NBC picks up Dallas-shot 'Chase'

The pilot for Chase shot in Dallas. No official word if the series will as well, but it look likely. HINT: They are currently--as in right now, today--scouting locations.


Here's the press release from NBC:

Drama Becomes NBC's Fifth New Scripted Series Announced for New Season

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - May 10, 2010 - NBC has picked up its fifth scripted series pilot for the 2010-11 season in "Chase," a new drama from Emmy Award-winning executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer ("CSI" franchise, "The Amazing Race," "Pirates of the Caribbean" films) and executive producer Jennifer Johnson ("Cold Case").

The announcement was made by Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios.

"Chase" joins previously announced "Undercovers," "The Event," "Love Bites," and "Outsourced" as the fifth new scripted series currently announced for NBC's new season with additional pickups yet to be announced.

"'Chase' has all the undeniable elements of a thrill ride that you would expect from a Jerry Bruckheimer action series," said Bromstad. "Equally important, it also features a great cast. Kelli Giddish is a breakout star as the lead."
"Chase" is a fast-paced drama that drops viewers smack into the middle of a game of cat-and-mouse as a team of U.S. marshals hunts down America's most dangerous fugitives. Kelli Giddish ("Past Life") stars as U.S. Marshal Annie Frost, a cowboy boot-wearing deputy whose sharp mind and unique Texas upbringing help her track down the violent criminals on the run.

Cole Hauser ("K-Ville"), Amaury Nolasco ("Prison Break"), Rose Rollins ("The L Word") and Jesse Metcalfe ("Desperate Housewives") also star as members of Frost's elite team.

"Chase" is produced by Bonanza Productions Inc., in association with Jerry Bruckheimer Television and Warner Bros. Television. Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman ("CSI" franchise, "The Amazing Race," "Cold Case") and Johnson serve as executive producers, while KristieAnne Reed is co-executive producer. David Nutter ("The Mentalist," "Without a Trace" "The X-Files") directed and is executive producer of the pilot which was written by Johnson.

'True Grit' goes to court in Blanco

Joel and Ethan Coen'sTrue Grit arrived in Blanco this week as Granger tries to deal with the layer of dirt the film set applied to its brick street. The shoot at the old Blanco Courthouse is only expected to take a couple of days. Already, the locals are lining up to watch what they can (probably not much since shooting will be indoors). The Uptown Blanco Restaurant across the street is offering extended "movie fan hours" through Wednesday to allow fans to eat and drink and star watch.

Thanks to the kind reader who forwarded on this photo of the courthouse extras arriving Tuesday.

A few last shots from 'True Grit' in Granger

Here are a few last photos from the True Grit set in Granger. I should repeat that I did not take these photos. The person who took them viewed the set from the street, was not an extra or a crew member--just a local watching the filmmaking process.

As a film writer, I was not invited to the set, so I did not go during the shooting at all. I, however, see nothing wrong with the invitation by the photographer to pass on these photos taken in a very public space. I also believe doing so promotes the cause of what appears to be a great movie in the making.

Filming at this point has moved on to the courthouse in Blanco, Texas.

'True Grit' performs movie magic

Part of the wonder of movie-making is just how they fool the audience's eyes. Here are a few examples from Joel and Ethan Coen's True Grit set in Granger, Texas:


Filming is taking place in the spring, but the story is set in winter, so a worker had to meticulously remove all of the new leaves from this pecan tree!


Smoke pots were used to add a spooky feel to the street.


Got a telephone pole that is not true to the film's time period? Make it into a tree.

'True Grit' boarding house

This house in Granger, Texas, served as the interior of the True Grit boarding house in Fort Smith, Arkanaas, where the young female head stays. The covering was added to keep out exterior light during filming. Also here you can see the exterior view of the boarding house facade that was constructed just off the main filming strip in Granger.

'True Grit' hangs 3 men in Granger, TX

There was a triple hanging on the set of True Grit in Granger, Texas, today. The man in the middle cried uncontrollably before taking the big fall!

Filming in the town is expected to end by Thursday, when action moves to Blanco for courthouse scenes. Thanks to the kind reader who passed on these great pix! I'll be posting more from the Granger filming tomorrow. (Look closely at the bottom photos here. Is that Jeff Bridges with the white beard and wearing a straw cowboy hat?)

Three men were hung in Granger.



These dummies really took the fall.


The hanging drew a crowd of extras.


Lots of extras on the street.


Playing an Indian who hooted and hollered during the hanging was Jonathan Joss, best known as the voice of John Redcorn on King of the Hill.

Some other shots from Monday and Tuesday's filming at the gallows:

Excellent writer Carolyn Osborn releases first novel

She's had four short story collections and is acclaimed as one of Texas' premier purveyors of the form, so it's hard to believre Carolyn Osborn's novel Uncertain Ground is her first in print. Bookpeople quickly ran out of books tonight and her publisher had to step in with more. The line continued for more than an hour and a half.

Carolyn is a frequent guest speaker to my college-level creative writing and literature classes, so I was pleased to be there for her moment.

Carolyn's daughter Claire Osborn is an Austin American-Statesman reporter, and on hand were a lot of her fellow Statesman writers including Mary Ann Roser, left, and Eileen Flynn, right. In the middle here is the paper's former longtime society columnist (and incredibly nice person) Lee Kelly. It was great to see her.

Oh, and while there I signed a few copies of my novel-in-stories EVACUATION PLAN. If you want an autographed copy, you couldn't buy it from a better place than Bookpeople.