Eric Kohanik, Author at StayTuned Magazine

The Book Of Negroes: Novel and miniseries spin a tale of hardship and resilience

February 12, 2015 Eric Kohanik

Film director Clement Virgo admits that it took a while for him to warm up to Lawrence Hill’s award-winning 2007 novel, The Book of Negroes. “People kept saying to me, ‘You’ve got to read this book. It’s a great book,’” Virgo recalls. “But I just didn’t like the title of the book. I didn’t know what it meant. I had a personal aversion to that title.” Virgo eventually bought Hill’s book (first published in Canada, it was retitled in the U.S. as Someone Knows My Name) but was still reluctant to read it. “I put it on my coffee table […]

Eugene Levy on “Schitt’s Creek,” new comedy series from his son

February 2, 2015 Eric Kohanik

Eugene Levy and Dan Levy paddle their way up Schitt’s Creek, a new comedy series coming to Pop (formerly TV Guide Network) on Wednesdays at 10pmET/9pmCT beginning Feb. 11. Eugene Levy wasn’t sure what to expect when his son first pitched him the idea of doing a TV series together. “We’d never worked together before, so I honestly didn’t know,” the 68-year-old recalls. “We started about three years ago, when Dan came to me with this germ of an idea about a wealthy family that lose their money. He was very confident from the beginning. As a writer, as a […]

“Mad Men” in space? Tricia Helfer climbs aboard Syfy’s “Ascension”

December 11, 2014 Eric Kohanik

Tricia Helfer admits she has somewhat of a soft spot for science fiction. But there’s a good reason. “I started my career with Battlestar Galactica,” the 40-year-old actress explains. “And I got lucky for my first job to be on something that was so character-driven and something that made people think.” It was that combination of strong characters and storylines that drew Helfer to her latest TV project: Ascension (on Syfy Mondays at 9pm ET/PT beginning Dec. 15) a six-part series inspired by Project Orion, a real top-secret space mission authorized by U.S. President John F. Kennedy. Ascension is a […]

Julie Benz takes her “Defiance” character down a darker path in Season 2

June 12, 2014 Eric Kohanik

Somehow, the future never seems to be pretty in the world of science-fiction TV shows. And Julie Benz says there are good reasons for that. “I think, with the sci-fi genre, we’re able to explore issues that we’re all faced with today,” the 42-year-old actress points out. “We’re able to explore them in a deeper, darker way.” Benz is no stranger to the deeper, darker realm of the horror/thriller/sci-fi genre. Perhaps still best known for her role as Rita on Dexter, her TV credits also include such other gems as Roswell, Supernatural, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Buffy’s spinoff/sequel, Angel. […]