Chicago Tribune from Chicago, Illinois • Page 7-16

123456 16 CHICAGO THE WATCHER By Maureen Ryan Tribune television critic For more, visit chicagotribune.com/watcher Who are the heroes of the The cast of the hit NBC show, which returns with a new episode Monday, was asked that question at a press panel last week on the show at the Television Critics Association convention in Pasadena, Calif. Tawny Cypress, who plays Simone, said that as a kid, she liked the Wonder Twins had each other, and they became really cool things, like animals and Sendhil Ramamurthy, who plays Mohinder, said he digs Batman just a normal guy who went a little nuts and a little and the Six Million Dollar Man did it in slow motion, and he had that cool sound But Hayden Panettiere (Claire, the cheerleader) got the biggest reaction when cast members were asked what like to fear having their characters killed off every week. die all the Panettiere said, to waves of laughter from the reporters in the room. feel like Kenny in Like, my God. They killed Creator Tim Kring, whose show was just renewed for a second season by NBC, was mum on whether kill off characters anytime soon, but he said viewers would be meeting new superpower-endowed people.

will come and go. the nature of this kind of Kring said. reveal their own heroes Tawny Cypress Illustration by Karen Carr, Field Museum From a single cell to colossal earliest inhabitants continue to provide us with ever-expanding knowledge about our own future! In Evolving Planet the wonders and science of a 4-billion-year journey through life on Earth.Experience the fascinating story of evolution with nearly 1,300 well as animated re-created seascapes and landscapes. Free with Museum admission. Discover the Past.

Uncover the Future. Learn more.Become a member.Shop online.1400 S.Lake Shore www.fieldmuseum.org/evolvingplanet Evolving Planetis made possible by Kenneth and Anne Griffin. The Elizabeth Morse Genius Charitable Trust is the generous sponsor of Evolving Hall of Dinosaurs. A youngish, African-American politician becomes president. relatively untested and rode to the highest office in the land on a wave of goodwill but is he ready for the job? Does it sound like the hypothetical presidency of Sen.

Barack Obama, own presidential hopeful? Well, actually the story of Wayne Palmer, the president on the current season of Wayne Palmer is the brother of one of iconic characters, the charismatic former president David Palmer, who died in last season premiere. Is Wayne (played by D.B. Woodside), who seems somewhat tentative and overwhelmed in this opening episodes, based on Oba- ma? When asked Tuesday, executive producer Howard Gordon just laughed and said the story line pretty prophetic, got to tell uncertainty and perceived weakness really going to see the growth of a Gordon said. he started being this great, noble, perfect, correct-acting guy, we have nowhere to go. Plus, it demonstrates the impossibility of the situation.

There are no good answers. Worse than any other season, there no good answers. And you see that uncertainty on this face, and I think kind of Viewers are still making an adjustment to the presidency of Wayne Palmer, following in the footsteps of two extraordinarily memorable commanders in chief, David Palmer (played by Dennis Haysbert), and Charles Logan (Gregory Itzin). But Gordon said that Wayne was the only logical choice. had the noble, great president, with David Palmer, an archetype that we had and we will never get any better than that.

We had the creepy, Machiavellian pre- sident in Charles Logan. So never going to need that Gordon said. needed a president this year who was neither of those archetypes, who was part of the history and mythology. We needed somebody to whom it meant something to sacrifice Gordon said. Wayne a guy who owed Jack tremendously and still had to put Jack on the sacrificial altar, who lived in the shadow of his great brother.

was probably ushered into office prematurely and would arguably have to face the greatest crisis America had And it was, in a way, David shocking and untimely death that ensured the election of his brother, Gordon indicated, who worked for David but who is less commanding and experienced than his sibling perhaps even less experienced than a certain rock star of the Democratic Party. presidential story line has Obama-esque feel D.B. Woodside plays Wayne Palmer, the current president and younger brother of former President David Palmer, on About 12 hours after winning the Golden Globe for best comedy, the cast of greeted dozens of critics who arrived at their Los Angeles set for a visit that had been arranged months agobut happened to come on the heels of the big win the night before. So how much sleep did America Ferrera, who also picked up a best comedy actress award at the ceremony, get? too admitted the actress, who was bundled up in a black parka to guard against the chill on the glossy Mode magazine set. The evening was kind of a happy blur, cast members agreed.

actually had to watch it to kind of figure out what happened because I really said Eric Mabius, who plays boss, Daniel Meade. remember jumping straight into the air a good thing the ceilings too low there. America screamed so When the entire cast went onstage to accept the award for Ferrera was starstruck. saw Tom Hanks the Ferrera said. nearly lost it when I saw him, and realized I was up onstage, and he was sitting there watching.

It was pretty surreal. waved at him and he was like, are you waving But I help myself, I was just like, Tom Hanks and never going to get the opportunity to wave at But the night only got more dreamlike for the 22-year-old actress. took a picture in between Steven Spielberg and Clint Eastwood, and that was just Ferrera said. felt like I was at Magic Mountain at one of those fake-picture She and the cast hit a few parties, and tears were shed, she said but executive producer and I were crying before the awards show even Despite all the hoopla, it was back to work as soon as the journalists left. And not much will change in her life, Ferrera added; got no time to turn into Paris Hilton.

promise you I have the time for the parties. I truly believe harder for television stars to get into trouble because of the hours that they Ferrera said. AP photo by Kevork Djansezian America Ferrera won a Golden Globe for best actress in a musical or comedy series for her work on America the starstruck.