Dianne Wiest

I'm still catching up on the first season of In Treatment on DVD, but that doesn't make me any less excited for this first glimpse of season two, which will start April 5 on HBO.

This season's schedule for the show, which stars Gabriel Byrne as a therapist, is a little more forgiving. Instead of airing five nights a week, two of the half-hour episodes will play on Sundays with three more — including Paul's session with his own therapist, Gina (Dianne Wiest) — on Mondays. It's also only seven weeks instead of nine. HBO says people tended to watch the show in chunks anyway, so hopefully this will make it all easier to digest.

As for the stories this season, Paul will still be dealing with some of the fallout from season one plus taking on a new roster of patients, played by Hope Davis (a single attorney), John Mahoney (a CEO), Allison Pill (an architecture student), and Aaron Shaw (an 11-year-old, whose parents will also appear). If you're caught up on the show, you might enjoy reading through this lengthy look at some of the developments for the upcoming season. In the meantime, to check out a promo for the new episodes, just read more

Katie Holmes hit the stage to perform in All My Sons on Broadway last night, but this time it was different. It was the show's official opening night and Katie's smile was bigger than ever as she took her bow and posed outside after the play. Of course, Tom Cruise was there to support his wife and I'm sure found time to gush even more about her performance at the after party. The only damper on the evening was the protesters against Scientology out to make a scene. After last night's big show, the first reviews are out and while they're a mixed bag for Katie and the production in general, it's a pretty big accomplishment for the actress. Congrats to Katie who deserves every standing ovation she gets.

To see more from Katie's big night including Blythe Danner, Barbara Walters, Dianne Wiest, John Lithgow, Patrick Wilson and others just read more

This first trailer for a new thriller called Passengers starring Anne Hathaway and directed by Rodrigo García (who wrote episodes of In Treatment and has directed shows including Six Feet Under) is puzzling for several reasons. For one thing I haven't heard all that much about it, even though it opens next month. For another, it's difficult to understand what specifically this is about.

Here's the plot as IMDB understands it: "After a plane crash, a young therapist, Claire (Anne Hathaway), is assigned by her mentor (Andre Braugher) to counsel the flight's five survivors. When they share their recollections of the incident — which some say include an explosion that the airline claims never happened — Claire is intrigued by Eric (Patrick Wilson), the most secretive of the passengers."

In the preview there is talk of special gifts that the survivors suddenly have and other worlds and stuff like that. I really like the cast, and the premise gives me chills, but there is something kind of off about it. It's almost cheesy, actually, though it also reminds me a little of that show The Nine, which I liked even if nobody else did.

Passengers opens Oct. 24. To check out the trailer for yourself, read more

Nine weeks of therapy wasn't enough for HBO. The network has decided to renew In Treatment for a second season.

The show, which stars Gabriel Byrne as a therapist, is one of the more unusual programs to appear on HBO in recent years. The half-hour show aired five days a week, Monday through Friday, with each day focusing on a session with a different patient. For the first four days of the week, Byrne's character led the sessions; on Friday, it was his turn on the couch with his own therapist (Dianne Wiest).

The show wasn't highly rated, but HBO has already made a couple of changes for this second season, including bringing in famed playwright and producer Warren Leight to run things and moving the show's production to New York (though the actual therapy practice will keep its setting near Washington, DC). So far, only Byrne and Wiest are on board for the second season, and it's unclear whether any of the patients from the first season will continue on or if it will be a whole new cast.

I thought In Treatment was a great concept, even if I couldn't always keep up with it, and I'll be checking out the season one DVD this Fall to catch up on the things I missed. Season two is scheduled to start production in a few months and make its debut in early 2009. Will you be watching? Or is In Treatment just too big of a commitment?

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I'm excited about In Treatment, the forthcoming HBO show starring Gabriel Byrne as a psychotherapist who is in therapy himself — but it's going to take over my life. See, HBO recently released its schedule for the show, and it's ... intense.

The show will air half-hour episodes five times a week for nine weeks. That's a total of 45 episodes — double the number a regular series airs in nine months.

Each night of the week will focus on a different patient for the duration of the series. One patient's story will always air on Mondays, another on Tuesdays, and so on; on Fridays, Byrne's character takes the couch with his own therapist (Dianne Wiest). The other stars, by the way, include Melissa George, Blair Underwood, Mia Wasikowska, Josh Charles, and Embeth Davidtz. Since that adds up to six patients total, I assume one of them is a couples session. (In a pretty cool twist, HBO Select will be airing the sessions at their "actual" times — so if a patient's session is always Mondays at 9 a.m., that's when you'll see the episode.)

This series could be awesome — it has a cool concept, and it's written by a Big Love and Six Feet Under writer and produced by Mark Wahlberg. I really want to like it. But 45 episodes over nine weeks? That's more intense than a college course! What do you think? Would you be willing to watch something like In Treatment — or are you intimidated before it's even begun?

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• The totally awesome Dianne Wiest has joined the cast of "The Return of Jezebel James", playing the mother of Coco (Lauren Ambrose) and Sarah (Parker Posey). That's three awesome ladies on one screen, especially given Wiest's particular skill at playing the crazy mother. Here's hoping the show itself can match up.
• Speaking of awesome, multi-time Emmy winner Marlo Thomas — aka "That Girl" — will guest-star on "Ugly Betty" as a jewelry company owner with a weakness for younger men, including one Daniel Meade. Saucy!
• TV Guide says Alyssa Milano will play a love interest for Earl on the upcoming season of "My Name is Earl." Could it be a serious love match? She's reportedly on board for at least eight episodes.




• Also from TV Guide: Edie Falco has booked a three-episode run on "30 Rock," former ER doctor Michael Michelle has a guest spot on the upcoming season of "House" as a CIA doctor, and Jessalyn Gilsig of "Nip/Tuck" will play Tami Taylor's sassy sister on "Friday Night Lights," sticking around for at least six episodes.
• So you wanna be one of the new "American Gladiators"? Now's your chance. NBC is holding a cross-country search for gladiators and contenders, starting in Los Angeles on Saturday. Hmm, that's not much time to get in shape ...

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Say what you will about Woody Allen and his sordid relationship history, but the man knows how to cast female actors in great roles. Witness Dianne Wiest in Bullets Over Broadway, Mia Farrow in Hannah and Her Sisters, and — of course — Diane Keaton in Annie Hall. Perhaps not coincidentally, those are also some of my favorite Woody Allen movies.

The director's new muse, it seems, is Scarlett Johansson, who just signed on to star alongside Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem in Allen's still-untitled latest film, which begins shooting this summer in Spain. For all the details, read more