TV PRESS TOUR

Here at the Universal Hilton, it was good to see the star of AMC’s “Breaking Bad” looking healthier than he did when he won an Emmy for the role in September.

Bryan Cranston, former star of “Malcolm in the Middle,” had lost 16 pounds then, trying to look the part of a high school chemistry teacher who has only 18 months to live because of lung cancer. Viewers will see the thinner Cranston, and his bald head, when the show’s second season premieres March 8. But today, now that production has ended, the TV press here at the TCA Press Tour gathering got to see Cranston “in beefing up” mode.

In the five months since Cranston’s character, Walt White, was diagnosed, a lot has happened in his life. His wife got pregnant and Walt, unable to work, decided to team up with a former student and start a crystal meth business so he can leave his family financially secure. That partnership went awry by the first season’s end, and now Walt is pondering his next move as he continues to deal with the reality of his disease.

Cranston said that he learned firsthand what cancer patients go through when he accompanied his sister-in-law to her breast cancer treatments.

“There’s a lot of self-reflection, quiet time, anger and resentment,” Cranston said. “You run a gamut of emotions and not always in the sequence that you think you would. That’s what is great about the show. Often his condition will surface in an emotion that seems inappropriate at the time. But, given the set of circumstances, you accept and understand it. It forces you to do a lot of self-examination.

“Walt looks at how his life has changed. Before this he was a walking zombie for 25 years. He was a very depressed man. There is no going back emotionally. He can’t go back to teaching. His life has changed, and at times he’s embracing that, which I find fascinating sociologically.”

In the second season, Walt will have to decide just how far he is willing to go for his family’s security, which will culminate with a “big slam” season finale, creator Vince Gilligan said.

Because Walt was given only 18 months to live, and producers are hoping for a third season, there might be some optimistic news in Walt’s near future, Gilligan said.

“There may be a little bit, a ray of good news, for how long we don’t know,” Gilligan said. “That’s often the case in real life with cancer -- moments of sunshine, moments of hopeful outlook. And it can change in the blink of an eye, unfortunately.”

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AMC hopes to ride a wave with ‘Prisoner’

On a high from its award-winning critical darlings “Mad Men” and “Breaking Bad,” AMC is remaking “The Prisoner,” the TV cult classic from the 1960s, as a miniseries.

The original series, co-created by Patrick McGoohan, was influenced by Cold War politics. The new version, produced by Trevor Hopkins (“Dracula”), reflects an evolved, post-Sept. 11 version of 21st century issues, such as liberty, security and surveillance, while keeping the original’s paranoid, tense tone.

The six one-hour episodes begin with a man (Jim Caviezel of “The Thin Red Line” and “The Passion of the Christ”) who resigns from his job and wakes up to find himself trapped in a mysterious and surreal place called the Village, with no memory of having arrived there. The Village residents are identified by number and have no memory of a previous existence. The Village is controlled by “Two” (Sir Ian McKellen), who is locked in a battle of wits with “Six” (Caviezel) throughout the miniseries.

Caviezel said he was initially interested in the role -- his first TV series -- because McKellen was a part of the show, but then was taken with the entire project when he read the script.

“This blew everything out of the water that I was thinking about doing,” he said.

McKellen said he watched some of the episodes of the original in reruns because he was busy doing theater when it first aired on TV in England, and reminded the TV press that there were no VCRs back then.

Two of the series’ other actors are Ruth Wilson (“Jane Eyre”) and Lennie James, who is best known for his role on “Jericho.” (Note to “Jericho” junkies: Love ya, please don’t e-mail me.)

The miniseries was directed by Nick Hurran and will air in November. AMC also is airing the original series on www.amctv.com.

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A dressing-down, for a change, from RuPaul

RuPaul came to the TCA press tour Friday: Where do we begin?

First of all, he looked debonair in a pinstripe suit and his fly leopard-print shoes, opting to leave the drag queen regalia to three of the contestants on his new Logo reality series, “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” He insisted on standing at the lecturn, like Logo President and MTV Networks honcho Brian Graden, instead of sitting in the chair provided for him, mostly so he could do Bill Clinton imitations. Clearly, RuPaul had never been to TCA because no one laughed, leading him to observe:

“This is a somber lot, isn’t it? Are you American? Do you speak English? Is there booze in your cups? Ladies, give them booze!”

That landed him some laughs. Then it was off to the races. Pity the pour soul who asked him what he owes to Tyra Banks.

“Nothing! And don’t you ever bring up that name again! Where is this man’s car? Shannel, key his car. Security, get this man out of here! She learned everything from me, darling!”

The critic attempted a follow-up: “But what if I said that the show reminds me of ‘Top Model?’ ”

“Then you’re retarded. Don’t give me no Tyra [stuff]! That’s it! I let her borrow all my used wigs. That’s it!”

That ended that. Next, the drag queen extraordinaire was asked to tell the story of how the show, which premieres Feb. 2, was developed. Whose idea was it, anyway?

“The universe called and we answered that call. This was a show that had to be made. Whether it was come up [with] at a toilet stall at Illusions on Santa Monica Boulevard, I mean, really, it doesn’t matter. The fact is that we have this show that is going to turn TV upside down. The whole world loves drag, whether they admit it or not. We live in this culture that’s hypocritical where we hate drag because it’s misogynistic, but we also love it because it’s sparkly and shiny. This was a show that had to be made, darling! Egg? Chicken? It’s here, eat it up! Egg, chicken? Chicken, egg? What came first? I don’t care! Give me my breakfast!”

We were still feeling sorry for the critic with the Tyra question, when one of the more senior TCA members, Rodi Alexander, piped in with an unfortunate idea. She wanted the three contestants who were milling about the audience to stand onstage with RuPaul and answer questions. Oh boy! RuPaul immediately seized on an opportunity and urged the critic to join all of them onstage. This made a lot of us wince because it was just a few press tours ago that Alexander fell at a party and broke her hip, but with the help of the host, she made it onstage.

“This is what press tour has been leading up to for 25 years,” whispered Sun-Sentinel TV critic Tom Jicha, watching the tiny Alexander sandwiched between very tall and ornate people. When RuPaul mentioned it was funny that Alexander was up there, she replied: “What’s funny is putting me up here with men, looking like beautiful girls, and then I have to go look at me when I go home.”

“You’re lovely!” RuPaul answered. “Isn’t she lovely? Isn’t she lovely?”

RuPaul then started doing a booty dance that he wanted Alexander to do, at which point a critic interrupted and asked a question and added, “Sorry, Rodi, I don’t want you to throw out your hip. I mean that sweetly.”

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