Catherine Hickland by Donna Svennevik/ABC; Melody Thomas Scott courtesy CBS; Jon Hensley courtesy CBS
Best Soap: One Life to LiveIt started the year utterly crappy thanks to head writer Dena Higley, but after Erika Slezak (our hero!) royally blasted Higley on the Web, ABC fired the scribe and promoted wonder boy Ron Carlivati. Like magic, the show instantly regained its heart, its thrills, its smarts. The cast is a dream, especially Slezak, whose Viki found heaven in a Texas diner, Catherine Hickland as crazy (or is she?) Lindsay and Tuc Watkins as that gold-digging man-whore David. Once again, we're loving Life!Best Actress: The Young and the Restless' Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki)As the distraught mama faced with divorce and a comatose daughter, she pulled out all the stops, then pulled out a few more we never knew existed. This was deep, blistering work. Plus the lady gets extra points for acting sans makeup on high-def TV!Best Actor: As the World Turns' Jon Hensley (Holden)His quiet, no-baloney performance was a relief in a year of so much male showboating. Whether playing Holden'...
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This is the eighth episode of the phenomenally brutal and fantastic Dexter We are a mere four weeks away from the demise of the second season and the beginning of a long wait until the third The thought is paralyzing I take my TV watching very seriously And this episode was a shining example of why this show is so good and entertaining and why the next four weeks will be worth staying tuned If you thought Dexter was finding himself through his recovery program with Lila and Narcotics Anonymous think again Dexter came into himself through his life-long necessity to kill one of his mothers killers When Jimenez showed up Dex knew what he had to do The prep was the same as all his other traps but the kill so much more apropos When he leaned over I was hoping he would pull out a chain saw and my wish was granted Another moment of perfection But the real question was why he had showed up when and where he did The little slip of paper that Dex found in J
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Bruce Weitz by Steve Granitz/WireImage.com
Jeez, will this guy please show up already! For the last several weeks, the characters on General Hospital have been talking nonstop about Anthony Zacchara, a mobster so scary his mere name makes Port Charles crime boss Sonny Corinthos (played by Maurice Benard) shiver like a Chihuahua. On Oct. 19 we'll finally put a face to the reputation when Zacchara hits the air, and he'll be looking just like Bruce Weitz!The actor, remembered for his terrific, Emmy-winning run as Det. Mick Belker on Hill Street Blues, tells me he said yes to GH "before we even discussed the money — the role is that good. Of course, after this incredibly big buildup, any actor is going to be a letdown, except maybe Marlon Brando!" Zacchara plans to take over Sonny's territory and he's sure to play dirty. "He's a homicidal maniac who goes way beyond Tony Soprano in craziness," Weitz says. "Zacchara is totally out of his mind." — Reporting by Michael Logan
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The cast of Hill Street Blues
Question: I've been thinking of Hill Street Blues lately and it is driving me nuts that I can't remember the name of my favorite character. He was played by Bruce Weitz and I think his first name was Mick, but they always called him by his last name. He was a wonderfully eccentric policeman — scruffy and tough, with a heart of gold — and received frequent phone calls from his mother. Can you help me out? I know this will continue to bother me till I find out!
Answer: That would be Det. Mick Belker, who was quick with a growl, just as willing to bite a perp as book him, and, by the looks of him, not on friendly terms with showers or razors. I'd imagine Weitz would consider it a compliment that you remember his name rather than his character's, but he did memorable work on the series. During Hill Street's January 1981 to May 1987 run
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