SDCC 2018: History Channel Brings ‘Project Blue Book’ To Life In San Diego

by Shane O'HareJuly 23, 2018

History Channel has always been known for their documentaries and reportive shows. From guns, tanks, planes and WW2 all the way to mysteries throughout time, including those of an alien nature. In the last few years they have branched out into scripted dramas based on real life historical events, most notable being their juggernaut hit Vikings.

This year at SDCC History announced they were starting a new drama based off the real life reports from Project Blue Book. Starting in the 50’s, Project Blue Book was the project given to the US Airforce to collect, study and investigate UFO sightings from around the country. Hundreds of reports were taken in and investigate, with a purported 700 unsolved. The show Project Blue Book promises to bring the real life reports to life with a certain amount of flair.

The entire concept of this show as me absolutely stoked. Growing up I was ADDICTED to shows like X-Files, Outerlimits and Sightings. When I got an opportunity to meet with History and check out their Project Blue Book experience outside of Comic Con I was stoked.

Hot off the heels of Sacred Lies, I jaunted over to the Project Blue Book activation. Set up was a small “command center”. Some tents and a few shipping containers made up the compound. I met with my contact and was soon hurried into line.

Walking into the tent, I was instructed to have a seat. A small table with a few canvas folding chairs were on each side of the tent. A woman in an US Airforce uniform asked me if I had a UFO sighting in my life. I quickly scanned my memory and recalled an incident where I was sitting around a fire with friends, and we all saw something shoot across the moon. Was it Alien? Who knows, but it was DEFINITELY an Unknown Flying Object. I was handed a clipboard with a stack of papers on it. Looking through the sheet, I surmised that this was a UFO reporting intake sheet, and assumed it was similar to the one people would fill out back in the 50’s. The form was thorough, asking where it was on the horizon, what time of day, part of the planet I was on, weather etc. etc. After a few minutes I had the form filled out to the best of my memory, it was a few years ago after all. I turned it in and then was told to wait for The General to take us into the center.

A man in full Air Force general regalia let us know what we were about to learn. Explained what Project Blue Book was, and we were led into a security screening room. “Security screening” must be Air Force secret code for PERFECTLY AIR CONDITIONED. I could stay in there all day, the sweltering San Diego heat was instantly another world away. It definitely added to the whole alien motif. Once we passed our security clearance we were led into the control room.

We were led into another room. An eerie blue glow surrounded us. Pictures were near impossible in this space. Another officer led us in and instructed us to stand in the center of the room. We were about to learn about three incidents from Project Blue Book. A UV light turned on, and the wall behind me lit up in UV paint. An artist rendition of an UFO sighting known as “The Lubbock Incident” glowed brightly. Hidden speakers turned on and we heard a man explaining what he saw. My third irrational fear, Carnival Haunted Houses, popped into the front of my mind. After that, the light turned off and a second turned on, lighting up another wall. Another report illustration and audio file played. A ghastly monster, with large claws and a giant head was depicted in a wooded area. Large lit up craft in the background. Seeing this drawing, and hearing the audio from the report reminded me of my second irrational fear. Aliens. Two of my irrational fears were being triggered hardcore, why was I doing this to myself? Soon the lights went off and the third and final report was depicted. A drawing of a P-51 mustang fighter and a UFO lit up. I recognized this incident, as one of the first reported UFO sightings to the real life Project Blue Book. The 1948 Mantell UFO incident. The third and final drawing dimmed out and our guide let us know that there were still hundreds to be explored, and invited us to check out the command center.

We were led into the heart of the exhibit. A wall of control panels straight out of a 1950’s sci fi film lined the wall, while two actors sat at desks on the opposite wall working on Blue Book reports. We were told we could sit at a station and send out a text messages into space. I sat down at station 5, and sent out a solemn request for help. Earth is in trouble, and needs help from The Gods. We need The Gods to save us from ourselves. Once sent, a number started to quickly count up. My message was being tossed into space. Hopefully someone out there receives the message and saves us from ourselves.

Once done, I went to leave the room. Just before I left, a man in a black suit came up to and stopped me. He let me know that there were still over 700 reports that have gone investigated, and that Project Blue Book was still running at full steam, and to keep an eye out for The Soviets.

Much like the Sacred Lies experience, the Project Blue Book installation from History got me absolutely pumped for the show. It appears to be the perfect combination of real life and drama, and if shows like Vikings are any indication, we are in for a great ride.

Project Blue Book stars Aidan Gillen (“Game of Thrones”) and Michael Malarkey (“The Vampire Diaries”) and will be out sometime this winter. You ABSOLUTELY need to check it out.

History Announces Late-Night Comedy Block; Dan Harmon To Helm Flagship Show

by Shane O'HareFebruary 18, 2016

The History Channel announced today that they are launching a new late night comedy block, and Dan Harmon will be in charge of the flagship program!

Entitled Night Class, the block will feature “short format” shows all centered around Historical facts but with a comedic twist. The first three shows in the block all sound entertaining as hell.

Great Minds with Dan Harmon features the man himself purchasing a time machine, and subsequently getting visited by history’s greatest minds. He then brings them out into modern society to see how they react. The show will feature the talent of: Jack Black, Sarah Silverman, Jason Sudeikis, Dana Carvey, Aubrey Plaza, Kristen Schaal, Nick Kroll, Scott Adsit, Andy Dick, Ron Funches, Paul F. Tompkins, Thomas Middleditch and Robert Smigel. That’s a whole lot of talent!

Crossroads of History is created and written by Elizabeth Shapiro and promises to touch on mostly unknown moments in history that had gigantic affects. Such as President Lincoln’s alcoholic bodyguard skipping out on his duty when the President decided to catch a show at the Ford Theater. The show will feature the likes of Lou Diamond Phillips, Brian Baumgartner, Angela Kinsey, Keir O’DOnnell, Mack McBrayer, Wayne Knight, Liioyd Ahlquist and Paul Scheer.

How to Lose the Presidency will feature real moments and clips from presidential hopefuls that ultimately helped cement their failure at winning the Oval Office.

These shows fall on the heels of light hearted programming such as Craig Ferguson’s Join or Die, and a panel show hosted by comedians from a few years back. Seriously, I vividly remember watching a “I Love The 90’s” style show that was funny as hell, but cannot remember the name of it for the life of me. I dare you to find it among the list of History’s past programming.

Night Class premiers Thursday, February 25th at 11:30 PM PST.

SDCC 2014: Geekscape Interviews The Cast And Crew Of ‘Vikings’

by Shane O'HareJuly 30, 2014

The wonderful world of Comic Con has just passed us by, but the effects from the convention will stay with us forever.

One of the huge presences at this years SDCC was History Channels Vikings. An amazing combination of Drama and History. Season 3 is already started principle filming and what we learned at the press roundtable really makes us excited.

First up was Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) and Rollo (Clive Standen)

What can we expect from Season 3?

Travis: Paris is a huge part in the upcoming season, we’ve done the England thing, setting up the farm. Ragnar wants to get back to raiding.

Is there anything specific that you are excited about in the new season?

Travis: I’m glad a lot of the family stuff is out of the way, he was all about exploring and got caught up in the family stuff back home. Now he gets to get back to what he loves to do.

Are you surprised by the reaction from the fans? And have the writers written anything for you that has totally shocked you?

Travis: Yeah surprised I guess, but we have a great team at the helm so I guess it’s no surprised the show does pretty well. We haven’t read the last four scripts, so we don’t have any idea whats going to happen in Paris. I’m surprised I haven’t been killed yet.

Clive: We’ve seen some of the concept art, they’re still building Paris, its incredible. It’s so different from what we’ve seen before and its impressive. Paris is all about the architecture, the castles and structures are impenetrable but Ragnar and his team have managed to get inside. So we get to tell the story of the first raid on Paris. We’ve done our research on it, but Michael hasn’t really told us what to expect.

Has the relationship between you two squared away and will be actually be able to see you together more.

Travis: Yeah we’re together more, but once again the women cause us grief.

Clive: I think what draws us together, and a mutual respect, is that Pagan Christianity thing. There is unrest in the camp with some people not liking the Christians being involved in anything and keeping our Pagan ways. And I think the brothers being brought up the same way, so they have the same beliefs, they have that as a common interest and I think Rollo finds a way of having the Brother’s back. He doesn’t have to share that much with words and they can read eachothers minds.

Travis: And like I said, we go back to the raiding this year more so than all the drama. We’ll be back together on the boat.

When you are on the boat, are you actually on the ocean?

Travis: Yes, and no. We’re on a lot of lakes and in the sea and rivers. Have we shot in the ocean this year?

Clive: No, we filmed on a lake, but we get up on the Irish sea to when we need to get that great landscape behind us. But obviously a lot of raiding is down estuary so we can narrow it down. We haven’t had to break out the gimbal, its a big hydraulic boat that goes up and down like a ride, but we haven’t had to get it out from the garage yet.

Audiences of today, most people would have no idea of the concept of “roughing it”, but there is something about stories like yours where you exist in a world where everything is a struggle.

Travis: I think the appeal is the relationships, the same kinds of relationships go on between people. Yeah it is a struggle, its such a different life, we’re all used to this life. Its intriguing to people, a kind of escapism.

Clive: Ragnar has a line at the beginning of season 1 where he says “All things begin and end with stories”, and thats what I love about our show. It really is going back to the basic of storytelling, not just in a drama TV series, but actually the vikings are telling stories. There is no television, there is no Facebook, there is no way of sharing than sitting be the fire and telling stories. The first time something it was told it was a story about a snake, but seven generations down the line its a story about a giant serpent that bites it tail and wraps itself around the world. That fascinates me, the Chinese whispers of things, the hearsay and how legends are created.

What is it like going home after living in the world of The Vikings, and going back into the world of The Vikings.

Travis: I’ve got a pretty good groove going. We’ve got a great crew. It’s the same crew so nothing changes, we’re all really close and the sets are always there.

Clive: Well I’ve got three children to go home too, so I have to somehow leave Rollo at the door. I got into acting to draw attention away from myself, instead of drawing it towards myself. Rollo gives me that perfect chance to do that. I look in my mirror and I don’t recognize myself, its nice to remove all the war paint at the end of the day and step back into the role of Clive at the end of the day.

Travis, when you sat down Alex gave you a little water over the head. Is that retaliation to something you did?

Travis: Hahah, that’s just bad parenting on my part. I’ll get him back, I just thought that was really rude. ALEX! That was really rude! I’ve got a good practical joke coming up. I’ll get him back.

Are you guys involved in the creative process at all? As your characters develop do you ever think “He’d act a certain way in this situation or wouldn’t really act this way”.

Travis: No, not really. Michael writes so well, and he’s seen how we act in scenes and really picks up on it, and writes the characters in a certain way. He’s a very talented man.

Clive: Well its a really funny thing. You get some actors that say “My character wouldn’t do that”, and thats bullshit. The writers told you have to do that, and you have to find a way to do that. There is always a way, and that keeps you on your toes as an actor. In a long running series where you don’t see the scripts right away you have to be able to react.

Next we sat down with Alexander Ludwig (Bjorn) and Katheryn Winnick (Lagertha)

Can you tell us what the water over Travis’s head meant?

Alex: I promise I’m not a total dick, you don’t understand. Thats just the relationship we have. Haha. I just realized it must be tough for you (Katheryn) with all of us.

So tell us about Season 3.

Katheryn: Season 3 is bigger and better than the last two. You’ve heard the rumors about Paris, and you will be seeing a lot of new characters coming on board. With the existing characters, their dynamic has changed. For example Lagertha and Bjorn’s relationship has changed, as Mother and Son. You will see every character have their own arcs, ups and downs, all within ten episodes. That is the genius of Michael Hirst’s writing.

How has your relationship changed with Ragnar, with the two wives?

Katheryn: Thats a good question. I think…it’s really hard for a husband to see his exwife come into power in her own right and not need her anymore. You’ll have to ask Travis, it has to be challenging. Do they still have that love for each other? Maybe. We do touch upon it in this Season. You’ll see Lagertha change, she’s now an Earl and her status brings a lot of new challenges and struggles. It’s really fun to play and it’s great to watch. She’s a free woman, she can do what she wants and be with who she wants.

Alex: Even her son!

Katheryn: Hahahah, this isn’t game of thrones!

Alex: Hahahah. Well as we were saying earlier, historically, and we really pride ourselves in be as historically accurate as possible. Which is tough, because there is little to go off, obviously some little things have to change. Bjorn, in this Season, you really see him become a man. Before it was a coming of age story, now he’s his own man. She shares the same respect with his Mother and Father now, and they share the same respect with him. They’re more companions if anything. In terms of the rivalry, back then, they were more like friends or like a brother. Close companions. Which is tough because Bjorn is going to want to have his own power soon.

Katheryn: And in history, Bjorn is more famous than Ragnar is.

Alex: Yeah! There is a lot of that being touched on, but at the same time he’s smart. He has a powerful Mother and Father and he is learning as much as possible from them.

You liking the new hair?

Alex: Yeah! I’m really loving it.

Katheryn: You’re rocking it! One of my favorite things is the transformation process when you come on set. When I come on set, we start with the hair. I get the braids and it takes about 30 minutes, and they are absolutely amazing in terms of telling a story. A lot of her personality is told through stuff like her hair.

Alex: Our makeup and wardrobe department is really amazing. I really hope they get recognized for their effort.

Katheryn: What is interesting about this show, compared to others, is there is no records of how the Vikings or the Scandinavians looked. We don’t really know how they looked, or how they spoke. So you have to, and I also really hope it gets recognized for the creative effort that goes into it. A lot of other shows have a reference of how everything looked. Like say a show from the 60’s, or say a fantasy show where they don’t have to conform to anything at all. It’s really fun to see how they bring it all out even down to everyday life.

Do you find yourself learning new things from episode to episode?

Katheryn: *Long phrase in another language*. That was old Norse, I just learned that. Hahahah, I loved it. It’s really challenging, but it’s so fun. We’ll be invading France soon so there will be other languages in there as well. Lagertha is really evolving as a character, you will really see her in a different light this Season. We only get the scripts from episode to episode so I am still dissecting it myself.

You say the characters have changed over the Seasons, especially from the writers points of view, how has your approach to expressing the characters have changed?

Katheryn: It’s a TV show, we don’t have it all figured out. You can discover new sides of your characters personality. We only get two episodes (scripts) at a time, so I have no idea where Lagertha is going to go. Right now we’re shooting 5 and 6, so where she is going to end up in the finale? I don’t know. Which is amazing, cause in life you don’t know where the future will bring. You can see Lagertha is in a different place now. But because it is a TV show, you can explore different layers to the character, and have the freedom to do it for a longer story line. This doesn’t feel like a TV show, it feels like a movie. It’s not formulaic.

You’ve guys have been on really specific journey, and in a weird way the History Channel has been going on a new journey. How have they changed since the start of the show?

Alex: They took a big risk, and they put themselves out there and are really becoming a very credible channel. Before when you asked someone if they wanted to watch the History Channel they’d just be liked “What?!”. This is their first quote unquote “drama”, and I am blown away by how much they’ve put into this. The huge risk they took with it, and I am so proud to be apart of it.

Katheryn: Yeah, and I can’t say this show should be on any other network. If it was on another channel, it would probably be watered down, or prettied up, or too many cooks in the kitchen. They really trust the people they hired in Ireland. And, the Female viewers of the network have skyrocketed.

Alex: It goes to show that when you give your writer creative freedom and trust that they’ll do their job. So many other studios are riding the backs of the writers, and they don’t get the chance to do what they want to do.

Katheryn: What you may not know, is that Michael Hirst writes every episode by himself. He starts in November and writes everything by himself. He’s really comforting to know that your characters are in great hands.

Next up we sat down with the shows writer, Michael Hirst

Unfortunately, my recording from this interview didn’t turn out, so I can’t go into the same level of detail as I did with the others.

What Michael did put emphasis on was how important the attack on Paris would be, and having Ragnar start to settle outside Scandinavia. He said how important being historically accurate was to him as a Writer and he put a lot of effort to be as close as possible with the little source material they had. The pride he has for his show is incredible.

Final Thoughts

History is really coming strong with the third Season. They obviously have a great team working on the show and have consistently put out an amazing narrative. I cannot wait to see the show return 2015.

Photo Credit: Stanley Wong

SDCC 2014: History Channel ‘Vikings’ Return To San Diego!

by Shane O'HareJuly 11, 2014

As San Diego Comic Con is only 11 days away, the press releases are a flowin! One of the most exciting returns this year is the cast and crew from The History Channels AMAZING drama Vikings. So if you’re gonna be around for SDCC, check these events out!

HISTORY’s VIKINGS Panel: Friday, July 25 from 4:45 – 5:45 p.m., Room 6A
VIKINGS returns to SDCC fresh from the season three set. Travis Fimmel (Ragnar), Katheryn Winnick (Lagertha), Clive Standen (Rollo) and Alexander Ludwig (Bjorn) along with Michael Hirst (writer/creator) and Julian Hobbs (VP Scripted & Non-Fiction Development & Programming, HISTORY) will reveal an exclusive sneak peek of the new season. Don’t miss out – come join them and find out what the gods have in store for season three!

“On the Set with VIKINGS”: Thursday, July 24 – Saturday, July 26. Location: 450 2^nd Avenue
Cast Autograph Signing on Friday, July 25 from 1 – 2 p.m. at 450 2^nd Avenue
Fans will get a behind-the-scenes look at VIKINGS and have a starring role in their own custom video that can be shared on social media. From the moment fans enter the “back-lot” they will be treated as cast members. Upon entering, guests will create a character profile and choose a weapon of choice. Next, they will meet with hair and make-up artists to become transformed into a fierce Viking and be placed into three scenes complete with Vikingsships, battles, axes and villages. When fans have completed the experience they will have a :30 video to share via Twitter, Facebook or Vine.

Travis Fimmel (Ragnar), Katheryn Winnick (Lagertha), Clive Standen (Rollo) and Alexander Ludwig (Bjorn) will make an appearance on Friday, July 25 from 1 – 2 p.m. at 450 2^nd Ave. to sign autographs and take photos with fans.

VIKINGS Comic Book – Creator & Story by Michael Hirst, Written by Joe Brusha & Ralph Tedesco, Artwork by Giuliano Piccinnino with Cover Art by Anthony Spray
Custom, limited edition VIKINGS comic book will be given to select fans who visit the “On the Set” activation on 450 2^nd Avenue. In this exclusive comic book for SDCC, the character Floki entertains the Vikings with a humorous tale of Thor, Loki and other gods.

History Channel: Where the Past Comes Scripted

by Molly MahanMarch 13, 2012

Remember the good old days of the History Channel, when the only programming they had consisted of scholars and scientists explaining why the Nazis should have won World War II, but didn’t? Despite superior weaponry, planning, and their spectacular taste in clothing. Hey, say what you like, but those evil bastards sure knew how to dress.

Once they started a serial called “Ancient Aliens”, I knew serious scholarship and credibility were slowly skipping out the door. But at least it was scholarship, even if the academics are clearly out of the minds (but aren’t all academics?). They researched, they came up with crazy ideas about fifth dimensional beings and even inspired Spielberg and Ford to bore everyone out of their minds for a good two hours a couple years ago with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Good for them. I honestly thought that was the worst place a channel dedicated to historical study could go.

But now, the History Channel has truly jumped the shark and given up on their roots by ordering their first scripted series, called Vikings from the creative minds of Michael Hirst and Morgan O’Sullivan–the ones behind The Tudors and Camelot. While it may start off historical enough, like the little scenes they play out with silent actors while historians give their theories or a voice over reads an original document, etc. There is only so far it can go before it turns into pure historical fiction. And while I thoroughly enjoy historical fiction–and The Tudors is one of my favorite shows–and think the show sounds great, I am more than a little disappointed that the History Channel is where this show is going to be played. It’s not the place for it.

Now, creating special programming because of events in pop culture–like when they reran their ancient Greek specials when 300 came out, or their plethora of “What did the Bible really say” specials that come on around Christmas–is one thing. Those are topics people are interested in, and there are actual sources and things from which scholars can draw upon to make conclusions. But to take a person from history–Ragnar Lothbok, in this instance–and sensationalize him and his conquests shouldn’t be the job of the History Channel. At least they chose an already sensationalized character, as he’s essentially the Norse equivalent of Robin Hood or Arthur. Historical, but mostly legendary.

Their own words show how far they have departed from the origins: Vikings “will boast a polished, stylized look that pushes the boundaries of television drama” and “will feature imaginatively choreographed battles that emphasize individual points of view, strategies and ruses rather than mindless, graphic slaughter.”

Great for ratings, not that I am against ratings, but not exactly good for one’s education. And yes, I do think a station called “History” should be educational. (I have enough trouble dealing with people trying to be classicists after watching Gladiator, what will it be like when people can note the History Channel as a sign of ethos?) If they want to create a sister channel named “Historical Fiction” or “HiFi” (which would later be changed to “HyFy”), I’d jump faster and farther than John Carter to be there.

Nevertheless, I guess they win. We all know I’ll be catching the first episode.