Mark-Paul Gosselaar Raises More of the 'Bar'

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Kathryn Morris have something in common: hair obsession.

No, not their own.

Rather, viewers' obsession with their characters' hairstyles.

Kathryn's "Lilly" do became infamous by the second season of Cold Case. Mark's sloppy long locks punctuated the first season of TNT's hit legal series, Raising the Bar.

Much to both actors' dismay.

Hair distraction is not a good thing for a show - or a character.

So Kathryn changed her look in the third season. Mark's doing the same for his second season, which premieres Monday, June 8th at 10 p.m..

"I’m getting it cut," says Mark. "I’m not getting rid of it. That would be bad at 35-years-old."

Quite frankly, Mark isn't terribly concerned with his hair. And when we joined him on a conference call recently to discuss the ins/outs of all-things public defender Jerry Kellerman for season two, I was surprised how much he actually sounded like Kathryn in that she never really understood people's fascination with her hair, either - nor did she want it to take away from the character and stories of the show.

"For me personally, it’s [just] hair," says Mark. "I mean, it’ll grow back. If we decide to have it longer, that’s fine. If we decide to keep it short, that’s fine. It’s sort of an experiment, and a work in progress kind of thing. And it was one of those things where I put so little effort into my hair that what you saw last year was the way [both the character of] Jerry and myself would actually do our hair. We just don’t. And over the negative and positive press of the hair, I kept going, 'Really? This is such a big talking point? This is what people are getting from our show?' So, from that point of view, and with the [new] haircut, we’re not distracting the audience [anymore]. We don’t want to take away from the stories and characters, and what’s really important on the show. We’ll see how this works and go from there."

And while last season's long-haired "do" was actually done for his character, getting it cut this season is no different.

"Basically, Jerry is doing it for a client who’s on trial," says Mark. "Jerry is a bit more tactical this year. He’s [always been] a very smart and bright attorney, [but this year] he’s using his brain and his mind more than just his voice. Cutting his hair is just [an example of] working the system a little bit better."

Highlights from the call:

On the continuing challenge of portraying a public defender: "The challenging thing is we don’t hear from this side of the criminal justice system all that often. You don’t hear too much about public defenders and their clients. So, the stories they’re coming up with [are] extremely challenging; a lot of them are true because our co-creator is David Feige who was a public defender for 15 years. You find yourself as an individual going, 'This really happens? This isn’t something completely made up in left field?' That’s what challenges us - to find the compassion in these people, these clients. These are human beings. But the amazing thing I learned from preparing from this role is that Jerry isn’t unusual. There are thousands of passionate, dedicated public defenders out there every day who are fighting against a system that they think is terribly stacked against the poor and the powerless. We just don’t hear from them because it’s really not a sexy thing to hear about public defenders and their clients."

On what he feels is the most important thing people should know from the first season if they are just beginning to tune into the show this season: "The show is unlike the other legal dramas that we’ve seen in the past. We’re not a how show, we’re a why [show] - why did this person do [the crime]. The truth about most crimes is they’re really driven by really basic things: poverty, jealousy, desperation. You sort of stick a label on people for their crime. But what this show does so effectively is tell the story behind the case, allowing the audience to see the clients the way their lawyers do. When that happens, guilty or innocent becomes much more muddy and less clear. That’s basically our show in a nutshell - it’s allowing you to see the gray in the criminal justice system. And it makes it unlike other legal dramas."

On the maturing of the Jerry Kellerman character from season one to season two: "He does things in his passion. He’s devoted to his cause. But [last season], he tended to sometimes rely too much on his voice. [This season], we’re wanting you to see how bright and smart [of an] attorney is. [So] one of the the differences that you see right off the bat in episode one is the haircut. How we made it work was that Jerry is willing to back down. The whole reason for the haircut was a potential jury member says to Jerry that he doesn’t trust him - he says, 'You look like a dirty hippy.' So, I get my hair cut, and I clean myself up to show this person that I don’t want to take away from the facts of the case. So, Jerry’s become more tactical. Last season, he would have just told that guy to go do something with himself and kind of put his fist higher up in the air. This year, he seems to be showing a little bit of a restraint. His passion and his dedication hasn’t waned in the least, but he’s just becoming more aware."

On what he hopes viewers will enjoy in the second season: "I hope that they can enjoy the show as much as they did last year. The word that we use a lot to describe what we’re doing this upcoming season is more. There’s a sort of confidence that you have with a second season, and I think it makes the show better overall. We built a very strong foundation last year, [but] we only had 10 episodes to work with so it was a bit rushed. [Since] we’re doing 15 this year, we’re able to broaden [everything]. We have more complex, interesting cases, more characters - the new judge [Judge Farnsworth, played by John Michael Higgins] brings another perspective to the bench. There’s more arguments and clashes with the prosecutors and the judges. More romance - we have some great romances brewing. So yes, more."

We at PTR extend our great thanks to Mark-Paul for taking the time to chat all-things Jerry. We also thank our friends and Turner publicity. The second season of Raising the Bar gets underway Monday, June 8th at 10 p.m. on TNT.

'The Closer's' Kyra Sedgwick: Five Seasons and Counting

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Ah, summer.

Time for BBQs, beach goings, picnics, fireworks and vacations.

And another round of Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, Major Crimes, Los Angeles Police Department.

YAY!

The Closer begins its fifth season Monday, June 8th at 9 p.m. on TNT. When we last left our favorite homicide detective (actually, still tied-for-first since Cold Case's Lilly Rush escaped the cancellation guillotine for next season), BJ was finally married to fabulous FBI Special Agent Fritz Howard. Some of us thought she might not make it to the alter but ... she did!

So, when I recently had the chance to join in on a conference call with none other than BJ herself, the lovely Kyra Sedgwick, I wanted to ask what we might expect on the Brenda/Fritz front this season given that is one of things we here at PTR enjoy the most about the show - the attention given to developing the interpersonal relationships mixed in and balanced against the semi-procedural crime-solving.

(And lest we should forget that fabulous chemistry between Kyra and Fritzy's alter-ego, Jon Tenney).

"I think the inevitable next step to marriage is the idea of having children, and I think that’s a struggle for the two of them," says Kyra. "I think it's hard for Brenda, who doesn't see the world as a benevolent, loving place. She sees a lot of the darkness of the human soul, and a lot of people who behave badly and a lot of things that seem random. It's hard for someone like that to believe the world is a loving, safe place to bring a child into, so I think that is a struggle for her and for him."

I was also interested in where Kyra continues to her draw her inspirations from in portraying Brenda - particularly now that the show is in its fifth season.

"I think the scripts always give me inspiration," says Kyra. "I think the writers are constantly bringing in great stuff and great cases and interesting conflicts for her. I also get a lot of inspiration from one of our writers on the show who is a 25 year veteran of the LAPD – Mike Berchem. [He] keeps me grounded in the reality of it [all], and I can always go to him for good stories [and] good back stories. I've always been a big research person, and it's a really good connection for me to have him there all the time."

Other highlights from the call (**POTENTIAL SPOILER WARNING**):


On getting into the persona of Brenda - putting on the "Brenda suit" - and the benefits of playing a character for an extended period of time: "I'm always putting on a Brenda suit. I think we continue to have vast differences between the two of us. But, I can tell you that playing a character for this long, it just gets deeper and more multi-layered for me. And as an actor, I really enjoy that. It's been an inspiring process - one that I never would have thought would happen. If you had told me I was going to play the same character for five years, and I was still going to find her fascinating, still find new things about her, I'd have told you were probably crazy. It was such a leap of faith [to take on this role]. I think it always is whenever you take on a creative project, but I think this one especially because it was such a long commitment. But it's been a great journey. It's been one of the most - if not the most - creatively fulfilling jobs I’ve ever had. I love the fact that I get to play someone who’s so multifaceted and also that [the show] can flip from being an intense drama to sort of a slap-sticky type comedy. The audience goes with us, and I love we continue to grow our audience every year. That's something that is incredibly fulfilling for me - especially since I have to be away from my family for that time, and it is such a huge commitment. So, it's all been really great."

On whether the comedic element of the show contributes to the show’s success "I think it does. It surprised me in the beginning. I remember the first season, when we did this real like slap sticky kind of thing with [Lieutenants] Provenza and Flynn, I thought 'Oh gosh, I don't know how this is going to fly.' But, I was so excited and happy that the audience loved it. It was actually one of our highest rated shows. It really says a lot about our show [in that] we are able to be thoughtful enough to do both mediums. The writing, the characters, and also the audience that we have, they will go along with the ride and still feel grounded in the characters."

On whether she prefers the comedy to the drama: "I am so grateful that I get both within one show. I think I like the comedy better. I mean, it's harder in a lot of ways. But it’s fun, and you laugh between takes whereas sometimes it can get very, very sad. There are some sad things that happen in the first couple of episodes this year, and I don't like going to those dark places and staying in them too long. I think, as I get older, I want less and less to go to those dark places."

On the theme for the fifth season: "This year's theme is change. I think the most obvious change is Brenda being married, and there’s been some shifts in the squad. In the first few episodes, the cat is unwell, and I think that's a change she doesn't want to have to deal with - the idea of life without her cat, who in some ways is sort of her independent self. The cat is the thing that she had before she got married. I remember Kevin's dog [that is, husband Kevin Bacon]. When I first met him, he had a dog [named] Jane, [and she] was with us for years and years. When she finally passed, it was a very big deal because it was sort of the thing he had before I came along - the thing that defined him before marriage and children. That's a very big deal. So, she's got to deal with some issues that come up this year that she didn't have to deal with before. And, I don’t think she likes it too much. I think change is hard for everybody."

On whether Brenda and Fritz's working together will give more insight into their relationship: "I do – I definitely think that their working together gives you more insight into their relationship. There is actually a whole episode where Fritz kind of brilliantly manipulates Brenda – what he knows to be true about Brenda, which is her tenacity and her inability to let go of a case even when she’s asked to let go of it."

On how the show continues to excel at keeping its "realness": "The way [writer and 25 year LAPD veteran Mike Bertram] talks about crime is always from the victim’s point of view. This is a vision that’s shared with [creator] James Duff, which is that Brenda is the advocate for the victim and the victim's family. [She] is sometimes the only living breathing person who is advocating for the victim. That is somewhat of a mission statement of the show - to really be the advocate of the victim, and to show what murder is really like, how it really affects people and the horror of it. We really do emotionally involve people in each specific crime and in each specific character."

On what makes people come back to watch each season: "There’s a lot of [emotional] accessibility to the characters and to what they are going through. And because [the show is not strictly a] procedural, it's got a lot of character-driven moments. I think that's really what makes people come back. It's the personal moments - the characters, getting to know them from the inside, getting to see their vulnerabilities and their struggles. I think that’s really what makes people come back."

Count us in that group, Kyra.

We at PTR extend our great thanks to Kyra Sedgwick for taking the time to chat all-things Brenda. We also thank our friends and Turner publicity for inviting us once again to confess … er, I mean report. The fifth season of The Closer gets underway Monday, June 8th at 9 p.m. on TNT.

'Pains' Gives a Royally Good First Impression

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Character. Setting. Conflict.

Three critical elements to any good story told anywhere in this solar system.

Three elements harped on by my creative writing teacher.

Three elements that move a story.

On first impressions, I'm happy to say the new USA Network series, Royal Pains, has all three.

And thensome.

Character: Dr. Hank Lawson, an up-and-coming New York ER doctor who decides to do the right thing then gets fired for it. That is, he saves the life of a less-than-well-to-do patient whilst one of the hospital's most precious, wealthy, powerful and important patients dies on the operating table. As such, Hank's blackballed from getting a job in any other ER within 8 million light years of Earth as a lengthy malpractice suit begins.

Setting: To escape his new found life of nothingness - which includes a break-up with his fiancé, his house being two steps short of being repossessed, and one too many boxes of cold pizza - Hank ventures with his younger brother - albeit reluctantly - to the Hamptons. Enough said.

Conflict: After his fair share of sarcastic - and might I say clever - banter with all of the Botox Barbies, rich boy know-nothings and every other version of extreme wealthy-ite that frequent any Hampton party at any given moment, Hank is forced into making a medical rescue at said party, which in turn, makes him Concierge Doctor # 1. Given he has to operate in almost a MacGyver-like existence (since treating patients in this manor is generally kept on the DL), he isn't all that comfortable with his new role. It isn't what he was born to do. Or is it? He questions why he's even in the Hamptons, and how fixing flat tire boob jobs could possibly be worthwhile. Then, he saves the life of a young teenage hemophiliac where dad's presence basically boils down to a black American Express card.

It is this interesting dilemma - Hank having to cater to the rich as the only way to really still practice his love and dedication to medicine - that I find curious. Not to mention the show gives us a look at the idea of concierge medicine: private doctors for hire by those who can afford it. As star Mark Feuerstein recently told us, it's a burgeoning business. Given the state of our health care system - or lack thereof - it doesn't seem difficult to understand why. If you could afford to pay a well-pedigreed doctor to take care of you, and thus, bypass the hassle of all the HMO/PPO/TKO/WTF insurance lethargy that has choked all sense of reason OUT of the health care system in this country, wouldn't you?

I sure the heck would.

But the show isn't political. It isn't saying this business is right or wrong. It's just saying this exists, and here's a creative look at it. And as such, it gets points from me for taking the "medical drama" concept and turning it on its edge.

Or, perhaps you could say, giving it an edge.

Not to mention placing it in an eye-candy location like the Hamptons makes the show ridiculously fun to watch. Like a weekly vacation. And poking fun at Hampton-ness is also kick. They are world all unto themselves and proud of it. What size is your Learjet?

Mark Fuerestein delivers a solid performance as Hank. He has an uneasy easiness in suddenly finding himself the "It" guy in an exclusive environment that is a far cry from the ER doc he was groomed to be. There are some out there who think he's too bland and understated in this role, but I disagree. It is this understated and NOT over the top performance that makes us truly feel as if Hank is settling in in the most unsettled of ways.

There is a spectacularly genius chemistry between Hank and younger brother, Evan, portrayed by Paulo Costanzo. This is as good as the now defunct Eric McCormack/Tom Cavanagh Trust Me partnership. The dialogue between Hank and Evan just.rips - as good as Mary and Marshal over on In Plain Sight. Got to hand it to USA Network: they know characters.

Rounding out the supporting cast is the insane precision of Hank's new assistant, Divya, to which Reshma Shetty is pitch-perfect. Divya is ambitious, persistent and unwavering, but not in an annoying way. She comes off as the most crucial asset Hank is going to have as he undertakes this new role. And, Jill Flint takes the turn as the administrator of the Hampton's hospital, which caters to the ordinary folk and to which the richy-riches refuse to go unless forced by some freak force of nature. There's some romantic inclinations between Hank and Jill, but it's again subtle.

And did we mention Campbell Scott portrays Boris, Hank's new "landlord" - the one who threw the party and hired Hank on the spot?

Character. Setting. Conflict.

With those key elements so well displayed, Royal Pains has got me interested.

New episodes of Royal Pains air Thursdays at 10 p.m. on USA Network. You can join other fans on Facebook; follow Royal Pains on Twitter, or visit the official Royal Pains Web site for the scoop on the series!

'Catch' the Opies if You Can

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

He's back, baby.

And would you believe ... nervous?

Not sure I thought "nervous" and "Captain Phil Harris" would go in one sentence, but alas, this week's episode of Deadliest Catch proved that they did.

Phil was understandably a bit ... well, nervous returning to helm the Cornelia Marie after nearly a year away recovering from the complicated health issues caused by a blood clot passing through his heart.

Recall: he almost died, and we weren't sure we'd ever see him again in the Captain's Chair.

But $100,000 in repairs later, Opilio (Opie) season is underway for the Cornelia Marie!

And everyone else.

Murray Calls It Quits: As if the Cornelia Marie wasn't on my mind enough during this week's ep (what with Phil's big return and all), my favorite runner-up Captain/senior deckhand/all-around good guy Murray Gamrath is QUITTING! Whaaaat?!?!?! The CM is just not going to be the same without him. Such a steady, calm presence. And the new guy taking his place ... what's your name, again? You have big shoes to fill ... and boy don't Phil know it.

Paging Captain Sig Hansen to the White Courtesy Phone: So, Captain Ahab - er, I mean Sig - was delayed a couple of days by weather. Meaning those little Horizon Air crop dusters couldn't fly into the ol' airport, and the crew was twiddling their thumbs until Ahab - er, I mean, Sig - arrived. There was something funny in that seeing as Sig is so ... intense? strict? Didn't think being late was possible for him.

Payback is a ...: So, the Time Bandit boys finally hit a snag in their perfect crab season - striking out on their first string of pots for Opies. Now, seeing as they could do no wrong during King Crab season - meeting their quotas WAY ahead of everyone else - this seemed completely fair to me. And the crab gods (or would that be Bering Sea gods? Davy Jones? Poseidon? Somebody? Anybody?) seemed to agree.

WTF, Keith?: So, the Wizard's Captain Keith sets off with what I'm pretty sure amounts to about 8,000 pots. This seems particularly bone headed considering nearly every OTHER boat reduced the number of pots they were carrying given this is Opie season in the dead of winter on the Bering Sea. And the weather outlook seems even more bleak than usual. (You know ... snow. Freezing spray. Ice build up. Top heavy ships capsize. Remember?) But perhaps even more boneheaded is Keith's idea that he can put up a super-duper tarp - yes, a tarp - at the front of his boat to actually PREVENT freezing spray build up on his pots. So, he dispatches his crew to ... uh, hold on for dear life as they struggle to unfold the darn thing AND not get washed overboard. Seriously, Keith? Wow. Even I could see THAT was a bad idea. The giant swell about to smash into your boat not withstanding. I need to see next week. If the previews are any indication, this was one of Keith's WORST decisions as a Captain. He fuxored up his crew big time.

New episodes of Deadliest Catch air Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on Discovery Channel. Visit the official Deadliest Catch Web site for the latest on the captains and crews of the Northwestern, Cornelia Marie, Time Bandit, Wizard, Early Dawn and North American and the new boat, the Incentive. You can also catch up with Deadliests Catch folks on Twitter: fvnw_erin / CaptPhilHarris / northwesternpat / NorthwesternPR / captjohnathan / northwesternsig / DeadliestCatch (which is actually the Cornelia Marie) / DiscoveryChPR.

PTR Goes 'Mental'

With this post, I am officially adding the new Fox drama Mental to the PTR summer line-up. I watched the premiere last week and was a little iffy about it, but this week's stellar outing rocketed the show into the line-up. I'll admit that I first tuned in for star Jacqueline McKenzie. I loved her on The 4400 and was so pi$$ed when USA Network canceled that series, and I'm pretty sure that her performance in the little Australian film Angel Baby is one of the finest (if not, THE finest) pieces of acting that I have ever seen. Needless to say, I'm so glad to see her back on my TV screen and in another leading role. They didn't do much with the development of her character in the premiere, but they sure made up for it this week! She has been cheating on cutey-patootie husband with a fellow doctor in the staff lounge (p.s. I wonder how much nookie actually takes place in real staff lounges at hospitals? I only ask because ever freakin' hospital show since the dawn of time seems to have characters gettin' it on in there like it's some sort of epidemic in hospitals across the country!). I have to say, I was pretty shocked when they dropped this bomb. Veronica seems so straight-laced, so serious and so by-the-book that I wasn't expecting it. I did notice that she was quite cold toward her musician husband and his apparent lack of motivation, but I kinda dismissed it as one of those "sore subjects" between couples. I really thought she was going to come clean at the end in the car, but she kept quiet.

This week's psychiatric case had me swinging back and forth. At first, I thought it was all the wife and then the OB/GYN husband showed up and insisted that his wife was pregnant. So, I figured that he was going along with his wife to keep her from getting upset, but then he just went off the charts. Before I knew it, I was so hating the husband and his manipulations. In the end, I felt sorry for him. He wanted a child so badly, he invented one and he bought into the delusion. I liked the role reversal and the way it presented the man as the one who wanted a baby with every fiber of his being. The story went against the cliches and stereotypes and reminded us that men can want a family just as much as women.

I'm also enjoying the irony in this show. We have a group of psychiatrists whose job puts them in charge of the mental and emotional states of their patients and yet, every single one of them has his/her own issues that they're not dealing with properly. From Veronica's aforementioned frustrations with her husband and subsequent affair to Jack's unresolved relationship with "Beth" and how it more than likely factored into his decision to uproot from Vermont to Los Angeles to Arturo's obsession with sleeping with Chloe to Nora's not so secret feelings for Jack to Carl's ego: everyone has something they need to work through and they choose to ignore it instead. I think Alanis Morissette said it best when she said, "Isn't it ironic? Don't you think?" Welcome to the PTR line-up, Mental!

Mental airs Tuesday nights on Fox. If you missed this week's episode, watch it for free at Fox.com.

Mark Feuerstein Enters the Promised Land in 'Royal Pains'

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

I love my West Coast. I do.

But we don't have anything like Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket.

And we sure as heck don't have anything like the Hamptons.

All three are summer destinations of, among others, the rich, extremely rich, ridiculously rich, famously infamous, infamously famous and everything else in between - including tourists who can really only look, not touch.

Suffice it to say there's an allure, an exclusivity, and an amazing sense (as one local once told me) of extreme wealth on display in all three places - but particularly in the Hamptons. As a West Coaster, I can say I've been, seen, and wished I could stay longer. I'll have to die and come back as an heir to some fortune before I ever truly experience it from the wealthy-not-on-a-budget side of things.

So ironic, then, that Mark Feuerstein might've been born to play the role of Dr. Hank Lawson, concierge doctor to Hampton wealthy-ites, on USA Network's new series, Royal Pains, which premieres June 4th at 10 p.m.

That, or he just grew up in the right city, went to just the right schools and learned just exactly what the allure was of this magical place.

"I grew up in New York City," says Mark, as we joined him on a recent conference call to discuss the premiere season. "[I went] first [to] a public school, then a private school. When I got to the private school in Manhattan, I learned of what we called 'The Promised Land,' which are the Hamptons. I’ve always had an affinity for the Hamptons. I think it is one of the most romantic, beautiful, pristine [and] exclusive places on earth - in a private and kind of meditative way. So, when I heard about a show which was about a doctor set in the Hamptons, I jumped at it."

But it wasn't just the locale that appealed to him about being a part of the show.

"The role of Hank Lawson was a dramatic, comedic and romantic lead with all this dimension and everything that a good cable show has to offer. It was [also] on USA, which supports its shows rather than makes them crazy, as they do sometimes at the networks. I just decided that this was just my new vision quest, and I had to have it. A month later, after a relatively rigorous audition process, I got it and I was in heaven - and I still am."

Being on the call with Mark, it's hard not to find his enthusiasm for character and show contagious. But more than that, it's a closer look at the business of concierge medicine - doctors for hire.

"I had not heard of concierge medicine before [doing the show]," says Mark. "[But] my brother and I both would wonder, when we were sitting in the emergency room for five hours waiting for a doctor after getting banged in the head or breaking an arm in a wrestling match, saying, 'What do rich people do when they get hurt? Are they sitting here for five hours, waiting for some triage nurse to get you?' Here’s the answer: it’s concierge medicine. It’s private physicians for hire .... I just read an article in the New York Times that in this economic crisis of this country lots of things are getting hit, but one of the few things that is not only remaining stable as an industry but actually growing is concierge medicine. I guess it’s because even in times of panic or especially in times of financial crisis, people are still most concerned about their health; and, if there’s anything they would still spend the money on [it] is to guarantee that they don’t get sick. Furthermore, in times of financial crisis, their jobs will depend on their physical and mental well-being, so it will behoove them to protect that above all else. The good thing is the character [of Hank] has evolved, so I’m not just taking care of rich people. I take from the rich and also give to the poor."

Other highlights from the call:

On the challenges and appeal of playing Hank: "Hank is a complicated guy, because as a child his father lost all the family’s money in the stock market. You [also] find him, at the beginning of the pilot, getting fired for not bending over backwards and risking a neighborhood kid’s life to save a rich guy. So, he has a very tenuous and conflictual relationship to money, and [now] he is being asked to take care of people with a lot of it. So, I love the inner conflict built into the situation. I also think he’s just a good guy at heart, who wants to do good and make good on his Hippocratic Oath to take care of people. He's also a good brother. He looks out for people, and his heart is in the right place."

On how Royal Pains fits into the USA Network lineup and what sets it apart from other shows: "I’ve been on my share of network dramas and comedies, and the problem sometimes in a network is they have a single-minded focus on making the show true to whatever genre it is. So, if you’re on a drama, it better be procedural, it better fulfill all the demands of a procedural show, and you better keep those episodes independent so that if I’m watching the show in seven years as its syndicated on some other cable network, I don’t have to know what happened before or after the episode, and everything is meant to support the procedure. If you’re on, say, a comedy, everything has to be funny and wacky and zany. But somehow, USA has found the perfect marriage of procedural drama and comedy. They have it in Psych, they have it in Burn Notice, they have it in Monk, they have it in In Plain Sight; every show manages to somehow blend comedy and drama and tell a story that might be slightly serialized. So, you do have to tune in every week to see [where certain] relationship[s] are at. But at the same time, if you tune in [to our show], you’ll watch a medical drama - a medical story told from beginning to middle to end - [that] will satisfy all the demands of a procedure while giving you all this character, all this story, all this nuance and comedy along the way."

On Hank's less obvious characteristics, and the journey the audience is set to take with him: "Hank doesn’t know what the heck he’s doing there in the Hamptons. You know, he meets a girl he kind of likes - maybe loves - but beyond that, he was meant to be an emergency surgeon in a hospital in Brooklyn, and he lost [that job]. Why wouldn’t he just go to another big city and find another job as an emergency room? Well, he’s landed in the Hamptons, and he’s going to stay to see what it holds for him. He’s taken a turn in his life where he’s decided he’s going to be more impetuous, less planned out. The plan he had of the perfect life didn’t work out. So, really every week, we’re figuring along with Hank what he’s doing there."

On being the "Robin Hood of Medicine": "In [one] episode, there are all these people who are not rich, [but] who have been left behind by the medical care system. [T]here’s this pile of papers of people who all have lost their medical coverage - their COBRA’s have run out, their Blue Cross/Blue Shield premium has gotten too expensive. I steal some of those papers from Jill [administrator at the local Hamptons hospital and potential love interest, played by Jill Flint] and decide to go find these people. I find a guy who works on the docks in Montauk - he has Hepatitis C. I decide he’s going to be my patient, and I’m going to take care of him, even though the system won’t. So, at the end of the episode, Jill calls me the 'Robin Hood of medicine,' because I steal from the rich and give to the poor. When that phrase came out, I said to myself, okay, now I have some sense of what Hank is doing there. He’s going to help use the system out there, all the money out there, to help all the people who don’t have it."

Peaked your interest? It should. Plus, it's like getting a weekly visual vacation to the Hamptons - how could you pass up watching that?

Tune in for the series premiere of Royal Pains Thursday, June 4 at 10 p.m. on USA Network. For the entire scoop on the series and cast, head on over to the show's official site and enter to win a summer getaway to the Hamptons!

Win a Piece of Hamptons Heaven with a 'Royal Pains' Prize Pack

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Lots of us wish we could indeed spend summer in the Hamptons.

And now we can - vicariously, anyway - watching the new USA Network original series, Royal Pains.

But we here at PTR have the opportunity to give away not one ... not two ... but THREE different prize packs for Royal Pains watchers (and anyone else who wants some cool show swag) thanks to our good friends at USA Network and EA.

Yes, it's a record for us here in our little corner of the blogosphere.

So what are ya' waiting for? Enter to win!

One (1) Grand Prize Winner will receive a Royal Pains Summer tote filled with all the essentials for a lazy summer weekend:

- First Aid Kit
- Travel Scrabble
- “Cure Your Royal Pains” T-Shirt
- Prescription “Candy” Bottle
- Hamptons Magazine
- Oversized Beach Blanket
- Royal Pains Red Band-Aid Box with Custom Band-Aids
- The Hamptons Dictionary
- Tate’s Cookie Carton
- Kiehl’s Summer Lotions Kit
- Playing Cards
- Inflatable Inner Tub


One (1) First Place Winner will receive:

- Royal Pains First Aid Kit
- Royal Pains Playing Cards
- The Hamptons Dictionary
- Royal Pains Notepad


One Runner-Up Winner:

- Royal Pains First Aid Kit (which, I'm told, is awfully handy for those summer camping trips)


**IMPORTANT NOTE: Pictured below is the FULL Grand Prize winner's tote, with a sampling of the items on display. Not all items pictured will be included in the First Place or Runner's Up packs; only the specified items listed above.



Looks awfully good, eh? Before you enter to grab the gear, read the scoop on the series:

USA will launch the 75-minute limited commercial premiere of ROYAL PAINS, the network’s newest original scripted series, on Thursday, June 4 at 10/9c immediately following the Season 3 premiere of BURN NOTICE at its new timeslot 9/8c.

ROYAL PAINS stars Mark Feuerstein as Hank Lawson, a young E.R. doctor who, after being wrongly blamed for a patient's death, moves to the Hamptons and becomes the reluctant "doctor for hire" to the rich and famous. When the attractive administrator of the local hospital asks him to treat the town’s less fortunate, he finds himself walking the line between doing well for himself and doing good for others. The series also stars Paulo Costanzo, Jill Flint and Reshma Shetty.

To enter to win PTR's Royal Pains swag:

- Send an e-mail to: lilly_of_philly(at)hotmail.com with the following:

** Subject line: Royal Pains Prize Pack
** Message Body: MUST contain your FULL NAME.

- Entry rules are as follows:

** Entries must be received by July 2, 2009.
** The winner(s) will be drawn at random on or after July 3, 2009.
** The winner(s) will be notified by e-mail
** You must be a U.S. resident to enter and over the age of 18.

And if ALL that still doesn't do it for you, or you just want to enter as many giveaway contests as you can, head on over to USA Network's official Royal Pains Web site to enter for your OWN chance to win a summer getaway to the Hamptons.

Royal Pains premieres Thursday, June 4th at 10 p.m. (9 p.m. Central) on USA Network. You can join other fans on Facebook; follow Royal Pains on Twitter, or visit the official Royal Pains Web site.

Stan By Your Man

Photo: USA Network

OK, this is really getting creepy! First, Cold Case plays In Plain Sight and now this week, IPS returns the favor! Seriously, are these two shows itching that badly for a crossover?! I can just imagine it now -- Lil and Mary can sit around and discuss their alcoholic mothers, daddy issues, and good-for-nothing sisters who are huge chips off their mothers' blocks. In between all of the "Me too!" and "If you think that's bad, wait until you hear what mine did," they could tag team with Lil solving old WITSEC murders and/or getting witnesses to spill what they saw while Mary lines them up with their new identities. Television crossover gold! In all seriousness, I found myself drawing comparisons between this week's episode of In Plain Sight and CC throughout the hour -- the flashbacks, the 80s, younger Stan, the 20-year old double murder, etc. The only thing that was missing (beside Lil and co.) was the totally rad 80s soundtrack. And now I know why CC relies on its music.

This week’s outing delved into Stan’s sordid past. He definitely crossed the line. No question. In fact, I'm pretty sure he went so far over it he couldn't even see the line anymore. Like Mary, I was surprised that straight-laced Stan allowed himself to get so carried away. Of course, nobody's perfect and we all have our own skeletons in our closets, so who am I to judge? The night's most shocking moment came at the end when we found out that Stan and Eleanor are, apparently, involved outside the office. It seems his penchant for "ill-advised" (TM Vera/Cold Case) relationships has followed him into the present. WWMS: What will Mary say?

I'm thinking that Brandi enjoys being unhappy. She has certainly gone out of her way to sabotage this relationship with the very rich, very kind, VERY patient Peter. I get it -- she thinks that if Peter gets to know the real her, he'll see that there's nothing there for him and he'll dump her. Meanwhile, she will have gotten too attached and the subsequent, inevitable break up will be too painful. So, get the dumping over with before things get to that point. The problem is, Peter isn't like the men Brandi has dated and he's certainly nothing like the men she grew up watching her mother date. Brandi's in unchartered waters, but she better learn to navigate them quickly before VERY patient Peter runs out of second chances.

In Plain Sight airs Sunday nights on USA Network. If you missed this week's episode, check it out for free at Hulu.com

'Expedition Africa': Unscripted at Its Best

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Confession: I'm not a big fan of reality television.

Second confession: I told this to Mark Burnett - the Godfather of reality television.

But in a nice way, of course. How'd that go? More on that in a minute.

Let it be said the few unscripted shows I do watch fall more into that hybrid docu-reality category, and they usually must meet one of two criteria: 1) I must learn something in a field, area of expertise or genre that I am not currently aware of; and/or 2) I must watch the best of people.

Expedition Africa, the new action adventure series on the History Channel from executive producer Mark Burnett, meets both those criteria.

And then some.

Ironic, too, because I tend not to watch many of Mark's shows. Although he is credited with bringing the unscripted genre to American television screens, I have mixed feelings about what that has done to the television landscape given the unscripted genre is so watered down these days, and there seems to be a reality series for everything - many of which focus on bringing out the worst in people. As such, the genre no longer seems original, different, unique or - for the most part - worth watching.

Until, that is, one comes along where you get the best of what it was like to stumble across Survivor the first time and go, "Wow, I've never seen anything like that." And the best of a historical documentary that doesn't go the way of re-enactment, but instead, puts you there in the context of the moment, trying to re-envision the environment in the world of today so that we may better understand what a challenge it was in the days of yesteryear.

And in saying this to Mark on a recent call I had with him, it sorta balanced out the I'm-usually-kind-of-hard-on-the-reality-genre comment.

Thankfully.

In this one viewer's opinion, Expedition Africa is a homerun.

"I’m really grateful to hear that from you," said Mark. "You can only do what you think is right, ‘cause other people will judge you. And in the judgment you’ve just given, I appreciate what you said that you enjoyed the work."

Enjoyed, indeed.

In sum, the Expedition Africa series is an action-adventure, docu-reality series that follows four modern day explorers (survivalist Benedict Allen; wildlife expert Mireya Manor; journalist Kevin Sites; navigator Pasquale Scaturro) on the same path of adventure-journalist Henry Morton Stanley in 1871 as he trekked through Tanzania to find Dr. David Livingstone.

There is no prize money.

There is no voting anyone off the island.

There is no rock of love date at the end of the trail.

It's just four of the world's best explorers on a trek across Tanzania, guided by nothing more than a compass, basic maps, local guides, traditions and challenges that give us a sense of what it might have been like to make this daunting journey in the 19th century.

"Expedition is trying something new," says Mark. "It's a new type of innovative storytelling – not [simply] a recreation. [And for me], it really comes down to storytelling - I just have to feel that I actually care about the characters. That’s what’s really the through line for me – I’ve got to care about the characters."

And the explorers in this series are definitely worth caring about.

As is the adventure itself.

I am partial to wildlife expert Mireya Mayor, who manages to provide the right amount of perspective amongst the three guys as well as provide the perfect yin to navigator Pasquale's agro-yang of large-and-in-chargeness. I find I could also watch survivalist Benedict Allen all day long. He never seems flustered and can do the most amazing things without flinching - like, you know, being left for dead twice in the Amazon, escape a drug kingpin's hitman and stitch up his own chest.

Ouch!

Now, the series is not an entirely perfect look at this-is-how-it-was-in-1871-exploration kind of thing. The explorers are not dressed in 19th century garb. They do have the benefit of some modern day technology in terms of clothing, packs, shoes, etc.

But there is no GPS.

There is no magic checkpoint to resupply with food and amenities.

There is a deadline.

And they are on their own.

These are the kind of folks who guide you up - and down - Mt. Everest. These are the kind of folks who can look at a landscape and tell you what insect is going to kill you, what plant you can eat for protein, show you what snake is one of a kind in the world, and determine whether they're going to live to die another day.

This is unscripted at its best.

Please, Mark, can we have some more?

The 8-part Expedition Africa series airs Sunday at 10 p.m. on the History Channel. For the entire scoop on the series, head on over to History.com/Expedition. And remember to enter our VERY OWN Expedition Africa Prize Pack giveaway - you have until June 13th!

PTR Exclusive: Roma Downey's Sweet 'Dance' of Life

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Nine years.

212 episodes.

A show called Touched By An Angel.

An angel named Monica.

This is Roma Downey’s television legacy.

One that almost seems incomparable in this day and age when what is left of scripted characters and dramas tend to dissolve into formulas and mediocrity by their third seasons – if they make it that far.

I consider myself one of the lucky viewers.

I grew up with Roma as my angel on television every Sunday night for nearly a decade, when television could still inspire us to want to be better people. I missed a couple episodes here and there, but when Les Moonves sent TBAA off into the good night in the spring of 2003, I stopped at nothing to watch the series finale. It still ranks as one of the best I’ve ever seen: a perfect balance of happy sadness as everything wrapped up, and Monica drove off into the sunset with a complete set of life lessons learned.

But this, of course, was back before the television blogosphere had exploded into what it is today, and before wee ol’ me ever fathomed one could actually write about TBAA on a weekly basis. Alas, part of me wishes I still could.

So what is the next best thing?

Welcoming Roma back to our television screens after nearly a five-year hiatus (or perhaps we should say semi-retirement) as she stars in the upcoming Hallmark Original Movie, Come Dance at My Wedding, premiering Saturday June 6th at 9 p.m. (8 p.m. Central) on Hallmark Channel.

The film, which also stars John Schneider and Brooke Nevin, is about a young bride-to-be who's father that she never knew shows up alive and well, holding the deed to her family's dance studio that she wants to sell so that she can pursue her dream of becoming a therapist. When it turns out dad isn't in all that big of a hurry to turn over the deed, or leave town, she turns to her attorney, Laura (played by Roma), for help.

“When this project found me, it really was just the sweetness of the story that tempted me because I’m just at that time in my life when I’m really enjoying being a mum, being around and being available [to my family],” says Roma.

And that, as it turns out, is exactly how one talks to a retired angel these days: on a recent late afternoon, after she’s just completed the second of her twice daily runs transporting her daughter and two stepsons to/from school – which is a 40 minute drive in each direction.

Call it one heck of a carpool schlep.

“I’ve become Queen of the Carpool,” she says quite proudly. “We joke that I’ve listened to so many books on tape because I have 40 minutes of company, and then 40 minutes of no company. Of course, then you double that because I have to go back and get them.”

As Roma tells me this, I think perhaps she should earn points in some sort of frequent driver program. She’d be in the Million Mile club in no time. And yet, for Roma, this is all part of that precious routine centering on being home and available for her family after the long haul commitment she made to Touched By An Angel.

“I made a choice, really, to have a life. There was a concept, right?” she says with a laugh. “Having come off almost a decade of being involved with Touched By An Angel, even though the rewards were great and I loved working on the show – loved being a part of that material, being part of that message – by the time we ended, I really was burnt out. It was a lot of TV hours. I decided rather than just keep jumping into what’s next, I realized how fortunate I was – how fortunate I am. And when the show ended, it was a time of big change for me. I think there’s always opportunity at those moments in your life to reevaluate where you are. And so rather than just continue to climb without really giving thought to where I was going, I thought, ‘What’s important?’ The rewards had been great for that decade, but the price had been high, too, in that I really felt I didn’t have much of a personal life. I just thought there’s got to be more.

“I didn’t want my tombstone to read, ‘Here Lies Roma: She Wishes She Had Spent More Time At Work,’ y’know?” she says with another laugh. “So, it really was about accepting and being grateful for the knowledge that I didn’t have to work – a tremendous freedom. A fantastic luxury – filled with gratitude. So, I really didn’t take a step back because that suggests backwards movement, but I actually feel that I took a big step forward because I made a real pro-active choice for myself, my happiness, my growth, my life and my soul-searching. I moved into the light of my own life. When you create space for yourself, it’s amazing what you can manifest. All sorts of wonderful personal opportunities arrive.”

Cue soft warm angel glow light.

Seriously.

For anyone wondering whether Roma really is this beautifully articulate, wonderfully insightful and incredibly inspiring in discussing life as she was in portraying the angel character of Monica, she is.

And yet, she does confess that being tempted by the sweetness of the Come Dance at My Wedding script made her wonder whether shelving the carpool crown for a couple of weeks would wreak havoc on her family’s schedule.

“I don’t know if you remember that game Ker Plunk?”

“Yes, I do,” I say.

“I was concerned that to leave town for any length of time would be the final straw, and all the marbles would come crashing down!” she says laughing. “But there was a moment, when I was laughing to myself as I was flying to Vancouver [where the movie was filmed] going, ‘Thank God, I’m going to work - I get a break!’ But this script just touched me. I thought it was a lovely story. I loved the fact that I could be involved in something but not overwhelmed, or not so involved to the exclusion of everything else. The most important thing for me [these days] is that I retain balance and harmony in my life.”

Part of that balance and harmony has involved a return to school. She’s currently finishing up the first year of a two-year Masters program at the University of Santa Monica (yes, irony in the name there), which will ultimately qualify her to be … wait for it … a therapist.

For real.

Now, it seems to me she already has nine years experience in that realm. Nonetheless, we could – at this time next year – be calling her Dr. Roma.

(And not in the honorary doctorate of law sense, which she also just recently received from Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management.)

Says Roma: “It’s really the most beautiful course imaginable – soul centered education. And, ultimately, one would I guess be qualified to be a therapist, but we’ll see how or in what way I might apply it professionally. But certainly, even just a year into it, I find the teachings so applicable as a parent – in relationship to anyone, really – how to listen better, how to be more present in your own life. And, I’ve always been interested in the study of human behavior – of why we do what we do. I guess, to some extent, it’s the work of the actor to analyze character and to figure out motivation and so on. So, it’s sort of an extremely deep version of character study.”

And though she spends a lot of time these days focused on her studies (in between carpool runs, of course), she’s also returned to her first love: painting. It is, for Roma, still essential to find creative outlets even if they aren’t along the acting lines.

“I’ve always been a big believer that if you’re a creative person, it can manifest itself in many areas,” says Roma. “When I left high school, I went to art school. I thought I was going to be a painter. And, at that time, I read something – I’ll paraphrase it here – that Van Gogh had written to his brother about being frustrated about his artwork; that it was no longer enough for him to be the painter, he wanted to be the paint. And I remembered thinking I didn’t want to be a painter, I wanted to be an actor. And it sort of seemed like that would be the paint. Now, I‘ve kind of moved into this time of my life where I think I might want to be the painter again. And while I’m doing painting, I’m actually also doing writing, which is kind of like the canvas, y’know? So, there are different means of artistic expression coming from the same root – the same essence of me – to express myself.”

But let it be said right now that her acting skills are nowhere near rusty. She still fires on all those magical Roma-esque cylinders in the film, and when I ask whether the protective mother in Laura is what she could identify with the most in the character, she agrees.

“That’s it – you’ve absolutely got that right. She wasn’t exactly sure of what John Schneider’s character [Tanner] motives were, and in the absence of the mother – who was her best friend who had passed away – she’d really moved into a very maternal role [for Brooke Nevin’s character of Cyd] because of her legal experience and her maternal feelings to protect and make sure the girl’s best interests were taken care of. So, particularly, the first ¾ of that arc for me to have to be a little tougher [was different]. I probably wrote the book on empathetic characters,” she says laughing once again. “We used to joke on Touched By An Angel that I was a professional sigher because every script – every act – would end with: ‘CLOSE ON MONICA. SHE SIGHS.’ I really have perfected the sigh.”

“So, that’ll go on the tombstone, then? 'Roma Downey – Professional Sigher',” I ask jokingly.

“Yeah, yeah!” she laughs. “But [in identifying with the character] it was the mom factor. Hey, it’s what I do.”

Indeed.

And what she also now knows how to do is line dance, thanks in no small part to the focus of the film’s story centering around a dance studio that was the heartbeat of a small town – and served to connect everyone to each other.

“The dance studio,” says Roma “became a metaphor for the heart – that it brought out the best in people, where everybody felt safe. In that feeling safe – in that loving space – everybody grew and became connected. So, if I felt moved by the script, it was in that which connects us, and the little dance studio became sort of the glue. And so, then, the fight to save the studio was really as much about saving that which joins us together as opposed to the metaphor of something new coming in and breaking us apart. So, [the film really is about] community, connection, oneness – and that love is the glue. I think the whole dancing thing, too, gives it a great energy. I learned how to line dance. I had never tried that before, and it was great fun. I think you could speak to anybody who participated, and it was hard not to laugh while doing it. I’m very proud and pleased to be part of the movie.

“Also, as a parent,” Roma continues, “I really love – and always have loved – to be in things that I’m comfortable to sit down and watch together as a family, and to not feel in any way compromised as a family because of content and so on. I don’t want to have to have my finger hovering over the channel changer just in case. So, this [film] is completely family appropriate. That’s something I always like to do.”

It’s at this point in the conversation I ask her what she feels is the ongoing legacy of Touched By An Angel - particularly in the context of viewers who may only be just discovering the show through the wonders of reruns and syndication.

“I think that the reminder of spirit – and spirit presence in our lives – was central [to the show],” says Roma. “And it ties back into what we were discussing earlier, which is that feeling of connectedness. I think the show touched that in people. I think it reminded people that God is ever present, and we always have a choice to make. And, it reminded us to reach for the higher road. There was always that beautiful moment in each episode where as the angel, I would be right there at the crossroads. Usually, the drama was set up each week that the person being helped was at some crises or other and had a choice to make. And, I think one of the healthiest aspects of the show was that I didn’t make the choice for them – I just showed them the better option. The choice was always up to the individual, in such as it is, too, in our own lives. We had so many letters from teachers, and parents and people in positions of influence where they would usually stop the episode at that point and ask for feedback from their classrooms – you know, what should the person do, what will the person do. Our writers were always so good at pulling from very pertinent, current situations in people’s lives of all the things that we all deal with all the time within family and death, adolescence, addiction and so on. And so there’s always a very relatable – and timeless – kind of quality to it.

“We were beamed all around the earth in many languages,” Roma continues, “and it’s a universal response by people who were touched by it. It really moved them – it, like, entered their heartspace. I think that will just resonate. And while you could tune in in another decade and the clothing may start to look outdated,” she laughs, “those themes will never get outdated because they’re still very human experiences, and they just keep surfacing from generation to generation. We’re all on the same journey, and we’re all just figuring it out. God is ever present, and those choices to be the best we can be are always there for each of us to make. And because I am a person of faith, it was such an enormous privilege for me to be the messenger.”

After hearing this, it’s hard not to feel as if I’ve been listening to Monica.

Ironic, then, that a few weeks later, when I had the opportunity to speak with her husband, Mark Burnett, he confirmed for me this very fact as we joked Roma’s commencement speech for the Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management seemed like one of those beautiful closing monologues from a Touched By an Angel episode – to which he had to follow with his own speech.

“She’s a tough act to follow – imagine following Roma? It’s hard because I’m much more rough around the edges," Mark says with a laugh. "But you know what the thing is? She is Monica. It’s like living with Monica. Roma sets this really high standard in our house – with the kids, the charity, the service. And she truly believes in the value of the heart and soul. That’s just very Roma.”

And that, one might say, is her legacy.

All on her own.

-----

Roma’s PTR Quicktakes …

I’m most comfortable when I’m … with my family.

The best part of my day is when … I wake up.

Last book I read/listened to was … Eckhart Tolle’s The New Earth

The oldest thing in my closet is … and I keep it because … my Ugg Boots because they’re so comfortable.

The best piece of advice ever given to me was … and he or she said … my father said no matter where you go in the world, it’s the same moon in the sky.

The last time I laughed so hard I cried was when … we had a monk to dinner, and he sang the grace. My kids thought it was the funniest thing they’d ever heard.

I’m most inspired when I’m … in meditation.

At this point in my life, I feel my greatest accomplishment is … my happy family.

After 9 years of Touched By An Angel the most important thing Monica taught me was … to listen with your heart.

If it came down to sailing the seas with Captain Jack Sparrow, Will Turner or an un-cursed Davy Jones, I’d sail the seas with … I get sea sick.

-----

I want to extend a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious helping of thanks to Roma for squeezing me in between carpool runs and making herself so available to chat. It was truly a wonderful pleasure. PTR also extends our sincerest thanks to our fantastic friends at Hallmark Publicity. You can catch Roma in Come Dance at My Wedding Saturday, June 6th at 9 p.m. (8 p.m. Central). Check out HallmarkChannel.com for the entire scoop on the film.

And if you are missing Roma these days, or if one movie won’t be enough, you can try these remedies: keep an eye out for Touched By An Angel re-runs on Hallmark Channel; visit Roma's official Web site and join her official Facebook page (both run by the lovely Ms. Anna K, long time Webmaster of Roma's official site); subscribe to the Derry Air Blog – Roma’s own monthly contribution to IrishCentral.com; make sure you keep up with Roma's charitable work with Operation Smile and CVN.org; and watch us here at PTR as we go retro this summer and review selected episodes of two of our faves - Touched By An Angel (done by yours truly - gee, you knew that, right?) and Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman (tackled by editor-in-chief TVFan).

'Catch' Closes Out King Crab Season

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Another King Crab season is in the books.

And, wow, was it a long haul.

Not to mention a tragic one.

As the crews now prepare to take on the wrath of the Bering Sea in the dead of winter for the Opilio season, the loss of the F/V Katmai still lingers. As such, I remain grateful at the midpoint to have seen our Catch Crews return to Dutch Harbor safely.

I See Dead Crab, But ...: What to say about my beloved Cornelia Marie. Seriously, half a tank of dead loss? Bummer. And yet, I'm confused. Or completely duped by the editing of the episodes. How can the CM's season have been portrayed as so "embattled" when she ended up taking in $2.6 million in crab (about $54K per deckhand) - THE MOST of the ENTIRE Catch FLEET? Episode after episode of pensive, concerned relief Captain Murray Gamrath pulling up moderate-to-half-empty pots turned out to be .... uh, kind of misleading.

Has Anyone Seen the Wind Up Toy?: What in the world happened to Lisa Marie? Did she run out of batteries or something? No final crab count. No final word of where she ended up. Weird. But, I will confess this whole deal with adding her to the fleet seemed half-arsed anyway - she wasn't around for the first part of the season, and what we did see of her was hardly impressive. Thus, cutting her out of the finale was an edit I could live with ... but I do wonder if she'll show up for Opilio.

Is that the Coast Guard?: The Northwestern's fireworks celebration upon retrieving their final pot was a good one. But, I have to agree with the guys (and thus, ignore Captain Sig's paranoia): if the United States Coast Guard can't tell the difference between fireworks and an emergency flare, we're in trouble. And how Sig can keep the guys away for 50-some-odd hours continues to amaze me.

Going with SPF 30: Can I just say the Time Bandit brothers Marlin fishing, drinking and living life in San Carlos, Mexico whilst the rest of the fleet slaves away trying to hopefully-almost-barely make their quotas ... ouch. But in a good way. I wonder how much stick they'll take for seeming to glide right on through this King Crab season - and will the Bering Sea be so kind to them with Opilios? Hmmmm.

Welcome Aboard!: So, remember the greenhorn on the Wizard - the one who decide to put his girlfriend's picture up in the bait area and took an insane amount of flak for it? Turns out he buckled down, stepped up to the plate and is the best - yes, the best - greenhorn to come through the ranks in a while. He got the job - and sometimes, you actually do get a second chance to make a first impression.

New episodes of Deadliest Catch air Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on Discovery Channel. Visit the official Deadliest Catch Web site for the latest on the captains and crews of the Northwestern, Cornelia Marie, Time Bandit, Wizard, Early Dawn and North American and the new boat, Lisa Marie. You can also catch up with Deadliests Catch folks on Twitter: fvnw_erin / CaptPhilHarris / northwesternpat / NorthwesternPR / captjohnathan / northwesternsig / DeadliestCatch (which is actually the Cornelia Marie) / DiscoveryChPR.

PTR Exclusive: Taking a 'Safe' Chance with Nancy Travis

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Question: How many of us can say we’ve acted on a whimsical chance that is still going on 25 years later?

My guess is not many.

Yet, that is exactly what Robbie and Doug Smith did when they founded the Safe Harbor Boys Home 25 years ago in Jacksonville, Florida.

And that is exactly what Nancy Travis found most inspiring when she took on the role of Robbie in the upcoming Hallmark Original Movie, Safe Harbor.

“For me, that whole element of chance – taking a chance, being available to whatever fate brings you – is the most powerful element of this movie. And, what appealed to me most about the story was the notion of somebody who has their life pretty much charted out, was prepared to take the next step, and fate threw something in their path that completely changed their direction and made them realize unfulfilled wishes. That was all an appealing process to me,” says Nancy.

The movie, which premieres Saturday, May 30th at 9 p.m. on the Hallmark Channel, is based on the true story of real-life married couple Robbie and Doug Smith, who shelved their retirement plans to sail around the world together, and instead founded a unique, residential, educational program for at risk teen-aged boys aboard their boat on the Saint Johns River. The Safe Harbor Boys Home is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

"I think, too, what was also interesting about it," says Nancy, "is that in this day and age - especially if you’re somewhat of celebrity - there’s an onus to find a charity with which to associate yourself. And, I think in general today, it’s what can you do for the world. But often, those decisions come to you without you looking for them. I liked that this was a gradual process for the Smiths in that they took in a boy as a favor to somebody else, and it blossomed into their journey. So sometimes, even though we’re searching for the place to put our name, it’s [actually] right there in front of us. What Robbie and Doug did, ultimately, [was] a huge contribution. But sometimes, there are things that we do that are small that are equally as helpful."

So, as a mother of two, what did she identify with the most in Robbie - a woman who didn't have any children? Ironically enough, it was actually the mothering quality in Robbie that the Safe Harbor boys seemed to be able to bring out of her.

“I’m a mother, and I can’t really imagine my life without my children now that I’ve had them,” says Nancy. “But Robbie is a woman who chose not to have children – mostly because she couldn’t get pregnant, and as a couple, they decided to just not have kids. It was this unfulfilled desire for her. And yet, it was an interesting notion that these delinquent boys come to her, and she is able to fulfill that dream [of being a mother] even though they are not her own children. So, there was a very mothering quality about her. I connected with that."

The process of making the movie, however, proved to be one in which Nancy isn’t entirely used to considering her day job is one that most of us would envy – no matter the profession.

Start at 10 a.m.

Done at 3 p.m.

Sweet, yes?

This, of course, is the benefit of being on a sitcom, which has always had the reputation for having one of the cushiest filming schedules in the entertainment industry.

Currently enjoying a strong run as Bill Engvall’s wife, Susan, on the TBS hit comedy, The Bill Engvall Show, Nancy got a true taste of renegade filmmaking as Safe Harbor was filmed outside, on a real sailboat, during some extremely unseasonably cool weather in Long Beach, California.

"All of it was [filmed] pretty much made outside," says Nancy. "So, we were definitely dealing with the elements - with the light, or just trying to get a shot in of a walk on the beach before the sun goes down. It ended up almost being renegade filmmaking. That said, surprisingly given the budget, the scenes that really worked in a very professional way were the storm scenes - I was really impressed with that. We were lucky, too, in that Treat Williams [who portrays husband Doug Smith] is a nautical guy – spent his life sailing, knew things about boats and sailing and the sea – and he was able to bring a lot to it."

Bringing a lot to the projects she undertakes is something Nancy takes great pride in doing - no matter whether it be a comedy or a drama. She finds inspiration in simply having the ability to investigate any given character at any given moment at any place in time.

"I have always had a sense of adventure," says Nancy. "I love that in acting, I get to be other people, live in other places, experience emotions and situations I might not have in my own life. And then, conversely, all I can bring to it is what I’ve experienced in my own life, and imagine what it would be like to be a woman who lives on a boat, and a woman who faces these boys [who are] virtual criminals - how does one handle that, how does one answer their own moral questions. I love being able to put thoughts and emotions before other people and see how I can affect them.

"I just love performing," Nancy continues. "I love to do theater. I love film. I love even performing at my kids’ school fundraiser. I love all of it. And, I think I mostly look for projects that look like they're going to be interesting and fun, and hopefully [be] the best quality thing I can find. But also, it’s about what’s happening in a moment. I’ve done jobs that I’ve thought, 'Ugh. Wow. I don’t know why I’m doing this. What am I doing here?' But a director once said to me: you never know what the opportunity is going to bring. You just never know what the opportunity is that’s within a project. And that is almost a metaphor for this film, too, in that you just never know what opportunity lurks with what you choose to do."

But she does confess theater is her favorite. Why?

"I think because you spend time in this little cocoon rehearsing and preparing something, and you really don’t know what it's going to be until you’re pushed out onto a stage, and it’s just you, your other actors and the audience. And, that thing that happens with the written material, the actors and the audience changes every night - it can be a different sensation every night. It’s an alchemy that happens that’s pretty addictive. There’s really no opportunity to say, 'Ok, let’s stop. Let’s go back and redo this, let’s perfect this.' It is what it is. One night, a line may soar and everybody will be applauding; the next night no one may get it. So, you just never know, and I just love that question," says Nancy.

Speaking of questions, you know that old saying how everything comes in threes? I believe this to be true. So how would Nancy sum up Safe Harbor in three words?

She wouldn't.

She'd use three phrases instead.

“Let fate be your guide. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. Take a chance - it can provide answers you’ve been searching for your entire life,” says Nancy.

We here at PTR extend our great thanks to Nancy for taking the time out to chat with us. We also thank our friends at Hallmark Publicity. Safe Harbor premieres Saturday, May 30th at 9 p.m. / 8 p.m. Central on the Hallmark Channel. For the inside scoop on the story and the film, head on over to HallmarkChannel.com

Join the 'Expedition' and Win a Prize Pack

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

So what kind of grades did you get in history?

Hopefully ones good enough to enjoy Mark Burnett's newest - and dare we say innovative - offering Expedition Africa, an action-adventure, docu-reality series that follows four modern day explorers on the same path blazed by adventure-journalist Henry Morton Stanley in 1871 as he trekked through Tanzania to find the infamous Dr. David Livingstone.

Yes, that'd be Dr. Livingstone you presume.

As the series gets ready to premiere on History Channel on May 31st, we here at PTR are giving away one awesome prize pack that includes:

* History Channel Laptop Backpack

* Expedition Branded 35mm Disposable Camera & Photo Album

* Trek Kit including Binoculars, Flashlight, Compass, Swiss Army Knife and more!



Looks awfully good, eh? Like you might want to go expeditioning yourself?

Before you enter to grab the gear, read the scoop on the series:

HISTORY™ presents the television event of the summer: EXPEDITION AFRICA: STANLEY & LIVINGSTON.

Watch the series premiere May 31 at 10pm/9c.

Twenty miles off the coast of eastern Africa, four modern-day explorers are sailing toward the unknown, the deep interior of Tanzania. They'll travel over 900 miles through African terrain that is as stunning as it is fraught with danger. Using only a compass and basic maps, they will attempt to recapture the spirit of one of the world’s most remarkable adventures—journalist Henry Morton Stanley’s perilous 1871 journey to find Dr. David Livingstone. Their historic exploration has been captured by one of the premiere storytellers of our time, Mark Burnett. This is not a competition or a game. It's a real-life adventure.

To enter to win PTR's Expedition Africa swag:

- Send an e-mail to: lilly_of_philly(at)hotmail.com with the following:

** Subject line: Expedition Africa Prize Pack
** Message Body: MUST contain your FULL NAME.

- Entry rules are as follows:

** Entries must be received by June 13, 2009.
** The winner will be drawn at random on or after June 14, 2009.
** The winner will be notified by e-mail
** You must be a U.S. resident to enter and over the age of 18.

And while you count it down to see if YOU are the lucky winner, check out this two-minute sneak peak of the series:



Expedition Africa premieres Sunday, May 31st at 10 p.m. (9 p.m. Central) on History Channel. You can join other fans on Facebook; follow History on Twitter, or visit the official Expedition Africa site.

Pausing for 'Catch'

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

So, was it just me, or did this week's episode of Deadliest Catch seem ... slow? drawn out? Like, this was really "Part 1" of the end of the King Crab Season but really wasn't being billed as such?

Last week's promo totally fooled me into thinking THIS week would be the end of the first part of the season. And even though me loves my Catch Crew, the ep felt a little repetitive at times - kinda like we were all waiting for everybody else to catch (no pun intended) up to the Time Bandit, which is now happily back in Dutch Harbor. Quota completed. Cash in the bank. Scene.

That said, I feel I have to postpone my write-up because ... well, there wasn't a whole heck of a lot going on that differed from last week.

Considerably less anger, though. Always a good thing.

But do the crab counts at the end of the eps suggest the Cornelia Marie has so much crab when all we see is poor ol' Murray stressing about pulling up empty pot after empty pot?

I know it's all about the editing, but still ... I'm confused.

New episodes of Deadliest Catch air Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on Discovery Channel. Visit the official Deadliest Catch Web site for the latest on the captains and crews of the Northwestern, Cornelia Marie, Time Bandit, Wizard, Early Dawn and North American and the new boat, Lisa Marie. You can also catch up with Deadliests Catch folks on Twitter: fvnw_erin / CaptPhilHarris / northwesternpat / NorthwesternPR / captjohnathan / northwesternsig / DeadliestCatch (which is actually the Cornelia Marie) / DiscoveryChPR.

Where Have the Angels Gone, Hallmark Channel?

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Oh, my beloved Hallmark Channel.

What have you done?

You've REMOVED Touched By An Angel from your daily programming schedule?!?!?!?

And I'm now inundated with e-mails asking what I can do about it?!?!?!?!

I can, obviously, do nothing except give this open letter to you (and everyone else):

Hi Hallmark,

I'm a senior staff writer for the indy television blog, Pass the Remote. We cover quite a bit of Hallmark programming. I decided to write today because I myself received several e-mails this morning with regards to the recent programming decision to remove Touched By An Angel from your daily schedule. I was under the impression the show had consistently been one of your more popular airings and/or has remained slotted at 12 p.m. for almost a year and half. Additionally, its airing on Hallmark is promoted on the Touched.com site and elsewhere as a place where TBAA fans can still go to get their fix of all-things Monica, Tess, Andrea and Gloria.

As I've looked at the schedule today, it seems to now be tipped almost exclusively in the comedy direction. I had read on your forums and elsewhere that the I Love Lucy folks were feeling a bit shortchanged with so few offerings of their show, but it now seems that TBAA has lost out completely. I understand you recently did a similar experiment with Little House on the Prairie - sort of removing it unexpectedly only to have concern expressed by those who love the show, and thus, it was able to find its way back onto the schedule.

I know you experiment with scheduling from time to time, but in my very humble opinion, this seems somewhat of an unfair decision to TBAA fans. It also seems even more ill-timed given the fact Roma Downey stars in the upcoming Come Dance at My Wedding and on one of the current behind the scenes clips out on the consumer side of the Hallmark site, she discusses how fortunate it is to have TBAA have found a home on Hallmark Channel.

As I had the pleasure of speaking with Roma recently, and we were able to discuss the continuing legacy of the show - its timeless quality that resonates between generations - on behalf of TBAA fans across the globe, might it not be possible to remove one hour of one of those comedy blocks to put this beloved show back on the air?

Thanks very much for your time.

If you want to let Hallmark Channel know what you feel, write them: viewers@hallmarkchannel.com; call them (888) 390-7474 or fill out their online feedback form.

('Cause really, folks, I love you guys think I have THAT much power, but alas, I don't. Perhaps we should send for Monica?)

EDITED TO ADD: I love that Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel say today how TBAA "is having another life in repeats on the channel as well." Oops! Not anymore, eh?

EDITED TO ADD #2: Looks as though Hallmark plans to resume airings of TBAA on June 29, 2009. One of our readers (thanks, John) found this with new DVR program data, and Hallmark has indicated this on the June page of the monthly calendar on the TBAA portion of their Web site. Standard disclaimer is I will believe it when I see it, but ... yay!

EDITED TO ADD #3: Effective June 1st, Hallmark is airing TBAA at 8 p.m. daily. The TBAA portion of their Web site has been updated accordingly. Yay!

BREAKING UPFRONTS NEWS: CW Ups the 'Gossip,' Cancels 'Privileged'

Well, another Network Upfronts season is in the history books, which means we can all commence our sighs of relief for our faves that were renewed and/or our cursing the networks for those that were not. But first, The CW took its turn at the plate and made a few tweaks. Watercooler shows Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill and 90210 will return, but Privileged, it seems, is not quite as well, privileged. The freshman drama did not earn a place on the new line-up. Meanwhile, fan favorite Smallville is moving to Friday. Here's a closer look at The CW's Fall 2009 schedule courtesy of The Futon Critic:

HE CW's 2009-2010 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE

MONDAY

8:00-9:00 PM GOSSIP GIRL

9:00-10:00 PM ONE TREE HILL

TUESDAY

8:00-9:00 PM 90210

9:00-10:00 PM MELROSE PLACE (New Series)

WEDNESDAY

8:00-9:00 PM AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL

9:00-10:00 PM THE BEAUTIFUL LIFE (New Series)

THURSDAY

8:00-9:00 PM THE VAMPIRE DIARIES (New Series)

9:00-10:00 PM SUPERNATURAL

FRIDAY

8:00-9:00 PM SMALLVILLE (New night)

For more on the new schedule, visit The Futon Critic.