Watching The 4400

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

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

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

Do you have a BFF (Best Friends Forever)? Well, Tom Baldwin and Diana Skouris have made WebCity News’ TV’s Ten Best BFFs list right at Number Ten back around Valentine’s Day. Looking through the list, I really couldn’t agree more with their choices of “the ten coolest friendships on TV”, though I think that Tom and Diana belong much closer to Number One, because of everything that they’ve gone through together, and still remained close without falling into the unfortunate “Moonlighting” stereotype of ending up in a romantic relationship, like so many other opposite-sex television partnerships.

They’ve survived mind warps, time warps, psychic serial killers, (maybe) alien abductions of multiple family members, confrontations with omnipotent toddlers, and many tears (mostly Tom’s - he cries a lot.) They’ve both been engaged to other people; they’ve helped each other find their missing kids throughout the space-time continuum. There’s nothing this space-age crime-fighting duo won’t do for each other. Some people want them to get together, but me? I like them just the way they are.

See the complete list here.

The 4400, Diana Skouris, 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