PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, THE: PALEYFEST FALL TV PREVIEWS 2014: THE CW: JANE THE VIRGIN/THE FLASH {LONG VERSION}

Summary

One in a series of seminars presented as part of The Paley Center for Media’s 10th Annual Fall TV Previews in Los Angeles. This PALEYFEST 2014 seminar honors the CW series “Jane the Virgin,” a comedy/drama series about a young woman who becomes pregnant after being accidentally artificially inseminated, and “The Flash,” a superhero television series about Barry Allen, a police forensic scientist with the ability to move at superhuman speeds. Rene Reyes (director of programs, The Paley Center for Media) offers opening remarks before introducing the pilots to both “Jane the Virgin” and “The Flash,” both screened in their entirety. (For synopsis and credits of the “Jane the Virgin” pilot, see ACCNUM 116266. For synopsis and credits of the “The Flash” pilot, see ACCNUM 116191).

Natalie Abrams (senior writer, Entertainment Weekly) moderates the following panelists: “Jane the Virgin” executive producers Ben Silverman and Jennie Snyder Urman; “The Flash” executive producers Greg Berlanti and Andrew Kreisberg; “Jane the Virgin” cast members Jaime Camil (Rogelio de la Vega) and Gina Rodriguez; and “The Flash” cast members Candice Patton (Iris West) and Jesse L. Martin (Detective Joe West). “The Flash” cast member Grant Gustin (Barry Allen) was scheduled to attend but could not appear.

The panelists touch on such topics as: the process of adapting “Jane the Virgin” from a Venezuelan telenovela and the changes they made for the American version; the conceptual origins of “The Flash” as a spinoff of the CW series “Arrow” and the “Flash” comic books from which the creators draw their inspiration; Rodriguez on her choices in roles and the presence of Hispanic-centric shows on television; a romantic story arc planned to unfold on “The Flash”; comparisons of the “family dynamics” on both shows and how they serve to advance their plot and tone; Martin’s thoughts on his character, comparing him to his character on “Law and Order”; possible plot developments for “Jane the Virgin” and its efforts to replicate the typical feel of a telenovela; supervillains planned to make appearances on “The Flash” and the creators’ attempts to make the show accessible to non-comic book fans; and both shows’ approaches to racial diversity in their casting process.

Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics among others: the shows’ development times and production schedules; time travel elements in the plot of “The Flash” and the possibility of the introduction of an African-American version of Wally West, the Flash’s successor; the many “Easter eggs” in “The Flash’s” pilot, including references to other DC Comics characters; and how the cast feel about their respective characters.

Details

• NETWORK: N/A
• DATE: September 6, 2014 5:30 PM
• RUNNING TIME: 2:24:56
• COLOR/B&W: Color
• CATALOG ID: 116084
• GENRE: Seminars
• SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
• SERIES RUN: N/A
• COMMERCIALS: N/A

CREDITS

• Rene Reyes … Host
• Natalie Abrams … Moderator
• Ben Silverman … Panelist
• Jennie Snyder Urman … Panelist
• Jaime Camil … Panelist
• Gina Rodriguez … Panelist
• Candice Patton … Panelist
• Jesse L. Martin … Panelist
• Greg Berlanti … Panelist
• Andrew Kreisberg … Panelist
• Grant Gustin