Jackson Horn shares the initials of its creator, Josh Hodgins, of Yakima, Washington. That's not all it shares, Jackson Horn is an autobiographical story of the show's creator. Hodgins and Horn share a life story and in the original series, characters from his life played the role of themselves in the show, giving an air of authenticity and raw emotion to the final product.
According to an October, 2006 article, the show is "a heart-felt drama centered around the journey of a youth struggling through a broken family, homelessness and ultimately finding himself through challenging pursuits of life, love and happiness, as well dealing with the importance of family. Set in Hodgins’ home town of Yakima, “Jackson Horn” depicts the pitfalls and triumphs of his courageous life thorugh fictional characters set in the path of making the wrong decisions in life and facing the harsh consequences of such – a series that could both educate and relate to youths and families of today in many ways."
Jackson Horn finale details
The season finale follows the same tone. The new production picks up a few years after the initial season ended, with characters older, wiser and struggling with life issues that mirror reality, once again. Viewers should expect to grab a hanky for a death in the family, a struggle for survival and the promise of new hope for the future.
Much of the original cast and crew have returned and Hodgins has enlisted a nationwide talent base both behind the scenes and in front of the camera. Among the new additions to the JH set are:
- Director of Photography Brandon Russell, whose cinematography skills were honed in Seattle and Los Angeles. Russell's career began as a child, when he worked as an extra in Tom Hank's Bachelor Party
- Carol Matthews, a gifted makeup artist who divides her time between Nashville and Washington State
- Stephanie Long, an up-and-coming actress from Mississippi, who portrays character Gracie
- Executive Producer and co-director Kevin J Foxe, an industry veteran from the Los Angeles area.
- Tom Proctor, who got his start in 1991 as a stunt man and has since worked several aspects of production, with an impressive list of credits
- Chase Christensen, an actor from the hilarious comedy, "Forbidden Fruit"
- Illinois native and actor Erik Williams, who attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles
- Bree Toney, fashion lover turned wardrobe stylist
- Michael Mitchell, from Light Productions
Hodgins and his crew expect to be finished shooting by the end of winter, 2011 and the show will air on selected FOX stations throughout the US.
References:
Lisa Russell - Lisa Russell is a freelance writer and mom of six daughters. She blogs about their life at lisarussell.org
