Ghost Whisperer executive producer Ian Sander called me up to talk up this Friday’s episode (8 pm ET/PT), which he directed.
What makes this episode special, besides the fact that you directed?Sander: It guest stars
Chad Lowe as a really interesting character in an Emmy worthy performance. He plays a guy named Nathan, a high profile client of
Jamie Kennedy’s psychologist character, Eli. He is a software mogul with an obsessive compulsive disorder and paranoia.
The plot is similar to a popular movie, is it not?Sander: It’s called
Cause For Alarm, and this guy has a panic room – like the one Jodie Foster had in her (2002) David Fincher movie (
Panic Room). It’s the only place he feels safe, but this room does not protect him from the ghosts who are haunting him. He’s not even safe there.
Does the episode shed any more light on the powers possessed by Melinda’s young son, Aidan?Sander: Yes. Aidan is an empath, which means he is able to empathize with some of these ghosts. Melinda is able to have visions through him. And this episode accelerates that dynamic more than any other.
Chad is also a director. Did you guys swap methods?Sander: We did. In fact, right after our episode he left to direct an episode of
Bones. We’re hoping he might come back at some point in the future and direct one of ours.
What can we look forward to in the Oct. 30 Halloween episode?Sander: We’re doing a contemporary
Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
Any fun guest stars coming up?Sander: On Nov. 13, we have
Ally McBeal’s
Greg Germann and
Entourage’s
Perrey Reeves playing a warring husband and wife real estate couple in a really fun
War of the Roses-themed episode. And then in March we celebrate our 100th episode, which
Jennifer Love Hewitt will direct.