Faces in the forefront
A new TV year always brings new TV faces.
It’s wonderful to build a hit around an Oscar winner, as ABC has with Geena Davis in “Commander in Chief.” But opportunities like that don’t come around that often.
The networks’ star-making machinery worked for Eva Longoria, Hugh Laurie and Kristen Bell. And it’s bound to happen again this fall. With the season now in full swing, here are our picks for the year’s five faces to watch:
Tyler James Williams
Who he is: He’s the adolescent version of Chris Rock in UPN’s bright sitcom hit “Everybody Hates Chris” (Thursdays, 8 p.m.).
Why you might know him: You probably don’t, but your children might. He spent three years on “Sesame Street.”
Why you will know him: Williams has one of TV’s tougher tasks: making us believe we’re seeing Chris Rock as he was as a child, and not an adult Chris Rock shrunk down to a child-sized package. He pulls it off with a performance that is accomplished without being mannered, and adorable without being forced.
Emily Deschanel
Who she is: This striking young redhead plays Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan, the crime-solving forensic anthropologist at the center of Fox’s “Bones” (Tuesdays, 8 p.m.).
Why you might know her: There’s a better chance you know her sister, Zooey, who has had an active film career. Most of Emily’s roles have been smaller, but Stephen King fans may remember her from “Rose Red.”
Why you will know her: In this new Fox hit, Deschanel makes up one half of TV’s sexiest, smartest new detective team, the other half being “Angel’ “s David Boreanaz. For her part, Deschanel has created a completely winning character: a lab-bound scientist who not so secretly yearns to be an action hero, and even less secretly yearns to be closer to her partner. She supplies brains and brawn in equal measure, while allowing us to see through Bones’ hard shell to the easily embarrassed woman underneath.
Wentworth Miller
Who he is: Michael, the wildly devoted sibling who is the brains and the map behind Fox’s “Prison Break” (Mondays, 9 p.m.).
Why you might know him: It’s been hard to avoid him. Miller went from guest shots on “Joan of Arcadia” and “Ghost Whisperer” to cover shots on major magazines.
Why you will know him: There’s a reason Miller is suddenly in so much demand. Forced to anchor one of the more absurd plots in recent memory, he has responded with a stoic performance that makes you root for Michael even when you don’t believe what he’s doing for a moment. He is a good guy where good guys are scarce. And being good-looking doesn’t hurt.
Kari Matchett
Who she is: Well, that’s the $64,000 question. All we know for sure is that she’s the possibly possessed mom on the season’s best new series, ABC’s “Invasion” (Wednesdays, 10 p.m.).
Why you might know her: Unless you get Canadian TV, you probably don’t. She’s had a number of successful series in Canada, but her American TV work is mostly limited to guest shots on shows such as “Earth: Final Conflict” and “Wonderfalls.”
Why you will know her: In another age, Matchett might have been one of Alfred Hitchcock’s blond goddesses. As it is, this classically beautiful actress’s combination of chill and warmth is ideal for her role as Dr. Mariel Underlay, the woman at the center of “Invasion’s” secret. Something is wrong with Mariel, and Matchett has done a wonderful job of conveying Mariel’s disquiet without overplaying the change. Matchett keeps us guessing and keeps us interested in the answer.
Nadine Velazquez
Who she is: She’s the sweetly helpful Catalina on NBC’s “My Name Is Earl” (Tuesdays, 9 p.m.).
Why you might know her: She had a short stint as Anna on “The Bold and the Beautiful.”
Why you will know her: There aren’t many Latina actresses on TV, and most of them end up playing either housekeepers or hot tamales. Catalina is hot, and she does clean up after Earl and his dim-witted brother, but she also provides what little common sense there is in this funny new series. Velazquez may be the least familiar member of the ensemble, but if “Earl” gets close to the run it deserves, that will change right quick.