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Prison Break back for season three?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Fox’s drama “Prison Break” was originally intended to wrap up after just two seasons with season one in the actual prison break and season two, the chase.
But the show has done well enough that producers are in talks with Fox to extend a third season. Fox execs wouldn’t say how this plotline could be logically extended once the conspiracy is resolved concerning Lincoln’s false imprisonment.
Peter Liguori, entertainment president for Fox, dangled the possibility Saturday before TV critics in Pasadena without saying he had fully committed to it.
Actors for “Prison Break” at a Fox-sponsored party Saturday night in Pasadena were optimistic the show will get the green light. Wentworth Miller, who plays the intense Michael Scofield, said he has heard plans that could take the show to five seasons.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt season three is going to happen,” said Dominic Purcell, who plays Lincoln Burrows, the brooding brother wrongly imprisoned for the murder of the vice president’s brother. “It’s just a question of what the writers come up with.”
“I have trust our writers are clever enough so if and when they choose to change up our playground, it will work,” Miller said.
Miller said he liked the prison setup season one but prefers the more open fugitive story in season two. In retrospect, “there was that slow click click click up the initial incline before taking off down that hill,” he said. “It feels more intense the second season. In terms of body count, the first season it was usually an inmate who died. Now when it’s someone who dies, it’s someone you care about. You feel that loss that much more.”
Most of the conspiracy will be wrapped up this season, Miller said, with “loose ends tied up, old scores settled but I think within the triumph there will be some tragedy. Some characters will inevitably wind up behind bars.”
“What they want is to recreate what we had in the first season, a bunch of desperate bickering cons who have competing agendas forced to work together toward a common goal, he noted. “If they can believably bring them back together even for an episode here or there, they’ll have the makings of a third season.”
He noted that in the U.S., “Prison Break” is a “moderate hit, a cult hit” but in many countries overseas such as Australia, France and the U.K., “we’re ‘Desperate Housewives.’ We’re ‘Lost.’ I think the show works on a slightly different level. Here, they appreciate it as a suspense thriller. Overseas, they may associate real or alleged hot-button issues such as death penalty and government conspiracy.”
Purcell said the Monday night episode, the first in nearly two months, will feature him getting a wee bit angry. “The rage is going to come out,” he said. (This is also the episode where former Atlanta morning personality Steve Barnes first appears in a small role as a Secret Service agent trying to help track Michael and Lincoln down.)
The network also confirmed it was moving its struggling sitcom “Til Death” starring Brad Garrett to the choice spot of 9:30 p.m. after “American Idol” on Wednesdays starting March 14.
“Creatively, we think the show is finding its footing with each and every episode,” Liguori said. “With comedies, you have to be more patient. We’ll give it a shot.”
Garrett said he feels the show has started to gel as he’s made his character less snarky, more human. And producers have added colorful side characters including Margaret Cho, who plays Joely Fischer’s character’s best friend and Anthony Anderson as Garrett’s buddy.
In the meantime, fresthman drama “Standoff” moves to Fridays at 8 p.m. starting March 30, a basic death zone in recent times for Fox.
Fox will also debut three new scripted shows in March and April: a romantic comedy from David E. Kelley called “The Wedding Bells,” an action drama about an underground cross-country road raced called “Drive” and coming-of-age comedy “The Winner” starring “The Daily Show’s” Rob Corddry.
The network is also planning to bring back nasty chef Gordon Ramsay and his show “Hell’s Kitchen” in March, which had aired the past two summers to decent ratings. It will likely be paired with a reality show where adults will compete with fifth graders over knowledge culled from fifth-grade textbooks.
Liguori also acknowledged the feast-and-famine problem Fox has had the past few years in which Fox gropes for ratings in the fall, then grabs its rivals by the throat in January with the “24”/”American Idol” combo.
“We could avoid that by having better shows in the fall network,” he said. “The only thing that will solve this is great work.” Fox struck out with virtually all its freshman shows this season, from “Justice” to “The Loop.” And as usual, he noted that Fox was handicapped by baseball playoffs, which interrupts much of its fall programming. He said fall 2007 may be easier to deal with since Fox won’t air one round of earlier playoffs, leaving only 14 potential days for preemptions as opposed to a more disruptive 26 this past fall.
He also couldn’t answer any questions about the aborted “O.J.” special a few weeks ago because of pending litigation.
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By Clay
January 21, 2007 5:42 PM | Link to this
Lame. This piece of crap keeps on trucking while Arrested Development is canceled. Thanks again, Fox.
By BadRadio
January 22, 2007 2:10 PM | Link to this
It will likely be paired with a reality show where adults will compete with fifth graders over knowledge culled from fifth-grade textbooks.
Oh, jeez. Guys, if you need proof that we’re getting dumber, just read these blogs.
By Lynn
January 22, 2007 11:23 PM | Link to this
I say bring on more seasons. Prison Break is a great show. It does require some disbelief but most shows do.