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The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, September 11, 2015 2 By Jacqueline Spendlove TV Media T wenty years ago, native New Yorker Edward Burns wrote, directed and starred in his debut film, "The Brothers McMullen" (1995), and he's been chewing on the idea for his latest project ever since. "The Brothers McMullen" is just the first work on what's become a diverse resumé, with starring roles in every- thing from rom-coms to war dramas to horror flicks, many of which Burns also wrote and directed. "Public Morals," his recently launched police dra- ma, has been hovering around through it all — in the back of his mind, in photos taken on his iPhone as he walked around Manhattan and in a stack of unproduced scripts that never quite made it to the screen — until now. Set in 1960s New York City, "Public Morals" is a gangster story with a look at both sides of the law through the eyes of a family of cops and an Irish mob family, connected through marriage and an up- bringing on the streets of Hell's Kitchen. The small- screen drama, which pre- miered last month, gives an authentic look at the life of a cop in Old New York. Catch the newest episode when it airs Tuesday, Sept. 15, on TNT. In his new series, Burns plays Officer Terry Muldoon of the NYPD's Public Morals Divi- sion, which deals with vice crimes in the city. An Irish- American (like Burns himself), Muldoon grew up on the West Side, which is now being torn up by the war within two fac- tions of the Irish-American Mob. While he's determined to make the city a safe place, his wife, Christine (Elizabeth Masucci, "Shame," 2011), wants to get out for good. As far as material goes, Burns, who also wrote and di- rected all 10 episodes of the freshman season, has a lot to draw from. His dad and uncle were both NYPD cops them- selves, and a lot of his upbring- ing as a cop's son has made its way into the show in one form or another — most notably in the relationship between Burns' character and his own sons. "I wanted to pull from my memories as a kid, growing up in a cop family and culture," he said in an interview for "Newsday." "In the pilot, that scene about my son being the school fool and dad having to deal with the nuns — that's completely autobiographical. That's me and my dad, word for word, down to that talk in the bedroom where the father says: 'There's a fork in the road, and you need to make a decision.'" While working on the set of "Saving Private Ryan" (1998), Burns was visited by his dad and uncle, who struck up a conversation with director Ste- ven Spielberg — who's also one of "Public Morals'" execu- tive producers — and regaled him with stories of being a New York cop in the late '50s and '60s. The conversation struck a chord with Spielberg, and after wrapping the film, he set Burns to work writing a screenplay. That film was called "On the Job," and though it never got off the ground, it served as a foundation for "Public Mor- als." "It was my attempt at an Irish-American 'Godfather,' set against the NYPD," Burns said as reported by "The Buffalo News." "I could never get that film made, but I never gave up hope that I would make it." Eighteen years and a whole heap of roles later, here it is. His dad, also named Edward, who first really provided the spark, is still involved in the project, working as a consul- tant on the series. The charac- ters have jobs and see action Edward's really experienced, so he knows what sounds au- thentic and what doesn't. Robynwood Home 2 x 2 coverstory Edward Burns and Michael Rapaport as seen in "Public Morals" Decades in the making Edward Burns' dream project makes it to the screen with 'Public Morals' By Adam Thomlison TV Media Q: I saw a TV episode about people who went back in time to take Hitler right after he was born and to throw him in a river. But there was a twist ending, which I forget. What show was it? A: There was always a twist ending with "The Twilight Zone."The episode, titled "Cradle of Darkness," was part of the less-remembered third version of "The Twilight Zone," which aired on the now-also-forgotten UPN net- work from 2002 all the way to 2003 (it was canceled after just one season). In the episode, as you say, a young woman travels to 1889 to kill Hitler as a baby. That young woman was played by a very young Katherine Heigl, who would be- come famous a few years later for saving lives as Izzie Ste- vens in "Grey's Anatomy." I don't want to give away the twist ending in "Cradle of Darkness" because it's still available on DVD for anyone who wants to catch up. I will say, however, that her plan to kill Hitler and prevent the Holocaust doesn't work out. Be- cause it never does. The TV website TVTropes.com has named a whole law after this fact, "Hitler's Time Travel Ex- emption Act," pointing out that attempts to kill Hitler ap- pear frequently in film and television and never succeed. Q: Is it true that the TV show "MASH" had a spinoff? A: It is indeed true that "MASH" had a spinoff. What is not true, as established in law, is that it had two. "MASH," one of the most beloved sitcoms of all time, about a group of doctors and nurses running a mobile army surgical hospital (hence the acronym) during the Ko- rean War, ran on CBS from 1972 to 1983. The same year it left the air, the obviously named spinoff "After MASH" debuted on CBS, but only lasted a year. It featured Harry Morgan (as Dr. Sherman Potter), Jamie Farr (Max Klinger) and William Christopher (Father Francis Mulcahy) reprising the roles they played on the original series, while Gary Burghoff (Walter O'Reilly, better known as Radar) put in a few guest appearances as well. The original 1970 film had yet another actor in the Trap- per role (Elliott Gould). And to make things more confus- ing, even it was based on a book from 1968, "MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors" by Richard Hooker. Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com. Please include your name and town. Personal replies will not be provided. hollywoodQ&A Fly Creek General Store 1 x 6 Brandon's Feed & Seed 2 x 2 4119StateHighway7 Oneonta,NY13820 Phone:607-432-3884 www.brandowsfeedandpet.com Monday-Friday:8am-6pm Saturday:8am-5pm Sunday:9am-4pm Triumph Lamb & Rice 3.3 lb. Bag Birds•Equine•Home&Garden•Pets 302996 Valid with Coupon until September 26th, 2015 Buy ONE get ONE free! 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