McKellen, Caviezel and ‘The Prisoner’

Sir Ian McKellen

Too young to remember the groundbreaking 1960s cult TV drama “The Prisoner”? You’re not alone.

And you’re lucky that the visionary folks at AMC do remember it, because an updated version, starring gay actor Sir Ian McKellen and Jim Caviezel from “Passion of the Christ” (as “Number Two” and “Number Six,” respectively), is coming back to that network in 2009.

The original series was a tense, paranoid take on ’60s Cold War politics, incorporating elements of the sci-fi, thriller and spy genres.

Since the world is even more freaked-out and anxiety-ridden 40 years later, what better time to revive the show?

In a nice quality-control move, the final product is scheduled to be a six-part miniseries. It’s always smarter to leave them wanting more.


Gale Harold gets ‘Desperate’
You think you’re just doing a guest spot on a highly-rated nighttime soap, but then it turns out your scene is a flash-forward.

Score!

You’re now a recurring character in future episodes.

That’s the happy outcome for former “Queer as Folk” star Gale Harold, who, in this past season of “Desperate Housewives,” played Ken, the mystery man last seen kissing Teri Hatcher.

It was a “Lost”-like “this hasn’t happened yet” scene, and now Harold will join the cast next season to follow through on getting back to the future for that smooch.

He’s one of two men moving to Wisteria Lane; the other is Neal McDonough (“Tin Man”), who will become romantically involved with one of the other housewives.

Which begs the question: with all these hot men around, just how desperate are these gals, really?



‘Everybody’s Fine’ with Moennig
The 2009 family drama “Everybody’s Fine” has quite the A-list cast: Robert DeNiro, Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale and Sam Rockwell.

The story involves a widower coming to the realization that his late wife was the conduit through which he connected to his family. Solution? Road trip of togetherness, of course.

It all sounds adorable and probably somewhat weepy, and it’s directed by Kirk Jones, the man behind “Nanny McPhee” and “Waking Ned Devine.”

But you should plan to see it because of the coolest “L” from “The L Word,” Katherine Moennig, who co-stars in a role of — for now — unknown size.

It would probably be too much to ask for her to play Drew’s girlfriend, but we can all hope.

Either way, a little Shane is better than no Shane at all.



The mystery of Will Ferrell and Sacha Baron Cohen
First, Will Ferrell and Sacha Baron Cohen kissed in “Talladega Nights.”

Then they made out like wild animals on stage at the MTV Movie Awards.

And while that might not make them gay, it does make them awesome. So it’s good news that the comic actors have decided to team up again for a big-screen relaunch of the characters Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Watson.

Cohen will play the famed detective, and Ferrell will handle Watson’s duties.

And so far those are all the clues we have. No title, no other cast, no production start or release date and, most anxiously, no word on whether or not the two will anger purists with major gay subtext.

Here’s hoping.






This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition July 11, 2008.