Today's Entertainment

Delany a tough medical examiner in ‘Body of Proof’ By Jacqueline Cutler © Zap2it TV shows, especially comedies, sometimes have a signature phrase that may be slightly amusing until it’s re- peated so often it’s annoying. Rarely, though, do dramas come out with a line that’s memorable. ABC’s “Body of Proof,” premiering Tuesday, March 29, has one that reverberates, even months after the initial viewing. The pilot was originally shown to critics last summer, then the network held the series in reserve. Still that line haunts. It happens when Dr. Me- gan Hunt (Dana Delany) talks about one of the two seismic events in her life — losing custody of her daughter. Hunt explains to her work partner, Peter Dunlop (Nicholas Bishop), that her ex-husband was awarded full custody “because a man who works for 18 hours a day is a good provider, and a woman who does the same is an ab- sentee mother.” “A lot of women are react- ing to it,” Delany says of that line. “We all know someone (in this scenario). Men say why does she have to be a know-it-all? No, she’s smart; I don’t feel she’s a b... .” Hunt’s other seismic event was, literally, a train wreck of an accident. The pilot does a long ago that Jill Hennessy starred in “Crossing Jordan.” Megan, though, is a differ- ent character, more elegant, better educated, richer and more seasoned. With that maturation comes a fraying of the reserves of patience. Just how much nonsense does she need to hear from people who think they have a clue when she’s already solved the murder? Impressed by her abili- ties, her partner, former cop Dunlop, also deals with those she’s infuriating. “I’m kind of like her con- “Body of Proof” premieres Tuesday on ABC. great job of showing how she came to be where she is. Highly educated, success- ful and doing the intricate work of a neurosurgeon, Hunt was arguing with her ex-hus- band on the phone while driv- ing. It was a typical argument of dividing responsibilities between parents. After the accident, Hunt thought she was recovered. Yet when she returned to the operating room, her hands went numb. Hunt killed a pa- tient on the operating table. Her career as a neurosur- geon was over. Still, she could apply her experience and education, Stutzman MOTOR SALES , INC. Goshen’s Finest Pre-Owned Vehicles Since 1964 10 Chevrolet Malibu LTZ 4 dr., loaded, V6, heated leather seats, climate control, silver, 8,000 mi. 10 Pontiac G6 4 dr., loaded, 4 cyl., p. sunroof, tilt, cruise, CD, red, 17,000 mi. 09 Toyota Camry XLE 4 dr., loaded, 4 cyl., p. seat, heated leather seats, p. sunroof, CD, charcoal, 33,000 mi. 08 Buick Lacrosse CX 4 dr., loaded, p. seats, tilt, cruise, CD, silver, 37,000 mi. 08 Chevrolet Impala LT 4 dr., loaded, heted leather seats, tilt, cruise, remote start, CD, red, 36,000 mi. 08 Chevrolet Impala LT 4 dr., loaded, heated leather seats, p. sunroof, CD, black, 47,000 mi. 07 Cadillac DTS 4 dr., loaded, heated eather seats, sunroof, navigation, CD, sandstone, 121,000 mi. 06 Chevrolet Impala LS 4 dr., loaded, p. seat, tilt, cruise, CD, silver, 48,000 mi. 06 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx LTZ 4 dr., loaded, heated leather seats, sunroof, chrome wheels, CD, remote start, burgundy, 73,000 mi. 06 Saturn Ion2 Coupe loaded, 4 cyl., 5 spd., p. sunroof, aluminum wheels, silver, 55,000 mi. 04 Buick Park Avenue 4 dr., heated leather seats, cass./CD, local owner, white, 95,000 mi. 04 Chevrolet Malibu LS 4 dr., loaded, A/C, tilt, CD, blue, 74,000 mi. 08 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT 4 dr., loaded, Stow-n-Go, p. seat, p. sliding doors, CD, silver, 34,000 mi. 08 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT 4 dr., loaded, Stow-N-Go, p. seat, rear A/C, one owner, blue, 35,000 mi. 07 Chevrolet Trailblazer LS 4X4 4 dr., loaded, p. seat, CD, hitch, p. sunroof, burgundy, 32,000 mi. US 33 West, Goshen • 533-1166 Monday-Friday 5 am-3 pm Sat. & Sun. 6 am-3 pm Serving Breakfast All Day Lunch • Daily Specials 5230 BECK DRIVE (at CR 17) ELKHART • 574-333-3910 8 The Goshen News • Viewer’s Choice • Saturday, March 26 - Friday, April 1, 2011 Now Open so she became a medical examiner. “I lost my child to my ca- reer, then I lost my career to that damned accident,” Hunt says. To help inform the char- acter, Delany met with two female physicians at the top of their fields, a neurosurgeon and a medical examiner. She even attended an autopsy. “I was more nervous going in because of what people said to me,” Delany says. “The guy was naked. I looked at him sideways. He had these bright blue eyes. And I thought, ‘Did I date him?’ Then I realized, no. He was a transient. It says something about your taste.” She didn’t flinch as she watched the incision into the cranium. “Once they pull the face down, he stops being a per- son,” Delany says. This sort of research helps Delany as Dr. Hunt look believable while examining corpses. She picks up many clues, though, from the living. Of course she figures out who did it long before the cops. Yes, we have seen smart female medical exam- iners miles ahead of every- one else. It wasn’t all that science,” Bishop says of his character. “I’m the only person besides her daughter who can look her in the eye and say, ‘You are out of line.’ ” Bishop, whose work has mostly been in Australia, says he’s learning a lot from Delany, who shone on “Desperate Housewives” and “China Beach.” “She has been at it a long time and is so fantastic at what she does,” Bishop says. Bishop says people will invariably compare Megan to a female Dr. House “because she has such a bold person- ality and is such a strong fig- ure and so smart. She is not afraid to annoy people.” Among those she annoys is her boss, Dr. Kate Murphey (Jeri Ryan, “Boston Public”). But Murphey is hardly the type to be cowed. “I consciously make the decision” to play smart women,” Ryan says. “I was a National Merit Scholar. Playing dumb blondes is not interesting to me.” And playing some of the other smart woman roles doesn’t attract Delany. “I don’t like lawyer roles,” Delany says. “I like medical roles. I like the guts — liter- ally and figuratively. The body is miraculous. The fact that it works is a miracle.” The characters feel real to both women. GLASSES • CONTACTS • EYE EXAMS • SUNGLASSES EYEWEAR GALLERY 56028 Parkway Ave., Suite E - Elkhart • 574-970-7444 EXPIRES MARCH 31, 2011 50% OFF * EYE David R. Britzke , O.D. *Offer not valid with insurance or other offers. Does not include contact lens fitting fee. www.drbritzke.com Allergies? Asthma? We Can Help! See us for help with: • Headaches • Sinus Pressure • Congestion • Cough • Shortness of Breath Yatin J. Patel, M.D. Diplomate, American Board of Pulmonary Medicine • Sinus Drainage • Watery, Itchy Eyes • Sneezing • Fatigue • Skin Rash Sneeze & Snooze C L I N I C 2417 South Berkshire, Goshen 574-534-9911 www.md4lungs.com Watch informational videos on our website. Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. “Working around death, she very much lives her life to the fullest,” Ryan says of Dr. Murphey. “She is obviously very intelligent. She is the first woman chief of medical examiners in Philadelphia. She didn’t get to where she is without ruffling some feath- ers.” And the same would have to be said for Dr. Hunt. “Every bit of research I have done has reinforced my belief in the show,” Delany says. 13024 US 20, Middlebury • 574-825-2965 MARCH ALIGNMENT BILL’S COLLISION SPECIAL SERVICE Weblinks The gymnastics drama “Make It or Break It” returns to ABC Family with new episodes on Monday. Catch all the action in the gym and out at abcfamily.go.com/shows/make-it-break-it Season three of Showtime’s “Nurse Jackie” begins on Mon- day, starring Edie Falco as a woman who battles herself and her addictions. Learn more at www.sho.com/site/nurse- jackie/home.sho Monday on ABC Family, “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” starts a new season of adolescent angst. Click on Deborah Ponce, RN, MSN, NP-C Nurse Practitioner Our friendly staff is ready to help you! S PECTRU M EXAM $ 5 9 9 5 Now Accepting Medicare

• Cover