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Witchblade is an American television series that aired on TNT from June 12, 2001 to August 26, 2002. The series is based on the Witchblade comic book series, and followed a pilot film which debuted in August of 2000. Some of the episodes were written by Ralph Hemecker, Marc Silvestri (who also wrote the comic book) and J.D. Zeik.
Yancy Butler starred as Sara Pezzini, Anthony Cistaro as Kenneth Irons, David Chokachi as Jake McCarthy, Eric Etebari as Ian Nottingham, Will Yun Lee as Danny Woo, Conrad Dunn as Tommy Gallo, Kenneth Welsh as Joe Siri, and John Hensley as Gabriel Bowman, among others.
The series concluded for the second and final season on August 26, 2002, then it was cancelled by TNT on September 2002 following the scandal of Butler's alcoholism at the time.
Production information[]
- Number of episodes produced: 24
- Number of seasons: 2
- Original network(s): TNT
- Original airdates: June 12, 2001 – August 26, 2002
- Created by: Ralph Hemecker
- Executive Producers: Dan Halsted, Ralph Hemecker
- Producer: Vikki Williams
- Running time: 60 minutes
- Production company: Camelot Pictures, Hotsed Pictures, Mythic Films, Top Cow Productions.inc, Warner Bros. Television
- Original language: English
- Music by: Joel Goldsmith
TV movie[]
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Witchblade is a made-for-television live-action superhero film adapted from the cult comic book by Marc Silvestri and Top Cow Productions. Set in contemporary New York City, the occult police drama centers on Sara Pezzini (Yancy Butler), a brooding and willful homicide detective who is the reluctant inheritor of an ancient, symbiotic weapon that grants her superhuman powers.
Witchblade was produced by Top Cow Productions, Inc., and Halsted Pictures in association with Warner Bros. Television. The Turner Network Television film made its debut August 27, 2000.
Plot[]
When one of her best friends is murdered, NYPD homicide detective Sara Pezzini (Yancy Butler) is bitter at being unable to bring her killer to justice. Sara is certain the killer is Tommy Gallo (Conrad Dunn), a legendary hit man who seems untouchable.
After one of Gallo's henchmen assaults her partner, Danny Woo (Will Yun Lee), Sara pursues him into a museum where the artifacts of Joan of Arc are among those displayed. While searching for Gallo's man, Sara is momentarily transfixed by a metal gauntlet in a display case – and is startled by a mysterious figure (Eric Etebari) who vanishes as quickly as he appears. During a savage gunfight in the museum, the display case is shattered and the gauntlet careens through space and finds Sara's arm, miraculously protecting her. In time it appears that all of these events have converged through the machinations of a billionaire named Kenneth Irons (Anthony Cistaro), a man obsessed with an artifact called the Witchblade.
The Witchblade is a magical weapon that chooses who will wear it – and it has chosen but a few warriors, all of them women, throughout the centuries. To understand the Witchblade and why she was chosen to wield it, Sara embarks on a difficult search for self-discovery and justice.
Cast and Characters[]
- Yancy Butler as Det. Sara Pezzini
- David Chokachi as Det. Jake McCartey*
- Anthony Cistaro as Kenneth Irons
- Will Yun Lee as Det. Danny Woo
- John Hensley as Gabriel Bowman
- Eric Etebari as Ian Nottingham
- Lazar Rockwood as Lazar
- Kathryn Winslow as Vicky Po
- Nestor Serrano as Captain Bruno Dante
- Bill Mcdonald as Jerry Orlinsky
- Kim De Lury as Conchobar
- Johnie Chase as Det. "Jumbo"
- Dov Tiefenbach as Jagger
- Noah Danby as Det. Burgess
Production[]
In April 1998, Turner Network Television announced plans for the two-hour live-action feature film, Witchblade, to premiere in early 1999 as part of the cable network's significant increase in original programming. The film was to be the pilot for an hour-long TNT series that would be filmmaker Oliver Stone's first drama series for television. Executive producer Stone had taken Top Cow's project to Warner Bros. Television, which agreed to finance development and took Witchblade to TNT, a sister company in the Time-Warner family. In October 1999, the pilot film was still in development with Stone's company, Illusion Entertainment; but when filming began in February 2000, Stone was no longer attached to the Witchblade project. Instead, Witchblade was executive produced by Dan Halsted, Stone's former partner, and Top Cow Productions' Marc Silvestri.
"As with all things Hollywood it was several train wrecks that somehow made it to the station", said executive producer Marc Silvestri. "Honestly, it amazes me how anything gets produced at all." Silvestri attributed Stone's departure to a creative dispute with TNT.
The teleplay by J. D. Zeik is a loose adaptation of the Top Cow comic book. "We use the comic book to get the essential DNA of the story", director Ralph Hemecker said. "We've maintained a lot of the elements of the original eight issues of the comic book ... making it more of a character-driven piece."
Witchblade was filmed in Toronto in February and March 2000. As well as original music by Joel Goldsmith, the soundtrack includes songs by U2 ("Mysterious Ways"), Beth Orton ("She Cries Your Name"), Rob Zombie ("Living Dead Girl") and The Guess Who ("American Woman"). The telefilm premiered on TNT Sunday, August 27, 2000.
"Emergence", the episode that begins the second season of the Witchblade television series, uses scenes from the pilot film in presenting an alternative scenario after Sara uses the powerful weapon to reverse time.
DVD Release[]
On April 1, 2008, Warner Home Video announced a DVD release. Witchblade: The Complete Series — a seven-disc collectors set, including the original made-for-TV movie, all 24 episodes of the series, and special features — was released on July 29, 2008. For the DVD release, the music was altered in many episodes in comparison to the original aired episodes. Also on iTunes in some regions.
| DVD Name | Cover art | Episode | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Witchblade: The Complete Series |  |
24 | June 29, 2008 |
Reboot[]
After the cancellation for 15 years on January 20, 2017, NBC announced that it would be developing a Witchblade television series, with Carol Mendelsohn (a former creator of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami and CSI: NY) and Caroline Dries serving as executive producers.
External links[]
- Witchblade on IMDB