- News Archive January 15 - 20 1999 -

MAKING SENSE OF THE SENTINEL - Jan 20

TV series get cancelled all the time; it's par for the course in the entertainment biz. But it isn't too often that a show gets cancelled than brought back again. That's what happened with The Sentinel, Vancouver-shot series about a police detective, Jim Ellison, who develops a keen range of hyper-alert senses. Like the mythical "sentinel" of precivilized cultures, he possesses radically enhanced sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. Ellison teams up with anthropology student Blair Sandburg, who tapes into his encyclopedic knowledge of the sentinel legend to aid Ellison in the war on crime.

The Sentinel was created by Danny Bilson and Paul DeMeo, who wrote and produced such cult sci-fi films as Trancers, Eliminators, Area and Zone Troopers before going mainstream in '91 with Walt Disney Pictures' The Rocketeer.

Bilson is very close to The Sentinel after three years, and was bitter when it was given the heave-ho. He is thankful to the show's fans, but notes that it was mainly corporate pressure by associate producers Paramount Network Television that resulted in The Sentinel's new lease on life. "We have a huge fan base that was writing letters and jamming their phone lines," he says. "I had no idea they had that much at stake emotionally, but I was surprised and delighted by how passionate they were. And I would love to think that [UPN] cared about the fans, but I can't tell you that's what it was."

Bilson believes the relationship between Ellison and Sandburg is the show's magic formula. "I get a lot of feedback from fans," he says, "and that's what I base things on. We even adjust things based on the fan input, 'cause that's the only input we get. And they absolutely LOVE the friendship between the two guys, that's kind of the core of the show. The production value, the action, and the adventure is all secondary to the friendship of the guys."

While The Sentinel is unique as far as TV cop series go, Bilson traces its success to its rare blend of elements. "We take a high-energy, over-the-top action-cop show and add this science-fiction aspect - the heightened senses - to it. That was always sort of the concept that we hooked onto, and that's what we thing is really fun."

Richard Burgi plays detective Ellison, the sole survivor of a doomed reconnaissance mission that stranded him in the jungles of Peru for 18 months, where tribesmen instilled in him the extraordinary senses that allow him to hear a ticking bomb entrenched in the recesses of a building, or to discern the emotional state of an adversary. His quest to become an actor - and to portray a detective on TV - originated in his childhood, when he and his brother operated a secret detective agency from his parents' garage. In addition to that convert activity, Burgi was surrounded by the performing arts in his hometown of Montclair, New Jersey, where his parents were involved in theatre and his brother is an accomplished musician.

Before taking on the role of Ellison, Burgi spent many years in soaps. Avid fans will remember him as Chad Rollo on Another World, Glen Harrington on As the World Turns, Randy Stone on One Life to Live and Phillip on Days of Our Lives. But he says that performing in soaps isn't really all that different from performing in The Sentinel. "You know, it's all the same. I mean, when it's presented in its most pure distillation, I think that soaps are just actors living in a moment, hopefully responding seriously to a given stimuli. And it's fun' I enjoy soaps, I enjoy the kind of familial and ensemble qualities of its work."

Although he still likes watching daytime drama, Burgi, a nature lover, favors the Discovery Channel and National Geographic specials. he is actively involved with the Montana-based Yellowstone Ecological Survey, which strives to inform and educate people about Yellowstone Park's fragile ecosystem. He also enjoys surfing, travelling and playing music - he's the proud owner of the legendary Buddy Miles' vintage drum set.

Garett Maggart, who plays Sandburg, the anthropology student dedicated to keeping his thesis subject (Ellison) in one piece by accompanying him as a permanent police-department observer, has had a crack at the prized drums. Maggart claims he's a "hack" on drums - as well as on guitar - even though musical inclinations run in his family. His father is Brandon Maggart, an actor and former opera singer, and his sister is none other than pop vocalist Fiona Apple.

Maggart's previous TV credits include a memorable portrayal as Weird Bruce, the radio technician on Frasier, and a recurring role on Days of Our Lives. He says the biggest challenge about his current role is just sustaining the character of Sandburg. "it's different than doing a guest star where you just go and you pop it and you leave," he says. "The longevity of the show is the challenge, to keep the excitement and the thrill and the energy of it up, because sometimes you can get complacent and lackadaisical with it."

Maggart says he was impressed with how the fans of The Sentinel reacted in its defence when word of the cancellation first got out. Their charged response also made him realize the power of the Internet.

"I think our fan base is all on chatlines," he says. "They all have Sentinel web pages and they really just inundated UPN with e-mails and jammed up the phone line. It's amazing what the Internet can do. It's scary, too."

Maggart, who volunteers as a children's acting teacher in his spare time, says he hopes The Sentinel will continue, but is realistic about how TV networks sometimes do business. "I'd love to keep working at it," he says, "it's a great job, and as long as people want it, let's keep giving it to them."

"It would be nice to keep it going," agreed Bruce A Young, who plays Captain Banks, Ellison's superior officer who has no recourse but to accept the detective's erratic behavior once his hyper-vigilant senses surface. "It is kind of a different and offbeat type of show. It's not your usual crime-drama, so we do have a lot of fun with it." No office-bound bureaucrat, Banks is more likely to thrust himself into an investigation alongside Ellison to toil at his desk.

The classically trained Young has guest-starred on such series as The X-Files, Highlander and Quantum Leap. On stage he has starred in Driving Miss Daisy, The Taming of the Shrew and Macbeth. His most recent movie role was opposite John Travolta in Phenomenon.

Like The Sentinel's other principals, Young was taken aback by the fan support, many of who he's met at conventions, and reports that the majority of them are female. "We have a very large female audience that is very loyal," he says, "and they're the ones who are the most vocal. I imagine there must be some guys, but they just don't come to conventions. The girls are willing to fly and come meet people; I think the guys just stay home and watch TV."

As long as they're watching The Sentinel, the show will go on. 

WATCHING OVER THE SENTINEL - JAN 17

Crusading fans celebrate return of UPN action series

Pasadena, Calif. - Never underestimate the Internet.

It has the power to do the next-to-impossible: save a TV show from a network's fiery furnace.

The Internet saved The Sentinel.

If that makes you say, "Say what?" just take an online hike to http://www.egroups.com and let Kaytee and her chat pals at Texastribe fill you in. They're the top fans of a UPN series that most viewers have probably never seen.

The Texastribe flew to California to meet with UPN and the Television Critics Association. Other Sentinel fans - more than 250 of them - came from all across the country, Canada, Germany, Italy and the Bahamas. They came on their own to fill up a Ritz-Carlton Huntington ballroom with a rally to celebrate The Sentinel's reprieve.

After teetering on the brink last spring, The Sentinel returns at 8 p.m. Monday, when UPN will rerun the original pilot to give those unfamiliar with The Sentinel's action-packed adventures a chance to catch up. The show, by the way, got a good review from this critic when it premiered.

And take it from one who saw the rally, the fans' devotion is above and beyond. It would take a cold heart to deprive this fervent crowd of its favorite TV show.

UPN's heart melted.

The show is explosive action and intrigue, centered on Det. Jim Ellison (Richard Burgi), a policeman with remarkably sensitive senses. Once a captain in the Army's Special Forces, he survived 18 months in a hostile Peruvian jungle, which left some lasting mystical touches. Ellison's secret is known only to Blair Sandburg (Garett Maggart), the young anthropology student who's studying Ellison's gifts, and his superior, Capt. Simon Banks (Bruce A. Young).

The fans were mostly women, with a sprinkling of males. From the looks on their faces as they cheered their hero Burgi, this was their moment of triumph.

"I saw some previews of the show on Star Trek: Voyager, said Texastribe's Kaytee (she uses her e-mail moniker on these occasions). "I liked the mystical aspects of it and the relationship, the real chemistry, between the characters - all the things I saw on it that are not on any shows now."

On the Internet, Kaytee found a lot of other fans who felt the same way. They were all on different e-mail lists, so she invited Texas fans to get together on their own, the Texastribe.

"We got together and really bonded," she said. "We've become friends. About 20 of us have met five times now for rallies. Ten are here today."

Houston's Carol Shorn was here, too. She flew in for the rally because she loves the way the character of Blair Sandburg is presented. He's a nice normal guy. So many times TV makes scientists look foolish or nerdy, said Shorn, who's a scientist.

Shorn, a sci-fi fan, heard other fans talking about The Sentinel. When one of them sent her a tape, she was hooked.

Bryan's Ann Walton flew in, too. Like Lorrie Roussin of Austin and Carmen Medina of San Antonio, she finds a spiritual quality in the show.

"Most of the mail tells us they love the mythology, the back story of the jungle and the cats. And they love the friendship between Ellison and Sandburg," creator and executive producer Danny Bilson said. "We've tried to do more about those things in the next eight."

"We never cancelled The Sentinel. We just put (it) into back-up," said Tom Nunan, president of UPN Entertainment. "It performed well for us, but we weren't sure whether it would be a building block for next fall."

He thinks moving it from Wednesday to Monday will bring in "an interesting male skew, especially with Monday Night Football off the air."

On Jan. 25, UPN will rerun last season's finale, which was a cliffhanger. New episodes begin on Feb. 1. The Sentinel had just finished shooting the second half of the cliffhanger last May when UPN sent the message now etched in the memory of Bilson: "The words were, 'You are not on the schedule.'"

Those were the last words he expected. The ratings were "relatively good for UPN," and the show had been running for 57 episodes. "Our studio is partners in the network, and the show's been sold to syndication, and we felt there's no way we're going to get cancelled. It just didn't make financial sense," Bilson said. "We were completely shocked."

That's when the news hit the fans - like a ton of bricks.

"I like to believe they brought us back," said Bilson. "That feels really good....a huge fan element that is very loud and has put a lot of pressure on everybody. I contact some of them on e-mail. If they brought us back, that's the best scenario for what could have happened, so I like to think that is what happened."

How did they do it?

"I think they tortured the network," Bilson said. "I heard stories like they were jamming the phone lines and sending them so much e-mail that ultimately they started turning the mail back, there was so much."

"It was pretty extraordinary," creator and executive producer Paul DeMeo added. "In my office alone, we had a notebook with literally thousands of e-mails."

There were 1,500 in the first 48 hours after word of the cancellation got out. That's an avalanche to UPN, which has had its problems rallying fans to anything this season.

"I think the Internet is a tool that's become incredibly important," DeMeo said. "It certainly revolutionizes this sort of fan-based support for any show. And on our show in particular, it really did make a big difference."

There is, to be sure, the question of whether all this celebrating is premature. UPN has ordered only eight more episodes, and there are no assurances The Sentinel will survive beyond that.

"I'm very, very grateful we're sitting here today from where we were in early June. And if it's only eight, I'm just happy that we have another shot to get on the air and let the people come and watch it," Bilson said.

As the star, Burgi has been thinking a lot about how to thank the fans.

"I was hoping the network would get behind it, and put out a Sentinel doll that was a life-size figure people could take home, and it would know your feelings and would hug you a lot," he quipped.

But seriously, folks, though he professes to being "computer illiterate," Burgi wants to establish his own Web site, the better to interact with fans.

"We've had some conventions and spent some time with them," Burgi said. "I feel so grateful the way they've responded, all I can do is speak from my heart and give them my gratitude."

He did that, down the hall in the ballroom, and they all went home happy, with autographs and pictures.
 
 

BRUCE A YOUNG INTERVIEW - Jan 18

The Sentinel and His Captain Return

Like the rest of the regular cast members on The Sentinel, Bruce A. Young had a strange 1998. In the spring, he was enjoying playing Captain Simon Banks on the two-year-old series, which was one of UPN's highest-rated shows. By summer The Sentinel had been cancelled unexpectedly, victim of strange politics at the fledgling network. But in the fall it was rescued in large part by a tremendous fan campaign, and Young spent the end of 1998 filming the new episodes which will begin airing next Monday night.

At this point, nobody's sure what will happen next.

"That would be the yin and yang of life," says Young of the show's demise and revival, which "came as quite a shock, of course, because I don't know many networks that cancel their top-rated shows." Of the corporate shenanigans which led to UPN's decision not to pick up The Sentinel last spring despite the ratings - which reportedly involved a feud between Pet Fly Productions, which produces the series, and the network - the actor says only, "I'm sure I'll never have the straight story; I'm just glad it came back."

The series returns by rebroadcast the pilot, which explains how sentinel Jim Ellison got his heightened senses, and how anthropology student Blair Sandburg and police captain Simon Banks became involved in Detective Ellison's destiny. In the first of the new episodes, "Sentinel Too Part Two," Star Trek Voyager star Jeri Ryan reprises her role as Alex Barnes, a female sentinel whose encounters with Ellison and friends proved deadly for Sandburg. "Sentinel Too Part One" left Sandburg dead in Ellison's arms, despite the latter's attempts to revive him with CPR; it won't shock viewers much to learn that Sandburg survives, however, since series regular Garett Maggart returned along with Young and lead actor Richard Burgi when the series resumed filming in the fall.

"We did a cliffhanger, of course that was supposed to mean we were coming back on!" groans Young. "We had an arc to complete, simply because that was a two-part episode. Obviously, Blair's back. Jeri Ryan is back, off in the jungles." The change in shooting schedule as a result of the cancellation did ruin Ryan's vacation, Young laughs, noting that because they filmed in the fall rather than the summer, they shot in rainy Vancouver rather than the original location. "She was supposed to go to Mexico - she thought she was going to get to lie on the beach!"

Because UPN's decision to drop the show came as such a surprise, Young had no other work lined up for the summer; he had been spending his hiatus in Vancouver, just relaxing for what he thought would be a two-month break from the grueling shooting schedule. "Usually my summers I just take off, because we work so hard the rest of the year, so I wasn't prepared," he explains. The late decision meant that none of the actors had auditions during pilot season, when the next fall's new series go into development. "I just sort of resigned myself to, 'Oh, gee, I guess I better get around to finding another job.' The work is always four months ahead of time. So unless something just dropped into my lap, I was already looking at, 'What am I going to do in January?'"

The veteran actor has a strong, eclectic resume - in addition to lots of classical drama and stage combat, he's a legend for playing the transvestite Jackie in Risky Business, the "woman" to whom Tom Cruise almost lost his virginity - so he wasn't worried about eventually finding work. But he was humbled by the intense loyalty of The Sentinel's fans, whose dedication and perseverance were unlike any audience reaction he'd ever seen. "It's very touching to realize that people do care, and they care to an extent that they're actually willing to take out ads, and look at the number of sites on the net." Young adds that he learned quickly of the fan movement to save the series, but never expected the large-scale campaign which quickly snowballed. "It's nice to know that even on the baby network, there's still a fan base out there. I talk to people on the street, people come up to me, and if those numbers are to be believed, people are watching the show."

Young had gone to the Sentinel convention in Canada and got "my first inkling of what our fans were, at least what the fans were that wanted to travel to a convention"; like Richard Burgi and Garett Maggart, he was surprised at how many women there were. He notes, "It just wasn't what you would think for a cop action-adventure show; it was quite amazing to realize that most of our fans were women." Also like Burgi and Maggart, Young believes the connections among the main characters are the attraction for the viewers: "They like the dynamics of our characters. It's character-driven, it usually does have something to do with the relationships and how the guys are acting."

The Illinois State University graduate was offered the part without an audition based on his previous work with producer Danny Bilson (Young has also appeared on Viper, Pet Fly's other major series). "What I liked about the character was that it was a black character in a position of authority - those are so rare, that was the first thing that appealed to me," he recalls. "Being able to pull off that dynamic and have it be realistic, that's what I was drawn to. Then, as we went on, I realized that the chemistry of the actors was so strong, and our backgrounds were similar in the way we worked and how we approached things - that became more of a driving force in what interested me in keeping the show going."

The Sentinel reportedly has a very comfortable set, where the cast and crew get along very well and there's a lot of humor. "The goofball is the way of letting off the tension, because if you thought too hard about it, it would drive you nuts!" laughs Young, who quickly adds, "It beats brain surgery. We have fun together on the set. And in all that nonsense is some sense of reality." He refuses to share any stories of set antics like some of the ones which can be seen on the series' blooper reel which has been shown at several cons, and says quickly, "No quotes about my co-stars! We have a rule, no quotes! It's obvious from how we talk about each other, any quote we say would just be taken out of context. And the things we can say about each other, we don't want quoted!"

It's not clear whether there will be more Sentinel episodes after the eight new installments air; that may be determined by ratings, and by the overall health of UPN, which is hoping for a splash with Dilbert which will also be featured on Monday nights. "As it looks now, UPN is not doing too well - our reruns were doing better than some of their new shows," Young points out. "We just don't know what they're doing."

But in terms of the work they do on the series, where the down-to-earth Captain Banks has had to struggle with the supernatural powers of his detective and with an unlicensed anthropology student tagging along on police stakeouts, he's very pleased with the job. "I'm confident with where my character is going; I'd just like to continue a logical progression. I really believe our strength is bringing out the sides of the characters that people want to see, given the scripts that they give us. I find it more interesting and fun to try to add that story on top of whatever tale they're trying to tell. It's more challenging as an actor, and I think that's what makes us a different type of cop show, because you see two or three sides of our characters. I just hope we keep getting good scripts, good plots, some nice villains, and let us play around with that."

The actor declares, "I love action-adventure," noting that he choreographs stage fights for the theater and does lots of sword work (including two episodes of Highlander, though Young played a major league baseball star and is remembered for swinging a bat instead). "I've always been involved physically in roles that I play. It's fun. It's like you're a big kid, you get to run around and play cops and robbers. Unfortunately, it's the nature of our culture that you can't make a living doing live theater - I still get back, I remain loyal to the stage and whenever I get a chance I do a play." He appeared in Chicago last spring with the Next Theater Company.

Young has played many of the major Shakespearean roles, including Othello and Richard III, both of which he would like another crack at. "Any Shakespeare I've done has always been my favorite. That's sort of my passion." The actor had his own production company for five years, "but that's very time-consuming - some things you have to let go of. I produced and directed, and it was a lot of work. I'm not saying I wouldn't go back and do that again. In ten years I'd like to be retired, running my own theater company. Dream big! I want to get back to the Midwest - L.A. doesn't really appeal to me anymore. I like the Northwest, it's very nice, lots of trees, but the Midwest where my roots are. "

One of a number of distinguished Illinois State theater graduates including John Malkovitch, Laurie Metcalf, Crusade's Gary Cole and Voyager's Tim Russ, Young jokes that he knew he was going to perform when he was young "because I got told I was loud. I don't remember being flamboyant necessarily; I just remember enjoying myself. I never considered anything else. What's not to like?" The rejection? "We deal with rejection everyplace in life," he rebuts. "Show me a job that you don't have rejection in. I'd rather be rejected based on something that is immaterial than something where they can say, you didn't do this right. So I find it's OK."

Though he's appeared in films from Lethal Weapon II to The Color of Money to Basic Instinct, his favorite role remains Jackie in Risky Business. "I think everybody else came in to the audition dressed up; I didn't. I was riding my bike, I came in in shorts and a t-shirt with a beard, and I said, 'I can play this role,'" he recalls. "I knew what I was auditioning for, but I wasn't going to come dressed up as a girl! I looked at all the other guys sitting there, like, oh my God."

Young was doing a play at the time, so he couldn't shave his beard until he got another job - "I wasn't going to cut it for an audition!" he exclaims. "But I told them how I wanted to do the role, and they saw Jackie - they saw that girl that I have in me."

The actor is happy and proud that he's able to do what he wants and make a living at it. "I've never had to compromise what I wanted to do - I think that's something nice to be proud of," he says. "I can provide a living for my family doing this." Whatever happens to Captain Banks and The Sentinel from this point forward, look for Bruce Young to remain in charge. 

SOAP OPERA NEWS RICHARD BURGI INTERVIEW

Former Daytime Star Richard Burgi Owes His Second Chance On Prime-Time to Fan Letters and Calls

What self-respecting daytime fan doesn't remember that fans picketed NBC to save Dr. Marlena Evans when it appeared she'd been murdered by the Salem Strangler? Or how fans saved Brad Maule from the ax on General Hospital? Now it's multisoap veteran Richard Burgi (ex-Philip, DAYS; ex-Chad, AW, et al.) who's being brought back to TV by popular demand as Detective James Ellison on UPN's The Sentinel.

"The fans just inundated the network, jammed up the Internet and the phone lines," Burgi acknowledges. "We hadn't been picked up, so I guess that means we were officially canceled -- but then there was this enormous amount of mail and phone calls."

Now the last episode of the series' third season airs on Jan 18, the pilot re-airs the following week (to provide new viewers with back story), then season four begins on Feb. 1.

According to legend, Sentinels were individuals with heightened senses that they put to use to protect their tribe. The show's premise is that Ellison is essentially a Sentinel, but living in a modern society bereft of any primitive faiths that believe in the existence of Sentinels.

"Actually [his hyper senses] were with him as a child and through his whole life," Burgi says. "He was shut down emotionally in many ways, but the time he spent in the Peruvian jungle brought it all out again. All his senses are heightened. He can see farther and taste better. I think we all possess the capacity to have our senses sharpened. How else do you explain the palate required by wine tasters or the sense of smell needed to become a perfume sniffer?"

Working in Vancouver, where the series is shot, leaves Burgi little chance to stay in touch with his daytime roots, although he's still in contact with onetime AW co-stars Hank Cheyne (Ricardo, SUN) and Kale Browne (Sam, OLTL). Nonetheless, he has happy memories of his time on the NBC soaps. "I had a great great time on Days of Our Lives and Another World," Burgi says. "DAYS was one of my more enjoyable experiences under contract. I wasn't content at all on the other shows, but it had more to do with me."

One reason that Burgi is even more content today is his family: his wife of three years, Lori, and their son, Jack Charles, 2. "Lori moved in across the street form me," the actor reveals. "I think I offered to have my dog protect her -- if she needed company or something. We just started talking, she invited me over for a bite to eat one night and I pretty much knew that was it. I was hooked. Wife, child -- it was all in the picture."

Speaking of his child how did they decide on the name Jack Charles? "His name came to my wife in a dream and it's a name I always liked," Burgi explains. "Various characters named Jack have influenced me: Jack London, Jack Kerouac, Jack Nicholson, Jack Johnson, the boxer. While she was pregnant, Lori saw this little boy in her dream and he told her his name. She also has an Uncle Jack, so it's a family name. Having a child is the most profound experience of my life."

Happily, Lori teaches yoga, which she can do in Vancouver, so the family is able to stay together while the show is filming. And yoga has also been a physical blessing to Burgi. "I had a herniated disc in the '80s and chronic back problems for years," he says. "I was going to get an operation, but then I started doing yoga, and as long as I do it, my back is fine. I also walk as much as possible and hike with my son and my wife."

While Burgi is excited about the show's reprise, if it turns out to be the last season for The Sentinel, he'll take that setback in stride. "All you can do is enjoy the experience," he says. "Enjoy the present situation and realize the ephemeral quality of it all. What does foster security? I think that's an internal thing. I think wanting to become a doctor, a banker. a lawyer or a ball-player -- none of it engenders security, if you think about it."

"Personally, I think I've come into a place of my own connection with work and life. It's a time period that suits me. My personal growth and emotional experiences have accrued in a way to allow me to express myself in a certain way and be present in a way where I wasn't before," he adds.

"I have some projects in the works, but I don't really know what I'll do [if the show is canceled]. We may take a years off to travel. I'd like to spend as much time as possible with my family. I've always enjoyed traveling and sampling different cultures. It's an amazing world and I'd like to see more of it."

MORE MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE SENTINEL'S RETURN - Jan 19

Richard Burgi plays the title character in The Sentinel, returning tonight at 9 p.m. ET on UPN

Fans on the Internet saved this program from extinction. The Sentinel was canceled by UPN last spring for sagging ratings, but did an about-face on that decision after fans organized a World Wide Web-based protest. Tonight, UPN airs the drama's pilot episode. This will be followed next week by the last season's cliffhanger. The week after that on Feb. 1, new episodes will start.

Tonight, Det. James Ellison (Richard Burgi) is introduced. He's a former Army captain who was left in a Peruvian jungle, where he developed enhanced sensory abilities. With the help of Blair Sandburg (Garett Maggart), he tracks a serial bomber.

(Thanks Starlight)

Monday 18 January
Today's TV Pick
From CNN GIST TV Online TV Site
Frank Lovece

The Sentinel: "Switchman" (Pilot and season premiere)
Monday, January 18th UPN, 9 to 10 p.m. ET

Like the Marvel Comics superhero Daredevil, detective James Ellison (Richard Burgi) of the (fictional) Cascade, WA, police department has developed super-sensitive hearing, touch, taste, smell and, unlike the blind DD, sight. Seems that something happened to Ellison when, as an Army captain, he was stranded 18 months in a Peruvian jungle.

Yeah, we don't get it either, but the show -- "reality-based with a comic-book edge," as Burgi put it -- enjoys a strong, vocal contingent of fans who helped save the three-year-old series from cancellation. Inaugurating this return to the schedule after eight months is the March 20, 1996 pilot episode, in which an unknowing Ellison, who doesn't understand what's happening with his senses, fears going nuts.

Fortunately, anthropology grad student Blair Sandburg (Garett Maggart, son of actor Brandon Maggart) is around to help him control his new powers. Unfortunately, the two get a baptism of fire, almost literally, when Cascade becomes the target of a bombing. Bruce A. Young co-stars as police captain Simon Banks.

New episodes begin in two weeks, with a conclusion to next week's rerun of the third-season cliffhanger finale.

(Thanks Kathy and Jean)

From TV Guide - regarding Sentinel, Too - Part Two

Ellison (Richard Burgi) discovers another aspect of his powers after Sandburg's death, and follows the evil sentinel to the jungles of Peru (sic - it's actually Mexico).

(Thanks Wolfpup)

Monday 18 January
San Jose Mercury News
By Mike Antonucci

Sentinel Returns

Passionate fans of The Sentinel directed a lot of heat at UPN, as well as at Bay Area affiliate KBHK (Ch. 44), when the show appeared to have been canceled. But it's being reintroduced tonight, in a regular 9 p.m. slot, as a midseason replacement.

Tonight's broadcast is a rerun of the series pilot. Next week is a repeat of the unresolved, pre-cancellation cliffhanger, and new episodes kick in Feb. 1.

(Thanks Laura)

NEWS REPORTS ON UPN FROM PASADENA WINTER PRESS TOUR - Updated Jan 19

MORE MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE SENTINEL'S RETURN - Jan 18

(Thanks Lori)

Sunday 17 January
From The Sacramento Bee
TV Guide Fan Mail page:

With a picture of Garett Maggart, Richard Burgi and Bruce A Young, the page headline read: Fan Campaign brings back The Sentinel

Q: What's the latest news on the return of The Sentinel?
M.M. of Sacramento

A: Thanks in part to a campaign by Sentinel fans, the action/adventure series returns Monday (9 p.m., Channel 31). In the series, Richard Burgi portrays the sole survivor of a doomed reconnaissance mission that forced him into spending 18 months in the Peruvian jungle. He emerges with hyper-sensitive senses and becomes a police department observer. [sic] Garett Maggart and Bruce A. Yound co-star. Monday's episode is a rebroadcast of the original pilot; the following episode scheduled Jan. 25 is a repeat of last season's cliff-hanger Sentinel Too, Part 1. New episodes begin Feb 1.
 
 

(Thanks Sally and Alexis)

From Cult Times Magazine

In the Letter section of issue #40 (January 1999) of Cult Times, there is a letter from Lori Swanson about Sentinel and wanting to see an article about in their magazine. Cult Times is published by the same people who do TV Zone features a Sentinel article in the current issue.

Lori's letter:

I am very disappointed in the article "A Charmed Seven Days" appearing in Cult Times #38.

The article is misleading, in that it implies that the new UPN show Seven Days is somehow enjoying better ratings than the show that previously occupied its timeslot, The Sentinel. The fact is, The Sentinel was a significantly better ratings success for UPN in 1997. Seven Days has experienced a steady ratings decline since the premiere, while The Sentinel's ratings improved in the same time period in 1997. I would request that you recheck your information, and clarify this in the future. In addition, I believe an article on the return of The Sentinel would be well received by your many readers and fans of The Sentinel, as it is expected back on UPN as a mid-season replacement.
 
 

"As soon as The Sentinel makes an appearance on a channel here in the UK, we will certainly be putting it into Cult Times. And not just because Jeri Ryan has appeared in it. Oh no."

The Jeri Ryan comment refers to the previous letter which mentioned her.

(Thanks Becky)

RICHARD BURGI - URBAN SENTRY - Jan 15

Star of The Sentinel, Richard Burgi explains why Ellison is a "throwback from the Sixties"

In the late 19th Century famed British explorer Richard Burton became aware of a curious phenomenon in his study of remote tribal cultures. He discovered that each tribe posted a watchman to patrol its borders, but this was no ordinary sentry. This individual was chosen because he had a unique genetic advantage over his enemies - a heightened sensory awareness beyond anything displayed by his fellow tribesmen. Sadly, Burton's findings were not enthusiastically received by most of his peers and his research was nearly forgotten.

Although some people have a keen sense of hearing or taste, no human has ever exhibited what Burton claimed to be the acute development of all five senses. In the UPN series The Sentinel, however, Lieutenant Detective James Ellison is the television equivalent of these gifted natives that the explorer met. An ex-soldier Ellison was the sole survivor of a disastrous reconnaissance mission that marooned him for eighteen months deep in the Peruvian jungle. During this time he honed the very same sensory skills developed by these tribal watchmen or sentinels. Nowadays, he uses these abilities to battle crime in the fictitious town of Cascade, Washington. Handsome actor Richard Burgi had just returned from Hawaii and working with ex-Charlie's Angel Cheryl Ladd on the short-lived CBS police drama One West Waikiki when he auditioned for the role of Ellison.

The Audition

"After I auditioned for The Sentinel I didn't hear from them and the programme kind of disappeared. Meanwhile I needed some time to clear my head and recharge my batteries after Hawaii, so my dog and I did a five-state tour of the California coast, Nevada, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. When I got back they still hadn't found anyone to play Ellison, so a couple of weeks later I went in and auditioned again. That afternoon I read for the network and got the job."

"One of the things that really attracted me to the series was the writing," he continues. "The characters were clearly defined in that there were a set of parameters for each of them but at the same time there was lots of room in terms of development potential. Jim Ellison is a stoic, laconic, toeing-the-line kind of guy who has a fairly straightforward view of right and wrong. He can also be a bit acerbic and cynical at times. Jim is sort of a throwback to the old-fashioned action heroes seen on television and in films during the Sixties and Seventies."

In the show's pilot episode Switchman Ellison is on the trail of a serial bomber who is planning to blow up a lumber mill. While alone in the woods on a long stake-out the detective suddenly begins to suffer from symptoms that he attributes to mental stress. In fact, what he is experiencing are his burgeoning hyper-senses. When the Switchman succeeds in destroying his target Ellison blames himself and requests a leave of absence. Fortunately for him he meets anthropology graduate student Blair Sandburg (Garett Maggart), who offers the police officer an explanation for his recent feelings of uneasiness and disorientation. Ellison reluctantly agrees to let Sandburg observe him while at work in exchange for helping him learn how to control his newfound powers.

"I think Ellison still has certain reservations about being seen in public with Sandburg," jokes the actor. "I remember when I was a teenager I met this guy who had either been in World War II or Vietnam. He had this tremendous energy about him and an attitude of, 'Unless you've been there, unless you've been indoctrinated, trained and broken down, I've got nothing to say to you.' I can recall feeling, I think, what Sandburg must feel towards Ellison sometimes, which is that maybe he should do the right thing which is cut his long hair, go to the police academy and develop a stomach disorder. Because they're so opposite, though, the two of them complement each other. At first Ellison has reservations about allowing Sandburg into his private domain yet he's someone that Ellison needs at this point. However, the more they work together the more they come to realize just how much they count on each other."

Captain Courage

Ellison and Blair report to Captain Simon Banks (Bruce A. Young), a veteran police officer who likes nothing more than getting out from behind his desk and taking an active role in keeping Cascade safe. Initially, Banks is very reluctant to make use of Ellison's powers but he finds them to be an invaluable resource in tackling particularly difficult and bizarre cases.

"My character is more on a par with Banks in that Ellison has a military background and he definitely understands rank as well as the role Banks plays as his superior officer," explains Burgi. "The captain is a by-the-book type of guy but he has a big heart. Because of his ethnicity he's worked twice as hard to get to where he is and perhaps holds his people accountable twice as much as other captains because of his high ethics and standards. He's a valued individual and I mean this about Bruce Young the actor as well. He and Garett are two of my favorite people. They bring their characters to life with a wonderful blend of spontaneity, humour and compassion."

In The Sentinel's three seasons on the air Ellison and Blair have faced an elusive serial killer who adopts the identity of his victims (Cypher), prevented the distribution of a deadly new 'designer drug' (Blind Man's Bluff) and stopped a poaching syndicate responsible for killing endangered animals (Poachers). In addition to the show's pilot Burgi has a few other episodes he counts among his favorites.

"We did a story involving a Mafia family last year [The Inside Man] that I really enjoyed. I like The Rig which takes place on an off-shore oil rig and also Vendetta involving road rage. That one was directed by a fellow by the name of Tim van Patten, who used to be on The White Shadow. He's a terrific guy and a great friend. We always have a lot of laughs working together. Incidentally, it was written by a close personal friend, David Thoreau, of the Thoreau lineage. I have fun on all our episodes except that once in a while I get frustrated because I want the material to be great, all of us do. Occasionally, though, a story comes along that is less than brilliant but we still try to do our best with it."

Big Guest Stars

Last season's Sentinel ended on a dramatic but downbeat note with the episode Sentinel Too. In it one of the show's regular characters is left for dead and a female Sentinel named Alex, alias Star Trek: Voyager's Jeri Ryan, arrives in Cascade bringing with her a dark and disturbing secret. This past September Ryan returned to Vancouver, British Columbia, where the show is filmed, to reprise her role for its fourth-season opener.

"Jeri is a sweet lady," says the actor. "She's very talented and extremely professional. We lock lips a fair amount in this new episode," he laughs. "Jeri is a real trooper and we had a lot of fun working together."

While UPN continues its struggle to find it audience base The Sentinel has performed particularly well for the network and has developed a loyal viewer following. The first convention for the show was held in Vancouver this April and a CD soundtrack was recently released by Sonic Images. With all this support it is no wonder that Burgi and the rest of the cast and crew were taken by surprise when The Sentinel was not renewed for the 1998-1999 fall season. Happily, the network had a change of heart - greatly influenced by the fans and their massive Save The Sentinel campaign - and is bringing the series back as a mid-season replacement beginning Monday, 25 January 1999.

Fan Power

"I was somewhat disappointed when the network people pretty much overlooked us last season," he continues. "The series has proven itself and it feels as though they've never gotten behind it for one reason or another. I was hurt and I took it personally because I looked at the show as a family that I didn't want to break up. Of course, I experienced the usual feelings of self-doubt and failure. That just made me want to redouble the efforts of everyone on the show, especially the writers, to really come up with fun and riveting material that all of us can get behind this season."

"The fans are great," he continues. "They're certainly one of the reasons why we're coming back," enthuses Burgi. "Besides the fact that The Sentinel is one of UPN's better-rated shows, the fans were so vociferous when it came to dealing with the network. They flooded UPN with phone calls and e-mails to the Internet site demanding the show's return. They're very sweet and particularly generous. We recently held a successful fund-raiser to benefit Pediatric Aids and the Elizabeth Glaser Foundation."

In God's Hands

With The Sentinel having wrapped production in December and its fate dependent on how it fairs opposite Fox Network's popular Ally McBeal, Burgi has no idea what the immediate future holds. "All I hope is that I'm able to work on something like The Sentinel where the people are committed as well as compassionate

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