News Update: JJ Is On The Phone. Which One? Both. Also, Mark Valley Part 1

Joshua Jackson and J.J. Abrams are on the phone with reporters, and Mark Valley, exclusively, and in 2 parts.

New York Post - J.J. Abrams Talks Big Business:

Despite the clear prevalence of a corporate conspiracy in the pilot of "Fringe," Abrams downplays it's role in the series over the long run.

"It's much more about the characters than a cliché look at corporate culture," he says, adding: "That said, I don't trust corporate culture at all."

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Reuters - JJ Abrams offers terrifying sci-fi on TV's "Fringe":

The terrifying thing, says J.J. Abrams, creator of the upcoming TV series "Fringe", is that those tomorrows are now within reach.

"The show is coming out a time when every week we read or see some kind of potentially horrifying scientific breakthrough ... We are at a time where science is out of control," Abrams told reporters in a conference call on Thursday.

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The Mayor of Television - Beyond the "Fringe":

Romance may be in the air for Peter and Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv), the FBI agent drawn into a world of scientific horrors. There's chemistry between the two in the pilot, which airs Tuesday, but, as Jackson drolly noted, "It would be ... awkward to hit on a woman while her boyfriend's dying right in front of her."

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BuddyTV - Exclusive Interview: Mark Valley, from 'Fringe' - Part 1:

When you first read that pilot script, what was your reaction?

Mark Valley: I was compelled. It was very engaging. I just couldn't put it down. And I had read other scripts for television shows about science fiction things, you know, some of the usual suspects there which makes for, you know, kind of a mediocre read. But this one, for some reason, the way it delved into the characters [John Scott], the unique aspect of the cases they're investigating, the way the characters interacted - I couldn't put it down, I had to find out what was going on. It was one of those things. It was a real page turner. I said “Well, if I like it, then other people are going like it.” Also it was the only job that was offered to me at that particular time. I'm not going to go on about all these wonderful things that drew me to the pilot - the fact that I was unemployed was the most contributing factor...

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Fringe Comic #1 - Like Minds / The Prisoner

The Fringe #1 comic was released today (delayed by one day by the holiday). The comic contains two stories: "Like Minds" and "The Prisoner".

The first story, "Like Minds" details the initial meeting between Walter Bishop and William Bell, and their early work on the Synaptic Transfer System.

The second story, "The Prisoner", centers around a man who wakes up in prison, but doesn't know how he got there. Is he an unintended consequence of an experiment gone wrong?

You can purchase Fringe #1 at your local comic book store for $2.99 (if they are not sold-out already!).

The remaining Fringe comics will be available:

• Fringe #2 - September 17
  
• Fringe #3 - October 29
• Fringe #4 - November 26
• Fringe #5 - TBA
  
• Fringe #6 - TBA
  

Like Minds:




The Prisoner:

Video: Anna Torv on Letterman

Fringe Comic Book - First Sighting...

...of William Bell. Title: LIKE MINDS

Update: We've uploaded the full issue at Fringe Comic #1 - Like Minds / The Prisoner.


















Here's the detail rich article:

MTV's Splash Page: The ‘Fringe’ Cast And Crew Take Us Through J.J. Abrams’ Comic Tie-In, Plus Preview Five Pages!

If “Fringe” is the new “X-Files,” then the Fringe comic is the equivalent of having a book that shows what really happened to Mulder’s sister. Or if the show’s Dr. Walter Bishop is the new Hannibal Lector – handy to consult on cases despite those pesky mental institution surroundings – then the Fringe comic is like having Hannibal pre-cannibal.

Neither comparison is perfect – J.J. Abrams’ television series tend to be in classes unto themselves – but the point is, while the comic isn’t necessary to enjoy the show, it sure does help. “The comics are going to fill in the blanks,” said “Fringe” co-creator/writer/executive producer Roberto Orci. “There will be a payoff.”

The first six-issue series (which kicks off September 3) will focus on the history of Dr. Walter Bishop, played by John Noble as a brilliant but deranged scientist who acts as a consultant to a female FBI agent investigating cases of the paranormal, with his son, played by Joshua Jackson, acting as a conduit between the two of them. “It’s what Daddy was up to before he got institutionalized,” Jackson said.

“Walter is every actor’s dream,” Noble said. “He’s got an IQ of 190, but I have a theory why he’s unsafe to be around. I think he conducted some sort of experiment in which someone was killed, and that he was due to stand trial for manslaughter before they determined he was unfit to stand trial at all.”

Noble’s theory about his character is put to the test in the comics, which follow Bishop as a newly appointed professor at Harvard. “It’s about how his scientific career began and how he got involved in the fringe sciences,” said Zack Whedon who writes for both the show and the comic. “He’s sort of singularly focused on scientific discovery, to the point where he doesn’t really consider the consequences.”

Bishop shares a lab with collaborator William Bell, who is not physically present in the show but is referred to. “There’s a lot of mystery surrounding that character on the show,” Whedon said, “so it’s fun to get a little glimpse of who he is that you won’t get in the show.”

Besides the Bishop-Bell history, the comics will also include stand-alone stories, some of which connect to other characters on the show, and some which just add to what the show calls “the Pattern.” “They’re straight-up ‘Fringe,’ sort of ‘Twilight Zone’/’Weird Science’ sci-fi tales,” Whedon said. For instance, one involves a man who wakes up in someone else’s body, “which is terrible, especially for this guy, because it’s the wrong body,” Whedon said. “He’s now in prison.”

Where the show has to try to resolve various mysteries, the comics are free to leave some things unexplained. “Some are related to Walter’s work, some are part of the Pattern, and some are just inexplicable,” Whedon said. “And if this works out, we can do even more of them and take readers up to the events of the show. Who knows? This could go on forever.”

“We can give a richer experience to the show this way,” said “Fringe” executive producer Bryan Burk. “Because oh God, yes — ‘Fringe’ is a comic book universe.”

Thanks Mandy for the tip!

Fringe Episode 102 - Spoilers

Fox has released the title, official plot summary, and episodic photos for Fringe episode #2.

You can view see them all at Spoilers.FringeTelevision.com.

News Update: Joshua Jackson Interviews

CanMag - Joshua Jackson on Fringe:

Ah, the ever present reluctant hero. "I also liked, there's a built-in, ingrained conflict for Peter because he doesn't want to be here, period, but then he really doesn't want to be forced to confront his father. He's sort of a reluctant participant in the group. Then all of those things are his greatest faults that he can't commit to anything and that he's never really found an overarching passion."

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Josh-Jackson.net - An [Exclusive] Interview with Josh Jackson:

Mandy: It does seem great. Because everything I’ve seen so far . . . and I’ll admit, I’ve seen the leaked pilot…

Josh: Naughty, naughty, naughty!

Mandy: I know, I know! I just couldn’t resist! I had to see what all the hype was about. But it looks fantastic, and I can’t wait to see the real final results, and yes, it is like a movie.

Josh: The pilot, even though you’ve seen the leaked one, shows most of what’s there, it’s not quite the finished product; but it’s a lot of the schemes [sic], and like the music wasn’t finished, and it wasn’t a very good print of the show. But yeah, that one is like a movie. It has its own beginning, middle and end. But in size the whole universe, and that’s kinda the fun of the show; sorta piece by piece getting farther and farther to what is the fringe world.

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Fringe Music Video: Ror-Shak - A Forest

Fox has a new music video for Fringe, featuring Ror-Shak and their cover of The Cure's "A Forest".

The scenes appear to have been shot specifically for the video, but may contain plot elements from future episodes that could be considered spoilers. This still image, a scene from the Sheep Video from the CASE 0091 ARG. There is also a scene that could be related to the Fringe Preview Comic.

To see screenshots from the video, visit Spoilers.FringeTelevision.com.

News Update: With Fringe in the Home Stretch, Some Signs the Media Blitz Has Begun

With Fringe premiering next week (Tuesday, September 9 at 8/7c) it is a safe bet that fresh Fringe news--interviews, press releases, marketing ploys--won't be in short supply between now and 9/9. With that in mind, we'll do our best to provide you with comprehensive News Updates in the coming days.

The A.V. Club catches up with J.J. Abrams:

AVC: Do you want to direct an episode?

JA: Well, I'm hoping. Maybe a season finale or a season opener or something. I've been wanting to do it since the pilot. We have great directors working on Fringe, but when someone else directs something that you're involved with, it's always their vision, and the director in my head is definitely wanting to get involved.

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BuddyTV, iVillage and Television Without Pity pepper J.J. Abrams with questions:

BuddyTV: I wanted to ask you, what's your obsession with mysterious boxes? You always have a mysterious box. Do you always know what's going to be in them when you write?

JA: No. But the funny thing about the box motif is, it's just human nature, I think. You want to know, what is it? What do you see inside of that thing? I think in certain situations, it can be a really fun story point. Even in one of the early episodes of Fringe, there's a teaser at the end of one of the episodes that is kind of a magic box-y sort of thing where you're like, “What the hell?” I just love that stuff, so that's my own personal interest.

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IGN writes a comprehensive piece on Why You Should Watch Fringe:

"There's a large mythology that we all decided on when we wrote the pilot and we knew that when we went to series we were going to have to reach a certain end point," says Kurtzman. "That end point's very flexible in terms of when we get there. If they let us run for 12 seasons, you'll see it in season 12. If they take us off the air by nine episodes, you'll see it in episode nine. So there's a lot of room there."

The team adds that they were lucky to figure out what that mythology was going to be early in the process of creating the show, because sometimes on other shows it doesn't come as easily or as early, forcing the writers to sort of "find it as they go."

"This time we really do have a plan," says Orci, while noting that this was a lesson they learned while working on the sometimes convoluted Alias.

"I think we're of the opinion that shows that sort of say, 'Yeah, we know our big answer,' but they don't really… you can tell," adds Kurtzman. "You can tell because the storytelling starts to feel like it's treading water. And we knew that if we were going to go into this, given how massive it was going to be to explore this world, we had to have our end point in place."

"[Standalone episodes] was one thing that we demanded from the beginning when we all were going to sit down and do this show," recalls Orci. "We have to learn our lessons from before. We studied procedurals specifically to try and merge [it with serialized]. And it's very against our instincts to do that, but when nine of the top shows on TV are called Law & Order and CSI, you have to study them a little bit and figure out what it is they're doing that's such a satisfying [experience]."

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Sci Fi Wire on the Set of Fringe with Anna Torv

Anna Torv talks to Sci Fi Wire about what has gone into developing her character (Olivia Dunham), how saying "Yes" to Fringe was a no-brainer and how Fringe isn't genre-specific.

Click here to read the full article.

Fringe's Torv Talks Exclusively

When Fox's Fringe debuts next week, it will introduce a new Australian actress to American audiences: Anna Torv, who has appeared in some TV down under and elsewhere, but is otherwise unknown.

But if Fringe--created by J.J. Abrams and his Star Trek writing team of Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci--is a big hit, as Fox and several critics expect, Torv won't be unknown for long. She joins a list of Abrams discoveries--including Felicity's Keri Russell, Alias' Jennifer Garner and Lost's Evangeline Lilly--who emerged from obscurity into the limelight.

"J.J. has this, I don't know, like, uncanny knack for casting women," Torv's co-star, Joshua Jackson, said. "It's crazy."

Torv, a native of Melbourne, is perhaps best known for starring in the BBC series Mistresses and the cable miniseries The Pacific. She auditioned by tape for Fringe and was one of thousands of actresses considered for the difficult lead role of FBI special agent Olivia Dunham. Before she knew it, Torv was on a jet to Toronto, where the two-hour pilot was shot, and is now living in New York, where the series will be filmed.

Fringe centers on FBI agent Olivia Dunham, who finds herself drawn into an investigation of a mysterious aircraft disaster in Boston. Olivia's desperate search for help to save her gravely injured partner leads to brilliant scientist Walter Bishop (fellow Aussie John Noble), who has been institutionalized for the last 17 years. And the only way to question him requires pulling his estranged son, Peter (Jackson), in to help. The investigation gets weirder and weirder as Olivia discovers that things--and science--are not what they seem.

Torv spoke with SCI FI Wire exclusively on the Manhattan set of Fringe last week. Fringe premieres Sept. 9 and will air Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Tell us about your character.

Torv: I play Olivia Dunham, who's an FBI agent, who ... all of a sudden is exposed to this whole other world and is kind of forced to deal with it, which she does. She sort of tends to take on all the responsibility she can get. She has a real sense of duty. When we first started shooting it, we were able to talk to a retired FBI agent, which was fantastic. Yeah, it's really good. And even just talking to him, I mean, not about any secrets stuff, but ... these people that do these kind of jobs have ... just such a strong sense of duty. Like, a strong sense of duty and just total focus and tunnel vision, ... high expectations of themselves, too. And I think Olivia really does fall into that category.

And she's ex-military, used to being in charge. She's used to being able to figure out what's happening, and suddenly is thrown into these situations that are mystifying?

Torv: I think so. ... I think she's used to hard work and, like, following the trail, and the stuff that she's dealing with is horrific, because it's huge. ... One of the beautiful things about J.J.'s show is that there's always this overriding thing that follows you that you can't quite get to the bottom of. Real characters in totally outrageous situations, and yeah, this is the same.

Roberto Orci told us that the subtext of the show for him was about the family that you choose: that these people sort of need each other and that's why they come together. Do you agree with that?

Torv: I do, absolutely. And I think that as the show progresses they will need each other more and more and more. ... The entire cast is fantastic. ... The power of three's a fun little number, because ... the dynamic is always going to shift, and you're always going to need one person more than the other. ... I was brought up in a family of three, and there's always two people against one.

Tell me about some of the crazier stuff you've had to do.

Torv: I don't know what I can say. I mean, seriously-- ... this sounds so boring--but, legitimately, standing outside of a hospital in minus-45 degrees with the wind blowing in my face, with no hat on, no gloves on, nothing on my face. That was insane. And the scene got cut from the pilot anyway. ...

In the pilot, they shoot you in a water isolation tank a la Altered States.

Torv: Yeah. I don't know, how long did we do it? I think only a day, I think it was only one day in the tank. And that was OK. They were really sweet. They had to put Epsom salts in so I could float a little bit. ... I was having to use my stomach muscles. But I was glad I was in first, because they did all of my stuff, and then the camera guys got in the tank with their big boots, and shot back up. So I got off easy. ...

Can you talk about the sort of concept of the show. It's pretty out there, and sort of tough for people to wrap their brains around.

Torv: I'm really excited for the show to premiere so then I stop getting asked the question, because ... I never know which way to go. It's kind of got a bit of everything, I don't think it's genre-specific. I think that it is very science fiction, but more emphasis on the science as opposed to the fiction. There's drama, because your characters are all real, but they're dealing with these ... horrific [scenarios], so I think there's elements of horror. There's elements of action. There's investigative [stuff]; there's crime-solving. I mean, it's just all consuming and far reaching. ...

It sort of feels like a J.J. Abrams show because he'll take many genres and sort of smash them together.

Torv: Totally. And seamlessly, you know? And that's the kind of thing. I was actually just thinking about that the other day, going, "Oh, my God. We were up to episode four, and the cases are the things you've looked at and seen, or the characters have seen, is ridiculous. And yet it all seems to kind of gel and work.

Just briefly watching you this afternoon, rehearsing with the other actors, it's like you guys have a lot of fun.

Torv: Yeah. Well, especially scenes like this, because ... we're all together doing stuff, and it's not, like, high high high stakes. It's legitimately doing and asking questions and moving and doing. I love any scene were we actually get to move or walk and talk. That's my favorite.

This came up pretty suddenly for you. You were in Australia, and suddenly you're moving to New York and you've got this TV series.

Torv: Good things sometimes come really quickly and easily, actually, and it was just the most painless audition process I think I've ever had. And I got the part really quickly, and I mean it was a no-brainer. I said, "Yes, thank you, I am so excited." And I actually hopped on a plane the next day. Went to Los Angeles and met J.J. and some of the others and flew to Toronto, like, the next day, and we started shooting that week. And then we had a little bit of time between the pilot and starting the series, so I had a little bit of time to prepare to come to New York and sort all that stuff out. But, yeah, I don't know. I think also, and then since I've been in New York, too, I've just been working nonstop, so, all this sort of external stuff that's going on is really almost nonexistent. We're working so many hours a day, and I literally go from home to set to home to set. But I'm having fun. ... I'm really having fun doing the show. --Patrick Lee, News Editor

Fringe Episode Guide

Last Updated: 03/04/09

Sep. 9, 2008 - 101: Pilot

Pilot : Easter Eggs : Watch : Discuss : Gallery

Sep. 16, 2008 - 102: The Same Old Story

The Same Old Story : Easter Eggs : Watch : Discuss : Spoilers : Gallery

Sep. 23, 2008 - 103: The Ghost Network

The Ghost Network : Easter Eggs : Watch : Discuss : Spoilers : Gallery

Sep. 30, 2008 - 104: The Arrival

The Arrival : Easter Eggs : Watch : Discuss : Spoilers : Gallery

Oct. 14, 2008 - 105: Power Hungry

Power Hungry : Easter Eggs : Watch : Discuss : Spoilers : Gallery

Oct. 21, 2008 - 106: The Cure

The Cure : Easter Eggs : Watch : Discuss : Spoilers : Gallery

Nov. 11, 2008 - 107: In Which We Meet Mr. Jones

In Which We Meet Mr. Jones : Easter Eggs : Watch : Discuss : Spoilers : Gallery

Nov. 18, 2008 - 108: The Equation

The Equation : Easter Eggs : Watch : Discuss : Spoilers : Gallery

Nov. 25, 2008 - 109: The Dreamscape

The Dreamscape : Easter Eggs : Watch : Discuss : Spoilers : Gallery

Dec. 2, 2008 - 110: Safe

Safe : Easter Eggs : Watch : Discuss : Spoilers : Gallery

Jan. 20, 2009 - 111: Bound

Bound : Easter Eggs : Watch : Discuss : Spoilers : Gallery

Jan. 27, 2009 - 112: The No-Brainer

The No-Brainer : Easter Eggs : Watch : Discuss : Spoilers : Gallery

Feb. 3, 2009 - 113: The Transformation

The Transformation : Easter Eggs : Watch : Discuss : Spoilers : Gallery

Feb 10, 2009 - 114: Ability

Ability : Easter Eggs : Watch : Discuss : Spoilers : Gallery

Apr. 7, 2009 - 115: Inner Child

Inner Child : Discuss : Spoilers

Apr. 14, 2009 - 116: Unleashed

Unleashed : Spoilers

Apr. 21, 2009 - 117: Bad Dreams

Bad Dreams : Spoilers

Apr. 28, 2009 - 118: Midnight

Midnight : Spoilers

May. 5, 2009 - 119: Spoilers

May. 12, 2009 - 120: Spoilers

May. 19, 2009 - 121: Spoilers

May. 26, 2009 - 122: Spoilers
Have an update or correction, please leave a comment.

10 New Fringe Behind The Scenes Videos and Interviews

1. "How the show was cast" featuers interviews from: * J.J. Abrams -- Co-Creator / Exec. Prod. / Writer * Alex Graves -- Director / Exec. Prod. (pilot) * Alex Kurtzman -- Co-Creator / Exec. Prod. / Writer


2. "B-ROLL" features behind-the-scenes footage from the filming of the Fringe pilot episode.


3. "How I prepared for my role" features interviews from: John Noble -- "Walter Bishop" * Blair Brown -- "Nina Sharp" * Kirk Acevedo -- "Charlie Francis"


4. "How FRINGE was created" features interviews from: * J.J. Abrams -- Co-Creator / Exec. Prod. / Writer * Alex Kurtzman -- Co-Creator / Exec. Prod. / Writer * Roberto Orci -- Co-Creator / Exec. Prod. / Writer


5. "Graphics" features animated Glyphs graphics.


6. "About the car chase" features interviews from: * Alex Graves -- Director / Exec. Prod. (pilot) * Mark Valley -- "John Scott" Plus, behind-the-scenes footage from the filming of the Fringe pilot episode.


7. "About The Script" features interviews from * J.J. Abrams -- Co-Creator / Exec. Prod. / Writer * Roberto Orci -- Co-Creator / Exec. Prod. / Writer * Alex Kurtzman -- Co-Creator / Exec. Prod. / Writer * Joshua Jackson -- "Peter Bishop" * John Noble -- "Walter Bishop"


8. "About My Character" features interviews from: * Anna Torv -- "Olivia Dunham" * Joshua Jackson -- "Peter Bishop" * John Noble -- "Walter Bishop" * Lance Reddick -- "Phillip Broyles" * Blair Brown -- "Nina Sharp" * Jasika Nicole - "Astrid Farnsworth" * Kirk Acevedo -- "Charlie Francis"


9. "About the foot chase" features interviews from: * Alex Graves -- Director / Exec. Prod. (pilot) * Joshua Jackson -- "Peter Bishop" * Anna Torv -- "Olivia Dunham" Plus, behind-the-scenes footage from the filming of the Fringe pilot episode.


10. "About FRINGE" features interviews from: * J.J. Abrams -- Co-Creator / Exec. Prod. / Writer * Alex Kurtzman -- Co-Creator / Exec. Prod. / Writer * Roberto Orci -- Co-Creator / Exec. Prod. / Writer * Joshua Jackson -- "Peter Bishop" * Anna Torv -- "Olivia Dunham" * Lance Reddick -- "Phillip Broyles" * Blair Brown -- "Nina Sharp"
    

Fringe Behind the Scenes Footage and Interviews

Fox Television has released 3 videos featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the filming of the Fringe pilot episode, and interviews with Alex Graves, Mark Valley, Joshua Jackson and Anna Torv.

1. B-ROLL: features behind-the-scenes footage from the filming of the Fringe pilot episode.


2. About the car chase: features interviews from: * Alex Graves -- Director / Exec. Prod. (pilot) * Mark Valley -- "John Scott"


3. About the foot chase: features interviews from: * Alex Graves -- Director / Exec. Prod. (pilot) * Joshua Jackson -- "Peter Bishop" * Anna Torv -- "Olivia Dunham"