June 20, 2001: The Las Vegas Review-Journal
Patrick Cassidy, the youngest brother in the Cassidy show biz
family, found himself miscast -- or mismatched -- when he was a skinny
140-pound quarterback at Beverly Hills High.
His counterpart was a strong-armed sensation
named John Elway of Granada Hills High. Cassidy, younger brother of teen
heartthrob Shaun and half-brother David, is touring with Aida, the musical
that just opened in Denver. Being in the spotlight at an early age helped.
"I got a lot of extra attention as a 9-year-old,"
Patrick told the Rocky Mountain News. "For a brief stint, my brother, David,
was like The Beatles or Michael Jackson."
June 21, 2001: USA Today
It's tweaking season for the broadcast networks, now busily making
changes in new shows to better their chances for fall. In moves routine
for this time of year, the shifts are being made both in front of and behind
the camera. ABC's Bob Patterson, starring Seinfeld's Jason Alexander as
a down-on-his-luck motivational speaker, will replace executive producer
Tim Doyle and actress Susan Diol, who played Alexander's ex-wife,
and at least some of its pilot will be re-shot.
From Studios USA:
(Thursdays, 10:00 -11:00 PM on CBS) Starring Gil Bellows ("Ally McBeal"), Will Patton ("Remember the Titans"), Rocky Carroll ("Welcome to New York"), Paige Turco ("Party of Five," "NYPD Blue"), Ronny Cox and David Clennon ("thirtysomething") and Andrea Roth, "The Agency" is a fast-paced drama about a passionate team of highly-skilled CIA agents based in Washington, D.C., who consistently put their lives on the line to preserve the safety of the nation. The agents operate in secrecy, knowing that one small mistake can cost lives and jeopardize national security. Director Alex Pierce III (Cox) oversees the extraordinary team of overworked undercover agents. Heading up the counter-terrorism team is Lisa Fabrizzi (Roth), a brilliant agent who is calm under pressure and who reports to Carl Reese (Carroll). Agent Joshua Nankin (Clennon) heads the art/fraud department, which creates falsified documents. He has just recruited Terri Lowell (Turco), the newest member of the Agency, who has a sharp eye for detail and an intense determination to make it on her own. Matt Callan (Bellows) is an exceptionally well-trained undercover operative reeling from the mysterious death of his brother also a CIA agent. Senior Agent Jackson Haisley (Patton) is a newly widowed father of two who possesses invaluable skills and top secret agency information that could shatter Callan's world. Week to week, these agents, who's calling card is secrecy, wage high stakes battles under the ever-watchful eye of the CIA. Wolfgang Peterson ("The Perfect Storm"), Gail Katz ("The Perfect Storm"), Michael Frost Beckner ("Cutthroat Island") and Shaun Cassidy ("Cover Me: Based on the True Life of an FBI Family") are executive producers for Radiant Television, Studios USA in association with CBS Productions.
June 8, 2001
By Roger Friedman
Top Gun Star May Take Over New TV Show
I am told that Kelly McGillis, who was Tom Cruise's love interest in
Top Gun, is joining a new CBS dramatic series for this fall called The
Agency.
McGillis will be part of an all-star cast
that includes Gil Bellows from Ally McBeal, Rocky Carroll (of Chicago Hope),
Paige Turco (Party of Five), David Clennon (Miles Drentell from thirtysomething),
and two great character actors - Ronny Cox and Will Patton - in this spy/intrigue
show about the lives of CIA agents.
The Agency has a pretty good pedigree, too.
It's produced by Wolfgang Petersen (director of The Perfect Storm, In the
Line of Fire, Das Boot, and Air Force One) and Shaun Cassidy.
McGillis' ascent comes at the sacrifice of
another actress. Andrea Roth played the same part in the pilot. This business
of changing actors between pilot and season is becoming an alarming trend.
Recently Melrose Place's Grant Show was reportedly dumped from a new show
when focus groups said they didn't like him. Show won raves last year off
Broadway in the play, Wit, so
he should bounce back.
Calls to The Agency's offices and to McGillis'
agent, Chuck James, were not returned.