Boss (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Boss is an American
-Canadian
political drama
television series created by Farhad Safinia
. The series stars Kelsey Grammer
as Tom Kane, the mayor of Chicago
, who has recently been diagnosed with a degenerative neurological disorder
.
The series will be broadcast in the United States on the premium television service Starz, and is produced by Category 5 Entertainment, Grammnet Productions
and Lionsgate Television
. It premiered on October 21, 2011. Already a critically acclaimed series, on September 27, 2011, Starz announced that Boss had been renewed for a second season of ten episodes, which they expect to air in 2012.
, who has recently been diagnosed with DLB
, a degenerative neurological disorder
. Determined to remain in charge, Kane conceals the disease from everyone around him except his own physician, Dr Ella Harris. Those around Kane are too busy with their own lives to notice anything unusual. Kane's marriage to his wife Meredith is nothing more than one of convenience. Kane's closest advisors, Kitty O'Neill and Ezra Stone, begin to suspect something is wrong with the Mayor but respect him too much to ask any questions, while State Treasurer Ben Zajac is too busy cultivating his political ambitions to become the next Governor of Illinois
to notice anything out of the ordinary.
in late 2010, with creative input from Kelsey Grammer
and his production company Grammnet Productions
. In November 2010, the script was shopped around to various cable networks and following a heated and contentious bidding war, Starz placed an eight episode order for the series, based solely on the strength of the script. This was in keeping with Starz business model of not ordering pilots
but rather green lighting projects straight-to-series. Safinia wrote the pilot, Gus Van Sant
was attached to the project as director, with Grammer, Safinia, Van Sant, Richard Levine
, Lyn Greene, Brian Sher and Stella Bulochnikov-Stopler serving as executive producers.
Casting announcements began in November 2010, with Grammer first to be cast. He portrays Tom Kane, "the Mayor of Chicago who is diagnosed with a degenerative mental condition that only he and his doctor know about." Next to join the series was Connie Nielsen as Meredith Kane, Tom's wife, "Meredith and Kane have a bad marriage and barely speak when they aren't in public." Jeff Hephner
was next to be cast as Ben Zajac, "the state's treasurer, an impeccably handsome and ambitious Chicago native who is clearly about to become a major player on the Chicago political scene." Hannah Ware and Kathleen Robertson
were the last actors to join the main cast, with Ware playing Emma Kane, Tom Kane's estranged daughter, and Robertson playing Tom Kane's personal aide.
Starz later announced that Martin Donovan
, Francis Guinan
, Rotimi Akinosho, Karen Aldridge, Troy Garrity, Ricardo Gutierrez, James Vincent Meredith and Joe Minoso had joined the series as recurring guest stars. Martin Donovan
was cast as Ezra Stone, "A savvy Yale graduate, and senior advisor to Kane, Stone knows the Mayor better than anyone. Whether it’s pushing Kane’s agenda, or assisting with personal matters, Ezra always delivers." Francis Guinan
was cast as Governor McCall Cullen, "The governor of Illinois, Cullen hates playing along the with the Mayor’s apparent unwavering support for his re-election bid. And his ugly temper is getting even worse." Rotimi Akinosho was cast as Darius, "a muscular drug dealer who’s covered in tattoos, but he’s smart, well spoken, and cares for his sick uncle." Karen Aldrige was cast as Dr Ella Harris, Mayor Kane's neurologist and the only other person who knows about his current medical condition. Troy Garity was cast as Sam Miller, "a politically savvy journalist for The Sentinel, with a nose for a real story." Ricardo Gutierrez was cast as Alderman Mata, "Political boss of the 30th ward, Mata is a thug in a suit who believes the ends justify the means, however vicious." James Vincent Meredith was cast as Alderman Ross, "Kane’s biggest rival", and Joe Minoso was cast as Moco Ruiz, "A construction worker, Ruiz is one of Mata’s guys."
Filming of the series took place between April 27, 2011, and July, 27, 2011, on location in Chicago, Illinois.
At the 2011 Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour, Starz announced that Boss would premiere on October 21, 2011. The series is produced by Category 5 Entertainment, Grammnet Productions
and Lionsgate Television
.
Grammnet Productions
Grammnet Productions is an American television production company owned by Kelsey Grammer and Camille Grammer.-Grammnet Productions productions:* Boss * The Game...
-Canadian
Lionsgate Television
Lionsgate Television is the television division of Lions Gate Entertainment, an entertainment company. It is located in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.- Productions :The following is a partial list of the division's productions:...
political drama
Political drama
A political drama can describe a play, film or TV program that has a political component, whether reflecting the author's political opinion, or describing a politician or series of political events. Dramatists who have written political dramas include Aaron Sorkin, Robert Penn Warren, Sergei...
television series created by Farhad Safinia
Farhad Safinia
Farhad Safinia is a screenwriter and film/TV producer, best known for Apocalypto and Boss.-Personal life:Farhad Safinia was born in Tehran, Iran, in 1975. He left Iran with his family at the age of four to live in Paris, then London...
. The series stars Kelsey Grammer
Kelsey Grammer
Allen Kelsey Grammer is an American actor and comedian. He is most widely known for his two-decade portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the sitcoms Cheers and Frasier...
as Tom Kane, the mayor of Chicago
Mayor of Chicago
The Mayor of Chicago is the chief executive of Chicago, Illinois, the third largest city in the United States. He or she is charged with directing city departments and agencies, and with the advice and consent of the Chicago City Council, appoints department and agency leaders.-Appointment...
, who has recently been diagnosed with a degenerative neurological disorder
Neurological disorder
A neurological disorder is a disorder of the body's nervous system. Structural, biochemical or electrical abnormalities in the brain, spinal cord, or in the nerves leading to or from them, can result in symptoms such as paralysis, muscle weakness, poor coordination, loss of sensation, seizures,...
.
The series will be broadcast in the United States on the premium television service Starz, and is produced by Category 5 Entertainment, Grammnet Productions
Grammnet Productions
Grammnet Productions is an American television production company owned by Kelsey Grammer and Camille Grammer.-Grammnet Productions productions:* Boss * The Game...
and Lionsgate Television
Lionsgate Television
Lionsgate Television is the television division of Lions Gate Entertainment, an entertainment company. It is located in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.- Productions :The following is a partial list of the division's productions:...
. It premiered on October 21, 2011. Already a critically acclaimed series, on September 27, 2011, Starz announced that Boss had been renewed for a second season of ten episodes, which they expect to air in 2012.
Overview
The series follows Tom Kane, the mayor of ChicagoMayor of Chicago
The Mayor of Chicago is the chief executive of Chicago, Illinois, the third largest city in the United States. He or she is charged with directing city departments and agencies, and with the advice and consent of the Chicago City Council, appoints department and agency leaders.-Appointment...
, who has recently been diagnosed with DLB
Dementia with Lewy bodies
Dementia with Lewy bodies , also known under a variety of other names including Lewy body dementia, diffuse Lewy body disease, cortical Lewy body disease, and senile dementia of Lewy type, is a type of dementia closely allied to both Alzheimers and Parkinson's Diseases...
, a degenerative neurological disorder
Neurological disorder
A neurological disorder is a disorder of the body's nervous system. Structural, biochemical or electrical abnormalities in the brain, spinal cord, or in the nerves leading to or from them, can result in symptoms such as paralysis, muscle weakness, poor coordination, loss of sensation, seizures,...
. Determined to remain in charge, Kane conceals the disease from everyone around him except his own physician, Dr Ella Harris. Those around Kane are too busy with their own lives to notice anything unusual. Kane's marriage to his wife Meredith is nothing more than one of convenience. Kane's closest advisors, Kitty O'Neill and Ezra Stone, begin to suspect something is wrong with the Mayor but respect him too much to ask any questions, while State Treasurer Ben Zajac is too busy cultivating his political ambitions to become the next Governor of Illinois
Governor of Illinois
The Governor of Illinois is the chief executive of the State of Illinois and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction, as prescribed in the state constitution. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state....
to notice anything out of the ordinary.
Main cast
- Kelsey GrammerKelsey GrammerAllen Kelsey Grammer is an American actor and comedian. He is most widely known for his two-decade portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the sitcoms Cheers and Frasier...
as Tom Kane, the mayor of ChicagoMayor of ChicagoThe Mayor of Chicago is the chief executive of Chicago, Illinois, the third largest city in the United States. He or she is charged with directing city departments and agencies, and with the advice and consent of the Chicago City Council, appoints department and agency leaders.-Appointment... - Connie Nielsen as Meredith Kane, Tom Kane's wife
- Kathleen RobertsonKathleen RobertsonKathleen Robertson is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her role as Clare Arnold in Beverly Hills, 90210 .-Career:Robertson started taking acting classes when she was ten, and had roles in local theater productions...
as Kitty O'Neill, Tom Kane's personal aide - Hannah WareHannah WareHannah Ware is an English model/actress. She is known for her roles in the English language films Cop Out and Shame. She is currently portraying Emma Kane, the estranged addict daughter of Chicago mayor Tom Kane, in the STARZ series Boss.-Filmography:-External links:*...
as Emma Kane, Tom Kane's estranged daughter - Jeff HephnerJeff HephnerJeff Hephner is an American actor, known for his recurring role as Matt Ramsey during the third season of The O.C., and as the lead Morgan Stanley Buffkin in the 2008 television series Easy Money...
as Ben Zajac, Illinois State TreasurerIllinois State TreasurerThe Treasurer of Illinois is an elected official of the U.S. state of Illinois. The office was created by the Constitution of Illinois.-Current occupant and duties:, the Treasurer of Illinois is Dan Rutherford, a member of the Republican Party...
and candidate for Governor of IllinoisGovernor of IllinoisThe Governor of Illinois is the chief executive of the State of Illinois and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction, as prescribed in the state constitution. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state....
Recurring cast
- Martin DonovanMartin DonovanMartin Donovan is an American stage and film actor. He has had a long collaboration with the director Hal Hartley, appearing in many of his films, including Trust , Surviving Desire , Simple Men , Flirt , Amateur , and The Book of Life...
as Ezra Stone, Tom Kane's senior political advisor - Francis GuinanFrancis GuinanFrancis V. Guinan, Jr. is an American film, television and stage actor who is perhaps best known for his role as Edgar Teller the patriarch in the short-lived NBC series Eerie, Indiana....
as McCall Cullen, Governor of IllinoisGovernor of IllinoisThe Governor of Illinois is the chief executive of the State of Illinois and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction, as prescribed in the state constitution. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state....
, who is running for re-election - Rotimi Akinosho as Darius, a drug dealer who Emma Kane is fascinated by
- Karen Aldridge as Dr Ella Harris, Tom Kane's neurologist
- Troy GarityTroy GarityTroy Garity is an American film actor. He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film for his role as Barry Winchell in the 2003 television movie Soldier's Girl, but may be best known for his role as Isaac Rosenberg in the Barbershop films.-Early life and...
as Sam Miller, a political journalist working for The Sentinel - Jennifer Mudge as Debra Whitehead, care-taker/nurse to Tom Kane's father-in-law
- Ricardo Gutierrez as Alderman Mata, an Alderman serving on the Chicago City CouncilChicago City CouncilThe Chicago City Council is the legislative branch of the government of the City of Chicago in Illinois. It consists of 50 aldermen elected from 50 wards to serve four-year terms...
, representing the 30th ward - James Vincent Meredith as Alderman Ross, an Alderman serving on the Chicago City Council, from the South Side
- Joe Minoso as Moco Ruiz, the head of a construction company working on the airport expansion ordered by Mayor Kane
Development and production
Boss was developed by Farhad SafiniaFarhad Safinia
Farhad Safinia is a screenwriter and film/TV producer, best known for Apocalypto and Boss.-Personal life:Farhad Safinia was born in Tehran, Iran, in 1975. He left Iran with his family at the age of four to live in Paris, then London...
in late 2010, with creative input from Kelsey Grammer
Kelsey Grammer
Allen Kelsey Grammer is an American actor and comedian. He is most widely known for his two-decade portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the sitcoms Cheers and Frasier...
and his production company Grammnet Productions
Grammnet Productions
Grammnet Productions is an American television production company owned by Kelsey Grammer and Camille Grammer.-Grammnet Productions productions:* Boss * The Game...
. In November 2010, the script was shopped around to various cable networks and following a heated and contentious bidding war, Starz placed an eight episode order for the series, based solely on the strength of the script. This was in keeping with Starz business model of not ordering pilots
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
but rather green lighting projects straight-to-series. Safinia wrote the pilot, Gus Van Sant
Gus Van Sant
Gus Green Van Sant, Jr. is an American director, screenwriter, painter, photographer, musician, and author. He is a two time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director for his 1997 film Good Will Hunting and his 2008 film Milk, both of which were also nominated for Best Picture, and won the...
was attached to the project as director, with Grammer, Safinia, Van Sant, Richard Levine
Richard Levine
Richard Steven Levine is an American environmental architect, solar energy and sustainability pioneer, and professor at the University of Kentucky. He is one of the early solar energy innovators in the U.S., a holder of U.S...
, Lyn Greene, Brian Sher and Stella Bulochnikov-Stopler serving as executive producers.
Casting announcements began in November 2010, with Grammer first to be cast. He portrays Tom Kane, "the Mayor of Chicago who is diagnosed with a degenerative mental condition that only he and his doctor know about." Next to join the series was Connie Nielsen as Meredith Kane, Tom's wife, "Meredith and Kane have a bad marriage and barely speak when they aren't in public." Jeff Hephner
Jeff Hephner
Jeff Hephner is an American actor, known for his recurring role as Matt Ramsey during the third season of The O.C., and as the lead Morgan Stanley Buffkin in the 2008 television series Easy Money...
was next to be cast as Ben Zajac, "the state's treasurer, an impeccably handsome and ambitious Chicago native who is clearly about to become a major player on the Chicago political scene." Hannah Ware and Kathleen Robertson
Kathleen Robertson
Kathleen Robertson is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her role as Clare Arnold in Beverly Hills, 90210 .-Career:Robertson started taking acting classes when she was ten, and had roles in local theater productions...
were the last actors to join the main cast, with Ware playing Emma Kane, Tom Kane's estranged daughter, and Robertson playing Tom Kane's personal aide.
Starz later announced that Martin Donovan
Martin Donovan
Martin Donovan is an American stage and film actor. He has had a long collaboration with the director Hal Hartley, appearing in many of his films, including Trust , Surviving Desire , Simple Men , Flirt , Amateur , and The Book of Life...
, Francis Guinan
Francis Guinan
Francis V. Guinan, Jr. is an American film, television and stage actor who is perhaps best known for his role as Edgar Teller the patriarch in the short-lived NBC series Eerie, Indiana....
, Rotimi Akinosho, Karen Aldridge, Troy Garrity, Ricardo Gutierrez, James Vincent Meredith and Joe Minoso had joined the series as recurring guest stars. Martin Donovan
Martin Donovan
Martin Donovan is an American stage and film actor. He has had a long collaboration with the director Hal Hartley, appearing in many of his films, including Trust , Surviving Desire , Simple Men , Flirt , Amateur , and The Book of Life...
was cast as Ezra Stone, "A savvy Yale graduate, and senior advisor to Kane, Stone knows the Mayor better than anyone. Whether it’s pushing Kane’s agenda, or assisting with personal matters, Ezra always delivers." Francis Guinan
Francis Guinan
Francis V. Guinan, Jr. is an American film, television and stage actor who is perhaps best known for his role as Edgar Teller the patriarch in the short-lived NBC series Eerie, Indiana....
was cast as Governor McCall Cullen, "The governor of Illinois, Cullen hates playing along the with the Mayor’s apparent unwavering support for his re-election bid. And his ugly temper is getting even worse." Rotimi Akinosho was cast as Darius, "a muscular drug dealer who’s covered in tattoos, but he’s smart, well spoken, and cares for his sick uncle." Karen Aldrige was cast as Dr Ella Harris, Mayor Kane's neurologist and the only other person who knows about his current medical condition. Troy Garity was cast as Sam Miller, "a politically savvy journalist for The Sentinel, with a nose for a real story." Ricardo Gutierrez was cast as Alderman Mata, "Political boss of the 30th ward, Mata is a thug in a suit who believes the ends justify the means, however vicious." James Vincent Meredith was cast as Alderman Ross, "Kane’s biggest rival", and Joe Minoso was cast as Moco Ruiz, "A construction worker, Ruiz is one of Mata’s guys."
Filming of the series took place between April 27, 2011, and July, 27, 2011, on location in Chicago, Illinois.
At the 2011 Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour, Starz announced that Boss would premiere on October 21, 2011. The series is produced by Category 5 Entertainment, Grammnet Productions
Grammnet Productions
Grammnet Productions is an American television production company owned by Kelsey Grammer and Camille Grammer.-Grammnet Productions productions:* Boss * The Game...
and Lionsgate Television
Lionsgate Television
Lionsgate Television is the television division of Lions Gate Entertainment, an entertainment company. It is located in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.- Productions :The following is a partial list of the division's productions:...
.