Person of Interest

Ask Ausiello

I have a question about Person of Interest: Is Sarah Shahi going to return as Shaw? –Russ

I asked the showrunners for an update when I saw them at last week’s Paley event, and their handshake agreement with Shahi remains in place. “Our deal with Sarah is that when she’s excited to come back, we’re excited to have her,” Jonah Nolan said. And if/when the new mom of twins gives her bosses the nod, “We have a killer storyline for how her character comes back into the universe of our show. We’re ready to roll with that just as soon as she is.”
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REESE AND FUSCO ARE CAUGHT IN THE CROSSHAIRS OF A WAR BETWEEN CRIME BOSSES WHO ARE THE TWO NEW POIs, ON "PERSON OF INTEREST," TUESDAY, APRIL 28

"Asylum" – Reese and Fusco get caught in the war between the two newest POIs, rival crime bosses Elias (Enrico Colantoni) and Dominic (Winston Duke). Also, a tantalizing clue to Shaw's whereabouts leads Finch and Root into a possible trap, and Control (Camryn Manheim) goes rogue to uncover the true intentions of the Samaritan program, on PERSON OF INTEREST, Tuesday, April 28 (10:01-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

CHEAT TWEET: Reese & @POIFusco R caught between the new POIs: Elias AND Dominic! & has Finch found Shaw? #PersonOfInterest 4/28 10:01pm http://bit.ly/1PE5lH4


REGULAR CAST:
Jim Caviezel (John Reese)
Michael Emerson (Harold Finch)
Kevin Chapman (Lionel Fusco)
Sarah Shahi (Sameen Shaw)
Amy Acker (Root)

RECURRING CAST:
Enrico Colantoni (Elias)
John Nolan (Greer)
Camryn Manheim (Control)
Annie Ilonzeh (Harper)
Winston Duke (Dominic)
Jamie Hector (Link)
Cara Buono (Martine)

GUEST CAST:
John Preston (Admitting Physician)
Juan-Panlo Veiza (Tyler)
Radu Spinghel (Lenny)
Erin Dilly (Shelly)
Bjorn Dupaty (Garvin)
Jack Ferry (Head Sentry)
Joe Curnutte (Samaritan Operative)

WRITTEN BY: Andy Callahan and Denise The
DIRECTED BY: Fred Toye
 
FINCH AND ROOT RACE TO SAVE THE MACHINE WHILE REESE IS CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FINAL SHOWDOWN BETWEEN ELIAS AND DOMINIC, ON THE FOURTH SEASON FINALE OF "PERSON OF INTEREST," TUESDAY, MAY 5

Editor's note: The start time for this episode has changed.

"YHWH" – Finch and Root race to save The Machine, which has been located by the rival AI, Samaritan, while Reese is caught in the middle of the final showdown between rival crime bosses Elias and Dominic, on the fourth season finale of PERSON OF INTEREST, Tuesday, May 5 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

CHEAT TWEET: #PersonOfInterest Season Finale! Can the team save The Machine b4 Samaritan destroys Finch's creation? 5/5 10pm http://bit.ly/1D8NJKF


REGULAR CAST:
Jim Caviezel (John Reese)
Michael Emerson (Harold Finch)
Kevin Chapman (Lionel Fusco)
Sarah Shahi (Sameen Shaw)
Amy Acker (Root)

RECURRING CAST:
Enrico Colantoni (Elias)
John Nolan (Greer)
Camryn Manheim (Control)
John Doman (Garrison)
Winston Duke (Dominic)
Luke Kleintank (Caleb)
Wrenn Schmidt (Iris)
Annie Ilonzeh (Harper)
Suzy Jane Hunt (Schiffman)
Nick Taraby (Grice)
Jessica Pimentel (Floyd)
Robert Manning, Jr (Zachary)

GUEST CAST:
Anthony Gaskins (Lineman)
Ken Perlstein (Senior Lineman)
Logan Crawford (Reporter #1)
J. Oscar Simmons (Doorman)
Jason Altman (Fireman)
Alban Merdani (Arms Dealer)
Joseph Tudisco (Bodega Cashier)
Marco Antonio Rodriguez (Delivery Guy)
Johnny Solo (Elias' Man)
Joseph McKenna (Odd Man)

WRITTEN BY: Dan Dietz and Executive Producer Greg Plageman
DIRECTED BY: Chris Fisher
 
Has been renewed by CBS. :)

CBS Renews ‘CSI: Cyber’, ‘Odd Couple, ‘POI’, ‘Hawaii’, ‘Good Wife’, ‘NCIS’s, More

CBS just made its final renewals for next season, picking up 10 scripted series, reality staples Survivor, The Amazing Race and Undercover Boss and newsmagazines 60 Minutes and 48 Hours. No major surprises (and bloodletting) on the list of renewed scripted series, with all shows except for bubble series Stalker, The McCarthys and Battle Creek, which already had been unofficially cancelled, coming back, including CSI: Cyber, The Odd Couple, Person of Interest, NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, Hawaii Five-0, Criminal Minds, Elementary, The Good Wife and Blue Bloods. That is besides the mothership CSI series, which has not been picked up for a 16th season but has not been cancelled either. I hear the network continues to work on a finale plan for next season, probably a movie.
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BUT...

But might this be POI's final season?

Deadline is now reporting that while Person of Interest was renewed, it was the only one of CBS's drama series renewals today to only get a partial pickup, not the full 22 episodes normally ordered. According to Deadline, POI's renewal was likely for 13 episodes.

This quickly raises questions about whether this will be Person of Interest's final season, as a reduced episode count often indicates - just like CBS did for The Mentalist this past season. The Mentalist, like Person of Interest, was produced by Warner Bros. and Deadline notes POI is the only one of CBS' renewals today to not be owned by the network, which often can be a hindrance as a show ages (for shows that aren't outright blockbusters) as there is less incentive for the network to keep them on the air when they aren't profitable for them in their secondary life.

We'll keep you updated as more on the situation with Person of Interest develops.
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Yet another show being messed around with by CBS. :(



Susan
 
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Will be airing at some point mid-season. They don't say when though. :( Basically they're doing what they did with "The Mentalist". Looks like they're trying to get rid of all primetime programs they don't own.

CBS will once again present a year-round programming strategy, rolling out series throughout the season, including three established comedies, 2 BROKE GIRLS, MIKE & MOLLY and THE ODD COUPLE, the thrilling drama PERSON OF INTEREST and the award-winning reality series UNDERCOVER BOSS.
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Susan
 
Person of Interest Cast, EPs Tease Possible Series Finale, Bringing the Machine Back to Life (video at the link)

Don’t be dismayed by CBS’ decision to cut Person of Interest‘s Season 5 order to just 13 episodes.

The reduced workload may actuallyinvigorate the “spirits and energies” of the show’s cast and crew, star Michael Emerson told our Michael Ausiello at TVLine’s Comic-Con suite at the Hard Rock Hotel.

Still, EP Greg Plageman conceded, the Season 5 finale “could be the series finale as well” — and he’s already envisioned how the series’ final moments might play out, despite his belief that there’s still “a lot more story to tell.”

Whether Season 6 comes to pass or not, though, right now, the Person of Interest writers’ room is grappling with how The Machine might be brought back to life — and how Harold will relate to it in its new form.
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Person of Interest: Sarah Shahi Confirmed for Full-Time Return

Reason No. 39 why Person of Interest needs to return sooner rather than later: Shaw is back, for real.

Sarah Shahi, who has been on maternity leave from the CBS drama since the middle of Season 4, is returning for much of the coming run, the actress told TVLine at CBS’ Television Critics Association press tour party on Monday night.

“I go back in September — full-time,” Shahi shared. “I’ll probably do eight or nine” of the shortened season’s 13 episodes.

As for Shaw’s return storyline, “I have no idea what the plan is,” she admitted with a laugh.

Shaw has been glimpsed twice since being shot to “death” — in a “She’s alive!” reveal filmed before Shahi took leave, and in a season-ending tag.
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PERSON OF INTEREST

PERSON OF INTEREST is a crime thriller about an ex-CIA agent and a mysterious billionaire who prevent violent crimes by utilizing an all-seeing machine that can predict the events before they happen. Although John Reese and Harold Finch have successfully prevented numerous crimes thanks to The Machine's omniscience, the team was unable to stop the malevolent artificial intelligence known as Samaritan from coming online. Brought to life by Greer, head of the private technology corporation Decima, Samaritan has the full power of the U.S. government behind it and is using those resources to hunt Finch, Reese and the hacker, known as Root. The trio, along with Det. Lionel Fusco, suffered a major loss when Samaritan's operatives wounded and captured Sameen Shaw, their comrade-in-arms. Upon gaining full autonomy, Samaritan set its sights on destroying The Machine, which now exists only as a few lines of source code in a briefcase held by the team. On the run and without access to The Machine's intel, the team must find a way to continue saving lives as they attempt to reboot The Machine and fight back against impossible odds.

Begins its fifth season during 2015-2016 on the CBS Television Network.

ORIGINATION: New York
ORIGINAL PREMIERE DATE: Sept. 22, 2011
FORMAT: Drama (Filmed in HD)

STARRING:
Jim Caviezel (John Reese)
Michael Emerson (Harold Finch)
Kevin Chapman (Detective Lionel Fusco)
Sarah Shahi (Sameen Shaw)
Amy Acker (Root)

PRODUCED BY: Bonanza Productions Inc., in association with Bad Robot Productions and Warner Bros. Television

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk, Jonathan Nolan, Greg Plageman and Denise Thé

Photos now available athttp://cbspressexpress.com
Official CBS Website: http://www.cbs.com/PersonOfInterest
Facebook:www.facebook.com/PersonOfInterestCBS
Twitter:www.twitter.com/PersonInterest
Instagram: POI_CBS

Cast and Crew on Twitter:
Kevin Chapman @POIFUSCO
Sarah Shahi @onlysarahshahi
Amy Acker @AmyAcker
Bear The Dog @BearDeHond
POI Writers' Office @POIWritersRoom
 

For Person of Interest's LGBT Root and Shaw, 'A Lot of Milestones' Ahead

When GLAAD released its latest hand count of the LGBT characters currently populating the TV landscape, both Person of Interest‘s Root and Shaw made the list — for the first time ever.

“As they should,” co-showrunner Jonah Nolan observed when speaking to TVLine at the CBS series’ 100th-episode party. “It’s firmly established in canon.”

Of course, though it was Shaw (played by Sarah Shahi) who planted a kiss goodbye on Root (Amy Acker) in last season’s pivotal, heartbreaking episode “If-Then-Else,” the former until that point had been decidedly reserved with her feelings — despite Root’s occasional come-on.

“Shaw has always been the one that doesn’t experience emotions the same way that every other person does,” notes executive producer Denise Thé. “Her emotions have always been dimmed. So to awaken those in her, you have to have pretty strong chemistry” — which the lady killers indeed share (and then some).

“However you want to quantify it,” says co-showrunner Greg Plageman, “the audience has definitely felt the tension.”

And from the sound of it, things will only get more tense once Season 5 secures that elusive premiere date.

When last we tuned in, Root worked with Harold to extract The Machine from Her hiding place in the nation’s electrical grid and squeeze Her into a suitcase packed with memory boards. But leading up to that dire denouement, Root — alas, unsuccessfully — followed every lead available to track down Shaw, who had been grabbed by Team Samaritan following the “If-Then-Else” shootout.

It was of course just prior to taking one (or several, bullets) for the team in that melee that Shaw said that very special goodbye to a gut-punched Root. With Shahi set to return to the series not long into Season 5, will Shaw and Root mark any other relationship milestones, if and when they are reunited?

“I think you’ll see a lot of milestones,” shares Thé, who penned “If-Then-Else.” “As a writer, these ladies are so fun to write — they’re flirty, they’re fun — but there’s a deeper relationship, a deeper emotion simmering there.

“We have a very ‘interesting,’ Shaw-centric episode coming up,” Thé continues, “where you get to see what her life has been like, living in the grip of the enemy. And you’ll also get to kind of experience what the road might be like if she ever was to get back” to Root, Harold et al.

That episode — the fourth of the show’s midseason run, and raved about by Shahi herself — is, Nolan echoes, no less than “awesome.”
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Matt's Inside Line: Scoop on POI

Is Person of Interest’s Mr. Finch going to make any ethical changes to The Machine when rebuilding it? –Kaan
That issue is very ripe for debate when(ever) the CBS series returns, with Finch and Root taking very opposite sides. “Root is still [The Machine’s] No. 1 champion,” Amy Acker told me at POI’s 100th episode party, “so she is trying to convince Harold that we should maybe make some ‘modifications’ while we’re rebuilding Her.” Finch, though, is at least at first included to pursue the status quo. “What’s great fun about the early episodes is watching the two of them argue about, if they can adjust The Machine’s secret formula, should they?” says EP Jonah Nolan. “Given that the stakes are higher and time is running out for them, what are the ethics in changing your strategy?”

Could you give us some scoop on Shaw’s return to Person of Interest? –Alejandra
Sarah Shahi assured me, “We will learn what happened to Shaw over the last nine, 10 months, however long it is she’s been missing.” And put most simply, Team Samaritan “definitely did a number on her.” As such, count on meeting a Shaw you perhaps have never quite seen, when she resurfaces a few episodes in. “Everything that’s going on in that episode, these are the reasons why I said yes to this show,” the actress raved. “It’s everything that I wanted to play in this character, all the places I wanted to go to as an actress but never had the opportunity, and they wrote it for me.”
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Ask Matt: Why Is Person of Interest MIA? Plus:

Question: What in the world is going on with CBS and Person of Interest? Have you ever seen anything like this happen in the industry before? First, last summer, CBS announced that it is going to cut the order for Season 5 from a full season (22 episodes) to only 13 episodes and that it would put POI on sometime as a midseason replacement. Then, when CBS announced their midseason schedule the other day, POI is not listed at all. When do you think POI will air? Do you think CBS will air Season 5 at all? If not, do you think another outlet such as Netflix will have the opportunity (or interest) to pick up POI and air Season 5 (which has now almost completely filmed), and possibly further seasons? Is there any hope for us to see this amazing show live on? And is there anything you can suggest that the fans do to help the situation? Any insight you have into this baffling situation would be greatly appreciated. — Alice

Matt Roush: It's not unheard of for a show late in its run to get stuck in limbo, especially when the show isn't owned by the network (Person of Interest comes from Warner Bros. TV), but this is an extreme case, exacerbated by CBS not mentioning it, even as a TBA, in its midseason announcement. Apparently CBS will release another wave of midseason plans at some point, but for now, it's hard to see where Person of Interest fits on the schedule, a function of CBS's overall success on most nights. There's no question these episodes will air eventually, perhaps if another established show takes a hiatus. And it's unclear if the show will stay on the shelf until summer, or even if CBS considers this the final season. If Person of Interest doesn't get a satisfying send-off, it would be an excellent candidate for Netflix or another service to continue the story, a la Longmire, but we shouldn't count on that as a given. For now, we have no option but to wait, and to keep the buzz going on social media (my "Not cool" response on Twitter got quite a bit of traffic).

Question: The CBS list of midseason replacements did not include Person of Interest. Does this mean CBS has totally lost interest in one of my all-time favorite programs? I thought new episodes had already been filmed. Will we ever see them? I know Mike & Molly was renewed for midseason. Did it get a full-season episode order, also The Odd Couple. And they put on 2 Broke Girls earlier than planned. Does that have a full-season order? — Dave

Matt Roush: See above on the POI situation. (It was the hottest topic in this week's mailbag for sure.) I wouldn't go so far as to say CBS has lost (so to speak) interest in the show, but it's clearly not a priority, and once it fell off the regular fall schedule, it now seems very much lost in transition. As for the other shows, Mike & Molly's renewal reportedly was for 13—given Melissa McCarthy's busy career, that makes sense—and 2 Broke Girls was for a full 22-episode season. The Odd Couple also got a 13-episode order (you'll have to tell me how they are, I can't go there), which almost certainly will continue into the summer, though that may not have been decided yet.
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If you're a fan of awards shows ~ POI won "Favorite Crime Drama" in the People's Choice Awards earlier this week!


Another round of start dates ~ still no POI. :mad: I wouldn't be surprised if they do with POI what they did with "Flashpoint". Some people think it's going to be on during the summer. I think they're looking for some small, not available on all systems, cable station to sell their rights to.


CBS Moves Elementary to Sunday, Bumps Beyond Borders Premiere, Sets Rush Hour Debut — Still No POI

Come March, Holmes and Watson will rub elbows with Lockhart-Agos-Lee.

Elementary is moving to Sundays at 10/9c, following The Good Wife, CBS announced Friday.

The Eye net’s Sherlock adaptation, which currently airs Thursdays at 10 pm, will debut in its new timeslot on March 20.

Also included in CBS’ scheduling update: the premiere date for the cop series Rush Hour (Thursday, March 31, at 10 pm) and the delayed start for the Criminal Minds spinoff Beyond Borders (which was originally slated for Wednesday, March 2, but now will bow on Wednesday, March 16, at 10 pm).

In that two-week gap between Code Black‘s Feb. 24 finale season finale and Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders‘ premiere, the network will air special episodes of CSI: Cyber on March 2 and 9 at 10 pm.

There was no mention of Person of Interest or its still-unscheduled Season 5 premiere in CBS’ announcement.
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I haven't seen an episode of "Criminal Minds" since episode 3, which will make "NCIS: LA" the only show on CBS I watch. I would love to have these 13 episodes air on CBS but I'm not convinced that they will be. Personally I still think CBS wants to sell it off to a small cable network (WGN America?)!

Person of Interest Is Probably Canceled, Says J.J. Abrams

Our worst fears have been confirmed... maybe. As we wait for any bit of information from CBS about a premiere date for Person of Interest's fifth season, we've received some rather grim details. POI executive producer J.J. Abrams, fresh off directing the biggest movie in the entire galaxy, says he thinks Season 5—whenever it airs—will be the show's last.

"My guess is [Season 5] is the final season," Abrams told TV Line at the Television Critics Association winter press tour on Saturday. "The only heartbreak there is how much good story there was to come if it were to have continued."

Ouch.

He continued to toy with our hearts when he said that the writers approached Season 5 as though it was the final season but that it could go on longer if the ratings miraculously give CBS reason to bring it back for more. Or, more likely, if another outlet decides to pick it up.

“[EPs and showrunners] Jonah Nolan and Greg Plageman have done such an amazing job on the show,” Abrams said. “And I know what these episodes are that they’ve done, wrapping it up. We don’t yet have a schedule, but I know these episodes will see the light of day. People will get to see these episodes.” We better!

As for when that will be, we still don't know, but expect CBS to plug it in when the time is right for them. That could mean late spring, but I think it's headed for a summer run to match up with its other genre fare, like Zoo and the forthcoming BrainDead. Stay strong, my fellow POI fanatics. At least we'll get a solid conclusion to this wonderful series.
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