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PEOPLE & ARTSSaturday 15 August 2015
‘Show Me a Hero’ dramatizes NY affordable housing fight
LYNN ELBER erty values under assault
by housing to be placed
AP Television Writer throughout the city, not
solely in poorer areas.
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — The miniseries has a cine-
ma verite feel, which Hag-
The power of writer David gis said he felt was impor-
tant given the subject mat-
Simon’s work has drawn re- ter: “I was being handed
the truth in the script... but
markable actors to TV dra- I had to make it feel real,”
he said.
mas including “The Wire” In crowd scenes, for exam-
ple, the goal was for every
and “Treme.” frame to appear as “im-
perfect” as possible.
The latest evidence is “I wanted to make you
(the viewer) feel like you
“Show Me a Hero,” HBO’s were part of it.
There’s always someone or
six-episode miniseries something between you
and what you see,” such
based on a bitter 1980s as a microphone or even
a pole partly obscuring an
battle over public housing actor’s face, he said.
It creates a sense of urgen-
in Yonkers, New York. It be- cy as well as realism, and
that’s appropriate for an is-
gins this weekend and airs sue that remains pertinent.
Although decades have
8-10 p.m. EDT on three con- passed since the Yonkers
clash, the fight for afford-
secutive Sundays through able public housing contin-
ues elsewhere in U.S. cities,
Aug. 30. Simon said.
“It happened in Baltimore
Even Simon marveled at County (Maryland) when
they tried to put scattered
the cast that includes Os- site housing in my city,”
he said, adding, “We are
car Isaac, Alfred Molina, not good at sharing in this
country. We are not very
Winona Ryder and Cath- good at it anymore. There
was a moment in time
erine Keener. All that talent where the idea of a soci-
etal of a shared America
for what sounds like — but was plausible.”q
is far from — a dramatized
bureaucratic slog? “It In this July 30, 2015 file photo, actor Alfred Molina, left, and writer David Simon, right, smile while
listening to writer/executive producer William F. Zorzi speak onstage during the “Show Me a Hero”
makes no sense. I’m com- panel at the HBO 2015 Summer TCA Tour held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, in Beverly Hills, Calif.
ing with, like, eight hours Associated Press
on botany and seeing who
I pull next time,” he jokingly yes to “Show Me a Hero” script a day compared to year, a study of the clash of
before he saw any script, the relatively leisurely big- what America is and what
told a meeting of the Tele- and for one reason. screen tally of two to three it hopes to be, as seen
“David Simon,” he said in pages, he said. through the eyes of law-
vision Critics Association. an interview. “I heard he “It was very challenging to makers, activists and the
had a project available capture this because, as Yonkers residents caught in
Stellar director Paul Haggis and I pitched myself for it.” David likes to joke, his com- the maw of politics and so-
When producers asked pany is the PBS of HBO. cial disruption. Simon and
also was attracted to the which episode he wanted You don’t get the same William F. Zorzi co-wrote the
to direct, Haggis replied: “I kind of budget as if you put miniseries.
miniseries, based on Lisa want to do them all.” a zombie in it, which is natu- “It’s a tale of very flawed
This from a man who had ral,” said Haggis, hastening individuals who are trying
Belkin’s non-fiction book only directed films based to add that HBO was “very to do the right thing from
on his own scripts. And this good to us.” their perspective,” Haggis
of the same name that despite the fact that the The result is one of the said, including white hom-
modest budget and pace most intelligent, gripping eowners who saw them-
recounted how a federal of TV production required and provocative projects selves as protectors of their
taping six to 10 pages of to grace any screen this neighborhoods and prop-
court order to build low-
income housing in white
neighborhoods split the
city and wrecked its young
mayor’s career.
Haggis, himself an Acad-
emy Award-winning writer
(2004’s “Crash,” also hon-
ored as best picture) said
6 more years of nights hosting
‘Tonight Show’ for Fallon
In this May 12, 2014 file photo, The Tonight Show host Jimmy years. cast of the holiday production Shanice Williams as Dorothy.
Fallon attends the NBC Network 2014 Upfront presentation at the Calling him “the best there of “The Wiz Live!” include Greenblatt also had two
Javits Center in New York. is,” NBC entertainment chair- “Hairspray” co-star Elijah Kel- words on whether Republi-
man Bob Greenblatt said ley (in the role of the Scare- can presidential hopeful Don-
Associated Press Fallon, who turns 41 next crow), singer-songwriter-ac- ald Trump would ever return
month, will occupy the “To- tor Ne-Yo as host of
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) first anniversary as host of night” host chair until at least (as the Tin Man) and Oscar- “The Celebrity Apprentice”:
— Just a few months after “The Tonight Show,” NBC 2021. winning songwriter and actor “Absolutely not.”
Jimmy Fallon marked his has signed him for six more Speaking to TV critics on Common, who will play the Greenblatt said the show will
Thursday, Greenblatt also an- Gatekeeper to Emerald City. not be back next season, but
nounced that Rihanna will Previously announced cast will return in the future with
join “The Voice” as key advis- members a new host.
er to the panel of judges, who in the musical production, air- He didn’t speculate on whom
will be Adam Levine, Blake ing live Dec. 3, include Queen that host might be, but said,
Shelton, Pharrell and Gwen Latifah, Mary J. Blige, David “We’re obviously looking for
Stefani. Alan Grier, Uzo Aduba, Am- a host who will make noise
He said new additions to the ber Riley, Stephanie Mills and and is a big personality.”q
