SYRACUSE -- You may have heard the buzz about Upstate, a television sitcom shot and based in Syracuse. Most of the shooting for a pilot episode took place last fall, and now the finished product has been unveiled. After a debut at Syracuse Stage on Sunday, the episode will air locally on NewsChannel 9 (WSYR-TV) this Thursday.
According to Syracuse Post-Standard reporter Deborah J. Groom, the pilot was well-received at its initial screening on Sunday. On Thursday night, channel 9 will air a 30-minute special about the production of Upstate at 8:00pm, followed by the pilot at 8:30.
Groom's article says the episode includes shots of several landmarks familiar to Central New Yorkers, including the National Grid building downtown, nearby Armory Square and the Palace Theater in Eastwood.
The pilot was written by Cazenovia's Tom Seeley, whose previous writing credits include favorites like Newhart and Murphy Brown. Executive Producer is Steve Kimatian, who formerly worked at channel 9 as the VP of Clear Channel Television's Northeast Station Group.
Seeley and Kimatian tell the newspaper their next step involves pitching the pilot to television executives, in the hopes of getting Upstate picked up for full production.
[...] [CNYRadio.com] [...]