From Bridget Liszewski of The TV Junkies:
Melanie Scrofano gives the 411 on Wynonna Earp
“It was really refreshing to not have to posture as an action hero. I got to be a real person who happened to do all these extraordinary things, but at the heart of it she’s just like everyone else.” Continue reading.Â
From Erik Amaya of BleedingCool.com:
Wynonna Earp’s Shamier Anderson On Finding Agent Dolls
“I get to come up with his nuances. He’s like a new baby in the world. It’s a little easier, but I’ve also been given this canvass from Beau and [executive producer] Emily [Andras] and the production team to build this guy up and bring him to life.†Continue reading.Â
From a media release:
The Toronto Screenwriting Conference (TSC) has announced the WGC Writing Room Intensive program with Emily Andras, Showrunner/Executive Producer of Wynonna Earp. Six participants will work with Andras to create a ‘spec-script’ episode of Joss Whedon’s cult-classic, Buffy The Vampire Slayer. They will join Andras on stage during the TSC to present a session that explores the writing room process, and will share with the group their episode live on stage. The seventh annual Toronto Screenwriting Conference takes place on April 30 and May 1, at its new location, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
“We strive to provide writers the opportunity to not only learn from the most-successful working showrunners and executive producers today, but to also how to apply these advanced tools in a practical manner. Andras’ intensive program does just that,†said Kent Robinson, Toronto Screenwriting Conference Producer. Adding, “In addition the Writer’s Room Intensive, we’ve developed other new conference sessions that will fully engage screenwriters including the creating a successful series engine, writing a pitch perfect script, writing a pilot (that sells), and breaking a season.â€
The Boston-born, Calgary-bred Andras has a diverse list of television credits to her name. Currently, she is the Showrunner/ Executive Producer for the supernatural, modern-day western Wynonna Earp on SyFy.
Previously, she spent three seasons as the Showrunner and Executive Producer of Lost Girl, and recently worked as the Supervising Producer on Killjoys. Andras’ other credits include writer and Co-producer of the police drama King, and Showrunner and Executive Producer of Instant Star. She has written for numerous other series such as Degrassi: The Next Generation, Sophie, Total Drama Island, and 11 Cameras. She was also hand-picked by Nora Roberts to shepherd her New York Times’ #1 best-selling Blood Magick trilogy to series.
An avid athlete, Andras grew up figure skating and playing rugby. These days, she lives in Toronto with her husband and two small children…but what Emily really wants to be remembered for is being pulled onstage to dance with Bruce Springsteen. Which totally happened.
Joining Andras on the speaker roster are Master Class speaker, Glen Mazzara (Damien); Stephen Falk (You’re the Worst); Kenya Barris (Black-ish); Senior VP of Series Development for FX, Nicole Clemens (responsible for developing FX dramas including Man Seeking Woman, The Strain, You’re The Worst, Baskets); award-winning playwright and screenwriter, Corey Mandell; and former NBC & CBS studio exec. Jen Grisanti (author of Story line: Finding Gold In Your Life Story).
The WGC Writing Room Intensive is for registered TSC delegates who are WGC members in good standing. The selection process will be juried. Deadline to apply is Monday April 11, 5pm ET. For complete details, please visit torontoscreenwritingconference.com.
From Rob Salkowitz of Forbes.com:
‘Wynonna Earp’ Offers Supernatural Action With A Heart Of Gold
Small town beset by supernatural menaces? Check. Kick-ass young woman with a demon-fighting legacy (and a few demons of her own) driven by destiny to become the reluctant savior? Check. Colorful supporting cast of likable outcasts that have her back? Check. Strong writing and witty dialogue that keeps the action coming but never loses its sense of humor? Check and double check.
If this sounds like the kind of TV entertainment you’ve been missing since a certain Vampire Slayer hung up her stake in the mid-‘00s, you may want to check out Wynonna Earp, a new series debuting this Friday on SyFy. Continue reading.Â
Melanie Scrofano attended a convention once before, but nothing was like her experience this past weekend at WonderCon. The Canadian actress, who has appeared in The Listener, Being Erica, Degrassi: TNG and Pure Pwnage, was blown away by Wynonna Earp‘s passionate fans, especially because the series—based on the comic books created by Beau Smith—hasn’t debuted yet.
“A lot of them are fans of Beau, who is like a god, a lot are fans of [showrunner] Emily [Andras] because of Lost Girl and a lot of them have seen the trailers and are into what they’re seeing,” Scrofano says. Bowing Monday, April 4, on CHCH (Earp debuts Friday, April 1, on Syfy) the project revolves around the great-granddaughter of Wyatt Earp, Wynonna (Scrofano), a smart-talking young woman who returns to the burg of Purgatory, Alberta, on her 27th birthday. There she not only runs into typical small-town attitudes, but learns the family curse she thought was a myth is real: the folks Wyatt has killed are returning to Earth as demons. Armed with great-great-grandad’s gun and impressive fighting skills, Wynonna does battle against those who would prefer to see her dead. But where Wynonna is fast on her feet and great with a gun, Scrofano is, well, not.
“Apparently, I have heavy hands,” she explains. “I’m not very good at not punching people. There is a way to fight on TV so that you stop short. I go right through. The only thing about me doing my own stunts is that someone else is going to get hurt. I did punch my stunt coordinator right in the face. He didn’t love that.” (Stunt performer Holly Raczynski tackled the more physical demands.)
When she’s not returning demons to their rightful place, Wynonna is rebuilding her relationship with sister Waverly (Dominique Provost-Chalkley), and establishing one with Agent Xavier Dolls (Shamier Anderson), who has come to Purgatory to recruit Wynonna for a secret government task force that takes down supernatural baddies. Scrofano says Wynonna and Dolls bond over what they get into over the next 13 episodes, and viewers learn Dolls has a vested interest in making the bad guys go away. Will there be love between Wynonna and Dolls? No comment, says Scrofano.
There certainly appears to be no love lost between Wynonna and her great-great-grandfather’s best friend. Doc Holliday (Tim Rozon) appears in Season 1, but seems to have aligned himself with head demon Bobo Del Rey (Michael Eklund) rather than acquaint himself—and side with—Wynonna.
“I can say that, just like all of us, Doc is neither 100 per cent good nor 100 per cent evil,” Scrofano says carefully. “We’re all just shades of grey and trying to find our way. Doc’s past is really, really complicated. He’s 133 years old and has had some issues. No matter what way he goes, you can’t help but love him.”
Wynonna Earp debuts Monday, April 4, at 9 p.m. ET on CHCH.
