CBS Looking At Alex O’Loughlin to Headline Hawaii Five-0 Reboot

Nina Tassler was serious when she said last week that although Three Rivers is cancelled, CBS wanted to keep working with Alex O’Loughlin. Ausiello just broke the news that CBS is courting Alex to headline the reboot of Hawaii Five-0 that the network wants to have on the air next autumn. What do you think, would you watch Alex as a cop in Hawaii?

“How I Met Your Mother” Celebrates Its 100th Episode at the Paley Center

Attending the special presentation and screening of “How I Met Your Mother’s” 100th episode at the Paley Center in Beverly Hills last week can be described in one word: HILARIOUS! The creators, cast, writers and producers in attendance were clearly a well-oiled comedy machine. They not only write, act and direct comedy, they live and breathe it. It is an integral part of who they are and it is nearly impossible to distinguish between their professional and personal personas. For the past six years, “How I Met Your Mother” has been home for this special group of gifted individuals. It was created out of a vacuum at a time when comedic television series were thought to be a thing of the past. So it was with an innocuous start that they landed on the television landscape with barely a splash, but it was not long before this little show that could, broke out and took the television world by storm.

As Neil Patrick Harris perfectly summed up, “It was always eggshells. For a good two and a half out of our first 5 years, we were considering cancellation. . .Television is such a weird medium. Shows that are lauded critically fail and shows that no one seems to like sometimes seem to stick around for a long time. . . We never had a lot of light shining on us. . . That first year, none of us felt secure enough although we were all proud of the show. . . I don’t think for the first year, we ever really celebrated.”

But even from their humble beginnings, anyone who tuned in knew instantly there was something special going on. This was not just a show content with 30 minutes of laughs. It was a show that had a heart. It was a story of a father sharing the story of the humorous journey he went through to find the mother of his children. Told with a distinctly comedic tone, the story unfolds as a series of fun-loving adventures against a poignant backdrop. It was not long before the five leading stars were major sensations as their one-liners melded with pitch-perfect physical comedy and their warm genuine friendship began to garner more and more attention.

So it was with earned confidence that the creators and cast sat before a select audience at the Paley Center for a screening of their 100th episode. It was a landmark night as they were clearly proud of their long-running and creatively original series. Never one to back down from a challenge, they chose to celebrate their 100th episode as a musical. On any television show it is risky enough to dare to step outside the box, but they embraced their wild-side and threw caution to the wind. Relying on the strong showmanship talents of Broadway-star Neil Patrick Harris, they wrote an episode set to showcase his immeasurable musical talents combined with the awesome comedy the entire cast is known for. The song, the dance, the irrepressible quick quips of comedic confection had the entire audience rolling with laughter and joy.

As the lights went up after the screening, creators Craig Thomas and Carter Bays got up on stage along side their fellow comrades through this amazing journey:  Josh Radnor (Ted), Alyson Hannigan (Lily), Jason Segel (Marshall), Cobie Smulders (Robin), Neil Patrick Harris (Barney), and Pam Fryman, who directed 93 of their 100 episodes. Their beaming faces spoke volumes about how happy they were to be celebrating this momentous occasion. It is rare for any television show, let alone a comedy, to make it to the milestone mark of 100 episodes. With television audiences proving more fickle and finicky (cat joke! – trust me, it makes more sense later), it is a remarkable feat to make it so far in this day and age.

Creators Craig Thomas and Carter Bays are the first to admit that they were certain that “HIMYM” was not going to be a huge success and they continue to be surprised and delighted it did. Coming off a prior failed television sitcom, they decided to follow the best advice any writer can receive: write what you know. And what they knew was:  what it was like to be a single guy searching for the right woman. The concept was simple enough, but what really made the series shine from the get-go was superior casting. Being self-admitted huge “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer” fans, they only had one person in mind for the role of Lily and they were delighted when Alyson Hannigan leapt at the chance to portray her. It was also a pure sign of the stars aligning that Alyson ran into Neil Patrick Harris at one of the auditions and, with her rooting for him, he too landed the part of Barney which would skyrocket him to international stardom. With those two wickedly funny performers locked-in, the show was then lucky enough to land in quick succession, Josh Radnor, Jason Segel and Cobie Smulders to round out the stellar cast. It was lightening in a bottle. They all clicked from the get-go and became fast friends – something which reflected brightly through the television lens. Watching them all in the pilot alone, it simply felt like they were all life-long friends and the audience wanted to join them. So as the audience grew and ratings steadily rose, the sensation of “HIMYM” swept across the world.

During the moderated portion of the panel, the cast and creators were quick to point out their mutual affection and respect. They also took every opportunity to demonstrate their snappy wit by making cat references whenever possible. Alyson Hannigan started the shenanigans by letting it slip that one of their favorite past times during filming is coming up with puns. She explained, “We’ll just spend hours doing cat puns: like how can you work cat into a sentence?” With that invitation for mischief hovering in the air, none of them could resist and, without a second thought, the puns came fast and furious. A few of the notable puns were: Neil Patrick Harris, “Jason that was a purrrfect answer.” Alyson Hannigan, “Were their any cat-amarans?” along with Jason Segel’s, “I just hope you didn’t litter” referring to a day they spent filming at a Malibu beach. Josh Radnor, “Thinking about that season, wasn’t that episode nine — nine lives?” Jason Segel, “Makes you take a second and paws.” Jason, “Sometimes it feels like the entire kitten-kaboodle.” Neil Patrick Harris, “We’re now able to play in a bigger sand-box.” With pun-sters like these to work with, it is obvious why Craig Thomas and Carter Bays feel so inspired to write for them and relish doing so.

Despite all the antics, they were all quick to admit that it is the whimsy behind the show that initially drew them in and keeps their hearts tied to the show. As Josh shared regarding his character Ted: “I find that I’m a little bit charmed by him. He’s almost like an aggressively nostalgic guy. He’s a good friend. He wants his friends together – to create memories and there’s something very sweet about it.” Carter Bays also explained that, “[Ted] is the Dad of the show. We like the idea that he doesn’t have kids, but he’s already a dad.” Josh further elaborated with an observation that, “One of the great things about the show is that there is a sweet optimism — that the world will be alive in 2035.” And perhaps most tellingly, Pamela Fryman shared, “When I met Carter and Craig at a Starbucks, having read the script and loved it, it was like a great first date.” For the show had set the bar high and made everyone fall in
love with it upon first sight.

As for this season, Carter Bays happily shared, “This season has been like a box of candy . . . from a writing standpoint just getting inspired by how amazing this cast is . .  It’s just so fun to discover the new superpowers, to have the time to discover the superpowers of this cast and like we started writing this show . . . So it’s great to sort of dig deeper and discover who they are comedically and emotionally.”

To cap-off the celebratory love-fest, Jason Segel sagely noted: “This is the longest I’ve ever been a part of anything, besides my immediate family. It is longest relationship I’ve ever had. . . We know each other really well and have kind of grown up together which is really cool . . . Watching us all grow up together and sort of achieve our dreams has been my favorite part. Like, ‘Wow, we really did it!’”

For a show that only wanted to share the beautiful story of a father telling his kids how he met their mother, the show has become something much, much more. It has become an integral part of television history and set a new bar on what it means to be a comedic television show. It has also invited us on an extraordinary journey and we are savoring every minute of it.

“How I Met Your Mother” airs Mondays at 8:00 p.m. on CBS and its 100th episode will air on January 11th.

Spotlight On: Archie Panjabi

An actress you are seeing more and more of and who you may not be able to easily place, Archie Panjabi is racing up the star-o-meter with her electrifying performance on the hit CBS series The Good Wife. An English actress, who started her career on a little known film Bideshi, Archie has been busily working for the past decade in a variety of English film and television roles. Her big break came from the comedy film East is East, in which she played a teenager obsessed with soccer.

This was ironic, as she was then cast in the romantic comedy Bend It Like Beckham, where she played the marriage-obsessed sister of a girl obsessed with soccer. However, it was Archie’s scene-stealing performance as Pinky Bharma, sister of Parminder Nagra’s character that many remember. As Pinky, Archie was delightfully vivacious and tenacious in her desire to marry for love. Then, while Parminder Nagra went onto to join ER, Kiera Knightley joined Pirates of the Caribbean, and Jonathan Rhys Meyers went on to helm The Tudors, Archie continued her celluloid journey by criss-crossing between film and television roles, landing in the series Grease Monkeys playing Rita Dhillon, and then moving onto the critically acclaimed films Yasmin, The Constant Gardner (starring Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz), A Good Year (starring Russell Crowe), A Mighty Heart (starring Angelina Jolie and Dan Futterman), and Traitor (starring Don Cheadle and Guy Pearce). She also made appearances on the hit British series Life on Mars and Personal Affairs.

Then seemingly out of nowhere, Archie made the leap to American television landing the role of Kalinda Sharma, the in-house private investigator in The Good Wife. It was a surprising, but wise, choice with The Good Wife being an immediate break-out hit of the fall season. It is perhaps due to Ridley Scott that Archie scored the pivotal role in The Good Wife, for he had previously cast her in The Good Year as Russell Crowe’s mischievous assistant. Scott said that Archie is “smart and sensitive enough as an actress to make anything fly, comedy or drama, an unusual talent. It was a real pleasure to work with someone so enthusiastic.” Clearly, he is a fan and one of her strongest advocates.

From the first second Archie appeared on screen as the street-savvy investigator in The Good Wife, she lit up the screen. Her inner joy with life is hard to suppress on screen, but she rises to the challenge of tough roles and manages to make ethereal beauty look dangerous and deceptive. Despite working full-time on The Good Wife, Archie also has taken on a series of upcoming film projects, perhaps to keep her busy during her next hiatus. She will next be working on The Infidel with Richard Schiff (The West Wing) and House Husbands with Marsha Thomason (Lost).

In the meantime, be sure to catch her subtly stunning performance in The Good Wife, Tuesdays at 10/9c on CBS.

“Three Rivers” Done? Nothing Official But Alex O’Loughlin Has Been Here Before

I started to post this news last night, but I just didn’t have the heart to, and a small part of me still hoped it wouldn’t be true. Then, I kept reading conflicting stories: “Three Rivers pulled immediately from Sunday night lineup”; “Three Rivers to air in later time slot”; “Three Rivers to finish out season”; and similar news items.

While CBS has not officially announced a cancellation, and at this point, they are planning on airing all of the remaining episodes, the writing is definitely on the wall. I had a lot of hope for this show, but I have to be honest here, and say that I was really pulling more for Alex O’Loughlin than the show, itself. I’m not as sad and shocked about losing this show nearly as much as with Moonlight. After a couple of episodes of Three Rivers, I just couldn’t follow it anymore. I just lost interest. I got the message of organ donor awareness in the pilot episode. The fact that nothing changed to hold my interest is, I think, a common complaint among those I know who gave Three Rivers a try.

I feel really bad because I know that Alex threw is whole heart into this show, and really believed in it. To be fair, I think CBS did too. As I said before, there have been a few different stories floating around out there, beginning with THR’s from yesterday. But Alex’s own words nailed it down, even if CBS hasn’t given the official word.

A lot of you probably already know this, because you guys know what’s happening in my life before I do, but today I was informed that Three Rivers would soon draw to an end. (Continue reading.)

Some good did come out of this show, besides the awareness that donating organs is not a scary thing. Alex is an Ambassador and official spokesperson for Donate Life America. He will give 110% to this organization, just like he does with any acting job he does, and that can never be bad. I’m looking forward to Alex’s next acting project, and I hope we won’t have to wait too long.

“True Blood” Vampire is “The Mentalist’s” New Boss

Virgil Minelli retired as CBI boss, leaving an opening that The Mentalist showrunners filled with the lovely and very talented Aunjanue Ellis. Most recently known by Nice Girls as the dangerously nasty Diane, the vampire that wanted to chew on Sookie Stackhouse in the first season of HBO’s mega-hit series, True Blood.

Ellis joins the cast in a pivotal episode of The Mentalist some time in April. I’m excited to see what kind of changes this will bring in department relations. I’m most interested to see how Lisbon and Jayne will interact to her.

It should be a great season!

Oded Fehr Joins Three Rivers, Show Explodes From Hotness

Question: When is does a show tip the balance into too much hotness? When Oded Fehr joins Alex O’Loughlin, Daniel Henney and Christopher J. Hanke on Three Rivers for a two-episode guest role, that’s when. This Nice Girl may be standing by with a bucket of ice to pour on her TV to prevent a meltdown.

The Israeli hottie, best known for his roles in The Mummy and Sleeper Cell, joins Three Rivers for a couple of episodes early in 2010 as Dr. Luc, a charming heart surgeon returning to Three Rivers after spending time working abroad. O’Loughlin’s Andy Yablonsky butts heads with him in what are sure to be some electric scenes.

In other noteworthy guest star news, Felicia Day (The Guild, Dollhouse, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-A-Long Blog) appears in the December 6 episode as part of a daisy-chain of donors and recipients.

Spotlight On: Amanda Righetti

In her first big break on television, Amanda Righetti was introduced as Hailey Nichol, the black-sheep sister of Kirsten Cohen in The O.C. After a successful run of 12 episodes on The O.C., Righetti was then immediately cast as Tessa Lewis, a manipulative con artist, in the Hawaiian romp North Shore. Alas, North Shore only ran for one season. But as luck was on Righetti’s side, she was quickly cast as Jena Moretti, the aging starlet, in the mystery series Reunion. While the role was more substantive than her earlier work, and better showcased Righetti’s talents, the fickle TV fans jumped ship once they realized how serialized the show was and the series lasted only 13 episodes (only 9 of which were actually broadcast).

So despite consistently working, Righetti seemed doomed to be cast on TV shows that could not make it past their first season. Taking a 2 year break to focus on her film career and working on such films as Marlowe, Return to House on Haunted Hill, and Friday the 13th (the remake), Righetti surfaced again in 2008, appearing in the unassuming role of Grace Van Pelt on a new TV series called The Mentalist.

On paper the series looked to be a generic version of just about every other police procedural on the television landscape. But, for anyone who saw the premiere episode, The Mentalist was anything but a copycat procedural. Instead, it was an out-of-the-gate sensation, with over 15 million viewers and landing itself in the #10 spot as one of the most viewed TV shows that week. From that point on, the ratings increased and The Mentalist has stayed well-within the Top 10 each week ever since. It even reached the coveted #1 spot within just a few months of its debut.

Cast as the youngest and newest member of the fictional CBI unit (California Bureau of Investigation) in The Mentalist, Righetti’s fresh face and youthfulness stood-out amongst her more widely-recognized co-stars, Robin Tunney and Simon Baker, who each have been in the entertainment business nearly twice as long as Righetti. Portraying Grace Van Pelt, these attributes are perfectly-suited and they allow Righetti to meld the character to fit some of her stronger assets.

As Grace Van Pelt, Righetti portrays a government agent anxious to prove that she is just as good as her teammates. She stubbornly refuses to be coddled or benched when things appear dangerous and willingly embraces the toughest assignments. Additionally, Righetti uses her strong physical attributes to her advantage, for a beautiful young woman is frequently underestimated by friend and foe alike. This seeming innocence belies a steely core of ferocious energy and tenacity.

Another aspect that works well for Righetti is she is one of the few characters allowed to have a personal life on the show. Last season Van Pelt was shown having a boyfriend (despite the fact he turned out to be stalking Patrick Jane), and more than one episode has shown glimpses into her feelings for teammate Wayne Rigsby (Owain Yeoman), which appear to be reciprocated. As such, Van Pelt is perhaps one of the more well-developed characters on the show – having both a professional life and a personal life to balance her character. This duality allows Righetti to stretch as an actor and she rises to the occasion displaying finely-tuned nuances of emotion. Simon Baker may be the star and the guy we are rooting for, but Amanda Righetti is clearly the heart. We feel what she feels and we want to be there with her.

The Mentalist airs Thursdays at 10/9c on CBS.

A Diagnosis of Three Rivers

The new medical drama Three Rivers will debut on CBS at 9 PM on Sunday, October 4. The main premise of this series is not only about the preeminent transplant hospital in the country located in Pittsburgh but also about the three sides of organ transplantation: the donor, the doctor and the recipient.

Starring in the series is Alex O’Loughlin (Moonlight), as Dr. Andy Yablonski, a highly-skilled workaholic lead organ transplant surgeon, whose good-natured personality and sarcastic wit make him popular with patients and colleagues alike and Katherine Moennig (The L Word) appears as Dr. Miranda Foster, a surgical fellow with a rebellious streak and a fiery temper who strives to live up to her deceased father’s excellent surgical reputation.

Julia Ormond had been cast in the original pilot, which has since been scrapped, reshot and recast. In her place is acclaimed actress Alfre Woodard as Dr. Sophia Jordan, the dedicated head of surgery who has no patience for anyone who hasn’t sacrificed as much as she has for the job.

Rounding out the cast are Daniel Henney (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) as Dr. David Lee, a womanizing surgical resident who’s broken as many hearts as he’s replaced; Justina Machado (Six Feet Under) as Pam Acosta, Dr. Yablonski’s no-nonsense operating assistant and best friend; and newcomer Christopher J. Hanke as Ryan Abbott, the inexperienced new transplant coordinator who arranges the intricately choreographed process of quickly and carefully transporting organs from donor to patient.

Very little is known about Three Rivers except for the casting (and recasting) and the basic premise of the show simply because CBS has not allowed a screening of the series to take place. On two separate occasions – the first at a Donate Life Charity event back in June and the second at the recent Paley Center for Media Preview Party for CBS – the pilot episode, which was to be aired at both events, was unexpectedly pulled by the network.

The reason behind the episode being pulled at these events is unclear. Speculation is running rampant especially given the recent announcement by the network that the second episode that was filmed will actually air prior to the pilot episode. This switch could be for a myriad of reasons, but for fans of Alex O’Loughlin and his former CBS series Moonlight it is unsettling to say the least. And, given the less than positive reviews by countless critics, the prognosis for Three Rivers is bleak. However, tune in on Sunday, October 4 at 9 p.m. to judge for yourself.

The Mentalist Returns for Another Season of Seeing Red

Following on the heels of a phenomenal first season, both in ratings and creativity, The Mentalist continues to enthrall viewers with its sleight-of-hand mysteries and the razor-sharp insight of a former fraudulent psychic, Patrick Jane (Simon Baker), enlisted to aid the California Bureau of Investigation in tracking down criminals. Jane, through the use of his keen observational powers, frequently pinpoints the culprit of crimes quicker than through conventional crime-fighting techniques.

Additionally, Jane has a personal motivation, as in quid pro quo for his unique mental talents, he is given the aid of CBI in tracking down the serial killer, Red John, who killed his wife and daughter and who continues to mock Jane with a series of deadly clues. Last season, Red John deliberately manipulated Jane into getting a potential witness out of jail so that Red John could eliminate the threat, and then at the end of the season laid a trap that nearly cost Jane his life. Fortunately, it takes two to tango and Jane had anticipated the trap and laid one of his own. It was a deadly game of cat and mouse and the viewer was never quite sure who was playing the mouse.

Aiding in Jane’s search for the elusive and diabolical Red John are: team leader Teresa Lisbon (Robin Tunney) who pretends to be annoyed with Jane’s antics, yet it is clear she values him as a member of the CBI team and backs him up whenever he proposes another outrageous theory or scheme on capturing a criminal; Kimball Cho (Tim Kang) who plays the straight-man to Jane’s funny-man antics and who frequently sees through and does not buy into Jane’s theatrics; Wayne Rigsby (Owain Yeoman) who, while good friends with both Jane and Cho, has a soft-spot for Grace Van Pelt, which tends to make him act a bit silly whenever she is around; and Grace Van Pelt (Amanda Righetti) who, as the newest CBI member, feels she has more to prove than the rest of the team and who will challenge Jane whenever she thinks he may have crossed the line of moral ambiguity.

Despite the inherent conflicts among the group, they work well together and seamlessly support one another in some rather harrowing situations. Because Jane never carries a gun, he is reliant on his CBI co-workers to have his back when it comes to confronting suspects that suddenly realize that they are cornered – and they unfailingly do. The underlying mutual affection is prevalent and it is the glue that binds this eclectic group of professionals together.

Patrick Jane is portrayed by the mesmerizing Simon Baker, who scored an Emmy nomination for his seemingly benign yet “seething with rage” performance. As portrayed by Baker, Jane is playful, cocky and yet endearing all at once. Watching Baker so fully embody such a rich, diverse and fun character is riveting and he has fully earned the Emmy nomination.

The Mentalist returns for its second season on Thursday, September 24th at 10:00 p.m. on CBS.

Three Rivers Live Chat with Alex O’Loughlin

Mark this date on your calendars, fans: October 2. TV.com will have a Live Chat with Alex O’Loughlin at 12 p.m. Pacific time, 2 p.m. Central, to chat about Three Rivers, which premieres Sunday, Oct. 4 on CBS.

Here is your chance to ask Alex your questions about his new series. We’ll be there, will you?

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