USA Network Emmy “For Your Consideration” Ad

Here are scans of the 2 page Emmy “for your consideration” ad that was featured in the June 16 issue of Daily Variety. The ad features White Collar, Covert Affairs, Psych, In Plain Sight, Royal Pains, Burn Notice, Law & Order Criminal Intent, and Fairly Legal. These aren’t the best quality scans so if I get better digital copies I’ll add them here. (Click on any ad for a larger view.)

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The Law & Order Franchise: Still Alive and Kicking

Regular readers of my blogs know that I have two blogs dedicated to the Law & Order franchise and the stars of the show, All Things Law And Order and These Are Their Stories. As the season ended last night for Law & Order Criminal Intent, and with the new season getting ready to start up in late September for the “mothership” Law & Order and Law & Order SVU, I thought it was time to turn a critical eye at the franchise as a whole.

Law & Order Criminal Intent just finished up their season with a fine finale, "Revolution" which featured the franchise’s newest detective, Zach Nichols, played by the man who was born with the word “quirky” tattooed on his behind (just kidding) – Jeff Goldblum. Off to a shaky start and after a producer was fired, Goldblum’s character seemed to become more comfortable, believable, and highly interesting as the first few weak episodes were history and the new producer and team took control. In fact, I think Goldblum has re-energized the show, and the fact that he played well off both co-stars Julianne Nicholson and Kathryn Erbe made the show even more interesting. After last season’s depressing turn with Detective Robert “Bobby” Goren, Vincent D’Onofrio had his work cut out for him this season, and his character still seemed to be carrying around the baggage of the bad experiences that Bobby had endured during the last season or so. Maybe the writers should take a cue from the Goldblum team and breathe some life back into what used to be a mentally agile, in-your-face, razor sharp Goren. D’Onofrio is such a skilled actor that his recent story lines are a waste of his talent. But for a series that NBC seemed to have given up on a few years ago, it has found a new life and resurgence on a network that cares (USA), and I see only good things for the show should it be renewed (no official word on that issue as of this writing).

Law & Order SVU’s most recent season, in my opinion, was a mixed bag. The series spent what seemed like too much time last season on personal issues for the characters, and on what I call ”for your consideration” episodes which seemed akin to begging for Emmy nominations for its key stars, Mariska Hargitay and Chris Meloni, along with using a gaggle of high powered guest stars. Don’t get me wrong, Mariska and Chris were key to the success of this series last season, and SVU has done very well in bringing out the talent with powerful guest stars such as Ellen Burstyn, Brenda Blethyn, and Carol Burnett, all who were nominated for Emmys. But the stories themselves seemed to suffer as a result, becoming more like a crime soap opera at times. After watching a fewer of the older episodes over the last week or so that were from the first few seasons, I have to admit that I miss the grittiness of this show. It also seems that they have gone out of their way to focus on crimes that don’t quite fit the “special victims” category, maybe in another attempt to give their key stars meatier roles. SVU is still a great show, but I admit that I am worried that the show has become more about the sizzle rather than the steak. And that may make the show tough to swallow if the trend continues.

Fans were concerned when Meloni and Hargitay were holding out in contract negotiations, but not me. After the many years of changes in the mothership series, I got used to cast changes and I felt comfortable that SVU could have survived without one or both of the top stars. In fact, with the large amount of male TV stars out there that could have fallen into the role if Meloni were to vacate his role, I envisioned the show actually being more interesting if one of the two stars left, and a cast change maybe bringing on a whole new group of fans. The show did well by cutting lose a deadpan Michaela McManus and by bringing back Stephanie March to reprise her role as ADA Cabot (with the obvious omission of any mention of her work as a bureau chief while on the series, “Conviction”). I think without March’s return, the season may have been just average. While some die-hard fans think I am too hard on Law & Order SVU, it’s only because I think it is sacrificing the quality of its story lines to become more of a character driven show.


Law & Order - the mothership, the original recipe, call it whatever you like - is going on its 20th season and showed more signs of life last season than it had in a long time. The season featured a slow buildup in tension for District Attorney Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) as he fought to win the election and keep his office. The season ended with a rather delicious episode where Jack gets the upper hand against his opponent, and gets to bring down the governor in the process, but left fans hanging as to the actual outcome of the election. Of course, the show had the added bonus of a real live New York governor’s scandal during the show’s 19th season which gave writers a great chance to do some “ripped from the headlines” story-stealing, but at least they added a nice twist all of their own. In a change from her first season with the show, ADA Connie Rubirosa (Alana De La Garza) seemed to have softened her look and grew a backbone, and many times provided either a fresh approach to a case or a tidbit of information that helped win a case, proving she is much more than a pretty face. And while EADA Michael Cutter (Linus Roache) seemed to try to win most of has cases by some underhanded maneuver, he saved his best for last when he outmaneuvered the governor and got him to resign, all without McCoy’s knowledge or approval. Not to forget the detectives – Lupo (Jeremy Sisto) and Bernard (Anthony Anderson – who are starting to act more like real working partners. Sure there will never be another Lennie Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) but Sisto and Bernard seem better matched than Lupo and Greene (Jesse L. Martin). The only problem I see is that they still have S. Epatha Merkerson in a role that woefully underutilizes her talents. And by the way, either Sisto or Bernard needs to shave, because their facial hair looks too similar.

The bottom line is that the Law & Order franchise is one that still has a lot of life left in it, despite the rumors of the show’s demise over the years. Criminal Intent has found new life with the addition of Jeff Goldblum and likely some better writers and producers. SVU still has solid regulars on the show, and can command very high-powered guest stars, which help to draw viewers. And hopefully Law & Order will start the season with Jack McCoy having won the election as District Attorney, closing one story line, but maybe opening up more political trouble down the road for him and his staff. Yes, I’d say the franchise is still alive and kicking.


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Richard Belzer to NBC: You’re Desperate and Dying

Leave it to Law & Order SVU's Richard Belzer to come out and say what everyone else is thinking – and say it bluntly. On January 7, the LA Times reported that during Belzer’s participation in a PBS panel (talking about the late George Carlin), Belzer was asked his opinion of NBC's recent decision to place Jay Leno in the weekday 10:00 PM time slot in the fall, putting an end to 5 prime time hours of scripted programming. And he told it like it is, as he said he has a contract that renders him untouchable.

"I just think it’s a network that’s desperate…It’s the last gasp of a dying network, which can turn out to be brilliant financially. But in terms of writers, actors, producers and other people who work on shows, I think it’s a tragedy, frankly."

I only disagree with Belzer on one point – I don’t even think the move is brilliant financially. I can’t see NBC being able to sustain the number of viewers that it received with the 10 PM programming like Law & Order, Law & Order SVU, or even the departing ER. Sure, those shows cost a lot more to produce than a show like Leno’s, but they also likely commanded higher advertising dollars. And NBC will still have a lot of overhead to cover. If the network calculates or measures a "cost per employee" or "profit per employee", it would be interesting to see how those numbers are affected after this change is made. My projection is that cost per employee goes up, and profit goes down.

But I agree strongly with Belzer that this is a tragedy, maybe not because it would put writers, actors, et al. out of work, but that it may mark the death of creative dramatic programming for NBC. Everybody likes a good story. And everybody likes to see good actors in a good story. People like to have that time to watch some fictional show on television, maybe to take their minds off their own problems. But everyone has a limit, and even 5 days of Law & Order would get old after a while. OK – let me think about that – there was a time when NBC had a Law & Order franchise show on 3 days a week (Law & Order, Law & Order SVU, and Law & Order Criminal Intent). But when they tried to add in Law & Order Trial by Jury and Conviction, both new shows failed. I think it was simple overload, and maybe some Law & Order fatigue set in with the creative end of the franchise. Five days of a talk show at 10:00 PM when there are other choices on other networks would be worse than Law & Order fatigue, and could happen much faster. My opinion is that NBC's opinion of the draw of Jay Leno is inflated.

So, what does it say about a network like NBC that doesn’t have the talent or can’t afford to put together 5 extra hours of scripted programming? Like Belzer, I’d say they are dying.



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What’s Next For Bobby Goren?

Robert “Bobby” Goren (Vincent D’Onofrio) has had a rough two years:

1. His partner Alex Eames (Kathryn Erbe) is kidnapped by the murdering daughter of his mentor, Declan Gage (John Glover).

2. His mother Frances (Rita Moreno) was a head case, and died from cancer.

3. He found out his real father was a serial killer Mark Ford Brady (Roy Scheider).

4. His drug addicted, gambling, jerk of a brother Frank (Tony Goldwyn) lays a guilt trip on Bobby in order to enlist Bobby’s help for his son who is in prison. Bobby goes under cover, is tortured, and does help expose the corruption at the prison but ends our getting suspended for 6 months.

5. Bobby alienates his partner and his boss, Captain Ross (Eric Bogosian), and also finds someone left a dead rat in his desk.

6. Bobby’s brother is murdered, apparently by his old nemesis Nicole Wallace (Olivia D’Abo). Wallace is then apparently killed by Goren’s mentor Declan Gage, who set up all whole mess just to offer Bobby a puzzle and set him free.

Whew! That’s a lot of drama for just one man. It’s not that Vincent D’Onofrio isn’t up to the challenge. Far from it. D’Onofrio, who really gets into his roles (the best example is his 70 pound weight gain for Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket ), seems very well suited to play the angst-ridden Detective Goren. Of course, he was “thanked” for his efforts with an Emmy snub, which I wrote about here and am still trying to rationalize.

But as the season finale ended and Goren is told by his mentor Declan Gage that he is free, the question is, what does “free” mean next season for Goren? And is Declan going to come back and create more problems for Bobby? And is it possible that Nicole Wallace is not really dead, having perpetrated a hoax by arranging somehow for a heart transplant so she could leave her heart – literally – for Declan to give to Goren?

Personally, I miss the Bobby Goren of the past, who had a serious yet sometimes playful approach to the job. He danced (sometimes with a man as he did in “Pas De Deux”). He got up close and personal to invade a person’s space during interrogations. He played with anything he could to put a suspect or anyone else he was questioning off kilter. He trusted his partner and his boss. He seemed much more alive inside, yet still with a mysterious edge.

There are some fans out there that like the troubled Goren because it brings out a whole new dimension for the show and for D’Onofrio. There are some who, like me, wish for the more mentally and physically agile Goren who always had a surprise maneuver up his sleeve. I have hopes that next season, with new crew of producers and a new addition (Jeff Goldblum), that we see something more like the earlier seasons, while still leaving in some lingering leftovers from Goren’s troubled past. But I don’t want them to leave in so much that we see Bobby spiral further downward into a mental dark abyss. Instead, I would like him to be able to draw on his past to be an even better detective, whose instincts have been sharpened by his own life experiences. In a way, I hope that the psychopath Nicole Wallace and the mentally diminished Declan Gage really have been able to set Bobby free. Because after all he’s been through, he deserves it.



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Law & Order Criminal Intent Is Reinventing Itself

There are few things that seem certain for Law & Order Criminal Intent for next season. It will still be on the USA Network. It will still have Vincent D’Onofrio, Kathryn Erbe, Julianne Nicholson, Eric Bogosian, and of course, Dick Wolf is still Top Dog in the franchise.

But with the departure of Chris Noth, who played Law & Order franchise favorite Detective Mike Logan, coming up in Sunday’s episode titled “Last Rites”, and the addition of Jeff Goldblum to replace him, we’re assured of getting a new take on at least half the episodes. Goldblum should bring his own version of quirkiness to the show, maybe giving Vincent D’Onofrio’s Robert Goren, the current King of Quirk, a run for his money.

But the biggest change may be coming in the form of the production team, which appears to be almost completely revamped. Many of these people have been involved in the Law & Order franchise is one way or another, so they are no strangers to ways of the Law & Order Universe. The series will still be divided in two, but with separate people at the helms of the D’Onofrio/Erbe and the Goldblum/Nicholson pairings.

The big question is – will this revitalize the series, or will it kill it? Will the look and feel of the episodes based on which detective pairing is at the helm make the series as schizophrenic as Bobby Goren’s mother? And what will it do to the somewhat blank persona of Captain Danny Ross (Bogosian) who may be at the mercy of different writing and producing styles? It’s hard to tell right now, but at least we won’t have to wait too long to find out, as the series is slated to return in November.

Being a big Law & Order franchise fan, I’m keeping an open mind, and hoping that only good things will come of all these changes. I’m also keeping my fingers crossed for a departure for Mike Logan that keeps the door open for a return to the franchise.



USA Network has New Showrunners for Hit Show LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT
Series to premiere in November with new cast member Jeff Goldblum

NEW YORK, Aug 04, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX

Walon Green, Robert Nathan, John Coles, Michael S. Chernuchin, Andrew Lipsitz and Timothy J. Lea will be the new production team when LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT returns for its eighth season in November on USA Network. The announcement was made today by Jeff Wachtel, USA's executive vice-president of original programming and co-head, original content, Universal Cable Productions and Dick Wolf, executive producer and creator of LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT.

USA recently picked up an eighth season for the hit series produced by Wolf Films and Universal Cable Productions and cast Jeff Goldblum as the latest detective to join the major case squad. Created and executive produced by Emmy Award winning producer Dick Wolf and developed by Rene Balcer, LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT veers from the traditional "Law & Order" format by taking viewers into the minds of its criminals while following the psychological approaches the Major Case Squad uses to solve the crimes. The seventh season of LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT airs every Sunday at 9/8c on USA Network.

"Walon, Robert, Nooch [Michael Chernuchin] and I have been working together for most of the last two decades," said Wolf. "Between them, they have written hundreds of episodes of the brand's various iterations. By joining CI, they are providing the best of both worlds -- a new perspective and a wealth of experience with the brand. John [Coles] is one of the most respected producer/directors on the east coast. I could not ask for a better team as we embark on our eighth season," said Wolf.

"LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT has been a great success in its move to USA," said Wachtel. "We are excited to have this wonderfully talented and experienced team at the helm and are looking forward to fresh takes on the show's creative as we head into season eight."

The entire production team will work with Wolf and Executive Producer Peter Jankowski, who serves as executive producer of all three "Law & Order" series, as well as president and chief operating officer of Wolf Films, Inc.

Walon Green will serve as executive producer, showrunner and head writer, and Michael S. Chernuchin as co-executive producer for the D'Onofrio/Erbe episodes, with John Coles as New York based executive producer and director, and Michael Chernuchin as co-executive producer for the series. Green has executive produced numerous episodes of the original "Law & Order" and several episodes of "ER." He also has written for "Law & Order," "ER" and "Conviction." Coles served as co-executive producer of the FOX series "New Amsterdam" and the CBS series "3lbs." He has directed numerous hit television shows including "Sex and The City," "Grey's Anatomy" and "Damages," as well as episodes for the "Law & Order" brand. Chernuchin has produced and written for both "Law & Order," and "24."

The producing team for the Goldblum/Nicholson episodes includes Robert Nathan as executive producer, showrunner and head writer. Nathan has been a member of the "Law & Order" family working on both the original and "Special Victims Unit" as co-executive producer. Coles will again serve as New York based executive producer and director, with Andrew Lipsitz ("CSI", "CSI: NY") and Timothy J. Lea ("The Riches", "CSI: NY") as co-executive producers.

In its unique way of dividing the series into two distinct parts, with Vincent D'Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe as partners, and the other with new cast member Jeff Goldblum and returning actress Julianne Nicholson, the production teams will be equally separate. Eric Bogosian will continue on all episodes as Captain Danny Ross.



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The Law & Order Universe Welcomes Two New Stars

The New Kids on the Law & Order Block: McManus & Goldblum

The Law & Order franchise universe is a little bit like the weather in Cleveland, Ohio: just wait a few minutes and it will change.

This past week, one replacement was announced for Law & Order SVU, and one change and replacement were made for Law & Order Criminal Intent.

For SVU, a replacement was named for Diane Neal, who played ADA Casey Novak. The new ADA, yet to have a name, will be played by Michaela McManus. Michaela had a recurring role on "One Tree Hill,” a show that I never watched and know absolutely nothing about. This is a good thing for me, because I’ll be watching her performance starting with a clean slate.

And, for Law & Order Criminal Intent, it was reported yesterday by many sources that Chris Noth will be leaving the show, and be replaced by Jeff Goldblum. This isn’t the first time that Noth has taken his leave of the franchise, and one can only wonder if they’ve planned an exit for him that will make it certain he can’t come back. Chris seems to be in the media a lot lately, with the recent successful release of the “Sex and the City Movie.” As a result, I find myself wondering, has Chris caught the “David Caruso Syndrome,” where he leaves TV because he thinks movies will be his big ticket? Needless to say, while Chris is much older than Caruso when Caruso snubbed his nose at TV, Chris may have a slightly better chance at having a movie career. But, with Noth seemingly typecast as the handsome leading man, I am not sure if he can milk this for too much longer, seeing that he seems to be getting a little rough around the edges.

Goldblum, on the other hand, may be a good spark for Criminal Intent. While CI seems to be making interesting and compelling story lines for the Vincent D’Onofrio and Kathyrn Erbe half, the Noth/Wheeler half has been stagnant. Personally, I think they never had quite the right feel for Mike Logan. Goldblum may be a bit of a risky bet, as some seem to either love him or hate him. I admit that I am on the fence about him, and keep reminding myself of the good movies he’s been in, and try to forget the bad. My only hope is that they create an interesting character for him.

Of course, the “original recipe” Law & Order underwent a huge cast shakeup last year, and I hope no more are planned for a while. It also goes without saying that the franchise needs to protect those stars that fans consider “THE FRANCHISE,” which are Sam Waterston, Vincent D’Onofrio, Chris Meloni, and Mariska Hargitay. Having one of those people leave any of those shows would be the equivalent of a supernova explosion in the Law & Order universe, one that I am not sure shows – or the fans -could survive.


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Criminal Intent Stirs Things Up

Goren and Eames in Happier Times
I wrote a recap and review of the recent episode on Law & Order Criminal Intent – “Purgatory” - on one of my Law & Order blogs (here). But now, after thinking about this episode for a few more days, I think I like it even more and have a lot more to say about it.

First, to bring people up to speed who haven’t seen the episode – or haven’t read my blog – Detective Robert Goren (Vincent D’Onofrio) goes undercover in order to catch a drug dealer. Goren, on a 6-month suspension for going undercover without approval, hopes that his work in the new case will get him reinstated. It does, but it costs him his relationship with his work partner Eames (Kathryn Erbe) and makes him personae non grata with possibly others at One Police Plaza.

Earlier this season (season 7), and part of last season (6), the show has slowly been making Goren seem more unhinged and unbalanced. His personal life, which was always mysterious and hidden in the Law & Order universe, began to rear its ugly head. His mother Frances (Rita Moreno), who had mental problems of her own and with whom he seemed to have a somewhat pained relationship, passed away. Making matters worse, Goren discovers that imprisoned serial killer Mark Ford Brady (Roy Scheider) is likely his biological father. His brother Frank (Tony Goldwyn) is a drug addict and all out loser, and he lays the guilt on Goren to the point where Goren undertakes the unsanctioned undercover job to help Frank’s son. It is this undercover operation (in the Emmy-worthy episode "Untethered” that gets Goren suspended.

Long time viewers of Criminal Intent know the series began with the image of Goren as a quirky, intense genius who has an uncanny way of solving crimes, both by finding evidence and with psychological trickery. Now, the cocoon protecting Goren’s inner person is opening, and we are seeing a Robert Goren who takes dangerous risks, who is detaching himself from others close to him, and who seems to put his job above all else. Will this make him a better detective? Will it help him focus back on himself and HIS life, and begin to wipe away the problems with his mother, brother, and parentage?

While I’d like to have the Goren persona that we saw in the earlier years of the show, things could get a lot more interesting since his partner Eames has put him on notice. In “Purgatory,” all the aggravation she’s had with Goren – and all the hurt – boiled to the top and she let lose a verbal smackdown. It was a long time coming, but now, what will it mean to them going forward? I’m very interested to see how the dynamic with these two will play out, and my only hope is that they don’t just let them do the proverbial “kiss and make up” too quickly. Eames was burned just too deeply this time, and just like a physical bad burn, mental bad burns take a long time to heal and often leave scars. Those two may never be the same again. This could be one of the best things that happened to the show – even a slight ripple in the Goren/Eames space-time continuum could add a huge spark to the show.

Of course, the scene with the dead rat in Goren’s desk opens up another can of worms for Goren. Who will be working against him? Will paranoia get the better of him? Is Eames friend or foe? Will Goren crack under the pressure?

All these questions about the show and the characters mean only one thing – that a spark has ignited with Law & Order Criminal Intent, and the show could be on fire as this season 7 finishes and season 8 begins. Let’s hope the writers can keep up the pace, and keep up expectations. Not to do so would be…criminal.



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David Caruso Vs. Vincent D’Onofrio: Who Has the Craziest Fans?

Being a fan of both Law & Order Criminal Intent and CSI Miami, I’ve been exposed to some of the fan sites – and antifan sites – for both shows. It never ceases to amaze the number of sites that discuss the stars of both shows: Vincent D’Onofrio and David Caruso. There seems to be a lot of passion out there about these two, not all of it good. Let's take a look at the situation.

First of all, my opinions on both actors.

Vincent D’Onofrio has appeared in several films before he got the Criminal Intent gig. One of those films, Full Metal Jacket, had legendary director Stanley Kubrick at the helm. D’Onofrio gained 70 pounds for the role of Private “Pyle” in order to play the role most convincingly. It could very well have been the defining role for D’Onofrio. He went on to play various serious movie roles and some not so serious, such as playing Robert Howard in “The Whole Wide World,” to Edgar the weird alien bug-creature in Men In Black. While I think that D’Onofrio has fallen into a somewhat predictable pattern of angst-ridden, maybe overly edgy roles, he still seems to put his entire being into his roles and attempts to make them as convincing as possible. He seems to have found his soulmate in Detective Robert Goren on Criminal Intent, yet he continues to do movies.

David Caruso first made his name in television, appearing in TV roles here and there before he appeared in several episodes for Hill Street Blues. It wasn’t until he landed the role of Detective John Kelly in NYPD Blue that he got any real notice. But, he left this plum role to try to make the big leap to the big screen, an effort that seemed to have dismal results and gained Caruso a reputation of being, well, full of himself. It wasn’t until he got the role of Horatio Caine in CSI Miami that he seemed to be back in the good graces of television viewers. But, Caruso continued to develop the role of Caine until it became a joke, yet the show became the most popular TV show in the world. While I find myself being amused at Caruso’s over-the-top portrayal of Horatio Caine, I have to admit that considering the show in its entirety, there’s really no other way to play Horatio.

OK, now to the fans.

Over many years, I’ve seen quite a few fan site for Vincent D’Onofrio. And I stress that these are FAN sites. Sure, some of them are deluded fan sites, with lots of dreaming of D’Onofrio romance, fan art, fan fiction, etc. Those fans are not for me, but at least these are sites where the love and interest for Vincent is expressed openly and often. There are a few very serious fan sites that report of relevant news and happening with Vincent and his TV shows and movies, or his family, and some of those are surprisingly good and interesting. I could mention them here, but if you’re a Vincent fan who found yourself on my blog, you probably already know of every conceivable D’Onofrio site out there. They are hard to miss. Again, the D'Onofrio sites are strong fan sites – none are dedicated to any ill towards D’Onofrio, or his family. There is one gossip site out there where every now and then the topic of Vincent comes up, and it does seem to spur a bit of a love/hate war that can go on for days, subside for a while, and then resurface again. My opinion is that this particular gossip forum discussion is probably only populated by a handful of people, who like to stoke the fire both ways just to keep the discussion going. A lot of it centers on D’Onofrio’s weight gain, which even the die-hard fan has to admit is cause for concern. Bottom line is that there is lots of love out there for Vincent D’Onofrio, and virtually no intense dislike.

David Caruso, however, seems to have the most polar opposite fan sites. There are quite a few out there that love him, and an almost equal number that despise him. Even worse, Caruso has a stalker who has made threats to him and his family, and who is currently “on the lam” after failing to appear for a court date where she was to be tried for her stalking. In fact, someone from a Caruso fan site tipped me off that the stalker had probably visited this blog, a suspicion I was able to verify by checking my site traffic records. This stalker woman has one blog, maybe more, expressing her clear hatred for Caruso and anyone else with which Caruso is involved. There are also a few other antifan sites for David that frankly scare the living daylights out of me. Personally, while I don’t think too much of David’s acting and often poke fun of it, it amazes me that some people take their dislike of David – either of his acting or him as a person – to such an extreme as to make personal threats. And, to make matters more confusing for Caruso fans, there are anti-antifan sites, who essentially keep eye on the stalker and her internet movements in order to bring forward the Caruso-hater’s insanity.

I feel sorry for Caruso. Clearly, he has the craziest fans. While D’Onofrio has his share of deluded fans, I don’t think there are any out there whose goal in life is to spread D’Onofrio hatred. Is it because D’Onofrio is deep down a nice guy and Caruso is not? I don’t know either of these men, and I venture to say that I think most people who run the fan and antifan web sites probably don’t know them that well, either. Yet, there is something about Caruso that seems to bring out the worst in some people, but in my opinion the problem is not with Caruso, it’s with the “fan.”

So here’s a message to all the antifans out there whose life work appears to be making David Caruso look bad, or worse yet, spew non-stop hatred about the guy – seek psychiatric help immediately. No person on earth is worth that kind of negative dedication.


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Criminal Intent: The Pick of the Law & Order Litter?

I’ve been a faithful Law & Order Criminal Intent watcher since day one. I’ve always liked the show, despite some bad times. Remember when Goren (Vincent’D’Onofrio) was partnered with Detective Bishop (Samantha Buck)? OK, I think many of us just want to have those episodes permanently wiped from our memories.

Criminal Intent has always been the cerebral Law & Order. D’Onofrio is the perfect fit to play Goren, since D’Onofrio does quirky and mentally unbalanced better than anybody else. Even with the changes a few years back with adding another pair of detectives – Mike Logan (Chris Noth) and his partner du jour – the show has continued to deliver interesting stories. In fact, I think adding Chris Noth to the cast has recharged the show. In all honesty, I was getting a little tired of Goren. It seemed as they continued to focus more on Goren’s personal issues, I became less interested in him. I prefer a little more mystery with my Law & Order characters. Now that he’s not on every week I like the show more.

I admit I was initially disappointed when they moved the show to USA, partly because I don’t get USA in HD, and partly because I thought USA would let the quality of the show slide. I continued to watch it, though, and am happy that it seems to have found life on USA, and the quality and the feel of the show has actually improved. With NBC now re-airing those first-run USA episodes, I’m going to watch them again.

After watching the first three episodes of this season’s Law & Order, I’m not happy with what I’ve seen. It’s one thing to introduce new characters, but at the same time the show seems different in subtle things like its camera work, weak dialog, flimsy stories, and we’re getting too much personal information on the characters. And the drama is absent. I’m also very disappointed in SVU because the whole chemistry of the cast is off and the story lines are flat. And then there’s Adam Beach (I shuddered as I wrote that).

Criminal Intent may actually be the best show of the franchise right now, with interesting actors and interesting plots, and overall good cast chemistry.

I do have some hang-ups with Criminal Intent. For starters: that horrid introduction music, which I think was taken directly from the failed Law & Order Trial By Jury. It just doesn’t fit the feel of Criminal Intent. And I still miss Captain Deakins (Jamey Sheridan). I can’t warm up to Captain Ross (Eric Bogosian), who seems a little too wooden for my tastes. And I also hope that Alicia Witt is a short-timer because she’s just plain annoying. But I can look past those things, as long as the stories, and the rest of the cast continues to deliver.

So if you haven’t checked out Law & Order Criminal Intent since it moved to USA, give it a try now that it’s re-airing on NBC Wednesdays at 9:00 ET. It would be criminal to miss it.


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New Year's Eve Marathons

The one good thing about New Year’s Eve is you can count on the cable networks running plenty of marathons.

The Twilight Zone marathon on Sci-Fi has been an annual staple of mine. I never get tired of seeing them every year. But, in case YOU get tired of them, here’s a few other marathons I spotted, starting New Year's Eve:

TNT: Law & Order
USA: Law & Order Criminal Intent
Spike: CSI
Discovery: Mythbusters

Nothing like bring in the New Year with crime, mystery, and a few nerdy guys, I say. Have a happy New Year!


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"Las Vegas" - Fictional Vegas Falls Short

Last Friday, since there wasn’t a new episode of Numb3rs, I decided to watch Las Vegas on NBC. I watched the show during its first year, but stopped when I realized that there HAD to be something better available.

After watching Friday’s episode, I found myself asking, “Why is this show still on television?” It was absolutely devoid of anything substantial.

For those of you who have never watched this show (lucky you!), it revolves around various happenings at the fictional Las Vegas casino, the Montecito. In previous years, Ed Deline, played by a pasty-looking James Caan, headed the Montecito. What a comedown for Caan, I say. This season, Ed was replaced by Jim Cooper, played by Tom Selleck, who probably could stand to lose a few pounds and get in shape.

This particular episode involved Mike – a guy who used to be a valet but now seems to be head honcho of security – going through a Dickens-ish Christmas Carol storyline, with some of the Montecito women playing the various Dickens’ ghosts. How many ways can I say it was mind-numbingly horrible? Once is probably enough.

There were various excuses to showcase scantily clad women throughout the show, which I assume is the real purpose of the show. But, to give you a clue at how bad the show is, even with all the cleavage showing, my husband said the show was one of the worst hours on television he'd seem in a while. It seems like the show is tailored for the 14-18 year old male demographic, most of which are probably asleep or out partying at 10:00 on a Friday night.

I found myself wondering why NBC passed on Law & Order Criminal Intent for this Friday night slot, instead of moving it to the USA Network? It seems to me that CI is of much higher quality than the likes of Las Vegas and would draw more viewers.

In the case of this show, what happens in fictional Vegas should STAY in fictional Vegas, and off the TV screen.

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Bobby Goren – Off the Deep End

Last night’s episode of Law & Order Criminal Intent (“Untethered”) took Detective Bobby Goren over the to dark side. The question now is, will he ever really return?

I hope for the sake of the show, yes. We used to only see snippets of the inner workings of the clearly complex mind and personality of Bobby Goren. The show now seems to be giving almost too much of a look into what may - or may not be – his unstable mind. Let’s hope the series moves away from too many personal storylines and gets back to covering crime.

Mind you, Vincent D’Onofrio was excellent as Goren, going undercover to expose a suspicious death in a mental ward of a correctional facility, reported to him from a newly found nephew. His scenes in the room called “Heaven”, strapped to a metal table in a hot room for hours on end with no water made me feel a little claustrophobic and queasy. It was the one time where Goren had virtually no control of what his mind would do. D’Onofrio always seems to excel (ok, maybe overact) in the unusual roles, and in this case his performance seemed very real. I found myself wondering how much of what we were seeing was Goren, and how much was D’Onofrio himself?

Kathryn Erbe, as always, was perfect last night, as the even-tempered Detective Eames, who always seems to be a victim of Goren’s whims. Eames may the one person who has the only chance of keeping Goren grounded.

The most horrific scene of the show, however, was seeing Captain Ross (Eric Bogosian) dressed in a tux, stepping into an elevator to greet a waiting ME Rogers, dressed for a night at Lincoln Center. Maybe it’s just me, but I found the thought of those two out for a night on the town together the most sickening part of the show. What an awful couple. Although come to think of it, she deals with dead people all day, and Bogosian acts like he’s dead, so it could be a match made in heaven.

Another cause for my continued alarm is Vincent D’Onofrio’s massive weight gain this season. It appears to be visible affecting his gait. So while Goren seems to be falling into mental disrepair, I find I am more concerned with D’Onofrio’s physical health.

The good thing is that CI’s move to USA has not diminished the quality of the shows, in fact, the feel of the show seems a little more edgy, and in a good way. I’m looking forward to NBC rebroadcasting these episodes, starting in January, so those like me that don’t get USA in HD can enjoy them even more.

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