From Deseret News archives:
So is he dead?
ABC keeps critics in dark about Skerritt's role on 'Brothers'
That, believe it or not, is pretty much the way it went with a recent press conference promoting ABC's upcoming series "Brothers & Sisters."
Muddying the waters is the fact that this is the only pilot for a new show on any broadcast network this fall that wasn't shown to critics. Well, not American critics Canadian critics have seen it because the north-of-the-border network that's going to carry "Brothers & Sisters" sent it to them.
We didn't see it (we were told) because the pilot has been recast and reworked. Most notably, Sally Field has replaced Betty Buckley as the mother of a group of adult children (played by Calista Flockhart, Rachel Griffiths, Balthazar Getty, Dave Annable and Matthew Rhys). But we were shown clips of the show, including one in which the father in the family Tom Skerritt appears to suffer a heart attack and falls into a pool.
So, he's dead, right?
"Or he learns to swim," said executive producer Marti Noxon.
Executive producers Noxon, Ken Olin and Jon Robin Baitz tried to convince us that Skerritt wasn't part of the panel because he's off working on a movie.
But . . . we did see that clip. And the Canadian critics do talk to the American critics, so we know what happened in that pilot that's being held back from us. "What you saw in the pilot is not what you'll see in a couple of months. It's different," Olin said.
But Skerritt isn't listed as a series regular in the press materials. You just showed us clips of the show, which included the names of all the members of the cast, but not Skerritt. The cast photo you're projecting includes Sally Field but not Skerritt.
Is he in the show or not?
"We don't have a deal with Tom Skerritt to be a regular on the show," Olin finally admitted, still leaving the question of the character's fate in doubt.
At that point, Olin nearly went off the rails altogether. Asked how many members of the large cast will appear in all the episodes and how many will be recurring, he said, "Who knows? No one knows anymore. Most of them are, I think, all shows or a lot of shows. I don't know. Look at them all. There are hundreds of them."
Olin, best known for starring in "thirtysomething," was suffering a bit of press-tour meltdown. He wasn't sure what he could and couldn't say for fear of giving away too much and ticking off the people at the network. So he was left hanging there, looking sort of stupid.
Comments
- Tiger opens with a 66 in Australia 1:18 a.m.
- Crash kills Utah County man 1:12 a.m.
- UCAT cheaper education option 1:12 a.m.
- Post office to be named for Rex Lee 1:11 a.m.
- Police probe synagogue vandalism 1:09 a.m.
- New charges added in fraud case 1:09 a.m.
- Mom takes plea deal in girl's beating 1:08 a.m.
- Drug trafficking operation busted 1:07 a.m.
- News yule writing contest starting up 12:59 a.m.
- Alpine District school honored 12:59 a.m.
- SLC council OKs gay rights policies
- Utah Jazz have a problem at point
- 'Love story' of crash victim ends
- BYU football recruit turning heads
- Alta's Ohai is Ms. Soccer 2009
- Prep football: Felt's Facts Week
- 12 Utes return to Texas
- Cougars' defensive hoops clinic
- Wyoming writer amazed by BYU
- Long days for BYU interns
- House passes health care bill
287 - SLC council OKs gay rights policies
246 - TCU showdown has big implications
193 - Senators want food tax restored
157 - Cougars crush hapless Cowboys
155 - Utah Jazz fall apart against Kings
131 - TCU 4th in AP poll; U. 16th, Y. 22nd
119 - S.L. vote pending on gay protections
109 - Pratt pleads not guilty to sex charges
101 - Letters: Strange breed in Utah
92
As distressing as it was to see KUTV's longtime vice president/general...
Meghan McCain, the daughter of former presidential candidate John...
Beck, Hannity, and Limbaugh get the audience they deserve and vice versa. ...
I find the rule,very discriminitory. I am not gay, I don't understand what...
I understand we were outmanned last night. However, this effort was awful....
My advice to Jonathan is shoot it when they pass it to you as soon as you...
Maybe they should try drafting a shooting guard who can shoot from outside ....
The sad thing about it is that there are actually people out there that are...
Thank you TCU and BYU. Your wanting to beat Utah so bad has to drive you...
Play fes and koufos. Look to the future. It looks like we will have two...
Oh come on. Obama's a horrible president, but I couldn't care less which...
"We had the best soccer of any place in the state. There's no disputing...




You can be the first to comment on this story.