Ellen Gray: THE END IN 'SIGHT'

* IN PLAIN SIGHT. 10 tonight, USA.

MARY MCCORMACK had a Philly story, and Frederick Weller, her co-star in USA's "In Plain Sight," wanted to make sure I heard it.

It goes all the way back to the fall of 1995. She'd only recently begun work on ABC's "Murder One" and "no one knew me," said McCormack during a recent USA event at which she was supposed to be talking up her current show, which launches its fifth and final season tonight.

But Weller, learning they were talking to someone from Philadelphia, had other ideas.

"I was broke at the time. I was dead broke when I got that job and the publicity person said, 'Do you want to go do the Thanksgiving Day parade in Philadelphia?' And I was like, 'Free ticket? A free ticket east?' And I jumped on it. I was so broke and I could go home and see my family," recalled McCormack, who grew up in Plainfield, N.J.

"For a poor kid it was like, I could get across the country and not pay for the airfare. So I went, got on the float - actually J.C. MacKenzie [one of her 'Murder One' co-stars] and I were on the float - and the float didn't really say 'Murder One.' It didn't have any like indications of who we were. It was just sort of like a car, a fancy car, but big, like a float car and then like a lot of people dancing around it. One was a director with a beret, one was a starlet - "

"Vaguely showbizzy," Weller said helpfully.

"Yeah, vaguely showbizzy. But then we were on the float just in civilian clothes like cold, right? It's Philadelphia! And then I was waving, so uncomfortable, and people were [shouting], 'Who are you?' " she said. " 'Who are you?' "

"I don't have a Philly story. I just like to tee up her Philly story. I love that story," said Weller.

The on-screen partnership in "In Plain Sight" between U.S. Marshals Marshall Mann (Weller) and Mary Shannon (McCormack) may be just as close, but I'm not sure it's nearly so cooperative.

Still, it's that partnership I'm going to miss most when the show ends, eight episodes from now.

Tonight's season premiere begins six months after the fourth-season finale, in which McCormack's character was about to give birth "way too early," said the actress, who herself had her third daughter last September.

Though all eight scripts were in before shooting began, McCormack, when we spoke, hadn't yet read them all.

"I'm sad about the end, so I almost don't want to know."

What she was happy about: That there is an ending.

"I'm grateful for the eight. I mean, I feel like, you know, it's business, right, television? And usually most networks do just yank shows and really break a contract [with the viewers]. I think the network is smart to honor the audience that way," she said.

Is there anything the pair wished their characters could do?

"Hook up," answered Weller promptly.

"Yeah, that's what fans want," McCormack said. "I think on the one hand, it'd be a shame if we didn't and on the other hand, I think maybe it's more sad and sort of bittersweet if we don't."

Added Weller: "It wouldn't be easy, it wouldn't be smooth, it would be very, very complicated."

As for the rest of the season, "I know Fred's in drag," she offered when I asked for something that's not too much of a spoiler.

"I am in drag," confirmed Weller. "Not the whole season."

McCormack laughed. "Just one episode."

"And weirdly there's no explanation," added Weller.

"Characters welcome," said McCormack.