Now in breaking news…..
Despite suggestions it might not end up on their schedule, Fox has decided to take a punt on Bad Robot’s “Alcatraz”, a promising time-travel series about a group of prisoners from the ’60s who suddenly turn up in the noughties. The show stars…. Hurley! Um, Jorge Garcia! From “Lost”! The big guy! He’s awesome! (The show’s finale was not – – purgatory, really!?)
(Way to sell a series, Phoebe, “Um, it’s got a funny fat guy in it and it’s set in Alcatraz”).
Deadline says ”Fox just made its first drama series orders, picking up Bones spinoff Finder and time travel-flavored Alcatraz. The pickup of Alcatraz came after a very good meeting between the pilot’s producers and Fox yesterday.” Yesterday the network picked up a new Zooey Deschanel show called “The New Girl” which stars the sparkly-eyed actor as ”an unlucky-in-love elementary school teacher who moves away from her former boyfriend and in with three unruly guys.”
The “Lost” alum recently told Collider… well, what he could about “Alcatraz”.
Is Alcatraz actually about Alcatraz?
ABRAMS: Alcatraz does involve Alcatraz.
Will it be shot in the actual prison?
ABRAMS: Some will be, yes. There are sets being built, but there will be some of the pilot shot in San Francisco at Alcatraz.
What is the series about?
ABRAMS: I don’t want to give anything away because no one wants to hear that, but I will say that it’s a beautifully written and surprisingly emotional script, although not surprising when you know that Liz Sarnoff wrote it. She’s amazing. The show is about an incredibly odd and mysterious turn and secret about the prison of Alcatraz, and a modern-day mystery that involves something very odd that happened there 50 years ago.
Who have you cast?
ABRAMS: The cast is unbelievable. It’s Sam Neill, Sarah Jones, Jorge Garcia from Lost – who was the first person we cast and is just the greatest with an amazing role – and Johnny Coyne, who’s an amazing English actor. We have a spectacular cast. There are a number of other actors and it is wonderful. I’m really excited about the show.
I’ll watch.
