Thursday, March 28, 2024
Miles from the Mainstream
D. R. ZUKERMAN, proprietor

LPR Memo to:

Les Moonves, CBS CEO
Peter Liguori, President, Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Co.

JANUARY 20, 2009 --

Previously on LPR, we noted that Dennis Haysbert had the role of President David Palmer on "24," shown on Fox, Monday night, and now plays Jonas Blaine, leader of a Special Forces covert team on "The Unit," which airs Sunday night on CBS.

Mr. Haysbert can also be seen representing Allstate Insurance during the program's commercial breaks. LPR wonders if this is a good idea.

Perhaps CBS And Allstate aren't concerned that Dennis Haysbert as Allstate spokesman conflicts a bit with his "Unit" role as "Jonas Blaine," a role that does not exclude killing people (although perhaps not in rigged car "accidents").

On January 12, "24" returned to Fox for its seventh season. LPR thinks it might make more sense if Mr. Haysbert appears on Allstate commercials during the Fox hit (no pun intended) instead of in commercials on his current series, now in its fourth season. Rather than presenting a possible conflict, Mr. Haysbert would, implicitly, be sharing an in-joke with the viewers, reminded that he once had a key role on "24."

A few years ago, LPR indicated it would vote for Mr. Haysbert if he actually ran for president. There are reports that Mr. Haysbert, and others, do not discount the possibility that his role as president on "24" might have gotten the country accustomed to the idea of a black president. LPR wonders if Mr. Haysbert has been invited to attend the inauguration of President Obama.

Some Reflections on "24" and "The Unit"

It seems to LPR that never in television history have so many commercials appeared during so short a time, in one commercial break, than on these programs.

Viewing the first "24",, this season, LPR was concerned that Bill Buchanan (James Morrison) and Chloe O'Brian (Mary Lynn Rajskub) had been dropped, but relaxed when these "24" regulars appeared about midway in the first hour of its two-hour premiere.

Not taking anything away from Kiefer Sutherland (playing Jack Bauer), LPR sees "24" as an ensemble series, and it wouldn't be the same without Bill and Chloe -- or Carlos Bernard (playing Tony Almeida).

One thing about this season's "24," it is getting to be difficult, at least for LPR, to know which side the players are on. But then, who knows, this could just be art imitating life -- wheels, within wheels, within wheels.

The January 11 episode of "The Unit" seemed to take a turn towards an "Indiana Jones"-like story line, with Jonas ordered to take a spear, said to have been thrust into Christ while he was on the Cross, from a monastery. Or are real covert teams looking for this terrible relic?

FYI -- Other cast members on "The Unit" include Scott Foley as Bob Brown (January 11, he shot two people who thought they had been given immunity), Audrey Marie Anderson as Kim, his wife. Robert Patrick as Col. Tom Ryan, Regina Taylor as Molly, Jonas' wife; Max Martini as Mack Gerhardt, Abby Bramwell as Tiffy Bramwell, his wife; Michael Irby as Charles Grey.

This writer's favorite program, many years ago, , was the original "Mission: Impossible" with Steven Hill as team leader Dan Briggs. For LPR, David Mamet and Shawn Ryan, executive producers of "The Unit," are giving us a variation on a "Mission: Impossible" theme. Additional reason to catch the program, after Cold Case, on CBS.

Hmm. The characters played by Kiefer Sutherland and Dennis Haysbert have the same initials. Well, Jack Bauer and Jonas Blaine, LPR will be pleased to photograph you and the other cast members on these shows at your convenience. Mr. Liguori and Mr. Moonves, please note.