Central City Citizen: The New Media Thread

[Trini]

No official announcement is out yet, but apparently Candice Patton (and other Black women associated with WBTV) took part in a panel for the NAACP Image Awards. No date for the awards or panel yet, but the next awards ceremony should happen sometime in February 2021.

 

 

[Trini]

Didn't find out until today, but Danielle Nicolet and Kayla Compton had a virtual panel at Brazil's CCXP today:

 

 

[adora721]

On 12/5/2020 at 4:33 AM, cambridgeguy said:

And there's no doubt that big, flashy crossovers do drum up interest from more casual fans.  Yeah, you might annoy the die hards (if I wanted to watch these other characters I'd check out their shows, dammit) but the trade off is worth it if you can suck in more people.

Here's the thing, the crossovers give a temporary bump in ratings for the shows. However, what happens afterwards is that the individual show ratings go back down to their normal levels. You can see this for yourself at various sites that track show ratings such as tvseriesfinale.com.  Therefore, the trade off doesn't really pay off in new viewers after the crossover.

By not doing the crossovers well for the current fans, DC risks losing these fans to chase new viewers. However, if DC took the time, as Marvel has done to develop th,e characters and their interactions better, DC properties would be doing better.

[cambridgeguy]

8 minutes ago, adora721 said:

Here's the thing, the crossovers give a temporary bump in ratings for the shows. However, what happens afterwards is that the individual show ratings go back down to their normal levels. You can see this for yourself at various sites that track show ratings such as tvseriesfinale.com.  Therefore, the trade off doesn't really pay off in new viewers after the crossover.

By not doing the crossovers well for the current fans, DC risks losing these fans to chase new viewers. However, if DC took the time, as Marvel has done to develop th,e characters and their interactions better, DC properties would be doing better.

So maybe there's no net gain, but apparently there's no net loss either.  There's still the big difference between TV and movies.  Crossover episodes suck?  Fine, that's one or two out of 20ish.  Any viewer who will leave after a couple of crappy episodes is not going to last long with most series.  Crappy crossover movie?  Looks like you're out of luck for a couple of years.

[adora721]

5 hours ago, cambridgeguy said:

So maybe there's no net gain, but apparently there's no net loss either.  There's still the big difference between TV and movies.  Crossover episodes suck?  Fine, that's one or two out of 20ish.  Any viewer who will leave after a couple of crappy episodes is not going to last long with most series.  Crappy crossover movie?  Looks like you're out of luck for a couple of years.

But there is a net loss because every time DC fails, it damages its brand. It makes fans question the quality of DC offerings. It makes fans skittish about investing in the next DC project, be it a TV show, a movie, or its streaming service (HBOMax).  Losing the faith/trust of the fandom is a loss. Marvel has so many hits that even a relatively "bad" movie or two or three doesn't damage the brand or keep fans from investing in the next iteration of a Marvel product, including TV shows about second and third-tier characters.

Edited December 9, 2020 by adora721

[Trini]

Carlos and Tom's 2020 Season's Greetings:

🎄

 

[Trini]

Wasn't sure if they'd do any holiday posts this year:

 

[Trini]

WB billboard with all the CW/DC shows:

 

[catrice2]

On 12/6/2020 at 12:45 AM, Trini said:

No official announcement is out yet, but apparently Candice Patton (and other Black women associated with WBTV) took part in a panel for the NAACP Image Awards. No date for the awards or panel yet, but the next awards ceremony should happen sometime in February 2021.

 

 

There is one person on this panel who has no business being there 

[Trini]

Reminder that the Critic's Choice Super Awards is this weekend; The Flash has two nominations:

 

[Trini]

Finally some casting news!

Jon Cor to Play DC Comics Villain, Chillblaine

(Putting the details in the spoiler thread)

[Trini]

Grant has spoken with the new Batwoman about cowl-wearing, etc:

Quote

"It definitely isn't a pair of pajamas that are very relaxing to lay around in," Leslie told Insider about her customized suit. "But, it's funny because I talked to Grant [Gustin] about the cowl because he lives in his cowl for 'The Flash.'"

"Leading up [to the show,] he and I talked a lot about everything," she said about her fellow Arrowverse super friend.

But there was one thing Grant didn't warn her about.

"I said to him, 'Man, you didn't tell me how uncomfortable that cowl is going to be,'" Leslie said.

"Definitely having something so heavy on my face all day is probably the most uncomfortable part, a little more uncomfortable than the suit," she continued, "which is why I really love when Ryan gets to just wear the suit without the cowl."

https://www.insider.com/batwoman-javicia-leslie-flash-grant-gustin-2021-1

[Trini]

CW CEO Mark Pedowitz did some press, and keeping in mind that it's like his job to express things as optimistically as possible, I pulled some quotes related to The Flash and the DC shows in general:

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/how-the-cw-is-plotting-a-return-to-business-as-usual-during-a-pandemic

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With two veteran shows — Supergirl and Black Lightning — ending, how much more room on the schedule do you anticipate you'll have? You're making straight to series decisions based on a slate that will have just gotten under way.

We'll have space for three or four shows for next season, 2021-22. We're sorry to see Supergirl and Black Lightning go, but we're happy to have Naomi, Wonder Girl and Painkiller in the hopper right now. From The CW-DC/Arrow-verse — whatever we're calling it these days! — I think we'll be OK for the next generation. The Flash is new leader with Arrow gone and we're hoping Superman & Lois and Batwoman step up there for a new grouping of shows.

...

How much more life is left in veterans like Flash and Legends as you develop the next wave of the Arrow-verse? Especially when you have Greg Berlanti doing a big-budget Green Lantern and DC world at HBO Max and J.J. Abrams doing Justice League Dark for the streamer?

And they have Matt Reeves' Gotham PD there, too. It always makes me feel good when we're copied. (Laughing.) There's a lot of life left. Greg and I speak quite frequently. I'm not that concerned.  ...

...

Have you considered keeping production on your scripted shows going through the summer given the current covid surge that's happening this winter and the uncertainty in terms of vaccinations and new, more contagious strains? 

We work with the studios on episodic orders and when the shows would end, when they can revert back to a normalized schedule — some can do more easily than others — so we could be there for next October with a more normal schedule. We've sat with the studios and our production partners and have figured this out. Barring catastrophe, we think we're in good shape.

 

https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/cw-boss-mark-pedowitz-unpacks-pandemics-anticipated-effect-on-pilot-season-1234885498/

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Adhering to local governmental and CDC health guidelines has meant stretching out shooting days to ensure safety on set. Like many others in the industry, Pedowitz is looking ahead beyond the current public health crisis.

“This is not going to last forever; hopefully this is a one-season situation. And hopefully, by the time, due to vaccines, that everyone goes into ’21-’22 sometime next summer, we can be back to a more normalized world.”

The CW chief alluded to utilizing acquisitions to bolster the network’s summer schedule, but is hopeful that the 2021-22 season will offer something of a return to normalcy in the lineup.

“I’m hoping to have a schedule that’s a little bit more reflective of the past than what we had this [past] fall,” he said. “Again, a lot of it will be dependent upon where COVID goes, in terms of acquisitions.”

For those watching from home, at least, the “Riverdale” and “The Flash” network should be able to offer its usual escapist fare, with just a few adjustments.

“What you’re not going to get, I don’t think, is the big action moments because of the difficulty of the choreography of that, but you will get greater character moments,” he said. “And for that, it’s well worth it. To the viewer, based on what I’ve seen, I think we’re in pretty good shape.”

 

https://deadline.com/2021/01/the-cw-mark-pedowitz-on-2021-new-season-launch-summer-fall-2021-plans-renewals-cancelations-the-flash-riverdale-swamp-thing-1234673373/

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“Right now, we’re probably going to stay the status quo down the line with everything we have because a) they’re working and b) I’d rather have a known quantity on the air than an unknown quantity,” the CW Chairman and CEO Mark Pedowitz said about the network’s current plans for next season in a fluid situation because of the pandemic.

...

Despite industrywide Covid-related production shutdowns and skyrocketing costs of filming during a pandemic, the CW series are on track to deliver their full orders, Pedowitz said, adding quickly “that could change tomorrow” due to the pandemic.

Additionally, Pedowitz admitted that he may need to “start making hard decisions” depending on the Covid situation over the next few months in order to get back to some sense of normalcy next season with a regular fall lineup. “Do you cut the orders of some of the shows this season so that they have time to ramp up for next season?,” he said. “If it’s an issue, we’ll know by March. You have to end production on whatever you’re doing now in time to turn it around to have a fall.”

...

 

 

[Trini]

Happy Birthday, Jesse!

 

[Trini]

 

[Trini]

Soundtrack info:

 

[Smugcake]

New Funko Pops!

 

[Trini]

On 1/30/2021 at 1:02 AM, Smugcake said:

New Funko Pops!

 

 

Glad they did the new Flash suit, but they should also have an Iris West(-Allen) one by now. If Bloodwork can get one....

 

[Trini]

'...The 16 most ambitious crossover episodes in TV history':

Quote

5. The CW superhero shows, Crisis On Infinite Earths (2019-2020)

Crossovers were nothing new for The CW’s superhero shows when Crisis On Infinite Earths came along, since the characters from Arrow and The Flash had already been holding annual meet-ups for years at that point. It was bigger than every previous crossover, certainly, since it ran for five hours and encompassed five separate shows—Supergirl, DC’s Legends Of Tomorrow, and Batwoman in addition to Arrow and The Flash—but what made it truly ambitious was that Arrowverse producer and Crisis mastermind Marc Guggenheim didn’t stop there. In addition to connecting to those five shows, Crisis was also a crossover with The CW’s Black Lightning, Fox’s Lucifer, the ’90s Flash series, the 2002 Birds Of Prey series, Smallville, Superman Returns, Batman: The Animated Series (via a live-action appearance from voice actor Kevin Conroy), Tim Burton’s Batman movie (with a cameo from Robert Wuhl), the Stargirl show that hadn’t even aired yet, DC Universe’s Titans, the ’60s Batman show (with an appearance from Burt Ward), and even the DC movie universe. In fact, as wild as it is, it’s now canon that Ezra Miller’s Justice League Flash got his superhero name from meeting Grant Gustin’s TV Flash. [Sam Barsanti]

 

[Trini]

New trailer! At EW, but it should be elsewhere soon: https://ew.com/tv/the-flash-season-7-trailer/

The marketing people know how to put together a good trailer, I hope the episodes are as good. On one hand I'm excited to see Iris' 'mindscape' episode (like Barry's when he was under the influence of Bloodwork?), but on the other hand I know it's going to be sad. And yes, everyone needs to be working towards geting Iris out that mirror. It'll be literally a year when the show comes back.

[Trini]

Trailer on youtube:

 

[AveMaria30]

 

[shantown]

So Flash will definitely pass Arrow in terms of number of episodes, yeah?

[Trini]

37 minutes ago, shantown said:

So Flash will definitely pass Arrow in terms of number of episodes, yeah?

If nothing catastrophic happens, then yes. They need 38 more episodes to pass Arrow's 170 episodes. If they can get back to the normal filming schedule, it could happen by the end of Season 8. However, I think it's very likely there'll be a season 9 also.

[cambridgeguy]

They renewed the show but aren't contracts still up?  Obviously they'll give Grant Gustin the CW equivalent of a blank check but everyone else is expendable (if they were willing to make S8 of Arrow without Felicity then if the show isn't named after your character you can go).  It might be harder to find a new job right now but I'd expect at least some of the long term cast members are ready to move on.  For example, CV seems like he's wanted to go do theater for a while now.

[Starry]

I still believe the original cast will be here until the series finale. The Iris and Caitlin haters need to prepare themselves  😉

I agree that Carlos is the most likely to leave after his contract is up but I also think he'd be okay with doing less episodes.

[Trini]

13 hours ago, cambridgeguy said:

It might be harder to find a new job right now but I'd expect at least some of the long term cast members are ready to move on. 

Yes, but I've been thinking the same thing for years now -and everyone's still here-, so I don't even want to guess who's leaving or not. The Flash is actually the anomaly (with CW shows) in which 90% of the original cast is still here seven years later. Grant and Candice are the only ones I'm sure are staying until the end.

[Trini]

New poster!

 

... They've done better. The last few, actually; so this one is a dip down for me. But I'm glad they didn't wait until the last minute.

ETA: Also thought it was interesting the caption they put with the poster on social media: "Love will conquer darkness." -- I assume that's a tease for WestAllen, and how they will tie up the season 6 plots; but I wonder if it applies to Season 7 as well?

Edited February 9, 2021 by Trini

[Trini]

This is more Grant Gustin news, than Flash news (but there isn't a separate thread), anyway, Grant is going to be a father!

He and his wife announced it on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLKlorpl-hh/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLKlJcuBJ_u/

Congrats to them!

But related to the show, this makes me think he's more likely to stick with the show for job security.

[cambridgeguy]

That's great news for them.

Sure, on the one hand having a steady job is going to seem more important.  That being said, maybe working long hours isn't something he'll want to do, especially since he'll have seven seasons worth of paychecks in the bank and plenty of leverage for S8.  Sure, being on the CW means they were (relatively) small for the lead of a successful show but if he has been moderately intelligent with his earnings he and his family are set for life even if he never works again.

[Trini]

Candice Patton is one of E! News' Ones to Watch for Black History Month; video in which she speaks about inclusitivity and representation, speaking up, her fans, and one of her first gigs:

 

Also here: https://twitter.com/enews/status/1361359622691463168

 

[Trini]

Premiere photos are out; Season 7 gallery at TV Line: https://tvline.com/gallery/the-flash-season-7-photos/

[Trini]

TV version of The Flash on the cover of DC's 2021 Essential Graphic Novels. (It's essentially a sales catalog, if I understand correctly.) This year the theme appears to be the versions of DC characters in other media outside comics. The TV versions of Batwoman (R. Wilder) and Superman are there also. Javicia Leslie tweeted about it:

[ETA:] It can be read here: https://www.dcuniverseinfinite.com/comics/book/dc-essentials-graphic-novels-catalog-2021/101c0e9e-2531-4fd8-b482-44d8aa868d8c/

 

 

Edited February 18, 2021 by Trini

[Trini]

Superman super fan, Grant Gustin will be in the Legacy of Hope special for Superman & Lois; although probably only for like 30 seconds:

 

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Looks like Grant gained a little weight?

[Trini]

E!Online article based off Candice's video interview: '... Candice Patton is “Fighting the Good Fight” For Black Representation in Hollywood'

[Trini]

Here's one for KillerVibe fans; hopefully some day Brandon and Kayla get proper cast promo photos so they can be part of the marketing too:

 

[Trini]

Blake Neely says The Flash soundtrack (I'm assuming Season 6) will be out later this week:

 

[Trini]

Grant Gustin in the "Welcome to CW" part of the Legacy of Hope special:

 

Also here: https://twitter.com/CW_TheFlash/status/1364651621649707014

 

Edited February 24, 2021 by Trini

[Trini]

 

 

[Trini]

Interview (and photo shoot) with Candice Patton at Byrdie:

excerpt:

Quote

I think it's really important that you're radically honest about how this time has affected you.

Yeah, and I try not to dwell on it too much publicly because I know there are a lot of people who have it way worse off than I do. So I don't enjoy speaking about it. I know a lot of people think like "Oh, you must be fine. You make money, you're on a TV show, and you're in another country where the numbers aren't as bad." All of those things are true, and I'm really grateful for those things. But mentally, I think it's it's hard on everybody, no matter what standing you have in life. It's just a hard time for everybody. 

I completely agree. One of the positive things about you being there to film this show is you have been able to promote diversity and inclusivity in the industry. What has it meant to be able to play the role of Iris? 

It's been an interesting journey. At first, it was really hard. I think we were doing it at a time where it wasn't cool or being done very often. So there was a lot of pushback, which was hard for me to navigate through. But when I look back on it, I'm proud that I've been able to be a part of this race-bending casting, especially in this genre, because I feel like it's opened the doors for so much more of that. I feel if fans have connected with that, connected with the character, and have enjoyed my time on the show, I'm grateful to have been a part of it.

What do you want equity and inclusion in the industry to look like in the future?

I talk a lot about advocating for more representation behind the camera. I think we're doing a great job of putting people in front of the camera that are diverse. But, it really means nothing if those people are not supported behind the scenes—if they don't have people who know how to do their hair and makeup, people who know how to write for them, directors who understand what they're going through. It's not enough to just put someone in front of the camera that looks a certain way. It's about supporting them,  protecting them, and allowing them the space to do the best work possible.

 

Edited February 28, 2021 by Trini

[Trini]

Interview with Brandon McKnight at Geekset Podcast:

Quote

Brandon McKnight talks the upcoming Season of The Flash, his preperation and build up of Chester P. Runk, Being a Black geek, his love for Video Games & Anime, his personal journey and more!

 

 

[Trini]

Interview with Eric Wallace previewing Season 7 at TVLine:

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TVLINE | You ended last season with three unfinished episodes. Did it in fact wind up taking all three to finish the Eva McCulloch arc?

I don’t know if it’s a spoiler or not, if I can say that, but with the early part of the season we do address last year’s cliffhanger. In the first few episodes we’ll be getting Iris out of the Mirrorverse, all those good things, and we will be wrapping up the Eva McCulloch storyline — before launching into a brand-new Graphic Novel.

TVLINE | You had a long summer and then some to noodle with those leftover episodes. Outside of the whole Ralph thing <...>, did you end up making any changes?

Yes, the first and the third episodes of the season changed. The first changed about 20 percent, let’s say. Our premiere was not intended to be a premiere, so we had to give it an entirely new opening that had more Flash-y action, because people want to see Flash (played by Grant Gustin), and Eva McCulloch in her Mirror costume. We had to re-engineer the entire first third of the premiere, which was a really fun challenge, but I think it made the episode much stronger. ...

 

[Trini]

The love theme continues in the latest twitter post:

 

[Trini]

Finally premiere day!

 

[Trini]

Instagram live interview with Danielle Panabaker today:

 

[Trini]

Quote from Wallace saying he'd like to have Mr. Terriffic and Wally/Kid Flash in the show this season: https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/eric-wallace-the-flash-season-7-interview/

And another Season 7 preview interview at TV Insider:

Quote

Since the hour does not feature appearances by fellow S.T.A.R. Labs staples Cisco (Carlos Valdes) or Caitlin (Danielle Panabaker), he also “had to really pump up the roles for our newest series regulars Brandon McKnight and Kayla Compton and say to the audience that after this episode, Chester and Allegra graduate to full-time status team members.”

 

[Trini]

Note from Grant Gustin's instagram, noting that they are currently filming episode 7.11:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CL7A7TJFWP7/

Quote

Season 7 of The Flash finally premieres tonight after being off the air for the longest stretch of time since we debuted over 7 years ago. I’m super proud of the entire cast & crew for getting through the season up to this point. We’re currently in the middle of episode 711, and as most things in 2020 and 2021, it’s looked and felt a little different this year. It’s not always easy to be shooting a tv show in the current state of the world and under certain restrictions, but I feel really lucky to not only have a job, but to have something familiar to channel my energy into. I know we’re closer to the end of this journey than we are to the beginning and I’m trying to enjoy it as much as possible. We’ll be picking up with what should’ve been the final three episodes of season 6, 2 of which had been almost entirely completed since last March. I hope everyone enjoys season 7!

 

[Trini]

WestAllen support from DC and WB:

Love on the Run: Why Iris and Barry's Relationship Endures 

[ETA:] Glad they got the memo, although CW and the show's social media accounts could do better.

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Edited March 2, 2021 by Trini

[Trini]

Danielle Panabaker's interview with Tommy DiDario here (video): https://www.instagram.com/p/CL7uQTthm7f/

Mentions she and Carlos Valdes used to share a trailer; confirms there will be less than 20 episodes this season; she's excited for episodes 7 and 8; the first "graphic novel" of the season starts at episode 4 and goes to around episode 11; teases a new ability/skill for Frost in episode 11.

[Trini]

A couple of articles with quotes from Eric Wallace about the major plot twists in the Season premiere:

TV Insider, and TV Line.

Longer interview at EW with Wallace talking more about Season 7:

Quote

Do you view this season's "Graphic Novels" as a direct continuation of season 6's, thus naming "Graphic Novel #3" and #4 instead of #1 and #2?

Correct. It's like we're telling a big serialized novel. Every "Graphic Novel" builds on the other. When I originally took over at the beginning of season 6, I had a two-year plan storywise, with an idea of where I wanted [to go] should we get lucky enough to get an eighth season, which we did, because I wanted [the "Graphic Novels"] to build on each other. Which is why at the beginning of season 7, after we wrap up the Eva McCulloch [Efrat Dor] story, the big bad of the first half of season 7 is a direct result of the events of the "Graphic Novel #2." ...