Witchblade (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Following a pilot film
in August 2000, the cable
network TNT
premiered a Witchblade television series based on the Witchblade
Top Cow Productions comic book series in 2001
. 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 McCartey, 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. Although critically acclaimed and popular with audiences, the show was canceled in September 2002; there was speculation that the cancellation was connected to Butler's entering rehab for alcoholism
.
The series ran for two seasons on TNT, for a total of 24 episodes (including pilot). The first episode aired June 12, 2001; the last episode aired August 26, 2002. In spite of its cancellation, Witchblade was ranked seventh in the Top 10 Basic Cable Dramas for 2002 (Multichannel News, February 24, 2003).
on his independent record label, FreeClyde.
In 2004, a compilation album
, Witchblade the Music
, was released on the Edge Artists record label featuring music from/inspired by the Top Cow comic book and the Witchblade TV series. It was compiled and produced by G Tom Mac.
announced a DVD release. Witchblade: The Complete Series — a seven-disc collectors set including the original made-for-TV movie, all 23 episodes of the series, and special features — was released on July 29, 2008.
from TNT
Witchblade (2000 film)
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 , a brooding and willful homicide detective who is the reluctant inheritor of...
in August 2000, the cable
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
network TNT
Turner Network Television
Turner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...
premiered a Witchblade television series based on the Witchblade
Witchblade
Witchblade is an American comic book series published by Top Cow Productions, an imprint of Image Comics, from 1995 until present. The series was created by Top Cow editors Marc Silvestri and David Wohl, writers Brian Haberlin and Christina Z, and artist Michael Turner.The series follows Sara...
Top Cow Productions comic book series in 2001
2001 in television
The year 2001 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2001.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:*Meet the Press .*Candid Camera .*CBS Evening News ....
. Some of the episodes were written by Ralph Hemecker
Ralph Hemecker
Ralph W. Hemecker is an American director, writer and producer.Hemecker has amassed numerous credits in television, directing episodes of Dead at 21, The X-Files, Millennium, Numb3rs, Blue Bloods as well as directing a number of television films....
, Marc Silvestri
Marc Silvestri
Marc Silvestri is an American comic book artist, creator and publisher. He currently acts as the CEO for Top Cow Productions.-Early life:Marc Silvestri was born in Palm Beach, Florida.-Career:...
(who also wrote the comic book) and J.D. Zeik.
Yancy Butler
Yancy Butler
Yancy Victoria Butler is an American television and movie actress known for her roles as Natasha Binder in the 1993 John Woo film Hard Target and as Detective Sara Pezzini on the TNT supernatural drama Witchblade.-Early life:...
starred as Sara Pezzini
Sara Pezzini
Sara Pezzini is a fictional comic book superheroine starring in the series Witchblade. Sara also appeared in a Turner Network Television live-action feature film and TV series of the same name, portrayed by Yancy Butler...
, Anthony Cistaro
Anthony Cistaro
Anthony Cistaro , is an American actor. At an early age he moved to San Francisco, California, where his father worked as a teacher and counselor, while his mother worked in the home, caring for the family. In later years she worked as a program assistant in academic departments. Anthony attended St...
as Kenneth Irons
Kenneth Irons
Kenneth Irons is a fictional comic book supervillain. He is a criminal mastermind who is depicted as the person behind nearly every evil deed in the Top Cow series Witchblade....
, David Chokachi
David Chokachi
David Chokachi is an American television actor. He's best known for his role in the TV series Witchblade, Baywatch, and Beyond The Break. His father is Turkish and his mother is Finnish.-Early life:He attended Tabor Academy, an elite boarding prep school in Marion, Massachusetts...
as Jake McCartey, Eric Etebari
Eric Etebari
Eric Etebari is an American actor, model and musician. He appeared in Witchblade, 2 Fast 2 Furious and Sorrows Lost.- Early life :...
as Ian Nottingham
Ian Nottingham
Ian Nottingham is a character from the Witchblade comic and television series, an assassin once employed by Kenneth Irons. Nottingham is of British and of Native American descent....
, Will Yun Lee
Will Yun Lee
Will Yun Lee is an Korean American actor.He is best known for his roles on TNT's supernatural drama series Witchblade as Danny Woo and as Jae Kim on NBC's science fiction television drama Bionic Woman...
as Danny Woo, Conrad Dunn
Conrad Dunn
Conrad Dunn is an American actor. He began his screen career with the role of Francis "Psycho" Soyer in Stripes . Working for some ten years under the name George Jenesky, he achieved soap-opera stardom in Days of our Lives as Nick Corelli, a misogynistic pimp who evolved from bad guy to romantic...
as Tommy Gallo, Kenneth Welsh
Kenneth Welsh
Kenneth Welsh, CM is a Canadian film and television actor . He is known to Twin Peaks fans as the multi-faceted villain Windom Earle, and has more recently played the father of Katharine Hepburn in Martin Scorsese's The Aviator.In 1984 he was nominated for a Genie Award as Best Actor for his...
as Joe Siri, and John Hensley
John Hensley
John Carter Hensley II is an American actor. His film appearances have included Peoples, Fifty Pills, Teeth, and Shutter.-Filmography:-External links:*...
as Gabriel Bowman, among others. Although critically acclaimed and popular with audiences, the show was canceled in September 2002; there was speculation that the cancellation was connected to Butler's entering rehab for alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
.
The series ran for two seasons on TNT, for a total of 24 episodes (including pilot). The first episode aired June 12, 2001; the last episode aired August 26, 2002. In spite of its cancellation, Witchblade was ranked seventh in the Top 10 Basic Cable Dramas for 2002 (Multichannel News, February 24, 2003).
Main cast
- Yancy ButlerYancy ButlerYancy Victoria Butler is an American television and movie actress known for her roles as Natasha Binder in the 1993 John Woo film Hard Target and as Detective Sara Pezzini on the TNT supernatural drama Witchblade.-Early life:...
as Det. Sara 'Pez' PezziniSara PezziniSara Pezzini is a fictional comic book superheroine starring in the series Witchblade. Sara also appeared in a Turner Network Television live-action feature film and TV series of the same name, portrayed by Yancy Butler... - David ChokachiDavid ChokachiDavid Chokachi is an American television actor. He's best known for his role in the TV series Witchblade, Baywatch, and Beyond The Break. His father is Turkish and his mother is Finnish.-Early life:He attended Tabor Academy, an elite boarding prep school in Marion, Massachusetts...
as Det. Jake McCartey - Anthony CistaroAnthony CistaroAnthony Cistaro , is an American actor. At an early age he moved to San Francisco, California, where his father worked as a teacher and counselor, while his mother worked in the home, caring for the family. In later years she worked as a program assistant in academic departments. Anthony attended St...
as Kenneth IronsKenneth IronsKenneth Irons is a fictional comic book supervillain. He is a criminal mastermind who is depicted as the person behind nearly every evil deed in the Top Cow series Witchblade.... - Will Yun LeeWill Yun LeeWill Yun Lee is an Korean American actor.He is best known for his roles on TNT's supernatural drama series Witchblade as Danny Woo and as Jae Kim on NBC's science fiction television drama Bionic Woman...
as Det. Danny Woo - John HensleyJohn HensleyJohn Carter Hensley II is an American actor. His film appearances have included Peoples, Fifty Pills, Teeth, and Shutter.-Filmography:-External links:*...
as Gabriel Bowman - Eric EtebariEric EtebariEric Etebari is an American actor, model and musician. He appeared in Witchblade, 2 Fast 2 Furious and Sorrows Lost.- Early life :...
as Ian NottinghamIan NottinghamIan Nottingham is a character from the Witchblade comic and television series, an assassin once employed by Kenneth Irons. Nottingham is of British and of Native American descent....
Recurring cast
- Lazar Rockwood as Lazar
- Kathryn Winslow as Vicky Po
- Nestor SerranoNestor SerranoNestor Serrano is an American film and television actor. He often portrays authority figures on both sides of the law.Serrano began his acting career in off-Broadway plays in the late 1970s. His first film was the 1986 Tom Hanks comedy The Money Pit...
as Captain Bruno Dante - Bill Mcdonald as Jerry Orlinsky
- Kim De Lury as Conchobar
- Johnie Chase as Det. 'Jumbo'
- Dov TiefenbachDov TiefenbachDov Yosef Tiefenbach is a Canadian actor and musician.Tiefenbach was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He began his acting career at the age of 12, first starting off in commercials before playing the role of 'Josh Avery' in the television series RoboCop , and landed his first starring role as...
as Jagger - Noah DanbyNoah DanbyNoah Dalton Danby is a Canadian film and television actor. He is best known for portraying Connor King on the series Painkiller Jane.-Life:...
as Det. Burgess
Music
On May 29, 2007, the soundtrack for the series' score was released by composer Joel GoldsmithJoel Goldsmith
Joel Goldsmith is a composer of film, television, and video game music. He is the son of renowned composer Jerry Goldsmith. He was the main composer for the TV series Stargate SG-1, although the main titles were written by David Arnold...
on his independent record label, FreeClyde.
In 2004, a compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, Witchblade the Music
Witchblade The Music
Witchblade the Music is a compilation album of music from/inspired by the Witchblade TV series and Top Cow comic book. The songs included on this album are performed by Various Artists...
, was released on the Edge Artists record label featuring music from/inspired by the Top Cow comic book and the Witchblade TV series. It was compiled and produced by G Tom Mac.
DVD release
On April 1, 2008, Warner Home VideoWarner Home Video
Warner Home Video is the home video unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., itself part of Time Warner. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video . The company launched in the United States with twenty films on VHS and Betamax videocassettes in late 1979...
announced a DVD release. Witchblade: The Complete Series — a seven-disc collectors set including the original made-for-TV movie, all 23 episodes of the series, and special features — was released on July 29, 2008.
External links
from Warner Bros.Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
from TNT