The attention at the TCA press tour [0] shifts to CBS today, but there are still a few great NBC tidbits to share from the network's two days at the press tour:
- "Chuck" [0] star Zachary Levi (above), Pop's new favorite person [1], took first place in a live version of "The Singing Bee" at NBC's all-star party on Tuesday night, beating out Scott Porter of "Friday Night Lights" [1], an Us Weekly writer, and a tone-deaf TV critic [2]. The highlight: Levi's perfect rendition of the chorus from "Breakfast at Tiffany's." Oh, the mid-'90s. Check out Pop for more great pictures of the party [3].
- "Bionic Woman" producers answered several questions about their casting of Isaiah Washington [3] as a guest star for several episodes early this season. The character existed before Washington was brought on board, but the role was changed slightly to fit the number of episodes Washington was signed for. NBC entertainment co-chairman Ben Silverman brought Washington to the producers, rather than the producers going after Washington on their own. And they said they believe in giving Washington a chance to make amends. "Rather than excommunicate someone," executive producer Jason Smilovic said, "we felt that it was better to give him a second chance."
Two more bits, so
- The "Bionic" producers also talked a bit about the new role for the main character's little sister, who now will be played by Lucy Hale [4]. To help move the story forward, they've given the sister a background in computer hacking. And the sister is no longer deaf; that, the producers explained, had been a way to get the main character talking in sign language to chimps in a research lab, but when the lab and the chimps were written out of later drafts of the show, there was no reason for the deaf sister to stay.
- The "Journeyman" [4] producers shrugged off comparisons between their show and The Time Traveler's Wife [4], with creator Kevin Falls explaining that he's been writing about time travel for years and knows very little about the book. Star Gretchen Egolf said her friends who loved Time Traveler's Wife actually seem more open to watching the show because of the book.
Source [5]