Jason Isaacs reports the third season of his Peabody Award-winning "Brotherhood" Showtime series will wrap production on Election Day, and sometime after that he'll be off to finish shooting of Paul Greengrass's highly anticipated "Green Zone" with Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear — a film that started production in January and has locationed for months in Spain and Morocco.

"We're actually going back to do more. Matt Damon had to go do another film, but this gives Brian Helgeland time to write a fantastic ending," Isaacs says.

"Green Zone" follows the quasi-documentary style of Greengrass's acclaimed "Bloody Sunday" and "United 93" films, bringing real participants of the events seen on screen into the film. In this case, it's full of soldiers who are veterans of the Iraq war who can create their own authentic dialogue.

"It's a very different, amazing experience," says the actor also known as Death Eater Lucius Malfoy in the "Harry Potter" movies. "It takes all your normal props away, and you're not quite sure what is going to happen next. I made a mistake previously in an interview implying that it's all made up. There is a script — a cracking script," Isaacs notes, referring to the screenplay penned by Helgeland and Greengrass. "But the process is different."

Isaacs has learned that soldiers in Iraq have been watching "Brotherhood" — which returns to the tube in November — with special attention focused on his Irish gangster character, Michael Caffee. The actor has been doing a brilliant job portraying Caffee, who ended up with brain injuries after an attack and has continued to try to run his criminal empire despite memory loss and blackouts. "TBI (traumatic brain injury) is the signature injury of the Iraq war," says Isaacs, who's been told that it has to do with factors including the insurgents' use of Improvised Exploding Devices.

The series' second season hits DVD Oct. 7, after having been postponed. Why the holdup? "I've heard, but I don't know, that it had something to do with the writers' strike, and there was a time when CBS was considering airing it on the network," says Isaacs. That could have been problematic because, notes the witty Brit, "If you cut the violence, nudity and swearing out, you'd probably have a 15-minute show."

THE VIDEOLAND VIEW: Rocky Carroll took over the position of NCIS director when Lauren Holly's character was killed off on "NCIS" at the end of last season. While many were shocked to see her go, Carroll assures fans that any lingering questions will soon be answered. "This show is now in its sixth season, so fans of the show know what they want to see. They want to know how we expect to resolve this. There's got to be a legitimate reason. Give me a good reason why you did what you did. I think fans will be pleased to know the show — even though it's been turned upside down — is still 'NCIS.'"

Going from guest starring on the CBS series last year to becoming a regular this season is a thrill for the former "Roc" star, who tells us he's grateful to have a job. "Actors only complain on two occasions. When they're employed and when they're not. The way things are now with the business, where there is this sort of holding pattern with SAG, I'm very fortunate to be able to get up every morning and say, 'I've got a series to go to.'"

Luckily for Carroll, he has several jobs at the moment, including playing Jim Carrey's boss in the upcoming flick "Yes Man." "I'm making a living playing everyone's boss now," he notes with a laugh. "I had a great time with Jim. He's also wearing a producer's hat on this movie. He's very hands-on with regards to the scenes," says Carroll. "Here's a guy who's been a part of the public conscience for so many years now, but I get a sense that he still loves what he does."

REALITY CHECK: The outspoken Janice Dickinson doesn't always make friends everywhere she goes, but she's got one advocate in celebrity dentist Dr. Bill Dorfman, who recently guest starred on her reality show, "The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency." "It was great working with her. She's one of the nicest people you'll ever meet," claims Dorfman, who rose to fame from his work on "Extreme Makeover" and is about to be a part of Dr. Phil's newest show, "The Doctors." Being a part of reality TV has been a real trip for the dentist, who got a chance to strike a pose with Janice and her models. "We checked all of their teeth and whitened them, and then when we were done, we went and shot a calendar. It was me, Janice and four of the guys from the show. All of these guys were 21. I'm 50, so it was a pretty cool experience for me," he says. "It's called 'The Real Men of Reality TV' calendar. It's really fun, and all of the proceeds go to kids."

HELLO, AGAIN: Steve Austin, a.k.a. wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin, met with disappointment when his starring film vehicle, "The Condemned," failed to live up to expectations at the box office when it was released last year. Nevertheless, he's back at it with "Damage," a feature soon to shoot in Canada, which has to do with the underground fight club, er, scene. Subsidiary roles are being cast now, with the production specifying names known to both U.S. and Canadian audiences.

With reports by 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 2008 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

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