TV TONIGHT: Trek vet Mike DeMeritt teases in-jokes on "Make It or Break It" —and a Frakes episode coming!

Are you a fan of Make It or Break It on ABC Family?
Michael DeMeritt, longtime 1st assistant director on Voyager and then Enterprise who's now starting Season 3 of the series, flagged me last week to let Treklanders know of some cool, old-school in-jokes coming up on the season premiere—TONIGHT.

And since one of our prime foci here at TREKLAND is letting y'all know of the current projects of the greater Trek family, I'm all too happy to oblige—especially when he sends along pics like this... and Number One himself is up soon in the director's rotation. Yep, that's smoooooth Jonny Frakes in the chair behind the lens with the THIRD episode, set to air April 9 (at right, with Mike and actress Tarah Paige); Jonathan West, veteran director of photography of the last five of DS9's seasons, is the DP, too. (More below).

The series story follows young would-be Olympic gymnasts as they train—and in tonight's season opener,  Mike reports on one "Easter egg" to watch out for: "When the kids first get to the USA training center, Austin takes Kaylie and her parents on a tour of the campus and shows them a statue to 'Otis' —a former Assistant Coach who met an unfortunate end at javelin practice. His oversized bust is now a symbol of luck and everyone wants to touch it, but in the Olympic years each team wants to steal it—for whoever has the bust at the end of training has always medalled in the Olympics.  It is a set-up for the season-long battle for ownership of the bronze bust.

"When show creator Holly Sorenson was asked by Production Designer Greg Grande what 'Otis' should look like, she answered, 'Michael DeMeritt!'  So, I gave my best angry Soviet-era scowl and they modeled the bust after me!"

Later, Mike says, in another set-up, the girls' characters come across the new coach's ranking board en route to naming five top finalists, anxious to see if they are listed on the left-side seven columns for prestigious direct training, or the right-side seven columns to work with assistants—those close to already being dropped. "Take a look at who is sitting 'on the bubble' in spot #8," he says, cryptically....

Overall, Mike tells me: "I really wish we had more episodes for this cycle, but I think this is some of the best work we have even done on the show—especially the family day episode."

By the way, Mike's book Poetry and Prose From The Director's Ass is still available on Amazon! Check it out.

No, we can't show the bust or signboard until after airing, so watch tonight and check back—and meanwhile, here's one of Mike's pics shared from the shoot of the THIRD episode with Jonathan directing, and Mike in action as 1st AD. He already says that one will be a pivotal "fan favorite," and we'll have more Treklander pics and teasers then:

The director's team for Episode 3 of Make It or Break It, airing April 9: standing with director Jonathan Frakes (Mr. Tall Guy) from left are Jonathan Miller, Key 2nd AD; fellow Treklander Mike DeMeritt, 1st AD; Iris Huezo, 2nd 2nd AD; Leah Cronican, Base Camp PA; and Kyle Mlodzik, Set PA)