Jim Michaels, Misha Collins and DJ Qualls talk Supernatural
Some interesting tidbits from Jim Michaels and some of Supernatural’s guest stars are circulating around the net from the Germany and UK conventions. Not all of them can be considered spoilers but some could be interpreted to be mild ones, so forewarned is forearmed. All are interesting nonetheless.
Jim Michaels:
Jim Michaels confirmed that there will be 23 episodes in season 8, but CW had asked for 24. The production crew, Bob Singer, Jensen and Jared said they wouldn’t be able to do 24. It would mean the actors would have to start working even earlier than July giving them less time off, which they didn’t want to do. It also  would have left the production crew with no time off since pre-production starts way before filming begins, and post-production goes on long after filming has finished. Too bad for us!!
He also confirmed that it’s the international sales that keep Supernatural going. The comment I read said,”WB loses an estimated 1 million dollars per episode but they are more than ok with it since the international sales bring in that amount many times over.” So the show is in a very comfortable position. Jim Michaels stated outright that the US ratings alone would not have kept the show on as long as it has been otherwise. Here, here to our overseas friends!!
Bottom line, as long as the ratings don’t slide further (and I actually think they will increase with the new time slot, new showrunner and new lead in), the series is expected to be in production past season 8. Basically it’s their show to make or break at this point.
Misha Collins:
Misha Collins said in his Meet & Greet in Germany that the plan for season 8 is for the story line to make sense again. (YEA!!! *jumping up and down in delight*) He also mentioned in his UK panel that he was not happy with the way crazy Cas has been written, he thinks it’s a fine line and he felt that line was somewhat overstepped in a few episodes. He is also aware of the problem of how difficult it is to find a role for Cas that does not diminish Dean and Sam or be the lazy way out when it comes to problem solving.
DJ Qualls:
DJ Qualls admitted that it was Sera Gamble who brought him on to the show and he’s now worried that the new showrunner won’t have him in mind since he’d like to be back. He flat out stated that he hated the 1st script; and was deeply wary of coming back the second time, even though he very much liked the atmosphere and his friendship with Jensen and Jared.
He also said that Sera Gamble was the one who invite him back. He said when he mentioned this to the crew they were astonished and was told she normally does not call the actors. He agreed to return on one condition: a better script. Gamble said there was no script as yet but that the gist of it was about a spirit you can only see when you’re drunk. She also explained his role in it and he accepted. So it seems the part was written specifically with DJ Qualls in mind. He also strongly hinted that Becky will not be back. I don’t think that will be a problem for too many fans.
Love how they brought Cas back, but I do think the writing has to be more consistent for Misha to pull it off. If anyone can, it would be him. Perhaps we’ll see a slow return to himself after Dean is back from Purgatory.
Won’t miss Becky. (no insult to the actress, just the written character) She’s ok as a cameo, but more than that, the character is too annoying to watch in a whole episode.
Love DJ/Garth! Hope they bring him back and develop him more.
Frank! Where is Frank? I actually liked him; not as a fill-in for Bobby, but as another “quirky” ally. Do we know for sure he’s dead? I don’t think so. Remember Gene Hackman’s character in Enemy of the State? There’s Frank!
I liked your thoughts on these subjects. 😆
I think Cas was written a little out there…maybe too much. I hope that gets reined in next year. If the finale end is to be trusted, that seems to be the indication for next year. I liked the old Cas even though some parts of crazy Cas was entertaining. Just give it in small doses.
Becky was okay to watch the first time around, but the wedding episode was just creepy! I was hopeful that they would take the wedding episode another route and have Sarah from the first season be Sam’s bride. This could have been such a different kind of episode if they had gone a different route.
I, too, love Garth. I want to see him back and also, have a resolution/confirmation of what really happened to Frank. Personally, I liked him. He was a great ally to the guys when they had so few. Sam could use his help right now.
[quote]Misha Collins said in his Meet & Greet in Germany that the plan for season 8 is for the story line to make sense again. (YEA!!! *jumping up and down in delight*)[/quote]
Yay!!!! I’m jumping up and down in delight too! 😀
Interesting to see Misha acknowledging the dificulties of having an angel around all the time. It’s one of the issues that I have had with Cas for the last 2 seasons.
I don’t want to see too much of Garth next season. He’s ok in small doses but I definitely don’t want to see him partner up with Sam while he’s trying to find and rescue Dean. I’d much rather see Jody Mills in that roll.
[quote][quote] Interesting to see Misha acknowledging the dificulties of having an angel around all the time. It’s one of the issues that I have had with Cas for the last 2 seasons. .[/quote]
I feel the same way about Cas. I also don’t like the FruitLoop Cas, which is nothing more that Misha playing Cas playing Misha.
Garth doesn’t do a thing for me and, personally, except for the alpha vamp (which I’m stoked about) and Crowley, I’d prefer that new and much better support characters be used. Certainly, my vote would be no more Garth, Becky, Charlie, Krissy, or Starks. The show has had too many really good support characters in the past that these don’t even begin to compare to. Jody Mills is alright used as she has been, once or twice a year, but I don’t want to see Sam teamed up with her. Jody Mills has been shown as a Sheriff, Bobby’s friend, and in almost a mother role to Sam. I don’t think Sam needs a mother and I don’t really want Jody brought into the show as a hunter just because she is a woman. I’d rather see some other kind of growth for Sam, instead of having him ‘need’ help or relying on some past random character because he’s all alone.
I think, for me, it boils down to I’d rather see a whole new direction taken, get the dark grit of the show back, depict the brothers as the best hunters on the planet, and these comedic characters (Jody excluded) just leave a bad taste in my mouth.
I agree with all of this except for the part about Charlie. She can come back, but not get her own episode again.
A lot of people are jumping on the “Sam should work with Jody” wagon. While I wouldn’t mind another scene between the two, I’d like to see him branch out and work alone or with new characters who have more to offer in the hunt for Purgatory. This is a great opportunity for Sam to start establishing relationships of his own that aren’t leftovers from Dean or Bobby. I don’t want to see Garth again. I didn’t hate him, but he took away from, rather than added to, his episodes.
Oh, and I LOVED the comment from Misha about the goal being that the show make sense again. Fingers crossed that someone important is listening!
I think that Sam has to have someone to work with so that he has someone to talk to and help the audience see what is going on in his mind. I don’t mind if it’s someone completely new but I think that it would make more sense for Sam to open up to someone he already knows than a complete stranger. If they do use someone already known, I would much rather it be Jody than Garth or (Chuck forbid!) Frank.
I’m 100% behind giving Sam more friends so that we can hear more of his side the story. I’m just not convinced that that someone has to be Jody. Jody is OK and I wouldn’t mind seeing her again, but I’d like for Sam to have characters who were brought on specifically for his character story (assuming there is one :sigh: ) Yes, I have high expectations.
EDIT: Let me clarify. Side characters are usually brought in to help develop a main character’s storyline. For example, Cas was brought in to explore Dean’s “righteous man” storyline. Bobby was brought in originally to help Sam and Dean become better hunters, but was kept on because he became a father figure to Dean, and Dean was working through his John issues. Death was originally a horseman, but he was brought back to give Dean a lesson on the natural order. The reason Sam doesn’t have any friends anymore is because Sam hasn’t had any new stories since Lucifer/Hell.
While Jody is nice enough and hearing Sam’s perspective on issues is sorely missed, I don’t see her moving Sam’s story forward any – and I think we can do better. I want Sam to have a story. I don’t accept that it’s OK for Sam not to have stories anymore.
[quote]but I’d like for Sam to have characters who were brought on specifically for his character story (assuming there is one :sigh: )[/quote]
I agree totally. I’m not fixated on Jody being Sam’s sidekick, I just don’t want it to be Garth (or a magically re-incarnated Frank).
source of comments quoted + full comments can be found here:
http://www.innsmouthfreepress.com/?p=17868
Yep, I agree with Misha on this one. We need Cass to be a little less loopy, although I do think it worked for this past season. But he sounded like his old self with Dean in Purgatory, so here’s hoping he’s back to form.
Wow, imagine having 24 episodes of SPN? That would be great for us, but I can imagine everybody involved not wanting to do it, they work hard enough as it is. And now that Jared is a dad, I’m sure he’d like a little bit more time off, and I hope he gets it too. Both Jared & Jensen give so much, the show rests solely on their shoulders, no matter how many guest stars you have on, it’s ultimately about the two of them. Speaking of, I’m not adverse to seeing Charlie again, I really liked her, but yeah not full episodes devoted to guest stars. There were quite a few of those this past season.
This may sound callous, but I don’t have a lot of sympathy for how hard the J2s work. They are making a ton of money and people all over the world work every bit the long hours that TV series actors do for a pittance of the money they make. While I’m okay with them working the show so that they do get all the breaks they can, both of them had noticeably the minimum amount of screen time this year that no amount of quick editing back and forth could cover up. As a fan, I felt cheated.
I don’t begrudge them time off and I don’t care how it’s done, but I want the leads in more than 10 to 15 minutes of an episode. Come on — if Jack Bauer could do it (be in almost every scene for so many years), the Winchesters can, too.
I understand what you’re saying, but it must be very taxing to be at work 14-16 hours. I know that not all those hours are in front of the camera, they do have downtime, but still. And yes Kiefer Sutherland was in every blessed frame of [i]24[/i]. But I think the guy’s a sucker for punishment. He did that show for what was it, 6, 7 years? And let’s be honest, he’s a little bit older than the Js. So, good one on him.
My husband worked 24/7 for 6 weeks at a time and got 2 weeks off for years. He worked a 12-hour shift and was on call the other 12, and most days he got called out. He was well-paid, but not in the multi-million range.
These guys get weekends off, holidays, and teacher’s summers off. Yes, it’s taxing and long, and well-compensated.
Like I said, I don’t begrudge them time off, and good for them that they found a good career and became successful in a tough business. God knows I love the entertainment they have given me for years! I just want to see more of them and less of the really awful support characters we had this year. I want to see them each have a story that gives them some character growth, and not back stories for two-time wonders like Garth or whole episodes dedicated to Becky or Charlie. I have no investment in those characters at all and I didn’t sign up seven years ago to watch whole episodes dedicated to them with quick editing back and forth to make it appear the J2s are in it more than they are.
P. S. And I really do hope that Jared can work it to where he gets to spend some time with his boy while he’s so little. Those are the best time ever and Jared is the cutest giddy new Dad I’ve seen in years!
Hope you don’t mind me butting into this conversation. I have no idea how many hours the J’s are capable of, and I agree that they’re paid well, but people do tend to get burned out if they’re worked too hard for too many years. I’m more interested in the quality of their hours rather than the quantity. Look how much quality Cas development we got in just one tightly written episode (Man Who Would Be King).
I’d rather the show tighten up the writing so that both characters have a better quality stories, work them to a degree they’re comfortable with so that we don’t reach a point where we feel they are just going through the motions, and fill the rest of the time with characters that will help build the mytharc background. One of the biggest problems with building episodes around Charlie and Garth was that we didn’t know them and they weren’t central to the story we cared about. But if the writers had spent that episode building more layers around the Crowley, Dick, and Meg stories instead, then me might have been a little more invested in the finale when it came. And who ever complains about watching Crowley? (OK, now that I’ve put it out there, someone will 😛 )
I’m sure it will be passed off as Misha just being Misha (whatever that means) or else he was just playing to the crowd but I found his comments, especially “the plan for season 8 is for the storyline to make sense again†to be quite unprofessional and pretty damn mean-spirited.
Maybe I’m oversensitive but I feel the underhand digs being aimed at Sera Gamble at the moment are getting quite distasteful. She’s gone, yet for God knows what reason, people still insist on banging nails into her coffin. The best thing for Gamble to do would be to get as far away from SPN as she can, as quick as she can and hopefully some day in the future the fans (and some of the actors) will remember the good she actually did for them and the show.
Well said, Tim, and I completely agree with you.
The loss of a million per episode is nothing new. That’s always been the economics of TV. The production studio eats the initial loss and gains it later in the DVD and syndication market. International syndication has been the golden goose the last several years, especially at a time when domestic syndication has waned due to cable channels taking on original programming.
It costs $3.1 million to make a Supernatural episode now. So as I suspected, the CW is only paying 2/3 of the license fee. So that means The CW is paying around $46 million for the show. I really don’t think they’re earning that back in advertising. Not even close. No wonder it’s a money losing network. I don’t feel too bad though since Warner Brothers takes half of that network loss to fund their extraordinary gains in other markets with shows like Supernatural and The Vampire Diaries.
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