You've all heard of the hit show, Hippocratic Oath. What you may not know is that due to the unexpected cult following forming around the character of January Sook, the crew's sarcastic computer wizard, the network is planning a spin-off show based around that character, called H4X0RZ. Entertainment Weekly was able to get an exclusive interview with Marleigh Norton, the actress who plays January Sook. EW: First off, thanks for giving us the chance to interview you. MN: No problem. I'm happy to be here. EW: The star of a new network show, huh? Did you think something like this would happen when you agreed to play Sook? MN: Not at all. I was expecting more of a long story arc, where we would slowly see Sook resolve her inner conflict around looking like a human, but not really belonging, and eventually she and the crew accepting each other. EW: Then what prompted the spin-off? MN: [laughs] The Nielsens. It turns out that Sook is very popular among the 12-35 male demographic. EW: We had noticed Sook's tendency towards "fan service"... MN: You know it's funny, we didn't really plan it that way. There's that scene back in season one where Sook has to dress up in Jayla's clothes to be the animal trainer or some such thing. At the time I thought, this will be cute, the computer geek dressing up in pelts, but it's turned out to be one of the most downloaded pictures from the fan site. After that, we just sort of went with it. EW: Can you tell us a little about H4X0RZ? MN: It's based around the Tinara summer rerun. Sook decides that she can be more help on Tinara at Omninet, so off she goes. The actors from the original episode have all signed on, so you should expect to see all the old favorites, Dr. Gallagher, Grady, and Scooter. EW: And Phaeton? MN: [smiling] Did I forget Phaeton? Yeah, him too. Anyway, we're going to run around, using our 1337 5k111z to battle evil hackers and the like. And hopefully get the damn network up. EW: Is Sook taking the baby AI with her? MN: You know, I'd really like her to, but that's up to the writers. EW: Will there be any crossovers? MN: Could be. We'll have the same writers and producers, so it's possible. There's a lot of logistical problems with actual crossovers, since Hippocratic Oath is filmed in Boston and H4X0RZ is going to be in Atlanta. They will be set in the same universe, though, so things which happen in one series will affect the other. EW: One last question, who's the real star, Sook or Phaeton? MN: Sook, of course! I've got top billing. EW: Sure, your name is first, but Phaeton's is last, which some shows reserve for the main character. MN: But not this one. EW: We understand. Thanks for taking the time to talk with us. MN: Sure. EW: Any final words for your fans? MN: [genki-style] H4X0RZ starts in late summer. Please look forward to it! |