NYPD BLUE STAR HONORED: Actor Dennis Franz was honored on Friday, February 19th with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Franz, co-star of the current ABC hit series NYPD BLUE, was also a co-star of NBC¹s legendary HILL STREET BLUES. Co-stars from both series joined him for the event.
The TV Land Cable Network hosted a luncheon afterwards honoring Franz. Said Larry W. Jones, General Manager of TV LAND and NICK AT NITE, ³TV LAND is thrilled that the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce has chosen to recognize Dennis Franz for his outstanding acting achievements, including his work on HILL STREET BLUES and NYPD BLUE.² (TV LAND is currently featuring HILL STREET BLUES in its weekday lineup.)
BACK TO THE PONDEROSA?, Abrams/Gentile Entertainment has announced plans for an animated version of the classic tv western BONANZA. This animated version will be a prequel to the original show and focus on the Cartright family in their early years. For more information, check out their website at http://www.awn.com/blast
FOOD FOR POLITICAL JUNKIES: The first presidential primaries are a little over a year away but the business of running for president is already underway. C-SPAN2, one of the outstanding public service networks run by the cable industry, is already running their award-winning series ROAD TO THE WHITE HOUSE 2,000.
This weeks edition features Sen. Bob Smith (R-NH), Rep. John Kasich (R-OH). Both men are expected to run for president. It airs from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m., PST
C-SPAN2 is rerunning an episode of their outstanding author interview series entitled BOOKNOTES. This episode features an interview with Annette Gordon-Reed, author of THOMAS JEFFERSON AND SALLY HEMMINGS: AN AMERICAN CONTROVERSY. The book deals with Jefferson¹s affair and subsequent ³love child² with one of his slaves. For more information check out their website at http://www.booktv.org
SPRING FEVER, ANYBODY? Spring is almost here and that means baseball is right around the corner. ESPN will begin its 10th season covering Major League Baseball on April 4th. ESPN Radio will begin its second year broadcasting Major League Baseball games on April 4th as well. We will feature a column on baseball and the coverage offered by various television networks as the season draws closer.
This Week in TV History: EMERGENCY debuts on the NBC television network on January 22, 1972. Produced by Jack Webb, this series chronicled the exploits of Squad 51 of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
