In the hit CBS drama Scorpion, Elyes Gabel, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Jadyn Wong, and Ari Stidham play a group of geniuses who work together to help Homeland Security and others defeat threats. Robert Patrick plays their boss and Katharine McPhee plays their anchor to the real world. These geniuses are smart in their own fields, but when it comes to street smarts and human interactions, they often need some help and grounding.

Ari Stidham, who plays Sylvester Dodd, acknowledged to a group of journalists recently, that even though his character is tech savvy, he isn’t. “I have an iPhone 4s. It’s got a really cracked screen. I’m still running Snow Leopard on both of my processors at home. I make music, and I record it on Garage Band 2008.” Okay, so he’s not as up-to-date on the latest versions. But he sure pulls it off on screen.

“I have to tap underneath the keyboard instead of on the keys because of sound, but it’s hard for me to look like I’m typing because I normally look at the letters when I’m typing [in real life].

Ari also recounted a story about spilling water on the set. “It must have [cost] a lot of money that CBS lost because of an actual technological glitch because I’m a butterfingers.”

Eddie Kaye Thomas’ character is Toby Curtis. Thomas was excited that as the show continues and the characters grow and their relationships deepen, the tech part of the stories is not the main focus. “It’s like we’re bursting out of all this science and computer stuff with these great serialized character stories. And it’s really exciting. I mean, it just feels like TV is stepping up their game in terms of characters.” He described some of the personal relationships in the show and the emotions that the characters feel. The show has evolved. “Character stories are what we get to play with,” said Thomas. “And then we also get to save the world.”
Robert Patrick plays the father figure/boss on the show and takes that same persona off the set as well. “What goes on on the set kind of mirrors what we’re actually going through as characters. And I’m the oldest guy on the crew here, and I feel responsible for them. And I feel responsible for them as actors and their characters. I’m real comfortable with it, and I love working with these guys.”

He acknowledged the cast is a family “and a lot of fun to work with. And I do take it seriously and try to conduct myself in that fashion [of a patriarch].”

On a personal note, Patrick is a veteran who has had a great career in the industry. He is always a wonderful interview for me.

Scorpion has been renewed for a second season. It is one of the season’s biggest hits. It’s more than simply a dramatic Big Bang Theory. It’s deeper than that. And It’s filled with quirky characters, interesting technology, and a lot of entertainment.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 12 years. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

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Away and Back is a delightful family film premiering January 25, 2015 on Hallmark Channel. Jason Lee and Minka Kelly are credited as the stars, however it is little Maggie Elizabeth Jones who steals the show.

Frankie (Jones) is a 10-year-old girl living in the country with her father Jack (Lee) and two older brothers (Jaren Lewison and Connor Paton). She’s a sweet, loving child. When Frankie discovers a pair of swans has made a nest on the lake next to their house, she becomes obsessed with the birds. Then when the mother swan is killed, Frankie feels she has to save the five eggs. The three siblings bring the eggs back to their home and little Frankie calls an ornithologist to learn how to take care of the eggs.

Ginny (Kelly) is a blunt woman who has made a career caring for trumpeter swans, so when she receives the call from Frankie, she heads out to retrieve the eggs, to the dismay of the kids, especially Frankie. Ginny and Jack clash. Their personalities are completely opposite. He is more concerned with his daughter’s feelings and Ginny could care less about the child. She is devoted to the swans.

When the eggs hatch, Ginny brings the young swans to the lake where they were laid. Through long process of getting them used to the water and hoping the father swan will care for them, Ginny eventually comes to terms with the children and little Frankie becomes part of the effort to reunite the baby swans with their father.

But the swans are not the only things on Frankie’s mind when she is helping Ginny. This cunning little girl plays matchmaker and hopes Ginny and her father will become friends. Could this abrupt, outspoken woman and the protective father put their personalities aside and forge a friendship?

While the romance blossoms, Frankie’s devotion to the swans grows, as well as her relationship with Ginny. Little Frankie is headstrong and determined to look out for the swans, no matter what she has to do. And what she ends up doing puts her life in danger.
Frankie’s favorite book is The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White, who also penned Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little. The book is geared for ages 8-12, and kids will most likely want to check it out after seeing this movie. I’m not a kid, but I will definitely check out the book. There is much more to this movie than a story of friendship, love, and family. It is indeed a movie for everyone.

Little Maggie Elizabeth Jones co-starred in the fun 2011 feature film We Bought a Zoo, and was in the short-lived sitcom Ben and Kate (2012-2013). She is absolutely adorable and we’ll undoubtedly be seeing her a lot more.

Away and Back premiers Sunday, January 25, 2015 on Hallmark Channel. If you want a sweet, sensitive, and charming movie, this is it.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 12 years. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

Follow her on Twitter

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This three-night event on History Channel is filled with thought-provoking and entertaining stories of the men – and women – who set the groundwork for the American Revolution. Sons of Liberty is a mesmerizing movie event depicting the roles Sam Adams (Ben Barns), Paul Revere (Michael Raymond-James), Dr. Joseph Warren (Ryan Eggold) John Hancock (Rafe Spall), and John Adams (Henry Thomas) played in the history of the United Stated.

Known as “the sons of liberty” these men became leaders although they did not seek notoriety. They were simply fed up with the tyrannical ways of the British crown. They were tired of the colonists being treated as second-class citizens.

The first night depicts the colonists standing up to the laws of King George. They begin to sow the seeds for the revolution. While Benjamin Franklin is in London having a good time, Sam and John Adams and their associates are feeling the wrath of the crown. They are beginning to plant the seeds of the revolution. And with the advice and consent of Virginia’s George Washington, they start forming their own army.

Sam Adams is an interesting man. Because his cousin John became president, many people don’t realize the role Sam had in the revolution. This man stood up openly against the British rule. He was a leader and along with several others, managed to do what the British thought was impossible.

The final straw was when the crown replaced the Massachusetts Governor with General Thomas Gage (Marton Csokas). Gage ruled the colony with an iron thumb and his brutal tactics backfired on him. He thought by using force he could scare the colonists into submission. He was wrong. They only became more resolved to fight the British for their rightful liberty.

With the Boston Tea Party, The Shot Heard Round the World, and the American Revolution, Sons of Liberty is a must-see television event. Due to the brutality and scenes of war, this is not for very young kids, however everyone else should see this wonderfully acted and interesting story of the men who made history. They were seeking justice and freedom. They got independence. Everyone living on American soil today and in the past owes gratitude to “The Sons of Liberty.”

Sons of Liberty airs January 25, 26, and 27 on History Channel.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 12 years. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

Follow her on Twitter

Like her on Facebook