The Dresden Files (TV series)

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This article is about the television series. For the books that this series is based on, see The Dresden Files.
The Dresden Files
Format Mystery/Fantasy
Created by Jim Butcher
Developed by Hans Beimler
Robert Hewitt Wolfe
Starring see below
Country of origin United States
Canada
No. of episodes 12 (List of episodes)
Production
Executive
producer(s)		 Nicolas Cage
Norm Golightly
Robert Hewitt Wolfe
David Simkins
Producer(s) Lawrence Walsh
Jack Bernstein
Barry Schkolnick
Curtis Kheel
Jonathan Hackett
Running time approx. 45 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel Sci Fi Channel
Picture format 480i (SDTV),
1080i (HDTV)
Original run January 21, 2007 – April 15, 2007

The Dresden Files was an American television series based on the books by Jim Butcher. It premiered January 21, 2007 at 9:00PM EST on the Sci Fi Channel in the United States and on Space in Canada. It was picked up by Sky One in the UK and began airing on February 14, 2007.

The series ran for a single season of twelve episodes, and has since been released on DVD. The Sci Fi Channel announced on August 3, 2007 that The Dresden Files would not be renewed for a second season.[1]

Contents

[edit] Development

In 2005, the SciFi Channel announced that it had optioned The Dresden Files as a two-hour film and backdoor pilot. Nicolas Cage executive produces alongside Hans Beimler, Robert Hewitt Wolfe, Norm Golightly, and Morgan Gendel. It is produced by Lionsgate Television in association with Cage's Saturn Films.[2] Production began during the Autumn of 2005. Originally, a Summer 2006 release was anticipated, but on May 23, 2006, a January 2007 airdate and 11 episode pick-up was announced on JBAnnounce, the official Jim Butcher announcement list. It was confirmed the next day by Sci-Fi.[3]

The pilot film was made from a screenplay by television writers Hans Beimler and Robert Hewitt Wolfe, and based on Butcher's novel Storm Front. David Carson directed and shooting took place in Toronto. It was announced in November 2005 that Paul Blackthorne had been cast in the lead role.[4] The two hour pilot was originally intended to serve as the premiere, but certain last minute developmental and casting changes delayed its completion. Episode three (in production order) was aired in its place. Along with the re-shooting of several scenes, the two hour pilot has been cut to an hour and was the eighth episode to air. The full version of the pilot was broadcast late at night on March 7th, 2008 by SciFi Channel but did not adhere to later Television revised continuity.[5]

Most notable in the re-edited version of the pilot was the fact that Bob, played by Terrance Mann in the series as a full apparition, was limited to only a disembodied voice who was centered around the familiar rune covered skull with animated lighting to symbolize the spirit within, more akin to the Bob of the novels. This re-editing was done later in the series as Mann did not join the series until after the original filming of the pilot had already been concluded. The full pilot version of "Storm Front" was not included in the original DVD release of the complete series.

The recent broadcast of the original re-edited pilot has led some to speculate that some potential interest from Lionsgate to possibly testing out a revivial of the series for at least a series of television movies akin to the original planned idea of having Dresden made as a series of theatrical movies, or at least a re-issue of the series DVD with the complete pilot included.

[edit] Characters

Casting was confirmed on November 29, 2005 by Robert Hewitt Wolfe:[6]

[edit] Principal cast

Left to right: Harry Dresden, Connie Murphy, Bob, Morgan
Left to right: Harry Dresden, Connie Murphy, Bob, Morgan
  • Harry Dresden (Paul Blackthorne) — The main character of the series, Harry is a reluctant hero, a professional wizard who often helps the police with cases involving "unusual" circumstances and others who seek his help. Harry's mother, a powerful wizardess, died when he was young. He was raised by his father, a stage magician. When he was about eleven, his powers began to emerge, and his uncle Justin Morningway wanted to take him and teach him about his abilities, so he murdered Harry's father with black magic when his father did not relinquish Harry to him. Bob makes reference to Harry "self-defensing" his uncle to death. Justin Morningway left a programmed doppelgänger behind to resurrect him if he died. It is later revealed that Harry inherited a large amount of money that he gave to charity and owns the Morningway estate, in which he refuses to live.
  • Lt. Connie Murphy (Valerie Cruz) — The Chicago police officer who often seeks out Harry's help with cases that are hard to solve and may be supernaturally related — although she refuses to outright believe in magic, because such things do not fit with her "rules." She is dedicated and takes her job seriously, even going as far as seeking out the only wizard in the phonebook to help with cases. Lt. Murphy is a tough, no-nonsense woman who is divorced and has a daughter (Anna) who she says spends a lot of time with her father because of the long hours she has to work. Connie apparently has some romantic feelings toward Harry as she pointed out at the end of season one that if he kissed her again she wouldn't slap him.
  • Hrothbert "Bob" of Bainbridge (Terrence Mann) — The old spirit who is owned by Dresden. He was once owned by Dresden's uncle, Justin Morningway before Dresden "self-defensed" him to death. He advises Dresden on both personal and magical matters. Bob is an invaluable source of knowledge which Dresden taps to solve supernatural crimes. In the first episode, Bob is seen redesigning a "Doom Box," which he describes as "a supernatural jack-in-the-box" that contains and amplifies magical energy. The original Doom Box formula was included in a grimoire that Bob wrote while he was alive; the book had been in Justin's possession until Harry burned it. Bob's current state is a punishment: he was executed, his soul sealed into his own skull for all eternity, for using black magic to bring a sorceress he had loved (Winnifred) back from the dead several hundred years ago. The exact date of his death is unknown, but the large crack in his skull may be some indication as to the way in which he died; also, in the first episode he threatens to "start belting showtunes from the sixteenth century," suggesting that he is at least that old.
  • Warden Donald Morgan (Conrad Coates) — Morgan is a Warden of the High Council, the governing body of the wizarding community, and is assigned to the Chicago area. He is a stickler for the rules, powerful, and will often confront Harry because of their differing ideals and personalities; nonetheless, he will often work with Harry - albeit under the table - where innocents are involved.

[edit] Recurring characters

[edit] Minor magical characters

[edit] Departure from novels

Several major changes were made for the series, including:

  • Harry's "Blue Beetle" Volkswagen has been replaced with a Korean-war era Jeep.
  • One of Harry's trademarks in the books was a black duster, replaced in the series by a leather jacket.
  • While Bob exists as a disembodied voice emanating from a skull in the books, he can appear in a (spectral) human form that emerges from the skull in the series. He is also the ghost of a human wizard, rather than a spirit of air and intellect as in the books.
  • Murphy's name was changed from Karrin to Connie to avoid confusion with real-life Chicago police officer Karyn Murphy. Her character history was also altered significantly, including a daughter, Anna, who does not exist in the books, and changing Murphy's ethnicity from Irish to Hispanic.
  • Justin Morningway (known as Justin DuMorne in the novels) is Harry's uncle rather than simply a Warden who took him in after his father was killed.
  • Bianca, the Red Court vampire who runs a Chicago brothel, was changed significantly. In the books she is a vicious predator who wants nothing so much as Harry's slow death. In the television series she becomes a much more sympathetic figure who has saved Harry's life in the past and even been his lover on occasion.
  • The side effect of a wizards power that interferes with modern technology is not used consistently. In episode 9 "The Other Dick" Harry is seen using a digital camera that in the book series would have rendered useless, while in episode 4 "Rules of Engagement" he shorts out a surveillance camera by moving close to it. As well as Harry's office and apartment having working electricity. In addition, many of his magical items are constructed using mundane, modern items - for example, a drumstick for a wand and a hockey stick for a wizard's staff.

Jim Butcher released the following statement on his website bulletin board in response to fan criticism of the changes: "The show is not the books. It is not meant to follow the same story. It is meant as an alternate world, where the overall background and story-world is similar, but not all the same things happen. The show is not attempting to recreate the books on a chapter-by-chapter or even story-by-story basis."[7]

[edit] Episodes

Main article: List of The Dresden Files episodes

[edit] Drum Stick Campaign

On Friday, 14 September 2007 the Slice of SciFi podcast launched the Bring Back “The Dresden Files” Drum Stick Campaign. This comprises an ongoing effort to bring the Dresden Files back to SciFi by sending drum sticks with the words “SAVE DRESDEN” on them to SCIFI President Bonnie Hammer.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Matt Roush. "Dresden in Sci Fi's Circular File", TV Guide, 2007-08-03. Retrieved on 2007-08-03. 
  2. ^ SciFi Channel press release. "Nicolas Cage does some detective work for Sci Fi Channel", The Futon Critic, October 11, 2005. Retrieved on 2005-10-12. 
  3. ^ SciFi Channel press release. "Dresden Gets SCI FI Pickup", SCI FI Wire, May 24, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-10-26. 
  4. ^ SciFi Channel press release. "Paul Blackthorne casts a spell over Sci Fi", the futon critic, November 9, 2005. Retrieved on 2005-11-11. 
  5. ^ Robert Hewitt Wolfe. "Questions for Robert Wolfe", Jim-Butcher.Com Community, January 28, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-02-13. 
  6. ^ Robert Hewitt Wolfe. "DF: Our Actual Cast!, Yes, real names and stuff! Plus trivia!", Ex Isle Forums, 2005-11-29. Retrieved on 2005-11-29. 
  7. ^ Jim Butcher. "Ah HELL NO", Jim-Butcher.Com Community, February 12, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-02-16. 

[edit] External links


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The Dresden Files
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Characters