Posted: Mon., Jan. 3, 2011, 6:49am PT
'Mentalist' hypnotizes Gaul
Highest-rating series in France
By John Hopewell, Elsa Keslassy


He might not have caught Red John, but "The Mentalist's" Patrick Jane certainly hypnotized France.
Some 38 episodes, which broadcaster TF1 airs on Wednesdays in primetime, appeared in Gaul's top 100 list of most-watched TV shows for 2010.
Produced by Bruno Heller for Warner Bros. TV, "Mentalist" ranked as France's top TV series in a year with few TV ratings hits.
As in recent years, U.S. imports held sway. "House" registered 11 top 100 rankings, "CSI" six, "Criminal Minds" five and "CSI: Miami" three.
Only six French series made the cut, led by three episodes of TF1's Monday primetime comedy "Une famille formidable," which first aired 1992 and wrapped its eighth season last year.

 

THE MENTALIST #29 IN USA, BUT NO1 IN FRANCE

 

CBS’s The Mentalist is #29 in season to date (through 12/26/10) adults 18-49 ratings (#7 in average viewership) among US broadcast television shows, but according to Variety it was the #1 show in France.
Not that the show is in any current danger of cancellation, but fans just might want to bookmark that story for future fan excuse bingo purposes.
Vive, le Patrick Jane!

 

Tim Kang Interview with collider.com - 2nd January 2011:
Excerpt:

Part of the success of the show was that we just clicked, from the beginning, in the pilot episode. We are close enough, in our values and our personalities as individuals, that when we came together in the pilot, it just clicked. I immediately liked hanging out with Simon [Baker], Robin [Tunney], Owain [Yeoman] and Amanda [Righetti], and that’s still true today. When you walk into a room, you know whether you like a person or not. It was one of those things. The five of us walked into the room together and we just liked each other, and I think that translates. I think that’s a bigger part of why we are where we are. That’s that chemistry and that gelling that happened between the cast members, from day one. You can tell when the cast is having fun together and having a good time doing what they’re doing, and I think that comes out when we work together.

 

 

 

 

Wild man invited to join dance show From: Sunday Herald Sun December 19, 2010 12:00AM ORIGINAL Aussie TV adventurer Alby Mangels is the latest name to be linked to Dancing with the Stars.
Mangles , 62, works in Vanuatu and has been invited to be part of the next series according to New Idea.

(You'll also find some other photos of Simon and his family at the wedding in the New Photos section of the Photo Gallery)

 

Excerpt:

Lots of Hollywood sparkle at star-studded wedding: Here come the guests ... Naomi Watts, above, played the dutiful bridesmaid to Emma Cooper, while actor Simon Baker was among the guests.

 

 

Interview with Eric Winter (Craig O'Laughlin), Excerpt:

 

CE: What can you tell me about your new role on CBS' "The Mentalist" of Agent Craig O'Laughlin, and what fans can expect from his appearance?

EW: Well, I'm kind of learning myself to keep a lot of stuff under wraps. But what I do feel is there has to be something else there. I don't think I'm just an FBI guy that came on and happened to find (Grace) Van Pelt attractive. I honestly don't know. But I know that my character is an ex-football player who is in the FBI. I go back in a couple of weeks to shoot other episodes. And I have a few more episodes lined up for next year. My goal is to keep this character all business. He's hot stuff, but he's not a jerk. He's not a jerk, in my mind, with Van Pelt. And he's not doing anything wrong. She and Rigsby were broken up, so it's sort of fair territory. It's just a really funny, awkward situation.

CE: Were you worried coming in, because even though Van Pelt and Rigsby were broken up, there are bound to be fans who are upset?

EW: Yeah, you're always going to get that. But hopefully with the way I treat her and the way I portray my character, people ... Read more »