'Witchblade' filming put on hold
 

Variety
Fri., May 24, 2002

Witchblade's' on Hold as Butler Enters Rehab

Production on signature TNT drama series "Witchblade" has been halted while
series star Yancy Butler enters a rehabilitation center for alcohol
treatment.

A statement from the show's producers Thursday said that the actress
voluntarily checked herself into rehab and that production was temporarily
halted."Witchblade" is produced by Top Cow Prods. and Halsted Pictures in
association with Warner Bros. Television.

Six of the 13 episodes that were ordered for the season are in the can, and
the premeire of the second season remains scheduled for June 16. The first two
episodes are to air back to back from 8-10 pm that night, and the remaining
four episodes are set to air at 9 pm the following Mondays.

Insiders close to the show said the producers intend to go back into
production in the next few weeks, upon a hopefully successful completion of
Butler's treatment. While those same insiders said the producers and network
plan to stick with Butler if at all possible, they have put feelers out for a
replacement.

Series is a crucial element of TNT's primetime lineup and widely considered
the most successful original series in the cable network's history.

During the show's 11-week run last summer on Tuesdays at 9, it boosted the
time period's cable household ratings and key demos by double digit
percentages. The episode premieres averaged over a 2.0 cable household
rating.

"Witchblade" follows the story of a New York City detective, portrayed by
Butler, who comes into possession of a mystical and powerful weapon that she
uses to fight crime and evil.


I've been a fan of Yancy's for some time now, so this is sad news. Hopefully she can get her act together and get back to work. I just hope she takes all the time she needs and doesn't rush back to filming.

I'm sorry to hear that Yancy has to go through this, but I'm glad for her sake that she recognized the need to get help. I love the show and really enjoy Yancy's portrayal of Sarah as well. I too hope that she takes the time she needs and gets healthy.

And I sincerely hope that TNT will stick by Yancy - as a fan of the show I'd much rather wait a few weeks/months for a new episode than lose the show's star.

Back to the show: I was pissed at how it ended last season (the season that never was). Ugh!

Good luck on the recovery, Ms. Butler!