Spoiler Alert! This story contains plot points from Friday’s episode of Fire Country on CBS.
Morena Baccarin made her debut as deputy sheriff Mickey on Fire Country — a role that could lead to a spinoff series if the TV (or CBS) Gods deem it worthy.
In the episode “Alert the Sheriff,” Mickey enters the scene in Edgewater via helicopter; she’s in pursuit of a money launderer who ends up dumping $50,000 in cash over the convicts while they while they’re working in the woods. Viewers quickly learn that Mickey is not only the step-sister of Sharon (Diane Farr), she also played an unfortunate role in putting Sharon’s son Bode (Max Thieriot) behind bars before he joined the Cal Fire firefighting program.
Mickey and Sharon have been estranged, but the women use the episode to heal old wounds. Sharon also leans on Mickey for support when she learns...
Morena Baccarin made her debut as deputy sheriff Mickey on Fire Country — a role that could lead to a spinoff series if the TV (or CBS) Gods deem it worthy.
In the episode “Alert the Sheriff,” Mickey enters the scene in Edgewater via helicopter; she’s in pursuit of a money launderer who ends up dumping $50,000 in cash over the convicts while they while they’re working in the woods. Viewers quickly learn that Mickey is not only the step-sister of Sharon (Diane Farr), she also played an unfortunate role in putting Sharon’s son Bode (Max Thieriot) behind bars before he joined the Cal Fire firefighting program.
Mickey and Sharon have been estranged, but the women use the episode to heal old wounds. Sharon also leans on Mickey for support when she learns...
- 4/13/2024
- by Lynette Rice
- Deadline Film + TV
One of Edgewater’s bravest will get a blast from their past when CBS’ Fire Country introduces a new character that, in success, just might headline the sophomore drama’s first spinoff.
In the sixth episode of this 10-episode season, titled “Alert the Sheriff” and airing Friday at 9/8c, after a fire camp inmate escapes from Three Rock, a deputy sheriff “with a surprising connection to the Leones” is called to investigate.
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In the sixth episode of this 10-episode season, titled “Alert the Sheriff” and airing Friday at 9/8c, after a fire camp inmate escapes from Three Rock, a deputy sheriff “with a surprising connection to the Leones” is called to investigate.
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- 4/9/2024
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
Series creator, executive producer, and star Max Thieriot steps behind the camera to direct CBS’s Fire Country season two episode six. Written by Joan Rater and Tony Phelan, episode six – “Alert the Sheriff” – featuring guest star Morena Baccarin (Gotham) will air on Friday, April 12, 2024 at 9pm Et/Pt.
Max Thieriot leads the cast as Bode, Billy Burke plays Vince, Kevin Alejandro is Manny, and Diane Farr is Sharon. Stephanie Arcila stars as Gabriela, Jordan Calloway is Jake, and Jules Latimer plays Eve.
“Alert the Sheriff” Plot: After a fire camp inmate escapes from Three Rock, the deputy sheriff with a surprising connection to the Leones, Mickey (Baccarin), is called to investigate.
Alex Désert as Rudy, Max Thieriot as Bode Leone, and Alberto Frezza as Andy Kubiak in ‘Fire Country’ season 2 episode 6
Series Description, Courtesy of CBS:
Fire Country stars Max Thieriot as Bode Donovan, a young convict seeking redemption...
Max Thieriot leads the cast as Bode, Billy Burke plays Vince, Kevin Alejandro is Manny, and Diane Farr is Sharon. Stephanie Arcila stars as Gabriela, Jordan Calloway is Jake, and Jules Latimer plays Eve.
“Alert the Sheriff” Plot: After a fire camp inmate escapes from Three Rock, the deputy sheriff with a surprising connection to the Leones, Mickey (Baccarin), is called to investigate.
Alex Désert as Rudy, Max Thieriot as Bode Leone, and Alberto Frezza as Andy Kubiak in ‘Fire Country’ season 2 episode 6
Series Description, Courtesy of CBS:
Fire Country stars Max Thieriot as Bode Donovan, a young convict seeking redemption...
- 4/7/2024
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Spoiler Alert! This story contains plot points from Friday’s episode of Fire Country on CBS.
In Friday’s episode dubbed “This Storm Will Pass,” the Edgewater firefighters encounter their first firenado that ends up taking the life of someone very close to the team.
Here, showrunner Tia Napolitano and executive producers Joan Rater and Tony Phelan explain why it made sense to say goodbye to a character who was first introduced in season one, and how the Cal Fire team — especially Bode (Max Thieriot) — will respond going forward.
Deadline: So was this your first firenado?
Joan Rater: Yes, we’re firenado virgins?
Tia Napolitano: We ask all the writers to come in with the most interesting incidents, big or small, at the top of the season. Someone pitched a firenado. Obviously that’s on the big end of the spectrum and we all gravitated toward it really early.
In Friday’s episode dubbed “This Storm Will Pass,” the Edgewater firefighters encounter their first firenado that ends up taking the life of someone very close to the team.
Here, showrunner Tia Napolitano and executive producers Joan Rater and Tony Phelan explain why it made sense to say goodbye to a character who was first introduced in season one, and how the Cal Fire team — especially Bode (Max Thieriot) — will respond going forward.
Deadline: So was this your first firenado?
Joan Rater: Yes, we’re firenado virgins?
Tia Napolitano: We ask all the writers to come in with the most interesting incidents, big or small, at the top of the season. Someone pitched a firenado. Obviously that’s on the big end of the spectrum and we all gravitated toward it really early.
- 4/6/2024
- by Lynette Rice
- Deadline Film + TV
It's not uncommon to see a successful TV show start talking about spinoffs. We have seen it done on several franchises, from FBI to NCIS to the One Chicago universe.
With the difficulty of getting high rankings and extra seasons, it makes sense (sort of) for TV execs to expand a storyline with new characters to turn into spinoffs. Why take the chance on a new series when you know you've got a current hit?
However, these moves also risk overexposure for the characters we love. I love a good crossover as much as the next person. But sometimes they be doing too much.
Is that the future for the already flailing ongoing series Fire Country and its new potential upcoming spinoff Sheriff Country? Let's discuss!
What is Fire Country?
Many primetime TV viewers fell in love with Max Thieriot in his supporting role as Clay Spencer on Seal Team.
With the difficulty of getting high rankings and extra seasons, it makes sense (sort of) for TV execs to expand a storyline with new characters to turn into spinoffs. Why take the chance on a new series when you know you've got a current hit?
However, these moves also risk overexposure for the characters we love. I love a good crossover as much as the next person. But sometimes they be doing too much.
Is that the future for the already flailing ongoing series Fire Country and its new potential upcoming spinoff Sheriff Country? Let's discuss!
What is Fire Country?
Many primetime TV viewers fell in love with Max Thieriot in his supporting role as Clay Spencer on Seal Team.
- 4/3/2024
- by Sara Trimble
- TVfanatic
CBS has renewed the comedy “Ghosts” for Season 4 and the drama “Fire Country” for Season 3.
Both shows launched their new seasons in mid-February due to the impact last year’s dual writers’ and actors’ strike had on broadcast production schedules.
“’Ghosts’ and ‘Fire Country’ are proven viewer favorites on both broadcast and streaming thanks to exceptional storytelling, talented actors and an ever-growing fan base,” said Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment. “We are elated to keep the momentum going and bring them back to CBS next season.”
Per CBS, “Ghosts” is currently averaging 10.2 million viewers per episode in Live+7 multiplatform viewing, while “Fire Country” is averaging 9.2 million.
Ghosts” is based on the UK series of the same name. The American version stars Rose McIver, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Brandon Scott Jones, Richie Moriarty, Danielle Pinnock, Asher Grodman, Román Zaragoza, Sheila Carrasco, Rebecca Wisocky and Devon Chandler
Joe Port and Joe Wiseman developed...
Both shows launched their new seasons in mid-February due to the impact last year’s dual writers’ and actors’ strike had on broadcast production schedules.
“’Ghosts’ and ‘Fire Country’ are proven viewer favorites on both broadcast and streaming thanks to exceptional storytelling, talented actors and an ever-growing fan base,” said Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment. “We are elated to keep the momentum going and bring them back to CBS next season.”
Per CBS, “Ghosts” is currently averaging 10.2 million viewers per episode in Live+7 multiplatform viewing, while “Fire Country” is averaging 9.2 million.
Ghosts” is based on the UK series of the same name. The American version stars Rose McIver, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Brandon Scott Jones, Richie Moriarty, Danielle Pinnock, Asher Grodman, Román Zaragoza, Sheila Carrasco, Rebecca Wisocky and Devon Chandler
Joe Port and Joe Wiseman developed...
- 3/12/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
CBS has renewed the hit Friday night drama Fire Country for a third season.
From creators and executive producers Tony Phelan, Joan Rater and Max Thieriot, the series follows Bode Donovan (Thieriot), a young convict seeking redemption and a shortened prison sentence by joining a prison release firefighting program in Northern California. The program partners inmates with elite firefighters to extinguish unpredictable wildfires across the region.
When Bode is assigned to the program in his rural hometown—where he was once a golden all-American son—until his troubles begin as he burns down everything in his life, now, he’s looking for the opportunity to change his destiny.
Billy Burke, Kevin Alejandro, Diane Farr, Stephanie Arcila, Jordan Calloway and Jules Latimer also star.
Fire Country is averaging 9.21 million viewers in live 7-day multiplatform viewing, up +7% from last year, the network shares while touting the series as a top 6 in streaming on Paramount+.
From creators and executive producers Tony Phelan, Joan Rater and Max Thieriot, the series follows Bode Donovan (Thieriot), a young convict seeking redemption and a shortened prison sentence by joining a prison release firefighting program in Northern California. The program partners inmates with elite firefighters to extinguish unpredictable wildfires across the region.
When Bode is assigned to the program in his rural hometown—where he was once a golden all-American son—until his troubles begin as he burns down everything in his life, now, he’s looking for the opportunity to change his destiny.
Billy Burke, Kevin Alejandro, Diane Farr, Stephanie Arcila, Jordan Calloway and Jules Latimer also star.
Fire Country is averaging 9.21 million viewers in live 7-day multiplatform viewing, up +7% from last year, the network shares while touting the series as a top 6 in streaming on Paramount+.
- 3/12/2024
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
After a nine-month hiatus between new installments, Fire Country Season 2 Episode 1 certainly delivered a lot of -- (forgive the pun) fireworks.
In fact, if your favorite thing about this show is its tendency to deliver absolutely bonkers twists and turns, then you might have thought that that was just the episode yet.
Hell, there was literally a prison knife fight that ended abruptly when an earthquake struck, and one of the combatants was crushed by a chunk of concrete ceiling.
But if you're a fan of Fire Country's more nuanced, subtle moments, then you might not like the direction in which this season is headed.
Either way, you're probably curious about how the writers will follow up such an eventful season premiere.
Well, you're in luck, because we've got all the advance info you need about what comes next for Bode Leone, Station 42, and the Three Rock crew.
Speaking of Three Rock,...
In fact, if your favorite thing about this show is its tendency to deliver absolutely bonkers twists and turns, then you might have thought that that was just the episode yet.
Hell, there was literally a prison knife fight that ended abruptly when an earthquake struck, and one of the combatants was crushed by a chunk of concrete ceiling.
But if you're a fan of Fire Country's more nuanced, subtle moments, then you might not like the direction in which this season is headed.
Either way, you're probably curious about how the writers will follow up such an eventful season premiere.
Well, you're in luck, because we've got all the advance info you need about what comes next for Bode Leone, Station 42, and the Three Rock crew.
Speaking of Three Rock,...
- 2/20/2024
- by Tyler Johnson
- TVfanatic
It’s the moral dilemma first responders are faced with too often: How much do you risk to save a life? They put their lives on the line, and they’re willing to do so, but the February 23 episode of Fire Country is really going to test that part of our favorite firefighters. In “Like Breathing Again,” directed by series star Kevin Alejandro (who was also behind the camera for a Season 1 episode), while breaking up a bonfire party, the Station 42 crew is called to complete a dangerous and highly complex cave rescue. “Really what it comes down to is they’re faced with this cave that these kids go into regularly, and they really have to come to terms with, where is that line between putting firefighters at risk versus attempting this rescue?” executive producer Tony Phelan previews for TV Insider. “And I think it really tests everybody’s resolve on those questions because,...
- 2/19/2024
- TV Insider
When Fire Country EPs Tony Phelan and Joan Rater told TVLine that “everybody’s in a new place” when Season 2 opens, they were not kidding.
I mean, yes, of course, Bode is now back behind bars, where he has been misbehaving so as to get moved closer and closer to Sleeper’s cell block. But pretty much everyone else has experienced change either on the professional or personal front, in the six months that have passed since the events of the Season 1 finale.
More from TVLineThe Voice Recap: Bono Way! Did the Blinds Just Introduce a Singer On Par With U2's Frontman?...
I mean, yes, of course, Bode is now back behind bars, where he has been misbehaving so as to get moved closer and closer to Sleeper’s cell block. But pretty much everyone else has experienced change either on the professional or personal front, in the six months that have passed since the events of the Season 1 finale.
More from TVLineThe Voice Recap: Bono Way! Did the Blinds Just Introduce a Singer On Par With U2's Frontman?...
- 2/17/2024
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
Exclusive: Morena Baccarin (Deadpool franchise) is set to appear in an upcoming episode of CBS’ Fire Country, playing a sheriff character that could lead her own series. Baccarin will guest star in the Season 2 episode with an option to become a series regular in a potential spinoff series, Deadline has learned. Like the mothership series, the proposed offshoot would be produced by CBS Studios.
Fire Country stars Max Thieriot as a young convict seeking redemption and a shortened prison sentence by joining a prison release firefighting program in his rural Northern California hometown of Edgewater.
In the planted spinoff episode, which will air later in the season, Baccarin will play Mickey, a Sheriff’s Deputy for fifteen years who knows every corner of Edgewater … and every one of its inhabitants. This is her town and she’s fiercely protective of it.
Baccarin emerged as a top choice for the role...
Fire Country stars Max Thieriot as a young convict seeking redemption and a shortened prison sentence by joining a prison release firefighting program in his rural Northern California hometown of Edgewater.
In the planted spinoff episode, which will air later in the season, Baccarin will play Mickey, a Sheriff’s Deputy for fifteen years who knows every corner of Edgewater … and every one of its inhabitants. This is her town and she’s fiercely protective of it.
Baccarin emerged as a top choice for the role...
- 1/23/2024
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Two of Fire Country‘s creators are here to offer a spark of hope for the CBS hit’s anxious fans.
Season 1 of last season’s most-watched and highest-rated freshman series followed Max Thierot’s Bode as the convict sought redemption (and a shortened sentence) by joining the Three Rock prison-release firefighting program.
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Alas,...
Season 1 of last season’s most-watched and highest-rated freshman series followed Max Thierot’s Bode as the convict sought redemption (and a shortened sentence) by joining the Three Rock prison-release firefighting program.
More from TVLineSVU's Mariska Hargitay: Benson's Compass Necklace Is a Daily Reminder From 'Somebody That She Knows Loves Her' - WatchThe Summit: Mountain Climbing Competition Series Hosted By Spartacus' Manu Bennett Ordered at Cbsncis: Hawai'i Season 3 Trailer Features Sam/Jane Pep Talk and Your Favorite 'Dynamic Duo' (Exclusive)
Alas,...
- 1/17/2024
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
With the start of the new year, Fire Country audiences are only a few weeks away from the premiere of the long-awaited second season. Viewers have had to wait a year since Fire Country season 2 was greenlit for production in January 2023. The CBS action drama follows the work life and relationships of Bode Donovan, the Leone family, and the staff of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). Executive produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, Fire Country is created by Max Thieriot, Tony Phelan, and Joan Rater. Fire Country season 1 left viewers with lots of unanswered...
- 1/6/2024
- by Onyinye Izundu
- TVovermind.com
Exclusive: Tye White (American Auto) and Jason O’Mara (The Man in the High Castle) are set for key recurring roles on the upcoming second season of CBS drama series Fire Country.
The drama stars Max Thieriot as Bode Donovan, a young convict seeking redemption and a shortened prison sentence by joining a prison release firefighting program in Northern California, where he and other inmates are partnered with elite firefighters to extinguish massive, unpredictable wildfires across the region. It’s a high-risk, high-reward assignment, and the heat is turned up when Bode is assigned to the program in his rural hometown, where he was once a golden all-American son – until his troubles began. Five years ago, Bode burned down everything in his life, leaving town with a big secret. Now he’s back, with the rap sheet of a criminal and the audacity to believe in a chance for redemption with Cal Fire.
The drama stars Max Thieriot as Bode Donovan, a young convict seeking redemption and a shortened prison sentence by joining a prison release firefighting program in Northern California, where he and other inmates are partnered with elite firefighters to extinguish massive, unpredictable wildfires across the region. It’s a high-risk, high-reward assignment, and the heat is turned up when Bode is assigned to the program in his rural hometown, where he was once a golden all-American son – until his troubles began. Five years ago, Bode burned down everything in his life, leaving town with a big secret. Now he’s back, with the rap sheet of a criminal and the audacity to believe in a chance for redemption with Cal Fire.
- 12/19/2023
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
CBS is looking to turn another successful drama into a franchise. The network will introduce a new character in an episode from Fire Country‘s upcoming second season that could anchor her own series, sources tell Deadline.
Casting is currently underway for the role, a female sheriff, which is an episodic guest star with an option to become a series regular.
Sources caution that this is not a formal backdoor pilot order, and CBS could go different routes with the new character if the episode is well received, spinning off the character into her own series or adding the actress to the cast of the Fire Country mothership.
CBS’ decision to explore a Fire Country spinoff is not surprising, given the fact that the CBS Studios-produced drama starring Max Thieriot ranked as the most watched new broadcast series last season, averaging 8 million viewers per episode, 10 million in live+35 multi-platform viewing.
Casting is currently underway for the role, a female sheriff, which is an episodic guest star with an option to become a series regular.
Sources caution that this is not a formal backdoor pilot order, and CBS could go different routes with the new character if the episode is well received, spinning off the character into her own series or adding the actress to the cast of the Fire Country mothership.
CBS’ decision to explore a Fire Country spinoff is not surprising, given the fact that the CBS Studios-produced drama starring Max Thieriot ranked as the most watched new broadcast series last season, averaging 8 million viewers per episode, 10 million in live+35 multi-platform viewing.
- 12/15/2023
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
A24’s Past Lives, the debut film from director Celine Song, won Best Feature tonight at the 33rd Gotham Awards in Manhattan. Check out the full winners list for one the first ceremonies of the movie-kudos season below.
Past Lives follows two deeply connected childhood friends (Greta Lee and Teo Yoo) who are wrested apart after Nora’s family emigrates from South Korea. Twenty years later, they are reunited for one fateful week as they confront notions of love and destiny. Here is Song’s acceptance speech:
Lily Gladstone took home the Outstanding Lead Performance award — not for Killers of the Flower Moon but for Music Box Films’ The Unknown Country (watch her acceptance speech here) — and Charles Melton won the Supporting prize for Netflix’s May December (speech video here). Both are gender-neutral categories.
Neon’s Anatomy of a Fall picked up the first two trophies of the night...
Past Lives follows two deeply connected childhood friends (Greta Lee and Teo Yoo) who are wrested apart after Nora’s family emigrates from South Korea. Twenty years later, they are reunited for one fateful week as they confront notions of love and destiny. Here is Song’s acceptance speech:
Lily Gladstone took home the Outstanding Lead Performance award — not for Killers of the Flower Moon but for Music Box Films’ The Unknown Country (watch her acceptance speech here) — and Charles Melton won the Supporting prize for Netflix’s May December (speech video here). Both are gender-neutral categories.
Neon’s Anatomy of a Fall picked up the first two trophies of the night...
- 11/28/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith and Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Lily Gladstone, Charles Melton, Ali Wong take acting honours.
Celine Song’s Past Lives at A24 was named best feature while Justine Triet’s Palme d’Or winner Anatomy Of A Fall at Neon collected two honours at the 33rd Gotham Awards in New York on Monday night.
In the first major awards ceremony of the season – with actors in attendance since the end of the 118-day strike –Triet’s crime mystery Anatomy Of A Fall was crowned best international feature, and Triet and Arthur Harari took home the award for best screenplay.
Lily Gladstone won the prize in the...
Celine Song’s Past Lives at A24 was named best feature while Justine Triet’s Palme d’Or winner Anatomy Of A Fall at Neon collected two honours at the 33rd Gotham Awards in New York on Monday night.
In the first major awards ceremony of the season – with actors in attendance since the end of the 118-day strike –Triet’s crime mystery Anatomy Of A Fall was crowned best international feature, and Triet and Arthur Harari took home the award for best screenplay.
Lily Gladstone won the prize in the...
- 11/28/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Monday was move-in day for the writers of CBS’ Fire Country who spent the morning unpacking boxes in their new (larger) office space on the Radford lot, an upgrade from the crammed bungalow/trailer they occupied last year, possibly in recognition of Fire Country ending the 2022-23 as the most watched new broadcast series.
It was also a return-to-work day for the 11-member writing team (and support staff) of the firefighter drama on the day the first writers rooms reopened after the five-month WGA strike. It is led by showrunner/executive producer Tia Napolitano as well as executive producers Joan Rater and Tony Phelan who co-created the series with star/executive producer Max Thieriot.
As they all gathered around the table in their new writers room for the first time just after lunch, the group shared their thoughts about the strike and starting work on the new season after a...
It was also a return-to-work day for the 11-member writing team (and support staff) of the firefighter drama on the day the first writers rooms reopened after the five-month WGA strike. It is led by showrunner/executive producer Tia Napolitano as well as executive producers Joan Rater and Tony Phelan who co-created the series with star/executive producer Max Thieriot.
As they all gathered around the table in their new writers room for the first time just after lunch, the group shared their thoughts about the strike and starting work on the new season after a...
- 10/3/2023
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Update: A roster of talent including Jason Alexander, Jack Black, Lily Tomlin and Jeremy Allen White, among others, will join the Give Back-ular Spectacular! fundraising variety show to benefit the entire community of artists, craftspeople, technicians, production assistants and support staff facing financial difficulty due to the strikes.
Produced by Marta Kauffman, Paul McCrane, Paul Scheer and more, The Give Back-ular Spectacular! set for October 25, 6 p.m., in Los Angeles at the Orpheum Theater will feature, in addition to those mentioned above, Rachel Bloom, LeVar Burton, Nicole Byer, Bryan Cranston, Lil Dicky, Lindsay Dougherty, Simon Helberg, Janelle James, Michael McKean, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, June Diane Raphael, Andrea Savage, Paul Scheer, Dax Shepard and Julian Velard.
The evening will consist of sketch comedy, stand-up, live interviews, musical performances, and more. Ticket and other information can be found here.
Previous, Sept. 7: Friends co-creator Marta Kauffman, actors Paul McCrane (ER) and...
Produced by Marta Kauffman, Paul McCrane, Paul Scheer and more, The Give Back-ular Spectacular! set for October 25, 6 p.m., in Los Angeles at the Orpheum Theater will feature, in addition to those mentioned above, Rachel Bloom, LeVar Burton, Nicole Byer, Bryan Cranston, Lil Dicky, Lindsay Dougherty, Simon Helberg, Janelle James, Michael McKean, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, June Diane Raphael, Andrea Savage, Paul Scheer, Dax Shepard and Julian Velard.
The evening will consist of sketch comedy, stand-up, live interviews, musical performances, and more. Ticket and other information can be found here.
Previous, Sept. 7: Friends co-creator Marta Kauffman, actors Paul McCrane (ER) and...
- 9/27/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The “Give Back-ular Spectacular” is coming into focus.
Organizers for the live telethon-style fundraiser — set to take place at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles on Oct. 25 — have confirmed a roster of celebrity participants that includes (in alphabetical order) Jason Alexander, Jack Black, Rachel Bloom, LeVar Burton, Nicole Byer, Bryan Cranston, Lil Dicky, Lindsay Dougherty, Simon Helberg, Janelle James, Michael McKean, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, June Diane Raphael, Andrea Savage, Paul Scheer, Dax Shepard, Lily Tomlin, Julian Velard and Jeremy Allen White. The program is set to feature sketch comedy, stand-up, live interviews, musical performances and more.
As previously announced, the purpose is to “raise money for emergency financial relief for the entire community of artists, craftspeople, technicians, production assistants and support staff facing financial difficulty due to the strikes.”
The event is being produced by Marta Kauffman, Paul McCrane, Robbie Rowe Tollin, Jesse Schiller, Paul Scheer, Tony Phelan, Tara Miele...
Organizers for the live telethon-style fundraiser — set to take place at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles on Oct. 25 — have confirmed a roster of celebrity participants that includes (in alphabetical order) Jason Alexander, Jack Black, Rachel Bloom, LeVar Burton, Nicole Byer, Bryan Cranston, Lil Dicky, Lindsay Dougherty, Simon Helberg, Janelle James, Michael McKean, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, June Diane Raphael, Andrea Savage, Paul Scheer, Dax Shepard, Lily Tomlin, Julian Velard and Jeremy Allen White. The program is set to feature sketch comedy, stand-up, live interviews, musical performances and more.
As previously announced, the purpose is to “raise money for emergency financial relief for the entire community of artists, craftspeople, technicians, production assistants and support staff facing financial difficulty due to the strikes.”
The event is being produced by Marta Kauffman, Paul McCrane, Robbie Rowe Tollin, Jesse Schiller, Paul Scheer, Tony Phelan, Tara Miele...
- 9/27/2023
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Union Solidarity Coalition — founded over the summer by a group of writer-directors moved to support crewmembers amid the strike — launched an eBay auction last week with lots so unique, it seems they were dreamed up in a writers room. And the bids have been rolling in fast and thick.
A sampling of the offerings and current bids (as of publication time) include dinner with Bob Odenkirk and David Cross ($10,200); the cast of Bob’s Burgers singing a custom song ($7,200); Natasha Lyonne helping solve the New York Times Sunday crossword via Zoom ($6,100); Lena Dunham painting a mural in your home ($5,100); John Lithgow painting a watercolor portrait of your dog ($4,450); a pottery class with Busy Philipps in New York ($3,500); Adam Scott walking your dog in L.A. for one hour ($2,500); a Zoom with Barry Jenkins and Nicholas Britell ($1,250); and a relationship advice squabble over Zoom with Rosemarie Dewitt and Ron Livingston ($1,136).
The...
A sampling of the offerings and current bids (as of publication time) include dinner with Bob Odenkirk and David Cross ($10,200); the cast of Bob’s Burgers singing a custom song ($7,200); Natasha Lyonne helping solve the New York Times Sunday crossword via Zoom ($6,100); Lena Dunham painting a mural in your home ($5,100); John Lithgow painting a watercolor portrait of your dog ($4,450); a pottery class with Busy Philipps in New York ($3,500); Adam Scott walking your dog in L.A. for one hour ($2,500); a Zoom with Barry Jenkins and Nicholas Britell ($1,250); and a relationship advice squabble over Zoom with Rosemarie Dewitt and Ron Livingston ($1,136).
The...
- 9/19/2023
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
They’re calling it “The Give Back-ular Spectacular.”
A new fundraiser has been set for L.A.’s Orpheum Theater on Oct. 25 as a benefit for workers amid Hollywood’s dual strikes, organized in partnership with the Union Solidarity Coalition. It will be co-hosted by Friends co-creator Marta Kauffman, actor and director Paul McCrane and actor and writer Paul Scheer.
Per official intel distributed Thursday, the fundraiser is designed “to raise awareness that this strike is adversely affecting not just writers and actors, but the entire community of artists, craftspeople, technicians, production assistants and support staff” while also raising money to cover Cobra and healthcare premiums for members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), Teamsters, Laborers’ International Union of North America and other workers who are being financially impacted by the work stoppage.
Tusc was founded by writers and directors who were moved to support crews affected...
A new fundraiser has been set for L.A.’s Orpheum Theater on Oct. 25 as a benefit for workers amid Hollywood’s dual strikes, organized in partnership with the Union Solidarity Coalition. It will be co-hosted by Friends co-creator Marta Kauffman, actor and director Paul McCrane and actor and writer Paul Scheer.
Per official intel distributed Thursday, the fundraiser is designed “to raise awareness that this strike is adversely affecting not just writers and actors, but the entire community of artists, craftspeople, technicians, production assistants and support staff” while also raising money to cover Cobra and healthcare premiums for members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), Teamsters, Laborers’ International Union of North America and other workers who are being financially impacted by the work stoppage.
Tusc was founded by writers and directors who were moved to support crews affected...
- 9/7/2023
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Humanitas, the organization that annually honors film and television writers whose work best explores the human condition, has revealed its 2023 winners.
Among the prizewinners is Craig Mazin, who scripted Season 1 The Last of Us episode “Long Long Time” that starred Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett. Mazin won in the Drama Teleplay category, beating out fellow semifinalists that included Peter Gould who was up for the series-finale episode of Better Call Saul.
Other Humanitas category winners in TV included Amy Sherman-Palladino for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Comedy Teleplay), and Tony Phelan & Joan Rater for the pilot of A Small Light in Limited Series.
On the movie side, winners included Tyler Perry for his Tyler Perry: A Jazzman’s Blues in the Drama Feature Film category, over Rebecca Lenkiewicz for She Said and Michael Reilly & Keith Beauchamp and Chinonye Chukwu for Till. Cooper Raiff won Comedy Feature Film for his indie Cha Cha Real Smooth,...
Among the prizewinners is Craig Mazin, who scripted Season 1 The Last of Us episode “Long Long Time” that starred Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett. Mazin won in the Drama Teleplay category, beating out fellow semifinalists that included Peter Gould who was up for the series-finale episode of Better Call Saul.
Other Humanitas category winners in TV included Amy Sherman-Palladino for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Comedy Teleplay), and Tony Phelan & Joan Rater for the pilot of A Small Light in Limited Series.
On the movie side, winners included Tyler Perry for his Tyler Perry: A Jazzman’s Blues in the Drama Feature Film category, over Rebecca Lenkiewicz for She Said and Michael Reilly & Keith Beauchamp and Chinonye Chukwu for Till. Cooper Raiff won Comedy Feature Film for his indie Cha Cha Real Smooth,...
- 8/16/2023
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
This year’s Humanitas Prizes for screenwriting, usually handed out at Beverly Hilton ceremony, were announced via the Los Angeles Times this year in solidarity with the unions on strike, including the Unite Here Local 11 hospitality workers. And on top of awarding shows like The Last of Us and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Humanitas, an organization founded in 1974, also honored the striking Writers Guild of America itself with its “Voice for Change” award. Past winners of that award have included Ava DuVernay and Kenya Barris.
Humanitas’ mission is to tell “stories that explore the human experience because we believe that the act of acknowledging our common humanity is transformational.” With that in mind, this year the organization’s winners include The Last of Us‘ Craig Mazin for the teleplay for the emotional and critically lauded episode “Long, Long Time” in the drama television category. In the comedy equivalent, Amy Sherman-Palladino...
Humanitas’ mission is to tell “stories that explore the human experience because we believe that the act of acknowledging our common humanity is transformational.” With that in mind, this year the organization’s winners include The Last of Us‘ Craig Mazin for the teleplay for the emotional and critically lauded episode “Long, Long Time” in the drama television category. In the comedy equivalent, Amy Sherman-Palladino...
- 8/15/2023
- by Esther Zuckerman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Union Solidarity Coalition, a group founded by writers and filmmakers moved by solidarity on the picket lines, has set a fundraising Solidarity Night for Sat. July, 15 to raise money for crew members affected by the ongoing writers’ strike. The event will be held in downtown Los Angeles from 6-10 p.m.
All proceeds from Solidarity Night will go to the Tusc Fund of MPTF, benefitting film crew members who are at risk of losing their healthcare during the work stoppage.
A host committee including Lulu Wang, Boots Riley, Ben Stiller, Jay Roach, Daniel Kwan, Bob Odenkirk, Joe Robert Cole, Natasha Lyonne and many others will welcome attendees to a mixer to underscore Tusc’s mission of inter-union solidarity in the TV and film industry, “creating a space for writers, directors, actors and crew to interact in a casual space where entertainment takes on a different meaning than just a...
All proceeds from Solidarity Night will go to the Tusc Fund of MPTF, benefitting film crew members who are at risk of losing their healthcare during the work stoppage.
A host committee including Lulu Wang, Boots Riley, Ben Stiller, Jay Roach, Daniel Kwan, Bob Odenkirk, Joe Robert Cole, Natasha Lyonne and many others will welcome attendees to a mixer to underscore Tusc’s mission of inter-union solidarity in the TV and film industry, “creating a space for writers, directors, actors and crew to interact in a casual space where entertainment takes on a different meaning than just a...
- 7/11/2023
- by Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
The Best Limited Series/TV Movie Writing category has 111 submissions on the 2023 Emmys ballot, giving us six nominees this year. With the same number of nominees last year, they were “Dopesick” (“The People vs. Purdue Pharma” by Danny Strong), “The Dropout” (“I’m in a Hurry” by Elizabeth Meriwether), “Maid” (“Snaps” by Molly Smith Metzler), “Station Eleven” (“Unbroken Circle” by Patrick Somerville), “Impeachment: American Crime Story” (“Man Handled” by Sarah Burgess), and the winner “The White Lotus” (Mike White).
What makes last year interesting is that half of the shows in the category were not nominated for Best Limited Series, something that perhaps could repeat itself to a degree with this year’s potential nominees. Another thing of note is that almost all of the top contenders this year that had the option to submit multiple episodes only went with one, preventing any possibility of vote-splitting.
Take “Beef” for example,...
What makes last year interesting is that half of the shows in the category were not nominated for Best Limited Series, something that perhaps could repeat itself to a degree with this year’s potential nominees. Another thing of note is that almost all of the top contenders this year that had the option to submit multiple episodes only went with one, preventing any possibility of vote-splitting.
Take “Beef” for example,...
- 6/28/2023
- by Christopher Tsang
- Gold Derby
Bel Powley stars in the National Geographic series “A Small Light” as Miep Gies, the woman who helped hide Otto Frank and his family during WWII. During a reception for the show Thursday at the San Vicente Bungalows in West Hollywood, the actor recalled being on set when she first heard about Kanye West’s antisemitic comments in October 2022.
“We were filming the show when all of the Kanye stuff was happening,” Powley told me. “I was obviously living in the world of the show, which has a lot of Nazi rhetoric because we’re making a show about the Nazi occupation in 1942, but then suddenly seeing and hearing that same rhetoric spoken now by a world-famous celebrity with huge influence was so freaky and unsettling and saddening.”
During a Q&a earlier in the evening, moderator Hannah Einbinder (“Hacks”) took off her Star of David necklace and gave it...
“We were filming the show when all of the Kanye stuff was happening,” Powley told me. “I was obviously living in the world of the show, which has a lot of Nazi rhetoric because we’re making a show about the Nazi occupation in 1942, but then suddenly seeing and hearing that same rhetoric spoken now by a world-famous celebrity with huge influence was so freaky and unsettling and saddening.”
During a Q&a earlier in the evening, moderator Hannah Einbinder (“Hacks”) took off her Star of David necklace and gave it...
- 6/16/2023
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
Joan Rater wasn’t interested in making another Holocaust project about Anne Frank, in part because the story had been told so often and so well but also because she always felt personally distanced from historical pieces. But after Rater and husband Tony Phelan visited the Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam, they were inspired to want to tell the story of the woman who hid Anne and her extended Jewish family from the Nazis in the Netherlands in the early 1940s. “But if we were going to do this, I needed it to feel modern and relatable,” she says. “I needed it to feel like something I’d get into.” The result was “A Small Light,” a Nat Geo eight-part limited series that Rater and Phelan served on as creators, showrunners, co-writers and executive producers. It has attracted consistently stellar reviews while dramatizing the courage of a Dutch woman named...
- 6/16/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
The National Geographic eight-part limited series “A Small Light” (currently streaming on Hulu and Disney+) follows the remarkable true story of Miep Gies, a Dutch woman who risked her life to shelter Anne Frank and her extended Jewish family from the Nazis for more than two years in the early 1940s. It was filmed last year in Prague and Amsterdam, where the Franks were hidden in an area of a structure that came to be known as the Secret Annex. To celebrate the powerful Holocaust drama, check out our special 42-minute “Making of” roundtable discussion with castmates Bel Powley, Billie Boullet and Ashley Brooke as well as costume designer Matthew Simonelli, production designer Marc Homes and makeup and hair designer Davina Lamont. Watch our exclusive video panel interview above.
Powley, who portrays the heroic Gies, discusses how “Small Light” creator-writer-executive producers Tony Phelan and Joan Rater insisted that the period...
Powley, who portrays the heroic Gies, discusses how “Small Light” creator-writer-executive producers Tony Phelan and Joan Rater insisted that the period...
- 6/14/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
Bel Powley Says She Was ‘Blown Away by How Contemporary’ Making Holocaust Drama ‘A Small Light’ Felt
This story about Bel Powley and “A Small Light” first appeared in the Limited Series / TV Movies issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.
Like so many of us, Bel Powley read “The Diary of a Young Girl” by Anne Frank when she was in school. But she was less familiar with the woman responsible for the world’s awareness of the diary: Miep Gies. The secretary of Otto Frank, Gies helped hide the Frank family from the Nazis for two years in Amsterdam and kept Anne’s diary safe after the family was arrested in 1945.
“I know a lot about this part of history — the big historical and political backdrop — but I didn’t know anything about Miep or the Dutch resistance,” Powley said. So playing Gies in the National Geographic limited series “A Small Light” was a daunting experience — but also a deeply rewarding one. “It’s so rare...
Like so many of us, Bel Powley read “The Diary of a Young Girl” by Anne Frank when she was in school. But she was less familiar with the woman responsible for the world’s awareness of the diary: Miep Gies. The secretary of Otto Frank, Gies helped hide the Frank family from the Nazis for two years in Amsterdam and kept Anne’s diary safe after the family was arrested in 1945.
“I know a lot about this part of history — the big historical and political backdrop — but I didn’t know anything about Miep or the Dutch resistance,” Powley said. So playing Gies in the National Geographic limited series “A Small Light” was a daunting experience — but also a deeply rewarding one. “It’s so rare...
- 6/5/2023
- by Missy Schwartz
- The Wrap
On May 10, the Directors Guild of America sent a message to members that exemplified the muddled situation in which writer-directors find themselves amid the ongoing writers strike. In the communication, the DGA advised its members that minor script changes — like cutting for time and making small edits to dialogue during production — may be required of writer-directors during the strike if they are working on a project they wrote only in their capacity as a director.
The DGA considers small script changes to typically be part of a director’s workload, and the union’s “no-strike” clause requires it to put a good-faith effort toward requiring members to continue directing during the strike. But the “strike rules” governing what members of the Writers Guild of America can do during its strike mandate something different — that “hyphenates” (writers who are employed in additional roles) are prohibited from performing these “(a) through (h...
The DGA considers small script changes to typically be part of a director’s workload, and the union’s “no-strike” clause requires it to put a good-faith effort toward requiring members to continue directing during the strike. But the “strike rules” governing what members of the Writers Guild of America can do during its strike mandate something different — that “hyphenates” (writers who are employed in additional roles) are prohibited from performing these “(a) through (h...
- 5/17/2023
- by Katie Kilkenny
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A Small Light tells the devastating, familiar Anne Frank story, except from a different perspective, focusing in on the tragedies that befell the Frank family during the Second World War, through the remarkable woman Miep Gies, who risked everything to help keep the family safe in hiding. As such, this new mini-series, which is available to watch now on Disney+, is one that is actually full of hope, finding the good in humanity during a time when it felt like there was no such thing.
To mark the launch we had the pleasure in speaking to the talented leading duo in Bel Powley and Schreiber, as well the brains behind the operation, in creators Tony Phelan, Joan Ratner & Susanne Fogle. You can watch both interviews in their entirety below.
Bel Powley & Liev Schreiber
Tony Phelan, Joan Ratner & Susanna Fogel
Synopsis
Follows the remarkable story of Miep Gies, a Dutch woman...
To mark the launch we had the pleasure in speaking to the talented leading duo in Bel Powley and Schreiber, as well the brains behind the operation, in creators Tony Phelan, Joan Ratner & Susanne Fogle. You can watch both interviews in their entirety below.
Bel Powley & Liev Schreiber
Tony Phelan, Joan Ratner & Susanna Fogel
Synopsis
Follows the remarkable story of Miep Gies, a Dutch woman...
- 5/9/2023
- by Stefan Pape
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The ninth annual SeriesFest, an annual television-centric event held in Denver, kicks off Friday with a slightly abbreviated schedule in light of the writers strike. Per WGA rules, writers are not allowed to make “promotional appearances” at film festivals or at “For Your Consideration” Emmy events. Already, a number of FYC showcases have either been canceled, or continued on but with just a screening, no panel, due to the strike.
SeriesFest becomes the first festival to be impacted by the strike. This year’s event takes place from May 5 to May 10, which now happens to coincide with the early days of the strike. As a result, showrunners have opted out of a handful of panels, while screenings of many new and returning shows will now take place without talent/showrunner Q&As. It could be an early peak at the pivot that may have to take place with other upcoming festivals,...
SeriesFest becomes the first festival to be impacted by the strike. This year’s event takes place from May 5 to May 10, which now happens to coincide with the early days of the strike. As a result, showrunners have opted out of a handful of panels, while screenings of many new and returning shows will now take place without talent/showrunner Q&As. It could be an early peak at the pivot that may have to take place with other upcoming festivals,...
- 5/5/2023
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Danielle Haim takes on the classic Doris Day record “Till We Meet Again” for the first official release from A Small Light: Songs From the Limited Series, the soundtrack set for release on May 23 to accompany the new National Geographic series.
Este Haim served as executive music producer on A Small Light, which premiered on May 1 but will be unveiling its soundtrack two songs at a time for the duration of the month. Alongside Danielle Haim’s “Till We Meet Again,” Kamasi Washington has shared his rendition of Charlie Parker’s “Cheryl.
Este Haim served as executive music producer on A Small Light, which premiered on May 1 but will be unveiling its soundtrack two songs at a time for the duration of the month. Alongside Danielle Haim’s “Till We Meet Again,” Kamasi Washington has shared his rendition of Charlie Parker’s “Cheryl.
- 5/5/2023
- by Larisha Paul
- Rollingstone.com
“Until this project, I didn’t even know that Anne Frank had a sister,” admits Ashley Brooke, who portrays Anne’s older sibling Margot Frank in the Holocaust-themed eight-part limited series “A Small Light” that premiered with a pair of episodes on May 1 on Nat Geo and repeated May 2 on Disney+ and Hulu. “I’ve had Anne’s diary in my room since I was a little girl, and was told the story at a young age. But I must have forgotten a lot because I really had to start at ground zero when I started researching Margot. I fell in love with her little quirks. She’s really the opposite of Anne in terms of personality, more quiet and reserved. She likes to follow the rules.” Watch the exclusive video interview above.
Unfortunately, this was a time where the rules didn’t matter, particularly for the Jews of Europe.
Unfortunately, this was a time where the rules didn’t matter, particularly for the Jews of Europe.
- 5/3/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
Despite erratic nationwide weather pattern, May Day 2023 has nevertheless brought with it a palpable sense of Spring reverie and renewal—not least of all in movie theaters and on streaming platforms. The freshly-launched Writers Strike (necessary and overdue) will no doubt result in some crinkling of the garden hose of fresh content, but that’s for future content consumers to worry about. In the meantime, enjoy this month’s Don’t-Miss Indies!
A Small Light
When You Can Watch: Now
Where You Can Watch: Disney+, Hulu, NatGeo, ABC
Creators: Joan Rater, Tony Phelan
Cast: Bel Powley, Liev Schreiber, Joe Cole, Amira Casar, Billie Boullet, Ashley Brooke
Why We’re Excited: Shot in Prague and Amsterdam in the summer of 2022, this eight-part National Geographic limited series brings us the true story that transpired during the Nazi occupation of both nations in WWII. Austrian-born Dutch woman Miep Gies works for Otto Frank at a spice company.
A Small Light
When You Can Watch: Now
Where You Can Watch: Disney+, Hulu, NatGeo, ABC
Creators: Joan Rater, Tony Phelan
Cast: Bel Powley, Liev Schreiber, Joe Cole, Amira Casar, Billie Boullet, Ashley Brooke
Why We’re Excited: Shot in Prague and Amsterdam in the summer of 2022, this eight-part National Geographic limited series brings us the true story that transpired during the Nazi occupation of both nations in WWII. Austrian-born Dutch woman Miep Gies works for Otto Frank at a spice company.
- 5/2/2023
- by Su Fang Tham
- Film Independent News & More
Bel Powley is an actor without subterfuge, which I mean only as a high compliment. I feel the same way about Florence Pugh. Their characters are still capable of lying, but neither performer can lie to the camera. When they’re miserable, it bursts through the screen. When they’re joyful, it’s contagious.
Powley is an interesting and effective choice, then, to play the lead in A Small Light, an eight-part NatGeo limited series that’s all about hiding and subterfuge. Playing an ostensibly ordinary woman who responds to an extraordinary challenge by finding the hero within, Powley sets the tone, or rather a variety of tones, for A Small Light. She brings more humor and hopeful energy than you might expect based on the topic, and underlines every emotionally crushing twist and turn you’d expect from a series adjacent to one of the most beloved and devastating stories ever told.
Powley is an interesting and effective choice, then, to play the lead in A Small Light, an eight-part NatGeo limited series that’s all about hiding and subterfuge. Playing an ostensibly ordinary woman who responds to an extraordinary challenge by finding the hero within, Powley sets the tone, or rather a variety of tones, for A Small Light. She brings more humor and hopeful energy than you might expect based on the topic, and underlines every emotionally crushing twist and turn you’d expect from a series adjacent to one of the most beloved and devastating stories ever told.
- 5/1/2023
- by Daniel Fienberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Taking its title from a quote with which Miep Gies, the woman who helped hide Anne Frank and her family in Amsterdam during WWII, often ended her speeches later in life, “A Small Light” is the latest engaging, richly detailed biographical drama from National Geographic.
Co-creators Joan Rater and Tony Phelan (“Grey’s Anatomy”) find a deeply humanist angle to this well-known piece of history by telling the story of Frank and her family through those who aided them.
Continue reading ‘A Small Light’ Review: A Richly Detailed Portrait Of Anne Frank Protector Miep Gies at The Playlist.
Co-creators Joan Rater and Tony Phelan (“Grey’s Anatomy”) find a deeply humanist angle to this well-known piece of history by telling the story of Frank and her family through those who aided them.
Continue reading ‘A Small Light’ Review: A Richly Detailed Portrait Of Anne Frank Protector Miep Gies at The Playlist.
- 5/1/2023
- by Marya E. Gates
- The Playlist
A Small Light co-showrunner Joan Rater knows that Anne Frank’s story ends in heartbreaking, horrifying fashion. We all do. Frank’s diary, written while the teenage Jewish girl and her family hid from Nazis in World War II-era Amsterdam, comes to an abrupt close when their secret annex is raided. Anne, and most of her family, later died in concentration camps.
“When I read the diary, still to this day — Joan Rater, 60 years old — I get so caught up in Anne’s humanity and in her everyday stuff, her amazing voice and just in her that I find myself going,...
“When I read the diary, still to this day — Joan Rater, 60 years old — I get so caught up in Anne’s humanity and in her everyday stuff, her amazing voice and just in her that I find myself going,...
- 4/30/2023
- by Kimberly Roots
- TVLine.com
The story of Anne Frank, the Jewish teenager who hid in a cramped attic with her family during the Nazi occupation in Amsterdam, is widely known, and amid the atrocities of the Holocaust, Anne’s diary presents a story of resilience and unrealized dreams. Nat Geo’s new limited series “A Small Light” isn’t Anne’s story, though the precocious teen’s legacy is embedded throughout. The brainchild of former “Grey’s Anatomy” showrunners Tony Phelan and Joan Rater, the series is a tale of resistance, activism and humanity. The narrative centers on one tenacious young woman, Miep Gies, Otto Frank’s secretary, who risked everything to save the Frank family, and countless others.
Beautifully shot by Phelan, Susanna Fogel and Leslie Hope, with a slight sepia tone to ground the audience in the time period, the series opens on July 6, 1942, when the Frank family goes into hiding. Miep (Bel Powley...
Beautifully shot by Phelan, Susanna Fogel and Leslie Hope, with a slight sepia tone to ground the audience in the time period, the series opens on July 6, 1942, when the Frank family goes into hiding. Miep (Bel Powley...
- 4/29/2023
- by Aramide Tinubu
- Variety Film + TV
“I’ve been searching for roles like this,” said actress Bel Powley about the character she plays in “A Small Light.” Part of what excited her about the limited series was that generally “people aren’t making shows about women like Miep.” She discussed the project on April 25 at the New York City premiere during a panel moderated by Dan Bucatinsky. Watch the entire panel above.
“A Small Light” tells a familiar story from a different perspective. It’s about Anne Frank‘s family hiding from the Nazis during World War II, but it’s told from the point of view of Miep Gies, Otto Frank‘s secretary who is one of the brave individuals who agrees to harbor the family. Powley actually shies away from period pieces most of the time, but “I immediately felt connected to this character,” noting that Miep was “an incredibly modern woman.”
For Liev Schreiber,...
“A Small Light” tells a familiar story from a different perspective. It’s about Anne Frank‘s family hiding from the Nazis during World War II, but it’s told from the point of view of Miep Gies, Otto Frank‘s secretary who is one of the brave individuals who agrees to harbor the family. Powley actually shies away from period pieces most of the time, but “I immediately felt connected to this character,” noting that Miep was “an incredibly modern woman.”
For Liev Schreiber,...
- 4/27/2023
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Miep Gies, as well as her husband Jan, helped hide Anne Frank and her family from the Nazis in Amsterdam, she also saved the girl’s diary. But she never considered herself a hero.
“She didn’t want to be put on a pedestal. Her mantra was: ‘I just did what human beings are supposed to do and helped someone in need,’” Bel Powley, who plays Gies in National Geographic series “A Small Light,” said Saturday at Canneseries. The international premiere of the first episode screened at the international series festival in Cannes, followed by an on-stage discussion.
Amira Casar, “Peaky Blinders” alumnus Joe Cole, Liev Schreiber and Billie Boullet also star in the eight-episode show, which was co-created by Tony Phelan and Joan Rater.
“Everybody feels like they know this story, know [about Anne] and the secret annex. But there is so much more to learn and this was just an incredible journey of learning,...
“She didn’t want to be put on a pedestal. Her mantra was: ‘I just did what human beings are supposed to do and helped someone in need,’” Bel Powley, who plays Gies in National Geographic series “A Small Light,” said Saturday at Canneseries. The international premiere of the first episode screened at the international series festival in Cannes, followed by an on-stage discussion.
Amira Casar, “Peaky Blinders” alumnus Joe Cole, Liev Schreiber and Billie Boullet also star in the eight-episode show, which was co-created by Tony Phelan and Joan Rater.
“Everybody feels like they know this story, know [about Anne] and the secret annex. But there is so much more to learn and this was just an incredible journey of learning,...
- 4/16/2023
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
True Detective is taking an ice-cold turn in its fourth season.
HBO has released a teaser trailer for True Detective: Night Country, premiering later this year on the premium cabler (and Max, the new name of Warner Bros. Discovery’s combined streaming service).
More from TVLineTVLine Items: Julie Bowen's Peacock Series, Slow Horses Adds Five and MoreTVLine Items: Kerry Condon's Star Wars Role, Cocaine Bear Streams and MoreWas Clark Kent Badass? Did FBI Send Wrong Agent? Best Challenge in Ages? WrestleMania Win a Cheat? More Qs!
Set around an Alaskan disappearance case, this installment of the popular crime-drama...
HBO has released a teaser trailer for True Detective: Night Country, premiering later this year on the premium cabler (and Max, the new name of Warner Bros. Discovery’s combined streaming service).
More from TVLineTVLine Items: Julie Bowen's Peacock Series, Slow Horses Adds Five and MoreTVLine Items: Kerry Condon's Star Wars Role, Cocaine Bear Streams and MoreWas Clark Kent Badass? Did FBI Send Wrong Agent? Best Challenge in Ages? WrestleMania Win a Cheat? More Qs!
Set around an Alaskan disappearance case, this installment of the popular crime-drama...
- 4/12/2023
- by Erianne Lewis
- TVLine.com
SeriesFest has announced the official lineup for SeriesFest: Season 9, which will be held from May 5 to 10 in Denver. “RuPaul’s Drag Race” producers will be presented with the SeriesFest Impact in Television Award at the annual festival, Variety can exclusively reveal.
SeriesFest: Season 9 has slated a wide variety of screenings, panels, workshops and sneak peeks/television premieres at this year’s festival. The non-profit organization is committed to showcasing and uplifting rising talent and underserved communities through episodic storytelling.
This year’s Impact in Television Award will be presented to “RuPaul’s Drag Race” producers Randy Barbato, Fenton Bailey and Tom Campbell, for their pioneering and creative developments in the world of television production. Barbato, Bailey and Campbell will also participate in a panel on Monday, May 8, where audiences can ask the creatives questions.
“We’re excited to celebrate this amazing content and embrace conversations about the ever-changing industry,” Randi Kleiner, co-founder and CEO of SeriesFest,...
SeriesFest: Season 9 has slated a wide variety of screenings, panels, workshops and sneak peeks/television premieres at this year’s festival. The non-profit organization is committed to showcasing and uplifting rising talent and underserved communities through episodic storytelling.
This year’s Impact in Television Award will be presented to “RuPaul’s Drag Race” producers Randy Barbato, Fenton Bailey and Tom Campbell, for their pioneering and creative developments in the world of television production. Barbato, Bailey and Campbell will also participate in a panel on Monday, May 8, where audiences can ask the creatives questions.
“We’re excited to celebrate this amazing content and embrace conversations about the ever-changing industry,” Randi Kleiner, co-founder and CEO of SeriesFest,...
- 4/11/2023
- by McKinley Franklin
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Once Upon A Time alumna Rebecca Mader is set for a key recurring role on CBS’ drama series Fire Country. Additionally, Kanoa Goo (The Rookie) has been cast in the series starring Max Thieriot.
In the drama series, Thieriot portrays Bode Donovan, a young convict seeking redemption and a shortened prison sentence by joining a prison release firefighting program in Northern California, where he and other inmates are partnered with elite firefighters to extinguish massive, unpredictable wildfires across the region. It’s a high-risk, high-reward assignment, and the heat is turned up when Bode is assigned to the program in his rural hometown, where he was once a golden all-American son – until his troubles began. Five years ago, Bode burned down everything in his life, leaving town with a big secret. Now he’s back, with the rap sheet of a criminal and the audacity to believe in a...
In the drama series, Thieriot portrays Bode Donovan, a young convict seeking redemption and a shortened prison sentence by joining a prison release firefighting program in Northern California, where he and other inmates are partnered with elite firefighters to extinguish massive, unpredictable wildfires across the region. It’s a high-risk, high-reward assignment, and the heat is turned up when Bode is assigned to the program in his rural hometown, where he was once a golden all-American son – until his troubles began. Five years ago, Bode burned down everything in his life, leaving town with a big secret. Now he’s back, with the rap sheet of a criminal and the audacity to believe in a...
- 3/13/2023
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Cable was still coming of age when the original “Night Court” aired on NBC in the ’80s and early ’90s. Forget Netflix; when Harry Anderson first sat behind the gavel as Judge Harry Stone, Napster founder Sean Parker had just turned 4. This “Night Court” starring Melissa Rauch as Judge Abby Stone exists in another century, but it may as well be another world.
However, showrunner Dan Rubin (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”) knows he has an advantage other freshmen do not. “It’s great if you have that name recognition,” he told IndieWire.
This is not the heyday of broadcast TV, but there’s always room for a hit like Fox’s “Accused,” NBC’s “Night Court,” and CBS’ “Fire Country.” The path to making it from idea to air is both similar and different. These days, we have summer originals, straight-to-series orders, smaller episode counts; a midseason premiere is no longer a sign of desperation.
However, showrunner Dan Rubin (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”) knows he has an advantage other freshmen do not. “It’s great if you have that name recognition,” he told IndieWire.
This is not the heyday of broadcast TV, but there’s always room for a hit like Fox’s “Accused,” NBC’s “Night Court,” and CBS’ “Fire Country.” The path to making it from idea to air is both similar and different. These days, we have summer originals, straight-to-series orders, smaller episode counts; a midseason premiere is no longer a sign of desperation.
- 3/8/2023
- by Tony Maglio
- Indiewire
When Otto Frank asked his employee, Miep Gies, to help hide his family during the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam in World War II, she readily agreed. The story of that selfless, dangerous decision is the basis of the upcoming drama A Small Light.
The limited series about Anne Frank, her family and those who helped them will premiere on Monday, May 1, at 9/8c, TVLine can reveal exclusively. The news comes on what would have been Gies’ 114th birthday.
More from TVLineLiev Schreiber to Play Anne Frank's Father in Disney+ Series A Small LightTVLine Items: Good Trouble Premiere, Zeta-Jones' Treasure Role...
The limited series about Anne Frank, her family and those who helped them will premiere on Monday, May 1, at 9/8c, TVLine can reveal exclusively. The news comes on what would have been Gies’ 114th birthday.
More from TVLineLiev Schreiber to Play Anne Frank's Father in Disney+ Series A Small LightTVLine Items: Good Trouble Premiere, Zeta-Jones' Treasure Role...
- 2/15/2023
- by Kimberly Roots
- TVLine.com
Fire Country rode the coattails of the AFC Championship Game to red-hot ratings for its January 29 episode.
The episode, which moved from its usual Friday primetime spot on CBS to Sunday after the matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals, tallied 12.22 million total viewers in seven-day viewing, which is up about 20 from the 10M that tuned in same-day.
The episode’s delayed viewership marks the second best seven-day audience for a scripted series this season, coming in just behind the season premiere of Yellowstone (which posted 12.68M viewers). It’s also the best seven-day audience for a broadcast television scripted series since the NCIS: Hawai’i episode that aired after last year’s AFC Championship.
It’s fairly typical for shows on any network with an NFL lead-in, especially a playoff game, to get a boost in ratings. This year’s Kansas City Chiefs vs. Cincinnati Bengals matchup earned...
The episode, which moved from its usual Friday primetime spot on CBS to Sunday after the matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals, tallied 12.22 million total viewers in seven-day viewing, which is up about 20 from the 10M that tuned in same-day.
The episode’s delayed viewership marks the second best seven-day audience for a scripted series this season, coming in just behind the season premiere of Yellowstone (which posted 12.68M viewers). It’s also the best seven-day audience for a broadcast television scripted series since the NCIS: Hawai’i episode that aired after last year’s AFC Championship.
It’s fairly typical for shows on any network with an NFL lead-in, especially a playoff game, to get a boost in ratings. This year’s Kansas City Chiefs vs. Cincinnati Bengals matchup earned...
- 2/10/2023
- by Katie Campione
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: CBS‘ Fire Country is adding Zach Tinker to its Season 1 cast.
Tinker will make his series debut this weekend with a special episode that airs immediately following the AFC Championship game on Sunday, Jan. 29. He plays Collin, a humble, charming, and talented probie firefighter. As the son of a famous firefighting hero, Collin carries a name that he’s constantly trying to live up to.
“You Know Your Dragon Best” – The crews work to contain a dangerous forest fire and save a group of environmentalists protesting a housing development, on Fire Country, Friday, Feb. 3 on the CBS Television Network and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+*. Pictured: Zach Tinker as Collin.
In Fire Country, seeking redemption and a shortened prison sentence, young convict Bode Donovan (Max Thieriot) joins a firefighting program that returns him...
Tinker will make his series debut this weekend with a special episode that airs immediately following the AFC Championship game on Sunday, Jan. 29. He plays Collin, a humble, charming, and talented probie firefighter. As the son of a famous firefighting hero, Collin carries a name that he’s constantly trying to live up to.
“You Know Your Dragon Best” – The crews work to contain a dangerous forest fire and save a group of environmentalists protesting a housing development, on Fire Country, Friday, Feb. 3 on the CBS Television Network and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+*. Pictured: Zach Tinker as Collin.
In Fire Country, seeking redemption and a shortened prison sentence, young convict Bode Donovan (Max Thieriot) joins a firefighting program that returns him...
- 1/27/2023
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
A Small Light, National Geographic’s limited series that depicts the Dutch woman who risked her life to shelter Anne Frank’s family from the Nazis, steers clear of pointing any fingers at the person (or people) who betrayed the family.
The project from Grey’s Anatomy alums Joan Rater and Tony Phelan follows Miep Gies (Bel Powley), who agreed to hide her boss Otto Frank (Liev Schreiber) and his family during World War I.
“Miep always said we are never going to know [who betrayed them],” Rater told reporters Friday at the Television Critics Tour. “I’ll read one account and think, they did it, and then I’ll read a separate one and think, they did it. We felt it was important that we don’t answer that question. We don’t skirt it … we posit a person who could have. There were many people who could have [betrayed them].”
Production on the limited...
The project from Grey’s Anatomy alums Joan Rater and Tony Phelan follows Miep Gies (Bel Powley), who agreed to hide her boss Otto Frank (Liev Schreiber) and his family during World War I.
“Miep always said we are never going to know [who betrayed them],” Rater told reporters Friday at the Television Critics Tour. “I’ll read one account and think, they did it, and then I’ll read a separate one and think, they did it. We felt it was important that we don’t answer that question. We don’t skirt it … we posit a person who could have. There were many people who could have [betrayed them].”
Production on the limited...
- 1/13/2023
- by Lynette Rice
- Deadline Film + TV
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