Philip Casnoff Movies

Captain Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine) is distracted from an ongoing murder investigation when he suspects that his wife Karen (Glenne Headly) is having an affair with arrogant young police sergeant Ryan Sharkey (Nicky Katt). Thus it is that Monk (Tony Shalhoub) must not only keep tabs on a murder witness named Gerald (Robert Clendenin), but he must also begin shadowing the elusive Karen. The rest of the story is a maelstrom of wounded feelings, sudden bursts of fisticuffs, and loud remonstrations...and wouldn't you know that, somehow, some way, the destinies of both Sgt. Sharkey and Gerald are inextricably linked? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Joining the cast of the Lifetime network doctor series Strong Medicine during its fifth season is Tamera Mowry as Dr. Kayla Thornton, new first-year resident at Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Women's Health Clinic. Though raised in a rural community, Kayla has returned to her home town of Philadelphia to pursue a medical career that was inspired by the tragic death of her brother. The arrival of Kayla proves to be a blessing for the clinic's male nurse Peter (Josh Coxx), who falls in love with the attractive resident--even though his feelings are not entirely reciprocated, at least not at first. Otherwise, Season Five picks up where Season Four left off, as Dr. Lu Delgado (Rose Blasi), one of Rittenhouse's two medical directors, falls in love with Ben Sanderson (Grant Show), the hospital's chief benefactor. Even so, Lu balks when Ben begs her to come with him when he is transferred to Hawaii. Meanwhile, Lu's partner Dr. Andy Campbell (Patricia Richardson) continues having issues with her daughters Jessie (Michelle Horn) and Lizzie (Morgan Flynn) over her divorce from her abusive husband Les. Andy tries to move on with her life by dating Dr. Milo Morton (Richard Biggs), but this proves difficult thanks to the resistance of her ex-husband. Tragically, Milo is slated to be killed by a drunken motorist, which is one of the motivating factors for Andy to consider giving up the clinic and lobbying for the position of State Attorney General (the other is the fact that she is denied the position of clinic chief of staff, a post recently departed by Dr. Paul Santiago [Philip Casanoff]). Meanwhile, Lu has problems of her own, beginning with the likelihood that her son Marc (Chris Marquette) has gotten a girl pregnant.On a more positive note, Lu enters into a relationship with Jonas Ray (Nestor Carbonel), a self-made millionaire from humble Cuban-refugee origins. Guest stars this season include Olympic athlete Keri Strug) and versatile actresses JoBeth Williams, Lynn Whitfield and Charlotte Rae. The series' 100th episode "Cinderella in Scrubs" manages to find roles for the likes of Fran Drescher, Camryn Manheim and Sara Gilbert. And in the 108th episode "First Response", the series' regulars are shunted into the background while the focus is on Nicole Hiltz and Lauren Velez as Kate and Vanessa, dedicated members of Rittenhouse's EMS team, and foster sisters (one white, one black) in the bargain. Can it be that "First Response" was intended as a spinoff for a new series? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The young man who was stabbed to death outside a pizza parlor is revealed to be N.Y.U. student Andrew Hatcher. Among the clues is the fact that Hatcher's parents were called up on his cell phone -- after his death. The principal suspect would seem to be drug dealer Jimmy Gaines (Gregory Russell Cook), who claims that he found the victim's cell phone in a garbage can. Investigating this alibi, the detectives come across evidence of an attempt to cover up a case of meat contamination. Without revealing more, it can be said that this episode truly lives up to its title. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) swells with pride as his son Frederick (Trevor Einhorn) competes in the National Spelling Bee. Alas, Frasier's pride plays a distant second to anxiety during the big event. Ultimately, however, Frederick emerges as the winner -- until the judges discover that Frasier had been inadvertently "coaching" his son throughout the night by mouthing the correct answers. Can you spell d-i-s-q-u-a-l-i-f-i-e-d? ~ All Movie Guide

The female-centric medical series Strong Medicine launches its first season as Dr. Lydia Emerson, played by series cocreator Whoopi Goldberg) somewhat forcibly negotiates a merger between the financially strapped South Philadelphia storefront clinic run by the feisty and outspoken Dr. Lu Delgado (Rose Blasi) and the upscale Rittenhouse Women's Health Clinic, directed by the prim, Harvard-educated Dr. Dana Stowe (Janine Turner). The instinct-driven Lu and the rule-bound Dana don't get along at first--nor, for that matter, do they get along at second, at third, or at home--forever clashing over procedural matters and bedside manners. Despite this, the ladies develop a grudging respect for one another, and by season's end they could almost be called close friends. In the course of Season One's 22 episodes, Dana develops a romantic relationship with the clinic's egotistical resident Dr. Nick Biancavilla (Brennan Elliott); Lu has issues with her fatherless son Marc (played in the pilot by Paul Robert Santiago, and in the series proper by Chris Marquette, who attends a tough inner-city school; the clinic's dazzlingly handsome but overly sensitive male nurse Peter (Josh Coxx) gets into a variety of pickles with his more eccentric patients, and at one point decides to supplement his income by working as a male model (the producers of this series certainly understand their target audience!); Rittenhouse's chief of staff Dr. Jackson (Philip Casnoff) is suspected of abusing his wife, only to be cleared when it turns out that Mrs. Jackson's many bruises are a result of the early stages of MS; and the clinic's snide, abrasive receptionist Lana (Jenifer Lewis) is given a new perspective on her prickly relationship with her clients when she ends up hospitalized herself. Highlight episodes include the two-parter "BRCA", built around the clinic's Breast Cancer Awareness Weekend; the Christmas-season "Blessed Events", wherein Dr. Jackson fires a kitchen employee for drunkenness, only to find out that woman actually suffers from MLS; and the season finale, "Mortality", in which Dana endures a crisis of faith over a "meltdown" in the OR and Lu tends to a woman who has gone on a hunger strike to save her son from execution. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

As season four of Oz begins, the experimental unit at Oswald State Correctional Facility known as "Emerald City" is not living up to manager Tim McManus' (Terry Kinney) hopes. Ever since he set up the unit, wherein convicts are given more freedom of movement, extra privileges, and the opportunity for advancement, McManus has been frustrated that his good intentions have not paid off in wholesale rehabilitation. In fact, things seem to have gotten worse, with too many murders and suicides occurring within the unit. Hoping to alleviate the situation, McManus' head guard, Murphy (Robert Clohessy), suggests that all the cons -- including those in solitary -- spend an hour each day indulging in healthy recreation. Again, however, the plan fails when a killing takes place during that special hour. With more episodes this season than in previous years (16, compared to the usual eight), Oz is able to devote extra time to a plethora of subplots. One of these involves convicted murderer Shirley Bellinger (Kathryn Erbe), who after losing her unborn baby under suspicious circumstances is sent back to death row. Also, a group of illegal aliens sequestered in Emerald City is the catalyst for a rash of violence; Warden Glynn (Ernie Hudson) runs for lieutenant governor; an attempt to film a documentary in Oz ends in disaster; Busmalis (aka "The Mole") (Tom Mardirosian), manages to break out of prison, only to be recaptured as he stands outside the home of his favorite TV star; crooked evangelist Rev. Cloutier (Luke Perry) is tossed into the unit; and infirmary doctor Gloria Nathan (Lauren Velez) is raped. Tensions continue to mount as McManus is fired and convict Miguel Alvarez (Kirk Acevedo) escapes (these plot twists were designed to allow Acevedo and his co-star Terry Kinney to take leaves of absence to appear in other projects); new unit manager Martin Querns (Reg E. Cathey) cuts a sinister deal with drug-dealing con Adebisi (Adewale Akinnouye-Agbaje) to put a lid on the violence; fired guard Clayton Hughes (Seth Gilliam) tries to assassinate Governor Devlin (Zeljko Ivanek); a plot is hatched to frame wheelchair-bound convict Hill (Harold Perrineau Jr.) for a crime he hasn't committed; the children of inmate Beecher (Lee Tergesen) are placed in jeopardy thanks to orders from the "inside"; and incarcerated Muslim leader Said (Eamonn Walker) settles accounts with an old enemy. The season ends with a cliffhanger, sparked -- literally -- by a deadly gas explosion. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Halloween night has several surprises in store for the ER staff as they treat a young car-crash victim whose gender is a matter of debate, and a schizophrenic woman (Sheila Kelley) who insists that she's about to give birth despite all evidence to the contrary. Meanwhile, Greene (Anthony Edwards) gets stunning news from his daughter, Rachel (Yvonne Zima). Carter (Noah Wyle) gets in hot water when he leaves Lucy (Kellie Martin) to supervise a wild med-school dorm party. And Weaver (Laura Innes) spends several humiliating hours putting up with a rival candidate for the office of ER chief. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The treachery of seduction takes hold when, after manipulating her lover to do away with her faithful husband, a scheming black widow stealthily begins plotting her next deadly move in a steamy erotic thriller starring Susan Lucci and Philip Casnoff. Isabelle Collins (Lucci) has been married to power broker husband Stewart (John O'Hurley) for over a decade, and despite his endless wealth, her eyes have begun to wander. After using her beauty to seduce rich and handsome widower Richard (Casnoff), Isabelle quickly manages to convince her new lover that she is stuck in an abusive relationship with no way out. Soon lead to believe that both of their lives are in immediate danger as a result of their heated affair, Richard is skillfully manipulated into hiring a violent parolee to do away with the unsuspecting Stewart. When the deed is finally done and Isabelle begins to grow increasingly distant to her ever-loyal lover, it doesn't take Richard long to realize that not only has he been manipulated into killing an innocent man, but he may be the next in line to die at the behest of the insatiable Isabelle. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Volunteering to work a phone at the Nantucket Suicide Hotline, Antonio (Tony Shalhoub) ends up dating one of the callers, a girl named Elise (Tracy Scoggins). Unable to accept the notion that so attractive a girl would be interested in him, Antonio ruefully resigns himself to being dumped--but he's in for a surprise. Meanwhile, Helen (Crystal Bernard) begins losing customers to a new gourmet lunch-cart service at the terminal. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Melissa Gilbert stars in the title role of this made-for-television adaption of the novel by Danielle Steel. Gilbert stars as Zoya, an Russian orphan who flees her homeland and falls in love with an American Army soldier stationed in Paris. The two settle in New York, start a family and all seems well, but the dramatic twists and turns for Zoya have only just begun. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide

Developed by Tina Sinatra and approved by Frank himself, Sinatra is a made-for-television mini-series following the life and times of Frank Sinatra, one of the most popular and acclaimed singers of the 20th century. Opening with his childhood in Hoboken, New Jersey, the film follows Sinatra's (Philip Casnoff) rise to the top in the '40s, through the dark days of the early '50s and his triumphant re-emergence in the mid-'50s, to his status as pop culture icon in the '60s, '70s and '80s. In between, the film hits all of the main events, including his three marriages, his connections with the Mafia and his notorious friendship with the Rat Pack. Even with the presence of Tina Sinatra as executive producer, Sinatra doesn't gloss over the more unsavory portions of Frank's life, which makes it all the more impressive. With the exception of a couple of early songs, all the music in the movie is taken from the original Sinatra recordings. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide

This made-for-cable Civil War tale chronicles the famous naval battle between the Confederate Army's Merrimac and the Union's Monitor. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide