MUSEUM OF TELEVISION & RADIO, THE: 2005 WILLIAM S. PALEY TELEVISION FESTIVAL: VERONICA MARS {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in a series of evenings and special screenings presented as part of The Museum of Television & Radio's William S. Paley Television Festival in Los Angeles. Held this year at the Directors Guild of America Theatre Complex, the festival celebrates the excellence and diversity of American television and is dedicated to television's creative community. This evening honors "Veronica Mars," a mystery drama which follows the exploits of a seventeen-year-old assistant private investigator intent on solving the town of Neptune's mysteries while simultaneously trying to negotiate the rough-and-tumble world of high school.
Host Barbara Dixon (director, The Museum of Television & Radio) offers opening remarks and introduces Cynthia Littleton (deputy editor, The Hollywood Reporter), who welcomes executive producer/creator/writer Rob Thomas. Thomas presents the evening's screening, a forthcoming episode entitled "Betty and Veronica," which is screened in its entirety. (For synopsis and credits, see T:85658.)
After the screening, Littleton moderates the following panelists: Thomas; executive producer Joel Silver; director Michael Fields; and cast members Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars), Enrico Colantoni (Keith Mars), Percy Daggs III (Wallace Fennel), Teddy Dunn (Duncan Kane), Jason Dohring (Logan Echolls), and Francis Capra (Eli "Weevil" Navarro).
Thomas talks about the genesis of "Veronica Mars," how it was pitched and sold to UPN, and his idea for a "teen noir." Silver then details how he got involved as well as talking about his previous television work producing HBO's "Tales From the Crypt." Bell details how she got cast as the titular character, then the other cast members tell their casting stories. Next, Fields talks about his directing work on the show, and the distinct look of the program. Thomas talks about Veronica Mars's similarities to fellow female teen-sleuth Nancy Drew. He also discusses his years as a high school yearbook teacher and all the "Veronica Mars" fan websites.
Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics: Thomas's plans to eliminate single-episode storylines; the tasteful handling of Veronica's rape scene; Veronica's love life; acting techniques that the show's cast employ; the search for parental identity as a major theme; other television shows the cast and crew enjoy; and the future of the program.
Cataloging of this program was made possible by The Marc Haas and Helen Hotze Haas Foundations.
Details
- NETWORK: Paley
- DATE: March 14, 2005 7:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:49:28
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:85776
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Barbara Dixon … Host
- Cynthia Littleton … Moderator
- Kristen Bell … Panelist
- Francis Capra … Panelist
- Enrinco Colantoni … Panelist
- Percy Daggs III … Panelist
- Jason Dohring … Panelist
- Teddy Dunn … Panelist
- Michael Fields … Panelist
- Joel Silver … Panelist
- Rob Thomas … Panelist