Ray Richmond contributes to Deadline’s TV coverage.
Kurt Sutter, the colorful and unfiltered creator/showrunner of the FX flagship drama series Sons of Anarchy, told an audience attending a PaleyFest event at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills this evening that he is still very much committed to doing an SOA prequel series after the mothership series wraps. Of course, that won’t be happening any time soon, given that Sutter just last month signed a three-year deal to take the biker soap through at least six and most likely seven seasons. Tonight, he replied to an audience member’s question about the prequel idea by saying, “I had this notion of wanting to explore the first nine. I see it as a different show – not a continuation or another version of Sons of Anarchy but a more political and socially historical sort of show. I definitely have some interest in doing it. I’d like to explore it in some capacity.” Sutter added that it would be something that wouldn’t be explored until after Sons left the air, “and nobody on this stage would be with me.”
The prequel revelation came at the end of an SOA event that had to set an unofficial PaleyFest panel record for most number of times the word “fuck” and permutations of the word (“fucking,” “fucker,” “fuckin,” “fucked”) were uttered. The most memorable instance came when Sutter, flanked by his real-life wife Katie Sagal (who portrays Gemma on the show) responded to a question of why the character of Unser (played by Dayton Callie) was helping Gemma on the show. “Maybe it’s me,” he said, “but I assume everyone wants to fuck my wife.” This dovetailed with the question of why Sutter has been so unable to control his baser impulses over Twitter. “I’m so desperately in need of attention,” he admitted. “I was baffled by Twitter initially and now I understand the power of it. Obviously I tweet a lot of ridiculous things, sometimes just to amuse myself and sometimes to see how much trouble I can get into…I’m not really good one on one with people, but I’ve found the virtual relationship where I don’t have to see anyone to be fantastic. I can love you in 143 characters.”
A few other revelations during tonight’s SOA PaleyFest panel:
–The major arc for the forthcoming fifth season of SOA will surround the idea of having put Jax (star Charlie Hunnam) in charge “and the loyalties of it and where people land,” Sutter said. “The dynamic that will play out this season will see Jax at the head of the table and the struggles he has in being king. Basically, the question will be, ‘Can Jax be the leader of an organized crime family and not become Clay (Ron Perlman)?’”
–The role of a porn producer portrayed last season by guest star David Hasselhoff was originally written for rocker Steven Tyler. “But The Hoff wound up doing a great job after Steven became too busy to do it,” Sutter said.
–Despite her husband’s rebel image, Sagal called Sutter “a wonderful husband and a loving father…And having three children keeps us both not quite as self-obsessed about work as we’d like to be.” But Sutter added, “Clearly I love this gig. If it sucked and was a miserable experience, I’m sure we wouldn’t be having this conversation, because (my wife and I would) be divorced.”
–Sagal is relieved to no longer be typecast as Peg Bundy, her Married…With Children role for 11 seasons. “Peg gave me a career and I was truly grateful for it,” she said. “But when I did an arc on Lost, I had to go in and audition and fight my way in because so many people saw me as Peg.”


SOA is a joke to any real man who has ever ridden a Harley. The “bad-ass” Jax Teller, the band’s VP? He wears white tennis shoes! Sutter is the luckiest no-talent gasbag working in Hollywood today.
I ride a 2004 Harley Davidson Fatboy, and I wear white sneakers. What is your point?
White chucks are worn all over the westcoast with dickies.
Maybe its not your 60s biker image-dirty jeans, engineer boots, cut off jean jacket.
@Digger,
Are you a “real man” that rides a Harley? I bet your gut hangs way over your belt, and your levi’s ain’t been warshed since the day you bought them 30 years ago. And we won’t go into how greasy your locks of hair are…do you still have teeth or are they all methed away?
So what? Jax Teller ( f-i-c-t-i-o-n-a-l character on a tv show) wears white sneakers instead of black cycle boots…his hair is always clean, he brushes his teeth, and he shows love & respect towards his kids ( do you?).
And Kurt Sutter ( in your opinion) is the luckiest “no talent gasbag” in Hollywood? Seems as though he’s pulling in some good ducats for not having any talent. Hey Cool Breeze, it’s a tv show..not a cut & dried, dyed in the wool documentary. If you don’t dig it? Change the channel. We won’t even notice that you aren’t there.
Here is a little information for you since you obviously haven’t looked into the things you voice….
“To prep for his role, Hunnam hung out with outlaw bikers in Northern California. “There was a kid I met in this club who was exactly who I was hired to play. He was the son of a man in the motorcycle club, he’d grown up in the club, every one of his birthday parties had been thrown in the clubhouse. I wear exactly the shoes he wore, the jeans he wore. He had a very powerful impact on me. He was an amazing guy.” And he was shot dead before Sons started production, hence the bullet necklace [Hunnam wears]. “I wear it for him –to remember the flavor he taught me.”
I vote nay on this. Sons of Anarchy has already covered this quite well. If they wanted to do a one-off season or mini-series, cool. A whole show? That’s crazy.
I love the idea! SOA has just scraped the surface of the first nine. I would miss some of my favorite characters from SOA. Although, Im sure with the creative minds behind the project wouldn’t disappoint me with a few new favorites!
Lenny The Pimp Janowitz!! lol
Or… Come up with something new. how bout that?
Next time leave unser at home, how about the actual SAMCRO members (tig,opie etc)
unser thought it was his show and there was much grumbling about him at our after party
he thinks he is bigger on this show then we do I guess
How about actors as opposed to the man who created their characters, their dialogue and their universe? Yeah, that’ll be interesting.
I read an earlier version of the pilot script for SOA and in it it had a few flashbacks to the Original Nine who started the MC. It was kind of cool, and shows a little of what Sutter might have in mind.
I think it wouldn’t be about the criminal gang like the current SOA is, but rather a show about a bunch of disillusioned vietnam vets that form an anarchist group and try to live “free” and off the grid, but eventually end up as criminals. I would imagine the show would be about that fall.
Showing the gradual fall from “hippies” to “hitmen” and why and how it happened.
Could be cool, would be SOA in name only.
David Hasselhoff??? Is that the best you could do?!?!? I’ll tell ya who would have made a better one……Denis Leary, he’s a bit of an asshole, Bruce Willis, Ric Flair, he’s a pussy hound, Nicholas Cage (of course i’d say him, I think he’s hot anyway!), and an excellent S.O.A. Member would be Stone Cold Steve Austin! So hot! Cause as he say’s he’s “The world’s toughest son of a bitch
!”
Relax dude, it’s just a tv show, you know, entertainment? Fuckin’ A!
Hey I really enjoy your show. I was just wondering when it is coming back on air?
I love this show. I think there’s a stereotype for bikers that people have, and in SOA we don’t see all of those stereotypes, but in reality, those stereotypes are how most people see bikers and that’s where people lose focus of what SOA is. I myself ride. I have a 2001 H-D Superglide Custom. Do I wear “biker boots”? Sometimes. But more often than not, I am wearing my more comfortable tennis shoes. It all depends on my mood that day. People can see it as they want, but I see SOA asc a great show with great storylines and plots and it has real-life style situations. The things that are happening on SOA right now could really happen. Jax is like a real character from my own life and this show is definitely relatable. Its great. I love it.
Great show love it!!! Would like to see a prequel
I like it
Love SOA but just don’t get the white shoes on Jax. Just doesnt fit in with everything else.
bloody fantastic show