Post by Naj on Jan 19, 2005 18:23:20 GMT -5
Roxborough
'Cold Case' comes to Our Town
By: Saranne Miller 01/19/2005
Hit CBS television show, based in Philadelphia, makes its way to Roxborough
Last Saturday morning the cast and crew of the CBS television show, "Cold Case," set up camp on Ridge Ave., Monastary Ave. and in Leverington Cemetery.
Actors, crewmembers, cameras and lights adorned sidewalks while police officers directed traffic away from the on-location filming. But one Philadelphia police officer, Roxborough native Detective Tim Bass, was not on the city's clock that day. Detective Bass is the television show's technical advisor and according to the cast and various crewmembers, he plays a vital role behind the scenes of "Cold Case."
Created and produced by Meredith Stiehm, "Cold Case" is a drama about a female detective who works in Philadelphia's special investigation unit, known as the cold case squad. Detective Lilly Rush, played by Kathryn Morris, has a passion for murder cases that fall victim to the passage of time.
Detective Scotty Valens, played by Danny Pino, is Detective Rush's inquisitive and determined partner. Thom Barry is Detective Will Jefferies and Jeremy Ratchford portrays Detective Nick Vera. Lieutenant John Stillman, played by John Finn, is the man to see when evidence leads to a dead end.
Bass' first law-enforcement job was with the Secret Service Agency in Washington, D.C. After three months of vigorous training, Bass was assigned to guarding the White House where he had the honor of meeting President Ronald Reagan. His post lasted one year at which point he was accepted into the Philadelphia Police Academy.
Bass returned to his hometown and had worked in the 12th District, the Central Detective Unit and then in the Philadelphia Homicide Division. He spent eight years in homicide before he transferred to the Special Investigation Unit where he now investigates unsolved murders.
SETTING THE STAGE
In the early stages of the television show's development, Stiehm, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, contacted a reporter at Philadelphia Daily News and asked that the she be introduced to a cold case detective. That's when Detective Bass' telephone rang.
Stiehm, who was writing the script for the "Cold Case" pilot, asked Bass if he would spend a few days with her touring Philadelphia and talking at length with her about his job. Stiehm's story line was unique in that her lead detective was female and instead of new murders, the show was based on murders that have gone unsolved for years.
Bass was happy to assist Stiehm, but didn't think that the portrayal of a female homicide detective was a realistic notion. With only four female homicide detectives on the Philadelphia squad of 75, Bass worried that the story line wouldn't fly.
Stiehm, who had written for "NYPD Blue," was not daunted by Detective Bass' opinion and completed her script. "Cold Case" would be set in Philadelphia and Detective Lilly Rush would be based on Bass.
Stiehm forwarded her script to Bass and asked that he proof it for realistic police policy, mannerisms and general homicide detective behavior.
"We never say 'perp,'" explained Bass who made suggestions on the original script and returned it to Stiehm.
Later, Stiehm met with the show's executive producer, Jerry Bruckheimer, and received the green light for further episodes of "Cold Case."
Bass was offered a full-time position in Los Angeles as the show's technical advisor, but he could not take the job. He's a dedicated Philadelphia police officer who loves what he does and loves the city in which he works.
Stiehm was accommodating and came back at Bass with a part-time offer. He accepted the unique opportunity.
"I couldn't pass it up," said Bass. "But, I never thought it would be such a hit!"
ROLE MODEL
Morris models the core of her character after Bass but admits that being female is a challenge when it comes to communicating a tough heroic detective. Morris has adopted Bass' sense of justice and his drive to solve a murder. In developing Lilly, Morris recognized Bass' masculine grace and the ease in his demeanor. She found Bass to be humble and easy to speak with. She learned through observing Bass that a cop needs to have a personal investment that goes beyond the clock.
"He's a true believer," Morris said, describing Bass. "He believes that he can make a difference. He believes that some good can come out of a bad situation. I wonder how Tim Bass sleeps at night," she added. "My work on the show is intense. It wears on me with the horrific images in my head. Tim's [images] are real."
As a dedicated police officer, Bass says that he gains satisfaction from solving a job and calling a family afterward. But the single element that drives Bass the most in his line of duty is that too often it is the police who care more about the dead than the community.
"It's not that easy," Bass admitted of his job as a cop. "People who lied the first time, five or six years later, they lie again."
ON THE JOB
As a technical assistant, Bass is required to fly to the "Cold Case" set in California once a year where he is interrogated by the writers of the show.
The writers value Bass' judgment and look to Bass for the Philadelphia accent, inflections, phrases and dialect.
Bass is required to read every script and give his input prior to filming the given episode.
"Cold Case" writer, Chris Mundy, says that Bass' involvement in the show is invaluable. Mundy, who works with six other writers including Stiehm, listens carefully to Bass for cop slang and body language that are unique to the Philadelphia area. Mundy says he finds himself asking, "What would Tim do?" as he works through a script.
In addition to his visits to California and the time he spends on location when it doesn't interfere with his work as a homicide detective, Bass is consulted over the telephone on a regular basis.
"It can become very time consuming," explained Bass. "In the beginning, it took a lot of time away from my family. I spend a lot of time on the phone with a crew of writers helping them build scenes and answering questions about my job."
continued....
'Cold Case' comes to Our Town
By: Saranne Miller 01/19/2005
Hit CBS television show, based in Philadelphia, makes its way to Roxborough
Last Saturday morning the cast and crew of the CBS television show, "Cold Case," set up camp on Ridge Ave., Monastary Ave. and in Leverington Cemetery.
Actors, crewmembers, cameras and lights adorned sidewalks while police officers directed traffic away from the on-location filming. But one Philadelphia police officer, Roxborough native Detective Tim Bass, was not on the city's clock that day. Detective Bass is the television show's technical advisor and according to the cast and various crewmembers, he plays a vital role behind the scenes of "Cold Case."
Created and produced by Meredith Stiehm, "Cold Case" is a drama about a female detective who works in Philadelphia's special investigation unit, known as the cold case squad. Detective Lilly Rush, played by Kathryn Morris, has a passion for murder cases that fall victim to the passage of time.
Detective Scotty Valens, played by Danny Pino, is Detective Rush's inquisitive and determined partner. Thom Barry is Detective Will Jefferies and Jeremy Ratchford portrays Detective Nick Vera. Lieutenant John Stillman, played by John Finn, is the man to see when evidence leads to a dead end.
Bass' first law-enforcement job was with the Secret Service Agency in Washington, D.C. After three months of vigorous training, Bass was assigned to guarding the White House where he had the honor of meeting President Ronald Reagan. His post lasted one year at which point he was accepted into the Philadelphia Police Academy.
Bass returned to his hometown and had worked in the 12th District, the Central Detective Unit and then in the Philadelphia Homicide Division. He spent eight years in homicide before he transferred to the Special Investigation Unit where he now investigates unsolved murders.
SETTING THE STAGE
In the early stages of the television show's development, Stiehm, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, contacted a reporter at Philadelphia Daily News and asked that the she be introduced to a cold case detective. That's when Detective Bass' telephone rang.
Stiehm, who was writing the script for the "Cold Case" pilot, asked Bass if he would spend a few days with her touring Philadelphia and talking at length with her about his job. Stiehm's story line was unique in that her lead detective was female and instead of new murders, the show was based on murders that have gone unsolved for years.
Bass was happy to assist Stiehm, but didn't think that the portrayal of a female homicide detective was a realistic notion. With only four female homicide detectives on the Philadelphia squad of 75, Bass worried that the story line wouldn't fly.
Stiehm, who had written for "NYPD Blue," was not daunted by Detective Bass' opinion and completed her script. "Cold Case" would be set in Philadelphia and Detective Lilly Rush would be based on Bass.
Stiehm forwarded her script to Bass and asked that he proof it for realistic police policy, mannerisms and general homicide detective behavior.
"We never say 'perp,'" explained Bass who made suggestions on the original script and returned it to Stiehm.
Later, Stiehm met with the show's executive producer, Jerry Bruckheimer, and received the green light for further episodes of "Cold Case."
Bass was offered a full-time position in Los Angeles as the show's technical advisor, but he could not take the job. He's a dedicated Philadelphia police officer who loves what he does and loves the city in which he works.
Stiehm was accommodating and came back at Bass with a part-time offer. He accepted the unique opportunity.
"I couldn't pass it up," said Bass. "But, I never thought it would be such a hit!"
ROLE MODEL
Morris models the core of her character after Bass but admits that being female is a challenge when it comes to communicating a tough heroic detective. Morris has adopted Bass' sense of justice and his drive to solve a murder. In developing Lilly, Morris recognized Bass' masculine grace and the ease in his demeanor. She found Bass to be humble and easy to speak with. She learned through observing Bass that a cop needs to have a personal investment that goes beyond the clock.
"He's a true believer," Morris said, describing Bass. "He believes that he can make a difference. He believes that some good can come out of a bad situation. I wonder how Tim Bass sleeps at night," she added. "My work on the show is intense. It wears on me with the horrific images in my head. Tim's [images] are real."
As a dedicated police officer, Bass says that he gains satisfaction from solving a job and calling a family afterward. But the single element that drives Bass the most in his line of duty is that too often it is the police who care more about the dead than the community.
"It's not that easy," Bass admitted of his job as a cop. "People who lied the first time, five or six years later, they lie again."
ON THE JOB
As a technical assistant, Bass is required to fly to the "Cold Case" set in California once a year where he is interrogated by the writers of the show.
The writers value Bass' judgment and look to Bass for the Philadelphia accent, inflections, phrases and dialect.
Bass is required to read every script and give his input prior to filming the given episode.
"Cold Case" writer, Chris Mundy, says that Bass' involvement in the show is invaluable. Mundy, who works with six other writers including Stiehm, listens carefully to Bass for cop slang and body language that are unique to the Philadelphia area. Mundy says he finds himself asking, "What would Tim do?" as he works through a script.
In addition to his visits to California and the time he spends on location when it doesn't interfere with his work as a homicide detective, Bass is consulted over the telephone on a regular basis.
"It can become very time consuming," explained Bass. "In the beginning, it took a lot of time away from my family. I spend a lot of time on the phone with a crew of writers helping them build scenes and answering questions about my job."
continued....
