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Post by -|E|- on Aug 22, 2005 8:30:11 GMT -5
Double duty Rockford native adds CBS drama to work on ‘Shield’ By GEORGETTE BRAUN, Rockford Register Star Shawn Ryan not only runs the show, he runs two. For four seasons, the Rockford native has overseen everything on “The Shield,” from what the FX cop drama feels like to the hairstyles of new actors. Being the “showrunner” is one of the biggest and hardest jobs in Hollywood, and Ryan will double those duties this fall as he also produces a new CBS military drama. “The Unit” stars Dennis Haysbert (the president on Fox’s “24”) and chronicles the lives of special forces members and their families. The premiere date, day and time for the series hasn’t been set, though some Web sites say it could be January. Everything on these two shows starts and stops with the guy at the top, and there’s a lot of money on the line. Ryan, 38, doesn’t consider the job hard because he enjoys it and manages his time. “I oversee the breaking of the stories, the writing of the scripts, the casting, and I spend a lot of time in the editing room,” Ryan said in a telephone interview from Los Angeles. “It’s mainly a job of delegation, and I hire a lot of people for those things. At the end of the day, I mostly consider myself a writer.” For “The Unit,” screenwriter and director David Mamet also is executive producer with Ryan. The two met when Mamet directed an episode of “The Shield.” Eric Haney also will write a bit and serve as head of quality control. He is a retired command sergeant major and a founding member of the Army’s ultrasecret counterterrorist arm, Delta Force. “He brings authenticity,” Ryan said of Haney. “We’ll try to tell his story in an updated way.” It won’t be all about the men making the decisions, Ryan said. Instead, the show will delve into the lives of the guys in the special forces who put themselves in harm’s way and the effect on their families. “In some ways, the lives of these women is harder than the men getting shot at,” said Ryan, whose mom, Diane of Roscoe, is a retired teacher, and whose dad, Jack of Rockford, is a controller. Ryan said the one-hour show has been given the go-ahead for 12 episodes, plus the pilot. He expects each episode of “The Unit” to cost slightly more than the $1 million to $2.5 million range to produce each episode of “The Shield.” “ ‘The Unit’ has more taking place all over the world,” Ryan said. “The Shield” is set in Los Angeles and last season featured Glenn Close as a lead character. (“There’s a chance we may get her back for a couple of episodes” next season, Ryan said.) What else will be different? “ ‘The Unit’ certainly will not have the language and nudity that we have on FX,” Ryan said. “Our challenge will be on an intellectual level.” Ryan, who graduated from Keith School in 1984, expects to be busier now that he has two TV shows. Last month, it wasn’t quite crunch time. He was putting in 10-hour days at the office, going home for dinner with his wife, Cathy Cahlin Ryan, who stars as Corrine Mackey in “The Shield” as ex-wife of lead character Vic Mackey. After they put their children — Haley, 5, and Cameron, 2 — to bed, he’d work at home for another two or three hours. His hopes for “The Unit”? “To show people a world that exists but they don’t really know what it’s like. To show the sacrificing families who give up their own dreams so that these men can do their best.” www.rrstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050819/ENTERTAINMENT/50818006/1015
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Post by -|E|- on Aug 22, 2005 22:06:30 GMT -5
Another related article: TV producers seek to keep politics out of war Wed Aug 17, 2005 4:44 AM ET By Cynthia Littleton LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) Fighting the global war on terrorism is vexing enough in real life. Fighting it on the small screen from a highly politicized point of view would be a tactical mistake, according to a group of top television writer-producers. Steven Bochco, co-creator and executive producer with Chris Gerolmo of FX's Iraq war drama "Over There," said during a panel session Monday that they sought from the inception of the show to keep its focus on the lives of "grunts" on the ground and not on larger questions of U.S. foreign policy, morality or geopolitical concerns. Panel moderator Michael Kinsley, editorial and opinion editor at the Los Angeles Times, suggested that the lack of explicit discussion of the politics of the war in Iraq among the main characters in "Over There" was in and of itself an anti-war statement given the show's gritty portrayal of the chaos and carnage enveloping those grunts. But Bochco and Gerolmo disagreed. "It seems to me that if we make an overt political statement in 'Over There' about the war ... then immediately the debate becomes not only about policy, but it becomes about our politics, Chris' and mine, as opposed to a discussion or a provocation about the human consequences of war," Bochco said. "The moment we become overtly political, half the audience dismisses us and doesn't pay attention to us because they disagree with our politics. And the other half discuss us ... in the context of our political leanings. And that's just not what my goal is with this show." Gerolmo added that in his view, the dramatist's role should be to provide thought-provoking stories rather than proselytize about a particular position. "We're bringing the real world insofar as we can through stories into your living room, and we're trying to use the power of stories to illuminate morally complicated and morally ambiguous situations in the grand tradition" of great TV drama, Gerolmo said. The "Television Goes to War" panel, held at the Writers Guild of America Theater in Beverly Hills, was preceded by screenings of excerpts of "Over There," Fox's "24" and CBS' upcoming "The Unit," about an elite military covert operations unit. Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran, creators/executive producers of "24," agreed with Bochco and Gerolmo that the focus for writers is always "finding human drama." And a show like "24" can't help but portray counterterrorism agents like "24's" main character, the maverick operative Jack Bauer, in a heroic light. One of last season's main story lines dealt with the tension between the fictional secretary of defense, played by William Devane, and his adult son, an ardent anti-war protester. "I would say we try to balance" the political perspectives offered in "24," Surnow said. "We don't take a political position, but I do find conservatives like our show more than, say, they like 'The West Wing."' But as Cochran pointed out, "24" exists in a world where Jack Bauer is one of the clear-cut good guys and the forces he's trying to stop are clear-cut bad guys. "I can't imagine there are people who shake their heads in dismay when Jack Bauer catches a terrorist and prevents a bomb from going off," Cochran said. Kinsley pressed "Unit" executive producer Shawn Ryan and producer Eric Haney, a former Delta Force member whose life story inspired the show, about whether the show would glamorize the work of covert operatives and thus offer an unrealistic view of what it will take to wage the war on terror. The clip screened from "Unit," which was created by David Mamet (who did not participate in the panel), included a lengthy sequence in which star Dennis Haysbert parachutes into a hot spot in Afghanistan to take out an international arms dealer by blowing up his Mercedes with the assistance of a Stealth aircraft guided to the target by Haysbert's character's on-the-ground maneuvering via satellite phones. "Do we make it seem cool? I think we do," Ryan said. "What we're trying to do is tell Eric's story. I think Eric is cool. ... I don't think there's a video game quality to our show, but I think there is something to be said for having a purpose the way Eric did when he spent his life in the military, for showing the sacrifices that these men and their families make." ** The link is here I give up. Copy and paste this into your browser - both the yellow and white text: today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=televisionNews&storyID=2005-08-17T084323Z_01_DIT731402_RTRIDST_0_TELEVISION-WAR-DC.XMLI think the problem is with the Reuters site (of course, blame the other guy!)..... E
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Post by chemikalman on Aug 23, 2005 14:56:10 GMT -5
I watched the 1st two eps of "Over There" and have been very impressed. The other two are waiting on tape until I get less busy. I kind of hoped there would be some politics thrown into that show (and maybe there will be later) but I can understand if they take the same approach that Shawn and David describe for The Unit: ""The moment we become overtly political, half the audience dismisses us and doesn't pay attention to us because they disagree with our politics. And the other half discuss us ... in the context of our political leanings."
This makes a lot of sense from a practical point of view, which they can't be faulted for. It will be interesting to see if either show can manage to completely avoid bringing in the political views of the creators; that will be quite a challenge, I think.
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Post by jwc53531 on Aug 26, 2005 16:48:59 GMT -5
I don't know, Chem - Over There quickly went downhill - to be honest, I'm not all that sold on The Unit either despite it's seemingly great pedigree - Mamet is so 'non-action' - very slow and deliberate (I'm thinking Spartan) and while that works in a theater, I'm not sure how it will stand up over a 12-week television slot - but I'm gonna be watching, ha ha
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Post by qb on Aug 26, 2005 20:04:59 GMT -5
I am concerned that Shawn's creative energy will go into The Unit and The Shield will be neglected. Now that is NOT to say the producers and writing staff can't handle it on their own... Ryan just has the savvy and eye for what works and seems to be a grounding force for the loose cannons who come up with the story and production ideas. Maybe I am wrong. I just don't want to see The Shield fall through in Season 5. I want a Season 6 and that might not happen if 5 isn't as good or better than S04.
As for Mamet, I agree whole-heartedly with JWC. He is known for quirky dialogue-driven pieces. I confess to not preferring his Shield episode.
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Post by chemikalman on Aug 26, 2005 23:50:11 GMT -5
I don't know, Chem - Over There quickly went downhill I just got thru watching the third episode. I still like it. I'm curious, jwc, when did you think it went downhill and whY? The ending of ep3 could be taken different ways. I think it was cleverly done in that it left the viewer to draw his/her own conclusions. Part of the audience can say that the Colonel going against he word shows that we are as despicable as the "enemy." (But do we know he didn't keep his word, maybe someone else overruled him?) Another part can say to hell with keeping your word when dealing with this type of enemy. And there's the other portions who aren't sure.
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Post by leadinvestigator on Aug 27, 2005 12:22:06 GMT -5
Shawn Ryan says, "The Unit certainly will not have the language and nudity that we have on FX,” Our challenge will be on an intellectual level.”
Well, the more I read this the more I wonder about it. What exactly will be more "intellectual" about this series compared to The Shield? I often watch each episode of the latter at least twice to catch on to the plot developments. Isn't this kind of putting down the people who have worked so hard on The Shield storylines? Has language and nudity been any kind of filler for meaningful plot development? Not in my opinion! I really question what he meant by this. If anything, I think The Unit will be a lot less gritty and street (battlefield) real. Maybe that will be his struggle.
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Post by -|E|- on Aug 27, 2005 12:29:02 GMT -5
Shawn Ryan says, "The Unit certainly will not have the language and nudity that we have on FX,” Our challenge will be on an intellectual level.”Well, the more I read this the more I wonder about it. What exactly will be more "intellectual" about this series compared to The Shield? I often watch each episode of the latter at least twice to catch on to the plot developments. Isn't this kind of putting down the people who have worked so hard on The Shield storylines? Has language and nudity been any kind of filler for meaningful plot development? Not in my opinion! I really question what he meant by this. I scratched my head on this one as well, LI; while rubbing my heart....
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Post by jwc53531 on Aug 27, 2005 13:28:17 GMT -5
well, I think by more 'intellectual', SR means more 'Mametian' - I guess it would be as if Mamet wrote and directed every episode of The Shield instead of just the one - as for the nudity/language, I think it was just a general statement about network television compared to a channel like FX - I would have to admit, though, that in reality Mamet written material does occupy a very different plane than even great shows like The Shield - very multi-level and very complex - if, by that, SR means 'more intellectual' then I think he's right - BUT writing for one-hour TV is very different from plays and film and I just have doubts whether Mamet will translate into this kind of material - I'm gathering the plots will be season long so maybe they can pull it off - I am interested in how they are going to advertise The Unit
as to Over There, Chem - I never thought it would happen but after watching ep 4 I found myself agreeing whole-heartedly with some of the more outspoken critics of the show - it is very hard to take the show seriously when I can watch the real thing unfold on the nightly news and see real people dying - both our soldiers and Iraqi civilians - I didn't mean that the writing had fallen off - I think it's a very creative, realistic show populated with good actors and high-quality writing - but it's just unsettling to me and the show's 'fake' reality really conflicts with all too strongly with the real situation for those involved with the war - and, I think the ratings are indicative of that - and, too, serious shows about fighting wars that weren't popular just don't seem to work - the old show Combat lasted because it was about WWII where the cause was 'noble' but the Vietnam show (Tour of Duty never really caught on and I think Over There is going down the same path - China Beach worked because it really wasn't about the fighting and even the insipid MASH worked because it was (allegedly) a comedy - but that's just me - I think maybe there is something to those who said the show wouldn't work while the war was still going on despite it's very high quality
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Post by qb on Aug 28, 2005 18:04:25 GMT -5
I think it's probably a mistake to write a series about a war in progress. The *real* tragedy of what is happening makes the *fake* storyline seem like an irreverant farse.
I was wondering the other day when a 9/11 Twin Towers movie might be made. I think there is a very powerful story to be told there. My friend, who is some 15 yrs older and knew people who died in the towers, said "Hon, we are no where near ready for that yet." I am thinking that's true. Only now can we handle some of the Vietnam movie/series efforts. I am thinking any 9/11 Operation Iraqi Freedom movie and series efforts are entirely premature.
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Post by jwc53531 on Aug 31, 2005 15:43:31 GMT -5
actually, CC, there are at least two 9/11 movies in the works right now (timed to come out on the fifth anniversary) - one is a film from Universal told in real-time about Flight 93 and directed by Paul Greengrass, the guy who did the Bourne Supremacy and the other is Oliver Stone's film (from Paramount) about the true -life rescue of two New York Port Authority officers from the rubble of the two towers - starring Nicolas Cage and The Shield's very own Micahel Pena - Columbia also has one scheduled to start soon based on the Flight 93 book 102 Minutes
in addition, there is an ABC TV miniseries in production based on the 9/11 Commission Report starring Harvey Keitel and Patricia Heaton - it covers the 10 years leading up to the attacks
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Post by -|E|- on Aug 31, 2005 19:39:50 GMT -5
I don't know when I'll be ready to watch a dramatic portrayal about 9/11. A year from now seems too soon. The National Geographic Channel will air their documentary titled "Inside 9/11" on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2005 at 8 pm Eastern (check your local listings). A friend of mine has already seen it, and says it is both extremely informative and extremely upsetting. I'm going to record it for sure. You can watch a preview of "Inside 9/11" by clicking here. It does require flash.... E
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Post by qb on Sept 1, 2005 19:04:32 GMT -5
Wow, I didn't realize that 9/11 movies are already in the making. I think they have an important story to tell.
Actually, the book 102 Minutes is about the people in the Towers...from the first airplane strike to the collapse of the Towers. It's painful to read but I highly recommend it. You can't imagine such horror and such fortitude. If this is made into a movie, it will be very hard to watch... if it's done right.
I keep thinking, what if... what if the other plane had made it to the Capitol? wow.
When I was still in the DC area, I had a condo that faced in the direction of the Pentagon. If I had been there, I would have seen the disaster. (I was also across the street from one of the DC Sniper murders!) And you know, the building I lived in had a number of middle eastern tenants... males living together, hitting on the women who spent time at the pool (including me!) I think I would pay a lot more attention to their activities now! Some of the 9/11 terrorists were around that area before the attacks.
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