Q: I really like “Prime Suspect,” especially the actor who plays Detective Blando. Can you tell me a little about him? He looks so familiar. — Gennifer F., Allentown, Pa.A: Tim Griffin, 42, has starred and guest-starred in countless TV series and big-screen movies, including “Party of Five,” “Charmed,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “The Bourne Supremacy,” “24,” “Iron Man,” “The Men Who Stare at Goats,” and most recently, “Super 8″ and “Abduction.”
I spoke with Tim about his role in the American version of the British cop drama and asked if he had any qualms about trying to “remake” such a popular series. Tim told me: “It wasn’t really until we started doing the initial press work that I realized, ‘OK, this is a sacred institution,’ because I was a huge fan of the British series too. It’s almost like a trial by fire that you have to go through. Can it be envisioned, reimagined with an American voice?
“Our partners are the original producers of the original ‘Prime Suspect,’ Tim said. “So we have that entire cannon of scripts at our disposal, and we have Peter Berg as the executive producer and director. It’s like its own new animal.”
Q: I am loving the new fall season so far — lots of good shows and only a few stinkers in the bunch. Which shows are you digging so far? — Clyde R., via e-mail
A: In the drama category, far and away my favorite show has to be ABC’s “Revenge,” which has injected a much-needed shot of campy, soapy, sexy drama into my Wednesday nights. (If you are on Twitter, you can follow my live-tweeting feeds at twitter.com/celebrity_extra every Wednesday starting at 10 p.m. ET, where all of us “Revenge” fans whoop and holler together.) I haven’t had this much fun watching a nighttime drama — nor have I talked to the TV screen so much — since “Melrose Place.”
On the comedy side, it’s a tie between Zooey Deschanel’s “New Girl” on Fox and ABC’s “Suburgatory,” whose ensemble cast of Jeremy Sisto, Jane Levy, Cheryl Hines, Alan Tudyk and Ana Gasteyer has me wiping tears of laughter from my face every episode.
Q: I love watching “The Talk” every afternoon. What happened to two of the original hostesses, Holly Robinson Peete and Leah Remini? — Joanne M., Fairport, N.Y.
A: Holly’s and Leah’s contracts were not renewed by CBS after the first season. As of Sept. 6 and Oct. 23, respectively, CBS officially replaced them with Sheryl Underwood and Aisha Tyler.
Q: I read somewhere that James Van Der Beek’s wife recently had another baby. Didn’t they just have a daughter? — Barb D., via e-mail
A: You are halfway correct, Barb. James and wife Kimberly have a daughter, Olivia, who recently turned 1, and are expecting their second child next year. James tweeted: “Just when we thought we couldn’t feel any more blessed, it seems the universe has plans to give our daughter a sibling.”
