Emmy-winning director Charles McDougall ("Desperate Housewives") and a cast and crew of 25-30 are in Downtown Milwaukee this morning (and at other times this week) to shoot a scene and some establishing shots for the new one-hour drama,"Backyards and Bullets" (working title) set in Milwaukee and its suburbs.
The scene being shot involves actors Lou Diamond Phillips (who plays Milwaukee's police chief) and Billy Burke, who leave the County Courthouse ("played by" the main Northwestern Mutal building) to go for a jog along the lakefront.
The new Sony/NBC pilot marks the first time in years that a TV show has been shot in Milwaukee. Officials hope to jump start our city and state's film and television industry even more when the new state tax incentives take effect Jan. 1.
Dignataries, including Scott Robbe, executive director of Film Wisconsin welcomed the ""Backyards and Bullets" (also called "The Watch) cast and crew today. On hand were: Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton, Mayor Tom Barrett, Sen. Ted Kanavas and state commerce and tourism secretaries Mary Burke and Kelli Trumble.
A life-long and passionate community leader and Milwaukeean, Jeff Sherman is a co-founder of OnMilwaukee.
He grew up in Wauwatosa and graduated from Marquette University, as a Warrior. He holds an MBA from Cardinal Stritch University, and is the founding president of Young Professionals of Milwaukee (YPM)/Fuel Milwaukee.
Early in his career, Sherman was one of youngest members of the Greater Milwaukee Committee, and currently is involved in numerous civic and community groups - including board positions at The Wisconsin Center District, Wisconsin Club and Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. He's honored to have been named to The Business Journal's "30 under 30" and Milwaukee Magazine's "35 under 35" lists.
He owns a condo in Downtown and lives in greater Milwaukee with his wife Stephanie, his son, Jake, and daughter Pierce. He's a political, music, sports and news junkie and thinks, for what it's worth, that all new movies should be released in theaters, on demand, online and on DVD simultaneously.
He also thinks you should read OnMilwaukee each and every day.
