Lone Star officially gone

It was good while it (briefly) lasted, but Kyle Killen's Dallas-shot Lone Star is dead.

Here's my brief piece from The Dallas Morning News on the show being pulled from the schedule in the middle of shooting its sixth episode.

'Lone Star' sinking quickly

The ratings are in for the second episode of Fox's Lone Star, and they are even worse than the dismal viewership for the first episode. It doesn't bode well for the Dallas-shot series.

'Lone Star' creator says: 'Watch my show before it's too late!'

Austin resident Kyle Killen is as dumbfounded by the disastrous ratings for his creation Lone Star as I am. Here's his open letter begging you to watch the second episode of the Dallas-shot Fox series about an oil biz swindler. Come on, set those DVRs!

'Lone Star' dumped after one episode?

I saw the pilot in Dallas at the Studios at Las Colinas where it's shot, and it looked fresh and promising. Apparently I was one of the few people who saw it. The Hollywood Reporter says the first episode's ratings were so low that it's almost assured of being canceled immediately. This despite major efforts by Fox to get interest percolating early.

THR sez: "The ratings for Star were so bad that there was no silver lining to find on this mushroom cloud. The 4.1 million total viewers who showed up was a shockingly low number, especially given it had a strong lead-in from the season premiere of "House," from which its audience tumbled 68%. 'Those are Friday night numbers on a Monday night premiere,' said Brad Adgate, a veteran TV analyst with Horizon Media. 'That's a nice cable audience.'"

Entertainment Weekly wonders if the pilot episode is waiting on many viewer's DVRs: "Given how competitive the first night was for the 2010-11 TV season, there’s a good chance that many viewers recorded Lone Star so they could watch the ultra-addictive Dancing with the Stars or the CBS comedies live instead. On top of that, viewers are still in the sampling stage; its too early for anyone to commit to new shows. Fox recognizes that viewers need time to find Lone Star, which has the added benefit of being popular with the TV critics."

Is the show worth saving? Yes. But will Fox give it a chance? Stay tuned.

My DMN article about the 'Lone Star' sneak

Lone Star's Eloise Mumford (left) talks with fans at the pilot screening Saturday at The Studios at Las Colinas.


Here's the article about the sneak peek viewing of Fox's new Dallas-shot series Lone Star from today's Dallas Morning News.

'Lone Star' shows off its pilot

Eloise Mumford and Mark Deklin interviewed by FOX4's Clarice Tinsley.


The red carpet at the Studios at Las Colinas.


Mark Deklin knows which beer to drink.


The desk of Jon Voight's grizzled oil man.


Jon Voight's car ready for action.

A select audience at the Studios at Las Colinas in Irving got a sneak peek at Fox series Lone Star on Saturday. Nineteen Texas cities with Fox stations had events like this, with show creator Kyle Killen appearing in Austin.

The Dallas-area event featured show actors Eloise Mumford and Mark Deklin. I also got a very quick look at the set (that's Jon Voight's desk), which is still being constructed.

Look for report on the event in Monday's Dallas Morning News.

Andie MacDowell joins 'Lone Star' cast

Interesting news out of the Dallas TV series mecca: Andie MacDowell has joined the cast of Lone Star.

Here's the description of her character:

MacDowell plays Alex, a 40ish-to-50ish art appraiser with an unpredictable streak who catches the eye of Clint Thatcher, Jon Voight's character. In reality, she will prove to be more dangerous than anyone realizes.

Also just joining the cast is Rosa Blasi (Strong Medicine).

Oh, and if you want to be an extra on the show, send an email to Kina Bale at lonestarextras@gmail.com.

'Lone Star' tries to go viral

Lone Star's Adrianne Palicki, James Wolk and Eloise Mumford

Fox is doing some interesting early promotion to get the word out on new Dallas-shot series Lone Star (see info on being an extra below). That includes putting DVDS of the first episode in issues of Vanity Fair, and a glitzy premiere of the show last week at The Paley Center for Media in Los Angeles. (Here are photos of the cast from the event--including a now-dark-haired Adrianne Palicki (Palicki talks about a return to Friday Night Lights here).

Other avenues include cruise ships and hotels. Plus Vanity Fair will also stream Lone Star through its iPad app.

Note that the show's title again is two words instead of Lonestar. The pilot shot as Midland. Why can't TV shows pick one name and stick with it?

Here's a description of the show:
“Robert/Bob Allen” (newcomer James Wolk) is a charismatic and brilliant schemer juggling two identities and two women. As "Bob," he lives in Houston and is married to "Cat" (Adrianne Palicki, Friday Night Lights), the beautiful daughter of “Clint” (Jon Voight, 24, Midnight Cowboy), the patriarch of an ultra-wealthy Texas oil family. More than four hundred miles away in the suburban west Texas town of Midland, he's "Robert," living a second life with his naive girlfriend, “Lindsay” (Eloise Mumford, Mercy, Law & Order: SVU).

And here's the extras casting call for Friday:


Lone Star (FOX) starring Jon Voight, David Keith, and James Wolk is seeking the following extras for scenes shooting this Friday, July 30. If you fit the specs and are available, send photo and contact info to lonestarextras@yahoo.com. DO NOT SUBMIT IF YOU CAN'T COMMIT TO THE ENTIRE DAY!

Detective and Police Officer types - Men and Women late 20s-50s. All ethnicities. Previous law enforcement or military experience a plus, but not required.

Shoot Date:
Friday, July 30

Call Time:
TBD (you should make yourself available for the ENTIRE day which means morning,
afternoon and evening)

Location:
DFW

Pay:
$58/8 plus time and half for overtime

Send you photo and contact info to lonestarextras@yahoo.com

A witch of an actress moves to Austin

Just heard this today. Beth Broderick--you remember her from Sabrina the Teenage Witch--apparently moved to Austin, Texas, a few months ago. The big irony: she was just cast in the TV series Lonestar (formerly Midland), which will shoot a few hours down the road in Dallas.

'Lonestar' to shoot at Las Colinas

Despite a late look at Austin (word is one or both of the showrunners is living there), Twentieth Century Fox Television reps confirmed the series Lonestar (formerly titled Midland) will shoot in North Texas, specifically at the Studios at Las Colinas, where The Deep End previously shot. More in my article in today's Dallas Morning News.

The cast includes: Bryce Johnson, Mark Deklin, Jon Voight, Adrianne Palicki, James Wolk, Eloise Mumford and David Keith

Still no word on the future of Chaos, the CBS series poised to film in North Texas this fall if a deal can be wrangled between the network and Twentieth Century Fox Television.

Chaos has to wait; but TV series flood Texas

FYI--A shorter version of this ran on the Dallas Morning News blog today, and a version combined with a DMN writer's feature will appear Thursday. Here's my take from Dallas City Hall on Wednesday afternoon:

North Texas-based 'Chaos' series awaiting CBS confirmation

BY JOE O'CONNELL
filmnewsbyjoe@yahoo.com
on Twitter: joemoconnell
joeoconnell.com

DALLAS—Three television series will shoot simultaneously in North Texas this summer, and a fourth might join them in the fall.

What was to be a major announcement by Gov. Rick Perry and Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert at Dallas City Hall of a fourth television show shooting in North Texas ended up being a “maybe.” Twentieth Century Fox Television execs on Wednesday said they have yet to get confirmation of a pickup by CBS of Chaos, a spy series set to star Stephen Rea (The Crying Game). If picked up, they expect to shoot 13 episodes of the midseason replacement in the fall.

Perry said the flurry of major network television production is a sign Texas has been “established as a preferred location.”

Already shooting in North Texas is The Good Guys for Fox, which recently added seven more episodes to its original 13-episode order. This summer the show is expected to compete with NBC’s Chase and Fox’s Lonestar (former Midland) for North Texas locations and crew. In Austin, the ABC series My Generation is primed to lens this summer as well.

“It’s a good problem to have,” Janis Burklund of the Dallas Film Commission said of the demands on the North Texas crew base. “Yes, it’s going to stretch us a bit, but that’s how we’ll grow.”

North Texas’ television resurgence began when Prison Break shot here for two seasons beginning in 2006, said Twentieth Century Fox vice president Jim Sharp. That led to shooting the short-lived series The Deep End. But the area’s history as a television hub dates back further to Walker, Texas Ranger, a show for which Burklund worked as a location scout.

It’s all part of a trend to shoot network television shows outside of Los Angeles due to that area’s poor incentives and changing physical landscape that has made finding locations more difficult. Texas now hopes to attract some of the longtime California crew members to the Lone Star State.

The Legislature approved in 2009 an increase in state filming incentives funding from a two-year total of $22 million to $62 million and added flexibility in how the funds can be meted out. Perry said since then 206 projects have come to the state, creating 28,500 full-time jobs and attracting in-state spending of $184 million.

On average, each episode of a television series shot should drop more than $1 million in the local economy, Bob Hudgins of the Texas Film Commission said.

Why is Dallas the big winner? Leppert said it’s a mix of great locations and a large pool of talents crew members.

“It means jobs and additional visibility for North Texas, Dallas and all of Texas,” he said.

A key indicator is the current disparity between Dallas and Houston, which was in the 1990s a leading Texas filming location. Fox’s Lonestar is set in both the oil industry of Houston and Midland. Executives are taking what was termed a look at Austin as a filming location on Thursday, but long ago ruled out Houston.

Also set in Houston is Chase, the NBC series from Warner Bros. It also ruled out shooting in Space City. 20th Century Fox had to move quickly on the series, said Garry Brown, the show’s co-executive producer and former Walker, Texas Ranger producer who has been one of the pivotal voices behind the North Texas film resurgence.

“There was more to offer to us immediately here in Dallas,” Brown said. “They (Houston) need to build their crew base up, and they’re working on it.”

During the film industry’s lean years earlier in the mid-2000s when film and television projects were lured to states offering hefty incentives, the Houston film crews dissipated. Dallas, as a center for filming of commercials, industrial films, animation and videos, kept its crews largely in place. Now the problem is making sure there are enough workers here to handle three television shows shooting in North Texas this summer, and Chaos potentially joining this in the fall.

New TV series lensing in Dallas is 'Chaos'

I'm sitting here at Dallas City Hall waiting for Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert and Texas Gov. Rick Perry to join 20th Century Fox execs in announcing the series Chaos starring Stephen Rea (The Crying Game) will shoot in North Texas this summer, joining The Good Guys, Chase and Lonestar (formerly known as Midland. More in a bit...