Cheers & Jeers: Peter Gallagher's One-Two Punch

Cheers to Peter Gallagher for pulling double duty on a pair of basic-cable dramas.

The charismatic charmer, who's long seemed like a character actor blessed with a leading man's looks, has been too-seldom-seen on the small screen since the sun set on The O.C.'s Sandy Cohen in 2007. (Along with the rest of America, we'll overlook his unfortunate arc as a cuckolded dean on last season's Californication.)

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Now Gallagher's back in competing Tuesday-at-10 pm series:  He's Father Phil, a hard-headed priest on FX's Rescue Me—and if anybody could use a good confessor, it's Denis Leary's Hell-bound firefighter Tommy Gavin. And he's Arthur Gallagher, the gung ho head of the CIA's Department of Clandestine Services, on USA's Covert Affairs. While we could do with a bit less of Arthur's cutesy banter with his wife/professional rival (Kari Matchett), we're still glad Gallagher's no longer keeping his TV career undercover.

Are you ready for a double shot of Peter Gallagher?

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