Tuesday, August 16, 2011

TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN . . . "MARY & HARRY, QUITE CONTRARY?" ~ Sleuth Sanderford on the Scene


TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN!

Mary & Harry?
Quite Contrary?

~ Sleuth Sanderford on the Scene



       

AT THE BIJOU 
brings you behind the scenes of the hot new summer show folks are hepped up, talkin' about:
  

"If it's Tuesday, it must be Take The Money And Run," Absolutely*Kate quipped Harry's way, watching the click, click, clackity click of the shiny smokin' silver remote.

Harry had that big grinnn spin on his chin, you know the one -- the kind that does all the preamblin' of a speakout for a rootin'tootin' talented cowboy-surfer writer-guy ... as well as masterful TV-watcher of what's hot and what's not.

Harry B Sanderford knows a shore thing
"Gotcha a little surprise here, Katie*Girl," Harry B. Sanderford drawled. "Did me some direct checkin' out of the new girl in TV-Land, since you and your detective fellows delved into what makes her co-star, that Paul Bishop fellow tick, last show. I plumb think all the good folks who plop themselves mighty comfortable into the red velvet seats AT THE BIJOU are gonna take a hankering to it."

Absolutely*Kate sails - Harry's on deck.

"As usual, Harry's right. Here's this week's show on the show, folks. Watch it Tuesdays on ABC. Have your snacks all spread out by 9. And after his interview, watch Harry catch a wave. Right now though ~ Mary's the latest rave!"


       

Mary & Harry?
Quite Contrary?

~ Sleuth Sanderford on the Scene


Mary Hanlon Stone is one of those busy beavers that somehow finds a few more hours in her day than the rest of us do. She is a deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County, a best-selling author of the YA hit Invisible Girl, a wife, mother of two and now, co-star/interrogator of the new ABC show Take The Money And Run. I checked out the first and second episodes the last two Tuesday nights and had a few questions that Mary found still more time in her day to answer:

What are you wearing...Oh wait, *shuffle*shuffle* er...sorry, notes for a phone interview I’ll be conducting later.

*shuffle*shuffle*...ah, here we are:

HBS: First of all Mary, congratulations on getting Take The Money And Run to air at all! Judging by the first episodes you seem ready to make a nice run for it yourself but I know it didn’t happen without a lot of hard work. What was your most difficult obstacle?


Mary and Paul give it good in episode 1 - "Oh Brother"
MHS:  My most difficult obstacle was getting over feeling guilty about being aggressive with people who have not done anything wrong.  The contestants are normal, nice people, not “bad guys”.  I am used to being nurturing to the victims I help get justice and only being aggressive with criminals.  I literally cried when we were breaking Paul I felt so bad.

Super Harry, reporting swell
HBS: Speaking of breaking Paul, in the first episode your interrogation tactics really worked on him and his brother Raul. You had them both wanting your approval. So much so, they became almost apologetic when you simply accused them of lying. They are supposed to be lying! The isolation though is what really seemed to work on Paul. At one point it looked like all they had to do was keep quiet overnight and they’d win $100,000, but Paul couldn’t do it. Do you find in your real life cases that younger suspects so used to being constantly in touch electronically, have greater difficulty sitting chilly when left all alone with their thoughts?

MHS:  I do think younger people are used to constant stimulation from electronic connections.  However, the most significant difference between real life and the game is in Take The Money And Run, there are no constitutional protections for the “suspects”.  They cannot tell us they do not want to talk to us.  They cannot exercise their right to remain silent.

HBS: $ilence is golden.


HBS: Surely someone approached Steve Miller about using his song with the same title for the theme music. No love from the gangster of love? What gives?
MHS: Ha, ha!  I can’t say I have met the gangster of love, but if he would like to be a contestant…

HBS: Hear that Steve?


Harry's Q's hit hard
HBS: You’ve proven with your successes that you do not have to choose between law enforcement, writing, or television. But if you had to, which do you find gives you the most satisfaction?

MHS: Oh, you ask the hardest questions!  The only answer I can give you is that my passion is the study of the human condition.  I LOVE figuring out what makes people tick—like, why does a certain person commit a certain crime?  Or, why can some people not commit to relationships?  Why, why, why?    
  
I live to figure out the whys and the interrelationships between people.  As a DA, I not only get to figure out the “whys” but I get to figure out the whole puzzle of the crime and take care of victims, so I love that job.  As a writer, I can create my own universe of people with motivations, vulnerabilities and problems so I absolutely LOVE that—I have been writing my whole life and it would be like cutting off a limb to stop.  Being on Take The Money And Run allows me the challenge of a puzzle, like a real criminal investigation and the challenge of connecting with a person who doesn’t want to connect with me.  I honestly can’t choose which I love best because they are all so satisfying on intellectual and emotional levels.
HBS: So, you’d like to direct...kidding, nice job on the, “Which child do you love most?” query.
   

HBS: The third episode of Take The Money And Run airs Tuesday night on ABC. I’m hoping for somewhat more challenging Hiders this time. I’m not rooting against you, just hoping to see you and Paul dig deeper into your bag of tricks. Were you to handcuff me to the briefcase, I think I have my game plan figured out. You must have given it some thought. Tell me, how would you do it?


MHS:  Of course I have given it some thought!  I already have a plan.  And it is foolproof, but, as they say, if I told you, I’d have to kill you and then I’d get arrested and convicted and I really have no time to waste being in prison!  So, sorry, can’t give out my secret.
HBS: Ha ha, that’s ok then, you keep that one under your hat.  I’ll stick with my plan; maybe see if Steve Miller wants to team up.

HBS: Thank you so much Mary for joining me AT THE BIJOU and sharing a little bit of what makes a girl like you a girl like you. I wish you continued success in all your endeavors and I’ll be tuning in Tuesday nights.


       





Watch Mary Hanlon Stone thwart 'Hiders' 
who Take The Money And Run ... Tuesday nights, ABC @ 9


 


Mary's book, invisiblegirl
is available at booksellers, nationally

Novel next is  ~  The Comedown Life, 
coming out next year


AND WATCH HARRY CATCH THAT WAVE!

Super Interview Mary & Harry!
~ Absolutely*Kate
and our ritzy staff of renown
*AT THE BIJOU*
Where Writers' Raves are Readers' Faves

7 comments:

Kevin Michaels said...

Excellent back and forth and great POV from Mary as well as some insightful questions from Harry - I think she hit the nail on the head regarding most suspects being interrogated (just seeking approval/respect/understanding)..... although I have to believe that any parent who lived through the toddler stage (and those incessant "why" and "why not" questions) and then the teenaged years has some kind of expertise in misdirection and not quite telling all the facts........

Madam Z said...

Harry, is there no end to your multi-talents? You did a great job asking questions and Mary did a great job with the answers. Bravo!

Cathy Olliffe-Webster said...

I haven't seen this show - why haven't I seen this show? I'll certainly have to check it out now. Loved the interview, Harry - a great deal of fun! And thanks for being the hostess with the mostest, Mizz Kate!

Harry said...

Thanks a lot Kevin, Zelda & Cathy! It was fun to do. I think ATB should come up with a team to take the money and run.

Thanks A.K. for the nice intro, setup, and pics, looks great!

Kate Pilarcik ~ absolutely said...

Well Sleuth Sanderford, right again you are! Indeed AT THE BIJOU should come up with some tag teams to Take The Money And Run ... I'm in -- who else?

But do ya think Paul and Mary would crack under our great grinnns?

Harry, setting up what superb Q's you tossed at Mary's easy catch and responses was pure pleasure. LOVE setting the stage for dynamics of drama.

So -- hey? Who's in? Next week AT THE BIJOU I'll post the sign'up for contestants link. I think if Har and Zelda and Cathy hidden somewhere along the trail worked together it'd be a coooool epic'sode to set aside a Tuesday for! THANKS HAR! GRACIOUS THANKS MS MARY - You come across so real in the way you deal.

~ Absolutely*Kate
and our ritzy staff of renown

AT THE BIJOU

Anonymous said...

I have to admit, not only are you an all around nice guy, great writer and now interviewer.
You're a natural. I saw the first show she's now push over, but you had Mary eating our of your hand.

Best of luck Mary and Paul.

Pamila Payne said...

Hmm. Looks like another star reporter is rising alongside Mr. Venutolo. Fine job, Harry. Keep this up and you'll end up on the red carpet. And Mary's a natural. I bet that show takes off.