… but only a few get to come back as the UNDEAD.
But hey, I’m one of them.
For all you Z NATION fans out there, and those who aren’t (yet) too, my long-anticipated guest starring role as a rotting corpse is scheduled for the October 30 episode, “The Collector.”
I hear a rumor that EW will have a clip from the show on line tomorrow.
No doubt Emmys will follow.
I am very excited to announce the Cinemax (HBO’s sister company) has optioned the television rights to “The Skin Trade,” the offbeat “werewolf noir” novella I penned back in the late 80s. The deal is closed, and Cinemax has ordered the pilot script. This being Hollywood, of course, you never know where things will end… but if they like the script, we’ll shoot a pilot, and if they like that, hey, who knows, maybe we’ll get a series on the air.
Which would be very cool. I have always thought there was a TV series (or maybe a feature film) in Willie Flambeaux and Randi Wade. Those of you who know the story of DOORWAYS, my ill-fated ABC pilot from the early 90s, may even recall that it was SKIN TRADE that I was actually trying to sell back in 1991, when I flew out to LA for a round of pitch meetings. So we’re a few decades late…
“The Skin Trade” has had a storied, and complex, publishing history. It was originally written for NIGHT VISION 5, the fifth volume of the prestigious annual horror anthology from the late lamented small press Dark Harvest, where it appeared together with original contributions from Dan Simmons and Stephen King, some stellar company. The novella was very well received, and went on to win that year’s World Fantasy Award.
It was subsequently reprinted several times, most recently (and notably) in an illustrated edition from Capclave, where I was Guest of Honor, with a cover and interior art by the amazing Rick Berry.
There’s also been a comic book miniseries and graphic novel from Avatar. Daniel Abraham did the adaptation and script, while Mike Wolfer provided the art.
More recently, the novella was purchased by Mike the Pike Productions, who played a big part in taking the project to Cinemax. To handle the adaptation, script the pilot, and produce the show (should we get a greenlight), we’ve tapped a terrific talented young scriptwriter named KALINDA VAZQUEZ, whose previous credits include work on PRISON BREAK and ONCE UPON A TIME. That was not an easy choice. Cinemax and my agents set me up for meetings with close to a dozen different Tv writers, many of them very impressive, but Kalinda’s take on the story and the characters blew me away. She loves the story and the world, and really seems to get Willie and Randi, and her pitch to Cinemax was one of the most polished and professional I’ve ever heard. I love her enthusiasm, and look forward to working with her.
(And no, while I would have loved to write the script and run the show myself myself, that was never really in the cards. I have this book to finish. You know the one).
So… THE SKIN TRADE… coming to your TV set, er, eventually. Maybe. Howl for it.
Regular readers of this Not A Blog will know that I am a big fan of historical fiction, especially medieval historical fiction. Nigel Tranter, Maurice Druon, Thomas B. Costain, Sharon Kay Penman, Cecelia Holland… and especiall Bernard Cornwell, who writes the best battles of any writer who has ever lived.
Cornwell is best known for his Sharpe series, mainly because that’s the one that was made into a TV series (starring a young Sean Bean, who did not die). But now he’s got a second show coming: THE LAST KINGDOM, based on his novels about Uhtred of Northumbria.
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The opening title sequence is pretty cool too… graphics like GAME OF THRONES meets 300 meets BONANZA.
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I can’t wait! If the BBC did justice to Cornwell’s books, this show should kick ass.
ADDENDUM, A FEW DAYS LATER: Saw the first episode, and thought it was terrific. Very faithful to Cornwell’s book.
Andy Samberg’s joke about my attending the first Emmy Awards ceremony made me curious about Emmy history. This year was the 67th Emmy Awards, and I turned 67 last Sunday, but until Andy appeared beside me I hadn’t actually connected the two. Pretty amazing.
For a few hours I entertained the amusing thought that they were perhaps giving out those first Emmys even as I was being born. Alas, that was not actually the case. Emmy and I may both be 67, but I actually came into the world a few months before her. The first Emmy ceremony took place on January 25, 1949, to honor work telecast during 1948.
Interestingly, those first awards were strictly a local matter: a Los Angeles award, for shows broadcast in the LA media market. Not at all national. The first winner — for “Most Popular Television Program” — was a show called PANTOMIME QUIZ. A drama called THE NECKLACE won for “Best Film Made for Television,” and Shirley Dinsdale won as “Most Outstanding Television Personality.” She was a ventriloquist with a dummy named ‘Judy Splinters.’
It is not recorded whether Judy also got a trophy, or whether she came on stage to accept the Emmy with Shirley.
They also gave an Emmy to the guy who designed the Emmy. And that was it. Four trophies, presented in LA, to local performers. Television was an art form in its infancy back then, and the world was different. (There was WAY more television production going on in New York than in California back in the 40s, but leave it to the Hollywood guys to be the first to think of giving out awards).
The past is another country, truly.
Back from the Emmy Awards in LA.
A night to remember.
GAME OF THRONES set a new record for number of wins by a series in a single year. Eight last week, and four more on Sunday. That’s twelve.
Pretty impressive haul when you line them up like that.
The previous record was nine, set by WEST WING.
Anyway… I will have more to say about the Emmys and all that, but we’ve only been home a few hours, and I’m still pretty tired (celebrating is hard work, and so is travel) so it will have to wait until tomorrow. I do have more to say, and a lot of people to thank.
For now, let it suffice to say that the Emmy looks very good in my TV room, and while it IS an honor just to be nominated (as I have been, six times before), it’s even cooler to win.
As some of you may well know our grand friend and one of the producer/writers of Z-nation, The Marvelous Mister Mike Cassutt (He's also writing for Captain Cosmos and HBO), talked us into being Zombies for his show while we were at WorldCon in Spokane this year.
What fun!
Don't miss GRRMs most interesting singing to date, featured on Season 2 of Z-Nation.
Now Showing every Friday at 10/9c on the SyFy Channel.
Here's a fun Picture of GRRM and some of us crazy Minions really getting into character before filming.
This Message was brought to you by the Minions of Fevre River.
RRrrrrrrAAAAAaaaaaRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrRRRRRRrrrrrraaAAAaH!
… with Jean Cocteau.
(Yes, yes, Cocteau was French. But there was lots of back and forth between the Scots and the French, y’know. They called it the Aulde Alliance).
We’re having a very special event this week at the Cocteau: a week-long marathon of the entire first season of OUTLANDER, the brilliant television adaptation of Diana Gabaldon’s bestselling novels. We’re showing all sixteen hours, and best of all: admission is FREE.
The marathon is already half over, alas… but you can still catch the second half of the season, tonight, Saturday, and Sunday.
We’ve had all kinds of fun special events too.
We had Diana Gabaldon herself the first two nights, talking, answering questions, signing books.
We had bagpipers.
We had men in kilts.
We had a tasting of single-malt Scotch.
(No haggis, though. Have to draw the line somewhere).
The sharks are coming.
Lots of them.
Tonight on SyFy… and next month at the Jean Cocteau.
Check it out. Next year’s Hugo favorite, for sure.
The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced this year’s nominations for the Emmy Awards this morning, and HBO’s GAME OF THRONES led the way with a whopping TWENTY-FOUR nominations. More than <i>any other show this year</i>, in <i>any other category</i>, be it drama, comedy, reality, talk, movie, miniseries, variety, documentary, what have you. <br/><br/><img src=”http://georgerrmartin.com/notablog/wp-content/uploads/import/260405_800.jpg” alt=”” title=””><br/><br/>Congratulations are in order for David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, our showrunners, all our writers and directors and producers, our amazing cast and our incredible crew, and of course the good folks at Home Box Office, who made all this possible.<br/><br/>Here are this year’s nominations for GOT:<br/><br/><span style=”font-size: 1.4em”>Outstanding Drama Series</span><br/><br/><span style=”font-size: 1.4em”>Outstanding Supporting Actor</span><br/>Peter Dinklage !“ Tyrion Lannister<br/><br/><span style=”font-size: 1.4em”>Outstanding Supporting Actress</span><br/>Lena Headey !“ Cersei Lannister<br/>Emilia Clarke !“ Daenerys Targaryen<br/><br/><span style=”font-size: 1.4em”>Outstanding Guest Actress</span><br/>Diana Rigg !“ Lady Olenna Tyrell, the Queen of Thorns<br/><br/><span style=”font-size: 1.4em”>Outstanding Writing For A Drama Series</span><br/>David Benioff and D.B. Weiss !“ Mother’s Mercy<br/><br/><span style=”font-size: 1.4em”>Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series </span><br/>David Nutter !“ “Mother’s Mercy”<br/>Jeremy Podeswa !“ “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken”<br/><br/>Outstanding Production Design For A Narrative Contemporary Or Fantasy<br/>Program (One Hour Or More) <br/>”High Sparrow”<br/>”Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken” <br/>”Hardhome” <br/>Deborah Riley, Production Designer<br/>Paul Ghirardani, Art Director<br/>Rob Cameron, Set Decorator<br/><br/><span style=”font-size: 1.4em”>Outstanding Casting For A Drama Series</span><br/>Nina Gold, CSA, Casting Director<br/>Robert Sterne, Casting Director<br/>Carla Stronge, Casting Director<br/><br/><span style=”font-size: 1.4em”>Outstanding Cinematography For A Single-Camera Series</span> <br/>”Hardhome” (Fabian Wagner, BSC, Director of Photography_<br/>”Sons Of The Harpy” (Anette Haellmigk, Director of Photography)<br/>”The Dance Of Dragons” (Rob McLachlan, ASC, CSC, Director of Photography)<br/>”Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken” (Greg Middleton, CSC, Director of Photography)<br/><br/><span style=”font-size: 1.4em”>Outstanding Costumes For A Period/Fantasy Series, Limited Series Or Movie</span><br/>”The Dance Of Dragons”<br/>Michele Clapton, Costume Designer<br/><br/><span style=”font-size: 1.4em”>Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Drama Series</span><br/>”Hardhome” (Tim Porter, Editor)<br/>”The Dance Of Dragons” (Katie Weiland, Editor)<br/><br/><span style=”font-size: 1.4em”>Outstanding Hairstyling For A Single-Camera Series</span><br/>”Mother’s Mercy”<br/>Kevin Alexander, Department Head Hairstylist<br/>Candice Banks, Department Head Hairstylist<br/>Rosalia Culora, Hairstylist<br/>Gary Machin, Hairstylist<br/>Laura Pollock, Hairstylist<br/>Nicola Mount, Hairstylist<br/><br/><span style=”font-size: 1.4em”>Outstanding Makeup For A Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic)</span><br/>”Mother’s Mercy” <br/>Jane Walker, Department Head Makeup Artist<br/>Nicola Matthews, Makeup Artist<br/><br/><span style=”font-size: 1.4em”>Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup For A Series, Limited Series, Movie Or A Special</span><br/>”Hardhome”<br/>Jane Walker, Department Head Makeup Artist<br/>Barrie Gower, Special Makeup Effects Department Head<br/>Sarah Gower, Special Makeup Effects Assistant<br/>Department Head<br/><br/><span style=”font-size: 1.4em”>Outstanding Sound Editing For A Series</span><br/>”Hardhome” <br/>Tim Kimmel, Supervising Sound Editor<br/>Paula Fairfield, Sound Designer<br/>Bradley C. Katona, Sound Effects Editor<br/>Peter Bercovitch, Supervising Dialogue Editor<br/>David Klotz, Music Editor<br/>Jeffrey Wilhoit, Foley Artist<br/>Dylan T. Wilhoit, Foley Artist<br/><br/><span style=”font-size: 1.4em”>Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (One Hour)</span><br/>”Hardhome” <br/>Ronan Hill, C.A.S., Production Mixer<br/>Richard Dyer, Production Mixer<br/>Onnalee Blank, C.A.S., Re-Recording Mixer<br/>Mathew Waters, Re-Recording Mixer<br/><br/><br/><span style=”font-size: 1.4em”>Outstanding Special Visual Effects</span><br/>”The Dance Of Dragons”<br/>Steve Kullback, Visual Effects Producer<br/>Joe Bauer, Visual Effects Supervisor<br/>Adam Chazen, Visual Effects Associate Producer<br/>Jabbar Raisani, Visual Effects Plate Supervisor<br/>Eric Carney, Visual Effects Previs Lead<br/>Stuart Brisdon, Special Effects Supervisor<br/>Derek Spears, Lead CG Supervisor<br/>James Kinnings, Lead Animator<br/>Matthew Rouleau, CG Supervisor<br/><br/><span style=”font-size: 1.4em”>Outstanding Stunt Coordination For A Drama Series, Limited Series Or Movie</span><br/>Rowley Irlam, Stunt Coordinator<br/><br/>It’s an incredible list, I applaud everyone on it… and all of those who didn’t make it either. GAME OF THRONES is what it is because of the untiring efforts of the best cast and crew in television today. Many were recognized by the Academy today for their work… but others, equally dedicated and talented, were not. But the show would not the hit it is without their talent and dedication. <br/><br/>The 24 nominations garnered by GAME OF THRONES is not only the highest number of any show this year, but among the highest ever received by a single series for a single season in the entire history of television. (For numbers geeks, the record remains 27, garnered by <i><b><i><b>NYPD BLUE</b></i></b></i> in 1994).<br/><br/>Today is a day for celebrations and congratulations, for popping champagne corks and raising toasts and exchanging thanks… but before we do too many cartwheels, it would be wise to remember that GAME OF THRONES also led the Emmy nominations last year, with 19 nods, only to get skunked on the night of the televised awards. The same as the year before, and the year before that. Like many fantasy shows before us, GOT is often honored for our special effects, costumes, makeup, stuntwork, set design, and cinematography (this year, please note, we have four of five finalists for cinematography), but seldom for writing, directing, or acting. Peter Dinklage’s Emmy as Best Supporting Actor for season one remains the ONLY award the show has ever won in those categories, in fact. <br/><br/>Will that change this year? One can hope, I suppose.<br/><br/>But no matter what happens on Emmy Night, let me say once again that it truly is an honor to be nominated, especially given the competition. This truly is The Golden Age of Television, especially for drama. GAME OF THRONES faces the usual formidable competition for the “Big One,” the award for Best Dramatic Series… but as distinguished a list as that is, there are so many incredible shows that did NOT make the cut that it boggles the mind. It’s great to see BETTER CALL SAUL and ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK on this list, but where is MASTERS OF SEX? THE KNICK? HALT AND CATCH FIRE? How about THE VIKINGS? I really thought JUSTIFIED might make it, for its final season. And OUTLANDER, how in the world did they overlook OUTLANDER, with its music and its costumes and its cinematography and the incredible performances of its three leads (especially Tobias Menzies in his double role)? Why is Nick Offermann not on the ballot for PARKS AND RECREATION? How could BIG BANG THEORY possibly fall off? Truly, the Academy (of which I am a member) moves in mysterious ways.<br/><br/>Even where GOT itself is concerned… I am thrilled to see both Emilia Clarke and Lena Headey among the nominees, but I wanted Maisie Williams and Sophie Turner and Natalie Dormer as well… it’s great that two of our episodes got nominated for directing, but how did they overlook “Hardhome?”… and will Iain Glen and Conleth Hill and John Bradley West ever get any recognition, and… <br/><br/>Okay, okay, I know, I am being greedy, and every producer on every other show on television is probably saying the same things about his own cast just now. Let me just savor the moment. <br/><br/>GOT did good.
Speaking of signing books… as I was in the post below…
For all of you who are enjoying OUTLANDER, the marvelous adaptation of Diana Gabaldon’s time travel novels that just finished its first season on STARZ… well, the show is terrific, but the books are even better (as is so often the case), and we have AUTOGRAPHED COPIES of the whole Outlander series and the ‘Lord John’ spinoff books as well available via mail order from the Jean Cocteau Bookshop
If you haven’t been watching OUTLANDER, you’re missing a terrific TV series. Gorgeous to look at, and the performances by the three leads are terrific. Tobias Menzies, who played Brutus on HBO’s ROME and Edmure Tully on GAME OF THRONES, is especially noteworthy in a double role. (I just hope we’ll be able to get him back, if and when D&D decide to return to the riverlands).
(OUTLANDER ‘feels’ like a cross of historical fiction and romantic adventure, but the time travel element definitely qualifies it as SF, or at least fantasy, so it’s a show worth remembering next year when Hugo nomination time comes round again).
OUTLANDER films in Scotland, GAME OF THRONES primarily in Northern Ireland. Between the two shows, I doubt there’s a single major actor in the British Isles we haven’t used yet. Great casts. Diana got sixteen episodes for one novel, two eight-episode half-seasons, which had me gnashing my teeth in envy… until I remembered that OUTLANDER has no dragons, direwolves, or ice zombies, and so far no major battles either. Though, if I recall my history, that will be coming… the battles, that is, not the dragons.
I might also mention WOLF HALL, another excellent TV series from the UK based on novels, in this case on Hilary Mantel’s novel of the same name and its sequel. Makes an interesting contrast with THE TUDORS series that Showtime ran a couple of years ago. We do not, alas, have signed copies of WOLF HALL available, since Hilary Mantel has never visited Santa Fe…
… but we do have the OUTLANDER books. While they last. And lots more besides.
http://www.jeancocteaubooks.com/
This blog is the only place for official communication from George R.R. Martin. For press inquiries, please contact David Moench
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