'Vanished' Appears with Intrigue! Plus Your Results, An 'Everwood' Star goes to 'The O.C.' and 'Scrubs' The Musical

Thanks to the wonderful people at Fox and TV Guide, I received a package in the mail the other day that contained many of Fox's fall premieres including Bones, Justice, Prison Break, House and the topic of today's entry -- Vanished. Of course, I dug right in and began watching these episodes (Bones' 2nd season premiere is terrific!), and I'll bring you my thoughts on some of the other Fox shows in future editions. Vanished was the one new show that I was prepared to add to my crowded viewing schedule. I had high hopes for it, and let me tell you, it's good. The premise of the show, which premieres Monday night, centers on the wife of a Georgia senator who goes missing during a charity dinner at a swanky hotel in Atlanta. The FBI, led by agents Kelton and Mei (Gale Harold and ER's Ming-Na) is called in and instantly begins investigating her strange disappearance. An ambitious cable news reporter (Rebecca Gayheart) is hot on the trail of the sensationalized story as well. The show gets your attention right away with aerial city shots, inside- the- security- cameras- and- walls shots and an intriguing phone call that leads you to believe that there is a lot more to Sara Collins' disappearance than first meets the eye. If the city views, inside shots and gross-out autopsy scene make you think CSI, then it should come as no surprise that the show's executive producer Josh Berman worked on the hit crime drama for several years. CSI fans will be happy to know that he brings a lot of that show's successful visual tricks to Vanished.


What do a thawing body, an archaic-looking number 9 tattoo, mysterious phone calls and a positive pregnancy test have to do with Sara's disappearance? That's all part of the intrigue that Vanished introduces in its first hour. Every time you think you may have some idea as to what happened to the senator's wife, expect another curve ball. But, the show saves the biggest twist for last, as a major surprise is revealed in the episode's final few minutes. Who knew what? Who conspired to kidnap the young philanthropist? Did she leave on her own accord? And is her disappearance connected to something much larger? These are just some of the interesting questions that the show presents in its pilot. As far as the answers, I'll be watching to find them.

THE 411

PREMISE: Georgia senator's wife goes missing and then the intrigue begins.
STARRING: Ming-Na, Rebecca Gayheart, Gale Harold, John Allen Nelson, Joanne Kelly, John Patrick Amedori, Margarita Leviera and Esai Morales
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Josh Berman (CSI)
EXTRA BONUS: Finally a show set in the South that doesn't portray the area as the Hollywood stereotype. And there are no fake accents! As someone who has lived in Atlanta, I'm grateful.
BOTTOM LINE: I'm hooked! Definitely worth adding to your crowded TV schedule.
PREMIERES: Monday, August 21st at 9 p.m. (EST) on Fox. Check out this video featuring the fictional senator and his family in a news report:



Be sure to stay tuned to PTR for the remainder of the summer for full coverage of the new fall season. I'll bring more thoughts on new and returning shows, spoilers, news and much more!


'Scrubs' Spoke, You Voted
Last Friday, PTR presented the Best of the Scrubies with 20 of the best Scrubs quotes of the season. After the introduction of the 20 best, you guys voted for your favorite quote. Today, PTR presents your results (and remember as Cat from So You Think You Can Dance always reminds us, you can't get mad at the results if you didn't vote):

10% of you thought that quote #14 was the best:
"Oh Perry, you're so edgy and cantankerous, you're like House without the limp." Dr. Kelso to Dr. Cox in a reference to the Fox medical show that shares Scrubs' timeslot

10% of you thought that quote #16 was the best:
"Don't you know I dole out compliments once a year? Like a squirrel, you must gather up these acorns of kind words to sustain you for the upcoming cold, sarcastic months." Dr. Cox to JD

10% of you thought that quote #19 was the best:
"I started an 'I Hate Cox' chatroom. It hasn't really worked out like I planned. It's me, two interns and 14,000 lesbians." Elliot to Dr. Cox after she told him that he treats her badly

20% of you thought that quote #8 was the best:
Elliot: JD, I really don't want to do this. Can't we just go home and put on our PJs and watch Grey's Anatomy?
JD: Oh, I do love that show. It's like they've been watching our lives and then just put it on TV.

20% of you thought that quote #11 was the best:
"We're having a baby!" Turk, who had his arm around JD, to Dr. Cox
"Red states be damned! I'm sure you're going to make great fathers." Dr. Cox

BUT, there was only one winner. And the Scrubie for Best/Most Awesome/Funniest Line/Exchange of the Year goes to... (insert awkward silence as celebrity presenter struggles to rip open the envelope)...

QUOTE #13!!!
"I'm so mad at Lorelai, I can't even talk right now!" JD to Turk regarding Gilmore Girls

Yes, quote #13 won the award with 30% of your votes, so as you can see, it was a close one. I guess it just goes to show how unique, creative and funny the writing is on this show. Thank you to everyone who voted!

FRIDAY FUN: SUMMER STYLE
It's Friday, which means it's time for another edition of Friday Fun: Summer Style. This week features Fun Facts about an actress on a hit summer show.

FF: Jacqueline McKenzie, who plays agent Diana Skouris on USA Network's The 4400, has her own official site and MySpace.com page. The Australian-born actress is also a singer/songwriter and accomplished artist. In fact, her song "Shy Baby" was featured during last season's finale of the hit sci-fi series. McKenzie honed her acting chops in Australia's art-house film scene where she garnered a slew of award nominations and wins including the Australian Film Institute's Best Actress in a Leading Role for her turn as a schizophrenic who meets and falls in love with a fellow schizophrenic during therapy sessions in the critically acclaimed Angel Baby. You can learn more about this talented actress at her official site, where you can also listen to her music and view her paintings. To access her MySpace.com page, click HERE.


QUICK CUTS

*According to TVGuide.com's Mike Ausiello, Everwood alum Chris Pratt is joining those crazy kids of Orange County on Fox's The O.C. this season. He'll play an environmentalist that becomes friends with Summer (Rachel Bilson) at college. Pratt says his character is a fun role. "He's a left-wing liberal, environmentalist, vegan-type of save-the-chickens character that's a little over-the-top, but he's completely earnest," he tells the magazine's online site. Right now, Pratt is signed for 6 episodes with the teen drama. His first episode is the fourth season premiere November 2nd on Fox. You can read more from Ausiello's interview HERE.


*And finally, how does Scrubs: The Musical sound? Well, it's now a reality. Ausiello is reporting that the hospital comedy will do a musical episode next year and the cast and crew are getting a little help from the folks behind Broadway's Avenue Q. "We can obviously help with lyrics, but we needed somebody not only to write, like, incredibly well-produced, musical-quality numbers, but also [to make them] funny. And if you saw Avenue Q, their songs will fit in with us," creator/executive producer Bill Lawrence tells TVGuide.com. The episode, which will serve as the series' 6th of its upcoming season, centers around a patient who suffers an aneurism and begins seeing everything as a musical. And what of that little matter of cast member Sarah Chalke's inability to sing and dance? "We told her she's not allowed to sing, and she's annoying us every day and saying we could do something funny in which she could sing badly and that would be the joke," Lawrence jokes. "We'll find a way for her to do it. I can't leave her on the sidelines; she's too much of a gamer." You can read more of Ausiello's interview with Lawrence HERE.

To get more of today's biggest TV news and headlines, visit the TV News section at PassTheRemote.Net.

That's all for today. Be sure to tune in Monday for the kick-off of Emmy week! First up, PTR's thoughts on who will/should win in the reality show categories. Plus, The 4400 and all the latest news!


To get more television coverage, including the network's new fall schedules and a complete archive of the best of Pass the Remote with a photo gallery featuring pictures from the set of Veronica Mars, click on over to PassTheRemote.net.