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The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, September 27, 2019 4 By Kyla Brewer TV Media N ow that the fall televi- sion season is in full swing, a cornucopia of new shows is competing for the attention of TV fans, and only the strong will survive. One of the most promising se- ries seems to have it all with a mix of of drama, mystery, sus- pense and science fiction, not to mention a very likable star. Allison Tolman ("Fargo") plays Jo Evans, a police chief who takes in a young girl, Pip- er (Alexa Swinton, "Billions"), after she's found unscathed near the scene of a mysterious crash in "Emergence," airing Tuesday, Oct. 1, on ABC. Piper has no memory of what hap- pened or who she really is, so Evans tries to uncover the truth about the girl's identity while also trying to protect her from people with unknown motives. As the plot thickens, the investigation uncovers a conspiracy that puts Evans and her loved ones — includ- ing Piper — at risk. Evans struggles to keep Pip- er and her own daughter, Bree (Ashley Aufderheide, "Going in Style," 2017), safe as she delves into the mystery behind the unexplained disaster. All the while, bizarre electronic disruptions wreak havoc around town and a strange cryptic symbol seems some- how related to Piper and the crash. The role of Evans requires a careful blend of strength and empathy, something Tolman talked about in an interview with collider.com in July. "What I really wanted to do was make sure that she was nurturing and caring and warm and really felt like a person we trusted with this kid," Tolman explained. "I wanted her to be driven by being good at her job and a sense of common decen- cy." Developed by "Kevin (Prob- ably) Saves the World" cre- ators Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas, "Emergence" was originally produced as a pilot for NBC. When the Peacock network passed on the show, ABC snapped it up, but there aren't any hard feelings. Ac- cording to deadline.com, NBC executive Paul Telegdy com- mented on the ABC pickup during an NBC Upfront press call. "'Emergence' is a great show, one that we couldn't find a home for on NBC. We are delighted it has found a future on ABC," Telegdy said. It's clear that ABC has faith in the series. The network has been heavily promoting "Emergence" since the pickup was announced, and it even tried to whet viewers' appe- tites by releasing the first nine minutes of the show's first ep- isode a full month before the premiere date. On Tuesday, Aug. 27, the network gave au- diences the opportunity to view the opening scene of the series, which could be watched on YouTube, ABC. com, Twitter, Facebook and Hulu, as well as on select on- demand services. In a unique twist, the video was released at 3:10 a.m. ET, which is the time of day the mystery be- gins for Evans and her col- leagues at Long Island's Peconic Bay Police Depart- ment. "Emergence" boasts an in- triguing premise, but that isn't all it has going for it. The show's cast members have plenty of experience in televi- sion. In fact, this isn't even Tol- man's first time playing a po- lice officer. She gained wide- spread acclaim for her role as police officer Molly Solverson in FX's "Fargo," a reimagining of the famed 1996 Coen Brothers film of the same name. The breakout perfor- mance not only made her a star, but it also netted her Emmy and Golden Globe nominations, along with a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Ac- tress. Tolman's other televi- sion credits include "Down- ward Dog," "The Mindy Proj- ect" and "Good Girls." While Tolman's co-star Swinton may be young, her resume is enough to make most seasoned actors jealous. She's appeared as Eva Rhoades in Showtime's "Bil- lions" since 2016 and has snagged roles in "Manifest" and "Saturday Night Live," among other high-profile se- ries. coverstory Donald Faison and Allison Tolman co-star in "Emergence" Back behind the badge: Allison Tolman stars as a police chief in 'Emergence' By Adam Thomlison TV Media Q: What has happened to "The Good Fight"? A: Not to worry, "The Good Fight" is just on a break be- tween seasons and should be back for more (though we don't know when). But that only tells part of the story. If you're watching it on regular television, you just saw the end of its first season at the beginning of August on CBS. But it's actually aired three seasons already on CBS's web-based streaming service, CBS All Access. It premiered online in 2017, two years before CBS moved it to traditional TV. And there are more episodes to come. CBS All Access re- newed the show for a fourth season, though it hasn't an- nounced a release date. For the traditional TV viewers, this all means there are two more seasons already in the bag, and one more on the way for CBS to air — assuming it chooses to do so. And it likely will. "The Good Fight" averaged 3.2 million viewers per episode on CBS, which is not amazing (especially by CBS's standards), but it is respectable. Q: Is there any reason why John Goodman was never in "The Big Bang Theory"? A: It seems there was no particular reason for it, but I see your point. Mega-hit 2000s sitcom "The Big Bang Theory" was pretty stacked with stars from mega-hit '90s sitcom "Rose- anne," including Johnny Galecki (Leonard on "BBT" and David on "Roseanne"), Laurie Metcalf (Sheldon's mom, Mary, on "BBT" and Jackie on "Roseanne") and Sara Gilbert (Leslie on "BBT" and Darlene on "Roseanne"). But the real glue that binds these shows together is Chuck Lorre. The "Big Bang The- ory" creator wrote for "Roseanne" early in his incredible ca- reer. But despite all of these links, John Goodman, one of the more popular stars on "Roseanne," never made an appear- ance. The only reason for this seems to be because he was just too busy. Roseanne Barr was, of course, the focal point of "Rose- anne," but in terms of general acting success, Goodman was always the biggest name on the show. And throughout his sit- com success, he has also maintained a parallel career as a criti- cally acclaimed big-screen star. That's continued in recent years as well and has expanded to include a niche as a voice actor (in such smashes as the "Monsters, Inc." and "Transformers" movies). 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 The Powell Company 2 x 2

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