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The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, February 5, 2016 2 By Kyla Brewer TV Media E veryone loves an Oscar winner. Bringing in an Academy Award winner is a surefire way to create a buzz around a series, but one medical drama is taking an unexpected approach with ac- claimed actor Denzel Wash- ington ("Training Day," 2001). Instead of showing off his act- ing chops on screen, he stepped behind the camera to direct the midseason premiere of "Grey's Anatomy," which airs Thursday, Feb. 11, on ABC. In January, a promo for the Washington-directed episode sent fans into a frenzy as they speculated what had hap- pened to Meredith (Ellen Pompeo, "Old School," 2003) after she was shown face down on the floor and later bloodied and wearing an oxy- gen mask. Kelly McCreary ("Emily Owens M.D."), who plays Meredith's half sister Dr. Maggie Pierce, revealed some details at the Television Critics Association panel: "Meredith gets attacked by someone you would least ex- pect and it is just as terrifying, shocking and harrowing as it appears." Created by television hit- maker Shonda Rhimes ("Scandal"), "Grey's Anato- my" chronicles the day-to-day lives of doctors at Seattle's Grey Sloan Memorial Hospi- tal. Pompeo leads the cast as Dr. Meredith Grey, a role that earned her a Golden Globe nomination in 2007. She's been with the series for all 12 seasons, along with Chandra Wilson ("Philadelphia," 1993) as Dr. Miranda Bailey, Justin Chambers ("The Wedding Planner," 2001) as Dr. Alex Karev, and James Pickens Jr. ("The X-Files") as Dr. Richard Webber. Other notable cast members include Sandra Oh ("Sideways," 2004) as Dr. Cristina Yang, who left the show after season 10, and Patrick Dempsey ("Sweet Home Alabama," 2002) as Dr. Derek Shepherd (a.k.a. "Mc- Dreamy" to fans), who left af- ter season 11. The current ensemble cast of "Grey's" also includes Sara Ramirez ("Sofia the First") as Dr. Callie Torres, Kevin McKidd ("Trainspotting," 1996) as Dr. Owen Hunt, Jessica Capshaw ("The Practice") as Dr. Arizona Robbins, Jesse Williams ("Lee Daniel's The Butler," 2013) as Dr. Jackson Avery, Sarah Drew ("Everwood") as Dr. April Kep- ner, Caterina Scorsone ("Miss- ing") as Dr. Amelia Shepherd, Camilla Luddington ("William & Kate") as Dr. Jo Wilson, Jer- rika Hinton ("Rain," 2006) as Dr. Stephanie Edwards, and Jason George ("Off the Map") as Dr. Ben Warren. Washington's "Grey's Anat- omy" gig may mark the first time he's directed for televi- sion, but he has directed two films for the big screen: "Ant- wone Fisher" (2002) and "The Great Debaters" (2007), both of which he also starred in. And while he may be new to directing for TV, he has a great resource in longtime friend and "Grey's Anatomy" execu- tive producer Debbie Allen ("Fame"), who's directed a number of "Grey's" episodes over the years. It's a good thing, too. With fans champ- ing at the bit to find out what happens next, Washington had his work cut out for him directing the highly anticipat- ed episode penned by writer/ producer Stacy McKee. The episode features a thrilling storyline that could draw viewers back to the medical drama. While "Grey's" used to be all any- one wanted to talk about, the show could use a little resusci- tation in the ratings depart- ment. After sitting among the top 10 series in its first four seasons, the show's overall ratings have steadily declined from almost 20 million regular viewers in its season 2 heyday to 8.5 million tuning in to the midseason finale, which aired in November. It's a good time to inject a little excitement into the se- ries, in the wake of the depar- ture of fan favorite Dempsey last season. Many critics spec- ulated the series wouldn't sur- vive without McDreamy, but it's still performing very well in the all-important 18 to 49 de- mographic. If someone can help turn the tide, it's Washington. After all, he's no stranger to medical dramas — he started out in one. After his film debut in 1981's "Carbon Copy," his ca- reer really took off when he was cast in the hit NBC series "St. Elsewhere." From 1982 until the show's finale in 1988, the actor portrayed Dr. Philip Chandler, endearing himself to millions of televi- sion viewers week after week before making it big on the sil- ver screen. His role as South African anti-apartheid activist Steven Biko in "Cry Freedom" made film critics sit up and take no- tice in 1987. He followed that up with his Oscar-winning turn as an ex-slave soldier in "Glory" (1989) and won an- other Oscar for his portrayal of a corrupt cop in "Training Day" (2001). With a career spanning three decades, the actor has amassed a number of other notable film credits, including "Malcolm X" (1992), "Philadelphia" (1993), "The Hurricane" (1999) and "Remember the Titans" (2000). Some more recent credits include "Flight" (2012) and "The Equalizer" (2014). For his acclaimed body of work, Washington was recent- ly awarded one of Holly- wood's biggest honors. At the 73rd Annual Golden Globes, he became the third black ac- tor ever to be recognized with the Cecil B. DeMille Award, the Golden Globes' lifetime achievement honor. Hopefully, he'll bring that golden touch to his work di- recting "Grey's." Don't miss the Oscar winner's television directorial debut in "Grey's Anatomy," returning with its midseason premiere Thursday, Feb. 11, on ABC. Robynwood Home 2 x 2 coverstory Chandra Wilson as seen in "Grey's Anatomy" Down and Denzel Oscar winner directs new 'Grey's Anatomy' By Adam Thomlison TV Media Q: When is the next season of "Hell on Wheels " going to start? A: Never. (Sorry, but I figure if you're a fan of this show, you can stand a bit of brutal directness. And my other option was a joke about the show's setting freezing over, which wouldn't have been very funny.) AMC announced before the debut of the show's fifth sea- son, which aired last summer, that it would be the show's last. The viewership numbers vindicated that call: Ratings for season 5 were down by nearly 14 percent from season 4, which itself had dropped from the previous year (hence the de- cision to cancel it). The final season averaged just 1.8 million viewers. By contrast, fellow AMC drama "The Walking Dead" averaged just over 13 million last year. Of course, when he announced the show's cancelation, AMC president Charlie Collier didn't talk about those num- bers. "With season 5 of 'Hell on Wheels,' we are proud to bring our transcontinental journey to conclusion for the large, loyal audience that has traveled with Cullen Bohannon and his crew for so many years." Q: Did Sandra Bullock do anything before "Speed"? A: You don't just get a role like the co-lead in 1994's action smash "Speed" for nothing — you've got to work for it. San- dra Bullock landed it after having an incredibly busy 1993. She appeared in six films that year alone, including starring turns in "Demolition Man," "Fire on the Amazon," "The Thing Called Love" and "When the Party's Over," all of which you can be forgiven for forgetting about. However, they all have a higher profile than another big role she had pre-"Speed." In 1990, she starred in "Working Girl," a failed attempt at turning the hit '80s comedy film into a sitcom. She played secretary Tess McGill, a role played to greater ac- claim by Melanie Griffith in the 1988 film. And that wasn't even her first attempt at TV stardom. In 1989, she starred in, believe it or not, "Bionic Showdown: The Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman." It was a made- for-TV movie that reunited Lee Majors and Lindsay Wagner as the Six Million Dollar Man and Bionic Woman, but was actually intended as a pilot for a new series starring Bullock as a new bionically enhanced woman. Fortunately for Bullock, the series was never made, and in- stead she went on to the sort of prestigious film career that bi- onic people generally don't get. Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com. Please include your name and town. hollywoodQ&A

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