The Farm UPDATE: Done Shooting

The Farm, aka The L Word spinoff,  just finished shooting today in Vancouver, BC and already I have a report from one of my UFOs (=Undisclosed Freelance Observer).

By now we have found out that the rumored pilot is only a presentation for the Showtime execs (and possibly others if Showtime doesn’t bite), the setting is in California in the “Humboldt State Farm and Prison for Women” and Leisha Hailey and Melissa Leo, of The L Word fame, are part of the cast lineup.

Today I got some more scoop: The prison is divided into two cell-blocks for lack of a better word designated “Sherwood North” and “Sherwood South“. “Sherwood South” is called “The Jungle” by the inmates and “Sherwood North” is referred to as “The Farm“. Guess where Alice Pieszecki, played by Leisha Hailey, is going? Nope, not “The Farm“. According to one of my sources she gets sent to “The Jungle” because one of the other inmates on her bus wants to be “with her home girls” in “The Jungle” and the warden won’t give her what she wants on principle. So she has to swap places with Leisha, I mean Alice.

Speaking of the warden. Contrary to what I blogged concerning The Farm before, Melissa Leo is not playing the big boss at the prison. She is playing Correctional Officer Miller. The warden, Warden Elder, actually Dr. Elder, is played by Laurie Metcalf. She is probably best known for her portrayal of Roseanne‘s sister on the sitcom Roseanne.

And it got even better. Although we don’t have a confirmed sighting by one of my sources Famke Janssen was supposed to have been on set playing a prisoner being shackled and getting interrogated. The name “Famke” was confirmed when one of my sources heard “that’s a wrap for Famke” and the presence of Famke Janssen was talked about by a bunch of extras who had run into her in the make-up trailer.

One of the big scenes on the last day was the second stage of Alice’s arrival at the prison. She and her fellow bus-mates got greeted by the warden, played by Laurie Metcalfe. Said future inmates were all naked and had cavity searches performed on them. Unfortunately only the extras were fully in the nude. Leisha Hailey was allowed to wear skin-colored undies. Bummer.

This is all I have for now. The production has wrapped. So let’s keep our fingers crossed that the execs like what they see and commission a pilot and a series.