The WIRE: Week In REview, #2

Andy Keaton: A Fugitive No More

On December 11, Brian Bonsall, best known for his role as Andy Keaton on the sitcom Family Ties was charged in Colorado with second-degree assault after police say he repeatedly hit a friend in the head with a broken wooden stool in a December 5th bar brawl. The 28 yr old Bonsall had apparently been on the lam for over a year due to previous legal troubles when he was apprehended for the bar stool beatdown. Family Ties cast members are 2 for 2 in regards to being mentioned in The WIRE (last week, Meredith Baxter made it due to her recent coming out). Will Steven, Alex, Mallory, Jennifer, or Skippy step up and make it 3 for 3? Stay tuned.

Actor Gene Barry Dies At the Age of 90

On December 9, actor Gene Barry passed away. In addition to his lead role in the 1953 version of The War of the Worlds, Gene starred in the TV series Bat Masterson (1958-1961), Burke's Law/Amos Burke-Secret Agent (1963-1966, and 1994-1995), and The Name of the Game (1968-1971). If you were to look up the words "dapper" and "debonair" in the pop culture dictionary, you'd likely see a picture of Gene Barry.

"Catwoman" Foils A Not So Purrfect Crime

Robert Ouriel, an acquaintance of Julie Newmar's, was recently brought to justice after allegedly stealing $25,000 worth of jewelry from the actress best known for her recurring role as "Catwoman" on the 60s camp classic Batman. According to the D.A.'s office, Newmar noticed that several items were missing from her California home. She later discovered three of the items for sale on eBay. Prosecutors claim Ouriel shipped the stolen items to an Illinois pawnbroker, who later posted them on eBay. If convicted, Ouriel faces up to a 3-spot in the slammer. Take that Michelle and Halle!

Flint's Mark Ingram wins The Heisman Trophy

By the slimmest margin in voting history, Alabama running back Mark Ingram was awarded the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night, December 13th. Given Alabama's rich college football history, I was surprised to learn a few weeks ago that none of their players had ever won The Heisman... well that's all changed. The highlights of the Mark's sophomore season include over 1,500 yards rushing and 18 touchdowns. With my hometown often making national news in a negative fashion, it's gratifying to see Flint get some positivity.

The Governor and T.J.: We Got the Beat

During Friday's episode of The Tonight Show, master thespian William Shatner continued his beat poetry-style rendering of the musings of Sarah Palin by reading a passage from the former Governor's bestseller Going Rogue. Shatner had the tables turned when Palin made a surprise appearance and read excerpts from his autobio Until Now. Given that Palin isn't a fan of "good ole David Letterman", it probably didn't take too much prodding to get her to appear on his rival's chat fest. Still, it was fun to see.