Video ~ True Blood : Invitation to the Set

True Blood premieres a week from today on HBO. I am eager to check out their Vampire world. Funny.... the lead actors on this tv show are also from other countries. Anna Paquin (Sookie Stackhouse) is from New Zealand and Stephen Moyer (Bill Compton) is from England. Ooooooooo ~ and Ryan Kwanten (Sookie's brother, Jason) is Australian.

In this video, we get a peek behind the scenes on the set of True Blood. Anna Paquin, Charlaine Harris (author of the book series on which the program is based), Ryan Kwanten, Alan Ball (executive producer & creator), Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell (Sam Merlotte) are all interviewed. They tell us a bit about what the series has in store.

We can watch & rate True Blood when it debuts next Sunday, September 7th, 2008. Please, let me know what you think of the show :)

Almost time for the East Coast Moonlight Convention

When we first talked about the East Coast Moonlight Convention, September seemed so far away. Now.... here we are on the verge. Gretchen & the gang have been working hard to put together a great event for everyone. You can enjoy fanfic contests, workshops, food, dancing and much more. A super special guest will also be there ~ Moonlight's co-creator, writer & executive producer, Trevor Munson! *cheer*

East Coast Moonlight Convention & Alex O'Loughlin Blood Drive
Friday, Saturday & Sunday ~ September 5th to 7th, 2008
DoubleTree Hotel Biltmore
Asheville, NC

Admission $150 includes banquet meal

Tickets $25 for haunted ghost tour on Friday night (space limited)
www.myspace.com/eastcoastmoonlightcon

Hurricane Katrina's third anniversary ~ Remembering our Gulf Coast neighbors

You know how much New Orleans means to me. Today is the 3rd anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. I am humbled by the resilience of those who fought to get their lives back after the unreal devastation of that storm. People who lost family members, friends, homes, pets and businesses in Bay St Louis, MS ~ Waveland, MS ~ St Bernard Parish ~ NOLA ~ Lower Ninth Ward ~ Biloxi, MS (too many communities to list here). Yet, they would not give up! Rebuilding not only their own lives, but helping loved ones, neighbors & strangers to do the same. Add to that the outpouring of assistance and care from every state.... and around the world. It is awe-inspiring!

Several friends in New Orleans are asking for our positive thoughts as they nervously watch the approach of Hurricane Gustav. I know shelters and charities in Oklahoma City are gearing up to receive possible evacuees, in case of emergency. Patients from hospitals in Louisiana are already being transported to one of our medical centers.

Please, remember the people of the Gulf Coast!

Of course, the Red Cross is preparing to help. I am soooooooo proud of Moonlight fans for supporting such an important organization :)

For those who want to donate &/or volunteer ~
http://www.redcross.org/

Alex O'Loughlin's work on The Shield now available on DVD

Hey everyone..... The Shield : The Complete Sixth Season is out on DVD! *cheer* As you know, Alex O'Loughlin joined the cast during that year as "the new guy," Detective Kevin Hiatt. He first appears in the episode of the same name. Those of us who are fans of the engrossing tv show can watch Alex's wonderful performance again and again. Anyone who missed it on television can enjoy his work for the first time. Just another example that Alex is such a talented actor.

You can grab your copy of The Shield Season 6 by using this link.............

Photograph ~ Detective Kevin Hiatt ( Alex O'Loughlin ) from The Shield tv series.

Vampires & Slayers new audio interview with Alex O'Loughlin

Another new audio interview with Alex O'Loughlin! YEA! Candid and thoughtful, as always. This time the talk is conducted by the wonderful Ed Gross of Vampires and Slayers. He broaches some important subjects. In this interview Alex talks extensively about Moonlight... its cancelation, fighting to save the show, being happy to have had the chance to play a Vampire, the difficulty of show runners coming & going, etc.

Ed also specifically brings up Nina Tassler's "actor-centric" comment. From Alex's reaction, it seemed to me that he had not heard her remark before this chat ~ and wasn't buyin' it.

I will say again that I'm excited & thankful for Alex getting a new contract allowing him to co-develop/produce & star in his next show, as well as pitch movie ideas. He deserves it!

Note : You must be a member of the site in order to listen to Alex O'Loughlin's interview. If you don't mind, please let them know that I sent ya by putting my name ~ Kandyegirl (like you didn't know ~ ha!) ~ as the answer to "How did you find out about Vampires & Slayers?" Thanks :)

MOONLIGHT AUDIO INTERVIEW: ALEX O'LOUGHLIN SAYS GOODBYE
by Edward Gross ~ Vampires & Slayers

For Moonlight's countless fans -- and the people who labored on the show in front of the camera and behind -- it seemed like a no-brainer that vampire detective Mick St. John and the love of his life, Beth Turner, would be returning for a second season. After all, the series won its timeslot almost every week, had highly-coveted demographics, won the People's Choice Awards and was the recipient of a strong cult following. Yet despite all of this going for it, the show was cancelled and its talented cast and crew were forced to go their separate ways. But now, in an excerpt from an exclusive interview, V&S Editor Edward Gross talks to series star Alex O'Loughlin about that cancellation, and his feelings looking back at the series. Moonlight fans take note: there will be much more coverage of the series to come.

Use this link to listen to the chat ~
http://vampiresandslayers.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=2235870%3ABlogPost%3A10103

Hollywood Reporter website mentions Shelby's interview with Alex O'Loughlin

In James Hibberd's blog, The Live Feed (for Hollywood Reporter), he mentions Shelby's wonderful interview with Alex O'Loughlin. Looks like he hasn't heard about Jericho fans and Moonlight fans working together. I'm glad that he praises Shelby!

E! denies 'Richards' canceled; 'Hills' ratings rebound; 'Jericho' for kids
by James Hibberd

>> Received this message in my Inbox. Struggling to wrap my brain around it:

“Shelby, a 10-year old girl who created www.jericho4kids.com who has raised money charities [and] helped raise money to send Jericho Season 1 DVD's to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and who has interviewed many actors and music stars was granted an interview with Alex O'Loughlin on Monday, August 25, 2008. During the interview Alex said he thinks 'Moonlight' would make a good movie."

Now ... wha-- okay. Let's ... let's. Okay. First ... there's a "Jericho For Kids" Web site? Well, it's homepage is ... interesting. Not a nuclear explosion drawn in crayons ... but ... still actually combines a kiddie style and "Jericho." The tagline: "Where kids and 'Jericho' meet." Second, the site is sending "Jericho" DVDs to troops in Iraq? I don't ... really? Third, the kid just interviewed Alex O'Loughlin for the site? Okay, O'Loughlin has ... absolutely nothing to do with "Jericho," but ... that's pretty darn impressive none the less (I've written a half dozen posts on "Moonlight" and never interviewed O'Loughlin). And Shelby, it should be noted, asks better questions than some TV critics. Seems O'Loughlin wanted to be a fighter pilot when he grew up.

http://www.thrfeed.com/2008/08/e-says-richards.html

Continuing to contact Joel Silver & Warner Bros Studio

WOW! I've received heaps of messages from folks letting me know that they have also been writing to Warner Bros & Joel Silver. Urging them to give us more Moonlight. That makes me too happy :) :) :) I'm thrilled that you have been in this campaign too.... and not at all surprised by your dedication. We've been contacting Silver Pictures & the WB for months, and will continue to do so ~ right?!?!?

Many comments came from international fans saying that they have been sending mail. Some are using postcards showcasing their country. Very smart! Movie studios & producers want to make piles of money in the US and abroad. Mounds of colorful fan mail adorned with "Greetings from....... Australia, Germany, Brazil, Israel, England, Canada, Russia, Italy, Spain, Ireland, etc etc" is a great visual to remind them of the $$$ to be made around the world with Moonlight.

I received another exciting batch of emails from those who have not been writing to Joel Silver &/or Warner Bros ~ but now plan to after hearing Alex O'Loughlin's encouraging remarks. *cheer*

You asked for ideas about what to write. It is best to be concise and on point, since you are contacting busy people. Here are a few things I have written in various messages.... I will follow Moonlight no matter where it goes.... ask for a DVD release for season one.... encourage them to produce a film..... point out the continued support from fans even though Moonlight was canceled months ago.... express my love for our show (cast, crew and writers).... unlimited storylines.... thanks for giving us Moonlight in the first place.... Vampires are extremely popular right now.... untapped revenue to be had from movies & merchandise.... and so on :)

As requested, I'm reposting the contact info for you ~

Joel Silver
Silver Pictures
4000 Warner Blvd.
Building #90
Burbank, CA 91522-0002

Warner Bros Studio
4000 Warner Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91522-0002
Alan F. Horn ~ President & COO
Jeff Robinov ~ President of WB Pictures Group
Kevin Tsujihara ~ President of WB Home Entertainment Group (asking for Moonlight DVD)

WB feed back form ~
http://www.warnerbros.com/main/help/customer_service.html

Thank you for all your hard work in attempting to save Moonlight :) Please, keep sending those letters, postcards and emails!

New audio interview with Alex O'Loughlin

The fantastic Shelby, from Jericho 4 Kids, has done a splendid new interview with Alex O'Loughlin! It is sooooooooooooooo good to hear his voice again. *cheer* His interviews are always interesting.... never monotone, boring or predictable. Not surprisingly, Alex is respectful, comfortable and adorable with Shelby.

Great question about his music & if he has any plans to record. As usual, Alex downplays his musical abilities. I hope we get to sample his songs one day.

He also downplays his writing skills. No ego trip! Unlike many stars, Alex is humble & down to earth.

I'm thrilled that Alex will be a producer on his next show. That will give him more control of the project.

He wouldn't give out details about what would have happened to Mick & Beth if Moonlight had been renewed "just in case anything ever happened with that show." I can't tell you how happy I was to hear him say that :)

Another sincere and heartwarming thank you to Moonlight fans!

Love Alex saying he thinks Moonlight would make a good movie. :) That will make some who worried that he wouldn't want to go back to the role of Mick very relieved. I giggled when Alex said to Shelby, "Maybe you should write to Joel Silver and suggest that." We have been, Alex! Moonlight fans regularly tell Joel & Warner Bros that we want a Moonlight film, and ask them not to give up on our show.

I thought this photo of Alex/Mick talking on the phone (in Moonlight's Sonata episode #1x16) would be appropriate for this post. Yes, I'm goofy like that ~ hehehe! Click on the image above for a larger version of the picture.

A Jericho4Kids Interview with Alex O'Loughlin

Alex plays Mick St. John on Moonlight! He is an awesome actor and an awesome person to talk with too! Thank you to Alex for taking the time to do this interview! You rock!

:-) Shelby :-)

You can listen to her audio interview with Alex by following this link......
http://www.jericho4kids.com/alexol.html

Big "Thank You" message from Alex O'Loughlin!

A sweet "thank you" message from Alex O'Loughlin :) He is such a gracious man! As usual, he thanks everyone for the wonderful Moonlight/Alex O'Loughlin blood drives. For those who have been concerned (one way or the other) about his new talent holding deal with CBS, he also mentions the contract.

Ooooooooo.... Many of you have questioned my statement that Alex is 32 years old. He addresses his age in the message too :)

August 25th

Dear Family, Friends and Fans.

Hi there all!

I would like to preface by thanking everybody who has been involved with the various American Red Cross events recently, and to those of you who have helped make the actual blood drives happen, congratulations and THANK YOU!!!

The American Red Cross is such a terrific and important organization that saves many lives every year and I am very proud to be associated in any way I can.

As you know yesterday was my birthday and thanks to everybody around me I had a really great day. In fact it was amazing. Another year older, but not necessarily wiser!

To answer some of your questions and just so the record is straight I am now 32, having been born in 1976 contrary to what other sources may tell us, which makes me year of the Dragon in Chinese astrology.

Never before have i received anything like the volume of kindness that i received this year. I have been inundated with messages, cards and gifts from so many of you and I am trying to get back to you one by one but it will take me a while so I really appreciate everyone's patience.

It's funny. Instead of Mom, Dad, Bro, Sis, Nan & Gramps etc... I now have 10,000 "thank you" letters to write!! Whoa LOL ;)

As you know I have now officially signed back with the CBS family for a new show opportunity. We are currently in development of a number of new ideas and this will keep us busy through till the end of the year.

I know this isn't much information but I'm under contract again and I'm afraid it's all I can give you right now.

Anyway, I just wanted to touch base with you all quickly on my way to work and say thank you for making yesterday great. It really was.

Warmest regards to you all

Alex O'loughlin x

Photograph ~ Mick St John ( Alex O'Loughlin ) from Moonlight tv show. Click on the picture above for a bigger version of the image.

New photo wallpaper of birthday boy Alex O'Loughlin as Mick St John

Happy Birthday to Alex O'Loughlin! He is 32 years old today :)

In honor of Alex's day, here is a new wallpaper of our Mick St John. It's a super cool behind the scenes photo taken on Moonlight's set. Mick in action ~ doing his kick for the vamped out fight scene in Fated to Pretend (episode #1x13). That boy sure is limber! It is interesting to get a glimpse of what happens during filming. Seeing Jason Dohring, his Josef stunt double, the cameraperson & crew standing around in the background to watch.

Decorate your computer desktop background, website, Facebook &/or MySpace page with the birthday boy :) Click on the picture above for a larger version of the image.

Sending "Happy Birthday" wishes to Alex O'Loughlin

Just a reminder for you......... Alex O'Loughlin's birthday is August 24th! In other words, tomorrow :) I know that you will want to send him happy wishes for his day. Post fun comments on his MySpace page using the link below.

Note : If you are not already Alex's friend on MySpace, you will have to send him a request & be approved before you can leave him a message.

www.myspace.com/alexoloughlin

The movie Outlander to be released on DVD only

We've heard rumors that Sophia Myles' new movie, Outlander, was having distribution problems. Now, several entertainment outlets are reporting that the film will be released directly to DVD. No theatrical release. I was looking forward to seeing her on the big screen again :( Right now, the Outlander DVD release date is scheduled for Tuesday, November 18th, 2008.

The Outlander blog has posted that the film might get a limited release. Usually, that means just to theaters in New York City and/or Los Angeles.

Since it looks like we won't be seeing it at our local theaters, here is the Outlander movie poster. Click on the image above for a larger version of the photograph.

Poll ~ Mick St John vs Edward Cullen

There is a poll up on YouChoose asking for our votes ~ Which Vampire would you rather watch, Mick St John (Moonlight) or Edward Cullen (Twilight)? I am going to see Twilight when it comes out. Robert Pattinson is nice looking. However, he simply does not compare to Alex O'Loughlin. Mick is sensual, gorgeous, strong, intelligent, sexy... and that voice... velvety, deep and manly! *swoon*

Note : You must be registered with YouChoose in order to vote.

http://tinyurl.com/65xowb

Alex O'Loughlin/Moonlight Blood Drive in Johnson City, TN

Alex O'Loughlin / Moonlight Blood Drive
Friday, August 22nd, 2008
8:30 am to 1:00 pm
315 N State of Franklin Road
Johnson City, TN

Hosted by Clair De Lune
Questions : Clairdelune7785@gmail.com

Alex O'Loughlin/Moonlight Blood Drive in Bristol, TN

Alex O'Loughlin / Moonlight Blood Drive
Food City NASCAR Family Race Day
Thursday, August 21st, 2008
1:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Trisummit Parking Lot
Bristol, TN

Hosted by Gloria Long
Questions : snglong2005@gmail.com

Set up your appointment to donate blood at www.givelife.org by entering Moonlight as the code.

BuddyTV ~ Catching up with Moonlight's cast

Valerie, from BuddyTV, has written an article about what Alex O'Loughlin, Sophia Myles and Jason Dohring have been doing since Moonlight's cancelation.

Note : The piece mentions Sophia working on a film called Buddha's Little Finger. However, I have heard from several sources that she is no longer involved with this movie project.

CBS Adopts 'Moonlight' Actor, Cast Members Pursue Other Projects
by Valerie Anne del Castillo

While some have already packed their bags and tidied up their camp sites following the campaign to bring Moonlight back to CBS, quite a number of fans are still clamoring for the return of the much-loved series which starred Alex O’Loughlin and Sophia Myles. The series, which only survived a season with a little under an average of 7.5 million viewers, was cut by CBS earlier this year because the network claimed that the ratings weren’t sufficient enough for a renewal. Moreover, CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler admitted that unlike Jericho, the resurrected series with a passionate fanbase, Moonlight’s fans tend to support the actor behind it rather than the series itself.

"The response to Moonlight was actually more actor-centric, so I think it certainly measures our decision on the show," Tassler told reporters at the TCA last month.

Apparently CBS saw the potential in the Australian actor and has signed him on for a one-year deal (which includes CBS’ sister studios CBS Paramount and ABC Studios) which will have him playing the central character in the new series currently being developed by producer Mark Gordon, whose credits include Grey’s Anatomy, Army Wives and Criminal Minds. Moreover, the deal will also provide O’Loughlin with a few movie projects with CBS Films.

O’Loughlin will soon be appearing in the feature film Whiteout, while his Moonlight co-star Sophia Myles appeared in the recently released Outlander, in which she played Viking warrior princess Freya, who battles extraterrestrials. The film premiered at the Locarno International Film Festival. Currently, Myles is working on the film Buddha’s Little Finger, which is set to be released next year.

As for Moonlight co-star Jason Dohring, who played Mick St. John’s 400-year-old best buddy, he says that he is currently in the process of landing other acting projects.

"More recently since I’ve been done with Moonlight, I’ve sorted some stuff out in my career, just personally about where I want to go," Jason Dohring said in an interview with the Review Times last month. "I think that I worked out a couple things for myself, kind of what I want to create in the world with being a celebrity."

He adds that he would like to try taking the lead in the next project that comes his way. He explains, "It was like all of a sudden I realized I could do it and I was like excited to try to do that, be a leading man. And I saw the amount of good that you can do, that you can use that platform to effect change in the world and that was exciting to me."

http://www.buddytv.com/articles/moonlight/cbs-adopts-moonlight-actor-cas-22123.aspx?cf=1048576

Video ~ Scene from Sophia Myles' film Outlander

This video shows a scene from Sophia Myles' new movie, Outlander. We get a glimpse of our girl as her character, Freya, observes the treatment of the alien, Kainan ( Jim Caviezel ). He is interrogated by Wulfric ( Jack Huston ). Just a little taste of the film.

Moonlight & Jericho top list of genre shows with stable ratings

SyFy Portal's Michael Hinman has written a great article explaining how steady Moonlight's ratings were over its 16 episodes.

'Jericho,' 'Moonlight' Most Stable Genre Shows
By MICHAEL HINMAN

They were both unceremoniously canceled by CBS, but while the audiences for "Jericho" and "Moonlight" weren't vast, they were stable.

The two shows topped a list of 13 programs tracked through Fast National ratings from Nielsen Media Research over the 2007-08 season, showing they maintained the strongest audiences in terms of stability.

"Jericho" had a stability index rating of 92.9, according to SyFy Portal, while "Moonlight" had a stability index rating of 87.9. The numbers, which show the amount of audience retained based on the show's highest overnight rating versus its average, is meant to give a snapshot look of how much audience on average a show retained throughout the course of the season.

The two index numbers come despite "Moonlight" finishing seventh and "Jericho" 11th among the network shows tracked by SyFy Portal in terms of average overnight ratings. "Jericho," over the course of seven episodes, only witnessed a 16.7 percent total audience drop-off between its best viewership night and its worst viewership night, while "Moonlight's" audience eroded by 19 percent over 16 episodes. "Jericho" finished with an average overnight rating of a 3.9 rating/7 share, while "Moonlight" averaged a 5.1/9.

"Lost," which topped network genre shows for the 2007-08 season with a 7.7/12, finished in the middle of the pack when it came to holding on to its audience. Its stability index rating was an 81.1 that included a total loss of 26.3 percent of its audience between its highest and lowest ratings. It finished behind "Dexter" and "Heroes" to take a seventh ranking.

The CW showed solid stability in its numbers as well. "Supernatural" had a stability index rating of 86.4 to have the third best rating among the shows tracked by SyFy Portal, which included a 27.3 percent audience drop-off. "Smallville" was right behind with an 83.9 stability index rating.

"Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" had the worst rating of the 13 shows, picking up just a 50.5 that included a 59.5 percent audience erosion between its highest and worst ratings. At the same time, "Sarah Connor" also had its series premiere right after a highly rated NFL postseason game which artificially inflated its numbers for the premiere, with its second week providing more stable ratings.

"Sarah Connor" finished fourth among shows based on average overnight ratings with a 5.6/9 behind "Lost," "Heroes" and ABC's "Pushing Daisies."

Advertisers typically are looking for shows that have dependable audiences to help justify spending money on commercials, and typically shows with stable ratings have a chance to move on. Of course, that is just one of a number of factors that go into the decision-making on whether or not a show is renewed, as was evidenced by the fact that both "Jericho" and "Moonlight" were cancelled. However, seven of the top 10 shows in the stability index rating have been picked up for the 2008-09 season, leaving out "Journeyman" as the only other show with a 69.5 rating.

Of the top 10 shows based on average overnight rating, only six are returning for another season.

For a complete listing of the genre shows tracked in average overnight rating and stability index rating, click here.

http://www.syfyportal.com/pagetogether.php?id=5303&page=1

http://www.syfyportal.com/community/index.php?topic=11281.msg49532#msg49532

Release date for Twilight movie moved up to November 21st

Since the latest Harry Potter film (and the Half-Blood Prince) premiere has been switched to Summer 2009, their old November 21st, 2008 spot was available. Twilight is grabbing the date.... moving up its movie theater debut from December to November. We like sooner better than later :)

'Twilight' moves into 'Potter's' old date
Summit's vampire flick will open Nov. 21
By Borys Kit

In the ever-evolving fall release schedule, Summit Entertainment's highly anticipated adaptation of the Stephenie Meyer teen vampire romance novel "Twilight" has moved from its Dec. 12 perch to Nov. 21, the date just vacated by Warner Bros.' "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince."

"When Warner Bros. decided to move 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' to the summer of 2009, we saw a unique opportunity to slot in our film which has been gaining tremendous awareness and momentum over the past several months," Summit's Rob Friedman said.

Striking a respectful tone, Friedman added, "We by no means are trying to fill the shoes of the incredible Potter franchise for 2008, rather we are just looking to bring the fans of Stephenie Meyer's incredible book series the film as soon possible from a programming perspective."

http://tinyurl.com/5a6u9q

Photo ~ Bella Swan ( Kristen Stewart ) and Edward Cullen ( Robert Pattinson ) in a scene from Twilight movie.

Video ~ Nina Tassler interviewed about Alex O'Loughlin & Moonlight fans

In this video, TV Week's Josef Adalian interviews Nina Tassler (President of CBS Entertainment) at the Television Critics Association Tour. The chat took place before the official announcement of Alex O'Loughlin's talent holding deal.

When asked about keeping Alex, she says "Nothing concrete. We've talked to him in the past. I have a great relationship with him. But, its someone we hold in very high regard. So, its someone I'd like to work with... absolutely."

Nina, again, states that she loves Vampire shows.

"Message to Moonlight fans ~ .... I'm incredibly grateful and appreciative... They're loyal and passionate... We can not dismiss how passionate and enthusiastic fans are about their favorite tv characters and about their tv shows. So, I'm totally fine with their passion and enthusiasm."

Nina Tassler also talks about the Fall strategy for CBS, CSI and William Petersen (Grissom) leaving the series, Swingtown, etc. The Alex & Moonlight portion begins around the 3:16 mark of the video.

TVWeek ~ CBS Sinks Teeth Into Moonlight Star

TV Week confirms something we have all been talking about.... Alex O'Loughlin's contract had been in the works for weeks before the announcement. We had the feeling something was up based on Nina Tassler's recent comments.

CBS Sinks Teeth Into 'Moonlight' Star
By Josef Adalian

CBS is taking another bite at the idea of a series featuring "Moonlight" star Alex O'Loughlin.

The network has signed Mr. O'Loughlin to a talent holding deal, according to a person familiar with the situation. CBS will try to develop a series built around the actor or, if that's not possible, cast him in another project in the works at the network.

CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler had signaled her intent to sign Mr. O'Loughlin to a deal back in July during the TV Critics Association press tour. One person familiar with negotiations said the broad outlines of an agreement had been in place for weeks.

"Moonlight" attracted modest ratings but a fiercely loyal fan base, particularly online. It's unclear whether news of Mr. O'Loughlin's potential return to prime time will mollify the hurt feelings of those fans, many of whom have been unsparing in their criticism of CBS over the decision to cancel the show.

A CBS Corp. spokesman declined comment when asked about the talent deal last week.

As part of the deal, whatever project CBS develops will be produced via CBS Paramount and ABC Studios in conjunction with producer Mark Gordon.

http://www.tvweek.com/news/2008/08/cbs_sinks_teeth_into_moonlight.php

What is a talent holding deal?

Cynthia, from SF Universe, gives her opinion of Alex O'Loughlin's new contract with CBS. She also explains a bit more about what a "talent holding deal" means. I like her idea for Alex's new show ;> LOVE noir... and we know he is good with that genre.

Alex O’Loughlin Stays with CBS
by Cynthia Boris

A number of sources are reporting that Moonlight’s Alex O’Loughlin has signed a talent holding deal with CBS. What this means is that the network will attempt to develop a new series for Alex and /or cast him in another project. Obviously, the first of the two would be the better option, but fans are saying why not just bring back Moonlight? Since Alex was the show, why bother creating something new when something old will do?

As much as I love Moonlight, I’m happy to see Alex sticking around for another shot at anything on TV. Too often actors get one go of it and that’s the end of that. I could totally handle him as a PI in a 40’s Noir drama, or maybe as a lifeguard in a Baywatch remake (I’m going for the ’shirt off’ aspect.) What ever it is, I hope it’s action packed and I hope its soon.

http://www.sfuniverse.com/2008/08/15/alex-oloughlin-stays-with-cbs/

News of Alex O'Loughlin's contract is spreading

Jane, at TV Squad, has written about her concerns regarding Alex O'Loughlin's one year contract with CBS.

Alex O'Loughlin inks deal with CBS...now if they could just create a show like Moonlight...
by Jane Boursaw

I can't decide if this is good news or bad news. Moonlight star Alex O'Loughlin is staying at CBS.

Unless you've been in another galaxy for the past year, you know that the Aussie actor cultivated an enormous fan base with his role as vampire P.I. Mick St. John on CBS' Moonlight. The uproar caused by the cancellation of the show in May can still be heard, well, in another galaxy.

At the Television Critics Association press tour in July, CBS entertainment president Nina Tassler said the popularity of Moonlight was due in large part to O'Loughlin's fan base. So I can appreciate the fact that CBS wants to keep him around. But it's what they'll do with him that has me worried.

Under the one-year talent holding deal, O'Loughlin will star in a new series project for CBS to be developed by producer Mark Gordon, whose ABC Studio-based company is behind such series as ABC's Grey's Anatomy, Lifetime's Army Wives, and CBS' Criminal Minds.

It'll make my blood curl if they saddle him with some wimpy Grey's Anatomy-type show. I'm not dissing the show - I'm a huge fan, even during its crummiest seasons. But I'd hate to see O'Loughlin land in some milquetoast ensemble show when he clearly has the chops to headline a unique, fresh series.

You know, like Moonlight. Now if they could just create a show like that for him to star in...

http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/08/15/alex-oloughlin-inks-deal-with-cbs-now-if-they-could-just-crea/

Hollywood Reporter ~ Alex O'Loughlin staying at CBS

Everyone has been asking what Alex O'Loughlin's next project will be. We all said that CBS would be completely insane if they let him go. Looks like the network agrees ~ they canceled Moonlight but obviously want to keep the star. The Hollywood Reporter just posted this new information.

Alex O'Loughlin staying at CBS
Has signed a one-year talent deal with the network
by James Hibberd

"Moonlight" star Alex O'Loughlin is staying at CBS.

The Australian actor has signed a talent holding deal with the network, sister studio CBS Paramount TV and ABC Studios.

Under the one-year pact, O'Loughlin will star in a new series project for CBS that will be developed by top TV producer Mark Gordon, whose ABC Studio-based company is behind such series as ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," Lifetime's "Army Wives" and CBS' "Criminal Minds."

O'Loughlin rose to prominence this past season as vampire PI Mick St. John on CBS' "Moonlight." He helped attract a passionate fan base to the ill-fated freshman drama, which was canceled in May. At the Television Critics Assn. press tour in July, CBS entertainment president Nina Tassler credited the show's intense fan appeal to the actor. Under the new deal with CBS, he also will be able to pitch theatrical projects to CBS Films.

O'Loughlin, who next appears in the feature "Whiteout," is repped by ICM and June Cann Management.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ide19bac7b91209a2e8bfdca53812a01e

CBS doesn't "have a clue" what to do with unique shows

Moonlight is mentioned in a new BuddyTV article. The author uses our show to illustrate his point that programs with different, interesting and unique premises are not given a chance to grow by CBS.

Yellow highlighted text is my emphasis.

'Supernatural' Actress Moves to 'Harper's Island'
by Don Williams

Few Supernatural fans cried into their Jared Padalecki pillowcases when it was announced that actress Katie Cassidy, better known as the demonic Ruby, wouldn't be returning for season 4 of the series. Creator Eric Kripke wanted the actress back, but claimed that the budget just wouldn't allow for it. There are plenty of fans who never warmed up to the actress for one reason or another, so the loss of the character didn't exactly rile up loyal viewers.

For those Supernatural fans who enjoyed Cassidy's ambiguously evil turn, TV Guide is reporting that the actress has landed one of the lead roles on the CBS mid-season drama Harper's Island. Oddly enough, it's also rumored that Jim Beaver, who plays Bobby Singer on the CW series, may be up for a role as well.

Harper's Island has an interesting and unique premise, which means CBS will likely cancel it after two or three episodes. As the network proved with Moonlight, they don't have a clue what to do with a show that's not a procedural crime drama. The show, which takes its inspiration from Scream and Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians, finds friends and family attending a wedding celebration on an island off the coast of Seattle. When people start getting killed one by one, it's up to both the audience and the characters to try to solve the murder mystery.

Harper's Island hasn't had an easy time making it to the screen. Much like with Moonlight, an entire pilot presentation was created and shown to execs, who then decided that the episode needed massive retooling. All but one cast member was fired, and new actors including Christopher Gorham (Ugly Betty) and Cassidy have been brought in for reshoots. Angel vet Jeffrey Bell has been hired on as the showrunner, and will also rewrite the pilot episode. As for Jim Beaver's involvement, Wikipedia has him listed as playing the character of Sheriff Mills, but that information hasn't been confirmed anywhere else.

Cassidy will be playing the character of Trish Wellington, the bride-to-be who's engaged to Gorham's Henry Dunn. There's no word on whether the serial killer will knock off any of the show's main characters, but I'd imagine the leads might be in danger as well.

Harper's Island is set to debut on CBS in early 2009. Thirteen episodes have been ordered, but we'll have to wait and see if the network lets them all play out. There's nothing worse than a murder mystery canceled in the middle of its run. As for Supernatural, it returns to the CW for its Cassidy-free season on September 18.

http://www.buddytv.com/articles/supernatural/supernatural-actress-moves-to-21774.aspx

Another live interview with Jordan Belfi ~ Moonlight's DA Josh Lindsey

Jordan Belfi is doing another live interview for Moonlight fans. Your chance to ask him a question about playing DA Josh Lindsey ~ boyfriend to our Beth Turner. I'm sure he has great stories of life on the set of our show. Jordan will be chatting on Moonlight Buzzwire Radio this time out.

Moonlight's District Attorney Joshua Lindsey
Actor Jordan Belfi
Moonlight Buzzwire Radio Show
Wednesday, August 13th, 2008
8:00 pm Pacific Time
10:00 pm Central Time
11:00 pm Eastern Time

Listen to the show ~
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/MoonlightBuzzWire

Call-in questions # ( 347 ) 996-3386
Email questions to MoonlightBuzzWire@yahoo.com

Your hostess, RJ, kindly checked the times for international Moonlight fans also :)

Thurs 12:00AM GMT-4 (Brasil)
Thurs 4:00AM GMT (UK)
Thurs 5:00AM CEST (Central Europe)
Thurs 1:00PM EST (AUS)

Photograph ~ Poor DA Josh Lindsey ( Jordan Belfi ) about to be kidnapped in Moonlight's Love Lasts Forever episode ( # 1x11 ). Click on the image above for a bigger version of the picture.

TV Squad ~ Recently canceled shows I mourn

Debra, from TV Squad's website, has written an article detailing television shows that she misses since they were canceled. Moonlight is at the top of the list.

Note : She misspelled Alex O'Loughlin (as O'Laughlin) and Josef (as Joseph). I corrected the typos in the piece below.

Recently canceled shows I mourn
by Debra McDuffee

There will always be Buffy, Angel, Quantum Leap and Magnum, P.I. on my "Oh Man I Want New Episodes of These Shows" list, but what about the more recently canceled shows of the past few years? Are there any worth mourning?

Maybe not in the same way I mourn my culty loves and classic '80s shows, but there are a few worth mentioning....

Moonlight

Yep, I know, I am one of Those People -- a fan of Moonlight. Though I agree it was weak when it returned after the writer's strike, there were lots of things to love about this show: the vampire lore, the episodic mysteries, the way they could have taken the love story (had they not muffed it up in the last four episodes), the actors (Jason Dohring and Alex O'Loughlin; not Sophia Myles). I can't believe that I won't find out more of the back story with Josef's family and Coraline.

To read the rest of Debra's list....
http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/08/05/recently-canceled-shows-i-mourn/

Dead End Dating Vampire series on ABC this Fall

Back in February, I told you that Disney/ABC had optioned Kimberly Raye's Dead End Dating book series. Her writing features heroine Lil Marchette, who is a matchmaker.... and.... oh yeah.... a Vampiress. Kim has stated that the tv show based on her books is scheduled to air this Fall. Yet another vamp project coming out.

I can't help but think the HBO & ABC network executives must be thrilled that CBS was silly enough to cancel Moonlight. Instead of leading the way, they cleared the way *sigh*

Here is a link for those of you who wanna read "Just One Bite." It was just released at the end of July, and is Kim's latest novel in the Dead End Dating Vampire book series. If you are new to her work, you can also get any of her romance novels ~ including the Cowboy Vampire series & NASCAR books ~ by following the link below. :)

Public Appearances ~ Sophia Myles at Locarno Film Festival

I'm hearing that Sophia Myles will be making a public appearance at the 61st Annual Locarno Film Festival on August 15th. The fest is being held in the lovely Swiss city. Her sci-fi/fantasy/action/Viking/alien/period film, Outlander, is one of the most anticipated of the event. Everyone calls the enormous movie screen in the Piazza Grande the "heart of the festival." That is where Sophia's film will be showing :)

Check out this wonderful production photograph of our girl in her role as Freya. Kissing her co-star, Jim Caviezel. She looks beautiful, as usual. A red head this time! Seeing that she has hair extensions again made me think of Sophia's funny quotes about being glamorized for Moonlight & Hollywood.

61st Annual Locarno Film Festival
Outlander movie screening
Friday, August 15th, 2008
9:30 pm
Piazza Grande
Locarno, Switzerland
Europe
http://www.filmfestivallocarno.ch/jahia/Jahia/home/site/pardosite/lang/en/pid/449

Photo ~ Freya ( Sophia Myles ) and Kainan ( Jim Caviezel ) share a kiss in Outlander

Why is the 18 to 49 demo so important?

The always informative Robert Seidman has written an article trying to explain a bit about the importance of the 18 to 49 demographic ratings to television networks. He discusses how he thinks this related to our beloved Moonlight being canceled. As we have discussed in lots of posts about ratings, the bottom line is money. You are not surprised, huh? Advertisers are willing to pay more to air commercials during shows that have a large demo share.

Many of you have been posting about Swingtown, and following its performance due to Nina Tassler's support of the program. As you will read, it is the main focus of Robert's piece.

Yellow highlights are my emphasis.

TV by the Numbers
CBS' Swingtown : Wanting to believe in Santa Claus
by Robert Seidman

SOMEDAY I may better understand the mechanics of the millennial mind. Until then I will wonder how shows like “Ghost Whisperer” keep going and a series like “Swingtown” fails to catch on. A period piece on CBS, “Swingtown” nears the end of its summer run with a dwindling audience despite all the elements that seemed to point to its potential for popularity. - Gina Belafonte in the New York Times’ piece, Swingtown and the Heyday of Average.

I was excited to read the rest of the piece because I thought it was going to be a commentary on the state of broadcast network television programming and how shows are positioned and promoted for success. But it wasn’t. It was just gushing praise for the doomed CBS generational show, Swingtown.

I don’t think the mechanics of the millennial mind are why Ghost Whisperer is on the air and series like Swingtown don’t catch on, but rather the mechanics of the business. You can’t push a program to Friday night and blame it on the millennial generation. They are the least likely to be watching TV on Friday. But let’s face it, by the time CBS moved it to Fridays, it wasn’t hoping the show would catch on. It was merely, as they say in baseball, playing out the string.

CBS may dismiss the notion of needing to target to 18-49 year olds and 18-34 year olds, but it’s on CBS’ mind regardless of its public comments. The question is whether a show like Swingtown would appeal to anyone under the age of 40 or so. I don’t doubt that it would, but I think what’s really going on is this: shows have a very limited time to catch on with the 18-49 crowd. The networks aren’t willing to wait it out. Genre shows like Moonlight get cancelled not because it didn’t have enough viewers, but because it didn’t have enough viewers who were 18-49 years old. If Moonlight had done 33% better in that category it would likely be back on in the fall.

It’s Not Ageism, It’s Supply and Demand

I feel obligated to write this disclaimer now anytime we right about age demographics. A lot of people cry foul at the age demos, but even though I am myself getting pretty aged, I don’t have a problem with it. Advertisers don’t want large 18-49 populations and 18-34 populations specifically because its where they want to hawk their products though in products specifically aimed at younger people that is certainly the case, as it should be. Advertisers want to reach these age demographics and are willing to pay more for them because they are far more scarce in the television world. Finding a show where you can find a large population of people in a specific age and gender are gold mines (think Grey’s Anatomy with women 18-34 and 18-49).

Reaching the 50 and over crowd is relatively easy. They watch a lot of TV, day and night, day in, day out. Availability is not scarce, and the advertisers have so many opportunities to reach that demographic in so many ways it’s less valuable to them. Because it’s harder to reach the younger demographics, it becomes more valuable to reach.

So What Was CBS Thinking?

I think CBS was believing in Santa Claus really. I understand it. It would be nice if there was a Santa Claus, the notion that such a thing could exist is very pleasing. The notion that because a show is good, and very creative and even interesting and different that just because of that it will succeed? That’s like believing in Santa Claus. Not just because of the millennial mind either but because of the nature of the way the business works these days.

A lot of the appeal of shows like Swingtown and Mad Men is just how well they nail the period they cover. I’ve yet to watch Swingtown, but I will give it a look after the Olympics and after I get caught up on Damages, Generation Kill and Weeds. But I trust the likes of Ms. Belafonte that Swingtown has captured the essence of the 1970s well. But who’s that aspect of the show going to appeal the most to? People who were alive in the 1970s! If you were even a young 18 in 1975, you’re over 50 now and outside of demos coveted by advertisers.

It doesn’t matter what the networks say publicly. Shows need to have at least moderate success among the under 50 crowd or they will fail. The leash isn’t typically long either. Shows need to score in the under 50 demos quickly. Swingtown started out OK out of the gate on Thursdays in that regard with modest success (at least for the summer) in the under 50 demographics, but then the show kept bleeding viewers.

A New Hope?

The networks actually do have the luxury of giving at least a show or two a longer leash. It’s not like the networks aren’t making money hand over fist as it is, or they wouldn’t mostly completely throw in the towel with the Friday night and Saturday night lineups. While shows like Moonlight and Jericho had a fairly sizable loyal fan base (both on the Internet and to some degree in terms of viewers) these shows struck out with the youthful demos, and they weren’t critically acclaimed.

I’m not going to fault Gina Belafonte for doing her part to save a show that she likes, I have seen several other TV critics who were digging Swingtown. I doubt in the case of Swingtown, it will make any difference whatsoever. We have two data points that suggest clearly CBS has already made up its mind on this show and is ready to move on:

It switched it to Fridays, giving Flashpoint the better Thursday night slot. Kiss of death.

It aired a *new* episode of Swingtown up against the Olympic opening ceremonies. While I’m sure not even NBC expected the stellar numbers the opening ceremonies drew, any programming executive at the other networks knew that the ceremonies would be the most-watched thing on television. That doesn’t explain why NBC Uni itself ran new episodes of Monk and Psych on USA network on Friday night, but still…

I don’t believe we need to wait for the formal announcement from CBS.

I don’t think critical praise is new hope for a show like Swingtown. Many viewers lament the “same old crap” that gets put on the air. Yay, another police, crime, lawyer, doctor procedural! I understand. But what works, works, and as long as it works, that’s likely just going to be the way it is.

A show like Swingtown needs to catch on, and catch on fast. That’s a circumstance that you’ll rarely see happen on broadcast network television, especially in the summer without a big budget for promotion.

At the end of the day, the best new hope for new, creative and different content is…cable.

http://tvbythenumbers.com/2008/08/10/cbs-swingtown-wanting-to-believe-in-santa-claus/4642