April 2010

Katee Sackhoff interviewed by iFMagazine

April 5, 2010 · 1 comment

They say this interview was conducted before the Dana twist (and before this was revealed as the final season), so no questions about that.

iF Magazine: Battlestar Galactica was a series with a great deal of intensity, and you went from that into 24, which has a similar sense of urgency. Do you have any sense of coming back to a familiar vibe?

Katee Sackhoff: I’m quite into seamless transitions in life. I think that you are kind of directed where you need to go at the time, and Battlestar to 24 was a pretty easy transition. A lot of familiar faces that I’ve grown up with the last twelve years in this business and with Battlestar have been on this season [of 24] with me. So it was one of those things where I was welcomed with open arms. [24 executive producer] Howard Gordon has this calming effect on me. My life has chaos, because I think that I thrive on drama. Howard is my calm and whenever I get scared because I don’t know what’s happening with my character, I just kind of talk to Howard and he seems to put me at ease, because I trust him tremendously. It feels like home. I went from Battlestar Galactica, [which] became an iconic show, to a show that has the ratings that we wish we would have had. So it’s kind of the best of both worlds they’ve got there. So it’s been really great.

iF: Had you been a fan of 24 before you were cast on it?

Sackhoff: Yeah. I was a huge fan of 24 and when the opportunity arose for me to do the role, I jumped at it. It’s been great. So I was really happy about it.

iF: Your character actually has two personas, Dana Walsh the data analyst at CTU and Jenny, the identity she tried to leave behind. Did you do any research or preparation for playing either or both aspects of the role?

Sackhoff: I went to dialect coaching to get the Arkansas accent down. Jenny’s from Arkansas, so I wanted to give Jenny an Arkansas accent when she’s really Jenny [away from her CTU colleagues].

iF: Back to 24, how is working with/for leading man/producer Kiefer Sutherland?

Sackhoff: He’s a gem. He’s a great man.

iF: A lot of people say he’s still as enthused about 24 as he was at the beginning.

Sackhoff: It’s kind of hard not to be enthused about 24. It’s an action-packed, exciting drama with a great lead.

Source: iFMagazine

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Annie Wersching teases series finale of ’24′

April 5, 2010 · 3 comments

Have you found out if you are going to be in the ‘24′ movie?
I certainly hope so. With 24, I hope that I live to the next episode every week. I think, first of all, that the show is going to be so amazing on the big screen. I would love to run around with Jack Bauer wherever he ends up next.

Do you know how the series ends?
I do. Wouldn’t you like to know?

How much money would it take to get you to divulge that?
A lot. And you’d have to guarantee me another job.

Can you give me any hints?
It’s going to be amazing. Jack Bauer definitely goes into the Jack Bauer moments that fans just go crazy for are definitely in the future episodes. I do not think anyone’s going to be disappointed.

You are expecting a baby. Does that make it more difficult to shoot ’24’s action scenes?
It hasn’t been bad as far as how I’ve felt physically. It’s more about making sure you can tweak wardrobe things here and there. It was actually easier to hide my little baby bump that was forming than a couple of other things that get really big when you have a baby. Wardrobe was very good to me with jackets and shirt sizes going up.

Source: Fancast

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Necar Zadegan: ’24′ actress adds strong character

April 5, 2010 · 0 comments

At first, Zadegan, knew only that she would be First Lady of a fictional Middle Eastern country. “I’m a researching actress,” she says. “I pored through many of the accounts of famous political families.”

She decided they have muted reactions. “For a life in politics, emotional people need not apply.”

That’s fortunate, because her character has had a lot of reasons to crumble. Within 14 hours, she’s learned that her husband was having an affair … and their daughter was captive … and their daughter had escaped, barely surviving a bomb … and now the worst: Terrorists will release a radiation bomb in Manhattan, unless her husband is handed to them; he may volunteer to do it.

She was considering possible accents, when the show hired Anil Kapoor (the game-show host in “Slumdog Millionaire”) to play her husband. Zadegan adjusted her accent to fit.

She found herself playing a different generation. “I’m really not much older than my daughter (Nazneen Contractor),” she says. That could be fixed with hair, makeup and acting.

She may not be an Amazon, but she’s certainly hardy. She stands 5-foot-9 and looms larger.

“I’m a heel girl – three, four inches.” That’s fine for “24,” a world of big roles for (sometimes) big people.

Source: Cincinnati.com

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Nazneen Contractor’s final episode count in ’24′

April 4, 2010 · 6 comments

This came as somewhat of a surprise to me:

The stars seem especially aligned for Toronto newcomer Nazneen Contractor, who at 24 is the same age as the series title. Contractor was initially slotted to shoot only two episodes this season as Kayla Hassan, the daughter of President Omar Hassan (Slumdog Millionaire villain Anil Kapoor). But after seeing how her heartbreakingly beautiful face lit up the screen, producers ended up using her for a full 21 episodes. [click to continue…]

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Inside the writers’ room at 24

April 3, 2010 · 0 comments

Pretty interesting behind the scenes story here. Alex Berenson, reporter for New York Times and author of several novels was invited to consult on 24 Season 8 for a month after Howard Gordon liked his novel The Faithful Spy. He gives a look at what goes on in the writers room and just how hard it is.

We sit on couches and comfortable chairs, looking for answers. Season 8 will be set in New York. But why is Jack in New York? He’s a diplomat. No, he’s in a hospital, rehabilitating from his near-death experience in Season 7. No, he’s handling security for a rich guy.

We spitball possible plots. When the process is going well, it is like playing soccer with an invisible ball. One writer pushes an idea forward until another steps in. Someone says, “So the terrorists seize a school bus filled with rich kids. …” “except one kid hides a cellphone. …”

But all too soon someone finds a hole in the plot, or argues that it doesn’t give Jack enough to do, or that it’s too maudlin. We backtrack. Sometimes we succeed in addressing the complaint. Sometimes, after a few minutes of arguing, we fail. Howard steers us in a new direction. But the original argument will flare up a few minutes later, like a fire in a garbage dump.

Howard has a reputation as a very democratic lead writer. He likes to build consensus. The good news is that everyone gets a say. The bad news is … that everyone gets a say. The debate can seem exhausting and circular.

I wish I could say I contributed mightily to Season 8, but when I left a month later Howard and the guys were still plotting the first episode. Not one line had been written. In the end, they did find an arc for the season, and the reviews have been reasonably good. But when Howard told me a few months ago that he couldn’t imagine coming back for Season 9, I understood.

Check out the full article at NY Times.

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24 Season 8 Recap: Episode 14 (5:00AM-6:00AM)

April 3, 2010 · 11 comments

Recap for 24 Season 8 Episode 14 (5:00 AM – 6:00 AM).

YouTube Link: 24 – For Your Eyes Only Recap “5:00am-6:00am”

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Howard Gordon teases final 6-8 episodes of 24

April 2, 2010 · 6 comments

The April 9th issue of Entertainment Weekly (as part of a larger article titled ‘The Clock Runs Out on 24′) has some interesting comments on the finale from 24 showrunner and executive producer Howard Gordon.

Death to Bauer is clearly not an option–though the producers did consider a tragic ending for TV’s favorite antihero. (Hey, stranger things have happened. Tony Almeida did come back to life in season 7, after all!)

Ultimately, Gordon and his crack team of writers ended up penning a finale that will tee up the movie but still provide a definitive end to the action franchise. “All that has happened in previous seasons weighs in, particularly in the last six to eight episodes,” Gordon teases. “We took some risks, and I think the show has earned the chance to take those risks. It definitely feels like a series ender.”

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Chris Diamantopoulos video interview on Extra

April 2, 2010 · 1 comment

Thanks to Kiefer Sutherland Home for the video:

YouTube Link: Chris Diamantopoulos – Interview on Extra

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Fox Asking for $650,000 to Advertise During ’24′ Finale

April 2, 2010 · 0 comments

Jack Bauer

News Corp.’s Fox is seeking $650,000 for a 30-second ad in the series finale of its popular spy drama “24,” according to people familiar with the situation, a significant jump upward from the $200,000 to $280,000 the network was seeking during upfront negotiations. The network had only been asking for around $500,000 in the finale, one buyer said, but the price jumped after Fox announced late last week that this season would be “24′s” last.

Buyers suggested Fox would have been able to command even higher prices for the “24″ finale had it made the announcement of the series’ cancellation earlier. These buyers also said they suspected Fox may not have much inventory in the last episode to sell, owing to brisk sales in the so-called “scatter” market that have been going on for weeks. “Scatter” is ad inventory that is purchased close to air date, and broadcast and cable networks alike have been boasting of prices well above those negotiated during the upfront marketplace last year.

Source: Advertising Age

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24 Season 8 Episodes 15 & 16 Promo (6:00AM-8:00AM) #2

April 1, 2010 · 16 comments

Mostly the same as the first, but shorter and with one new scene of Jack saying you betrayed your country.

YouTube Link: YouTube Link: 24 Season 8×15/16 (6:00AM – 8:00AM) Promo #2 HD

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Justin Bieber joins cast of 24

April 1, 2010 · 21 comments

Disclaimer: This was an April Fool’s Day joke and is not real. Thanks to all of those who played along and retweeted/shared etc. Sorry for those that got fooled – be glad it’s not real!

Canadian pop star and teen sensation Justin Bieber has joined the cast of 24, playing an ambitious young CTU Field Agent who will partner with Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) in the final two episodes.

“Justin is nothing short of a phenomenon,” says “24″ executive producer and showrunner, Howard Gordon. “It’s so rare to find an artist this young with such pure star quality and dynamic presence. This is an exciting time for Justin Bieber fans, for the 24 family, and for television in general.”

“Bieber Fever has taken over with 150 million views on YouTube and total domination of Twitter trending topics for months. This series finale will be the most talked about television event of the decade thanks to Bieber’s star power,’” Fox TV spokesman Chris Alexander added.

24 has traditionally cast Canadian actors including Elisha Cuthbert, Leslie Hope, Carlo Rota, and Colm Feore as First Gentleman Henry Taylor. The series star, Kiefer Sutherland, and it’s directors Brad Turner and Milan Cheylov are also Canadian.

Bieber’s newest album “My World 2.0″ sold over 283,000 copies in the past week according to figures provided by Nielsen SoundScan, earning him the number one spot on Billboard 200.

Production on the “24″ series wraps next week after eight years. At the conclusion of Season 8, 24 will have a produced a total of 194 episodes (including “24: Redemption”), making it one of the longest-running action television shows in history.

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