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The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, March 25, 2011 2 coverstory ‘Body’ language Drama puts Delany back in scrubs By Christina Davies TV Media hildren are constantly changing their minds about what they want to be when they grow up. One day it’s a ballerina, the next it’s a doctor and the next, a police officer. In ABC’s new prime- time drama, “Body of Proof,” Dana Delany is proving that you don’t necessarily have to narrow it down to one choice. In the new series, premiering C Tuesday, March 29, Delany plays a former neurosurgeon who, after an accident that left her unable to operate, begins a new career as a medical exam- iner. A medical examiner who does not just stick to the gur- neys and scalpels, however. Delany’s character, Dr. Megan Hunt, is driven to find answers behind the deaths of the peo- ple who wind up on her table. The new series is a chance for Delany to once again prove herself as a strong lead in a successful television drama. She first made a name for her- self on the small screen as nurse Lt. Colleen McMurphy (later captain) in “China Beach,” a war drama set in Vietnam. Since then, she has had a few big-screen roles ranging from memorable to completely obscure, made a few guest appearances on oth- er prime-time dramas, and earned the distinction of hav- Nicholas Bishop in the premiere of “Body of Proof” ing played Superman’s love in- terest, Lois Lane, for longer than anyone else, by voicing the character in the Warner Brothers animated series. Since “China Beach,” she’s certainly never been an out-of- work actress, but it is probably fair to say her star may have dimmed just a touch. That started to turn around in 2007 when she joined the cast of smash-hit series “Desperate Housewives” in its fourth sea- son. By then, the show was still doing well in the ratings and Delany was once again a household name. She left the “Housewives” cast at the end of its sixth season when “Body of Proof” was picked up by the network. “It has been some time since I’ve been on a new show. I have really enjoyed seeing the characters and stories devel- op,” Delany wrote on her blog during filming. “The most fun for me has been learning all of the medical stuff. The crew laugh when they see how ex- cited I get over using a buzz saw on a cranium or playing with organs. I am learning so much about the body.” “Body of Proof” promises to be a sort of “House“-meets- “Bones” mashup, with a heap- ing dose of “Quincy, M.E.” Not satisfied with simply signing off on a suspected cause of death, Dr. Hunt is determined to also find out who was re- sponsible and unearth their motives, much to the conster- nation of the detectives forced to work with her. Helping Hunt to think like a cop, as well as opening a few doors for her at police head- A/Auto Boutique B/The Green Giraffe 2 x 2 quarters, is her partner, Peter Dunlop, a cop-turned-medical investigator. Dunlop is played by Nicholas Bishop, an Austra- lian actor known best in his homeland for having starred in the Aussie soap “Home and Away.” Here in the western hemisphere, he was most re- cently seen on Fox’s “Past Life,” which was officially canned in February 2010 after only its third episode. Luckily for Bishop, he didn’t have to wait long to land another gig. It doesn’t hurt that ABC is airing the second episode of “Body of Proof” right after Delany’s alma mater, “Desper- ate Housewives,” on Sunday, April 3. Previously, the network had a history of being hesitant to adjust its schedule, meaning that new shows often weren’t offered the ratings bump that comes from airing after more established shows. But it has recently been bucking that trend, re-airing the “Off the Map” premiere after “Grey’s Anatomy,” and giving “Mr. Sunshine” a spot right behind “Modern Family.” Given how many procedural crime dramas are currently on television (the “CSI” and “Law & Order” franchises alone take up a fair bit of air time), any boost should be a welcome one and will give viewers a better chance to see if some- thing can set this forensic-cen- tric show apart from the rest. Chris Murphey, the show’s executive producer, hopes the characters’ depth and person- alities will hook viewers. Chirstopher’s Coins 2 x 2 hollywoodQ&A By Adam Thomlison TV Media Q: I have been trying for years to locate a DVD copy of “Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie.” The movie tells the sto- ry of a barber who opens up a shop in a small town. I don’t recall the actor’s name. A: It seems that everything about this film is obscure and un- available except the song from which it takes its name. “Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie” was first a popular song published in 1905, written by Andrew B. Stirling and Harry Von Tilzer. Tilzer, one of the best-known Tin Pan Alley songwriters, also wrote classics such as “I Want A Girl Just Like The Girl Who Married Dear Old Dad” and “A Bird in a Gilded Cage.” “Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie” has become a barbershop staple, and, in an odd tradition, is sung on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve by all of the traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. That popularity at least might explain why the film took the song as its name instead of the title of the book on which it’s based, “I Heard Them Sing” by Ferdinand Reyher. While the film has never been released on DVD, the book is tough to find, too. It seems to have been out of print since short- ly after being published in 1946. “Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie” was released in 1952 and starred David Wayne as Ben Halper. Have a question? E-mail us at questions@tvtabloid.com. Please include your name and town. Personal replies will not be provided. A/Crazy Tom's B/Allstar Auto Wash 2 x 3