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Mystery disease crosses two series NBC dramas face the same emergency in a crossover storyline that "makes sense." By Kate O'Hare Zap2it.Com "This is a rarity in network television," says "Third Watch" executive producer Ed Bernero, "in that it's a crossover that actually makes sense." On this Monday at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, Bernero is sitting on a low wall under a fake tree outside the National Institutes of Health office sets of "Medical Investigation." The freshman medical-mystery drama airs Fridays on NBC after the police/paramedic/firefighter drama "Third Watch," currently in its sixth season. Friday starting at 8 p.m. the two shows cross over in a storyline that tracks a mystery illness striking New York City, where "Third Watch" is set and filmed. The story begins on "Third Watch," with "MI" (as it's called on the set) characters Dr. Stephen Connor (Neal McDonough) and Dr. Natalie Durant (Kelli Williams) coming to New York because a captured thief displays symptoms of a fast-spreading contagion, and his also-infected accomplice is still on the run. Musician Wyclef Jean guest stars. Then on "Medical Investigation," the symptoms strike "Third Watch" paramedic Carlos Nieto (Anthony Ruivivar), causing concern for his girlfriend, paramedic Holly Levine (Yvonne Jung, Ruivivar's real-life wife). In the current scene, Levine stares helplessly through a window as Connor and "Third Watch" Detective Faith Yokas (Molly Price) have a disagreement at Ruivivar's bedside. They take their argument out into the hall, only to be interrupted when "MI's" Dr. Miles McCabe rushes in with an announcement. The scene requires several takes, partly because when Connor asks McCabe if it's certain that a new patient has the same disease, Gorham must spit out a line that includes the tongue-twisting "maculopapular rash." "Whatever that means," Gorham says. "I have no idea." At one point, Gorham gets a big laugh by responding to Connor's "They sure?" with, "Yeah, come on." The crossover storyline isn't a stretch because in "MI," Connor, Durant, McCabe and the other NIH team members travel all over America to probe outbreaks. "And we deal with medical stuff," Bernero says. "We have paramedics. We don't have Boston detectives going to Las Vegas." (That's a sideswipe at NBC's forensic drama "Crossing Jordan," which recently crossed over with "Las Vegas.") "This makes sense," Bernero continues. "It's going to help both of us. It was easy, just write a script like any other Third Watch script, and when they would normally call someone else, they just call these Medical Investigation characters." The following week, McDonough and Williams are set to head East to film segments on the streets in frigid New York. Originally excited to be part of the crossover, Ruivivar says, "Then I got reports that I was going to be bleeding from every orifice, so I was less excited. I'm in the lightest stage now, and I still looked like death warmed over. Then they'll start adding the blood and sweat and other stuff. It'll be fun." McDonough is eager to do some time on the streets of Gotham, no matter how cold it is. "I'm looking forward to it," McDonough says. "There's still going to be snow, but it'll be muddy, nasty-looking snow, which is going to be great. I love it when it's cold outside. When it gets hot here in California, I'm inside. I can't deal with it." Right now, neither drama has a pickup for fall, so a little cross-promotion couldn't hurt either show's chances. |