OKC Starring in TNT's "Grace"

[Karried]

Ha! You're on to something..... kayak or canoe?

LOL, I just had the visual of her rowing down the canal in a canoe chasing someone else rowing.. I'm sitting here giggling like a dork over here...

[Nixon7]

....while the angel is chewin tobacco outside the Hooters!

[dalelakin]

Ha! You're on to something..... kayak or canoe?

WATER TAXIS!!!

[Karried]

hahaha, complete with sirens and flashing lights!

[metro]

'Saving Grace' actress wants to shoot in OKC

By The Associated Press

Academy Award-winning actress Holly Hunter, who plays a hard-charging Oklahoma City police detective in a new television series, said Thursday she hopes some scenes can be filmed here.

Hunter plays the promiscuous, booze-swilling detective Grace Hanadarko in the show "Saving Grace," which debuted in July on TNT. She and other members of the show's cast and crew were in Oklahoma City Thursday.

"We love Oklahoma City," Hunter said. "We're here with the hope of being able to shoot our series here, in part, and kind of brand Oklahoma City, expand the scope of the stories we want to tell and just include the city with the characters."

Hunter and Oklahoma City native Nancy Miller, the producer and writer for "Saving Grace," were presented keys to the city by Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett.

Miller said the network already has ordered 15 new episodes for a second season, and she'd like to shoot scenes from some of those shows in Oklahoma City.

"That's what we hope, but we need help with our budget in order to shoot here," Miller said. "We've already got scenes in our mind along the Oklahoma River, at the (Oklahoma City) Museum of Art, at Bricktown — that's what we're hoping."

The first season was filmed primarily at a studio in Los Angeles, and Miller said there is little incentive for the network to spend extra money to film in Oklahoma City.

"There's not a film infrastructure here in Oklahoma City, so we have to bring up the crew and the equipment from Dallas," Miller said. "Unfortunately, we've proven that we can shoot a successful show, set in Oklahoma City, in Los Angeles.

"This is a personal thing for us," she added. "(Oklahoma City) is already a character, but we could make it a lead character."

Jill Simpson, director of the Oklahoma Film and Music Office, said featuring Oklahoma City in a popular television show would be great exposure for the city.

"We see this as a way to brand Oklahoma City in a similar way that the (New Orleans) Hornets did for us, and to get that updated image of Oklahoma City to a national and international audience," Simpson said. "At least 6 million viewers are watching every week now, and we expect those numbers to grow, so what better way to update our image than through a show like this?"

Simpson said the program would quality for a state-offered 15 percent cash rebate on any money spent on goods and services during filming, and that tax rebates also are available.

Cornett was hesitant to pledge city funds for the project, but said he's optimistic some funding could be generated.

"The state of Oklahoma is traditionally the funding source for the film industry ... and we're also trying to get the business community involved," Cornett said. "I wouldn't necessarily expect the city of Oklahoma City to use city tax dollars to incentivize it, but that doesn't mean we can't make it happen."

Hunter, who won an Oscar in 1993 for her role as the mute bride in "The Piano," also has ties to Oklahoma — her mother was born in Shawnee and her father was born in Oklahoma City. She said she also has relatives from Lexington.

[Turanacus]

dang, this article looks like the one in the oklahoman, nice paste.

[PUGalicious]

Yeah... we're into blatant copyright infringement... interestingly enough, I just saw a lawsuit by Associated Press against a website using its content without permission...

[jbrown84]

"We've already got scenes in our mind along the Oklahoma River, at the (Oklahoma City) Museum of Art, at Bricktown — that's what we're hoping."

I like the sound of that.

[jbrown84]

Yeah... we're into blatant copyright infringement... interestingly enough, I just saw a lawsuit by Associated Press against a website using its content without permission...

Why would you assume that it's ripped off? AP articles are reprinted. That's the point.

[Karried]

We have permission to use articles from the Oklahoman. We just need to add 'From the Oklahoman' or something similar.

[jbrown84]

Nevermind. I thought you were insenuating the Oklahoman ripped off a story from the AP. I'm like... so??

[PUGalicious]

We have permission to use articles from the Oklahoman. We just need to add 'From the Oklahoman' or something similar.

That's very important, because Associated Press may not make the distinction. A link to the story would also be helpful.

I sure hope you have written permission because verbal permission can come back to bite someone in the butt.

[Nixon7]

Are they going to get to shoot some stuff from OKC?

[bombermwc]

Now that it's showing at 10pm, I can't say that I'll ever watch it again. That was totally stupid of them to move the time slot like that. Now the entire east cost is for sure not going to be watching.

[Saberman]

I think they did that because they are in reruns.

[betts]

There's a writer's strike going on right now, so new shows are being delayed.

[FritterGirl]

There's a writer's strike going on right now, so new shows are being delayed.

The strike will not likely affect "scripted" (read: non-reality/talk/variety) until January, as most scripted shows are shot 6-8 weeks in advance. The talk/variety shows are scribed daily so they will go into reruns immediately!

[metro]

actually betts, series are usually recorded in advance and purchased by the season as ParksGal mentioned. They should have enough "new" episodes to last until early next year. Shows like Jay Leno, Dave Letterman, etc. will be re-runs as they can't joke about current events, etc.

[JWil]

The strike will not likely affect "scripted" (read: non-reality/talk/variety) until January, as most scripted shows are shot 6-8 weeks in advance. The talk/variety shows are scribed daily so they will go into reruns immediately!

That depends on when they start shooting and how many episodic scripts they have completed. If they only have four scripts for next season, that's all they'll be able to work on. NOTHING new or NEW edits can be done at this point.

Also, talk shows and variety shows are already affected. Late night is in reruns until this is resolved, as is SNL. We'll start seeing this hit sitcoms/TV shows in early 2008 depending on their shooting schedule and how much writing they've done.

[kevinpate]

Grace has season 1 in the can, but season 2 was to begin shooting this winter, possibly even here, per the creator in an interview by tv yawn last night. Strikes being what they are, it seems like a decent time to catch up on my web editing and reading if the matter doesn't resolve in short order

[bombermwc]

I was reading the description of the episode last week, and it didn't seem familiar to me. Something about her grandfather's death or something. So I was thinking it was a new episode. If they are still doing reruns, I hope they move it back to 9pm instead of 10 for the new episodes. That 9pm slot was PERFECT for me. But I guess I can always watch it online if I miss it.

[jbrown84]

Yeah, the show was already taking a break well before the strike began.

[CMSturgeon]

I just........ has this show been cancelled yet?

[jbrown84]

No, it's one of the highest rated cable series in years. It's not going anywhere. Sorry.

[CMSturgeon]

Perhaps I'll give it a try someday.