Question: My guess for your "Hit Show's Star Wants Deal of the Century" blind item is Anthony LaPaglia.
Answer: Nope, but you're driving in the right neighborhood.
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Anthony LaPaglia in Without a Trace's "Deep Water."
For the last five years, Aussie-born Anthony LaPaglia's life has been intertwined with that of his Without a Trace character, FBI missing-persons agent Jack Malone. On the CBS series' March 11 episode, "Deep Water," LaPaglia will be credited not only as the popular procedural's lead, but also as that episode's writer.
"I never really had a burning desire to write or direct or any of that," LaPaglia tells TV Guide during a quick on-set lunch break. "It's the fifth year of the show and while I like the acting part of it, I was starting to get a bit itchy. I was sitting around one day with the guy who does my make up, Mike Mills, and we were talking about different stories that were out there."
Without a Trace often focuses on stories based on real-life incidents, and it
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Anthony LaPaglia in The Architect
In October, CBS' Without a Trace (Sundays at 10 pm/ET) notched its 100th episode. Though not as high-profile as the Law & Orders and CSIs of the world, the FBI procedural has earned a loyal audience with solid writing and an engaging ensemble. Leading that cast is veteran actor Anthony LaPaglia. TVGuide.com touched base with LaPaglia as he wrapped up on shooting the series' fifth season and was out promoting The Architect, a gritty indie currently in theaters and on DVD that follows a community activist's struggles to get a dangerous subsidized housing project demolished.
TVGuide.com: The Architect tackles some pretty weighty issues, from class struggle to family dysfunction. Did t
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Question: I read your short iwrite-up of the Without a Trace finale in one of your Dispatches and was surprised that you didn't have more of a reaction. What has happened to this show? The writing has been so poor this season that it's almost criminal that their writers get paid. In my opinion, their writers had two approaches in Season 4: crib from old ER story lines or just toe the line by writing boring, exploitative cases that are comparable to the mess that is CSI: Miami. I don't see the writing getting any better since Hank Steinberg's pilot has been picked up and looks promising. I almost hope this show fails on Sundays — just to show CBS how far it has fallen. Trace used to be such a quality show, with subtle personal storylines and gripping cases. Now it is just plain bad — the agents never interact, the good story lines (Danny's PTSD, the Jack/Sam history) have been dropped, and boring, clichéd story lines have been bungled. If they continue with the Jack-Anne pregnancy story ...
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Question: First, thank you for your column. Your analysis is great, and though I do not always agree, I always appreciate the thoughtfulness you give to your columns. Without a Trace tried for a lighter tone last week (March 9), and I, for one, was delighted by the effort to try something different, especially considering the glut of procedurals out there. My wife and I were smiling and laughing out loud (which is better than we do with many sitcoms). While I would not like to see this all the time, Without a Trace seems to make an effort to change the procedural formula from the inside out. What did you think of the effort?
Answer: I thought it was a little clumsy, but I also appreciated the attempt at a change of pace. It wasn't as terrific as the episode earlier this season told from the point of view of a missing teen's parents (one of Trace's best hours ever), but it wasn't as awful as last season's pretentious dream psychodrama featuring Anthony LaPaglia in old-man makeup. Quite a
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Question: I went to the Watercooler last week to see what wonderful things your fellow critics had to say about Martin Landau's performance (and Anthony LaPaglia's as well) on the Dec. 8 episode of Without a Trace, and nothing! So maybe you will feel like discussing it with me. I sent this to the Watercooler team, perhaps you'd like to discuss it instead: "Did any of you catch Martin Landau's exemplary performance on Without a Trace? Anthony LaPaglia's showing was also on a par. Watching Jack sitting with his father just after his sudden death, trying to hold back the grief, and only after it was too late, telling him 'I love you,' was one of the most moving moments on any show this season." So, Matt, do you think these performances warrant an Emmy or Golden Globe as I do?
Answer: Well, it's already clear that LaPaglia, a former Globes winner for Trace, didn't make the cut this year. Given the fact that The Sopranos will be back this season, he's probably a long shot for Emmy
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Question: You never give any Without a Trace scoops.
Answer: As reported in the new issue of TV Guide magazine, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio is joining the cast for three episodes beginning Nov. 24 — apparently as a love interest for Jack (Anthony LaPaglia). Now who you accusing of never giving any Trace scoops?
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Question: Could you enlighten me on a series called Murder One? It has just started on Showtime in the Middle East and I was wondering if it is an ongoing series or a one-time miniseries. The first episode was very entertaining and I just want to know what to expect. Thanks.
Answer: Well, I'll give you enough to whet your appetite, Nasreen, but don't expect me to hand you the ending so you can lord it over your pals or anything.
Murder One was a noble experiment that failed to pick up an audience. When it debuted on ABC in September 1995, the idea was that it would follow one case over the course of the entire season. As you'll no doubt see by the time you read this, attorney Theodore Hoffman (Daniel Benzali) and his team of defense lawyers (Michael Hayden, J.C. MacKenzie, Mary McCormack and Grace Phillips) spent that first se
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Make room for Daddy! Now that the WB has decided to give Gilmore Girls hottie Milo Ventimiglia his own spinoff, the search is on for a mature looker to play the estranged father of his character, rebellious teen toughie Jess. While the network's taste in baby-faced heartthrobs is unimpeachable — the frog channel has introduced us to a host of prime-time princes, from James Van Der Beek and Scott Speedman to Jason Behr and Chad Michael Murray — when it comes to fathers, we think we kno
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