L.A. Bookstore With Book Sense Becomes Location for New CBS TV Show

God's ways, always mysterious, are downright bewildering in Joan of Arcadia, a new CBS program premiering on September 26. Typical teenager Joan (played by Amber Tamblyn) is commanded by God, in the forms of a cute guy and a lunch lady, to get a job in a bookstore -- an independent no less. If the set has an uncanny similitude to a real bookstore, don't credit divine intervention -- the show is shot in Skylight Books, a seven-year-old bookstore in Los Angeles, not far from the studios of Hollywood.

Actually, God didn't specify Skylight Books or any bookstore at all -- the directive was that Joan --whose character bears an ever-so-slight resemblance to a certain canonized French girl -- seek immediate gainful employment. All of the completed episodes, the show's pilot and four installments, include significant time in the bookstore.

Kerry Slattery, Skylight's general manager and a co-owner, is no stranger to klieg lights. She worked as an actress and was in the film business for years before becoming involved in the store. Over the years, the bookstore has been used repeatedly for various shoots. "They like our store," Slattery told BTW, "because of the high ceilings and the concrete floor -- it's easy to move cameras around. And it has a lot of character." Slattery interested the production designers in the Book Sense program, since the signage enhanced the realism of the set. "Even though the store is supposed to be in another state," Slattery said, "we figured all independents would be happy if they showed it [Book Sense posters and banners] in the pilot and all the promos."

The show's production designer Bill Eigenbrodt of Canterbury Productions told BTW that another production team worked on the original pilot episode and selected the location. "Production companies have location managers," Eigenbrodt said. "They check out possible sites and determine if they're viable and if the property owner is at all open to renting out the space." Skylight, he said, is a great location, one he has used in previous productions, and frequently visits as a customer as well.

What makes the store desirable for producers also makes it popular with customers -- the large open space, the skylights (which have to be covered during shooting since Joan works nights), and the architectural details. "It's an old building," Eigenbrodt continued. "It has sandblasted brick, a beautiful diamond pattern on the ceiling, skylights, and lots of bookcases on wheels -- easy to move around. It's also an open and friendly place with a great array of books, lots of special interest stuff. We don't show specific books in this show -- that's not the point. People in production are attracted to the vibe of the place. And the space has to be large enough for our crew of up to 80 people, depending on how many extras -- I should say 'background artists'-- they need."

Slattery is pleased that the store is frequently approached for film shoots but tries to limit the store's involvement to once a year. "The shooting really disrupts everything. It's hard on the customers to close for a few days. I have to leave the store because I get too nervous seeing them move things around." Does she miss show business? "Not at all, I love what I do here. I'll be interested to watch the shows on TV."

Eigenbrodt described the advantages of using independent bookstores for films and television. "They make excellent locations," he explained. "Chain bookstores are almost impossible to deal with. They're far too corporate, with no visual personality. Logistically, when a production person goes into [an independent] bookstore, it's easy to find an owner to talk to."

Canterbury, the same company that produces the highly regarded drama Judging Amy, has done a great job with production of Joan of Arcadia, according to Eigenbrod. But he won't venture an opinion on the success of the show. "Don't trust me," he told BTW. "Years ago when I worked on the pilot of Dawson's Creek, I said, 'Who would ever in their life watch this?'" --Nomi Schwartz