HBO Show OZ To End - GoFuckYourself.com

Steve · 05-08-2002, 04:07 PM

BUMMER

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Unlike most TV producers, Tom Fontana was
not
surprised by last week's announcement that his raw, uncompromising HBO
prison
drama "Oz" was ending after the next run of eight episodes in early
2003,
making a total of 56 hours over six seasons.

"It was partly my decision," he said. "Chris [Albrecht, president, HBO
Original
Programming] and I talked. God love HBO, I've never been in a position
where
I've been asked if I wanted to stop. Usually it's the other way."

"It's unlike 'Homicide: Life on the Street,' where we kept being
strung along
[by NBC], so when I wrote the last episode, I had to write half of a
series
finale and half of a season finale. It's more like when 'St.
Elsewhere' went
off, and we were able to give it the closure that, I think, most hour
shows
should have."

"It was a real conversation [with HBO]. Chris had as many reasons for
not
canceling the show as he had for canceling it. He really included me
in the
whole process."

There was talk about the show ending after season four, when a
real-estate deal
tossed the production out of its Manhattan home at Chelsea Market. In
the end,
HBO agreed to rebuild the show's prison sets at a former military base
outside
of Bayonne, N.J., where production has already begun on the final
season.

Set almost entirely (with only occasional forays outside) in the
fictional
Oswald State Correctional Facility, the show focuses on the intense
and
frequently bloody struggles for survival and power among correctional
officers,
inmates and prison officials. Staging a drama in such a contained
setting is
hard enough, and Fontana didn't want to repeat himself.

"I felt so good about this season -- and I feel so good about this
season that
we're shooting now -- that my attitude is, 'I really want to go out
when I'm
feeling good about the show. I don't want to have stayed too long at
the dance.
Besides, I'm running out of ways of killing people.'"

With uncertainty at the end of season four, Fontana debated granting
parole to
convict Beecher (Lee Tergesen), and shot two endings. When the show
was
renewed, though, Beecher's moments of freedom were but a dream, and he
stayed
put.

"I'm going to shoot several endings to several stories this year,"
Fontana
says. "I did that before. That's when Beecher got out but didn't get
out. I
ended up liking the getting-out stuff so much, when we knew the show
was coming
back, I said, 'I'll just use it all.' This time what I'll do is just
shoot a
couple of different endings to different stories, then make up my mind
when I'm
editing."

Like many TV producers, Fontana suffers from frequent Internet
spoilers and
rumors, to the point of scripts for as-yet-unaired episodes going up
for sale.

"That makes me crazy," he says, "because I don't know where they're
coming
from."

He also doesn't understand the notion of spoilers. "How pathetic is
someone's
life that they have to justify their existence by revealing stuff
about a
television show? I'm not just talking about 'Oz,' I'm talking about
any
television show. That gives them somehow importance in the world."

"It's sad. It makes me sad, because I think, 'Wow, that's what it
takes for
them to get off.' I hope, at least, going into the last season, that
people are
a little more restrained in their sharing."

One question plaguing "Oz" viewers is the fate of jailed
televangelist
Jeremiah Cloutier (Luke Perry), who, despite severe burns, simply
disappeared
from the prison's hospital ward (only to appear in visions to
prisoners,
completely healed).

While the practical explanation is that Perry headed off to Canada to
shoot the
Showtime sci-fi series "Jeremiah" (just a coincidence), Fontana
promises
resolution. "We've danced around fantasy on and off since the
beginning, but on
the other hand, there's a very practical answer to this question,
which will be
revealed at the end of next season."

Fontana, who jokes that he was "raised by Jesuits," has always said
that "Oz"
is about "sin and redemption." In season six, it's only more so.

"It's more to do with redemption and retribution than probably ever
before.
When you say, 'OK, what is the end of the Beecher story or the O'Reily
story?',
you want to come to a conclusion. You want to do the math and say,
'This is
what six seasons of this man's life have led to.'"

"There are summations, if you will, about certain key characters. That
isn't to
say everything is resolved in a cheap or cheesy way, it's the natural
conclusion to various stories."

TDF · 05-08-2002, 04:10 PM

noooo..that was one of my fav. shows next to 6 feet under...

clickpimp · 05-08-2002, 04:10 PM

didn't they already kill off the dude in the wheelchair ... the narrator?

Lexxx · 05-08-2002, 04:14 PM

That's one long-ass post... I'll come back and read it someday.

400

Terenzo · 05-08-2002, 04:46 PM

do they (gfy) now give gifts away for the longest post posted on this board?

dipshit moron retard · 05-08-2002, 04:49 PM

thank god, 90% less penis on hbo now
once 6 feet under goes our sunday nights will be gay makeout free!

Mogul · 05-08-2002, 06:12 PM

I liked Oz alot. Oh well.

Guess they can cancel Dennis Miller so I can stop paying for HBO now.

I liked mind of a married man too.

Oh I know, bring back 24 hours of great movies like Istar, Water World, Glitter and Naked Lunch

Mogul
ContentLotto.com
:D

Mr.Fiction · 05-08-2002, 06:59 PM

I didn't mind the long post, but there are some messed up carriage returns, like a bad email forward or something.

BVF · 05-08-2002, 07:26 PM

six feet under is a pretty good show. I just wish they would stop having the confused brotha tongue kissing the white boy EVERY fucking show. That got old fast.

I don't even know if I could do that on TV for any amount of money. My mama would have to pop a Rolaids every day for the rest of her life if she saw that.

anyway, I watch sixfeetunder every week.

spankstrocko · 05-08-2002, 11:14 PM

Thanks for the news.

Next thing you will tell us that Bush Sr. is not pres.

05-08-2002, 04:07 PM	#1
Steve Confirmed User Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: USA Posts: 6,894	HBO Show OZ To End BUMMER LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Unlike most TV producers, Tom Fontana was not surprised by last week's announcement that his raw, uncompromising HBO prison drama "Oz" was ending after the next run of eight episodes in early 2003, making a total of 56 hours over six seasons. "It was partly my decision," he said. "Chris [Albrecht, president, HBO Original Programming] and I talked. God love HBO, I've never been in a position where I've been asked if I wanted to stop. Usually it's the other way." "It's unlike 'Homicide: Life on the Street,' where we kept being strung along [by NBC], so when I wrote the last episode, I had to write half of a series finale and half of a season finale. It's more like when 'St. Elsewhere' went off, and we were able to give it the closure that, I think, most hour shows should have." "It was a real conversation [with HBO]. Chris had as many reasons for not canceling the show as he had for canceling it. He really included me in the whole process." There was talk about the show ending after season four, when a real-estate deal tossed the production out of its Manhattan home at Chelsea Market. In the end, HBO agreed to rebuild the show's prison sets at a former military base outside of Bayonne, N.J., where production has already begun on the final season. Set almost entirely (with only occasional forays outside) in the fictional Oswald State Correctional Facility, the show focuses on the intense and frequently bloody struggles for survival and power among correctional officers, inmates and prison officials. Staging a drama in such a contained setting is hard enough, and Fontana didn't want to repeat himself. "I felt so good about this season -- and I feel so good about this season that we're shooting now -- that my attitude is, 'I really want to go out when I'm feeling good about the show. I don't want to have stayed too long at the dance. Besides, I'm running out of ways of killing people.'" With uncertainty at the end of season four, Fontana debated granting parole to convict Beecher (Lee Tergesen), and shot two endings. When the show was renewed, though, Beecher's moments of freedom were but a dream, and he stayed put. "I'm going to shoot several endings to several stories this year," Fontana says. "I did that before. That's when Beecher got out but didn't get out. I ended up liking the getting-out stuff so much, when we knew the show was coming back, I said, 'I'll just use it all.' This time what I'll do is just shoot a couple of different endings to different stories, then make up my mind when I'm editing." Like many TV producers, Fontana suffers from frequent Internet spoilers and rumors, to the point of scripts for as-yet-unaired episodes going up for sale. "That makes me crazy," he says, "because I don't know where they're coming from." He also doesn't understand the notion of spoilers. "How pathetic is someone's life that they have to justify their existence by revealing stuff about a television show? I'm not just talking about 'Oz,' I'm talking about any television show. That gives them somehow importance in the world." "It's sad. It makes me sad, because I think, 'Wow, that's what it takes for them to get off.' I hope, at least, going into the last season, that people are a little more restrained in their sharing." One question plaguing "Oz" viewers is the fate of jailed televangelist Jeremiah Cloutier (Luke Perry), who, despite severe burns, simply disappeared from the prison's hospital ward (only to appear in visions to prisoners, completely healed). While the practical explanation is that Perry headed off to Canada to shoot the Showtime sci-fi series "Jeremiah" (just a coincidence), Fontana promises resolution. "We've danced around fantasy on and off since the beginning, but on the other hand, there's a very practical answer to this question, which will be revealed at the end of next season." Fontana, who jokes that he was "raised by Jesuits," has always said that "Oz" is about "sin and redemption." In season six, it's only more so. "It's more to do with redemption and retribution than probably ever before. When you say, 'OK, what is the end of the Beecher story or the O'Reily story?', you want to come to a conclusion. You want to do the math and say, 'This is what six seasons of this man's life have led to.'" "There are summations, if you will, about certain key characters. That isn't to say everything is resolved in a cheap or cheesy way, it's the natural conclusion to various stories."

05-08-2002, 04:10 PM	#2
TDF Triple OG nigga on GFY Industry Role: Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: in the BP4L family compound Posts: 27,296	noooo..that was one of my fav. shows next to 6 feet under... __________________ Sig heil

05-08-2002, 04:10 PM	#3
clickpimp Confirmed User Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 1,159	didn't they already kill off the dude in the wheelchair ... the narrator? __________________ eventually, earth will lose. enjoy it while it lasts.

05-08-2002, 04:14 PM	#4
Lexxx Confirmed User Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Boston Posts: 1,489	That's one long-ass post... I'll come back and read it someday. 400 __________________ SIG TOO BIG! Maximum 120x60 button and no more than 3 text lines of DEFAULT SIZE and COLOR. Unless your sig is for a GFY top banner sponsor, then you may use a 624x80 instead of a 120x60.

05-08-2002, 04:46 PM	#5
Terenzo Confirmed User Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 971	do they (gfy) now give gifts away for the longest post posted on this board? __________________ Signature Spot - USD 5000 / month

05-08-2002, 04:49 PM	#6
dipshit moron retard Confirmed User Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 667	thank god, 90% less penis on hbo now once 6 feet under goes our sunday nights will be gay makeout free!

05-08-2002, 06:12 PM	#7
Mogul Confirmed User Join Date: May 2001 Location: LV NV USA Posts: 546	I liked Oz alot. Oh well. Guess they can cancel Dennis Miller so I can stop paying for HBO now. I liked mind of a married man too. Oh I know, bring back 24 hours of great movies like Istar, Water World, Glitter and Naked Lunch Mogul ContentLotto.com :D __________________ MogulPass.com Free AVS system that pays $30 per free signup, $5 per referred sale, has Promoter Sites you can just send traffic to and more. ContentLotto.com Win free content, hosting, design, traffic, lotto sites, cash and more instanty.

05-08-2002, 06:59 PM	#8
Mr.Fiction Confirmed User Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Free Speech Land Posts: 9,484	I didn't mind the long post, but there are some messed up carriage returns, like a bad email forward or something.

05-08-2002, 07:26 PM	#9
BVF Black Vagina Finder Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Midwest Posts: 13,975	six feet under is a pretty good show. I just wish they would stop having the confused brotha tongue kissing the white boy EVERY fucking show. That got old fast. I don't even know if I could do that on TV for any amount of money. My mama would have to pop a Rolaids every day for the rest of her life if she saw that. anyway, I watch sixfeetunder every week.

05-08-2002, 11:14 PM	#10
spankstrocko Confirmed User Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 454	Thanks for the news. Next thing you will tell us that Bush Sr. is not pres.