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Happy 30th, ‘NewsHour!’
A decade ago, Canadian journalist Robert MacNeil decided to step down from his co-anchor job on the prestigious PBS series “The MacNeil/Lehrer Report.”
Tonight MacNeil returns to the program, now called “The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer”, to join Lehrer in celebrating the broadcast’s 30th anniversary. The news program airs weeknights at 6 p.m. on KLRU, Channel 18, and 7 p.m. on KLRU 2, Cable Channel 20.
PBS’s nightly news report and analysis has been a welcome constant in the sometimes turbulent world of TV news, perceived even by PBS critics as actually fair and balanced. A survey by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which came under fire when newly appointed Republican conservatives began criticizing PBS as too liberal, found that an overwhelming majority of respondents rated “The NewsHour” the “most fair” news program on television. So there!
The show started in 1975 as an alternative (or supplement) to the evening newscasts on CBS, NBC and ABC. In 1983 “The MacNeil/Lehrer Report” became the first hour-long newscast. Although some loyal viewers wondered how the show would do without MacNeil as co-pilot, it has done just fine with low-key solo anchor Lehrer.
At last, Leguizamo joins “ER”
NBC has been teasing us with the prospect of John Leguizamo joining the cast of the decrepit “ER” since the new season began in September. Tonight (at 9 p.m.) he finally arrives.
Leguizamo, the Colombian-born-New York-raised writer-performer is bound to inject much-needed tension and excitement into the show. His personality seems wired for excitement … and danger.
He plays Dr. Victor Clemente, a state-of-the-art physician who comes to County General from the Bronx to bring the hospital’s aging technology into the 21st century.
“He’s stepping on a lot of toes and lighting a fire under everybody’s butt,” Leguizamo told reporters in a recent telephone conference call. “He’s a genius doctor who’s really bright and really self-serving.”
Dr. Clemente makes his entrance by sneaking into the ER posing as a patient — to see how the medical staff performs.
Whatever Leguizamo’s character does, it’s bound to be more exciting than the mopey relationship between Luka and Sam.
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