1746 replies to this topic

[Chas411]

Moved this to the appropriate forum

Given that it's another LJ Smith book, Kevin Williamson is penning the pilot and have the Vampire Diaries staff are on board - I would be really shocked if this doesn't get picked up. Brittany Robertson of LUX fame has officially been casted as series lead Cassie Blake, the new girl who moves to a strange town in New Salem.

The CW has picked up its sixth and final pilot this season, the witch tale Secret Circle executive produced by Vampire Diaries co-creator/exec producer Kevin Williamson.

Williamson recently joined the project, based on a three-book series from The Vampire Diaries author L.J. Smith. He worked on the original script penned by Andrew Miller, with the two sharing writer credit. Produced by Alloy Entertainment, WBTV and CBS TV Studios, the companies behind Diaries, Secret Circle tells the story of a young woman who moves to a new town and discovers that not only is she a witch and part of a secret coven, but she’s also the key that will unlock a centuries-old battle of good versus evil.

Miller and Williamson are executive producing Secret Circle with Elizabeth Craft, Sarah Fain and Alloys' Leslie Morgenstein and Gina Girolamo. Vampire Diaries co-creator/exec producer Julie Plec is not currently attached to the project but could come on board in the future.

Secret Circle joins the 5 pilots previously picked up by the CW: Danni Lowinski, Awakening, Hart of Dixie, Heavenly and Cooper and Stone. The network's choices include 2 genre shows, Secret Circle and zombie drama Awakening, one medical drama, Hart of Dixie, one cop show, Cooper and Stone, and one legal drama with supernatural elements, Heavenly.

CW has enlisted Kevin Williamson and others from the "Vampire Diaries" team to shepherd a new fantasy drama pilot, "Secret Circle."

Project marks the sixth pilot CW has on its 2011 development roster. It's expected to be the net's final pickup of pilot season.

"Secret Circle" is based on an Alloy book series penned by "Vampire Diaries" scribe L.J. Smith. Instead of the immortal, this one revolves around the empowered -- a young woman who discovers that she's a witch and part of a secret coven that holds the key to unlocking ancient battle of good and evil.

"Circle" hails from Warner Bros. TV, CBS TV Studios and Alloy Entertainment. Andrew Miller wrote the pilot and exec produces with Williamson, "Vampire Diaries" scribes Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain and Alloy's Leslie Morgenstein and Gina Girolamo

CW picked up five pilots, including the zombie uprising vehicle "Awakening," last week (Daily Variety, Feb. 2).

Source

Characters breakdown is here.

What does everybody think?

[minneapple]

Britt Robertson's role hasn't officially been announced yet. The Cassie role makes the most sense for her, though Diana could also be a possibility.

I'm guessing Williamson helming this means the end of his involvement with Vampire Diaries.

[under the el]

How trippy is it to see a forum for this? I read the books back in the 90s when they were first published, and I wish the show hadn't downsized the coven so much, but that's how it goes.

[Chas411]

http://www.daemonstv...-secret-circle/

According to this and the actress's twitter plus various other outlets, she has in fact been officially cast. I'm not sure about it to be honest, I thought Cassie was a bit of a douche in the books and I hated Lux on LUX so I'm not sure that I see her as a rootable protaginist but then again, I was pessimistic about Elena Gilbert as well.

[minneapple]

According to this and the actress's twitter plus various other outlets, she has in fact been officially cast.

Sorry, I just meant what part she'll be playing in the show hasn't been confirmed yet. From the Daemon's link:

And it’s likely that she will play one of the leads of the show – either Cassie, the female lead or Diana, leader of the coven and Cassie’s best friend.

[Chas411]

Oh really? I could have sworn it confirmed that she's Cassie. I'm probably wrong though. They're shooting next month though I think so we'll probably hear about the other castings in the next week or so?

[PostModem]

I'm pretty disapointed at the loss of both Suzan and Deborah. Yes, they were both "bad girls", but had both grown to be pretty interesting characters by the end of the trilogy. Then again, I was disapointed in the loss of Meredith on Vampire Diaries and that turned out fine.

[Danie84]

Wow, another favorite 90s read becoming a show. Now, if only somebody can turn R.L Stine Fear Street into a series!

Edited by Danie84, Mar 3, 2011 @ 12:01 PM.

[minneapple]

Ouch! SpoilerTV has given the pilot script a D:

Secret Circle

Grade: D

More childish and much less intense compared to the Vampire Diaries. This is more of a high school drama than a fantasy. Some mythology and mystery in the background but ultimately Awakening was a much stronger script and should receive the Vampire Diaries lead-in next season. No strong romance like in the Vampire Diaries to grip the audience

[Ravenwing263]

Remember, though, that the pilot script was written before Kevin Williamson postponed/dropped the Vampire Diaries spin-off to become involved.

Combine that with the slow news on the casting (only one actor announced by March?) and it suggests that what goes in front of cameras will be drastically different then the script that's already done the rounds.

[Serenachan]

I wouldn't have given the Vampire Diaries pilot much more than a D, either. I'm hoping it improves.

[Chas411]

http://www.tvline.co...-secret-circle/

So I haven't seen any of Dekker's work but what's everyone's general thoughts?

[rove3]

Thomas Dekker from my beloved and much missed TSCC? Well now I have to check this out.

[Crim]

I'm pretty excited about Thomas Dekker and Britt Robertson.
BR is indeed Cassie. And Phoebe Tonkin plays Faye.

"No strong romance like in the Vampire Diaries to grip the audience." - Uhm, yay?

Edited by Crim, Mar 16, 2011 @ 6:27 AM.

[Serenachan]

Is the "strong romance" in the Vampire Diaries they're talking about Stefan/Elena? Because if so, then I'm glad we can skip that nonsense. And seriously, how many people did that couple honestly "grip"?

Edited by Serenachan, Mar 16, 2011 @ 10:07 AM.

[paulvdb]

Claire Holt was on Pretty Little Liars this week and now Phoebe Tonkin on The Secret Circle. Is the whole cast of H2O: Just Add Water moving to America?

[rove3]

Is the "strong romance" in the Vampire Diaries they're talking about Stefan/Elena? Because if so, then I'm glad we can skip that nonsense. And seriously, how many people did that couple honestly "grip"?

Certainly not me. I dvr TVD and I always, always fastforward through the Elena/Stefan scenes. And yeah, the TVD pilot was nothing special either.

[minneapple]

I wouldn't have given the Vampire Diaries pilot much more than a D, either.

I would have given it a C. It wasn't that great, but it wasn't awful, either.

I like Stefan/Elena on TVD, but lately the whole show has been dragging, and I'm pretty sure it's because Kevin Williamson is focusing on Secret Circle instead. Which makes me disappointed for the Vampire Diaries but hopeful for the Secret Circle.

Anyway, according to TVLine, Jessica Parker Kennedy is going to play one of the witches in the coven.

[Chas411]

Anyway, according to TVLine, Jessica Parker Kennedy is going to play one of the witches in the coven.

She's playing Melissa, an original character to the tc show who didn't feature in the books.

[Chas411]

Natasha Henstridge has joined the cast as Dawn Chamberlain, Faye's mother and principal of the high school.

http://www.deadline....-secret-circle/

[rove3]

Nick Armstrong has been cast as well. I've never read the books but this says he's the resident "bad boy." Don't know if that means he's a genuine bad boy or the bad boy with a heart of gold type.

[Chas411]

He's a bad boy who falls for the main girl so I'd call him a potential woobie.

Two Australians cast and as Faye and Nick, they're playing the shows more intriguing characters. I hope to god that they can do the American accent.

[Serenachan]

Well. I see Kevin Williamson has taken the criticism about all the Vampire Diaries witches being black to heart, because here we have none at all.

Edited by Serenachan, Mar 23, 2011 @ 10:04 AM.

[minneapple]

Oh, good, a bad boy woobie. No CW show is complete without one! Cue the squees.

[Chas411]

Honestly don't know if if this is good news for the Secret Circle or Vampire Diaries.

Elizabeth Craft And Sarah Fain Exit CW Pilot 'Secret Circle'
By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Wednesday March 23, 2011 @ 1:51pm PDTTags: CW Pilots, Elizabeth Craft, Kevin Williamson, Sarah Fain, Showrunners, The Secret Circle, The Secret Circle Showrunners, The Vampire Diaries, TV, Warner Bros. TV
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Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain have stepped down as executive producers on the CW drama pilot The Secret Circle, based on a three-book series from The Vampire Diaries author L.J. Smith. Under their Warner Bros TV overall deal, the Angel and Dollhouse alums last summer were assigned to supervise writer Andrew Miller in developing the project and serve as showrunners on the potential pilot/series. The project was set up at the CW in October. Then, in January, Kevin Williamson was brought in to rewrite Miller's script. Williamson's draft was picked up to pilot, with him serving as executive producer/showrunner.

Craft and Fain have a longstanding relationship with Williamson: they worked on his WB series Glory Days and currently serve as consulting producers on his CW series with Julie Plec The Vampire Diaries. But despite the three having a great shorthand, the feel was that there was duplication of showrunner duties and too many bosses on Secret Circle. Realizing that with Williamson on board, they were no longer needed as showrunners, Fain and Craft opted to move on and focus on development under their deal at WBTV in what was described as an amicable departure. Fain and Craft previously created/executive produced the ABC series Women's Murder Club and served as showrunners on Dollhouse.

As for Secret Circle, which centers on a California teen (Britt Robertson) who moves to her mom's hometown of New Salem and discovers that she is a witch, Williamson and Miller are exec producing the pilot with Alloy's Leslie Morgenstein and Gina Girolamo. If it goes to series, Plec could come on board, with her and Williamson possibly juggling showrunner duties on Circle and Vampire Diaries next season.

http://www.deadline....-secret-circle/

Oh, good, a bad boy woobie. No CW show is complete without one! Cue the squees.

Oh god, I can already see him pining for Cassie while she pines for Adam. Blah. I don't want to hate Nick.. or Cassie but a manufactured woobie could send me on my way.

[rove3]

Oh, good, a bad boy woobie. No CW show is complete without one! Cue the squees.

Bwah!

[Chas411]

More news. Doug, the seventh coven member and third male character has been dropped from the show.

http://blog.zap2it.c...ven-member.html

Not sure how I feel about this. I'm willing to bet my house that both Adam and Nick will spend the majority of the series pining for Cassie. Not only that but because they're respectively ~the good boy and ~bad boy, they'll automatically be shipped to death with Cassie. I liked the idea of having a third male character to interact with the other female cast members.

[minneapple]

If it goes to series, Plec could come on board, with her and Williamson possibly juggling showrunner duties on Circle and Vampire Diaries next season.

This...might actually work out okay. TVD was at its best in season 1, when Plec and Williamson were both showrunners, and took a downhill turn when Williamson apparently started focusing on the Secret Circle. Julie Plec's fangirl tendencies (tweeting about Damon/Elena fanvids and squeeing over Ian's shirtless scenes) really make me roll my eyes a lot.

As for the bad boy woobies, all kidding aside, they really ruin shows for me. Chuck Bass, Damon Salvatore, Logan Echolls, Spike. The fandom squees, the writers lap it up and write according to what fandom wants, the show suffers in quality. It's happened time and again and it's so fucking tiresome. And the thing is, all these characters started out as GOOD characters on GOOD shows! It was the woobification that really ruined them. So I hope the same thing doesn't happen to another potentially good show. Bad boys I can handle. Bad boy woobies, not so much.

Anyway, has everyone else here read the SC books? I haven't read them yet, but might take them up this summer as we're going on a road trip. I think they'll make for some good cheesy summer reading.

[Bruinsfan]

Oh, good, a bad boy woobie. No CW show is complete without one! Cue the squees.

So handy to know this in advance, so I can take a pass on watching even the pilot!

[Chas411]

Just a little article with some pictures of Thomas (Adam) and Britt (Cassie) filming the pilot.

http://justjaredjr.b...-secret-circle/