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The Watchful Eye

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The Watchful Eye
Genre
Created byJulie Durk
ShowrunnerEmily Fox
Starring
Music byRené G. Boscio
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Danielle Weinstock
  • Joe DeOliveira
Production locationsBurnaby, British Columbia, Canada
CinematographyScott Williams
Editors
  • Louise A. Innes
  • Scott van Beever
  • Seagan Ngai
  • Luis Colina
  • Brian Beal
  • Jeffrey A. Stallman
  • Vanessa Ruane
Running time41–45 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkFreeform
ReleaseJanuary 30 (2023-01-30) –
March 27, 2023 (2023-03-27)

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.[1][2] In June 2023, the series was cancelled after one season.[3]

Cast and characters

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Main

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  • Mariel Molino as Elena Santos, a recently hired live-in nanny who moves into The Greybourne
  • Warren Christie as Matthew Ward,[4] a wealthy architect who recently lost his wife
  • Amy Acker as Tory Ayres,[4] Matthew's sister-in-law
  • Jon Ecker as Scott Macedo,[4] Elena's scheming secret boyfriend who is a detective
  • Aliyah Royale as Ginny Welles,[4] Elena's new friend who is a nanny at The Greybourne
  • Lex Lumpkin as Elliot Schwartz,[4] a teenager who lives in The Greybourne that becomes friends with Elena
  • Henry Joseph Samiri as Jasper Ward,[4] Matthew's young son who recently lost his mother
  • Kelly Bishop as Mrs. Ivey, a longtime resident at The Greybourne and the aunt of Matthew's wife

Recurring

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  • Grace Kaufman as Bennet Ayres, Tory's eldest stepdaughter
  • Christopher Redman as Dick Ayres, Tory's husband who is a doctor
  • Megan Best as Darcy Ayres, Tory's youngest stepdaughter
  • Baraka Rahmani as Alex Toubassy, one of Elena's nanny friends
  • Clare Filipow as Kim Stewart, another nanny friend of Elena's
  • Emily Tennant as Allie Ward, Matthew's deceased wife
  • Lachlan Quarmby as James Gianfranco, a nanny who is a friend of Ginny's
  • Jacqueline Obradors as Ronnie, Elena's scheming mother
  • Andres Velez as Roman, Elena's best friend who works a doorman at The Greybourne
  • Aaron Douglas as Otis Winthrop III

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

Production

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Development

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On September 13, 2021, Freeform gave the series a pilot order.[5] 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.[1] Fox also serves as the showrunner. Reiner directed the pilot. Ryan Seacrest Productions and ABC Signature are producing the series.[6] On July 15, 2022, René G. Boscio was hired as the composer for the series.[7] On June 30, 2023, Freeform cancelled the series after one season.[3]

Casting

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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.[5] On June 30, 2022, it was reported that Mariel Molino replaced Londo in the lead role who was cast in the pilot.[1]

Filming

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Filming for the series began April 26, 2022 and concluded on September 1, 2022, in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.[8]

Episodes

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No.Title [9]Directed byWritten byOriginal air date [9]U.S. viewers
(millions)
1"Hen in the Fox House"Jeffrey ReinerJulie DurkJanuary 30, 2023 (2023-01-30)0.180[10]
2"Hide and Seek"Jeffrey ReinerEmmylou DiazJanuary 30, 2023 (2023-01-30)0.131[10]
3"The Nanny Who Knew Too Much"Charissa SanjarernsuithikulChloé HungFebruary 6, 2023 (2023-02-06)0.105[11]
4"The Nanny Vanishes"Jeffrey ReinerAlicia CarrollFebruary 13, 2023 (2023-02-13)0.133[12]
5"Stairway to Eleven"Shana SteinLenn K. RosenfeldFebruary 20, 2023 (2023-02-20)0.146[13]
6"Save New York"Joy T. LaneJordan RoterFebruary 27, 2023 (2023-02-27)0.131[14]
7"Out Like a Light"Patricia CardosoEmmylou Diaz & Elyse MoralesMarch 6, 2023 (2023-03-06)0.079[15]
8"Spellbound"Daniel WillisRebecca KirschMarch 13, 2023 (2023-03-13)0.077[16]
9"The Serpent's Tooth"Michael TrimAlex Levy & Michael V. RossMarch 20, 2023 (2023-03-20)0.088[17]
10"Hale Fellow Well Met"Jeffrey ReinerEmily FoxMarch 27, 2023 (2023-03-27)0.097[18]

Broadcast

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The Watchful Eye premiered on Freeform on January 30, 2023, with two new episodes.[2] It also simulcasted the two-episode premiere on ABC Spark in Canada the same day.[19] The series later became available to stream on Hulu.[20] The series was removed on Hulu on July 1, 2023.[3]

Reception

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Critical response

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The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 67% approval rating with an average rating of 5.5/10, based on 6 critic reviews.[21] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 57 out of 100 based on 4 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[22]

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."[23] 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, it'The Watchful Eye absolutely worth keeping an eye out for."[24]

Ratings

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Viewership and ratings per episode of The Watchful Eye
No. Title Air date Rating
(18–49)		 Viewers
(millions)
1 "Hen in the Fox House" January 30, 2023 0.06 0.180[10]
2 "Hide and Seek" January 30, 2023 0.05 0.131[10]
3 "The Nanny Who Knew Too Much" February 6, 2023 0.04 0.105[11]
4 "The Nanny Vanishes" February 13, 2023 0.05 0.133[12]
5 "Stairway to Eleven" February 20, 2023 0.04 0.146[13]
6 "Save New York" February 27, 2023 0.04 0.131[14]
7 "Out Like a Light" March 6, 2023 0.03 0.079[15]
8 "Spellbound" March 13, 2023 0.02 0.077[16]
9 "The Serpent's Tooth" March 20, 2023 0.03 0.088[17]
10 "Hale Fellow Well Met" March 27, 2023 0.03 0.097[18]

Accolades

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The series won Best Drama/Action Poster for a TV/Streaming Series at the 2023 Golden Trailer Awards.[25][26]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Chapman, Wilson (June 30, 2022). "Freeform Picks Up 'The Watchful Eye' to Series, Mariel Molino to Lead Cast". Variety. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "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 (Press release). December 15, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Vlada, Gelman (June 30, 2023). "Single Drunk Female, The Watchful Eye Cancelled at Freeform". TVLine. Archived from the original on June 30, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Dodson, P. Claire (January 31, 2023). "The Watchful Eye Cast: Meet the Characters and Who Plays Who in Freeform's New Drama Thriller". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  5. ^ a b White, Peter (September 13, 2021). "Hitchcockian Nanny Drama From Julie Durk Lands Pilot Order At Freeform; Andrea Londo & Warren Christie Among Stars". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  6. ^ Petski, Denise (June 30, 2022). "Freeform Orders 'The Watchful Eye' Drama Series Starring Mariel Molino From Julie Durk". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 4, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  7. ^ "René G. Boscio to Score Freeform's 'The Watchful Eye'". Film Music Reporter. July 15, 2022. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  8. ^ "DGC BC Production List" (PDF). Directors Guild of Canada. September 2, 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 6, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  9. ^ a b "Shows A-Z - watchful eye, the on freeform". The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on June 30, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  10. ^ a b c d Metcalf, Mitch (January 31, 2023). "ShowBuzzDaily's Monday 1.30.2023 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on February 1, 2023. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  11. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (February 7, 2023). "ShowBuzzDaily's Monday 2.6.2023 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  12. ^ a b Salem, Mitch (February 14, 2023). "ShowBuzzDaily's Monday 2.13.2023 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  13. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (February 22, 2023). "ShowBuzzDaily's Monday 2.20.2023 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  14. ^ a b Salem, Mitch (February 28, 2023). "ShowBuzzDaily's Monday 2.27.2023 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 1, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  15. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (March 7, 2023). "ShowBuzzDaily's Monday 3.6.2023 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  16. ^ a b Salem, Mitch (March 14, 2023). "ShowBuzzDaily's Monday 3.13.2023 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 14, 2023. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  17. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (March 21, 2023). "ShowBuzzDaily's Monday 3.20.2023 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  18. ^ a b Salem, Mitch (March 28, 2023). "ShowBuzzDaily's Monday 3.27.2023 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  19. ^ "SCHEDULE", ABC Spark, archived from the original on January 26, 2023, retrieved January 27, 2023
  20. ^ Cobb, Kayla (January 31, 2023). "Where Can I Watch 'The Watchful Eye'? Freeform, Hulu, Online Streaming Info | Decider". Decider. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  21. ^ "The Watchful Eye: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  22. ^ "The Watchful Eye: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  23. ^ Berman, Judy (January 30, 2023). "Bonkers Thriller 'The Watchful Eye' Is Your New TV Addiction". Time. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  24. ^ Govert, Anna (January 30, 2023). "Freeform Thriller The Watchful Eye Is a Twisty, Hitchcockian Mystery Worth Obsessing Over". Paste. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  25. ^ Pedersen, Erik (June 29, 2023). "Golden Trailer Awards: 'Cocaine Bear', 'Only Murders In The Building' & 'Oppenheimer' Among Top Winners – Full List". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  26. ^ Prusakowski, Steven (June 30, 2023). "Winners Announced for The 2023 Golden Trailer Awards". AwardsRadar.com. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
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