Aaron Ashmore And Luke Macfarlane Join Syfy's Bounty Hunter Adventure Killjoys

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Aaron Ashmore And Luke Macfarlane Join Syfy's Bounty Hunter Adventure Killjoys

By Nick Venable 2014-07-22 18:39:37

Syfy is on the road towards a potentially exciting renaissance, with a crop of new series aimed at more traditional science fiction fans. One of the network’s more questionable original tales is the bounty hunter adventure Killjoys, which just found its three lead characters in Aaron Ashmore (Smallville), Luke Macfarlane (Brothers and Sisters) and Hannah John-Kamen (The Hour). Will these three have enough chemistry to make you want to follow them all over the universe?

Written by Lost Girl creator Michelle Lovretta, Killjoys centers on three interplanetary bounty hunters who only follow the money as they travel long distances to capture their marks. Everything takes place within the Quad, a sectioned-off area on the outskirts of a massive class war happening between some planets. I’m rather unsure of just how large-scale this setting will be.

In any case, Ashmore will play a peaceful chap named John Jaqobis, who isn’t entirely unfamiliar with how to defend himself, since he’s a smartass with a penchant for overstepping his boundaries. Macfarlane will play D’avin, the hardass former military grunt who is an all-around pro with weapons and his hands…which are also weapons. John-Kamen will play Dutch, the attractive and lethal crew member who has an uncanny ability to earn people’s respect, usually with her wily ways. But, as TV Line puts it, “there is a maturity and deep solemnity stemming from a dark past.” Major deepness out in space, guys.

Will this be more like Firefly or like an average Syfy production? The network also has the space-based Ascension, The Expanse and a Blake’s 7 remake being made, so if this has to be the worst of that pack, so be it. There are other series Killjoys already sounds better than, such as the so-so-looking 12 Monkeys series or Z Nation.

I suppose I have faith in these three principal actors. Ashmore, brother of Shaun, played Jimmy Olsen through several seasons of Smallville before finding another meaty part as Steve Jinks on Syfy’s Warehouse 13. He has a burgeoning film career, and will next be seen in Alejandro Amenábar’s thriller Regression opposite Emma Watson and Ethan Hawke.

Macfarlane, meanwhile, was on the 2013 Canadian comedy series Satisfaction, not to be confused with USA’s current drama. He’ll also soon be seen in the Hallmark Movie Channel’s original flick The Memory Book. The British John-Kamen has had bit parts in series such as Whitechapel and most recently the crime miniseries Happy Valley.

Killjoys goes into production next month in Toronto, and is looking to get its ten-episode first season on the air at some point in 2015.

Luke stars in Syfy's "Killjoys"

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‘Brothers & Sisters’ Alum Luke MacFarlane, Hannah John-Kamen and Aaron Ashmore Join Syfy's ‘Killjoys’

TV | By Linda Ge on July 22, 2014 @ 10:56 am

The 10-episode “space adventure” begins production in Toronto on Aug. 5

“Brothers & Sisters” alum Luke MacFarlane, Hannah John-Kamen and Aaron Ashmore have been cast as the leads in Syfy's newest scripted series “Killjoys,” the cable network announced Tuesday.

From Temple Street Productions, the producers of “Orphan Black,” and Michelle Lovretta, the creator of “Lost Girl” who also serves as writer and showrunner, “Killjoys” follows a trio of interplanetary bounty hunters sworn to remain impartial as they chase deadly warrants throughout the Quad, a distant system on the brink of a bloody, multi-planetary class war.

See video: Aaron Stanford Travels Back in Time in First Trailer for Syfy's '12 Monkeys’

Chris Grismer (“Vampire Diaries”) will direct the pilot and additional episodes. The 10-episode, one-hour series will begin production in Toronto on Aug. 5 and will premiere on Syfy in 2015. It will also debut simultaneously in Canada on Space.

Brendan Fehr Clears The Air - The Backlot

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Brendan Fehr Clears The Air, Proud of His Work on “The Night Shift”

by Jim Halterman | July 15, 2014

Actor Brendan Fehr (R) as Dr. Drew Alister on NBC’s The Night ShiftPhotos: NBC

First, TheBacklot posted a story about an interview actor Brendan Fehr gave with TooFab where he talked about some of his uncomfortable feelings with acting out some of the scenes with on-screen love interest Luke Macfarlane. on the NBC series, The Night Shift.

That story created a whole lot of buzz from our readers, so Fehr responded via Twitter, which we posted in a follow-up story.

So, what did the actor have to say when we caught up with him at the NBC Universal party during the current Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour? Plenty.

The actor owned up to not being too eloquent in his previous statements, talked about how he’s still learning about a community he is not a part of but is portraying on the show and he also joked about working with a good looking guy like Macfarlane.

Series co-creator Jeff Judah was also present to answer questions about the shaping of Fehr’s character and what we’ll see in season 2– including more of Luke Macfarlane!

TheBacklot: Talk to me about your preconceptions about the show and the role.

Brendan Fehr: I don’t think there were any preconceived notions, per se. I mean, I knew what the first script was and I knew how I was going to play him, and I knew the kind of character they wanted me to play. That I was excited about. I think it’s a character that really hasn’t…not that it’s necessarily groundbreaking, but I’m not sure that there’s a character like this on television. I’m not sure we’ve ever seen a gay guy played this particular way, you know what I mean?

In terms of a fighter and…there’s nothing really feminine about him. He’s sensitive and we’ve seen him cry. It’s not like he’s some closed off robot, but I don’t recall ever seeing it. So that was something I was excited about. But I was just trying to be realistic in the fact that we live in America and being gay still isn’t accepted by all people for all the things.

So I think I got in a lot of trouble about the risks and the rewards. It was always going to be a reward for me in terms of what I was able to accomplish with it and what I wanted to do. But the risks were obviously in terms of other fans out there. I’ve got a big female [fan] base to a certain degree. Would some people not really want to see me in that role? With the Midwest where people watch TV, would they kind of reject me as an actor in that role? I think those were the risks I was talking about.

And it kind of played itself out and me being straight and not knowing that world entirely and then asked to represent that world. There’s a risk there because there’s going to be miscommunication. I don’t know that world as a gay guy or gay woman who’s grown up in that. You recognize the passion and what these people have gone through and what they’re fighting for, but it’s still not second nature to me. It’s still something that I have to put myself in someone else’s shoes for.

Everything I said in that interview I could have made it clearer and more eloquent. I’m not the most eloquent person in the world. I’m kind of a meat and potatoes type of guy. I hope people have enough common sense to figure out what kind of person I am and to give me the benefit of the doubt when it could go either way.

I do stand by everything [and] I was just being realistic about all the possible things. I was having conversations with people and I took the role and I love the role. I’m proud of what I’ve done with it. I just want to focus on the positive stuff too because it’s fun to kind of go tit for tat with people. I’m that kind of person where I like confrontation. This isn’t the place for it and I think this is one where I want people to like him, you know what I mean?

I had some critics and they said something about playing gay. I said I don’t play him gay, I play him human. Do I get to do some gay stuff? Yes, of course. But it’s like he’s a human being. I play the emotions. I play what he feels. I think that’s the most important part and that’s why I love him because he’s a really specific character. He stands out for me on this show. There are still risks because he is such a great character. Because I am representing something, which is a little bit foreign to me, which makes it exciting. But I don’t want to cater to just the LGBT community. I want people who don’t like homosexuals to begrudgingly go ‘you know, I guess the gay kid’s all right.’ You know what I mean? I want them to be sitting there in Nebraska on their couch going ‘I like the gay one.’

Fehr (l) in a scene with Luke Macfarlane
[Executive Producer/co-creator Jeff Judah joins us]

TBL: The finale is coming up. What can we expect with Drew?

Jeff Judah: His story in the finale is he’s stepping up from being a second year resident to sort of running things more…he’s got to step up and [he’s] got to go out with TC (Eoin Macken]. Suddenly, to us, it’s the Drew character witnessing his surrogate big brother starting to lose his s**t. The person that he’s like ‘this is my guy, this is who I want to be, oh shit.’

BF: Jill [Flint’s] character, Jordan, she gives me the responsibility. She’s like ‘you’ve got to watch TC.’ So, the tables turn a little bit where we’ve got to go to this factory fire and I kind of see him, like Jeff said, unraveling. It’s certainly not a changing of the guard.

JJ: It’s like this slow destruction of everyone’s big brother and hero going to a place of ‘what do we do now?’ For Brendan’s character, Drew, that was a lot of the main thing of this guy like I want to be him. Then suddenly there’s a cost to this…there are elements of PTSD but it’s really about the thing that happens.

(l to r) Eoin Macken, Macfarlane and Fehr

TBL: What would your hope be for Drew in season two? Hopefully Luke will come back.

BF: I mean, I love Luke. He was a great guy. I think it’s just a matter of seeing Drew just grow as a surgeon. I kind of bridge that gap between Eoin, Jill and Ken [Leung’s] characters. They’re kind of the surgeons and then you have the residents. I’m right in between there. But I think in terms of what we see at the end of this [season], I think he’s got to step up a little bit and I think we’re going to see that in season two where he’s going to grow as a surgeon and then he’s going to be a part of helping out that hospital. I think there’s going to be a little bit more of the presence of the veterans and the military. I think we’re going to try and fit that into Drew’s storyline within the hospital setting.

TBL: Well, if you had to get broken in to playing a gay role, doing it with Luke Macfarlane is not a bad thing.

BF: [laughs] No, it’s not. I got pissed when they hired someone who was better looking than I was! I was like ‘I want to be the good looking one in this relationship, assholes.’

JJ: We used to joke about when we were editing it because they look so much alike, we’re like ‘is he gay or is he just into himself?’

TBL: I’m guessing the sexuality part is not going to be as big of an issue because a lot of it’s been dealt with, right?

JJ: I can tell you more about it. My brother-in-law is gay and lives in Baltimore. I’ve been with my wife 21 years, so I’ve known him for 23 years. I’ve seen this is in the bear world.

TBL: [to Brendan] Do you know about the bears?

BF: [laughs] I do know about the bears.

JJ: My brother-in-law’s world has never been reflective. The guys he knows are FedEx drivers and UPS guys and it’s Baltimore, blue collar guys. When we first pitched the show, when I first talked to Bob [Greenblatt, NBC Chairman] about it, it’s like every gay guy you see in television wears green checked suits and sings show tunes. It annoys the shit out of me because it’s not the experience that I’ve had through my brother-in-law, who I’m very close to. So I’ve been with him and he’s married now. It’s like, the guys aren’t like that. They’re just not like it. It’s a different world and you’re seeing that with all the athletes coming out. I mean we were really dogmatic in trying to nail it of just saying it’s a different world.

TBL: So, assuming you get Luke back for season two…

JJ: He’ll be back.

TBL: Good! Do you have an idea where the story will go for that relationship?

JJ: A lot of it is we’re going to get into the VA of it all. Luke is a wounded warrior now. There’s a place called The Intrepid Center that I’ve been telling Brendan about in San Antonio, which is just mind blowing. They have these apartments setup so if someone loses a leg [or] an arm, they go there and they learn how to be self-sufficient. They have this three dimensional video machine thing. If someone lost their legs, they’ll put them on this table and it kind of vibrates. It gives the feeling of running. Their body is projected on legs and it shows what it’s going to look like for them. They actually see themselves running.

The season finale of The Night Shift airs tonight at 10pm on NBC.

The Night Shift 1.06 - The Backlot

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“The Night Shift” 1.06 Kevin Would Never Have Let This Happen

by snicks | July 2, 2014

Previously, on The Night Shift …
It’s been a busy week on this site for NBC’s The Night Shift. First we learned of Brendan Fehr‘s tone deaf comments about playing gay, then we posted our interview with the always smart and endearing Luke Macfarlane.

Luke finally made his flesh & blood debut on the show last night, but it was not a happy reunion for Captain Rick and Doc Drew. Let’s take a look at the drama.

Rick is on his way home, traveling through the Texas landscape on a bus accompanied by his subordinates, including the sweet, unassuming PFC Wilson, who talks to his mom on the phone about “cake and spaghetti.” (the show missed an easy heartstring opportunity by not having him call it “psghetti”).

Rick is talking to Drew, promising that he brought back a case of “Atomic Palm Grip-It.” Calm down, people. I checked, and it’s not what you think.

Rick complains about the apples in the army, and Drew tells them there a dozen waiting for him in his kitchen. This is a sweet and natural scene, until Drew is interrupted with hospital business, and he brusquely barks into the phone, “Yeah, so if you could have those windows fixed this week, that’s be great.” Rick rolls his eyes and says “I love you, too.” Oh Drew.

Drew is excited about being able to see Rick tonight, and he has a nice scene with BFF Krista where he can barely contain his giddiness, but it all comes crashing down when they learn that a bus carrying good-looking soldiers has been in an accident, and Drew’s worst fears are realized when Rick is among the severely injured.

Knowing he still has to keep their relationship secret, he confides in T.C. (who he has already come out to), and T.C. promises to give Rick extra attention (we can always tell how high on the dedication meter T.C. is by his neck veins, and right now he’s at Full Bulge!)

When Drew gets all flustered, T.C. orders him out of the room, and gets to work … but it doesn’t look good. A groggy Rick eventually comes to and has a very awkward moment with Drew in front of the other soldiers.

Rick: “Drew, what are you doing here?”

Drew: “Uh … I work here. Ric and I went through basic together. I’m an ER doctor at San Antonio Memorial. Anyway, you were in a bus accident on Highway 1-90.”

Rick: “I was going to make you an omelot after work.”

Drew is ready to become a heap on the floor, but T.C. covers by laughing and saying “I may have given him too many meds.” Smooth.

After the soldiers exit, Drew explains to Rick what’s happened, and they’re going to do everything they can to save his leg. They have another sweet scene about Rick’s grey hairs, and we see that Luke smile that we’ve missed for a few years.

After Rick passes out, Drew has a medium-sized meltdown in a storage room, where he tells BFF Krista that he wishes he could talk to Rick the way he wants to, but there are too many prying eyes around, and he doesn’t want to outed, and be known as the “Gay Doctor.”

Things go from bad to worse when Doctor Dimples informs Rick that they have no choice but to amputate his leg. Drew tried to keep Rick calm, but Rick goes all “What do you mean I have to attend another Walker family dinner?”

Still in denial, Rick goes after Drew in front of Dr. Landry, basically outing him, and accusing him of being scared. But then something tragic and totally expected happens to shake him to the core.

Well, he’s almost a Red Shirt

PFC Wilson dies. But at least now he can have all the cake and psghetti he wants in heaven. Rick finally accepts his fate, and agrees to the surgery. But when he reaches out for Drew’s hand …

Oh Drew.

Rick is about to be wheeled into the OR, and he’s clearly terrified, but Drew is still refusing to be by his side. Thankfully, BFF Krista takes him down a peg, telling him that if he doesn’t stand by Rick in his time of need, he never has the right to talk about being “tough” again. This finally gets through to him, and something remarkable happens ..

That’s it! Drew is out in the hospital now, like it or not. There are only two more episodes left, and Luke is not scheduled for another appearance, so I guess we’ll have to imagine his recovery. But the show was renewed by NBC yesterday for a 14-epsiode second season, so hopefully we’ll see him when the show comes back.

As for Drew, it’s unclear whether his coming out will be addressed in the final two episodes (next week promises a “shooter in the ER” story), but we’ll see where he goes from here.

Will you be sticking around now that Luke has had his moment?

Luke in The Night Shift 106