‘Everwood’ Cast and Producers Seem Open to a Reboot, and 4 More Things We Learned
In the modern age of television, shows may get canceled, but they never truly die. Fifteen years after its premiere, the cult favorite drama “Everwood” is streaming now on CW Seed, and in recognition of the anniversary the cast and producers Greg Berlanti and Rina Mimoun appeared at the Television Critics Association press tour on Wednesday to reminisce about the experience of making the show and make it clear that should the opportunity arise, they’d all love to work together again.
The drama, which originally ran from 2002 to 2006 on The WB, was a favorite, especially with families, for its depiction of small town life, and helped launch the careers of Chris Pratt, Emily VanCamp, and more. Here are five quick takeaways from the panel, which was a sweet and emotional affair.
The Cast of “Everwood” Really Likes Each Other
Easily one of the most emotional panels of the tour, Berlanti, Treat Williams, Tom Amandes and others choked up while talking about the experience of making the show, and what this reunion meant to them.
“This is one of the nicest days I’ve ever had, seeing everybody,” Williams said, while Berlanti said that “It was an emotional day.”
And that was as much due to the people as the memory of working on the series. “It was some of the finest and bravest writing I’ve ever had the pleasure to perform,” Amandes said.
Chris Pratt Can Apparently Eat
When asked to share memories of what the future “Guardians of the Galaxy” star was like on set, the cast immediately thought of his love for food. VanCamp recalled watching him eat “a steak for four” on a bet, while Stephanie Niznik mentioned the fact that he would eat all the way through a scene.
“We had the best food on set,” Amandes said, “and he would sit down and do a take and eat, and they’d call cut and he’d still be eating.”
That said, everyone was quick to note that they weren’t all that surprised that he’d reached this new level of fame.
“He had all the qualities — great personality, good looking white boy,” John Beasley said, getting some laughs from the crowd, before adding sincerely, “He’s just a great guy and deserves everything he gets.”
No One Protested the Abortion Episode
“Episode 20,” the first season episode that took on the subject of abortion within the small town community, has been heralded for years for its complex treatment of the issue.
“The original pitch was that Dr. Brown was going to be an abortionist. That’s probably why it didn’t sell,” Berlanti said with a laugh. But The WB promised that if the show “could get people in the tent,” they would be able to explore that subject.
“We had lots of intense conversations about it,” Berlanti added, “and there were still some question at the time about whether they were going to air it, but there were no protests.”
Berlanti Is Not Jealous of “This Is Us”
When asked about the smash NBC hit, which has been compared to “Everwood,” the producer said that he thought the show’s success was a good thing, because it would “encourage people to do that kind of storytelling.”
If he was to do another family-oriented drama, though, he’d go back to The CW, because there he would able to do both “adult people storytelling and young people storytelling.”
When the subject of the many Emmy nominations “This Is Us” snagged came up, Berlanti observed that “If I have any issue, it’s that networks like The CW, and the WB back then, should get more recognition from the Academy.”
The Idea of a Reboot Isn’t All That Crazy
“No one’s asked,” Berlanti said about the potential for a revival or reboot of the series, “but we’d all love to work together again.”
“In a New York minute,” Williams said, adding that he had begun the campaign for a reboot “today.” Based on the camaraderie on stage, it seems like there are others who would join him.
