PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, THE: PALEYFEST NY 2017: OZ REUNION {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in a series of evenings and special screenings presented as part of The Paley Center for Media's PaleyFest New York 2017. This evening celebrates "Oz," the groundbreaking dramatic series set in the Oswald Maximum Security Penitentiary, nicknamed "Oz," which ran from 1997 to 2003.
Host Arthur Smith (curator, The Paley Center for Media) offers opening remarks and introduces a highlight reel, featuring scenes of Augustus Hill's (Harold Perrineau's) narration; Ryan O'Reily (Dean Winters) murder of Patrick Keenan (Dylan Chalfy); spoken-word performances from Arnold "Poet" Jackson (Craig "muMs" Grant); emotional moments between Tobias Beecher (Lee Tergesen) and Chris Keller (Christopher Meloni) and between Tim McManus (Terry Kinney), and Diane Whittlesey (Edie Falco); a scene from the 2002 musical episode, "Variety"; and an intense argument between McManus and Kareem Saïd (Eamonn Walker).
After the clips, Smith welcomes David Simon (television writer and creator, "The Wire," "Treme," "Show Me a Hero," "The Deuce" and others). Simon moderates the following panelists: executive producer/creator/writer Tom Fontana; and cast members Craig "muMs" Grant (Arnold "Poet" Jackson), Lee Tergesen (Tobias Beecher), Eamonn Walker (Kareem Saïd), Dean Winters (Ryan O'Reily), Terry Kinney (Tim McManus), and Edie Falco (Diane Whittlesey).
The panelists touch on such topics as: a memorable review from TV Guide condemning the show's offensive content; Fontana's inspiration from the infamous 1971 Attica prison riots; his fascination with Simon's 1991 book "Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets," which led to the creation of the TV series "Homicide: Life on the Street"; his amazement at the network's immediate interest in "Oz" based on a 20-minute clip; Winters' funny story about his request for a nude scene, based on inaccurate information; Tergesen's surprise at Fontana's editing of his memorable first scene; the actors' constant worry that their characters would be killed off, including Saïd's death when Walker departed to Hawaii to film "Tears of the Sun" (2003); the "buried metaphor" in some characters' deaths, expedited by the actors' troublesome behavior or frequent tardiness; Fontana's paternal concern for Falco when David Chase called to discuss "The Sopranos"; Whittlesey's engagement to a British "bobby" to explain Falco's departure; Walker's careful research into American Muslim culture and his gratitude for Fontana's open dialogues with the actors about their characters; Fontana's use of actors' suggestions when he "ran out of ideas"; why the actors had to genuinely live as their characters because "the camera finds everything"; Grant's enjoyment of writing his character's own poetry; McManus as the audience surrogate into the world of the prison; Tergesen's views of how his character's "superficial normalcy" was stripped away after entering Oz; his funny text message exchange with co-star J.K. Simmons (Vernon Schillinger) after Simmons' Academy Award win for "Whiplash" (2014); "Homicide" writer James Yoshimura's constant shock at the envelope-pushing content on "Oz"; how the McManus and Whittlesey relationship was cut short by Falco's departure, prompting Fontana to shift their dynamic to Beecher and Keller; how Winters channeled his past career as a bartender into the opportunistic character of O'Reily; Simon's sense that "everything changed" on television thanks to the show's dark tone and mature storytelling; Fontana's memories of being instructed to shoot alternate takes of scenes with less profanity and adult content, which quickly proved impossible; his interest in depicting "the human condition" in extreme circumstances; creating a claustrophobic environment to keep the audience on edge; details of a memorably scene violent scene involving Beecher, Robson (R.E. Rodgers) and a prop hot dog; their strict seven-day shooting structure and Fontana's refusal to go over budget or time; and the use of real ex-cons, including many rival gang members, as extras and "under-fives." Fontana then acknowledges other writers and crew members in the audience.
Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics, among others: how the inmates might react to the arrival of disgraced ex-Congressman Anthony Weiner, recently sentenced to 21 months on sexual charges; creating the musical episode because of narrator Perrineau's departure to film "The Matrix Reloaded" (2003); how television has changed since "Oz," including shifts in viewer numbers, the rise of "antihero" protagonists and the deaths of seemingly main characters, like Dino Ortolani (Jon Seda) in the pilot episode; reactions from real ex-convicts, who praise the show's accuracy "except for the sex"; funny stories of underage viewers' thoughts on the show, including Fontana's run-in with comedian-turned-Senator Al Franken; why Fontana, "haunted" by the characters, chose to end the show before its violent content became "parody"; his use of cliffhangers and deceased characters returning as ghosts; praise for Fontana's earlier series "St. Elsewhere," despite the improbably long life of Dr. Auschlander (Norman Lloyd); why the amount of important events occurring in each episode was the least "realistic" aspect of "Oz"; and the symbolism behind the connection of old and new buildings to create Oz, and why its geographical location was never named. Grant then closes the evening with a brief spoken-word performance.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: 6:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: N/A
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 130827
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Arthur Smith … Host
- David Simon … Moderator
- Craig "muMs" Grant … Panelist
- Lee Tergesen … Panelist
- Eamonn Walker … Panelist
- Dean Winters … Panelist
- Terry Kinney … Panelist
- Edie Falco … Panelist
- Tom Fontana … Panelist
- Dylan Chalfy
- David Chase
- Al Franken
- Norman Lloyd
- Christopher Meloni
- Harold Perrineau
- R.E. Rodgers
- Jon Seda
- J.K. Simmons
- Anthony Weiner
- James Yoshimura