Watching The 4400

And now for something a little different…

Remember how I talked about being extremely excited about seeing Joel Gretsch, our lovely Tom Baldwin, as Dan Vassar’s father on NBC’s Journeyman? Well, if you’re like me and want to see more of Joel’s turn as the absent and work-obsessed Daddy Vassar (who just might be another Traveler - what does that mean for poor Zach?), you might want to check in with Shaun over at Shaun O’Mac Radio tonight as he talks Saving Journeyman by sending Aspirin to NBC!

For anyone who has been reading me either here or over at Watching Jericho, you know that I really, truly adore a good television show, and Journeyman is one of the best new television shows this season, in my opinion. And, if you were paying attention over at Watching Jericho, you also can glean that I’m a sucker for a cause (just look at anything related to the Nuts Campaign, ok?) So when I received emails from Shaun saying that they were starting a new campaign for Saving Journeyman, I had to throw my hat into the ring and help support it, because I’m a great fan of the show.

So, check in to Shaun’s show tonight (10pm ET or 7pm PT) on Blog Talk Radio and I’m going to try and get my voice back enough to call in and you might hear something special that I’ll be doing with this blog and the Jericho blog to help support Journeyman. I’ve got a bad cold, so if my voice just isn’t up to it, just check back tomorrow here or on Watching Jericho, ok?

Jericho, television, Journeyman, TV, 4400, CBS

I do apologize for the lack of posts lately, things have gotten a bit like the Chinese curse, “May you live in interesting times” around here, like I said over at Watching Jericho. While I’ve been silent, though, some of the great actors from the 4400 have been very busy, popping up all over the place on other shows that I watch regularly and have usually fallen in love with recently.

So I’m watching Journeyman the other week (you’re watching it, right? Really, you should be!), and who should show up on my television screen as the father of Dan Vassar (The time-traveling Journeyman from the title), who Dan had to go to for some information but our very own Joel Gretsch! I was so excited to see him on this show, and thought that he did a wonderful job and I really hope that they keep sending Dan back to this point in the time line so we can see more of Joel and the great character that he’s playing.

Also, who should I spy as the Baddie - of - the - Week over on Life as a slimy Russian mobster who’s been selling information to the Feds but Garrett Dillahunt, our very own Matthew Ross. He’s far, far too good at slimy, people, considering the plot for the episode centered around him not only killing a girl by throwing her out of a window, but also caging her secret boyfriend up with his dogs which he used in dog fighting activities. They left the episode open at the end to allow for him back also, which I hope happens just as much as Joel Gretsch over at Journeyman.

Have you seen anyone else from the 4400 out on the new shows for this season that I’ve missed? Leave a comment below, ok?

The 4400, Matthew Ross, Garret Dillahunt, Joel Gretsch, Journeyman, Life, TV, television, USA

Joel Gretch, our recently de-Marked Tom Baldwin, is set to play in “Saving Grace” with stars such as Tatum O’Neal (Paper Moon), Penelope Ann Miller (The Shadow), Piper Laurie (Twin Peaks) and Michael Biehn (Terminator), so says the Hollywood Reporter.

“Miller and Biehn will play Bea and Landy Bretthorse, a couple whose life in a 1950s-era Missouri town is thrown into chaos when Landy’s sister Grace (O’Neal) is released from the local asylum and comes to live with the family. Gretsch will play Grace’s ex-husband, who was married to her for one day, and Laurie will play the administrator who runs the asylum where Grace stayed for 15 years.”

I have to say, I adore most mid-century period movies, and I think that Joel Gretsch will be wonderful both in set in the 1950’s and also playing against Tatum O’Neal. Just to make this a little cooler to the little pop culture geek that I am, but absolutely fabulous Connie Stevens who is not only the writer but also the director of this movie, which contains vignettes from her life.

“The story is personal for singer-actress Stevens, who is producing the project with Ralph Singleton (”Because of Winn Dixie,”) for Saving Grace B Jones. She was visiting relatives in Boonville, Mo., in 1951 during severe floods that play a pivotal role in her screenplay. Her film is now being shot on location there.”

This movie isn’t even listed on Joel’s IMDB Profile yet, so it’s still early. What do you think?

Hat-tip to The 4400 Guide.

USA Network has a great series of interviews up on their site with multiple actors, including Joel Gretsch (who plays recently De-Marked Tom Baldwin, of course). What I like about the way that they have the interviews listed is by subject snippet, instead of all in one chunk.

The listings for his interview are:

• Tom & Kyle
• The Partners
• Loss of Alana
• The New Boss
• Promicin Parallels
• Resolutions
• Keepin’ It Real

See all of video snippets here.

The 4400, Joel Gretsch, Tom Baldwin, video interview, TV, television, USA

I had almost missed this from my weekly email off of the Official Site.

Can’t wait until The 4400 Season Finale for answers to your most urgent questions? Then join Joel Gretsch, Chad Faust and Jenni Baird for a LIVE Video Chat on Friday, September 14 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Your Message Board login will get you exclusive access to the chat – if you’re not signed up on the Board, sign up now!

So, who’s going to be online on Friday for the chat! I know that I’m already working on my questions for those three.

The 4400, Joel Gretsch, Jenni Baird, Chad Faust, chat, TV, television, USA

This was completely and utterly Tom’s show. Or, should I say, whoever it is that is the Marked inside Tom Baldwin. For all of my complaints about making Tom one of the “Marked”, I really loved Evil Tom. The only thing he was missing was a pair of leather pants, for all of you Buffy fans out there.

I think that these last few episodes really have turned the awkward, Extra-Crispy of the week around. The aforementioned P-Positive in this episode was a complete side-issue, a MacGuffin if you will, to show off the vile Marked Tom. Tom’s little fugue while standing and talking with Collier and Kyle in Promise City showed the difference that this really isn’t the Tom Baldwin we all know and love, and that’s I think why I liked this episode so much. His touch of ultra-violence, lashing out at not only Collier, but Kyle and Diana, showed that this Marked that’s cavorting around in Tom’s body means business.

My favorite part, after that little tirade on the Evil Tom, actually had absolutely nothing to do with him. The scene between Kevin and Collier walking down the street in Promise City was by far my favorite scene in this episode. And yes, Kyle was there, but that was all about Kevin and Collier, no one else.

The 4400, Ghost In The Machine, TV, television, USA

BuddyTV.com is reporting that Joel Gretsch has signed on to National Treasure: Book of Secrets, which is due out in December of this year. This isn’t all that new of news, but since I really adored the first National Treasure movie, I just needed to share this. He joins Nicholas Cage, Diane Kruger, Jon Voight, Justin Bartha, Harvey Keitel, Helen Mirren, Ed Harris, Bruce Greenwood, Alicia Coppola and Manny Oliverez.

The film, which is under the direction of Jon Turtletaub, follows Benjamin Franklin Gates, portrayed by Academy Award winner Nicolas Cage, as he embarks on the search for the eighteen pages that have gone missing from John Wilkes Booth’s personal diary. As shown in the film’s trailer, the missing pages contain information regarding a conspiracy of global proportion.

Read the article here.

The 4400, Tom Baldwin, Joel Gretsch, TV, television, USA

Trying to get my daughter’s stuff together to send her off for a visit with the grandparents has seriously limited any time that I have to do a decent recap until after Wednesday, so I’ll leave you with some great links to keep your attention while I pack for a 5-year-old to go out to New Mexico for two weeks.

• TV Guide.com has a great interview with Jennie Baird, new NTAC Director Meghan Doyle.
• Joel Gretch talks to Janice Rhoshalle Littlejohn from the Associated Press.
• Troy Rogers interviews Megalyn Echikunwoke for Underground Online.
• BuddyTV>com talks about the new film that Patrick Flueger is starring in called Last Resort.

The 4400, Jenni Baird, Joel Gretsch, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Patrick Flueger, TV, television, USA

What we do here every Monday is spotlight an actor, just to show y’all what these great actors are doing outside of the show. Our next actor is consummate actor Joel Gretsch, who plays the not - quite - as - much - of - a - boyscout - as - we - think Tom Baldwin.

To be honest, I know that I had seen Joel Gretsch somewhere before I started watching the 4400, but I could never really tell you where that was. Recently, though, I remember jumping up and down on my couch watching CSI:NY when I saw him playing a too-smooth doctor there, and when I looked at his IMDB profile, I realized that he played a villain (at least in my eyes) in the other abduction story, Taken.

Interesting Trivia from Joel Gretsch’s IMDB Profile:

Married to William Shatner’s daughter, Melanie Shatner.

Was in a number of appearances at the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis.

Brother-in-law of Lisabeth Shatner.

Joel Gretsch’s IMDB Profile here.

And why is it that I can’t seem to find an official site for Mr. Gretsch?

The 4400, Joel Gretsch, Tom Baldwin, TV, television, USA

On November 6, Joel Gretsch (Tom Baldwin) participated in the Golf Digest Celebrity Invitational. In December, 2005, he was named to Golf Digest’s list of The Top 100 Celebrity Golfers. He was in a three-way tie for 26th place with Richard Karn (Al of “Home Improvement”) and Scott Wolf (Everwood). Check out the list and see which of your favorite celebrities is there. Hope Tom’s getting lots of time to work on his handicap!

Joel Gretsch, The 4400, Tom Baldwin, Golf Digest