The Daily Star - Stay Tuned
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The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, March 9, 2012 2 coverstory 'Missing' brings big-screen action on the small screen Judd do it By Kyla Brewer TV Media T he line between big screen and small screen is blurring. More and more series these days fea- ture big budget special effects and a cast of Hollywood heavyweights. ABC has snagged some serious Holly- wood cred for its latest series as Golden Globe nominee Ashley Judd brings her talents to the alphanetwork in "Miss- ing," premiering Thursday, March 15. Judd stars as Becca Win- stone, an American mother who realizes it's time to let go of her son, Michael (Nick Eversman), when he's offered the opportunity to study abroad. It's particularly hard for Winstone, considering she's been raising Michael alone since he witnessed his father's murder as a boy. When he goes missing just a few weeks into his studies, she aims to find out what's happened to him. Intrigue and action abound as it's revealed that Becca was once a dangerous CIA opera- tive, and it becomes clear she's willing to do whatever it takes to find her son. Her jour- ney forces her to confront old wounds and rely on old friends if she has any hope of getting Michael back alive. The fact that a network se- ries, as opposed to a cable show, has attracted the likes of Judd is a huge triumph. While cable channels have been wooing film stars with hard-hitting plots and well- written scripts for years now, the networks haven't fared quite as well. With a few ex- ceptions, notably Kiefer Sutherland in Fox's "24" a few years back, networks haven't snagged the big names like cable giants HBO or Showtime, but "Missing" appears to have a big-screen quality lacking in many net- work series. With exotic locales, high- speed chases, explosions and hand-to-hand combat, the se- ries trailer looks more like the latest Hollywood action flick than a network prime-time series. But Judd's presence promises more than just flashy fight sequences and fireballs. "Missing" combines drama and intrigue as well, two things the multifaceted actress has tackled before. She got her first real break when she was cast as Reed in the NBC drama "Sisters," and from there, left television be- hind for feature films. Judd earned critical acclaim for her role in the independent hit "Ruby in Paradise" (1993), which also earned her an In- dependent Spirit Award. Her star continued to climb in such hits as "Smoke" and "Heat" (both 1995), as well as "Kiss the Girls" (1997). Nick Eversman stars in "Missing" Judd showed off her tough- girl chops as another scorned mother in "Double Jeopardy" (1999) opposite Tommy Lee Jones. Her role in the 2004 Cole Porter biopic "De-Love- ly" netted her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress. More recently, Judd took a break from acting to focus on her education. From 2009 to 2010, she was enrolled in Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government to pur- sue a master's degree in pub- lic administration. Her return to acting, and especially her involvement in "Missing," has the industry hopping, and critics and blog- gers everywhere are wonder- ing if the show will live up to the hype. It will if Judd has anything to say about it. The hard- working actress did many of her own stunts, reportedly us- ing yoga to prepare for the physically demanding role. During this year's Winter Press Tour, the actress talked about filming a scene in A/Auto Boutique B/The Green Giraffe 2 x 2 which she falls into the Seine in Paris. For those watching at home, that isn't a stunt dou- ble, though she admitted to using one in some scenes. She wasn't the only one who faced dangerous situa- tions. Sean Bean, who plays her husband Paul, is killed off in a huge explosion in the very first episode, though he's supposedly seen in flashbacks throughout the series. The English actor hasn't had much luck staying alive on TV. His recent turn on the hit fantasy series "Game of Thrones" ended with his char- acter being beheaded. Bean's other big claim to fame, his role as Boromir in Peter Jack- son's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, also ended with his character's death. "Missing" also stars Cliff Curtis, Adriano Giannini and Tereza Voriskova. Filmed on location in Eu- rope, the show boasts some amazing scenery. Traveling across the pond for prime time is a big budget move, uncommon for network se- ries. The show's 10-episode first season is also unusual. Often, networks want the option to milk a successful series a little more, but the story has been laid out for a limited run, something reportedly very appealing to Judd and series creator/writer Greg Poirier. He's promised a complete story will unfold in this debut season, likely good news for viewers. Chirstopher's Coins 2 x 2 hollywoodQ&A By Adam Thomlison TV Media Q: The second "Ninja Turtles" movie has a message that dedicates it to Jim Henson. Was he involved in the Turtles franchise? A: Not directly, but his son was. Brian Henson worked at the production house his father built, Jim Henson's Creature Shop, which supplied the animatronic turtle suits for the first two live-action "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" films. Brian is credited as the chief puppeteer and second-unit di- rector for the first film, released in 1990. His famous father died in 1990, during the production of the second Turtles film, which is why, when it was released a year later, it was dedicated to Jim Henson. Brian only received a "special thanks" credit on that one, with the chief-puppeteer gig going to Creature Shop staffer Mak Wilson. That's not the only Muppet-Turtle link, however. The tur- tles mutant-rat mentor and sensei, Splinter, was voiced by Kevin Clash, best known as the voice of Elmo (and about a dozen other characters) on "Sesame Street." A year after the Turtles film was dedicated to him, Jim Henson's absence was felt even more sharply with the re- lease of "The Muppet Christmas Carol," which paid tribute to his "loving memory" in the credits as well. It was the first Muppet movie made after his death. A/Crazy Tom's B/Allstar Auto Wash 2 x 3 Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com. Please include your name and town.