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Post by orokiah on Nov 23, 2010 17:16:27 GMT
Don't know if it was deliberate or just pure coincidence, but today's episode of Doctors on BBC1 (22/11/10) was entitled 'Hex', and the main storyline concerned a feud between a 14 year old girl and her step-mother. The two characters' names? Cassie and Ella. That's really quite awesome. Quite the coincidence, too, if it wasn't an intentional homage.
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Post by fenris on Nov 25, 2010 21:15:05 GMT
Here is Digital Spy's synopsis for the Doctors episode 'Hex'; 'Hex' Airs on Monday, November 22 2010 13:45 GMT on BBC One.
In today's story of the day, feverish Ella Mackie tries in vain to carry her belongings out of the house. When she passes out, her 14-year-old step-daughter Cassie Turner panics and disappears. Later, DI Driver briefs Jimmi at the police station - Cassie has been picked up claiming to have killed her step-mother. Jimmi knows the family. They find no sign of Ella at the house and Jimmi tells Driver that Cassie's mum died 18 months ago so Driver assumes Cassie is jealous. With no sign of Ella, a cynical Driver says there is nothing for them to do but Jimmi reveals Ella came to see him recently feeling unwell and believing that Cassie wanted to kill her by putting a hex on her. Jimmi couldn't put her mind at rest because he had no diagnosis. When they interview Cassie, will the mystery be resolved?Source: www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s16/doctors/spoilers/a287600/hex.html
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Post by orokiah on Feb 12, 2011 14:56:11 GMT
The CW has picked up a pilot based on L J Smith's Secret Circle novels, written and produced by The Vampire Diaries' Kevin Williamson: www.deadline.com/2011/02/cw-picks-up-drama-pilot-secret-circle/The Hex connection? Well, none: except that the novels are about a young girl called Cassie who discovers she's a witch. L J Smith was apparently none too happy when Hex hit the airwaves and introduced another young witch called Cassie. I've read about L J Smith's reaction to Hex before but can't find the links at present - a thorough google might turn something up, for anyone interested. As far as the Secret Circle transition to TV goes: bring it on. I'm really looking forward to seeing how it turns out (assuming there's a series).
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Post by fenris on Feb 13, 2011 16:46:02 GMT
The CW has picked up a pilot based on L J Smith's Secret Circle novels, written and produced by The Vampire Diaries' Kevin Williamson. The Hex connection? Well, none: except that the novels are about a young girl called Cassie who discovers she's a witch. L J Smith was apparently none too happy when Hex hit the airwaves and introduced another young witch called Cassie. Thanks for this info, orokiah. I'd read on a couple of genre news-sites about a Secret Circle series being developed, but other than the similar theme of teenage witches, I was unaware of there being an - admittedly distant - link with Hex.
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Post by fenris on Feb 24, 2011 17:10:47 GMT
The CW has picked up a pilot based on L J Smith's Secret Circle novels, written and produced by The Vampire Diaries' Kevin Williamson. The Arrow in the Head website reports that the Secret Circle pilot has found it's Cassie; At the beginning of the month we learned that Kevin Williamson was firing up the cauldron and whipping up a new series for the CW called Secret Circle, about a high school where the cool kids are all witches. Sounds like it could be a guilty (like first-degree murder guilty) pleasure, if nothing else. According to Deadline.com, the show has cast a spell on its first actress, a cutie by the name of Brittany Robertson; Life Unexpected star Britt Robertson is returning to the CW as the lead of drama pilot Secret Circle. Written by Andrew Miller and Kevin Williamson based on the book series from The Vampire Diaries author L.J. Smith, Secret Circle tells the story of a young woman (Robertson) who moves to a new town and discovers that not only is she a witch and part of a secret coven, but she’s also the key that will unlock a centuries-old battle of good versus evil. Robertson, repped by Innovative and Levine Okwu Erickson, is about to start shooting the feature The First Time.
Robertson, who will soon be seen in the Williamson-penned Scream 4, will star as Cassie, who (according to the official synopsis) 'falls in love with the mysterious Adam before moving to New Salem, thinking she’ll never see him again. But as it turns out, Adam is there, too, at a high school where a strange elite rule. Beautiful fair-haired Diana, whom Cassie learns to love as a sister; voluptuous dark Faye, who wants to turn Cassie into her puppet. The greatest surprise: Cassie, like the other elite boys and girls, is a witch!'
Robertson was on the CW's show Life Unexpected, which sounds like a show right up anybody else's alley but mine. I can't guarantee I'll watch Secret Circle when it airs, but if they keep casting along the lines of Ms. Brittany here, I could be tempted.Source: www.joblo.com/arrow/index.php?id=26668
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Post by fenris on Mar 11, 2011 15:59:14 GMT
The CW has picked up a pilot based on L J Smith's Secret Circle novels, written and produced by The Vampire Diaries' Kevin Williamson. The Deadline website reports that the Secret Circle pilot has acquired it's male lead; Former Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles star Thomas Dekker has been cast as the male lead in Kevin Williamson's drama pilot for the CW's The Secret Circle. Written by Andrew Miller and Williamson and based on the book series from L.J. Smith, Secret Circle tells the story of a young woman (Britt Robertson) who moves to a new town and discovers that not only is she a witch and part of a secret coven, but she’s also the key that will unlock a centuries-old battle of good versus evil.Source: www.deadline.com/2011/03/thomas-dekker-to-star-in-secret-circle-marisol-nichols-joins-good-christian-bitches/
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Post by orokiah on Mar 17, 2011 14:10:15 GMT
With all the news on The Secret Circle castings, I thought it was worth adding the link to LJ Smith's reaction to Hex. As much as I could dig up of it, anyway. It's a letter to a fan (I think), with much talk of lawyers and copyright infringements therein:- www.lj-smith.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=82
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Post by orokiah on Mar 18, 2011 18:13:01 GMT
More casting news for The Secret Circle, via Zap2it: "Days of Our Lives" actress Shelley Hennig has been cast as Diana in the CW's "Secret Circle." Earlier today it was announced "Smallville" alum Jessica Parker Kennedy signed on to play coven member Melissa.
Hennig, 24, will play Diana, the leader of the seven-member coven who has been dating Adam (Thomas Dekker) since childhood. Described as smart, sexy and a natural beauty, Diana immediately befriends new girl Cassie (Britt Robertson). As in the book series by L.J. Smith from which the TV series is based, Diana will clash with Faye (Phoebe Tonkin).blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2011/03/the-secret-circle-shelley-hennig-cast-as-coven-leader-diana.html
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Post by fenris on Mar 22, 2011 12:53:18 GMT
Another day, another casting announcement for the Secret Circle pilot (courtesy of Deadline); Natasha Henstridge has joined Kevin Williamson's drama pilot for the CW's The Secret Circle. It centers on Cassie (Britt Robertson). who moves to a new town and discovers that not only is she a witch and part of a secret coven, but she’s also the key that will unlock a centuries-old battle of good versus evil. Henstridge will play Dawn Chamberlain, Vice Principal of New Salem High School, who was once a friend of Cassie’s mother and knows all about the secret coven of witches that has ruled the town for over 300 years. Henstridge, repped by Paradigm and Mosaic, recently did an arc on Lifetime's Drop Dead Diva. Source
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Post by orokiah on May 18, 2011 12:37:38 GMT
The Secret Circle gets a pickup from the CW:- The CW has officially picked up the Sarah Michelle Gellar drama pilot Ringer, which was originally produced for CBS, along with early frontrunners Secret Circle and Hart of Dixie. The pickups for Secret Circle and Hart of Dixie brings the number of CW series from producers Kevin Williamson and the duo of Josh Schwartz & Stephanie Savage to two each. The Vampire Diaries co-creator Williamson co-wrote the witch tale The Secret Circle with Andrew Miller, based on the Alloy books and starring Britt Robertson.SourceLooking forward to seeing this one. Let the Hex comparisons (re)commence.
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Post by fenris on May 20, 2011 15:49:58 GMT
The Secret Circle gets a pickup from the CW. Looking forward to seeing this one. Let the Hex comparisons (re)commence. Yep, I'm looking forward to this series as well, if only because since Demons (and - to a lesser extent - Trinity) ended, there's been a distinct lack of anything Hexy in my life. Having never seen The Vampire Diaries, the only TV show by Kevin Williamson that I'm familiar with is Dawson's Creek (a series in which a cast of hormone-laden teenagers all spoke like a thirtysomething scriptwriter, always knowing exactly the right, meaningful and/or profound thing to say in any situation). Therefore, I'm slightly wary that The Secret Circle might end up resembling The OC/ Gossip Girl with witches. Viewing the show's thirty second promo (see below) has done little to allay those fears. Link to Secret Circle promo.
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Post by fenris on Jun 6, 2011 13:34:02 GMT
The SFX website's review of the Secret Circle pilot; Network: The CW Main showrunners: Andrew Miller, Kevin Williamson Main stars: Britt Robertson, Ashley Crow, Natasha Henstridge
Script review/analysis: The Secret Circle is one of those shows that feels like it was cynically crafted to appeal to the female-skewing CW demo who love Gossip Girl and The Vampire Diaries. It actually reads like a mash-up of the two, with equal parts bitchy high school clique drama and secret coven mythology.
Cassie Blake is the focal point of the story, a seemingly (always seemingly, right?) average 16-year-old who loses her single mom in a tragic “accidental” house fire. Funny thing is that Cassie wasn’t home for the fire and didn’t see a weird guy standing outside the home spilling water and lighting matches diabolically in concert with what was going on inside with her trapped mom.
Fast-forward a month later and a sad Cassie relocates to New Salem, Maine to live with her caring grandmother, Jane Blake. She’s got to start a new high school with prototypical mean girls, sweet girls that are true friend material and lab specimen perfect hunks appraising her around every corner. Of course, Cassie’s true origins are revealed when she finds a book in her mom’s childhood bedroom – a spell book – that lists an old secret coven with the participating member’s family surnames including Blake and many of her new schoolmates. She starts poking around and is told that yes, the coven continues with the same descendents now and Cassie can be the seventh member if she’s quiet and discreet. Uncertain and on the fence, it takes the man who killed her mom coming to town to push her to complete and join the secret circle.
While Secret Circle screams teen show with all its requisite pop culture speak, sex, drugs and narcissism, Williamson did transform the rocky Vampire Diaries pilot into an addictive guilty pleasure so he might be able to do the same here. Witch mythology is hot right now and it’s certainly fresher than zombies or vampires, but we’d like to see a lot more maturity in the writing before we sign on.Source
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Post by fenris on Jul 29, 2011 13:28:57 GMT
The individual cast-member posters for The Secret Circle (which starts in America on 8th September), courtesy of the SFX website; LinkHmm. They don't exactly fill me with confidence, looking more like promo-material for another teen X-Men movie than a supernatural TV series.
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Post by orokiah on Sept 12, 2011 10:24:41 GMT
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Post by fenris on Sept 12, 2011 11:58:16 GMT
Sky Living is to be the home of The Secret Circle in the UK. Bugger. I'll have to hope that a terrestrial/Freeview channel picks up the secondary broadcasting rights for the show.
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