There is a lengthy article on Danielle Cormack (Shota) which is such a great read. Check it out.

The Busy World of Danielle - NZ Herald 26 July 2009

Danielle Cormack is going mental. At least that's what she says on the phone when she calls to again postpone our interview - not that you can hold it against her.

On the day we finally meet, the award-winning TV/film/theatre actor is dashing between three jobs -- as wardrobe mistress for short film Redemption, and filming two TV shows: new local, Lost-esque drama The Cult (onscreen in September) and Walt Disney fantasy series Legend of the Seeker.

She's also just seen off 13-year-old son Ethan on his first day back at school, but is somehow squeezing in a soda and a chat in the lead-up to the release of homegrown 'dramedy' Separation City on August 6.

After a stint criscrossing the Tasman for theatre gigs, Cormack was ready to sink her teeth into the relatively rare meat of a New Zealand feature film (penned by cartoonist Tom Scott). In her signature naturalistic style, she plays uber-organised, overtired, libido-less mum-of-two Pam, whose relationship with husband Simon -- played by on-the-up Aussie actor Joel Edgerton -- has become about as familiar and exciting as an old sock. This has left him with a wandering eye that settles on mutual friend Kati, played by heavyweight English actress Rhona Mitra (Boston Legal, Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans). Cormack, who admits everyone knows everyone in the New Zealand acting fishpond, relished the injection of internationals into a film that "didn't necessarily feel completely Kiwi".

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After many weeks of having way too much to do, I finally sat down to watch Reckoning. I was avoiding spoilers (seriously I was - pictures are not spoilers if you don't look at them for more than nano second or two).

Back to Reckoning.

Log Line:
In this powerful first season finale, Richard's plan to kill Rahl goes horribly wrong, leaving Kahlan in the clutches of this evil tyrant.

Synopsis
Darken Rahl and his Mord'Sith find Richard and Kahlan just as they are preparing to unleash the power of Orden, which would destroy the sinister tyrant once and for all. The resulting explosion of power consumes the Seeker, leaving Kahlan in the clutches of Rahl.

My thoughts on the show (for what they are worth). It started with a great first episode, got a bit slow in the middle and finished with a bang at the end with a very powerful storyline and acting performance by Bridget and Craig. Throw in some good ol' Mord Sith (love them), a boy with a very nasty streak (nicely played by Michael Hurst's son) and you have the recipe for a great story.

 

Special mention has to be made of Bridget. Bridget really shined in Reckoning. After watching the first episode, I saw a great deal of potential there and she has grown into the role and made it her own all the way through the 21 episodes. Kahlan in full flight is a sight to behold.  An excellent performance.

My other favourite...Mord'Sith <g> Too bad my favourite Mord'Sith has gone AWOL but Cara is a very nice replacement especially since we find out she will be back. YES! Added to this mix is a guest appearance by Charisma Carpenter, the Season 2 sneak peek video and it's more fun and excitement.

Watch The Full Episode Here (US Only)

View Screencaptures

View Promo Pics

Buy Season 1 on DVD from Amazon.com

I started to read the first book but then had to stop because the book and the tv series were different and it was confusing me. So now that Season 1 has ended, it's time to pick up from where I left our dynamic duo in the book. Hopefully I'll finish before November when Season 2 starts.

MaryD

 

Bridget has sent in another Twitter about the show she is producing Camp Wanatachi

BridgetRegan: I am getting very excited about CAMP WANATACHI! Dance Party and show on the 30th in NY. http://campwanatachi.com/

WOW! (this is the word for the weekend). Another Rob Tapert creation, Spartacus, unveiled the show trailer at Comic Con and it was INCREDIBLE. Now comes the Seeker's turn to wow people. We now have the Season 2 Sneak Peek video and it is just REMARKABLE (I need to find a thesaurus, I'm running out of superlatives to describe these shows).
 

Okay enough yakking. The following video outlines what our dynamic duo and wizard will be doing in Season 2. If you don't want to know - don't watch.
 

The following was posted on Zap2It today:

Charisma Carpenter is moving from Hell-Lay to D'Hara. The geek-bait hottie behind "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel's" Cordelia Chase will be guest-starring in the second season premiere of "Legend of the Seeker," the New Zealand-based syndicated fantasy show from executive producers Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert.

Executive Producer Kenneth Biller told a packed room at Comic-Con that Carpenter will appear at Triana, a leather-clad Mord'Sith warrior woman who inflicts pain. So, it's not that much of a stretch from Buffy-era Cordelia, is it? Footage from the second season promised fans a tear in the veil to the underworld which would release skin-flaying scary creatures bent on wiping out all life at the behest of The Keeper of the Underworld. Plus, at least one hot, leather-clad, girl-on-girl kiss. Based on the reaction in the room, the producers know their audience -- that split second snippet got a resounding "Whoo!"

While Carpenter's Mord'Sith hottie is only on tap for the season premiere, Biller announced that Australian actress Tabrett Bethell, who played Mord'Sith Cara in the season finale,  will be joining the cast as a series regular.

The second season of "Legend of the Seeker" premieres in syndication the weekend of Nov. 7. Check your local listings for time and channel.

Big news to come out of the LotS panel at Comic Con today and posted on the Official site
 
 - Legend of the Seeker To Premiere Second Season Weekend Of november 7th in national syndication Eps also announce new series regular tabrett bethell at comic-con and Charisma carpenter to guest star in season premiere

San Diego, CA. ' July 23, 2009 ' The captivating, action-adventure series 'Legend of the Seeker' will premiere its highly-anticipated second season the weekend of November 7th, it was announced today at the 2009 Comic-Con International Convention during a panel led by executive producers Ken Biller and Ned Nalle and featuring Terry Goodkind and Bruce Spence. Shot with the exotic and rugged New Zealand landscape as its backdrop, the weekly series has resumed production on 22 all-new action-packed episodes. Combining elements of fantasy, adventure, magic, mystery and romance with state of the art visual effects and a high level of action, 'Legend of the Seeker' is an adaptation of internationally best-selling author Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth book series.

The executive producers also announced that actress Tabrett Bethell ('Mei Li Johnson') will join the cast as a series regular. Bethell reprises her role as Cara, a Mord'Sith that will create tension between Richard and Kahlan. Additionally, actress Charisma Carpenter, best known for her starring role as Cordelia on the long-running hit series 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and 'Angel,' will guest star in the season premiere as a wicked Mord'Sith named Triana.

When woodsman Richard Cypher's (Craig Horner, 'Monarch Cove' and 'Blue Water High') life gets turned upside down after discovering that he has a profound destiny to fulfill as the Seeker, he is thrust into an unfamiliar world of magic, sorcery and evil. With Kahlan (Bridget Regan, 'Sex and the City' and 'The Best and the Brightest'), a woman with magical powers of her own, and a wise old wizard named Zedd (Bruce Spence, 'Mad Max 2' and 'The Matrix Revolutions') by his side, Richard fights to protect innocent lives by confronting dangerous and evil forces.

In the upcoming second season, Richard, Kahlan and Zedd will encounter an array of rich and compelling new characters, both good and evil, and they will be tested in ways that they never could have imagined. The trio will discover that in defeating the bloodthirsty tyrant Darken Rahl, their victory is short-lived as they inadvertently unleashed an even greater evil on the world.

'Legend of the Seeker' is from the talented team behind the long-running, successful series 'Hercules: The Legendary Journeys' and 'Xena: Warrior Princess,' and the studio that produces primetime network hits including 'Lost,' 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'Desperate Housewives,' 'Ghost Whisperer' and 'Army Wives.' The series is produced by ABC Studios and distributed by Disney-ABC Domestic Television. Ken Biller, Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert, Ned Nalle and Josh Donen serve as executive producers. The series airs Saturdays and Sundays in national syndication.

For those not going to this week's mega Comic Con..here's your chance to ask Bruce Spence (Zedd) a question on the facebook page:

"ASK THE WIZARD" AT COMIC-CON THIS THURSDAY - Can't make it to San Diego this week? Well, you can still post a question here [Facebook] to actor Bruce Spence (Zedd) for this Thursday's Comic-Con LOTS Season 2 panel. No promises there will be time to ask or answer any of your questions, but hopefully Bruce can respond to at least one or two of them!

Many thanks to Sword of Truth site for the info

The lucky Brits have finally got LotS in their neck of the woods starting 18 August with Making of a Legend which was hosted by Lucy Lawless. Let's hope Aussie TV gets it some time soon! There were rumblings about either the network stations or Foxtel buying the show in Australia (from the rumours I've heard) but nothing has been heard since. For those in the UK here is the info for you. UK SciFi TV Official site confirms the schedule

Legend of the Seeker to air in the UK
News posted by: Teesee

Finally. Finally! The Legend of the Seeker is coming to the UK in August. The Sci Fi channel has acquired the first-run UK pay-TV rights to the first two series of Legend of the Seeker. This is awesome news (not least because I'm from the UK) but it also means we have a whole new fanbase to look forward to.

The series will start with "The Making of a Legend" feature hosted by Lucy Lawless on 8th August 4:30pm. The first episode, Prophecy begins on August 13th at 8pm, followed straight after by the second episode, Destiny at 9pm.

Full scheduling information for series one in the UK during August can be found in our guide.

Exciting!! Can't wait.

Read More

News submitted by Barbara Davies

Bridget has posted on her Twitter page about flying to the Central Plataeu to film the opening episode of Season 2.

BridgetRegan: Flew down this weekend to the BEAUTIFUL Central Plateau with the cast, crew and horses to shoot AMAZING stuff for the first ep of Season 2!

Read more from Bridget's Twitter Account

DISNEY/ABC TELEVISION GROUP DELIVERS A PACKED SLATE OF EVENTS AT COMIC-CON, JULY 23-26
Released by ABC

ABC Studios' syndicated action-adventure series "Legend of the Seeker" will unveil a sneak peek at their upcoming second season;

LEGEND OF THE SEEKER

A sneak peek at the highly-anticipated second season of the action-adventure series "Legend of the Seeker" from executive producers Ken Biller ("Star Trek: Voyager"), Sam Raimi ("Spider-Man"), Rob Tapert ("Xena"), Ned Nalle ("Hercules") and Josh Donen ("Drag Me to Hell"), and starring Craig Horner, Bridget Regan and Bruce Spence. Inspired by Terry Goodkind's bestselling epic fantasy series "The Sword of Truth," Richard, Kahlan and Zedd will soon discover that in defeating Darken Rahl, their victory is short-lived, as they inadvertently unleashed an even greater evil upon the world. Premiering in November, join executive producers Ken Biller and Ned Nalle, Bruce Spence and Terry Goodkind for a moderated interview and audience Q&A session. Room 6DE

This is very exciting news. ComingSoon.com reports that Legend of the Seeker has been nominated for an Emmy in the category: Outstanding Music Composition For A Series (Original Dramatic Score)

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced the nominations for the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards this morning. The awards will be presented on September 20 and the show, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, will air on CBS.


Composer Legend Of The Seeker · Prophecy · Syndicated · ABC Studios Joe LoDuca

It's not surprising that Joe LoDuca has been nominated. His work is simply outstanding as many Xena fans would know after 6 seasons of the show.

For a full list of nominees go here

Camp Wanatachi: A New Musical -- FringeNYC Press Release
 
13 YEAR OLD CHRISTIAN LESBIAN IS CUTEST THING EVER!
 
(New York City, NY) Spirit-soaked and hormone-charged, CAMP WANATACHI is the new musical comedy about two 13-year-old-girls who fall in love at Christian summer camp.
 
 Written and composed by Natalie Weiss of Unicornicopia, and produced by Bridget Regan (star of Disney-ABC's LEGEND OF THE SEEKER) and Ian Pai (Co-Founder of Blue Man Group and Musical Director of Fischerspooner), this genre-mashing musical will be performed five times in the New York International Fringe Festival 2009.
 
 With a live orchestra, sick beats by glitch hero Machinedrum and songs like "We All Need Jesus in Our Lives" and "Let's Ride Bareback", this nostalgic musical is super futuristic.
 
 Praise for other productions helmed by Ian Pai:
 
 "Blue Man Group is one of the most delightful performance pieces ever staged in NYC Theatre." - New York Times
 
 "Blue Man Group is perfect entertainment...so much fun it has to be experienced to be believed." - Chicago Tribune
 
 Praise for Machinedrum:
 
 "...street-smart, book-smart, beat-smart genius. [9 out of 10]." - Pitchfork.com
 
 PRODUCTION TEAM
 Executive Producer: Ian Pai
 
 Mercurial Productions
 Artistic Director: Natalie Weiss
 Book and Lyrics: Natalie Weiss
 
 Music:
 Natalie Weiss
 Travis Stewart
 Conrad Winslow
 
 Arrangements:
 Travis Stewart
 Conrad Winslow
 
 Sound Design:
 Travis Stewart
 Conrad Winslow
 
 Musical Director: Conrad Winslow
 
 Director: Natalie Weiss
 
 Stage Manager: Emily Taradash
 


Click here for pdf

Click here for Official Site

Amazon.com has been updated with the Legend of the Seeker Season 1 DVD ordering info.

# Actors: Craig Horner, Bruce Spence, Craig Parker
# Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
# Language: English
# Number of discs: 5
# Rating: NR (Not Rated)
# Studio: Buena Vista Home Video
# DVD Release Date: October 13, 2009

Richard Cypher was once but a simple woodsman, an expert tracker and explorer of the trails that run through and around his home town of Hartland, located in the province known as Westland. He was well liked by the townspeople, and looked up to his older brother, Michael, the First Councilor. Their father, George Cypher, raised the two boys after the death of his wife.
 

Spoiler TV has some LotS Season 2 casting sides

Season 2: Episode 4

[ANNABELLE] 18, beautiful, innocent, like a princess in a fairy tale, locked in a tower, love interest for young FLYNN. A sheltered girl who learns a shocking secret about her real identity and struggles to come to terms with powers she didn't know she had. One Episode GUEST STAR

Season 2: Episode 5

[YOUNG ZEDD] (Zedd is BRUCE SPENCE) for this ep, so we need somebody tall, lanky, handsome, 20s-30s. He is a charismatic and powerful wizard blinded by pride...GUEST STAR

Source

The following is from Michael Hurst's official site

Episode Schedule for New Episodes in New Zealand

18 July 2009: 1.08 "Denna"
1 August 2009: 1.10 "Sacrifice"
22 August 2009: 1.13 "Revenant"
24 October 2009: 1.22 "Reckoning"

Michael is directing episode 2.2 of American tv show Legend of the Seeker and will be directing several additional second-season episodes. He also directed three episodes of the first season and appeared as the wizard Amfortas in the episode "Revenant".

The series is now being re-run from the beginning in the US; see airing dates above. The show's official website has a time and channel finder for the US. Legend of the Seeker is also being shown in NZ on Prime, Mondays at 7:30 p.m. "Reckoning" should be shown in August;

Bridget has jumped into the ever expanding Twitter pool with an account of her own! Her most recent posts have been:

BridgetRegan: I am loving being back in New Zealand! THE most beautiful sunset tonight. First fight of Season 2 tomorrow!
Thursday, 9 July 2009 4:51 PM

BridgetRegan: First big day back!
Tuesday, 7 July 2009 5:20 PM

BridgetRegan: Loving Philly. Chris and Neil are amazing to work with!
Tuesday, 30 June 2009 3:41 PM

BridgetRegan: Wow. All 3 "Norman Conquests" in one day. I'm so impressed with the olympian actors in it.
Sunday, 21 June 2009 3:55 PM

Read more / Subscribe to Bridget's Twitter

Legend of the Seeker Season 1 DVD is scheduled for release for 13 October 2009 according to tvshowsondvd. The set will consist of 5 discs with extras.

Richard Cypher was once but a simple woodsman, an expert tracker and explorer of the trails that run through and around his home town of Hartland, located in the province known as Westland. He was well liked by the townspeople, and looked up to his older brother, Michael, the First Councilor. Their father, George Cypher, raised the two boys after the death of his wife.

The LotS panel will be held on Thursday 23 July 2009 and the following is more about the panel and who will be on it (including Terry Goodkind!)

"LEGEND OF THE SEEKER" REVIVES THE EPIC FANTASY GENRE AND CAPTIVATES VIEWERS

Series Garners Second Season Renewal -- New Episodes Set To Premiere in Fall 2009
 
 Burbank, CA. - July 6, 2009 - After a successful and thrilling first season run, the popular, epic action-adventure series "Legend of the Seeker," starring Craig Horner, Bridget Regan and Bruce Spence, returns for a highly-anticipated second season this fall. Shot with the exotic and rugged New Zealand landscape as its backdrop, the weekly series will resume production on 22 all-new action-packed episodes this month. Combining elements of fantasy, adventure, magic, mystery and romance with state of the art visual effects and a high level of action, "Legend of the Seeker" is an adaptation of internationally best-selling author Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth book series.
 
 When woodsman Richard Cypher's (Craig Horner, "Monarch Cove" and "Blue Water High") life gets turned upside down after discovering that he has a profound destiny to fulfill as the Seeker, he is thrust into an unfamiliar world of magic, sorcery and evil. With Kahlan (Bridget Regan, "Sex and the City" and "Six Degrees") a woman with magical powers of her own, and a wise old wizard named Zedd (BRUCE SPENCE, "Mad Max 2" and "The Matrix Revolutions") by his side, Richard fights to protect innocent lives by confronting dangerous and evil forces.
 
 In the upcoming second season, Richard, Kahlan and Zedd will encounter an array of rich and compelling new characters, both good and evil, and they will be tested in ways that they never could have imagined. The trio will discover that in defeating the bloodthirsty tyrant Darken Rahl, their victory is short-lived as they inadvertently unleashed an even greater evil on the world. "New and even more ferocious villains will be introduced in the next chapter of Richard's journey that will astonish viewers," commented Executive Producer Ken Biller.
 
 "Legend of the Seeker" is from the talented team behind the long-running, successful series "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" and "Xena: Warrior Princess," and the studio that produces primetime network hits including "Lost," "Grey's Anatomy," "Desperate Housewives," "Ghost Whisperer" and "Army Wives." The series is produced by ABC Studios and distributed by Disney-ABC Domestic Television. Ken Biller, Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert, Ned Nalle and Josh Donen serve as executive producers. "Legend of the Seeker" is broadcast in more than 95 percent of the country, including all of the top 50 markets. The series airs Saturdays and Sundays in national syndication.
 
 www.LegendoftheSeeker.com 
 

The channel has acquired the first two seasons, which each comprise 22 x 60-minute episodes, from Disney/ABC/ESPN Television and it will debut the drama in August.

The story centres on woodsman Richard Cypher, played by Australian actor Craig Horner, who unwittingly possesses magical powers. He becomes duty-bound to use his skills against an evil tyrant named Darken Rahl, who commands an increasingly threatening army. The fantasy drama is based on The Sword of Truth novels by Terry Goodkind.

Legend of the Seeker premiered in the US on the ABC network in 2008 and was confirmed for a second season earlier this year.

Sci-Fi has picked up several US drama acquistions in recent years that have gone on to become cult hits, ranging from Heroes - debuting in the UK on Sci-Fi before its move to the BBC - to Dollhouse, from Buffy creator Joss Whedon.

Charlotte Ashton, vice president of programming and marketing, NBC Universal Global Networks UK, said: "Legend of the Seeker is an exciting addition to the channel's summer primetime schedule. In keeping with our other first run offerings Knight Rider and Dollhouse, its pedigree has ensured one of the most anticipated fantasy series launches of 2009. The sword-n-sorcery sub-genre has a worthy new hero in Legend of The Seeker, which we expect the UK audience to fully embrace."