We realize that we failed to keep you abreast of the latest details concerning the Campaign to save Eli Stone, but that does not imply that we have been inactive: we are working extremely hard behind the scenes to contact the plethora of concerned parties to be able to find a sustainable solution to bring Eli Stone back to our screens and keep it on for a long, long period. We have three ongoing mini-projects that are awaiting to be approved through the regular channels and we will keep you updated as soon as we get the green light for them.
In the meantime, we are proud to give you an exclusive interview with Marc Guggenheim as he provides you a little insight about Eli Stone’s beginnings and what to expect next.
Save-Eli : What inspired you to create Eli Stone? Is there someone alive or dead who you think might represent the idea of Eli?
Marc : Greg and I drew on many, many sources of inspiration for Eli — from our Catholic and Jewish upbringings, respectively, to our love of comic books (we’ve always seen Eli as a kind of super-hero), to our love of great legal television shows, to our love of musical theatre. As far as someone who might represent the idea of Eli, Greg and I have often stated our preference to focus on “change agents” from recent history — Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr., Robert Kennedy, Gandhi — over the prophets from the Bible. Over the course of the series, the plan is for Eli’s profile to grow larger and larger until eventually matching the influence of the people I had mentioned.
Save-Eli : So, what is the current status with Eli?
Marc : We’re currently wrapping up post-production on the last two episodes of the season.
Save-Eli : Rumor has it that the actors/crew have lost “faith” in any survival chance of resuscitating the project and are moving on. Can you enlighten us on this subject?
Marc : All of the actors are still under contract and all the sets are still standing. Nobody’s, as you put it, “moving on.” Even the writers, with one exception, haven’t moved to another show. Truth be told, we were in much worse shape, continuity of talent-wise, when we wrapped production at the end of last season than we are now. Bottom line, if ABC were to pick the show up for a third season in May (when these decisions get made), we’d be able to hit the ground running in June, just like we did this year. As I type this, I’m still sitting in my Eli office, in fact.
Save-Eli : ABC has used savvy marketing techniques in the past. Why was this Eli’s strategy so difficult?
Marc : Look at the show. It’s a character-based legal drama with musical numbers, visual effects and comedy. What makes the show so special, in my opinion, is exactly what makes it difficult to market. It’s hard to describe what the show is without showing you, y’know, the show. That’s why Greg and I wrote the pilot on spec — i.e., without pitching it — you need to see the show to get what it’s all about. Otherwise you’re tempted to dismiss it as “the male Ally McBeal.” On the surface, that’s what the show looks like. But if you’ve seen any episodes, you know it’s not that at all. Bottom line, it makes marketing difficult.
Save-Eli : Would it be possible to seek the support of advertisers and celebrities support to appeal to ABC?
Marc : Anything is possible. Advertisers go a long way to getting shows picked up — car companies in particular. As for celebrities, Whoopi Goldberg publicly lambasted ABC for its decision not to pick the show up on “The View.”
Save-Eli : Do you think a fan-based campaign would change ABC’s decision or is the board intransigent?
Marc : I don’t think they’re intransigent. The network loves the show. They’ve always been very supportive of it. So has, as far as I’m aware, Disney in general. Would a fan-based campaign help? It certainly could. There’s plenty of precedent — i.e., it’s worked for other shows in the past, ones where the network wasn’t as high on the show as ABC is on Eli.
Save-Eli : Finally, is there anything you wished you had done differently with Eli Stone?
Marc : At the risk of sounding like George W. Bush, no, not really. There are always things you wish you could go back and do differently with a pilot, but all of those things with respect to Eli are technical — shot composition, coverage, etc. — and, at the end of the day, have no real bearing on the show’s success. If I “regret” anything it’s that Eli isn’t really a 10 PM show and I wish we had the opportunity — or will get the opportunity — to air in an earlier timeslot more appropriate for the tone/message of the show.
Sorry for my bad english I'm writing from Italy
Loading ...
Latest Comments