The Dead Zone
Genre	science fiction/suspense
Created by	Michael Piller Shawn Piller
Starring	Anthony Michael Hall Nicole DeBoer Chris Bruno John L. Adams
Country of origin	United States  Canada[1][2]
No. of episodes	67 (List of episodes)
Production
Running time	approx. 45 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	USA Network
Original run	June 16, 2002 – present
Links
IMDb profile

The Dead Zone is an American science fiction/suspense series starring Anthony Michael Hall as Johnny Smith, who discovers he has developed psychic abilities after a coma. The show, credited as "based on characters" from Stephen King's 1979 novel The Dead Zone, first aired in 2002 and is produced by Lions Gate Television and CBS Paramount Television for the USA Network. Season 5 of the series started airing June 18, 2006. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... Suspense or tension is the feeling of uncertainty and interest about the outcome of certain actions an audience perceives in a dramatic work. ... Michael Piller (born May 30, 1948) is an American television and cinema screenwriter. ... Image:ShawnPiller. ... Michael Anthony Thomas Charles Hall (born April 14, 1968), known professionally as Anthony Michael Hall, is an American actor, producer and director who achieved stardom in several successful teen-oriented films of the 1980s. ... Nicole DeBoer as Ezri Dax in Star Trek:Deep Space 9. ... Chris Bruno (born March 15, 1966 in Milford, Connecticut) is an American film and television actor best known for his role as Sheriff Walt Bannerman on the USA Network television series The Dead Zone. ... John L. Adams as Bruce Lewis on the USA original series The Dead Zone John L. Adams (born in Winston Salem, North Carolina) is an American film and television actor currently co-starring as Bruce Lewis on the USA Network television series The Dead Zone. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Canada. ... The following is a list of episodes from the USA Network original series The Dead Zone. ... USA Network is a popular American cable TV network with about 89 million household subscribers as of 2005. ... June 16 is the 167th day of the year (168th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... Suspense or tension is the feeling of uncertainty and interest about the outcome of certain actions an audience perceives in a dramatic work. ... Michael Anthony Thomas Charles Hall (born April 14, 1968), known professionally as Anthony Michael Hall, is an American actor, producer and director who achieved stardom in several successful teen-oriented films of the 1980s. ... Psychic, from the Greek psychikos meaning mental, of the soul (in turn derived from psyche meaning soul, mind), is a term used to describe phenomena or abilities that are said to originate from the brain but which transcend its confines. ... In medicine, a coma (from the Greek koma, meaning deep sleep) is a profound state of unconsciousness. ... Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of over 200 stories including over 50 bestselling horror novels. ... For the song by the Smashing Pumpkins, see 1979 (song). ... The Dead Zone may refer to: The Dead Zone (novel) - A 1979 novel by Stephen King. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation is a Canadian entertainment company that trades on both the Toronto Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol, LGF. As of 2004, it is the most commercially-successful film and television distribution company based outside of the United States. ... CBS Paramount Television (formerly Desilu Productions, Paramount Television, among other companies) is an American television production/distribution company. ... USA Network is a popular American cable TV network with about 89 million household subscribers as of 2005. ... June 18 is the 169th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (170th in leap years), with 196 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

USA Network has picked up The Dead Zone for a sixth season of thirteen one-hour episodes. The series will return on June 17 2007 at 10/9c, with production scheduled to begin early 2007. USA Network is a popular American cable TV network with about 89 million household subscribers as of 2005. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ...

The series is filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This article refers to the city in British Columbia, Canada. ...

Plot

The cast of The Dead Zone

Small-town teacher Johnny Smith is involved in a car accident that leaves him comatose for six years. After regaining consciousness, Johnny begins having visions of the past and future triggered by touching items or people; doctors attribute the visions to activity in a previously unused "dead zone" of his brain that is attempting to compensate for the impaired function of the portions injured in the accident. Johnny also learns that his fiancée, Sarah, gave birth to his son in the interim following the accident, but has since married another man. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... In medicine, a coma (from the Greek koma, meaning deep sleep) is a profound state of unconsciousness. ...

With the help of Sarah, her husband Walt, and physical therapist Bruce, Johnny begins using his abilities to help solve crimes. However, his attempts to do good are complicated by intermittent visions of apocalyptic events brought about following the future election of congressional candidate Greg Stillson. Look up Apocalypse in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Congress in Joint Session. ...

Starring

• Anthony Michael Hall — Johnny Smith
• Nicole DeBoer — Sarah Bracknell Bannerman
• Chris Bruno — Sheriff Walt Bannerman
• John L. Adams — Bruce Lewis

Michael Anthony Thomas Charles Hall (born April 14, 1968), known professionally as Anthony Michael Hall, is an American actor, producer and director who achieved stardom in several successful teen-oriented films of the 1980s. ... Nicole DeBoer as Ezri Dax in Star Trek:Deep Space 9. ... Chris Bruno (born March 15, 1966 in Milford, Connecticut) is an American film and television actor best known for his role as Sheriff Walt Bannerman on the USA Network television series The Dead Zone. ... John L. Adams as Bruce Lewis on the USA original series The Dead Zone John L. Adams (born in Winston Salem, North Carolina) is an American film and television actor currently co-starring as Bruce Lewis on the USA Network television series The Dead Zone. ...

Recurring Guests

• David Ogden Stiers — Rev. Gene Purdy
• Kristen Dalton — Dana Bright
• Sean Patrick Flanery — Greg Stillson
• Bill Mondy — Deputy Roscoe
• Spencer Achtymichuk — Johnny 'JJ' Bannerman
• Martin Donovan — Malcolm Janus
• Frank Whaley — Christopher Wey
• Sarah Wynter — Rebecca Caldwell
• Jennifer Finnigan — Alex Sinclair

David Ogden Stiers (born October 31, 1942) is an American character actor, voice actor and musician, most noted for his role in the television sitcom M*A*S*H, and the science fiction drama The Dead Zone. ... Image:SeanPatrickFlanery. ... Gregory Ammas Stillson is a fictional character and the main antagonist in Stephen Kings The Dead Zone, played by Martin Sheen in the movie version and by Sean Patrick Flanery in the USA Network original television series. ... Bill Mondy is an actor. ... Canadian actor, born in 1996. ... Martin Donovan (1957, California) is an American stage and movie actor. ... Malcolm Janus, played by Martin Donovan, is a later antagonist of the USA Network original television series The Dead Zone, based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. ... Frank Michael Anthony Whaley (born July 20, 1961) is an American film and television actor known as much for his roles in independent films as his boyish looks and general demeanor, pushing 50 though he is. ... Sarah Wynter is an Australian actress, best known for her role of Kate Warner on the television drama 24 She was born on February 15, 1973, in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. ... Jennifer Christina Finnigan (born August 22, 1979) is a Canadian actress. ...

Character Descriptions

Anthony Michael Hall as Johnny Smith

• Johnny Smith is a retired schoolteacher who, as a result of a car accident, has developed psychic abilities. He is played by Anthony Michael Hall. An encounter with a carnival trickster in the first episode (before the car accident) makes it clear Johnny already has some psychic abilities. However, after the coma, their nature changes from intuition to visions, the latter requiring urgent action, even when personally inconvenient, whereas earlier he only uses his ability on a carnival trickster to amuse his date (Sarah Bracknell).

• Sarah Bracknell Bannerman (played by Nicole DeBoer), is Johnny's former fiancée and the mother of his biological son, J.J. She married Walt Bannerman during Johnny's coma, and the two are raising the child together. Sarah knew Johnny when they were children, and later taught at the some school as him. Sarah's mother died when she was a teenager, which strained her relationship with her father. As of the end of season 5, Sarah is pregnant with Walt's child.

• Sheriff Walt Bannerman The relationship between Johnny and Walt is initially very rocky, as Johnny often feels that Walt stole Sarah from him. However, since then as Johnny displays his powers more and more often in law enforcement situations, Johnny becomes an asset to Walt and the two become friends. The name Walt Bannerman is a combination between the name George Bannerman and Walt Hazlett. George Bannerman was the sheriff in the book, and Walt Hazlett was the man Sarah married, so the show took the first name of her real husband and the last name of the Sheriff, and that produced the husband's name. Walt is played by Chris Bruno.

• Bruce Lewis is a physiotherapist who helps Johnny regain his strength after his coma. Bruce is an open-minded spiritual junkie as a result of a religious upbringing by his pastor father; he is Johnny's best friend and frequently his voice of reason, and may very well be the reason for the divergence in this series when compared to the novel or 1983 movie (Johnny never tried to kill Greg Stillson before the election). Bruce is played by John L. Adams.

• Rev. Gene Purdy is another original character in the series, a religious leader and head of a prestigious university and foundations funded by Vera Smith, Johnny's mother. Johnny always speculated that Purdy's interest in Vera was for financial gain; however, his powers allow him to discover that Purdy had been in love with her for more than 35 years. Upon Vera's suicide over the grief of the loss of her son, Purdy covered up the incident and made everyone believe she died of a heart attack, thus preserving her dignity in the public eye. Purdy has long been involved with somewhat shady dealings, but is always in the constant service of God. His devotion sometimes clouds his judgment and has even gone as far as to cover up a murder to protect better interests. Rev. Purdy is played by David Ogden Stiers.

• Dana Bright was a journalist for the Bangor Daily Times. She covered much of Johnny's early work and later became romantically linked with him; she was also in a relationship with Gene Purdy. Dana left the show for some time and her absence was not explained until the 4th episode of the 5th season, "Articles of Faith". Because of her coverage of Johnny, she was able to move on up to reporting for a Boston television station, choosing her career ambitions above her increasingly complex relationship with Johnny. At the end of that episode when she leaves, it is shown that both harbor, to some degree, feelings for each other. Whether she will appear again in the future is unknown. She is played by Kristen Dalton.

• Greg Stillson is a mentally unstable politician who has taken many illegal steps to secure an election. Upon meeting with Johnny Smith, it became clear that he would become responsible for an apocalyptic event that Johnny has seen in his visions and is trying to prevent. Greg is played by Sean Patrick Flanery.

• Deputy Roscoe works for Walt. He is usually first on the scene and very dependable. He is played by Bill Mondy.

• Johnny "J.J." Bannerman is the biological son of Johnny and Sarah. Sarah was pregnant when Johnny had his accident and she ultimately married Walt Bannerman, who raised J.J. as his own son. As of the third season, Walt and Sarah have told J.J. that Johnny is his real father, and Johnny has taken on more fatherly duties. J.J. is played by Spencer Achtymichuk.

• Malcolm Janus is a power-broker who believes that Greg Stillson is "destined for great things." His ultimate goal is to place Stillson in the White House. He also gave Rev. Purdy a global sphere of influence, in return for financial support of Stillson's campaigns. He is apparently a member of the Illuminati, as he wears a ring with their symbol. Janus is played by Martin Donovan.

• Christopher Wey is a man from the future who has been comatose since 2003. He wakes after the apocalypse to discover that he has a "dead zone" similar to Johnny's, and that he can communicate with the present-day Johnny when both are in contact with the head of his cane. He is revealed to be in legion with a future Johnny Smith and J.J. Wey is played by Frank Whaley.

• Rebecca Caldwell is a child psychiatrist who met Johnny during his investigation of the murder of her sister Rachel. She has since become his girlfriend and at one point in time, found out that Greg Stillson may have been responsible for her sister's murder and will be responsible for the upcoming apocalypse. As of the third-season finale she has purchased a gun in an attempt to assassinate Stillson. She was stopped by Johnny and discovered that Stillson did not kill Rachel. She left Johnny, seeking to sort things out for herself. She is played by Sarah Wynter.

• Alex Sinclair is a female psychic who discovered her "dead zone" when she was stung by a swarm of bees (presumably "killer bees") as a child and became hyper-allergic to bee stings and products. She first appears in the fourth season episode "Double Vision" where she and Johnny track down a sniper together. At the end of the episode, it's clear that she and Johnny have developed feelings for each other but she decides that she's not ready to pursue the relationship. She does later appear in the fourth season Christmas episode "A Very Dead Zone Christmas" where the idea of her and Johnny getting together is further explored. Alex is played by Jennifer Finnigan.

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Michael Anthony Thomas Charles Hall (born April 14, 1968), known professionally as Anthony Michael Hall, is an American actor, producer and director who achieved stardom in several successful teen-oriented films of the 1980s. ... Michael Anthony Thomas Charles Hall (born April 14, 1968), known professionally as Anthony Michael Hall, is an American actor, producer and director who achieved stardom in several successful teen-oriented films of the 1980s. ... Nicole DeBoer as Ezri Dax in Star Trek:Deep Space 9. ... Chris Bruno (born March 15, 1966 in Milford, Connecticut) is an American film and television actor best known for his role as Sheriff Walt Bannerman on the USA Network television series The Dead Zone. ... Physical therapy can help restore lost functionality in many people. ... John L. Adams as Bruce Lewis on the USA original series The Dead Zone John L. Adams (born in Winston Salem, North Carolina) is an American film and television actor currently co-starring as Bruce Lewis on the USA Network television series The Dead Zone. ... David Ogden Stiers (born October 31, 1942) is an American character actor, voice actor and musician, most noted for his role in the television sitcom M*A*S*H, and the science fiction drama The Dead Zone. ... Image:SeanPatrickFlanery. ... Bill Mondy is an actor. ... Canadian actor, born in 1996. ... For other uses, see White House (disambiguation). ... This article does not adequately cite its references. ... Martin Donovan (1957, California) is an American stage and movie actor. ... Frank Michael Anthony Whaley (born July 20, 1961) is an American film and television actor known as much for his roles in independent films as his boyish looks and general demeanor, pushing 50 though he is. ... Sarah Wynter is an Australian actress, best known for her role of Kate Warner on the television drama 24 She was born on February 15, 1973, in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. ... The term killer bees may refer to: The Africanized bee. ... Jennifer Christina Finnigan (born August 22, 1979) is a Canadian actress. ...

Episodes

Main article: List of The Dead Zone episodes

The following is a list of episodes from the USA Network original series The Dead Zone. ...

Notes and Trivia

• The Sony Playstation 2 game Ratchet: Deadlocked was referenced in Season 4's holiday special.
• Anthony Michael Hall was cast after executive producer Michael Piller saw his performance in Pirates of Silicon Valley.
• The cane Johnny uses previously appeared (with a different head) in two other King adaptations; it was carried by Stu Redman in The Stand and by Andre Linoge in Storm of the Century.
• It is suggested that Bruce's friendship with Johnny in the series is a key factor to many of the changes from the original book and movie. In the second-season episode "Zion", Bruce has a vision of an alternate reality where he chose another career path and did not help Johnny recover after he woke from his coma. In this reality Johnny tries to kill Greg Stillson just as he does in the original book and movie.
• The season 4 episode "Babble On" leads viewers to believe that Johnny's father had similar visions, which eventually resulted in his being institutionalized. However, by the end of the episode, it is revealed that a young Johnny was the originator of the visions on which his father was acting. The pilot and the original book suggest Johnny had visions before his accident.
• References to sleep: In the pilot episode, "Wheel of Fortune," the music class practices the song "Mr. Sandman." In the same episode, Johnny and Sarah make out in his car to "Sleep Walk" a song by Santo & Johnny , which also featured in the Stephen King movie "Sleepwalkers."
• The show's creator, Michael Piller, also co-created "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (1993), of which Nicole DeBoer was also a cast member.
• Michael Moriarty was originally cast in the role of Reverend Eugene 'Gene' Purdy.
• Jack Nicholson is a fan of the show and was asked to play the character of Joe/Death in the episode "Ascent". Unfortunately, he was committed to promoting About Schmidt (2002) at the time.
• In a piece of quirky casting, the season two episode "Playing God" featured Ally Sheedy in a supporting role. Series star Anthony Michael Hall starred together in the 1980s John Hughes classic teen flick The Breakfast Club, portraying fellow high school students in detention. "Playing God" reunites these two actors once again as Johnny attends his high school reunion and meets up with Sheedy's character, a potential love interest of his from his high school days. Also featured in this episode is John Kapelos, who played the janitor in The Breakfast Club.
• Started originally as a pilot for UPN in the Fall of 2001 which never aired. When UPN decided not to pick the series, the cable USA network took it on.
• The cabin in the episode "The Mountain" was originally built for the film Freddy vs. Jason (2003)
• In the episode "Dead Men Tell Tales", the casino logo is the same picture as the drum and wall painting in "Shaman".
• Anthony Michael Hall is the only actor to appear in every episode.
• The theme song from Seasons 1-3 is "New Year's Prayer" by Jeff Buckley.
• The new theme song since Season 4 is "Dead Zone Epic" by "Blues Saraceno".
• The Promos for Season 4 featured the song "Brace Yourself" by Howie Day.
• The Promos for Season 5 featured the song "By My Side" by INXS.
• The Promos for Season 6 feature the song "Touch Me" by The Doors.
• The first 4 seasons are available on DVD in the US, and the first 2 in Europe. In the US, the DVD rights are held by Lions Gate Home Entertainment, while Paramount Home Entertainment holds international rights.
• There are several scenes, during the opening credits, that never appear in any episode of the show.
• As of Season 5, the primary Dead Zone web site features blogs by both several of the creators, and even blogs written by Johnny himself. Each entry in Johnny's blog corresponds to the events of the last episode, giving readers insight to Johnny's feelings in the aftermath of the episodes' events.
• Two new writers hired in January 2007 are Sam and Jim from the Sam and Jim go to Hollywood podcast. Their podcast chronicled the trials of two guys who gave up their successful restaurant businesses in Minnesota to get a screenwriting job in LA. Now that they have the job, they report on what the writers room is like.

Michael Anthony Thomas Charles Hall (born April 14, 1968), known professionally as Anthony Michael Hall, is an American actor, producer and director who achieved stardom in several successful teen-oriented films of the 1980s. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Michael Piller (born May 30, 1948) is an American television and cinema screenwriter. ... Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999) is an unauthorized made-for-television docudrama written and directed by Martyn Burke. ... The Stand is a post-apocalyptic science fiction / horror / adventure novel by Stephen King originally published in 1978. ... Storm of the Century is a 1999 horror TV miniseries written by Stephen King and directed by Craig R. Baxley. ... The Dead Zone is a 1983 film directed by David Cronenberg. ... Parallel universe or alternate reality in science fiction and fantasy is a self-contained separate reality coexisting with our own. ... A psychiatric hospital (also called at various places and times, mental hospital, mental ward, sanitarium or asylum) is a hospital specializing in the treatment of persons with mental illness. ... Space station Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (ST:DS9 or STDS9 or DS9 for short) is a science fiction television series produced by Paramount and set in the Star Trek universe. ... Michael Moriarty (born April 5, 1941) is a Tony-winning and Emmy-winning American actor. ... John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937), better known as Jack Nicholson or The Jack is an iconic, three-time Academy Award and seven time Golden Globe winning American method actor known for his often dark-themed portrayals of neurotic characters. ... About Schmidt is a 2002 American film directed by Alexander Payne and starring Jack Nicholson as Warren Schmidt and Hope Davis as his daughter Jeannie. ... Alexandra Elizabeth Ally Sheedy (born June 13, 1962) is an American screen and stage actress, possibly best known for her roles in the Brat Pack films The Breakfast Club and St. ... Michael Anthony Thomas Charles Hall (born April 14, 1968), known professionally as Anthony Michael Hall, is an American actor, producer and director who achieved stardom in several successful teen-oriented films of the 1980s. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Breakfast Club is a 1985 teen film widely considered as the definitive work in the genre. ... John Kapelos (b. ... UPN (which originally stood for the United Paramount Network) was a television network in over 200 markets in the United States. ... Freddy vs. ... Jeff Buckley (November 17, 1966 – May 29, 1997), born Jeffrey Scott Buckley and raised as Scotty Moorhead,[1] was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. ... Lions gate home entertainment is the home video and dvd distribution arm of lions gate entertainment corporation, it has a vast library of more than 8,ooo films(many the result of output deals with other studios), it is mainly responsible for the distribution of the lions gate film library... Paramount Home Entertainment (formerly Paramount Home Video) is a home video company founded in 1981. ...

Deviations from King's novel

• Johnny's coma is moved from the 1970s to the period 1996-2002, and is lengthened from four and a half years to six.
• Walt Bannerman is an amalgamation of two characters: the Castle Rock sheriff, George Bannerman, and Sarah's husband, Walt Hazlett.
• Sarah's son was fathered by Johnny and raised by Walt as his son; in the book, the child is Walt's.
• His father died in a mental hospital prior to the accident. In the book, his father actually survives him and is neither crazy nor has visions.
• New characters include physical therapist Bruce Lewis, Johnny's sidekick; and the Rev. Gene Purdy, Johnny's legal guardian. Sarah and Walt also take more prominent roles, instead of leaving Johnny alone for months or years at a time.
• Though Greg Stillson is mentioned in the pilot episode (in a conversation Reverend Purdy has on the phone), he does not appear onscreen until the final episode of the first season; as of the end of Season 5, Johnny has neither shot him nor planned to do so (outside of visions).
• With the introduction of Malcolm Janus, it becomes evident that Stillson is a pawn of more sinister forces. In the novel and film, Stillson brought about the apocalypse himself in an act of self aggrandization.
• Through visions, Johnny receives help from a man (Wey) in the post-apocalyptic future. In this future, it is learned that J.J. and Johnny survive Armageddon, but Johnny has become more cold-hearted and vicious. There is nothing that parallels this in the novel.
• In the show, Johnny and Sarah's relationship is much more serious prior to the accident; they were engaged, and had been friends since early childhood. In the novel, they went to the same college, but did not actually meet until they began to teach at the same school. Johnny's accident occurred on their third date, just after Sarah had decided to make the relationship more serious.
• Johnny's abilities are somewhat different in the novel; with two notable exceptions, in the novel he does not have visions. Instead, he gets "flashes"; he just knows something, with a cold hard certainty. They are also more eerie, as when the flashes come he goes into an odd sort of trance that tends to frighten those around him and his touch when getting these flashes discomforts and alarm those he is touching. It makes him more of an outcast and more eager to deny the ability than is the case in the TV show.
• Johnny has no middle name in the novel, and is specifically referred to at least once as "Johnny-no-middle-initial-Smith"; in the episode "Vortex," Johnny gives his middle name as "Robert."
• In the novel the "dead zone" refers to Johnny's inability to see numbers in his "flashes". In the show the "dead zone" is a section of brain that redirected blood flow from the accident has awakened and he has seen numbers several times including addresses and phone numbers.

External links

• Official USA Network site
• The Dead Zone at the Internet Movie Database
• The Dead Zone on TV Squad
• French fan site about the show
• The Dead Zone TV Fansite

The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ... TV Squad is a television weblog founded on March 10, 2005 and resides within the most visited sites of the Weblogs, Inc. ...

References

1. ^ 2004 3rd Directors Guild of Canada Awards. The LA Times (2005). Retrieved on 2007-01-11.
2. ^ 2006 DGC Awards Official Rules Booklet, "Eligibility 3 (2006-01-16). Retrieved on 2007-01-11.