Bionic Woman

Controversial Bionic Woman actor Isaiah Washington recently blogged about DNA memory on The Huffington Post, a website that features political and entertainment news from a liberal perspective.

The post appeared on February 19, and arose from Washington’s Gondobay Manga Foundation, an organization he founded that encourages African Americans to trace their ancestry through DNA tests. After Washington underwent a DNA test in 2005 he discovered he was was a direct descendant of the Mende Temne Peoples of Sierra Leone, which inspired him to visit that extremely impoverished country and learn more about its people and its low infant survival rate. During his visit, he was given the name “Chief Gondobay Manga” which he then used as the name of his foundation.

“I researched Sierra Leone for 8 intense months, reading one horror story after another about Sierra Leone after its Independence from British Rule in 1961,” Washington wrote in his blog post. “But the thing that interested me the most, was Sengbe Pieh, or ‘Joseph Cinque’ — the Mende leader that lead the revolt on the slave ship, Le Amistad.

“I said, ‘Wow! This guy is one of my ancestors! What now?’” Washington continued. “My answer? I decided to go see the country and Sengbe Pieh’s people, my people, for myself. Mind you, I had no idea how this trip was going to even begin to come together, but I prayed and planned on having everything and everyone that I needed to make the journey. Many phone calls and several bizarre ‘coincidences’ later, I had a full a budget, Visas, Camera Crew, a Corporate Council on Africa Sierra Leonean Representative, a Architect, a Special Agent, a Plastic Surgeon and a NAACP Human Rights Attorney getting on a plane with me headed for Sierra Leone in May 2006!”

He also writes about the more mystical aspects of his experience, like how the features of the people of Sierra Leone reminded him of his relatives in Houston and how he instinctively knew the area because he had dreamed about it since he was a teenager. The DNA test made him feel more connected to his roots and to African American history as a whole, which inspired him to help raise global awareness of the people there and their needs.

Washington also feels inspired to help other African Americans reconnect with their roots. He appeared at the Golden Globe swag suites in January, explaining the importance of DNA testing to his fellow celebrities and encouraging them to get their DNA tested as well. The tests were done right there along side the free sunglasses and other giveaways under Washington’s watchful eye.

As with all things Isaiah there are some controversial passages in the post as well, but Washington seems resigned to the fact that not everyone will agree with him these days. His post generated 26 comments, a relatively low number on a site where comments can be in the thousands for top stories, most of them discussing genetic theories or recommending books for further reading.

Michelle Ryan presented the award for Best International Album at the Brit Awards at Earls Court in London this week.  The evening was hosted by The Osborne Family and featured great performances by pop stars like Mika.

The winner of Michelle’s category were The Foo Fighters, who beat out fellow nominees Arcade Fire, The Eagles, Kings of Leon, and Kylie Minogue. 

And as always Michelle had people talking, as she remains a tabloid staple and a source of fascination for people in the United Kingdom.  The BBC’s backstage blogger noted that Michelle is one of the most beautiful women he has ever seen up close.  Her outfit won kudos from fashionistas, who loved her simple and short black Gucci dress.

Click here to watch a quick interview with Michelle on the red carpet for the second time this month, where she advises people to leave plenty of time to get ready (she waited till the last minute and had to do her nails in the car) and reveals that her favorite karaoke song is Dusty Springfield’s “I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself.”

Bionic Woman’s production office is still open, and the show still has a chance of returning reports Vancouver’s Globe & Mail newspaper.

While it is true that NBC has yet to order any new episodes of the series, they have also refrained from canceling the show which means there is still hope for Jaime Sommers to return for a second season.

“It’s kind of in this suspended animation,” said Pete Mitchell  in the newspaper article. “They haven’t canceled it and they aren’t going ahead at this point.”  Mitchell works for Vancouver Film Studios, the home for Bionic Woman in Vancouver.  Mitchell also estimated that the show is down to ten staff members, a large drop from the two hundred or more that were working on the show when it was at the height of production.

So even if you read elsewhere that the show is canceled, have faith:  Bionic Woman is still alive and kicking.

Michelle Ryan has been doing a lot of press in the United Kingdom, promoting the BBC premiere of Bionic Woman and enjoying being back in London.

In an interview with The Guardian, Michelle admitted it was had being compared to icon Lindsay Wagner but the experience made her learn to separate herself from the criticisms of the press. 

Michelle has publicly admitted that the harsh treatment of the British press has made her depressed in the past, so it is wonderful that she has grown stronger and more resilient through her experiences with Bionic Woman.  In the interview she says she had not been enjoying her life for many years before she did the show, but making Bionic Woman made her commit to enjoying herself.

Michelle also had lunch with a reporter from the London Telegraph last week, where she talked about her transformation into Jaime Sommers and her hopes for the future. 

Michelle has some great quotes about balancing the rigorous demands of the fitness regime mandated by the show with her penchant for indulging, and the article talks about how the swimmers shoulders that made her slump on East Enders made her a good match for the athletic demands of being the Bionic Woman.

The interview also contained a great quote about Michelle from James Nesbitt of Jeckell:

“Michelle’s an ambitious girl, but not in a desperate way,” Nesbitt says. “She thinks that this isn’t just her job, it’s her vocation, and she will do as much as she can. She’s very experienced and very technical. But equally she doesn’t take it too seriously - we had a very good laugh making Jekyll.”

In other interviews, Michelle talked about missing London when she was living in Vancouver.  Apparently she particularly missed department store Marks & Spencer, giving the chain tons of free publicity — perhaps they should sign her up as a spokesperson.

Bionic Woman star Michelle Ryan hit the red carpet in London last night for the annual Elle Style Awards, a celebration of beauty and fashion that accompanied London’s Fashion Week.

Michelle looked lovely in a plum dress with a plunging v-neckline and crinkled skirt by Balenciaga.  She wore her hair down and chose a black purse and open toed shoes for the event.

The Elle Style Awards have been labeled the “fashion Oscars” of the United Kingdom, and were held last night at the Westway Studios in London.  Other celebrities in attendance included Kiera Knightley, Kate Hudson, Kylie Minogue, Kelly Brook, Stella McCartney, James McAvoy, Twiggy, Kate Nash, Lilly Allen, Amanda Holden, Naomi Campbell, and many others.  For a list of the night’s winners and more news about Michelle, click here.

To see more photos of Michelle on the red carpet at the event, please click the link below.  It’s been far too long since we have seen Michelle out and about, so hopefully this is a sign that she will be making more appearances in the near future.

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Michelle Ryan looked stunning in plum on the red carpet for the Elle Style Awards in London last night.

The Bionic Woman star made her first red carpet appearance since the show went on hiatus due to the writers’ strike, which ended today.  She talked more about her fitness routine and doing her own stunts for the show, and told the Daily Mail that she had enjoyed being back in London due to the strike:

“I loved filming in Vancouver and the people were really welcoming. But I really missed being at home,” Michelle told the newspaper. “It has been great being back with my family, thanks to the writers strike. So I don’t really mind if it carries on.”

The Daily Mail was extremely harsh in its coverage of Michelle at the event, mislabeling the color of her dress and quoting yet another anonymous source claiming Bionic Woman is over.  Anonymous sources have been consistently wrong when it comes to Bionic Woman, so it is a wonder that any organization would report that as news, but Michelle has a large tabloid following in London where certain circles seem to root for her to fail with an almost Britney Spears-esque fervor. 

The Daily Mail also reported that Bionic Woman’s lack of ratings was all Michelle’s fault and she was not pretty enough or charismatic enough for American audiences.  Anyone who has watched the show knows there were plenty of problems with Bionic Woman, and blaming the lack of ratings on Michelle is inaccurate and unfair.

After almost two weeks of strep throat, stress, and the flu I have awakened from my fever dreams to discover a whole new world:  the writer’s strike is finally over, and new Bionic Woman footage will be coming soon.

First, the news about Jaime Sommers.  Season One of Bionic Woman is set for a March 18 DVD release, which will contain all of the episodes to date as well as new footage in the form of special features.  According to TVonDVD.com those special features will include a “making of the car crash” segment, footage from the stunt scenes, pilot commentary with producer David Eick, and segments on real life bionics.  Personally I am most excited about the commentary, as it has the potential to shed some more light on what happened to the show between last year’s up fronts and today’s bionic quagmire.

Second, the news about the writer’s strike.  How nice to come back to the world of the living and find that my Christmas wish has come true, and the writers are getting back to work.  It has been a long few months, but it looks like our favorite characters will be back on the small screen soon … including, perhaps in the fall, Jaime Sommers.

In the meantime be sure to check back here at Watching Bionic Woman, as we still have plenty of news to cover about the show.  We have the last two entries of our Will Anthros Wish List coming soon, updates on the cast and crew, and Michelle Ryan herself finally hit the red carpet in London again this week after a long absence.   So be sure to come back as there are more posts, and more Bionic Woman news, coming in the next few days.

When he is not heading up the Berkut Group on Bionic Woman, Miguel Ferrer sometimes plays in a band called The Jenerators.  Miguel plays percussion and drums as well as sings some vocals for the Southern California rock group, which has three albums out to date. 

You can hear samples of the band’s work and purchase their albums at www.indieclectic.com.  The group’s most recent effort, Pony Up, features a cover of “Knockin on Heaven’s Door” with Miguel on lead vocals.  The song can be purchased for 99 cents or the whole album for $6.99.

The eclectic group includes another scifi favorite:  Bill Mumy from Lost in Space and Babylon 5.  Bill played Will Robinson on the former series (as in “Danger Will Robinson!”) and Lennier on Babylon 5.  He was also part of Barnes & Barnes, the group that recorded the famous novelty song (and Dr. Demento staple) “Fish Heads” and is an established singer and songwriter who has supplied tunes to a wide range of musical acts including rock band America.

Other members of The Jenerators include Tom Hebenstreit, David Jolliffe, Chris Ross, and Gary Stockdale.  Stockdale is known to Hollywood insiders for his musical direction at awards shows and his composition skills, which include his long-running partnership with magicians Penn & Teller.

It’s no surprise that Miguel would have musical talent, as his mother was Hollywood legend and musical star Rosemary Clooney.  If you saw White Christmas on cable this holiday season, then you saw Miguel’s mother singing love struck duets with Bing Crosby.

Busy actor Kevin Rankin, who plays fan favorite Nathan on Bionic Woman, was in Los Angeles last week to help promote his other show, Friday Night Lights.

The event was presented by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences as a celebration of Friday Night Lights, which is a critical favorite on ABC.  Kevin has become a fan favorite on that show as well, where he plays the snarky wheelchair pal former quarterback Jason met in rehab:

Based on this description from the TV Guide site, Herc is another memorable Kevin Rankin character:

“Are you familiar with Herc? In case you are not, here is a little back story on him. When Jason was moved from the hospital into rehab, he was introduced to this cocky little guy suffering about the same type of paralysis as Jason. He was very instrumental in getting Jason through the initial sorry-for-himself stage. He was very good at pushing his buttons. At one point they were going at it so hard and furiously they both ended up overturned on the floor. Jason sheepishly asked “What do we do now?” Herc told him “Don’t worry. Eventually somebody will come by and help us out.” They both cracked up and have been friends since then. Herc also introduced Jason to wheelchair rugby.”

Other stars at the event included Connie Britton, Taylor Kitsch, Jesse Plemons, Adrianne Palicki, Aimee Teagarden, and tabloid sensation Minka Kelly.

Executive Producer Jason Katims, who cast Nathan on Bionic Woman and was one of BW’s many showrunners, was also there for the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences event.

Katee Sackhoff looked stunning on the red carpet last week, wearing a fabulous green silk dress to the Los Angeles premiere of Over Her Dead Body.  She added oversized gold earrings and a chic gold purse to complete the look.

It’s been awhile since we have seen Katee on the red carpet, as filming both Bionic Woman and Battlestar Galactica in Vancouver keeps the actress busy and away from the bright lights of the premiere circuit.  Katee has a packed schedule between her two shows, and she also makes appearances at conventions and does promotions for her other projects. 

Over Her Dead Body stars Desperate Housewives Eva Longoria Parker as a woman who is killed on the day of her wedding and proceeds to haunt her new husband from the afterlife.  The film has gotten mediocre reviews, mostly because Eva’s character is apparently pretty mean. 

“Unlike Patrick Swayze in Ghost, Kate isn’t focused on gazing adoringly at her beloved or trying to ease his transition into life without her,” says Mary Pols of the Mercury News.  “This meanie is there to make sure he’s never happy again.”  The San Francisco Chronicle also slammed the film, saying everything from the acting to the plot was horrible and Eva was so orange from spray tanning that she looked like an Oompa Loompa.  Yikes!

Even if the movie got bad reviews, party looked like a lot of fun.  Eva’s sister housewives Felicity Huffman, Nicolette Sheridan and Brenda Strong also attended the party.  Geek fan favorites Zachary Levi and Sarah Lancaster from Chuck were also at the party, along with Cashmere Mafia’s Bonnie Sommerville, and Mario Lopez, Michael Bolton, and Christina Applegate.  Jason Biggs and Lake Bell, who also have roles in the movie, were at the party as well.

To see more pictures of Katee at the event, click the button to go to the jump.

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