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Producers on how the show will deliver what the title promises.
After the debut of a fun new trailer (which showed Miles seemingly confronting Monroe’s military helicopter with a rocket launcher, among other big action set pieces), the panel for Revolution today at the TCA (Television Critics Association) press tour began with questions about the show’s scheduling – given it has a pretty notable four-month break in the middle of its first season.
Executive producer J.J. Abrams noted, “When we were doing Lost, they ended up changing the schedule to eliminate the constant [breaks]” caused by initially airing across the entire September – May TV schedule, where repeats and several breaks are needed. Abrams said with Lost, “It just helped enormously. When this idea came up I was enormously relieved.”
Creator/executive producer Eric Kripke added, “A lot of the shows that I’m watching on cable run on this model,” noting that when Revolution returns, it will air without any interruptions.
Kripke also said that where the show left off was, “A natural break point between the first half and the second half. We launch this new storyline. They found the brother, the revolution against Monroe really begins. The second half really lives as its own continuous piece.”
Kripke said the break was also advantageous to, “Take a breath look at what we’ve done, really analyze it and adjust it. I think we did a lot of things right, but I felt like we could pick up the pace of the stunning revelations. I felt like maybe the pace of the shocking surprises were a little too slow and we really wanted to have a second half that was bigger and better and more exciting and more revelations.”
The goal is to maintain the format established, with Kripke noting, “There’s that kind of myth and that kind of story, but there’s still self-enclosed episodes and it’s really designed for that. Walking that balance has been successful for us.” At the same time, he reiterated he wanted to, “Make it more shocking more often.”
One journalist asked why the characters weren’t utilizing certain methods people could in a world with no power and have for centuries. As the season progresses, Kripke said, “Slowly but surely we start to expand the world. We cross the border into Georgia and we see that they have many of those things that the Monroe Republic doesn’t and there’s very specific reasons for that.”
Regarding long-term ideas for Revolution, Kripke said the ending of Season 1 is firmly in place, adding, “As much as I had in my previous show [Supernatural] I have a multiple year [plan].” But he stressed that it was, “A sense of what I want in Season 2, Season 3 – only a cocktail napkin sketch.” He said you need to be able to be surprised by the actors and new story ideas and “veer left, veer right.”
Abrams was very complimentary of Revolution’s showrunner, saying, “I think what’s so exciting from where I sit is Eric pitches these ideas that are not just compelling and thrilling and exciting, but they’re usually not binary. They’ve been thought out. They have these tent pole moments.”
With Monroe getting the use of power and the trailer suggesting Miles, Rachel and Charlie may as well, the producers were asked if the show might too quickly veer from its concept. Promised Abrams, “The genie is put back in the bottle,” stating that while “the power is out there and it exists… Will it remain on constantly all the time? Based on what Eric has brilliantly pitched to us, I’d say no.”
Kripke said that Monroe gaining power, “was more about helping him become an unstoppable force. Your heroes are totally outmanned as they’re battling against him. We play that out. We start to deliver, officially, on the promise of the title. The revolution begins. The story becomes about can this family -- whether by blood or loyalty -- can they stick together in the face of these overwhelming odds and this overwhelming danger. Can you maintain your soul when you become a warrior?”
Revolution returns Monday, March 25th on NBC.
