TVSquad

"I really wanted to turn around and pop off one of those Columbo questions. You know, the innocuous afterthought that lets the killer know that I know he did it." So goes the voiceover of Mary McCormack (The West Wing) on USA's new original scripted series, In Plain Sight, premiering June 1st at 10/9c with a 76-minute episode, followed by 11 one-hour episodes.

I participated in a conference call this week with McCormack and her co-star Fred Weller (Law & Order: Criminal Intent), who dished about the show and each other. It's clear they have an easy-going camaraderie that will no doubt carry over into the series, and I look forward to checking it out.

Created and written by David Maples (Home Improvement, Huff), and executive produced by Maples and Paul Stupin (Dawson's Creek, Beautiful People), the dramedy revolves around the super-secret U.S. Witness Protection Program (WITSEC).


McCormack stars as Mary Shannon, a U.S. Marshal who relocates federal witnesses -- both career criminals and innocents who've had the misfortune of witnessing a crime. Someone wants them dead, and it's Mary's job to make sure that doesn't happen. At the same time, she has to deal with her own dysfunctional family, including her train-wreck mom, Jinx (Lesley Ann Warren, Desperate Housewives) and younger sister, Brandi (Nichole Hiltz, The Riches).

Weller plays Marshall Mann, Mary's best friend and partner -- "a bit of an oddball character," in his words. "He's a multi-faceted, complicated fellow. He's a trained killer. He speaks a variety of languages. And he can repair his own chest wound from a gunshot" (a la MacGyver).

Also on the scene is Stan McQueen (Paul Ben-Victor, The Wire), Mary and Marshall's boss; Rafael (Cristian de la Fuente, Dancing with the Stars), Mary's on-off boyfriend; and Bobby D (Todd Williams, Third Watch), a local cop who regularly butts heads with Mary.

Eight things you need to know about In Plain Sight:

1. It's a Star Trek thing. "Marshall is frequently a vital source of information for Mary, but sometimes he has the same flaws that Spock displayed, in that his emotional intelligence is sometimes insufficient for the situation," explains Weller. "You need a passionate, go-getter like Mary, so in some ways, it resembles the Spock/Kirk dynamic. If Spock was in love with Kirk."

2. McCormack is geeked about her role. "David Maples has a sort of off-center sensibility, a really special voice," she says. "I felt like the part was written for a boy in that she's complex and edgy. David had a fresh approach to writing a girl, which I appreciated."

3. She's like her character ... and admits it. "We're both a little bit grumpy, acerbic, and quick to judge -- those aren't strengths, but I'm comin' clean. She doesn't believe in anything mystical or magical, and neither do I."

4. Their real-life relationship carries over onto the screen. "There's a fine line between us and the characters at this point," notes Weller. "Mary's a very funny, acerbic person. I try to give it back to her in a lighthearted way." McCormack agrees. "We love each other and know how to push each others' buttons. And we enjoy doing it ... sort of like real life."

5. The series was shot on location in Albuquerque, New Mexico. "I thought it was really cool," says Weller. "Being in the town where the show was actually set gives it an authenticity." McCormack adds, "Apparently, there are quite a few witnesses hiding there, so I don't know if the show will help hide their cover."

6. Shooting a series about a top-secret organization is challenging. "We had an incredible advisor who was the head of the witness program," notes Weller. "He was on the set, and we were able to pick his brain, but it was difficult to research because of how secretive it is." McCormack adds, "Our advisor's job was to make sure we were on the right path, but he couldn't say too much about it."

7. They learned a lot about the witness protection program. "The percentage of innocent people who go into it is much larger than I thought," says Weller. "I assumed it was basically mobsters, but close to 40% are completely innocent people who need protection from organized criminals." McCormack is impressed with their record: "They've never lost a witness. They've never had anyone die."

8. They've got some cool guest stars. Dave Foley (Newsradio) stars as an uncooperative witness under Mary's watch; Sherry Stringfield (ER) becomes the prime suspect when her husband is shot while in the program; Percy Daggs III (Veronica Mars), plays the victim of gang violence whose shooting lands his girlfriend and her family in the program; Wendell Pierce (The Wire) is the patriarch of a relocated family who's not happy about giving up his life; and Jane Adams (Little Children) is a miserably married and devoutly Catholic woman in the program whose husband's untimely death raises a few questions.

As mentioned, I'm really looking forward to this show. Will you be tuning in?