Beck/Smith Hollywood

With so much focus on the loss of Larry Hagman – and the death and funeral of his dastardly TV alter ego, J.R. Ewing – as the second season of TNT’s “Dallas” gets underway this week, one can’t help but wonder whether the show can go on once they’re finished saying goodbye.

Jesse Metcalfe is convinced it can.  Asked if he thinks there will be a Season 3, the handsome 34-year-old actor now known to “Dallas” fans as Christopher Ewing answers flatly, “I know it will happen.

“Obviously, I don’t have that information yet from the powers that be,” he adds.  “But I feel strongly that this is a hit show and that the ensemble of actors we have is incredibly talented.  We all have great chemistry, and the writing is very strong.”

He acknowledges, “Yes, it was Larry Hagman’s show.  He was the heart and soul of the show — by far the most popular character on the show.  Most people identify the show with J.R. Ewing.  I thought we would have more time with Larry, and that time was definitely cut short.  But the writers and the producers and of course the actors are doing everything they can to honor Larry and honor J.R. and do everything in the best way that they can.  And that’s why they’ve succeeded in producing some of the most entertaining episodes.  Out of a very tragic event comes some very exciting television — and I don’t think Larry would have wanted it any other way.”

Indeed.  With show re-creator Cynthia Cidre having revealed that J.R.’s death will not be from natural causes,  Hagman will posthumously rack up what will, in all probability, be the distinction of playing the only TV character to have not one, but two major murder mysteries surrounding him.  Of course you’ll recall the ratings record-breaking “Who Shot J.R.?” of 1980.

The storylines involving the younger generation of Ewings are rolling on as well.  Christopher, the ecology-minded, adopted son of nice guy Bobby (Patrick Duffy), has won back the lovely Elena (Jordana Brewster) from J.R.’s ever-more-craven oilman son John Ross (Josh Henderson) — and the cousins are fighting for control of their Ewing Energies company.

“Elena and Christopher are still in the honeymoon stage of their rekindled romance, and certainly John Ross is not very happy about that.  He gets his digs in wherever he can,” Metcalfe relates.  “But for at least the first half of the second season Elena and Christopher are pretty solid.  I’d say the first season was more raw emotions, the second season is more of a chess match.  And obviously, we’re always in each other’s faces — we’re all living in the same place, Southfork, and working in the same place, Ewing Energies.”

The “Dallas” team certainly doesn’t have THAT degree of closeness, but the cast members do stay in Dallas condos while shooting is underway, they do hang out together, they do sound fond of each other.  Metcalfe says, “If anything, we’ve all grown closer in the wake of Larry’s death.“

The Carmel Valley, California-born actor, who gained public attention as sexy teenage gardener John Rowland on “Desperate Housewives” — and went on to big screen success with “John Tucker Must Die” — makes it clear he cares very much about the “Dallas” fans.  In fact, he sounds downright affectionate toward those who “stuck with the original show through all 13 seasons and now are staying with our show.  You feel a responsibility toward them.”  He says he hasn’t found any downside to his newfound “Dallas” fame – here or overseas.  The show is a huge hit in the U.K. and elsewhere.

But fame does have its, um, distractions.  For instance, it’s been widely reported Metcalfe is engaged to the beautiful Cara Santana.  But he says, “No, I’m not getting married.  I have a very serious girlfriend but that’s just a piece of misinformation that keeps reappearing.”  He laughs, “As if there wasn’t enough pressure already.”

This season’s shooting will wrap in April, and Metcalfe would like to find a juicy new assignment, he says.  In fact, “All of us are looking for hiatus projects.  I’d just like a piece of material that feels right for me, a story I want to tell.  That’s a great thing about being on a cable show.  It’s not that rigorous a schedule.  It’s intense while you’re shooting it, but it’s only 15 episodes.  The first season was 10, now we’re lucky enough to get 15.  But it’s still only six months of the year – very different from a 22-episode season.”

So, he wouldn’t mind continuing to play Christopher on and on?

“I think the viewers are going to be very pleased with Season 2,” he says.  “So I don’t see any reason why there won’t be a third, a fourth, and probably a fifth season.”

Time will tell.

            Will Season 2 of “Smash” bring back the magic of the NBC musical series’ early days?  “We’re over half way through shooting, and there are so many things happening this season, I think everyone is going to be pleasantly surprised,” says Megan Hilty.

Yes, she is back as the luckless Broadway star wannabe Ivy Lynn, who was last seen dumping a bottle of pills into her hand backstage while her rival (Katharine McPhee) basked in the spotlight in the Bombshell musical’s Marilyn Monroe role that once belonged to her.

In the season commencing in February “There’s a completely new musical turning up alongside Bombshell, so there’s that and all the drama that comes up along with that,” notes Hilty.  “And we have all new characters who represent completely different storylines.”  Stars who’ll be seen in Season 2 include Jennifer Hudson, Sean Hayes, Jesse L. Martin and Liza Minnelli.

And Ivy?  “Well, she’s on her own path. She’s definitely trying to get her life in order both personally and professionally, but she’s still Ivy Lynn at the core. She’s still trying to make some big changes,” Hilty says.

Of course, playing Ivy Lynn is more fun than being Ivy Lynn, with all her desperation and her struggles, her pill popping, her sleeping with the director to no avail, her superstar mother who goes out of her way to point out her inferiority and so on. “I love Ivy.  I’m the luckiest, getting to play her.  What I’d like to see happen for her — I

just want her to get something she can enjoy and not feel threatened about, even just for a minute,” she says with a laugh.  “You can take it away from her later.”

Meanwhile, the multi-talented beauty, who rose to her own Broadway fame as Glinda in Wicked and Doralee in 9 to 5: The Musical, has been having a blast doing holiday engagements — especially singing for the President and his family.  Hilty is among the stars in the “Christmas in Washington” benefit concert that will be aired on TNT Dec. 21.

“I remember last year watching it and thinking how beautiful a program it is.  I was so excited when they asked me to be part of it,” says Hilty.  She sings “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” on the special, hosted by Conan O’Brien, that also includes Diana Ross, Scotty McCreery, Demi Lovato and “Gangnam Style” South Korean singer Psy.

With a debut that scored 7.2 million viewers for her “The Closer” spinoff, “Major Crimes,” star Mary McDonnell is looking forward optimistically to word of a Season 2 sometime soon.

With a debut that scored 7.2 million viewers for her “The Closer” spinoff, “Major Crimes,” star Mary McDonnell is looking forward optimistically to word of a Season 2 sometime soon.

Forget internet rumors that have Victoria Principal making a surprise appearance on the “Dallas” continuation that TNT is offering up tomorrow (6/13).

“I’m not sure where those rumors were generated.  I do know that she’s not part of our first season,” says Brenda Strong, who segued from “Desperate Housewives” to becoming the current Mrs. Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy).  “That doesn’t mean that if we continue on that she won’t be a part in some way.  Our executive producers haven’t denied the possibility of any of the older character coming back”.

As you are likely aware, Larry Hagman and Linda Gray are back, along with Duffy, in addition to brief guest turns by Charlene Tilton and Ken Kercheval.  As far as the new guard, TNT has hit a gusher with the oh-so-watchable Jesse Metcalfe, Josh Hamilton, Jordana Brewster and Julie Gonzalo.

Brenda’s character, Ann, is a perfect fit into theTexasclan.  She and Bobby have been wed seven years as viewers rejoin the action at Southfork Ranch.  “InLos Angeles, that’s a long-term marriage,” she quips.

Brenda says that the new and original cast members bonded so well and spent so much time together while shooting in Dallas, “That long-term friendship of Larry and Linda and Patrick started bleeding over into the rest of us.  We wanted to spend time together, so we did.  I think part of it is that we all got lifted up out of our normal lives and deposited into this magical place half-way across the country.”

Hence, Jesse and Patrick would be out horseback riding together while Brenda and Julie were working on their shotgun skills at the target range.  Cast members went to concerts together, or met to view episodes of the original series.  “Julie had all 14 seasons,” notes Brenda.

As far as whether the zeitgeist is right for Ewings2, she points out, “There are similarities between now and the ’70s.  We’re in an economic crisis, and that’s the climate we had then.  That’s why people love to hate J.R. Ewing — because he’s a man with a lot of money and a lot of immorality.  I think in a lot of ways, it’s a guilty pleasure for those who are struggling to escape to a more rich and decadent environment.  In that respect, we’re right on the money — no pun intended.”

LeVar Burton is in a whirlwind of activity as he prepares for the launch of his “Reading Rainbow” app.

“This has been my life for the last few years, every single day along the way,” enthuses the actor, who helped countless kids develop a love for reading as host and executive producer of PBS’s 26 Emmy-winning, 1983-2006 “Reading Rainbow.”

“This has been one of my life goals.  I’ve been wanting to get ahold of the ‘Reading Rainbow’ brand for a long, long time and take it in a direction that would work for today’s kids.  I’m a big technology fan.  What we have today affords a level of engagement that’s tremendous.  We’re all captivated by these tablet devices.”

LeVar tells us his daughter graduated from high school over the weekend and his granddaughter graduates from high school this week.  And after that, he’ll be throwing himself into promotion for the project.

“We’ll be launching the 19th in New York.  The app will be in stores on the 20th.  I’ll be on Jimmy Fallon that day, and do a radio press tour.  I’ll be online with mommy bloggers, talking to reporters.  We’ll really be making a full court press,” says the amiable actor, who rose to fame as Kunta Kinte in the groundbreaking “Roots” mini series.  “I think this might be the first time a celebrity is going on a press tour for an app, not a movie or television show.  It’s a sign of the changing nature of things in this time.”

It doesn’t hurt that Burton is also stepping back into the TV series spotlight come July 9, in TNT’s “Perception,” which has Eric McCormack as an FBI consultant/genius neuroscientist who has a uniquely enhanced view of the world — by way of his barely-controlled schizophrenia.

“Star Trek: The Next Generation” veteran Burton became involved due to his past association with show creators Ken Biller and Mike Sussman.  “They worked on ‘Star Trek: Voyager’ and I was a director on a lot of those.  Ken is one of the smartest writers I know.  I knew that he would handle mental illness and how this man’s brain operates in a really sophisticated and compassionate way — and he has not disappointed.  The episodes have not disappointed,” says Burton, who plays a dean at the university where McCormack’s character works on the show.  “And Eric — he’s one of the most talented actors we have in the business.  I think his fans from ‘Will & Grace’ will be really amazed.”

Noah Wyle says he’s been enjoying a little down time of late, doing daddy duty and decompressing after wrapping four and a half months’ worth of production of his TNT “Falling Skies” series’ second season.  Sounds like he needed it.

After Season 1, “An amnesia settles in that is analogous to childbirth,” says the erudite star with a smile.

“You forget how painful it was to go through.  It’s a tough show to produce, a tough show to execute.  We do very little work on soundstages.  We’re outdoors in inclement weather; we know what Vancouver winters are all about.  But, you know, a little state of deprivation and discomfort strengthens the camaraderie among the cast.”

According to Noah, viewers can expect the new season — launching June 17 — to be even bigger than the first season of the Steven Spielberg-produced drama in which human resistance fighters are struggling to survive against alien invaders.  It’s bigger, at least in terms of production, that is.  “It started with getting a little bit more money to spend on the episodes, more on spaceships and aliens, more action on the show,” Noah tells us.

Last week, the former “ER” star was time-tripping backwards — decked out in a 1960s-style three-piece suit for his role as one-time Mattel CEO Art Spear in the big screen “Snake and Mongoose.”  The film covers the real-life story of drag racers Don “The Snake” Prudhomme and Tom “The Mongoose” McEwen, whose famous rivalry inspired the Hot Wheels toys.  In July, he will film “Scribble,” an independent feature about “a group of amateur writers tearing each other to shreds.”

Of his schedule, he says, “It’s not too bad.  I’m only working a few days on each movie.”  Which leaves more time for Noah, who has been separated from his wife since 2010, to spend with nine-year-old son Owen and six-year-old daughter Auden.  He credits “Falling Skies” for “giving me street credibility with my son’s third grade class.  They’re actually more interested in it than he is.”  The show is inappropriate for Auden, he adds.  “But they’ve both been to the set numerous times.”

Ben McKenzie, Shawn Hatosy

Fans of TNT’s critically-admired “Southland” police drama can expect to see things lighten up some for Shawn Hatosy’s character on the new season of the show launching Jan. 17.

Last season, his Detective Sammy Bryant went into a tailspin following his partner’s death in a gang shooting.  But now, back to being a uniformed patrol cop, Bryant is partnered with Ben McKenzie’s  Officer Ben Sherman, and they’ve developed “a certain levity that was missing,” he says.  “This is an opportunity for us to see cops in a very masculine setting, at their best and having fun — in their element and enjoying themselves.”

Hatosy notes, “When I first came on ‘Southland,’ I thought that being a detective was going to be cool, and it was.  I was resistant to the idea of changing into a street cop — until I saw what the episodes were looking like.  Yeah, I like driving on the show, and driving fast, and taking sharp turns and driving up alleys.  I haven’t experienced all this before.  It’s just as fun as it looks.”  In fact,  “For me, it’s a whole new character.  I think he’s never been more comfortable than he is now.  This suits him better.”

Hatosy himself has undergone changes, too.  “When I started on ‘Southland,’ I had just quit smoking and I was 30 pounds heavier — I couldn’t believe it.  If you don’t smoke, don’t start,” he digresses.  “Now I’ve had three seasons of getting into shape.  We’re a cast that is very in shape.  The show requires a lot of physicality,” he says of the series, on which Lucy Liu makes her debut the 17th.

“The style is our own.  The cameras we use are small and mobile and we do things that other shows can’t do.  Yeah, we get doubled sometimes, jumping off tall buildings and things like that, but we do a lot of our own  stunts.”

Kathy Najimy, Scottie Thompson TNT photo

Scottie Thompson, who teams with Kathy Najimy in TNT’s “Deck the Halls” mystery movie tonight (12/20), says she’d be wide open to reprising her role as Regan Reilly from the best-selling series of novels by Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark.  That is especially if she could keep working with Najimy.

“She’s one of my favorite people — really creative and funny.  She infused this piece with so much comedy.  It would be fun to explore our characters’ relationship more deeply,” says Thompson.   

She tells us that she and Najimy would get together between camera calls to put extra work into their two disparate sleuths — her dynamic young detective character, created by Carol Higgins Clark, and Najimy’s cleaning lady/amateur crime solver, invented by Carol’s mother, Mary.  “You could make those little moments, those subtle moments that differentiate a character, really perfect with the right attention.  Kathy and I would sit down at night and make sure we knew where we’d be playing every moment,” says the “Trauma” actress.

“Deck the Halls” is the last of six adaptations of best-selling novels, airing since last month, that have been talked as the network’s attempt to resurrect the TV Mystery Movie genre — with Bill Pullman, Marcia Gay Harden, John Corbett, Carla Gugino, Dermot Mulroney and Anne Heche among the names on board.  Behind-the-scenes talent has been top shelf as well.  “Deck the Halls” was directed by Ron Underwood (“City Slickers,” “Tremors”).

“We were filming at a really fast pace — 18 filming days for a 105-page script,” Thompson recalls.  “I’d worked with Ron Underwood before…He was calm and determined all along the way.”

Carol Higgins Clark was not only on the set, Thompson says, she has a part in one scene as well.

Aldis Hodge TNT photo

Leverage” costar Aldis Hodge, fresh back from London and the first “Leverage” convention in the U.K., still sounds somewhat awed by the fan interaction there.

“I know it sounds a little weird, but there was this woman who made these really awesome dolls of everyone in the cast — hand-stitched and everything. It shows the kind of time and dedication people devote to this show,” he says.   Did she capture him? “I don’t know if she captured me, but she definitely captured Hardison,” he answers, referring to his character.

There were also funny moments. Hodge relates that he and his mom were in an elevator when a fan told him he had a voice “like dark melted chocolate.” Also, “There was a little four-year-old girl who drew a picture for me. That was pretty cool. That had to be my favorite thing,” he says.

“Leverage” continues to be hugely popular at home, too. With its fifth season already assured, he reports that the team will go back to work in March.

Meanwhile,  Hodge says he likes the occasional departure episodes the series creators have been throwing into the mix this season — including the recent “The Office Job” that borrowed style elements from “The Office” comedy, and the current “Girls Night Out Job”/”Boys Night Out Job” two-parter that ends Sunday (12/18).

“You know, it’s always a risk. I hope the audience loves it, or loves us enough to stay loyal,” he says. “You’ve got to play it year by year. I enjoy taking risks and breaking away now and then.”