prison where he is once again being held by his tormentor, Black Jack Randall (Tobias Menzies). Enjoy the clip below and then tune in for To Ransom A Man's Soul on Saturday, May 30th @ 9:00 p.m. EST/PST on STARZ.

 

Nightingale - New Clip & Photo - Premieres This Friday on HBO

David Oyelowo stars as Peter Snowden in HBO's Nightingale. Photo by Joseph Cultrice and copyright of HBO.

Starring Golden Globe nominee David Oyelowo (Selma), Nightingale is a single-character drama is a fascinating portrait of one man’s descent into the delusions of a fractured mind. Told with incisive imagery, energy and humor, it’s a compassionate depiction of isolation in the midst of a world ruled by social media. This searing story of solitude and loneliness offers a poignant look at how life has failed one man. Directed by Elliott Lester from a screenplay by Frederick Mensch. Executive producers are Josh Weinstock, Katrina Wolfe, Elliott Lester, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner and David Oyelowo. Check out the brand-new clip below and then tune in to HBO this Friday, May 29th @ 9:00 p.m. EST.

 

This Week on Bitten - 'Dark Arts" (Syfy US)

Greyston Holt as Clay Danvers in "Dark Arts." Photo copyright of She-Wolf  Season 2 Productions, Inc.

This Friday, May 29th on an all-new episode of Bitten, as the witches prepare for Savannah’s (Kiara Glasco) initiation ritual, Aleister (Sean Rogerson) arrives to Stovenhaven to stir up trouble. Catch a glimpse of what is to come in clip below, and then make sure to tune in for Dark Arts at the show's new time of 11 p.m. EST/10:00 p.m. CT on Syfy (US).

 

This Week on Lost Girl - Here Comes The Night (Syfy US)

Dyson (Kris Holden-Ried) and Bo (Anna Silk) in "Here Comes The Night." Photo copyright of Prodigy Pictures.

This week on Lost Girl, Bo (Anna Silk) and the gang are met with some surprising revelations and familiar faces in the aftermath of a storm. Check out a clip below from the episode, and then make sure to tune in for Here Comes The Night on the show's new day and time, Thursday, May 28th @ 10:00 p.m. EST/9:00 p.m. CT on Syfy (US).

 

 

Jay Firestone Talks "Dark Matter"

A very happy Jay Firestone on the Dark Matter set. Photo copyright of Joe Mallozzi.

Like all the ingredients of a well-conceived recipe, there is a wonderful sense of anticipation when various creative minds come together to entertain audiences and tell a story that will hopefully be a popular one. Gemini-award winning feature film and TV producer Jay Firestone has a knack for spotting such potential hits. Currently, he and his Toronto-based production company Prodigy Pictures is working with veteran writers/producers Joe Mallozzi and Paul Mullie – formerly of the long-running Stargate franchise – on their new Sci-Fi TV series Dark Matter. This particular story is one to which Firestone was immediately attracted.

“First and foremost, I like Joe and Paul as people, and I had talked with them about developing a few projects,” says Firestone. “I had the proof of their Dark Matter graphic novel [on which the TV series is based] with me during a trip to New York to meet with the people at the Syfy channel. Their executives were telling me how hard it was to find a decent 'space opera.' To be honest, I wasn’t familiar with that expression, but basically it means a really great story set in outer space.

“I was looking at a number of things to do with Syfy, but I wasn’t really up for the monster-of-the-week stuff. I’ve done that before, but I didn’t think people wanted another one of those. I’d heard someone talking about how the problem with a lot of Sci-Fi shows is that the characters aren’t as exciting as the action or visual effects. Joe and Paul had pitched me their graphic novel, which was all-character, all-story, and I thought, ‘This is what’s lacking half the time, the character stuff.’ With Dark Matter, you’re going to fall in love with at least one of these characters and want to follow the progress of that character. That’s what it’s all about, right? I think most viewers are getting tired of an action scene with no substance, or a great visual effect of spaceship travelling through space but with no story. Joe and Paul are all about the story, and that’s what I love.”

Set in deep space, Dark Matter opens with the small crew of a spaceship awakening from stasis and lacking any knowledge of who they are or what their mission is. As they start to unravel the mystery surrounding both these issues, they discover some disturbing truths. Helping these characters put together all these missing pieces are a number of talented directors, many of whom, including T.J. Scott and Amanda Tapping, are already familiar to TV genre audiences. Filming on Dark Matter commenced back in January and just wrapped this past week. Not surprisingly, it was an exciting and enjoyable collaborative process right from the start to finish for all concerned.

“First of all, I think the directors love working on these sets, because it’s a different experience than, let’s say, the average police drama when you have a detective’s office and someone walking down a street,” notes Firestone. “You also don’t have, for example, weapons or gunfights quite like we do here on Dark Matter. So I think the directors are really challenged when they come onto this show, and, again, Joe and Paul have the vision, so when a director sits down and asks, ‘Where are we going with this story?’ there’s a definite answer and not a lot of ifs, ands or buts.

“Our directors love our cast, too, because these are younger actors who want to soak everything up. They’re open to everything that a director wants to do, and what’s great, too, is that each of our characters has a specific story arc. That’s the benefit of having scripts done ahead of time. We know where these characters are going over the next five or six episodes, so the directors get to say, ‘Here’s where this character is now and here’s where they going. It’s my job as a director to put them one step further on his or her journey to becoming who they actually are.’ For a director, having that information and knowing how a character is supposed to be progressing, only helps him or her do their job, so I think they’re pretty excited about that.”

Not one to sit back and let everyone else have fun, Firestone takes an active role in the production of Dark Matter. “I worked very closely with the guys on the scripts as well as with the directors during filming, but my favorite job is in the editing room,” he says. “Editing action, especially for a Sci-Fi show, is a lot of fun. You need to make sure you have pace as well as surprise grabs and throws. Then there are things like anti-gravity moves where we have to work on how your character falls due to the loss of gravity, or a scene where a character is running down the hallway of a spaceship, jumps into the control seat and blasts off. You have all these cuts back and forth between that and the actual visual effect of the ship blasting off. That’s a very different pace compared to that of most other types of TV shows, and I truly love being a part of that creative process,” enthuses Firestone.

Steve Eramo

As noted above, photo courtesy/copyright of Joe Mallozzi, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

This Week on Lost Girl - "Clear Eyes, Fae Hearts" (Syfy US)

(L-R): Tamsin (Rachel Skarsten) and Bo (Anna Silk) in "Clear Eyes, Fae Hearts." Photo copyright of Prodigy Pictures.

This week on another all-new episode of Lost Girl,, Tamsin (Rachel Skarsten) goes undercover as a college cheerleader to help Dyson (Kris Holden-Ried) with his investigation of a murdered football player. Catch a glimpse of what is to come in clip[ below and then make sure to tune in for Clear Eyes, Fae Hearts on Friday, May 22nd @ 10:00 p.m. EST/9:00 p.m. CT on Syfy (US).

 

This Week on Bitten - "Bad Dreams" (Syfy US)

Greg Bryk as Jeremy Danvers in "Bad Dreams." Photo copyright of She-Wolf Season 2 Productions, Inc.

This week on an all-new episode of Bitten, a Spanish Alpha tries to blackmail Jeremy (Greg Bryk) into murdering another Alpha. Meanwhile, Savannah (Kiara Glasco) visits Elena (Laura Vandervoort) to reveal a disturbing premonition. Check out a clip below from Bad Dreams and then tune in for the entire episode on Friday, May 22nd @ 9:00 p.m. EST/8:00 CT on Syfy (US).

 

Mimi Rogers Joins Cast of STARZ's Ash Vs Evil Dead

Actress Mimi Rogers.

Mimi Rogers (Mad Men, NCIS)has joined the cast of the highly-anticipated STARZ series, Ash vs Evil Dead, slated to debut this fall.  Rogers will play Suzy Maxwell, a woman who is reunited with her family and several uninvited guests after a freak accident. The long-awaited follow-up to the classic horror film franchise The Evil Dead, is executive produced by Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert and Bruce Campbell, the original filmmakers of the franchise, and Craig DiGregorio who will serve as executive producer and showrunner.  Ash vs. Evil Dead is currently shooting in New Zealand on the 10-episode first season.

Rogers joins the cast led by Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead, Burn Notice) in the role of Ash Williams; Lucy Lawless (Salem, Spartacus) as Ruby a mysterious figure who believes Ash is the cause of the Evil outbreaks; Ray Santiago (Touch, Meet the Fockers) as Pablo Simon Bolivar, an idealistic immigrant who becomes Ash’s loyal sidekick; Dana DeLorenzo (A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas) as Kelly Maxwell, a moody wild child trying to outrun her past; and Jill Marie Jones (Sleepy Hollow) as Amanda Fisher, a disgraced Michigan State Trooper set to find our anti-hero Ash and prove his responsibility in the grisly murder of her partner.

Raimi is directing the first episode of Ash vs Evil Dead that he wrote with Ivan Raimi (Darkman, Army of Darkness, Drag Me to Hell), Craig DiGregorio (Workaholics, Chuck) and Tom Spezialy (Chuck, Reaper, Desperate Housewives). Raimi will also serve as executive producer, with Rob Tapert (Evil Dead, Spartacus, Xena: Warrior Princess) and Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead, Burn Notice) along with Craig DiGregorio (Workaholics, Chuck) who will serve as executive producer/showrunner. Ivan Raimi will co-executive produce and Aaron Lam (Spartacus) and Chloe Smith (Spartacus) will serve as producers.