Rueben's Ramblings

Jay Ryan, Kristin Kreuk and Brian Peterson (Executive Producer) from Beauty and the Beast (Photo by Rueben)

Last week at Comic Con 2012, I had the chance to participate in the panel dedicated to the new Beauty and the Beast that will debut on The CW this fall.

This new version stars Kristin Kreuk (Smallville) and Jay Ryan (Terra Nova) as the title characters – Catherine Chandler and Vincent Keller. Their co-stars will include Austin Basis (Life Unexpected) as Vincent’s best friend and confidante J.T., Nina Lisandrello (Nurse Jackie) as Catherine’s partner Tess [they are police detectives] and Brian White (Men of a Certain Age) as Joe (a fellow cop).

The panel started out with a screening of the debut episode – in fact, we were told we were the first audience to see the full pilot – and I have to say that I enjoyed the episode. It has similar elements of the original 80’s classic series for which it is based while mixing more modern elements related to updating Vincent’s background and the people in their lives.

I won’t spoil the aspects of Vincent’s beast-side because, according to executive producers Brian Peterson and Kelly Souders (of Smallville fame) and co-creators/writers Sherri Copper and Jennifer Levin (of Brothers & Sisters fame), that is still a work in progress; but I want to believe they will keep improving that aspect of who Vincent becomes; but be aware that he is not a lion-creature like Ron Perlman’s version in the 80’s TV series. Fans of the original classic should also be happy to know that three of the original creators of the 80’s version are on the staff too.

Beauty and the Beast

During the audience Q&A, Kristin was asked by a fan if she might be able to get any of her Smallville co-stars to make an appearance on the show; and while she nor the creative team weren’t opposed to that idea, she really couldn’t speak on whether that could happen or not.

Jay was then asked about the physical stunts involved in playing Vincent, and he shared that he actually went back to the 80’s TV series for research; but the opposite is the case for Kristin who decided not to watch Linda Hamilton in the original series and draw from the script for her inspiration.

The reboot of Beauty and the Beast will debut on The CW on October 11. Mark your calendars!