PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, THE: PALEYFEST 2008: 25TH ANNUAL WILLIAM S. PALEY TELEVISION FESTIVAL: DIRTY SEXY MONEY {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in a series of evenings and special screenings presented as part of The Paley Center for Media's William S. Paley Television Festival in Los Angeles. Held this year at the Cinerama Dome at the Arclight, the festival celebrates the excellence and diversity of American television and is dedicated to television's creative community. This evening honors "Dirty Sexy Money," a drama about a troubled lawyer whose life is overtaken by his employers: a super-rich, morally challenged family in New York City. Lynette Rice (Entertainment Weekly staff writer) moderates. Barbara Dixon (director of The Paley Center in L.A.) offers opening remarks. Dixon then acknowledges William C. Paley, son of the festival's namesake, in the audience.
Next, Rice brings executive producer/creator/writer Craig Wright to the stage. Wright introduces a clip package of highlights from the show, which is subsequently screened. Clips include: Nick's recollections of his troubled childhood; how he replaced his late father as lawyer to the Darling family; Nick sparring with Brian at the funeral of Dutch George; Nick meeting with Tripp over Lisa's objections; Nick discovering that his father had an affair with Letitia; Nick tackling Brian at church; Lisa's suspicions about Nick and Karen; Tripp telling Letitia that he's angry about Patrick dating a transsexual; Tripp promising Nick that he'll get to the bottom of Dutch George's death; Tripp declaring that he wants to destroy Simon; Letitia admitting her adultery to Tripp; Letitia telling Nick that Brian is his brother; Karen's marriage to Freddy, and subsequent request for a divorce; Lisa telling Karen that Nick will never be her lover; Letitia offering her help to Karen on landing Nick; Patrick mulling a senatorial run; Nick refusing to bring Patrick's check to Carmelita; Patrick being shot and hospitalized; Juliet's attempt to become an actress; Juliet declaring her independence to Jeremy; Nick officiating over a financial fight between Juliet and Jeremy; Brian passing off Brian Jr. as a Swedish orphan; Brian's paternity suit with his ex-wife; Tripp disowning Brian; Simon hinting to Nick about his father's murderer; Karen considering Simon's sexual advances; Simon saying that he's at war with Tripp; Nick showing Tripp the helicopter in which Dutch George was killed; and Nick vowing to take revenge on his father's murderer.
Rice then introduces the panelists: Wright; executive producer Greg Berlanti; and cast members Seth Gabel (Jeremy Darling); Glenn Fitzgerald (Brian Darling); Natalie Zea (Karen Darling); William Baldwin (Patrick Darling IV); Peter Krause (Nick George); Zoe McLellan (Lisa George); and Blair Underwood (Simon Elder). Cast members Donald Sutherland (Patrick "Tripp" Darling III) and Jill Clayburgh (Letitia Darling) were scheduled to participate but were unable to attend.
The panelists discuss topics which include: Wright's inspiration for the show; if television viewers sought an updated "Dynasty"; how the all-star cast was assembled; Krause's reluctance to return to network TV following a lack of support for "Sports Night"; Krause's history with Wright from "Six Feet Under"; how Underwood was lured into joining the cast; Baldwin's reaction to his character being in love with a transsexual; potential controversy caused by the plot's incorporation of a transsexual; how Dan Rather was nabbed for a cameo; the effect of the writers' strike on the show; how three episodes were shot after the strike began; why the series is one of the network's most expensive shows; if Zea has the set cleared during her sexier scenes; where the actors hope their characters are headed; why the show requires extra security guards; if the plethora of plots frustrates actors with reduced screen time; and future storylines.
Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics: how Berlanti -- who has two other shows on the air -- juggles his duties; whether the presence of acting veterans Sutherland and Clayburgh affects the performances of other cast members; if any of the actors initially wanted a different role; why the original title for the show was "The Ruins"; what plot subjects would be taboo; if Wright knows how the show will end; and whether the writers intended for each character to be neither heroic nor villainous.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: March 25, 2008 7:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:54:08
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:92181
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: LGBT Collection
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Barbara Dixon … Host
- Lynette Rice … Moderator
- Greg Berlanti … Panelist
- Craig Wright … Panelist
- Seth Gabel … Panelist
- Glenn Fitzgerald … Panelist
- Natalie Zea … Panelist
- William Baldwin … Panelist
- Peter Krause … Panelist
- Blair Underwood … Panelist
- Zoe McLellan … Panelist
- Jill Clayburgh
- Dan Rather
- Donald Sutherland