Writer and executive producer Michele Kanan chatted with Digital Journal’s Markos Papdatos about “Studio City,” filming during the quarantine, and the 2021 Emmy win for “Outstanding Limited Series.”
The series was co-created by Sean Kanan and Jason Antognoli, and it is directed by Timothy Woodward Jr.
On filming the five new episodes during the COVID-19 pandemic, she said, “As you know, anytime a group of talented people are willing to come together to share their gift with the production, it’s magical. This time, it was a rollercoaster ride due to the COVID surge notifications and lockdowns in the middle of production. We were only allowed a very small crew so I had to wear every hat in the producer department.”
Kanan continued, “Thanks to Emmy winner Timothy Woodward, Jr’s unparalleled talent as a director (and patience with teaching me), we were able to finish the season and make something special showcasing the talent of our cast, including my husband… Emmy winner Sean Kanan. We had to make some difficult decisions, but Brad Bell, who is a role model to me, paved the path for production during COVID and gave us the courage to finish the season. Ultimately the challenge to overcome COVID crystallized us as a team.”
“Studio City” won the coveted Daytime Emmy Award for “Outstanding Limited Series.” “When we started ‘Studio City’ I knew it was going to be a major undertaking and something I would be proud of and worth the risk to my close friends, the cast of the show including Emmy winners Tristan Rogers, Carolyn Hennesy, Sarah Joy Brown, Patrika Darbo, Scott Turner Schofield, Ronn Moss, Anna Maria Horsford, and Justin Torkildsen,” she said.
“Getting nominated last year was such an honor and gave our cast and crew the validation it deserved and the motivation to brave the uncertainty of COVID to complete the season. It also gave me the distinct pleasure to showcase the talent of Natalie Burn, Michael James Lazar, Philip Bruenn, Erin Soto, and my daughter, Juliet Vega,” she elaborated.
“Winning this year is so gratifying and it’s a testament to the vitality of the fans of the genre that we owe to the network shows especially my friend, Frank Valentini whose passion and dedication has energized and recruited fans,” she added.
Kanan shared that she is proud of the new five episodes of “Studio City.” “I am so proud of the episodes and love getting feedback from our amazing fans. I remember a time when performers would rush to open the newspaper to read the reviews by a handful of critics. Now with Amazon’s website, viewers can voice their opinions directly. I read every one of them and take them into consideration when crafting the storylines. I think fan interaction is very important,” she said.
“I would like to thank all of our fans for the support and kind words over the years,” she concluded. “It means the world to us and why we push to continue. We welcome interaction and encourage new fans to check out our website by clicking here for updates and leave comments and reviews on Amazon to make your voice heard, we care and we listen.”
“Studio City” is available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
