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2011, 05-31:
Review of TV series: “FALLING SKIES” + Q&A with star with NOAH WYLE
For 15 years (from 1994 thru 2009), NOAH WYLE played Dr. John Carter in 254 episodes of the TV series “E.R.” set in Chicago (where it filmed certain outdoor scenes thru the years)...
... On May 31, Noah returned to Chicago to participate in a Q&A for an advance screening of his new sci-fi based TNT TV series called “FALLING SKIES”...
... Introduced by Redeye’s KURT WAGNER, NOAH appeared before the 2-hour screening. At one point, Noah said no, he hadn’t really been BACK to Chicago since the final filming of “E.R.” here...
... As to the new series, it was filmed in the TORONTO area-- yes, because things are cheaper there... He said, he hoped we’d ENJOY it, & he’d be back for the Q&A AFTER it...
... This series (with Steven Speilberg as one of the Producers) starts “RIGHT-IN” with ACTION: it’s made clear (in the episodes “Sanctuary” 1 & 2) that ALIENS had come to Earth, they were decidedly unfriendly, & their goal was to TAKE OVER the planet by force... The only “E.T.” here stands for creatures that are Especially TERRIBLE!...
... The “setting” for the action is Massachusetts... We see a huge alien “Headquarters” structure plopped down in the middle of Boston, and see alien spacecraft flying around attacking people and neighborhoods...
... In short order, we’re introduced to a college professor named Tom Mason (NOAH WYLE). He’s trying to escape from an area with his 17-year-old son Hal (DREW ROY) and youngest son Matt (MAXIM KNIGHT) who’s around 7 years old...
... They’re all very worried about the middle brother, Ben (CONNOR JESSUP), who’s been captured by the aliens... At one point, in reconnoitering, Drew chances to SEE Connor, being marched with other prisoners under the control of the 6-legged “Mechs” aliens (which look like insects) & their 2-legged robot-like drones called “Skitters”...
... What especially disturbs Drew is, he sees that all the prisoners have been fitted with alien “harness” creatures which embed themselves into the SPINES of the humans & stick-into & control them. The human resisters have already learned you cannot “rip off” the harnesses, because that could KILL whoever is attached to the harness...
... Drew has told NOAH how he’d found Connor & what he’d seen. The two of them want to try to RESCUE the middle brother-- but the area’s Earthling military leader named Weaver (WILL PATTON) insists that he’s in charge of the area, considers that Noah & Drew are part of his “2nd Massachusetts” combat group, & demands they do what HE demands...
... Will says, he doesn’t like that he’s been “forced” to try to get 200 or so “CIVILIANS” away from the area. Thus, tho he’d prefer just dealing things in an offensive way (by attacking the aliens they find), he feels obligated to use his 100 or so “military” company to get the civilians to “SAFETY” before confronting the aliens militarily...
... Noah and Hal are reluctant to do Will’s bidding-- but, they realize it’s best to try to “COOPERATE” at the moment, & then go look for Connor the next day (as Will has quasi-“promised” they could do)...
... Will’s “militia” group includes kids as young as like 13, as shown by Jimmy Boland (DYLAN AUTHORS)... Also sort of “conscripted” are Dai (PETER SHINKODA), Margaret (SARAH CARTER), and a doctor named Anne Glass (MOON BLOODGOOD) -- all of whom seem “closer” to NOAH & his goals than to Will’s militia wishes...
... While Noah & Hal are doing required “reconnaissance” & searching for FOOD stocks, they have a battle with some of the ALIEN creatures who see and attack them...
... Also, they and some others get captured by a group of INDEPENDENT “rebels” being controlled by John Pope (COLIN CUNNINGHAM). Those violent “dissenters” have their “OWN” self-centered agenda, & don’t want to be under the “thumb” of ANY military group...
... Will a way be found to RESCUE Noah, Drew & the others from Colin’s clutches?... Will anyone be able to “CONTROL” Colin’s marauders?... Will the Earthlings be able to get “away” from the ALIENS enough to lead the civilians to a modicum of safety?... What will happen “NEXT” in the story?!...
... This is an unusually FINELY-DONE TV series. The characters are “definitive” and “believable”, we get the necessary “threads” of the war / “love story” & “family” plotlines, the special effects are top-notch, and the “ACTION” is frequent and ENJOYABLE...
... Thus, I’m rating this at 8.25 of 10 stars (with the hope that subsequent episodes are equally as engaging)...
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Q&A with star NOAH WYLE
After the screening (which elicted strong applause), KURT went to the front of the theater & re-introduced NOAH for the Q&A...
... When asked by Kurt, Noah spoke a bit about what he’d been doing SINCE “E.R.” He spoke of how he’s been happy to spend time with his FAMILY, including an 8-year-old son, & also “picking & choosing” acting PROJECTS that were of interest to him...
... Noah noticed a man in the audience & introduced him, saying it was (as I recall) ROGER ANDERSON, who was involved in the PRODUCING of some of the “E.R.” shows... Noah commented, he brings back many “memories” to him, of shooting scenes in Chicago-- which were enjoyable, except not in the WINTER time or certain difficult-weather times at the end of July!...
... An audience member asked about his role in the NEW “FALLING SKIES” series. Noah spoke of how Spielberg came up with a lot of the plot, & wanted the series to “GRAB” people by starting out with the aliens already there & different people’s specific REACTIONS to that, rather than spending a lot of time on “exposition” of “WHY” the aliens are there & what they “want”...
... Noah said, “It’s been a really gratifying experience—” to be part of the cast. The pilot (we’d seen) started shooting around 2 years ago, & ideas were given for a 3rd “cut” of the footage by July of last year (to try to make it as good as possible)...
... When Noah was asked what he felt was “special” about his new series vs some of the OTHER ones (especially sci-fi related types) the audience may have seen lately, with good humor he exhibited throughout, he said, well, “WE haven’t been CANCELLED— [unlike certain others recently, such as ‘THE EVENT’]!...”
... More seriously, Noah said, he liked that his series “is more of a FAMILY drama” than just a SCI-FI exercise. He feels, “It’s got a little bit more HEART” than most shows nowadays. He also likes that the show keeps bringing up a series of new “QUESTIONS” about people & their behavior...
... Noah added that, he’s pleased that it’s being shown on the TNT cable network, which has allowed for a lot of creativity & in-effect no “interference” in what they want to do with the concept... For him personally, he “likes being the head of the ensemble”, tho that can also be “a SCARY proposition” at times!...
... An audience member asked, what made him pick the role in the series? Noah replied that, it was “the QUALITY of the script & the PEOPLE involved” with the show. He especially liked how his character had “the biggest ‘ARC’—” re “the road he’ll travel” in his development as the story goes along...
... To a question of what Noah would consider a “dream” job, he said, he’d LIKE to make MORE of “THE LIBRARIAN” TV movies [like he did with the “Flynn Carsen” role in 2006 & 2008]!...
... Noah commented that, he’s pretty NEW to doing the “sci-fi” genre-- but he found that tends to have a “loyal and DEDICATED audience”, & he thus wants to be careful that “all the t’s are crossed and the I’s are dotted” in what they create for the new series...
... It’s hoped that the story will play-out over at least a 3-season arc, & it’s planned that elements “will UNFOLD like an ONION” that’s being peeled back bit-by-bit...
... He said yes, it’s true that the 10-episode show has been VIRTUALLY picked-up for a 2nd season already, if everything goes “right” as it has been... He feels that it’s a “good indicator” for the future of it...
... A guy in the audience asked if there are plans to use “SOCIAL MEDIA” to support the show. Noah said, well, he knows there’s efforts by TNT to have a “.com” web-site for the show, plus a “FACEBOOK” page & probably a “Twitter” account for it. But, he doesn’t know if there are any more “in-depth” media plans beyond all that...
... From the audience, a man asked, would we be seeing more about what life was life BEFORE the aliens arrived in “FALLING SKIES”? Noah said, he very much doubted that: They purposely started the story 6 months after they’d arrived, because they DIDN’T WANT to deal with the “before” situation, as so many other sci-fi’s have done...
... Further, he feels that “going back [to that period] is a ‘court of LAST resort”, in that it’d indicate that they were unable to tell the story they’d SET OUT to tell, a sort of “scraping the bottom of the barrel” creativity-wise...
... Noah said, he feels they’re BETTER than that. They’re purposely keeping their season shorter than most, at just 10 episodes, to try to do HIGH-QUALITY work, & that’s the goal they’re working towards in the show [which is produced by Spielberg’s “DREAMWORKS” television]...
... When asked what well-known films had he AUDITIONED for in recent years?, Noah replied, “Just about EVERY major motion picture you’ve seen!...” He added that, “You need to take a ‘stand’ [& show interest, or else] people FORGET about you—” with all the other actors around. And, he indicated that, it gets worse if people don’t SEE you working with some regularity...
... Someone commented, since he’s friends with George CLOONEY, “Couldn’t HE hook you up [with something]?!” Noah laughed & said, “Great question! I’ve got to ASK him that!...”
... Noah spoke more about how the sci-fi genre is GREAT for doing “group” drama, & Gene Roddenberry’s work on “STAR TREK” is the great proof of that. He himself ENJOYS doing “action” roles [as opposed to just “reactive” ones like he often has had]...
... A young lady in the audience commented about ENJOYING the screening we’d just seen, & wonders what the “FUTURE” holds for the group of people we’d been introduced to. Noah indicated, we’d have to WATCH!...
... When asked, Noah said, the 2-hour premiere will be on Sunday JUNE 19 on TNT, at 8 PM Central time [& 9 PM Eastern time]... Then, it will play regularly on Wednesdays as its “normal” air date...
... An audience member asked him, does he have any passions outside of acting? He kidded, “I can never remember what they ARE--!”, outside of spending time with his FAMILY...
... Another person said, he knew Noah was a big fan of the Los Angeles LAKERS basketball team. He said yeah, it was really upsetting that they lost out in the playoffs. Clearly not wanting the MIAMI
HEAT to win, he said, “Go DALLAS!”...
... A lady asked him about the “post Apocalyptic world” portrayed in the new series. With humor, he said, if such an event BEFELL the Earth, if aliens actually LANDED, he wouldn’t be surprised if one of the first things some government would “recommend” is stocking up on DUCT TAPE!... He added that, “I fell prey to the Y2K—” alarms, so, he’s not the “best” one to ask!...
... Closing the Q&A session, with sincerity, Noah said to the crowd there, “THANK you so much for coming OUT tonight!”, & urged us to tell our FRIENDS if we liked what we’d seen...
... Another quite INTERESTING Q&A (with "live" photos above taken by myself & TIM WILLIS)...
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