The Dresden Files TV SHOW

[Mickey Finn]

Wait, there's a TV show?

Why, yes there is. The good folks at Lionsgate and Saturn Films are producing the show for the SciFi Channel in the US.

The first season consists of a 2 hour pilot which is based around Storm Front, with another 11 episodes which sci-fi t.v have ordered. Making season 1 13 episodes in total.

It will air on Sci-Fi t.v in January 2007.

Cast:
Paul Blackthorne   ....    Harry Dresden
Valerie Cruz   ....    Lt. Connie Murphy (Changed from Karrin for legal issues)
Rebecca McFarland   ....    Susan Rodriguez
Conrad Coates      ....    Morgan
Elizabeth Thai      ....    Ancient Mai
Joanne Kelly      ....    Bianca
Terrence Mann   ....    Bob

Producers

Jonathan Hackett   ....    producer

Executive Producers

Hans Beimler      ....    executive producer
Nicolas Cage      ....    executive producer
Morgan Gendel      ....    executive producer
Norman Golightly   ....    executive producer
Robert Hewitt Wolfe   ....    executive producer


Sources
TV.com
IMDb
(reported by James, as well as Robert Wolfe)


Writers, from Robert Wolfe, in the show's pre-production stage:

With permission from those involved, here is the core of the writing staff for The Dresden Files:

David Simkins (Executive Producer/Writer): David is a terrific guy whom I've known since we were in a writer's group when we both were starting out (well, he'd written "Adventures in Babysitting" already and I was a nobody, but more or less). David will be the David Eick to Hans and my collective Ron Moore (twice the body parts, half the talent!). The only bad thing I can say about David is he's a macHead. I'm a PCer. Luckily, we bear no resemblence to the dweebs in the commercials and we manage to get along. (Hans is neutral, kind of like the Swiss without the punctuality.)

Curtis Kheel (Supervising Producer/Writer): In addition to being a very talented writer, Curtis brings a tremendous amount of enthusiasm and genre knowledge to the table. He came highly recommended by all our friends in the business. David, Hans, and I hired him anyway. Another macHead. What the heck is wrong with these people? If he says "We did something like that on Charmed" one more time, we will kill him. We're certain no court in the land would convict us.

Jack Bernstein (Consulting Producer/Writer): Jack is a spectacular writer who looks vaguely like Gene Simmons. Though I'm pretty sure he was never in KISS. We suspect he is secretly filthy rich from writing "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" but we try not to let our petty jealousy consume us. Jack brings lots of procedural experience from his time on NCIS and he recently wrote a terrific "Monk."

We'll be adding a few more people in the next couple of weeks, but, as a group, David, Hans, Curtis, Jack and I have already starting working up story ideas, discussing tone and approach, and doing a lot of writerly nuts and bolts (more nuts than bolts so far). It's been a blast so far. Of course, the really hard work is still ahead of us, but with such a talented group, I'm very optimistic about the upcoming weeks and months.

 
 

[Mickey Finn]

Where will it air?

The SciFi Channel will be airing it in the US starting January 2007.


As for other countries:
UK: Sky One is looking to pick the series up. Dates are not yet know.
Canada: Space will be carrying the show. Dates are not yet known. (A news article said Fall, but as the show is not airing in the US until January, Winter is expected.)

[Mickey Finn]

Why are there only 13 episodes in the first season?

This is not unusual for a series that starts mid-season. In addition to that, Lee Whiteside from SFTV.org says:

13 weeks is a pretty common season for a cable series and seems to be the way most cable outlets are going.  USA's two seasons of the 4400 have been 13 hours and they split the most recent production block of The Dead Zone into two 11 episode seasons.  Their new drama, Eureka, has taken pretty much the same path The Dresden Files did to a series.  They did a pilot movie and ordered it to series after the tested it.  Two hour pilot plus 11 episodes makes a 12 week series (assuming the opener is aired as a pilot).

For more of Lee's wisdom, see http://www.jim-butcher.com/bb/index.php/topic,293.0.html

[Mickey Finn]

What level of involvement does Jim Butcher have in the show?

From the horse's mouth:

I'm consulting, but it's informal and largely based on the fact that Robert is a decent and friendly guy.  He's sent me scripts, a copy of the series bible, and I've given him feedback and seen changes made based upon it, which was (I thought) undeniably gentlemanly (and intelligent, of course) of him.

I like what I've seen.

That said, Robert isn't working in a vaccuum, and if I don't get absolutely everything I want in the show, neither does he.  The differences, however, are generally minor and cosmetic.  Some of them are just smart, and if I'd known more about writing when I was putting the books together, I probably would have used them.  That's the advantage he has approaching this as a savvy screenwriter and producer, whereas I was an unpublished wannabe.

I like where the show is (currently) going, and I've been called by the studio to see if I'd be willing to work with the writers a little more.  I am (provided I don't get too much more work pressure, ugh).  We'll see if I actually go out and talk with them, read scripts, what have you.  I'd love to help.  I'll also understand if they don't want the novelist-creator cramping professional scriptwriters' styles and making their jobs harder.

It's out of my control, although arguably I'm not utterly unable to influence matters, and I can handle that.  I'd love to help it be the best show it can, and I'll be happy to shoot my mouth off if someone wants my opinion.  But then, who isn't.

Hell, if they wanted me to, I'd be happy to write (or help write) a script.  That would probably be a case of some poor intern carrying my weight, but what's life for if not to try new things!

Jim

[Mickey Finn]

How accurate will it be to the books?


From Robert Wolfe:

Since there will definitely be things in the TV show which will contradict the books (Murphy's first name for example) I would not consider the TV show "canon" with regard to the books.

Think of the show as taking place in a parallel universe version of Jim's Chicagoland.

The best analogy I can think of is the first X-Men movie vs the X-Men comic books.  Wolverine joins after Storm instead of at the same time.  Ice Man is much younger than Marvel Girl.  Uniforms are all different.  Beast and Angel are not among the core X-Men, etc.   But at the end of the day, the spirit of the comics and the overall feel are very much the same (at least to this comic book geek.)

The TV series will not be faithful to the details of the books, but, hopefully, you will find it faithful to the spirit of the books.

Known changes:

-Karin Murphy is now Connie Murphy, because there's already a Karin (or Karen) Murphy on the Chicago PD in Real Life(tm).

-Murphy is now a tallish brunette bombshell and Susan is a petite, cute blonde. This occured in the casting process, when it turned out that the actresses involved actually portrayed the opposite characters better than those they were auditioning for.

-Carmichael is now Kirmani, due to the actor cast in the role.

-Harry's office is now street-level.

-Harry's car is now a WWII style jeep, and not the Blue Beetle. While cramming Harry into an itty bitty bug works on the page, it looked more like a clown car on film, so it was changed.

-Harry's staff is now an old-style classic hockey stick instead of a staff.  This is due to being able to pass off carrying the hockey stick in society alot easier than carrying around the staff. They've written in Harry being a hockey fan as part of his character. Jim is fine with this and even got a picture of himself taken with the hockey stick.

-Harry's blasting rod was converted from a drumstick. (Muscian-style, not extra-crispy with a secret blend of seven spices.)

-Bob is now a spirit in the fireplace. Again, this is an example of what works on the page may not work on film...the skull was tested and didn't work.  The CGI fire spirit did.

[Mickey Finn]

Where can I find more information?

The offical SciFi Channel site:
http://www.scifi.com/dresdenfiles/
(Right now, it's just a press release, and has the incorrect date of Summer 2006. This is due to the movie/backdoor pilot, which was to air in the summer, getting greenlit for a series based on test-audience reations. That pushed the premier back to January so the episodes could be ordered.)

The bulletin board section of the Jim Butcher Boards:
http://www.jim-butcher.com/bb/index.php/board,4.0.html

The teaser preview aired during the Eureka premier:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whrRoTmmwOg

"If you need a cop, call 911.  If you need a /miracle/, call Harry Dresden."

I effing LOVE that.

Jim

(Update coallation of promos by Priscellie)
Teaser:  The Sci-Fi 2006 Preview
The Sci-Fi Website | Audio Only | Screencaps

Promo #1: "When You Need a Miracle"
YouTube | Audio Only | Screencaps

Promo #2: "Crime Scene" (Thanks to Priscellie and Kalium)
YouTube | AVI movie | Audio Only | Screencaps by GypsyJr | Screencaps by Kalium

Promo #3: "24 Hours" (Thanks to Brynn and Kalium!)
YouTube | AVI movie | Audio Only | Screencaps

Promo #4: "A Different Kind of Detective" (Thanks to Brynn and Kalium!)
YouTube | AVI movie | Audio Only | Screencaps

Promo #5: "Secrets" (Thanks to Brynn and Kalium!)
YouTube | AVI movie | Audio Only | Screencaps

Promo #6: "Bianca" (Thanks to Brynn!)
YouTube | Audio Only | AVI movie and Screencaps coming soon


The Dresden Files premieres in the US on the Sci-Fi Channel and in Canada on Space on Sunday, January 21st, at 9EST.  It will air in the UK on Sky One, but we don't have times or dates yet.