Time for a New Fien Print Mission: Get Kathleen Robertson Employed

I should have claimed victory on this one several weeks ago, but I've been a wee bit busy.

You're welcome, Eric Balfour.

As regular readers of this blog know, last May, I began a crusade: Get Eric Balfour a job. It just seemed unfair to me that the star of "Hawaii," "Fearless," "Convictions," "Sex, Love and Secrets" and "Veritas: The Quest" could possibly go into the fall of 2006 without the possibility of having a single show fail. I went through every network pilot and offered suggestions on roles that Balfour could play. Instead, Balfour opted to return to "24," a show he'd previously failed to kill, rather than starting something new and when we talked to network presidents last month at the TCA press tour, not a single one of them had the nerve to suggest that the absence of Balfour was a direct cause of the swift failure of so many serialized dramas this season. Lesson learned. Balfour's Milo Pressman has had an enhanced profile this season, even getting to go into the field in this week's episode, showing off some evasive driving and hand grenade skillz. But don't expect Milo to be around forever, since Balfour has already been cast as a cop in CBS' mighty generic-sounding "Protect and Serve," which also features Monica Potter, a blandly lovely actress whose string of pilot failures is slowly approaching Balfour-ian heights (and yet I'll always support her just a bit because she was in "Without Limits"). There's no guarantee that "Protect and Serve" will get picked up, given how few holes CBS' schedule has and given the presence of Eric Balfour, but I feel like I've done my job.

Time for a new mission.

To be fair, I already started a new mission, my quest to get FOX's misunderstood (perhaps even by its stars) "Method & Red" released on DVD. Special thanks to those of you who signed my petition, all 18 of you. But it isn't too late to go and sign now.

I can wait.

Thank you.

OK. But my new mission is this: I want to see Kathleen Robertson on a primetime network series (or perhaps a top-tier cable series) by next fall. Now, more than ever, the world needs Claire the Chancellor's Slutty Daughter back in primetime. The major difference between this and my Balfour-esque quest is that I actually like Kathleen Robertson. It's not just that I was a "Beverly Hills 90210" devotee or that I watched all aired episode of "girls club." I also watched one episode of IFC's entirely unfunny Hollywood satire "The Business" and I totally would have watched Robertson's guest appearance on "Medium" if somebody had just warned me about it beforehand. I liked her in "Splendor," "XX/XY" and "Hollywoodland," while she and Anna Faris are the only two people I don't blame for "Scary Movie 2," the least funny movie ever made. She's beautiful, Canadian and, from what I can tell, a totally serviceable actress. Why would a casting director want to hire Monica Potter instead of Kathleen Robertson? I'm just not sure I understand. If Brian Austin Green got to be a primetime TV "star" for a full season last year, shouldn't Robertson get another shot?

Keep in mind that without Robertson, Hilary Swank might not even exist today. Steve Sanders was dating Claire the Chancellor's Slutty Daughter until Robertson exited at the end of Season Seven. That left Steve in desperate need of a new love interest. Enter single mom Carly (Swank). Next thing you know, Hilary Swank has two Oscars.

Currently, I'm powerless to do anything more than watch the trades to see if Robertson has been cast in anything. Heck, I don't even know if she's auditioning. But if upfronts role around in May without her popping up, I'll be viewing every pilot with her in mind.

Are you with me?

Good. Now go sign that "Method & Red" petition.

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