News
Highlights (and lowlights) for the week ahead, April 1-7
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| PBS, courtesy West City Films | AP Photo This 2002 image from video, provided by PBS, shows 29- year-old Stephen Heywood, who was diagnosed with ALS, also called Lou Gehrig’s disease, and told he had only two to five years to live. How well Heywood lived his life, even as he was losing control of his body, is the subject of “So Much So Fast,” a documentary film airing in the PBS “Frontline” series, on Tuesday at 9 p.m. EDT. |
By Lynn Elber, AP Television Writer
Elizabeth Edwards, facing invasive cancer, has said that she doesn’t intend to let the disease “be the boss of me.”
That brand of courage is on display in “So Much So Fast,” a documentary about a remarkable young man who’s diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) but who won’t be deterred from living a full life.
The film, from Academy Award-nominated directors Steven Ascher and Jeanne Jordan, airs as part of PBS’ “Frontline” series Tuesday.
Stephen Heywood was 29 when he found he had the neurodegenerative disease that causes paralysis by killing nerve cells that control movement.
After diagnosis, the average life expectancy is two to five years.
Heywood’s reaction: He married, had a child and rebuilt two homes, even as he was slowly losing control of his body. He had the support of family members including wife Wendy.
“What will people say? Will they say, `Oh, wasn’t that nice of her to marry that ailing man?’ or `Is that fair for him to marry her?’”
Wendy Heywood says in the film. “We thought of those things and then we said, `You know, really it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks.’”
Heywood’s brother Jamie started a research foundation aimed at speeding up creation of a drug to combat the disease.
ALS is not a focus for most major drug companies because it’s an “orphan disease” that affects a relatively small number of people, according to the film.
The foundation’s iconoclastic approach and its struggle for funds is detailed, but its focus is Heywood and those close to him.
Other shows this week to look out for:
Filmmaker-photographer Martyn Colbeck has nurtured a 20-year bond with generations of elephants living in the Kenyan savanna beneath Mount Kilimanjaro.
He shares the saga of a matriarch named Echo and her offspring in “Unforgettable Elephants,” airing Sunday on PBS’
“Nature” series (check local listings). Colbeck’s admiration for the magnificent animals is clear and justified, as he relates their loyalty and ability to communicate and cooperate.
The documentary also shows Colbeck tracking the rare desert elephant in Namibia, where he recorded a group’s march across a striking and arid expanse of dunes, and documenting the Congo rain forest’s jungle elephant.
A grateful nation, or at least grateful comedians and HBO, showed Jerry Seinfeld just how much they care by giving him the Comedy Festival’s inaugural Comedian Award in Las Vegas.
The ceremony, which was held two years ago, is part of the HBO special “Jerry Seinfeld: The Comedian Award,” debuting Sunday.
Fellow funnymen Robert Klein, Garry Shandling and Chris Rock, who received the award in 2006, pay tribute to Seinfeld, with CNN’s Anderson Cooper on hand as host.
The comics discuss their influences, including Lenny Bruce and Richard Pryor, recall routines that worked and others that bombed and elaborate on Seinfeld’s reputation as among the most meticulous stand-ups working.
Seinfeld’s career path included a pivotal appearance on Johnny Carson’s “Tonight” show, HBO specials in the 1980s and ‘90s and the hit NBC sitcom “Seinfeld.”
The gloom is lifting for fans (and there should be countless fans) of “The Office” and “30 Rock.” The NBC comedies, TV islands of sheer joy and wit, are back with new episodes starting Thursday.
Salary negotiations are on the table in “The Office,” with Darryl (Craig Robinson) meeting with Michael (Steve Carell) over a pay raise.
And there’s another chapter in the romantic saga of Jim (John Krasinki) and Pam (Jenna Fischer).
The “supersized” episode of “The Office” is followed by “30 Rock,” which finds intrepid network executive Jack (Alec Baldwin) under siege by an ambitious West Coaster, played by Will Arnett ("Arrested Development") and in need of help from Kenneth the industrious page (Jack McBrayer).
The network’s comedy star, Tracy (Tracy Morgan), has his own problems: He’s been served with paternity papers. Next week, “30 Rock” moves to Thursday.
Hallmark Channel offers its fifth installment in the film series based on novelist Janette Oke’s best-selling “Love Comes Softly” series.
“Love’s Unending Legacy,” debuting Saturday, brings back Erin Cottrell as Missie LaHaye, who’s making a new start two years after the death of her lawman-husband.
Returning to the comfort of her father’s ranch and to teaching, Missie and her son open their home to an orphan with a hidden past.
There’s also the promise of romance: A new sheriff is trying to catch her eye, but Missie may be unable to overcome her broken heart. Dale Midkiff, Victor Browne and Holliston Coleman
Editors Note: Lynn Elber is a national television columnist for The Associated Press. She can be reached at lelber(at)ap.org
That brand of courage is on display in “So Much So Fast,” a documentary about a remarkable young man who’s diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) but who won’t be deterred from living a full life.
The film, from Academy Award-nominated directors Steven Ascher and Jeanne Jordan, airs as part of PBS’ “Frontline” series Tuesday.
Stephen Heywood was 29 when he found he had the neurodegenerative disease that causes paralysis by killing nerve cells that control movement.
After diagnosis, the average life expectancy is two to five years.
Heywood’s reaction: He married, had a child and rebuilt two homes, even as he was slowly losing control of his body. He had the support of family members including wife Wendy.
“What will people say? Will they say, `Oh, wasn’t that nice of her to marry that ailing man?’ or `Is that fair for him to marry her?’”
Wendy Heywood says in the film. “We thought of those things and then we said, `You know, really it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks.’”
Heywood’s brother Jamie started a research foundation aimed at speeding up creation of a drug to combat the disease.
ALS is not a focus for most major drug companies because it’s an “orphan disease” that affects a relatively small number of people, according to the film.
The foundation’s iconoclastic approach and its struggle for funds is detailed, but its focus is Heywood and those close to him.
Other shows this week to look out for:
He shares the saga of a matriarch named Echo and her offspring in “Unforgettable Elephants,” airing Sunday on PBS’
“Nature” series (check local listings). Colbeck’s admiration for the magnificent animals is clear and justified, as he relates their loyalty and ability to communicate and cooperate.
The documentary also shows Colbeck tracking the rare desert elephant in Namibia, where he recorded a group’s march across a striking and arid expanse of dunes, and documenting the Congo rain forest’s jungle elephant.
The ceremony, which was held two years ago, is part of the HBO special “Jerry Seinfeld: The Comedian Award,” debuting Sunday.
Fellow funnymen Robert Klein, Garry Shandling and Chris Rock, who received the award in 2006, pay tribute to Seinfeld, with CNN’s Anderson Cooper on hand as host.
The comics discuss their influences, including Lenny Bruce and Richard Pryor, recall routines that worked and others that bombed and elaborate on Seinfeld’s reputation as among the most meticulous stand-ups working.
Seinfeld’s career path included a pivotal appearance on Johnny Carson’s “Tonight” show, HBO specials in the 1980s and ‘90s and the hit NBC sitcom “Seinfeld.”
Salary negotiations are on the table in “The Office,” with Darryl (Craig Robinson) meeting with Michael (Steve Carell) over a pay raise.
And there’s another chapter in the romantic saga of Jim (John Krasinki) and Pam (Jenna Fischer).
The “supersized” episode of “The Office” is followed by “30 Rock,” which finds intrepid network executive Jack (Alec Baldwin) under siege by an ambitious West Coaster, played by Will Arnett ("Arrested Development") and in need of help from Kenneth the industrious page (Jack McBrayer).
The network’s comedy star, Tracy (Tracy Morgan), has his own problems: He’s been served with paternity papers. Next week, “30 Rock” moves to Thursday.
“Love’s Unending Legacy,” debuting Saturday, brings back Erin Cottrell as Missie LaHaye, who’s making a new start two years after the death of her lawman-husband.
Returning to the comfort of her father’s ranch and to teaching, Missie and her son open their home to an orphan with a hidden past.
There’s also the promise of romance: A new sheriff is trying to catch her eye, but Missie may be unable to overcome her broken heart. Dale Midkiff, Victor Browne and Holliston Coleman
Editors Note: Lynn Elber is a national television columnist for The Associated Press. She can be reached at lelber(at)ap.org
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