DZ/Yahoo Club: What is little Johnny's full name and why is he
being called JJ? It can't stand for John, Jr., because he's not John
Bannerman, Jr.. Little Johnny would be John Smith, Jr., which he definitely
is not.
John Jefferson Bannerman. He's called JJ because when you're
writing dialogue and you have Johnny and a Johnny, we as writers need a way
to separate them so the audience understands what the people are saying.
DZ/Yahoo Club: If you get the go-ahead to produce more episodes
from USA, will there be another "summer season," or will we have to wait
until next January for Season 3?
I can't give you a certain answer to that, because that's a
decision that is still being considered at the network. We're prepared to go
on in the summer if asked.
DZ/Yahoo Club: Why did Johnny lose and then regain his visions
during Valley of the Shadow?
As a writer I don't like to explain everything. I like to
offer clues which the audience can consider. I can tell you a great deal of
thought and conversation went to this very point.
I think you should look carefully at the scene in which he
regains his vision. It is Walt's touch that brings it back, and the first
thing Johnny sees is Sarah and little Johnny.
Those are the only clues I am going to offer at this time.
VirginiaGe: What's the chances that Sarah and Johnny can have an
ongoing relationship of some sort instead of the Castaway type of tormented
one?
I think that Sarah and Johnny's rlationship will continue to
evolve as it would for any two real people, because we try very hard to view
these characters as real people. I believe the next big challenge for the
two of them is to decide how Johnny is going to relate to his son and what
kind of conflicts that will bring to the Bannerman household.
I'm quite curious to know if you prefer stories about the
relationships, or do you like stand-alone episodes more?
*jsmithdzlv when will the first season be released on dvd/vhs?
I'm almost positive...I believe the studio is considering
releasing it in April. I'll check while we're chatting and let you know.
*smartsgroo is the showdeadzone going to be around along time or
is it goin gto be a short term show?
That is entirely up to you. Tell your friends.
DZ/Yahoo Club: In Netherworld, did you envision Johnny's life with
Sarah as an alternate reality, one that he would have experienced if there
had been no accident, or was it meant to be a fantasy created from his
overwhelmed mind?
I think that you have to decide for yourself. There are many
different explanations, and we always try to keep one foot grounded so that
there is a realistic point of view. Certainly, his mind was overwhelmed, and
yet the characters in the alternate reality argued forcefully for him to stay
there. It was a conscious decision for him to leave.
We're going to be playing with alternate realities again this
season before we're done.
*lisa* ok i have a question about last nights episode, at the end
it shows burke and clair with there newly born baby, was that a vision of the
future or has like a year gone by?
First of all let me say that was not originally in the script
-- if you check the script we posted on the web site you'll see that. However, I felt during the last scene in the underground
parking garage, that I missed the resolution of Thomas and Clair's story. So
we showed you a revised version of the future based on the changes that
Johnny had caused. And I believe we went back to footage shot for Ascent to
get a photo of a healthy baby.
*no1amhfan* Mr Pillar, I would like to thank you for choosing AMH
for the lead on the Dead Zone. What was it in his performance in Silicon
Valley that attracted you?
I just thought he stole the movie. He was charismatic and
owned the screen every time he appeared on it. I saw him and said, This is a
guy I want to work with. He seemed perfect for the Dead Zone, because
Christopher Walken was perfect for the part in the movie, and I wanted
someone off-center who had a sense of humor. Michael Hall gave us all of
those things.
By the way, Lions Gate is telling me the DVD will be released
sometime in June.
*rlh* How did Johnny get his cane back after dropping it down the
mineshaft? Did he buy extras cause he knew he'd lose it?
He has several canes to choose from.
I want to add how pleased I am that fans have embraced the
cane, because there was great concern in the early days of our series as to
whether he should keep the cane or not. I always believed it would become a
signature of the show, and it has.
*jsmithdzlv will there ever be a dead zone convention in ohio?
If you have one, I will come.
*jsmithdzlv where can i get a cane like the one AMH uses in the
show?
Gee, it sounds like you're suggesting we go into the
merchandising business. Until we do, I have no suggestions except to look in
the Yellow Pages under antique canes.
*ice* here's a q. will they ever accept scripts from outside
sources? I heard ST did.
If you know my background on ST you know I was dedicated to
opening the door to new writers. Unfortunately, because of a few legal
claims it became impossible for the studio to continue that program of
submissions.
I wish I could read speculative DZ scripts. However, the
liabilities and risks are just too great. However, I remain dedicated to
helping new writers get access to this town.
So, let me make the following offer here for the first time: If
you are willing to write a full Dead Zone script, and you let us know that it
is done and ready to be seen, I will arrange that it be read by a legitimate
literary agent in Los Angeles.
If they like it, you can form your own relationship with that
agent, who can introduce you to us as they would introduce us to any writer
they genuinely like.
I want to make it clear that no one on the show will be reading
this material, and that this offer is restricted only to full teleplays --
not for stories or ideas.
Check the writer's guide on the web site, then copy and read
all the scripts we've posted in order to give yourself the best chance to
impress an agent with your work.
*DeadZone52 is there going to less of this love romance triangle of
sarah, johnny, and walt thing the rest of the season and more adventures
focusing on just johnny and his powers?
I think for the rest of this season we'll do more adventure
stories, however we'll be keeping the relationships active. You'll see Greg
Stillson a few times. However, I have a strong feeling that we should try to
make the show unique and special every week as these character arcs continue.
*ShadowDead Did Sarah ever tell Vera that she had a grandson, and
if not, didn't this neglect contribute to Vera's suicide?
Vera committed suicide before Sarah even knew she was pregnant.
*flatrich* Your adaptation of the book is really an amazing feat
considering how long ago King wrote it. Have you had any communication with
King and how he feels about the show?
I have had no communication with Mr. King. I hope he likes
what we've done if he has watched it, because we certainly feel like he's in
the room with us when we are discussing our approach to stories. You will
often hear me say to a writer, "There's not enough Stephen King in this
episode yet." And by the way, I used to say the same thing about Gene
Roddenberry.
*princess* I love your work with star trek. have you always been a
trekker?
I actually came rather late to Trekdom. I was a fan of TNG
before I was even considered as a writer. My family and I used to watch it.
I had my first meeting with Roddenberry right after Measure of a Man was
broadcast. I thought that was astonishing television. I was not emotionally
tied to the original characters like a lot of other fans.
*AMHgirl* Is there is any advice that you could give to an aspiring
writer on how to break into the industry?
The best advice I can give to any young writer is to read a lot
of scripts, which are now available in bookstores, and I'm sure on the
Internet. Write your early scripts from experience, and the secret to my
success is that I only write about things I have a genuine passion for. The
moment you try to write something that will "sell" you are in trouble.
People in this industry still respond to passion -- believe it or not.
Once you have a sample you are proud of, I believe that sample
will take you a long way, because this is still a town that is driven by good
material. Good material will get you attention, and if you're having trouble
getting material read, hire a Hollywood lawyer who can help you get it into
the hands of people to read.
*ice* Can you tell him THANK YOU!!! for that offer and ask him how
to contact him?
*ShadowDead First of all, THANK YOU for the very gracious offer you
just made. But just to clarify, how do we let you know when we have a script
ready?
*ShadowDead First of all, THANK YOU for the very gracious offer you
just made. But just to clarify, how do we let you know when we have a script
ready?
Information on how to notify us that your scripts are completed
will be posted on the official web site soon. Please DO NOT send any scripts
to the network or the show.
*flatrich* I saw the DZ feature the other night and I noticed that
Jeffrey Boam's version had Sarah working for Stillson. Interesting twist.
Will we see Sarah turning away from Johnny in future episodes?
I am not going to give away our plans for Sarah, but I can say
that Sarah working for Stillson was in the original novel, and we have always
been inspired by the template Mr. King gave us for this series.
*Shelly* ask him if he can "Tell us more about the next episode"
"please!!"
We had just had an irresistible pitch from Teddy Tannenbaum, a
freelance writer, who brought us a very specific way that a group blood
product might be needed in a transfusion. You'll hear the explanation on the
show, but for all intents and purposes, Johnny gets blood from a half dozen
people. In the show, AMH gets to play all of those people as the blood runs
through his Dead Zone.
Early in the show, Johnny sees that one of them is going to die
at a certain time and has to track down all these people and try to figure
out who is the one in danger. It's a big Bruce episode, and one with a great
life lesson and a great sense of humor.
*ShadowDead I live in North Carolina so I’m curious whether the UNC
drama class you mentioned you were developing last year has come into
fruition yet?
I'm very proud of the progress the university is making in
creating a nationally recognized screen writing and dramatist program. Funds
have already been committed to launching this program. It obviously will not
happen overnight, but I believe you'll see progress already underway.
Do you attend the university yourself? If so, I can put you in
contact with the people who are developing the project.
*no1amhfan* I have never heard of any other series that lets the
fans get so upclose and personal with the cast and producers. Who's idea was
the email AMH feature? It is great!
That was a collaborative effort between the show and USA
Network.
*dgirl* Were you suprised how the show took off the way it did?
Actually, I was not surprised, because I really felt it had an
awful lot going for it. My original goal was to do justice to the book to
attract the SK audience, and to tell adult stories that would please the
audience I knew from Star Trek. I just wanted to get them in the tent, and I
felt we had a good chance to be successful. I had never been in cable
before, so that was an unknown to me, but I think it comes under the category
of "if you build it (well), they will come."
*deadzonefa What happened to Johnny's black leather coat, now he's
wearing a brown one???
I like Johnny's black leather coat, and I've asked them to use
it more often.
*dgirl* Is it true that you will be having some guest appearances
on the show? And thanks for adding more Bruce...
Yes, we are going to be having some guest stars. Gerald
McRaney is going to be guest starring in Scars in a two weeks, and in four
weeks Robert Culp will be making an appearance that will please his fans. By
the way, Robert Culp says his interchanges with Michael Hall were the best
he's had since the ones with Cosby in "I, Spy."
*me* Are you going to continue to have Johnny get images from
animals, i.e. the bat in descent? Imagine poor Johnny with a mosquito that
just sank into the large backside of a person on the beach....brrrrr
I love getting into stories through unusual ways, and that is
about as unusual as I can think of. We speculate about insects in a show
called Misbegotten that is coming up shortly. I still hope to do an episode
about a dog that we wrote last season but never produced.
*ddcatwoman I read on the internet that Ally Sheedy will be in an
upcoming episode, Playing with God...any plans to bring in more of the Brat
Pack?
*dgirl* What was the first story you remember writing?
The first story I ever wrote was inspired by my love of the
Hardy Boys books. I remember (sadly, it is not to be found in my files
anywhere) writing an abbreviated Hardy Boy advernute in which they meet
creatures known as Mysterians, based on a B movie I saw in a drive-in theater
as a kid.
*ice* Have you decided on how the finale will play out? I wonder if
in your mind Johnny's fate is basically sealed, or if you are leaving that
decision until you are faced with it?
I deeply appreciate your continuing interest in the show. I'm
very proud of the episodes you'll be seeing over the rest of this season. As
a group, they're superior to the ones you saw last season. I look forward to
hearing your reaction.
(answer to question about finale) -- We talk about that a lot,
but we never really want to face those choices this early in the evolution of
the series.
I have a vague idea how I want the final episodes to resolve
the various storylines, but that could easily change based on what the
characters decide to do over (hopefully) the next several years. It could
also be seriously affected by questions like "What if Sean Patrick Flannery's
new show gets picked up as a successful series?" (He has said he would like
to continue his role for us) As you can see, it's a complicated equation.
Thank you for participating in USA Network's chat with Dead Zone
executive producer Michael Piller. A trasncript will be available tomorrow.
For more information about the Dead Zone, visit the show's official site at
www.usanetwork.com/thedeadzone.
