Rita is Rockin' It in the Fall

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

File this under: Listening to own advice.

And: PTR's own version of an upfront announcement.

With all this talk of network upfronts, we recall back in February, I wrote about wanting to bring Lifetime's Rita Rocks to PTR.

It had been one of those "other" shows waiting patiently in line to get a prime spot on my DVR schedule (just like Army Wives).

I even felt bad I wasn't showing my girl Nicole Sullivan much love by leaving her OUT of my schedule given ... well, I was too busy trying to: a) see if John Conner could save mankind; b) playing Pirates of the Caribbean with Philip Winchester; c) determining what in the world a human doll was and why there was a need for a whole house of them; and, d) negotiating a chopped up "summer" and "spring" schedule viewing of Brenda Leigh Johnson and Grace Hanadarko.

What can I say, I'm only one writer.

BUT ... it's official: Rita Rocks WILL be on our slate next fall.

This also leads me to giving a shoutout to Nicole, who I had the pleasure of meeting this past weekend at the 8th Annual Nuts for Mutts dog competition show, presented by New Leash on Life. Nicole - a passionate dog lover in her own right but of whom is currently several months pregnant - dutifully endured sweltering heat at Pierce College in Woodland Hills (the Los Angeles valley) to return as emcee of the show. Those of us in the Love Da Pawz booth had a ringside seat - literally - and were thoroughly entertained.

Seriously, folks.

The sun was unforgiving.

I have the sunburn to prove it.

In getting the chance to speak with Nicole after the show, we're planning for a QA in the fall in support of Rita's second season seeing as when I explained my "other" job as a writer for PTR, she said "Oh! I've heard of you guys! Somebody told me about you!"

Aww, thanks Nicole - rock on!

Rita Rocks will return to Lifetime this coming fall. Watch this space for season premiere dates. In the mean time, head on over to the show's official site for the scoop on the series.

Two More PTR Faves Get Pick-Ups; Fox Announces Schedule

Today is another glorious day in the TV Upfront world because both Cold Case and Chuck, yet two other "bubble shows," have both been picked up for another season by their respective networks. Cold Case will kick off its 7th season this fall on CBS according to Entertainment Weekly's Mike Ausiello who delivered the "official" news in his Ausiello Files online column. Meanwhile, Chuck will begins its 3rd season on NBC albeit with only 13 episodes and huge budget cuts (and the possible departure of a character in a cost-cutting move) according to Ausiello. (h/t to RichE for alerting me of the CC news in the comments section)

However, today was Fox's day to step up to the plate with the announcement of its official Fall 2009 schedule. As previously announced here at PTR, Bones will return for a fifth season and (surprise, surprise) it's keeping its current timeslot on Thursday night! But wait, there's more! The network is moving fellow PTR show Fringe to Thursdays after Bones, so we're going to have a Fox block on Thursday nights! Two of my faves on one night! Plus, we're getting an additional season of So You Think You Can Dance (season 5 premieres this Thursday and season 6 kicks off this fall) -- seriously, this is THE best upfronts week EVER!! Here's Fox's full fall schedule courtesy of The Futon Critic:

FOX PRIMETIME SCHEDULE: FALL 2009 (All Times ET/PT)

MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM HOUSE
9:00-10:00 PM LIE TO ME

TUESDAY
8:00-10:00 PM SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Performance Show

WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Results Show
9:00-10:00 PM GLEE

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM BONES
9:00-10:00 PM FRINGE

FRIDAY
8:00-8:30 PM BROTHERS
8:30-9:00 PM 'TIL DEATH
9:00-10:00 PM DOLLHOUSE

SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM COPS
8:30-9:00 PM COPS
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA'S MOST WANTED
11:00 PM-Midnight THE WANDA SYKES SHOW (working title)
Midnight-12:30 AM ANIMATION DOMINATION ENCORES

SUNDAY
7:00-8:00 PM THE OT (NFL post-game)
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM THE CLEVELAND SHOW
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM AMERICAN DAD

For more on Fox's schedule (including details on new series), visit The Futon Critic.

PTR Meets a Childhood Icon

There are opportunities in your life that you just have to seize. This weekend, I was lucky enough to have one of them. More on that in a bit, but first, a little background. When I was 12 years old, CBS brought to life the compelling and inspiring story of a woman who traveled from the comfort of her wealthy Boston upbringing to the untamed, unpredictable American West. The year was 1867 and this woman was a doctor! Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman nurtured my love of history, the American West, a good old-fashioned love story and a strong, independent determined woman who used her smarts and training to win over the less-than-convinced residents of Colorado Springs. The show had a big impact on me as a young woman, and it remains near and dear to my heart to this day. Its star, actress Jane Seymour, continues to be one of my faves. A few months ago, PTR proudly grandfathered her in as an official "PTR Fave," and this summer, I'll be revisiting her (in my opinion) greatest role: Dr. Michaela Quinn.

On Sunday, I had the opportunity to meet Jane Seymour and so, I seized it. She was visiting the Washington D.C. area for a series of art shows at local Wentworth Galleries. I packed a camera, my "Open Hearts" jewelry and 17 years of admiration for this actress, philantropist, mother, artist, author and dancer and headed on over to meet her. Jane was incredibly gracious, kind and engaging. She signed my Open Hearts book, talked about my jewelry and posed for photos. She was the epitome of grace and beauty. And her paintings were AMAZING! Here are a few photos from the event (all photos taken by my husband, "Mr. TVFan"):

Jane signs my copy of her Open Hearts book

Jane poses with one of her paintings (her take on her famous Somewhere in Time role)

Jane in front of one of her paintings

Her famous "Open Hearts" symbol

Jane talks to fans in front of one of her paintings

For more on Jane's artwork, jewelry, books, acting and much more, be sure to visit her official site. Special thanks to Jane for taking the time to talk, sign my book and pose for photos. You made this Dr. Quinn fan's day! :0)

Fox Orders More 'Bones'

This coming week is the beginning of the nail-biting time we TV fans know as Network Upfronts Week. Essentially, it's the week where the nets announce their fall schedules and in the process, let us know which of our favorites are in for another season and which are out for good. But fellow Bones fans do not have to cross their fingers, wish on a shooting star or sweat it out any more this season -- or next! -- because Fox just officially renewed the show for not one, but two more seasons!!! I am literally jumping for joy right now. From Creator Hart Hanson (via his Twitter account):

Who am I to argue with Ausiello? Two seasons pick-up it must be!

First Friday Night Lights gets the green light on two more seasons and now Bones! Best. Pre-Upfronts. EVER!!! Now, we just need CBS to renew Cold Case and NBC to renew Chuck. Yay for Bones, though! Here's more on the pick-up from TV Guide:

Capping one of the upfront season's most prolonged back-and-forths over the licensing fee paid by the network to the studio, Fox has decided to renew Bones — for a fifth and sixth season.

Executive producer Hart Hanson announced the pick-up on Saturday, via his Twitter account. Later, Hanson confirmed that Fox had ordered not just one but two more seasons.

Bones likely will be paired on Thursday nights with So You Think You Can Dance, which this year will be launching a fall season veritably on the heels of this summer's cycle.

Bones joins Lie to Me, Fringe, Dollhouse and 24 as Fox's officially announced returning dramas for the 2009-10 TV season.

OMG, and it's being paired with the fall edition of SYTYCD!!!! I am one happy TV fan tonight.

Morris Meets the 'Terminator'

PTR Fave Kathryn Morris attended Thursday night's Terminator Salvation premiere in Los Angeles. Here are a few photos of the Cold Case star from the event (HUGE thanks to RichE for providing the beautiful photos):


Cold Case just wrapped its 6th season this past Sunday. To help make sure that the finale was a season finale and not a series finale, sign the petition and join the email campaign to save Cold Case.

The Feelings in the Finale

I'm feeling very duped this morning. Normally after hearing a spoiler like "Booth & Bones are going to end up in bed together in the season finale," I would assume that there was some sort of catch (kinda like that "kiss" from last season after Bones was obligated to hold up her end of the bargain with the U.S. Attorney). BUT, we were promised early on that this development was not going to be a dream or a tease or anything else I could think of that would make it anything less than the real deal. Still, I had my suspicions and they were ramped up even more after seeing last week's episode (which ended with Booth heading into surgery to remove a brain tumor) and then the subsequent previews for this week's finale (which showed a perfectly healthy Booth -- hair and all). I figured either: a) A lot of time must transpire between the two episodes, or b) Something is amiss. Turns out Option B was correct. It's weird because I feel completely duped and yet, I'm not completely disappointed. I was never sure that this was the right time to put Booth & Bones together. There had been little lead-up and no major changes in their current relationship. Plus, the fact that they didn't get into bed together means that the show has time to develop that aspect of their relationship further first. And that is a good thing.

In light of last night's strange "alternate universe meets Bones's writing meets (possibly) Booth's comatose musings," I'm going to forgo the usual Good, Bad and Ugly format. Even though Booth and Brennan didn't really seal the deal last night, the episode was chock full of subtext. The biggest question surrounding the strange alternate world is, whose alternate world was it? Was it Brennan's writings? We saw her typing the closing lines on her laptop (which she curiously erased). Did she imagine a world where she and Booth are happily married? And what about Booth? Did he dream about him and Brennan happily married? Or was it a combination of both of their imaginations? This, of course, goes back to the central question that Gordon Gordon raised several weeks ago when he suggested that one of them is aware of his/her feelings for the other and struggles with those feelings every day. I originally suggested Brennan and then backpedaled to Booth last week. Now, I'm leaning more toward Brennan again. I think Booth waking up and talking about his "very real" dream was just a rouse designed to throw us off. We would automatically assume that he would dream about him and Brennan together over Brennan actually drafting a story in which they were a couple.

At the very end, we learned that Booth has memory loss from his surgery/subsequent coma. When you take that into account, it makes the alternate world seem even more like Brennan's writings. If Booth had dreamt it, wouldn't he think Brennan was his wife when he woke up? And how would he have known all of the other characters' names if he was suffering from memory loss? It was also somewhat telling that Brennan was the only one whose name was changed in the story (slightly to "Bren"). If Brennan did in fact write that world and it was hers and hers alone, it brings up the idea of the "road not taken" (h/t Fringe for putting this into the forefront of my mind this week). Perhaps, she is imagining a world where she is settled down and happy with someone she loves. And that someone just happens to be Booth. She was even sure to include a bit at the end where "Bren" revealed that she was pregnant (with Booth's baby -- something Brennan had wanted prior to the brain tumor... hmmmm). I think the very thought of this scared her enough to cause her to erase it at the end, but there is no delete key on feelings. Next season should be interesting.

If you missed last night's episode ("The End in the Beginning"), check it out for free at Hulu.com.

Four Rounds of a 'Catch' Grudge Match

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Bering Sea Grudge Match - Round One.

And two.

And three.

And four.

And you get the idea.

Grumpy is as grumpy does. That about sums up this week's episode of Deadliest Catch. Or, as narrator Mike Rowe kept calling it, a Bering Sea Grudge Match between irritable crews short on crab count, bait and a whole bunch'a other stuff.

Anger Management: So Captain Keith lost it (gee, what else is new) running low on bait. Apparently, the greenhorn needed to read Keith's mind to understand he needs to let Keith KNOW when the bait is getting low. Um, 'kay. Might be helpful if one of the crew - um, like the Captain? - TELLS the greenhorn this BEFOREHAND as opposed to expecting him to know it by osmosis.

Where's the Wind-Up Key - Redux: The new Lisa Marie boat STILL looks like a toy boat to me this week. In fact, how in the world does she even have room for the camera crew? She's not catching any crab, which doesn't do much to make me think she should be out there with the big boys. True, the catching crab part isn't completely her fault. But seriously ... is it time to wind her up, or is there a remote control somewhere?

Just Say No: With the aforementioned Captain Keith low on bait, he puts a radio call out to Captain Sig on the Northwestern to help him out - you know, abide by that help-your-fellow-sailor-in-distress code. Apparently, Sig feels differently. Or, the fact that Keith was low on bait by his OWN fault isn't in the same category as ... oh, how about the Katmai sinking, and thus, doesn't quite warrant keeping to that code. Totally thought Sig's non-reaction was the right one.

Has Anyone Seen the Crab?: My poor Cornelia Marie. Nada mucho on the crab catcho. Bummo. And yet, they remain the most un-grumpy group of the bunch. Not to mention Captain Murray never seems to panic. Love.Him.

Catching on Twitter: On a completely unrelated note ... I've found a smattering of cool Catch folks on Twitter: fvnw_erin / CaptPhilHarris / northwesternpat / DeadliestCatch (which is actually the Cornelia Marie). Shouts out to northwesternpat for giving me the word 'fuxored' to replace 'fraked' in my 'f-uh-cowee' dictionary, fvnw_erin for the follow-back, and to DiscoveryChPR for humoring me most of the 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, Lisa Marie.

'Fringe' Travels to Another World

I fell for the hype from the preview for this week's finale of Fringe. And yes, I understand that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. It's not as if the finale didn't have it's shocking moments, but it just felt a little flat. Blame the over-hyped preview or the show's recent stretch of strong episodes, but I was expecting something more. I wanted a finale of Lost proportions. I wanted epic events. I wanted more than 30 seconds of William Bell (I mean, how hyped was Leonard Nimoy's blink- and- you- missed- it guest spot??)! So, as a finale, this one was just ho-hum. But as an episode, it kinda rocked -- A LOT!!

Portals into the "road(s) not taken" (a.k.a. alternate universes)??!! Walter remembering where he hid the whatchamacallit??!! Nina working with the FBI in order to vindicate her boss??!! And how about the revelation that Peter is from one of those alternate universes? I kinda figured that one out when Walter told him about the coin. He said that he may not remember this and followed it up with a seemingly throwaway line about when Peter was sick and dying. I listened sorta half-paying attention since it didn't seem too important and then he threw in the whole "sick and DYING" bit and a HUGE lightbulb lit up in my head. Suddenly, that talk about Walter wanting to travel to an alternate universe to retrieve someone to replace the version he was losing in this one all made sense. I had originally attributed that story to the alternate being his wife. Plus, I assumed he wasn't successful. Shows what I know! So Peter isn't really Peter. Well, he is, but he's not the original Peter, if you will.

The whole "window to another world" story was pretty awesome, and I'm not even a sci-fi fan. It was just cool (and scary at the same time) to imagine a glimpse into a life that might have been. Of course, the slicing you in half part (or diagonally for that poor soccer player) wasn't so cool. But hey, at least we don't have to worry about creepy bandage-wearing teleporter guy anymore. That dude was harboring a serious inferiority complex! I'm kinda glad it wasn't William Bell activating his soldiers as the conspiracy nut suggested during last week's episode. And speaking of William Bell, it seems that he is hiding in an alternate universe where 9/11 never happened. Am I the only one who felt a great sadness come over when the camera zoomed out of his office and it became painfully apparent that he and Olivia were standing inside the former Twin Towers? Yup, that one still hurts just as much to this day.

Overall a very intriguing, entertaining, original, fun and exciting freshman season for a show that seems to have endless possibilities at its fingertips. I'm very excited to see where it takes us next season. If the preview is a window into what lies ahead, then September can't come soon enough. Oh, there I go again! Oh well, just call me INSANE.

If you missed last night's season finale, you can watch it for free at Fox.com.

Mary's Witness Gets Caught 'In Plain Sight'

Is there really anything more entertaining than a super intense episode and Mary being, well, Mary complete with her quick wit and sarcasm? I didn't think so. This outing had the unfortunate timing of starting right after the awesome Cold Case finale on my viewing schedule, but it held its own nicely. I have to give the creators and the writers MAJOR props for creating a character who is both sarcastic as hell and compassionate and caring. It's a delicate balance that Mary juggles beautifully. She could easily be completely closed off, but she's not. She blocks out some, but lets in those who matter the most. The character reminds me a bit of Bones's Dr. Brennan, but where Mary is able to walk the line between her sarcastic/keep- people- at- arms'- length emotional issues and the right amount of care and compassion needed for her job (and life in general), Brennan is not. She's all closed off (and uses her enormous intellectual knowledge to keep others away) and lacking a lot in the caring/compassion column. It's nice to have a Mary out there who presents both.

One area where Mary has everything in common with Dr. Brennan is their kickass job skills. She's cool as a cucumber under pressure, always thinking ahead and good with people. All of these skills came in very handy as she tended to a witness trapped in a pile of rubble and a literal sitting duck for those who wished to knock him off before he could testify against them in a pending Department of Justice case. She sacrificed her own safety and played EMT while they desperately awaited help. All of this while the threat of a further collapse loomed overhead. And there was the overzealous "journalist" whose get- the- story- no- matter- the- cost tactics almost outed Mary and, in the process, could have ruined her career. Some quick thinking and a "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" exchange saved the day.

Something was missing in this one... what was it?? I just can't put my finger on it... something just felt lighter. Oh, right! The mother. Can't say I actually missed her. In all honesty, I just now realized that she wasn't in this one. This rehab development has done wonders for the side-story part of this show already!

BONUS: Read LillyKat's post on series star Frederick Weller (Marshall) from a recent conference call she attended with the actor!

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

The Sixth Finale

Photo: CBS

OMG, Cold Case just Sixth Sense-d us for the sixth season finale!! I can't believe it. I'm still in a complete state of shock. As I was watching this episode, I kept waiting for Lilly to just keel over. I thought she was suffering from a serious concussion and its effects were escalating as the case moved along. But when that letter showed up on the table in the interrogation room, I knew something was seriously amiss. It wasn't until Moe told her that from where he sits, she's still in that "box." Suddenly I was seeing Bruce Willis, that scary little kid and the entire previous hour flash before my eyes while Lil was watching water fill the room as the mirror began to shatter and her mind raced to figure out what the hell was going on. After all, she'd gotten herself out of that car, right? It was the hospital scene that went wrong because she refused to stick around for further tests. Obviously, she had rushed to clear herself and that error in judgement meant that she was more injured than she thought, right? No! Completely wrong. She was still in that car trapped in the water unconscious and everything that had transpired in the last hour had been a hallucination.

But how, you ask, could Lil possibly solve the entire case (with all its twists and turns) in her head? I haven't quite pieced that together myself. We know she has good instincts (hence one of the reasons Stillman selected her to be the first female detective in homicide), so it's reasonable to assume that she figured out that Ryan and Moe killed/covered up Kate's murder. But how did she know about the murder-made-to-look-like-a-suicide? My guess -- that part was not in Lilly's head but actually part of her comrades' sleuthing, but as I said, I'm still piecing all of this together.

This episode was pretty much perfection for me. It was one big Lilly-fest from start to finish and part of that Lilly-fest included a huge chunk of the missing pieces of her past. We learned for certain that Stillman was the cop who caught the man who assaulted her as a young child (for those who don't remember, Lilly was assaulted -- to what extent we aren't exactly sure -- while running to the store to buy booze for her mother. Serial killer George Marks confronted her with this happy part of her past when he cornered her in the abandoned attic of his childhood home in the season two finale). She, apparently, left an impression on Stillman and when she came up through the rank and file in PPD, he took notice of her astute observations and impeccable instincts and took her under his wing. We also learned that Lilly's father left because of her mother (no surprise). It seems that Lilly's life was not the only one affected by Ellen's toxic force. Paul was right about something -- Lilly is stronger than he. She not only stuck it out, but she continued to take care of her mother for years caring for her up until her alcohol-induced death.

This episode had a lot to digest and it pretty much hit every scene right out of the park. It was everything I could have asked for in a season (emphasis on "season") finale. Cold Case ends the season 21-1-1 (this outing counts 2x in the "win" column because: a) it was in 2-parts and b) it was that awesome).

Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please CBS -- don't cancel Cold Case! Lilly has too much work to do. Everyone else, sign the petition and join the email campaign to save Cold Case.

BONUS: Read TV Guide's interview with series star Kathryn Morris. She discusses the special connection she has to the young actress who played her Lilly Rush character at age 6, who did all of those awesome underwater stunts, and whether or not she thinks the show will get another season.

The 'In Sight'-ful Truth with Frederick Weller

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Something must be in the water down in Albuquerque, New Mexico, that makes the actors on USA Network's hit show In Plain Sight a lot like their characters.

We've heard Mary McCormack recite this for us.

Add Frederick Weller to the list, too.

We recently had the opportunity to sit in on a conference call with Fred, where I found him to be as smart, quick witted, easy-going and as much a dilettante as his alter-ego, U.S. Marshal Marshall Mann (yes, we have a double Marshal/Marshall thing going on, which seems to just fit right in with the character). The second season of In Plain Sight is currently underway on USA Network Sunday nights at 10 p.m.

On playing a U.S. Marshal, and whether the role has helped him learn anything new in his own life: "It’s really fun to play a law man who, in theory, has jurisdiction anywhere in the country. Also, an undercover law man is, I think, an especially cool thing to play because you’ve got an interesting dynamic that you are [not only] enforcing the law, but at the same time, trying to appear like you’re not. Our technical advisor, who is the head of WitSec in California, is on the set every day now, and one of his favorite reminders is that you’re always scanning the horizon for danger. In fact, we poke fun at him whenever he walks over to the set. We just say, 'ABS, ABS,' which stands for 'always be scanning.' I don’t know if I’ve learned anything I’ve applied to my life. My life is pretty safe. I don’t have too many run-ins with unsavory characters, but when I do I plan to really scan the hell out of them."

On his character's personal life - which hasn't completely been laid out for us on screen as yet: "Well, I’d love to see more on the air. We think about it, and secretly joke on the set about what his apartment must look like with all his myriad interests. We hypothesize about what musical instrument he plays - there must be one, and it must be weird. I’m thinking the bassoon, sometimes a French horn. Does he have a bird? I don’t know. I do conjecture about his family life. All we know about his family life is he is a fifth generation U.S. Marshal. I imagine his father was a hard-ass and his mother was an intellectual, but this is just conjecture. Creator [David Maples] might decide something else, something I think is even better. He never ceases to surprise and amaze with his ideas. He’s a great writer, and I’m sure what we do learn about Marshall’s personal life, it’ll be interesting."

On the challenges of the role: "It’s challenging for the same reason that it’s fun in that it requires comedic and emotional ability. Now, my emotions are not [as] frequently [on display] as are Mary’s. Her character is in emotional turmoil much of the time. But at least a couple times a season - and certainly more times this season than last - Marshall is in some kind of emotional turmoil. And, any time that you’re asked, as an actor, to exhibit some state that is out of control or should appear out of control, it’s a little more challenging. I [also] think comedy is an exacting science. You don’t want to blow the humor if it’s there. If you do it wrong, it’s either funny or it’s not, so the fact [the character] has comedy and emotion is what makes it rich, and it’s also what makes it challenging. You don’t want to disappoint. When you’ve got such great material, it’s important to rise [up] and get it right."

On giving input for his character: "I occasionally will talk to [Creator] David Maples. We’ll joke around. I can’t actually think of something that I said that made it into the script per se, but we’re definitely on the same page about who he is. And, David has said that who Mary and I are has started to influence his vision of the characters - [it's] sort of a symbiotic relationship because playing a character which you love for a length of time starts to affect your own personality, I think. So, the lines tend to blur. I’ve never played a character that I felt was closer to me, [and] there have been ideas of mine that have informed the set dressing - [like] what’s on Marshall’s desk - but I can’t remember saying, 'Oh, I think my dad is such and such,' and then it was in the script. But [Mary and I] do have a good relationship with David, and I think that informs his take on the characters we play."

On his inspirations for portraying Marshall: "Well, not unlike Marshall, I have a variety of interests and a variety of influences, and I mostly draw the information about Marshall from our technical advisor. I talk to him when I can on the set. In terms of his emotional life, it’s pretty much mine. Otherwise, I just try to figure out how to have fun with any given episode. It’s an interesting thing to do television because it’s a work in progress for you - for the actor, that is - as well as for the writer. We’re all discovering it as we go along - different aspects of the character - they clarify themselves along with the story. It’s not like doing a play or film where you have the whole plot and the character arc from the get-go. It’s an exciting process to be discovering it as you go."

On his favorite Marshall trait: "I suppose my favorite would be his medical ability because it’s so far removed from anything I can do. The fact that he can patch up his own bullet wound to his lung, it’s an interest that I think would be useful, and it’s removed from my own fields of interests. I’m a little more of a music and literature person. My big brother is a man of science, an electrical engineer, and I always really admired him growing up. He had this strange capacity that didn’t seem to come from anyone in the family, it was just something that he was born with, and he was always intrigued by how things worked and just had an aptitude for it. And everybody else in the family is basically literature and arts, so that, to me, is fun because I get to pretend that I have that aptitude."

On whether Marshall has developed a Zen-like approach to life: "Yes. I think so. It’s difficult to talk about Zen, isn’t it? Because it just leaves the room as soon as you start talking about it. But I think that he certainly attempts to be in the moment and to let things go. I think it was Isaiah Berlin who wrote a famous essay comparing Dostoevsky with Tolstoy. It was about the fox and the hedgehog. He said that there are two types of people - foxes and hedgehogs. The fox is someone who has myriad interests. He doesn’t believe in any one shaping idea. He simply embraces various and sundry ideas. The hedgehog is someone who sees the universe through one controlling idea. And he said that Tolstoy was a fox who wanted to be a hedgehog, who believed in the principle of being a hedgehog. That is to say he believed in having one controlling idea, but really he was [fundamentally] a fox. I think Marshall is the opposite. I think he’s secretly a hedgehog, but he believes in the principle of being a fox. He embraces the notion of having a wide variety of interests and ideas, but he ultimately filters everything through the one, which is, I think, he believes in love and the transformative power of love. I [also] think Marshall is more flexible, more committed to optimism and to a kind of faith. You see in several episodes that Marshall seems to believe in a moral universe. And so when Mary - who is ever the cynic, which I think is really a kind of armor that she adopts to protect herself - has some kind of crisis, I think that the apostle of faith and wisdom and optimism is going to be useful to her. It’s one of the aspects that I really love about the character - that he’s a believer."

On whether he'd ever allow his young daughter to enter into an acting career - or date: "I’m going to try to keep the secret from her that I’m an actor at all. It’s going to be tough. I’m going to try to persuade her I’m a professor of something - something really nerdy [like in] comparative literature. I haven’t figured it out yet, but I’ve got to figure it out before she really masters the alphabet .... I’m hoping to eventually groom her into a very bookish child who doesn’t date boys at all."

Which, I think, is what all fathers always want for their young daughters: stay away from boys.

Fred is a kick, and we do love his Marshall Mann. We extend our great thanks to him for taking the time to chat about all-things Marshal Marshall. We also thank our friends at New Media Strategies. New episodes of In Plain Sight air Sundays at 10 p.m. on USA Network. To catch up on all-things Witness Protection, head on over to the show's official Web site.

'Bones' Makes a Big Decision

This week's episode was a combination of things I saw coming for weeks (thanks to an immense amount of spoilers that infiltrated the regular TV-news outlets and masked themselves as news rather than spoilers) and things that actually surprised me (including my reaction to the baby-daddy story line). Here's a breakdown of the Good, the Bad and the Ugly...

THE GOOD
When I heard the now-infamous Booth & Bones spoiler, I reserved judgement. But when I heard about it having something to do with Brennan's sudden desire to have a baby, I'm pretty sure I rolled my eyes wider than I thought possible. However, last night's set-up episode really worked for me (Surprise!). In fact, the "Booth/Brennan might have a baby (via artificial insemination)" story line was very well played and the highlight of the hour. All of the jokes, the shocked faces, scenes with Sweets, and the hidden emotional impact that lay just beneath the surface of this silly scheme made it really soar. Like Sweets, I find Brennan's choice of Booth very symbolic and her lack of realizing her true reason for picking him makes me rethink my belief that she's the one who knows/struggles with her feelings on a daily basis. I'm going back to the obvious choice -- Booth. This, of course, was just one of the reasons why he was struggling with donating his "stuff" and leaving it at that.

The end of the episode hopefully woke Brennan up a little bit (of course, one would have thought that Booth's faked death last season would have done the trick, but whatever). Watching him go through brain surgery, facing the possibility (as small as it may be) that he may not be O.K., and seeing how deeply it affects her should make her realize one simple fact -- there is no point in keeping her heart closed off to Booth in order to avoid any risk that falling for him may cause because she already has and there's no going back. I wasn't expecting an emotional ending, so it caught me off guard. But, I think it made for an interesting set-up going into next week's HUGE finale.

THE BAD
Nothing to see here... Just keep moving...

THE UGLY
Without a doubt, the glass of wine with the finger bone in it from the opening scene of the episode! Of course, it wasn't enough to have a finger in the wine, so they had the poor unsuspecting person actually drink the wine! And then we learned that all of the wine critic's remains were actually inside the barrel of wine that they were drinking from during the tasting. Talk about leaving a bad taste in your mouth. Yuck!

The much-anticipated Bones season finale airs next Thursday (5/14) on Fox. If you missed last night's episode ("The Critic in the Cabernet"), check it out for free at Hulu.com.

Morris on the 'Case' for Fashion

Cold Case star and PTR Fave Kathryn Morris attended the C.H.I.P.S Spring Luncheon and Fall Fashion Show honoring Alberta Ferretti. The outing was held in Beverly Hills yesterday (May 6th). Here are a couple photos courtesy of RichE, LII (at Look Again) & Colleen (at KathrynMorrisFan.com):

More photos of Kathryn at the event from RichE at Superior Pictures Forum.

Be sure to catch Kathryn this Sunday in the conclusion of the 2-part Cold Case season finale on CBS. To catch up on part 1, visit PTR's write up. And to help make sure that this Sunday's finale is a season finale and not a series finale, sign the petition and join the email campaign to save Cold Case.

EDITED: Added additional photo contributors (LII @Look Again and Colleen @KathrynMorrisFan.com). h/t RichE

'Catch' Gets Back to Normal

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

And now back to our regularly scheduled Deadliest Catch programming.

Seriously.

After two weeks of death at sea.

Seriously.

Last week's uber-emotional-super-sad-tug-at-your-heartstrings episode had me in a daze for days. I could not get the lost crew of the F/V Katmai - and the emotional recall of the survivors' tales - out of my head. I cried WAY too much.

This week, however, our gang got back to doing what they do best: fishing for Alaskan King Crab.

And we got our first look at the new Mini-Me boat, the Lisa Marie.

I Love Murray Gamrath: Do you think I could get this printed up as a bumper sticker? The man is just too cool. As much as I love Captain Phil (and I DO), part of me is enjoying watching Murray pinch-hit as Captain once again - particularly when he says things like, "I take Mother Nature very seriously, which is why I'm still out here." Amen to that, Murray. Go Cornelia Marie!

Where's the Wind-Up Key?: Is the new Lisa Marie boat, like, a toy or something? Does someone have a remote control in which to operate her? No offense to her crew, but she doesn't even look big enough to be let out of Dutch Harbor let alone be stacked with gear and off fishing for crab. The poor thing looks like 10 knot winds might blow her over - forget 50 knots. And yet there she is ... puttering around with the big boys. As much as I'm having issues with two "Marie" boats in our fleet, I've got The Little Engine That Could visions flashing through my head right now. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!

Sig, Chill: We all know the Northwestern's Captain Sig is a little ... uh, let's just say intense. Did we not think his eyeballs were going to come exploding out of his head when his crew seemed a little slow on the uptake? Breathe, Sig. Just breathe.

Dude, Where's My Picture?: So, the greenhorn on the Wizard decides to put his girlfriend's picture up in the bait area - which is where he spends most of his time. Awww. Nothing like decorating one's cubicle. Except it irks Mouse (Captain Keith's bro'), and then turns into a big ol' hullabaloo. Over a picture? Guys, seriously. And yet, couldn't the greenhorn have picked a less gooberish version of her in which to post? Like, if I was the girlfriend, I'd think I'd want to not look like a drunk bimboid who got her pic snapped on a throw-away camera by accident. Ouch. But hey, whatever floats one's boat, right?

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.

Birthday Wishes: Roma Downey

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

I interrupt my normally scheduled posting to borrow a page from editor-in-chief TVFan's recently nostalgic birthday-esque tribute to Jane Seymour and Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman ...

There are a select few shows and actors we here at PTR still hold in great reverence - even if they no longer grace our television screens on a weekly basis, or enjoyed their heyday long before we ever knew what the heck a blog was.

Roma Downey is one of those.

We came to know - and love - her as Monica the Angel on the legendary Touched By An Angel

We still do.

And, very much as we've grandfathered Jane into the PTR Fave fold, we've also done so with Roma - who, I'm happy to report, will be back on our television screens in just a month's time with the new Hallmark Channel original movie, Come Dance at My Wedding, premiering June 6th at 9 p.m.

(And yes, yours truly DID have the great pleasure of getting Miss Wings on the phone for a one-on-one QA session, which I'll have for y'all a little bit later in the month. Suffice it to say Roma is truly a class act - charming, delightful, genuinely adorable and pretty darn funny).

As she celebrates her 49th birthday today, we couldn't be happier to send her our best.

Happy Birthday Roma!

Your Friends at PTR

If you're missing Roma these days, try these remedies: Tune into Hallmark Channel on June 6th for Come Dance at My Wedding; catch Touched By An Angel re-runs on Hallmark every day at 12 p.m. (SEE EDIT BELOW); visit her 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).

EDITED May 19, 2009: Hallmark Channel has stopped airing its daily re-runs of Touched By An Angel. The channel assures me that they still own the rights, etc., but are currently experimenting with scheduling.

'Fringe' is on Fire

You know it's an interesting episode when the only person who seems to know what he's talking about is the conspiracy theory nut who believes that he is the son of Spock (which incidentally, is an inside joke for those who are up on their spoilers). From all of the intimations throughout the hour, it seems that this conspiracy nut's story about William Bell "activating" his test subjects to see who is suitable for a super army to fight some sort of impending evil is a very plausible explanation for the overarching story of this show. Walter inferred as much at the end when he told Olivia that something bad was coming (unfortunately, he doesn't know what exactly). Whatever it is, Olivia should prepare herself because she was a test subject of Walter and William Bell's, thus, her activation must be coming at any moment (or possibly, it has already come and that is why she was seeing "the road not taken" this week). We also had Nina warning Agent Broyles that The Observer has been spotted frequently and we all remember what happened the last time he made this many appearances in such a short time (except we don't and now I'm on the edge of my seat trying to figure it all out). And just to add intrigue to interest, we saw Walter leave with The Observer ("Let me just get my coat") just as he found the original manuscript which supposedly clears William Bell of any wrong-doing. We'll see. Who is The Observer and why was Walter so willing to go with him now that it's "that time?"

I'll admit that I didn't see the Harris shocker coming, like, at all. I never liked the man and I wondered which side he was playing for, but I didn't anticipate his involvement in these recent "activations." When the kidnapper showed up at Nancy's door, I assumed he was working for Massive Dynamic -- figured the phone call was to Nina or some Massive Dynamic drone -- but I never imagined it was to Harris. Guess he got his, though, at the end.

Normally, I praise this show for making the ridiculously impossible seem possible, but this week's melted- glass- is- like- a- record- and- it- absorbed- the- emotion- and- burned- it- into- grooves was a bit much... even for me. I'll usually go along for the ride and give the show some creative license and the benefit of the doubt that while most things are possible, they're probably not probable, but you- made- a- strong- case- so- it- works- for- me. Not this time. It was interesting, but I couldn't buy into it. Oh well, the rest of the outing was awesome (as usual), so I'm highly anticipating next week's season finale. Bring on the twists and turns!

The season finale of Fringe airs next Tuesday on Fox. If you missed last night's episode, you can watch it for free at Fox.com.

Mary's Case Gets Personal

PHOTO: USA Network

For the first time in a long time (maybe ever) the crazy mother story line on In Plain Sight worked. It tied in nicely with Mary's WITSEC case, it provided an interesting conflict for Brandy, and it didn't drag the episode down. Maybe that's because the writers finally saw the light and sent Jinx to rehab. Even better, though, she watched that ridiculous tape of herself on the side of the road and finally realized that she has a problem. Ahhh... step one. Now, she's willing to get the help she so desperately needs. This is going to make things so much easier for Mary in the long-run. I'll admit that until that tape moment, I was so done with Jinx. I didn't think she was ever going to get it and I was beyond tired of her same old selfish antics. Then, the tape happened and I began to feel sorry for her. Like Mary said, I saw her as a person and not simply a burden who brings the show down. I hope rehab works and she's able to get her life together for her sake, but also for both of her daughters' sakes and of course, the good of the show.

All of this Mama Drama gave Mary some extra special insight into this week's WITSEC family: an absentee single mom, an oldest son left to pick up the slack even at the expense of his own future and two small children caught in the middle. She tried to save him the way she didn't save herself, but in the end, the boy decided that he couldn't give up on his mom (much like Mary's continued decision). He kept the hand he was dealt, but he told Mary that things would be different for him because he has her. It was a real, honest moment and I think it caught Mary completely off guard. And yet, it seemed to touch her deeply. What she does matters -- A LOT -- and it's more than just new identities, fake covers, trials and protecting people from those who want them dead. Somewhere in the middle of all of that it's connecting to people who might feel lost if it weren't for Mary. And that's why she's a U.S. Marshal.

BONUS: Read LillyKat's post on series star Mary McCormack from a recent conference call she attended with the actress!

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

TV's Best Duos

When fellow TV blogger and friend Scooter McGavin from Scooter McGavin's 9th Green asked me to take part in his quest to find the best duos on TV, I excitedly and carefully poured over my list. He collected mine and the lists of several other bloggers and came up with a final collection of the top 25. Here is the final list:

The 25 Best Duos on Television

(My Picks are in bold)

1. Coach Eric and Tami Taylor (Friday Night Lights)

2. Liz Lemon and Jack Donagy (30 Rock)
3. Sheldon Cooper Ph.D. and Penny (The Big Bang Theory)
4. Jim Halpert and Dwight Shrute (The Office)
5. Patty Hewes and Ellen Parsons (Damages)
6. Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan and Special Agent Seeley Booth (Bones)
7. Emerson Cod and Olive Snook (Pushing Daisies)
8. Blair Waldolf and Chuck Bass (Gossip Girl)
9. Shawn Spencer and Burton “Gus” Guster (Psych)
10. Chuck Bartowski and Special Agent Sarah Walker (Chuck)
11. Sam and Dean Winchester (Supernatural)
12. Marc St. James and Amanda Tannen (Ugly Betty)
13. Barney Stinson and Ted Mosbey (How I Met Your Mother)
14. Bill Adama and Laura Roslin (Battlestar Galactica)
15. Landry Clark and Tyra Colette (Friday Night Lights)
16. Ben Linus and John Locke (Lost)
17. John “J.D.” Dorian M.D. and Dr. Christopher Turk (Scrubs)
18. Sookie Stackhouse and Bill Compton (True Blood)
19. Jeff Patel and Lester Barnes aka Jeffster (Chuck)
20. James “Sawyer” Ford and Juliet Burke (Lost)
21. Homer and Marge Simpson (The Simpsons)
22. Bill Adama and Saul Tigh (Battlestar Galactica)
23. Richard Cypher and Kahlan Amnell (Legend of the Seeker)
24. Earl and Randy Hickey (My Name Is Earl)
25. Michael Westen and Fiona Glenanne (Burn Notice)

Voters: Dan, Ducky, Kath, Matt, Sandie, Scooter McGavin, TVFan, Vance

For the record, I also included Olivia Benson & Elliot Stabler (Law & Order: SVU), Allison & Joe DuBois (Medium), and Brenda Leigh Johnson and Agent Fritz Howard (The Closer)

Special thanks to Scooter for putting together the list. So, what do you think? Who makes your list? Leave us a comment with your picks.

Lilly Gets Left in the 'Cold'

For six seasons, I have wondered how Cold Case would handle a 2-parter. Would they do a closing montage? If so, what would it look like? Would it end in some sort of cliffhanger or just mid-story? I know it's silly, but I have always wanted to know if the writers could tackle this challenge considering the show's stringent formula. This week, I finally got these answers because we finally got a 2-parter. To answer the questions, yes we got a closing montage (sorta) and yes we got a cliffhanger. Thankfully, given the show's unknown status for next season, Lilly going off the bridge and plunging into the water was at the end of part 1 and not part 2 (in which case I would have had to make a personal visit to CBS corporate). The closing montage at the end of this episode, however, wasn't your typical fare and as usual, I LOVED the break in format. This show is itching to spread its wings and whenever it does, I'm pleased with the result. Of course, the fact the entire episode/story is 100% Lilly-focused isn't hurting my impression of the outing thus far.

This 2-parter business puts my typical write-up on the episode into a bit of a quandary. I don't want to judge the outing based on only seeing half of it, so I'll reserve overall judgement until next week. Let's go with what we have so far and where we think it's all leading. This show is always a little wishy-washy when it deals with military stories. I always feel like they're playing off of stereotypes and not the actual brave men and women who constitute the United States military, and frankly, it irks me to no end. But then again, the show has Stillman and his pride for his country and the time he spent in the armed forces, so I applaud that olive branch. Still, it would be nice if they told a military-related story that wasn't so cliched. Maybe next week's conclusion will surprise me.

Next, we have a very brave young woman who was murdered while attending PMI. My guess, it's not the saber-wielding bathroom attacker. I know he's the obvious choice and I liked the way Lil figured that out at the end, but this is precisely why I think he's the "scare 'em off" type and not the "murder and stuff the body in the PMI box" type. And then there's Lil's personal connection to the case -- she has walked a mile in this woman's shoes (sorta). She was the first female detective in homicide. She listened to the sexist remarks. She was left to fend for herself with a dangerous suspect when a chauvinistic superior decided that he didn't have her back. Like Kate, she didn't report it because she knew it would only make matters worse. We witnessed a lot of the crap she took back in the first season. One of the "good old boys" said that she was assigned cold cases because she's a woman and women do the dusting. So, she gets it. Plus, she's still reeling from her last encounter with her father. It seems he sent her a letter (I paused the DVR, but most of the letter was obstructed -- I managed to get something about two sides to every story, he had to leave her mother, he has wanted to reconnect and of course, a reference to that now-famous bike he left her on the front step -- hopefully, we'll get more on this next week), but whether the letter has any effect remains to be seen.

There were also a couple of developments on the couples front. Frankie left her husband, but Scotty doesn't seem too interested. Unfortunately for him, she was none too pleased and she sorta-kinda turned into a scary person with stalker-ish vibes when she stormed out of PPD. Meanwhile, my couple meter was way off because the ADA wasn't putting the moves on Lil a few weeks ago, but he was putting them on Kat. The two have dinner and a concert lined up for the weekend.

This episode jump started some interesting story lines and I'm excited to see where they all lead next week. Somebody has to get Lilly out of that car in the bottom of the river -- STAT! The conclusion of the 2-part Cold Case finale airs Sunday night on CBS. Screencaps courtesy RichE.

EDIT: LII at Look Again (and a frequent commenter here at PTR) has posted a really good translation of the letter over at the message board HERE. (h/t RichE)

Setting our 'Sight' on Mary McCormack

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

So, what happens when a character and actor are so perfectly melded into one that it seems to go beyond coincidental?

It gets a little spooky.

So says Mary McCormack, who embodies the kick-arse U.S. Marshal Mary Shannon on USA Network's hit series, In Plain Sight. We recently had the chance to catch up with Mary on a conference call as she enjoyed an hour's peace while her two young kids were down for their naps. The second season of the show is now underway Sunday nights at 10 p.m. on USA.

When I asked her whether portraying the character of Mary Shannon has allowed her to learn anything new about herself, she shed some intriguing light on what it has been like playing a character that seems to have been written for her - even if creator David Maples wrote the role without even knowing who she was.

"[There] are just little things - like little, little details - that are just coincidences, but are spooky," says Mary. "David Maples wrote [the role] without me - he didn’t even know who I was. But her name is Mary and she’s from New Jersey, and I’m from New Jersey. She calls her sister Squish, and I called my oldest daughter Squish when she was little. There are so many little things."

"Wow," I say.

"I know," says Mary. "They’re just obviously tiny little coincidences, but the first time I picked up the script, I was like, 'This is odd.' It feels like it was actually written for me. [And] I’ve learned an enormous amount. I’ve worked a lot over the years, and I’ve done a lot of TV, but I’ve never been in almost every scene. [And since] I have two kids under the age of four, and [I'm working] 15 to 20 hour days everyday, I’ve learned a lot about stamina and rest and balance and forgiveness in terms of my own guilt about where I’m falling short in my life. Certainly, I’ve learned more than I ever thought I could learn about that stuff.

"And I learn from the character, too," Mary continues. "So, as I investigate things like codependence or what her abandonment issues are, and her father leaving - my father didn’t leave, but just in terms of any kind of loss - how that affects how readily available you are for intimacy and stuff, I definitely learn about myself through some of the storylines she’s dealing with."

And that, in and of itself, has been incredibly rewarding - and a comfortable fit - for her.

"It just feels like a really, really comfortable fit for me. I love the way David writes [the character]. There’s one episode - and I reference this often because it just struck me when I read it as it's so unusual for a woman to say something like it on TV - [where] she sees a little baby and out of the blue, and pertinent of nothing else - she doesn’t continue the thought - she goes, 'What’s with babies? I don’t get them.' You never hear women say stuff like that on TV. [And] I just think David has a really fresh approach to writing this woman because it’s certainly not representative of any other woman. She’s a complex part, and I like that she’s allowed to be sort of grouchy and a little bit angry, angular. It’s a comfortable fit for me. I’m not proud of that, but it is."

"Well, it does seem it just fits you really well," I say.

"Yes, and I get to work with great people. I like the stories, and I think it’s also an interesting backdrop for a show. We’ve never seen witness protection and certainly the only thing I knew about witness protection before this was what I knew from Goodfellas, which isn’t a lot. It’s a crazy world to think that people just up and leave. They do leave, like, food on the stove and walk out of their house - never call, never talk to their families again, never turn back. So, it’s a very dramatic world. It’s high stakes and pretty emotional."

When I confess to her I didn’t know anything about witness protection, either, but have since become ... well, somewhat obsessed with it since watching the show, Mary relates.

"I know!" says Mary. "It’s crazy. [The witnesses] don’t actually even get to tell their families where they’re going. We have a technical advisor, and one time I was grilling him about this [fact] because I just couldn’t believe that [the witnesses] didn’t get to say goodbye. He said once in a while, if they felt the person would be better - like if it was so emotional - they would stage a goodbye in a safe place."

She pauses for a moment.

"We have to do that scene. Can you imagine that scene? I mean, what a scene! [But] often, they don’t even get to do that. I said [to the technical advisor], 'Well, how does the family know they’re not just dead? What’s to stop the family just from having a funeral or mourning forever or committing suicide or who knows what you’d do with that kind of grief?' He said they contact the family and let them know - they don’t say the exact words - but they’ll say, 'They’re not going to be back, but they’re safe' kind of thing. I mean, what?!?! It’s too much to think about. It’s crazy - and all for testimony. But people, when faced with [whether they're] going to die or start over, the will to live rises up, I guess."

Some other highlights from the call:

On what makes In Plain Sight different from the other police dramas on TV: "I think our show is pretty special for a number of reasons. One, I just think witness protection is pretty interesting and you don’t see it in many other police dramas. It’s definitely a singular backdrop. But also tonally, I think our show is unusual. It’s not strictly a drama. It’s also really funny and finding the balance is sometimes tricky for us. A lot of cop shows are just procedurals. Every week, you have a mystery and by the end of the hour the mystery is solved; [then] next week, you have another mystery. Ours has that, but we also have the ongoing story of my life and my relationships - my work relationships, my boyfriend relationship, my family relationship. So, I think our show is pretty special for doing all that within the hour - and hopefully doing it well. I mean, the challenge is making sure we do all of it well."

On the continual challenges of the role of Mary Shannon: "One of the weird things about TV - and one of the things that some actors don’t like but I kind of dig - is that you never know where you’re headed. You never know what the writer might think of next. So, unlike a film or a play where you know the entire story and you know where you have to end up, with In Plain Sight and with Mary Shannon, I never really know what [is being] cooked up. This season is completely different from the first season. There’s more development with me, and with the mystery of where is my father and what happened to him. There’s just so many kinds of question marks with Mary Shannon that that’s always a challenge. [Also] trying to make her vulnerable [and] balance the vulnerability. I don’t want [the character] ever to be two dimensional. Even though she has sort of bad ass qualities, and she’s a tomboy and she doesn’t really take a lot of garbage [from people], you have to sort of see how she ended up that way - and why she ended up that way; where she’s weak, where she’s frail, where she’s girly. So, trying to make her three dimensional and complex, that’s always challenging."

On whether the dynamic of Mary Shannon's "family issues" will get better or worse this season, and how she will cope with change: "In the beginning of the season, my mother hits a new low in her drinking, which is extraordinary to watch. You think it’s going to be funny and it’s not at all funny. And then, she decides to try to stop drinking and she goes to rehab. [But] Mary Shannon’s never known her mother without alcohol involved, so it changes the entire family dynamic. And my sister goes back to school and decides to try to turn over a new leaf. [But for Mary], change does not come easily - because she figures things out and likes the way they work, even if it’s bad. Even in the unhealthy family dynamic, at least she was used to it. She had been living in it since she was a little girl and she knew it. Now, her mom is all AA slogans, and her sister is sort of in a healthy relationship, which is just confusing. Everyone’s just a little bit different. Even Rafael, halfway through the season, makes a big change in his own life - a career change - and it completely freaks Mary out. It’s his own life, but she has to redefine her relationship with him. So I think it’s a bumpy season for her. And then the mystery of Mary’s father is still floating and looming, and you get some more clues as to what happened to him.

On whether Mary and Rafael really are right for each other: I think they are a mismatch - my guess is that they’re sort of mismatched. I mean, he would probably ideally not want her to continue with this work, and she’s never going to give it up. So yes, that’s sort of a train wreck waiting to happen. But bless his heart, he’s so kind and keeps hoping she’ll change and she never [does]. I don’t know where we’re headed, but intimacy doesn’t come easy for Mary Shannon. In the second season, she certainly tries harder in that department - a lot harder."

On whether Mary Shannon can relinquish her caretaking role as it pertains to her family: "[There's] a lot less of that sort of caretaking model [in season two], which actually is a little bit odd for her. I think we even touch on it in one episode. Marshall says to her, 'Your whole identity has been about this. You’ve sort of defined yourself by [your family's] inability to look after themselves, and now they’re doing it and you don’t really know who you are anymore.' So, it’s interesting because it’s that whole thing of when you care-take - when that becomes your role - if people get better and they don’t need you anymore, who are you? I think it’s a pretty adult theme, but it’s a theme anyone who has ever done any of that in their life - either side of that coin - knows about. [It's] a big change. She likes to bitch about it, but at the same time her own addiction is sort of looking after people."

We extend our great thanks to Mary McCormack for taking the time to chat about all-things Mary Shannon (got to keep those Marys straight, y'know?). We also thank our friends at New Media Strategies. New episodes of In Plain Sight air Sundays at 10 p.m. on USA Network. To catch up on all-things Witness Protection, head on over to the show's official Web site.

Gail O'Grady Lives 'Out Loud' on Hallmark

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Confession: I came to know and love Gail O'Grady as Donna Abandando on NYPD Blue.

Three Emmy® nominations later, clearly I wasn't the only one who enjoyed watching her opposite Gordon Clapp's Detective Greg Medavoy. (Yes, okay, so their relationship was adulterous, but whatever. It was genuine sweetness, genuine goodness, genuine fun to watch, and it provided a much needed balance to the grittiness that was Blue).

“It was an amazing piece of good fortune to land NYPD because, well, it gave me a career rather than just a series of jobs,” says Gail. “You work for years to get noticed, and then when it finally happens it’s almost hard to believe. It’s about luck and timing and tenacity, you know? And talent too, of course. But you have to appreciate it when it’s happening because it can all be gone faster than you blink.”

Gail hits our television screens once again this weekend starring in the inspirational Hallmark Original Movie, Living Out Loud (premieres May 2 at 9 p.m.). And, she's taking on a gritty subject in its own right: a wife and mother battling breast cancer. Portraying Emily Marshall, a high school chorus teacher who suddenly faces a diagnosis of invasive malignancy, she must immediately start a brutal chemotherapy regimen as her husband (Michael Shanks, Stargate) and two kids do their best to lend support through the trauma.

“It isn’t your typical warm and fuzzy Hallmark project, that’s for sure,” Gail says. “What was so inspiring about working [on the project] is how much knowledge I was able to absorb about the disease, the treatment, what the victims and their families have to endure. I learned just how painful it is emotionally for everyone in the breast cancer sufferer’s life. It’s such a huge drain, like a bomb that’s been dropped on everyone’s life.”

And yet, Living Out Loud strives NOT to be about giving up, but instead, persevering through adversity. And The Big C (cancer) doesn't have to mean the end of living life - it can mark a new beginning, as Gail's character discovers in between the chemotherapy treatments. She reconnects with the musical life she had abandoned, which provides her with a strength and fortitude Emily never knew she had.

That said, Gail was surprised at how ultimately uplifting a film with a breast cancer storyline can be. She had worked with Hallmark Channel once before in the 2007 holiday-themed All I Want For Christmas, so “the first thing I thought of when they approached me again was the quality they put into everything."

“Because it’s Hallmark," Gail says, "I knew there would be some sort of silver lining in the story. I like that they aim their stuff to families. God knows we have more than enough downer stuff on the other networks.”

While Living Out Loud represents something of a departure for Gail, she has long been thought of as the go-to actress for made-for-TV star turns, albeit more often as the racy ingénue. She most recently had a recurring role on Desperate Housewives as a married woman having an affair with the teenage son of Felicity Huffman's character. And on Boston Legal, her multi-episode arc as the sexy and beautiful Judge Gloria Weldon, James Spader's love interest and sometime nemesis, garnered much praise.

“People remember me most from NYPD Blue, of course, which was the great miracle in my life,” Gail says. “[But] I’d already been at this acting gig for a long time when I caught on with the show in 1993, yet a lot of people thought I was an overnight success. Even now, sometimes people still think they’re discovering me. It’s OK because I’ve never cared about being the biggest star on the planet, just someone who got to do good work.”

As long as there’s quality behind it, Gail isn't all that particular where or for whom she works. And she doesn't rest on her laurels, either.

“I love working ... [but] there is never a time where I feel like I can sit back and take it easy,” she admits. “There’s always somebody else nearby ready to step right into your shoes. But I’ll tell you what: I don’t have the fear anymore that this may be my last job. I’m a respected working actor, and I feel confident that it’s going to stay that way for a long time.”

Living Out Loud premieres Saturday, May 2 at 9 p.m. on Hallmark Channel. Visit Hallmarkchanel.com for the inside scoop on the film.

Source: Hallmark Syndicate

'Bones' Goes to a Toga Party

PHOTO: Fox

Booth in India... that could have been interesting. Road trip! I thought that he might go (and his trip would have conveniently coincided with the summer hiatus), but he made the right choice in not going. Bones looked a little concerned when she thought that he might go... hmmm. Anyway, here's a closer look at this week's Good, Bad and Ugly.

THE GOOD
As is usually the case with this show, the final scene was the most revealing. Every week it's sorta the "unplugged" moment in the show when all of the fancy science, the squint talk, the big laughs and the usual roles of Booth & Bones fade away and we get the characters a bit more stripped down, more real and more honest. I can't say I was too surprised that Brennan had never been "bad," but I also don't think that Booth's theory is always correct. Nevertheless, that final moment when Booth told Brennan to dine and ditch was awesome! She was freaking out and yet, I don't think she had ever looked more alive. Of course, Booth being the good guy that he is, left the money on the counter. She'll never know, so as far as Brennan is concerned, she finally did something bad.

THE (real) BAD
I'm going to have to say the method in which the body was discovered (again). It's always crazy, but recently, the show seems to be going out of its way to make it as ridiculous as possible. It's so silly that I tend to lose focus on the episode at the beginning because I start wondering what would happen if a real body was discovered in such a way (My guess: the news media would explode). I get that it's supposed to be a little crazy because this show doesn't take itself too seriously (one of its most endearing qualities), but lately, it has been a bit too much on the cra-cra side. Let's hope they tone it down next season. A minor point, but it has been bugging me.

THE UGLY

The manner of death. A nail gun??!! Yikes! I'm cringing just thinking about how painful that had to be. And he didn't die! He didn't die until he PULLED OUT THE NAIL himself!! Thank goodness this show doesn't do re-enactments CSI-style because I think I would have had to look away.

If you missed last night's episode ("The Beaver in the Otter"), check it out for free at Hulu.com.