David Letterman brings back Jay Thomas, Darlene Love
They're at it again: Jay Thomas, left, and David Letterman throw footballs at a Christmas tree. Photo credit: John Paul Filo/CBS
CBS’ “Late Show With David Letterman” will serve up its holiday traditions on Thursday’s show.
Darlene Love will sing “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” for the 17th year on the broadcast. She has been chosen for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Jay Thomas returns so he and Letterman can take turns trying to knock a giant meatball off the top of the “Late Show” Christmas tree. They started doing this rite in 1998. And Thomas once again tells of meeting “Lone Ranger” star Clayton Moore, a funny story that Letterman enjoys hearing over and over.
Amanda Peet will promote “Gulliver’s Travels,” and U.S. military personnel stationed overseas will send greetings to their families in this country.
“Late Show” airs at 11:35 weeknights on WKMG-Channel 6.
CBS to shift ‘Blue Bloods,’ ‘Rules of Engagement’ in new year
"Blue Bloods" stars, from left, Donnie Wahlberg, Bridget Moynahan and Tom Selleck. Photo credit: Heather Wines/CBS
Most-watched CBS will move “Blue Bloods,” “Rules of Engagement” and “The Defenders” to new time slots early next year. The changes focus on weak spots in the CBS lineup: 10 p.m. Wednesdays, 8:30 Thursdays and 8 Fridays.
The move of “Blue Bloods” will be for four weeks. The Tom Selleck drama will shift to 10 p.m. Wednesdays, starting Jan. 19. “Blue Bloods” goes back to its current time slot, 10 p.m. Fridays, on Feb. 11.
Starting Feb. 16, CBS will unveil the “Criminal Minds” spinoff in the 10 p.m. Wednesday slot right after the original series. “Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior” stars Oscar winner Forest Whitaker.
Is that too much “Criminal Minds” for you in one night? Well, CBS has had great success on Tuesday pairings “NCIS” with its Los Angeles spinoff.
“Survivor: Redemption Island” also debuts Feb. 16, at 8 p.m. Host Jeff Probst revealed in the season finale Sunday that this version gives ejected players another chance to win.
“The Defenders,” the Jim Belushi comedy-drama, vacates the 10 p.m. Wednesday slot for 8 p.m. Fridays, starting Feb. 4. “Medium,” which is in that time slot, has been canceled.
“Chaos,” a comedy-drama about rogue CIA spies, debuts in the 8 p.m. Friday slot on April 1. The show stars Freddy Rodriguez, Eric Close, Tim Blake Nelson, James Murray, Kurtwood Smith and Carmen Ejogo.
“Rules of Engagement” will move to 8:30 p.m. Thursdays, starting Feb. 24. “Bleep My Dad Says,” with William Shatner, will have completed its first season by that time.
CBS will send in the romantic comedy “Mad Love” to fill the current “Rules” time slot, 8:30 p.m. Mondays, on Feb. 21. The show focuses on two New York couples and stars Jason Biggs, Sarah Chalke, Tyler Labine and Judy Greer.
Before We Go: Vacation Reading Suggestions
China Beat will be taking a holiday break until January 3. Before we move on to 2011, though, here’s a short round-up of pieces from 2010 that you shouldn’t miss:
• We’re still doing a bit of catching up as we recover from the end of the fall academic quarter, so please forgive us for being a bit behind on covering both the recent tensions between North and South Korea and also the controversial release of documents by WikiLeaks. On North Korea, read Evan Osnos, “Lips and Teeth,” and listen to Mary Kay Magistad of PRI’s The World. For a China angle on WikiLeaks, Andrew Leonard at Salon examines “The WikiLeaks China-Google Connection.”
• Evan Osnos also wraps up the “Top Ten China Myths of 2010” at the New Yorker’s News Desk.
• At the London Review of Books blog, Nick Holdstock has an interesting post entitled “Love the motherland” featuring images of several propaganda murals in Turpan, Xinjiang.
• The Economist takes a look at how the Boxer Rebellion of 1900 is remembered in China today:
In East Zhangwu Village, close to the railway line between Beijing and the port city of Tianjin, the village doctor is a Boxer fan. Sitting behind his desk in the clinic, he recounts, as if he had seen the action himself, how one sultry June local Boxers tore up the line to stop a trainload of foreign troops from heading to Beijing to break a siege of the capital’s embassy district by pro-Boxer imperial troops. “The foreigners had a couple of interpreters who said to the Boxers, ‘Don’t fight, we’ll give you some money, OK?’ The Boxers replied, ‘We don’t want money. We want the foreigners’ heads’.” He shows off a copy of the scores used by the musicians whose flutes, cymbals, drums and pipes accompanied the Boxers into combat. He and a group of fellow enthusiasts have formed what they call the Boxer Band. It performs at ceremonial send-offs for local army recruits.
• In the New Yorker, Pankaj Mishra considers the “staying power” of Mao and his followers as he reviews three recent books on Mao, which “attest to the difficulty of definitively fixing Mao’s image, a project that amounts to writing a history of China’s present.” And, at the New Left Review, Tariq Ali reviews Rebecca Karl’s Mao Zedong and China in the Twentieth-Century World.
• Finally, if you find yourself casting about for fresh reading material while China Beat is on break, check out The Browser for recommendations of “writing worth reading.” While not China-specific, the site often features interesting China-related content—right now it’s spotlighting Ian Johnson’s New York Review of Books interview with Yang Jisheng on the Great Famine of 1958-61.
The Browser is also the new home of Five Books, where authors and scholars recommend five books covering a particular topic. We confess we’re partial to this one on “China in the world economy,” given that two of the books mentioned by economist Kent Deng are The Great Divergence (written by China Beat co-founder Ken Pomeranz) and China Transformed (the work of former UC Irvine and current UCLA professor Bin Wong).
We’d like to thank all of our contributors and readers for supporting China Beat in 2010—happy holidays and we’ll see you next year!
Casey Anthony: WFTV asks if Dr. Henry Lee is leaving case over money; defense says it’s just a paperwork issue
Casey Anthony was in court today for a hearing. Photo credit: Red Huber/Orlando Sentinel
WFTV-Channel 9 tonight explored the possibility that forensic expert Dr. Henry Lee might leave the Casey Anthony case.
“It’s all because of money problems,” anchor Martie Salt said in introducing the story at the top of the 5 p.m. newscast. Anthony is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her daughter, Caylee Marie.
WFTV’s Kathi Belich asked defense attorney Jose Baez, “Is that going to be a big blow to the defense if Dr. Lee doesn’t testify?”
Baez walked away.
Later, Baez downplayed the issue when he talked to other reporters. Asked about the travel expense issue with Dr. Lee, Baez said he is getting an accounting of the expenses together for Judge Belvin Perry to review.
“We’re just talking about clerical paperwork,” Baez said.
After today’s court hearing, when asked directly if Dr. Lee will appear at trial, Baez said, “I have no reason to think otherwise. However, you know with any luck maybe we will have a judgment of acquittal and we won’t have to put on any case at all.”
Lee, who lives in Connecticut, wants reimbursement for his travel expenses as well as $7,500 for work last summer, WFTV’s Belich explained.
“Prosecutors can’t even get Dr. Lee to commit to a deposition, which would have to be done before he would testify at Casey’s murder trial in May,” Belich reported. “The defense claimed Dr. Lee helped investigators find hairs in Casey’s car. If Lee drops out of the case, so could that defense claim that investigators weren’t thorough enough.”
WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer called Lee “a very powerful tool to raise reasonable doubt.” Lee is best known for his work in the O.J. Simpson murder case.
At a hearing today, Judge Perry wondered if Lee was going to testify. Belich highlighted that the state’s rules for indigent defendants, such as Anthony, require the use of Florida experts to reduce travel expenses. Perry wanted back-up documentation for Lee’s travel expenses. Belich said the defense was working on it — the point that Baez made to other reporters.
WKMG-Channel 6’s Mike DeForest focused on Perry’s reactions at today’s hearing. ”Perry assumed Anthony’s lawyers had already given up on their attempt to paint Roy Kronk as a potential kidnapper and killer,” DeForest said. Baez said no and added that he thought the defense had more time to make that decision. [Kronk was a meter reader when he found the toddler's remains two years ago.]
“Judge Perry, whose patience has already been tested, could not hold back his laughter,” DeForest said.
The defense has 10 days left to address issues about Kronk, DeForest added.
WESH-Channel 2 and WOFL-Channel 35 focused on the defense’s push to keep sealed temporarily its list of witnesses in the death penalty phase of the case. The Orlando Sentinel argued that the list should be made public and that its publication wouldn’t jeopardize Anthony’s right to an impartial jury. The judge made no decision today.
Back on WFTV, Belich studied Casey Anthony’s look and described the young woman as “somewhat disheveled” with a wrinkled shirt. Belich also highlighted that Baez objected that a photographer seemed to be focusing on Anthony when she wrote notes. Perry overruled the objection, and Anthony kept writing notes.
‘Survivor’: And the winner was … the viewer
Chase, left, Sash and Holly plot on "Survivor: Nicaragua." Photo credit: CBS
“Survivor: Nicaragua” ended tonight with one of the most satisfying finales in the franchise’s history.
SPOILER ALERT: Nice guys do finish first.
The winner was the most likable player remaining: Jud “Fabio” Birza, a 21-year-old student, the youngest winner in the CBS series’ history. Fabio won the last three immunity challenges to stay in the contest and received the most jurors’ votes to collect the $1 million grand prize. He will receive his check Monday morning on “The Early Show.”
Fabio beat Chase Rice, 24, on a 5-4 jury vote. But Chase, a pro race car jackman, had to be considered a winner, too.Host Jeff Probst let Chase, an aspiring country singer, perform on the cast reunion show.
The third-place finisher, real estate broker Matthew “Sash” Lenahan, received no votes. The jury called Sash on his double-dealing ways. Jane Bright, a hard-charging player from North Carolina, called Sash “a New York sewer rat.” Dan Lembo, a real estate executive, called Sash a liar, phony and spineless.
Jane won $100,000 as the viewers’ favorite, and Probst said it was a landslide.
Chase acknowledged he had been wishy-washy throughout the game. Dan blasted Chase as “the most paranoid player” and warned Chase, “Beauty fades. Dumb is forever.”
Fabio, a surfer-boy type from St. Louis, played an aboveboard game. He told the jury, “I don’t think I back-stabbed any of you.” When Fabio talked of his love for his family, he voice cracked — a moment that had jurors wiping away tears.
NaOnka Mixon, one of the most outrageous players, explained why she quit: “I had enough.” The weather was a problem, too, she said. And she acknowledged that she had some trouble in her teaching job when parents saw how she acted on the show. Yet, she stressed, she still has the teaching job.
Probst explained that the next time a player quits — NaOnka and Kelly Shinn both bailed in Nicaragua – the producers will have the option of doing what they want with that person. NaOnka and Kelly remained on the jury, which outraged many fans. Next time, the producers could send the quitter home or let that person stay on the jury.
Football broadcaster Jimmy Johnson, the most famous player in the show’s history, credited with “Survivor” with saving his life. Years ago, a medical test for the show revealed blocked arteries. He got himself healthy so he could play.
In the next “Survivor,” people ejected will be sent to Redemption Island, where they will fight for a chance to re-enter the game.
“It’s the biggest twist in ‘Survivor’ history,” Probst said. “Survivor: Redemption Island” starts Feb. 15.
What is Sarah Palin’s encore for Kate Gosselin visit?
“Sarah Palin’s Alaska” had many people talking about last week’s episode. Kate Gosselin and her children visited.
In the episode at 9 tonight on TLC, Palin visits family friend Gerald “Bones” Groff and goes whitewater rafting. Palin also spends time with daughter Piper, and they go dog sledding. Here’s a clip, and TLC says of it: “This footage is very significant to the Palins as ‘Bones’ recently passed away at the age of 75, and these moments are the family’s final memories with him.”
Nude reality show ‘Nak’d Truth’ features Lakeland man; will it work?
Here's a glimpse of seven of the eight main players in "The Nak'd Truth." Handout art
Pushing the boundaries for reality television, a filmed-in-Florida show follows nudists.
The producers of “The Nak’d Truth” introduced their cast last weekend at Caliente, the clothing-optional resort in Land O’Lakes. The show follows eight young adults who work at the resort, live together in the same house for a month and remain nude all the time.
A pilot has been filmed, but the series hasn’t been sold yet. How would this show work on a regular channel?
“The show will be visually altered to comply with broadcast standards for commercial television,” the producers said in a release. In other words, they’ll digitally obscure certain body parts.
Which raises the question: Doesn’t that undermine the whole purpose of doing a show about nudists?
One of the cast members is Wayd Dionne,23, of Lakeland.
The others are mostly from the Tampa Bay area, producers said. Producers said six of the leads are in their 20s; one in his 30s; and the age for the eighth person wasn’t listed.
The other men are Maksim Rozanovsky, 34, of Tampa; Charles Hacker Jr., 22, of Tampa; and Robert Smith, 29, of Palm Harbor.
The women are Jennifer Fitzgerald, 24, of Land O’Lakes; Fayth McCarty, who recently moved to Florida from Pennsylvania; Christy Michelle, 26, who recently moved to Florida from Minnesota; and Nicole Young, 24.
The show comes from Atlantic Overseas Pictures Television.
In a release, executive producer/creator Harris Salomon said the cast is “awesome” and promised the material will be “some of the most compelling programming ever seen on reality TV.” He added: “Our hope is to show the world the differences between people, when they are diminished of their clothing and become the same.”
Will this show work?
One Hundred Years of Controversy
By Paul R. Katz
“History is never for itself; it is always for someone” — Keith Jenkins, Rethinking History, p. 16
Controversies about the past are nothing new to modern Taiwan, but this one is something completely different, centering not on how to remember the Japanese colonial era, the 228 Incident, or the White Terror, but the forthcoming 100th anniversary of the Republic of China’s founding on January 1, 1912 (????).
At the center of the current sturm und drang is Taiwan’s Academia Historica (???), the putative successor to the imperial Historiography Institute (same Chinese name) established from the Song to Qing dynasties. In order to help celebrate the centennial, the Academia’s staff put together an Internet poll for the 100 most influential figures in ROC history, with the list of candidates including not only renowned ROC presidents like Sun Yat-sen (???; 1886-1925) and Chiang Kai-shek (???; 1887-1975), but also CCP leaders who had helped overthrow the ROC government in China, including Mao Zedong (???; 1893-1976), Zhou Enlai (???; 1898-1976), and Deng Xiaoping (???; 1904-1997); even the last emperor Puyi ?? (1906-1967) made the list.
Apparently the Academia staff was quite enthusiastic about this undertaking; in addition to organizing these 100 individuals according to their achievements in politics, military affairs, economics, foreign policy, religion, academia, the arts, etc., there was even talk of establishing a category for the best-looking.
Regrettably, the road to political controversy is paved with good intentions. To the great consternation of both pan-blue and pan-green political elites, by early December the poll’s results had taken an unexpected turn, with Deng topping the list as the most influential figure in the military category and Chairman Mao ranking third in the category of political leaders, ahead of his longtime rival Chiang (One should note that this poll does not seem to have attracted much attention: Sun received the most votes (2800+), while Deng’s #1 ranking was based on a mere 90-vote total).
Regardless of how popular the poll might have been, it clearly touched a raw nerve. The situation started to spin out of control on December 9, when KMT Legislator Justin Chou ??? questioned Deputy Minister of National Defense Chao Shih-chang ??? about the propriety of listing people like Deng, with Chao responding that it was “absolutely inappropriate” (?????). Other outraged KMT elites referred to the poll as “child’s play” (??), while others noted that it touched on sensitive issues of Cross-Straits relations and national identity. Many of these sentiments were summed up by Chou, who recalled the men and women who had laid down their lives for the nation, exclaiming “How can the ROC bear this!” (????????!).
For its part, the Academia Historica appears to have been caught off guard, initially issuing a statement explaining that the Internet poll had been planned as a lesson in historical objectivity by including ROC and PRC leaders who had helped shaped ROC history (at a 60::40 ratio). Shortly thereafter, a decision was made to delete controversial figures like Deng and Mao from the list, but it was too late. By the evening of December 9, the entire poll had been removed from the public sphere, apparently on orders from President Ma Ying-jeou ??? himself (Academia Historica is under the jurisdiction of the Presidential Office). Sources close to the issue indicated that Ma was “extremely concerned” (????) about this matter, ordering that it be “dealt with seriously” (????). Some Academia staffers were subjected to demotions, demerits, and other administrative punishments, but that proved insufficient to quell the rage. Following a stormy interpellation session featuring intense questioning by both KMT and DPP lawmakers, the Legislative Yuan voted to refer Academia Historica President Lin Man-houng ??? (a leading economic historian) to the Control Yuan for impeachment proceedings. Lin chose instead to submit her resignation, which (not surprisingly) the Presidential Office has accepted.
Apart from being a fascinating case study of Taiwanese academic and identity politics, the above controversy also raises a number of key questions about how to commemorate the past 100 years of modern Chinese history. To begin with, whose history is meant to be written? Should historical studies honoring the 100th anniversary of the ROC’s founding focus solely on its heroes or also key figures traditionally labeled by the ROC state as bandits (fei ?)? Another tricky issue for President Ma and other KMT pro-unification elites is how to go about celebrating this anniversary without offending pro-unification voters and PRC leaders by reminding them of the fact that the ROC (Taiwan) is an independent country. The Internet poll also proved offensive to DPP and other pan-green elites by treating Taiwanese who lived under Japanese colonial rule as ROC figures, while overlooking pro-independence figures like Lin Yi-hsiung ??? and Peng Ming-min ???. Even the term “founding the nation” (jianguo ??) is not without its share of controversy. The ROC may be getting ready to celebrate its 100th anniversary, but in the PRC the term refers to an event that took place 61 years ago.
Both ROC and PRC historians clearly recognize the significance of the past 100 years and have launched massive writing projects, but based on very different perspectives and agendas. One such effort, organized by the Department of History at Nanjing University (????) but also including some Taiwanese scholars, focuses on the 100 years dating from the Xinhai Revolution (??????). The leader of this project is the senior modern Chinese historian Zhang Xianwen ???, who edited a four-volume magnum opus on ROC history (?????) published in 2006. For obvious reasons, the book’s time frame only extends to 1949, and the definition of ROC history underlying the forthcoming project should not be much different. A second and somewhat similar project is also being put together by the Institute of Modern History at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing (?????????????).
Taiwanese historians are hardly sitting on the sidelines waiting for their Chinese counterparts to complete their “spin” on the past century. Many leading scholars here have initiated a mammoth ROC history writing project (the?????????????), which is being funded by Taiwan’s National Science Council (??????????) and should result in another set of volumes covering a very different time frame and definition of modern Chinese history. In the interests of full disclosure, I should also point out that my own institute (the Institute of Modern History, Academia Sinica; ???????????) is planning a conference to discuss key topics in ROC history and set new agendas for the field.
All this indicates that modern Chinese history continues to be a contested arena. As Keith Jenkins points out, “History is a shifting, problematic discourse…subject to a series of uses and abuses that are logically infinite but which in actuality generally correspond to a range of power bases that exist at any given moment”. It looks to be a year of raucous historiographical debate. Stay tuned.
Casey Anthony: How credible is Krystal Holloway?
Casey Anthony was in court last week. Photo credit: Red Huber/Orlando Sentinel
What was new in the documents released today in the Casey Anthony case?
Not a lot.
“Nothing in there that’s a real game-changer,” WKMG-Channel 6’s Tony Pipitone said.
But he said the documents suggest investigators are focusing on this issue: Was Caylee’s body dumped after Casey’s movements were limited? Casey Anthony is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her daughter.
Pipitone said the documents released today show that searchers didn’t go far enough into the woods to look for the toddler. And Pipitone said the newly released documents heavily discredit the claims of “one mentally ill woman who got some press notoriety by claiming the body was not there when she looked.”
Pipitone also looked skeptically at Krystal Holloway, “who claimed to the National Enquirer she was George Anthony’s mistress, something not supported by any evidence and denied by the Anthony family attorney.” Pipitone replayed footage of Holloway sharing her theories in a WKMG report.
WESH-Channel 2 focused on a couple of women — Holloway and a fellow inmate of Casey’s — who have made headlines before. “What they told investigators could be very valuable to the case, if it’s true,” anchor Jim Payne said. “And that’s a big if,” reporter Bob Kealing added.
In tapes, Holloway — who is also known as River Cruz — could be heard telling investigators that George Anthony revealed that Caylee Anthony died in an accident that snowballed out of control.
Holloway also told investigators that George Anthony confronted Casey in their home, threw her against the wall and said he knew she had killed Caylee. Cindy Anthony had to stop the fight, Holloway said.
WFTV-Channel 9’s Kathi Belich said, “There were a couple of things we’d never seen or heard before.” She cited the videotape of Holloway “reluctantly” telling investigators that George had confronted and choked Casey, telling her, “I know you killed her.”
“How do you know this?” the investigator asked Holloway. “He told me,” she said.
WOFL-Channel 35 aired a portion of an investigator’s interview with Holloway. He asked if she became romantically involved with George Anthony. “No,” she said.
WOFL’s Holly Bristow asked, “How credible is this woman’s testimony? I can tell you there are some inconsistencies between what she told me a couple of months ago and what she told to investigators. But I will tell you she is listed as a state witness.”
In another tape that WESH highlighted, convicted murderer Maya Derkovic told investigators that fellow jail inmate Casey revealed that she used to sedate daughter Caylee to go out and party. Derkovic also related that Anthony was jealous that her mother, Cindy, directed so much attention to Caylee.
Belich also highlighted:
***Casey wrote in a letter to a prison pal that she wanted to adopt a child after she got out of jail.
***Holloway told investigators that George had wanted to throw Casey out of the house after she bailed out and that George dismissed Casey’s accusations that brother Lee had sexually abused Casey. Holloway quoted George as saying, “She sleeps around. My daughter’s not the best daughter.”
***Casey wrote jail pen pal Robyn Adams that she was 99 percent sure that Jesse Grund wasn’t the father of Caylee. “Even if she knows who Caylee’s father is, she’s never made it known publicly,” Belich said.
Next up: A court hearing at 1:30 p.m. Monday on the death penalty phase, and Casey Anthony will be there, WFTV anchor Martie Salt said.
WKMG’s Pipitone estimated that the trial would take two months.
Larry King tells viewers, ‘So long’
Larry King, shown last year, ended his CNN show tonight. Photo credit: Peter Kramer/AP Photo
Larry King ended the 25-year run of “Larry King Live” tonight with surprises, stars and song.
The CNN host, who is 77, thanked his viewers, noting he would continue to do specials and radio. He opted for “so long” rather than goodbye.
As farewells go, this one was long on laughs and zany humor. Fred Armisen of “Saturday Night Live” did his King impersonation and questioned the host. “The best question is why,” the real King said.
Later, King’s 10-year-old son offered an impressive impersonation of his father that had people in the studio guffawing.
Via satellite from New York, NBC’s Brian Williams marveled that King had cut off Barbara Walters and joked that Star Jones and Julian Assange were waiting to come on. Walters told Williams, “You are nuts.”
In the studio with King, Bill Maher and Ryan Seacrest kept things light. Maher compared King to Johnny Carson and praised King for not being a windbag. Seacrest noted that he first met King in the Paris airport and the CNN host asked him to carry his luggage. A week later, the “American Idol” host was a guest on “Larry King Live.”
Former President Bill Clinton, via satellite from Little Rock, joined the merriment. King and Clinton are members of the zipper club — a term that may have baffled some viewers. King explained it meant that both men have had open-heart surgery.
From New York, Regis Philbin sang. Donald Trump’s hair was pouffier than ever. Diane Sawyer presented King with suspenders. Katie Couric read a poem about King’s career. From Louisiana, Tony Bennett sang “The Best Is Yet to Come.”
There were serious moments, including thoughtful words from Anderson Cooper and a poignant letter from the Rev. Billy Graham.
Dr. Phil McGraw applauded King’s grace during the final show. McGraw cited a couple of King’s strengths: He asks short questions and he doesn’t make himself the center of attention.
“This has been a third of my life,” King said of the show.
He made his final remarks the way he conducted the show: simply and directly. It was a fine sendoff for a TV legend.