Comic Con: “Eastwick”

By Liz | August 10, 2009

“Eastwick is not Charmed.” Words spoken by Producer/Director, David Nutter. After viewing the pilot episode at this year’s San Diego Comic Con, I have to agree. The only things the two shows have in common are there are three girls and they are witches. After that, it’s something entirely different, fresh, exciting, funny, dramatic, and really sexy.

I have not seen the original movie, The Witches of Eastwick, nor had I read the book, So I didn’t know what to expect at all. I was drawn to it when I heard that Rebecca Romijn, Lindsay Price and Jamie Ray Newman were set to star, and that Nutter was going to produce and direct. David Nutter has helmed many of the television shows I have been a fan of over the years; most recently, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, The Mentalist and The X Files: Revelations. So when it was announced that Eastwick was going to Comic Con, I knew I had to be in on that panel.

The Eastwick panel included Aimee Friedman (Exec. Prod.), David Nutter, Jaime Ray Newman, Rebecca Romijn, Paul Gross and Lindsay Price. Michael Logan, of TV Guide Magazine, moderated. Before the question and answer session, David Nutter came out to introduce the pilot episode of Eastwick, and for the next 40 minutes, or so, we were delightfully entertained. The crowd reaction to the screening was over the moon. Since I had no idea what to expect, I was completely surprised, and thoroughly sucked in to this new series.

The pilot, basically, introduces us to the three women, Kat, Roxie and Joanna, who live in a small town in which everyone knows everyone, and your business is not your own. The three women know of each other, but they don’t really like each other. However, as fate would have it, the three share a common link which they soon begin to discover, with the help of a tall, dark and handsome stranger who arrives in Eastwick, seemingly out of nowhere. The ladies meet by chance while making wishes at a fountain in the center of town. Suddenly, their wishes start to come true.

As the story begins to unfold, we find out that the mysterious stranger is Darryl Van Horne (Gross), a

very wealthy, and quite sexy, guy who is buying up Eastwick, business by business. Van Horne begins to shadow the women, encouraging them to explore their unique gifts. Meanwhile, the towns matriarch, Bun, played by Veronica Cartwright, who was also in the original movie, has been attacked by red ants while reading a story to the town’s children. When one of the girls goes to visit her, she frantically tries to warn them that “he” is dangerous and must be avoided.

Other supporting cast include Sara Rue (Less Than Perfect), who plays Joanna’s friend, Penny, and Matt Dallas (Kyle XY), who plays Roxie’s lover, Chad.

After the screening, the panel was introduced by Michael Logan. Already pumped up from watching the pilot, the crowd was very excited to let the cast know just how much we enjoyed it. When asked to describe Eastwick, Aimee Friedman replies, “It’s a show about women’s lives and friendships, and also sex and magic and, we’ve got it all.”

Some highlights:
Special guest stars will include Sybil Sheperd and Martin Mull.
Series begins with Darryl Van Horne seducing all three women.
As series develops, the women begin to turn on Van Horne.

Eastwick premiere’s Sept. 23 at 10/9 central, on ABC. Bookmark us as the show airs throughout the season, and we’ll keep you recapped! Have I mentioned that Paul Gross is absolutely my new TV BF?