Question: I admit to being one of those who, for the last season or two, watched ER solely out of habit. However, I am psyched at the prospect of John Stamos being a regular cast member next season, and I am eagerly awaiting next season. Do you expect that the casting of John will pull the show out of its "funk" and re-entice some of the viewers who think it's jumped the shark?
Answer: It can't hurt. I know I was sorely disappointed when ABC's inexplicable renewal (to little effect) of Jake in Progress kept him off the show during a season that could have really used him. I just hope he doesn't succumb to the same ailment that has befallen so many promising actors (Linda Cardellini, Parminder Nagra, Shane West, Kristen Johnston) who join the cast and are almost immediately sapped of appealing personality traits.
Coming to ER's defense is Phil S., who writes: "I'm tired of people bashing shows just because they've been on the air for a while. If anybody actually sat down and watched ER
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John Stamos, who guested on ER during November sweeps — prior, that is, to the blink-and-you-missed-it mid-season return of ABC's Jake in Progress — is set to join NBC's long-running medical drama as a series regular this fall, says the Hollywood Reporter. Stamos will reprise his role of Tony Gates, a flirty paramedic who also is a med student and a Gulf War veteran.
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Question: Has In Justice been canceled? I just read on the entertainment news page that Jason O'Mara has been cast in a new show. I quite like In Justice. It's perfect for Friday night, and it would be a shame if ABC didn't give it more of a chance.
Answer: When stars of "on the bubble" shows like In Justice take roles in pilots for the following season, these new roles are in what's called "second position." In other words, if In Justice gets renewed (which seems unlikely, though it's not dead quite yet), he'd have to stay with his previous show and they'd have to recast his new role or otherwise rework that pilot. Kind of like what happened to John Stamos when Jake in Progress got a pickup (what a mistake) and ER's producers had to rethink the cast-regular role they had planned for him ...
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At ABC, David Arquette (Scream) has joined the comedy In Case of Emergency, playing a businessman who botches a suicide attempt.... Peter Facinelli (Six Feet Under) has landed the second lead (opposite Jeffrey Donovan) in Enemies.... Sarah Clarke (24) has joined the drama A House Divided.... Charlotte Ross (Jake in Progress NYPD Blue) has come aboard Ugly Betty.... and Sean Patrick Flannery (The Dead Zone) has joined Secrets of a Small Town. Elsewhere, Doublemint Twin Natalie Garza has been cast on Fox's The 12th Man, Michael Gaston has joined CBS' Jericho, and Lenny Clarke will play Rob Corddry's pop in Fox's Becoming Glen.
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Question: Three words: Where is Alias? Please tell me you have some insider information to give me that is more fulfilling than "the next episode has yet to be scheduled" comment on ABC's website. Perhaps I'm behind the times. Perhaps some more hard-core fans already know when the final episodes will be airing. But Matt, I just gotta know when we're going to be able to say hello to Sydney and the gang again — right before we have to say goodbye.
Answer: Man, I wish I knew. I figured while I was away, ABC would announce its spring mid-season schedule, but I never dreamed (along with several dozen, at least, of my correspondents) that Alias would be MIA. In fact, I figured Alias would return as soon as the Olympics were over. My most optimistic view of this perplexing situation is that mid-season schedules are notoriously unreliable and changeable, and should any of the elements of ABC's March-April lineup fall out — remember the instant exit of Emily's Reasons Why Not and Jake in
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