Gerald McRaney is hanging out at L.A.'s Marina Del Rey this week while wife Delta Burke is busy making the pilot for her prospective "Counter Culture" comedy at nearby Sony Pictures Studios. "I'm her wheel man, picking her up at the end of the day," says the ever-popular, always-busy actor. "I'm actually just being selfish. I want to be around her more. I didn't see her for a month."

He's just returned from North Carolina where he was filming the big screen "Heart of the Country," a drama about a father and his prodigal daughter, based on the novel by Rene Gutteridge. McRaney stars and executive produces, as well. "The first thing was, I liked the script. It was touching. It was about people, not about androids — which isn't easy to find these days," he contends. "The whole thing is about people who are trying to do their best."

He's lavish in his praise for writer-director John Ward and the rest of the team on the indie feature, including onscreen daughters Anne Hawthorne and Jana Kramer, the latter of whom is the prodigal. "Jana is an up-and-coming country music artist, as well. We had a great, great cast. Jana especially stole my heart."

McRaney also has completed a pilot: TNT's hour-long drama called "Scent of the Mission," about rescue dogs. So he and Delta might each have shows coming on this fall. They'll find out next month. The hitch: Hers is here in L.A., and his is in Louisiana. "At least, with hers being a sitcom, she'd get a week off here and there," says McRaney, speaking of Delta's ABC show that also stars Doris Roberts, Kerri Kenney and Margo Martindale. Then she could join him back around their old digs in the Bayou State.

The McRaneys have had to work out some pretty convoluted logistics to be together through the years, but they've obviously managed. They'll celebrate their 23rd anniversary next month.

LAUGH THE VOTE: While many voters across the land shake their heads over the look of the political landscape this election year, comedian Will Durst is having a field day. He considers this the most fertile election year ever for comedy. "It's the longest, and for some reason, everybody's had a shot at the brass ring. All the Republicans have had their time in the sun. It used to be frontrunners in the primaries, and then there were people nobody had heard of at all; audiences wouldn't have a clue who I was talking about. But this year, we've had Herman Cain, Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry... There were some who weren't even running ... Chris Christie. For me, comedy is all about shared references, so when the audiences know who I'm talking about, that's just wonderful."

And, he adds gleefully, "There's so much to come. There are many bouquets of deliciousness between now and Election Day: the conventions, the ad campaigns, the money and the charges." Asked who can be counted on for a laugh in the days ahead, Durst replies, "Mitt Romney, for all of his — he looks great — but he always stumbles. I think he has electile (sic) dysfunction, I really do." Ba-dum-pum! "They keep saying the primary campaign is going to make him a tougher candidate, but the only thing he's been doing for five years is running for president. I don't think there's any more bending in him."

Not surprisingly, the acclaimed political satirist has a crowded roster of dates ahead. "I'm like an Olympic athlete, with a career every four years for a month, so, yeah, I'm going to D.C. in May, and I also do a one-man show in San Francisco every Tuesday. That way I can get all the material out. Some of it's very ephemeral; it only lasts a week a two."

HELLO, AGAIN: Preproduction is under way on "How Sweet It Is," a film in which Burt Reynolds and Paul Sorvino play a down-on-his-luck theater producer and a mob boss, respectively. From producer Suzanne de Laurentiis, the premise has Sorvino's character giving Reynolds' character a chance to clear his enormous debts by — what else? — putting on a show.

FAMILY AFFAIRS: A reality show about "Haves and Have-Nots" may be coming our way — in which a poor family moves in with a rich family and, one would hope, interesting things ensue. The makers are casting for their families now: a rich dad in his 40s who is, per casting notices, "polished and looks like money," a mom who looks rich, a "frat boy" son and a "party girl" teen daughter. Then there's the poor family. Wanted are a blue-collar dad in his 40s, a "blue-collar, hardworking mom ... worn-looking," a daughter who is "brainy," and a son who "looks bright." Not that they're going for stereotypes or anything.

To find out more about Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith and read their past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.