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The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, May 24, 2019 4 By Sarah Passingham TV Media T he formula of the police procedural gets a spiritual new twist when "The In- Between" premieres on NBC on Wednesday, May 29. The drama series follows Cassie Bedford, portrayed by Austra- lian actress and comedian Har- riet Dyer ("Love Child"), who experiences uncontrollable vi- sions of the future and the past and visits from spirits desper- ately seeking her help. To make use of her unique talents, she assists her father, Det. Tom Hackett, and his former FBI partner as they tackle the most complicated crimes in their city. Together they follow her vi- sions and seek justice for those who have contacted Bedford through the "inbetween." The reason behind Bedford's involvement in criminal inves- tigations is her father's belief that her psychic gift can be used for good. Det. Hackett is portrayed by British actor Paul Blackthorne, best known for his role of Quentin Lance in "Arrow." Of the cast, Black- thorne is the most experienced with TV clairvoyants as he guested in an episode of psy- chic drama "Medium" in 2005. As for Dyer, she may be a new face to North American audiences, but she has a long list of acting credits, including dramatic and comedic roles in her home country of Australia. She is best known for portray- ing Patricia Saunders in the hospital drama "Love Child" and April in the cop comedy se- ries "No Activity," which was adapted for North American audiences by CBS All Access in 2017. Dyer's comedic experi- ence has served her well, par- ticularly in series that strongly rely on the authenticity of its characters to work, such as "The Other Guy," on Australian streaming service Stan. This same authenticity will no doubt help ground a perfor- mance as abstract as a medi- um for "The InBetween," which could certainly become over-the-top in less capable hands. The lone American in the main cast is Justin Cornwell, who recently starred in TNT's "I Am the Night." As Hackett's partner, former FBI agent Damien Asante in "The InBe- tween," Cornwell portrays an outsider who's new to the fa- ther-daughter supernatural crime-fighting team of Hack- ett and Bedford. This isn't Cornwell's first time channel- ling a cop character; he starred as Det. Kyle Craig in the "Training Day" series in- spired by the 2001 film of the same name. Everything old really is new again. There was a heyday for psychic, clairvoyant and medi- um-centred television in the mid-2000s, with shows like "Medium" and "Ghost Whis- perer," that ended soon after we entered the 2010s. Though that was the end of mediums on scripted network television for that decade, the craze was kept alive with reality TV. "Long Island Medium" al- most immediately filled the gap for avid fans of the genre when it premiered in 2011 and, perhaps as a signal that mediums are back yet again, "Hollywood Medium" began on E! in 2016. Since we live in an era of reboots, it's notable that a fan favourite on the spookier side of the supernat- ural was brought back from the dead earlier this year on CW with the reincarnation of "Charmed." Three makes it a trend, so the CBS All Access reboot of the supernatural classic "The Twilight Zone" must also be counted here. Judging from the trailer for "The InBetween" released by NBC, the series seems to be leaning into the horror genre to set itself apart from other procedurals and to give a fresh twist to the psychic dra- ma. In the trailer, Bedford is visited by spirits that appear not only as they lived, but also as grotesque versions of themselves, presumably as they died. With a string of re- cent horror hits, such as "It Follows," "Get Out" and "He- reditary," performing incredi- bly well at the box office, there is undoubtedly an audience for supernatural horror on the small screen. The series brings many pop- ular genres together, from the police procedural to the su- pernatural drama to some hints of horror influence. "The InBetween" brings a new per- spective to the evergreen pro- cedural, but it's not just a gim- mick. Don't miss the series pre- miere of "The InBetween" on Wednesday, May 29, on NBC. coverstory Paul Blackthorne in "The InBetween" Crossing over: Medium drama 'The InBetween' premieres on NBC By Adam Thomlison TV Media Q: What happened to Food Network's new show "The Flay List" that was supposed to be premiering in early April? I haven't seen it on the schedule. A: "The Flay List" has evaporated from Food Network's schedule like so much boiling water. The show has not only been scrubbed from the network's schedule but also from its website. There used to be a dedicat- ed page at FoodNetwork.com/TheFlayList, but it now just redi- rects back to the network home page. That's not a good sign. It's quite a mystery. The show, in which celebrity chef Bobby Flay and his daughter Sophie tour New York eateries, was gen- erating a good deal of buzz ahead of its widely advertised pre- miere on April 11. It was also a big piece of the multi-year deal that Bobby signed with the Food Network late last year. The show seems to have already been filmed, since it wasn't yanked from the schedule until shortly before the scheduled premiere, and since the list of featured restaurants was re- leased in advance. Given that it was already filmed, it seems likely the show will just air at a later time — that's a lot of money to waste otherwise. But that raises the question of why it was yanked in the first place — it was replaced on the schedule by reruns of his other series, "Beat Bobby Flay," but surely there was no rush to air those. Q: I just watched a delightful British romantic comedy called "Man Up," and I know I recognized the lead ac- tress, but I can't think of why. Can you help? A: It's possible you've fallen victim to the same trick that took in the film's cast: you might have an easier time placing Lake Bell if you knew she's not actually British. "Man Up" (2015) stars British comedy wunderkind Simon Pegg and Lake Bell, an American actress who does a plausible English accent throughout. It was so plausible, in fact, that the film's crew reportedly didn't know it wasn't real. Pegg, in an interview with Asbury Park Press, said that Bell kept the accent up even off-camera during the shoot, so that she could "improve and … think in a British accent." So at the end of the shoot, when Bell thanked and said goodbye to the crew, they were surprised to hear her do it in an American ac- cent. But in fact, she's best known as an American TV actress. Comedy fans know her as the dreamy Donna in the two "Wet Hot American Summer" series (which spun off from the origi- nal film), or as Dr. Cat Black/Dixie Peters in another cult favor- ite, the Adult Swim series "Childrens Hospital." If you're more of a drama person, you might know her from a different series — the 2005-06 NBC sci-fi mystery "Surface." The only thing those three series have in common is adven- turousness. While "Wet Hot American Summer" and "Child- rens Hospital" are respected for pushing the boundaries of TV comedy, "Surface" brought a rather bold premise to prime time: a new species of sea life possibly threatening humanity, being investigated by a marine biologist, insurance salesman and a shadowy wing of the government. However, it may have been a little too bold — the show only lasted a season. Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com. Please include your name and town. Personal replies will not be provided. hollywoodQ&A Towne Floring 3 x 2

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