A worried mother working miles away from her family frantically tries to get her three children out of harm’s way as an out of control fire ravages their community. Firefighters do everything they can, but strong winds are working against them to make the destruction go from bad to worse.
This scenario is reminiscent of the heroics that are portrayed weekly on the CBS firefighter television drama “Fire Country,” which follows the dedicated Cal Fire station in Northern California where an abundance of wooded areas make fire a common hazard. However, this particular story is very real and comes from actor Diane Farr, who plays Cal Fire Division Chief Sharon Leone and mother to firefighter Bode Leone (Max Thieriot, also a co-creator and executive producer) on the series. Farr remembers how in January she was on the show’s set in Vancouver while the wildfires were wreaking havoc in Los Angeles.
“My house was inside the evacuation order and I had to start flying my children out as fast as I could from L.A.,” she says of her La Cañada Flintridge home, which survived. “We were evacuated for eight days and the wind just went toward Altadena as opposed to coming toward our house. It was terrifying and was very eye opening for us.”
The horrific Los Angeles fires were eventually contained after catastrophic damage to the city, with some heroic firefighters leaving with jarring stories they were able to share with the “Fire Country” cast and crew. “Two of our consultants are L.A. firefighters, Matty and Marty Mullen, who had shown me a lot of videos of real firefighting of what was going on in L.A. that we were able to infuse into our [Season 3] finale,” says executive producer Tia Napolitano. “It felt important that we could show real authenticity inspired by the L.A. fires that we all lived through. I can’t believe it’s only been a year.”
Diane Farr as Sharon Leone in “Fire Country.” The actor’s home was in the evacuation zone during the L.A. wildfires in January.
(Sergei Bachlakov / CBS)
That dedication to authenticity has helped “Fire Country” become one of the sturdiest series on CBS’ prime-time schedule since premiering October 2022. Currently in its fourth season, “Fire Country” has won its time slot every week this season except when it aired against Game 6 of the World Series. It is now the veteran drama on Friday nights sandwiched between two new successful procedurals, “Sheriff Country” starring Morena Baccarin at 8 p.m. and “Boston Blue” starring Donnie Wahlberg at 10 p.m. Pacific, both spinoffs that have quickly caught the attention of audiences since their October debuts.
Farr believes the success of these shows is akin to the huge popularity of genres like true crime and their basic storytelling structure. “There is a good guy and a bad guy that’s very clear and very binary,” she says. “If you can create a situation that feels a little bit unsafe, if you can show me how people would make me safe in it, how they would solve the problem, it’s slightly relieving on a nervous system level.”
“Fire Country” delivers on all those components with the Station 42 crew performing regular acts of heroism as they keep their community safe, a reflection of real-life firefighters, says Thieriot. “People who have to do this job day in and day out are really a special breed. For me, a big thing has always been trying to capture that and trying to portray that the best way possible,” he says. “It’s television, so obviously there are more moments when we’re trying to find the drama, but at the end of the day, it’s really important that we focus on the real and we find the real in there.”
Eve (Jules Latimer) and Bode (Max Thieriot) in “Fire Country.” “People who have to do this job day in and day out are really a special breed. For me, a big thing has always been trying to capture that and trying to portray that the best way possible,” Thieriot says.(Sergei Bachlakov/CBS)
Part of the real comes in knowing that where there are heroes, there are also villains and, as its midseason finale is set to air on Friday, “Fire Country” currently has a frightening one in the form of Landon (Josh McDermitt). Initially seen as meek and even-tempered, the layers have been pulled back to show something different.
“Landon is a threat to our people and that’ll go forward for a few episodes,” teases Napolitano. “You feel like this guy is out there and he has nothing to lose.”
That’s because Landon has already lost the trust of his girlfriend Chloe (Alona Tal) and her teenage son Tyler (Conor Sherry), who recently revealed to Bode that Landon set the tragic Zabel Ridge Fire. That’s the L.A.-inspired blaze from the third-season finale that not only destroyed homes and land but also took the life of Cal Fire battalion chief Vince Leone (Billy Burke), Sharon’s husband and Bode’s father.
In Friday’s episode, a vengeful Landon isn’t happy about being investigated or the fact that Bode and Sharon have made sure that Chloe and Tyler are staying away from him. “Landon’s a small man with a very big ego and a big victim complex and that’s going to manifest in a scary way,” Napolitano says.
It also may not help matters that Chloe and Bode were once romantically involved and a spark may still exist, especially since Bode has been mentoring the troubled Tyler. Is the single Bode’s heart open to a second chance at love? “He’s getting there,” says Thieriot. “Leading up to this season, Bode had so many obstacles and I think this journey with Tyler [as mentor] is a big part of that.”
Bode (Max Thieriot) and Chloe (Alona Tal) were once romantically involved.(Sergei Bachlakov/CBS)
Hearts are also healing on the show in the aftermath of Vince’s shocking death, an event that was never in the show’s plan to quickly sweep under the rug. “We really want to be the show that everyone knows and loves, which is a comfort to a lot of our viewers,” says Napolitano. “It’s a show of joy and levity but also honors the fact that we are missing a core character who did die a hero’s death and honoring him by keeping his memory alive.”
That memory exists for Farr in several rings she regularly wears representing Sharon’s marriage and family with Vince, but she added another piece this season based on a suggestion from director Sarah Wayne Callies.
“Vince’s bracelet is heavy and regularly bumps the smaller bones in my hand,” Farr says. “Just like my former scene partner Billy, who would debate any word or line or blocking or intention with me to get to the truest take on anything we did together. Losing him is always going to be loss.” Farr said she doesn’t want to play grief forever but upcoming episodes will continue to show Sharon “trying to figure out who she is as a ‘one’ instead of a ‘two.’”
Though everyone hopes Los Angeles won’t see more fires like the ones from nearly a year ago, “Fire Country’s” creators and cast will continue to shine a light on firefighters and all the life-and-death work they do on a daily basis and, above all else, entertain.
“It’s not always easy to continue to surprise the audience and come up with this stuff that’s just really captivating and fresh and new but I believe that we can,” Thieriot says. “I’m really eager to accomplish that.”
Man Vs Baby has just been released on Netflix with subscribers more curious than ever to find out about Rowan Atkinson’s life.
Rowan Atkinson is a British treasure, so it’s no surprise devotees are keen to learn everything about the 70-year-old performer.
Man Vs Baby landed on Thursday, December 11, on Netflix, a four-episode comedy following Trevor Bingley (portrayed by Rowan Atkinson) as he unexpectedly becomes guardian to an abandoned infant in London.
The sitcom may have only just arrived on the platform but has already soared to Netflix’s top spot, demonstrating that audiences remain captivated by the Mr Bean icon.
As fans carry on devouring Man Vs Baby this weekend, here’s everything worth knowing about the legendary Rowan Atkinson.
Unexpected career
Whilst everyone recognises Atkinson primarily for his comedic work, breaking into acting wasn’t his original plan.
He first pursued electrical engineering at Newcastle University and embarked on a PhD at Oxford University when he uncovered his love for performing.
During his Oxford years, he encountered the writer of Four Weddings And A Funeral, in which Atkinson made a brief appearance, and also co-penned the beloved Blackadder.
Stutter
The Man Vs Baby performer has lived with a speech impediment throughout much of his life but has apparently discovered it troubles him less whilst he’s on stage.
Atkinson generally avoids the limelight regardless, but he also steers clear of numerous interviews due to his stammer.
He told Time magazine: “It comes and goes. It depends on my nerves, but it can be a problem.
“I find that when I play a character other than myself, the stammering disappears. That may have been some of my inspiration for pursuing the career that I did.”
Mr Bean
Beyond his memorable role in the Blackadder series, Atkinson’s early work centred on the wordlessly chaotic persona of Mr Bean.
It’s thought that Mr Bean draws from nine year old Atkinson’s experiences after being bullied at school by youngsters who thought he resembled an alien, earning him cruel nicknames such as Doople and Greenman.
Speaking to The Independent, he said: “There’s a lot of Mr Bean in me. He’s socially inept, selfish and has no manners – yet he can be sweet, innocent and well-meaning.”
Personal life
Atkinson was married to makeup artist Sunetra Sastry who he first met in the 1980s during filming of Blackadder’s second season.
Sastry worked as makeup artist for his co-star Stephen Fry, but it wasn’t long before Atkinson formed a connection with her, and they married in 1990.
The couple remained together for 24 years and welcomed children Benjamin and Lily before divorcing in November 2015.
During the divorce proceedings, the pair were midway through building an £11 million property in Oxfordshire.
The star met his current girlfriend Louise Ford in 2013 – who was then dating comedian James Acaster – whilst working on the West End production Quartermaine’s Terms.
Ford, who is roughly 30 years younger, has appeared in Horrible Histories, The Windsors and Crashing. The couple, who became parents to their darling daughter Isla in December 2017, have chosen to keep her away from the public gaze.
