Denis Leary

Don't worry, we cringed too when Steven Pasquale burst into song in the latest episode of Rescue Me.

But once the shock wore off — and we realized that Pasquale could still make Sean Garrity hilariously stupid while singing — it became apparent that creators Denis Leary and Peter Tolan had put some thought into the song-and-dance routines. (That's right, routines; there are more to come.)

"Those would be my fault," Tolan told TVGuide.com. "We were sort of looking for a way to showcase Steve's singing, and this seemed like the most natural way — these fantasies while he was being prepped for surgery or after. The good thing is they're all on story. The first one is more naturalistic — there's sort of an MTV feel to the second half of it, but it feels a little more grounded. Then they just spin out of control."

Pasquale has a history with ... read more 16 Comments

There's something different about Rescue Me this season that we can't quite put a finger on.

Maybe it's the complete creative rejuvenation of the show after a long, 18-month hiatus. Maybe it's the addition of the shockingly grotesque, wheelchair-bound Dwight, played brilliantly against type by guest star Michael J. Fox. Maybe it's that the show returned its focus to 9/11 and its lasting effects on the firefighters. Or maybe it's just because Season 4's look at a sober Tommy Gavin was a bit of a stinker.

If you ask Rescue Me's creators, they'll agree with most of all of that.

"We work in a vacuum," star and co-creator Denis Leary says. "It's impossible to tell what the audience or critics will think. Last season, we investigated places that we had to go, specifically with Tommy being sober. But it's not until it's out there that you get the reaction where people go, 'Y'know, it's really dark.'"

But dark isn't the word co-creator, writer and director Peter Tolan would use to describe Season 4. His word? Letdown. "The fourth season had its pleasures, but it was certainly not up to snuff, in my opinion, with what we had done in the previous years," he says. "We just sort of lost focus, the stories weren't as solid, and the storytelling, I thought, was a little weak. And many people noticed it. Because of that, I said to the guys that when we come back, we have to come back firing on all cylinders — we have to come back at 150 miles per hour and not stop."

And that's what they've done. This season ... read more 15 Comments

On this fair St. Patrick's Day, we thought we'd share a list of Irish people we'd love to share a pint with.

Conan O'Brien
If Ireland could choose a poster boy or goodwill ambassador, we would nominate Conan O'Brien. He's got the trademark Irish red hair, blue eyes, freckles and dazzling wit. He also proved he can hold his own making and imbibing Irish cocktails when he raised a glass with Martha Stewart last St. Patrick's Day. Sláinte! Read the rest of our list including videos after the jump! read more 12 Comments

Season 5 of Rescue Me has yet to premiere, but fans of the FX hit can already look forward to Season 6. The cable network has renewed the Denis Leary show for an 18-episode sixth season.

"Rescue Me is one of the very best series on television and a tentpole program for FX," said FX president John Landgraf. "We're amazed by ...
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