Dormont fans give CBS the evil eye

From:Pittsbugh Live
Date:November 27, 2003

By Vince Guerrieri

Dormont made national television Tuesday night, but residents are none too happy about it.

The borough was mentioned in the CBS program "The Guardian" as an undesirable place to live.

Mayor Tom Lloyd said he got an earful Wednesday from callers and on a trip to the grocery store.

One told Lloyd, who does not watch the show, that he was ready to throw something at the television when he heard the reference.

Tuned In: Never confuse malice with dumb luck

Date:November 27, 2003
From:Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
By Rob Owen

Before the pumpkin pie topped with a dollop of homemade whipped cream, it's time for our annual TV turkeys. Gobble up!

Usually the turkey awards are handed out to TV stations, but this year the most ridiculous hubbub in local TV came from viewers with a willingness to invent a conspiracy theory where a mere coincidence existed. Nothing else generated more phone calls or e-mail to the TV desk.

On May 11, the night of the "Survivor: Amazon" finale, KDKA aired promos saying the station would follow local finalist Jenna Morasca as she made the media rounds in New York, including an appearance on "The Late Show with David Letterman."

Dozens of viewers leaped, jumped and rushed to the conclusion that KDKA had spoiled the surprise: The station knew Morasca would be declared the winner. And then when she was, that just reinforced their theories.

One problem with this outrage: It was completely misdirected. No one at KDKA -- and only a few people at CBS -- knew who the winner would be. KDKA didn't spoil the surprise; the station assumed that if Morasca won or even were the runner-up, she'd appear on "Late Show." In the past, "Survivor" stars -- not just the winner -- have appeared on "Late Show" to read the Top Ten list.

When Letterman changed tactics and only Morasca appeared, that confirmed in the minds of some viewers that KDKA had spoiled the surprise. But it was really just an assumption that fanned the flames of conspiracy theorists. If there's one thing I've learned doing this job, it's that nine times out of 10 there is no conspiracy, just dumb mistakes and coincidences.

And now, on with the other turkeys ...


TV news idiocy

I've tried. I really have. I know it's a competitive news environment. I know it's a horse race, but I just can't take local TV news seriously anymore, not when KDKA led a September newscast with "breaking news" about a small fire at the Convention Center that damaged only a tarp, and, oh, by the way, it's no longer burning.

That's so clearly not breaking, and it barely qualifies as news.


So much for distinctiveness

A turkey to PCNC management for putting the kibosh on the 10 p.m. news anchors' playing statues at the end of the newscast. Sometimes a little irreverence is OK.

David Johnson, John Fedko and Steve Teeling would freeze for six seconds at the end of the newscast -- a parody of the way '70s TV shows often ended -- and it brought to mind the late, great "NBC News Overnight" or ABC's "World News Now," which had a polka as its theme song. Frankly, more playfulness would give PCNC some identity -- any identity -- beyond newscast reruns and a few original shows.

On this one I get a turkey, too, for opening my big mouth and bringing the statues to management's attention. I should have known the station would be humorless about it.


Worst on-hold music

When my digital cable box went kaput in August, denying me access to HBO, I waited 30 minutes to talk to a human being at Comcast. The all-too-fitting song playing on Muzak? "Anticipation" by Carly Simon.


Worst Web poll

In April, KDKA asked visitors to its Web site this inane, tasteless question: "Do you think the bodies found in California this week are the remains of missing woman Laci Peterson and her baby?"

Shouldn't polls be about opinions on issues, not the latest tabloid fodder?


Trying to have it both ways

In coverage of a memorial service for NBC's late anchor/reporter David Bloom, Channel 11 identified Bloom as the host of "Weekend Today."

Of course, Pittsburghers never got the chance to know Bloom in his role on that program because Channel 11 refuses to broadcast "Weekend Today," instead relying on endless hours of local news because local news rakes in more commercial dollars than NBC's national morning show would.


Off by this much

In January, when a woman drove off McArdle Roadway and down Mount Washington, WPXI reported that her car dropped 1,000 feet and landed on top of the Station Square T station. In fact, it fell 150 feet and got wedged between the hillside and a tunnel. Coverage you can count on -- to be exaggerated.


Kissing up

For Pittsburgh Magazine's annual "Pittsburgher of the Year," WQED Multimedia selected the region's foundations, kissing up to its top sources of funding.


And now a few prime-time turkeys ...


Just cut out the heart

Larry Wilmore, who won Emmy and Peabody awards for writing "The Bernie Mac Show," was fired by Fox in March over creative differences.

That's pretty rare.

Usually an acclaimed show runner is given free rein (see: David E. Kelley and the decline of "Ally McBeal"), but Fox was upset that the show's ratings didn't grow (never mind that the network screwed up by pitting it against "My Wife and Kids" last year). Wilmore told Entertainment Weekly that one network note said the show should have "no more poignancy."

Wilmore's a smart guy who deserved better.


Paranoia reigns supreme

A big ol' turkey to the broadcast networks for their constantly changing schedules and for making a nation of viewers ridiculously paranoid.

Last week, CBS pre-empted "The Guardian" and "Judging Amy." Pre-emptions happen all the time in TV; it's just part of the business. Both shows were always scheduled to be bumped last week, initially for Part 2 of "The Reagans." When that fell by the wayside, CBS slotted "Without a Trace" and "CSI: Miami" because they often get better ratings, even in reruns.

But networks have become so trigger-happy that viewers freak when a show disappears for even one week. I got multiple calls -- one from my own father -- worried that both shows had been canceled.

Relax. Use this rule of thumb: Unless you read a cancellation announcement here, a pre-emption is just a pre-emption.

From Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Local Husband And Wife Each Share Screen Time With CBS Stars

Date:Nov 25, 2003
From:TBO.com

T AMPA - Look closely at ``The Guardian'' tonight, and you might see Angela Romero of Tampa dressed as a homeless woman.

``I don't have any lines, but I got a lot of camera time,'' says Romero, an aspiring actress who works in advertising for the local Pax TV affiliate.

Romero and her husband, Desi, have performed in numerous Tampa Bay area stage productions, and on a recent trip to Los Angeles, both landed roles in TV series.

Desi Romero had a minor role on the Oct. 27 episode of the CBS comedy ``The King of Queens.''

``I played a catcher in a softball game,'' he says. ``I didn't have any lines.''

He was on camera with series star Kevin James.

At 9 tonight on CBS, Angela shares ``quality'' screen time with ``Guardian'' star Simon Baker. She says she stood really close to the hunky Australian actor in several scenes.

``I hope my scenes don't get cut,'' she says.

The episode is about a teenage boy who is staying with his grandfather in a homeless shelter. When the home is closed down, the displaced homeless people invade the office of Nick Fallin (Baker).

``I'm one of the homeless women, and I look pretty wild,'' Angela says.

The roles came earlier this year, when Desi took time off from his day job as a banker to try to find an agent in Los Angeles.

``That's were the work is, and I finally decided that if I'm going to get serious about acting, I've got to start going out there,'' Desi says.

Both Angela and Desi are from the Bronx in New York, but they didn't meet until they were living in Tampa and working in theater and television productions here.

``I got the acting bug when I was 4 years old and dressed as a bag of corn for a walk-on on a TV show, `The Arlene Francis Show,' '' Desi says.

He lived in Los Angeles for 14 years and worked in minor roles on TV series such as ``Marcus Welby M.D.'' and ``Starsky and Hutch.'' He came close a few times to getting major roles in series, but when work got slow he moved to Florida. He always planned to go back but settled into a life here. Now, 14 years later, he's thinking about returning.

Desi spent nearly three months looking for an agent. When Angela joined him for a couple of weeks, she went on some casting calls.

``We were actually headed back home when she got the call for `The Guardian,' '' Desi says. ``I was very happy for her.''

Angela and Desi have been married for six years. She is well-known in the Tampa theater community for her spirited performances with the Stageworks theater company in productions such as ``The Vagina Monologues.''

She won critical acclaim for ``In the Name of the Mother'' at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center and for portraying blues singer Bessie Smith in a local musical.

SA grad mastermind behind TV drama

From:Sewickley Herald Star
Date:11/19/2003
By Rachel Weaver

CBS' popular drama "The Guardian" is watched by millions every Tuesday at 9 p.m. But without a 1986 Sewickley Academy graduate, the show never would've premiered at all.

David Hollander, creator and executive producer of "The Guardian, was raised in Mt. Lebanon. His parents enrolled him in the academy for a more attentive and personal education environment.

"Going from 700 kids in a class to 68 appealed to me," he says.

At SA, Hollander played soccer, wrestled and participated in band.

But his heart was dedicated to the theater. Since the age of 5, he took part in local theater programs and workshops. At SA he got involved in every performance possible.

"I always knew this is what I wanted to do," says Hollander, 35. "I wasn't particularly academic. I was more interested in theater and writing and making music."

He started writing drama while at the academy then turned to directing during his studies at Northwestern University.

After graduating, Hollander wrote several plays such as "The Sun Dialogues," "Faith" and "The Things You Don't Know."

Then, seven years ago, he formed an idea for a television show about lawyer Nick Fallin who is sentenced to perform community service or risk being disbarred after being arrested for drugs.

He pulled from the diverse experiences of his youth to create the plot.

"Sewickley Academy was a big influence. My father's family were immigrant steel miners in Monessen, so I grew up with my feet planted firmly in two socioeconomic worlds.

"Sewickley was one extreme. The first time I went there I was blown away by a world I hadn't seen yet," he says.

"'The Guardian' is a manifestation of that. It's about a rich person who works with the poor. Those stories are right on the tip of my tongue all the time. It's very personal to me."

His family background is not the only personal aspect of the show. Fellow Class of '86 SA grads can hear their names on "The Guardian" because he uses them for characters almost every week.

The show also is set in Hollander's hometown. However, filming takes place in Southern California.

Several times a year, the production team travels to Pittsburgh to get scenic shots of the city.

After living in California with his wife Courtney and their three children, coming back to his hometown is shocking for the producer.

"I really love that city. It held enormous amounts of my imagination," he says. "But it is a very small place."

When he is in town and has leisure time, Hollander stops by Nichols Field or has a drink at the Sewickley Hotel.

"Those places hold a lot of memories," he says.


But leisure time is rare as Hollander is often in demand. In the past few years, he completed an adaptation of Nicholson Baker's novel "The Fermata" for Oscar-winning director Robert Zemeckis, as well as "Becoming Alfred" for producer Scott Rudin at Paramount Pictures.


Now Hollander has plans for a movie and another television show, both to be set in Pittsburgh.


He believes his profession requires ambition, persistence and clarity of vision.


"You have to make the choice to do it for the long haul," he says.


While Hollander has the necessary drive for success, he also gives credit to his early surroundings.


"Sewickley was a place where arts were fostered. It was an amazing outlet for me."

Making a Difference One Scene at a Time

Simon Baker, left, and Dabney Coleman star in The Guardian.


Simon Baker stars as Nick Fallin in The Guardian.


"The Innocent" - Nick Fallin (Simon Baker) and Louisa (Lulu) Archer (Wendy Moniz) discuss a difficult case on The Guardian, scheduled to air on the CBS Television Network. Scenes from this episode of The Guardian were shot on location in Pittsburgh, PA

Date:Nov,16,2003
From:themediaproject.com

Good writers entertain … great writers entertain and educate. And, the shows can have a truly monumental effect by incorporating healthy sexuality into their scripts. By the time the average high school student graduates, s/he has watched about 20,000 hours of television. That's a lot of influence! Listed below are some recent shows that have taken the step to make a difference. Whether dealing with sexual abuse, contraception, or unplanned pregnancy or portraying strong parent-child communication or peer pressure resistance, the producers and writers of these programs have a right to be proud. The Media Project congratulates them! After all, great television means more than Nielsen numbers and Emmy Awards … it can change someone's life.

THE GUARDIAN, "BELIEVE"—CBS—TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2003
Nick struggles to find a home for two young African American orphans whose mother died of AIDS. Etta, the four-year-old, is HIV-positive, which makes it difficult to place them. Their father, also dying of AIDS, asks family friends to adopt the children. Nick is thrilled, but he becomes suspicious when the prospective father will not agree to a routine blood test. He discovers the man is on the down low, practicing unsafe sex with men, and keeping this life secret from his wife. With reservations, Nick decides that the children will still be better off with this family than remaining in foster care.

In another storyline, Lulu discovers she's pregnant and vacillates between having an abortion or having the baby. She and Nick decide to keep the baby. In the "C" story, an AIDS foundation is bequeathed money that will keep it operating, but the will is contested. And finally, Lulu attempts to deliver condoms to a gay men's club with a reputation for high risk sexual activity between members.

Making a Difference One Scene at a Time

Simon Baker, left, and Dabney Coleman star in The Guardian.


Simon Baker stars as Nick Fallin in The Guardian.


"The Innocent" - Nick Fallin (Simon Baker) and Louisa (Lulu) Archer (Wendy Moniz) discuss a difficult case on The Guardian, scheduled to air on the CBS Television Network. Scenes from this episode of The Guardian were shot on location in Pittsburgh, PA

Date:Nov,16,2003
From:themediaproject.com

Good writers entertain … great writers entertain and educate. And, the shows can have a truly monumental effect by incorporating healthy sexuality into their scripts. By the time the average high school student graduates, s/he has watched about 20,000 hours of television. That's a lot of influence! Listed below are some recent shows that have taken the step to make a difference. Whether dealing with sexual abuse, contraception, or unplanned pregnancy or portraying strong parent-child communication or peer pressure resistance, the producers and writers of these programs have a right to be proud. The Media Project congratulates them! After all, great television means more than Nielsen numbers and Emmy Awards … it can change someone's life.

THE GUARDIAN, "BELIEVE"—CBS—TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2003
Nick struggles to find a home for two young African American orphans whose mother died of AIDS. Etta, the four-year-old, is HIV-positive, which makes it difficult to place them. Their father, also dying of AIDS, asks family friends to adopt the children. Nick is thrilled, but he becomes suspicious when the prospective father will not agree to a routine blood test. He discovers the man is on the down low, practicing unsafe sex with men, and keeping this life secret from his wife. With reservations, Nick decides that the children will still be better off with this family than remaining in foster care.

In another storyline, Lulu discovers she's pregnant and vacillates between having an abortion or having the baby. She and Nick decide to keep the baby. In the "C" story, an AIDS foundation is bequeathed money that will keep it operating, but the will is contested. And finally, Lulu attempts to deliver condoms to a gay men's club with a reputation for high risk sexual activity between members.

"The Guardian": Underdog with Potential

From:primetimetv.about.com
Date:Nov 14, 2003
By Jana Johnson

Crime drama with a twist.

The Guardian, on CBS Tuesdays, has been called the dark horse of the primetime line up. Over the past few months it's steadily gained in ratings, becoming a serious contender with high profile Fraiser. Without the crucial 18-49 age bracket buzz, the show has been largely ignored by the entertainment media.

Let me tell you - they are missing out! This show breaks almost every rule of television production and that's what makes it a hit.

The show centers around Nick Fallin (Simon Baker), an machiavellian lawyer. He may have a heart somewhere, but it's been buried pretty deep. Nick is sentenced to volunteer his legal skills as a child advocate after an arrest for drug use. He has to juggle that with employment a law firm owned by his disproving father (Dabney Coleman).

While CBS is known for it's diabetic coma inducing sweetness, this show tries to leave that behind. Although the story lines feature the downtrodden and ill, the characters are real. No one is too good to be true and no one is truly evil. They deal with money and power as realities in life, not the bastions of corruption.

Nick Fallin is arrogant, emotionally withdrawn and bends the rules like they're taffy. It can seem like all he really cares about is winning, If he did care about the injustices of life, he'd only step up when he absolutely had to. Perhaps there is something that he could learn from all of this - including who he really is. And watching that struggle is what makes it so interesting.