David Kronke was appointed Mayor of Television after a bloodless coup in 2000. Since then, he has improved infrastructure, championed greater educational opportunities and fought for reforms that have utterly erased corruption and incompetence from the television industry. Since Mr. Kronke has ascended to power, Television is a far better place. Joe Mantegna joins the pervy "Criminal Minds"
You know that thing we did last week about Harvey Keitel joining the cast of “Criminal Minds?” Eh, not so much.
Instead, Joe Mantegna – an actor with a far more affable persona – will join the cast in the fifth episode of the upcoming season. Though, if the press release is to be believed, he’s joining the show to work the craft-services table:
“He's an incredible actor, a genuinely nice person and, as a fellow Chicagoan, I can tell you he makes fantastic Italian Beef sandwiches and Chicago Style Hot Dogs,” said executive producer Ed Bernero.
Like Keitel, however, he has a role in his past that’ll help him fit right in with the show’s high twisted factor: In David Mamet’s terrific “Homicide,” he played a Jewish detective who allowed himself to be seduced by a Jewish group into terrorizing a neo-Nazi group.
Meanwhile, Mandy Patinkin shot one last scene to ostensibly provide closure for his character on the series. Sources told TVGuide.com that no one in the cast wanted to work with him after his 11th-hour abandonment of the show.
I spoke with a couple of the cast members during TV Press Tour just after the Battleship Patinkin departed the “Criminal Minds” waters, and they didn’t sputter the sort vitriol that squares with that scenario. Paget Brewster, in fact, seemed still to consider the guy quite lovely and said she hoped to keep in touch with him and wasn’t at all miffed that he might’ve torpedoed the first really successful show, ratings-wise, upon which she has had a starring role.
Memo to next producer who hires Mandy to star on their show: Go ahead, let him sing “Danny Boy” once, even if it’s not germane to your plotline. It may not help in the long run, but then again, it might buy you an extra season before he bolts.