UPN has picked up Veronica Mars, co-starring Enrico Colantoni, for a full 22... episodes that is. VM debuted to wide critical acclaim, but small audience numbers.

In an effort to promote the show the cast has done a couple of autograph signing sessions at major malls in Seattle and Minneapolis. Her are a couple of mentions from recent news articles:

Picking The Year's 10 Best Shows Takes A Little Jury Duty:
Veronica Mars, UPN.
Here's hoping more viewers will give this hard-boiled teen sleuth a chance in 2005. She navigates the most raw, realistic depiction of teenage social life on television, and her cases never end where you would expect. And in Veronica, Kristen Bell has given viewers a courageous, brainy heroine to rally around, and half of a strong father-daughter team with her father, Keith (Enrico Colantoni at his best).
From TheDay.com New London CT
By MELANIE MCFARLAND
Published on 12/21/2004

The Young and the Restless
Bell is ably assisted by TV veteran Enrico Colantoni (Just Shoot Me), who plays Veronica's father, Keith. Colantoni is all those things a good TV dad should be: tender, funny, protective. The actor has such natural chemistry with Bell; it's tough to believe the two aren't related in real life. Sadly both actors' chances of being recognized are slim; though critically beloved, Veronica is a ratings underdog and doesn't quite have the high profile of some of this season's blockbuster hits. Having already developed a loyal cult following, the show has inspired comparisons to Buffy the Vampire Slayer--a show that, despite boasting some deserving performances, never broke out in any of the acting categories at the SAG Awards or the Emmys. Still, there are always the Globes, which are known for sometimes recognizing actors on cool new series during the show's first season: Think Alias' Jennifer Garner, Felicity's Keri Russell, and Joan of Arcadia's Amber Tamblyn. In Garner's and Tamblyn's cases, their Globe noms paved the way for Emmy nods. One can only hope that Bell, at least, is singled out in the same way.
From Backstage.com
By Sarah Kuhn
December 17, 2004

[No such luck on the Golden Globe nominations. Veronica Mars was completely passed over.]

Rico has a bit part in a film recently put into limited release—

Criminal
Randy Cordova
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 10, 2004 12:00 AM

Excerpt: The casting is almost perfect, with even the bit parts filled by colorful performances from such character actors as Enrico Colantoni (TV's Just Shoot Me) as a currency expert and '80s hottie Deborah Van Valkenburgh (The Warriors) as a scam victim.

Criminal Official Site

Not sure how I missed hearing about this since Monk, starring Tony Shalhoub, is my favorite TV series currently in production, but I didn't fnd out that Enrico Colantoni was going to be a guest star on the show until I saw his name in the credits. The episode was "Mr. Monk and the Employee of the Month" which premiered on August 6th 2004. It was the highest rated and perhaps the most critically well-received episode of the season. Tony Shalhoub also co-starred with Rico in 1999's Galaxy Quest.

USA Network will be airing an encore showing of this episode on JAN 21, 2005 at 7:00 PM

Monk Official Site

And here's some stories about our top story —

From the San Diego Union Tribune
"Oceanside High becomes stage for TV pilot"
By Sherry Parmet and Pat Sherman
STAFF WRITERS

March 21, 2004

OCEANSIDE – Nearly 200 students at Oceanside High School strolled the food court yesterday carrying notebooks, trays and cell phones. It was like any other school lunch period, save for the wardrobe racks, production lights and a director shouting through a megaphone.

A production crew is filming the pilot show for a possible television series at the school this weekend. "Veronica Mars" is a drama about a teenager in the fictional town of Neptune who moonlights as a private investigator.

Producer Paul Kurta said much of the filming will take place in Oceanside.

"It's a seaside town that still feels like middle-class people live there," he said. "Most of the seaside towns feel resort driven."

The story line centers on Veronica Mars, a high school senior at Neptune High School who helps out with her father's private investigation business, Kurta said. Her father [Enrico Colantoni]is the town's former police chief who was fired while investigating a murder suspect, a powerful industrialist who is the wealthiest man in town.

Shortly before noon yesterday, the show's 23-year-old star, Kristen Bell, was seated at a table in the middle of the quadrant, preparing for one of numerous takes.

"One of the bullies is trying to pick on this guy and the main character, she's trying to stand up for her friend," explained 15-year-old freshman Melissa Molino of Bell's scene.

"He's pretty much the new guy around, an outcast, and she's trying to help him fit in," said 15-year-old sophomore Jessica Gerry.

Melissa and Jessica are among numerous Oceanside High students volunteering as extras for the project. Stu Segall Productions, located in San Diego, is paying the school $7,750 for the use of the campus and extras. If picked up, the drama will air on the UPN Network.

"It's an interesting experience for me," said Melissa, a drama student who learned of the opportunity through her teacher. "I've never seen actual filming up close . . . . If you you want to be an actor, it's kind of cool to see them making a pilot firsthand."

"You get the whole 15 minutes of fame," Jessica said.

The studio is paying the school $3,000 for use of its campus. Student groups such as band, chorus, track and ceramics will receive an additional $4,750 for supplying extras.

The studio's contract with the school is to shoot only one episode of Veronica Mars, said Laura Chalkley, spokeswoman for the Oceanside Unified School District. Filming will conclude today.

If the series gets picked up, and the production crew wants additional use of the Oceanside campus, a new contract would be negotiated with the school board, said Chalkley.

From the Hollywood Reporter
"Casting News"
By Nellie Andreeva

Feb. 23, 2004

Enrico Colantoni has been cast as the male lead in UPN's drama pilot "Veronica Mars."

"Veronica Mars," from Warner Bros. TV and Silver Pictures, centers on a hip teenage girl (Kristen Bell) who helps her father (Colantoni) with his private detective agency.

Colantoni is best known for his role as photographer Elliot DiMauro on NBC's "Just Shoot Me." His credits also include the features "Full Frontal" and "Galaxy Quest" and TNT's "James Dean." Colantoni is repped by Innovative Artists and manager David Guc.

From USA Today
"UPN saves 'Trek' but beams it to new slot "
By Gary Levin - Excerpt

Newcomers include Veronica Mars, which is about a teenage girl who helps her dad's private-detective agency. It stars Kristen Bell and Enrico Colantoni (Just Shoot Me).

Tuesday: All of Us at 8; Eve, 8:30; Veronica Mars, 9