‘Sons of Tucson’ from Justin Berfield & Todd Holland [Watch the Pilot]
(Sorry, video has been removed)
Sons of Tucson is in short a family comedy about three brothers who hire a charming, wayward schemer to stand in as their father when their real one goes to prison. Its being produced by J2TV Justin Berfield and Jason Felt’s production company. They got legendary Malcolm in the Middle director/producer Todd Holland to direct (and executive produce) the Pilot, which you can watch in full above. Its written by Tommy Dewey & Greg Bratman and stars Tyler Labine (Reaper) as Ron the wayward schemer. They have landed with FOX and is set to premiere midseason (spring 2010) and will air Sundays at 8:30pm, which you may recall was Malcolm in the Middle’s original timeslot when that series premiered back in January 2000.
They have had to recast the older (Brandon) and younger (Robby) kid characters, and are currently running an open casting call, so if you look around 14 or 9 and are an aspiring actor its well worth checking out! Audition videos have been popping up on YouTube. Frank Dolce as Gary continues his part.
I managed to get a few quick questions in with Justin over Twitter. Why the recast? According to Justin its due to scheduling issues. Justin also confirms that Todd Holland will be directing the Pilot remake and the first two episodes, which is great news.
The trailer for those who can’t handle the full episode…
Early reviews have been positive to very positive. Justin and Todd have the potential to turn out a killer show, I’m pumped.
Thanks to Rye (for his continued updates)
Interview with Justin from the Arizona Daily Star
Berfield spoke to the Star last week from his Venice, Calif., office.
Was it a huge relief when Fox picked up the series?
“Yeah, it is always nerve-racking. You never know. You work really hard to put a show together, but there are only so many time slots.
“I was excited about this one because it got me back to Fox, which is where I was for seven years (with ‘Malcolm’). It is great to be back home and to have a show I think will really find an audience.”Do any of you have ties to Tucson?
“No. No ties whatsoever except that Tommy, Greg and I love Tucson. I haven’t been there in a little while. I’ll be organizing a trip for the guys and for all of us at some point.”
What were your first impressions when the series was pitched to you?
“I loved it. I loved the notion of three boys of three different ages having to make their way in their new lives.”
Why cast Labine as Snuffkin?
“Tyler is incredible. He is probably one of the funniest guys I’ve met or been around in a long time. He is great with the boys and a real leader.
“He is really, really talented, and we all had a hand in casting him in the show. The studio and the network are really excited about him. I can’t imagine anyone else playing Ron.”Any favorite characters?
“Being a former child actor and having grown up on television myself, I think all three of the boys are great. They are all fresh and really good. We were able to pull Frank Dolce off Broadway. He was in ‘Billy Elliot.’
“Davis Cleveland is playing Robby. He is very funny. He is a great kid, and his timing is incredible. Troy Gentile has been in several movies, including ‘Hotel for Dogs,’ and he is doing very well.”
August 21st, 2009 tjpeople About: Justin Berfield (Reese),The Cast,Writers | Producers | Crew
- Here's a little more about the new show from the Hollywood Reporter:
Quote:-- "Sons of Tucson," a single-camera pilot from 20th and J2TV, is channeling the spirit of "Slums of Beverly Hills." It centers on a charming but misguided hustler hired by three rich young brothers to act as their "father" while their real one serves time for a white-collar crime.
Tommy Dewey and Greg Bratman penned the script and serve as supervising producers. Harvey Myman, Jason Felts and Justin Berfield exec produce.
- J2TV has signed Todd Holland (director and producer of MITM) to direct the pilot of their new sitcom, Sons of Tucson.
Source: Variety
- Thats awesome news. Todd is great.
- so is this going to be a drama, or kind of a drama-comedy, like a lot of cable shows are?
EDIT: never mind, Justin's forum topic said "new sitcom", so it does seem to be a comedy-drama/dramedy, which is good because those seem to be successful recently. Not many pure sitcoms seem to be doing well. I think Two and a Half Men is the most successful in recent years.
I REALLY love single-camera shows like MITM was. and unlike the recent single-camera shows which take the form of a reality show and have shaky cameras, it seems from the description of this that it is not going to be like that, so maybe it is going to take a more drama type of of filming but with a single camera, which is going to be VERY interesting. Can't wait to see this!
- Well the premise sounds good, seems like it could be a great show if they get it right. Also the production elements, re. single camera also make it seem like the type of show I generally prefer these days. I'll definitely watch how this develops with interest.
- From the original thread: "i will spare you the agony of seeing my grown up mug on the tv screen"
Agony?! Come back to our screens Justin! We miss you, and seeing you on the screen has always been far from agony
Whatever, like I said it looks like a cool show so here's hoping the project goes well, even if Justin remains behind the scenes.
- Sounds like a great project, because on the face of it, there is much about it in the MITM vein: single-camera sitcom, Todd Holland involved, original premise etc. Justin certainly knows what to go for to make this click, and what to avoid. Sounds like something right up his street!
Rich
- I think Justin can easily come back in front of the camera. He really did not do any other acting job while on MITM, so his teenage face is probably not burned into peoples mind as bad as Frankie's was. (that sounds wired, but hopefully you get what i am saying)Quote:Originally Posted by Wemboy
From the original thread: "i will spare you the agony of seeing my grown up mug on the tv screen"
Agony?! Come back to our screens Justin! We miss you, and seeing you on the screen has always been far from agony
Whatever, like I said it looks like a cool show so here's hoping the project goes well, even if Justin remains behind the scenes.
- I know what you mean. Frankie will have a tough time ever pulling off a classic leading adult male persona. If Justin wants to start over as an adult actor...much easier...just show up to auditions with your skills and contacts and once there pretend you were never famous.
- Variety is reporting that one of the main roles of J2's new pilot, "Sons of Tucson", has been cast.
Quote:Meanwhile, "Reaper" cast member Tyler Labine has signed on to star in the Fox comedy pilot "Sons of Tucson."
Labine will play a thirtysomething man who's hired by a group of boys to portray their father while their real dad is in jail. Twentieth Century Fox TV and J2TV are behind the pilot.
Beyond "Reaper," Labine's credits include "Invasion" and the upcoming feature "A Good Old Fashioned Orgy."
- Ooo I like Tyler Labine, this is looking to be a really good project.
- FOX officially announces it's 2009/2010 primetime schedule on Monday May 18th but today has announced that is has given an early series order to J2TV's pilot Sons of Tucson.
An announcement will be made Monday as to where on FOX's fall schedule Sons of Tucson will air.
Quote:FOX has given early series orders to the comicbook drama "Human Target" and the family laffer "Sons of Tucson."
The single-camera laffer "Sons of Tucson" centers on a hustler who's hired by three brothers to pretend to be their father while their real dad is in jail.
Twentieth Century Fox TV is behind "Tucson," which was written by Tommy Dewey and Greg Bratman. J2TV's Harvey Myman, Jason Felts and Justin Berfield exec produce, along with Todd Holland, who directed the pilot. Tyler Labine ("Reaper") and Natalie Morales star.Source: Variety, The Hollywood ReporterQuote:"Sons," from 20th TV and J2TV, also was an early favorite at the network.
In the spirit of "Slums of Beverly Hills," the project stars Tyler Labine as a charming but misguided hustler hired by three young brothers with considerable resources to act as their father while their real one serves prison time for a white-collar crime.
Frank Dolce, Davis Cleveland, Troy Gentile and Natalie Martinez co-star in the comedy penned by Tommy Dewey and Greg Bratman. Dewey and Bratman exec produce with Harvey Myman, Jason Felts and Justin Berfield. Todd Holland directed the pilot.
- FOX has officially announced a series order for Justin's new J2TV show, Sons of Tucson, starring Tyler Labine.
Sons of Tucson is set to premiere midseason and will air Sundays at 8:30pm on FOX, which you may recall was Malcolm in the Middle's original timeslot when that series premiered back in January 2000. Besides Justin, another MITM alumni aboard this new series is Todd Holland, director and producer of MITM, who directs the pilot episode of Sons of Tucson and also serves, along with Justin, as one of its executive producers.
Here's the press release from FOX:
Source: FOX - SONS OF TUCSONQuote:In the tradition of “Malcolm in the Middle” and “The Bernie Mac Show,” SONS OF TUCSON is a family comedy about three brothers who hire a charming, wayward schemer to stand in as their father when their real one goes to prison.
What begins as a business relationship evolves into something more complex and compelling: a family unlike any we’ve ever seen.
The three brothers find their dad-for-hire, RON SNUFFKIN (Tyler Labine, “Reaper”), at the local sporting good store. Ron will be forced to draw on a wide array of skills and a vast bag of tricks as he steps into the patriarch role to take care of the boys of the Gunderson family. ROBBY GUNDERSON (Davis Cleveland, “How I Met Your Mother”), 8, is a loose cannon who doesn’t take garbage from anyone; GARY GUNDERSON (Frank Dolce, “Doubt”), 11, is a bright and street-savvy leader who is every bit the con man his father is; and BRANDON GUNDERSON (Troy Gentile, “Entourage”), 13, is a gentle free spirit who goes along for the ride. MAGGIE MORALES (Natalie Martinez, “Saints & Sinners”), Robby’s second-grade teacher and the object of Ron’s affection, might just be the only stable figure in the lives of this quirky quartet.
While SONS OF TUCSON is grounded in the day-to-day challenges of a single-parent home, nothing in the Gunderson household is quite what it seems. An ongoing chess match between Ron and the boys will keep both parties on their toes, as neither side can afford to give up too much power or independence.
SONS OF TUCSON is directed by three-time Emmy Award-winner Todd Holland (“Malcolm in the Middle,” “The Larry Sanders Show”) and produced by 20th Century Fox Television. Justin Berfield, Jason Felts, Harvey Myman and Todd Holland serve as executive producers. Tommy Dewey and Greg Bratman wrote the pilot.
Below is a preview clip of the pilot:
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- Interview with Justin from today's Arizona Daily Star discussing J2TV's new series, Sons of Tucson.
Full article here.Quote:Berfield spoke to the Star last week from his Venice, Calif., office.
Was it a huge relief when Fox picked up the series?
"Yeah, it is always nerve-racking. You never know. You work really hard to put a show together, but there are only so many time slots.
"I was excited about this one because it got me back to Fox, which is where I was for seven years (with 'Malcolm'). It is great to be back home and to have a show I think will really find an audience."
Do any of you have ties to Tucson?
"No. No ties whatsoever except that Tommy, Greg and I love Tucson. I haven't been there in a little while. I'll be organizing a trip for the guys and for all of us at some point."
What were your first impressions when the series was pitched to you?
"I loved it. I loved the notion of three boys of three different ages having to make their way in their new lives."
Why cast Labine as Snuffkin?
"Tyler is incredible. He is probably one of the funniest guys I've met or been around in a long time. He is great with the boys and a real leader.
"He is really, really talented, and we all had a hand in casting him in the show. The studio and the network are really excited about him. I can't imagine anyone else playing Ron."
Any favorite characters?
"Being a former child actor and having grown up on television myself, I think all three of the boys are great. They are all fresh and really good. We were able to pull Frank Dolce off Broadway. He was in 'Billy Elliot.'
"Davis Cleveland is playing Robby. He is very funny. He is a great kid, and his timing is incredible. Troy Gentile has been in several movies, including 'Hotel for Dogs,' and he is doing very well."
- Thanks for all the updates Ryebeach. So glad that the show is being made, and I hope it's a success. God knows when we'll get to see it in the UK, but hopefully at some point. Interesting that they have placed it in the same timeslot as MitM. I wonder if the show will end up having the same poblem that MitM sometimes has where it is conceived as a sitcom for a wide audience but because it has child actors in it people seem to view it as a kids show. When the BBC first aired MitM in the UK they shot themselves in the foot by showing it in totally the wrong timeslot and it never recovered. That probably says more about the BBC's stupidity than anything else, seeing as MitM is still being shown on Sky1 and is still popular with a wide audience here in the UK, but it would be interesting to see if (hopefully when) Sons... makes it to the UK, how it will be marketed.
- Front Page Post
[See the Front Page Post to Watch the Full Pilot Episode]
Sons of Tucson is in short a family comedy about three brothers who hire a charming, wayward schemer to stand in as their father when their real one goes to prison. Its being produced by J2TV Justin Berfield and Jason Felt's production company. They got legendary Malcolm in the Middle director/producer Todd Holland to direct (and executive produce) the Pilot, which you can watch in full above. Its written by Tommy Dewey & Greg Bratman and stars Tyler Labine (Reaper) as Ron the wayward schemer. They have landed with FOX and is set to premiere midseason (spring 2010) and will air Sundays at 8:30pm, which you may recall was Malcolm in the Middle's original timeslot when that series premiered back in January 2000.
They have had to recast the older (Brandon) and younger (Robby) kid characters, and are currently running an open casting call, so if you look around 14 or 9 and are an aspiring actor its well worth checking out! Audition videos have been popping up on YouTube. Frank Dolce as Gary continues his part.
<img src="http://www.malcolminthemiddle.co.uk/gallery/data/926/medium/Justin-Berfield-Todd-Holland-Sons-of-Tucson-V1-Pilot-MITMVC-2.jpg" alt="Frank Dolce, Tyler Labine, Troy Gentile & Davis Cleveland." width="550"/>
I managed to get a few quick questions in with Justin over Twitter. Why the recast? According to Justin its due to scheduling issues. Justin also confirms that Todd Holland will be directing the Pilot remake and the first two episodes, which is great news.
The trailer for those who can't handle the full episode...
[See the Front Page Post for Trailer]
Early reviews have been positive to very positive. Justin and Todd have the potential to turn out a killer show, I'm pumped.
Thanks to Rye (for his continued updates)
All Right!!! Another cool show. This is gonna be entertaining!
- This show has all the right names in the right places, so it should be eagerly anticipated. Never change a winning team! See what I can watch of it.
I would just like to add that the opening titles mimic the vintage postcards of the 30's to 50's, made by Curt Teich & Company (often abbreviated to Curteich) in Chicago. With their big letters, vivid colors, and bold style, Teich's postcards, especially the 'Greetings from' series, are instantly recognizable. Bruce Springsteen's first album, Greetings From Asbury Park, was also a tribute to this style.
Curt Teich Postcard Archives
Greetings from Big Letters, USA article
I-can't-help-being-this-Gallery-freak,
Rich
- Cool, I was wondering about the titles. I somehow feel they may be temporary, but maybe not. I love the "Holland" one, genius.
- Yes, I must confess I'm a bit partial to that Holland one, if it isn't Todd, then it's my country. The people in Michigan are well aware there is a Dutch connection, they have an annual Tulip Time Festival, for instance.Quote:Originally Posted by tjpeople
Cool, I was wondering about the titles. I somehow feel they may be temporary, but maybe not. I love the "Holland" one, genius.
Not too surprisingly, Curt Teich was from Bad Lobenstein, Germany.
Silly me forgot to include the actual Tucson, Arizona postcards!
The one with the cowboy top left is by Curt Teich (1938), the one with the dancer top left is by Tichnor Bros., Boston (1943).
Rich
- please, i need english subtitle for "Sons of tucson" .I'm from Ukraine and very badly understand English on hearing.
- This is an unaired on TV pilot episode. I don't know of any subtitles.
- Justin said on Twitter last month that re-casting had finished and that production was starting this month. They had been re-casting the older and youngest kids, THR announced that Matthew Levy has been cast as the older, the younger actor is still unknown.
- Actor Benjamin Stockham (Quarantine) has landed the role of the youngest Gunderson brother, Robby, on the show.Quote:Originally Posted by tjpeople
Justin said on Twitter last month that re-casting had finished and that production was starting this month. They had been re-casting the older and youngest kids, THR announced that Matthew Levy has been cast as the older, the younger actor is still unknown.
Benjamin can also be seen in an upcoming new episode of Criminal Minds. The episode is entitled "Haunted" and is set to air Wednesday September 30th at 9:00pm EST on CBS.
- The series premiere of Sons of Tucson is set for Sunday March 14, 2010 at 8:30pm on FOX. The first season will consist of thirteen episodes. Per a recent tweet of Justin's, expect a very special guest star to appear in the first season finale.
More details on that to come in the new year.
- so who is going to watch it im in australia so i cant watch it damm! im just going to wait till it premiers where i am or i could download it.
- You won't miss anything yet, its premieres March 14th, not Jan 14th.
- sorry that was embarrassing sorry for this thread
- What's that got to do with MITM?
btw, I hope when it does get on TV a scene group will record and release it.
The scene groups now available could record + enconde and share in HD.
![Buy Malcolm in the Middle - Soundtrack [CD]](http://www.malcolminthemiddle.co.uk/images/mitmcd.gif "Buy Malcolm in the Middle - Soundtrack [CD]")
![Buy Malcolm in the Middle - Season 1 [DVD]](http://www.malcolminthemiddle.co.uk/images/mitmdvd.gif "Buy Malcolm in the Middle - Season 1 [DVD]")
