Control ~ Show Overview

[George WK Newman]

"Control"

Airing time;
status; picked-up, ordered 22 episodes
License fees; $2.0 million per episode
Category; Dramedy
Production Company; Granada Entertainment / Levitan/Lloyd
Running time; 60 min
Other contract notes;
-includes right to repeat twice before Sept/11
-original airings must occur Sun-Thu, not Fri or Sat

Theme song; "Fame" by David Bowie

~showrunner~
Brad Buckner

~creators~
David Shore
Bill Carter
Andrew Morton
Shaun Cassidy

~Producer~
Brad Buckner
David Shore
David Israel

~Director~
Richard Martin
Norman Buckley
Ron Oliver
Paul Shapiro
Mike Clattenburg

~writers~
Brad Buckner
David Israel
Shaun Cassidy
Scott Kaufer


~series synopsis~
Calib Pace used to be on top of the Hollywood A-list. Now he is a total wreck after the passing of his mother and his infant son, and the downward spiral of his film career. He is introduced by a fellow Hollywood action star Jake Traverse to a new "religion" called the Church of Self. Follow Hollywood and Calib's search for meaning in the world of make belief, and the rise of the Church of Self as it becomes a Hollywood sensation driven by its newest and brightest star. And yes there will be couch jumping!

~cast~
Calib Pace
Jake Traverse
J.P. Traverse
Carlo Rota is Romeo Dansante
Barry Nelson
Nikki Haller
Suyun Kim is Mia Chan
Melissa Sweet is Patti Propp
Nicole Austin is Austin Traverse

[George WK Newman]

Co-creator David Shore spoke last week to Deadline Hollywood outlining how the creative process for "Control" ended up creating a bit of paralysis in the casting of the controversial show.
"I sort of had Alec Baldwin in mind as the perfect 'Jake Traverse' and Jason Priestley as the perfect 'Calib Pace'. So even though we had some fine actors come through the audition process, it was like.."nahhh"..too easily. Finally some of the others brought me down to earth, and now I look at the great mix and think of the possibilities it will bring. We are very excited"


Jason Gedrick ended up winning the role of Calib Pace, the much sought after Hollywood actor who falls into the clutches of the Church of Self and see's his life turned upside down. The producers of 'Control' were big fans of Gedrick's from season 1 of "Murder One" and thought he had the soft spoken yet smoldering intensity that this role required. Of course this is the role many have said is based partly on Tom Cruise and his relationship with the Church of Sciencetology, the controversy perhaps keeping many actors away from the show.


The role of the more gregarious and outgoing Jake Traverse has been filled with Matthew Modine, amidst rumors that the show really pushed hard to get Eric Roberts who had to turn it down due to movie committments already made.


Jake's brother in the show, J.P., a less imposing figure, is played by John C McGinley who fell into the show's lap last month when 'Scrubs' was officially cancelled. McGinley will bring an element to the show that will be sure to change the dynamic, however, his role may be a bit more subdued then fans are expecting.


Veteran actor Carlo Rota, perhaps best known for his roccuring role of Milo in '24' plays Romeo Dansante, the charismatic but dangerous leader of The Church of Self.


Political pundit Bill Maher has a reoccuring role as Barry Nelson, a reporter who is trying to expose the Church of Self as a fraud.


Christine Larkin is sure to sizzle in the role of Nikki Haller, an actress who has been chewed up by Hollywood and the Church of Self.

Suyun Kim plays Mia Chan who may be the only character who has Calib Pace's best interests at heart.

Melissa Sweet comes in as an unknown and will play the role of Patti Propp.


Finally, a controversial choice to play Jake's wife - Austin, is played by Nicole Austin, perhaps better known as the blonde bombshell wife of Ice-T. In a Hollywood known to be drifting away from artificial, she fills the role of trophy wife perfectly for the show.

Actors besides Eric Roberts who were also known or rumored to have been considered for roles in the show include Danny Masterson, Brian Kerwin, Daniel Baldwin, William Baldwin, and Billy Crudup.

Control can be seen in the Fall of 2010, Wednesday nights at 9:00pm est, only on Liberty Television.