Family 'In Plain Sight'

Photo: USA Network

I was on vacation last week, thus, I watched both last week's episode of In Plain Sight and this week's yesterday. So, please forgive me if I run the two together or get them confused throughout this post. Moving on...

I like Mary. I like the new administrative assistant, Eleanor. But I LOVE the two of them together! They're hilarious. There was so much back and forth banter between these two and then you had Marshall overhearing the private conversation between Eleanor and Stan and Mary not believing him... it was just too awesome! The woman is a perfect "Ying" to Mary's "Yang" and I'm loving their scenes together. When we last discussed IPS, I was shocked to learn that Stan and Eleanor were putting in some overtime together outside the office (wink, wink). This week, we learned that it was just a one-night thing. Makes sense, I guess, given Eleanor's pain over losing her beloved husband in the line of duty. I think that Stan would like to take things further (yes, he is the poster child for "ill-advised" (TM Vera/Cold Case)), but Eleanor is still hurting and it seems that entering into anything more than what already happened is just too much for her right now. In fact, I'm pretty sure that she's conflicted about the night they spent together. I know one thing -- Eleanor better get her groove back because I can't take any more lack of enthusiasm for bantering with Mary!

The case this week was sorta blah. And the wife as the knife-wielder was anti-climatic. But no fear because things took an interesting turn back at Mary's house (unbeknownst to her, of course). Since daddy took off (thanks to a pesky bank robbery thing), he has been busy with a new wife (too bad he's still married to the old one) and a new family (too bad he abandoned the old one). His new daughter showed up on Mary's front stoop, but Jinx and Brandi decided that it would be best to keep Mary in the dark for now just in case her knowing would lead to FBI involvement and jail time for dear old dad. Somebody's still holding a torch! Problem is, Mary has met the half-sister, but she thought that she was her mom's cousin's friend's daughter. Oh boy. It's only a matter of time before she figures out the truth and I'm pretty sure Jinx is going to be wishing she were still in rehab when that happens!

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

Holly Hunter's Sense of 'Grace'

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

I never get tired of listening to Holly Hunter talk about Saving Grace.

Uh, hello ... It's.Holly.Hunter.

Why wouldn't we want to hear what she has to say about the ever complex goings-on of Detective Grace Hanadarko? I actually need to send her a thank you note (or two) given her insights into the character have gotten me through some of my more critical phases in following the show.

All of which would explain why we've now been on the phone with her three separate times - each time trying to come up with a question or two she hasn't already answered for us. The series premieres its third season, Tuesday, June 16th at 10 p.m. on TNT.

So, what am I looking forward to this season?

Some more quality bonding time between Grace and Angel Earl.

Their relationship seems poised to become more of a partnership than an adversarial relationship, especially given Grace is at the point where she's ready to start talking about what she may - or may not - believe.

Finally.

Turns out Holly is looking forward to seeing this develop as well.

"Yes, me, too," says Holly. "I think it’s interesting you say that because the relationships in the show are really very rich for me personally. I mean, the adventure the two characters of Grace and Ham are on is really fascinating to me and very complicated. And the decade-long history that I have with Rhetta - as two best friends, who have maintained this incredibly intimate relationship - [is also] fascinating to me. And the conflicts - the knowing and the not knowing that we have of one another. But, this relationship between me and Earl is pivotal. It’s really the fulcrum by which the rest of the show operates, and I think that this season, I'm ready to ask him questions. I'm ready to challenge him about belief and he’s ready [to hear it]. He challenges me as well. But I think that there are larger questions that can be asked and that the show can ask, and they can ask these questions through Grace, and Grace can be challenged by questions through Earl."

And with the start of the third season, where does she continue to draw her inspirations for portraying Grace?

"I draw them through endless and ongoing conversations that I have with Nancy Miller, the creator of the show," says Holly. "Nancy and I debate, we agree, we discuss, we challenge each other. We have an ongoing dialect with the other writers, where we talk about what we want to talk about and what the show will talk about. My conversations with the other cast [and] crew have been incredibly stimulating for me. And we do have things we want to discuss as people - as actors - and that is always provocative for me.

"And then there are people who have endlessly inspired me," continues Holly, "from Jack Kerouac to the writer of Henry and June, Anaïs Nin. She is a journalist extraordinaire, who has been a real inspiration for me in her revealing – her willingness to reveal her own desires and Henry Miller's desires; he has been an influence as well. People who live big, sloppy, romantic lives fascinate me."

And Holly continues to fascinate us.

Our thanks once again to Holly Hunter for taking the time to chat with us about all-things Grace Hanadarko. We also want to thank our friends at Turner publicity. The third season premiere of Saving Grace airs Tuesday, June 16th at 10 p.m. on TNT. Be sure to check out the show’s official Web site to catch up.

PTR Exclusive: Mark Burnett Throws a Good 'Wedding'

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

I confess I debated whether to tell Mark Burnett I tend to be a bit hard on the reality television genre.

Especially considering: a) he practically invented the genre for American television audiences; b) is an awfully nice guy; c) has great enthusiasm for what he does; and, d) is married to everyone's beloved television angel (Roma Downey).

Still, I just.don't.do reality television.

So, I'm as surprised as anyone that two of Mark's new series - the previously mentioned Expedition Africa on History Channel - and Wedding Day, which enjoys its series premiere Tuesday, June 16th, at 8 p.m. on TNT, have ... uh, totally got me hooked.

Yes, hooked.

Go figure.

It is because, as I like to say, both these series are meeting one or both of my reality television show viewing requirements: 1) that I must learn something in a field, area of expertise or genre that I am not currently aware of; and/or 2) that I must watch the best of people.

Wedding Day definitely falls into the latter category. Deserving couples are given the opportunity to have a dream wedding after circumstances beyond their control - some near tragic - have prevented them from actually being able to find the time - and resources - to get married themselves.

Seriously, I can get behind that concept.

So when I recently had a chance to catch up with Mark to discuss the series on the whole, I was interested to find out what made him want to get involved and what continues to inspire him about the unscripted genre.

How did the project first come to you and what made you to want to get involved?

Dreamworks and TNT both said to me, “Hey, what do you think about a wedding show?” And my first reaction was, “A wedding show?!? I don’t know if I understand how to make that.” But once I started looking at the stories that could be told, I got more inspired than ever. And, I realized there could be an Extreme Makeover vibe to the show - where you find people who are really deserving. You know, people have done stuff for others their entire life – beit on the job, like they’re a cop, a firefighter, a lifeguard, charity workers or they’re in the military. But when it comes down to falling in love and getting married, they’ve spent so much time doing for others they can’t even afford a beautiful wedding. It seems ironic that the people who give the most get the least. So, I wanted to make this show along those themes. The first act is always about what’s the story of this couple, and why are they so deserving. Once you’ve bought into Why Them, now we’re going to get their families involved. Those families roll up their sleeves and participate - and not just in the sense that they come, drink wine and eat food at the wedding. They’re actually going to do the work. So when [the couple is] there celebrating – [the family] built that. So, I love it. It’s an uplifting show. It’s in the raise you up category. I don’t want to be making shows that have anything to do with tearing people down.

Along those lines, the show seems to take a much more positive look at the whole aspect of couples getting married and does not - as some other unscripted shows seem to do - focus on the insanity of planning a wedding or the materialistic aspect being so focused on the "things" that make up the wedding, not the people. It seems this show really is about two people being in love, wanting to be together but are unable to do so given circumstances beyond their control. Is that an accurate assessment?

You’re right. And, you know, I don’t have the right to sit in judgment of anybody else’s work. But I, personally, am not going to do shows that fall into the tear down category. And I just think – certainly at this time – there’s a lot of people having a tough time right now. There’s enough tearing down in their real lives. The media could be used – and television – to raise people up, and that’s what I want to do. And, on a commercial level, clearly sponsors are going to be more apt to want to associate with a show that raises people up. It’s logical. So, this is a definite raise up show. I’m happy to make it. I’m really happy being with TNT and Michael Wright. This is what we set off to do - and we did it.

What went into the casting of the couples? It seems that the ones who made it to the show were really wonderful. Was it difficult to narrow down? You must have had a lot coming in that wanted to participate.

Yeah, well, it was very hard because the show’s not been on the air. You can use my name, which gives credibility, but it wasn’t easy. It took a lot of months to find the couples. There’s a number of factors. First, who are these people and why are they deserving? Are their families going to participate in building the environment? Because without that, you don’t have that whole middle act. And then, lastly, when do they want to get married and does that fit into the shooting schedule? There’s a lot to think about. Remember, all these people … they’re really interested in their love, their life and their marriage. We’re an extra. So, to make it all work together wasn’t easy, but it was really valuable. I think, if we’re fortunate enough that this show gets celebrated and we get a second season, it’ll be a lot easier because of being on television and the notoriety that comes with it. More people would know about it and be nominating people they knew … like, hey, I have a friend who has done so much for others – is so deserving – they deserve a great wedding. I think that’s what you’re going to start getting.

So, in your mind, for people who know nothing about the show, what would you say to them and/or what do you hope people will get from watching the series? What sets it apart?

I think the reason to watch this show is the warm, uplifting stories. And, I think that in the tough times that we’re having - people are either working their butts off at work all day long or maybe have lost their job - [they want to] have an uplifting show with positive stories [to watch]. This is a show where you better be ready to have lump in your throat and a tear on your cheek. That’s what this show really stands for.

You’ve done so much, what is it that still inspires you about this genre of television – where is it you pull your inspirations from?

It really comes down to storytelling. It doesn’t matter, necessarily, as long as it meets my family criteria of raising people up and being uplifting. Beyond that, it could be any kind of stories. 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 for whatever reason, from the beginning of my career, I’ve been focused on unscripted [series]. I’ve just gotten used to the art form of unscripted dramas, and that’s been where my career has ended up.

Doesn’t Roma always say don’t do anything that you wouldn’t want your family to watch - is that still true?

That’s exactly true. My wife loves this Wedding Day series. Roma, as you know, is a very raise-you-up person. She gets out, and her first words of the day are thanking God for how fortunate we are. Her through line is “To those who much is given, much is expected.” And she always says what is NOT expected is that we will do anything as a family to tear people down and make people feel worse. We need to raise people up through our family work, our charity and who we are. That is a through line of this family, and this show fits it perfectly.

So what’s been the most rewarding process for you in bringing a show like Wedding Day to us, the television viewer?

It's a funny thing … when my wife watches rough cuts and says to me, "I would watch this. This is really good." - that’s a really good feeling because Roma’s been in business a long time and really knows good work. So that’s really rewarding for me because she is such a moral compass in the family, and it makes me feel good about it. For Wedding Day, it really is the fact that I thought it was so warm, and that deserving people were taken care of.


We at PTR sincerely thank Mark for taking time out of his insanely busy schedule to chat with us. I, for one, hope to see this series picked up for a second season - especially seeing as it gets Roma's stamp of approval (seriously, if the angel says yes, who are we to say no, eh?). We also want to thank our friends at Turner Publicity. The series premiere of Wedding Day starts Tuesday, June 16 at 8 p.m. on TNT. For the scoop on the series, head on over to the show's official Web site.

'Pains' Takes it To the Good People

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

So, I am just wondering if I can trade places with Dr. Hank Lawson for ... oh, I don't know. A day? A week? Forever?

Seriously.

I know I should be watching Royal Pains with some sort of semi-critical eye. But, seeing as I just can't get past all the frak-tastic cinematography of all-things Hamptons, I find myself doing my own WALL-E impression - staring at the TV screen, wanting to press my little record button so I can play back the sweeping aerials and beachfront views when I'm all by myself.

This week's second episode picked up brilliantly from the series premiere. More importantly, it further cemented what Mark Feuerstein told us in that Dr. Hank isn't just catering to rich folk.

He's actually trying to be a pretty darn good doctor to those who really need it, but can't afford it (yes, Virginia, they are some folks out Hampton way who don't have all the money in the world). I'm digging the fact Hank actually cares about his patients and recognizes the rather cushy position in which he finds himself allows him to do a whole lot more good for those who DON'T have oodles of Benjamins lying around. And it's not done in a soap-boxy, preachy, doesn't-the-medical-system-suck-and-I'm-going-to-single-handedly-change-it kind of way. It's more like a lightbulb going on in his head, and he's quietly taking to it one at a time.

I also dig the wonderful budding frimance (sorry, did I just make that up? Friendship and romance as one word? Whatever) that is blossoming between Hank and Jill. Jill's position as hospital administrator allows her to essentially aid Hank in his Robin Hood of Medicine routine - which may seem too convenient for some, but not for me. Forgive me if I like it when sometimes you just know the right people at the right time and space, and through the creative license of television, good things get to happen to good people.

And the dialogue ... w.o.w. Fast. Funny. Sharp. And just spot on.

I'm trying to figure out how I can start planning a trip east.

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!

Roundup: 'Closer' on Edge; Buying Into the 'Bar'

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

I interrupt my normally scheduled posting of individual show recaps to do a combo roundup this week for The Closer and Raising the Bar. Hey, whatever works, right? LOL!

Midol, Anyone?

I normally like to start out with a BJ-is-Back type comment when The Closer returns to our screens in the summer. After all, it just doesn't quite feel like summer without Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson and her Major Crimes Division of the LAPD. Yet this year, I'm tempted to say not only is BJ back, but everyone around her is awfully grouchy.

At least that was the vibe of the fifth season premiere ("Products of Discovery").

Seriously, I kept going, "Why is everyone so grouchy? On edge? Bitchy? Irritable?"

It was as if a bad case of PMS had taken over Major Crimes. Now, I don't know exactly how that factors into Creator James Duff's theme of change for this year, but I can honestly say the previous four seasons worth of premieres didn't find me wanting to give the entire squad a bottle of Midol.

That said, the case might've put everyone in a bad mood considering a whole family was murdered by the pregnant girlfriend of a suspected drug trafficker - and that included a 9-year-old and a 16-year-old. BJ usually gets her dander up when children are victims (as Kyra Sedgwick recently told us). And seeing as said girlfriend (named Dina) wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer and went to the wrong house, thus, killing the WRONG people ... well, it seemed even worse than usual.

But can I get a W-O-W for the closing confrontation between BJ and Dina? Another CCC: Classic Closer Crescendo of an interrogation, which I have to say, this show does incredibly well. Five seasons in and I still cannot predict all of Brenda's tendencies. And like I said, when kids are victims, she seems especially fired up.

And potent in nailing her suspect.

And poor Kitty ... things are not looking too good, are they?

New episodes of The Closer air Mondays at 9 p.m. on TNT. For the scoop on the series, head on over to the show's official site.



Hey, Did You Cut Your Hair?

This year, we welcome Raising the Bar to PTR's summer line-up.

True, we included it last year as part of a TNT summer promo tour, but I stopped short of recapping each week because ... well, as Mark-Paul Gosselaar says, I wasn't sure where it was all going to end up. I kind of wanted to test drive the show.

This year, I'm buying.

And since I did watch season one in its entirety, I pick it up knowing exactly where things left off.

Jerry Kellerman is getting cleaned up a bit.

Starting with a haircut.

Mark-Paul already told us this was going to happen, but seeing it in the context of the second season premiere really does show how the character has matured between the first and second seasons. He may be the best public defender (PD) in NYC, but if nobody can take him seriously because of his locks, then I guess he might want to wise up and play the game.

But Jerry doesn't like to always play by the rules, so we'll see if he really does get better at it this season. You know what they say: you get more with honey than you do with vinegar (does Jerry know this?).

Let me state right now that my fave character is Rich Woolsley. (and based on my interview with Teddy Sears, you couldn't tell that, right?) His interaction with Roz Whitman is just so wonderfully understated. Now, I'm alluding to some nice confessions of affection between the two characters that rounded out last season, and I'm hopeful we get to see more of that this season. In the meantime, Roz steps back into the courtroom as an actual PD as opposed to just running the Office of PDs. We didn't see any of that last year, and given what we saw in the premiere, it's easy to understand why she is so well-liked on both sides of the aisle.

All that said, it should come as no real surprise I tend to be firmly in the PD camp for far more entertaining characterizations; not to mention there is something about how Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Natalia Cigliuti, Teddy Sears and Gloria Reuben all gel together.

Wish list for season two: Bobbi (Natalia), goes through with the divorce of her drug-induced-doctor of a husband; Jerry (Mark-Paul) gets together with Bobbi (can we say chemistry?); Rich (Teddy) and Roz (Gloria) become a pair because ... aww, that just needs to happen.

On the flip side, the District Attorneys (DAs) finish second on my list.

Michelle Ernhardt annoys me. But that is, after all, how her character rolls (and hey, more power to her). Marcus McGrath I like for passion, but he gets a little too aggro sometimes. Nick Balco makes me feel like I need to take a shower every time he interacts with a woman.

And Judge Trudy Kessler reminds of that most feared school teacher who, no matter how good you were, would mange to find a way to put you in the dunce corner.

The fact that all these actors - Melissa Sagemiller, J. August Richards, Currie Graham and Jane Kaczmarek - can evoke this kind of reaction in me is a good thing.

Oh, and did we mention this is a Steven Bochco show?

'nuff said.

New episodes of Raising the Bar air Mondays at 10 p.m. on TNT. For the scoop on the series, head on over to the show's official site

Yet Another Deadly Round of 'Catch'

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

OMFG.

The opening sequence of this week's episode of Deadliest Catch left me somewhat speechless.

Like, loss of F/V Katmai speechless.

One deckhand, on top of a wall of pots, trying to hold down a free flying tarp as a 35-foot wave rears up in the background and comes crashing down on top of the bow.

OMFG.

Is it any wonder viewership for this episode was one of the highest ev-er for the series?


WTF, Keith? Redux: So, it really WAS as bad as last week's previews indicated, when the Wizard's Captain Keith makes arguably one of the worst decisions ever by sending three of his crewmen out to try and put up a tarp over his wall of pots to help prevent freezing spray build up only to have a 35-foot wave come crashing OVER the bow of the boat, nearly wiping out his crew for good. Seriously, Keith. What were you thinking? The first fifteen minutes of the episode, I wasn't sure anyone was going to recover. The guys in shock, the 1000 lbs. pots completely smashed in by the sheer FORCE of the wave. It's amazing the three crew members - including bro' Mouse - were not killed. And while I do feel for Keith, and he was obviously shaken up by the whole mishap, I am still not following the tarp-stops-freezing-spray logic. It's a tarp, not Superman's cape. Yowza.

Crab much?: Just when you think the Time Bandit boys have run out of good juju, they manage to figure out exactly where to set their pots so as to pull almost a 600 average. I don't know how these guys do it. AND ... they are always in good spirits. Never flustered. Amazing.

Yay Phil!: There was a small amount of sentimental pride in seeing the Cornelia Marie's skipper set his first round of pots AND find crab on his first try. I was pulling for him given he's been out of action for almost a year AND is still trying to get back in rhythm. Plus, I'm not sure I could've gone through another round of the CM pulling up half-empty to empty pots as they did on Murray's watch for King Crab season. Speaking of Murray, the deck is missing his steady hand and leadership, but are managing. But if the Harris boys get in one more fight, I think I'm switching allegiances to the Time Bandit. Seriously, boys, just.stop.it.

Digging Ditches: So the Northwestern got the unlucky privilege of having to pull pots in the "ditch" - which means the tide is essentially washing over the side of the boat, making the pulling up of the pots and interesting challenge. But hey, it's crabbing, right? And Captain Sig is ... happy and content with what they've raked in thus far. Is that possible?

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 Deadliest Catch folks on Twitter: fvnw_erin / CaptPhilHarris / northwesternpat / NorthwesternPR / captjohnathan / northwesternsig / DeadliestCatch (which is actually the Cornelia Marie) / DiscoveryChPR.

PTR Exclusive: Teddy Sears Sets the 'Bar' for Good Guys

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

We here at PTR like the good guys.

The upstanding guys.

The decent guys.

The honorable, handsome, smart, funny, charming, easy-going and loving guys.

We pride ourselves on consistently proving they do still exist and are not just figments of our imagination or fictional characters in enchanted worlds of make believe.

Welcome to the list Teddy Sears, who not only is quite the gem himself but also plays one on TV - the truly upstanding Public Defender Richard Patrick Woolsley IV (or Rich, as everyone calls him for short) on TNT's hit legal series, Raising the Bar, which begins its second season Monday, June 8th at 10 p.m.

And in our ongoing pursuit of the good guys of the world, I recently caught up with Teddy on one of his days off to discuss all-things Rich. He is wonderfully charming to speak with, and his energy for the job that he does radiates right through the phone. I'm pretty sure I could've talked to him for three hours - especially considering he had just come in from a late morning surf session to which I was, I confess, insanely jealous seeing as a) I surf; and b) wish I could do so within walking distance of my house.

What can I say, it's a surfer thing.

"That’s why I live out here [in Southern California]. It keeps me so happy and actually allows me to continue to have an athletic outlet. I have to be careful now that I'm on the show, so I’m obviously safe in my surfing. Can’t show up with a black eye or something because the board came back and dinged me," Teddy says with a laugh. "So, I back off just a little bit and do a lot of other stuff. But, I have to be by that water."

Believe you-me, I can relate.

And relating to Rich's good guy demeanor is one of the things that appealed most to Teddy about taking on the role.

"You know what I really liked about Rich is that he’s a good guy," says Teddy. "A lot of the guest stars I’ve played, I end up being Mr. Perfect who turns out to be a total douche bag, or just a total [jerk]. And this is not who this character is. He’s really selfless, and he’s really a good, honest decent guy. I just haven’t been able to live in that as a job, and that’s what makes [this] fun – because it's close to my heart, too."

I'm not sure how TNT lucked out in having both Jon Tenney's Special Agent Fritz Howard and Teddy's Rich Woolsley on their network, but I'm thinking they might want to add a new tag line.

TNT: We know good guys.

And it would seem viewers appreciate it.

They also appreciate the show's fresh look at courtroom drama from both sides of the aisle. That is, from the public defender's (PDs) point of view as well as the district attorney (DAs) - which, let's face it, is predominantly how we've all grown up understanding the television version of the legal system. There are the cops and the DAs, and there are the bad guys repped by the PDs.

But it isn't always so cut and dry on Raising the Bar. The show likes to operate in a certain gray area of what might be right or wrong, and it takes a much more personal look at what the lawyers - on both sides - must do to represent their respective clients to try and win a fair legal judgment.

"I think the great thing about the show is that it brings up real issues that are occurring in real time that are very gray and worthy of being debated," says Teddy. "I think that’s what makes it worth tuning into. If you knew the outcome going into every episode, I think it would lose its luster. And because none of the lawyers [are there to witness any of the crimes], we just have to piece it together as best we can and try to paint this picture of what actually happened. I think that exposes, in a microcosm, exactly how lawyers have to operate. They simply have to try and go on what they see to be the most relevant pieces of information whether it’s fact or not; it's all they have. And, even when I'm reading the script, up until the last minute I don’t know if the guy’s guilty or not – I have no idea which way the jury’s going to come back. Ultimately, I think that's worth tuning into."

Also worth tuning in for is Teddy's portrayal of Rich - a genuine article of decency and good spirit, who forgoes his well-to-do upbringing and sure-thing career as a high-powered attorney at a high-powered law firm to serve the needs of those less fortunate as a public defender. When he auditioned for the role, Teddy's own upbringing allowed him to have certain family familiarity with the character.

Says Teddy: "I grew up in Chevy Chase, Maryland. I went to an all boys school for 10 years. My parents were members of a country club. So, growing up in that environment, I soaked up things along the way that I think made it easier for me to want to play a character like this. I remember getting the audition, and I thought, 'Oh, I know this guy – I went to school with these guys.' Even though [Rich's backstory wasn't exactly the same as] my upbringing, there were elements to it that I was around, and [the role] innately felt right. I read twice with [creator and executive producer] Steven Bochco and his wife Dayna, and Jesse Bochco. It was a family affair. I remember walking in and feeling instantly at ease. I’m one of four kids - my dad’s got three siblings, my mom’s got four siblings - and I just sort of felt that family energy – for lack of a better term. It sort of went from there. Steven gave me the nod, and very luckily, here we are a couple years later."

Make that almost exactly two years later as the series begins its second go around. And for Teddy, this season feels like another chance to make an already good impression.

"I feel like with first seasons, you just don’t know how it’s going to be received," he says. "You're really performing in a vacuum. So, knowing that [we were] on the right track in the first season lends a real relaxedness to doing the second season. It gives us a great breadth of confidence. And, I think we have all the elements of a nice strong run – the writing, the acting, the stories and the support of TNT; they've given us a big promotional push and have a lot of faith in us."

In listening to Teddy, it's hard to believe this is a guy who self admits he stumbled into acting.

Ass backwards.

"Truth be told, I fell ass backwards into acting in New York City," he says with a laugh. "I had not taken an acting class. I wasn’t harboring any conscious, secret desire to get into it. But, I was raised on Caddyshack and Animal House and Ghostbusters and Saturday Night Live. So, that sort of silly, funny, performance aspect of things is something that I always enjoyed but didn’t know I wanted to do."

"Really?" I ask, not entirely convinced given he talks with such genuine enthusiasm for the profession, and someone well-seasoned beyond his 32 years.

"In fact," he continues, "I was priming for a Wall Street existence. I went to the University of Virginia, and I got into this really select two-year undergraduate business program - sort of that Type A businessman route. But, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do after college, and [somewhere inside] I knew I didn’t want to go work for a big company. I was just restless. I thought I wanted something by the water, something very quiet. So, I lived in Hawaii for about six months after graduation - worked on a snorkeling boat on the Big Island, lived in Kona. But, it just wasn’t working for me. So, I moved back East, and I went to New York City to visit some friends and thought ‘THIS is where I have to be!’ It was the total opposite of Hawaii, but the pace, the excitement and the energy of New York City really matched what was going on in my head. It was apparent that’s where I needed to be. So, I moved.

"I auditioned for the role of a bartender on the One Life to Live soap opera in 2000," Teddy continues. "I went because I thought when I have grandkids, it would be a funny story I could tell them - that I once auditioned for a soap opera. I had no acting training, I had no headshot, [but the role] just made sense to me. The kind of acting I hate is the kind of acting that looks ‘acted.’ So, I just thought I’d go there, I would pretend that I was actually in the situation, and I would be normal. Well, it was enough to get hired. And what was supposed to be a few days turned into two years. So, I really fell ass backwards into acting. I remember showing up the first day of work terrified, scared, just had no idea what I was doing. But, it just seemed like so much fun. And, once I started to get the words out of my mouth, it just began to feel really good."

Still, Teddy didn't commit to the idea of being an actor for while thereafter. It didn't quite seem like a real job, and nearly everyone in his sphere of influence were all business oriented individuals.

"It took me years to commit to it for a number of reasons," says Teddy. "No one from my town is an actor. I don’t know anyone’s father who does anything except business. So, [it was a question of] can I make this work? Can I face these people who - when I come home - keep asking me when I’m going to get a real job? But once I did, and I followed the courage of my convictions, I really think that’s when things began to take off."

So what does he consider the most important element when considering a project? It's a recurring theme we hear quite often here at PTR from our interviewees: the writing.

"For me, it starts with the writing," says Teddy. "It’s the story. It’s the world that’s created by these scripts - the little world I can occupy within the story. I know it when I’m reading it; I just get excited. I start to itch to do it. It captivates and grabs me in a way, and it’s something that when I put it down, I keep thinking about. But, it would be disingenuous to say that the people involved have nothing to do with it. It matters hugely who’s directing it, who’s interested, who’s putting together, what they’ve done in the past. I think, for me, I’d like to continue to be in league with great writers, great directors, great actors. If the story is there, then it’ll attract all the right elements."

When I ask Teddy whether he has a knack for wanting to portray characters in which he shares similarities, or he prefers to take on roles that are completely opposite from his own persona, he confesses he does - at least at this point in his career - lean toward the former for one important reason: he can relate to the character on an emotional level.

"I’m a young actor. And I mean that in I haven’t been doing this for even 10 years, yet. I think, as I get older, I’ll know which one I prefer more. But, I do like having similarities and things in common with [my characters] - like Richard. It helps make my job easier because I can relate to it emotionally. It’s not just a concept in my head that I’m trying to absorb. And I mean that specifically in that Richard is a good man, cares greatly about other people, he works tirelessly on their behalf - all of which I can relate to. Now, I can’t relate to being so rich that all of my shirts are custom made as well as my suits," says Teddy with a laugh. "But, I can relate to wanting to blaze my own trail, and taking the best of my upbringing and applying it to life. Like Richard, I've taken the lessons that my dad taught me - the manners, the morals, the family ties - and ultimately blazed my own trail. That is something I share with Richard."

Custom suits and shirts aside, one could say this role was tailor made for Teddy. And not surprisingly, it has been quite a rewarding one - both personally and professionally.

Says Teddy: "Professionally, this is the best writing I’ve ever had the pleasure of being assigned. And I think in the world of acting, consistency is the greatest gift one can receive. So, simply being on a show of this caliber with these actors, it’s a thrill for me to be in the ring with these guys and have the opportunity to grow and to learn. That comes down to repetition and consistency. Personally, it’s a thrill to be in league with these people, and professionally I can only get better because of it."

You might say Teddy is well on his way to giving us his best yet. We here at PTR will most definitely be watching.

After all, we like the good guys.

-----

Teddy’s PTR Quicktakes …

I’m most comfortable when I’m … on the beach.

The best part of my day is when … the sun comes up.

If I wasn't an actor I'd be … on the ocean.

Last book I read was … Falconer by John Cheever

The oldest thing in my closet is … and I keep it because … a Harris Tweed blazer because I secretly want to be a college professor.

The best piece of advice ever given to me was … and he or she said … my father said never doubt yourself.

The last time I laughed so hard I cried was when … it was the first five minute of Tropic Thunder. I had no idea what was coming, and I was doubled-over.

I’m most inspired when I’m … I was thinking I’m most inspired when I stop thinking and let creativity take over. But the first thing that came to mind is I’m most inspired when I’m on my surfboard - the real moment to moment thing that happens when you surf. That’s real inspiration because that’s what I want to take with me onto my life on land.

If I could travel to one place in the world that I haven’t been to as yet it would be … because … San Sebastian, Spain, for the food and the ocean.

-----

I want to extend a Pipeline size wave of thanks to Teddy for taking time out to chat with me on his day off - and for being one heck of an awesomely cool guy. He's got an open invitation to join me at my local surf spot any time he feels like trying out his new custom shaped Channel Islands board. Also want to thank our friends at Turner Publicity and Rogers & Cowan. Raising the Bar returns for its second season Monday, June 8th at 10 p.m. on TNT. For the scoop on the series, visit the show's official Web site. You can also look for Teddy in the upcoming feature film A Single Man, which will co-star the ever-amazing Julianne Moore and Colin Firth. (We also wouldn't mind if he showed up again on Dollhouse next season, either. Hint, hint.)

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!