Fringe (Rough Cut 90 Or So Minute) Pilot Screened & Reviewed

This is the sign on the road that warns you of road work ahead and to be prepared to stop. Only it's not road work ahead, it's spoiler warnings ahead, and while they'll tell you when to stop, you follow links herein at your own risk.

Synopsis of the Fringe Pilot Reviews:

TVWeek's Vlada Gelman is robotic and matter-of-fact (wasted). With the exception of a few superficial observations, it's a completely neutral review.

Sci Fi Wire's Patrick Lee uses all the right key words, but forgets to have an opinion.

IGN's Eric Goldman breaks ranks with Vlada and Patrick and dares to write at length about his impressions. His review ends with, "...once the core trio of characters are united, it's very easy to see how this series -- and the dynamic these characters bring -- will work and it's a journey many will likely find worth taking."

TV Squad's Kristin Sample naivete bubbles just under the surface as she clearly took notes and made observations as if she were lucky enough to be attending an "event." Which, of course, she was. Thanks Kristin. Kristin's opinion, "If The X-Files and CSI had a baby and that baby's godfather was Heroes, then that would be Fringe. Sounds pretty good, right? Well, after attending a screening of J.J. Abrams' new show at Fox studios in Century City, I can vouch that it is indeed pretty good. One might even say it's more than pretty good; it's great in fact."

Variety's Cynthia Littleton breaks it down pros (plural) and con (singular) style and has some interesting reflections of the type you might expect from someone who has been paying attention to Fringe long enough to have developed a few preconceptions worth disproving.

E! Online's Jennifer Godwin gives the Fringe pilot the full treatment in an extensive review, but also writes, "Long story short? [Fringe is] super."

All told, and with the exception of a few minor quibbles and those that forgot to have an opinion, every last review was near glowing if not glowing.

IGN Inverviews JJ Abrams About Fringe

Eric Goldman proves he is a good man (read: he knows what the people want) as he scores an interview with J.J. Abrams and ask him nothing but questions about Fringe.

Question: How did Fringe come about? What was the inspiration for it?

J.J. Abrams: It was really just Alex Kurtzman, Bob Orci and myself just hanging out and talking about the kind of show we'd love to see on the air. For better or worse, like most of the things I do, it just comes from stuff that I'd love to watch. It's sort of a boring answer, but that's kind of what the truth is!

Question: What will we see on the show on a weekly basis? What's the core of the show?

Abrams: At the core of the show are three very distinct characters – this young woman, who's an FBI agent; this really eccentric, nutty and until recently institutionalized scientist; and his somewhat troubled and estranged son. [It's] this trio going up against this very shadowy network of [what are] essentially researchers, who are playing with science and pushing it in ways that are increasingly terrifying. And these three are basically the good guys who try to police them.

Question: For a lot of people, the frame of reference for this type of show is X-Files.

Abrams: Totally.

Question: What would you say to them about what sets Fringe apart from that show?

Abrams: I'd say the distinction is, for example, the way The X-Files massive distinction from The Night Stalker was that the characters were very distinct and different. I would say the characters on our show are incredibly different [from X-Files]. Are they up against crazy, seemingly paranormal and terrifying things, like they were in Night Stalker and in X-Files? For sure.

I was a huge X-Files fan, so I would be lying and an idiot if I didn't say that the inspiration for Fringe came from The Twilight Zone, came from Night Stalker, and came from X-Files. Those shows were so entertaining and that [type of] show, with characters that are inspired and interesting, isn't on TV and so it was something that we wanted to see.

Question: As [FOX's] Kevin Relly joked about, you have a reputation as "the ingénue finder." What was it about Anna that jumped out for you?

Abrams: [Pointing towards the attractive Torv, standing a few feet away] Well, she's just so damn ugly. No, the thing is that honestly we saw many, many, many really good actors, and there's that thing you're looking for that clicks. It often is just sort of an indescribable, strange quality. It was getting really down to the wire and a casting agent showed me this audition [tape] that Anna did for something else, an Australian show. And I just knew that was her, [even though] she wasn't reading our dialogue. Then we sent her five pages and she auditioned with that and it confirmed it. She came out and got the job.

Question: There's only so much of you that can physically go around. How much will you be involved with Fringe?

Abrams: Well, the best thing I can do to define my involvement is the way it was with Cloverfield, which was I had this idea for something and then [Drew] wrote the script. The beauty of having Matt Reeves direct Cloverfield and having Drew Goddard write it, is there is such a shorthand with these guys, who I know so well. Matt I've known since we were 13 and Drew I worked with on Alias and Lost. Jeff Pinker is running [Fringe]. Jeff was one of the first writers we hired on Alias and we have directors who are coming on who are in the family, the Bad Robot family, as well. And so my involvement is that A, it's a show that I co-created and care immensely about, and B, Jeff is there and we are talking 1000 times a day and I'm in the writers room. [Lost's] Bryan Burk is producing along with [Felicity's] Bob Williams; literally all these people are people I have worked with. So the ability to work on the show is made infinitely easier by being able to explain, talk about and reference things with people where I'm not starting from scratch trying to develop a dialogue.

For example, with Jeff Pinker, we start with, "This is what I feel the show wants to look like. This is how I feel week-to-week kind of how the show should feel." We start there on a big level. Then I can get the details and every big decision we are discussing; every big thing. Every step we come in, especially at the beginning, as with Lost. To work so closely with someone, as with Damon [Lindelof], who I created Lost with… We're so lucky that he stayed with that show and runs it now. My involvement with that show is negligible now, but he is a brilliant guy, as is Jeff. And I feel like as long as I can help begin the trajectory and work with the show and then, as needed, be available… On Lost, I wasn't needed very much after awhile, because Damon was just so good and so right. On this show, I so look forward to writing episodes and directing episodes. The thought of doing the show, especially since we're shooting in New York, I just feel so lucky that we have this opportunity. So my involvement will be real.

Question: Have you made a plan with Damon to share Lance Reddick? [Editor's Note: Reddick, who plays recurring character Matthew Abbadon on Lost, is a series regular on Fringe]

Abrams: [Laughs] We've figured out how that's gonna work. It will be easier for Lost to get him through us then if he'd taken some other show.

Source: IGN

E Online Inverviews Anna Torv and Joshua Jackson, the Stars of J.J. Abrams' & FOX's New Drama Fringe

Here's a video interview with two of Fringe's stars, Anna Torv (Olivia Dunham) and Joshua Jackson (Peter Bishop).



...The answer is, it's a limitless universe on Fringe, so anything and every thing they can dream up, hopefully we will be able to put on screen. One other note--aside from the scarf(!?)--is how Joshua comes to Anna's rescue in the interview, and whether in typical Abrams leading lady fashion, that dynamic is reversed on screen.

Fringe Pilot (not the script) Reviewed, And Reviewed Again

Televisionary, who reviewed FOX's "Fringe" Pilot Script, has now posted a review of the actual Pilot as well. It's a long and detailed review and a bit spoilerish, so beware. For those who want to avoid any spoilers, the opening two paragraphs of the review pretty much say it all anyway:

Every once in a while a pilot comes along that is so perfect, such a shining indication of what the final series will be, so perfectly cast and directed, that it's impossible to look away.

That pilot, ladies and gentlemen, is definitely FOX's phenomenal science-tinged drama Fringe. ...read more.

But Televisionary's isn't the only review out there. As I mentioned yesterday in the forum, Nick's Pix also claims to have seen the Pilot and his review is less enthusiastic:

I expected more from FRINGE (**1/2), the latest big-budget TV series from LOST and ALIAS mastermind J.J. Abrams, who developed the series and wrote the pilot script with TRANSFORMERS writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman for FOX. Directed by TV vet Alex Graves (THE NINE, WEST WING, SPORTS NIGHT, JOURNEYMAN), this extended episode (82 minutes) felt less like a true pilot and more of a middle-of-the-season-episode. ...read more.

Those two reviews don't exactly agree, but there's still something to be gleaned from both: a) you're going to need to watch/judge for yourself; and b) don't be surprised if you end up loving it or hating it.

Edit: The Futon Critic also has a review of the Pilot up today as well. Read it here.

Kirk Acevedo - Charlie Francis

Kirk Acevedo plays FBI Agent Charlie Francis: FBI Agent, ...



Kirk Acevedo - Web Album | IMDb | Wikipedia

PRESS:

J.J. Abrams has started putting together the cast for his new Fox series "Fringe." Kirk Acevedo ("Invincible") and Tomas Arana ("Gladiator") have been cast in key roles on the skein, which marks Abrams' first big series under his deal with Warner Bros. TV.

Acevedo's other credits include "The Black Donnellys," "Law & Order: Trial By Jury" and "Oz." ... Both thesps have also guest starred on Fox's "24." - Variety

So There IS A Viral Marketing Campaign On For Fringe

Yesterday we posited that if there was a viral marketing campaign for Fringe then chances are it was already underway and the fans just hadn't found it yet. Today, Future on Fox leaves little doubt that our guess was on the money with this response to NY Mag's question, "Hey J.J. Abrams, Where's the Viral-Marketing Campaign for ‘Fringe’?":

Hey, NY Magazine
You haven't looked hard enough. -- Future on Fox

If that's not an invitation to play, I don't know what is. Now, where to look?

Will Fringe Come With A Viral Element?

And if it does, will it be any good?

That is the question being asked by RopeofSilicon, NYMag and an as yet unknown number of Fringe/Abrams fans who are lining up to trying to find and connect disparate, cryptic and quasi clues to who knows what (read: The Pattern). But the kicker is if there is an Abrams style viral campaign in the cards, chances are it's already afoot, and the first clues to its existence have already been sprinkled among the teaser trailer and sneak peeks and/or posters. In fact, history being the best predictor at this stage of the game, chances are good that there's a Fringe related viral website already up and running just waiting to be found.

Harkening back to campaigns of old for more clues, both those that predated my interest (apparently there was some Alias related stuff on the web), to those I've only paid peripheral attention to (LOST), to the mother of them all (Cloverfield), the first question I have to ask is while these are all Bad Robot productions, is JJ Abrams really responsible for any of these campaigns or are they really just the products of the respective marketing divisions of the various parent studios (Paramount) and networks (ABC)? And if that is the case (and I think it is), are longtime aficionados in for a real treat as FOX's edgy marketing department takes "viral" to the next level?

What do you think? Will the marriage between JJ Abrams and Fox redefine viral marketing?

How Australia's Anna Torv Became Fringe's Olivia Dunham

During a May 15 interview at the Fox upfront presentation to advertisers, Sci Fi Wire's Ian Spelling has JJ Abrams saying:

"Well, she's just so damned ugly," ... "No, the thing is, honestly, we saw many, many, many actors, a lot of good ones. And there's that thing where you're looking for that thing that clicks, and often it's just sort of an indescribable, strange sort of quality."

Abrams said the right actress proved elusive, at least until Bad Robot casting agent Ann Webster showed him Torv's audition tape for an Australian show. He watched it, and "I knew that was her," Abrams said, referring to Torv's Fringe character, Olivia Dunham. "She wasn't even reading our dialogue. Then we sent her our pages, and she auditioned for that, and it confirmed it. She came out and got the job."

The writer-producer-director explained that the concept for Fringe came about quickly and easily while he was "hanging out" with longtime collaborators Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. They were "talking about the kind of show we'd love to see on the air," Abrams said. "For better or worse, like most of the things that I do, it just comes from stuff that I'd love to watch. It's sort of a boring answer, but that's kind of what the truth is."

Anna Torv - Olivia Dunham

Anna Torv plays the lead role of FBI Agent Olivia Dunham: young, tough, ...



Anna Torv - Web Album | IMDb | Wikipedia

PRESS:

J.J. Abrams' Fringe just got a whole bunch more interesting with the casting of Australian actress Anna Torv to play the upcoming series' title character.

Anna Torv Joins Fringe
The two-hour pilot, being directed by Alex Graves, centers on Olivia Dunham (Torv), a young, tough FBI agent who is forced to confront the spread of unexplained phenomena and work with Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble), an institutionalized scientist whose work might be at the center of a coming storm... - CanMag

Blair Brown - Nina Sharp

Blair Brown plays Nina Sharp, 16-year veteran at Prometheus Corp. Massive Dynamics : brilliant, ...



Blair Brown - Web Album | IMDb | Wikipedia

PRESS:

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Australian actress Anna Torv is J.J. Abrams' latest discovery.

The newcomer to the U.S. has been tapped as the lead in "Fringe," Fox's high-profile sci-fi drama from Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci.

Veteran TV and stage actress Blair Brown and Jasika Nicole also have joined the cast...

...Brown will play the brilliant Nina Sharp, a 16-year veteran at Prometheus Corp., a cutting-edge research facility. - Reuters

Mark Valley - Special Agent John Scott

Mark Valley plays Special Agent John Scott: FBI Agent, Special Agent Olivia Dunham's Partner ..



Mark Valley - Web Album | IMDb | Wikipedia

PRESS:

Production on their franchise reboot of "Star Trek" hasn't stopped J.J. Abrams, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman from starting casting on their high-profile FOX series "Fringe."

According to the industry trade papers, Kirk Acevedo, Tomas Arana and Mark Valley will take main roles what will reportedly be a $10 million, two-hour pilot.

The Hollywood Reporter says that Arana will play a Homeland Security agent heading the paranormal-obsessed Fringe division, while Acevedo and Valley will both play FBI agents of some sort.

Valley's no stranger to FOX dramas, though his series for the network -- "Pasadena" and "Keen Eddie" -- have been admired and quickly cancelled. He's most recently been doing time on "Boston Legal." - Zap2it

FBI Special Agent OLIVIA DUNHAM (newcomer Anna Torv) is called in to investigate. After her partner, Special Agent JOHN SCOTT (Mark Valley, "Boston Legal"), is nearly killed during the investigation, a desperate Olivia searches frantically for someone to help - Fringe Press Release

Fringe - FOX Sneak Peeks And Websites

Welcome to the Fringe fansite Fringe Television. If you're looking for the latest news and information on Fringe on FOX, or a community where you can to share your thoughts and opinions on the Fringe TV series, this is it. Click here for the home page where you'll find the latest headlines and most active discussions, or see the sidebar to the right for other useful links.

Fringe: Sneak Peek #1 Sneak Peek #2 Trailer Alternate Trailer at /Film

Program Information: http://www.fox.com/programming/shows/new/fringe.htm
FOX's Fringe Official Site: http://www.fox.com/fringe/