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Cult (TV series)

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This article is about the American television show. For other uses, see The Cult (disambiguation). 2013 American TV series or program
Cult
Genre
Created byRockne S. O'Bannon
Starring
ComposerTim Jones
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13
Production
Executive producers
ProducerJohn B. Moranville
Production locationsVancouver, British Columbia, Canada
CinematographyRobert Gantz
Editors
Running time42 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkThe CW
ReleaseFebruary 19 (2013-02-19) –
July 12, 2013 (2013-07-12)

Cult is an American mystery psychological thriller television series created by Rockne S. O'Bannon that ran on The CW from February 19 to July 12, 2013. The series centers on a journalist blogger and a production assistant, who investigate a series of mysterious disappearances that are linked to a popular television series named Cult.

On February 27, 2013, The CW announced that starting March 8 Cult would air on Fridays at 9:00 pm Eastern/8:00 pm Central. On April 10, 2013, Cult was canceled and removed from the schedule. The CW began airing the six remaining episodes on June 28, 2013.

Plot

The series follows Jeff (Matthew Davis), a journalist blogger, and Skye (Jessica Lucas), a production researcher on a popular television crime series called Cult, as they investigate the fans of the series, who could be re-creating the crimes committed on the series.

Cast and characters

Main

  • Matthew Davis as Jeffrey Dean "Jeff" Sefton, a journalist blogger.
  • Jessica Lucas as Skye Yarrow, a production assistant.
  • Alona Tal as Marti Gerritsen, an actress playing Kelly Collins on a show called Cult.
  • Robert Knepper as Roger Reeves, an actor playing Billy Grimm on a show called Cult.

Recurring

Production

Cult was originally supposed to air on the now defunct network, The WB. When The WB was replaced by The CW, the executives of The CW at that time dropped the show, which was supposed to star Matthew Bomer. In January 2012, a revised version of the series was revived on The CW with a pilot order. The series was created by Rockne S. O'Bannon, who also serves as executive producer alongside Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage, Len Goldstein and the production companies Warner Bros. Television and Fake Empire.

Jessica Lucas was cast in the lead role of Skye Yarrow in February 2012, a young production assistant who teams with a journalist blogger to investigate the fans of a popular television series entitled Cult. Alona Tal was cast next as Marti Gerritsen, the actress playing the role of Kelly Collins in the fictional series Cult. Robert Knepper then followed in the role of Roger Reeves, the actor playing the role of Billy Grimm in the show-within-a-show. Matthew Davis was cast in the lead role of Jeff Sefton, the journalist blogger working with Skye and Andrew Leeds was cast in the recurring role of Kyle Segal, the executive working on the show-within-a-show. Ben Hollingsworth will also have a recurring role, as associate producer Peter Grey. Stacey Farber joined the series in a recurring role as E.J. a tech-savvy girl, who works with Jeff and helps him in the search for his sibling.

The pilot was officially picked up by The CW on May 11, 2012.

About the show's reception, Rockne S. O'Bannon said: "It was such an unusual piece of material, and for better or for worse, such a singular vision piece that the network and the studio were very respectful of what I wanted to do with it. I'm very proud of this show because, though it went nowhere very quickly, it was very well received."

Star Matt Davis blames Cult being canceled on marketing and jokingly express his frustration over the announcement on Twitter:"Good news Cult fans! Cult has been renewed for the next ten season due to its brilliant marketing campaign! Good job everyone." and then added "It was a wonderful learning experience, and exciting misadventure."

About the show cancelation, Jessica Lucas said: "That show was never supposed to be just a thirteen-episode show. It opened up a ton of questions in the first season and you never get to find out what happened. But this is the nature of it and I don’t do things for results, I do things for experience. I really wanted to stay in that role and I really wanted to stay involved in that world and I can’t control whether people see it or how it went. I would have liked to do more of it – it just obviously didn’t turn out that way."

Episodes

No. Title Directed by Written by Original air date Production
code 		U.S. viewers
(million)
1"You're Next"Jason EnslerRockne S. O'BannonFebruary 19, 2013 (2013-02-19)2760550.86
When Nate Sefton goes missing, his brother, Jeff, a tarnished reporter, searches for him. Jeff discovers that Nate's disappearance is somehow tied to the underground following of a show on TV called Cult. He joins forces with Skye Yarrow, a research assistant on the TV show, and they soon discover that a secret group of fans may be responsible for a series of murders and abductions. Meanwhile on the TV series, FBI Agent Kelly Collins closes in on the men who abducted her sister and her nephew on the orders of the leader of Cult himself, Billy Grimm.
2"In the Blood"Sam HillRockne S. O'BannonFebruary 26, 2013 (2013-02-26)3X77020.82
Jeff and Skye continue their investigation into Nate's disappearance as well as try to establish a connection between him and the TV series where Jeff recruits a computer hacker, named E.J., to help with tracing Nate's last phone call. On the TV series, Kelly continues to investigate Billy's followers when one suspected former member of the group is found murdered after being buried alive from the head down. In the real world, Jeff and Skye learn that Detective Sakelik is connected to the shadowy group when they see her interacting with the widower of the group's latest victim, and the group now focus their attention to Roger Reeves, the actor playing Billy Grimm on Cult. Also, Skye reveals to Jeff her personal reasons for helping him: to find out what happened to her father, a journalist who disappeared 10 years ago while investigating Steven Rae, the shadowy writer and creator of the Cult TV series.
3"Being Billy"James L. ConwayMegan MartinMarch 8, 2013 (2013-03-08)3X77030.68
Jeff finds a surprise visitor in Nate's apartment, Laura, Nate's girlfriend, who is also looking for Nate. Jeff learns from Laura that Nate was hosting a dangerous On College Campus game, while E.J. finds out that Nate himself has been active on the Internet. Jeff and Skye embark on a journey to find Nate's hiding place, but find more than they bargained for when the truth about the 'Games' and the 'True Believers' are revealed. Meanwhile, the True Believers' emissary, Kirstie, invites herself to the set of Cult to make contact with Roger whom is both fascinated and disturbed by her antics. On the TV series, Kelly tries to make a connection between a victim hit by a train to Billy Grimm's cult.
4"Get with the Program"Rob HardyCraig Gore & Tim WalshMarch 15, 2013 (2013-03-15)3X77040.72
A woman reaches out to Jeff in a "Cult" chat room. Her husband disappeared under similar circumstances as both Nate and Skye's father, and she wants to meet and work together. Skye and Jeff wait for the woman in the meeting place. Meanwhile, a man, Terrence, watches them to see if they are true believers or not. Jeff's mystery date, Anya, hired Terrence to find her husband, Romy. When Terrence deems that Jeff is not a True Believer, Anya joins the group. She has Romy's notebook, exactly like Nate's, and Skye finds the same mystery CD in it. The four go looking for Romy and Nate in a fan club and later, in the studio.
5"The Kiss"Tim HunterStory by : David Kemper
Teleplay by : Lindsay Jewett Sturman		March 22, 2013 (2013-03-22)3X77050.73
Jeff discovers a photo of Nate with a guy named Dustin. Jeff goes to visit Dustin, only to find his mom, who does not have anything nice to say about her son. She just knows that he has joined a "new religion" and knows that he is going to "some party" in the Cult studio. Skye brings Jeff as her date to the party to investigate Dustin, but finds someone more interesting, Sakelik. Meanwhile, Roger Reeves and his girlfriend, Kirstie, make a new friend.
6"The Good Fight"Martha CoolidgeMegan Lynn & Wade SolomonMarch 29, 2013 (2013-03-29)3X77060.54
Skye has a serious reaction to the drug that was slipped into her drink. Detective Sakelik comes to the hospital but refuses to help save Skye in which Jeff tries to find a cure before Skye dies.
7"Suffer the Children"Nathan HopeMegan MartinApril 5, 2013 (2013-04-05)3X77070.62
E.J. gives Jeff a copy of Sakelik's police personnel file which reveals that Sakelik was taken into custody by Child Protective Services 25 years ago after being found with other abandoned children at a house in Arrow Head. Jeff and Skye locate the house and question the owner. Sakelik tracks Jeff and Skye to the house and they barely escape with their lives. On the TV series, Kelly finds a lock of Meadow's hair in the trunk of Billy's car.
8"The Devil You Know"Marita GrabiakHans TobeasonJune 28, 2013 (2013-06-28)3X77080.51
While working with Jeff to find a way to blackmail Detective Sakelik into helping them find his brother, Skye takes time out to meet with her mother. Meanwhile, Stuart tries to draw Roger closer to him by inviting him to a weekend getaway. On the show, Kelly must strike a devil's bargain with Billy to get Meadow back.
9"Off to See the Wizard"Thomas WrightStory by : Craig Gore & Tim Walsh
Teleplay by : Rockne S. O'Bannon		June 28, 2013 (2013-06-28)3X77090.44
When Jeff and Skye learn of a secret meeting for True Believer initiates, Skye sets out to infiltrate the group. Unfortunately, Jeff is lured away by a decoy, leaving Skye on her own. While Jeff races to locate Skye before her cover is blown, she and the group meet a man claiming to be the TV show's creator Steven Rae, but she soon finds out that he is not. Meanwhile on the show, Kelly tries to locate Meadow's son Andy who has run away since leaving Billy.
10"The Prophecy of St. Clare"Matt BarberLindsay Jewett SturmanJuly 5, 2013 (2013-07-05)3X77100.62
Jeff and Skye visit the mother of Edie, the actress who plays Meadow on the show, after she is startled by two on-set figurines that reminds her of ones she saw in her childhood. Meanwhile, Peter continues to spy on Skye, while on the TV series, Billy grows increasingly more deranged as his obsession over Kelly intensifies.
11"Flip the Script"Leslie LibmanRockne S. O'Bannon & Hans TobeasonJuly 5, 2013 (2013-07-05)3X77110.43
Still evading the dreaded True Believers, Jeff and Skye try to meet with Dr. Kimble and speak with his assistant, Allegra. When they discover the lab has been ransacked, they try to discover the connection between Kimble's manuscript and Killian's which may be the inspiration for the TV show. Later, the pair investigate Stuart's production office near the Cult set. On the show, Kelly checks on her sister and remembers that they both witnessed their parents' murder.
12"1987"Allan KroekerHans TobeasonJuly 12, 2013 (2013-07-12)3X77120.54
Stuart, the leader of the True Believers, forces the captive Nate to decipher Killian's message, and Nate asks Allegra to try to contact Jeff if she can escape. Meanwhile, Jeff and Skye remain in hiding to avoid the True Believers. On the show, Billy captures the killer of Kelly's parents, hoping to weaken her resolve.
13"Executive Producer Steven Rae"Nathan HopeRockne S. O'BannonJuly 12, 2013 (2013-07-12)3X77130.40
While the Cult cast and crew prepare for a special live filming of the season finale, Jeff makes a deal with Stuart for answers hoping that he will release Nate. Meanwhile, in the show itself, Billy engineers Kelly's confrontation with the man who killed her parents. Edie arrives on the set to view the filming of the season final as she plans her own move against Roger Reeves. With the help of Nate, Jeff manages to score his brother's release and Stuart ends up being arrested. On the set, Edie places a live bullet round in a prop gun to be used against Roger/Billy who ends up getting shot. In the final scene, Jeff, Nate, and Skye finally come face to face with the show's shadowy creator Steven Rae, and his true identity is someone that not even Skye had expected; Steven Rae is Skye's long-missing father.

References

  1. PILOT LOCATIONS: New York & Vancouver Production Booming, Los Angeles Declines
  2. Hale, Mike (February 18, 2013). "Diners, Seedy Motels and TV Industry In-Jokes". The New York Times.
  3. The CW's New Midseason Drama "Cult" Premieres on Tuesday, February 19 (9:00-10:00 PM)
  4. "Cult: CW Shipping New Drama to Fridays". TV Series Finale. February 27, 2013. Retrieved February 28, 2013.
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  6. Goldberg, Lesley (April 17, 2012). "The Faces of TV Pilot Season 2012-13". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 6, 2012.
  7. ^ "The CW Orders Cult Pilot the WB Rejected Six Years Ago". 4 January 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  8. Breaking News - Development Update: Wednesday, January 4 | TheFutonCritic.com
  9. Andreeva, Nellie (February 7, 2012). "Jessica Lucas Set As Lead of CW Pilot 'Cult', Noureen DeWulf Joins 'Anger Management'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 27, 2013.
  10. Megan Masters (2012-02-09). "Pilot Scoop: Alona Tol Joins CW's Cult, Rome Stud Cast in Killer Thriller and More!". tvline.com. Retrieved 2012-02-25.
  11. "Matt Davis Cast as Lead in CW "Cult" Pilot". 13 March 2012. Retrieved 4 May 2012.
  12. Andreeva, Nellie (April 5, 2012). "TV Castings: Pilots 'Downwardly Mobile' & 'Cult', Series 'LA Complex' Add To Casts". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 27, 2013.
  13. Adly McKenzie, Carina (August 17, 2012). "The CW's 'Cult' casts Ben Hollingsworth in recurring role". Zap2it. Archived from the original on August 18, 2012. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
  14. Gelman, Vlada (August 28, 2012). "Degrassi Vet Stacey Farber Joins CW's Cult". TV Line. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
  15. Levine, Stuart (January 4, 2012). "CW picks up 'Cult' pilot". Variety. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  16. "Sci-Fi Mastermind Rockne S. O'Bannon on Defiance, Farscape, Cult, and the Coming Revolution |".
  17. "Matt Davis Blames Cult Being Canceled on "Marketing"". Archived from the original on 2020-06-24. Retrieved 2020-06-22.
  18. "GRACEPOINT actress Jessica Lucas on the Fox series and the EVIL DEAD remake - Exclusive Interview - Assignment X Assignment X". 12 December 2014.
  19. Bibel, Sara (February 21, 2013). "Tuesday Final Ratings: 'The New Normal' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on February 24, 2013. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
  20. Kondolojy, Amanda (February 27, 2013). "Tuesday Final Ratings: 'The Mindy Project' Adjusted Up; No Adjustment for 'Golden Boy', 'The New Normal' or 'Smash'". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on March 2, 2013. Retrieved February 28, 2013.
  21. Kondolojy, Amanda (March 11, 2013). "Friday Final TV Ratings: 'Kitchen Nightmares' & 'Nikita' Adjusted Down; No Adjustment for 'Grimm'". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on March 14, 2013. Retrieved March 11, 2013.
  22. Bibel, Sara (March 18, 2013). "Friday Final TV Ratings: 'Last Man Standing' & 'Malibu Country' Adjusted Up; 'Nikita', 'Cult', 'Fashion Star', 'Blue Bloods' & 'Rock Center' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on March 21, 2013. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
  23. Kondolojy, Amanda (March 25, 2013). "Friday Final TV Ratings: 'Rock Center' Adjusted Down, No Adjustment for 'Grimm' or 'Last Man Standing' (Updated)". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on March 28, 2013. Retrieved March 26, 2013.
  24. Bibel, Sara (April 1, 2013). "Friday Final TV Ratings: 'Grimm' & 'Shark Tank' Adjusted Up; 'Cult' & 'Fashion Star' Adjusted Down & Final Basketball Numbers". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on April 4, 2013. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  25. Kondolojy, Amanda (April 8, 2013). "Friday Final TV Ratings: 'Undercover Boss' & 'Blue Bloods' Adjusted Up; No Adjustment for 'Grimm', 'Nikita' or 'Vegas'". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
  26. ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (July 1, 2013). "Friday Final TV Ratings: 'Dateline' Adjusted Up; No Adjustment for 'Cult' or '20/20'". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on July 5, 2013. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
  27. ^ Bibel, Sara (July 9, 2013). "Friday Final TV Ratings: No Adjustments to 'Cult', 'What Would You Do?' or '20/20'". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 1, 2013. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
  28. ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (July 15, 2013). "Friday Final TV Ratings: No Adjustments for 'Cult', '20/20' or 'Dateline'". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on July 17, 2013. Retrieved July 15, 2013.

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