Excerpt from Canada.com
The CW cancels 'Veronica Mars'
David Bauder, Associated Press
Published: Thursday, May 17, 2007

The CW network canceled the cult hit Veronica Mars, featuring Toronto actor Enrico Colantoni, and will try to pick up steam in its second year with series about the snobby rich, transplanted families and a bounty hunter for the devil.

The network, created out of the ashes of the former WB and UPN, had already ended the long-running family dramas 7th Heaven and Gilmore Girls. On Thursday the ax fell on Veronica Mars, which starred Kristen Bell as a wisecracking teenage private eye.

Full Article

Axing of 'Veronica Mars' a jolt to audience of teen sleuth show
By SOLVEJ SCHOU, Associated Press Writer
Thursday, May 17, 2007
(05-17) 16:35 PDT Los Angeles (AP) --

It's a mournful day for a niche TV crowd. OK, a cult crowd. "Veronica Mars" is no more.

The smart CW dramedy starring blonde pixie Kristen Bell as a tough teenage sleuth with wisecracks and style to spare has been canceled after three seasons.

For weeks, rabid "Mars" devotees — ranging from college students with fan sites on Myspace, LiveJournal and Facebook, to academics in their 30s — buzzed about the show's status.

Self-described "huge fan" Angela Hanigan, 31, told The Associated Press on Wednesday she would be "extremely crushed" but not surprised by the show's demise.

"I don't expect shows with brilliant writing and three dimensional characters to stay on the air for very long," the teacher from Fullerton said dryly in an e-mail.

Full Article

"The thing is, anyone who actually sees Veronica Mars is going to love Veronica Mars. I mean, I have yet to meet anyone who's like, `Eh ...'"

That being said, and despite the failure of the experimental retooling, a new initiative came down from even farther out of left field to take the show in a whole new direction.

"Rob (creator/producer Thomas) and a couple of the other executives said, `Let's make a little showcase pilot of what Veronica could be like in four years.' They thought Dawn might latch on to the idea of Veronica as an FBI agent in a kind of sexy workplace environment, á la Grey's Anatomy, that kind of thing.

"We shot 10 pages and they saw it and the reaction was, `That's not our show.' Then they saw the last episode of this season, and it was so on the money ... it was like the first two years. And I think the network was very excited about that.

"You know how it works. They've got six new pilots. And if some of those tank, or if Gilmore Girls doesn't come back, then of course they're going to want us back."

Full Article

Excerpt from E! Online
SOS Update: Veronica Mars Not Canceled
Watch with Kristin

A little update on the winner and runner-up of this year's Save One Show campaign.

As I mentioned in the latest chat, Veronica Mars executive producer Rob Thomas is the special guest of this week's

Watch with Kristin show on the Vine. Although you'll have to wait till Monday morning to see the entire show, I wanted to get out one message right away.

According to Rob Thomas, Veronica Mars has not been canceled. At least not yet. He is meeting with the CW next week to pitch ideas for season four, and the show's fate will be decided after that.

You may have seen the report in USA Today that VM has been canceled, and also Enrico Colantoni's interview in the Toronto Star, saying that the CW did not love the 10-minute presentation of an FBI version of the show. But according to Thomas, the CW has not yet seen the FBI presentation and there most definitely is still hope for a season four.

Don't know about you, but that's news so good it almost makes me weepy.

Rob (who couldn't have been a better guest) gave more scoop on the show's fate and also the big love triangle (including some interesting, season-ending dish on Logan and Veronica). So, make sure you check back Monday for that.

Full Article

Toronto actor Enrico Colantoni best-known for his recurring role as the fashion photographer Elliot DiMauro on the sitcom Just Shoot Me plays Dions husband and manager Ren Anglil. Singer and stage actress Louise Pitre

(Mamma Mia!) portrays Dions mother Therese and New Brunswick-born thespian Peter MacNeill plays Dions dad Adhmar.

Celine is directed by Jeff Woolnough (CSI, Battlestar Gallactica) and was written by Donald Martin, based on the biography, A New Day Dawns, by Barry Gills and Jim Brown. It follows Dion until the age of 24.

Full Article

This past weekend, professional street teams distributed 30,000 flyers in New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Chicago inviting people to tune in to this week’s episode of ‘Veronica Mars.’ After an eight-week hiatus, new episodes of ‘Mars’ will start airing this week. Prior to the hiatus, the second story arc of the season was resolved leaving five more stand-alone episodes to close out the season starting this Tuesday (May 1st) at 9 PM on The CW. Because they are stand-alone episodes, this really is the perfect opportunity for new viewers to tune in and see what all the fuss is about. Improved ratings could certainly help keep ‘Mars’ on the air.

Full Article

Intelligent Life at UPN

In an astounding display of good taste and intestinal fortitude, and despite lackluster ratings, UPN renewed Veronica Mars, co-starring Enrico Colantoni, for a second season and then a third.

The series debuted on September 22nd 2004 at 9:00pm ET. It now airs Tuesdays at 9:00pm. If you haven't seen it yet, why the heck not? If you have seen it you're probably hooked. So tell all your friends about it, even if Rico doesn't mind the low ratings. "I do think it makes us a little cooler," Enrico says. "I like the idea of being this little cult hit... to be the show that needs to be watched as opposed to the show everybody's watching."

Here's my Keith-centric Veronica Mars page. Keep in mind it's in its infancy.

In honor of Enrico Colantoni's 42nd birthday on February 14th 2005 I finally got around to putting up the fourth part of his biography.

Seasons One and Two of Just Shoot Me were released as a set on DVD last year. You can order from Amazon.com and many other fine retailers.

Just Shoot Me: Seasons 1 & 2 (4pc) (Full Dol)

Enrico on Ice


Click here for larger photo
Rico with New Prized Possession
Photo by: John Heller

"The hockey season may be on ice, but the game will be back, bigger then ever," so says Enrico Colantoni, star of the TV series "Veronica Mars."

"Hockey’s down, but not out. When they finally settle this, I’ll be first in line to buy season tickets." The Canadian-born Colantoni is one of Hollywood’s most diehard hockey fans, and plays in a weekly game alongside other celebrities. He is shown here with his most treasured new possession, an autographed Wayne Gretzky hockey stick he received as a gift yesterday. — 3/9/05

(Thanks to Monique Moss, Warren Cowan & Associates, for the photo and the quote!)

Enrico on Monk

In 2004, much to my delight, Enrico guest starred on the USA originial series Monk The episode was "Mr. Monk and the Employee of the Month" which premiered on August 6th 2004. It was the highest rated, perhaps the most critically well-received and definitely my favorite episode of the season. Monk: The Complete Third Season, including this episode is available on DVD.

Monk Official Site

Mr. Monk and the Employee of the Month

On March 14th 2005 the cast of Veronica Mars, including Enrico Colantoni, appeared at the 22nd Annual William S. Paley Television Festival at the Museum of Television and Radio in Los Angeles. There was a panel discussion, an episode screening and an autograph, all of which I missed (*pout*) but I did have a Monk friend, Tami, attending on my behalf. She found an opportunity to ask Mr. Colantoni a couple of questions.

Here's what she had to say: "When I met Rico, I did ask him if he'd be on "Monk" again and the man who was with him (agent?) said: 'NO!' I'm not sure if it was a joke. Rico said that "the show" [Monk] contacted him for that part [Joe Christie.] It was kind of hectic, so I couldn't really get more detail than that."

Tami also noted, "He's a sweetheart in person! and admitted "I'm hooked on Veronica Mars now. They have a new fan in me!" [One down, 10 million more to go.]

Tami and Rico at the Paley Festival

Enrico in South Park

This portrait of Enrico as Joe Christie in the South Park style is courtesy of the artist Olivia. Click on little Joe to see big Joe and here for other Monk/South Park characters.

Enrico at Penny Lane

Enrico Colantoni put in an appearance at a Penny Lane fundraiser in Los Angeles on October 23rd 2004.

Penny Lane is a non-profit organization that cares for over 1700 abused, neglected and abandoned children each year in the Los Angeles area. We operate ten (10) residential facilities, a special school, foster care, and adoption services. Through numerous enrichment programs, we offer mentoring, life and job skill training, mental health clinics for our children, youths and their families at no cost. Penny Lane also manages a Transitional Housing Program for Emancipated Foster Youth who would otherwise be homeless.

Here are some pictures of Mr. Colantoni at the event.