Hints and reviews of Dollhouse, now filming

Kristin from E!Online has some scoop about Dollhouse filming in LA. I've included what she had to say about the show with the spoilery speculation blacked out.

Peter in Cardiff, Wales: What's this scoop about a Dollhouse location shoot that you buried in the Lost Redux?
Oh, what? That? You guys don't care about Dollhouse, do you? Hee. Late last week, there was a two-day-long shoot at a Spanish Mission Revival-style duplex in L.A.'s Miracle Mile area—mostly night shots, I believe—and if I had to bet money, I'd say it was serving as [highlight to read speculation/spoilers]:

Paul's (Tahmoh Penikett) apartment, where Echo and Paul have their meet-cute/meet-complicated and their very first fight scene. Awww...

Red Right Hand has gotten a hold of the pilot script and has posted a non-spoilery review:

And there's some thought provoking stuff that's not even part of the plot (at least not yet) and some that is, like the pro-bono works of the "actives." There's a pervasion of the creepy lurking throughout this pilot. Different kinds too. There's a sci-fi creepy in it and there's a stain-on-your-soul kind in there too.

Now here's the awesomest bit. Echo. The girl who is all kinds of different people. She's only just starting to retain memories from "engagement" to "engagement" so every time we meet here, she's basically somebody else, but in the script you really get a sense of continuity between the personas (and to me, some of those engagements are where the truly creepy bits sneak in).

They also include this note about Tahmoh's casting:

And knowing who's been cast already, I can easily see Tahmoh Penikett as Paul, the FBI dude who's maybe on to something.

Fan art is again thanks to crystalsc at Dollhouse_Art.

Videoblogs preview this week's Helo-heavy episode

If you were dismayed by the lack of Helo in Friday's Battlestar episode, you can take comfort in the two most recent Galactica videoblogs, which contain scenes for this week's apparently Helo-heavy episode, "The Road Less Traveled," as well as short chats with Tahmoh about the series.

The videoblogs are available on Sci-fi.com or via Hulu below:

Dollhouse now filming; an interview with 2 writers

Dollhouse began filming yesterday in downtown LA, as the official "Future on Fox" blog reports:

Joss started directing Dollhouse this morning. While the cool-ass sets are housed on the Fox lot, today they are shooting in downtown Los Angeles.

dollhousetvforum.com recently posted an exclusive interview with two of the Dollhouse staff writers Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain. The spoiler-free interview is an excellent behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming series.

Is the plan to lean towards "adventure of the week" or with a more "arc" approach?

The show will be episodic and serialized-- meaning every week we'll be telling a story with a beginning, middle, and end, but every week we'll also be weaving in the serialized elements of the Big Story. Sometimes that'll be in smaller, subtle ways, other times those elements will be front and center.

It's interesting you bring up the whole 7 episode thing. We're all so into the show that we're not thinking about 7 as a possible stopping point (although it is gonna be a pretty damn cool ep, as only those Minear episodes can be). We're just rolling right along. Jed and Maurissa are breaking episode 8 as we write these words. We're not stopping, dammit! We're going for 100! More!

When will we start seeing things like promo shoots, an official website, TV/Web advertisements e.t.c?

Joss starts shooting the pilot on April 23rd, and there's a promo shoot coming up a few days later, so there should be stuff to see in the not-too-distant future. We're all working with 20th and Fox on the web presence of the show now. Exactly what that's going to look like we can't say-- because we don't yet know-- but summer is probably a safe bet. Everyone's trying to get things rolling sooner rather than later.

Read the full interview.

The fan art above created by crystalsc is thanks to the new LiveJournal community dollhouse_art, which already has some Tahmoh icons for the series.

New interview, "Born Survivor" in Starlog #365

Tahmoh is interviewed in the newest issue of Starlog about his casting experience, filming "33," Helo's journey, and his respect for the show and its fans. He even hints about Season 4... apparently Helo has a "definite penchant for violence." That sounds intriguing...

[Photos of the article replaced by scans below.]

Thanks to Un4scene for the photos!

Update: Here are scans of the article, also thanks to Un4scene!

Bidding on dinner with Tahmoh & Kandyse to end soon

Bidding on dinner with Tahmoh and Kandyse McClure (Dualla on BSG) will end soon over at ebay. The auction is to benefit their friend, actress Babz Chula, who is fighting a recurrence of her cancer:

Bid now!

The winning bidder will receive a free dinner (approx. 1.5 hours) with Tahmoh Penikett and Kandyse McClure at a pre-selected restaurant in Vancouver, BC at a mutually agreeable date to be determined by both parties in between May 1, 2008 and December 1, 2009.

Update: Bidding is now closed. For more, including a message from Tahmoh, see this earlier post.

Thanks to everyone for bidding! The winning bid was $2125 Canadian!

Tahmoh to miss Comic Con; Dollhouse to film next week

Tahmoh just let me know that he's had to pull out of his appearance at New York Comic Con this weekend due to scheduling conflicts. He said to pass on his apologies to fans as he was really looking forward to it. In happy news, he said filming on the pilot of Joss Whedon's Dollhouse starts next week (which is partly the source of the time conflict).

Tahmoh didn't mention whether or not Grace Park would still be attending as had been previously announced, but Battlestar will definitely be represented at Comic Con, however, as Michael Hogan, Michael Trucco and Rekha Sharma will attend and participate in a panel with Entertainment Weekly's Marc Bernardin.

12:00-1:00PM, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
IGN.COM THEATER

Last year, Battlestar Galactica took New York by storm for its first ever Comic Con panel. But that was just the beginning. Join fans from around the world as the series critics hail Battlestar as a "fan-frakking-tastic" show on television," (Entertainment Weekly) returns to the Con for its 2nd annual appearance.

Hints about Paul and Dollhouse from E!Online -- Updated

Watch with Kristin over at E!Online claims to have exclusive knowledge of Joss Whedon's upcoming pilot Dollhouse, which will star Tahmoh as Paul Smith/Ballard and Eliza Dushku as Echo. The information is, of course, slightly spoilery, so I've obscured it.

I've included just the bit about Tahmoh's character below (highlight the text to read it):

Where's the twist?
The Dolls are programmed to mix up identity and personality with a splash of subterfuge and a dash of dementia—but they're not the only ones. Tahmoh Penikett's FBI agent Paul Ballard is obsessed with opening up the Dollhouse, but he may have more in common with—and already be closer to—the Dolls than he even knows.

Where is the love?
Echo and Paul are going to be hot like fire, no doubt...

Read the full report here.

Update: Televisionary has also seen the script and adds to the positive buzz. Unlike the E!Online piece, Televsionary's report is non-spoilery.

4 more Helo promotional photos from 4.05

The NBC Photobank has posted four more shots of Helo from the upcoming Galactica episode, "The Road Less Traveled." This episode seems to have a significant Helo focus. See the previous post or our Flickr for similar high-res pretties from this episode.

New high-res Helo promo photos for BSG 4.05

Sci-fi has released four new high-resolution promotional photos for the upcoming season 4 episode of Galactica, "The Road Less Traveled" (4.05). Here are the two Helo shots thanks to drewcypher. Enjoy!

The episode will air Friday, May 2 at 10pm.

To see even higher res versions, visit our site's Flickr where you can find all the Season 4 promotional photos to-date in their original sizes (2592 x 3872). Click on a photo and then "all sizes."

Battlestar Galactica 4.02 - "Six of One"

Here's what critics had to say about the episode:

• Entertainment Weekly
• TV Guide
  
• io9

Ron Moore's podcast is not yet available here.

Screencaps of Helo in the episode are up in the site's Flickr, thanks to Chamalla.

Vote in the new episode reaction poll at right.

If you missed it, "Six of One" is available streaming with ads via Hulu and SciFi Rewind, or as an ad-free download at Amazon Unbox for $1.99 (PC only).

Screen caps and video of Tahmoh & Grace on Today

In case you missed it, Tahmoh and Grace Park's brief appearance on NBC's Today show is now up on the Today homepage or YouTube. Here also are a few screencaps thanks to rebelliousrose.

Welcome Today Show viewers!

If you're curious to know more about Tahmoh, I've assembled a few links where you can learn more. He was recently cast as Paul Smith, an FBI agent, in Joss Whedon's upcoming Fox series Dollhouse, co-starring Eliza Dushku. He currently stars as Karl "Helo" Agathon on Sci-fi's Battlestar Galactica, which airs Fridays at 10pm.

To find out more, here are some helpful links:

• A short bio on his family, background and training
• A full list of all the TV, short films and movies he's appeared in or visit his IMDB profile
  
• Convention and public event photos
• Interviews with Tahmoh
• Forums: Kindreds and Sci-fi Tahmoh thread
• More photos: All.about.tahmoh Flickr and Northern Lights
  

Or to see the latest news, photos and interviews with Tahmoh just scroll down. For more, click "Older Posts" at the bottom of the page or use the Archive drop-down menu in the left sidebar.

You can also explore topics that interest you via the related post tags, like Cold Squad [2004], in which Tahmoh starred as Constable Ray Chase. All the tags used on the site appear in the left sidebar or at the bottom of related posts. If you're looking for something specific, try using the search bar at the top of the page.

(Thanks to katee from the Sci-fi.com Tahmoh Penikett thread for the art!)

Tahmoh to be on the Today Show Friday morning

Just got a message from Tahmoh that he will be appearing with Grace Park (Sharon Agathon) on NBC's Today Show tomorrow, April 11th between 7-10am EST:

"Doing the Today show with Grace Friday morning!!"

So set your DVRs to record!

Don't forget that Grace and Tahmoh will be guests at New York Comic Con next weekend, April 19th!

(His agent confirmed that he'll be appearing on Today tomorrow, April 11th.)

SFX interviews Galactica cast, including Tahmoh

SFX visited the Battlestar set during filming of Season 4, where they interviewed much of the cast including Mary McDonnell, Edward James Olmos and writer Mark Verheiden. Tahmoh and others offered their views on where they'd like their characters to end up and who the final cylon is.

Tahmoh on how he'd like Helo's journey to end:

"If I had a choice, I wouldn't want to see it wrap up. I think with Sharon and Helo's storyline, there should be a question mark. Because there is so much possibility--our child is possibly the first of a new race. Who knows what's going to happen with them after this?"

There are some spoilers in the article so beware!

Thanks to lullabymoon for the scans!

Leader-Post: "Another door opens for actor"

Ben Carrozza, who interviewed Tahmoh last week for dose.ca, today published a slightly different version of the article in the Regina Leader-Post:

"Ron (Moore) and the writers have always said that Battlestar has a beginning, a middle and an end -- and if they say this is where the story should end, then I completely trust them."

Penikett insists it becomes easier to accept as time goes by. "When I first heard, it was upsetting but we've all had time to accept it and have grasped the idea. There are so many incredible things happening already this season that I think the audience will accept it, too."

Read the full interview.

Battlestar Galactica 4.01 - "He That Believeth in Me"

A great episode as expected. Glad Helo and Kara got to have their moment together. New episode reaction poll at right. Vote now! ------->

Here's what the critics had to say about the episode:

• New York Times
  
• Entertainment Weekly
  
• Chicago Tribune
  

Ron Moore's podcast is not yet available here.

The newest videoblog includes Tahmoh: "Why Hath David Forsaken Us?"

If you missed it, Sci-fi is re-airing "He That Believeth in Me" Sunday night at 11pm. Or it's available streaming with ads via Hulu and SciFi Rewind, or as an ad-free download at Amazon Unbox for $1.99 (PC only).

Thanks to shewasacutie for the Helo screencap.

Tahmoh to appear at New York Comic Con in two weeks

Tahmoh and Grace Park will appear at a special Battlestar session hosted by Entertainment Weekly's Marc Bernardin at New York Comic Con on April 19th.

Saturday, April 19, 12-1pm - IGN Theater
The SCI FI CHANNEL Presents - BATTLESTAR GALACTICA

Last year, Battlestar Galactica took New York by storm for its first ever Comic Con panel. But that was just the beginning. Join fans from around the world as the series Entertainment Weekly hails as a “fan-frakking-tastic” show on television,”* returns to the Con for its 2nd annual appearance. Join Grace Park, Sharon "Athena" Agathon and Tahmoh Penikett, Karl "Helo" Agathon for a one-hour discussion with Marc Bernardin of Entertainment Weekly.

You can see the full guest list here.

Tahmoh talks about Galactica premiere & Dollhouse

Dose.ca spoke to Tahmoh recently about tonight's Battlestar Season 4 premiere and his upcoming role on Dollhouse. Of tonight's episode, he says:

"Fans are in for a treat," he enthuses. "I just watched the final cut of the episode and there were a bunch of times where I was just like, 'Wow. That's incredible.' Lots of mind-blowing things are happening right out of the gate."

The interview has no spoilers for either show, just a lot of enthusiasm.

"I'm excited about this season," Pennikett adds. "I'm included a lot more and I've been able to act more with different members of the cast, which has been amazing."

Read the full interview.

It's a good profile if you can get past their misspelling of both Tahmoh's first and last names (Tomoh Pennikett? Tamoh Pennikett? and yet they spell his dad's name correctly... ah well.).

Updated profile & photo of Helo at Scifi.com

As part of the redesign of their Battlestar site, Sci-fi has added a new profile photo and character description for Helo to their Cast page:

As the husband of the Cylon Sharon and the father of the first human-Cylon baby, Hera, pilot Karl Agathon (callsign "Helo") knows what it's like to be on the periphery of the Galactica's community. The days when his fellow officers publicly ostracized him for loving a "toaster" are over, but his colleagues are still sometimes disconcerted by his compassion not only for Cylons but also for marginalized humans within the fleet. He once sabotaged a plan to unleash a genocidal virus against the Cylons and has also defied the Galactica's leadership on behalf of persecuted Sagittaron refugees. Despite — or perhaps because of — this, Admiral Adama trusts Helo, assigning him to various critical leadership positions.

The bio for Tahmoh has also been updated, though it should be remarked that--contrary to the bio--Trick 'r Treat has yet to be released. The new site also features the famous "Last Supper" photo of the cast on its front page with snipets of information about each character:

Don't forget the season 4 premiere will be available online Friday at noon and will air on Sci-fi at 10pm!

Bid on dinner with Tahmoh and Kandyse McClure now

Bidding on dinner with Tahmoh and Kandyse McClure (Dualla on BSG) is now open over on ebay. The auction is to benefit their friend, actress Babz Chula, who is fighting a recurrence of her cancer:

Bid now!

The winning bidder will receive a free dinner (approx. 1.5 hours) with Tahmoh Penikett and Kandyse McClure at a pre-selected restaurant in Vancouver, BC at a mutually agreeable date to be determined by both parties in between May 1, 2008 and December 1, 2009.

Bidding closes on April 12th. For more, including a message from Tahmoh, see this earlier post.

Updated: Heard from Tahmoh that eBay thought the auctions were fake--which they're not!--so they pulled them. They should be up again soon. Tahmoh sends his apologies and asks everyone to please bid again when the auctions reopen!

8 New spoilery Helo promo photos from Season 4

Scifi has redesigned their Battlestar website and added a bunch of new promotional photos for Season 4 to the Gallery. The banners for the site have also been updated; I've captured one that features Helo. Be warned the 8 new photos are spoilery. Enjoy!


You'll find all the Season 4 photos of Helo to date archived at our Flickr.

Hypaspace video interviews & Sci-fi specials

A new episode of the Hypaspace Weekly sci-fi news show that looks back to the beginning of the series and forward to this Friday's premiere is now available on the Space Channel website and Youtube (thanks to meshel73). The show features old and new short interview clips with Tahmoh and the rest of the cast as well as some behind-the-scenes footage. It's a good non-spoilery look at the series.

In case you've missed the other episodes featuring Galactica and Tahmoh, you can find them here and here.

Also, all this week, Sci-fi is running a marathon of all the Galactica episodes to date from 8am to 6pm. And if you missed the Battlestar specials on Friday, they're streaming over on scifi.com. Ron Moore and David Eick talk about Helo in the Revealed special in the course of providing a primer for the series and The Phenomenon is hilarious and well-worth watching, as it speaks to famous fans, including Joss Whedon, about the show.