Guess who we've got sitting here in our hot seat. We have Joe Lando, you remember him from Dr. Quinn. He is on a new series with the Fox Family channel called "Higher Ground." We're already engaged in conversation as you can see. They caught us off guard didnt they? We're talking of course with Joe Lando. As I said earlier, you know his face from "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman." Now you will recognize his face from the Fox Family Channel, one-hour original series, called "Higher Ground." It airs every Friday night at 9:00 p.m. and it's so nice to have you on the show. I have been enjoying chatting with you minutes ago and the series to me sounds like it's a very compelling and very hopeful show.

JOE: Well we always try to end on a hopeful note like I told you before . We deal with some very tough subjects and we don't play that down but we always want to leave the kids with hope and self-esteem and everybody who comes to watch us, come to the tent hopefully, will leave with something.

Let's set this up. You play in fact someone, a Wall Street hot shot who kind of fell into the abyss. You are a recovering addict. You are head master of a school where you counsel at-risk teenagers.

JOE: Yeah, I'm the head counselor/director of 150 students. I also own the school and at one point I'm able to take over the school financially because it's in trouble. These schools exist all over the world. We checked out quite a few of them and based all our kids on the show on real life characters. I'm this, you know -- the people that I put together that I met, took pieces of characters from here and there. So you know, and what we try to do is try to be as honest as we can with our stories. Like I told you before, if we can entertain at the same time, get a message across, that makes me feel even better about my job.

It's not always going to be resolution by the time the drama ends?

JOE: No. Because that's the reality. You don't wrap up a difficult problem with a kid, a psychological or eating disorder or something like that in an hour. It doesn t happen. It's a process. A lot of these kids during the first six weeks at the schools they want to do nothing but run. They don't want to listen, they don't want to do anything. I think the clip is -- actually shows one of the kids who does run before he has to face his father and some of the demons that haunt him.

Why don't we look at this clip right now.

Insert here a clip from Close Encounters which airs on Friday, March 17 at 9:00 p.m.

I'm an emotional person by nature. I would think to play this headmaster each and every week it might be somewhat emotionally draining for you. It might be difficult to leave some of these issues and concerns on the set and go home and have a Mcdonald's or whatever.

JOE: It's tough sometimes. Like I said before, when you are sitting with the kids and the young actors I'm working with are really terrific. We hand picked all of them. Some we haven't worked that much yet. but they are earning while learning which is a great way and they're really dedicated to this. A lot of people that came on board, like Michael Braverman who created Life Goes On and Chicago Hope, he is our head writer and creator, and Doug Schwartz who produces Baywatch. We have a mix of people. But everyone came because they had a reason and were compelled because they knew somebody like this, had an experience like this in their family. Or they -- some of the crew members worked at schools like this. We shoot up in B.C. Some of the guys work at these schools in their free time. So it's from our heart. That's what we're trying to do.

It's good quality programming. You have been associated with that.

JOE: Dr. Quinn for six years.

What's interesting is you are wearing two hats. You're not just as the star.

JOE: I have a tiara on?

(Everyone laughs).

You are the co-executive producer on this project - it was part of your vision wasn't it?.

JOE: Yeah. You take a paycheck for so long as an actor that at one point you want to be more in control of your destiny, what you do and what you say and that was part of the deal here. I'm happy to -- I'm happy to say hey, Mary, come here.

Mary is one of our assistants. she's screaming. She can't believe we're actually doing this because she is one of your biggest fans. You're not going to freak out now that you're sitting next to him are you?

MARY: No.

What do you want to say to him?

MARY: I want to say I love your work.

JOE: Thank you. Thank you.

Can you look at him and say that?

MARY: I love your work.

JOE: Can you give us a rendition of "You are the Wind beneath my Wings"?

MARY: No. That's asking a little too much. A little too much.

JOE; Do you want to say hi to anybody?

MARY: Hi, mom. This is my future husband.

JOE: I'm afraid not. I've got the ring already.

I'm afraid that's not doable. But you can dream. Isn't that the best?

Bye.

Great. Let's say good-bye. She will never be the same after this experience.

JOE: Bye Mary.

Of course we're going to encourage everyone including Mary, especially Mary, who I'm sure, watches each Friday evening at 9:00 p.m. on the Fox Family Channel. We are so happy to have you. I want to ask you one other question, if I have time ... (looking at producer) ... I do not have time ...

JOE: Oh sure you do.

Oh my producer says I do have time. Thank you. The title. It has a spiritual sense to it.

JOE: Higher Ground, yes. a place where you go for safety like if you are in the woods or spirtiually you go to higher ground. Sometimes we get teased for using such metaphors but I like them. We start each show with a quote by a famous person, give the author and then you try to figure out how does it apply to this episode. So you know, we're educating people right off the get-go.

Nice having you here, Joe. All the best to you. Thank you for being a good sport with our Mary.

Thanks for having me.