So far, the CBS missing-persons drama is scoring 62 percent more viewers than NBC's hospital series -- a phenomenon without comparison in ER's nine-year history. Yes, ER is in reruns, so Trace may be benefiting from a large number of first-time viewers. And yes, the numbers could revert to last season's standard -- with ER consistently ahead of Trace -- when both shows return this fall with new episodes. But the most anticipated scenario is this: ER will win, but in a true horse race that could be TV's answer to War Admiral versus Seabiscuit.  As more and more viewers (including this one) are finding out, Without a Trace is one of television's most compelling shows, featuring an attractive ensemble cast equal to, if not better than, ER's. Unlike most procedural dramas, with self-contained, story-driven episodes, Trace dares to feature character-driven plot lines that carry over to future episodes.

In tantalizing bits and pieces, devoted viewers are discovering information about the show's characters, played by Anthony LaPaglia, Poppy Montgomery, Eric Close, Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Enrique Murciano. We've learned that senior FBI agent Jack Malone (LaPaglia) has a wife and children, and that Martin Fitzgerald (Close) is more than a little interested in Samantha Spade (Montgomery). In last May's two-part season-ender, we discovered that Jack and Samantha had an affair that preceded the show's beginning.  

"It's hard to come up with interesting (personal) stories that you can't second-guess every week," said LaPaglia. "It's a really tough job, to do it in an intelligent way. As an actor, you always want more character-driven stuff. No matter how much they give you, you still want more. I've always felt like the formula for the show is 10 to 15 percent personal and the rest procedural."  When the show returns in the fall, we'll find out that Samantha, who was shot in the season-ender, has recovered but "is going through some kind of post-traumatic stress syndrome," Montgomery said. "She's trying to pretend that she's OK, and everyone can see that she's not. I've only read the first two episodes, but it's going in a great place. I think she's got a lot of anger, which is great character stuff, and a lot of fear that she's not dealing with."  Jack will attempt to reconcile with his still-unseen wife but will discover he still has feelings for Sam. Simultaneously, Martin will slowly pursue Sam.

All the while, the show will continue to take on missing-persons cases. Guest stars lined up so far include Chris MacDonald, Jayne Brooke, Hector Elizondo and Richard Harris' son, Jared.  "And if we can figure it out, Jared may end up being a semi-recurring character," said Steinberg.  Will the show beat ER? "In the end, it's kind of irrelevant," said LaPaglia. "Are you making a good television show -- that's what it comes down to in the end." "I think both are good shows," said Montgomery. "Ultimately, that's what matters. Is the show good?"

Current Projects

Winter Solstice (2005) April
A View From The Bridge (2006)
Spinning Boris (2003)