PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, THE: PALEYFEST NY 2018: OUTLANDER {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in a series of evenings and special screenings presented as part of The Paley Center for Media's PaleyFest New York 2018. This evening celebrates "Outlander," the romantic science-fiction series about the trials of a time-traveling couple, Jamie and Claire, based on the series of books by Diana Gabaldon.
Host Diane Lewis (executive vice-president of programming, The Paley Center for Media) offers opening remarks and recaps the complex story, then welcomes Julie Kosin (journalist, Harper's Bazaar) to the stage. After a screening of the trailer for the upcoming fourth season, Kosin moderates the following panelists: executive producer Maril Davis; executive producer/developer/writer Ronald D. Moore; and cast members Richard Rankin (Roger Wakefield), Sophie Skelton (Brianna 'Bree' Randall), Sam Heughan (James 'Jamie' MacKenzie Fraser), and Caitriona Balfe (Claire Beauchamp Randall / Fraser).
Kosin honors the show's Scottish roots with a whisky-infused drinking game, in which the panelists drink if they are guilty of a particular on-set "superlative," such as "most likely to laugh during a scene." Following the game, the panelists touch on such topics as: "reinventing" the show's style and look for the fourth season, which takes place largely in the pre-Revolutionary American colonies; the decision to ignore the dissimilar weather patterns of Scotland, where the show is filmed, and Georgia, where the characters are currently living; Heughan's views on America as a "positive place" for the time-traveling couple to settle down; exploring Jamie and Claire's domestic life after their many hardships together; Claire's difficult decision to leave her daughter Bree "behind" in the 1960s to reunite with Jamie in the 19th century; exploring the broader story of the history of America, including Claire's knowledge that the Revolutionary War is forthcoming; more stunts and challenging outdoor scenes in season four; Skelton's views of Bree's life after her mother's departure and her relationship with the "very forward" Roger; hints about her emotional connection to her late "father" Frank (Tobias Menzies); season four's new characters, including the evil Stephen Bonnet (Ed Speleers), and how he compares to the series' previous villain, Black Jack Randall (also Menzies); Jamie's Aunt Jocasta (Maria Doyle Kennedy) and her clash with Claire over the issue of slavery; portraying uncomfortable historical elements with honesty and without the lens of 21st-century norms; hiring Canadian First Nation actors to portray Native Americans for season four; why each season is more challenging than the last, including meeting fans' high expectations for certain "key moments" from the books; discovering the "rhythm and melody" of each season; Rankin's interest in Roger's personal growth and change; Skelton's careful background research for Bree's experiences in season four; and exploring new sides of Jamie and Claire through their married life in America, including Balfe's interest in Claire's "nurturing" aspects.
Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics, among others: how props help the actors find their characters; the creative team's extensive historical research, starting with Gabaldon's original texts and extending through visuals, costumes and writing details; Heughan's sense of Jamie's growing kinship and respect for the Native Americans he meets in Georgia; and funny stories about Rollo, the Northern Inuit who joins the cast in season four.
Clips from upcoming season four episodes are also shown, including Jamie and Claire's conversation about discovering their own "American dream" and the grim fate awaiting "those already here," and Bree and Roger's playful road trip to a Celtic festival in Scotland.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: November 30, 1999 7:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: N/A
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 132809
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Diane Lewis … Host
- Julie Kosin … Moderator
- Maril Davis … Panelist
- Ronald D. Moore … Panelist
- Richard Rankin … Panelist
- Sophie Skelton … Panelist
- Sam Heughan … Panelist
- Caitriona Balfe … Panelist
- Diana Gabaldon
- Maria Doyle Kennedy
- Tobias Menzies
- Ed Speleers