Daniel Sackheim Movies

The NBC cop drama Life was cast in the same mold as Fox's medical series House, in that it was built around a whimsically sarcastic, wittily iconoclastic and thoroughly irreverent anti-hero who rigidly adhered to a Zen-like philosophy in all matters both professional and personal. Damian Lewis starred as convict Charlie Crews, a former police detective serving a life sentence on a triple-homicide charge. Freed from prison after twelve years on the strength new DNA evidence supplied by his loyal attorney Brooke Langton (Contance Griffiths), Charlie was somewhat surprisingly reinstated by the police force, and even given his old job back. As he struggled to catch up with the technological advances of the past dozen years, Charlie also had to adjust himself to his new partner, another "reclamation project" named Dani Reese (Sarah Shawl), who had just overcome a nasty drug habit. Dedicating himself to capturing the person who committed the murders for which he was blamed, and to finding out who framed him and why, Charlie was unaware that Dani was actually a "mole" for his superior officer Lt. Karen Davis (Robin Weigert), who instensely disliked Charlie and had strongarmed Dani into helping her dig up a good excuse to fire him (woven into the series' basic storyline was a sinister, wide-ranging conspiracy which involved a number of characters who would greatly benefit from Charlie's removal--or his death). At least Charlie could count on the friendship and support of former white-collar criminal Ted Earley (Alan Arkin), who lived on the estate Charlie had purchased with his multimillion-dollar legal settlement against the police department, and who owed our hero innumerable favors stemming back to their days behind bars. Others in the cast were Jennifer Siebel as Charlie's ex-wife Jennifer and Brent Sexton as his embittered former partner Bobby Starks. Life was first telecast on September 26, 2007. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The redoubtable Dr. House (Hugh Laurie) may have finally met his match in the form of Nate (Nick Lane), a 16-year-old chess prodigy who is ruder and more obnoxious than House has ever been! So contentious is Nate that he blocks all efforts to diagnose the cause of his mysterious head pains--forcing House to match wits with the little creep in a life-or-death game of chess. Meanwhile, everyone in the clinic is convinced that House is responsible when Foreman's job interview with a major New York City hospital is suddenly cancelled. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

After his brush with death, Foreman (Omar Epps) has recovered sufficiently to return to work--but he obviously isn't at the top of his game, and may never be again. Meanwhile, House (Hugh Laurie) tries to figure out why young mother Kara (Hillary Tuck) has suffered a seizure while bathing her baby Mikey, nearly drowning the poor child. As it turns out, the real problem has nothing to do with seizures...and the key to the solution may be in the hands of Kara's husband Brent (Kip Pardue). Meanwhile, Chase (Jesse Spencer) experiences a difficult shakedown cruise in Neonatal IC; and Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) and Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard) go out on their first--and possibly last--dinner date. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The ABC sci-fi/horror/thriller series Night Stalker was not so much a remake of the cult 1974 series Kolchak: The Night Stalker as it was a "reimagining" of the earlier show -- at least according to the series' producer, X-Files alumnus Frank Spotnitz. Stuart Townsend stepped into the old Darren McGavin role as maverick journalist Carl Kolchak, whose mission in life was to alert the world of various and sundry paranormal, supernatural, and extraterrestrial activities -- only to be made the fool each week when evidence substantiating his stories of ghost, monsters, spacemen, etc. mysteriously disappeared. Instead of answering to an acerbic, disbelieving editor (the role played by Simon Oakland in the original show), Kolchak verbally sparred, "Mulder and Scully" fashion, with his erstwhile partner, doubting reporter Perri Reed (Gabrielle Union). And whereas the "old" Kolchak was merely trying to make a living and restore his journalistic reputation, the "new" Kolchak was motivated by the unsolved murder of his wife -- which he claimed was at the hands of supernatural forces, but which the authorities suspected was his own handiwork (a dash of Fugitive there). The weekly, 60-minute Night Stalker premiered September 29, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Ed Deline (James Caan), smooth-talking and fast-acting head of security at the Montecito Resort & Casino, continues commandeering his highly efficient staff of subordinates throughout season two of the NBC dramatic series Las Vegas. Things get under way with a happy reunion, as team member Danny McCoy (Josh Duhamel) returns after a year's military service in the Iraq war -- but happiness turns to concern and doubt on the part of Danny's lover, Mary Connell (Nikki Cox), and very close friend Sam Marquez (Vanessa Marcil) due to his erratic behavior. In addition, Sam is on the outs with Ed's daughter, Delinda (Molly Sims), who in turn has developed a more than professional interest with new security-team member Leo (Eric Dane) -- who, incidentally, may not last the season. Also, Nessa Holt (Marsha Thomason) once again finds herself the reluctant object of suicidal billionaire Fred Puterbaugh's (Jon Lovitz) attention, and later receives word that her father might be alive and that Ed has known this all along. Ed himself is framed for murder early on, with Danny and Mike Cannon (James Lesure) working overtime to clear himself; and when in a later episode Ed is kidnapped, it's the same two guys to the rescue again. Geoff Stults shows up as the childhood sweetheart of Delinda, who claims to have terminal cancer -- and whose "dying wish" is to sleep with his former flame. Sam, Nessa, Delinda, and Mary become roommates, a situation fraught with imminent disaster. And Danny is stuck with caring for the infant daughter of a fellow Marine.

Plus, when Danny and Mary slip off for a weekend vacation, rumors fly that they've become man and wife. Sam sets her sights on a handsome billionaire (Dean Cain) -- only to find out that her dream lover is her highly unreliable "ex." To keep his staff from getting too big for their britches, Ed switches everyone's jobs around so that they can see what it's like to walk in someone else's designer shoes. Sam is scrutinized by the FBI when she becomes innocently involved in a drug cartel. And in a crossover episode with the NBC "procedural" drama Crossing Jordan, Jordan Cavanaugh (Jill Hennessy) and Woody Hoyt (Jerry O'Connell) arrive in Vegas to investigate a gambler's murder. Given the series' locale, it is no surprise that there is a full complement of guest stars during season two. Among these are Clint Black, Michael Bublé, Snoop Dogg, Duran Duran, Paul Anka, Sylvester Stallone, Joe Rogan, Don Knotts, Ashanti, Jon Bon Jovi, and John Elway. The second season of Vegas ends as the Montecito is purchased by a new, mysterious owner -- an event that promises a major shakeup of personnel (and, possibly, the series' premise) when season three rolls around. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In an episode inspired by the capture of the notorious "BTK Killer", the police find a note duct-taped to an abandoned baby containing cryptic clues as to the mother's whereabouts. As SVU detectives Stabler (Christopher Meloni), Benson (Mariska Hargitay), Munch (Richard Belzer) and Tutuola (Ice-T) follow a trail of increasingly ominous (and often gruesome) clues, it is apparent that the mother has been kidnapped--and likely murdered--by a cunning serial killer known as RDK. But in assembling the pieces of this grim puzzle, the detectives arrive at another, even more frightening conclusion: They may be dealing with a copycat killer who intends to surpass RDK with his own murder spree. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Having exited his role on The West Wing in a flurry of largely negative publicity, Rob Lowe quickly resurfaced as the star of the NBC legal drama The Lyon's Den. Lowe was cast as Jack Turner, an idealistic attorney who hoped to make a name for himself separate from that of his prestigious state-senator father (Rip Torn) by helping the poor and downtrodden on a pro bono basis. A stroke of fate obliged him to accept a full partnership at a high-profile D.C. law firm, populated almost exclusively by ruthless glory-grabbers, bottom-feeding backstabbers, and hedonistic sexual predators. Would Jack be able to do the sort of work he loved while surrounded by expensively dressed sharks? The Lyon's Den opened for business on September 28, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This teen psychological thriller marks the feature film debut of respected television producer and director Daniel Sackheim. Leelee Sobieski stars as Ruby Baker, a high school student who is devastated when her parents Grace and Dave (Rita Wilson and Michael O'Keefe) are killed in a tragic car accident. With her younger brother Rhett (Trevor Morgan), Ruby is sent to live with the legal guardians chosen by her parents, their best friends Terry (Stellan Skarsgård) and Erin Glass (Diane Lane). The Glasses live in an opulent Malibu mansion where Ruby and Rhett are promised all of the finest luxuries money can buy and a lavish new rich-kid lifestyle. Before long, however, Ruby begins to suspect that her new caretakers are not what they appear on the surface and that the couple's financial woes may force them to harm her or Rhett in order to cash in on their sizable life insurance policies. The Glass House was written by Wesley Strick, screenwriter of Cape Fear (1991), Wolf (1994), and The Saint (1997). ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

Evidently inspired by the film noir classic D.O.A., the January 17, 1999, X-Files episode "S.R. 819" finds Assistant Director Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) racing against time to solve a murder -- his own. While working out in a gym, Skinner is somehow infected with a freakish blood disease. Investigating, Mulder and Scully unearth a conspiracy involving a world health bill called Senate Resolution 819. Written by John Shiban, "S.R. 819" also brought a familiar X-Files villain back into the fold. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This 60-million-dollar science fiction suspense drama (marketed with an additional 25 million dollars), was adapted from the popular TV series The X-Files -- arriving in theaters while the Emmy-winning series was still being aired, continuing plot threads familiar to many of the series' 25 million viewers, and featuring several familiar recurring characters introduced during the previous five TV seasons. In 15,000 B.C., a strange creature attacks a caveman. Cut to present day, when a boy at the same North Texas spot falls into a pit and is contaminated by a black substance. When a bomb threatens the Dallas Federal Building, special FBI agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) locate the device but are unable to prevent the explosion. The agency blames Mulder and Scully for the disaster, subjecting them to lengthy interrogations while trying to sever their partnership. In a bar, conspiracy theorist Kurtzweil (Martin Landau), a friend of Mulder's father, tells Mulder about the group behind the explosion, the cover-up of the boy's death, the bodies of four infected rescue workers removed from the Federal Building, the secret government, and the forthcoming plague. Mulder and Scully set out to find answers, and their investigation becomes a foray into the fantastic. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

Fans of Law & Order -- and there were many, many more than there had been in previous years -- were somewhat surprised that the series entered its eighth season with no changes in the regular cast. detectives Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Curtis (Benjamin Bratt) were still upholding the "Law" at the behest of their NYPD boss Lt. Van Buren (S. Epatha Merkerson), while ADAs McCoy (Sam Waterston) and Ross (Carey Lowell) continued to maintain "Order" on behalf of their superior, DA Adam Schiff (Steven Hill). In other carryovers from past seasons, the series staged its second crossover with the NBC crime drama Homicide: Life on the Street with the episode "Baby, It's You;" as before, selected Homicide cast members appeared on Law & Order, and vice versa. Also keeping in the tradition of its past, the series took home its third Emmy award for Outstanding Cinematography. In addition, the series continued tackling issues that were very much in the news. For example, the episode "Castoff" addressed the culpability of TV violence in fomenting real-life violence. Much more so than in previous seasons, the series boasted a number of narrative throughlines that enhanced its sense of reality and continuity. McCoy's questionable tactics in prosecuting a drunk driver in "Under the Influence" came back to haunt him in the season finale. Likewise, in that same episode, Cliff Gorman was introduced as a politically ambitious judge named Gary Feldman, who hoped to win the DA's office from Schiff in the upcoming election. Feldman received unexpected support in the form of powerful (and paranoiac) millionaire Carl Anderton (Robert Vaughn), who would not forget being "betrayed" by Schiff in the episode "Burned." Both Feldman and Anderton would converge upon the DA in the aforementioned series finale, which also boasted a subplot involving ADA Jamie Ross. To accommodate the fact that actress Carey Lowell planned to leave the series, Ross decided to retire to private practice so that she could devote her spare time to her second husband -- and to an ongoing child-custody battle with husband number one. And in more glimpses of the characters' private lives, Jennifer Bill appeared in a brace of episodes as Cathy Briscoe, the troubled, estranged daughter of detective Lennie Briscoe. The brevity of Bill's contribution to Law & Order was due to a devastating plot twist which threatened to push Briscoe over the edge and back into the bottle he'd successfully abandoned years earlier. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Law & Order entered its seventh season on a note of uncertainty: Had Assistant DA Claire Kincaid (Jill Hennessy) been killed by that drunk driver at the end of season six? The answer would remain vague until it was determined by the producers that actress Hennessy had no intention of returning to the series; it was at this point that the unfortunate Kincaid was sadly and reverently referred to in the past tense. Her replacement was ADA Jamie Ross (played by Carey Lowell). The idealistic Ross, who struggled to balance her career with her home life as a single mom, proved to be an excellent opposite number for the jaded, unattached Executive ADA Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston). In addition to claiming Kincaid, death took its toll on another of the series' characters. Throughout season seven, the never-seen wife of DA Adam Schiff (Steven Hill) lay virtually comatose in a hospital bed, tenaciously hanging on to life. The final episode of the season concluded with a grieving Schiff sitting at bedside as the monitor attached to his wife flat-lined. Nor was the brief sojourn to Hollywood taken by detectives Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Curtis (Benjamin Bratt) fraught with merriment. They had gone to Tinseltown to investigate the brutal murder of a female studio executive, a plot line which necessitated the series' first (and, to this point, only) three-part story. This expanded time frame afforded ample opportunity to probe the private lives of two of the series' principals: Curtis, devoted to his ailing wife (who had earlier been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis), nonetheless briefly drifted from his marital vows with a sexy Hollywoodite, and new ADA Jamie Ross was bedeviled by her ex-husband, scheming defense attorney Neal Gordon (Keith Szarabajka), both in and out of court. After several years worth of Emmy nominations but no wins, Law & Order closed out season seven with two new statuettes, for Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Cinematography. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide