PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, THE: PALEYFEST FALL TV PREVIEWS 2019: CW: NANCY DREW {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in a series of seminars presented as part of The Paley Center for Media's 2019 Fall Preview PALEYFEST events in Los Angeles. This evening celebrates "Nancy Drew," the dramatic fantasy/mystery series, based on the character created by Edward Stratemeyer, about a teenage amateur detective.
Host Rene Reyes (vice-president of programming, The Paley Center for Media) offers opening remarks and introduces the pilot episode, which is then screened in its entirety. (For synopsis and credits, see ACCNUM 137717.) After the screening, Lindsay MacDonald (Editor, TVGuide.com) moderates the following panelists: executive producers Stephanie Savage and Melinda Hsu Taylor; executive producer/creator Noga Landau; and cast members Alex Saxon (Ace), Leah Lewis (George Fan), Tunji Kasim (Ned "Nick" Nickerson), Kennedy McMann (Nancy Drew), Maddison Jaizani (Bess Marvin), and Scott Wolf (Carson Drew).
The panelists touch on such topics as: embracing the books' hints of supernatural themes as full plotlines; casting director Sandi Logan's process of finding the actors, including how Nancy Drew "superfan" McMann unknowingly spent many years preparing for the title role; creating a more mature and complex version of the character, who is usually portrayed as "perfect"; diversifying the cast; shooting creepy scenes with vengeful ghost Lucy Sable (Stephanie Van Dyck); comparisons to the popular CW series "Riverdale" and how they created a "maritime vibe" to distinguish "Drew" from other teen dramas; Wolf's appreciation for Carson's complicated relationship with Nancy as they attempt to navigate grief over his wife and her mother; the intriguing flashback of Nancy's parents digging up a mysterious box; Saxon's views of the enigmatic Ace and his possible interest in Bess; Jaizani's thoughts on the hidden depths of kleptomaniac Bess; the "care and safety" found in Nick and Nancy's budding romance; the surprising similarities between Nancy and her frenemy/boss George; portraying "different kinds of young heroines" as the women team up to solve the mystery of Tiffany Hudson's (Sinead Curry) murder throughout the first season; the actors' curiosity about who actually "dunnit"; Nancy's distress at discovering that her dad is now dating her late mom's best friend Karen (Alvina August); Kasim's thoughts on mild-mannered Nick's secret criminal past, including his conversations with real-life former prisoners charged with manslaughter; Lewis' insights into George's personal insecurities and her affair with the married – and now widowed – Ryan Hudson (Riley Smith); the show's use of flashbacks, including further scenes featuring Nancy's mom; and how various aspects of the classic book series will be incorporated into the show.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: November 30, 1999 6:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: N/A
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 137703
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Rene Reyes … Host
- Lindsay MacDonald … Moderator
- Stephanie Savage … Panelist
- Melinda Hsu Taylor … Panelist
- Alex Saxon … Panelist
- Tunji Kasim … Panelist
- Leah Lewis … Panelist
- Kennedy McMann … Panelist
- Maddison Jaizani … Panelist
- Scott Wolf … Panelist
- Noga Landau … Panelist
- Alvina August
- Sinead Curry
- Sandi Logan
- Riley Smith
- Stephanie Van Dyck