Women Behind the Scenes Spotlight: Daegan Fryklind

Today’s Women Behind the Scenes spotlight is focused on writer, executive producer and showrunner Daegan Fryklind.

Daegan is currently the executive producer and showrunner on the Canadian sci-fi series Bitten, which is based on the popular book series by author Kelley Armstrong, which airs here in the United States on Syfy.

Bitten centers on Elena Michael (Laura Vandervoort of Smallville and V fame), a female werewolf torn between the normal life in Toronto that she so desperately wants and her “family” obligations in upstate New York. Among the werewolf pack is her ex-fiancé Clayton (Greyston Holt from Durham County), who is the one responsible for making her a werewolf.

The cast of Bitten also includes Greg Bryk (XIII and Blood Ties), Steve Lund (Haven), Genelle Williams (Warehouse 13) and Michael Xavier (the made-for-TV movie Be My Valentine).

Among Daegan’s other credits are the Canadian cop drama Motive (which airs in the US on ABC in the summer), the Canadian drama The Listener (which briefly aired in the US on NBC) and the web series Yukonic. She has also worked as a writer and co-producer on the beloved series Being Erica, as an executive consultant and writer on The Guard and a writer on the Canadian soap opera Falcon Beach.

Here is our exclusive Q&A with Daegan:

1. Can you talk a little about your background? Where you grew up, went to school, etc.

I’m the youngest child (no rules!) but the only girl (rules!) – my dad is an artist and my mother was in management – I think maybe the reason why I ended up as a showrunner was in balancing their skillsets. I grew up in the mountains of Alberta and then in the mountains of Vancouver and was a fairly feral child. And I wrote a lot. I started writing at a very early age, bad poetry, mostly, that my father would turn into art. But it was clear by the framed poems around the house that my parents were going to support whatever crazy artistic path I chose, and I credit them with creating this sense of “of course that’s an option” in me.

2. How did you get started in the industry?

I’d finished my Masters in Creative Writing in Montreal (of course that’s an option!), returned to Vancouver and then got hired at a film production company, first as a producer’s assistant, then as a development person. I learned the industry from the production side first, so when I finally shifted to writing for television, I understood how to write to budget and schedule.

3. Who is your biggest influence?

On the business side: my mother. She was a late bloomer as a businesswoman – she didn’t get into the workforce until her early 30s after having 3 kids – but she rose to the top of her field and was highly respected. She was equal parts put-together (I never saw her without heels and lipstick) and a force of nature. And she wasn’t afraid of being perceived as a bitch when she was being tough, because she was also extremely fair as a boss. I think because she was a war refugee who grew up with nothing but tenacity, she expected the same kind of drive from her staff, and showed them the same sort of support that my brothers and I were given to succeed in our own passions.

On the writing side: the other writers in the current story room — the Season 2 writers room includes Wil Zmak, Michael MacLennan, Larry Bambrick, Jenn Engels, Garfield Lindsay Miller and Adrian Avdeeff. We’ve all thrown in on the same crazy plan, like an adjunct family sealed into a bio-dome. We will laugh, argue, drink, kvetch, mull, win, lose, and survive together for months on end, reliant on each other for ideas, feedback, hugs and honesty. I’ve loved every single room I’ve been in and can number most of my closest friends from these experiences.

4. How did you get involved in Bitten?

I’d worked with Executive Producers J.B. Sugar and John Barbisan on a series called jPod, and knew Patrick Banister from my early feature days, so when they acquired the rights to the six Elena Michaels books by Kelley Armstrong, they approached me and a few other writers to pitch our take on how we would develop the books into a series. I’d worked with our network, Space, on a few shows, so they were already familiar with me as a writer. What appealed to me was the duality of this character, how she was trying to live a lie and suppressing her true self, but how eventually the truth always comes out.

5. What has been the biggest challenge in adapting the books to the show? Is Kelley Armstrong involved in the process?

As mentioned, we have the rights to six books in a series that runs much deeper and wider than the Elena Michaels stories, so I think there is a lot of expectation from book fans as to the roster of characters we will involve, and what we can accomplish. We’re working with an amazing cast and crew, we are able to achieve a lot with the resources at hand. We cast based on best performer for the role, which means that even with best intentions, our cast may not look exactly as described in the books, and we may not be able to bring in as many characters from the books because it would dilute the screen time for the characters we already have in play. We also need to build story on our standing sets – Stonehaven; Philip’s apartment in Season 1; the compound in Season 2 – to help keep our locations and travel budgets in hand. The books send a lot of story out into the world. We need to bring a lot of story home.

Kelley was involved early on in the development of Season 1. She read the first two scripts and the bible and has always been lovely with us, and has posted some very considerate messages to her fans asking them to understand that the show is the show and the books are the books and what we do has no impact on what she does, so the books will forever be there for the fans who love them. We’ve made some choices that are different. For example, in Season 1, while we kept Logan alive and developed his character, we killed a character who does not die in the books – Antonio — in order to create more story and character growth for Nick. That was a bold choice, and Kelley took the heat for that, which isn’t fair, but we also haven’t really had an opportunity to explain why changes were made, so I appreciate the forum. Ultimately, we’re trying to balance an experience for people who are coming to the show because of the books, and for people who haven’t read the books but who are fans of genre, or fans of our cast members, especially the legions who come to see Laura.

6. Season two of Bitten will start on Syfy (here in the US) at the end of the week. What can you tease for the fans?

Expect mayhem. The Pack is on the hunt for Malcolm, but there are other, darker forces we’re folding into this season. We’re bringing in three characters from the second book – Ruth and Paige Winterbourne, and Savannah Levine – witches from the Boston Coven.

7. Is there one particular episode this season that fans should really keep their eyes on?

The first episode is a continuation of the previous season, resolving some of the storylines we have in play, and the second episode introduces two new major players and tees up the remainder of the rollercoaster ride. I think with the S1 finale, we realized what we could truly accomplish, and so every episode in S2 brings that level of action, intensity, and emotion.

8. Can you share a little about the casting process for the show? Did you know when any of the cast members came in to audition that you find the right match?

Laura Vandervoort was the first piece of the puzzle, because how we built the rest of the cast was going to hinge off our Elena. We didn’t audition Laura – we offered her the part. We knew the role would require a certain level of approachability, acting chops and physicality, and Laura had everything we were looking for. Plus she’s a complete sweetheart and so focused and professional – the ideal lead for a series. After talking with J.B. about the show and our take on it, she was on board. Greyston Holt was the next person cast after that. I’d worked with him on Motive and Tecca Crosby, our EP from eOne, loved him in Durham County, and our pilot director Brad Turner, who has worked on a number of big, big shows, recognized that Greyston has “it.” Laura did chemistry reads with a number of actors but Greyston was just our Clay. From there, the rest fell into place easily. While we couldn’t find a half-Japanese Jeremy, we found Greg Bryk, who has so seamlessly inhabited the role that he’s become easily one of the most beloved cast members on the show with fans. And now, I can’t imagine anyone other than him in that role, or anyone other than Steve Lund as Nick, or Michael Xavier as Logan, or our new actors coming up in S2.

9. Do you have any other projects “in the works”?

A few things; nothing that’s ready to talk about. I tinker between seasons on various passion projects, but then I also use the time to go home to Vancouver and unwind. Making a season is tough work — of course it’s rewarding, but the days are long and the details endless, and I’m someone who appreciates the 2pm nap, so I’m happy to take the downtime as that.

10. Is there a project you are excited to work on at some point in the near future?

All of them! I’m of the camp that we should only work on projects that excite us. That’s not only an option, that’s the only option. (Did I just sound like Gollum? I meant “us,” all of us, not the royal or Hobbitses “us”).

11. Where can people follow you on Twitter, Facebook, social media in general?

My twitter handle is @daeganf. While I don’t run the Bitten Facebook page, I certainly pay attention to it.

Bitten will be back with its two-hour, back-to-back episodes, season premiere on Syfy on Friday, April 17 at 8 PM and then it will move to its regular 9 PM timeslot on Friday, April 24.