In Plain Sight
Encyclopedia
In Plain Sight is an American drama
tic television series on USA Network
. The series revolves around Mary Shannon (Mary McCormack
), a Deputy United States Marshal attached to the Albuquerque, New Mexico
office of the Federal Witness Security Program
(WITSEC), more commonly known as the Federal Witness Protection Program. Shannon must find ways to balance her professional life of protecting witnesses, her professional relationship with her partner, Marshall Mann, and her problematic personal life. The show is filmed on location in Albuquerque, New Mexico. On July 28, 2010, In Plain Sight was renewed for its fourth and fifth seasons, to run in 2011 and 2012. The fifth will be the final season of the series.
The fourth season of In Plain Sight premiered on Sunday, May 1, 2011 at 10/9c, where it aired for its first two seasons.
. It made its debut on Sunday, June 1, 2008.
On July 21, 2008, In Plain Sight was renewed for a 16 episode second season. Production began in October 2008 and new episodes began airing on April 19, 2009. Following creative differences with Executive Producer David Maples, USA made the decision to use the season's fifteenth episode, the first part of a planned two-part season ender, as the show's season finale. On August 2, 2009, In Plain Sight was renewed for a third season consisting of 16 episodes. Although the previously planned sixteenth episode of Season 2 was set to be the opening episode of Season 3, the episode was shelved and replaced by a new opening episode, written by new showrunner John McNamara
.
Series creator David Maples and co-producer Paul Stupin stepped down as executive producers at the end of Season 2, and were replaced by John McNamara as Executive Producer, but remained as consulting producers. Todd Williams and Lesley Ann Warren's roles were changed to guest star, and a retooling of scriptwriting designed to place greater emphasis on Mary's cases and less on Mary's personal life while retaining its character-driven storytelling. According to USA executive Jeff Wachtel, the shift in producers also reflects the network's desire that the show remain upbeat rather than overly dark.
The season was later reduced to 13 episodes when executive producer John McNamara took a leave of absence for medical reasons. In a statement released exclusively to the Futon Critic, the producer of Universal Cable Productions said, "John Romano assumed executive producer responsibilities for the remaining episodes. Given the unexpected change, we decided to end the season at a natural spot -- with the surprising cliffhanger of episode 13
."
The pilot episode of In Plain Sight attracted 5.3 million viewers, making it USA Network's highest-rated series premiere since Psych
in 2006. It also outperformed the previous summer's debut of Burn Notice
by 32% and the network premiere of Law & Order: Criminal Intent
by 40%.
The second season of In Plain Sight debuted on April 19, 2009 ("Gilted Lily"), with overnight ratings of 5.1 million viewers.
The third season premiere was on Wednesday, March 31, 2010 at 10:00 pm (ET) and 9:00 pm (CT) on USA Network. The episode ("Father Goes West") had an overnight rating of 3.81 million viewers.
released season one of In Plain Sight on DVD in Region 1. Season two was released on DVD on March 9, 2010.
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
tic television series on USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
. The series revolves around Mary Shannon (Mary McCormack
Mary McCormack
Mary Catherine McCormack is an American actress. Best known for her work in television, she has had leading roles as Justine Appleton in the series Murder One , as Deputy National Security Adviser Kate Harper in The West Wing and as Mary Shannon in In Plain Sight .Her film roles include Private...
), a Deputy United States Marshal attached to the Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
office of the Federal Witness Security Program
United States Federal Witness Protection Program
The United States Federal Witness Protection Program is a witness protection program administered by the United States Department of Justice and operated by the United States Marshals Service that is designed to protect threatened witnesses before, during, and after a trial.A few states, including...
(WITSEC), more commonly known as the Federal Witness Protection Program. Shannon must find ways to balance her professional life of protecting witnesses, her professional relationship with her partner, Marshall Mann, and her problematic personal life. The show is filmed on location in Albuquerque, New Mexico. On July 28, 2010, In Plain Sight was renewed for its fourth and fifth seasons, to run in 2011 and 2012. The fifth will be the final season of the series.
The fourth season of In Plain Sight premiered on Sunday, May 1, 2011 at 10/9c, where it aired for its first two seasons.
Development and production
In Plain Sight was originally scheduled to premiere on Thursday, April 24, 2008, but USA Network held the series back when the WGA strike delayed production of the summer series Burn NoticeBurn notice
A burn notice is an official statement issued by one intelligence agency to other agencies. It states that an individual or a group is unreliable for one or more reasons...
. It made its debut on Sunday, June 1, 2008.
On July 21, 2008, In Plain Sight was renewed for a 16 episode second season. Production began in October 2008 and new episodes began airing on April 19, 2009. Following creative differences with Executive Producer David Maples, USA made the decision to use the season's fifteenth episode, the first part of a planned two-part season ender, as the show's season finale. On August 2, 2009, In Plain Sight was renewed for a third season consisting of 16 episodes. Although the previously planned sixteenth episode of Season 2 was set to be the opening episode of Season 3, the episode was shelved and replaced by a new opening episode, written by new showrunner John McNamara
John McNamara (writer)
John McNamara is an American writer and television producer. He attended East Grand Rapids High School located in Michigan and attended the University of Michigan...
.
Series creator David Maples and co-producer Paul Stupin stepped down as executive producers at the end of Season 2, and were replaced by John McNamara as Executive Producer, but remained as consulting producers. Todd Williams and Lesley Ann Warren's roles were changed to guest star, and a retooling of scriptwriting designed to place greater emphasis on Mary's cases and less on Mary's personal life while retaining its character-driven storytelling. According to USA executive Jeff Wachtel, the shift in producers also reflects the network's desire that the show remain upbeat rather than overly dark.
The season was later reduced to 13 episodes when executive producer John McNamara took a leave of absence for medical reasons. In a statement released exclusively to the Futon Critic, the producer of Universal Cable Productions said, "John Romano assumed executive producer responsibilities for the remaining episodes. Given the unexpected change, we decided to end the season at a natural spot -- with the surprising cliffhanger of episode 13
A Priest Walks Into a Bar
"A Priest Walks Into a Bar" is the third-season finale episode of In Plain Sight and the 40th episode overall. It originally aired June 30, 2010 on USA Network.-Summary:...
."
Characters
Main characters
- Mary Shannon (Mary McCormackMary McCormackMary Catherine McCormack is an American actress. Best known for her work in television, she has had leading roles as Justine Appleton in the series Murder One , as Deputy National Security Adviser Kate Harper in The West Wing and as Mary Shannon in In Plain Sight .Her film roles include Private...
): Mary is a capable officer, a nonconformist and uninterested in typical feminine wiles. To her witnesses, she is known as Mary Shepard. Mary has trust and abandonment issues that lead her to have difficulties with relationships due to a difficult childhood resulting from her father's gambling and mother's alcoholism. Mary became engaged to her boyfriend Raphael in the season two episode "Jailbait"; however, she often seems unhappy with the relationship and the engagement, and it is her feelings of uncertainty and unpreparedness about marriage that cause her fiance, Raphael, to call off the engagement in the season three episode "Coma Chameleon". In the season two finale, "Don't Cry for Me, AlbuquerqueDon't Cry for Me, Albuquerque"Don't Cry for Me, Albuquerque" is the second-season finale episode of In Plain Sight and the 27th episode overall. Originally designed to be the first of a two-part season finale, the show's creators decided to end the season in cliffhanger fashion...
", Mary is shot defending a witness living in a bad neighborhood and is in a coma at the end of season two. In season three she has recovered and is back at work. At the end of season three she begins a relationship with FBI Agent Michael Faber, who she soon convinces to return to his ex-wife and children. After her relationship with Faber ends, she has a short fling with her ex-husband, and becomes pregnant. - Marshall Mann (Fred WellerFred WellerFrederick Weller is an American actor.- Personal life :Weller was born in New Orleans and is a cousin of actor Peter Weller. He is a graduate of Jesuit High School, a Catholic all-boys high school in New Orleans, and the University of North Carolina. He married Ali Marsh on September 6, 2003...
): A fifth-generation Deputy U.S. Marshal. Marshall is Mary's partner, as well as her best friend, though recently has appeared to desire more than her friendship. In the season three finale Marshall begins to tell Mary that she needs someone who challenges her, calls her on her B.S., gets in her face and makes her think, and is seemingly about to profess his love when they are interrupted by Stan, leading Marshall to walk away discouraged and heartbroken. He seems to know a little about everything: what Mary calls "useless information," and is rarely ever speechless. The only time this has ever happened was in the season three episode "Whistle Stop", when he discovered that Raphael and Mary had broken up, leading her to declare him "verbally impotent". There is friction between Marshall and Mary at times, often due to Marshall's cerebral approach and Mary's gut instinct, though both are extremely protective of witnesses and each other. Though Mary and Marshall have occasionally disagreed about the proper course of action regarding policies, Marshall has typically backed down after taking time to get a perspective and will adopt Mary's position if her cause is right—even when her attitude is not. Marshall has recently begun a relationship with a female detective with the Albuquerque police force. - Stan McQueen (Paul Ben-VictorPaul Ben-VictorPaul Ben-Victor is an American actor.Ben-Victor was born Paul Friedman, in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Leah Kornfeld, a playwright, and Victor Friedman. Ben-Victor debuted on the small screen in 1987 in the made-for-TV movie Blood Vows: The Story of a Mafia Wife and on an episode of Cagney &...
): As chief inspector for WITSEC's Southwest region, Stan is Marshall and Mary's boss. Stan is a flexible boss and stand-up guy, quickly backing up both Marshall and Mary when they hit trouble. Stan likes to stick to official WITSEC doctrine as often as possible and is reluctant to bend the rules without authorization. Stan has made an effort to recreate the professional distance in his office, presumably as a way to shield his team from FBI fallout. He and Eleanor had an intimate encounter. - Jinx Shannon (Lesley Ann WarrenLesley Ann WarrenLesley Ann Warren is an American actress and singer. She has been nominated once for an Academy Award and Emmy Awards and five times for Golden Globe, winning one....
): Mary's mother, she was abandoned by her alcoholic husband to raise her two daughters alone. Although she adores her daughters, she has never been a traditional, supportive, job-holding maternal figure. She recognizes that Mary is the stable member of their family, and this has inspired her to live up to her daughter's example. Even so, she harbors a great deal of resentment against her strong-willed daughter, though this only comes to the surface when she is under great emotional duress. Firmly on the path to recovery, Jinx is slowly growing into her own woman, apart from the conniving lifestyle she once enjoyed while being an alcoholic. Now on the path to sobriety she still follows Mary's lead, but is slowly becoming more reliable now having a job and a house of her own. - Brandi Shannon (Nichole HiltzNichole HiltzNichole Marie Hiltz is an American actress. She has appeared in the film May, A Midsummer Night's Rave, and the Sci Fi Channel movie All Souls Day and since 2008 has played Brandi Shannon on the USA network television series In Plain Sight.Hiltz has made guest appearances on several television...
): Mary's younger sister is very much her mother's daughter and the baby of the family. She lives in the moment and was involved with a shadowy man named Chuck. Despite this she looks up to Mary and, at times, sees her as an example. She also tends to be the more mature figure in her relationship with her mother. Brandi is loyal to a fault, but is slowly developing a conscience independent of others' approval. Moved by seeing a young infant in the hands of a meth addict and a drug-dealing boyfriend, Brandi backed out of a drug deal initiated by Chuck so that child services would protect the baby. Later, once Mary has been rescued from her abduction (which was fallout from this decision), Brandi later admits privately that if she had known how the events would play out, she would have killed Chuck herself rather than let her sister come into harm's way from her actions. She is dating a man she met in Alcoholics AnonymousAlcoholics AnonymousAlcoholics Anonymous is an international mutual aid movement which says its "primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety." Now claiming more than 2 million members, AA was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio...
, who later turned out to be a very rich (Mary stated he "owns half of Albuquerque"). Brandi takes this information differently, believing that she is just "one of his girls" and tries to act selfishly to have him break up with her. After he stays with her (even offering hang-over remedies), he states he hopes they can continue to date, to which she agrees. Mary's nickname for Brandi is "Squish." At the end of the third season, Brandi moves in with Peter and in the beginning of the fourth season Brandi informs Mary that she's engaged.
Recurring characters
- Raphael "Raph" Ramirez (Cristián de la FuenteCristián de la FuenteCristián de la Fuente Sabarots is a Chilean-American actor.-Early life:De la Fuente was born in Santiago, Chile, as the only child of chemist Hugo de la Fuente and Adriana Sabarots, a homemaker of French descent...
): Mary's former fiancee. Commonly known as Raph, he played minor league baseball for the Albuquerque IsotopesAlbuquerque IsotopesThe Albuquerque Isotopes are a minor league baseball team based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The team, which plays in the Pacific Coast League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers...
until injuries forced his retirement. His relationship with Mary was complicated for a time when he becomes close to her sister Brandi. After Mary was kidnapped by drug dealers, Raph disposed of a suitcase full of drugs Brandi brought to Albuquerque, which Mary eventually discovers. When they become engaged, Mary tells Raph what she does, which proves difficult for Raph to understand. Raph is aware of Mary's doubts about marriage, which finally leads to his decision to call off their engagement. - Peter Alpert (Joshua MalinaJoshua MalinaJoshua Charles Malina is an American film and stage actor. He is perhaps most famous for portraying Will Bailey on the NBC drama The West Wing and Jeremy Goodwin on Sports Night.-Personal life:...
): Brandi's new boyfriend and a wealthy businessman. Brandi meets him at an AA meeting where she pretends to be Jinx in order for her mother to pass a required AA meeting set by the courts. Despite initially disapproving of Brandi's actions, Peter begins dating Brandi after she makes a determined effort to apologize to him. - Scott Griffin (Aaron AshmoreAaron AshmoreAaron Robert Ashmore is a Canadian film and television actor, perhaps best known for his role as Jimmy Olsen in Smallville and as Steve Jinks in Warehouse 13. He is the twin brother of actor Shawn Ashmore.-Career:...
): Mary's half-brother. Along with his sister, Scott is Mary's father's child from a later marriage Mary knew nothing about. Brandi goes in search of him and brings him to Albuquerque - Detective Robert Dershowitz (Todd WilliamsTodd Williams (actor)Todd Williams is an American actor best known for his role as Isaac Joiner on The Chicago Code.-Early Life:Born in Queens, NY, Williams began the pursuit of his acting career while attending Talent Unlimited High School in Manhattan...
): A homicide detective, known as Bobby D, who is occasionally assigned to cases involving Mary's witnesses. He has deduced that Mary is a U.S. marshal working for WITSEC and does not hide his disgust for the branch of law enforcement that puts known criminals back on the street. This attitude has softened as Dershowitz becomes involved in cases associated with the marshal service's witnesses. While his rapport with Mary had been antagonistic at times, he appreciates the friction. After her disappearance, he and Marshall bonded during the subsequent investigation, resulting in a respect for the two marshals, even though he occasionally disagrees with the less savory part of their jobs. Currently, he is in a task force in Chicago. - Eleanor Prince (Holly MaplesHolly MaplesHolly Maples is an American actress. She is probably best known for playing secretary Eleanor Prince on the USA Network drama series In Plain Sight and is the wife of the series' creator David Maples.-Filmography:-External links:...
): The recently widowed WITSEC office manager. Both Eleanor and her deceased husband worked for the FBI. Eleanor's calm efficiency clashes with Mary's abrasive work style, but earns the affection of Stan and the admiration of Marshall. In times of emergency Eleanor will utilize her connections in the FBI to assist with Mary and Marshall's cases, particularly ones that have dealt with Agent O'Conner's relentless pursuit of Mary and her family. Eleanor eventually leaves WITSEC to take a position as an analyst with the FBI. - Special Agent Robert O'Connor (Will McCormackWill McCormackWill McCormack is an American television and film actor.McCormack, who graduated Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, is the younger brother of actress Mary McCormack, who stars in the hit USA TV series In Plain Sight....
): A New Jersey-based FBI agent now working in Albuquerque. He is in charge of investigating the murders related drug dealing in which Brandi was involved and has relentlessly focused his investigation on Brandi. He has also become interested in the whereabouts of Mary and Brandi's father. - Special Agent Michael Faber (Steven WeberSteven Weber (actor)Steven Robert Weber is an American actor. He is best known for his role in the television show Wings which aired throughout the 1990s on NBC.-Early life:...
): An FBI agent with whom Mary has a short relationship after they work on a case together. He tells Mary about his relationship with his father, something Faber tries hard not to be towards his own son.
Ratings
Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of In Plain Sight on USA Network.The pilot episode of In Plain Sight attracted 5.3 million viewers, making it USA Network's highest-rated series premiere since Psych
Psych
Psych is an American detective comedy-drama television series created by Steve Franks and broadcast on USA Network. It stars James Roday as Shawn Spencer, a young crime consultant for the Santa Barbara Police Department whose "heightened observational skills" and impressive detective instincts...
in 2006. It also outperformed the previous summer's debut of Burn Notice
Burn notice
A burn notice is an official statement issued by one intelligence agency to other agencies. It states that an individual or a group is unreliable for one or more reasons...
by 32% and the network premiere of Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and produced by Dick Wolf and René Balcer, the series premiered on September 30, 2001, as the second spin-off of Wolf's successful crime drama...
by 40%.
The second season of In Plain Sight debuted on April 19, 2009 ("Gilted Lily"), with overnight ratings of 5.1 million viewers.
The third season premiere was on Wednesday, March 31, 2010 at 10:00 pm (ET) and 9:00 pm (CT) on USA Network. The episode ("Father Goes West") had an overnight rating of 3.81 million viewers.
| Season | Premiere | Finale | Episodes | Viewers (in millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 12 | 4.46 | ||
| Season 2 | 15 | 4.08 | ||
| Season 3 | 13 | 3.43 | ||
| Season 4 | 13 | TBA | ||
| Season 5 | Spring 2012 | 8 | TBA | |
DVD releases
On March 31, 2009, Universal Studios Home EntertainmentUniversal Studios Home Entertainment
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is the home video division of Universal Pictures...
released season one of In Plain Sight on DVD in Region 1. Season two was released on DVD on March 9, 2010.
| DVD Name | Ep # | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| Season One | 12 | March 31, 2009 |
| Season Two | 15 | March 9, 2010 |
| Season Three | 13 | March 29, 2011 |
Awards/nominations
| Year | Group | Award | Result | For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | NAMIC Vision Awards | Vision Award - Drama | ||
| Prism Awards | Drama Series - Mental Health | Episode "High-Priced Spread" | ||
| Prism Awards | Performance in a Drama Episode | Mary McCormack | ||
| 2011 | WICT Awards | Scripted Drama/Comedy Series or Special |
See also
- Karen SiscoKaren SiscoKaren Sisco is a television series about a fictional United States Marshal created by novelist Elmore Leonard.As a U.S. Deputy Marshal, based on Miami, Florida's Gold Coast, Karen must deal with the underbelly of South Beach nightlife and Palm Beach highlife while tracking down fugitives. She also...
(2003–2004), ABC series about another independent-minded female US Marshal with a father (rather than a partner) named Marshall. The series was re-aired on USA Network, including three episodes which were previously unaired.
External links
- In Plain Sight at the USA Network