Obviously, the first season has already been shown in Canada so our episode by episode recap has already finished with us waiting for season 2. Since this interview is with Syfy, they've taken pains to avoid spoiling it for new audiences.
Gary Morgenstein: Here to talk about the time traveling police drama
are stars Rachel Nichols and Victor Webster, and creator and Executive Producer
Simon Barry.
Jamie Ruby: There is
obviously a lot of great technology on this show. There’s Kiera’s suit, she can
review her memory, etc. If you could like take a real version of one of the
technologies from the show, what would it be and why?
Rachel Nichols: That’s the
best question for me because I would take my Multi-tool. It’s small. It travels
well. It does legitimately anything I could possibly need it to do in any
situation. And I've started reading scripts for Season 2, and the Multi-tool
does just a whole bunch of new and different things pretty much every time we
see it. So I would definitely take my Multi-tool.
Victor Webster: I think I
would have to take her super suit. I don’t want it tailored. I don’t want
anything. I just want to hang it up on a wall and look at it.
Rachel Nichols: Oh, I thought
you were going to wear it, but okay. Good. I'm glad we cleared that up.
Victor Webster: Maybe every
Tuesday. Maybe on a Tuesday night, but that’s it.
Simon Barry: I would
definitely take the CMR chip because I have a terrible memory and I need as
much help as I can get.
Jamie Ruby: Simon, how
did you come up with the idea for this series and how did the rest of you
become involved?
Simon Barry: Well, the
idea for me came out of a really pragmatic approach to trying to get my love of
Sci-Fi really into a pipeline of television production that was feasible. So
time travel is a really great vehicle for that because you can have a very
large mythology in a big universe, but still be set in the present day world,
which obviously is more production-friendly.
So it
was a pragmatic decision at the beginning, but then once the mythology and the
characters starting coming together, of course it grew beyond that into a much
more passionate process for me in terms of the many characters that the show
presents, and also just some of the bigger themes that we are trying to explore
in the show.
And
then the first step was to find a Kiera, and we worked very diligently to find
the right person for this part. And when Rachel presented herself as an option,
we were thrilled and jumped on the chance to work with her right away.
And
once we had cast Rachel, we basically built the cast around her, and Victor was
a great fit and I can’t really - I'll let the guys tell you about it from their
perspective, but it was a very quick.
Rachel Nichols: My story is
very long but yet very interesting. One of my best friends in the entire world
got the script to me. She was the first person that reached out with a script. She
said, “I have a friend and she’s got this script that she’s casting and I hope
I'm not stepping on anyone’s toes, but I think you'd be great for it,” and she
sent it to me and I loved it. And - which is very unorthodox. Usually you don’t
get a script from your best friend that’s amazing that you immediately want to
do.
And
then my team was absolutely completely on board and they loved the script, and
they loved the fact that a friend of mine had found it. We just went sort of
full steam ahead, and it happened very, very quickly just prior to the holidays
last year when we were closing the deal. Suddenly, I was moving to Vancouver
for five months on January 5th I think it was last year. So, it was a very
interesting process for me. Unorthodox for me, but thrilling at the same time. And
very fast, so that was fun as well.
Victor Webster: Well I got a
call on a Wednesday asking me if I'd like to come to Vancouver to do a chemistry test with Rachel,
and I hadn’t read the script yet. And I was a little hesitant at first, and
then I read the script and I was like, “Absolutely.”
Got
on a plane for a chemistry test with Rachel on Friday and then got a call I
think that weekend that I would be moving to Vancouver. And then, I think Monday I was on
a plane to Vancouver
for six months. So, it all happened really, really fast.
Kyle Nolan: The first
season finished airing over six months ago in Canada. What’s it like for you
guys now going into this brand new audience that hasn’t seen the show yet?
Rachel Nichols: I think that
it’s one of the most exciting things because it came out in Canada. It started
airing in May and obviously did very, very well and then went to the UK for Syfy and
did very well. And then the mechanism of Twitter is fascinating because it just
- you have access to all of these people who want to know what you're doing and
what’s going on.
And
I've had such a response from people all over the world from the show coming
out, and especially people in the States saying for so long, “When is it going
to be in the States? When is it going to be in the States? We don’t want to
steal it or burn it or, you know, take it off the Internet. We really want to
see it.” And now everybody’s getting their wish, including my parents who
didn’t have cable until a couple days ago when they realized they were going to
have to buy it in order to see me.
But,
it’s something that’s been well received and I obviously think that’s going to
happen here in the US.
And so, it’s really - it’s something very exciting to think about. And finally,
the fans that have wanted it for so long are getting exactly what they want.
Kyle Nolan: Rachel, in all
of your scenes with Victor you guys are always in the same room, but all of
your scenes, at least that we’ve seen so far with Erik are all separate from
each other. Can you talk about the differences in working with your co-stars?
Rachel Nichols: Oh,
absolutely. Yes. Victor and I are always together. I mean, I've got to do my
own sort of - and sometimes Alec being in my head is also in those scenes with
Victor. I'm sure it won’t come as a shock to you that working with an actor
actually in the room with you in a scene is easier than working with someone
whose voice is just in your head.
But
as far as Erik Knudsen is concerned, I've never met an actor who was more of a
giver because I work every day, and a lot of - and Alec’s voice usually works
every day and Erik Knudsen on the days when he was not working would come to
set and read all of his lines off camera.
What
was really important for both of us because then we can hear how the other
person is talking in those scenes, even if we can’t see them and it’s not just
you know a script supervisor just reading the lines. Because you know, Erik’s
character and my character are very, very connected on an emotional level. He’s
the only person really that’s a true ally that knows my story and can
understand it, and he is my best friend.
Carlos
is another version of a best friend for me, but he is someone that I'm
technically lying to every day, and that’s very, very difficult for me. That storyline
progresses throughout the season. By the end of Season 1, there are a lot of
questions about how I'm going to be able to navigate that very tenuous
situation in the next season.
Joshua Maloney: Rachel, a few
minutes ago Simon said that the cast was really built around you. What was that
sort of like for you as an actress? And, what can you say about this cast?
Rachel Nichols: It was really
exciting. I've never been the first person hired on any job ever I don’t think.
And you know, I loved the script and I loved all of the characters from the
very beginning, and they immediately started casting people.
I
mean my deal was done just prior to the Christmas holiday last year, so I was
home in Maine and they were just going full steam ahead in Vancouver casting Liber8
and the rest of the police force, and Inspector Dillon, and Erik, and Carlos -
I met - I think you heard I met Victor for a chemistry read on a Friday and I
think Victor was completely moved into Vancouver by Sunday so that he could
work on Monday.
It
was the first time I'd ever had the opportunity to do a chemistry read with
someone who would be playing my sort of best friend, confidant, my leading man.
And all the guys that came in and read were great. Very, very different but
great, and Victor was my first choice, which he knows now so I'm not talking
out of turn at all.
We
sort of sat down after I tested with everybody and he was a clear runaway
choice. And so then that piece you know was in place.
Then
I - you know, I knew who some of the Liber8 characters were, but I didn’t
certainly do any chemistry reads with them, so I just sort of showed up on set
first day and met everybody and thought, “Wow. They’ve assembled such an
impressive cast of characters that there’s no way the show isn’t going to work.
It’s going to have to because everybody is great.”
It’s
probably - it’s one of the more interesting sort of groups of people I've ever
seen cast all at once, so the fact that it was a part of a show that I'm on was
great.
Joshua Maloney: When I look at
your career and I think of shows like The
Inside and Alias, and even with G.I. Joe, you've played a lot of law
enforcement types, and I've enjoyed watching you play that role. Is there
something about law enforcement that’s particularly appealing to you as an
actress?
Rachel Nichols: You know what?
I like to carry guns and kick butt, and I get to do a lot of that when I'm a
law enforcement officer, whether from the present or the future. I think
there’s something really strong and sexy about those female roles and there
aren’t necessarily a lot of those around.
Also,
I consider myself very lucky to have been able to take on so many of those
roles and to now have a fan base that finds me completely believable and
interesting in those powerful action-oriented roles because they’re so much fun
to play. And, I would like to keep doing them for a long time to come.
(Heather McLatchie): Was there
any kind of chemistry test as well with Erik? Because as Rachel touched on,
that’s a really key relationship because he is the only one that’s pretty much
keeping Kiera from going completely out of her mind when she lands in the
present.
Simon Barry: That’s a good
question. We never really felt that we needed to do a chemistry read with Erik
and with Rachel because when we cast Erik, we immediately recognized how good
he was. And, he’s an amazing find and an amazing actor and just a great
individual. Has a great soul and a great demeanor.
And
because there was a disconnect, I think we felt a little bit more confident
about them not reading together in that sense because there is that disconnect
and this unfamiliarity that we really embraced in the first few episodes
because they hadn’t met. So from that standpoint, no. The chemistry read we
didn’t feel was really important.
For
Rachel and Victor though, I think it was important on many levels, not the
least of which was just Rachel’s comfort of knowing that this is going to be
someone she was going to be working with hopefully for many years.
And
also for our partners at the broadcaster and the studio level who really wanted
to sense that there was something going on between the two of them that felt
like a good mix. And, that’s something that you can really tell right away in
those kinds of chemistry reads. And, it just made decision-making a lot more
efficient.
(Heather McLatchie):Can you talk a little bit about making the show in
Canada and setting it in Canada, and being able to use a lot of “the farm team”
at home in a show like that? How was that different from shooting a show with
Canadians and then pretending you're in the States, and then it gets released
in the states? This was really kind of a home grown product.
Simon Barry: Yes. That’s
funny. The process of making the show was interesting because I had originally
developed the idea for the American networks. Found an opportunity to do it in Canada. And then
to my surprise, was offered the opportunity to keep it in Vancouver, which is where I live.
So I
had a built in relationship with a lot of actors in Vancouver having lived here for a long time,
and so it was a pleasure for me to really kind of wade into that pool of talent
having a familiarity and understanding where a lot of the great actors were
hiding.
And
so it’s been great. I mean, Vancouver,
because of the amount of work that comes here, has developed into a really
strong talent base on many levels, not just with regards to actors but
directors, writers, producers. And so there was - knew that there was a much
deeper reservoir than people appreciated, and the fact that we could be set in Canada was just
a bonus really.
I
never really felt that the setting was ever integral to the show or the story,
but it was a very nice bonus to be able to embrace Vancouver
for Vancouver
and showcase this city, which is a character unto itself.
And
so I really couldn’t be happier about all of these things coming together. And
you know, with Rachel and Victor anchoring the show the way they do, they set
the bar high. And anyone who shows up on Continuum knows that they can’t sort
of phone it in. These guys work harder than anyone else I've ever worked with. And
everyone who comes to work with us by seeing their example usually shows up
with their best work.
(Heather McLatchie): Because of the time travel aspect, what Carlos knows
about technology is different from what Kiera knows, and is different from what
Alec knows. Is it hard to keep track of what you're supposed to know and what
you do know?
Rachel Nichols: For me, I get
lucky because I am from the year 2077, so as far as all the future stuff is
concerned, I, A, know what it does; B, know when to use it; and C, know that I
have to hide it from everybody.
I do
love the scenes where it get the opportunity to be a huge dork, like the
Bluetooth scene where I think I'm wearing the coolest thing ever and Carlos
basically tells me that I'm a nerd.
I
love the opportunities for that, even in - there’s an episode where I - it
becomes obvious that I've never seen a horse in real life before. I think
that’s Episode 6. And for those things, I need Simon to tell me, “Remember. You’ve
never seen this before,” or, “Remember, this is new, or this is your only
concept of this thing in the future. And remember, there’s no real clean
running water.” And, I definitely rely on Simon for everyday stuff, for
everything that’s in 2012 that I have never experienced before in 2077.
But
as far as the futuristic tools, that’s
sort of the nice, close knit relationship I have with Alec, because he’s the
creator of awesome. So it is fun, though, the moments where I have to play
absolute fish out of water learning to drive a car, having never done that
before.
And
yes; provided that I have Simon to be my guide, I'm fine.
Simon Barry: Yes, I can - I
can just say that it is tricky to track a lot of this stuff. But you know, the
great thing is that Victor and Rachel, and Erik to that effect, will always sort
of check in and say, “You know, is this...” - sometimes, they’re ahead of me. They’ll
go, “Wait a minute. I shouldn’t know about this because of where I'm coming
from or what my perspective is.” And I love that they are so invested in sort
of their character’s understanding of where they are and what they’re doing.
But
sometimes, they’re really as on top of it as the writers are.
Victor Webster: And that’s one
thing that is great about the show. It’s such an open line of communication and
it like a family where we can come and bring anything up at any time, whether
it sounds ridiculous or whatever the discussion is. It’s just bring everything
to the table and Simon’s always got a very intellectual answer for us, gives us
something to think about, and it’s really good for us to be able to process all
that information and have that sounding board.
Tim Holquinn: I saw on
Twitter you went on a helicopter ride?
Rachel Nichols: I did. I've
always, always, always wanted to see LA from a helicopter, and a really good
friend of mine surprised me. So we took a helicopter ride out of Van Nuys
yesterday. And I have to say I've deiced that - well, I just need to get
wealthy enough to have a helicopter and someone to fly me everywhere because it
only took us seven minutes to get to Malibu from Van Nuys, and then I don’t
know, five minutes to go down the coast. So I think that’s definitely the way I
should travel in the future.
Tim Holquinn: Forget the
freeway.
Regarding
Continuum, your aptitude and affinity for action roles has become well
established now, and a common facet of that is having a recurring go to stunt
double that follows you to various projects. Can you share a little bit about
your working relationship with Monique Ganderton, who I understand doubled you
on Conan, and Continuum, and I believe Raze as well.
Did
you bring her on to the show?
Rachel Nichols: I've been very
fortunate. Ever since I was Alias
I've worked with some incredible and very impressive stunt women. Shauna Duggins
doubled me in G.I. Joe. I've worked
with Zoe Bell in Raze, but then also
when I was on Alias. And I first met Monique - and this speaks to her
character.
I
first met Monique when I was already in Bulgaria shooting Conan, and her boyfriend was one of the
head stunt guys shooting the movie. He played the double for Stephen Lang. And
production did not really want to pay for Monique. They wanted to hire someone
very inexpensively in Bulgaria.
And I hadn’t met her, but she thought, “I would be a good double for Rachel,”
and just - she flew herself to Bulgaria
to stay with Sam in hopes that once she was there they would hire her, which I
was just blown away by.
Tim Holquinn: Wow.
Rachel Nichols: It was so
impressive.
And
the fact that she’s such a great double for me - she got there and worked her
butt off, and I'm sure was paid way less than she was used to. But I mean, that
kind of show of desire to do a job and to do it well, and to do whatever it
takes to make me look good and make the movie look good. I just thought -I've
got to take this girl with me everywhere I go.
Then
I went to Vancouver and I was speaking with our head stunt coordinator, Kimani,
and he said, “You know what? I think - I'm thinking of this girl Mo Ganderton. I
think she’s going to be great.” And I just sent, “You got to be kidding me? She’s
the best. Please bring her. Please? Please? Please?”
She
came and she was up in Van with us and she’s such a great double for me. Because
usually, doubles don’t necessarily always match my exact body type, but Monique
is taller than I am and slenderer than I am so I'm thrilled to have her double
me.
So
she’s great. And, I'm hoping she’s coming back for Season 2.
Tim Holquinn: It was lucky
it worked out so well then just by coincidence.
Rachel Nichols: Oh, yes. It
was - it worked out by coincidence. And then even when we were doing Raze, and that was my friend Josh Waller
directing it, and Zoe Bell brought Monique on. It’s nice to know that whenever
I need a double, even if I'm not putting the name in myself if I don’t have the
opportunity to, there’s inevitably someone that says, “Can we get Monique?” So
that’s great for me.
Tim Holquinn: Victor, in
light of your martial arts background, and staying on the subject of stunts,
I'm wondering about your working relationship with Kimani Ray Smith, who I
understand is your stunt coordinator on the show. Does he let you do as much as
you like? Choreograph to your strengths and so on?
Victor Webster: Well, he is. One
thing about Kimani is that I know he has
in-depth conversations with everybody and Simon, and really wants to figure out
what is right for this particular scene. I mean if you let Kimani go, he will
give you four, five, and six in one scene. He’s incredible, you know what I
mean? He’s just - his choreography is so interesting and he uses the
surroundings around him.
But
he’s also the type that choreographs to your strengths and he finds the things
that you can do well, and he really, really choreographs around that and makes
you look really good.
I
prefer to do everything I can. Rachel
and I, we pretty much do all of the stuff ourselves, and then sometimes the
doubles will come in a do a few things. The majority of the fights that I've
had with Rachel, it’s been her and I. So when you see the actors on camera
doing the action, I think it adds a lot of depth to the characters and really
draws you in more, rather than just seeing the back of somebody’s head.
Kimani
is amazing and such a talented guy, and we’re really lucky to have him.
Tim Holquinn: Yes. The first
two episodes looked really good.
Rachel Nichols: Thank you.
Victor Webster: Yes. Then it
just gets better from there. Just hold on.
Simon Barry: Yes. We
stopped writing action. We just basically say, “Kimani, do your stuff here.” And
then he always shows up with an amazing, brilliant, inventive fight that we
could never have come up with technically. So, it’s wonderful having him as
such a key part of the team.
Tim Holquinn: Simon, did you
have any favorite scenes that you felt just came together most perfectly from
those first two episodes that John Cassar directed?
Simon Barry: That’s a
really hard question to answer because I have a lot of favorites. But, I do
think that in those first two episodes, one of my favorite scenes, and I think
a lot of people would agree with me, is the emotional scene at the end of
Episode 2, which is where Kiera is sort of contemplating being stuck in the
present and facing the truth of her situation.
I
think not only did John do a great job, but Rachel did a great job playing that
kind of awful situation of realization.
So
for me, I know that that was something that came together really well, but it’s
really hard to pick one favorite because there’s so many different dimensions to
the show to pick one scene that really captures what the show is is really
tricky. But, I know that when we watched Episodes 1 and 2, everybody felt like
we’d really found something special in not only the story that we sort of
cobbled together, but also in Rachel’s performance of that beat in particular.
Jamie Steinberg: Rachel and
Victor, could you talk about if there was anything to their characters that
they added that wasn’t originally scripted?
Rachel Nichols: Initially,
Kiera was Kyle, so you know I brought some anatomy with me.
That’s
a really interesting question because I started thinking, “Wow? Did I?” And
then I starting thinking, “Well, I must have.” And then I thought, “Well,
everything is so collaborative that I am not sure which sort of characteristics
belong to which creator.
There
is a large element, and Simon and Victor can both attest to this. There’s a
large part of me that’s very goofy and kind of clumsy, and I think - I don’t
necessarily think Kiera was supposed to be that way. But, I think that part of
my personality lends itself very well to the fish out of water situation, given
the fact that I'm from the future so there’s a lot of stuff that I obviously
don’t know about 2012.
So, I'd
like to think that my own awkwardness is a good add-on. But, that’s sort of the
first thing for me that comes to mind anyways, is kind of the goofy aspect of
my personality.
Victor Webster: No, but I
agree with Rachel. I think that one thing that we had was the relationships
were there. The drama was there. Everything was there, and there were
definitely some funny moments written in. And I think the only thing really on
my end was just bringing up a little bit of that self-depreciating side, like
the scene in the elevator when he’s locked in there, they’re so great about
letting you really jump into your character and seeing what comes out.
And,
I think that that’s something that we all worked on as a family, as a team, is
bringing up a little more of the comedy. Other than that, I think that was it. Everything
was on the page for my character anyway.
Simon Barry: I think
Victor’s underselling it, and I think Rachel and he both put their finger on
it. I think these characters really did come out of a great collaboration. I
love that Victor’s giving me credit, but the truth is that - and the other
writers.
But
the truth is that we kind of found these characters I think in a way together,
and it was really fortuitous because as much as we - the writers and I would
love to think that we laid it all out, Rachel and Victor absolutely - and Erik
to that effect as well - actually all the actors, they really did bring a very
special quality to everyone.
I
think that because the process moved very quickly and because we all wanted to
aim high and succeed, that that creativity really pushed everyone into bringing
whatever they could. And we as film makers were very open to it. We wanted it
to happen that way. It was very organic and it was fun.
And
the truth is Rachel’s right. She does bring her personality in ways to the
character that we never wrote on the page, but that really brings it to life. And
Victor does have a genuine sense of self-depreciation and humor, and also a
kindness and a straightforwardness that we really appreciated him bringing
because it - I don’t think it was as clear on the page.
And,
they really have defined the characters now in a way that in writing the show
we think of - more about what they bring to the table necessarily than what we
as writers have brought to the table. And, we’re embracing those things that I
think we love and I think hopefully the audience loves as well or we’ll love.
Jamie Steinberg: Could you talk
about what do you think it is about the show that will really capture viewers?
Simon Barry: I think there’s
a lot of ideas in the show that are relevant to today, but that we’ve kind of
repurposed through the prism of someone from the future. We do see the world,
our world, through Rachel’s character’s eyes, through Kiera’s eyes.
And
I think there’s something interesting about someone who has a perspective
that’s different who knows what’s going to happen. And seeing our world through
those eyes can sometimes be a fascinating way to relook at our world. So,
that’s one element that I think is definitely intriguing.
I
think audiences will also like just the straight up thriller aspect of the show
and the character dynamics of the show. There’s a real intimacy between the
good guys and the bad guys on this show that’s very special. And because the
time travel component links everyone, there is this awareness that all of the
characters share regardless of which side they’re on that really helps keep the
show kind of connected within the varying factions.
Also,
I think Rachel and Victor have a point of view about this too.
Victor Webster: Well, the one
thing that I personally - one of the reasons that I would tune is I like a show
that makes you think. I like to make a show that after the show ends, you could
sit there with your friends and you can discuss the possibilities and where a
show could go, and what did they mean by that? And you know what if this
happened? And, I think we explore a lot of those in this. We answer a lot of
questions as much as we leave a lot of questions for the audience to ponder.
And
of course, me coming from an action background and growing up doing martial
arts, I love the fact that this is a fast-paced, action-driven show that’s
relatable. It’s not too far out there, even though it is a sci-fi show. All of
this is within the realm of possibility. And, it’s incredible characters.
So
it’s got aspects from so many different genres compiled together and mixed up
that there’s a little bit of something for everybody.
Rachel Nichols: Yes. I
completely agree with Victor and with Simon. You get everything you want. There’s
that procedural element. There’s the sci-fi element. Then it’s a heavily
character-driven show, and that sort of trifecta is very hard to come by.
Plus
the sci-fi genre is fascinating and wonderful because it allows us to do so
many different things, whether it’s something like a social commentary like
whether we’re talking about corporations and governments and things like that.
Sci-fi really kind of lets us as storytellers get away with a lot. And, the
built in sci-fi audience that always enjoys that will love Continuum.
But
the audiences from other types of shows I think will also find something that
they’re looking for as well, and that’s hard to do. I think Continuum does it very well.
Tony Tellado: I think
what’s really interesting is that both characters - both Victor’s and your
character, Rachel, both have family elements. Could you talk about that part of
the dynamic of these two and how you will use that going forward in the series?
Rachel Nichols: Well for me,
the complicated thing with the fact that I have a family is that I can’t really
talk about my family. If I'm in a scene with Carlos and he’s talking about his
family, Kiera can’t exactly say, “I know. You know, my husband and son in 2077,
I really want to get back to them.” I mean, that’s not something that I can
ever say.
And
so, there’s definitely an element of scenes when for Kiera when she hears
Carlos, or anybody for that matter, talking about family, especially Alec with
everything that he dealt with with his family. Obviously, Alec knows that I
have a husband and son in the future, but Carlos or anyone from the year 2012
who’s not Alec, hearing them talk about their family is - it’s very hard for
Kiera.
I
think it’s also very important that family is a big element to the show because
I don’t want Kiera to be wallowed in sadness of missing her family every
episode, but she’s got to think about them at least once in every episode
because that is the driving force. She may have realized it and started to
understand that she is probably in 2012 for a purpose, but that never for one
second means that her number one goal isn’t getting home. That’s what - that’s
where she wants to go.
So I
think the family aspect is very important because it allows us to get to know
the other characters and it also allows Kiera to reflect on what her goal is at
the same time.
Tony Tellado: And for
Victor?
Victor Webster: Well, we
haven’t touched a lot about my family, but there’s definitely hints and there’s
things that I've had to deal with myself as Carlos from where I've been from,
where I came, and my family situation that obviously plays a big role in the
reason that I became a police officer and the driving force behind a lot of
decisions that I make in my profession on the show.
But
I think we deal with family a lot on the show. Liber8 is kind of a
dysfunctional family in itself. We have our own little family at the precinct
with Inspector Dillon and Rachel, and with Betty. In a way, it’s almost like a
few different aspects of the way that we all deal with each other, the way we
would deal with families, and it reflects you know our relationships.
But
definitely, I think one of the biggest things is Rachel’s quest to get back to
her family. And, it’s such a driving force - yes.
Simon Barry: Well said,
Victor.
John Soltes: Simon,
could you give an idea of you know how far ahead you've thought about the
mythology and the timeline for the series? For example in the development
stage, you probably were really focused on the first season, but now you have
the second season. Are you really keeping track of everything so everything
fits in line?
Simon Barry: Yes. It’s certainly
a full-time job managing just all of the many threads of the show’s mythology
introduces. And that’s half the fun too, I got to say.
When
we started the process on the first day of the writing room, we as a group all
made the decision that we needed to know two things off the top. We needed to
know the rules of at least our version of time travel, which was important. And
also, we needed to know where the show was going to end.
Because
of the nature of television, you can’t really pinpoint that to an X number of
hours or years, but you can certainly aim high. And I'm an optimistic person by
nature, so I certainly built in the possibility that there would be many years
worth of mythology elements set up at the beginning that could play out. But
you don’t want to get ahead of yourself too far.
So
it’s this fine balance of knowing that the universe and the mythology and the
stories that you have, have many, many stories within them. And at the same
time, you want to keep it contained so that the focus is on one major component
that is manageable.
So certainly
into Season 2’s announcement, we started opening that up in a way, which I
think makes the show better. But we’re always trying to stay focused on our
central character’s goals and obstacles. And, that’s sort of where we can I
think feel like the show is in a very safe place, but also you know, gives us
permission to expand beyond that.
John Soltes: Are there
any sort of inspirations or some sci-fi that you've enjoyed before you signed
up for Continuum?
Victor Webster: I'm a huge
sci-fi fan. I love all of the Star Wars movies. I've watched TV shows since I
was a kid like Manimal, dating back
to when I was in my early teens. I'm a big kid now and my imagination is very
vivid, so I love shows that let me explore that and let me go out and see all
of that.
So
anything to deal with sci-fi, space, technological gadgets, super powers, I'm
in.
John Soltes: This vision
of the future in 2077 is pretty dystopian and a little bleak, with the
corporations and such. Kind of Orwellian almost. Do you think that that’s kind
of where we’re headed?
Rachel Nichols: I think that’s
one of the really interesting things about the show. And the fact that the
sci-fi genre allows you to go to these places and have this idea of the future
and people accept it, and then they do ask that question, “Is this where we are
headed?”
I
hope not because I happen to really enjoy food, and running water, and live
animals. The future looks pretty bleak as far as I'm concerned.
But
you know, there’s a lot to be said for some of the different events and issues
that we take on in the first ten episodes of the show, and I'm sure in Season 2
we’ll dive into even more.
But
yes. There definitely is that recurring question of, “ is this really where we
are headed?” And what could we possibly
do to prevent that from happening?
Barbara Barnett: Can you describe the dystopic world that
you've created politically, atmospherically, for the year 2077?
Simon Barry: I'll start by
saying that you know I think that dystopia is often a relative term, and so in trying
to create 2077, I didn’t want to create something that was abjectly - you know,
kind of oppressive in an obvious way.
I
think that if you were to ask Rachel’s character if she lived in an oppressive
society, she would say no. And I think that’s kind of the point. Our Liber8
freedom fighters/terrorists, if you will, have a different opinion. And I think
one of the great things that we’re trying to infuse the show with is that you
can have a gray area in almost anything in the world as far as opinions go. And
that perspective has a lot to do with how we make judgments.
So
as much as it’s easy to paint the future with one brush of dystopia, I think
that there’s also a point of view that there’s a process of evolution with
society that tends to develop on its own way that we as a society either allow
to happen or don’t allow to happen. And when you're living in it, you don’t
necessarily see it for what it is.
I
imagine if someone from 1930 were to come to 2013, they might find our world
quite dystopic in its own way as well. Because in a weird way, we’ve kind of
gone backwards from the freedoms of the days of the ‘30s and the flappers in Paris.
And
there’s a funny thing about perspective that is always fascinating to me. So
we’ve kind of tried to create at least a future that has one foot in
storytelling and one foot in a potential reality, and I think that’s what SyFy
tries to do always is to make people consider their world and look at their
world through hopefully a different prism.
Barbara Barnett: Absolutely. Things
get very incremental. And when you're in the moment, it doesn’t - when you add
up those moments, I get that. I like the...
You
had mentioned, or someone had, that you guys cover a lot of different themes. Can
you touch on what some of those things are? It sounds like it’s a very
thought-provoking show. The little bits I've seen of it certainly do seem that
way.
But
for people who’ve not seen the show what are some of those things that you
explore in that first season?
Simon Barry: I'll start and
then I'll pass it on to the guys because I know they have good perspectives
about this.
But
I think we just try to look at the world that we live in - on every level. I
think that society, breaking it down into things like politics on a macro
level, on a larger level when you talk about social rules, behavior of
expectation, even love - even relationships. Technology is influenced on all of
those things. Politics in general are all covered in ways, but always through a
character perspective. It’s never about one point of view. It’s always trying
to look at both sides of the argument and it’s a debate.
And
I'll let Rachel and Victor take it from here.
Rachel Nichols: It’s
interesting because there are many different themes and some of them - I've
said it before; it’s why I love the sci-fi genre is because we’re allowed to
get away with a lot more than you are on a mainstream political show or an
action show. It’s the built-in audience has this skill set for belief of things
that we say might happen. Like we say might happen in the future. And, they
don’t judge us or say that we’re being completely political about it.
We’re
allowed to get away with just making guesstimates about what the future is to
become and who the people are in 2012 versus who the people are in 2077. And
you know like Simon said, people that would be back 65 years prior to 2012, if
they ended up in 2012, what would they think of our world?
And,
I think the theme is obviously things are always changing, and sometimes for
better and sometimes for worse, and sometimes for much worse. But, there’s this
theme of family. And, that also is important for me because it’s a big part of
my character as well.
And,
that’s something that doesn’t change. My whole goal is to get home. Is to get back
where I'm from.
But
- yes. I think Simon puts it best, but - Victor, do you have anything else
you'd like to add?
Victor Webster: So one key
thing that Simon mentioned is that we may bring something up that’s
thought-provoking and we give the audience an opportunity to have their own
opinion because we give both sides of the coin. That’s one of the things that I
like most about the show.
And
like I said earlier, that I can sit back afterwards and discuss with my friends
is there’s a pro and there’s a con to everything that we kind of bring up, and
that’s what I really appreciate.
Barbara Barnett: This
organization Liber8, which are the terrorists in 2077, why do they go back to
2012? What is Liber8’s perspective? What are they trying to do?
Simon Barry: What we learn
in the pilot is that Liber8 in the future are a terrorist organization from the
perspective of the future, and they’ve been condemned to death. It’s an
execution actually that sort of opens the show.
And
what Liber8 manages to do through a conspiracy is put together a prison break,
if you will, but it’s not the kind of prison break that goes through a wall or
a tunnel. They are given the kind of technology - experimental technology that
allows them to basically set off a bomb that creates a wormhole - a time travel
portal if you will.
And
so their escape is on the one hand a planned event, but they aren’t supposed to
end up in 2012. They were only supposed to end up kind of at the tipping point
of their future revolution. So it’s a bit of a mistake, but they realize very
quickly that they can still change history from the perspective of 2012.
And
Kiera, Rachel’s character, is accidently thrown back with them.
Rachel Nichols: Right.
Simon Barry: So she
realizes that their goals - as much as she wants to get back, her ability to
get home is inextricably tied to stopping this group of people from executing
their mission, which is to change history.
Barbara Barnett: In the first
scene I noticed William B. Davis, the cigarette smoking man - he will always be
the cigarette smoking man to me, with a little smile on his face. What is his
role in the show with his character?
Simon Barry: I'm going to
pass on that question because it is kind of a great reveal in the first episode
and I don’t want to spoil it for anyone.
