press

Variety women’s impact report 2021:
The Women of the 'Equalizer': Debra Martin Chase, Queen Latifah, Liz Friedlander, Terri Edda Miller

Debra Martin Chase, Exec Producer

Queen Latifah, Star, Exec Producer

Liz Friedlander, Exec Producer

Terri Edda Miller, Co-Showrunner

Not only is CBS’ hit series “The Equalizer” about a strong, empowered woman, it’s made by a team of strong, empowered women, from executive producer and star Latifah and showrunner Miller (co-showrunner with Andrew W. Marlowe) to executive producer Martin Chase and Season 1 exec producer/director Friedlander. Chase believes the main character, Robyn McCall — created for Latifah — resonates so much with viewers not only because she’s a working mom performing a difficult job while trying to find balance in her life, but also because people wish they had someone like her to turn to in times of crisis. The fact that the show premiered just as the pandemic and social injustice were leaving so many people feeling isolated and helpless only intensified the audience’s reaction to the character. In McCall they saw a woman— who happens to be a woman of color—helping desperate people.

Biggest challenge in the past year? “There was also a hidden challenge and cost [to the pandemic] — people were stressed. Some were financially stressed. Some emotionally stressed. … And all of us were just fragile. Operating with more grace and compassion, trying to have a sense of humor, and realizing that things could not go back to normal as fast as any of us would like was a challenge —but it was also a huge privilege to be able to return to work,” says Friedlander.

Who is the unsung hero of your life? “My grandfather, born at the stroke of midnight to the 20th century, was a man who worked from the time he was 14 until the day he passed. In a world of voices telling me ‘girls don’t do that,’ he believed in my crazy schemes, and never thought ‘ambition’ was a dirty word,” says Miller.

What would you change about the biz? “People starting out in the business need to get paid more money. There’s this attitude that it’s a privilege to have any kind of job in this industry. So you have a situation where people at the lowest rungs, in the starting positions, get paid no money. And it’s one of the reasons why there’s historically a lack of diversity — racial and economic — in this business, because only certain people afford to have these starting positions,” says Chase.

‘Castle’ Co-Creators Score Straight to series order at abc with new procedural

ABC has given a straight to series order to a new drama from Terri Edda Miller and Andrew W. Marlow, the co-creators of the hit ABC series “Castle.”

The new series, titled “Take Two,” will star Rachel Bilson and Eddie Cibrian in the lead roles. Described as an upbeat procedural, the series will follow Ella (Bilson), the former star of a hit cop series who is fresh-out-of-rehab following a bender of epic proportion. Desperate to restart her career, she talks her way into shadowing private investigator Eddie (Cibrian) as research for a potential comeback role. Though Eddie resents the babysitting gig, Ella proves herself to be surprisingly valuable, drawing on her acting skills and 200 episodes of playing a detective. When the press touts Ella’s role in solving a high-profile case, Eddie finds his phone ringing off the hook with new clients looking to hire the pair.

“Andrew and Terri are wonderful storytellers and this is the perfect project for their return to ABC,” said Channing Dungey, president of ABC Entertainment. “We’re excited to see Rachel and Eddie bring these characters to life.”

The series will be co-produced by Tandem Productions, a Studiocanal Company, and ABC Studios The series will air on ABC in the US, RTL/VOX in Germany and France Television in France. Studiocanal will act as the lead studio. ABC Studios’ affiliate, Disney Media Distribution, will handle international sales.

Miller and Marlowe will executive produce under their MilMar Pictures banner, along with Studiocanal TV’s Rola Bauer and Tandem’s Tim Halkin.

The new series is essentially a gender-swapped version of “Castle,” which starred Nathan Fillion as a mystery writer who shadows an NYPD detective, played by Stana Katic. That series ran for eight seasons on the network and was nominated for four Emmy Awards during its run.

Bilson recently appeared on “Nashville” and previously starred in the CW series “Hart of Dixie.” She is also known for her starring role in the Fox drama “The O.C.”

Cibrian is best known for his roles on the shows “Third Watch” and “Sunset Beach.” He also had a regular role in the Fox series “Rosewood” and has appeared in shows like “Hot in Cleveland,” “Ugly Betty,” and “The Young and the Restless.”

Miller and Marlowe are repped by CAA, who helped broker the deal, Management 360 and Lichter, Grossman, Nichols, Adler & Feldman. Bilson is repped by CAA. Cibrian is repped by Gersh and Media Four. Tandem Productions and Studiocanal are repped by Loeb & Loeb and CAA.

Castle’s keepers

It’s no mystery why Andrew W. Marlowe and Terri Edda Miller can maintain romantic intrigue in Castle. Get out your handcuffs. 

Andrew W. Marlowe and Terri Edda Miller exchange affectionate glances and occasionally finish each other’s sentences during our interview at their Raleigh Studios office in Hollywood. Such intimacy between a married couple isn’t surprising, but in this case it’s key to their work. As writing partners, they once endured hours handcuffed together in their living room during an attempt to create authenticity for a “Cuffed” episode of Castle. Inspired by Madeleine Carroll and Robert Donat being handcuffed in Hitchcock’s 39 Steps, their idea was to write a scenario in which the protagonists—mystery novelist Richard Castle and by-the-book NYPD detective Kate Beckett—awaken to find themselves lashed together in bed with no memory of how they got there.

We enacted a ballet in the living room as we tried to maneuver around each other,” remembers series creator Marlowe, bearded and bespectacled. “We actually had a lot of fun,” adds executive producer Miller, who has long brown hair, milky skin, and a direct and intelligent gaze.

This kind of process happens often in the writing of Castle, ABC’s romantic, banter-filled murder-mystery procedural entering its seventh season. Not necessarily the handcuffs bit, but definitely the secret lives of the 10 writers spill over into the theatrical, and in turn the theatrical influences the personal… (continue reading)

King of his castle

From blockbuster movies to top-rated television, Andrew Marlowe ’88 has built a career telling stories that channel pop culture as well as the classics

It’s 8 p.m. on a Friday at the Raleigh Studios lot in Hollywood, and Andrew Marlowe ’88 is in the zone. The creator and showrunner of ABC’s hit Castle is filming what may be the series’ last episode.Despite the late hour it looks like broad daylight on Stage 12, which is the set for the show’s NYPD Precinct 12. In the main area are four of its stars: Nathan Fillion, Stana Katic, Seamus Dever and Jon Huertas. The group has just shot a scene from a side that faces Fillion and Katic, who play the leads, novelist Richard Castle and detective Kate Beckett. Now it’s time to shoot it all again from the other side.

In a corner of the set rests a movable area called “The Village” where Marlowe is clearly in charge, standing alongside his wife — and the show’s executive producer — Terri Edda Miller, near a cluster of director’s chairs. In front of them is this episode’s director, Paul Holahan, a few crew members and several cameras and monitors. This particular scene will be shot nine times on each side.

Dever, who plays Detective Kevin Ryan, says a line on an early take that isn’t quite right. He’s providing information to Castle and Beckett about a woman whose murder is eerily similar to one they are investigating now. “He should know that’s going to have an emotional impact on Castle,” Marlowe says to Holahan.

They take a quick break and the director goes up to Dever, relaying what Marlowe has said. Another take is filmed, and Dever’s delivery is more solemn and sympathetic. Marlowe puts two thumbs in the air and looks excited.

“That’s great!” he shouts.

After the scene finishes shooting, Marlowe explains his thinking.

“In this case, Ryan gave information that was sensitive to Castle. So the actor made the adjustment. Hopefully that made the storyline more interesting,” he says.

Marlowe would return to filming more scenes that night, and the crew would remain on set until nearly 1 a.m. Just a normal day’s work for one of Hollywood’s busiest showrunners... (continue reading)