Whedonesque : Comments on 2546 : Kristin from eonline talks with C.Kane and others about spoiler security.

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December 19 2003

Kristin from eonline talks with C.Kane and others about spoiler security. Once upon a time, back when I began this gig, TV show spoilers flowed like boxed wine. But recently, it seems TV producers are doing whatever it takes to cut off us journalists--employing various schemes to keep inside info out of the fans' hands.

Case in point: When the long missed Christian Kane recently returned to the WB's Angel to hop in the sack with costar Sarah Thompson (Eve) and reveal her character was evil, Joss Whedon and his minions went all out to protect the surprise.

"People were freaking out a little, trying to keep it under wraps," Christian told me at the show's 100th episode junket. "They had me using a fake name--an alias--and they kept me out of the credits. We did this scene at a strip club with a whole lot of extras, and no one was allowed to use my name."

But Angel is hardly the only show stepping up the anti-spoiler attacks.

RavenU | AtS | 11:13 CET | 6 comments total | tags:

Well, now. That would explain the rumors that he wasn't Lindsey maybe? Pretty clever, all. Yeah, Joss hates his plots leaking out.

I only had one period that I read spoilers and it was between Buffy ending and Angel S5 starting. And it messed me up! The necromancer episode? I knew everything!! It ruined it for me.

Never again I say! Neveer!

(PS Good job on the Lindsey secrecy. I think it came pretty much out of the blue in that ep for everyone!)

EdDantes | December 19, 12:16 CET

I think spoilers are pretty much a US-only problem. Living in Belgium where we see episodes at least a year after they aired in the US you have a hard time avoiding spoilers.

Boobie | December 19, 15:29 CET

Heh, this seems like the most spoiled season of Angel ever. Summaries for episodes are coming out weeks before the episode airs. And CK's return to Angel was known about a month before Destiny aired. Though it must be said no one knew which episode he would re-appear in.

Simon | December 19, 18:09 CET

I'm glad that it was just a rumor that it wasn't Lesley. I myself haven't had anything spoiled for Angel (thought I had with the Lesley thing when someone posted it wasn't him). I really try not to read anything that could spoil it for me because the couple of times I did find out stuff it really took away for me the impact of the storyline knowing it was coming, like Tara getting killed, for instance.

Firefly Flanatic | December 19, 20:34 CET

To this news: good! If some viewers can't or won't even try to learn to appreciate the value of the element of surprise in entertainment, then I hope it gets forced on them. I hope that the people involved with TV shows keep looking for ways to prevent spoilers from leaking out months or even weeks in advance (obviously there's nothing you can do about days in advance, due to wildfeeds).

I say this only half-seriously. If you're really that impatient that you need to know what happens before you see the show/film, then go ahead. Though I hate it when the minority of people that aren't conscious of those of us avoiding spoilers happen to blab about all of it on message boards or on the bus while talking to their friends (or sometimes it's one of my friends spoiling me while we're talking on the phone 'cause they forget how anal I am about not being spoiled). At least increased security on scripts and such would make it harder for them to get spoilers, that I do care about.

Kris | December 20, 04:20 CET

Who knows, maybe the whole SMG saying the "time isn't right" is ME way to throw off the fans because it seemed way out of character to me that David Boreanaz would openly complain like that. I'm probably way off base with that theory but it wouldn't surprise me at all if that was the case.

Firefly Flanatic | December 20, 07:20 CET

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