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In my last column I did the first part of an interview with Sharon Gless and would like to continue with it in this column. First I would like to comment that the Sharon Gless’ sitcom Thick and Thin that we talked about in the first interview will probably die somewhere in the NBC vaults and never be heard from again. It’s a real shame because I just got through watching their new shows for the fall and I haven’t seen anything that looks any better. The least the network could have done was show the finished episodes this summer and let the viewers decide if it was any good. To me that just shows how much they don’t really care about your opinion. They listen too much to the TV critics and push too hard to satisfy the younger demographics. Now that I’ve expressed my opinion lets continue with the second part of the interview.

Rhode: How many episodes of Thick and Thin will you tape?

Gless: Six episodes. The pilot and five, we did have thirteen that’s what I came here to shoot. Then they cut seven because they’re putting us on in March (last March). We’re just so frightened. I hope they’ll just give us a run, give us a try. But you know sometimes when you come on in September you get axed immediately. You were telling me about Inconceivable, I mean I’m stunned that was a good show, but the networks are nervous now. If you don’t show some life in the first two episodes you’re gone. Thick and Thin is a very, very good show though. I’m not just saying that, you know I wouldn’t be doing it if I didn’t think it was.

Rhode: What about the young lady in the show, is that Kate Capshaw’s daughter?

Gless: Yes, Jessica Capshaw is Kate Capshaw’s daughter. Kate and Spielberg were there on the set last Friday to watch the show. They were very classy they didn’t come and sit in the audience and frighten everybody. If he were sitting there no one would be watching the show they’d all be watching him and I think he knew that. He came sort of towards the end of the shoot and talked to everyone. I sat and talked to him, we went on a blind date when we were very young. That was it. We saw each other that one night and that was it. The studio set us up, but he’s a lovely man, a lovely man. I think we were all nervous when Jessica said my parents are coming to see the show and I’m going oh no and Tyne Daly was coming to see the show. So between Spielberg and Kate Capshaw and Tyne Daly it was sort of a scary night.

Rhode: How many episodes of Thick and Thin have you shot so far?

Gless: Four and then next week will be our last until we go on the air. But getting that cut was shocking, I mean shocking for a show that’s never been seen even by the network.

Rhode: That’s the thing it hasn’t even been aired yet and they’re cutting you.

Gless: No they haven’t seen them; the network hasn’t seen them in a room. But I really do think we’re good, it’s a very funny show.

Rhode: If they do a lot of promoting during the Olympics maybe the viewers will take an interest and watch.

Gless: They will have other new shows too that they will be giving money for promotion, so who knows. I gave everybody at our show, I gave one to Tyne Daly, this is how it started, when she started Judging Amy I gave her this plastic statue Saint Clare of Assi who’s the patron saint of television. I swear to God Sharon it’s true. Pope Pius the twelfth proclaimed Saint Clare, and she was like Saint Clare called the poor Clares it was a nursing order, I was raised Catholic so I know all this. You can buy them in these religious stores, these plastic statues that glow in the dark. This is my favorite part. It comes with a legend. Pope Pius the twelfth proclaimed Saint Clare the patron saint of television because Sister Clare was in her cubicle and was too ill to attend Mass and the Mass appeared on the wall. Right there and I guess she told the Pope about it, she told somebody and she really is legitimate. There’s a patron saint of television. So I gave one to Tyne with the price on the back, a dollar eighty-nine. She said I’m keeping this just like it is, well she ran six years. So the beginning of Thick and Thin all the cast were taken to lunch to rev-up and get ready and welcome everybody, so I brought my bag of Saint Clares and put one at every person’s place card. So they all got a Saint Clare. The director kept hers on the podium, it was always glued on the podium while she was directing. Then after we heard we were cut from thirteen to six episodes all of sudden the Saint Clare was taken off the podium. I said Gail what happened to Saint Clare. She said I’m mad at her and tossed her. (Laughter) So I’m glad to tell you about Saint Clare because you and all your doing for television you should know about it. You give me your address and I’ll send you a bag of them. I will. Listen it helped Judging Amy.

Rhode: Yea, but we were talking earlier that it shouldn’t have been cut when it was. It still had many stories to tell.

Gless: No, it was only cut because they were not twenty- three years old. They took their night in the ratings; it’s sort of how it goes.

Rhode: When you start losing shows when they still have good ratings there’s something wrong somewhere.

Gless: For CBS it’s an age thing. But there number one you know, so what are you going to do. But she had a nice long and Tyne’s off to do a play at the Manhattan Theater Club in New York, which is her first love. She loves theater the most. I like TV; I like TV series, long running ones. We were all asked on Queer as Folk, we were being interviewed and the press would always seem to ask questions that have sexual undoes and they asked me what is your definition of heaven and I said a hit series. That’s my idea of heaven. They’re all saying you know a fabulous looking guy and ring-ding.; and me a hit series.

Rhode: Queer as Folk had a nice run and wasn’t it there decision to quit?

Gless: Sure did, five years. It was sort of a mixed bag. Two of the leads really didn’t want to go on anymore they’d done enough and also our contracts were coming do and it was going to get very pricy for Showtime But the main reason is really that the new president of Showtime, it wasn’t his, it wasn’t his show. The only thing that bothered me was it was understood before we started the fifth year, we all new it was our last year and there was something nice about that. I’ve never been on a show where I knew when I start the season that it will be our last because we were able to savor every moment. When we got towards the end; oh guys this is my last scene in the dinner, ok this is my last scene in my house, ok this is my last scene kissing Detective Horwath ok and so you were able to at least, I don’t know it wasn’t a shock, you knew when you said goodbye you said goodbye. They said Sharon what do you want from the dinner to take and I picked the straw dispenser.

Rhode: How did you like working in Toronto?

Gless: I loved it. I applied for land of immigrantcy so I could work there. I mean I’m not giving up my citizenship as an American citizen. It took me three years and I got it and I’m going back in two weeks to see my friends, the producer that worked with us and I made so many friends there. I have all my papers now but you have to leave Canada which I did in July and then re-enter from the United States and then go to immigration and say I want to land today. So I’m going to go and I’m going to land. I would like to continue working there because it’s such a great city, fabulous crews. I don’t know about Vancouver but Toronto is just, Barney calls it New York run by the Swiss. It’s fabulous. Sharon I’ve been so fortunate, everything I’ve had in this business has been great so, next it will be Thick and Thin.

Unfortunately for Sharon her statue of Saint Clare didn’t work this time and Thick and Thin has been officially trashed. For Sharon I’m sure she will find something really soon, she’s too good of an actress to be idle for long.

In my next column I did an interview with Tyler Barnes, Vice President of promotion for the Milwaukee Brewers. Until then let your voice be heard.