The Daily Star - Stay Tuned
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coverstory A royal hit The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, April 12, 2013 Nathan Fillion's charisma keeps loyal viewers hooked in 'Castle' By Kyla Brewer TV Media P rime time is a dangerous place to be. Many of today's dramas are becoming increasingly violent to compete with cable's uncensored offerings, but there are a couple of procedurals holding down the fort for those with more traditional tastes. A charismatic novelist teams up with a beautiful cop to solve mysteries in the ABC hit "Castle," airing Monday, April 15. Nathan Fillion stars as protagonist Richard Castle, while costar Stana Katic is anything but the typical damsel in distress as tough NYPD homicide Det. Kate Beckett. When the series began, Castle was called in to help police with a case that mimicked one found in his book. It was the beginning of a regular gig for Castle, whose keen intuition has helped the NYPD solve case after case for five seasons. The show's procedural format -- one in which a mystery is discovered, investigated and solved in an episode or two -used to be the norm in prime time. However, these days many networks are opting to feature shows with ongoing stories that keep viewers guessing, and hopefully tuning in. That isn't to say that there haven't been continuing plot lines running throughout "Castle." The Castle-Beckett will-they-won't-they romance has been epic, beginning in the very first season. The relationship kept people on the hook for four seasons before they officially got together at the end of last season. Even better for fans, Castle and Beckett seem to have weathered the curse of so many prime-time couples whose shows plummet in the ratings once they get together. The chemistry between the Stana Katic stars in "Castle" two stars is undeniable, hearkening back to the classic TV mystery series "Hart to Hart," which ran on ABC from 1979 to 1984. Romance aside, the heart of the series is a good old-fashioned weekly detective story, wrapped up in a neat little bow for viewers to enjoy. And enjoy they do. The ABC drama has one of television's most loyal followings, evidenced by the fact that the show has won numerous fan-voted awards. In both 2012 and 2013, "Castle" won People's Choice Awards for favorite TV crime drama and favorite TV drama actor (Fillion). The show has also won multiple "TV Guide" magazine's Fan Favorite Awards, including favorite drama series. Dedicated fans seem to promote the series via social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter almost as much as the stars and producers do. It likely helps that Fillion is an avid and approachable tweeter, allowing fans to feel close to the charming star. He may have Hollywood charisma, but, believe it or not, Fillion hails from the Great White North. Born in Edmonton, Alta., Fillion reportedly wanted to become a teacher like his parents, but was bitten by the acting bug and moved to New York just a few months shy of earning a degree from the University of Alberta. His move paid off with a role as Joey Buchanan on the soap opera "One Life to Live," which earned him a nomination for a Daytime Emmy. Other notable roles include his big screen debut as James Frederick Ryan in Steven Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan" (1998), Caleb on TV's "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer" and Dr. Adam Mayfair in "Desperate Housewives." His biggest claim to fame, though, was his role as Capt. Malcolm Reynolds in Joss Whedon's Fox series "Firefly," a role he later reprised in the big screen adaptation "Serenity" (2005). Although the show was canceled after just 11 episodes, it earned Fillion millions of diehard fans and a cult following. Co-star Katic was born in Hamilton, Ont. After studying at Chicago's Goodman School of Drama, she honed her skills with roles on such hits as NBC's "Heroes" and Fox's "24." She also starred opposite Morgan Freeman in "Feast of Love" (2007), worked with director Frank Miller on "The Spirit" (2008), and even appeared in the Bond film "Quantum of Solace" (2008). "Castle" has been faring well this season and shows no sign of slowing down. Unlike so many series, the show has steadily gained in average viewers in its first four seasons, beginning with a loyal following of just over 10 million in Season 1 to slightly more than 12 million by the end of Season 4. This season has kept things interesting for fans with a highly anticipated season premiere in which Castle and Beckett try to figure out the terms of their new relationship, a guest appearance by legendary horror film director Wes Craven, and the show's milestone 100th episode (April 1). Drawing more than 11 million viewers, there was a lot of buzz about the Craven episode that followed the "Dancing With the Stars" season opener, but "Castle" was doing just fine before that. Back in February, the combination of "Castle" and "The Bachelor" helped the alpha network win more than one Monday night ratings war. The show got off to a rough start early this year when two people were injured in an accident on set in January. Actress Karen David and stuntman Kieran Gallagher were taken to hospital after they fell from a moving van when a door wouldn't shut. David was released after a few hours, but Gallagher suffered a head injury and remained in hospital to recover. In the meantime, enjoy the banter between Castle and Beckett on the small screen Mondays on ABC. Chirstopher's Coins 2x2 hollywoodQ&A By Adam Thomlison TV Media Q: I just recently caught on to the hilarious show "Jeeves and Wooster." It looks pretty old -- is that the first thing that Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry did together? A: Not by a longshot, actually. When "Jeeves and Wooster" premiered on Britain's ITV in 1990, the pair already had a hit sketch-comedy show on competing network BBC, "A Bit of Fry and Laurie," which premiered in 1987. They would moonlight on both throughout "Jeeves and Wooster's" three-year run. However, even that wasn't their debut together. Indeed, their partnership dates back to their university days, when they were members of the esteemed Cambridge Footlights amateur dramatic club. After leaving there, Fry and Laurie starred in another couple of sketch shows, "There's Nothing to Worry About" and "Alfresco," neither of which ever really caught on. It surprises many American TV fans to learn that Laurie, the man who played the dour -- and American -- Dr. Gregory House on Fox's "House M.D." for eight seasons is in fact a famous British comedian in his spare time. Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com. Please include your name and town. Personal replies will not be provided. A/Krazy Tom's B/State FarmMelisa Manikas 2x3