A Few Bits of Interest

[Sil]

Hi InsideR!!!
Thank you for all this info!!
Can you tell us more about KM?

[InsideR]

Sil said:

Hi InsideR!!!
Thank you for all this info!!
Can you tell us more about KM?

You're welcome. KM is the only member of the cast who is not a giant - everyone else is 6' plus. She is also more slender than she appears on screen. Personality-wise, she is a lot more of a charmer and less of hard-ass than Lily Rush is. So the overall effect is someone who seems younger and more girlish in person than the role she plays.

I like her great deal. She has always been kind to me (and I have comparitively low status) and I have only ever observed her to be so to other crew members. I have heard stories of a power showdown between her and Meredith, but that's pretty much par for the course for a sleep-deprived star and a deeply conscientious show runner.

(By the way, you might find it funny that the supposed showdown was over KM's trademark hair. KM wants opportunities to look more "feminine" whereas Meredith likes the frazzled look.)

-R

[Naj]

The surest tell is when they hire a guest actor for a recurring episode and it makes the trades.

I don't understand what this means. I don't know the lingo. Anyone?

I don't mind seeing Mrs. Vera. And Vera meeting an old flame will be great too!


~Naj

[InsideR]

Naj said:

I don't understand what this means. I don't know the lingo. Anyone?

I don't mind seeing Mrs. Vera. And Vera meeting an old flame will be great too!

A recurring role is one in which an actor comes in now and again but is not a regular - i.e. Kite or Christa (although Christa might be called a continuing role instead.) The trades are show business trade magazines and papers like The Hollywood Reporter or Variety.

I didn't say we'd see Mrs. Vera, only that he'd cross paths with an old flame. Do you know something I don't?

-R

[Naj]

I didn't say we'd see Mrs. Vera, only that he'd cross paths with an old flame. Do you know something I don't?

No I don't know anything. lol. But there have been some interesting things happen this season that were on our wish list we posted over the summer.

Thanks for explaining the "trades".


~Naj

[Sil]

Thanks InsideR for the Info about KM!
It´s funny that the showdown could have been because of the hair!!

[warnerbros]

Hi Insider!!

First of all, I'm sooooooo happy there is a new episode this week!! Finally!! But does KM have a say who gets cast in an episode?? Does she ever read with potential guest cast?? Maybe to see if there is any chemistry...Just curious

Thanks!!
Mary

[InsideR]

warnerbros said:

But does KM have a say who gets cast in an episode?? Does she ever read with potential guest cast?? Maybe to see if there is any chemistry

KM is not a producer so has limited say about casting. No doubt she would read with any potential love interest, and although she would have an important opinion, it wouldn't be her decision. This is different from, say, William Peterson on CSI or Tony Shaloub on Monk as they also share producer roles.

-R

[irishkale]

Hi InsideR..

Could you explain how they plan the Philadelphia shoots?
Some stuff I'm wondering:
- how many weeks they shoot in Philly
- how many times a season they go to the east coast
- do they get shot lists for several episodes and then
shoot exteriors for several episodes in one trip?
- if this is true, do they shoot like scene 4 from episode 20 one day, then have to switch gears and shoot another unrelated scene from another episode the next day?
- Do the writers intentionally say "we need a shot of the gang around the hotdog cart outside the station to give it realism"
- Do you get to go? (I'm assuming you're in LA)
- Does Kathryn's NYC talk show appearances coincide with shooting on the east coast?
- What building is used for exteriors of the police station, and is the hotdog cart "the real thing"?
- to what extent do they do digital trickery to fake LA for Philly? (you explained in an episode from season 1 that they digitally inserted a Philly skyline in one scene.)

Thanks!

[InsideR]

irishkale said:

Hi InsideR..

Could you explain how they plan the Philadelphia shoots?
Some stuff I'm wondering:
- how many weeks they shoot in Philly
- how many times a season they go to the east coast
- do they get shot lists for several episodes and then
shoot exteriors for several episodes in one trip?
- if this is true, do they shoot like scene 4 from episode 20 one day, then have to switch gears and shoot another unrelated scene from another episode the next day?
- Do the writers intentionally say "we need a shot of the gang around the hotdog cart outside the station to give it realism"
- Do you get to go? (I'm assuming you're in LA)
- Does Kathryn's NYC talk show appearances coincide with shooting on the east coast?
- What building is used for exteriors of the police station, and is the hotdog cart "the real thing"?
- to what extent do they do digital trickery to fake LA for Philly? (you explained in an episode from season 1 that they digitally inserted a Philly skyline in one scene.)

Shoots in Philly are usually more days than weeks and though some attempt to keep it efficient are attempted, there's a limit as to how much can practically be ganged up. Sometimes the reasons are subtle - a neighborhood, say, that has no LA equivalent - but others are more obvious: the Rocky-like stair running scene in Yo Adrian, for example.

There are also many stock shots of Philly used and others in a "library" available to editors. This is mostly for establishing place with buildings and the like. Sometimes digital technology is used for say, adding snow to a night scene in a recent episode. Sometimes, like in Runner, the forground is LA, the background Philly.

But generally speaking, the show doesn't create entire worlds in the computer a la The Matrix. The computer is often crucial to the special visual effects used in flashback sequences.

The writers don't say where something is to be shot, that's up to the producers and the director. The hotdog stand is...a genuine hotdog stand. But it is a prop, so no one peddle's heroes from it when it's offscreen.

KM's schedule is nuts, but she's more likely to appear on Letterman she has time off than when she has 12 hours free in Philly. (Of course, after Dave's befuddled reaction to KM's frozen cat story, she might be too traumatized to appear on Letterman again for some time.)

As for my travel - I think that falls into the category of making it too obvious who I am. My crewmates do read this site on occasion and speculate. (As, has, I believe, Jonathan, Meredith, KM, and most of the writers at least once.)

-R

[Sil]

Hi InsideR!
So the cast / crew are interested in what do we talk about?

[TVFan]

I don't have a question InsideR, just a comment. First, thanks for the Philly info. I had been wondering the same thing.

Second, I'm glad it wasn't just me who thought that Letterman was a bit out of line. Even without the frozen cat story, he still seemed off. I was surprised and disappointed that he basically had no clue about Cold Case. I understand that the hosts of these shows don't watch every single program and movie out there, but it seems that they must have a research department that secures tapes of at least one episode. I couldn't understand why he hadn't watched the tape or the episode the Sunday before her appearance. Instead, he flubbed around looking for something to say about the show. Kathryn couldn't have been more gracious, though. She managed to fix his lack of research without coming across as rude, so major kudos to her for that.

It also bothered me that he (quite obviously) hadn't read anything about her, as he spent most of the interview fishing for something to talk about. It just struck me as unprofessional. If you contrast this appearance to her Sharon Osbourne appearance, there really is no comparison. I don't regularly watch Letterman (I'm usually in bed before he comes on), but I do watch Leno on the rare occasion when I am still awake, so it's quite possible that this is how Letterman is with all of his guests.

[cherzee]

Hello InsideR
Like everyone else thank you for the behind the scenes info about the show. Without giving away to much info about the show(it has been mentioned that Lilly's character will get a new love interest). Is the love interest a current cast member,or is going to be a new cast member(recurring like A.D.A. Kite)? Also, with this revelation-I guess the character of Kite is pretty much a done deal with the show. This is to bad because Josh Hopkins' portrayal of Kite added a different dimension to the show,and he had wonderful chemistry with Kathryn Morris.

[InsideR]

Sil said:

So the cast / crew are interested in what do we talk about?

Yes, although not all will admit it. TV is a funny medium because it reaches millions of people but those who work in it rarely come into direct contact with them. This is one reason why many actors prefer doing theater - they love the energy exchange with the audience. So, for better or for worse, boards like this take the place of audience response.

-R

[Naj]

If this has been asked already then just skip.

Any chances that there will be some flashbacks of Lilly and Chris together as children or younger as part of the storyline?


~Naj

[Disasterfreak]

Hi, InsideR!

Like Naj says, if this question has already been asked, please ignore. This thread is so long and popular I'm not sure anymore what has been asked and what hasn't.

How many months a year do you shoot usually? Which months are they? How long are the "breaks"? I know that usually working hours are very long... but do you get to have weekends and holidays? Or do you have to work during those too?

[InsideR]

Disasterfreak said:

How many months a year do you shoot usually? Which months are they? How long are the "breaks"? I know that usually working hours are very long... but do you get to have weekends and holidays? Or do you have to work during those too?

Shooting per se starts in August and goes until the end of April or the beginning of May. But script writing starts long before shooting and post production ends long after. So, someone who is responsible for the whole thing, like Meredith gets only a couple of weeks off between seasons. This season they had planned to have 24 episodes, but just ran out of time, so there will be 23.

Weekends and holidays are sacrosanct for some, not for others. In general, the higher up the chain of authority the more you work. I have a theory that Jonathan Littman, with six shows on the air and three in pre-production, must be an android. As for Jerry Bruckheimer...alien!

As for Naj's childhood flashback question, I don't know the answer. It sounds like a cool idea, though. The big problem with working personal story lines into a show is to not derail the main story that happens that week. It's quite a balancing act.

-R

[Sputnik1220]

It would be really interesting if they had a Lilly/Chris flashback! Thank you so much for all the info you've given us!

[Ryebeach]

Hi InsideR

Can you tell us if Christina is going to stick around longer than the 9 episodes she signed on for this season?

[Sil]

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