East Oregonian : E.O., August 14, 2019, Page 12, Image 12

hollywood q&a
By Adam Thomlison
TV Media
Q: Tom Selleck has a
reputation for being precise
about the weapons he uses
in his roles. So why is “Blue
Bloods” so full of discrepan-
cies? Why does Frank wear a
heavy sweater at the lunch
table when the women have
on summer tops? Why is
Danny the only Reagan with
a New York accent?
A: “Blue Bloods” is a hugely
popular and successful show —
now going into its 10th season
on CBS — but it’s hard to deny
you have a point.
Indeed, you’re not saying
anything critics haven’t been
saying all along. Way back in
the show’s very first season,
Britain’s the Guardian newspa-
per criticized the show for, es-
sentially, being lazy, and joking-
ly offered an eight-step guide to
writing a “Blue Bloods” script.
To your first point, Step 5
is “insert random and wholly
unavoidable error.” The article
points to similar clothing in-
consistencies (and, because
the Guardian is British, it also
points to a mistake in how the
characters played cricket in one
episode).
More recently, the New
York Post weighed in on the
accent question, including Amy
Carlson and Donnie Wahlberg
(Linda and Danny on the show)
on its list of “terrible TV accents
that’ll have you reaching for the
earplugs.” They even called in
professional dialect coach Pa-
tricia Fletcher to help make fun
of Carlson and Wahlberg, but it
backfired, in a way — Fletcher
went easy on them but said,
“If we want to complain about
the New York dialects, we really
should be critiquing co-stars
Tom Selleck [who plays Frank
on the show] and Len Cariou
[Henry].”
But you asked why these
things are happening, and
there’s a pretty short answer to
that: It doesn’t seem to matter.
Any criticism you want to level
at this show can be refuted with
two simple words: “Season
10.”
People love this show, and so
CBS loves this show and keeps
renewing it, and so the costum-
ers, writers and actors will keep
12 | Screentime
doing the same job they’re do-
ing. Why wouldn’t they?
As for Selleck’s previous at-
tention to detail regarding fire-
arms, there’s another simple an-
swer: Guns aren’t accents and
they aren’t sweaters. It seems
that Selleck’s careful attention
to guns had more to do with his
being a firearm aficionado —
he’s a former (and maybe cur-
rent) member of the National
Rifle Association and donated a
number of his old movie guns to
the National Firearms Museum
in Virginia.
Q: My daughter published
a book of poetry that deals
primarily with personal em-
powerment, and she was in-
spired by Oprah Winfrey and
Ellen DeGeneres. She wants
to send them both a copy
but can’t find a reliable ad-
dress online. Can you help?
A: We live in cynical times,
but writers can “use your gifts
… to illuminate the darkness in
our world.” You know who said
that? Oprah Winfrey, in a com-
mencement address to the USC
journalism school last year.
It sounds, then, like she’d
be delighted by what your
daughter did and would love to
hear from her. The best address
to use for that seems to be her
Harpo Studios office in Chicago:
Oprah Winfrey, Harpo Studios,
Inc., 1058 West Washington
Blvd., Chicago, IL 60607.
She, of course, got her start in
the media biz there in the windy
city, and her production com-
pany is still based there.
For Ellen, on the other hand,
it’s L.A. all the way. You can
write to her show’s fan mail
address in California: The Ellen
DeGeneres Show, PO Box 7788,
Burbank, CA, 91522, Attn: Fan
Mail.
But why not think bigger?
There’s a whole section of “The
Ellen DeGeneres Show’s” web-
site devoted to regular people
applying to get on the air with
Ellen: send.ellentv.com/be-on-
the-show. Your daughter has
a pretty good (and flattering)
story to tell, why not try that,
too?
Have a question? Email us
at questions@tvtabloid.com.
Please include your name and
town.
August 14, 2019 | East Oregonian and Hermiston Herald
STREAMING THIS WEEK
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ous group have reformed as an organization known as “the Apostles,”
led by the mysterious John Lark. Ethan and his team are sent to Berlin
to intercept three plutonium cores that the Apostles plan to acquire.
When the mission goes wrong and the plutonium cores are lost, CIA
agent August Walker (Henry Cavill, “Man of Steel,” 2013) joins the
team to help them find the cores before it’s too late. Catch the latest
Ethan Hunt adventure on Friday, Aug. 23, in “Mission: Impossible –
Fallout,” on Amazon Prime.
“#IMomSoHard Live” Season 1
Austyn Tester as seen in “Jawline”
By Jessica Gosse
TV Media
WHAT’S NEW ON HULU:
“Jawline”
On Friday, Aug. 23, Hulu adds its own Sundance Film Festival documen-
tary to its lineup with “Jawline,” the story of 16-year-old Austyn Tester,
who dreams of escaping his hometown in rural Tennessee by becoming
a social media sensation. “Jawline” follows the already rising star as
he gets discovered by a manager and goes on a U.S. tour to build an
even bigger following. Directed by Liza Mandelup (“Fangirl” 2016), this
documentary focuses on the post-millennial phenomenon of live broad-
casting and the frenzied world of social media fame. Tester’s intriguing
manager gives honest commentary on the industry and even comments
in the trailer that, “Finding someone who looks cute on Instagram and
gaining them a million followers is so easy to do. What happens when
they’re 30? There’s no longevity behind it.” Catch this poignant docu-
mentary when it comes to Hulu this week.
“This Way Up” Season 1
On Wednesday, Aug. 21, Irish comedian Aisling Bea (“Hard Sun” 2018)
and her new show, “This Way Up,” premiere on Hulu. Bea plays Aine, an
English-as-a-second-language teacher who, with the help of her sister,
Shona (Sharon Horgan, “Catastrophe”), is trying to get her life back on
track after having a “teeny” nervous breakdown. Along the same lines
as “The Office,” “This Way Up” follows a group of characters as they
try to find happiness and figure out their lives. Joining Bea and Horgan
are a number of British actors, including Tobias Menzies (“Outlander”),
Indira Varma (“Game of Thrones”) and Aasif Mandvi (“A Series of
Unfortunate Events”). Though it tackles many heavy topics, including
rehab, therapy and the strains of sisterhood, the series is still very much
a classic British comedy filled with satire and humor. “This Way Up” is
an incredibly heartfelt and funny show that you won’t want to miss.
On Friday, Aug. 23, moms everywhere will want to put the kids to bed,
pour a glass of wine, and curl up for the premiere of “#IMomSoHard”
on Amazon Prime. Based on the web series and New York Times best-
seller by Kristin Hensley and Jen Smedley, “#IMomSoHard” focuses on
two women whose friendship helps them to cope with the daily chaos
of being a wife and mom. The series stars David Fynn (“Undateable”)
and Freddie Prinze Jr. (“24”) as Hensley and Smedley’s respective hus-
bands, Brian and Hale. Featuring segments such as “I Grocery Store So
Hard” and “I (Don’t) Sleep So Hard,” “#IMomSoHard” is a must-watch
for any parent. This is a deeply relatable comedy, perfect for moms (and
dads) to watch — just maybe wait until the kids have gone to bed.
WHAT’S NEW ON NETFLIX:
“American Factory”
Netflix adds the dramatic cultural documentary “American Factory”
to its lineup this week. Coming from Academy Award-nominated film-
makers Steven Bognar (“A Lion in the House,” 2006) and Julia Reichert
(“Seeing Red,” 1983), “American Factory” debuted at the 2019 Sun-
dance Film Festival. The documentary focuses on the story of a Chinese
billionaire in post-industrial Ohio who decides to make use of an
abandoned General Motors plant and open a new factory. “American
Factory” depicts the complications that arose when thousands of blue-
collar Americans and thousands of transplanted Chinese workers came
together. This eye-opening documentary is an early contender for the
2020 Academy Awards, so make sure to watch it when it premieres on
Netflix on Wednesday, Aug. 21.
“Hyperdrive”
Fans of the Fast and the Furious franchise should be excited as Academy
Award winner Charlize Theron (“Long Shot,” 2019) launches the new
reality series “Hyperdrive.” The show features elite, underground street
drivers found on drag strips and race tracks around the world. The driv-
ers bring their own cars to the largest automobile obstacle course ever
built, spanning more than 100 acres. Participants are encouraged to
modify their vehicles in whatever way they can to try to beat the course.
Described as “’American Ninja Warrior’ meets ‘The Fast and the Furi-
ous,’” this new series promises to be thrilling and action packed. Buckle
up as “Hyperdrive” comes to Netflix on Wednesday, Aug. 21.
WHAT’S NEW ON AMAZON PRIME:
“A Simple Favor”
Everybody has a dark side. It’s a harsh lesson that optimistic mommy
vlogger Stephanie (Anna Kendrick, “Pitch Perfect,” 2012) learns in this
thriller when her new best friend, Emily (Blake Lively, “Gossip Girl”),
asks for the simple favor of picking up her son from school, then sud-
denly goes missing from their small town. This murder-mystery thriller
is based on the novel by Darcey Bell and comes from director Paul Feig
(“Bridesmids,” 2011), or rather, his dark alter ego, as he’s strayed from
his usual comedies. The film has been described as “James Bond meets
‘Catch Me If You Can,’” and this classic femme fatale tale focuses on be-
trayal, secrets, love, murder and revenge. Learn what dark secrets these
suburban moms are hiding on Wednesday, Aug. 21, when “A Simple
Favor” premieres on Amazon Prime.
“Mission Impossible - Fallout”
Tom Cruise (“Jack Reacher,” 2012) returns as Ethan Hunt in the latest
installment of the Mission: Impossible franchise, “Mission: Impos-
sible – Fallout.” Taking place two years after the successful capture of
Solomon Lane (Sean Harris, “Macbeth,” 2015), founder of the criminal
Anna Kendrick in a scene from “A Simple Favor”