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The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, June 23, 2017 4 By Kyla Brewer TV Media T here is no such thing as typical television any- more. While traditional dramas and sitcoms are still key landmarks on the prime- time landscape, the rise of ca- ble giants has produced TV se- ries that push boundaries in ways network shows cannot. One of those boundary- pushing series is AMC's "Preacher," and it returns with a two-night event beginning Sunday, June 25, and continu- ing Monday, June 26, on AMC. Dominic Cooper ("Captain America: The First Avenger," 2011) stars as West Texas preacher Jesse Custer, who's on a mission to find God — lit- erally — in the drama, which has garnered a reputation for its stunning visuals, offbeat comedy and thrilling horror. Based on the '90s DC Vergi- to comic book series by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon, "Preacher" was created by Seth Rogen ("Knocked Up," 2007), Sam Catlin ("Breaking Bad") and Evan Goldberg ("Superbad," 2007), and picked up by AMC in Septem- ber 2015. Its 10-episode first season premiered in May 2016 and proved so popular that an expanded 13-episode second season was announced before the end of June that year. AMC executive Charlie Col- lier had high praise for the se- ries when the renewal was an- nounced: "What Sam, Seth, Evan and the entire creative team have achieved in bring- ing Garth Ennis' graphic novel to the screen is extraordinary," Collier said. "We look forward to more time with these unfor- gettable characters, be it in heaven, hell, Texas or beyond." In the series, a disillusioned Custer has been possessed by a mysterious entity known as Genesis, which gives him the power to compel others to do exactly what he wants. Known as "the Word of God," the power forces listeners to obey Custer's commands, so long as they can hear and understand them. Armed with the Word and deadly hand-to-hand combat skills thanks to his sor- did and violent past, the preacher sets out to find God and make him answer for his actions. The entity Genesis is apparently the product of a union between an angel and a demon, giving it elements of both good and evil. This season, "Preacher" fol- lows Custer as he embarks on an epic road trip with his allies, who include Tulip O'Hare, played by Academy Award nominee Ruth Negga ("Lov- ing," 2016). A fan favorite, Tu- lip is Custer's gun-toting, high- ly capable ex-girlfriend. Custer's best friend is a charis- matic Irish vampire named Cassidy, portrayed by English actor Joseph Gilgun ("Mis- fits"). Ian Colletti ("Jimmy," 2013) also returns as Eugene Root, a young man with a dis- figured face. Throughout sea- son 1, and presumably season 2, Custer and his friends must elude a bounty hunter with god-like powers known as The Saint of Killers (Graham McTavish, "Outlander"). Trailers for season 2 have fans excited about catching a glimpse of Herr Starr, a villain- ous character from the comics who works for The Grail, a sin- ister organization out to get Custer. However, producers have been keeping mum about who will play this sea- son's big bad. With a large por- tion of the regular cast wiped out by the end of last season thanks to a massive explosion that destroyed Annville, Texas, there are several new cast members hopping on board for season 2. The general consensus among fans and critics is that actor Pip Torrens ("Star Wars: The Force Awakens," 2015) will play Herr Starr, but noth- ing official has been released to confirm the casting. Other new regular cast members in- clude "Game of Thrones" alum Noah Taylor and Julie Ann Emery ("Fargo"). Also, Malcolm Barrett ("Timeless"), Ronald Guttman ("The Hunt for Red October," 1990) and Justin Prentice ("13 Reasons Why") have landed recurring roles in season 2. As with other comic book adaptations, "Preacher" has fans wondering whether the TV show will follow the source material or deviate from it as other series such as "The Walking Dead" and "Game of Thrones" have done. As the group ventures further afield this season, it seems as if the show is about to take a cue from the comics, which were known for hopping around from place to place as Custer searched for God. This season whisks viewers to New Or- leans and even Sin City as Custer continues his quest. He and his friends end up entan- gled in a battle spanning heaven, hell and many points in between. New locations have the po- tential to add even more thrills to a program that's already doing well. More than two million viewers tuned in to the pilot, and the drama held fairly steady throughout its first sea- son. AMC's latest comic book adaptation was among the top cable dramas of 2016 — part of a list that included rat- ings juggernauts "Game of Thrones," "The Walking Dead" and "Fear the Walking Dead." Season 1 proved popular enough to spawn "Talking Preacher," a live after-show hosted by Chris Hardwick, in which guests discuss the night's episode. Viewers can tune into "Talking Preacher" immediately following each new episode. Highly praised for its visuals, "Preacher" has earned a num- ber of industry accolades, in- cluding nominations for the American Society of Cinema- tographers Awards and the Art Directors Guild Awards. The show is also up for a coveted Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Television Series, but fans will have to wait until the awards ceremony June 28 to find out if the quirky horror comedy-dra- ma is a winner. In the meantime, don't miss the season premiere of "Preacher," airing Sunday and Monday, June 25 and 26, on AMC. coverstory Ruth Negga as seen in "Preacher" Gritty comic book series 'Preacher' returns to AMC By Adam Thomlison TV Media Q: Who does the voice of the king in "Trolls"? It sounds like Robin Williams but I know it's not. A: There were actually three kings in the 2016 animated hit "Trolls" — the king of the Trolls, King Peppy, was voiced by Jef- frey Tambor, while the two kings of the villainous Bergens were voiced by John Cleese and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. All three men are certainly funny enough to be mistaken for the late comedic legend Robin Williams, but it's likely Tambor you're thinking of, with his equally baritone and somewhat nervous-sounding voice. These days, Tambor is best known as the star of the critically beloved comedy-drama "Transparent," or as the ethically challenged patriarch of the Bluth family in "Arrested Develop- ment." However, his career stretches back to the late '70s (his first screen role was a bit part in an episode of "Kojak," if you're interested). He's done dozens of voice roles in that time as well — re- cently and notably, he's voiced characters in the 2010 Disney hit "Tangled" and the 2009 hit "Monsters vs. Aliens" by Dis- ney's main animation studio competitor, DreamWorks. As for the other two kings in "Trolls," King Gristle Sr., voiced by "Monty Python" cast member Cleese, and his son and suc- cessor, King Gristle Jr., played by Mintz-Plasse, star of the 2007 comedy "Superbad," they're a little less likely to be mistaken for Williams — Mintz-Plasse's voice is a little too high and squeaky, and Cleese's voice is a little too British. Q: Remember the show "Burn Notice"? I miss that show. What ever happened to the actor who played Jes- se? I thought he was an underrated member of that cast. A: You're right that in a show that made a star of its lead, Jeffrey Donovan ("J. Edgar," 2011), and revived the careers of Bruce Campbell ("Army of Darkness," 1992), Gabrielle Anwar ("The Tudors") and Sharon Gless ("Cagney & Lacey"), the ac- tor who played Jesse, who didn't join as a regular until halfway through the show's run, was a little overshadowed. Coby Bell ("Third Watch") hasn't had as much post-"Burn Notice" success as his castmates, either. However, his profile's about to go way up. Profiles don't go much higher than those of the stars of a new Marvel TV show grounded in the X-Men universe, and Bell has a plum role in the new action series "The Gifted," due to premiere on Fox this fall. Though it won't fea- ture any of the characters from the big-screen X-Men movies, the show is also about mutants and their persecution by fear- ful, bigoted humans. Not that he necessarily needed it, but Bell may have had help getting this role from an old friend: Matt Nix, the creator and writer of "Burn Notice," is also penning "The Gifted." Bell is likely glad to have another regular TV gig, which he hasn't had since 2015 when his syndicated dramedy series "The Game" was canceled after nine years (he moonlighted on that show while also doing "Burn Notice"). In the meantime, he's mostly been doing guest arcs in other shows, such as the Amazon series "Hand of God" in 2017 and "Mad Dogs" in 2016. Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com. Please include your name and town. Personal replies will not be provided. hollywoodQ&A

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