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What’s Next:
First, thanks to everyone who tuned in for the Finale of Awake. We all really appreciate the great reaction. If you’re a little uncertain about the ending, check out this interview Kyle did with Alan Sepinwall, as well as this one with Matt Mitovich, this one with Tim Surette, and finally this one with Entertainment Weekly. (Note: If you haven’t seen the Finale, there are SPOILERS in these interviews.)
As for what’s next for me: I’ll be joining the writing team at Justified, the FX drama based on Elmore Leonard’s work. Developed and run by Graham Yost, starring Timothy Olyphant, this series is entering its fourth season. If you’re already a fan, wonderful! If you haven’t been watching, here’s your chance to catch up on the previous three seasons, each 13 episodes, available on DVD and streaming. The premiere date for season 4 hasn’t been set, but expect it in early 2013.
FX’s website has more information about the series, and there’s a very rich and complex Wiki page about the show.
I’ve been a huge fan of this material, since I’ve read Elmore Leonard’s work for years, and was a fan of Graham Yost’s adaptation even before it aired. Readers of this site know that Yost’s Boomtown was one of the shows that changed the way I thought about TV, so it’s a great privilege and pleasure to be a part of this wonderful show.
I hope you guys catch up and tune in!
Thanks,
Leonard
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Turtles All The Way Down
Welcome to the Series Finale of Awake, this Thursday night on NBC. Check out a sneak peek here. Part I was last week, and if you missed it you can watch in online here, although this story of investigating the accident and its causes actually begins with “Say Hello to my Little Friend”, and you can watch that episode here.
The title comes from an anecdote popularized in Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time:
A well-known scientist (some say it was Bertrand Russell) once gave a public lecture on astronomy. He described how the earth orbits around the sun and how the sun, in turn, orbits around the center of a vast collection of stars called our galaxy. At the end of the lecture, a little old lady at the back of the room got up and said: “What you have told us is rubbish. The world is really a flat plate supported on the back of a giant tortoise.” The scientist gave a superior smile before replying, “What is the tortoise standing on?” “You’re very clever, young man, very clever,” said the old lady. “But it’s turtles all the way down!”
Kyle, Noelle and I worked on the story, and Kyle wrote the script. It was amazingly directed by Miguel Sapochnik, and Kyle has jokingly said about this ending: “If 24 and Twin Peaks had a baby and that baby was raised by CHiPs then that baby would have grown up to be our finale.” But in all seriousness we knew that throughout the season Britten has been managing the duality as best he could, but we wanted to force him to think about what this meant. If he learned what really happened the night of the accident, would he know who lived and who died? Would his dual worlds crumble? Would he maintain them in other ways? We spent many late nights trying to figure this one out, because there were quite a few things we had to accomplish, many questions to answer, yet it had to be fulfilling in itself as a story, and still be a good ending to the season. Yes, we also worried about the possibility that this could be the last episode, ever, and wanted to offer some degree of closure; we were hoping to explore a deeper layer of Britten and his self-protecting psychology.
From all of us at Awake, it has been an honor to tell you these stories, and we’re very grateful that you tuned in. More and more critics have recognized the risks we took, and there’s even been early Emmy talk for Jason Isaacs, who has shown an incredible range in these episodes. We’re glad to have been able to share this show with you, and thank you.
Sincerely,
Leonard
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Hey, it’s okay. Really, it is.
Before I get into the cancellation of Awake, let me tell you a quick story.
After one of my novels was published, I learned a few months later that the publisher was going to drop me as an author. Although the novel sold well — actually sold well all over the world — it didn’t sell well enough, definitely not enough to justify the advance given to me to buy the book. This was depressing news because I had spent a few years writing that novel, and had hopes to write a trilogy, and when a publisher drops you after part one of a three-part series, it kills other publishers’ desires to follow up, because you’re damaged goods. I fretted. I moaned. I complained. And when the publisher took the novel out of print — pulping (i.e. shredding) extra copies — I ranted and raved and cursed this fickle business.
I was in the middle of writing the second novel of the trilogy, and began to lose my momentum. I tried to start other projects but couldn’t get anything going. I suddenly got worried. Was this it? Was I done as a writer?
Then, one morning while I was pacing in my office, contemplating opening a bottle of wine way too early in the day, I got an international letter, postmarked from France.
Because of e-mail I rarely got letters, so this was unusual. I used my wine opener knife to open the envelope and began reading. It was from a seventeen-year-old young woman from Paris, who had just read the French edition of Over the Shoulder, and told me that she had never read a novel that moved her so much, was never that much of a reader until she became so engrossed in this story about a Korean American man named Allen Choice and his strange history, that she couldn’t stop re-reading it. She said she so identified with this man who was unlike her in many ways, and it made her want to read more. She hoped there would be more Allen Choice novels, and I had turned her onto reading in a way no other novel had.
I felt a tremendous sense of… gratitude. And, frankly, embarrassment for my fretting and complaining. I had been given a great gift — the chance to tell stories and have people read them — and for me to moan about not getting a chance to do more was selfish and myopic. I should’ve been thankful for even the chance to tell one story.
I cleared my desk. I put away the wine. I focused on the abandoned sequel. And I got to work. I finished the trilogy, published it with another publisher, and everything was fine. I kept writing. I focused on the work. I counted my blessings, appreciated what I did have, and that… freed me.
So, yes, Awake wasn’t given a second season. After the next two episodes air, we join a very prestigious list of shows that got one full season and then was cancelled. For example, some of my favorite one-season shows include Terriers, Freaks and Geeks, Firefly, My So-Called Life, Wonderfalls, and many more that some of you probably never heard of, like Jack and Bobby, or even one-and-a-half-season shows like I’ll Fly Away and Boomtown, shows that changed the way I thought about TV. Did you know that The Honeymooners only lasted one season? The Jetsons? Shows develop a life of their own.
So, it’s okay. Everyone at Awake began to suspect this would happen as we tracked the ratings. That’s the nature of the business, especially broadcast network TV, where the advertising business model necessitates a certain number of viewers to justify the cost of the ads.
I know everyone who worked on the show was happy to see that the final episodes, which are the strongest of the bunch, will be aired, and that will give viewers a nice sense of completion and closure.
We are all grateful that we were able to help Kyle Killen realize his very unique vision of this show. We are thankful for the viewers and the tremendous response we did get, and we will always appreciate this experience. So, thank you. It’s okay. We’ll be fine. We’re all moving on — we’re focusing on the work and we’ll always keep writing.
Thank you again for watching, for telling others, for being so vocal and supportive. Believe me, everyone at Awake really appreciated it. Stay tuned for the last two episodes — they are extraordinary in their conception and execution, and the final scenes of the Finale are simply amazing.
Best wishes to you all, and when I know, I’ll let you know what’s next.
Sincerely,
Leonard
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worldbuilders asked: Do we actually know if Awake is going to be cancelled or not? The very idea scares me. I LOVE this show. It's my return to TV after Roswell (years ago) got cancelled for the first thing that seemed worth it.
We’ll know by the end of this week or by early next week. I’ll definitely let everyone know when we do. Nevertheless, no matter what the verdict is, these final episodes are incredibly good, and we’re extremely proud of how this show turned out. Thanks for watching, and we’re honored to be the show for which you came back to TV.
UPDATE 5/11/2012: Alas, we got the ax! Still, we stand by the final amazing episodes, which will air, and all of us had a tremendous experience. This was a crazy hard show to write, but the results were rewarding. Particularly incredible was the fan reaction and response — a core group of people loved the show as much as we did. So, THANK YOU! Get the boxed set of DVD’s of Awake, because it’s still an amazing season. And we’re all going to continue writing TV, so look for us out there — I’ll try to post updates here as we begin making new shows or finding others to join. Thank you again for everything!
http://www.hitfix.com/articles/nbc-cancels-awake-bent-and-more
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Say Hello to my Little Friend
All right, folks. Here we go. This Thursday’s episode of Awake on NBC, “Say Hello to my Little Friend,” kicks off the final three episodes of the season, and begins to answer a lot of the questions raised early on. Written by Kyle and myself, and deftly directed by Laura Innes (who also plays Captain Harper!), this episode was nicknamed “Stuck in Red” because we explored what happens when the carefully constructed bifurcated life Britten has managed to navigate begins to fall apart — more importantly this triggers Britten’s investigation as to why and how this happened. Is his subconscious telling him something important? Are the problems surfacing in this episode a sign of which world is a dream? Are they revealing which is the real world, something that many fans have been discussing? Tune in and find out.
And if you want to voice your opinions about the episode, there are a few places, including the NBC discussion boards, the Reddit Awake site, and the Awake Facebook page. Also, a place where I’ve been reading fans’ reactions is using Twitter’s #Awake search hashtag, although you need to ignore the tweets about people waking up after a rough night. Usually the TV Awake posts begin on Thursdays. By the way, some people are surprised that their tweets are public, but that’s what the hashtag is for.
There are many things that I loved about this episode. We get some heavy-duty acting here, with Jason Isaacs, Laura Allen and guest star Kevin Weisman doing great work with their characters. We see Wilmer ratcheting it up. We even get a glimpse of RedBird! I was particularly impressed by Laura Innes both acting in and directing the episode — there were some very complicated and difficult scenes, both logistically and emotionally, and Laura did an amazing job both in front of and behind the camera.
A highlight for me, in terms of co-writing the episode, included writing a crazy scene in which Britten almost causes a major accident, and then my delight in seeing it played out in front of me a mere week and a half later, made quite real by the hardworking production crew. Frankly, I am used to writing something, and waiting years — literally years — for something to appear in front of me, whether it’s a book or a story being published. So, to co-write a script and see hundreds of people make it all happen within days, is quite amazing.
This is probably one of my favorite episodes, and, along with the final episodes to follow, shows just what this series can do. I really do hope you guys enjoy it.
Thanks again to all the people watching. We’re heading into the final stretch, and I, as well as all the writers, producers, production crew and staff, are so very grateful for your time and attention.
Sincerely,
Leonard
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Slack Water
“Slack Water”, written by Noelle Valdivia and directed by Nick Gomez, takes the startling revelation at the end of “Game Day” and examines the consequences for Britten and Hannah’s life and plans. The title refers to the period of time at the turn of the tide, when the water’s currents temporarily halt movement. Metaphorically this signifies the shift in the series right before the big events that lead up to the finale, when Britten begins to understand what happened the night of the accident.
This episode was particularly instructive for me in post-production, when Kyle worked closely with Todd, the editor, and I learned the painstaking and vitally important process of editing and re-editing scenes to make them stronger. In many ways it was very similar to the editing and rewriting process in fiction writing, when you have certain scenes in your novel which need tightening. It’s a process of adding, subtracting, reworking and revising. In film editing we were limited to the footage already handed to us, but those could be cut and recut, using a combinations of different takes, different angles and shots, even material from different scenes, to create essentially new material.
I was also on the sound stage with Val, post-production producer, who projected the episode on a huge screen, with the sound mixing team monitoring and tweaking every possible sound — whether it was the dialogue, the background, the effects, the music, even the tone of the echoes in the hallways. Every episode is a huge team effort, and it’s amazing how much needs to be done on every level.
Anyway, regarding the finale, it seems that NBC has changed the air dates. Instead of a big two-hour finale on May 17th, NBC has returned the scheduling to Part I airing on May 17th, and Part II on May 24th. Although a big two-hour finale would’ve been nice, the two-parter was originally intended to be two separate episodes, so that’s fine. I’ll keep you posted if more changes develop.
Thanks for watching, everyone.
Best,
Leonard
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Game Day
“Game Day”, written by Howard Gordon and David Graziano, directed by Michael Waxman, looks at the very odd binary life Britten is living — after the accident his life has diverged into two worlds, two lives that are very similar, yet even the same major events that occur in both worlds, like a big sporting event, turn out differently. The two cases Britten investigates reflect and comment on this divergence.
There’s also some very big news in the Britten family, which I won’t reveal here. You’ll just have to watch it live! But it also incorporates this idea of the two worlds diverging — the timeline splitting after the accident.
We’re heading into the final episodes, with “Slackwater” next, and then my co-written episode with Kyle, “Say Hello to My Little Friend” laying the groundwork for the big two-hour finale, which I think is amazing — some of the most innovative TV around. Seriously. I’ll try to write more about these episodes later. But here’s some teasing information about “Say Hello to My Little Friend”, and the two-hour finale.
Again, thanks to everyone tuning in and spreading the word. I’ve heard from fans as far as Spain and South Africa, so we at Awake appreciate you all taking the time to watch and tell others.
Thanks,
Leonard
L.A. Times Festival of Books →
Krys Lee, Samuel Park and I will be on a panel, moderated by Patt Morisson, called “Echoes of Korea” Saturday, 4/21/2012, 3:00 PM. Taper Hall (THH 101). We’ll be signing books afterwards at the booths.
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Nightswimming
This Thursday’s episode, “Nightswimming”, written by Davey Holmes and myself, directed by Jeffrey Reiner, also known as “the episode in which we made Jason Isaacs run around naked at three in the morning”, takes a closer look at the Brittens’ relationship, and uses the crime cases to reflect that motif in different ways. It’s paced a little differently than some of the other episodes, in part because we felt that we’re past the mid-point of the season, and everyone now knows pretty much how this show works, so we wanted to shift the focus a bit onto Michael and Hannah. I was also happy to get more of Laura Allen on screen, a superb actress who has been a favorite of mine since Terriers.
The production crew was especially awesome on this shoot, because it involved difficult locations and a delayed schedule that required them to work especially hard and quickly. We also had some sound issues because of the locations (like at the beach), so kudos to Valerie Joseph and the post-production crew for getting all that whipped into shape.
We hope you enjoy it. Davey and I appreciate you tuning in.
On another note, I’ve been reading the myriad of reviews and profiles, and one of the best ones of the creator, Kyle, appeared in the Hollywood Reporter, “Inside the Unlucky/Lucky Life of Awake Creator Kyle Killen”, which reveals the very true details of his life on the show, including him sleeping at the office. Really, he did. It’s become part of Awake folklore. Actually, I fell into a peaceful routine in the mornings, when I’d come in very early, since I lived close to the Fox lot, and Kyle would already be clicking away on his computer. I’d settle in and get to work, and slowly, after a couple hours, we’d hear people coming in, the phones beginning to ring, and the day’s madness would begin. But those quiet mornings were a pleasant start to the day.
Finally, there are viewers all over the place — all over the world, actually — who have been extremely kind and enthusiastic about the show, spreading the word on Twitter and the web, who are eagerly tuning in, so we at Awake thank you very, very much.
Sincerely,
Leonard
Ricky’s Tacos
This Thursday’s episode was written by Howard Gordon and Evan Katz, the same team that brought you “Guilty,” with story help from Kyle Killen. Directed by Adam Davidson, this episode is packed with two cases, and also helps build the overarching story of what happened with Britten’s accident.
Some of you have been wondering about this “conspiracy” aspect, and I promise you that it comes to fruition toward the end of the season. One way to view this season is as a novel, with each week like a chapter building to the overall structure. Some chapters will deal with personal storylines, others with professional issues, each chapter compelling in its own way, and yet they all contribute to rendering a full narrative about Britten. By the time we reach the big two-hour finale set for May 17 (more info here), you’ll understand why we arranged the stories as we did.
Everyone at Awake appreciates your support on Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and the many other social media venues. In fact, the animated gif below was made by a fan and posted on Reddit:
Speaking of fans: some Facebook pages calling for a second season have popped up:
https://www.facebook.com/RenewAwakeForASecondSeason
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-Awake/359316727440423
That’s all for now. Again, everyone at Awake appreciates your support. Thanks for watching!
— Leonard
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