Pilot for Fox series to be shot in Memphis

[Clobber]

A new dimension to the entertainment industry in Memphis? Hopefully the leg in Nashville gets their butts in gear and passes a new incentive program, not just for Memphis, but for the entire state. But who knows if regional resentment from the other divisions will f this up.

Pilot for Fox series to be shot in Memphis

Lance Murphey/The Commercial Appeal

A crew from "Southern Comfort," a new Fox TV pilot, scouts locations around Memphis on Wednesday. The crew includes (from left) production supervisor Andi McCaffrey, location manager Martin Lane, director Greg Yaitanes and producer Dennis Murphy.Story Tools

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February 16, 2006

Filmmakers whose credits include episodes of "Lost" and "The Wonder Years" are in town scouting locations for a Fox network television pilot to be shot next month in Memphis.

If the pilot -- titled "Southern Comfort" -- becomes a series, the benefit for the local film community could be enormous because parts of up to 22 first-season episodes would be shot here.

Article Link to the Commercial Appeal:

http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/televi...4470803,00.html

[ricky_the_great]

pretty interesting. I would watch it if it didnt stink

however, i dont know how much this would help the image of memphis considering its about Crime and what not.

For example, the movie 8 mile only made me think of detriot as a dirtier and poorer city. would this show have an effect on memphis?

oh ya, you might want to post a link to the article instead of the article.. the forum moniter might freak out about it. haha

[Clobber]

Yeah, I usually do that: http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/televi...4470803,00.html

My bad.

There doesn't appear to be much of an attempt to reflect reality in this series. Not like Homicide. I don't watch cable, but isn't there a show about a drug dealing mom in suburbia? I mean, that show and the Sopranos might be inspired by reality, but I don't think anyone regards those shows as CVB advertisements for their cities. I don't think Boston Legal makes Boston to look all THAT great -- buncha nutjob attorneys who pull rabbits out of hats in an unrealistic legal setting. Those attorneys lose 75% of those cases in real life, at least in my experience. More than that if they resort to some of their ludicrous tactics. Boston Legal doesn't reflect reality of Boston or the legal community. But, unfortunately, the non-discriminating, ignorant viewer may believe it, and I don't deny that. I think the impact on the local economy might be more than a movie like 8 Mile because it's a series, and they might move production here if the situation is right.

What this would do is add a different dimension to the city's film production industry. 21 Grams did that by showing Memphis can fill in for an unspecified city in the script. 21 Grams wasn't "set" in Memphis, but I think the city shone through and created a substantial effect on the experience watching the movie. Hustle and Flow also expanded the image of Memphis as a production center. If this show is good, and gets picked up, it could expand it further.

I would like to see a crime-fighting, legal, medical drama set here. Maybe that's down the road for us if this goes well. Every door that opens gives us more exposure and leads to better things. Maybe a show based on the MPD's crisis intervention squad, widely regarded as the best in the nation at deflating standoffs with often mentally ill subjects.

[Plasticman]

I can't recall one Tennessee based series apart from "Hee Haw" that wasn't a flop. "Christy" which was shot near Cade's Cove in East Tennessee was not really a flop but only lasted a season or so. It was actually a mountain version of Little House on the Prairie.

The absolute worst Tennessee series I can remember is a real stinker from the mid 70's called "Nashville 99". It tried to be a crime drama and tried to simultaneously maintain southern charm. For one thing, Nashville was not nearly a big enoug city at the time to present itself as some big city crime drama and the southern thing was just to overdone. There was a "skyline" shot and it was a joke.

Whatever they do, they need to find the right balance of Beal Street with drama. They need to make sure the show is a crime drama that happens to be set in Memphis as opposed to being about Memphis with crime as an add-on. They need to capture the magic of the movie "The Firm".

[sleepy]

Sounds like good news.

I don't think it'll reflect negatively on Memphis anymore than Bass Pro Shops. It's just entertainment.