Off the Map

'Off the Map' Creator Jenna Bans: Hawaii's 'Lost' Locations Were a 'Perfect Fit'

PASADENA -- As ABC’s iconic Lost came to an end, Jenna Bans saw an opportunity.

The creator of Off the Map, a South America-set medical drama/action-adventure series premiering Wednesday, thought Lost’s Hawaii locations would be the “perfect fit” for an idea she’d been kicking around about a Doctors Without Borders-type medical series set in the jungle.

“The genesis [for Off the Map] came at the same time as Lost was ending,” she said Monday at the Television Critics Association press stop of the Hawaii sets that would be up for grabs once the mystery drama concluded.

“It was a no-brainer to set it down there,” said Bans of Off the Map, which stars Caroline Dhavernas (Wonderfalls), Zach Gilford (Friday Night Lights) and Mamie Gummer (The Good Wife) as young doctors who enlist for work at a medical clinic set in the tropics.

“The jungle is their pharmacy, their medicine cabinet,” said Bans, whose credits include producing Shonda Rhimes’ medical dramas Private Practice and Grey’s Anatomy.

“[The location] allows us to delve into stories other shows wouldn’t necessarily do.”

“So many docs in this country consider working in a hospital or in private practices as their day job and their passion is going out to these places — often South America — and working with a medical system that’s not as advanced as ours,” Bans said of setting the series in a fictional South America location.”

Added Rhimes of Off the Map’s premise: “[Bans] put a scalpel in the hands of Indiana Jones.”

On Today: 'Off the Map,' Luise Rainer's 101st

Shonda Rimes insists her new TV drama "Off the Map" (ABC, 9 p.m.) is not "Grey's Anatomy" in the jungle. And strictly, speaking it's not. Had it been, it would have been a little better than it is.

As it is, the drama about a handful of vaguely familiar and needlessly good-looking young doctors in a vague third world setting (it's supposed to be South America but is shot in the studio they built in Hawaii for "Lost") is substandard "Grey's," with a disaster of the day (tourist caught up in zipline) and side servings of other stories, most of which point out that these well-meaning doctors hadn't learned a lick of Spanish before packing.

Among the cast are a few notable faces -- Connecticut's Mamie Gummer, Caroline Dhavernas (of the late, lamented "Wonderfalls") and Zach Gilford of "Friday Night Lights." But is that enough to sustain this thin series?

Jeff Bridges may have gotten more acclaim lately than he's gotten in his long career in films. But is it time now for the life retrospective he reeives in "American Masters" (CPTV, 8 p.m.)? Well, the affable man who went into the family business is certainly game for one.

German-born Luise Rainer was the first actress to win back to back Oscars in the 30s before she left the country and acting altogether. Last year, at age 100 she was invited to an interview with Robert Osborne. In "Luise Rainer: Live at the TCM Classic Film Festival" (TCM, 9 and 11 p.m.) in which she's just as radiant as she was in her Oscar winning performances in "The Good Earth" (TCM, 8:30 p.m.) and "The Great Ziegfeld" (TCM, 11:30 p.m.). Today is her 101st birthday.

Spend your snow day with two of the greatest screen comics ever: Lutrel & Hardy star in films all day including "Our Wife" (TCM, 6:45 p.m) and "Be Big!" (TCM, 8:30 a.m.).

Jeremy Irons pops up as a sex therapist on a new "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (NBC, 10 p.m.).

On a new "Modern Family" (ABC, 9 p.m.), Alex may be studying too much.

"Live to Dance" (CBS, 8 p.m.) goes live tonight, but will not reveal the ouster of its dancers, now numbering 17, until the last minute.

Two episodes of "Human Target" (Fox, 8 and 9 p.m.) run back to back.

Daytime Talk

Regis and Kelly: Vince Vaughn, Minnie Driver, Jerry O'Connell. The View: Spke Lee, Tonya Lewis Lee, Martin Henderson. The Talk: William Shatner. Ellen DeGeneres: Jenny McCarthy, Chris Harrison, Joyce House. Wendy Williams: Suzanne Somers, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Weir and Chrisette Michele.

Late Talk

David Letterman: Kevin James, Olivia Munn, Blake Shelton. Jay Leno: Seth Rogen, Ted Williams, Bettye Lavette. Jimmy Kimmel: Sandra Oh, Rico Rodriguez, Nolan Gould, Ariel Winter, Fitz & the Tantrums. Jimmy Fallon: Paul Giamatti, Faith Hill, Cake. Craig Ferguson: David Duchovny, Jo Frost. Carson Daly: "Catfish" filmmakers, Big Freedia, the Morning Benders (rerun). Jon Stewart: Gov. Tim Pawlenty. Stephen Colbert: Bernard-Henri Levy. Conan O'Brien: Denis Leary, Ice Cube, Tim Minchin. George Lopez: Roseanne Barr, Danny Pudi, El Debarge featuring Faith Evans, Michael Bearden & the Ese Vatos. Chelsea Handler: Sara Bareilles, Loni Love, T.J. Miller, Bobby Lee.

What's On Tonight: 'Human Target,' 'Off the Map,' 'Chase,' 'Megaquake 10.0'

 Here's tonight's lineup of new shows and events (all times Eastern). Check your local TV listings for additional information.

* = Series/Season Premiere
** = Series/Season Finale
# = New Day/Time

8:00 to 9:00
ABC: 'The Middle' and 'Better With You'
CBS: 'Live to Dance'
FOX: 'Human Target'** -- (120 minutes)
NBC: 'Minute to Win It'
PBS: 'American Masters'* -- (90 minutes)
Discovery: 'Black Ops Brothers: Howe & Howe Tech'
OWN: 'Mystery Diagnosis'
TCM: 'Luise Rainer: Live From the TCM Film Festival'

The rest of the schedule and the late night talk shows after the jump.
9:00 to 10:00
ABC: 'Modern Family' and 'Cougar Town'
NBC: 'Chase'#
A&E: 'Dog the Bounty Hunter'
BBC America: 'I'd Do Anything'** -- (120 minutes)
Discovery: 'MythBusters: Demolition Derby'
DisneyXD: 'Naruto: Shippuden'
HGTV: 'Disaster DIY'
History: 'Megaquake 10.0' -- (120 minutes)
ID: 'The Will: Outrageous Final Wishes'*
Science Channel: 'Oddities'
Showtime: 'Inside the NFL'
SyFy: 'Ghost Hunters International'
TBS: 'Tyler Perry's House of Payne' -- Two episodes
TLC: 'My Strange Addiction' -- Two episodes
Travel: 'Man v. Food: Carnivore Chronicles'

10:00 to 11:00
ABC: 'Off the Map'*
CBS: 'The Defenders'
NBC: 'Law & Order: SVU'
A&E: 'Storage Wars' -- 10:30 start
Animal Planet: 'I Shouldn't Be Alive'
Bravo: 'Top Chef: All-Stars'
Current: 'SWAT: Miami-Dade'
E!: 'Born Different 2: More Amazing Stories'
MTV: 'I Used to be Fat'
NatGeo: 'Wild Justice'
OWN: 'Miracle Detectives'
Planet Green: 'Last Woman Standing'
TBS: 'Are We There Yet?' -- Two episodes
TLC: 'Toddlers & Tiaras'
truTV: 'Full Throttle Saloon'

11:00 to Midnight
Spike: 'Blue Mountain State'

And now the late night talk shows. Scheduled guests can change without notice.

11:00
'Charlie Rose' (PBS): TBA
'The Mo'Nique Show' (BET): Betty Wright; Jody Watley; Chuck Brown; Freddie Jackson
'The Daily Show' (Comedy Central): Former Minnessota governor Tim Pawlenty
'Chelsea Lately' (E!): TBA
'Conan' (TBS): Denis Leary; Ice Cube; Tim Minchin

11:30
'Late Show With David Letterman' (CBS): Kevin James; Olivia Munn; performance by Blake Shelton
'The Tonight Show' (NBC): Seth Rogen; performance by Betty LaVette
'The Colbert Report' (Comedy Central): Author Bernard-Henri Levy

Midnight
'Jimmy Kimmel Live' (ABC): Actors Rico Rodriguez, Nolan Gould and Ariel Winter; performance by Fitz & the Tantrums
'Tavis Smiley' (PBS): Halle Berry; Nichelle Nichols
'Lopez Tonight' (TBS): Roseanne Barr; Danny Pudi; performance by El DeBarge and Faith Evans

12:30
'The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson' (CBS): David Duchovny; 'Supernanny' Jo Frost
'Late Night With Jimmy Fallon' (NBC): Paul Giamatti; singer Faith Hill; performance by Cake

1:30
'Last Call With Carson Daly' (NBC): 'Catfish' filmmakers; rapper Big Freedia; performance by The Morning Benders