Ballroom 20 was the goal for our Thursday, and with it being the 2nd largest hall at the Con, we got there early to make sure we’d get in the room in time for the Discovery of Witches Panel. We Walked Right In. Because the lesson of SDCC we still haven’t learned is, when you have all the time in the world, you’ll never have to wait. But if you’re running late, or don’t prepare ahead, you’ll never get in. Unless you’re Nikki. Then you get in every time.
The Charmed Reboot
Charmed is coming back! The CW is bringing back “the show about those female witches” which is exactly what we knew about Charmed before yesterday (besides that Kyle definitely wasn’t having it since the title of his article about the reboot was “CWs charmed Reboot is a pathetic attempt to pander at a nostalgic pro-feminist audience.” Whoa, Kyle. Whoa.)
But seriously, it did seem like the reboot is an attempt to connect with a nostalgic, pro-feminist audience, however, we got to see the pilot episode, and we all agree it looked pretty great!
With a diverse cast playing the 3 sisters (and a familiar face in “Harry” played by Rupert Evans from Man in the High Castle), the pilot episode felt like a modern take on a familiar story. (Which makes me (Bekah) wonder if I caught an episode or two of the original back in the late 90s when it first aired). The producers who sat with the cast for the panel afterwards seemed to truly be fans of the original series and are trying to respect its place and give the audience little moments to connect them to the origin story. And as a group who is unfamiliar with the original Charmed, it had enough of an interesting story to at least pique our interest to check out the next episode!
Paul Wesley was there
And boy was he beautiful.
Paul Wesley has reunited with The Vampire Dairies show-runner Kevin Williamson for CBS All Access’ ‘Tell Me A Story.’
I (Bekah) have to be honest, I went to the bathroom and got a snack during the panel, but I got back in time to see how beautiful Paul Wesley still is. I can’t speak to what this show sounds like, but I can speak to Paul’s handsomeness:
Discovery of Witches
The Discovery of Witches panel was the perfect example of the magic of Comic Con. You sit in a panel or a preview for a show you know a little bit about or have a slight interest in (or know absolutely nothing about) and the trailer and conversations with the cast and crew completely surprise you- and you are suddenly totally excited for the show.
That was Discovery of Witches. Author Deborah Harkness could not have been better at garnering new fans and assuaging the concerns of long term fans. And the cast – from sweet and smart Teresa Palmer to the hilarious duo of Alex Kingston and Valerie Pettiford to stoic Owen Teale – were all excited to be talking about their show for the very first time. We were pleased to find out that they sealed the distribution deal with an American network – the Sundance Channel – and that season 2 and 3 are fully in the works.
After the panel, we got a chance to interview the cast and writers and even get our hands on the actual Ashmole 782. More on that later! Keep a look out, witches.
From the Bridge
Fandoms: you can’t live with ’em, you can’t slap the drama to death with a explosive stuffed Porg collectible – amirite? From the Bridge, a documentary by Spencer Lee “chronicles the journey of sci-fi, horror, and comic book fans from their humble start as an underground community into the multi billion dollar explosion of fandom now ruling the universe.” The film is narrated by George Takei, and includes interviews with Stan Lee, Nichelle Nichols, and (somewhat inexplicably) Gene Simmons. This looks like a great behind the scenes look at the rise of Con culture and fandoms, and if we’re lucky, ends with all the members of the Kelly Tran harrassment club being launched into the sun. They didn’t really say anything about the release date, but we’ll try to give the heads up!
Misfits and Monsters
This show is the latest in the great tradition of random panels that we accidentally attend for whatever reason that turns out to be great! This is a genre-bending anthology show – straight from the mind of Bobcat Goldthwait – in which he explores show concepts like “a Jerry Lewis movie, but set around the Kennedy assassination,” and “he’s a werewolf in the 70’s, but he’s angling to be president,” and “what would a show look like if Cape Fear and Roger Rabbit had a baby?” Like Black Mirror, Misfits and Monsters has a different cast every week, with guest stars like Michael Ian Black, Scott Foley, Jake and Amir, Seth Green, and more! The show looks great, and the panel was freaking hilarious with great cast chemistry. Check it out on TruTV Wednesdays at 10/9c.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Say it with me: “Nine nine!”
Brooklyn Nine-Nine made it’s Comic Con debut to a standing ovation. Andy Samberg and his fellow precinct spent an entire hour with fans in a panel full of laughter, inside jokes, and tears – a majority of it being Julie’s tears. The cast discussed everything from their group texts about the show’s cancellation on Fox and remarkable save by NBC to who would survive the Hunger Games (Totally Sully and Hitchcock). It was also a time for fans to reach out to one of the greatest ensembles in television history, from thanking them for LBGT representation to showcasing powerful Latinas. Although the cast and crew could not reveal too much about the upcoming season, we do know that the Nine-Nine is back and better than ever. Title of your sex tape.
Graphix Party
Of course we wrapped our Thursday with the Scholastic Graphix Party, our fav way to kick off the week.
Mostly because of their photo-booths:
