TV TONIGHT: Frakes directs on "Make It or Break It" among other Trekland veterans

If you are a fan of ABC Family's young gymnast saga Make It Or Break It — or if you just caught our Trek alumni links on the show last month— be advised that none other than Jonathan "Number One" Frakes is at the helm TONIGHT (9 p.m. ET/PT) for the third episode of the season, "Time Is of the Essence."


Mike DeMeritt, longtime Star Trek 1st assistant director who works this series now (above at right, with Frakes and on-set gymnastic coordinator Tarah Paige), tipped me off last month about some in-jokes coming up in the new season. Here's one to watch for tonight: One character keeps being bothered by incoming cellphone calls and texts, so with the girls vying to be London-bound for the Olympics it was Mike who suggested using Big Ben clock tower chimes for the annoying ring tone.

Mike now sends these clips along from his "reunion" shoot with Frakes...

There's another Treklander afoot in the show reunion, too: perhaps best known as director of "Trials and Tribble-ations,"  DS9's director of photography Jonathan West has the same job for Make It Or Break It —as you can see here:

For true MIOBI fans, Mike also has this hint and prediction for tonight: "Huge story episode, where a lot of things suddenly change; an actor's episode, and it was great they had Frakes on it, for that is his forte —getting performances out of actors.  Will be a fan favorite for sure."

Meanwhile, "Number One" here gives Cassie Scerbo ("Lauren Tanner") last- minute directions before shooting....

And shares another directorial minute with Cassie and also Ayla Kell ("Payson Keeler") ...

...but in the end it's always just about holding down the hub of frenzied activity between takes with cast and crew alike.

 Don't forget: By the way, Mike's colorful book Poetry and Prose From The Director's Ass is still available on Amazon! Check it out.

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)

TV WATCH: Two Frakes TONIGHT on Current TV's "Bar Karma"

I hadn't even heard of this intriguing little series—which is why I bet its eighth episode tonight is getting some of the show's bets PR ever.

That's because Jonathan "Riker" Frakes let it be known earlier this week via old-school Twitter—i.e., an email—that his lovely wife Genie Francis was guest-starring in the Bar Karma episode "Three Times a Lady" tonight at 10 pm ET/PT on CurrentTV. What you quickly learn about Bar Karma, if this is all new to you, is that viewers and fans can drive the show directly by submitting story premises.

What Jonathan didn't mention—the shy boy—was that he also DIRECTED IT...the latest in his busy slate of directing gigs. Current.com posted a Q&A with the director, too—with the public revelation that he'd been involved in pitching a new Star Trek TV series to CBS, as had some other names like Bryan Singer and The Shat himself, to no avail.

The rest of the Q&A is here—the show Bar Kama can be found here, but let us know what you think about its vague metaphysical underpinnings, willya?

STV: Jonathan Frakes—one busy guy

I just found a batch of recent video I thought had been lost...!

So yay--here's an always-welcome vid-chat with Number One himself, shot near the end of the 10th annual Lightspeed Fine Art Charity Event in December in the OC. It was the first time to appear there for both of us, as we realized, and a good time to catch up. He's up to his eyeballs with directing jobs, and on some of the top one-hours on the networks... a busy life since he moved back to L.A. from his teaching turn. This chat will get you ready for his airings and reruns ... plus, Jonathan's first acting gig since Nemesis.

His adorable wife Genie Francis, a celeb in her own right of course, came along and had copies of her Christmas carol CD benefiting The Children's Mission in Cuernavaca, Mexico, getting 100% of her profit share—and still available on Amazon and iTunes.

If you're a Castle fan—and you should be!—I got a very catty anecdote out of him from his episode. Now we just need to get him on Chuck next season... Campaign, anyone?



And if you're not a Lightspeed customer, doing so makes you eligible to attend these annual, cozy little clambakes with guests, parties, and direct-bid auctions for their charities. I'd meant to go for years, so thanks to Gary Hasson and his staff who finally got me down.

Oh, and that Frakes, guy, too. Better catch when while you can--he's one bolt of lightning.

STV: A shout-out from our #1 Number One!

Guess who's shuttering his Rutgers office and headed back to L.A. with projects already in the pipeline?

Get it all in this quickie catch-up with Jonathan Frakes—and midway through catch my new "unframed unhinged" cinematography, courtesy the ever-present Comic-Con mob...



(And no, trivheads, this entry's title is not a knock against Majel's original character.)