Here are some highlights from last Friday (Day 3: January 9) and Saturday (Day 4: January 10) at the Television Critics Association (TCA) Winter 2015 Press Tour. On Friday, A+E Networks (Lifetime, others) and Starz presented panels, while Saturday was dedicated to programs from AMC Networks (AMC), BBC America and Viacom (TV Land, MTV, and more).

Day 3: January 9, 2015

UnREAL
Lifetime
Premieres Friday, January 16, 2015

Panel:
Marti Noxon, Co-Creator / Executive Producer
Constance Zimmer, as Quinn King
Shiri Appleby, as Rachel Goldberg
Freddie Stroma, as Adam Cromwell
Sarah Gertrude Shapiro, Co-Creator / Supervising Producer

Shiri Appleby and Freddie Stroma

Lifetime has picked up the scripted series UnREAL for ten hour-long episodes. The show will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the chaos (and sheer manipulation) surrounding the production of a competition-dating reality series.

Despite the blatant similarities, UnREAL’s creators are eager to distance the show from THE BACHELOR, claiming that it is NOT a BACHELOR spoof.

Co-creator Marti Noxon (currently donning pink hair) explains that, “satire is one of the tones of the show, but the tricky part is that we also wanted it to be very truthful.” Truthful about how fabricated – or UnREAL – reality dating shows are, I suppose?

Notably, co-creator Sarah Gertrude Shapiro worked for THE BACHELOR when she was 23. Noxon admits that Shapiro’s intrigue with televised dating competitions derived from her exposure to it. Hmmm… I would love to hear THE BACHELOR’s producers’ thoughts on the fact that she’s now essentially “outing” their formula….

Shapiro shares that Shiri Appleby’s character, Rachel, is always trying to do the right thing, but that situations don’t tend to go according to plan. “The path to hell is paved with good intentions,” Shapiro expands.

Constance Zimmer is confident that “everybody will relate to somebody on this show. You want to see them all succeed, yet they’re so dark and demented.” As for her character, Quinn: “I am not a bitch. I am honest. There’s a difference.”

THE LIZZIE BORDEN CHRONICLES
Lifetime
Premiering April 2015

Panel:
Christina Ricci, as Lizzie Borden
Clea DuVall, as Emma Borden
Cole Hauser, as Detective Charlie Siringo
Jonathan Banks, as Mr. Flowers
Stephen Kay, Director

Clea DuVall and Christina Ricci

THE LIZZIE BORDEN CHRONICLES is an upcoming eight-part series starring Christina Ricci; it’s a sequel of sorts to the 2014 Lifetime movie LIZZIE BORDEN TOOK AN AX. When numerous people in Lizzie’s life die mysteriously under brutal and unusual circumstances, legendary Pinkerton detective Charlie Siringo (played by Cole Hauser) becomes determined to prove Lizzie’s involvement in their demise. It’s described as a “fun, dark historical fiction.”

“You don’t really know why you’re rooting for her, but you sort of are,” director Stephen Kay asserts. Ricci adds, “There are moments that are just so horrifying that you can’t believe you like this person.”

“It’s fun to come back and play her again in this amalgamation of the story,” Ricci expresses. “This version of her is actually a lot more satisfying. She knows what she’s doing. She’s much more proactive and has a sense of self-awareness,” Ricci explains.

Lizzie Borden was a real woman from Massachusetts who was tried and acquitted in 1892 for the ax murders of her father and stepmother. When asked about the notion that the series is tarnishing the Borden family’s reputation since Lizzie was never actually convicted, Ricci responded, “It’s true. We are dragging their name through the mud a little bit. Oh well.”

The show was filmed in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Cole Hauser says that the combination of the Canadian location and the costumes provided the sense that they were back in 1903.

Jonathan Banks (of BREAKING BAD fame) plays Mr. Flowers, a business associate of Lizzie’s. “He’s a terrible human being,” Banks shamelessly says. (For the record, it is impossible to hear Jonathan Banks’s uniquely daunting voice without reminiscing about Mike Ehrmantraut).

At the end of the panel, out of the blue, Banks’s ghastly voice resounds: “Can I ask you a question?” addressing the audience. “How many of you are watching CNN or doing something else at this moment?” Laughter erupted.

BLACK SAILS
Starz
Season 2 premieres January 24, 2015

Panel:
Brad Fuller, Executive Producer
Andrew Form, Executive Producer
Robert Levine, Co-Creator / Executive Producer
Jonathan E. Steinberg, Co-Creator / Executive Producer
Toby Stephens, as Captain Flint
Hannah New, as Eleanor Guthrie
Jessica Parker Kennedy, as Max
Luke Arnold, as John Silver
Zach McGowan, as Captain Charles Vane

Hannah New, who plays Eleanor, says that Season 2 really does challenge her authority when sadistic, inhumane pirates threaten her life. She’s lost the people she can trust who were her protectors.

New asserts that the issues she faces do not solely revolve around the male/female dichotomy; it’s about how each individual can wield power on the island.

There are flashbacks in Season 2 showing Flint fifteen years earlier, including how he became a pirate. “What’s great about Season 2 is that we force the audience to look at Flint in a totally different way,” Toby Stephens articulates. “Hopefully we’ll understand the demons that are driving him to do what he’s doing.”

In terms of portraying Captain Charles Vane: “It’s as fun, if not more fun, for me to play than for people to watch,” remarks Zach McGowan.

The first thing one notices when looking at McGowan and Luke Arnold is their strikingly long hair. When asked if they got their roles as a result of their hair, Arnold states that he was subconsciously waiting for the role of a rock star or a pirate to come along.

Jessica Parker Kennedy explains why Max’s violent rape scene was an integral part of the story. “It’s not something that can be ignored because it happened a lot.” The goal was to make the audience feel how traumatizing and horrendous it was.

POWER
Starz
Season 2 premieres Summer 2015

Panel:
Joseph Sikora, as Tommy Egan
Omari Hardwick, as James “Ghost” St. Patrick
Courtney Kemp Agboh, Creator / Executive Producer
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, as Kanan / Executive Producer

Joseph Sikora, Omari Hardwick, Creator & Executive Producer Courtney Kemp Agboh and Executive Producer/Actor Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson

50 Cent originally wanted to play Ghost, but his wish was unfulfilled due to the character’s demanding work schedule. Availability aside, what does Omari Hardwick bring to the table that 50 Cent could not? “The sex scenes…full-on butt shot. I’m not sure if I could do that,” 5o Cent confesses.

“Ghost is definitely an anti-hero,” says the show’s creator/executive producer, Courtney Kemp Agboh. “He’s trying to be a better man, which is what we love about him.” It’s human nature to wonder if we can change or improve ourselves, rendering the role relatable.

Agboh promises that POWER fans will see a lot more of 50 Cent in Season 2. “This is the season of Kanan,” she announces, and then boldly adds, “This season is WAY better than last season.”

Despite 50 Cent’s star power, I personally informed Agboh that she stole the show (or, in this case, the panel).

“I'm from Connecticut, guys. This is not my autobiography. I went to school with Heather and Buffy and Jessica and Lindsay.” However, Agboh does aspire to develop a show exposing her upbringing. “The things that were going on behind the closed doors of my friends’ homes were just as violent” (as the material on POWER) – “just with less guns.”

Pertaining to the alleged feud between POWER and Fox’s series EMPIRE, Agboh feels that “the comparison does no favor to either show. Their show is music-driven. We’re doing totally different things.” 50 Cent lightens the mood by reassuring us that "there's plenty of room [for both shows], but I need a lot of the room!”

OUTLANDER
Starz
Second half of Season 1 premieres April 4, 2015

Panel:
Ronald D. Moore, Executive Producer
Caitriona Balfe, as Claire Randall
Sam Heughan, as Jamie Fraser
Diana Gabaldon, Author

Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan.

With regards to staying true to the “Outlander” novels, executive producer Ronald D. Moore emphasizes that they only deviate from the book when absolutely necessary, and then they try to get back on track.

The book’s author, Diana Gabaldon, is proud of the cast. “They’ve done beautifully,” she affirms. “They are much, much better than I ever thought they’d be.” Not to mention that the show’s success has driven more male readers to the novel.

Caitriona Balfe explains that playing the strong, resilient character of Claire has allowed her to recognize her own inner strength and resilience.

A prime example of Claire’s challenges is the spanking scene. It’s hard for the modern person to understand, Balfe acknowledges, but “in 1743, this was a very justified form of punishment that a husband would act out.” The day of filming, “we tried to give it the respect it deserved,” she states. Claire struggled with wrapping her mind around what this man she had fallen in love with was about to do. They had to come to a mutual understanding of his reasons for spanking her in order for her to be able to forgive him.

Sam Heughan elaborates, “He just knows he has to do it to teach her a lesson. It’s how he was brought up.” Ultimately, going through that experience “strengthens their relationship and helps them move forward,” he says.

Finally, on filming in Scotland: “It’s so vital that we are there. It informs everything that we do and adds so much texture to the show,” Balfe expresses. “Yeah, it’s cold, it’s rainy, but that just adds a great realism to it. And I never complain.”

Day 4: January 10, 2015

BETTER CALL SAUL
AMC
Two-night series premiere February 8 & 9, 2015

Panel:

Vince Gilligan, Executive Producer / Writer / Director
Peter Gould, Executive Producer / Writer / Director
Bob Odenkirk, as Saul Goodman
Jonathan Banks, as Mike Ehrmantraut
Michael McKean, as Chuck McGill
Michael Mando, as Nacho Varga
Patrick Fabian, as Howard Hamlin
Rhea Seehorn, as Kim Wexler

Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould

BETTER CALL SAUL is a prequel to the award-winning series BREAKING BAD. The story is set six years before Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) meets Walter White. When we meet him, the man who will become Saul is known as Jimmy McGill, a small-time lawyer searching for his destiny and hustling to make ends meet. Working alongside and often against Jimmy is fixer Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks), a beloved character first introduced in BREAKING BAD. The new series will track Jimmy’s transformation into a man who puts the criminal in “criminal attorney.”

The BETTER CALL SAUL panel was by far one of the most memorable due to the crowd’s undeniable obsession with BREAKING BAD. Furthermore, it’s virtually impossible to gage whether Jonathan Banks is hilarious or totally rude.

Before I go any further, here’s the news you’ve all been waiting for: “Walt and Jesse will not appear in Season 1,” Executive Producer Peter Gould announced, referring to Bryan Cranston’s and Aaron Paul’s characters in BREAKING BAD. “We want this to really stand on its own. We don’t want to mislead people into expecting something that’s not going to happen,” he explained.

That being said, Executive Producer Vince Gilligan jumps in to reassure us, sort of: “We’re not saying it will never happen. We’re not saying it will happen.”

“Well, I’m saying it’s never going to happen,” Jonathan Banks interjects, although it’s difficult to detect whether or not he’s being serious.

But don’t lose hope, BREAKING BAD fans! Gilligan states that one of the advantages of setting the series as a prequel six years earlier is that “it allows the sky to be the limit in the sense that all the characters who are deceased when BREAKING BAD ends could theoretically show up.”

Newcomer to the BREAKING BAD/BETTER CALL SAUL saga is Patrick Fabian. Fabian shares the story of his first day and first table read with the cast. He approached Gilligan and shouted, “You f*****g shot Mike!”

“Which allows you all to ask Vince and Peter about the mistakes that they’ve made,” retorts Banks, not missing a beat.

Much of the panel discussion centers on Saul’s ethics, or lack thereof. He wants to be good, but why does he want to be good? Gould articulates that usually in fiction, goodness leads to a happy ending. But we all know that in real life, “sometimes being ethical lands you in the shitter,” he says.

Bob Odenkirk informs us that his character is far more dimensional and much richer than Saul Goodman was on BREAKING BAD.

Gilligan says that they don’t have all the answers yet in terms of how things will play out, “which is part of the fun.” Fortunately, they’re no longer restricted by accelerated storytelling (Walt was dying of cancer on BREAKING BAD).

All things considered, incorporating BREAKING BAD characters is always on the producers’ minds. Gilligan effectively sums it up: “Our intention and our hope is that when we do, it will feel proper and fitting and organic.” If it’s perceived as a stunt, for sweeps week, for example, “then we have, in the writers’ room, done something horribly wrong.”

MAD MEN
AMC
Final seven episodes premiere Sunday, April 5,2015

Panel:

Matthew Weiner, Creator / Executive Producer / Writer / Director
Jon Hamm, as Don Draper
Christina Hendricks, as Joan Holloway
January Jones, as Betty Draper
John Slattery, as Roger Sterling
Elizabeth Moss, as Peggy Olson
Vincent Kartheiser, as Pete Campbell

Jon Hamm, Christina Hendricks & January Jones

It’s the end of an era. AMC President Charlie Collier declared, “MAD MEN is the show that put AMC on the map. Period. It is impossible to overstate the impact it has had on AMC, and I would argue, this era of television."

Jon Hamm’s response to the following inquiry triggered riotous laughter and was arguably the highlight of the entire panel:

“Are you kind of happy to see it end so people will quit asking you how the series ends?”

Hamm’s brilliant reply: “Yeah, I’m thrilled that it’s ending. So looking forward to being unemployed for as long as I’ll be unemployed. I’m so happy not to see any of these people ever again. And all of that is really great. Hash tag sarcasm.”

Then, in a melancholic tone, he divulges, “There's no version of this ending that is not super painful for me, and mostly it’s because of these people, because they’ve been the single constant in my creative life for the last decade. … I will never be able to have this again, and that’s a drag.”

When the panel was asked about a potential spinoff, Hamm proposed, BETTER CALL PETE. Once again, the crowd exploded with laughter.

Hamm, whose sense of humor never ceased to amaze me, shared that his next job will involve car detailing. “I will seriously wash your car. Tires, interior, Armor All.” He and Vincent Kartheiser are in business together. Their company’s name, you’re wondering? “Stickler to Detail,” Hamm announces. “I’m gainfully unemployed. If it’s not obvious by that answer, I have nothing to do, literally.”

When creator Matthew Weiner was asked if he took viewers’ wishes into consideration when writing the finale - especially knowing that the final episodes would be picked apart by fans and critics alike - he replied:

“I’m extremely interested in what the audience thinks, so much so that I'm trying to delight them and confound them and not frustrate and irritate them. I don’t want them to walk away angry,” adding that if that’s ever happened, it was unintentional. However, Weiner also emphasizes that you can’t pander to the audience and just give them what they want, either.

On reading the final script and their opinions on how their characters ended:

“The whole last few weeks [of filming], I was just a mess. Anything made me cry. It’s a perfect story in a way, and I read it over and over. I didn’t want it to be the last time. I was pleasantly surprised [by the ending], and I hope the audience is surprised.” – January Jones

“It was surprising to the end. It’s been surprising the whole time.” – John Slattery

“I was very, very pleased, and I guess I was surprised.” – Christina Hendricks

“I was surprised in the best way; just really, really happy with it.” – Elisabeth Moss

“I don’t really remember if I was surprised or not. … What was the question?” – Vincent Kartheiser

With regards to MAD MEN’s legacy, Weiner noted that, “Jon Hamm is forever going to be the face of MAD MEN, and it’s firmly on his shoulders to represent it in the future.”

The preview of the final seven episodes was so powerfully emotional that people who had never seen an episode of MAD MEN were tearing up. Needless to say, this panel was phenomenal.

Hamm said it best: “At the end of the day, this experience has been unequivocally wonderful, and I’ll miss it.”

ORPHAN BLACK
BBC America
Season 3 premieres April 18, 2015

Panel:
Ari Millen, as Mark Rollins
Jordan Gavaris, as Felix Dawkins
John Fawcett, Co-Creator
Tatiana Maslany, as Sarah Manning (via satellite)

BBC AMERICA’s original series ORPHAN BLACK stars award-winner Tatiana Maslany, who returns to her unprecedented lead role as multiple clones. Season three plunges the clone sisterhood into unexpected territory with the realization that they’re not alone. Just when they thought they knew their enemies and allies, season three reveals our clones are more vulnerable than ever before. Highly trained, identical male-soldiers raise more questions than answers. Who are these new clones? Who created them? And more importantly, why do they exist?

Co-creator John Fawcett says, “We’re always trying to make choices that evolve the show in directions that people aren't expecting.” He elaborates that the show is a mash-up; they have the freedom to go in any direction they want, be it horror, comedy, drama, action, etc.

Leading lady Tatiana Maslany, who attended the panel via satellite since she was sick, says there have been many bloopers while filming season three as the cast had grown accustomed to portraying the clone club. In the first season, she was too stressed to laugh at her mistakes. An ORPHAN BLACK blooper reel may be released at some point.

When out in public, Maslany tends to be called “Cosima” by younger female fans, but “Allison” by middle-aged couples. She enjoys discovering which of her characters different age demographics relate to.

Meanwhile, in season three, Felix is still supporting Sarah in her journey, “but he’s starting to think for himself and ask his own questions,” Jordan Gavaris explains.

Fawcett deemed season three the hardest to write due to the many storylines he had to juggle. “The deeper we get into the story and history, the more challenging [the writing] becomes,” he affirms.

In the teaser reel, a scorpion came crawling out of Helena’s stomach. Fawcett confirms that the scorpion is a new cast member.

“We have an incredible season end, probably the best yet. It’s something that I’m super excited about,” he rejoices.

YOUNGER
TV Land
Premieres Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Panel:
Hilary Duff, as Kelsey
Sutton Foster, as Liza
Debi Mazar, as Maggie
Miriam Shor, as Diana
Nico Tortorella, as Josh
Darren Star, Creator / Executive Producer / Writer / Director

Miriam Shor, Debi Mazar, Hilary Duff, & Sutton Foster

YOUNGER was created by Darren Star, the Emmy award-winning man behind SEX AND THE CITY. The show follows 40-year-old Liza (Sutton Foster), a divorced mother who tries to get back into the working world, only to find it's nearly impossible to break into the ultra-competitive job market at her age. When a chance encounter with the sexy and younger Josh (Nico Tortorella) convinces her she looks about his age, Liza decides that with the help of a complete makeover, courtesy of her best friend Maggie (Debi Mazar), she can try to pass herself off as 26. Armed with new confidence, she lands a coveted job at a publishing house as an assistant to the temperamental marketing exec Diana (Miriam Shor) and teams up with her 20-something co-worker Kelsey (Hilary Duff) to make it in the career of her dreams. Will she be able to keep her secret?

Naturally, the discussion revolved around aging. When the flawless Hilary Duff was probed on her feelings towards aging and asked if she worries that it will affect her career, the whole panel chimed in.

First, Duff replies, “Oh, my gosh. I’m 27 now. I’ve been in this business since I was 11. I think that there’s a way to embrace every age that we go through.” Despite the show’s focus on age discrepancies, she argues that the cast is on a common ground where they all learn from each other, support each other as friends, and help each other through bumps in the road, regardless of age. “But my personal view on it is I hope as I age I continue to embrace it and enjoy what it brings me. Until I get there, I guess I won't know,” she says.

Fifty-year-old Debi Mazar refers to herself as “living proof” that older women can remain successful in television. She shares her initial trepidation at the YOUNGER audition when she discovered that her competition were all in their 20s. “But no one’s me,” she boasts. However, Mazar does acknowledge that, “in all businesses, whether you’re the plumber or whether it's Hollywood, there’s discrimination against men and women in aging.  Men are getting Botox now and trying to look younger,” she observes.

Miriam Shor is comforted by her impression that women seem to be finding a place in television much more so than in feature films. “I think it's more representative of every walk of life than a lot of the other parts of the entertainment industry,” she articulates.

Nonetheless, Sutton Foster has a blast portraying both 26 and 40, depending on which character she’s interacting with on the show. “It's like I get to sort of be a chameleon, which has been really, really fun, but also stressful,” she says.

Creator Darren Star praises Foster’s acting ability: “You can't dress somebody who’s pushing 40 to look 26.  That’s got to come from inside. It’s Sutton’s performance that makes the show work.”

On Sutton Foster being best known for her work on the Broadway stage:

Star announces, “I’m a huge, huge, huge fan of Sutton on all of her shows on Broadway, and I’ve seen basically everything she’s done. But I promised her no singing and dancing on this show.” Sorry folks, it sounds like we won’t be witnessing any karaoke scenes between Foster and Duff!

EYE CANDY
MTV
Premiered Monday, January 12, 2015

Panel:
Christian Taylor, Executive Producer
Victoria Justice, as Lindy
Casey Deidrick, as Tommy
Kiersey Clemons, as Sophia
Jason Blum, Executive Producer
John Garet Stoker, as Connor
Harvey Guillen, as George
Susanne Daniels, President, MTV Programming

Casey Deidrick, Kiersey Clemons & Victoria Justice

EYE CANDY is a cyber thriller based on the novel by R.L. Stine. It centers on tech genius Lindy, who is persuaded by her roommate to begin online dating and begins to suspect that one of her mysterious suitors might be a deadly cyber stalker. When her friends at the elusive cyber-police uncover a potential serial killer in Manhattan, all signs point to one of Lindy’s dates. Teaming up with this band of hackers, Lindy works to solve the murders while unleashing her own style of justice on the streets of New York City.

In order to prepare for this role, Victoria Justice took a computer coding class. She’s brushed up on technological jargon and lingo, and she’s still learning. But could she hack anything? “Oh absolutely not, no. I can hit ‘Control, Alt, Delete.’ That’s as far as that goes,” she clarifies.

Justice became involved with the project because she was eager to do something different. “Coming from Nickelodeon and doing a sitcom [ZOEY 101 and VICTORIOUS] for so many years, I knew that I wanted to do a drama,” she explains. “I was so excited that it was attached to R.L. Stine because, growing up, I was a huge fan of his.” She also appreciates the script’s concept, twists and turns, “sexiness,” and dark, creepy moments. “And I love that my character was this very strong, empowered female with a lot of emotional history and layers,” Justice expresses.

On EYE CANDY’s intentions:

Justice believes that the show serves as a good cautionary tale. “You just have to be really careful with online dating and even social media.  You never really know who’s on the other side of that screen,” she advises. Justice feels that younger viewers will definitely get a little freaked out as they become increasingly aware that “serial killers are out there and, hopefully, you're not dating one!”

Executive Producer Jason Blum remains realistic by elucidating that EYE CANDY is supposed to be fun and exciting to watch. “I don't think we’re going to solve actual crimes with the show. But I think it does make people mindful of what they're doing online and how far to push it, how much to put out there,” he states.

For those of you who recognize parallels with the MTV hit CATFISH, President Susanne Daniels announced that EYE CANDY will be doing some cross-promotion with CATFISH. (FYI: CATFISH returns for its fourth season on February 25th.)

For more on EYE CANDY, check out my exclusive interview with Casey Deidrick and Kiersey Clemons.