| |
Producer Jason Smilovic builds
the new 'Bionic Woman' for NBC
Producer talks Katee Sackhoff
and the importance of strong villains
 There’s
a new BIONIC WOMAN in town played by actress Michelle
Ryan coming to NBC this fall. Jamie Sommers is
still her name, but now there are several changes
to the character and her world. One of the most
important to the ongoing arc of the series is
the introduction of a “first BIONIC WOMAN”
played by Katee Sackhoff. IF MAGAZINE chatted
with series writer and executive producer Jason
Smilovic about what this season is going to be
like and how this show is different from the original.
iF MAGAZINE: Katee Sackhoff is in the cast and
you aren’t altering her role from the pilot?
JASON SMILOVIC: We aren’t re-shooting anything
of that. The only things that we are re-shooting
are with Becca, the sister. So, it’s about
five or six scenes. About two days work.
iF: What was the decision behind doing the origin
story in one episode instead of over the course
of a couple of episodes?
SMILOVIC: I think that’s what they’re
used to now. I think that you need to really figure
the best way to get as much of the story in the
pilot as you can especially when you are dealing
with a genesis. A genesis story always burdens
you with telling the whole story in that first
episode. Imagine in SPIDER-MAN, if they left it
to be continued. I think very few shows could
go the route of STAR WARS where you just see Luke
Skywalker begin to know he’s a Jedi in the
first story. I think now you have to start with
that jumping off point of she is THE BIONIC WOMAN
and that’s the name of the show. You’re
starting off with the title THE BIONIC WOMAN,
so everyone knows she’s going to be THE BIONIC
WOMAN. [Laughs] I think that you are compelled
to do that origin story all at once.
iF: So there will be individual stories that people
can watch, but also an overreaching story arc?
SMILOVIC: The idea being a show that is a hybrid
of a serialized show and a self-contained episodic
show. The self-contained episodes can be watched
and comprehended whether or not you came the week
before and the week before that. If you did come
in the weeks before there’s going to be more
for you; there’s going to be a greater comprehension.
Every story is going to have a beginning middle
and end. There’s going to be a resolution
in each episode, but with an undercurrent of mythology
running throughout the season.
iF: You have two bionic women in the pilot, any
chance of seeing a bionic person of another gender
in this first season?
SMILOVIC: No comment.
iF: As far as cameo appearances any chance of the
original BIONIC WOMAN, Lindsay Wagner ?
SMILOVIC: We’re open to anything. I would never
categorically say no to anything. I love Lindsay
Wagner.
iF: The original series didn’t really have
a main nemesis for the BIOINC WOMAN, it was more
episodic. You establish not only one villain but
a few in the pilot. Is that setting up the overreaching
arc?
SMILOVIC: Yes it is, but I think when you have a
protagonist that is bestowed with these wondrous
powers that you really need to bring forth a formidable
bad guy; you don’t want her to be clunking
the heads of two bank robbers together. You want
her going after real formidable villains that pose
a threat to our way of life. I think you want strong
villains so that while you have a heightened hero
you also have villains who can challenge and pose
a threat to her.
iF: After all a hero is only as good as their villains?
SMILOVIC: Absolutely. Heroes are the mirror image
of their villains. They have more in common with
one another than with other people. A villain and
a hero could go either way. I think what we’re
going with here is a balance between the good and
the evil. I don’t necessarily mean the way
that they interact with each other, but rather in
the individuals themselves. There needs to be a
balance of good and evil. These people are in a
very dangerous atmosphere and because of that they
have learned to maintain their secrets and to not
keep other people’s council the way that others
do and they have altered kinds of intimacy. It’s
important that you never look at someone on the
show and say, “that’s the good guy and
that’s the bad guy.” I think from week
to week we want to keep the audience guessing. We
want good guys to do bad things and vice versa.
iF: Do you feel that shows like BUFFY THE VAMPIRE
SLAYER with a strong super powered lead affected
the ability for you to make a new version of THE
BIONIC WOMAN?
SMILOVIC: I would say that just by virtue of its
existence that no show in this genre doesn’t
owe something to BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER or ALIAS,
or any of those shows.
iF: David Eick said that there is a picture deal
in the works for the SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN, but
if they decided to make it a series instead would
you be interested?
SMILOVIC: That’s a question that is well above
my pay grade. [Laughs] Like I said though, I am
open to anything, and I would love to do it.
iF: What would you sum up this new series as?
SMILOVIC: The one thing we’re trying to get
across is that this is first and foremost a human
drama, and the Science Fiction elements are a texture
or a color within that framework. We don’t
want the Sci Fi elements to overwhelm what we are
doing with the story.
By SEAN ELLIOTT, Senior Editor
IFmagazine.com
Published 7/18/2007
|
|
Check out the Gallery section for Michelle Ryan and Bionic
Woman images, past and present.
