TIMES: Emily Deschanel, it’s so nice to have you here. The last year must have been quite a blast for you. Not only did you star in four Scream movies, but also in Bad Money, The Film Protectors 3 and The X-Files: Take No Prisoners. How do you adjust to all the media attention you are getting now?

EMILY DESCHANEL: It was really an incredible year. I had done Bad Money and the first Scream film around the same time and was already very happy to have been in two big movies that year. But to be in seven? It was sure busy, but I loved it. In the last few weeks I had a lot of interviews going on, especially because of Eastwick, but now that I have exited the Scream franchise, it’s a lot less hectic.

TIMES: How did you get the job on Eastwick?

DESCHANEL: Oh, it’s actually a really nice story. I have worked with the producer Kaitlynn Halliwell earlier this year on her debut Lurking Shadow and she called me some weeks later and asked if I wanted that role. I was her first choice and the first to be cast into the project. I’m a little proud of that.

TIMES: So you are not concerned that your TV career might backfire on you film career?

DESCHANEL: Not really. Eastwick won last weeks ratings for its timeslot, which was a surprise, but it did well before. So it certainly is a milestone in my career. If there are any interesting film projects I want to pursue, I can still do that, but for now I am very happy to announce officially that Eastwick has been renewed for a complete second season.

TIMES: That is nice to hear. Congratulations on that. Can you tell us a little about Season 2? Will all regulars be on it? What changes will there be?

DESCHANEL: So far only the three main actresses, meaning me, Charisma Carpenter and Carla Gallo have signed contracts for the new season as well as a bunch of guest stars, whom I cannot reveal at this point. As far as the story goes I only know that a lot of loose ends will be tied.

TIMES: Thanks for this interview, Miss. Deschanel!

DESCHANEL: Thanks for having me.

1st Week of May
In Memoriam tells a story about a family dealing with the loss of a child, and more specifically about a teenager dealing with the guilt of killing her sister. Well, the family sure sounds f***ed up and I am guessing this will either be a drama or a thriller but that’s merely my guess. Please don’t throw eggs at my house if I am wrong and misguided you.

Why Must I Go to Hell? Because heaven is full I guess. Anyway, this is a dark animated comedy about a sweet little seven year old girl who dies and ends up having to go to hell because her father is the devil. How sad for the girl to die at a young age of seven… and to go to hell at that. It definitely sounds like a fun film to watch, as long as you are not the girl.

2nd Week of May
Fawlty Towers is back, not in the form of another sitcom series but as a film. Since the original Fawlty Towers is almost 40 years ago, the roles are recast. A good news for the long-time fans is that John Cleese is in, not in his original role though. To describe the movie in the form of one question, what would you do if the British prime-minister wanted to hold a conference in your hotel?

Not much of information can be collected for Silent Hill: The Touch of Fear. It’s “Silent” Hill for a reason. The studio promises that it’s a start of a new horror franchise that’ll take the mythos of the Silent Hill universe to brand new and unexplored depth. Can the movie back up the hype?

3rd Week of May
The Simpsons returns in the form of a movie as unbb24 brings us The Simpsons Presidential Movie, an animated comedy that revolves around Homer’s run as The President of America. What’s the reason behind his motivation to become the  President of the USA? Can he handle such a stressful job? Answers are all within the film.

Reunion has a ton of character trailers on the internet so there’s no secret that this film features a huge base of characters. The story is about 10 good friends and witnesses of an accidental murder 10 years ago having their 10th Anniversary Class Reunion. Reunions Are fun, except this time a Masked Stranger is there to spoil the fun. A mystery-blended horror, who is the Masked Stranger and who will survive?

The Butcher Means War is the long-waited sequel of 2008′s The Butcher. Since there has been an Olympics between the two films, MadShangi Entertainment makes sure that this is a standalone film, which one will enjoy without needing to know The Butcher beforehand. The Butcher (Dwayne Johnson) will face off against two villains this time, Killface and The Iraq’nid, played by John Travolta and Javier Bardem. Four years after the original, The Butcher sets off a chain of events that leads to the creation of a mutant villain that resembles spider in a way. Aside from that, The Butcher’s past will get more detail too in this one. A superhero film that is not bright and on-the-surface as others, one that appreciate a darker approach on the genre should definitely mark this one on their calendar.

4th Week of May
Drugged is part of quadrilogy… or at least a quadrilogy and maybe more to come from what I have gathered. The story revolves around a drug in development and a group of poor patients that are suffering from depression. Taking a “still in development” drug is pretty much a risk-taking choice and the films will talk about their ruined life. The first story will be one of Sarah Anderson (Lauren Ambrose), a mother that lost her baby from the drug. How so? Why so? Watch and find out.

Tom Graveyard is a story set in the 19th century. A woman, played by Christina Ricci, has tuberculosis and she knows her end is near. In the hope to cheat her death, she strikes a deal with a supernatural force, not sure what kind of creature/deity/devil would that be but it’s played by Andy Serkis, to prolong her life. As always, a deal like this bears consequence or heavy price.

Yuk: A Canadian Tale is the first straight-to-ray movie. It tells the story of a man and his beaver in the frozen wasteland of Canada. Living in a frozen wasteland can be tough and one might know how to handle the hardships if they grab the ray of this movie.

This is the Jackal here at the preview party for Reunion.  In this party, members of the cast and crew get to see the finished product before it goes out to general release on May 18th.  For those who haven’t seen the teaser trailer or the ads for Reunion yet, it’s about 10 friends who on the night before college graduation witness one of their own accidentally kill another guy in a drunken brawl.  On their tenth year reunion, a person known only as The Masked Stranger shows up and starts killing off the friends.

I got some exclusive interviews with the co-stars in Reunion and the producer/writer Brianc2008 who makes this debut in this horror/mystery.  First up is Gianna Jun who plays a mystery writer named Julie.  This is her HTG debut.

“I’m very excited to make my HTG debut with Reunion,” said Jun.  “I loved playing a mystery writer who has a prominent role in this movie.  Go and see it.  I’m proud to have worked with the other cast members and director John Carpenter, in particular.”

I next caught up with Brendan Sexton who is also making his HTG debut.  He plays Caleb, an accountant who also is caught up with the mystery of The Masked Stranger.

“I had to be careful with making my debut as special as possible,” said Sexton.  “But ultimately, I couldn’t wait any longer and I was pleased when I saw the script to Reunion.  There are deeper emotions than in your average horror movie.  I think the audience will be pleasantly surprised by the depth of the film.”

A little bit later, I ran into Kristen Bell, Yoda winner for Never Dump a Vengeful Alcoholic. She plays Amber, a late night radio DJ who gets involved as well. Bell said, “I grew more attached to the cast and crew as the film went on.  I cried a little at the wrap party and I’m so glad to see them again.” I asked her what drove her to film Reunion.  She said, “I like taking chances and my fans will be pleased that Amber shows vulnerability while at the same time is able to kick some ass.  I can say that word.  Right?”

Not wanting to argue with a Yoda winner, I stepped over to where Cory Monteith, star of remakes of I Know What You Did Last Summer and Nightmare on Elm Street as well as originals like Shriek and Lemon Tree, was.  He plays Seth, the sheriff of Madison, the small town in North Carolina where Reunion takes place. I asked Monteith about his opinion of the film.  He replied, “It’s a very good movie.  There are some good twists and turns and I’ll admit the ending will throw some people.” I then asked him about if he knew who The Masked Stranger was.  “Nice try, but I’m not spoiling the ending,”  replied Monteith.

I tried to get a hold of Dartcher, who owns the studio Wonder, Inc., but he had a cell phone attached to his ear the whole time.  Can’t blame him, though.  He’s got a full slate this month with Silent Hill: The Touch of Fear as well as Yuk: A Canadian Tale also coming in May.

The producer, Brianc2008, proved to be easier to contact.  He’s the one who is at the center of the party, enjoying it all.  I asked him on his opinion of the movie. Brianc2008 responded, “It turned out to be well done.  Dartcher gave me some help with editing the script and I think the overall result is very good.  I poke fun at the conventions of your standard horror movie while at the same time crafting a good story which should grab the audience.”

I asked him what was next.  “I got a contract with the Flip Brothers for South Dakota, then I got a project lined up with Quantum.  After that, I got several different directions calling me.  Part of me wants to do a drama like Boy Wonder or Aftermath.  Part of me is looking at the world of TV.  We’ll just have to wait and see,”  said the first time producer.

I think that about does it.  Reunion is coming out May 18th from Bluegrass Productions and Wonder Inc.  This is the Jackal signing off.

Earlier this month, Catalyst Studios released their first movie since opening their gates close to a year ago, the horror adaptation Fatal Frame: Moonchild. The movie brought together studio head RandomFX’s award winning creative, with the pen of Kaitlynn- a surefire Best New Producer nominee at the next Yodas, and a predominantly Japanese cast to craft a movie experience that is rarely seen in HTG Hollywood.

We talked to both Random and Kaitlynn about the release, Catalyst Studios and the future of horror in HTG.

“I’m a fan of the horror genre and Kaitlynn was really enthusiastic about [Fatal Frame]” Random told us with a sly smile, “I saw it as a great opportunity to do something a little different.” A Japanese director and cast is the first thing that sets the movie apart, but the flick is not the first movie with most of the roles going to a Japanese cast (see 2007’s Johnny Firecracker), but this was the first movie to use a Japanese cast and use the land’s distinctive horror style. “The selling point of the game is that the character negotiates the mansion using a Polaroid to trap the spirits that chase them. This adds a lot of tension.”

RandomFX is no stranger to horror, having penned the Short Film Contest winning script Terminal Fear and the vampire comic adaptation Fray. This was his first experience taking a step back into the role of a studio head and having to work with a new producer. “Kaitlynn has a lot of ideas and really loves the franchise, which make’s the whole process smoother,” he told us.

On the flip side, we took the time to call Kaitlynn, who was excited to talk about the film and working with a first time studio, “[Random] is a nice person and a wonderful creative to work with. So we got along.” We discussed horror movies and as it turns out, Kaitlynn was a big horror fan in her teens, but “all that remains now is my love for Fatal Frame, because all the games are equally good and even scary.” She approached Random about getting the arthouse movie off the ground, “It was my ambition to get him to make [Fatal Frame: Moonchild], so I wrote it and pressed him to release it.”

At the end of our call, I asked Kaitlynn about the future of Fatal Frame and if she is planning to write a sequel, “No, not at the moment, but I heard Dartcher is doing a big version of Fatal frame soon.” Dartcher? The HTG Master of Horror? This rumor was new to us, so we went back to Random and asked him about the future of the series; “There is a lot material to work with, so it’d be a pleasure to return to the franchise. A lot will depend on the success of this movie.” When asked about producers and possible stories, the studio head was tight lipped.

This gave me a good opening to ask Random about Catalyst Studios’ future, “I’ll definitely be looking to expand the range of films that Catalyst can produce. In the immediate future I’ll be looking to focus in the horror genre.” And true to his word, shortly after our call, RandomFX started construction on a horror backlot on the studio lot. This will allow the arthouse studio to release full horror movies.

“Catalyst is still looking for projects to add to the calendar” Random told me in closing, “I’m keen to get Unity, a pre-WW2 drama off the ground as well as a horror movie called Itch. As a producer I’m currently plotting an adaptation of Logan’s Run.”

Keep your eyes open because Catalyst Studios is up and running.

Fastest Sport On Earth shows us the adventures of two young goaltenders, as they give their first steps towards their memorable NHL careers. However, many are the distractions along the way, which both Alan (Josh Hutcherson) and Henrique (Sparck Valentine) have to fight in order to fulfill their dreams. The show enters it’s last two episodes, which will feature a rollercoaster of emotions for the heroes, as they get ever closer to their junior hockey dreams, and as the pressure of the incoming Draft begins to set in.

“It’s a really enticing story, and you can really connect to it’s characters, so I was obviously happy to have been invited to guest star on this show. It’s a universe I had a secret wish of a being a part of,” said Kate Beckinsale, one of HTG’s top three actresses.

The regular cast feels that the presence of these actors will only benefit the show, but they praise the dedication of producer Sparck Valentine to the show, and can’t wait to see for themselves what the second season will bring. The plotline of the second season has been kept secret by producer Sparck Valentine.

“Yes, there will be a second season, but I won’t be giving out details on it just yet, you’ll have to wait and see” said producer Sparck Valentine.

We suggest you don’t miss these last two episodes, as you’ll miss unforgettable events and hints on what the next season will bring in terms of cast changes, story developments and more. So hop on and join this crazy ride and be entertained.

Rogue Net was kind enough to pass along this preview image for the next two episodes:

Even If The World Ends

Yesterday, The Hollywood Times had a chance to do sit down interviews with the cast and the producer of Even If The World Ends inside The Hollywood Times building on 86 Grant Lane. First, we interviewed the lead star of the film, Maria Bello (pictured). She portrays Olivia Banes, the mother who gets out of jail to reunite with her daughters. We asked her about her character and her experience working on this film and she said; “Well… I was really looking to play a mother in a film or a TV series and I want to thank unbb24 for trusting me to play this part. My character in this film is Olivia Banes, a mother who had been sent to jail after killing her husband. After twenty years, she gets out of jail and she tries to reunite with her daughters, but the problem is that it isn’t that easy. I had a lot of fun making this movie, the shoot reminded me of how they shoot Spanish telenovelas- not your average movie.”

Next we interviewed the two daughters of the Olivia Banes character, Kristen Stewart and Dianna Agron who play the roles of Sheryl Banes and Jennifer Banes respectively. Stewart told us; “My role in this film is very serious. Yeah- the film is a drama. In it, I’m a poor girl. The movie is pretty awesome, go see it.” Agron’s character is very different, she tells us; “My character here is a rich girl. She’s like an evil queen… She is like half-villain and half-protagonist. Does that make sense?”

Also in the film is Meryl Streep, who is playing the main antagonist, Madam Alicia Banes. “My character here is very mean. She doesn’t want Olivia to be reunited with her daughters because she is the mother of the husband that Olivia killed in the movie. You will hate me in this film.”

Other cast members in this film are Taylor Lautner, Teri Hatcher, Hank Azaria, Brett Butler and Kathy Bates with the special participation of Josh Radnor, Holly Hunter, Margot Robbie, Katrina Bowden and Chase Crawford.

After interviewing the four main cast of the film, we took time to interview the producer of the film, unbb24. “Even If The World Ends is my very first film in HTG. I’m nervous and excited right now that my film is going to be release by AmyLand Studios. I’d like to say ‘thank you’ to Pedro for releasing this film. Unlike my TV series Life in NY which is a comedy, this film is a drama. I prefer drama films because I just want to get serious and be a little unique. I have noticed that dramas are not common. We get a lot of horror, comedy and action. I just want to make something different. But I do have some upcoming films that are comedies and I think that you should watch out for them! Cheers to my first film and please support it on April 20!”

Even If The World Ends premieres on April 20 in an HTG Theater near you!

1st Week of April
These are already in the theater so feel free to head on over, but if you are still unsure about them, you will get to know a little more about them here.

Frosty the Snowman is about a fable around Frosty. If you sing the song, he comes and kills you. Apparently, some mean girls play a trick on their friend by singing the Frosty song of death while one of the girls will act as Frosty for the prank. Sadly for them, Frosty decides to join the party.

Fatal Frame: Moonchild is a taste of Japanese-styled horror from Hollywood. Halliwell Productions and Catalyst Studios want to stay authentic to the source material so they try to be a little more eastern with their approach. It’s kind of a risky debut release for the studio. The movie is about a girl that is led to the mysterious Himura mansion by her interest and curiosity of folk lore. She and her best friend step foot into the mansion and find out about the Moonchild. What’s that? Check it out and you will know. And in case you don’t know much about the Fatal Frame game, let’s just say that (without spoiling much) a camera is a key tool in the series.

2nd Week of April
Scream 5 follows the Scream blueprint of killings happening in a small town. This time, it’s OceanView and the targets are tied to Sidney Prescott. AmyLand Studios develops a whole set of characters for the killings movie, so be sure to check this out, especially if you dig horror movies or the Scream series.

3rd Week of April
Even If The World Ends is the first movie of unbb24 Productions, so this is pretty interesting and it is a clever choice to release in a week without any contender for maximum exposure. It is the story of a woman known as Olivia Banes who kills her husband and is sentenced to 20 years in prison. The first thing she wants to do after getting out of jail to a brand new world is to reunite with her daughters, but the problem is, it isn’t that easy.

4th Week of April
Courage the Cowardly Dog is a cartoon and there’s no doubt that this will be an animation film. Toran Productions said to me that there will be no big names on the key roles, but there will be a few recognizable voices if you are a fan of the original series. The story is about the life of Courage and yes, it’s a dog that is cowardly, living with its owner Muriel and Eustance. For some reason, the newly bough farm animals are starting to act weird – a lot of weird stuff from color changes to sudden violence and a lot more – and it’s Courage that stumbles upon the truth. It is up to Courage to help those animals.

X is a brand new vision of the X-Men and it’s an origin story. The movie revolves around the many issues that the mutant community faces in their life. Mac The Movieguy Productions wants the story to be told from the perspectives of the well-known characters that are loved by the fans and there’s a brush of epic through this film. Definitely a must-see for the superheroes fans.

And that is all for the month of April. Overall, I would say this is a solid month, so enjoy life and enjoy your movies.

Though it is a fantasy show, what makes this show stick out amongst the rest of the crowd is the stellar cast that it has lined up for its inaugural season. Leading the charge is newcomer Chris J. Johnson (La Noire 2, Hybrid) who plays the lead hero John Marvel, a man who goes from being a “waiter at a boring cafe” to the savior of a world that just may need his midas touch. Following his lead is Sarah Shahi (Sheriff Pro Tempore), who is coming off a two season stint on Rogue Net’s hit sci-fi/western hybrid who’s character died in a fiery explosion in last season’s finale. She fills the role of the female lead in Luna, John’s guardian and ally in the new world. But while the two leads may be more unknown to HTG audiences, its the supporting cast that has both the producer and network giddy with excitement.

“I couldn’t believe that they accepted,” said producer MarkConnor on set of the production “they’re legends and for them to want to be in my show, well, it was such an honor!” And who would “they” be? Well, two of them are Oscar nominated actors, one of whom won for his role in Ghandi and the other nominated for his role in Frost/Nixon. They are, of course, Ben Kingsley (Gensis, GridIron) and Frank Langella (Chomolunga), who play two of the bigger supporting roles.

Ben Kingsley is set as Galad, a mysterious immortal with a long list of people who’ve scorned him, a man so full of hate and scorn that his features show it. “He is the villain of the piece,” said Quantum “and that’s why Ben fits the part so well.”

Well, Langella, who’s been noted for his villainous roles plays against type as the mentor figure known as Halven, who is as wise as the many years he has graced the world he lives in. It’s a part that almost went to Sir Ian McKellan, when it was envisioned as a recurring guest role, but after some talk, it was agreed to upgrade the part and thus recast the part. Neither Langella or McKellan mind the casting switcheroo as it is rumored that McKellan may show up during the show’s run as a character yet to be named, though he’ll be important once he gets here.

Rounding out the cast is Callum Keith Rennie (Family Reunion) who is set to play the role of the mysterious entity known as “The Shadow” who may or may not be good or evil, depending on your point of view and Tricia Helfer is attached to play Sersis, a beautiful woman, older then time, that could be mother nature but doesn’t know it. This will be Helfer’s HTG debut.

Also attached to the project are directors Michael Apted (City of Knowledge) and Neil Marshall (Picnic Time). Michael Apted will direct the first two episodes of the show, while Neil Marshall will direct the last two episodes of the first season. This is not Neil’s first foray into fantasy television directing, as he directed the third season opener of Hybrid in lieu of usually director Julie Taymor who was rumored to be prepping a new Shakespeare project with Amyland Studios.

Wars of Eredhar premieres on Rogue Net during session 12.

Hope/Rogue Selects will acquire a “Free Independent Arthouse Release” award for the producer and help pay for whatever costs the producer needs to be paid off for the film. Hope/Rogue Selects will then do the paperwork for the producer to make sure his or her film is released in an adequate time frame. Upon release, Hope/Rogue will obtain zero% of the profits and will allow the producer to gain everything from the gross of the arthouse film. However, it is upon the 100% take from the theatrical run, Hope/Rogue Selects obtains all HTG-Ray and TV rights to the films and will distribute the film as it sees fit either broadcasting the show on Rogue Net, or a rival network, or not at all. They will also make and keep all money earned through HTG-Ray sales as the rights are sold to Hope/Rogue Selects.

The way that the label operates is that, upon the film’s release, the poster for the film will feature a banner at the top that will read “Hope/Rogue Selects” and will be featured in the film’s trivia page. The label will operate similarly to the RL labels “Dimension Extreme” and “Ghost House Underground” wherein this label will focus on releasing arthouse projects from newer producers (1-5 released films).

The Hope/Rogue Selects banner has already acquired the rights to release two new films, both pitched as arthouse projects, that will take part in its inaugural slate. The first of those films is a new project from drejr24 (Hybrid, Monster) called In Memoriam, which is said to be a the dark tale of a woman dealing with her sister’s death. It will likely be the first of the two films to be released under the banner with a date being eyed at the end of April.

The other film in the slate is from new producer AlanOxSweatt and that film is the sports comedy Take Me Out to the Ball Game, though rumors have it that the title may be changed. The film is said to be a sports comedy about a disgruntled gangster who targets players for the Yankees for death and the one man who tries to stop him.

Talking about the label launch, Quantum stated “I’m always interested in trying to find the next way to bring films to HTG viewers and with the relaunch of HTG-Rays and the introduction of a theatrical TV block on HTG: TV, it just makes sense to try something new.” The label is accepting pitches though pick ups will likely be based on the success of the first two films released under this new HTG business model. Competitors are encouraged to form.

Expect the first two Hope/Rogue Selects banner independent films to be released in April, with the follow up being in May.

Yesterday, a press conference was held inside the Rogue Net building where we caught up with the cast and the producer of Rogue Net’s new comedy series, Life in NY. While they talked about the show to the audience, we tried to talk directly with the cast of the show. We first ran to the lead star of the show, Jason Biggs who plays a New Yorker bookstore salesman Archie Jones; “I love working on these show. This is my first time to work on an HTG television show. Also, it was a few years since my last movie and I’m working again. My character in this show is a simple man in early 30s who lives in New York and he is single. He lives in an apartment with his younger sister. He works as a salesman in a bookstore. Well, I’m kinda a New Jersey guy and I don’t know how a New Yorker lives but I’m enjoying finding out”.

After a nice small interview with Biggs, we kept strolling through the large room when we caught up Archie Jones’ little sister, Hatty Jones played by a gorgeous Lea Michele; “Hatty Jones could be the best and the weirdest character I’ve ever played because she is a childish woman who doesn’t have a job- but she will have a job in a future episode, so watch out for it. This is the favorite character I’ve ever played.”

Then, we caught up Eric Christian Olsen who plays Archie’s crazy best friend Jerry. “Jerry is a simple man who is a douche bag, but his friend loves him. I have fun working on my character in the sitcom. But, in the future episodes, he will get paired with one of Hollywood ’s hottest actress,” Eric said with a smile, “It gets really awesome for Jerry.”

After that we asked Mr. Ernie Hudson who played Archie’s boss Mr. Cruise. Hudson told us, “My character in this show is not a relative of Tom Cruise. It is weird that some critics say that my character has a pop culture references to the great Tom Cruise, but it is just my name in this show. Mr. Cruise is just not the average boss that every Americans know. He is the boss that you will love and hate.”

Next, we interviewed the mean owner of Retells apartment played by Brett Butler, Debra. “First, I would like to thank Jane Lynch because she didn’t take the part of Debra- even though she was perfect for this role. I gues she is too busy voicing animated movies. My character Debra is very mean, much like Mr. Krabs from Spongebob because she likes money. But, in real life, I’m not a mean person! (laughs) I just like having an ordinary life and I’m glad that my HTG debut is in this show because I love working on sitcoms and we have a fresh new producer. I’m enjoying my part as Debra”.

Our last cast interview of the night was with Archie and Hatty’s cousin, Barry, portrayed by funny man Danny McBride. “My character in this show is weird because he is like a ghost here,” Danny clarified what he meant, “Well, he doesn’t talk much and he is always hungry… because that it his running gag in the show. You get to find out my character’s true identity later, because there will be an episode that is like a special episode for me.”

After interviewing the cast of the show, we have a chance to interview the producer of Life in NY, unbb24. We asked him about his show and the things that we must watch out for. “Life in NY is my first project here in HTG and it was fun to write because the first season of this show will have twelve episodes. I got to work with some great actors and an awesome studio. I hope that this show will run for many seasons. Also, watch out for some upcoming guests on the show, including Kelsey Grammer, Peter Facinelli, Rooney Mara, Julianna Margulies, Laura Prepon, Leonard Nimoy, Jonathan Groff, Kristin Davis and one of the hottest actresses in Hollywood… but I have to keep that a secret for now.”

Life in NY airs on Rogue Net and more episodes will come out over the next few weeks.

Hello there, this is Mr.Goliathus again, here to talk about the latest TV war between Devil Ray TV, Flip Brothers TV and Rogue Net. It might only be the first week but in a session that is limited in time, every week counts. The highest rating show is kind of a surprise to be honest, as we saw Diamond Records‘ pilot breaks through the 10 rating, gaining a killer rating of 10.58 and that is the beauty of slot strategy by Devil Ray TV and also the unpredictability of the television business. Of course I am not saying that the show isn’t good, but a new original show is pretty hard to get the highest rating right off the bat because of the lack of fans to begin with. Devil Ray TV worked some magic with their scheduling. Just like not every movie that is praised by critics will sell well and vice versa, these things happen in TV too. As long as it wins against every shows in the time slot, that show’s a winner and Diamond Records did just that on the 10pm time slot. That time slot is a battle between three new shows: Diamond Records (10.58), AmyLand (6.16) and Life in NY (8.27). Life In NY held its own, but AmyLand didn’t do so good with its rating of 6.16. No idea why, maybe people prefer to not watch talking dog at 10PM? I don’t know.

The most epic battle of week 1 was no doubt the 9pm slot. With top buzzed shows like It’s Always Me and Thorn, it’s just too hard of a slot for Scream: The Woodsboro Chronicles to stand its ground. It’s Always Me is in the 8th season for a reason and it proved itself once again that the show was had domination in this business, topping that slot with 9.36 rating. Thorn did a solid 8.55, but Scream didn’t do so good- not even with diehard fans backing it up and only got a 7.09 rating. I was a little surprised by the drop of ratings for the latter half of Thorn though as it was lowered to 8.31 from 8.55, only able to share the viewers equally with two other shows: Eastwick (8.48) and Desperate Screenwriters (8.21).

Earlier in the night, TCW conquered the early 8pm slot with a nice rating of 10.03, putting its opponents to a below average rating 7.55 (Wise Tales) and 7.42 (Monster) respectively. Sadly, the rating of TCW dropped like someone just powerbombed it from the top rope, putting itself back to a standard 8.28. Devil Ray TV’s Wolfgang and Zombie provided magic to the network as it attracted a good 9.34 rating despite only ranked 13 in the buzz score while Rogue Net’s The Fastest Sport on Earth received only 7.39. I think splitting the sport fans into two shows isn’t the best move.

For the last main slot of 10:30pm, it’s another intensive battle between Marty Robbins’ Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs and Hybrid. Despite a top 3 buzz, Marty Robbins‘ 8.94 lost slightly to Hybrid‘s 9.36 and this time, Rogue Net won. For the (not so many) viewers not wanting to see more dramas, The Hollywood Times was there to help, but it only got a 6.70 rating.

Week 1 was pretty bad for FBTV, but luckily it has TCW to save their ratings. Rogue Net lost a tad too much on the early time slots so they sure didn’t have a very nice first week either. Devil Ray TV won the first week by far with an excellent slot strategy and it is holding a 9.04 overall rating now against the 7.95 of Rogue Net and a 7.61 for FBTV. Kudos to DRTV for a nice beginning. Rogue Net sure didn’t just sit there and wait for week 2 to start. They did a major overhaul with their time slots – I am not sure if all the viewers will like that, but it’s a good idea to shake things up a little bit. They put Hybrid on at 8PM and moved Scream to 8:30PM to try and see if they can do better in the earlier time slots. Life in NY is put in the hellish warzone of 9PM and Monster is down to 9:30PM. The Fastest Sports on Earth will square off against Diamond Records at 10PM, while Desperate Screenwriters will be happy to not face off against Marty Robbins this week. DRTV swaps out Marty Robbins and Wolfgang and Zombie for Just Me, a TV movie, and An HTG Archive Exclusive- both in my opinions are slightly weaker so it’ll be interesting to see whether DRTV can hold its overall ratings and the top spot. Sometime it’s fine to lose some as long as you don’t lose too much. FBTV didn’t change much except broadcasting The 14th HTG Awards from 10PM to 11PM, replacing AmyLand and The Hollywood Times for week 2.

I guess a little prediction won’t hurt, so here we go. Rogue Net’s major time slots rehaul will help some of their shows, and not help some. So when you balance it out, the gain or lost might not be too much. I will shoot for a minor gain. DRTV will still win the battle but only winning slightly, while FBTV will stay the same or maybe gaining a little more than week 1. Thanks for the read and we will meet again after the second week of carnage!

Earlier this afternoon, a press conference was held inside the Rogue Net building, where we caught up with the cast of the network’s new slasher series, Scream: The Woodsboro Chronicles. While they talked about the show to audience members, we managed to catch a word with a few of the stars. We first ran into young goddess Hayden Panettiere (pictured, left), who plays one of the leading roles as the sharp yet unstable Kirby Reed.

“I love doing it. With a TV show, we’re able to go into a bit more depth than we would with a film. There isn’t as much restriction as to what we can do and how long we can do it for. As for Kirby… she’s a great character. The reason I came back is because I love playing her. After Scream 4, her life’s become sort of a mess. She’s trying to put it back together, but with a new killer making his rounds it ravages the progress she’s made. So will she get progressively worse? Yes… but she does become aware of the killer’s patterns as time goes on. She still hasn’t lost her edge.”

With that, she had to attend to other affairs. As we kept strolling through the large room, we caught up with the series’ biggest (and leading) star, Courtney Cox, who greeted us with open arms. When asked about the series and the character of Gale, a smile immediately lit up her face.

“Gale’s terrific. She’s intelligent, sassy, clever, and a whole mess of things that I could spend a day telling you about. Of course, I give her her striking beauty, but still (laughs). She’s still married to Dewey. Happily? Not really, but they’re trying to make it work. It certainly doesn’t help that she’s juggling repairing a marriage while being targeted by a psychotic killer, and, to me, that’s why I’m excited to see how things play out. Will Gale eventually just give in? I have no idea. I haven’t read all the scripts yet. So I guess I’m like an audience member in the sense I’m awaiting in anxious suspense.”

We asked Courtney why she returned to the franchise, and she simply stated, “I thought it’d be fun. And so far I haven’t been wrong.”

Right after Courtney wished us farewell, young actress Spencer Locke (pictured, right) came for us, apparently eager for an interview. When asked about her character, she was a little vague, “I don’t want to say too much about Taylor. Why? I want you all to watch the show, I suppose.” When we asked what it was like to be one of the newbies to the Scream series, she quickly became more talkative. “I used to watch Scream as a kid… Ghostface terrified me. I’ll admit, I was a bit nervous walking on set the first day. Scream is such a popular and influential brand, and when faced against the vets who braved the films and being the new girl to the series… yeah, like I said, it’s a bit nerve-wracking. Of course, I’m not alone. I still have Danielle and Grant as my newbie teenage classmates. Thing is, though, this is my first big role in anything, really. But as time goes on I’m becoming more confident and more at ease. We’re like one big family on set.”

Wondering where the males were, we finally met series creator/writer Dartcher, who was wandering aimlessly down the room. We’re not sure if he was looking for something to do or… let’s just leave it at boredom. Right when we tapped him on the shoulder he slowly turned around and stared at us, looking rather stern. However, right when we asked questions he immediately became cheery. Dartcher told us, “I love Scream. I’ve always been a huge fan ever since I saw Drew Barrymore get taunted on the phone and eventually massacred. I’m not really worried about living up to any standards the franchise has. Of course, you have to keep the meta humor and the self-awareness. That goes without saying, but what we’re aiming to do with the show is to break off a little bit from the conventions of the series and make it a bit more character-oriented — and I’m not Ehren Kruger so it can’t go horribly wrong. We’re going to examine these characters and hopefully learn everything we can about them. Including if they’re the killer or not (smirks).” With that, he went back to doing God knows what, and we said our goodbyes and left the press conference. Should you be excited for the show? We certainly are.

Scream: The Woodsboro Chronicles airs on Rogue Net and the newest episode will come on next week.

TIMES: Miss Doherty, is it true that you will reunited with your “sisters” on TV?

DOHERTY: Yes, indeed. We will all reprise our roles as Halliwell sisters in the upcoming FBTV TV-movie “Charmed: The Vortex”. We are currently still shooting some scenes for it.

TIMES: What made you return?

DOHERTY: I met with Kaitlynn Halliwell three times actually before I decided to go through with it. And she could convince me bit by bit, that her approach of the series is not, what the show actually was. It is no longer in the hands of The WB or Spelling, may he rest in peace. She is trying a somewhat darker, more mature approach to the show. Maybe more what the first and to bits also the second season were.

TIMES: So no hard feelings towards Combs, Milano and McGowan?

DOHERTY: I have always been friends with Holly [Marie Combs]. Alyssa [Milano] and I never got on well, but we are both professional enough to do this movie and as for Rose [McGowan] we did a movie some years back together, but otherwise I have no grudge against her at all. Some of the old crew members were even still there, from way back before I left the show. As a matter of fact I got a little sentimental.

TIMES: Where is the franchise headed after this movie?

Doherty: As always that depends purely on the ratings. It might get another movie, maybe it will even have a ninth season. Time will tell.

TIMES: Thank you for this interview, Miss Doherty.

Charmed: The Vortex is expected to air in week 5 of HTG: TV on FBTV.

There have been lots of recent franchise purchases and transfers, some of which I talked about in mid March (see: Monk and Other Franchises). I thought that this might be as good a time as any to look at some of the newer franchise transactions.

THIRD WATCH
Krisgreet added Third Watch to his TV franchise collection that already includes NCIS, Criminal Minds, and Medical Investigations. He has expressed a lot of interest in buying J*A*G from Daniel Thomas, but Daniel has not been willing to give up the rights to the series. Is Kris planning an epic law enforcement and medical crossover movie? Or is he keeping his options open for future HTG TV projects? The original TV show “centered on the lives of police officers of the NYPD and the firefighters and paramedics of the FDNY, all working in the same fictional precinct during the 3pm to 11pm shift – the Third Watch.” HTG’s Superman, Eddie Cibrian (pictured above), was one of the leads on Third Watch.

WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE?
A more surprising TV franchise pick up comes from Bluegrass Productions and Brianc2008, who picked up the world wide rights to the TV gameshow Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Is the young producer looking to adapt the show into a trilogy of dramatic movies. It should be interesting to see how he crafts the story.

PSYCHO/FRIDAY THE 13TH/BUFFY/SUPERNATURAL
You might have noticed the word HORROR missing from the FBTV lineup. Horror Hour has been off the air for 6 sessions now and Horror City is on hiatus for an undisclosed amount of time. The theatrical Horror City: The Beginning only did okay numbers at the Box Office to mixed reviews, but did get a Yoda nomination. Sources tell me that future TV sessions are uncertain with the network wanting to wait to see how their new slate of shows in the new session pans out, but that another theatrical installment is in the works. The new movie would follow suit with the last session with semi connected stories happening in and around Horror City. They are looking for three producers to team up for the anthology project. It could be cool to see Norman Bates and Jason on the big screen fighting Buffy or the brothers from Supernatural. For now it is a wait and see.

SILENT HILL
No matter what happens to Horror City, horror fans will have a new reason to scream in May after Wonder Inc brings an adaptation of the long developed Silent Hill video game to life with Silent Hill: The Touch of Fear. Even more exciting is that it is in the hands of the HTG Master of Horror, Dartcher- the mind behind original horror flicks Creature, Axe, Twisted, Shriek, Winter Abandon and adaptations of A Nightmare on Elm Street, Cloverfild, and Hellraiser. In 2010, Yoda winner Goose expressed interest in buying the video game to adapt it for the big screen, but abandoned the project shortly after.  Dartcher has owned the rights to the material since February of 2011 and has finally gotten it off the ground. Brad Anderson, the director of 2005’s Hellblazer, will be directing the horror movie with Chris Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Robin Williams and Claire Danes attached to star. The official synopsis reads as follows, ” A young actor plagued by nightmares returns to his hometown of Silent Hill after losing contact with his family, only to discover that he should’ve never came home.”Look for it on May 11th.

OTHER RECENT PURCHASES

• Random FX shelled out 36m for Logan’s Run.
• Rogue TV picked up the TV show Masters of Horror, for a cool 20m.
• Quantum got a video game I’ve never heard of, I Am Alive, for 22m.
• Wonder Inc picked up the horror movie series, 28 Days Later, for 45m.

KAITLYNN: What is your nickname and your production company name?

TEUFEL: My name is Teufel and my production company is Decepticon Liberation Front.

KAITLYNN: What is your role in HTG?

TEUFEL: I co-run 21st Century Cat Pictures with KG, co-run DRTV with Mr. Tim, do some admin stuff, and occasionally write reviews and news articles.

KAITLYNN: When did you join HTG and how did you find it?

TEUFEL: I joined back in 2004. When I heard HTG had risen from the ashes of its predecessor F-M I hauled butt and got over here.

KAITLYNN: What was your favorite project to work on?

TEUFEL: Probably right now it is actually a TV movie I did in session 10, Monsters. It was originally going to be a ten page lark and wound up 60 pages I just pulled out of my butt as I wrote it. It ended up pretty well with very little pre-planning so I’m pretty happy with that right now. But that’s the kind of thing that changes depending on how you’re feeling or what you’re working on.

KAITLYNN: From the members, who have gone away or gone inactive over the time, who do you miss most?

TEUFEL: He wasn’t that active here, but since he did a couple reviews I’ll count Spoon. He was an awesome critic and player, a jack of all trades similar to Lucian and CzarTim before I knew who either of them were.

KAITLYNN: Who are your favorite and least favorite members in HTG?

TEUFEL: My favorite member is probably Bishop because of the way he unifies the game and brings us all closer. My least favorite is definitely Dartcher. He knows why.

KAITLYNN: What was your favorite movie (you may not choose one of your own)?

TEUFEL: Wednesday In Wyoming and Dick Tracy & The Killing Moon are the ones I’ve rated highest as a critic, I lean towards Wednesday though.

KAITLYNN: What are you currently working on?

TEUFEL: I’m working on the second season of Marty Robbins’ Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs for session 11, a TV movie Proud Name as backup programming for DRTV, and once I get a handle on TV I’d like to jump into the theater again with one of my many projects I’ve written 20 pages of and got stuck on.

KAITLYNN: If newbies need help, could they come to you? (*wink wink*)

TEUFEL: Of course. I’m always here to help.

KAITLYNN: If there is anything you could change about HTG, what would it be?

TEUFEL: Well, it’s easier said than done, I know, but updates being faster would be one thing I’d like to see. If box office is weeks late who cares? Buying items can take a while to get updated. Money for reviews, etc. People with lives and obligations outside of HTG have to update these things so I understand why it takes time, but I think we need to come up with a way to reduce the wait times.

KAITLYNN: Do you think HTG has a future?

TEUFEL: HTG has had ups and downs and is still going with people dedicated to it. So I think our future will be just fine.

KAITLYNN: Are you playing other simulations or games at all?

TEUFEL: No other simulation games, but lately I’ve been devoting a few hours a week to Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Special question from Marlowe:  “Is there going to be another Harmer movie or not? He’s worth the twenty mil!”

TEUFEL: Harmer will not ride again, for the sake of the horses. But I’m sure he’ll be in another film one day.

KAITLYNN: Whom should I interview next?

TEUFEL: Lucian would be a great interview.