Dollhouse, Firefly, Angel, Buffy : news, photos & videos

Happy Birthday To Tim Minear, 46 Today !

Webmaster — 2009-10-29T08:47:30Z

Date of Birth : 29 October 1963

Location : New York City, New York, USA

Mr. Minear came to "The X Files" in 1998 after serving successfully as executive story editor on "Lois and Clark : The New Adventures of Superman." His episode credits on "Lois and Clark" include "Brutal Youth," "Twas the Night Before Mxymas," "Meet John Doe" and "I've Got You Under My Skin". Prior to that he spent two seasons living in New Zealand where he worked on the syndie hour-drama "High Tide." He received both writing and co-producing credits during his tenure. Other credits include story editor for Aaron Spelling's "Robin's Hoods," writer for New World's "The New Adventures of Zorro" and co-writer (with Reider of the political thriller "The Infiltrator". Mr. Minear studied film at Cal State University, Long Beach. IMDb Mini Biography By : Anonymous

Tim joined ABC's "Lois & Clark" at the beginning of the 1996-97 television season. His first script for the series, "Brutal Youth," found Lois and Clark pondering issues of mortality, married life and love while tracking a mad-scientist who had invented a criminal way to restore youth to the aged. Tim next penned the script for "Lois & Clark's" 1996 Christmas episode, "'Twas the Night Before Mxymas," in which a selfish elf from the fifth dimension attempted to rid Metropolis of hope — and therefore Superman — but, of course, did not succeed.

When he was a child, Tim Minear's parents chastised him for doing his homework while watching television. Little did they know he was planning a career. A Trekie long before there was a "Next Generation," Tim grew up in Whittier, California and began making super 8 movies in his backyard at the age of nine. He studied film at Cal State University at Long Beach and began his professional career in film as a production assistant then assistant director on such films as "Re-Animator," "The Men's Club," "Dudes" and "Platoon." After penning several "spec" feature scripts, Tim worked for a time as a "script doctor," re-writing on low budget feature films. His television credits include "The New Adventures Of Zorro," "Robin's Hoods" for Aaron Spelling and "Two" for Stephen Cannell. He spent two years as co-producer on "High Tide," a surfer/detective/comedy/drama/any-excuse-to-show-lots-of-girls-in-bikin is hour syndicated show. While working on "High Tide," Tim got to live for a year in New Zealand. IMDb Mini Biography By : Anonymous

Trivia

Signed a seven-figure deal with 20th Century Fox to continue working on 'Angel' and create, write, produce and maybe even direct new series for the studio [2001]

Left "Angel" (1999/I) after its third season to join Joss Whedon's new show "Firefly" (2002/I). Because "Angel" showrunner David Greenwalt left at the same point to write/produce "Miracles" (2003) he still remained involved in the story breaking process of the first seven season 4 "Angel" episodes. When "Firefly" was canceled after 15 episodes he returned to "Angel" and wrote/directed the season finale "Home". But he didn't return for season 5, because he felt that after his exit the "power vacuum" on "Angel" was filled and "business was taken care of, and quite well." He then came in contact with the pilot for the new show "Wonderfalls" (2004) and because that show needed an experienced showrunner he became involved.

Where Are They Now

(April 2004) Adapting Robert Heinlein's "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" into a script.

Tim Minear - "Alien Nation" Tv Series - Earthsmightiest.com Interview

Webmaster — 2009-07-06T19:35:31Z

Tim Minear, whose credits include The X-Files, Lois & Clark : The New Adventures of Superman, Angel, Firefly, Wonderfalls, The Inside, Drive and, most recently, Dollhouse, is currently developing a new take on Alien Nation for the SyFy Channel. What follows is Newcomers Among Us' exclusive interview with Minear conducted by Edward Gross.

Click on the link :

http://www.earthsmightiest.com/fansites/aliennation

Tim Minear - "Alien Nation" Tv Series - SyFy explores a remake

Webmaster — 2009-07-05T19:50:59Z

Sci Fi Channel, which on July 6 will relaunch as SyFy, is developing a new take on the 1988 movie Alien Nation. Tim Minear (Angel, Firefly) will pen the series.

Previously adapted in 1989 as a short-lived Fox series (succeeded by five TV-movies), Alien Nation follows a human cop and his alien detective partner, against the backdrop of Earth's begrudging assimilation of ETs banished from their home world, where they served as slaves. The original film starred James Caan and Mandy Patinkin (sporting a prosthetic scalp).

"It's genre mixed with procedural mixed with funny mixed with big, giant scary," Minear told Variety. "I love serialized stuff, but this is also a cop franchise. That Starsky & Hutch/Lethal Weapon buddy-cop comedy is absent from TV right now."

With the alien outcasts still segregated from human society 20 years after their arrival, Minear also plans to touch on "the idea of a ghettoized minority... racism, terrorism, assimilation, immigration. And there's room for satire."

Minear sees SyFy as a good fit for such a saga, noting, "On cable, you can play with ambiguity."

With the cabler hoping to cast a wider net under the SyFy brand, programming executive VP Mark Stern told Variety an Alien Nation reboot is "very much in keeping with what we've been looking to do — find themes that are more than just hard sci-fi, something that feels contemporary and relevant and invites a broad audience in."

"The challenge," he said, "is how do you do it in a way that will reinvent it without it feeling like a derivative rehash. [Minear's] approach felt like it wouldn't be a traditional adaptation. We got excited."

Tim Minear - "Alien Nation" Tv Series Remake - He will work with Fox 21

Webmaster — 2009-07-01T11:49:28Z

Sci Fi is developing a new take on "Alien Nation," the 1988 feature that previously spawned a spinoff series on Fox.

"Angel" alum Tim Minear — no stranger to sci-fi tales, having worked on "The X-Files," "Firefly" and "Strange World" — is penning the fresh take on the franchise. Fox 21, the alternative production arm of 20th Century Fox TV, will produce.

"Alien Nation" centers on the partnership between a veteran cop and his alien detective partner, set against the larger tale of alien "newcomers" who move to Earth and attempt to assimilate into society.

Fox 21 topper Chris Carlisle said he believed "Alien Nation" could rep the next franchise revival for Sci Fi, which found huge success in dusting off "Battlestar Galactica" and reworking it for today's auds. Carlisle said "Alien Nation" works both as a sci-fi piece and a procedural drama.

"It's absolute perfect timing for this type of show," Carlisle said. "They're looking for more grounded sci-fi and close-ended episodes, and at the heart of 'Alien Nation,' it's a cop movie. It's grounded. And it has a tremendous amount of dramatic possibilities and humor."

Sci Fi is also looking to broaden its footprint, as it preps to rebrand itself as "Syfy" next week.

"It's very much in keeping with what we've been looking to do — find themes that are more than just hard sci-fi, something that feels contemporary and relevant and invites a broad audience in," said Sci Fi original programming exec VP Mark Stern.

The new "Alien Nation" would include a mythology that evolves over time and will also touch on some of the issues of the day, such as the immigrant experience and how society integrates an incoming culture.

Minear said he's looking forward to incorporating a mix of all the different kinds of series he's written in the past.

"It's genre mixed with procedural mixed with funny and mixed with big, giant scary," Minear said. "I love serialized stuff, but this is also a cop franchise. That 'Starsky and Hutch'/'Lethal Weapon' buddy cop comedy is absent from TV right now."

Minear is currently busy outlining the "Alien Nation" script and mapping out the project's mythology. The new "Alien Nation" will likely take place in the Pacific Northwest, and will take place about 20 years after the first ship of aliens - who have been banished as slaves - crash lands into Earth.

By the time the show begins, some time in the 2020s, the alien population has multiplied from a few thousand to 3.5 million. And much of the "newcomers" live their own segregated existence, in what Minear compares to the North African ghettos in France.

"You can take (the original 'Alien Nation') a step forward and really do a show that encompasses the clash of civilizations, and the idea of a ghettoized minority," he said. "You can touch on racism, terrorism, assimilation, immigration. And there's room for satire."

The original film, which took place in 1991, was helmed by Graham Baker and written by Rockne S. O'Bannon (with an uncredited revise by James Cameron). Mandy Patinkin and James Caan starred as alien cop Sam Francisco and his reluctant human partner, respectively ; Terence Stamp also starred.

In 1989, 20th Century Fox TV and Kenneth Johnson Prods. adapted the movie for Fox, with Eric Pierpoint and Gary Graham in the lead roles. The show lasted just a single season but spawned a series of books.

The TV show was revived in 1994 as a series of telepics for Fox, starting with "Alien Nation : Dark Horizon." Five TV movies were ultimately aired ; the last, "Alien Nation : The Udara Legacy," ran in 1997.

Stern said Sci Fi had been looking at "Alien Nation" as a potential franchise for several years and had talked to several writers about ways to update the concept for modern auds.

"The challenge is how do you do it in a way that will reinvent it without it feeling like a derivative rehash," he said. "We sat down with Tim, who is someone we'd been looking to work with for quite a while, and his approach felt like it wouldn't be a traditional adaptation. We got excited."

Minear said he'd been anxious to develop for cable - and in particular, Sci Fi. The success of "Battlestar" fueled his interest in reviving "Alien Nation," he said.

"Twenty years (after 'Alien Nation'), TV as a whole has evolved, and you can explore issues and go deeper with subject matter than you ever could before," Minear said. "On cable, you can play with ambiguity. This is a place I want to be."

Tim Minear - The Write Environment - Strike.tv Interview

Webmaster — 2009-04-04T18:10:46Z

Click on the link :

http://www.strike.tv/show/the-write-environment/tim-minear/

Tim Minear will be interviewed live at The Writers Store on March 28, 2009

Webmaster — 2009-02-08T20:49:56Z

Hosted by The Write Environment, happening 11am March 28th in Westwood, California.

Click on the link :

http://www.facebook.com/event.php ?eid=123274080385

Tim Minear - "Driver" Tv Series - Unaired Sequence - Watch The Video

Webmaster — 2008-11-09T20:24:02Z

Click on the link :

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php ?v=34989531724&saved

Tim Minear - Filmmaker's Workshop Los Angeles September 2008 - Filmschoolstudent.com Report

Webmaster — 2008-09-25T08:58:49Z

Talking with Working TV Writers/Directors

One of the most important things a filmmaker needs to do is interact with people doing what they want to be doing. For years I said I wanted to direct but until I got on a real set, spoke with a real director, and watched him work I didn't really know what it meant. My brother and I have been fortunate enough to meet some really cool people in the industry, both directors and writers. This helps to make the whole thing real. If they can do it, so can you. (And it's also a really good idea to expand your network.)

My brother and I recently returned from LA. We were out there for a filmmaker's workshop. There were several accomplished producers, directors, and screenwriters who spoke on various panels. It was a wonderful time to hear from people who actually work in the industry about how the industry works and how they do what they do.

My favorite panel was about TV writing. There were two writers on the panel. Daisy Gardner is a screenwriter who has won an Emmy for her work on 30 Rock. She has written for South Park and now writes for Californication.

Tim Minear was the show runner on Firefly (one of my favorite shows) as well as Angel. He has written for several other shows including X-Files and Lois and Clark. He also directs TV.

The biggest thing that struck me about these two writers is that they were normal people. They were helpful and encouraging. The panel was great. My brother and I dominated the session with questions about the writing process in television.

We were excited to hear that shows LOVE to hire writing partners. They get two people for one paycheck. Not such good news for us but still, being writing partners does not disqualify us from writing for TV and may actually help our chances.

The question of breaking in to the industry came up. Their best advice is to write spec scripts from shows that you either want to write for or are similar to the shows you want to write for. Then send those out to everyone you know in the industry and hope one lands in a show runner's office. It seems like that might be easier than getting people to read your big-budget action script.

After the Q and A, we approached Mr. Minear and asked him a few more questions regarding directing. The first – How do we break into directing for TV ? His answer was to write for TV. He said it is so easy to transition from writing a show to directing a few episodes here and there.

The next question I asked - What is your advice for working with actors ? He just shrugged and said, “It's intuitive.” I take that to mean, “Don't overcomplicate it.” (Which sounds very much like advice David Mamet would give.)

The last question I asked him - What advice do you have for directing a scene ? His advice was to spend time in the editing room. Listen to the editors cursing the director for not getting a certain shot that they really needed and make sure to get that shot. He said it's nice to do fancy shots but at the end of the day, just cover it. Get the wide, the 2-shot, and the close-ups.

As a director, I always compare myself to Steven Spielberg and come up short. But here was a working director in the business with TONS of experience and he seems to be saying keep it simple.

Tim Minear - "Wonderfalls" Tv Series - Crossover with Pushing Daisies ?

Webmaster — 2008-07-29T06:38:27Z

Mary Ann Marie Beetle, a character from the “Muffin Buffalo” episode of “Wonderfalls,” will turn up in a season-two episode of ABC's “Pushing Daisies,” series mastermind Bryan Fuller told the ComicCon crowd Saturday.

Fuller, who created both "Daisies" and "Wonderfalls," said he'd love to have “Wonderfalls” central character Jaye Tyler turn up on “Daisies” as well.

Other season-two news :

* Kids have been cast to play young Emerson Cod and young Olive Snook.

* Chuck and Olive will remain roomies.

* Chuck's Aunts will visit the Pie Hole and end up in a nunnery.

* David Arquette has been cast as Ned's new best friend.

Tim Minear - "The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress" Movie - Read the Script

Webmaster — 2008-06-25T20:43:52Z

Tim Minear's “The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress” Script

Remember the Browncoat Backup Bash back in 2006 ? Tim Minear showed up and among other things, gave away the script he wrote for “The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress”. Well, we finally have a copy of it, and we are making it available for download.

Click on the link :

http://socalbrowncoats.com/images/moonfriday.pdf