The show's 150th episode airs on Nov. 10, so CBS sent out a list of 150 crimes that the "CSI: Miami" team has had to deal with. Interestingly, not one involves dying of hysterical giggles when David Caruso tries to speak meaningfully. The list is after the jump.
(Photo from Zap2it.com)
It's a night of returns on TV with "Bones" coming back from its baseball hiatus and "Law & Order" beginning a new season earlier than first planned, as NBC has shaken up a couple of nights. I have seen a couple of the new episodes of "L&O," and marvel again at how the show affects a reassuring sameness while making significant changes in the way its characters interact.
(Photo from ETonline.com)
The author and creator of the TV series "ER" (which is in its final season) has died. A CNN obit is here. Interesting profile from 2002 on EW.com is here.
Crichton had a knack for a page-turner, as well as a gift for hitting on intriguing topics. I didn't read all his books, but I read some, especially "Jurassic Park." He could be a good example of what I thought of as airplane reading — books that will let you pass the time reasonably well while stuck on a long flight. But he could also make you uncomfortable with his views. As the New York Times said in reviewing "Disclosure" (an unpleasant book and icky movie): "If you think Japan got a bashing in Michael Crichton's "Rising Sun," just wait till you see what happens to the cause of equal opportunity in his clever new novel, "Disclosure." " (Full review is here, if you're interested.) Still, he kept people going to bookstores, and could use scary dinosaurs to make people think about genetic tampering.
Charles McGraw and Millie Black, early '70s
Word comes from Alan K. Rode, the biographer of Akron's own Charles McGraw, that McGraw's longtime companion, Millie Black, has died. Rode got to know Black while researching his McGraw book. He called her "a sweet, tough, generous woman who gave a lot more than she got in this life." You can read the rest of his appreciation here.
ABC has announced changes in its Washington team, with Jake Tapper becoming senior White House correspondent, Martha Raddatz moving from the White House to foreign affairs and Jonathan Karl becoming senior congressional correspondent. It's a response to "the transition to the new administration," ABC says. Full announcement after jump.
We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.
– Abraham Lincoln, first inaugural address
The election has been called for Barack Obama. A remarkable historical moment. Some notes from TV watching, after the jump.
A lot of movie lists tied to the election have been floating around: great fictional presidents, great election movies, or political movies generally. I've been thinking a little more narrowly, about movies and TV that the next president should give a look. I mean, he will have some free time between now and the inauguration, and pure escapism may wear thin. I mean, how many times can you re-watch "Die Hard."
OK, bad example. Since I'm now thinking about re-watching "Die Hard."
But let me get back to my point. Art illuminates life. Art guides. Art inspires. And when you're about to sit behind the big desk in the Oval Office, it doesn't hurt to have turned to art for inspiration. So here's my viewing guide:
"The Candidate." Robert Redford is the title character, a principled activist who gradually puts aside everything he believes in to get elected. He wins, but then is faced with the haunting question that makes this movie work: "What do we do now?" Not everyone who has gotten in the White House has had a clear answer. The next guy had better.
"The Best Man." Gore Vidal's script is a time capsule, with a wide-open political convention pitting an Adlai Stevenson-like candidate (Henry Fonda) against a Nixonian Cliff Robertson. Still, it's a riveting tale of what people will do to get elected — and what some people won't, in order to ensure the progress of the country. The same question has to be considered by the next president: What's expedient, what's convenient but above all else, what is right?
"Dave" (pictured above). Kevin Kline plays a man whose resemblance to the president gets him cast as a temporary stand-in — only the president is taken ill, and Dave has to fill in a lot longer than planned. Soon enough, Dave begins to share his own ideas about policy, and budgets, and just being better to people. It's a lovely movie, and it says a great deal about where political considerations should be put aside in favor of ethics and decency.
"Idiocracy." I'm not crazy about this movie but it does try to make a big point about what can happen when a culture declines into self-indulgence, immediate gratification, anti-intellectualism and debased entertainment. "Idiocracy" plays it for laughs, but underneath the laughs is a political and social nightmare. The campaign and all its viciousness is over. It's time to lift people up.
"The West Wing." Some may prefer "The American President," also by Aaron Sorkin and also dealing with some of the tough things that a president faces in office, and the unfairness of the world beyond the White House. But "The West Wing," even with its many flaws, was a far grander contemplation of America and politics, and one that deserves repeated viewing. It also says that you can make a lot of mistakes along the way and still find your way to greatness, success and a sense that your life was well-lived.
"12 Angry Men." Not a political movie per se. But in its many incarnations, it is about jumping to conclusions, going along with the crowd and the way one person can make people see the light — if he is willing to talk things through with people, and they are open to reason. Which is a lot of what any president has to do.
With "House" getting a break for election coverage, it's a good time for me to comment on the last couple of episodes: the House-Wilson detente and Cuddy's attempting to adopt a child. For reasons I'll explain, they have me thinking of "I Love Lucy." …
Because I have no attention span, I of course stopped what I was doing to join some other folks here in taking a look. (I have posted a local itinerary after the jump.) Because I have watched entirely too much TV in my life, the Wienermobile made me remember this ad:
And this one:
I, of course, liked to sing the second verse.
This next one seems good for Election Day. A reader asked about a Huey Lewis rendition of the National Anthem. And, in tribute to our global village, I offer this version:
And, as long as I am doing the National Anthem, let me offer one of the greatest versions ever, from Marvin Gaye (some talking at the beginning):
Then, bringing this full circle, Ben with the wienermobile told me about people who try to sing the Oscar Mayer jingle to the Star-Spangled Banner. Here's a bad attempt:
And so to the jump. …
Did you vote yet?
The bride and I were at our polling place just before 7 this morning. Long lines. I don't know how anyone else was voting, but I was able to mark a ballot for my guy. And that's always a pleasure.
Two reports were sitting in my morning e-mail that "Grey's Anatomy" is not only dropping the Callie-Hahn storyline, it's dropping Hahn entirely. Michael Ausiello of EW.com has an interview with Smith, which I have posted after the jump. And E! Online's Kristin says a new "Grey's" character, originally written as bisexual, is being rewritten as straight; details also after the jump.
Very disturbing news. Regular readers here know I had problems with the Callie-Hahn stories, but not because they were a couple. (Both were pretty adorable.) Rather, I didn't think they were being portrayed well, and that at times Callie's attitudes about sex with a woman seemed naive and silly, especially for a doctor. But that could have been corrected, and last week's episode indicated that the show was settling them into a comfortable, caring relationship. And now, apparently, it's all going pffffft. Bad call. And one where the timing seems quite cynical, since this is sweeps and the shakeup will undoubtedly build buzz about "Grey's," at least this week.
More after the jump.
I was going to wait until later to post some comments tonight, but I have to say (again) what an irascible, inflexible old fuddy-duddy is. And that his dislike of Lance Bass transcends all reason. Yes, Brooke Burke was very good tonight (though I would put her short of a 10). But Lance did far better than Len's stuffy 7 indicated. And I don't think that Lance is at fault here; I can't help but think that Len dislikes Lacey's connections to the more modern-leaning "So You Think You Can Dance," and he is going to fight any incursion from the Fox show into his territory.
As for his and the other judges' praise for Lance and Lacey during the team dance, that doesn't help when L&L are stuck with the score for the team (which included the painfully unimpressive, and underrehearsed Susan Lucci, who should go home soon); it didn't look great and then looked even worse after the other team blew the doors off.
Ken and Tina finished last on this leg, and were saved by this being a non-elimination leg. Of course, that sets them up for a speed bump next time. And I prefer the speed bump to the old no-money rule, which led to too many shots of begging. Speed bump keeps things moving while still penalizing the last-place team.
That said, I wouldn't have minded if K&T had been sent home — although, if I were the king of the forest, I would probably have first banished the frat boys, Dan and Andrew (love the Dandrew nickname, by the way) for general idiocy. And, of course, the tantrum while ironing. Terence and Sarah also give me a pain. I'm still leaning toward Toni and Dallas, but like the way Nick and Starr play, too.
The opening sketch, embedded above, was reasonably funny. But it brought to mind two questions. First, why do you suppose McCain signed off on the part about Palin "going rogue" unless there is some tension on the GOP ticket? Second, why was the rest of the show so bad? Well, maybe not the entire rest. But certainly the hour I managed to sit through. Ben Affleck is affable and eager, but the material for Jon Hamm was way better.
Discuss?
Sweet and sad, but also deeply funny and a little bit uncomfortable episode last night. More after the jump.
The wife of Carl Reiner, and mother of Rob Reiner, has died at the age of 94. Brief obit here. She and Carl had been married since 1943. While she had small parts in a few movies, and was a jazz singer, she is probably best remembered for her line in the Rob-directed "When Harry Met Sally." Here's the scene:
My review of the movie is here. A related piece on Clint Eastwood's knack for winning Oscars for actors is here.
For those of you who haven't read about the real case that the movie is based on, the Los Angeles Times has a backgrounder here. It has also been posting some of its original stories online; you can even see how the stories were played on the page. One section is here. You probably should see the movie before reading the stories. Some of the material could be considered spoilers. And some of it differs from the way the movie tells the story, so it might be more interesting to you have you have seen what the movie did.
Kneel before Fey! "30 Rock" returns tonight!
After the jump, I have pasted in my column about the show from Sunday's Beacon Journal since you may not have found it online. The one thing I may have understated is how very, very funny the show is tonight and next week. (Two episodes were sent for preview.) And the funny is spread around, dealing not only with Jack's return to NBC but Liz's attempts to adopt, a renewed rivalry between Tracy and Jenna and a great Liz-Jack scene near episode's end. Then, next week, Oprah!
Anyway, to the jump.
I was going to wait and post the first of these voting spots on Tuesday. But this may be even better than the first one. And it's never too soon to start reminding yourself to vote. (Warning: Some adult content.)
Lynne Sherwin and I discuss Cloris's departure, Michael Flatley's judging, "DWTS" injuries and other issues.
