News2001

Treehouse News – 18 Sept ‘01

Hello Friends,

Nick Jacobs here. I'm the Assistant Story Editor for Season Three on The Lost World, on location at the Movie World Studios in Australia. This is the first of a weekly series of postings to keep everyone up to date on the latest Lost World production news. Please feel free to repost elsewhere.

Today - Wednesday, September 19 in Australia - we continued production on episode number 5, which is being filmed on one of the biggest sets ever made for the series. I don't want to give away the surprise, but it's a location that's not on the Plateau, or even in the year 1922. Let the guessing begin!

To get things started, here are some answers to a few of the many questions that have been asked on this board:

1. Scheduled air dates. As of today, these are the scheduled air dates for the first eight episodes.

#1 "Out of the Blue" - Week of October 15
#2 "The Travelers" - Week of October 22
#3 "Eye for an Eye" - Week of October 29
#4 "True Spirit" - Week of November 5
#5 "The Knife" - Week of November 12
#6 "Fire in the Sky" - Week of November 19
#7 "Dead Man's Hill" - Week of November 26
#8 "Untitled" - Week of December 3

There definitely will be a full, 22-episode season.

2. Jennifer O'Dell's and David Orth's involvement. As you all know, because of the Telescene situation, the third-season return of The Lost World was a true cliffhanger for all concerned, and some accommodations had to be made to get the full season up and running at the last possible second.

In Jennifer's case, the production had to make allowances for her to take part in other productions. Thus, as has been reported on this board, Veronica will be appearing in 15 of 22 episodes. Fortunately, there are big plans this season regarding her quest for her parents, so it will make sense for Veronica to be off on her own journey during Jennifer's two brief absences from the show.

David's case is a bit more complex. It has nothing at all to do with David Orth's tax situation, but involves the business side of the series being an Australian production this year. In return for various tax incentive programs which make it possible for the show to be produced, we are limited in the number of non-Australian lead actors we can have over the course of a season. Thus, for the moment, Malone is scheduled to appear in seven episodes this season, beginning with episode #4. (However, Malone does have important roles to play in the first three episodes). Everyone involved with the production knows how important Malone is to the series, and we hope to have him back full time in the Treehouse as soon as possible.

(Since we're talking about Jennifer and David, I know someone's going to want to ask about Michael Sinelnikoff and Summerlee. All I can say right now is that Summerlee stories are being discussed in the writers' room but nothing definite has been planned.)

3. I don't have an answer yet on when the main website will be back up but we're certainly eager to get it going again. More news as it happens.

That's it for now. In the weeks ahead, I'll post more updates, answer some of your questions, and introduce you to some of the fine people working behind the camera. Then, when the new episodes start airing, I'll even share some behind-the-scenes stories.

Until next time, on behalf of everyone on The Lost World, we wish to sincerely thank you for your kind support and passion for the show. We have an ambitious season planned, and we think it will be the best one yet.

Stay tuned...

Nick Jacobs

More Treehouse News – 26 Sept. ‘01

Hello Friends,

Nick J. here again with your weekly update from Australia. Another busy week of production on TLW but we're all enjoying the adventure. (Feel free to repost this message elsewhere.)

Here are a few items, in no particular order:

1) Episode 8 (listed last week) now has a title – it'll be called "Hollow Victory".

2) Jerome Ehlers, the fine actor who plays Tribune, will appear in ep. 2 "The Travelers" but he won't be in lizard costume. Stay tuned for his first "natural" appearance on the Plateau.

3) Assai, played by actress Laura Vasquez, will also be stopping by the Treehouse for an episode, the eerie "True Spirit" (ep. 4).

4) Big news – Marguerite sings!! I won't say when, how much, or why, but listen to our little songbird and her first LW tune. (Okay, here's a hint – ep. 6 "Fire In The Sky" and no, we haven't turned into a musical).

5) The writing crew. There are many, many creative folks and hard workers on the show but since I'm a writer, our department gets first dibs. The head writer, or showrunner, is Guy Mullally, credited as Executive Producer. Also vital to the writing team are Judith Reeves-Stevens and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, credited as Executive Creative Consultants. As I said last week, my name is Nick Jacobs and I'll be credited as Assistant Story Editor. That's the permanent writing staff although we have a small group of outside writers we know and trust to help us with the show as well (Please don't ask – we're full up. Sorry).

I'll introduce other personnel when possible – believe me, it takes the work of many fine people to put the show together and I don't want to neglect anyone. (The Coote-Hayes folks, for example, did a superhuman job of pulling the series out of the fire when Telescene went under).

That's all for now but thanks again for your devotion to the show – we're doing our best to live up to your expectations (within budget!).

Stay tuned...

Nick Jacobs

More Treehouse News – 03 Oct. ‘01

Hello Friends,

Nick J. here again with your weekly update from Australia. Busy but still having a great time. (Feel free to repost this message elsewhere.)

Here are a few items, in no particular order:

1) Last week when I introduced the writing department, I made a huge omission. Suzanne Evans-Booth is our script coordinator in Australia and the person we rely on to keep all of our scripts and info moving smoothly between us and production. My sincere apologies for not mentioning her before. Suzanne's efficiency is essential to the show.

2) "The Matrix" fans – check it out! Ep. 306 "Fire In The Sky" will feature "Agent Brown" – the fine actor and "Farscape" regular Paul Goddard.

3) Saddle Up! I'll let you guess the episode but everyone is transported back to The Old West for one person's (???) deadly case of mistaken identity. We just started filming and the horses are great.

That's all for now but thanks again for your enthusiasm and for making me feel so welcome. We're making these shows for you!

Stay tuned...

Nick J.

More Treehouse News – 10 Oct. ‘01

Dear Friends,

Nick J. here again with your weekly update from Australia. Busy with deadlines so I'll keep it short this week. (Feel free to repost this message elsewhere.)

1) Will start shooting episode 308 "Hollow Victory" tomorrow. Should be a good mix of new people and a new world for our cast to visit – and they won't even have to leave the plateau.

2) Season 3 opener finished and shipped out last week. Our group in post production does a great job of putting it all together on a really tight schedule. Many people involved from picture and sound editors, music composers, ADR mixers, visual and sound FX, film lab techs, office support staff, runners and more. You can see how the crew really adds up.

3) Veronica fans -- check out the blond jungle beauty with straight locks. It happens in ep. 307 -- what a change!

That's all for now but I'll talk to you next week. Hope we can begin the season (and the postings) on a positive note. Let's keep building on a good thing.

Nick J.

PS – Okay, you've got me hooked. I'll admit that I have just as much of an ego as anyone. I just saw the "Nick J. Fan Club" thread – I laughed hard several times (especially at the swipes) but please don't single me out for your kudos. If you ask me, I'm not even my favorite writer on the show. There are many, many crew people who make it happen. I'm just a writing geek who wants to spread the word of TLW and the hardest working crew in show business (at least it feels that way).

BTW – Laughed hard at the Nick Jacobs treasurer photo -- my kid brother!! If you mix that pix with the dog's head, you've got me spot on. Imagine a LW Trog (from Season 2) who wears glasses. Don't make these postings about me – it's the show. I'm just a typing monkey!! Beware of the tall poppy syndrome – an Aussie phrase which I'll let you mull over.

Bye.

(Hello to the gals in Accounting!)

More Treehouse News & Malone! – 17 Oct. ‘01

Hello Friends,

Nick J. here with your weekly update from Australia. I'll keep it short this week as deadlines loom. (Feel free to repost this message elsewhere.)

1) Rain, rain go away. The weather has gone tropo on us. As you drive, walk, or ride to work or school, think of us out in the elements. Always adds a twist to our day but it's also an interesting challenge to adjust our stories on the fly.

2) The balloon is back and it might be taking one or more of our characters on an unexpected journey! Don't fret, but Challenger's flying machine can sometimes cause as much mischief as anyone. See how our heroes make the most of an unscheduled trip in episode 308 "Hollow Victory"!

3) This week's featured crews -- Art, Construction, Props and Paint Depts. We write it and they build it, always bigger and better than expected on a tight budget and schedule. Thanks Eugene, JD, Bob, Andrew and company. Did you know we even have a dept. called "greens"? They bring in extra plants and trees when needed. I told you it takes a lot of hands! (Quick -- I need a nice shrubbery!)

4) The wait is over! Enjoy the Season 3 premiere this weekend with our sincere gratitude for your patience during the long wait.

That's all for now but I'll talk to you next week. The many people who make The Lost World happen wish you the very best.

Nick J.

PS -- Judy and Gar, come back soon, we will miss you!

More Treehouse News & Malone! – 24 Oct. ‘01

Hello Friends,

Nick J. here with your weekly update from Australia. Various deadlines are on the horizon so I'll be brief and let the season premiere speak for itself. (Feel free to repost this message elsewhere.)

Here are a couple of items:

1) What else? -- the Season 3 premiere. Hope you were as thrilled as we were and thanks again for your patience during the long wait. Great fun to see Challenger, Roxton and Marguerite in uniform, yes? And what about Veronica kicking butt? What other show gives you action, romance, dinosaurs, history and Winston Churchill (thanks to actor Linal Haft) in one hour?

2) David Orth. I noticed the understandable concern about Malone's involvement in ep. 301. Sorry to bring up the business side of the show, but in case you didn't see it, let me reprint the exact information I wrote in my first Treehouse News post of 19 Sept. '01 (check out my other "Nick J" posts for more info).

"David's case is a bit more complex. It has nothing at all to do with David Orth's tax situation, but involves the business side of the series being an Australian production this year. In return for various tax incentive programs which make it possible for the show to be produced, we are limited in the number of non-Australian lead actors we can have over the course of a season. Thus, for the moment, Malone is scheduled to appear in seven episodes this season, beginning with episode #4. (However, Malone does have important roles to play in the first three episodes). Everyone involved with the production knows how important Malone is to the series, and we hope to have him back full time in the Treehouse as soon as possible."

(Ugh! I think I need a tax-immigration-entertainment lawyer after that statement!)

Again, Malone is NOT leaving -- he will be in at least 7 full episodes this season with important roles in the others. The production is working (and pleading) with TPTB to increase the number of shows in which he can appear. For Season 4 and on (hey, think positive) we're working on a permanent solution so that Malone can appear in the entire season. I will definitely keep you updated -- believe me, it's a lot harder to write a great character like Malone out than to leave him in. (Plus, David, as you might expect, is a great guy. We really have a positive cast.)

That's all for now but I'll talk to you next week. The many people who make The Lost World happen wish you the very best.

(Can't wait to see what you think about ep. 302 -- "The Travelers." As I mentioned before, look for a TLW guest star favourite in a completely new role.)

Thanks,

Nick J.

More Treehouse News – 01 Nov. ‘01

Hello Friends,

Nick J. here with your weekly update from Australia. Another busy week, another new show. (Feel free to repost this message elsewhere.)

Here are a few items:

1) Witches. We've got ‘em in episode 309. More sophisticated than the old "bubble, bubble, toil and trouble" type but witches nonetheless. See how a trio of them cause a stir for our gang.

2) Witch reminds me… upcoming episodes. Previously, back in September, I think I listed the titles of eps. 301-308 so here's the next batch:

ep. 309 "A Witch's Calling"
ep. 310 "Brothers In Arms"
ep. 311 "Ice Age"
ep. 312 "The End Game"

3) Episode 302 "The Travelers" -- Glad you liked the Roxton/Marguerite moments among other things. This week, you'll be seeing ep. 303 "Eye For An Eye". Roxton meets a real tough character, I'll let you discover who... a familiar face to be sure. To give you an idea of how fast this show moves, we were still shooting pick-ups for that episode on September 27th. One month later, with FX, music, titles, etc. and it's delivered free to your doorstep. For some episodes, the gap between shooting and showing is less. If you think a month is a long time for all the editing and FX, here's the catch -- we have to deliver the finished show to our distributors about two weeks before it airs. As I said before, the caffeine junkies in post do a great job.

4) Favourite episode. It's always interesting to know which shows and why appealed to you. A few seem to pop up quite often on the list but it's also nice to see the wide range of choices. With all of your varied tastes, no show is an orphan (well, maybe…).

5) A big thanks to the crews stuck out in the heat the past week. There's a location we sometimes use that's an old rock quarry -- basically, a giant hole and the heat seems to bounce off the walls and down on the crew. Our nickname for it is "The wok".

"Where you shooting today, mate?"
"The wok."
"Nice knowing ya."

That's all for now but I'll talk to you next week. The many people who make The Lost World happen wish you the very best.

Thanks,

Nick J.

More Treehouse News – 08 Nov. ‘01

Hello Friends,

Nick J. here with your weekly update from Australia. Another busy week, another show on the air. (Feel free to repost this message elsewhere.)

Here are a few items:

1) Last week I gave you a few hints about ep. 309 "A Witch's Calling" but I also noticed a lot of speculation about ep. 310 "Brothers In Arms." We're right in the middle of shooting this mini-epic, and all I'm going to say right now are two things -- Malone and World War I. Even though I'm here every day, I'm always impressed by the scope and scale of what our guys and gals can deliver on such a tight budget and schedule. Again, our many thanks to Eugene, Bob, JD, Andrew and company in the Art and Construction departments -- with other 35 people in just these two areas, we've got our own army! Charge!

The whole production team has tried very hard to give you a wide variety of BIG episodes this season and this one will surely fit the bill. (Just don't tell the accountants, they are turning grey by the minute!)

2) Ep. 303 "Eye For An Eye" -- pretty cool, right? Roxton hunting Roxton. Will had a great time playing both parts and as you might expect, is a real trooper when it comes to doing so much work and many of his own stunts -- a really focused guy with a great intensity and sense of humor. We practically have to hold him down to keep him from doing all the stunts by himself (even the ones for the other actors!). He could, but we don't want to risk him getting hurt.

This is probably a good time to mention our daredevil stunt team, led by Don and Dean. When we say jump, they say, "Can we blow up, too?!" Bodies are flying all over the place -- and they have to be good at everything from knife fights to horseback riding to high falls, etc. If it weren't for their eye for safety and practice as well, we'd have a hospital wing filled with our "Kids, don't try this at home" gang. (And please don't, either!)

3) More Malone! Okay, you fans of the plateau's favourite journalist, this is the week you've been waiting for -- the big-time return of Ned Malone! Ep. 304 "True Spirit" will air this week and I'm sure it won't disappoint. This is the "eerie episode" I mentioned so long ago. Enjoy.

(For any questions about Malone, Veronica, Summerlee and their participation this season, please check my previous posts -- the first was Sept. 19th. Any time I hear something new, I'll let you know but again, David Orth and Jennifer O'Dell are definitely part of the team as much as conditions (often beyond our control) will allow.)

That's all for now but I'll talk to you next week. The many people who make The Lost World happen wish you the very best.

Thanks,

Nick J.

More Treehouse News – 17 Nov. ‘01

Hello Friends,

Nick J. here. Sorry for the lack of post earlier this week but I just wanted to let you know all is well here in Australia, thanks for your concern. We are just finishing a week production break to recharge ourselves -- it isn't easy dodging raptors, parallel dimensions and madmen/women of all sorts. (Feel free to repost this message elsewhere.)

Just a quick note to mention this week's ep. 305 "The Knife". This is an intense episode, but also one of the biggest of TLW Season 3, in fact of the entire series. The entire cast and crew labored furiously to make it all work and I think the results will demonstrate our passion. Big sets, big romance and action, and lots of fun character appearances. I can't wait for you to see it -- Enjoy!

That's all for now but I'll talk to you next week. The many people who make The Lost World happen wish you the very best.

Thanks,

Nick J.

More Treehouse News – 29 Nov. ‘01

Hello Friends,

Nick J. here with your weekly update from Australia. Another week, another new show. (Feel free to repost this message elsewhere.)

I'll be very brief as a script is due:

1) Among other things, I hope you liked Marguerite singing in ep. 306 "Fire In The Sky". Maybe we should highlight the musical talents of our cast more often. This week for ep. 307 "Dead Man's Hill", besides the expected "big kiss," you'll hear one of characters whistle a little tune (but not in the shower like Marguerite!) Not a grand opera but it still sounds nice (and it's his own whistling).

2) Speaking of music, let's talk about episode 313 for the first time. It'll be called "Phantoms" in which a brooding, romantically obsessed musician turns his attention from the keyboard to one of our lovelies. More details later.

On another topic, as far as an on-line chat with the creative team, it sounds great and we're very flattered but nothing is in the works. Right now we're just too busy making the best shows we can.

The many people who make The Lost World happen wish you the very best.

Thanks,

Nick J.

PS -- Hello again to all the great people in Post! (You know who you are.)

More Treehouse News – 06 Dec. ‘01

Hello Friends,

Nick J. here with your weekly update from Australia. Another week, another new show. (Feel free to repost this message elsewhere.)

A full list this week:

1) Last week I mentioned ep. 313 "Phantoms" which had just started shooting. It's about wrapped now, but even those of us on set were surprised with the sparks that flew between the two romantic interests in this story (I'll let you guess). Could we have a new TLW couple? Big thanks to everyone involved, especially director Michael Carson, quite well known in Australia, who really inspired Guy Mullally with the script.

2) I thought I'd give a brief update on Malone, which is to say there is nothing new to report. David Orth will still appear in 7 episodes this season, limited only by Australian tax rules which govern the show. In return for various tax incentive programs which made it possible for the show to be produced after Telescene's quick demise, we are limited in the number of non-Australian lead actors we can have over the course of a season.

Again, we know how important Malone is and we believe a long-term solution is possible. On a related note, this is another reason why Michael Sinelnikoff (Summerlee) has a very doubtful chance of appearing this season. If we can't get David, we certainly can't get Michael. We have pushed to the limit the number of appearances by non-Australian actors this season, and even that required some creative credits.

3) We're all thrilled (especially yours truly) with your response to our first TLW Western. The cast and crew had a real wild time making it. We've got a few more ideas on how to return to the Old West, but probably not until next year (we don't want to overuse it).

4) Ep. 314 "The Secret". Watch out, Roxton and Marguerite fans, here's my first tease on this episode -- could this be "the secret" that tears Roxton and Marguerite apart? Stay tuned.

5) TLW hits Australia. Although we all know the beloved Plateau is in the Amazon, TLW definitely has an Aussie connection. As some of you know, we've just started airing Season One in the Land Down Under. Don't worry, the locals here won't get anything else before you do (unless they live on the Gold Coast).

6) This week's episode is ep. 308 "Hollow Victory". Wait until you see the bizarre world that the group lands in this week. Filmed in the famous "wok". A brave new HOT world with a female warrior who has her eyes on more than the hot air balloon.

Okay, enough teases. Hope you're moving into a great holiday season, please enjoy it with family and friends.

The many people who make The Lost World happen wish you the very best.

Thanks,

Nick J.

PS -- Judy and Gar to the rescue! We can't wait.

More Treehouse News – 13 Dec. ‘01

Hello Friends,

Nick J. here with your weekly update from Australia. Another week, another new show. (Feel free to repost this message elsewhere.)

A short list this week:

1) Last week I mentioned ep. 314 "The Secret." That episode is almost finished shooting but you'll have to wait until after the New Year to see whose secret it is and the impact it will have. Sorry for the merciless story teasing but I think you'll find the wait worthwhile (plus, you don't want me to spoil the surprise, do you?).

For the next few weeks, you'll get a chance to see the first few shows of this season again while we let the fine folks in editing catch up (and then we're all off for a much needed holiday break). This is a nice way of saying we'll show 'repeats' -- just like any other show but ours are better -- how many new details, nearly hidden objects, and secret meanings will you find???

2) Just to let you know we're not slacking off until our break, today we'll begin shooting a wildly ambitious story which will bring our explorers to a place both familiar and entirely new (and dangerous). I'll hold off on the actual title, but this one is ep. 315, our "Project X".

3) I saw some of you remark about a possible TLW Season 4. Let me tell you that although nothing is official, we'd love nothing more than to entertain you for years to come. We are certainly VERY hopeful considering the response and ratings. All I can say is tell your friends to watch!

The many people who make The Lost World happen wish you the very best.

Thanks,

Nick J.

More Treehouse News – 21 Dec. ‘01

Hello Friends,

Nick J. here with your weekly update from Australia. (Feel free to repost this message elsewhere.)

The only big news is that we're all on our first day of holiday! We've sent the dinos off with cookies and eggnog and the crew has scattered to the wind until January 7th when we'll return to finish shooting Season 3. Now that we're being televised here in Australia, our quiet little operation may lose its anonymity -- the strong ratings have been a real boost for crew morale.

I just wanted to write a quick note to let you know how much we all appreciate the passionate support of The Lost World fans. It's been a great year and a big reason is you! With a little TLW ingenuity, we're hoping to continue for a long time.

The many people who make The Lost World happen wish you the very best this holiday season and into the New Year.

Thanks again.

Nick J.

P.S. - Where do Challenger and company go on holiday -- any ideas? The Zanga Hot Tub Spa? The Inland Sea Bed and Breakfast? You decide.

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