The Daily Star - Stay Tuned
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/556814
The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, August 14, 2015 2 By Jacqueline Spendlove TV Media I t's not always easy being the man in charge. While it's true that being a leader gives a person a fair amount of power, it can be a tough thing to wield — and keeping everyone be- neath you happy is a near-im- possible task. In 1987, former police offi- cer Nick Wasicsko became the youngest mayor in the history of Yonkers, N.Y., at the age of 28. In his latest HBO series, "Show Me a Hero," David Si- mon, creator of "The Wire" and "Treme," relates the true story of Wasicsko's fight for the de- segregation of public housing in the city and its effects on him, other elected officials, ac- tivists and the citizens of Yon- kers. The six-part miniseries premieres Sunday, Aug. 16, on HBO. The show is based on jour- nalist Lisa Belkin's 1999 non- fiction book of the same name, which examines the effects of a 1985 ruling by Judge Leon- ard B. Sand that 200 apart- ments be built in Yonkers to house poor, largely minority residents in white, middle-class areas of the city. This effectively uprooted these poorer families and deposited them into more affluent neighborhoods, many of whose residents opposed and resented their presence there. Wasicsko was elected on a promise that he would fight the demand for desegregation, but just days before his inau- guration, a federal appeals court upheld the order. Per- suaded by the city's lawyers that fighting it was a lost cause, Wasicsko reversed his position and instead backed in- tegration. The backlash from white residents was immedi- ate and strong, and heavy fines against city council members who opposed the plan threat- ened to push the city to bank- ruptcy. Wasicsko is portrayed in "Show Me a Hero" by Golden Globe nominee Oscar Isaac, in a rare departure from the big screen to TV. The Guatemalan- born actor has been making a name for himself recently, par- ticularly since his title role in the critically acclaimed Coen Brothers film "Inside Llewyn Davis" (2013). He's been praised for his performance in "A Most Violent Year" (2014), in which he starred alongside Golden Globe winner Jessica Chastain, and appeared earlier this year in the creepy sci-fi flick "Ex Machina." Look for him towards the end of 2015 in "Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens" and as the ti- tle villain in "X-Men: Apoca- lypse," scheduled for release next spring. Isaac isn't the only big name in "Show Me a Hero." Oscar nominee and '90s darling Win- ona Ryder ("Girl, Interrupted," 1999) plays Yonkers city coun- cil president Vinni Restiano, an advocate of integration. Jim Belushi ("According to Jim") plays Wasicsko's mayoral elec- tion opponent Angelo R. Marti- nelli, and Alfred Molina ("Spi- der-Man 2," 2004) portrays city council member Henry J. Spallone. Oscar nominee Cath- erine Keener ("Being John Malkovich," 1999) plays Mary Dorman, one of the many East Yonkers residents who is fer- vently against racial integra- tion in her neighborhood. For his part, Simon is far more concerned with telling a story that he feels needs to be told than he is with pulling in huge viewership numbers. If "Show Me a Hero" goes the way of his previous series, it will prove a quiet but critical success and Simon can consid- er his a job well done. "Show Me a Hero" pre- mieres its six-part run Sunday, Aug. 16, on HBO. Robynwood Home 2 x 2 coverstory Winona Ryder and Oscar Isaac as seen in "Show Me a Hero" This is real life HBO's new miniseries examines the fi ght to desegregate 1980s Yonkers By Adam Thomlison TV Media Q: I heard that Donna Reed played Miss Ellie for a while on "Dallas," but I don't recall seeing her. What happened? A: It was a real-world scandal worthy of a soap opera when Donna Reed replaced Barbara Bel Geddes as Miss El- lie Ewing in the eighth season of "Dallas." Bel Geddes left the show a year after having heart sur- gery, and Reed stepped in. However, she was promptly dropped from it again in 1985 when Bel Geddes returned. Reed sued the producers and settled out of court. Those are the facts. Now for the speculation. Bel Geddes officially left in 1984 due to her health prob- lems, but writer David Paulsen said in an "E! True Holly- wood Story" documentary about "Dallas" that she left be- cause the show wouldn't meet her salary demands. "Her manager wanted more than the show felt we could afford to pay. It was a very tightly run show from a budget- ary standpoint." Furthermore, "Dallas" producer Arthur Bernard Lewis told E! that Bel Geddes decided to return not because she was healthy again, but because she was jealous. "When she saw Donna Reed on the air, in her role, she called and said 'I want to come back.' She said, 'I can't stand to see somebody else read my lines.'" Q: Is Adam Baldwin from "The Last Ship" related to the famous Baldwin brothers? A: No he's not, and he'd probably resent the suggestion. Adam Baldwin, a mainstay of sci-fi TV who has appeared on "Chuck," "Firefly" and now on TNT's "The Last Ship," is also a mainstay of the online political conversation, much like fellow actor (but not family member) Alec Baldwin. Indeed, Alec and Adam got into a bit of an Internet feud in 2012 after Alec made a flippant joke on Twitter about the death of right-wing commentator Andrew Breitbart. Adam jumped to his late friend's defense, and a Twitter war began between the two actors and their fans (Twitter being a pub- lic forum, anyone can jump in). Alec, the eldest and most famous of four acting Baldwin brothers — the others being (in order of age) Daniel, Wil- liam and Stephen — is a well-known leftist commentator online. Adam is fast making a name for himself as a digital voice for the right. Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com. Please include your name and town. Personal replies will not be provided. hollywoodQ&A Fly Creek General Store 1 x 6 Brandon's Feed & Seed 2 x 2 303494 Hours: Mon-Sat6am-9pm;Sun7am-7pm 607-547-7274 303677 ETHANOLFREE GAS CURRIEDCHICKEN SALADWRAP $ 5. 89 3-SCOOPSALAD $ 6. 75 BLT $ 6. 49 W/AVOCADO GENERALSTORE CLUB $ 6. 79 4119StateHighway7 Oneonta,NY13820 Phone:607-432-3884 www.brandowsfeedandpet.com Monday-Friday:8am-6pm Saturday:8am-5pm Sunday:9am-4pm Triumph Lamb & Rice 3.3 lb. Bag Birds•Equine•Home&Garden•Pets 302996 Valid with Coupon until August 31, 2015 Buy ONE get ONE free!