The Point Radio: Jason Hervey Playing Both Sides Of The Law

By sight, you know Jason Hervey as big brother Wayne from the classic WONDER YEARS, but in the decades since he’s been behind his desk helping create some exciting TV and movies projects. His latest is OUTLAW COUNTRY (premiering this week on WGN America), taking a unique reality look at both sides of the law in a small town. Jason fills us in on the show and more, plus we are on the set of the VH1 series HINDSIGHT. Time travel saga or soap opera? Stars Laura Ramsey and Craig Horner weigh in.

In a few days,we go to the set of the USA Network hit series SIRENS, plus a look at this season of BLACK SAILS from Starz. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @ThePointRadio.

Transcript

The Point Radio. We are back. Hey, it is Mike Raub and I brought with me Jason Hervey. You remember him, the big brother from the wonder years. Now a big time TV and movie producer and with a project headed to reality TV that you just

got to hear about. Plus, it's time travel with a kick-ass soundtrack. It's a new VH1 series, Hindsight, and we talked to the stars. Coming up, let's get to the point. This is the point, the point radio, get the point radio.

The VH1 series, Hindsight, combines a couple of rather unique elements of storytelling. First, there's time travel and then there's some relationships to deal with as well. It's all about Becca, a woman in her 40s who has a chance to travel back in her own timeline to when she was in her 20s and correct mistakes that she made over the last couple of decades. It's hard to buttonhole a show like this.

Is it really about time travel or is it about the relationship with the characters? I told you the series star Craig Horner. Well, I would take the sci-fi and the time traveling aspect out of it. It really is a relationship show just in the 90s. The time traveling really happens in the first episode and that's out of the way and now

we're in the 90s. I think it's just a great romantic comedy show and there's like a mystery as well. Truly one of the stars of the show is also the soundtrack covering some great hits from the 90s decade. I assume that Laura Ramsey who plays Becca might find all this music new.

Well, since she was born in the 80s, but that's not the case. First of all, I want to say you're right on about one of the characters being the music in the show and I also want to say that I did live in the 90s. I remember the 90s perfectly and every single song I am like a 90s music person. So every song that is on it, I am a fan.

I know and remember most of the songs. It's a bit of a treat for us because obviously when we're filming it, we don't really know what songs we're going to be putting on the background. So when you get to watch the show, you're like wow, that's really cool. A lot of the songs.

Yeah, it's just as much for us. Yeah, it makes you go back and remember where you were at in your life and you heard that song. There's a lot of care to make sure the music fits in just right. Yeah, they have been really really careful with making sure every song was in during

like when you shot the episode, what was happening during that time in that 95, what song was coming out. They've been really careful and smart with what they've been chosen. And also I didn't realize, I mean just the beginning when you see the opening credits and it's face positive playing.

I felt like the coolest person ever. Yeah. I mean, it's been really during the face light. Greg's character, Sean, seems to have a couple of different sides. Both a jolted bride broom and one with a slightly darker edge as well.

I ask him which of those we need to be seeing more of. Yeah, I think the more Sean is pushed, you know, I think the push them pulled, you know. When new flames start to be ignited in his life, that'll just be some passion from Sean, that side again. And when he's hurt, you'll see some fiery anger from him.

So there's lots of emotions. For Laura, I was curious about what she likes and dislikes about Becca. Well, what I love about Becca as a character is, I mean, no matter what she's going through, you know, she's trying to make the right decision and she's trying to do it with love and without trying to hurt anyone.

So she'll do anything she can to try to stop things or start things that she knows is going to be wrong or right, but at the same time, what is right and wrong. And it's quite confusing after a little while and she starts to kind of lose it. And I love her because she's just goofy and she can relate. I think a lot of women can relate to this character because, you know, if she's going

through so much and she's trying to make the right decision and trying to change and live and I mean, I think everybody can relate to her. New episodes of hindsight every Wednesday on VH1. And you can catch up on past episodes right now at VH1.com. The alien film franchise is getting a little bit of a reboost with a new director and a

new run of films. They'll begin right after Prometheus 2 hits, which will be produced and directed by Ridley Scott and then Scott will produce a new run of alien films. But the first one will be directed by Neil Blomkamp, who you know from the District Nine movies.

Blomkamp's next film is Chappy, which opens in theaters in just a few days. Looks like the votes are in over on Amazon Prime and the winners of the shows that will be getting a series there include the alternate history thriller The Man in the High Castle, the dark comedy Mad Dogs, the documentary series The New Yorker Presents, and the kids' program Just Add Magic as well, along with the stinky and dirty show.

Also Mozart in the Jungle has been renewed in Amazon Prime for a second season. Dynamite is getting the girls together for what will be a major miniseries featuring all the female characters from the company. It's called Swords of Sorrow and Gail Simone will be writing the core book and creating the framework for the event.

Characters will include Red Sonya, Vamparella, and Dejah Thoris from John Carter. There will also be inclusions from Kato, Jungle Girl, Lady Roy, Jennifer Blood, and a lot more. Every miniseries and a special will begin it all in May and then it will be more miniseries after that as Swords of Sorrow continues throughout the summer months.

It looks like Jim Starlin's Dread Star is headed to TV. The series is being developed into a scripted run with Jim Starlin as executive producer and writer as well. It's done by Universal Cable Productions and Benderspink, who've also done a number of projects for USA and the Syfy Network.

By sight, you know Jason Hervey as big brother Wayne from the Wonder Years. But for decades now he's been behind the desk and behind the camera producing some fascinating documentaries and series. So one attracted Jason to that side of the industry. Most everybody in my family are on the business side of the entertainment business.

You know, obviously only one at a time. I'm who, you know, decided, hey, you know, I want to be an actor. Got excited about that. And then really on the Wonder Years as Fred was being curious about being a director, I was really curious about being a producer.

And I was always fascinated with how a project works and how it comes together and how you go from an idea to then, you know, having it magically appear on television. So I really would say it's kind of the influence of my family and, you know, the things that I was just generally curious in and about. That's really how it's happening.

Jason's latest work is a reality show called Outlaw Country. And he couldn't be happier to talk about it. For me personally, it's my proudest work. It takes two different camps, so to speak. One in these guys living, you know, what's called the Outlaw of Law, this lifestyle,

culture, you know, whatever you want to call it. And then law enforcement. You know, I'm fans of both of those genres separately. So to include them and have the rare opportunity on Outlaw Country, on WGN, February 24th, it was just a real treat.

And the team, the Bischoff & Hervey Entertainment Company put together, really everybody was on the same page with a singular focus of making this the best series ever. And I know that's kind of a high mark to jump over, but I think when you watch that show from the cinematography, from the music, from the technology that we used to tell a story and capture the moments that we did, make it truly a unique piece and a must-watch.

The show takes the unique stance of covering a local town, both on the side of the law and a group of citizens who may or may not allegedly be doing some things that are not necessarily legal. And again, allegedly. Yeah, I've been trained to use that word, Mike.

But originally, it was really all about the task force. And when we got the phone call from somebody we worked with and they could introduction to the mayor and the great town of Buckner, Missouri, and the chief of police and the federal agent, Dillman & Fingers, who headed the task force, we flew down there, you know, met with them, learned about what was going on in town, kind of the main persons of interest.

And while we were there, we got a phone call requesting a sit down from the Monk Brothers. So, two in the morning, we found ourselves in the basement of Revelation Tattoo meeting with John and Josh and the other members of the Alliance. And they wanted to participate. They said, hey, you know, we understand.

The word is, you know, you guys are down here discussing a reality TV show. And based on who we hear it's about, we have a good idea of what that story is probably going to be. So rather than having somebody else tell our story for us, we want to tell our story. And usually kind of guys like that want to run from the camera.

These guys in producing reality TV, not always that easy. With a show like this, there had to be some interesting challenges. You know, honestly, is a lot of it is, you know, just doing something different, you know, standing out in the seat of choices that people have.

And that's why every time you go out and make a show, you've got to keep raising that bar. And WGN is the perfect network to do that with. You know, they've been around for a while, mostly, you know, showing recoupes and things of other shows. But they, the aggressive and smart leadership at WGN, you know, stepped out there with Salem

and just followed it up with Manhattan and the season two of Salem is coming out. And they wanted to put themselves on the map in the reality area. Jason, along with his business partner, Eric Bischoff, have been involved in a number of projects involving pro wrestling. I was curious if there's any more of that coming up.

You know, nothing that my business partner, Eric Bischoff and I can talk about. But you know, we're both fans of pro wrestling. We always have been, always will be, will always be involved in one way, shape or form. But wrestling is kind of personal to me because on Saturday morning, it's really what brought my father and my brother and I to the couch together.

It's kind of the one thing that we could agree on to watch. And since I was a little kid, it's been a part of my life. And you know, just kind of personal to me. You know, great memories of my father and my brother and I, you know, all yelling at the TV, watching it together on Saturday morning.

See what Jason's put together in Outlaw Country, new episodes every Tuesday on WGN America. And see a little sample right now at WGNamerica.com. And that's it for the podcast for right now. Back at the end of the week, go with a look behind the scenes at the hit USA Network comedy Silence.

All that and more waiting for you on websites like ComicMix.com, Michael Davis World.com, get the point radio dot com and the iTunes podcast directory. Find out what we're close to by sticking close to us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram under the point radio. See you in a few days.