Bravo Presents an Hour of Anna Nicole Smith
Tragic Celebrity Is Dead But Nowhere Near Forgotten
File this one under “Will People Ever Just Let It Go?” Making sure that they reserve their seat on the Anna Nicole Smith bandwagon before it rolls clear out of town (and that can’t happen fast enough, in my opinion), Bravo execs have decided to gift the viewing public with not just one but two documentaries about the late former Playboy Playmate. The pair of half-hour original Bravo programs will air back-to-back on the basic-cable channel, starting at 10pm EST, with a one-two rapid repeat right afterwards at 11pm.
First up is Larry Birkhead: Good Night My Sweet Anna Baby, which features that guy who recently crawled out of the woodwork named Larry Birkhead talking about his relationship with Smith. In case, like me previously, you have no idea who this Larry dude is exactly, apparently he’s just one ex in a line of several. Why is he so special? I guess because (1) he accepted the money Bravo offered for his “intimate insights” the fastest and (2) he shared with someone that he supposedly used to tell Smith “Good Night My Sweet Anna Baby” every night when they were together, and, unfortunately, that somebody thought the phrase would make a really nice documentary title. Bravo’s press release describes the interview conducted by Access Hollywood‘s Tony Potts as “exclusive” and “emotional.” I’m thinking “tacky” and “unnecessary” describe the situation far more accurately.
Closing the hour is Anna Nicole: My Life Through the Lens, which aims to present Smith’s life in retrospective fashion with plenty of video, including “never-before-seen archival footage and photos of Smith with her late husband, billionaire J. Howard Marshall.” Screeeech! Back that up a second. Smith and dead billionaire Marshall? To make it even worse, some of the footage shows “Smith with her late husband, Marshall, as he reads his will aloud.” Reads his what? Why would anyone want or need to see that?! And in addition, there’s also discussion of “recent revelations about her lesbian relationships.”
—SIGH—
Bravo execs have obviously never heard the well-advised commands to not “speak ill of the dead” and to “let sleeping dogs lie.” I don’t think “documentary” is quite the appropriate noun for either of these two shows since “trash TV” and “exploitative garbage” fit the bill so much better. Watch at your own risk.
Other Good Stuff on TV Tonight:
- The 38th NAACP Image Awards: Airing live for the first time ever, this year’s annual celebration of both people of color and proponents of diversity in the arts and entertainment fields features musician-actor LL Cool J as host. The deserving special honorees are CNN journalist Soledad O’Brien, Irish musician Bono of the rock band U2, and actor-comedian Bill Cosby. [Fox/8:00]
- The Bourne Supremacy: Matt Damon returns for another round of high-octane adventures playing the once-again-framed but no-longer-amnesiac CIA assassin Jason Bourne. The only thing that could make this better is if for once a network aired the original installment, The Bourne Identity, before the sequel for a thrilling double feature. [TNT/8:00 & 10:00]
- Monk—MR. MONK GOES TO THE HOSPITAL: Poor Adrian! It’s the fifth-season finale and instead of celebrating, he’s in the hospital with a bloody bloody nose. Maybe guest stars Dan Butler (Bulldog on Frasier) and Charles Durning (Big Daddy Gavin on Rescue Me) can help liven things up. [USA/9:00]
- Psych—SCARY SHERRY 2: BIANCA’S TOAST: Ohhh—nice title! The freshman hit’s first season closes with a spooky tale co-written by lead actor James Roday and directed by John Landis (An American Werewolf in London) that revolves around mental institutions, sororities, and the ghosts that haunt them. Can’t wait. [USA/10:00]
All times are PM and EST/Eastern Standard Time
Anna Nicole Smith photo courtesy of United Press International
