The Dead Zone (TV series)

Notes and Trivia

• Anthony Michael Hall was cast after executive producer Michael Piller saw his performance in Pirates of Silicon Valley.
• The cane Johnny uses previously appeared (with a different head) in two other King adaptations; it was carried by Stu Redman in The Stand and by Andre Linoge in Storm of the Century.
• It is suggested that Bruce's friendship with Johnny in the series is a key factor to many of the changes from the original book and movie. In the second-season episode "Zion", Bruce has a vision of an alternate reality where he chose another career path and did not help Johnny recover after he woke from his coma. In this reality Johnny tries to kill Greg Stillson just as he does in the original book and movie.
• The season 4 episode "Babble On" reveals that Johnny's father had similar visions, which eventually resulted in his being institutionalized. The pilot suggested Johnny had visions before his accident.
• References to sleep: In the pilot episode, "Wheel of Fortune," the music class practices the song "Mr. Sandman." In the same episode, Johnny and Sarah make out in his car to "Sleepwalker," a song by Santo & Johnny featured in the Stephen King movie "Sleepwalkers."
• The show's creator, Michael Piller, also co-created "" (1993), of which Nicole de Boer was also a cast member.
• Michael Moriarty was originally cast in the role of Reverend Eugene 'Gene' Purdy.
• Jack Nicholson is a fan of the show and was asked to play the character of Joe/Death in the episode "Ascent". Unfortunately, he was committed to promoting About Schmidt (2002) at the time.
• Started originally as a pilot for UPN in the Fall of 2001 which never aired. When UPN decided not to pick the series, the cable USA network took it on.
• The cabin in the episode "The Mountain" was originally built for the film Freddy vs. Jason (2003)
• In the episode "Dead Men Tell No Tales", the casino logo is the same picture as the drum and wall painting in "Shaman".
• Anthony Michael Hall is the only actor to appear in every episode.

Deviations from King's novel

• Johnny's coma is moved from the 1970s to the period 1996-2002, and is lengthened from four and a half years to six.
• Walt Bannerman is an amalgamation of two characters: the sheriff and Sarah's husband.
• Sarah's son was fathered by Johnny and raised by Walt as his son; in the book, the child is Walt's.
• Johnny's mother dies from suicide, not a stroke; his father died in a mental hospital prior to the accident.
• New characters include physical therapist Bruce Lewis, Johnny's sidekick; and the Rev. Gene Purdy, Johnny's legal guardian. Sarah and Walt also take more prominent roles, instead of leaving Johnny alone for months or years at a time.
• Though Greg Stillson is mentioned in the pilot episode (in a conversation Reverend Purdy has on the phone), he does not appear onscreen until the final episode of the first season; as of the end of Season 3, Johnny has neither shot him nor planned to do so (outside of visions).
• With the introduction of Malcolm Janus, it becomes evident that Stillson is a pawn of more sinister forces. In the novel and film, Stillson brought about the apocalpyse himself in an act of self aggrandization.
• Through visions, Johnny receives help from a man in the post-apocalyptic future.
• Johnny and Sarah were engaged prior to the accident, and had been friends since early childhood. Their relationship is much less serious in the novel. They went to college together, but did not actually meet until they began to teach at the same school. His accident occurred on their third date, after which Sarah had intended to commit to Johnny, but never got the chance.