Television
Some 'Alias' stars' return in question

By Zap2it.com

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For "Alias" fans looking for favorite characters like Lena Olin's Irina Derevko or Bradley Cooper's Will Tippin, this has been a somewhat disappointing season.

Derevko has been reduced to an entirely off-screen presence, communicating only via e-mail and instant messages.

After nearly dying at the end of last season, Tippin went into the witness-protection program. He returned for one episode.

While there are no immediate plans for either Olin or Cooper to return, "Alias" creator J.J. Abrams is hopeful that they will.

The show's unsuccessful attempts to negotiate with Olin this fall were well-publicized. Abrams cast Olin halfway through the first season and tried to get her to sign on for an appearance in the first season finale. Instead, the show's casting director had to stand in.

Olin's work on the second season earned her an Emmy nomination.

Things are more complicated with Cooper, who has become increasingly busy this year with appearances on shows like NBC's "Miss Match" and USA's "Touching Evil." Abrams insists he doesn't want to bring Cooper back just to have him around.

He knows the fans can turn on Will when he's just spinning his wheels, like in the first season, when he was in the middle of his protracted investigation into the death of Sydney's fiancé.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company