‘Dateline’ looks at war on terror
Former NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw returns to prime time with a special report on the war on terrorism on “Dateline” (8 p.m., NBC).
Long in the making, this “Dateline” piece took Brokaw to Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, France and Washington, D.C., to interview political leaders and intelligence analysts to determine the status of the war on terror, the efforts to capture Osama bin Laden and neutralize Al Qaeda, and to prevent future terror attacks by building bridges to the Muslim world.
Among the notable interviews here is a talk with CIA analyst Phil Mudd, who denies claims that the war on terror has become a “war without end.”
He sees a struggle that will “take years and in some cases decades.”
This report may seem like a serious turn for “Dateline,” a program that just Tuesday touted an interview with the so-called “runaway bride.”
But perhaps the news media’s obsession with fluff has created a backlash. Is there an untapped, unsatisfied audience for serious news?
Only last week, “Dateline” ran a hidden-camera piece on labor conditions in Bangladesh.
Now, that’s not a sexy subject, but “Dateline” still managed to come in at No. 1 in the ratings.
And “Dateline” is not alone. CNN’s president, Jon Klein, has begun a very public attempt to offer more serious news at the cable news network.
In a telephone interview, Klein made it clear to me that a return to hard news makes plenty of business sense: “The most popular news program of all time, ‘60 Minutes,’ specialized in delivering hard news, and National Pubic Radio has seen an explosion in its listener-ship over the past four years – a 60 percent increase – by focusing more heavily on serious news and analysis.”
Klein has made it his mission to cut down on CNN’s coverage of car chases and sensational trials and has his fingers crossed that viewers will respond.
“Since 9/11,” he says, “the audience needs to know more than ever what’s going on in their world – and, I’d like to presume, wants to know more.”
Now here’s something different. “Naturally, Sadie” (8 p.m., Disney) is a live-action comedy about a high school student who is a science geek and proud of it.
In a school filled with exhibitionists and artists, Sadie (Charlotte Arnold) craves the soothing certainty of science and the sound foundation of a math equation. Her real desire is to become a famous animal behaviorist like her heroine, Jane Goodall.
This makes her all the more qualified to observe the antics of her fellow creatures in the high school zoo.
Other highlights
On back-to-back episodes of “JAG” (CBS), a missing weapons expert (8 p.m.), and a deadly sailing accident may have been homicide (9 p.m.).
Jet Li stars in the 2001 thriller “The One” (8 p.m., Fox).
Kurt Russell and Kevin Costner star in the 2001 heist drama “3,000 Miles to Graceland” (8 p.m., UPN).
The discovery of treasure changes the equation on Part 3 of “Into the West” (8 p.m., TNT).
Spend three hours “Six Feet Under” (8 p.m., HBO) as the funeral-home drama rewinds the first three episodes of the season.
Neil Patrick Harris guest-stars as a math whiz on “Numb3rs” (10 p.m., CBS).
A mad gunman becomes his own attorney on “Law & Order: Trial By Jury” (10 p.m., NBC).
Cult choice
A paranoid captain (Humphrey Bogart) drives his crew to open revolt in the 1954 drama “The Caine Mutiny” (6:45 p.m., Turner Classic Movies).
Series notes
A nursing position opens on “8 Simple Rules” (8 p.m., ABC) … On back-to-back episodes of “What I Like About You” (WB), uncharted desert isles (8 p.m.), and drudgery (8:30 p.m.).
On back-to-back episodes of “Hope & Faith” (ABC), more tricks than treats (8:30 p.m.), and fashion victims (9 p.m.) … Real estate adventures on “Reba” (9 p.m., WB) … Romance on the menu on “Less Than Perfect” (9:30 p.m., ABC) … A frank talk with Allison on “Living with Fran” (9:30 p.m., WB).