Whedonesque : Comments on 6697 : Fox "potentials" feature some of our friends.

This site will work and look better in a browser that supports web standards, but it is accessible to any browser or Internet device.

May 11 2005

Fox "potentials" feature some of our friends. Several pilots vying for a spot on Fox's fall schedule include Whedonverse alums. (Includes photos!). Update:: New photos added, including ones for 'The Inside', David Boreanaz's 'Bones' and Nick Brendon's 'Kitchen Confidential'.

Look for David Boreanaz, Elizabeth Rohm, Nicholas Brendon, Alexa Davalos and (honorable mention) Luke Perry.
The Inside isn't listed because it's already picked up for sure. Here is its official placeholder site.
I know, I know. Don't get attached to any of the above. It is Fox after all.
Guess I'm just another Charlie Brown to Fox's Lucy.

melsta | Cast&Crew | 04:54 CET | 54 comments total | tags:

Nearly fell out of my seat: Graham Hale's picture - Doyle much? The likeness is uncanny!

catalyst2 | May 11, 05:06 CET

Didn't look much like Doyle to me. Except for the coat, I guess. Infact, I had to go through the pictures three times to find anyone that resembled Doyle.

Atleast now we know for sure that Miss Match was cancelled, lol. Good to see Alicia and MJH back. I have high hopes for Kitchen Confidential because of my former Alias and BtVS cast members, but I can't say I'm too stoked about David Boreanaz's show. I'm not feeling the picture. At all.

[ edited by Christopher on 2005-05-11 03:13 ]

Christopher | May 11, 05:11 CET

Oh no, there's a US remake of Peep Show :( I just can't see how that can ever work.

That's a fair few Whedonverse alums and a lot of pilots for one network. No wonder it's such a cut-throat business.

Paul_Rocks | May 11, 05:27 CET

You forgot Megalyn Echikunwoke, who was the Wicca group leader in "The Killer in Me."

Invisible Green | May 11, 05:30 CET

Kitchen Confidential looks interesting. As does the one about the lottery winner friends. I expect subterfuge, backstabbing, and corruption there... always good tv fodder.

Interesting to see these ideas, but who are the WRITERS? To me, that is what tells what will be good and what will be offal.

Willowy | May 11, 05:49 CET

While I am really happy to see our old "friends" in new shows, I couldn't help but feel sad at the same time. Our shows are over, they're really over! Sniff, sniff!!!

I know! I know! They've been over for a while, but it's still hard. As long as we didn't see our beloved ones committed to other shows there was always that ridiculous little crack of hope that maybe, just maybe we'd get them back together.

I know it sounds silly, just allow me my moment of nostalgia.
Thanks!

Tracy | May 11, 06:01 CET

It still seems strange to see David Boreanaz in sunlight. ;D

IMForeman | May 11, 06:14 CET

Nobody's arguing with you Tracy, you are absolutely right. :)

Got a bit cringe-y with the photos, myself. Not exactly the 'verse, right? Zooms right into focus the "Hey! We're actors!" factor. Not lovin' it.

That's Xander, and ANGEL, and yeah, even frickin' Kate... don't they all know that they need to just wait by the phone for the Joss call?

Pffft! Who needs to eat? Actors don't eat anyway, do they?

Willowy | May 11, 06:22 CET

Writers, directors, producers (oh my!) etc. are all listed here, along with lots more info. Note how the parameters can be adjusted up top for network, genre, blahdy blahdy blah.

I'm definitely pulling for Bones since I've read most of the Kathy Reichs Temperance Brennan books. Too bad it's not in Montréal...

Also pulling for Nicky. Would really like to see him successful. All my buds, really.

melsta | May 11, 06:24 CET

I'm glad so many BtVS alumn got pilots...and they have apparently been picked up for the Fall season...but they all look terrible to me. Not one of the shows sounds like it has any plot twists or surprises, in fact several of them look like they were based on failed reality shows. But maybe I'm just taking a negative view of things.

embers | May 11, 06:24 CET

Oh, and good catch, Invisible Green. Knew I'd be missing SOMEONE. I hope he does this for all the networks. I wanna see Alyson. And Amy. Etc.

melsta | May 11, 06:27 CET

None of these pilots have been picked up, embers.

I'm rooting for Nicky and David's shows. Elisabeth Rohm, eh, no matter what role she plays I always see "Kate". Maybe she should go brunette or smile?

eddy | May 11, 06:29 CET

I've been waiting for more on Bones and David Boreanaz. No, its not what I want, but at least DB may be back on my TV in a weekly (not weakly) way. I would like to suggest that we all contact Fox as soon as possible and tell them how much we want Bones or (your choice here) to be selected for the new season. For me, I'm rooting for the hot DB to be back on!

TexLuvsAngel | May 11, 06:34 CET

Me too TexLuvsAngel! I hope Bones gets picked up because I want to watch David.

charisma | May 11, 06:44 CET

Yay, Nick!

lycoming | May 11, 07:08 CET

I have my fingers crossed for 'Kitchen Confidential' and 'Bones' to be picked up. Go Nick! Go David!!

nychick | May 11, 08:01 CET

I'm disappointed with "Bones" already, since they've deleted the character of Andrew Ryan. In the novels, Ryan had graduated from the university in my home town. I was really looking forward to seeing an X-ring on TV. sigh

Still, I hope the pilots do well. I'll settle for the fact that they have Jossverse allum.

Judy | May 11, 08:55 CET

Huh. I guess I kinda thought DB would be the Ryan figure. Maybe they'll still incorporate important elements like the ring. :-)

melsta | May 11, 09:16 CET

Is it me or do all the guys have the same haircut?

NOLA64 | May 11, 09:32 CET

Is the Gwen (Electricity Girl) on that 20 years in the group of friends one?

Kitchen Confidential looks good. Everything else looks STUPID. Not because of the actors, but the premises. Oh, and my money is on the fact that if the Fertility Clinic one takes off, there'll be an Abortion clinic one next year. That gets cancelled in a week if they don't kill a nurse off every episode.

pixxelpuss | May 11, 09:44 CET

Some of those plots look ridiculous, I think they should combine all of them into one big plot.

Simon | May 11, 10:40 CET

I remember hearing of a tv show based on a failed movie centering on a blonde valley girl cheerleader who could karate chop vampires and thinking to myself "wow, thats silly".

Judging a book by its cover :)

eddy | May 11, 13:25 CET

I would love NB & DB to be successful in new shows. And DB does look very strange in bright sunlight. Should have asked the girls & guys to move slightly, can't get a good look at him ;)

The Do That Girl | May 11, 14:05 CET

Kitchen Confidential looks interesting and I adore Bradley Cooper, but I've made a bit of a rule of not watching half hour comedies. I need to be emotionally invested in a show, and I've just found that a half hour is not really enough to develop interesting or layered characters.

Melisande | May 11, 14:19 CET

I'll watch NB and DB's shows. Hope to get involved... yeah, I"m judging the books by their covers. They sound pretty flat and boring overall. Hey! I listened to the critics who said Buffy was cool despite the name and premise!

April | May 11, 16:11 CET

That's a bit of my problem as well, Melisande. Although I have to say that Kitchen Confidential appears to be worth it.

Koos | May 11, 16:39 CET

I'll definetly give BONES a shot and BRIAR & GRAVES too! Sure I would rather have a Whedonverse show....BRIAR & GRAVES has a supernatural theme to it so I take that as a step in the "right" direction...in that the more supernatuaral themed TV shows the better it is fans of Buffy and Angel...or am I wrong?

Jonas | May 11, 17:10 CET

Overall, I'd have to say Kitchen Confidential is the only one I have any interest in at the moment. I know nothing about it but the casting lures me in. Maybe I'll like Bones when I see it. Hard to tell.

*crosses fingers* Hope they both get picked up.

supersymetry | May 11, 17:20 CET

Come on, don't y'all think 'Pool Guys' has the potential to be a really well-made and funny sitcom? No, nor do I.

I like Alicia Silverstone, but 'Queen B' sounds much much worse than Miss Match.

I agree that NB and DB's pilots sound like the best of the lot.

WWBD | May 11, 17:40 CET

Wow, most of this stuff looks like totally average crap. Just on a thought, I wonder if midway through reading the pilot scripts, NB and DB were going, "God, Joss et al were good writers..."

Blah. All looks blah. But Joss has spoiled me.

BUT, having said all that, I hope I'm wrong and our guys do well, because they are actors who have to eat.

And I thought David was going to focus on movies. Huh.

Rogue Slayer | May 11, 18:29 CET

Wow, maybe it's the fact that I haven't been awake for long......or maybe it's all those cheezy 'class photo' style pictures of desperately smiling people, but there's not a thing in there that even resembles 'interesting'.

No, on second look it's mainly the misfortune of reading their 'premises'. *Groan*. Pool Boys especially. Who wrote that line?? 'They're living out their fantasy of...having a crappy job while dreaming of a better future'. That's their fantasy? Or 'the cutting edge world of the fertillity clinic'? WTF?

Cop show, cop show, vague drama, cop show, cheezy sitcom, vague drama, cheezy sitcom, repeat till bleeding from brain. I"m depressed now.

EdDantes | May 11, 18:47 CET

I know the first time I read through I was like, is there a single drama that DOESN'T involve an unlikely duo paired up to solve ______? Yeesh. And the comedies look so generic! This unconventional comedy looks into the mind of... An average american family. Yeah, definitely unconventional.

pixxelpuss | May 11, 19:26 CET

The original version of Peep Show is definitely unconventional, it's extremely dark, depressing, sad and one of the funniest shows I've ever seen. Just don't imagine it translating at all well. Did the remake of The Office do really well? I know the original Peep Show was shown on BBC America but I don't know if it was popular.

Paul_Rocks | May 11, 19:35 CET

One more Buffy connection: Wentworth Miller of "Prison Break" was Gage Petronzi on "Go Fish".

[ edited by fruit punch mouth on 2005-05-12 07:10 ]

fruit punch mouth | May 11, 19:37 CET

Not to be overly picky, but I think Gage Petronzi was "Sunnydale High's third-best swimmer" from Go Fish.

If I watched TV at all, I'd probably give Kitchen Confidential a shot 'cos I really liked the book, and Nicky is worth a watch in anything. And possibly The Inside also. Nothing else. Although Pool Guys appears to be so startlingly bad, I might be tempted there too . . . to answer Jonas's query: I'm only marginally more interested if something is supernaturally-themed, because most supernaturally-themed shows are as drecky as everything else. As Willowy and others have observed, it's the writing, not the subject matter. After all, any number of great shows can be reduced to implausible and frankly ridiculous sounding premises.

SoddingNancyTribe | May 11, 19:54 CET

Just a note on Bones. I have enjoyed the novels on which this series is based, so with any luck, and if the "writer-translators" don't mess it up, it could be good. I'm sure hanging my hat on it because I want to see DB on a regular basis, in addition to all my DVD's! However, even I can't watch "I'm with Lucy" again.

TexLuvsAngel | May 11, 20:19 CET

Looks like Fox is breaking no new ground.

Apart from the tokenistic placement of two asians, a couple older persons and less than a handful of african americans, that page of photos demonstrates the least creative and least diverse casting I've ever seen. The new faces all looked the same to me: young, white and pretty.

I had to read the show descriptions to tell the shows apart! -mattro

Hjermsted | May 11, 20:32 CET

Quick question for those who are fans of the novels on which Bones is based: what is the background to Special Agent Booth (David B's character)'s "mistrust of science and scientists"? Unfortunate personal experience? Religious beliefs? Just seems slightly odd to me that an army ranger would have that kind of skepticism. Or is that one of the mysteries of the show/novels?

SoddingNancyTribe | May 11, 20:37 CET

He doesn't sound like anyone from the books. Hard to tell though -- since they're not using Montreal, you don't know who is supposed to be who as they're probably changing from French names to Anglo anyway. They might build aspects of other characters in anywhere, but I can't think of any anti-scientific types.

But I haven't read all the books, and it's been a while since I read my most recent (Fatal Voyage).

melsta | May 11, 21:24 CET

The Inside is the one I'm looking forward to. Tim Minear is one of my BDHs -- add in Katie Finneran from Wonderfalls and the inimitable Adam Baldwin and you've got me on hook to see if I like it.

[ edited by zeitgeist on 2005-05-11 20:18 ]

zeitgeist | May 11, 22:18 CET

I am also looking forward to Minear's show. By the way did NB look like a deranged french pastry chef to anyone else?

ShotgunWes | May 12, 00:14 CET

Frankly the only reason I'm going to give 'The Inside' a shot is because Tim Minear's name is attached to it. (Same way I gave Point Pleasant a shot because of Marti) The trailers don't look all that good to me. Years ago I felt 'Profiler' was lifting a lot of elements from 'Millennium' and this looks to do that to both those shows. With a few crumbs of 'Veronica Mars' tossed in for taste.

I like the type of show (if done well obviously) that whole 'see into the heart of human darkness' thing, but I get a very strong feeling of 'been there done that' from the trailers.

I hope, of course, to be pleasantly surprised, but without Tim's name on it, it would look like another copycat-show to me.

EdDantes | May 12, 04:04 CET

I tossed a few (non-spoilery)screencaps from The Inside up on my server the other night, here.

I've read all but two of the scripts written so far. I'm insanely proud of Tim.

Allyson | May 12, 04:14 CET

Allyson where did you read the scripts because I'd like to read them also.

ShotgunWes | May 12, 05:42 CET

I am very much looking forward to the Inside. Not only cause of Tim though, it just looks like something that would appeal to me and having Tim behind it is a plus.

One last thing that is Gage in that Prison Break show!!! I knew he looked familiar. He's also been in Mariah Carey's new video's, not that i seen them or anything.

Gunn 2 N's | May 12, 06:14 CET

I'm so sorry Shotgun Wes, I can't distribute them. I have a friend who works on the show who gives them to me because he knows I won't distribute them or spoil anyone.

It does have some interesting little arcs that will appeal to those of us who love to see a good story unfold over time, but it also fits nicely into the procedural model. Sort of like the X-Files in a way, in that you can watch individual episodes and enjoy the story within the episode, without being confused by the arc if you're not watching them in a particular order. IOW, it would work as well in syndication, but those who are faithful can see how the characters develop and change over time. There's recognizable hero's journey sort of story taking place subtlely over time, if you're one to watch and rewatch and discuss some of the metaphors going on.

The promos are built to cast the widest net possible. But the show works on both the mass audience and obsessive fandom levels, I think.

But I do see that it won't work for everyone. There's no supernatural element to any of it, it is horrifically violent in spots, and the main character could annoy some folks and be compelling to others. I love her, but keep in mind that Buffy was my girl, my favorite hero, ever.

At any rate, folks will give it a shot and either love it, hate it, or feel ambivalent, like anything else.

Allyson | May 12, 07:04 CET

"I know! I know! They've been over for a while, but it's still hard. As long as we didn't see our beloved ones committed to other shows there was always that ridiculous little crack of hope that maybe, just maybe we'd get them back together."

Tracy, I'm with you. It's hard, isn't it?

The Inside....that is ALL I'm looking forward too. As much as I love the other actors in these pilots, I don't have huge hopes. These shows sound horrible. It's like I read the description and think "Haven't I seen that before?". I do hope I'm wrong. Definitely no intriguing scripts like a young girl who kills vampires or a futuristic space western ...long sigh.

Harmalicious | May 12, 07:14 CET

Just a wee note to say that the link has been updated with new images.

Simon | May 12, 10:16 CET

Thanks Simon, I don't have those.

adds to scrapbook

Allyson | May 12, 10:26 CET

Anytime, very nice promo pics of The Inside btw. Seeing as that Futon Critic page has changed since I last saw it, I've added a bit more to the subject line so people can know who is in what pilot.

Simon | May 12, 12:35 CET

The Inside is the show I am most excited about. Love Tim and Adam so I will definitely be watching. I have the highest hopes that this show will be good and will stay on TV for a while.

I also plan to watch Kitchen Confidential and Bones, for Nick and David. I don't have as much confidence in these shows but they may surprise me so I'll give them a shot.

Passion | May 12, 15:28 CET

Tim just posted the premiere date:

Wed, June 8th, 9:00 o'clock.

Allyson | May 12, 22:42 CET

All right! About time!

And it's not even a Friday night!

melsta | May 13, 00:44 CET

Not marking my TV calendar until FOX's series pickups are officially announced this coming week, but should they make the cut I'll definitely give both Kitchen Confidential and Bones a shot for their respective Whedon alums. NB's a doll in them chef's whites. And damn, does DB look good in a suit! That's what I call eye-candy in a fancy wrapper. ;)

Of course I'm checking out The Inside too, but there the attraction is all in the writing. And, you know, TM's insatiable thirst for blood. And AB hunking it up all over the place doesn't hurt...

Wiseblood | May 13, 10:43 CET

You need to log in to be able to post comments.
About membership.

« Older Solicitation Info for Serenity #2 ... | (SPOILER) An RPGnet columnist attends a Sere... Newer »