The Return of The 4400: An Interview with Show Creator Scott Peters - Page 2

"We're moving away from the 4400 freak of the week."

The cable series' short seasons – 13 episodes this time – mean nearly a year has passed between the season two finale and the season three premiere. Canadians have a few more months to wait, likely until September, for the Space channel to begin airing the new episodes.

That second season finale presented several tantalizing glimpses of future storylines, including the idea of an impending war, the apparent resurrection of an assassinated character, and a suddenly grown-up baby, among others. Peters promises some resolutions ... sort of. "We like to answer some big questions, and in the answering of those questions, create bigger questions."

He also reveals a slight change in focus. "We're trying to build the mythology a lot more, trying to stick with our core characters throughout their travels this season. We found last year that we liked meeting new characters and having them interact, but we didn't want the show to just become that. There's still an element of that, it's just we've pulled back on it a lot and really focused on the main characters, the main cast, and how their lives interconnect."

That mythology includes the story of how humans of the distant future abducted then returned the 4400 in order to prevent humanity's destruction, in part of an elaborate but so far vague plan. "We know who did this, but we don't know specifically who did this. We know why they did it, but we don't know specifically why," said Peters. "So we're trying to give the audience more of a peek of that behind-the-curtain aspect of the show."

The fact that aliens were not behind the abductions took the show in a surprising direction at the end of the first season, and Peters hints at more twists to come. "We love to take an audience down one path and have it be clear and obvious that it must be A, and then suddenly we turn a corner and it's actually B."

Though known now more as a writer, Peters got his start in directing, and has returned to his first love. He's currently directing the ninth episode of the coming season. "This is really a different creative muscle to flex, plus it's just a bonus and a huge treat to get to do it on a show I created," he said. "There's just this enormous trust from the moment we set foot on the soundstage, and they're willing to let themselves go to places I think for me that they're not necessarily willing to go with a director they don't know."

Article Author: Diane Kristine Wild

Diane runs the TV, Eh? website, a compilation of news about Canadian television. Follow her on Twitter @deekayw for more random thoughts.

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