The Watchful Eye Explained

Creator:Julie Durk
Showrunner:Emily Fox
Music:René G. Boscio
Country:United States
Language:English
Num Seasons:1
Num Episodes:10
Location:Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
Cinematography:Scott Williams
Runtime:41–45 minutes
Network:Freeform

The Watchful Eye is an American drama mystery thriller television series created by Julie Durk that aired from January 30 to March 27, 2023, on Freeform. In June 2023, the series was cancelled after one season.

Cast and characters

Main

Recurring

In addition, Elyse Maloway co-stars as Jocelyn Morrow, a nanny who worked for Iris and Alistair Greybourne.

Production

Development

On September 13, 2021, Freeform gave the series a pilot order.[2] On June 30, 2022, The Watchful Eye was picked up to series by Freeform. The series is created by Julie Durk and executive produced by Emily Fox, Ryan Seacrest, Nina Wass, Andrea Shay, and Jeffrey Reiner.[3] Fox also serves as the showrunner. Reiner directed the pilot. Ryan Seacrest Productions and ABC Signature are producing the series.[4] On July 15, 2022, René G. Boscio was hired as the composer for the series.[5] On June 30, 2023, Freeform cancelled the series after one season.[6]

Casting

Upon the pilot order announcement, Andrea Londo, Warren Christie, Kelly Bishop, Amy Acker, Jon Ecker, Lex Lumpkin, Henry Joseph Samiri, and Aliyah Royale were cast to star.[2] On June 30, 2022, it was reported that Mariel Molino replaced Londo in the lead role who was cast in the pilot.[3]

Filming

Filming for the series began April 26, 2022 and concluded on September 1, 2022, in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.[7]

Broadcast

The Watchful Eye premiered on Freeform on January 30, 2023, with two new episodes.[8] It also simulcasted the two-episode premiere on ABC Spark in Canada the same day. The series later became available to stream on Hulu.[9] The series was removed on Hulu on July 1, 2023.[6]

Reception

Critical response

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 67% approval rating with an average rating of 5.5/10, based on 6 critic reviews.[10] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 57 out of 100 based on 4 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[11]

Judy Berman of Time stated, "The Watchful Eye has no highbrow aspirations. It's just a solidly built thriller, with a smartly assembled cast of characters and well-executed plot beats, whose brisk pace guarantees a consistently exhilarating watch. At a time when so many shows reach for prestige signifiers that exceed their grasp, that lack of pretense is as refreshing as it is fun."[12] Anna Govert of Paste gave the show a grade of 8.4 out of 10, writing, "With a compelling cast of characters and an unending swath of secrets to uncover, The Watchful Eye is instantly addictive, and has all the potential to become your next TV obsession. As the walls begin to close in around Elena, The Watchful Eye is absolutely worth keeping an eye out for."[13] On social media, the series has been compared to the mystery comedy Only Murders in the Building, which is also distributed by Disney (via Hulu Originals) and set in a luxurious New York City apartment building.

Accolades

The series won Best Drama/Action Poster for a TV/Streaming Series at the 2023 Golden Trailer Awards.[14] [15]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Watchful Eye Cast: Meet the Characters and Who Plays Who in Freeform's New Drama Thriller. Teen Vogue. P. Claire. Dodson. January 31, 2023. February 1, 2023. January 31, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230131160506/https://www.teenvogue.com/story/the-watchful-eye-cast-meet-the-characters-and-who-plays-who. live.
  2. Web site: Hitchcockian Nanny Drama From Julie Durk Lands Pilot Order At Freeform; Andrea Londo & Warren Christie Among Stars. Deadline Hollywood. Peter. White. September 13, 2021. January 16, 2023. January 17, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230117052042/https://deadline.com/2021/09/nanny-drama-julie-durk-pilot-order-freeform-andrea-londo-warren-christie-1234832246/. live.
  3. Web site: Freeform Picks Up 'The Watchful Eye' to Series, Mariel Molino to Lead Cast. Variety. Wilson. Chapman. June 30, 2022. January 16, 2023. January 17, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230117051805/https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/freeform-the-watchful-eye-mariel-molino-1235307224/. live.
  4. Web site: Freeform Orders 'The Watchful Eye' Drama Series Starring Mariel Molino From Julie Durk. Deadline Hollywood. Denise. Petski. June 30, 2022. January 16, 2023. November 4, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221104115344/https://deadline.com/2022/06/freeform-orders-the-watchful-eye-drama-series-mariel-molino-julie-durk-ryan-seacrest-productions-1235054936/. live.
  5. Web site: René G. Boscio to Score Freeform's 'The Watchful Eye'. Film Music Reporter. July 15, 2022. January 17, 2023. January 17, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230117075540/https://filmmusicreporter.com/2022/07/15/rene-g-boscio-to-score-freeforms-the-watchful-eye/. live.
  6. Web site: Single Drunk Female, The Watchful Eye Cancelled at Freeform. TVLine. Gelman. Vlada. June 30, 2023. June 30, 2023. live. June 30, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230630213735/https://tvline.com/news/single-drunk-female-cancelled-the-watchful-eye-freeform-1234952597/.
  7. Web site: DGC BC Production List. Directors Guild of Canada. September 2, 2022. January 17, 2023. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220906203254/https://www.dgc.ca/assets/Uploads/BritishColumbia/AvailsProductionLists/Production/Production-List.pdf. September 6, 2022.
  8. Freeform Releases Its TV Offerings for January 2023 With New Episodes of 'Grown-ish' and the Two-Episode Series Premiere of 'The Watchful Eye'. Disney General Entertainment Content. December 15, 2022. January 16, 2023.
  9. Web site: Cobb . Kayla . January 31, 2023 . Where Can I Watch 'The Watchful Eye'? Freeform, Hulu, Online Streaming Info Decider . July 2, 2023 . . en-US.
  10. the_watchful_eye. The Watchful Eye. tv. 1. July 2, 2023. y.
  11. the-watchful-eye. The Watchful Eye. tv. 1. February 7, 2023. y.
  12. Berman . Judy . January 30, 2023 . Bonkers Thriller 'The Watchful Eye' Is Your New TV Addiction . July 2, 2023 . . en.
  13. Web site: Govert . Anna . January 30, 2023 . Freeform Thriller The Watchful Eye Is a Twisty, Hitchcockian Mystery Worth Obsessing Over . July 2, 2023 . . en-US.
  14. Web site: Pedersen . Erik . June 29, 2023 . Golden Trailer Awards: 'Cocaine Bear', 'Only Murders In The Building' & 'Oppenheimer' Among Top Winners – Full List . July 2, 2023 . . en-US.
  15. Web site: Prusakowski . Steven . June 30, 2023 . Winners Announced for The 2023 Golden Trailer Awards . July 2, 2023 . AwardsRadar.com . en-US.

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