Patrick Ward Movies

One of the two NBC series debuting in the fall of 2006 which took place backstage at a Saturday Night Live-style comedy show (the other was 30 Rock), Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip was the brainchild of The West Wing's Aaron Sorkin. This weekly, hour-long dramedy concerned itself with the million-and-one intrigues behind the hallowed walls of the fictional "NBS" network, where ambitious new president Jordan McDeere (Amanda Peet) was determined to pump fresh blood into the network's anemic Prime Time schedule. Over the objections of imperious NBS chairman Jack Rudolph (Steve Weber), McDeere rehired writer Matt Albie (Matthew Perry) and director Danny Tripp (Bradley Whitford), who had been fired from the staff of the network's weekly ensemble-comedy offering "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" two years before. It was hoped that Albie and Danny could save the flagging property from cancellation, a formidable task in that "Studio 60" was already collapsing from within thanks to a surfeit of egotism and ill-will. For head writer Matt Albie, the challenge was doubly difficult: it so happened that "Studio 60"'s star Harriet Hayes (Sarah Paulson) was his former lover. Fortunately, Matt and Cal worked together so harmoniously that it would seem that Jordan McDeere's strategy for rescuing her network from oblivion was sheer brilliance. . .maybe. Other regulars included D.L.. Hughley and Nathan Corddry, respectively, as popular "Studio 60" cast members Simon Styles and Tom Jeter. Filled to overflowing with smart-and-savvy inside references to the state of network TV in the first decade of the 21st century (many of the "jokes" were at the expense of the series' host network NBC), Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip premiered September 18, 2006. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A man sets out on a dangerous journey in order to save the life of the woman he loves in this politically charged drama from South Korea. Yeong-su (Cha In-pyo) was once a noted professional soccer player, but since his career came to an unexpected halt, he's struggled to support his wife and family, which has become all the more difficult since his wife developed a serious illness. Yeong-su learns of a drug that could help his wife, but while it's available in South Korea, he's living in North Korea. Throwing caution to the wind, Yeong-su pays a smuggler to sneak him into South Korea with hopes of finding the needed medicine, but his plan takes an unexpected and dangerous turn. As Yeong-su struggles to make his way home, his son Jun (Shin Myeong-cheol) is locked up in a prison camp for juveniles, and when a handful of other kids try to make a break for freedom, Jun joins them. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The two-part Australian miniseries Fields of Fire III was the third and final annual installment in the Australian TV saga inspired by Robert Marchand's novel Cane. Returning to the fold were Todd Boyce as British expatriate Bluey and Melissa Docker as Aussie lass Dusty, whose romance and marriage had dominated the proceedings in Fields of Fire (set in the late '30s-early '40s) and Fields of Fire II (set in the immediate post-WWII era). Now it was 1951, and the emphasis was on Italian refugee Gina (Peta Toppano), newly widowed after the death of her black-marketeer husband. Returning to her roots, Gina set up a cane field with her brother Paolo, experiencing the usual trials and tribulation of small-business entrepreneurs in the uncertain years following the War. Fields of Fire III was broadcast by Australia's Nine Network on July 16 and 17, 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Fields of Fire was the first of three Australian miniseries inspired by Robert Donaldson's novel Cane. Todd Boyce starred as Bluey, an Englishmen who headed "down under" in the late '30s to work in the Australian cane fields. The story picked up momentum -- and a score of new supporting characters -- at the outbreak of WWII. The two episodes of Fields of Fire were shown by Australia's Nine Network on June 14 and 15, 1987. It was soon followed by a brace of annual sequels, cleverly titled Fields of Fire II and Fields of Fire III. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A Canadian-Australian coproducton which originally aired over Australia's 7 Network, the six-hour miniseries Spearfield's Daughter stars Kim Braden as the title character. The daughter of a prominent and powerful Australian politician (Chris Wiggins), Cleo Spearfield (Kim Braden) incurs her father's wrath by becoming a reporter, with the Vietnam war as her "beat." When not dodging bullets and negotiating rice paddies, Cleo is wooed by two attractive gentemen, gonzo American journalist Tom Border (Steve Railsback) and Murdoch-like British publishing mogul Lord Jack Cruze (Christopher Plummer. Adapted by Jon Cleary from his own novel, Spearfield's Daughter was syndicated to the US beginning the week of May 25, 1986. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this gentle drama, a young American man (Beau Bridges) forsakes his promising career working with his father (Lloyd Bridges), a powerful business magnate, in favor of becoming a professional beach bum in Australia. After the boy becomes a world renowned surfer, his dad turns up from the States and tries to reconcile with his estranged son, which must happen soon, as the father only has a few months left to live. This telemovie represented the second of two Australian productions that Beau Bridges did, after the extraordinary Adam's Woman in 1970. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

An undercover cop named Stone (Ken Shorter) infiltrates an outlaw biker gang called the Grave Diggers, only to discover that he has more in common with the two-wheeled warriors than he previously though after a professional assassin attempts to set them up for a big fall. A prominent environmental activist has just been assassinated, and the police suspect that the Grave Diggers are withholding crucial information relating to the killing. Realizing that the Grave Diggers will never speak to regular policemen, the cops recruit Stone to ride with the gang and find out what they know. Accepted into the fold after saving the life of a grateful Grave Digger, Stone begins to respect the Undertaker (Sandy Harbutt) and his crew due to the fact that they operate by their own unique code of ethics. Later, as the Grave Diggers prepare to strike back against a rival motorcycle club, Stone suspects a set-up and attempts to convince them not to fall for it. Unfortunately for everyone involved, Stone was correct. When the violence finally erupts, no one is safe from the bloodshed that threatens to destroy the Grave Diggers, and consume Stone in the process. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A gambler receives the legendarily troublesome magical monkey's paw and is told that he can have three wishes. Not knowing that the paw's wishes are often granted at a terrible cost, he hastily wishes to have enough money to pay his large gambling debts. Sure enough, he gets his wish. Unfortunately, it is at the expense of his son's life. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide