The Daily Star - Stay Tuned
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The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, February 24, 2012 2 coverstory A man of two lives A detective faces duelling realities in 'Awake' By Kyla Brewer TV Media M any of us wonder how things may have turned out if certain events in our lives had unfold- ed differently. One man finds out the answer as he lives two parallel lives in a highly anticipated new NBC series. After a tragic car accident, Michael Britten finds himself straddling two realities: one in which his son dies and his wife survives, and another in which his wife dies and his son lives. His stories unfold in the new drama "Awake," pre- miering Thursday, March 1. British actor Jason Isaacs stars as Britten, who begins to lead a sort of double life as he tries to pick up the pieces in each reality. The one thing both worlds have in common is his job as a police detective, though he works with differ- ent partners in each. As he solves crimes, he begins to link clues that cross over from one reality to the other, deep- ening the mystery. He uses colored wristbands to help him keep his lives separate. In the reality in which his wife survived, he wears a red band on his wrist. He and his beloved Hannah (Laura Allen) discuss the possibility of hav- ing another child. Britten clocks in alongside Det. "Bird" Freeman (Steve Harris) and tries to make sense of his new reality with the help of bureau-assigned therapist Dr. John Lee (BD Wong). In his life with his son Rex (Dylan Minnette), Britten wears a green wristband and works with Det. Vega (Wilmer Valderrama). He struggles to deal with his son's attempt to replace his mother with his tennis coach, Tara (Michaela McManus). Dr. Judith Evans (Cherry Jones) counsels the detective in his quest to un- tangle the two worlds. Not to be confused with the 2007 Hayden Christensen movie of the same name, the idea behind "Awake," original- ly titled "REM," isn't complete- ly unprecedented. In 1998, Os- car winner Gwyneth Paltrow starred in the feature film "Sliding Doors," which boast- ed a similar premise about a woman whose life unfolds dif- ferently in two parallel univers- es depending on whether or not she catches a train. A few years ago, bringing that sort of avant-garde twist to the small screen would be considered a big risk, but the move appears to follow a re- cent prime-time trend. The networks are now banking on the popularity of such dramas that dance on the edge of sci- ence fiction. Of course, sci-fi TV is noth- ing new. "The Twilight Zone" has been around for genera- tions, in many different incar- nations. No one could argue Laura Allen stars as Hannah in "Awake" "The X-Files" was one of the most popular shows of the '90s, but what's changed is the recent prevalence of series that combine the two genres. Straight-up dramas are making way for shows with time-traveling, supernatural and alternate-reality twists and turns that have been seen in the likes of "Fringe," "Terra Nova" and "Grimm" -- perhaps prompted in some part by the smashing success of ABC's now defunct but- still-much-talked-about "Lost." No longer are such shows relegated to late night or specialty sci-fi channels. Fox's "Fringe" in particular offers a similar take as "Awake" with its fractured re- ality and parallel universes. Such plots can be difficult to follow, but what helps in "Fringe's" case is a captivat- ing cast. "Awake" also boasts its own eclectic mix of talent. Fans of the "Harry Potter" films should recognize lead Isaacs as villain Lucius Mal- foy, though TV viewers may A/Auto Boutique B/The Green Giraffe 2 x 2 know him best as Michael Caffee from the Showtime se- ries "Brotherhood." Starring as Britten's better half Hannah is Allen, who ap- peared in a few episodes of the USA hit "The 4400," as well as "Mona Lisa Smile" (2003) and "Old Dogs" (2009). Harris is most famous for his role as attorney Eugene Young in "The Practice" and has appeared in such films as "Quarantine" (2008) and "Minority Report" (2002). Tony winner Wong should have no problems playing a therapist; he spent 11 years as forensic psychiatrist Dr. George Huang in "Law & Or- der: Special Victims Unit." Minnette may be fresh- faced, but the young actor is no rookie. In 2008, he won a Young Artist Award for his portrayal of Holly Hunter's nephew in the TNT drama "Saving Grace." Valderrama's biggest claim to fame is, of course, his role as Fez on the Fox comedy "That '70s Show." Valderra- ma also voices the title char- acter in Disney's preschool se- ries "Handy Manny." Jones won a 2009 Emmy for her role as President Alli- son Taylor in "24," but the ac- claimed actress has spent much of her career on the Broadway stage. McManus is known for her role as ADA Kim Greylek in "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and that of Lindsey Strauss in CW's "One Tree Hill." A/Crazy Tom's B/Allstar Auto Wash 2 x 3 Chirstopher's Coins 2 x 2 hollywoodQ&A By Adam Thomlison TV Media Q: What did Robert Pattinson do before the "Twi- light" phenomenon? A: Not a lot, really, but what he did counted. Specifically, his role in the fourth "Harry Potter" film. He'd only appeared in one film -- little-noticed British made-for-TV film "Curse of the Ring" in 2004 -- when he landed the role of athletic and talented Cedric Diggory, a new rival for Harry in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" (2005). The role earned him the title British Star of Tomor- row from British newspaper The Times. There were three other British films after that -- the made-for-TV pictures "The Haunted Airman" (2006) and "The Bad Mother's Handbook" (2007) and the self-help comedy "How to Be" in 2008 -- before "Twilight" came along that same year and defined his career. However, before all of this he was a model, starting when he was 12 years old. He was forced to quit when he was 16 because, he told the Daily Express newspaper, "I became too much of a guy." His early success, he said, was due to his youthful androgynous look, which was popular at the time but he eventually grew out of. He did a bit of theater between then and his first film ap- pearance -- according to Britain's celeb-gossip magazine Hello, he was discovered while doing an amateur produc- tion of "Tess of the D'Urbervilles." Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com.