Ringwald makes rare TV appearance in sweeps episode

LOS ANGELES -- Molly Ringwald, the princess of mid-1980s teen movies, will make her first TV appearance in several years on a May sweeps episode of "Medium."

The "Breakfast Club" and "Pretty in Pink" star will guest-star in the episode as a woman whom Allison (Patricia Arquette) believes is in trouble. It will be the first TV work for Ringwald since the 2002 movie "The Big Time," which aired on TNT.

"I can't tell you how excited we are to have Molly Ringwald join us for this episode," "Medium" creator Glenn Gordon Caron says. "She is someone whose work I've long admired, and I was thrilled when she agreed to do it. We don't often reach out to 'special guest stars' on 'Medium' -- but as anyone who watches the episode will come to understand, this is just a perfect marriage of actor and material."

Ringwald says she's "been a fan of both Glenn's and Patricia's work for a long time. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with them as well as the entire cast of 'Medium.'"

In the episode, scheduled to air Monday, May 1, Allison has visions of a man breaking into the home of a woman named Kathleen Walsh (Ringwald) -- but doing nothing more than stealing a kiss from her. As Allison explores the case further, though, she becomes convinced Kathleen is in danger.

Ringwald shot to fame as a teenager in a series of John Hughes movies, starting with "Sixteen Candles." She has concentrated on stage work in recent years, including roles in "Cabaret" and "Enchanted April" in New York and "When Harry Met Sally" in London. She also had a cameo in "Not Another Teen Movie."