PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, THE: PALEYFEST 2016: STARS OF LAW & ORDER: SVU, CHICAGO FIRE, CHICAGO P.D., & CHICAGO MED SALUTE DICK WOLF {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in a series of evenings and special screenings presented as part of The Paley Center for Media's 33rd William S. Paley Television Festival in Los Angeles. Held this year at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, the festival celebrates the excellence and diversity of American television and is dedicated to television's creative community. This PALEYFEST 2016 seminar honors the iconic career of screenwriter and show creator Dick Wolf, focusing on his current procedural series "Chicago P.D.," "Chicago Fire," "Chicago Med," and the long-running "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." Host Diane Lewis (Executive Vice-President of Programming, The Paley Center for Media) offers opening remarks and brings Gary Bryan (radio disc jockey, KRTH 101.1 FM) to the stage. Bryan then introduces a brief series of clips from the four shows, including crossover episodes.
After the clips, Bryan moderates the following panelists: "Chicago P.D." cast members Jason Beghe (Sgt. Hank Voight) and Sophia Bush (Det. Erin Lindsay); "Chicago Fire" cast members Taylor Kinney (Kelly Severide) and Jesse Spencer (Matthew Casey); "Chicago Med" cast members Colin Donnell (Dr. Connor Rhodes), S. Epatha Merkerson (Sharon Goodwin), Torrey DeVitto (Dr. Natalie Manning), and Oliver Platt (Dr. Daniel Charles); "Law & Order: SVU" cast member Ice T (Det. Odafin "Fin" Tutuola); and Dick Wolf.
The panelists touch on such topics as: the original "Law & Order" series, which was sold to three different networks and ran for twenty seasons; Merkerson's role as a grieving mother in a first-season episode; her roles on other Wolf programs, including the failed robot-cop drama "Mann & Machine"; Ice T's long history with Wolf, including roles on "New York Undercover," "Players," "Swift Justice," "Exiled" and eventually "SVU"; the challenges of memorizing complicated medical terminology; Bush's enjoyment of playing "outspoken" women; the evolution of Beghe's character from a dirty cop who threatens Casey's life to a hero; Aussie Spencer's American accent for his role and teasing from his co-stars; Kinney and Spencer's work with the real Chicago Fire Department and commitment to telling "honest stories"; hints about "Chicago Justice," the upcoming fourth addition to the Chicago series, led by Carl Weathers; Platt's interest in "emergency psychiatry" and research into his character; the actors' friendships and socialization habits; the choice of Chicago as a setting, in part to avoid imitating "Rescue Me," the acclaimed New York-based firefighter drama that concluded in 2011; Wolf's views on the importance of viewer numbers versus critics' opinions, with comparisons to cable programs; an estimation that Wolf's series have generated 40,000 speaking roles over the years; the actors' experiences being recognized around Chicago, and the city's strong sense of community; Spencer's past role as a doctor on "House" and how it compares to that of a firefighter; Donnell's extensive Broadway work, including a role in "Jersey Boys," and how theater compares to television; the evolution of Lieutenant Anita Van Buren, whom Merkerson played for seventeen seasons on the original "Law & Order"; Bush's gratitude for the chance to inspire young female fans to "be the hero of their own story" and enter legal careers; and praise for "Med" showrunners Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider.
Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics, among others: praise for Spencer's former show "House" and its contribution to raising awareness of lupus; the high-quality supporting actors found in the Chicago talent pool; the challenges of shooting "tandems," crossover episodes with multiple locations, scripts and plotlines; Wolf's early career in advertising and subsequent work on "School Ties" (1992), "Hill Street Blues" and "Miami Vice"; and why Wolf, who frequently draws inspiration from real-life incidents, will "never run out of stories."
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: 7:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:08:00
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 125680
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: Women's Collection - Drama
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Diane Lewis … Host
- Gary Bryan … Moderator
- Sophia Bush … Panelist
- Jason Beghe … Panelist
- Taylor Kinney … Panelist
- Jesse Spencer … Panelist
- Ice T … Panelist
- Oliver Platt … Panelist
- S. Epatha Merkerson … Panelist
- Colin Donnell … Panelist
- Torrey DeVitto … Panelist
- Dick Wolf … Panelist
- Diane Frolov
- Andrew Schneider
- Carl Weathers