Helen Mirren

Female cops on American TV sooner or later assume a wide-legged stance, hold their gun in both hands and growl, "Freeze!" Less melodramatic, more realistic, Helen Mirren in "Prime Suspect" shows the day-to-day, behind-the-scenes struggle of a veteran British policewoman whose most characteristic quote is "Right! Let's get on with it." She's an organization woman in an organization that doesn't want her, or at least doesn't want her to command.

Actress Marisa Coughlan had no idea she had a little devil lurking within her. That is until she had to make like "The Exorcist's" snarling Linda Blair for her role in the just-opened teen comedy thriller "Teaching Mrs. Tingle." "Apparently, demon possession wasn't much of a stretch for me, which was truly terrifying," the 25-year-old Coughlan jokes.

On the right night, the Top of the Tower on the 26th floor of the Beekman Hotel is one of those New York spots that can induce the head-spinning thrill of the opening montage of Woody Allen's "Manhattan." Last spring, on such a night, Helen Mirren, the English actress best known for her portrayal of Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison in the hit PBS series "Prime Suspect," was relaxing at a window table after performing in Turgenev's "A Month in the Country."

MOST actresses when they hit 40 fade from the screen. Hollywood considers them too old to even star opposite men in their 50s and 60s, and too wrinkled to have interesting inner lives of their own. They turn into ephemeral specters, flitting through the occasional art film, or donning the interesting character part. Remember Jessica Lange? Michelle Pfeiffer? Even ... Meg Ryan? Dame Helen Mirren is not one of those actresses.

"I put up with those people who look through me as if I were invisible because all they can see is the great and glorious genius, Alfred Hitchcock. " - Alma Reville Hitchcock, as portrayed by Helen Mirren in "Hitchcock" It's not easy being a great man's wife. This fall, several high-end dramas go behind closed doors of tough marriages to explore how formidable women routinely get a lot of grief, but not a lot of credit, for spurring their husbands on to mighty accomplishments.

The skinny: Helen Mirren's performance in "The Queen" is being heralded by critics. She received early kudos this summer at the Venice Film Festival. Will she sustain her hold on first place? *--* 1 Helen Mirren, "The Queen" 2 Penelope Cruz, "Volver" 3 Judi Dench, "Notes on a Scandal" 4 Meryl Streep, "The Devil Wears Prada" 5 Kate Winslet, "Little Children" *--* Log on to TheEnvelope.com for more of this week's Buzzmeter rankings.

Comedy Series: "Ally McBeal" Actor: John Lithgow, "3rd Rock From the Sun" Actress: Helen Hunt, "Mad About You" Drama Series: "The Practice" Actor: Dennis Franz, "NYPD Blue" Actress: Edie Falco, "The Sopranos" TV Movie Series: "A Lesson Before Dying" Actor: Stanley Tucci, "Winchell" Actress: Helen Mirren, "The Passion of Ayn Rand"

Helen Mirren, who won the best actress Oscar for playing Queen Elizabeth II in "The Queen," may be invited to tea, Buckingham Palace said Monday. The film's director, Stephen Frears, has already suggested that he, Mirren and screenwriter Peter Morgan would visit the queen at the palace next month. "It is speculation, but we are looking at a number of options," a palace spokeswoman said Monday. As for Mirren's victory, "I'm sure that the queen will be pleased," the palace spokeswoman said.

Helen Mirren will reprise her Emmy Award-winning role as tough British police inspector Jane Tennison in "Prime Suspect 6" for PBS' "Masterpiece Theatre." "Prime Suspect" ran on the Public Broadcasting Service from 1992-97. Mirren won an Emmy for her role as Tennison in 1996. Filming is set to begin in London next month, with the miniseries expected to air in 2004.