LLOYD SEGAN BLOG
JUNE 15, 2007

Loyal Viewers,

Welcome back.

On Sunday, June 17, at 10/9 C, the sixth and brand new season of THE DEAD ZONE premieres on USA Network.

We're back for 13 episodes, and you're going to love what we have in store for you � our biggest and best season yet, as Johnny Smith and his circle of friends are tested like they never have been before. Our season premiere is "Heritage," written by Ann Lewis Hamilton and directed by James Head. It will grab hold of you and not let go.

There have been a host of changes in between this season and last, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. The entire production moved from Vancouver to Montreal, reinvigorating much of the look and feel of the show. It was a challenge, but also a chance � to rebirth the show. On the one hand we're taking a series that has been on the air for several seasons and continuing it, but on the other hand it's very much as if we're building a new show, as well.

Moving to Montreal also introduced us to the fantastic crew there. Everyone had to learn to step back into some old shoes, and to walk in a few new ones. Lead by producers Stefani Deoul and Madeleine Henrie, and with the deeply talented Eric Cayla behind the camera as director of photography, the new crew brings a fresh dynamism to the series � even though it's still the same show we all know. Montreal has been a wonderful home to The Dead Zone, and we couldn't be happier to be there.

The greatest challenge in our move was painstakingly rebuilding our sets from scratch � the Smith House set, so crucial to The Dead Zone, being most important of all. Reconstructing it turned out to be an incredible feat: preserving the beauty and richness of the house, keeping it authentic and matching what we had before. Our outstanding sets, designed by Serge Bureau, took the Smith House and actually expanded on it � the foyer widened, some walls adjusted, and other changes that you can't notice on screen but that benefit production immensely.

For a climactic scene in "Heritage," we also had to build the Faith Heritage Chapel � for which, as you'll see in the show, we couldn't use an actual chapel as a location. The setting is integral to the episode and to Reverend Purdy, and the fabulous design shows it. David Ogden Stiers (Rev. Purdy) walked on the set and asked to see the production designer � to personally shake his hand.

While shooting "Heritage" we also visited Chambly, a gorgeous Montreal town located right on the city's south shore, so idyllic that it almost really is Cleaves Mills, doubling for Johnny's home town perfectly. It's just one of the many ways that the spirit and style of Montreal have been a gift to series. There are many more spectacular places we'll visit this season � from trains to space shuttles and even the circus � helping to make Season Six our most exciting, and captivating, season yet.

But that's also because the show's writers, directors, and cast have worked hard to bring The Dead Zone back to its emotional roots. In "Heritage" and in all of the upcoming season, our characters will grow together and apart, struggle and succeed, and rise and fall like never before. We're closer to them now than we've ever been.

That's a credit to Executive Producer Scott Shepherd, whom we tried for years to bring into The Dead Zone family. He was always too busy producing shows like Tru Calling, Reunion, and Angela's Eyes. But with Season Six on the horizon this past fall, kismet was kind, and after a long courtship we finally got hitched. He's a masterful storyteller, writer, and showrunner who infuses heart into everything he does, and he's galvanized The Dead Zone, bringing out a wonderful freshness. What's more, he's done so with great respect and love for the show's roots, laid down by Michael Piller.

Under Scott's direction, this season harkens back to the early years of The Dead Zone � by drawing on the emotional underpinnings that first made the series a standout, and by getting at the heart of the show. Not since Michael Piller has the series enjoyed this kind of emotional rawness and realism. From now on you'll be hearing from Scott as well; since we insisted on talking about him this time, he decided to hold off.

We left off with quite a cliffhanger in Season Five's "The Hunting Party," with Johnny threatened by the dark and powerful Janus, with Sarah newly pregnant, and with popular congressman Greg Stillson made a hero in the aftermath of the Vice President's assassination.

We don't think you'll be disappointed by where we go next, or by the stunning Season Six up ahead. We look forward to going there together, with you, the Loyal Viewers.

Lloyd Segan & Shawn Piller
Executive Producers

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LLOYD SEGAN BLOGJUNE 15, 2007

LLOYD SEGAN BLOG
JUNE 15, 2007