It’s no mystery that millennials love Tori Spelling and Jennie Garth. The former Donna and Kelly from the block called 90210 are now in a new ‘hood’ solving crimes while in couture and stirring up double trouble on the set of their new hit series Mystery Girls on ABC Family! I got the chance to go behind-the-scenes during a trip to Los Angeles, courtesy of Disney #ABCFamily and #GuardiansoftheGalaxy #ChasingLife press trip.
25 bloggers on the beat! #MysterySolved! photo credit: “ABC FAMILY/ Eric McCandless”
I got the chance to hang out on set and get an up-close and personal tour and even talk to the stars of Mystery Girls, Tori, Jennie and funnyman almighty and Miguel Pinzon, who plays Nick the assistant to Holly (Spelling) and Charlie (Garth). Note: Miguel received news that he was nominated for a Teen Choice Award Miguel’s over-the-top antics will have you literally laughing out loud.
“ABC FAMILY/ Craig Sjodin”
In case you don’t know, first let me tell you what Mystery Girls is all about. Mystery Girls, follows two former detective TV show starlets brought back together by a real-life mystery. Charlie Contour (Garth) is a suburban housewife and mother, while Holly Hamilton (Spelling) longs for her glory days in the 90’s when she was on television. Both of their lives are disrupted when Nick (Pinzon), a witness to a crime and a ‘Mystery Girls’ fanatic, will only speak to the infamous duo, and the former friends must reunite and put their TV crime-solving skills to the test.
Being on set was surreal. Watching a TV show and going behind the scenes are two very different dynamics.
For one, in my mind when I watch I show I think that the celebrities are in a whole house or building. Behind the scenes I got to see firsthand that a set is just a fraction of a house or building! It’s truly a small space!
Cameras anchored right above the vibrant set!
There’s a lot of stopping and starting and directing and stopping again and reading of lines and many do-overs! It takes a lot of patience on the part of the actors/actresses because when reciting lines it’s not just ONE and DONE! It’s one and two and three and four and do it again and again and again!
Below is Tori Spelling receiving direction from renowed director/producer Michael Lembeck! Michael’s the force behind hit shows like Seinfield, Friends and Everybody Loves Raymond.
Tori and Jennie were very professional on set. It’s a job and it was evident they were putting every ounce of their talent into the task at-hand. And there are also quite a few people behind the scenes like cameramen and women, assistants and of course producers and directors, cast and extras.
It was a fun set trip capped with an interview with Tori Spelling, Jennie Garth and Miguel Pinzon. And Miguel was just so much fun on-set and his personality is just as vibrant and his on-screen persona Nick.
Miguel is a bucket full of fun. I’m his newest fan.
And DAHHHLING, I even got to dabble in their wardrobe!
An interview with Tori and Jennie
I got the chance to sit down with Tori and Jennie and find out all about Mystery Girls.
ABC FAMILY/ Eric McCandless
So how did the Mystery Girls concept come about? Well Tori Spelling explains that thanks to her dad’s early mystery crime fighting shows like Remington Steele, she adopted a love for all things mysterious and wanted to use that affection for mysteries of the 80’s as an anchor to launch a mystery inspired concept fused with comedy. And she said she was hoping her gal pal Jennie Garth would join in on the fun — And she did! #MysterySolved
“You emailed me a very sweet letter. No pressure,” said Jennie. “And I read it.”
Tori explains: “You know when friends ask you to do favors like, “Hey, I have this thing for you,” you always feel so guilty asking? So it was one of those. But, I felt like we had a pretty good script to back it up you know.”
And the script is quite high-spirited.
“We have fun,” said Jennie. “We have so much fun and it’s just really easy. You know we know each other very well, we’re past all the awkward getting to know each other and we kind of know each others ups and downs, when we need space…You know when we need comforting and it’s like we’re very familiar with each other already. And we already have that built in chemistry too as actresses so…”
ABC FAMILY/ Eric McCandless
So the chemistry and camaraderie kicked up and on-screen the two stars just gleam. Jennie portrays a mom and housewife who’s moved on from gloating about her heydays as a former TV star while Tori’s character is still stuck in the glory days of ole’ and wants to get back on the scene solving mysteries. Tori’s character oozes with bouncing bubbliness like a schoolgirl. While Jennie’s character is more centered, head-strong and in control. Hmmm she reminds me of me!
And as moms, Jennie and Tori are balancing their hectic work schedules like all of us do, but luckily they are able to bring their babies on set where they can pay, stay close and be cared for.
Miguel Pinzon is playful– in a good way. She still exudes that effervescence of a newbie on the Hollywood scene– no arrogance or air of entitlement — and I hope he stays that way!
Miguel plays Nick on Mystery Girls and even though the show is already upbeat and funny, Miguel brings some funky fresh flavor (did I just say funky fresh) to the set. His personality is bigger than his britches and he’s just as vibrant off-screen as he is on the flat-screen.
To meet Miguel is like sucking on a Peppermint Certs and then drinking water. Try it. Cool. Refreshing. And it makes you want more.
ABC FAMILY/ Eric McCandless
What’s next for Miguel? Hopefully he’ll secure that Teen Choice Award in the coming months. “I haven’t prepared,” he said about his nomination. “It just happened this morning but I was just thinking how fun it is to be nominated for a character that’s queer and fun and vibrant.”
“And I think that’s great that teens are getting to see every shade of human being and celebrate them. Yeah. So I’m super, super happy about it.”
And about his success on the show, Miguel says:
“My family has been so, so supportive and so celebratory and texting me about like, ‘oh my God I love this line. I think that’s so funny.’ My eldest sister who was an actress and no longer is but she loves to give notes, has been surprisingly so supportive and not giving me a single note, which is what it is. But everyone around me has been so nice and supportive. It’s been awesome.”
Miguel said the acting has always been coursing through his veins since he was a kid.
“I recently discovered just like this little autobiography I did like… what was it, second grade? And it was like, tell us about what your future wants to be. And I was like I want to be an actor and then I listed all the people I wanted to work with. I’m like what an absurd list! (laughs) I want to be in the movies with, my first-person was Whoopi Goldberg.”
Miguel he doesn’t remember when he become such a big Whoopi fan but he loves her. Well Miguel, I’m sure you’ll meet your early idol very soon on The View!
I had a fabulous time during the ABC Family set visit and would like to thank ABC Family for the behind the scene sneak-a-peek.
Don’t forget! Tune in to Mystery Girls TONIGHT at 8:30pm ET/PT on ABC Family. Joe E. Tata (“Nat of “Beverly Hills, 90210”) will guest star on Wednesday’s (7/23) episode!
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/MysteryGirlsonABCFamily
- Twitter: twitter.com/MysteryGirls
- Instagram: instagram.com/MysteryGirls
Disclosure: I was invited out to LA for the Disney ABCFamily event and given hotel accommodations, travel and some food and gifts. But all opinions are my very own.
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