Melissa Cowan is known best for her role of the Bicycle Girl zombie in season one of “The Walking Dead”.  Melissa became the poster girl for season one and her zombie is put on the same shelf as the greats. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Melissa about the role and what we can expect next.

Mike Gencarelli: How did you come to get the role of the Bicycle Girl zombie in “The Walking Dead”?
Melissa Cowan: I had been doing a lot of work for a casting company here in Atlanta.  They just randomly called me one day looking for pictures from me.  I sent the pics and two weeks later I got a called that Frank Darabont wanted me to come in and do an audition.  It pretty much took off from there.  At the time I didn’t know what it was for or what the role was about?

MG: Can you believe that with only one episode your character has had such an effect?
MC: It was something I wasn’t expecting but it is very exciting.  It is also somewhat of any honor that out of all the zombies on the show, they choose me.  The zombie that I did became the poster child for the show.  It became an iconic zombie and compared to Bill Heinzman from “Night of the Living Dead” and other classic zombies.  It is an honor and a blessing.

MG: Tell us about working with Greg Nicotero and Frank Darabont?
MC: I met Greg went I flew out to LA for the last casting process.  Greg is a good guy and he has a good vision.  He knows what he wants and knows how to do it.  I think the fact I got to work with Greg and Frank Darabont in the same project was mind blowing.  It was very cool.

MG: Tell us about the makeup process for that role?
MC: The actually day we filmed it took probably 4-4 1/2 hours and 2 1/2 to take it off.  I had a lot of people asking how did I sit there for that long?  You have anywhere from 2 to 7 people working on you, so we were just having fun with it.  It didn’t seem long at all.

MG: What did you think when you first saw yourself in full costume?
MC: I was like a child at Christmas when you got that giddy feeling.  It was like that.  I have this visual in my head of what I thought it was going to look like was nothing like it ended up.  You really can’t put words on it, you just stare and ask “Is that really me?”  That is when I realized that it was going to be more than just another role.

MG: How was it working on various episodes of “The Vampire Diaries”?
MC: I originally started doing full time extra work for the show.  Towards the end of the first season the casting director called and said we have some vampire roles coming up.  So I went in and did an audition and they hired me on the spot to be a vampire.  I was one of the tomb vampires and I was also another vampire later in the season when they go into the vampire house.  It was so dark and cloudy that you can’t really see me.  I am hopefully that when they are filming the third season that there is some opportunity for me to come back and have a bigger role.

MG: What else do you have planned upcoming?
MC: I got some other films I actually can’t talk about yet.  There are two guys from Orange County Choppers that are creating a clothing line called Rotten Layer and it is all zombie related.  I will be one of the head models for that.  That is pretty cool.

Darth Maul returns to the Star Wars Saga this spring!

Darth Maul, the sinister Sith Lord who amped up the dark side in 1999’s Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, returns to the Saga this spring in Star Wars: The Clone Wars!

Revered by fans for his striking red and black tattooed-face, graceful but lethal fighting style, and signature double-bladed lightsaber, Maul was believed killed by Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi at the end of Episode I. In the Star Wars universe, however, one must never underestimate the power of the dark side!

“The decision to continue Darth Maul’s story was something that came directly from George,” says Dave Filoni, Supervising Director of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. “We all agreed that his return needed to be unique, unexpected and revenge filled. We don’t know what his outcome will be, and as a fan – that’s exciting.”

While fans await Darth Maul’s return to The Clone Wars, they’ll soon be able to experience the excitement of his original introduction to the Star Wars Saga when Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace is released in theaters on February 10, 2012 in spectacular 3D!

The trailer for Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace in 3D will be attached to The Three Musketeers on October 21^st and on select films throughout the holidays.

Location: Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando®
Dates: October 9-10, 2011

The event kicked off on Sunday night at the Loews Royal Pacific Resort’s Wantilan Luau. This wasn’t just your normal luau since Syfy put their spin on it and called it “Destination Luau”. It was hosted by “Destination Truth” star Josh Gates and was attended by most, if not all attending Syfy talent. Following the luau, the event was moved over to Universal Studios for a guided VIP tour of Halloween Horror Nights.  What was really great about this press tour was that it was very intimate and personal, that does not happen often (if ever).  Don’t let the size deceive you though, since it was packed with great content and scheduled events.  I would say that it was a great start to a very informative and unforgettable event. The following day contained the panels and that is where the real magic happened.

On Monday, the event started with a great speech from David Howe, President of Syfy and was handed off to the day’s moderator, Mark Stern, President of Syfy Original Programming.  The first panel was “Being Human” and it was attended by Sam Witwer, Sam Huntington and Meaghan Rath.  As usual with this cast, the panel was fun, energetic and unpredictable.  We were told that season two premieres on January 16th, 2012.  We were given a small sneak peak about the new season that showed each character going off on their own path. The new season promises to be a lot darker and will feature a lot of new characters.  This is easily one of my favorite shows on Syfy and on television in general right now.

The next panel, one of my most anticipated, was for Syfy’s upcoming two day mini-series event “Neverland”.  It is a prequel to the classic story of Peter Pan and stars Rhys Ifans, Anna Friel and Charlie Rowe.  I had the chance to watch this mini-series before this event and it is fantastic and right in line with Syfy’s “Tin Men”.  The panel was very interesting and fun.  The series is set to premiere on Syfy on December 4th & 5th, 2011.  We found out that the film was shot in 54 days with shooting taking place in Genoa, Italy and Dublin, Ireland.  Also a fun fact we learned was that the location for the Neverland scenes were shot in an unused toilet paper plant.  The cast is so charismatic and fun.  Make sure you tune-in to this mini-series this December for sure.

Heading into the world of reality TV, “Face-Off” was the next panel with its host McKenzie Westmore and judge Ve Neil.  Ve Neil began the panel by explaining about what has happened with last season’s winner, Connor. She hired Connor to work with her on “The Hunger Games”.  She also reported that she worked on “The Amazing Spider-Man” with two past contestants Tate and Anthony.  McKenzie has such an amazing personality and is a joy to listen to.  Both of them gave a sneak preview of what to expect from season two and how the ante has been kicked up.  Also revealed was that season two will kick off with challenges relating to “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” and season two will consist of 7 men and 7 women.

Next up was a mash-up of “Eureka” / “Haven” / “Warehouse 13” as they approach their upcoming  Christmas specials.  Colin Ferguson, Emily Rose and Eddie McClintock were in attendance and were all very animated and enthusiastic about their shows.  The “Eureka” special is going to be an animated episode with various styles of animation throughout the special and will feature many guest stars such as Jim Parsons and Chris Parnel.  The “Warehouse 13” special is a little darker than “Eureka” and will be themed like “It’s A Wonderful Life” and what if Pete Lattimer was not around.  The “Haven” special takes place in the month of July where the people of Haven all believe that it is Christmas which may be caused by a “troubled” town member.  Having viewed all three episodes already, I can say that they are really great additions to the already great season for each show respectively.  They are also said to fit within each current season but are to be considered stand-alone. Tune in December 6th to catch them when they air. BTW “Haven” was not greenlit for season three as of the press tour…but today 10/12/11, two days later, it was announced.  So expect more “Haven” in summer 2012. Hooray!!

The next two panels are for two shows that are airing in 2012 on Syfy.  The first is called “Lost Girl”, which has already aired two seasons in Canada and was recently picked up by Syfy.  The panel featured Anna Silk and Zoie Palmer from the show.  The show will premiere January 16th right after “Being Human” as part of Syfy’s Powerful Monday lineup.  The second series is a reality show called “Monster Man”, which will take you inside the FX shop of Cleve Hall and his family.  Attending the panel was Cleve Hall, his daughter/co-worker Constance Hall and his partner/friend Roy Knyrim.  The show airs in March 2012 and carries the tagline “Sometimes making monsters, can be a beast”.

The last announced panel before the “surprise panel” was a WWE Smackdown panel.  At this panel, we were told that Smackdown has been on Syfy for 1 year now and on October 14th it will out replace “Gunsmoke” as the longest running episodic TV show with over 650 episodes.  Attending the panel was WWE Diva Alicia Fox and WWE Superstar Wade Barrett, who also did most of, if not all of the talking.

The last panel was the surprise panel and it was QUITE a surprise.  Syfy announced that Jaleel White (aka Steve Urkel from “Family Mathers” and Syfy Original Movie “Mega Shark vs. Crocosaurus”) will host a new reality TV show called “Total Blackout”.  The show is created by Henrik Nielsen, who has already adapted this show in 13 other countries.  The show features contestants who will compete in complete and total darkness.  It focuses on fear vs. danger and will take you as far as your imagination will go.  The show starts production 10/18/11 in California and will be airing in early 2012.  We were lucky enough to get a test run of what the show will be like with 4 lucky press members and Eureka’s Colin Ferguson.  The test run had them walk in a room with three tanks with an object in each one and the goal was to figure out what it was by feeling it in the complete dark.  The first item were two giant live snakes, the next was a teddy bear and the last was a human foot (live…body was under the table).  It was a laugh riot and we were able to record Colin Ferguson’s try and you can view it below.

Overall the Syfy Digital Press Tour 2011 was very fun, quick moving and entertaining.  If the panels weren’t good enough, afterwards Syfy shipped all the press, talent and staff over to Islands of Adventure to get a VIP tour of the closed off “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter”.  This was a memorable and exciting experience and is something that I will never forget in my entire life.  Thank you Syfy for allowing us to cover this event and I will look forward to many more years of covering this event.

.

Click here to watch clips from the various panels:

Tristan Wilds is known best for his role of Dixon in “90210”. With the show entering it’s fourth season, Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Tristan about his role and what to expect from this season.

Mike Gencarelli: Leading into season 4 what has been your biggest challenge playing the role of Dixon?
Tristan Wilds: I think the biggest challenge now would probably be showing the growth. I think people get used to seeing a certain thing every year and, sometimes they forget that as human beings we are supposed to change and grow. For me showing how Dixon has grown from the likeable high school kid to a young adult who has made some problems has been definitely the biggest challenge.

MG: How do you feel that this season in general stands out from the past 4?
TW: From a character stand point I really like it. You get to see a different dynamic of the Dixon character. In the previous seasons, Dixon was always the clean cut kid but this season you get to see him in an element we are not used to.

MG: What will be the main issue with Dixon this season?
TW: I think there is going to be a couple pinnacle points for Dixon this season. Probably the biggest one will be the pressure that has been put on him to make his music work. Dixon is going to try and prove to everyone why he chose not to go to college. With that will come many different issues.

MG: Will there be any love interests that we can be watching for?
TW: So far I think there is going to be one. It’s going to get a little steamy so everyone will have to be watching.

MG: After working on a season of “90210” do you find yourself watching the episodes each week?
TW: Yes. I always do. I am a very tough critic about myself. I am always looking at how I can better my performance and my craft. I am constantly taking notes on how I might be able to do something in an upcoming episode. I’m a work in progress and by watching the stuff I am in help me get better.

MG: What are your interests outside of the show?
TW: I am doing music as well which is pretty funny since they chose to make Dixon get into that also.

MG: Can you tell us about any of your projects?
TW: I am working on an EP which I hope to release before the end of the year. I plan to have a full album release sometime next year.

MG: Can you give us some background on your role in “Red Tails”?
TW: My characters name is Junior. He is the youngest guy in the group and he is really trying to be looked at as a man. It’s going to be a really great film!

MG: How does working on “Red Tails” compare to your work on “90210”?
TW: It’s definitely different. “90210” is kind of like school. We are all friends and a very tight knit group. For me it’s all about the dynamics and the relationship aspect. “Red Tails” was like a fraternity. No one could mess with someone in that group without the rest of us being right there.

MG: Being involved in music, television and movies is there one you like the most?
TW: For a long time I thought it would be music. However a couple years back I found myself being just as excited about watch the Emmy’s and the Academy Awards as I was to watch the Grammys. It just hit me that nothing could come between me and acting. Both are a huge part of my life.

Related Content

• Interview with Ashley Madekwe
• Interview with Christopher Moynihan & Dan Fogler
• Interview with Unknown Hinson
• Interview with Jim Fortier
• Interview with Christopher Moynihan

The Syfy Digital Press Tour event takes place 10/9-10/10 in Orlando FL and Media Mikes will be attending.  It is going to be filled with great panels and special appearances from your favorite Syfy stars.

We will be tweeting live from the event.  Be sure to interact and ask questions if you want during the event Monday.  Be sure to use the follow hash tags below for Twitter (including #syfytour) and be sure to follow all things related Syfy on Facebook.

Here is a breakdown of the expect press panels:

Being Human: Stars Sam Witwer, Sam Huntington and Meaghan Rath
Neverland: Stars Rhys Ifans, Anna Friel and Charlie Rowe
Face Off: Judges McKenzie Westmore and Ve Neill
Warehouse 13/Eureka/Have (Holiday specials): Stars Eddie McClintock, Colin Ferguson and Emily Rose
Lost Girl: Star Anna Silk
Monster Man: Makeup artists Cleve Hall, Constance Hall and Roy Knyrim
WWE Friday Night Smackdown: Wrestlers Wade Barrett and Alicia Fox
Mystery panel: Syfy will announce a new unscripted series

Twitter
#SyfyTour, #SyfyLuau, #WH13, #Eureka, #Sanctuary,#Haven, #FaceOff, #SmackdownSyfy, #BeingHuman, #MonsterMan, #LostGirl, #SyfyPotter, #DestinationTruth

Facebook
facebook.com/syfy
facebook.com/warehouse13
facebook.com/beinghuman
facebook.com/eurekaseries
facebook.com/destinationtruth
facebook.com/FaceOffSeries
facebook.com/haven
facebook.com/SyfyNeverland

Rusty Cuyler Finds Love in an All-New Episode of Squidbillies

Country Music Singer-Songwriter Elizabeth Cook Guest Stars on Sunday, Oct. 9 at 11:45 p.m. (et/pt)

Bless Rusty’s sweet heart. He’s finally got himself a nice little girlfriend, Tammi, who loves him for who he is, despite his being, well, a squid with severe acne. Watch their teenage love blossom in the next episode of Squidbillies, “Keeping It in the Family Way,” airing Sunday, Oct. 9 at 11:45 p.m. (et/pt) on Adult Swim.

Of course, love is not without its hitches, and the biggest thorn in Rusty’s side is his Dad, Early. Early thinks he has Rusty’s best interests in mind, which usually means he’ll beat him up, shoot him, juice him and exploit him. This time, he butts right into Rusty’s relationship, looking to marry him off AND steal his woman at the same time. How is that possible? Well, these are hillbilly squids we’re talking about.

Now when this episode starts, you’ll notice the theme song has a special twang this week. That’s because country music singer-songwriter and Sirius XM host of Apron Strings Elizabeth Cook is covering the tune. Her signature dulcet voice and perfect country harmonies come through as Early enjoys his chaw in a broke down truck.  Cook also guest stars as the sweet, understanding Tammi. She adores Rusty and resists Early’s advances, but she can’t escape her breeding, and her mama ends up being the reason the romance must end.

Ashley Madekwe is co-starring in ABC”s new hit show “Revenge”.  Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Ashley about her new show, what to expect and also her upcoming film “Victim”.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about your new TV series “Revenge”?
Ashley Madekwe: “Revenge” is a juicy drama set in the Hamptons. It follows the story of Emily Thorne who returns to get revenge on the people who wronged her father. It really reminds of the big soaps from the 80’s. Lots of drama!

MG: What do you like most about playing Ashley Davenport?
AM: Ashley acts as almost a narrator for the audience. Especially in the early episodes. She knows everyone and all their secrets.

MG: The show is loosely based on “The Count of Monte Cristo”, how do you feel it stands out from other shows?
AM: “Revenge” is a true prime time soap and it makes no apologies for that. We relish in the drama and it gets juicier with each episode!

MG: Tell us about the production so far for the show? How episode have you shot? Where is shooting happening?
AM: We’re just about to start shooting episode eight and so far we’ve had a big party or social event in each episode. I love these scenes because it’s a chance for a lot of the cast to be together at once. Those scenes start to feel like real parties.

MG: Did you enjoy working in the horror genre for “Bedlam”?
AM: I loved working on “Bedlam”. It’s fun to create the suspense of horror for the audience. I loved all the stunts. I don’t want to spoil the story for you but I have a great fire stunt towards the end of the season.

MG: How was it working with Billie Piper on “The Secret Diary of a Call Girl”?
AM: Billie is a fantastic actress so it was always a joy to go to work and film with her.

MG: Tell us about your upcoming film “Victim”?
AM: “Victim” was written by two friends of mine. The second I finished reading the script I knew I wanted to be involved. Its a really touching story about people escaping their circumstances, love and betrayal. We shot the entire thing on location in London which is my home town so it was a real treat for me.

Related Content

• Interview with Tristan Wilds
• Interview with Big Brother’s Adam Poch
• Interview with Mary Lynn Rajskub
• Interview with Rhys Darby
• Interview with Sheila Shah

Did you catch the premiere of “China, IL”, a new animated series on Adult Swim? An all new epsiode “Dean vs Mayor” premieres Sunday, Oct. 9 at midnight (ET, PT) on Adult Swim. Check it out it rules!

Show description:
Frank and Steve Smith are brothers who teach in the history department of a state university in China, IL. They also happen to be legends in their own minds who will often sacrifice facts, lessons and syllabi for the sake of being awesome. China, IL, created by Brad Neely, is a reverse Animal House where the teachers are crazy and the students just want to learn.

Clone Commander Wolffe and his battalion of troopers assist the disaster-stricken world of Aleen in an all-new episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars!

After groundquakes have devastated the planet Aleen, a Republic relief effort arrives, including the 104th battalion of clone troopers along with droids R2-D2 and C-3PO. When the native Aleena’s pleas go unheard, it becomes the duty of the droids to embark on a surreal journey through Aleena’s subterranean world to save the planet, in “Mercy Mission” a new episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, airing at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT Friday, October 7^th on Cartoon Network.

Related Content

• “Star Wars” Actress Ashley Eckstein’s Ultimate Cosplay Experience
• “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” Sneak Preview of “Shadow Warrior” Episode
• Auction Hunters” Allen Haff and Ton Jones Dig Through The “Star Wars” Archive
• “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” Season 4 New Interview with Dee Bradley Baker
• “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” Preview for ‘Prisoners’ Episode

Laurent Bouzereau is known for his documentary films.  He has worked for the almost 20 years with Steven Spielberg starting with his film, “The Making of Jaws”.  He has worked on various documentaries for Stephen King films and also films like “Avatar” and “Scarface”.  This month to celebrate Halloween, Laurent is introducing his latest film on TCM called, “A Night at the Movies: The Horrors of Stephen King”.  Media Mikes had a chance to chat horror films with Laurent and also find out what it was like working with Stephen King.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell come up with the idea for “A Night at the Movies: The Horrors of Stephen King”?
Laurent Bouzereau: A couple of years ago I started this series with Dreamworks TV, now called Amblin TV and TCM about the history of film genres.  We started with epic cinema, then thrillers and then we started to think about other genres for this year and I immediately suggested horror for Halloween.  I know the genre very well.  I said what would be different for this one, since with the others we interviewed a lot of people, what if I call Stephen King and ask JUST him to do it.  I knew I could get a lot of people from this genre and people that I have worked with over the years but I felt that we if can get “The Man”, Stephen King…I think he could speak for everybody.  So I reached out to him and he said “Yes”, so I was very excited.  We spent a couple of days in New York chatting about horror.  I have met him in the past, of course, but never had the pleasure and the honor to chat with him for so many hours on one subject.  He is so generous and so funny.  He is really like the everyday man and there is nothing you can’t ask him.  He has his own opinions and it was a really lively conversation.  I also think that he makes a really great point in the documentary about being the least respected genre in both literature and film.  I think he has elevated that genre to such an art form.  I think it was important that he was there to talk about his for this project.  The show is really his definition of horror.  It is really horror according to Stephen King.

MG: You are no stranger to working with Stephen King, what is your favorite piece of work by him?
LB: My favorite novel…well, I lived in New York at the time and a friend of sent me an advance copy of “IT”.  It is actually going to be 25 years old this year…aging myself [laughs].  So, I was walking around the streets of New York with this book, which no one had  yet, and people were stopping me in the streets.  I remember going to the beach and I was getting stopped left and right, I thought I was going to get mugged because of this book.  I swear to you that this is true.  It enhanced my experience of reading it because I not only had a great book but I had the most awaiting book.  That is where I realized Stephen King as a brand name, it was Stephen King’s book not just “that” book.  So I would have to say that that book is so epic and definitely one of my favorites.  If I can, I would say that “Pet Cemetery” is a close second for me as books go.  It is unfair though because overall I love everything he does.  In terms of film, I would have to say that “Carrie” for me is the best film.  Very close second is “The Dead Zone”.  I was very thrilled that Stephen King highlighted “The Dead Zone” in our film because I think it is somewhat forgotten as a film and  it is not as quoted as I feel it deserves to be.  It is a brilliant adaption of a very difficult book.  I think that his books really transcends the genre.  It really comes from the characters then coming from the effects of horror.  He comes up with an incredible character and then gives him a supernatural power or an edge.  That is the great gift he has a storyteller.

MG: What was the most difficult challenge in putting together this documentary?
LB: The most difficult challenge was really to condense the many hours we spend with Stephen to just one hour.  The thing that I was really proud of is that I came in extremely prepared for this.  I did much research for it and obviously I know his work very well. You never know we these things and what angle they are going to want to take.  I had a vague idea in my head for the structure and what I wanted to caputre.  I tried to always be ahead of him so there was no wasted time or energy on the subject.  That was a real challenge.  I didn’t have the opportunity for him to do pick-ups later on…I had one chance.  Of all the scripts that I have written for documentaries, this was the easiest and I was really proud of that.  I knew what I had and it was very fluent.  The only regret is that I wish the show could have been three or four hours long [laughs].  Sometimes though there is value in something that is shorter and to the point.  If it was four hours, it would be a discussion but within an hour it feels like a documentary…like a journey.

MG: You have worked on numerous documentaries, what drives you to continue in this field?
LB: Well, it is documentaries like this one.  First of all, I have to say that working with TCM, it is the only network that I watch aside from the news.  It is such an honor.  They are a dream come true for people like us that love movies.  I have to saw working with that team is pretty amazing.  They are so supportive.  Documentaries are difficult to produce, since they are very involved and  there is a lot of licensing involved.  I have an incredible team watching out for me and there are no compromises.  It is a great collaboration.  That is one of the reasons why I keep going because I work with great people.  Amblin, Steve Spielberg’s company, needless to say is extremely supportive also and always there for me.  With that kind of support you can only succeed…not fail.   The second thing is that I have been so fortunate, I started doing this in the early 90’s, I have always worked with great filmmakers.  I also have worked on really fascinating projects.  So it is subject matters really interest me and it is stuff that I have studied and I feel that I have spent my entire youth preparing for.  I think documentary filmmaking is really an art.  I have always aspired to do it.  As long as I can continue to tell stories in a non-fiction realm, I will continue to doing it [laughs].

MG: Tell us about your next project with TCM and “The World of Michael Crichton”?
LB: Around Christmas, I am working with TCM again for that genre about Christmas movies.  That is great fun and I just finishing that up in the next month or so.  It is completely different in nature.  I think there is a dark side of Christmas in some movies.  I included Joe Dante [laughs], since he made the ultimate dark Christmas movie, “Gremlins”.  It is a completely different hat to wear to go from Stephen King/horror to Christmas movies, it was almost shock therapy or something [laughs].  It is just great though since when you talk about horror, it is scary and here is a lot of darkness to it.  As a filmmaker to be able to jump into something much more light and this genre just has such amazing movies.  It sort of  counter-balances my fears and my nightmares.  I have Jingle Bells in my dreams now instead of axes and knifes coming after me [laughs].  Another project that was announced that I am executive producing a series on Michael Crichton for The Science Channel and that is just starting.  I knew Michael and his estate came to me and we are putting that together now.  It is a kind of a happy/sad project to me working on.  He was a genius and a great person.  I really cherished the moments I had with him.

Unknown Hinson is plays the lead of Early Cuyler in Adult Swim’s “Squidbillies”.  The show just started its sixth season and its looks like it is its best season yet.  Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Unknown Hinson about his role in the show and also his music career.

Mike Gencarelli: What do you like most about voicing the character Early Cuyler?
Unknown Hinson: As a voice actor, it is quite of a stretch for me.  I do it because it gives me a lot of freedom to improvise my lines.  I do incorporate a lot of myself into the character, which is a lot of fun. People get to know me through Early Cuyler and hopefully visa versa.

MG: How did you get involved with this show?
UH: Before the show took off, the creators got a hold of one of my CDs.  On that particular CD, there were sound clips of me talking and I guess they liked my voice.  I love cartoons and I was definitely interested. I have had a great time working on the show so far and hope to continue to.

MG: You are now into “Squidbillies” sixth season, do you feel that it has changed for you over that time?
UH: That is a good question Mike; I feel the character has evolved from season to season.  It is kind of like any character in any series, they get given a particular situation to deal with or react to.  It is really all about the days in the life of the character, one day might be good, one day might bad but you just react as it comes to you.  The main thing about cartoon characters is that they can get away with anything…obviously.  That is fascinating to me and gives me a lot of room, as I say, to be myself within the boundaries of the script.

MG: Do you ever improvise your lines during recording?
UH: Yeah, Jim Fortier and Dave Willis give me a lot of room to improvise and ad lib.  They let me put my own spin on it from time to time and I appreciate that.

MG: What has been your favorite episode of “Squidbillies” from this season?
UH: Well the season is just in process and I do not want to be partial to one particular episode.  I honestly like them all…I really do.  I do not have a favorite.

MG: How favorite episode about the show in general?
UH: I do remember an episode when Early and Lil had a litter of babies and there was one that survived.  Early took a liking to it and called it ‘Hershell Walker Cuyler Them Dawgs Is Hell Don’t They’.  I like that episode very much.

MG: You go from voice acting to musician, tell us about that side of you?
UH: Well I have been a musician all my life every since I was a little bitty boy.  That is the only profession I have ever done, it is my trade in life.  I am getting up in years but I am pretty sure I will do this till I die, I reckon. I have done for music from the show from time to time…a couple of songs. I have been able to lend some Unknown Hinson music to the show, which is a lot of fun.  I have gained a lot of new friends through “Squidbillies” and hopefully “Squidbillies” has gained friends through me.  I think one helps the other.  I enjoy playing music and doing the cartoon.

MG: Why aren’t there more musical episodes of “Squidbillies”?
UH: Well I do not know.  There is always the possibility we can do more.  The thing with me is I am always doing my thing, I have CDs to make and concerts to do.  I stay pretty busy.  But who knows may get into that more, I sure would like to.

MG: How do you find your unique sound for your music?
UH: I do not know Mike; I just write songs from my heart, sing them and play the guitar.  I record them, put them out and people seem to like it.  I am thankful to them because they come to see me play and buy my CDs. They seem to get something out of it and that is the main thing.

MG: Can we expect a new album anytime soon?
UH: Yes sir, a brand new Unknown Hinson album is due this Halloween. Yes! It will be available at UnknownHinson.com and my concerts.

Jim Fortier is the Co-Creator/Writer for Adult Swim’s “Squidbillies”.  Along with Dave Willis they have created one of the most unique shows on television.  With the show entering its sixth season, the series shows now signs of slowing down.  Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Jim about working on the show and what to expect from this season.

Mike Gencarelli: How do you feel that the sixth season of “Squidbillies” differs production wise from the previous seasons?
Jim Fortier: I don’t know that the production really differs from the previous seasons. Our team is just better at making the show now. We are very happy with this season. We think that the episodes are as good as any and probably are strongest batch yet. Dave and I still primarily write the episodes with the help of Chris Kelly who submits scripts to us. We are a well oiled machine.

MG: What is the turnaround for an episode from conception to completion?
JF: Usually we can write an episode in a couple days. Recording takes another couple days and then we give in to an editor in the building for about 8 weeks where they will do the audio and the rough animation cut. From there our animation studio Radical Access will get another 6-8 weeks usually. So it takes around 5-8 months per episode. We generally will record an episode every couple weeks so at any given time we could have all 10 episodes in various stages of production.

MG: What is the most difficult task about working on the show?
JF: The most difficult thing about the show is also my favorite which is getting to do all the different things Dave and I do related to the show. We both have a big hand in each step of the shows process. It can be very demanding as we generally are working on 10 shows at a time.

MG: How do you feel “Squidbillies” compares to the other shows you have worked on?
JF: The production method on those other shows was different than that on “Squidbillies”. Even the audio cuts were done differently. “Squidbillies” is different for me because it’s the first show that along with Dave I have been solely responsible for. When I worked on “The Brak Show”, I was kind of the right hand guy and helped write scripts but everything was really Pete Smith. “Squidbillies” is sort of paired down a bit to something that works well.

MG: How do you go about developing the over the top/offensive content for “Squidbillies”?
JF: I look at as redneck squids saying what they say. They aren’t speaking for us. A lot of times we have to defend the content of the show. It’s not always a bad thing to have to explain what you are doing. I can’t speak for Dave but maybe he really is thinking those things? I doubt it though [laughs]. Early really is a buffoon and we like to use him as the brunt of all the jokes. Hopefully everyone gets the characters overzealous humor.

MG: With Unknown Hinson’s musical background why haven’t there been more episodes featuring Early  singing?
JF: He has done two episodes that I can think of where he has gotten to sing. We have actually asked Unknown to do a cover version of the theme song.  I think he is going to do it but he has just been tied up getting ready to release a new album on Halloween. Unknown is a very hands on guy.

MG: Can you envision doing a “Squidbillies” movie?
JF: I can imagine me being interested in doing that. I can also imagine being told that it will never happen from the network.  I think we could give it a stab and it would be fun to do but I just don’t think there has been a call for it. However if a million rabid fans signed a petition and included 1 dollar we would start production tomorrow. Hint…Hint!!

Christopher Moynihan is the creator, writer and co-star in ABC’s new show “Man Up!”. It co-star Dan Fogler, Mather Zickel, Henry Simmons, Teri Polo and Amanda Detmer. This show is one of the funniest new show this year. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Christopher about his new show and what we can expect from the season.

Mike Gencarelli: How did you end up coming on board for the show “Man Up!”?
Christopher Moynihan: I created the show as part of deal I had for two pilots with ABC. This is the first one I came to as it has been in my head for a few years. My grandfather was wounded on the beach of Anzio, Italy in WWII and my father was a cop in the Bronx during the riots of the 1960’s. I am just a different breed of guy! I sit around and play video games and talk about “Spider-Man”. I think that we have the luxury in this day and age where we don’t have to go off and fight and do those types of things. Instead we have a person that volunteer to do those things for us which then allows us to be sort of over grown children. I always wanted to do something reflecting this modern man that doesn’t have a lot of chances to do manly thing. Things moved pretty quickly after I pitched the idea to ABC. They bought script and I wrote the pilot. We got really lucky with casting and everyone worked well. From there it moved onto series and things are going well.

MG: How do you go about getting into character and is it directly based on you?
CM: I kind of think that all the guys have pieces of me to them. My guy Craig reminds me of the guy I was in my 20’s. The way I break the three guys up is Will is really a man, Kenny is too much of a child to be a man and Craig is too much of a woman to be a man. I always think Craig is more in touch with his sensitive side and its all in the writing. We spent the whole summer writing these episodes, so its always in my wheel house that Craig is more touchy feely than the other two guys. I think there is a big piece of me that is that so its not too hard for me to get there.

MG: Do you guys have a lot of fun on set?
CM: Yes we really do. I think these television shows live and die by the casting and we really got lucky. It feels like we know each of from when we were kids. We have a lot of fun on set with each other. I feel very fortunate that we all get along.

MG: How do you feel that the show stands out from other comedies currently on television?
CM: I think what you do is you hope your voice is unique and distinct. I have a lot of great writers and I have some bizarre things in my head that I want to get to the screen. I’m hoping that our stuff is different in the sense that it is a network sitcom and its in the vein of what’s working on ABC but you try and set yourself apart by taking different approaches on popular subjects. You have to find a way to put a unique twist on a classic storyline. I think that’s how you set yourself apart.

MG: How many episodes have you filmed so far and do you have a favorite?
CM: We are currently in the process of shooting episode 105 which would make this the fourth episode since the pilot that we have shot. I am really happy with everything we have done so far. Everything comes out of the scripts you write in the summer time. We had six scripts in pretty good shape even before we started shooting episode 102. Everything we have shot so far has been pretty good. I have only seen episode 101 and its really funny however its kind of like looking at your own baby. You think its cute but what do other people think. I really believe its funny and the network seems pleased.

MG: How many episodes have been green-lit?
CM: We have been green-lit the pilot plus twelve episodes. We are shooting number four right now.

MG: Can you give us a sneak preview of what we can expect this season?
CM: We have eight or nine scripts written and the other ones are loosely put together. When we come back Kenny’s ex-wife Brenda has brought a new guy into the group by the name of Grant. Our first episode back Craig and Will try to get Kenny to be friends with Grant as he found out that the other were hanging out with this Grant guy behind his back. The episode is called “Finessing the Bromance”. A lot of the first season is going to be the three guys getting Grant to be a part of their group.

Adam Poch was a contestant on season 13 of the reality television show “Big Brother”. Adam quickly became known to his house mates and viewers of the show for his love of Heavy Metal, Bacon and all things “Beverly Hills 90210”. Adam took a few minutes out of his day to talk with Media Mikes about his experience on the show as well as getting to meet Tori Spelling.

Adam Lawton: Were you familiar with the show prior to auditioning?
Adam Poch: I have been a fan of “Big Brother” since the beginning. Thank God around season 6 of the show I got my first DVR, which turned me from a big fan into a huge fan! I was then able to watch every episode. From there I started getting on all the blogs and watching the live feeds as well as the after dark stuff on Showtime. I really like the concept of the show as well. When I saw Evil Dick on season 8, I realized that they could have a rock and roll type guy on the show.  So I thought about trying out.

AL: Had you auditioned for any previous season of the show?
AP: Yes. I had auditioned prior to season 10, however I bombed my audition terribly. I went in and talked about everything but myself. I was too busy at the time to audition for season 11, so the next time I went in was for season 12. I walked in this time and just gave it to them as to what made me unique. My opening line was “My name is Adam and my three passions are heavy metal, bacon and Beverly Hills, 90210”. You could see everyone in the room kind of look at me a little different. I made it all the way to the finals however they ending up not choosing me but they told me to keep trying.  This year I went back and gave them me again. I had some changes in my life since the previous year such as losing a 100 lbs. and having a girlfriend. I think my confidence definitely showed more and they loved everything that had from the previous year but they loved it even more this year.

AL: Having gone through the audition process a few times what was it like?
AP: They have you jump through hoops and answering questions over and over. There were a couple rounds of interviews with different people. For me there were a lot of sleepless nights waiting for phone calls about whether or not I made it to the next round. Open auditions started in April and it’s not until July that the show starts. For someone who got so close last year, I could taste it and there were lots of nights dreaming about how cool it would be to be on the show.

AL: Did you ever become annoyed with having the cameras around literally all the time?
AP: When you sign up for the show you know going in that the cameras are going to rolling 24-7, you really have no place to hide. I was never annoyed with the cameras but I was annoyed that I could never just get away and have a luxury reward. We had the episode where David Hasselhoff came into the house and four people got to watch the show “Same Name”. I was just praying there would another similar competition to watch a movie or television show. It would have been nice to get out of the game for just a bit,as being in game mode all the time did take a toll on me.

AL: You guys are completely locked out from the outside world correct?
AP: I had no idea about anything going on outside of the house. I remember some of the cast wanting to know what was going on with the Casey Anthony trial. Personally, I wanted to know what was going on with the NFL lockout. I knew I would be getting out of the house in September and a Fall without football just isn’t Fall. I also knew I was missing a lot of great concerts while I was in the house. I really missed an entire summer of new stuff. Being blocked off from society is not always a bad thing but you do miss the connection with people.

AL: What was it like living in an elf suit for a week?
AP: For me it was a good time! People weren’t looking at me as a threat because I was an elf. I was just some goofy guy running around the house making people laugh and drinking syrup. I think the suit came at a good time for me because there were lines starting to be drawn deeper in the sand. No one really thought of me as a threat. I was able to stay under the radar and be entertainment for the house. If anyone in that cast had to get the elf suit, I was glad it was me because I feel I rocked it! I actually still have the suit. I saved it to use later in the game if tension started to get high, but I never did get back out as I was afraid it would make people upset rather than happy.

AL: What do you think was the hardest challenge you participated in?
AP: Probably the food competition from week two. Dominic and I were strapped together in an ant contest. The other guys all got matched up with girls who were pretty easy to carry. Dominic and I are not the smallest people in the house. You put the two of us together in an ant costume crawling over picnic items really tore us up. I have a few scars on my knees from that competition. I’m glad I will never have to do that one again. The ski slope challenge was pretty intense, as well as the first part of the final Head of House competition. We were on the beaters churning butter. I had to stand on this small platform with size 13 feet and about 15 minutes in my legs locked up and I was done. I ended up sitting in the pool for another 10-15 minutes because I just couldn’t move my legs.

AL: Did you guys have an idea as what each competition was going to be ahead of time?
AP: We could hear banging and things like that going on outside but we could never see anything. We had no idea what we were doing until the curtain goes up and we walk outside. We would often speculate what we thought we were going to have to do. At certain times we had a pretty good idea what was going to be coming up but we couldn’t be totally sure until we were out there.

AL: Can you describe the Tori Spelling meeting?
AP: Tori who? [laughs]…..I know that I didn’t win “Big Brother” but Tori Spelling came into the house and knew who Adam Pock was. Tori kissed me on the cheek while I was drinking an appletini! I would have blown through $500,000 so fast but the memories of Tori Spelling kissing me while drinking an appletini in the “Big Brother” house are worth way more than $500,000! It really was a dream come true being on the television show. I figured I would meet Tori one day at a book signing or something, but the fact Tori Spelling knows who I am! was the biggest thrill of the summer for sure. She was just as cute and sweet as I expected her to be. I fell in “love” with her character on the show and I watched her other reality shows and I just couldn’t have expected her to be any sweeter.

AL: Any chance we will see you on the show again?
AP: If people want me back on the show, write to CBS and tell them you want the elf/heavy metal teddy bear back on. Right now, I am back to my day to day life. I am back working at my job and have moved in with my girlfriend. I lost so much in three months that I am trying to catch up on things as much as I can. If I was called to be on the show again I would have to seriously think about it. The show was very draining both physically and mentally but I loved it. If things all worked out at that certain point in time I would probably go back. For right now though I am not knocking on any doors to have me put back in the show anytime soon. I give respect to those people on the show who have done back to back summers. It takes a special person to walk through those doors!

For up to date info on Adam head over to Twitter and follow him @heavymetalteddy

Dave Foley is known best for his TV work in “The Kids in the Hall” and “NewsRadio”. He is currently co-starring with Kevin Dillon and David Hornsby in CBS’s new comedy “How to Be a Gentleman”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Dave about his new show, his work with “The Kids in the Hall” and what he has planned upcoming.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about your role of Jerry in “How to Be a Gentleman”?
Dave Foley: The show is created by David Hornsby.  He was the writer, producer and performer in “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”. He writes a column for men in a Maxim style magazine and I play Jerry his editor.  Jerry is a man around 50, who is scared of losing his job and trying to stay relevant to his 25 year old boss.

MG: You are no stranger to comedy, how do you feel this show differs from your other comedy work?
DF: It’s actually has more similarities to shows like “NewsRadio” or “Kids in the Hall”.  It is a really strong ensemble of great performers.  Everyone in the cast is really funny. Behind that just like “NewsRadio”, it has a great writing staff.  To me I have been very fortunate to be able to continue working with great actors and writers.

MG: Switching to sci-fi, tell us about your work on the season finale of “Eureka”, any plans to come back?
DF: I was hoping to come back but they just announced they have already shot the rest of the episodes for their final season.  I was a big fan of that show and was good friends with Matthew Hastings, one of the producers and directors on the show.  I kept bugging him to get me a part in the show. I really wanted to be on it because I was such a fan.  So about a year later, we finally made it happen…he had a script and I wasn’t busy.  It was really fun.

MG: What are your feeling about Kevin McDonald and Scott Thompson going on tour this year?
DF: It’s a great show and I actually opened for them when they did the show in L.A. They are both doing stand up but then they come together throughout the show and do bits.  It goes back and forth. It is hilarious.

MG: Do you ever see yourself working again under “The Kids in the Hall”?
DF: Yeah I would love to.  We were trying to get a tour together for this Fall as well, but now I got this job with “How To Be a Gentleman”.  But we want to keep touring with each other for as many years as we can and also more smaller “Kids” projects down the road.  We definitely want to keep “The Kids in the Hall” part of our creative lives.

MG: I really enjoyed the mini-series feel for “Death Comes to Town”.
DF: It started out we were trying to come up with movie ideas. So this idea came up and Kevin (McDonald) and Bruce (McCulloch) were developing it. They came back and said it would work better as a mini-series.  We had no plans of ever doing television together again, since we already did a pretty good sketch show.  So we figured a mini-series with a narrative was the way to go and thought it would be fun.

MG: How do you compare doing voice work to live action work, do you prefer one over another?
DF: There are different challenges.  Working with voice work it is all in your head and your relying very heavily on your director in order to know what the other actors have done, what the story is and the what are the visuals.  They paint the scene in your head for you and then you have to act the best you can and make it seem real.  In my case, make it funny.  Unlike when you are on a movie set, you have props, other actors and sets.  So it can be very different.

MG: Tell us what you like most about working on “Dan Vs.” and what can we expect from season two this October?
DF: It is really fun.  A lot of the time I get to be in the studio with Curtis Armstrong and Paget Brewster.  The three of us get to work together and that doesn’t usually happen with animation.  I think as the show goes along Dan becomes increasingly sociopathic and dangerous [laughs].  I think some of the scripts are getting a little weirder and absurd as we go along, but it is keeping to the same tone.  I enjoy it quite a bit.

MG: Any plans upcoming for another “Prep and Landing” special?
DF: Yes in fact, there is going to be a new “Prep and Landing” special this Christmas. Rob Riggle is going to do a voice on it also.  It is a new story and it is going to be on this Christmas, so it is really exciting.

MG: You have been involved with Pixar before with “A Bug’s Life”, any truth to your involvement with “Monsters University”?
DF: Yes I am doing once of the voice, that is correct.  I have already been up to San Francisco to record, so I am very excited for that.