We are making a few changes and updates. The navbar changed a little and the episodes now have their own link. Still trying to figure out how to make the pop-up menus a fixed height.
Also we are adding streaming video of each episode. Thank you for your patience.
STARTING UNDER (FOX) – Bert Belasco (“Dash 4 Cash”) is set to play son to Bernie Mac in the comedy pilot, about a larger-than-life and opinionated man (Mac) who, after a divorce, finds himself living with and working for his introverted twentysomething son (Belasco). Ken Davitian also stars in the half-hour, which comes from creator Bruce Helford and director Andy Ackerman. Warner Bros. Television and Mohawk Productions are co-producing.
Ken Davitian (“Borat”) has joined the cast of the comedy pilot, which stars Bernie Mac as a recently divorced man who moves in with his son and goes to work for him. Davitian will play Ken, a fortysomething co-worker who bonds with Mac’s character. Bruce Helford is behind the project, which is set up at Warner Bros. Television.
Pretender Headquarter’s Poll has been changed! Go to the PHQ to answer the poll.
We have also changed our navigation system a bit. Please let me know if you have any difficulties with the new menu. Please bare with us as the look of the site is cleaned up a bit in the weeks to come.
Mknzy
It is a very sad day. No, this is not related to The Pretender or it’s cast but it something that should be addressed regardless. It is a truly sad event the loss of a talented young actor at such a young age.
Rest In Peace Heath.
FOX has given a blind seven-episode series commitment to a new multi-camera comedy from comedian Bernie Mac (“The Bernie Mac Show”) and “The Drew Carey Show” creator Bruce Helford. The project, which is set up at Helford’s Warner Bros. Television-based Mohawk banner, centers on a larger-than-life and opinionated man (Mac), who, after a divorce, finds himself living with and working for his introverted twentysomething son. Sitcom veteran Andy Ackerman is already on board to direct the half-hour, production of which is obviously contingent on the end of the WGA strike. Helford and Deborah Oppenheimer, who inked a new two-year overall deal with the studio back in June, will then executive produce alongside Ackerman with Mac and his manager Steven Greener both receiving producer credits.
Recently dear ol’ Steve and Craig (creators of the Pretender, for those drawing a blank) had an interview with “Slice Of SciFi.com” regarding a new project they’ve completed, a mini-series called “Tin Man”.
In the interview they were asked about The Pretender, this is what they said…(Pay very close attention to the end of Craig’s (“CVS”) looong bit and the stuff after that.)
Oh, and for those who want to read the whole interview go here: http://www.sliceofs cifi.com/ 2007/09/07/ sosf-interview- with-the- tin-man-creators -steven-long- mitchell- and-craig- van-sickle/
SoSF: As a team, you have been credited with a number of television series including NBC’s highly rated The Pretender as executive producers during its five year run. What inspired that particular project or concept?
SLM: That was a labor of love and a script that was originally an expect pilot, which rarely happens in television where you develop outside the studio or network system. What really inspired it was the idea of a character could be a hero as everyone in life is searching for their identity and how we fit in, we wanted a hero who would be searching for his identity but who also could have any identity he wanted, but didn’t know who he was. We wanted a hero that could come into your life and learn things from you by helping you and in his own way be helping himself. There’s a movie that Tony Curtis did called The Great Impostor, which is based on a book by a guy named Ferdinand Demara, which was a great inspiration to us but then we also had a system the C.I.A. had in the early ’50’s that we built upon as well.
CSV: It was called the Genius Project. They would take genius kids and basically bring them into the C.I.A. In the morning they would teach them the regular math, reading, all that stuff and in the afternoon they would have them play games like thermo-nuclear war. They would literally brain pick ideas out of these genius kids that later on actually did become C.I.A. hardware, operations tactics and what not. So we thought that would be interesting to have a genius who could do a lot of different things and knew about everything there was to know because that’s the environment he was raised in and just the idea of the fantasy of a lead TV character that could become anybody he wanted to be. We just felt it would be an interesting series franchise and had a great time doing it. Our fans still clabber for the answers because we never closed The Pretender out. We will just say to them please be patient, it’s going to happen, hopefully soon.
SLM: And it will happen in relationship to Strange Highway.
SoSF: Thank you gentlemen. Another Slice of SciFi scoop, oh, that will be great!
SLM: We will continue the story line of this digitally on the web.
SoSF: I loved that series.
I am currently redoing the following:
Go over to the Pretender Centre Gallery to add any photos you have. Help the Pretender Centre to become the largest Picture Gallery for The Pretender! Go
The PHQ moved onto the PretenderCentre.com server. Almost everything is moved!
I am currently redoing the following:
DIRECTV’s Best Picture to Glow as Exclusive Presenting Sponsor of June 28 Premiere
NEW YORK, June 25 — In a first for USA Network, the premiere of the much anticipated new original series, BURN NOTICE, will air commercial- free in its entirety on June 28 at 10pm/9c, it was announced today by Scott Collins, vice president, ad sales, NBC Universal. DIRECTV, the nation’s leading satellite television provider, has been named the exclusive presenting sponsor of the broadcast, which includes a massive fully integrated media and marketing partnership.
The commercial-free premiere sponsorship package with DIRECTV includes all marketing efforts from on-air and online to paid media and promotions.
“As the first series from USA Network to ever air commercial-free, we thought audiences would appreciate the opportunity to learn all about our lead character Michael Westen from beginning to end without interruption,” said Collins. “And we’re thrilled that DIRECTV embraced the show’s unique premise to become our inaugural partner for the BURN NOTICE premiere.”
“This is a terrific way to help reinforce our HD superiority message in anticipation of offering up to 100 HD channels by the end of the year,” said Jon Gieselman, senior vice president of advertising for DIRECTV. “We are always looking for break-through ways to communicate why DIRECTV has a unique advantage over our competitors.”
The sponsorship also includes:
ON-AIR PROMOTION
As the commercial-free presenting sponsor, DIRECTV’s message and brand were integrated into all on-air promotional spots, driving viewers to the premiere episode. USA also included DIRECTV in the introduction as well as the customized live-action closing “Thank You” message. USA Network took its creative cues from DIRECTV’s current “4th Wall” television campaign where actors recreate a scene from one of their most iconic film or TV shows and then break the “4th Wall” to talk about DIRECTV (seen in recent DIRECTV on-air spots featuring Charlie Sheen from MAJOR LEAGUE and Pamela Anderson in BAY WATCH).
Lead actor Jeffrey Donovan taped an in-character “thanks for watching” 30- second bumper that will air following the premiere. In the spot, his character Michael Westen, a blacklisted spy, is seen disabling a bugging device in his apartment. When he finishes rendering it inoperable, he turns to the camera and says “Thank you for watching this unique commercial-free presentation of BURN NOTICE presented by DIRECTV.” He then throws the device into a sizzling frying pan. Additionally the viewer will be reminded of DIRECTV’s sponsorship via brand snipes during the telecast.
BRAND INTEGRATION
DIRECTV will be integrated verbally and visually into two episodes during the summer season.
OFF-AIR
DIRECTV will be included as part of the BURN NOTICE launch campaign including national out-of-home, print, newspaper, radio and digital media.
ONLINE
DIRECTV is one of the presenting sponsors of the official BURN NOTICE microsite. Their sponsorship includes pre-roll and display advertising as well as ownership of the specially created Burn Notice Spy Guide which includes a DIRECTV DVR interface and showcases Michael Westen giving users “CIA 101” type tutorials on everyday life situations.
MOBILE
DIRECTV will be the presenting sponsor of the Burn Notice WAP Site and the weekly SMS Scavenger Hunt.
About Burn Notice
When spies get fired, they don’t get a letter from human resources, they get BURNED. This summer, USA Network presents BURN NOTICE, a sexy, action- packed original series starring Jeffrey Donovan (“Touching Evil,” “Hitch”) as Michael Westen, a blacklisted spy. Series also stars Gabrielle Anwar (“The Tudors,” “Scent of A Woman”) as Fiona, a beautiful ex-IRA operative who happens to be Westen’s ex-girlfriend. Bruce Campbell (“Evil Dead,” Army of Darkness”) stars as Sam, Michael’s closest buddy in town, a washed up military intelligence contact who is keeping an eye on Michael for the Feds. Also starring is Emmy(R) Award-winner Sharon Gless (“Queer as Folk,” “Cagney & Lacey”) as Madeline, Michael’s hypochondriac mother, who couldn’t be happier to have her boy back in town. BURN NOTICE will premiere with a one-hour episode on Thursday, June 28 at 10pm/9c and will be followed by 11 one-hour episodes.
About DIRECTV
DIRECTV, Inc., the nation’s leading satellite television service provider, presents the finest television experience available to more than 16 million customers in the United States, through exclusive content, industry-leading customer satisfaction (which has surpassed cable for six years running) and superior technologies. Each day, DIRECTV subscribers enjoy access to over 250 channels of 100% digital picture and sound, exclusive programming and the most comprehensive collection of sports programming available anywhere, including NFL SUNDAY TICKET(TM) and MLB EXTRA INNINGS(R). DIRECTV (NYSE: DTV) also leads the digital television technology revolution with exclusives such as NFL SUNDAY TICKET SuperFan(TM), US OPEN Interactive and YES Network Interactive and will soon have the capacity to offer over 150 channels in HD. For the most up-to-date information on DIRECTV, please visit http://www.directv.com.
About USA Network
USA NETWORK is cable television’s leading provider of original series and feature movies, sports and entertainment events, off-net television shows, and blockbuster theatrical films. The #1 basic cable network across the board in 1Q06, USA Network is seen in 90 million U.S. homes. The USA Network Web site is located at http://www.usanetwork.com. Characters Welcome.
USA Network is a program service of NBC Universal Cable a division of NBC Universal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.
The Pretender is back in the USA! Check out The Hallmark Channel for The Pretender airing at 2am (check your local listings) starting January 2, 2007!
From TVShowsonDVD.com:
“Fox has already released the four season of The Pretender on DVD, but now they’ve announced that the two TV movies, Pretender 2001 and Pretender: Island of the Haunted will be released on March 13, 2007.
This single disc will contain Pretender 2001 (full screen 1.33.:2) on one side, and Pretender: Island fo the Haunted (widescreen 1.78:2) on the other. The disc runs for 216 mins, and sells for $26.98 US, or $37.98 CAN.
Disc 1 Side A:
Pretender 2001 (Full Screen)
Picking up where the television series left off, Jarod reunites with two old friends and unleashes some powerful Centre revelations. This film opens with a sequence that will allow it to be enjoyed by individuals who have not yet seen the TV series.
Disc 1 Side B:
Pretender: Island of the Haunted (Widescreen)
Through a series of bizarre circumstances, Jarod and Miss Parker find themselves trapped together on a strange island in a life and death situation, out of which come some of the most important revelations about their pasts.
Pre-order Today from Amazon!
Are you ready for it? The last season of The Pretender is coming to DVD in July!
July 18, 2006 marks the final season of The Pretender out of DVD so get yourself going and head over to Amazon.com to pre-order your copy today!
“The 4th and Final Season of this fan favorite! Jarod is a genius of exceptionally high I.Q. who was brought up at the Centre, a clandestine research facility where he was kept against his will until he managed to escape. Although constantly on the run from Miss Parker, one of the Centre’s most deadly agents, Jarod uses the unique abilities he learned there to help innocent victims get the justice they deserve. He also continues to hold out hope of finging his missing family. But what he never expected to find is evidence of an old DNA experiment that connects his father and Miss Parker’s murdered mother – and experiment which creates an ironic link between hunter and prey.”
Disc 1 Side A:
Disc 1 Side B:
Disc 2 Side A:
Disc 2 Side B:
Disc 3 Side A:
Disc 3 Side B:
Disc 4 Side A:
Bonus Features will include:
Touching Evil – Touching Evil & 3 other Short-Run Shows Samped on Brilliant But Cancelled: Crime Drama DVD
Posted by David Lamber on 3/12/06 at TVShowsOnDVD.com
“Universal, Trio and Bravo are rolling out a line of ‘Billiant But Cancelled’ DVDs. and the first pair is coming out on May 16th. The concept is fairly obvious: to collect episodes onto DVD from the short-run series that the networks cancelled but which the critics found to be truly special, despite the low ratings that got them cut. There are two releases coming first: EZ Streets will get it’s own disc, and then separately is , collecting a single episode each from 4 shows:
This release runs 209 minutes in full frame 1.33:1 video. Johnny Staccato… is in black-and-white while the other three are in colo. Price is $19.98 SRP. Check it out!
The DSA’s of my adventures to thwart The Centre (whenever I can) have been released to the general public. Read More
TVShowsonDVD.com has some clips from the Season Three Disc for us to watch. Head on over! Check it out!
