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About
the Show
Everwood, Colorado is a charming and picturesque
little town tucked in among the majestic snowy
peaks of the Rocky Mountains. It seems nothing
ever changes in Everwood... until the day the
Brown family arrives, searching for a place
to heal their wounds and find out for themselves
if small-town values can survive in a rapidly
changing world.
In
this compelling new WB drama, the Browns' arrival
will eventually change the lives of every citizen
in Everwood. In this family-drama series, Andrew
Brown's (Treat Williams) own life changed forever
the day his loving wife died. Up until then,
he was a world-renowned neurosurgeon whose career
always overshadowed his obligations as a parent.
Now faced with the daunting task of raising
his two kids, 9-year-old Delia (Vivien Cardone)
and 15-year-old Ephram (Gregory Smith) by himself,
Andrew trades in the New York skyline for the
breathtaking vistas of the Rockies to settle
in Everwood. While both kids are deeply affected
by the loss of their mother, little Delia adjusts
quickly to her new surroundings, all the while
keeping a watchful eye on the tumultuous relationship
between her father and brother. But the sudden
shift in everything he has ever known is hardest
on Ephram, who resents all the years his father
lavished on his career at the expense of his
family.
When
Andrew opens a free clinic for the citizens
of Everwood, popular opinion is that he has
lost his mind. But that doesn't stop one local
character, Edna (Debra Mooney), from quickly
applying for a job as his nurse and office manager.
The person most disturbed by Dr. Brown's new
clinic is Edna's son and the only other doctor
in town, Dr. Harold Abbott (Tom Amandes), who
quickly forbids his children, 15-year-old Amy
(Emily VanCamp) and 17-year-old Bright (Chris
Pratt) to have anything to do with the Brown
family.
The
school bus driver, Mr. Irv (John Beasley), keeps
watch over it all as traditions are changing
overnight for the citizens of Everwood. What
none of them understand is that the ripple effect
of one woman's death can bring a lot of change
-- and a lot of good -- not only to the people
she loved, but to people she never met. As people
begin to drift in and out of the new clinic
and the town's secrets are revealed one by one,
Andrew realizes that moving to Everwood was
only the first step in reclaiming his family.
The town will come to trust and depend on his
skills, but Andrew is left to wonder if he can
maintain the promise he made to be a better
father. He has a natural gift for neurosurgery,
but he is just beginning to understand that
parenting is something he will have to work
at every day of his life. |
To
the 6.4 million WB network viewers on Monday evenings,
the streetscapes on the new TV drama series “Everwood”
are those of an idyllic mountain town in Colorado
packed with quirky locals. But to residents and business
owners in the heart of Ogden, it’s a compliment to
their very own historic 25th Street.
“Everwood
is, in general, an all-around good production with
a good influence, “ said Phyllis D. Visser, owner/manager
of the Athenian Restaurant. “I’m proud it is filmed
in Ogden.”
Since
its premier in September of 2002, the historic streets
of Ogden have been televised all over the nation as
Everwood’s filming crew of up to 200 members have
become more familiar with Northern Utah, and downtown
Ogden in particular.
The
Utah Film Commission touts Ogden as “a relaxed town
nestled between the Wasatch Mountains and the Great
Salt Lake.” That sounds surprisingly similar to a
description of the fictional Everwood: a charming
and picturesque little town tucked in among the majestic
snowy peaks of the Rocky Mountains. Everwood Producer
Andrew Ackerman said he considered every town in the
Greater Salt Lake Area before deciding on Ogden’s
25th Street. “It is the best place because it a very
photogenic street. The time period is right and there
are mountains in the background,” Ackerman said. “It
just worked from a physical standpoint.”
Everwood’s
main eatery, a Chinese-Italian restaurant, is physically
located on the set in Ogden, as are the offices of
Dr. Andrew Brown, the show’s main character, and the
town’s long-established general practitioner Dr. Harold
Abbott.
“Everwood’s
main exteriors and basic set is on 25th Street,” said
Andy Ackerman, producer. “We basically shoot on that
set every other episode.” In the meantime, the cast
and crew film at other Salt Lake area locations.
Since
the film cast and crew are often in Ogden, they are
bound to patronize local 25th Street businesses.
“Whenever
you bring a film crew in to an area, there is a residual
economic benefit,” Acerkman said. For example, the
crew enjoys eating at Don Tequila's, a Mexican restaurant
on the corner of 25th Street and Lincoln. “One of
the biggest effects is that the locals will get to
know our exteriors well. And every viewer counts.”
A
faithful viewer of the series, Visser says she watches
Everwood every week just to see the sights of historic
25th Street.
And
for local business owners, every customer counts—stars
of TV series or not.
Everwood
started filming in July 2002 and will finish in April
of 2003. Following a recent nomination for a People’s
Choice Award for best new drama, Everwood is expected
to be around for another full TV season. Another season
could mean more filming in everything from 110-degree
weather to freak snowstorms.
“We
work year-round, and the seasons we are creating on
the set are neverin sync with the weather as it is,”
Ackerman said.
Although
critics view the series as a little too mushy and
sweet for primetime TV, viewers of all ages are getting
hooked on the series that deals with issues such as
death, hermaphrodies, single-parent families, puberty,
small town life, and family relationships. The script
definitely got more notice after the events of Sept.
11, 2001 because its main characters were leaving
New York to deal with grief.
According
to the state’s film commission, Utah has been the
filming site for almost 700 theatrical and television
productions starting as early as1908. “The Lust of
the Ages” was the first production to be filmed in
Ogden in 1917, and some 10 more have followed including
“Melvin and Howard,” 1981; “Fletch,” 1985; “Wait Until
Spring, Bandini,” 1989; “Incident at Dark River,”
1989; “A Midnight Clear,” 1991; “This Boy’s Life,”
1992; “Dumb and Dumber,” 1994; “Touched by an Angel,”
1994-2002; “Con Air,” 1996; “The Last Time I Committed
Suicide,” 1997; and “Firestarter,” 2001.
Of
those, at least three have actually used Historic
25th Street as a backdrop. "Wait Until Spring, Bandini"
with Faye Dunaway and Joe Montegna filmed on 25th
Street in 1989. “They picked 25th street because it
looked like New York after the turn of the century,”
said Leigh Von Der Esch, executive director of the
Utah Film Commission. In 1992, "This Boy's Life" with
Leonardo De Caprio and Ellen Barkin hit 25th Street,
complete with vintage 1950s cars. Another regular
on the street is the TV series “Touched by an Angel.”
Treat
Williams, the show’s star who plays neurosurgeon Dr.
Andrew Brown, now adds Utah to the extensive list
of places he’s lived in and visited. Williams was
born in 1951 in Rowayton, Conecticut and attended
Pennsylvania's Franklin and Marshall College
After
graduating, he headed to Manhattan. He and his wife
Pamela Van Sant of some 25 years have an apartment
in Manhattan. He also rents a home in Park City. Although
spending time away from his family can be difficult,
Williams reportedly loves his new filming site. Northern
Utah is the perfect place for Williams to follow hobbies
such as hiking, skiing and piloting his Seneca plane.
He was a professional pilot for a year in the early
1980s and is Certified Flight Instructor rated in
single and multi-engine airplanes and helicopters.
Everwood cast and crew
While Everwood continues to film on the streets of
Ogden, the city is playing host to several experienced
actors, actresses, writers and directors.
Among
them are:
Treat
Williams plays Everwood’s leading character Dr.
Andrew Brown, aneurosurgeon from New York. In an acting
career that spans some 25 years and 70 productions,
Williams has played a Storm Trooper in “The Empire
Strikes Back,” whistle-blowing New York cop in “Prince
of the City,” GI in Steven Spielberg's "1941," plane
hijacker in "The Pursuit of D.B.Cooper," border patrolman
in "Flashpoint," labor organizer in "Once Upon a Time
in America," heavyweight champ in the TV drama "Dempsey,"
pirate king in Broadway’s "The Pirates of Penzance,"
hippie in a film adaptation of the stage musical “Hair.”
In 1994, he even tried his hand at directing in the
TV film “Texan.” He has made notable guest appearances
on TV series such as “UC: Undercover,” “Road to Avonlea,”
“Batman: The Animated Series,” and “Tales from the
Crypt.”
Playing
Ephram Brown--Andrew’s 15-year-old son--is Gregory
Smith. Born in 1983 in Ontario, Canda, Smith has
dual citizenship in the United States and his birth
country. He broke into his acting career at the age
of 14 months, when he was in a Tide commercial. Seriously
acting from the age of 6, he has appeared in the movie
“Andre,” starred in the fantasy “Leapin' Leprechauns”
and sequel “Spellbreaker, Secret of the Leprechauns,”
played a leading role in “The Adventures of Captain
Zoom in Outer Space,” and played in six episodes of
the TV series “Kate Brasher” last year before it was
canceled. His resume also includes work in “The Patriot,”
“Harriet the Spy,” and “A Wrinkle in Time.” Notable
TV guest appearances include spots in “Touched by
an Angel,” “The Outer Limits,” and “Highlander.”
Vivien
Cardon stars as Andrew Brown’s 9-year-old daughter
Delia. Born in 1993 in New York, she began appearing
at age 6 months and is an award wining Irish step
dancer. She played the imaginary girl character in
“A Beautiful Mind,” her first feature film.
Emily
VanCamp plays Amy Abbott, Ephram’s unannounced
love interest. Also born in Ontario Canada, VanCamp
is WB vet from the doomed “Glory Days.” She played
the 13-year-old Jackie O. in the TV miniseries "Jackie
Bouvier Kennedy Onassis.”
Dr.
Brown’s rival Dr. Harold Abbott is played by Tom
Amandes. He has played over 20 guest spots on
shows such as “The Practice,” the TV miniseries “From
the Earth to the Moon,” “The Untouchables,” “JAG,”
“The Guardian,” “Spin City,” “NYPD Blue,” “The King
of Queens,” “Family Law,” “Just Shoot Me,” “ER,” “Promised
Land,” “Roseanne,” and “Murphy Brown.”
Debra
Mooney plays Dr. Brown’s nurse and Dr. Abbott’s
mother Edna Harper. She has acted in films such as
“Domestic Disturbance,” “Dead Poets Society,” and
“Tootsie.” She was also included as a voice in theanimated
“Anastasia.” However, most of her acting experience
is gleaned from over 40 TV guest appearances on shows
such as “The Practice,” “Everybody Loves Raymond,”
“Judging Amy,” “Will and Grace,” “Just Shoot Me,”
“ER,” “Caroline in the City,” “Ellen,” “Mad About
You,” “Party of Five,” “Northern Exposure,” “Murphy
Brown,” “Sienfeld,” “Grace Under Fire,” “The Fresh
Prince of Bel-Air,” “L.A. Law,” “Tales from the Crypt,”
“Roseanne,” and “Kate & Allie.”
Greg
Berlanti, 30, is a writer for Everwood. He is
a former executiveproducer of ''Dawson's Creek'' and
the writer-director of 2000's ''The Broken Hearts
Club.'' Michael Green, another Everwood writer, countswriting
for “Sex and the City” and “Smallwood” part of his
resume.
Everwood’s
directors include Robert Duncan McNeill, an
actor of “StarTrek: Voyager” fame, and Jason Moore
I, a director of “Dawson’s Creek.”