‘Cold Case’ Uses Web To Sift Evidence
One could argue that anything good in television is worth doing again.
So you can’t help noting that CBS’ “Cold Case” at 9 is only a variation of FOX’s “America’s Most Wanted” and NBC’s “Unsolved Mysteries.”
Yet “Cold Case” (police jargon for an unsolved case), hosted by Richard Crenna, advances the genre by utilizing the vast reach of the Internet’s World Wide Web, providing viewers with more information on pending murder investigations than you could possibly include in an hourlong telecast.
Log onto the Web at www.coldcase.com and you’ll see the contents of actual police files on these baffling crimes. Included are crime-scene photos, incident reports, autopsy reports, witness statements - even information from detectives’ notebooks.
Three cases are presented: the 1986 abduction and murder of a 9-year-old Dallas girl; a Florida killing of two deer hunters; and an Orange County, Calif., crossbow killing.
One of the things that “Cold Case” does best is take a serious look at forensic evidence. Even if you’re not an active participant, the police techniques are explained in enlightening detail.
Less impressive are the dramatic re-enactments, which look as if they were done by the same nondescript actors hired by all the reality crime shows.
Executive producer Tim Johnson (“Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman”) says it’s his hope that CBS will put “Cold Case” on the fall schedule, allowing him to develop a series that helps build a national data base for unsolved murders and missing children.
Highlights
“Unsolved Mysteries,” NBC at 8: A segment reports on mysterious men in black suits, sunglasses and hats, who speak in unison and come and go quickly at UFO sightings. Blues Brothers? Who knows? This series sometimes drifts into strange waters. Also featured is a woman who recently learned she has a possibly fatal hereditary disease and is searching for the child she gave up for adoption 32 years ago.
“Boy Meets World,” ABC at 8:30: In a gender-bending repeat, Shawn (Rider Strong) goes undercover as a young woman to research a story on dating and sexual harassment for the school paper. Some fairly thoughtful points are sprinkled in with the laughs.
“Millennium,” FOX at 9: In the first of a two-part episode, Black (Lance Henriksen) tracks an old nemesis, a demonic serial killer who escaped from a hospital where he just had surgery. To his horror, he realizes the trail leads back to his own home.
“Dateline NBC,” NBC at 9: Katie Couric reports on a group of former workers at a Fishkill, N.Y., computer chip plant who say their various forms of cancer are work-related. Many are young, most have no family history of their kinds of cancer, and all are searching for answers.
“Step By Step,” ABC at 9:30: JT’s (Brandon Call) roller-coaster life continues with his decision to move away from home and live with wacky Jean-Luc (Bronson Pinchot).
Cable Calls
“Unstrung Heroes” (1995), SHOW at 8: Diane Keaton directed this emotional coming-of-age tale based on Franz Lidz’s memoir.
Nathan Watt portrays 12-year-old Steven, son of oddball inventor Sid (John Turturro) and good-hearted Selma (Andie MacDowell). Steven (whose name is later changed to Franz by his crazy uncles - Michael Richards of “Seinfeld” and Maury Chaykin) copes with a family tragedy, showing us that in even the strangest of families love can find a way.
“Boxing,” HBO at 6: Dangerous Junior Jones meets Marco Antonio Barrera in a junior-featherweight bout; WBA welterweight champion Ike Quartey takes on Ralph “Tiger” Jones.
Talk Time
“Tonight,” NBC at 11:35: Model Cindy Crawford, Doug E. Doug (“Cosby”) and singer Jon Secada.
“Late Show With David Letterman,” CBS at 11:35: Repeat segments featuring actors Tom Hanks and Wesley Snipes and singer Jewel.
“Politically Incorrect With Bill Maher,” ABC at 12:35 a.m.: Oliver North, actress Christa Miller and Pulitzer Prize winner Frank McCourt.
“Late Night With Conan O’Brien,” NBC at 12:35 a.m.: Rob Schneider (“Men Behaving Badly”), actress Mimi Rogers and musical guest Carl Perkins. Repeat.