Wentworth Miller, in Dallas shooting the third season of his Fox "Prison Break" series, reports that changes are being made in the storyline as the days progress.

When we last saw his Michael Scofield character and three cohorts, they were in a Panamanian prison after having being on the run for months. Plans called for the group to stage an escape in episode five this season. But episode five is now shooting, and there's no evidence, reveals Wentworth, as to when — or if — they'll leave that scene behind.

The erudite Princeton graduate notes of the situation, "It's becoming more complicated by the minute. We're in an environment with incredibly frightening new characters, new kingpins, new threats and obstacles, and it would be foolish to leave that scenario too quickly."

He says of the footage shot in preparation for the show's Sept. 17 seasonal debut, "It looks like a feature film. It is exciting."

Whether he's in jail or out, Dr. Sara (Sarah Wayne Callies) will somehow remain part of Scofield's life, reveals his alter ego.

"It will be a pivotal year for her," says Miller. "However, the audience is going to discover early on that nothing will ever be the same for the two characters. How so? That's the question."

The question also is how much longer the talented actor will be content starring in the hit series. He leaves no doubt that he sees a big-screen career in his future, but he notes of "Prison Break," "As long as the writers continue to come up with incredible plot twists, I'll be happy to let them explore Michael's layers."

WRITE AND WRONG: Blair Underwood reports his uber steamy new "Casanegra" novel was specifically written to "create a brand for me — a detective series in the literary and film worlds."

Underwood, who was recently cast as the zillionaire nemesis to Donald Sutherland's character in ABC's new "Dirty, Sexy Money" series, co-wrote the book with authors Tananarive Due(cq) and Steven Barnes. The plan is to produce a series of books and films based on his "Casanegra" character — a former gigolo named Tennyson Hardwick, now a down-on-his-luck actor. "I was supposed to play a former gigolo in a film that never happened. And while I was preparing for that I wondered, 'Why does someone sell their body for money? What's the cost to that person, the consequences?'" Additionally, he says, "I'd just done 'Sex and the City' and was walking down the street with all that kind of energy. And I was familiar with (best-selling author) Zane's books, which have taken this whole erotica targeted to African-American audiences to a whole other level. So we decided to write a murder mystery series so we could access that world that touches on some erotic elements and delve into some steamy moments."

Indeed, Underwood's Hardwick is the consummate lover, a fact spared no detail in the book. The gorgeous actor gives all the credit to his beautiful spouse of 13 years in the acknowledgments: "To my wife, Desiree, your contribution to this erotic murder mystery is more than I can or should put into writing. Thank you, girl, for so much, well, inspiration … enough said." Hear that? Another collective sigh from the ladies.

FROM THE INSIDE LOOKING OUT: Actors don't often want to play old on screen, but veteran actor Peter Coyote says he was thrilled to get the chance to step into the shoes of an old boxing manager in the Samuel L. Jackson flick "Resurrecting the Champ." "I'm too old to get the girl anymore, but I'm not really old enough to play that guy, but Rod [Lurie] let me do it," notes Coyote, who had worked with the director before on "Commander in Chief." It also proved to be a very nostalgic experience for the actor, whose father used to be involved in boxing. "My dad was a boxer, so I grew up around these colorful old men, who were tough as nails. Floyd Patterson's manager even spoke at my dad's funeral." Though Coyote didn't follow in his father's footsteps, it certainly made him respect the profession. "It's a fantastic test of character. You can only imagine what it feels like to take one of those punches from those men who can punch hard enough to kill a cow."

Coyote next has five movies on the way, but sadly, we won't be seeing him anymore on "Brothers & Sisters" where he played Sally Fields' love interest. "I just had a four-episode arc," he notes. "I think part of the joke is that Sally is going to have a progression of inappropriate lovers or boyfriends."

WEST WING TO BOARDROOM: Joshua Malina describes his character on the forthcoming "Big Shots" as "a conflicted guy with a big heart, who's been treading dangerous waters in a morally challenged area." The former "West Wing" and "Sports Night" regular wanted to make a return to the tube: "I don't savor being unemployed. I have a 5-year-old and a 9-year-old at home." He says that "Big Shots" — which has been likened to a male "Sex and the City" and stars Michael Vartan, Dylan McDermott, Christopher Titus and Josh as four CEOs — "came in an enormous number of scripts during pilot season. I felt like this was the one I could get and wanted to get." And he got.

(With reports by Stephanie DuBois and Emily Feimster)

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.

COPYRIGHT 2007 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

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