Fringe (FOX)

[Brian in Mesa]

Joshua Jackson in J.J. Abrams' Fringe
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
February 8, 2008

Joshua Jackson ("Dawson's Creek," upcoming Shutter) is returning to television as the male lead in "Fringe," Fox's high-profile sci-fi drama from J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci.

The two-hour $10 million pilot, directed by Alex Graves, centers on FBI agent Olivia Warren (Anna Torv) who teams with Peter Bishop (Jackson) and his estranged father, institutionalized scientist Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble), to confront the spread of unexplained phenomena.

Jackson was the producers' early choice for the role of Peter Bishop, a high-school dropout with an IQ of 190, and a misfit who is scrambling to erase a gambling debt.

Filming on the Warner Bros. TV/Bad Robot-produced "Fringe" is under way in Toronto. The pilot's cast also includes Blair Brown, Lance Reddick, Kirk Acevedo and Jasika Nicole.

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How much does the average TV pilot cost? $10 million sounds like a ton of money...

 

[Gaddabout]

Review from Wired:

The pilot episode of upcoming TV show Fringe, directed by Lost executive producer J.J. Abrams, is a twisty-turny tech thriller replete with a doomed airplane, hairless weasels, rooftop chases in the Bourne Identity vein, acid-tripping federal agents and more translucent skin than you can shake a fat-encrusted artery at.
Taking its name from "fringe science" phenomena like mind control, invisibility and reanimation, Fringe does a nifty job of setting up a conspiracy mythology in the best X-Files tradition, while throwing in one "WTF?!?" reveal after another, ala Lost. Written and co-produced by Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman, who also teamed with Abrams on Alias, Mission: Impossible III and the upcoming Star Trek, Fringe occasionally trips over an implausible turn: Would a Harvard University research lab really be left intact for 17 years while the guy who formerly ran it twiddles his thumbs in a hospital for crazy people?
But this is a just-go-with-it thriller, larded with a dash of wit and powered by an especially strong performance from Australian newcomer Anna Torv. Wired.com viewed a rough cut of the 90-minute Fringe pilot Thursday on the 20th Century Fox lot. Get a first look at the show, with spoilers, after the jump.

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Fringe begins on an airplane as a guy injects himself with a needle, races in a panic down the corridor, vomits on the stewardess, then recoils in horror as the faces of every passenger on board turn into pus-covered skulls.
Cut to the cockpit where the captain's jaw pretty much drips off his face. And that's just the first 90 seconds.
The FBI, of course, wants to find out what happened on the doomed Flight 627, which landed at Boston's Logan International Airport with every passenger dead on arrival.
Enter agent Olivia Dunham, played by the fiery Torv. Dunham takes it personally when her boyfriend, Scott (Mark Valley), gets infected with flesh-melting contaminants. (Valley and Torv, pictured above).
Dunham turns for help to Peter Bishop (played by Dawson's Creek's Joshua Jackson, pictured with Torv, right).
Bishop is an acerbic roustabout with a 190-plus IQ who hates his dad, Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble of Lord of the Rings), a former Harvard University researcher confined to an insane asylum because he got carried away with gene-mutating experiments that may hold the key to this Attack of the Flesh-Melting Toxins. Prodding the investigation is hard-ass Homeland Security boss Phillip Broyles (played by Lance Reddick of Lost and The Wire).
Hinting at sinister things to come is corporate shark Nina Sharp (Blair Brown). A big believer in robotics, she gets off the show's best punch line when an intern wheels in a corpse on a gurney. "How long has he been dead?" she asks. "Five hours," the intern replies. "Question him," she commands.

 

[Louis]

I'm in for the pilot.

When does it air?

I made the mistake of watching "Fear Itself" last night. Wish I could have that back. I'd never seen a preview but the DTV explanation sounded interesting.

Well it sucked.

 

[Gaddabout]

The 2-hour pilot premieres on Fox on Aug. 26th.

 

[Joe Mama's Sista]

I'm in for the pilot.
I made the mistake of watching "Fear Itself" last night. Wish I could have that back. I'd never seen a preview but the DTV explanation sounded interesting.

Well it sucked.

Couldn't agree more!

This, however, looks like it's going to be good!

 

[Brian in Mesa]

From the USA Today:

DC Comics will offer a prequel comic to J.J. Abrams' fall TV series "Fringe," a thriller that will premiere on Fox on September 9. According to the newspaper, they are currently looking at writers and artists for the prequel, which will hit the stands on August 27.

 

[ActingWild]

For those that have played it, Ana Torv (the main girl in Fringe) is the voice of Nariko in the PS3 title, Heavenly Sword.

Great voice by the way.

 

[nathan]

The pilot of this show is available via bittorrent right now. I watched it last night. It reminded me a little of X-files but a little something was missing. It has potential of being somewhat interesting but also of getting canceled quickly.

 

[Bada0Bing]

Starts tonight. My DVR is locked & loaded. I'll give a chance to anything that Abrams is behind.

 

[Joe Mama's Sista]

Ok - I liked it - I didn't love it... BUT I see a lot of potential. I'm definitely in for a few more episodes.

 

[HeavyB3]

I really like it. I always dig the police/fbi stuff and I love sci fi. It reminded me alot of what I've seen of the X-Files.. But I've only seen maybe 10 episodes of the show.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Looks good. Hope it sticks around...

 

[Russ Smith]

I thought it was good. The thing that bugged me was the music was right out of Lost and that just made me wish I was watching a new Lost episode instead.

Was definitely interesting though, not great but promising.

 

[ActingWild]

I thought it was good. The thing that bugged me was the music was right out of Lost and that just made me wish I was watching a new Lost episode instead.

Was definitely interesting though, not great but promising.

Totally with you on the music Russ, straight out of Lost.

 

[Chaplin]

I might give this another 2 episodes, but I just think the lead actress is awful, and it's just too much mythology. Everything they do has to do with this mysterious "pattern". It just seems like too much technobabble and cliched. There's nothing really exciting about the show.

 

[Stout]

I might give this another 2 episodes, but I just think the lead actress is awful, and it's just too much mythology. Everything they do has to do with this mysterious "pattern". It just seems like too much technobabble and cliched. There's nothing really exciting about the show.

Gee, the show has a real plot, backstory, and mystery...no wonder a Hollywood guy wouldn't like it...it isn't run-of-the-mill

Just giving you grief, Chap. I disagree about the lead actress and thought she did really well. I also happen to like those things that you dislike. It's a matter of taste, that's all.

 

[Chaplin]

Gee, the show has a real plot, backstory, and mystery...no wonder a Hollywood guy wouldn't like it...it isn't run-of-the-mill

Just giving you grief, Chap. I disagree about the lead actress and thought she did really well. I also happen to like those things that you dislike. It's a matter of taste, that's all.

Yes, it has a plot, and I predict it will go on, and on, and on, and on, and on, with very little to no resolution at all. Very Lost-like, but Lost has better characters and a better setting. And it's interesting since none of the characters on Lost are really any smarter than the audience when it comes to the main storyline. It allows the audience to identify with what's going on.

I think Joshua Jackson's character is likable, but all he does is complain about his dad being a looney tune.

 

[Russ Smith]

Yes, it has a plot, and I predict it will go on, and on, and on, and on, and on, with very little to no resolution at all. Very Lost-like, but Lost has better characters and a better setting. And it's interesting since none of the characters on Lost are really any smarter than the audience when it comes to the main storyline. It allows the audience to identify with what's going on.

I think Joshua Jackson's character is likable, but all he does is complain about his dad being a looney tune.

I recorded the second one(watched Big Brother) and tried to watch it last night but didn't make it all the way through just couldn't get it into the story.

I agree one of the issues I have with this show is similar to a lot of Micheal Crichton books, they're interesting but he always has this one character who is basically omniscient. So in every situation you have this one character explaining everything, no matter what happens this character knows the answer. It always seems to be a copout to me to create such a character.

Same thing in Fringe so far in any situation the loony scientist guy just happens to have done some experiment 30 years ago that will solve the problem perfectly now, if it doesn't kill someone first.

Hopefully the next few episodes are better but so far I'm not all that impressed.

 

[Stout]

Yes, it has a plot, and I predict it will go on, and on, and on, and on, and on, with very little to no resolution at all. Very Lost-like, but Lost has better characters and a better setting. And it's interesting since none of the characters on Lost are really any smarter than the audience when it comes to the main storyline. It allows the audience to identify with what's going on.

I think Joshua Jackson's character is likable, but all he does is complain about his dad being a looney tune.

See, I couldn't stand Lost...stupid giant monster that mysteriously can't be seen and an actor that couldn't act (Fox--at least in the few episodes I saw). Little or no resolution? That's yet to be seen. I think Jackson's character will get deeper on that note, especially given the end of the last epidsode. I do agree to an extent with Russ, but I like it anywho.

 

[Louis]

I hear you on the complaint about the scientist but it's because of his work with government 17 years ago that the pattern is happening.

It's okay for me so far. I don't like the lead lady.

But the casting of Pacey and DenethorI do like. Also I sense a big role in narration for the head DHS guy when this show gets cancelled this year.

 

[Mike Olbinski]

See, I couldn't stand Lost...stupid giant monster that mysteriously can't be seen and an actor that couldn't act (Fox--at least in the few episodes I saw). Little or no resolution? That's yet to be seen. I think Jackson's character will get deeper on that note, especially given the end of the last epidsode. I do agree to an extent with Russ, but I like it anywho.

LOL!

Smoke Monster than can't be seen (wrong) and Fox who can't act (double-wrong).

Did you even give the show a chance?

 

[Bada0Bing]

Watched episode #1 last night. I liked the premise, but none of the characters. Hopefully they’ll grow on me.

 

[ArizonaSportsFan]

I recorded the second one(watched Big Brother) and tried to watch it last night but didn't make it all the way through just couldn't get it into the story.

I agree one of the issues I have with this show is similar to a lot of Micheal Crichton books, they're interesting but he always has this one character who is basically omniscient. So in every situation you have this one character explaining everything, no matter what happens this character knows the answer. It always seems to be a copout to me to create such a character.

Same thing in Fringe so far in any situation the loony scientist guy just happens to have done some experiment 30 years ago that will solve the problem perfectly now, if it doesn't kill someone first.
Hopefully the next few episodes are better but so far I'm not all that impressed.

The point is - at this point in the show - that all of the "fringe science" occurences are due to his early work with the owner of Massive Dynamic. So yes, so far he does have an answer for everything because it was based on his work in the first place.

Just my two cents. The show is ok for me and worth 40 minutes of my time (yay for DVR!) at this point in the story.

 

[Stout]

LOL!

Smoke Monster than can't be seen (wrong) and Fox who can't act (double-wrong).

Did you even give the show a chance?

Okay, try again...the pilot and episode one, Mike:

Giant monster COULD NOT be seen. Extremely loud, sounded huge, but somehow couldn't be seen even by someone who escapes it. IMO--bad.

Pilot and episode one? Fox didn't act himself out of a wet paper bag.

Did I even give the show a chance? Of course I did. I watched the pilot and the next episode. I'm not much into acquired tastes; that's kind of an oxymoron to me.

 

[Stout]

The point is - at this point in the show - that all of the "fringe science" occurences are due to his early work with the owner of Massive Dynamic. So yes, so far he does have an answer for everything because it was based on his work in the first place.

Just my two cents. The show is ok for me and worth 40 minutes of my time (yay for DVR!) at this point in the story.

Bingo. Plus, the old man isn't the one who figured out the stuff used in the last show...his son did.