John Billingsley's character on "The Nine" is someone who is always eager to please. He previously played an alien doctor on "Enterprise."

Other articles by Dave Mason:

Lowe discusses Christmas flick 'A Perfect Day' 'Scrubs' season wrapping up with surprise plot twist Cheryl Ladd ages to 75 in Hallmark film role Ex-Mossad character takes 'NCIS' to new level Comments come back to haunt 'Friday' actress 'Smallville' returns focus to legend behind Man of Steel Najimy and character, Peggy, butt heads Film reveals 9/11 victims' bravery 'The Closer' closes first season on a high note The new witch on the block

Health Care
Rio Salado College
PA's/Online Instructors Construction
Komatsu Equipment Co
Mechanic Education
Assessment Technology, Inc
Social Studies Content Writer General
CORT
Warehouse Supervisor General
CORT
WAREHOUSE/DRIVER

Even at Warp 5, John Billingsley didn't feel like he was going anywhere.

Not that he didn't like being Dr. Phlox, the alien medical officer on "Star Trek: Enterprise." But he found that even after four seasons, his character wasn't evolving.

Billingsley prefers his new voyage. Instead of an alien, he plays someone who's very human on "The Nine."

The dramatic series premieres Wednesday on ABC. Billingsley plays Egan Foote, a depressed, somewhat nerdy man who finds himself trapped with other hostages during a 52-hour bank robbery. The series, with a cast of seasoned stars varying from Tim Daly to Kim Raver ("24"), Chi McBride and Scott Wolf, focuses on the relationships these people form after they survive the robbery.

In the style of "Lost" and other serialized dramas, "The Nine" goes back and forth between the past and the present. Viewers are left with unanswered questions about what happened during the robbery. The episodes drop a few clues but not the entire picture.

One key question is how these characters' relationships will evolve after a trauma that made them suddenly close.

Friendly and cheerful, Billingsley's character Egan seems eager to please people, even as he considers suicide.

Egan's heroic act during the robbery changes his life. He's now jovial, and others see him as a hero. But Egan's wife, played by Billingsley's wife, Bonita Friedericy, is angry at him for risking his life.

The question now is how long Egan's new euphoria will last as he returns to his ho-hum routine, Billingsley said.

With his thick-rimmed glasses and long hair, Billingsley has played nerdy scientists on shows varying from "The Others" to "Stargate SG-1." He had a recurring role last season as the evil vice president's toothless brother on Fox's "Prison Break.