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Showbiz Tonight
`Wheel of Fortune` Flub Goes Viral; Cher Apologizes for Bashing Miley; Jenner Girls Nail Endorsement Deal; Jon Gosselin Waiting Tables; David Tutera, Ex to Split Up Custody of Twins; Kerry Washington Emmy Win Would Make History; Top 5 TV Crime Show Myths or Truths; TV Crime Show Secrets Revealed
Aired September 19, 2013 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, HOST: Tonight the million-dollar flub seen around the world.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAT SAJAK, HOST, "WHEEL OF FORTUNE": For $2,350, spin or solve?
PAUL ATKINSON, CONTESTANT, "WHEEL OF FORTUNE": I`m going to solve.
SAJAK: All right.
ATKINSON: Corno colonel cabinet.
(BUZZER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: What? Two words changed this guy`s life forever. People are using some pretty colorful words to describe the disaster.
Well, "The Soup`s" Joel McHale is here to sound off on this unfortunate turn on "Wheel of Fortune."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NATHAN FILLION, ACTOR: Wow. Talk about death by chocolate.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Don`t blame it on the chocolate, Castle. A bullet is what did him in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: It`s a blockbuster "SHOWBIZ Countdown," "TV Crime Myths or Truths." Wisecracking cops, speedy detective work. We`re counting down the top five things we`ve seen on TV shows. Our special SHOWBIZ experts, a retired FBI agent and a real-life crime-scene investigator, are here to separate myth from reality.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT starts right now.
Hello, and thank you so much for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer, along with my guest co-host, Natasha Curry, tonight who, of course, anchors "WEEKEND EXPRESS" every weekend right here on HLN.
NATASHA CURRY, CO-HOST: Yes.
Hey, A.J., it`s so great to see you. You know, all day long, A.J. and I just could not stop saying, "Say what?"
HAMMER: Yes.
CURRY: So tonight we`re bringing you the outrageous stories breaking today that really did make us go "Say What?"
HAMMER: This first one really hurts. Let`s begin with this scenario. Could you imagine if you lost a chance to win a million dollars just because you mispronounced something. That`s exactly what happens to a guy who is certainly kicking himself pretty hard today after mispronouncing one answer on "Wheel of Fortune."
I`ve got to warn you before you watch this, it hurts.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAJAK: For $2,350, spin or solve?
ATKINSON: I`m going to solve.
SAJAK: All right.
ATKINSON: Corno colonel cabinet.
(BUZZER)
SAJAK: Luis, your turn.
LUIS HERNANDEZ, CONTESTANT, "WHEEL OF FORTUNE": I`ll solve.
SAJAK: Yes.
HERNANDEZ: Corner curio cabinet.
SAJAK: Yes, that`s it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes, it`s "corner." It`s "curio." And it cost this guy, Paul Atkinson, a chance at $1 million, which was the prize on "The Wheel of Fortune." This is unbelievable to me.
With me tonight from Hollywood is the great Joel McHale, who takes on all kinds of crazy stuff just like this on "The Soup," of course, which is on E! And he also stars on NBC`s hit show "Community."
Joel is also hosting the Klondike Celebrity Challenge. Hey, what would you do for a Klondike bar?
It`s good to see you, Joel.
JOEL MCHALE, HOST, "THE SOUP": Nice to see you, sir.
HAMMER: Can you imagine what this dude is going through? I mean, I would want to take my head and -- I don`t know -- shove it down a toilet or something.
MCHALE: Well, I never realized that you -- you have to say the words correctly that are already spelled. I thought those were already a given. So I now count this show as the worst show of all time.
HAMMER: No. But it has Pat and Vanna, Joel. Come on, man. You`ve got to...
MCHALE: The words are already -- the words are already there. What if that was an accent or some sort of dialect? Maybe he has a speech impediment and I`m not sure. So I would -- I`d give it to him. I mean, look at the guy`s haircut alone.
HAMMER: Well, here`s the thing. He wasn`t blaming a speech impediment. He said he was a nervous wreck because -- and this was his quote. He said, "I have freaking Pat Sajak to my right and lights and camera in my face."
Of course, you did. You`re on "Wheel of Fortune."
MCHALE: No.
HAMMER: Pat hosts the show. So you have sympathy for this guy?
MCHALE: You know, I don`t think anyone is going to remember this or repeat it or show the clip over and over again for the rest of his life.
HAMMER: Yes. I have a feeling this is going to torture him forever.
MCHALE: I feel like -- yes, we`re like rubbing it in now at this point.
HAMMER: I suppose we are.
Let me bring in my friend, Natasha Curry. I was thinking, actually, Natasha, too bad that this wasn`t the puzzle. Do we have that to roll in, Charles? My favorite puzzle on "Wheel of Fortune" ever?
(VIDEO OF PUZZLE SHOWING "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT")
HAMMER: Right there, if he saw that, he`d be a million bucks richer today.
CURRY: Yes.
HAMMER: Do you think, Natasha, they should have given this guy a second chance?
CURRY: He`s a firefighter. Of course you should give him a second chance. You know? Come on. He`s cute. Give it to him already. If you know what I mean.
MCHALE: Why don`t we -- why don`t we all pool some money and give him 300 bucks?
HAMMER: A good idea.
CURRY: All right. Well, let me tell you about someone else who wishes that, you know, she`d had a second chance. It`s Cher.
Did you hear this? Cher`s now saying that, if she had a second chance, she would have kept her mouth shut about Miley Cyrus. Listen to what Cher told "USA Today" about Miley`s VMA twerk fest: "I`m not old-fashioned. She could have come out naked, and if she just rocked the house, I would have said, `You go, girl.` It just wasn`t done well. She can`t dance. Her body looked like hell. The song wasn`t great. One cheek was hanging out. And chick, doesn`t stick out your tongue if it`s coated."
OK. So Cher got her butt kicked, though, my Miley`s fans on social. So she tweeted an apology of sorts: "I`m a little ashamed I didn`t keep my big opinionated mouth shut. What the phooey is my problem?" I almost said it. "What I should have said, `I didn`t like it that much, but she`s pushing the envelope, being an artist! She`s talented and didn`t commit a felony,` but somehow my ego had to get its two cents in."
So Joel, are you thinking that Cher, maybe she got it right the first time?
MCHALE: What the phooey?
I cannot -- I cannot believe people are still talking about this story. It`s gotten -- it`s like an untreated disease at this point. It -- entertainment reporters need to just stop and step away from the story. It will all...
CURRY: But what`s the big deal? Yes.
MCHALE: It is not a big deal. It`s over. Let`s stop.
CURRY: We`ve already had Fartman. We`ve already seen cheeks. So I mean - - and sorry to all you kiddies out there. She`s not Hannah Montana anymore.
So I want to talk now about one of your favorite topics, the Kardashian kiddies here, who are making a big old fortune by making all kind of fingers look good. We learned today that Kylie and Kendall Jenner reportedly pocketed a cool 100 grand each to plug a new line of nail polish with their older sisters. So Joel, I think they really nailed it. Get it?
MCHALE: Yes, I passed on -- no, that -- that was -- that was almost as bad as "what the phooey?"
CURRY: Are they worth that kind of money, though?
MCHALE: I will go on the record saying I`m happy to -- I would promote any nail polish line if they would pay me a hundred grand for that. That would be just terrific. Because clearly, I -- I need some help.
But yes, it`s crazy how much. And I think they have now -- they`re richer than Seacrest now. They`ve become as rich as Bond villains. We wouldn`t have "The Soup" if it wasn`t for the Kardashians.
CURRY: Right.
HAMMER: There you go. They`re keeping you gainfully employed.
Well, let me tell you about one former reality star who wishes he could make 100 grand off of nail polish or anything for that matter.
We learned today Jon Gosselin is waiting tables and living in a cabin in the woods without TV, without the Internet while his ex-wife, Kate, is living with his children in a million-dollar home.
So long gone are the days that Jon was seen partying on yachts in the south of France and doing all the things he used to be doing. But he said, "You know what? I`m OK with that."
So Joel, you sit down at a restaurant. The waiter comes up to you, and it`s Jon Gosselin. You would say to him, what?
MCHALE: What restaurant am I at? What restaurant does he wait tables at? Does it say?
HAMMER: Yes. That information has not been divulged. They`re maintaining some anonymity, I suppose. You want to go?
MCHALE: I would definitely -- no, I would definitely tip him, because with 20 kids to feed, he should probably be -- I mean, I assume he must get a discount. So they`ve got to come in.
It says he lives in cabin in the woods?
HAMMER: That`s right.
MCHALE: Where is this restaurant? Does he walk to the restaurant? Is it in the woods, as well?
HAMMER: That`s a good question. Maybe he walks there.
But listen, I`d give him a tip, too. And that would be don`t have so many kids and then do a reality show.
Joel McHale, thank you.
MCHALE: I think he should -- yes, he should go on -- he should go on "Wheel of Fortune."
HAMMER: Perfect. Thanks, Joel.
MCHALE: Thanks a lot.
CURRY: I`ve got to tell you that this next story also could qualify as a big "Say What?"
This is a real-life King Solomon story. And the splitting of the baby. David Tutera is the host of TV`s "My Fair Wedding." He`s now divorcing his husband, Ryan Jurica. They were united in civil ceremony about ten years ago.
A surrogate delivered twins to them. The girl is David`s biological daughter. The boy is Ryan`s. And they`re just a few months old now. And now they`re getting slammed for splitting the twins up in the break-up.
And Ryan tells HLN`s "NOW IN AMERICA" that, one day, he plans to tell his son what happened. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN JURICA, EX-PARTNER OF DAVID TUTERA: I think honesty is the only way to live. Obviously, it`s going to have to wait until he`s old enough. It`s a very complex and complicated story, both how he came into this world and my past and my divorce. So it`s a lot to talk about. And -- and he`s going to find out about it. And you now what? He`ll probably be able to find out a lot sooner, because he`ll figure out how to Google.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CURRY: He almost seemed to be getting choked up there. But just an incredible story.
Attorney Areva Martin is with us from Hollywood now. Areva, do you find this disturbing? How does this strike you?
AREVA MARTIN, ATTORNEY: You know, Natasha, when I first saw this story, I thought of the 1961 movie "The Parent Trap." Remember?
CURRY: Yes.
MARTIN: The two twins that go off to sleep-away camp, and they discover that they`re twins. So I hope that these two kids don`t have that same experience.
I think most of us are thinking if this were a heterosexual couple, would these kids be split up? Or would you see both parents having to split time with the two kids? I think that`s what`s so troubling about this, Natasha, is that we don`t typically see kids being split.
CURRY: Yes. We`re not -- definitely not used to that. For the people who think that they shouldn`t be split up, is there anything that can be done to stop the couple from breaking these twins apart?
MARTIN: Well, the good news is it appears that this is a temporary custody arrangement. It doesn`t appear that -- you know, the court has weighed in, and there`s no final custody agreement in place. So we don`t know what the court`s going to do.
We do know in California the court`s going to be looking at what`s in the best interests of these kids. And the court may decide, hey, you guys are going to have to split these kids. But that means, you know, them spending time in California and them spending time in Connecticut and not them being on opposite ends of the country the way it is now.
So I think the jury is still out in terms of what`s going to happen with these beautiful little children.
CURRY: Yes. And they seem to be battling, too, the parents, over more than just the babies. The guys are also battling over their public image. People.com today showed off this video David just made of him and his baby. Watch here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID TUTERA, HOST, "MY FAIR WEDDING": Cielo is doing really, really well. She`s almost two months old.
Since the day we got home she`s been so easy. She`s actually the easiest thing in my life. She sleeps all night, and she eats when she needs to eat. And she just is this peaceful little angel. And it`s interesting, because I named her Cielo, which means "heavenly sky," in Spanish, and she is the little angel that I wanted from heavenly skies.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CURRY: So Areva, I can`t imagine that this might be doing any good, like showing this video, for what they`re trying to work towards. You know?
MARTIN: Well, we -- we know that Ryan made some pretty salacious allegations against David, you know, saying he was addicted to sex and that he was using prostitutes. So I think this is David`s way to try to rehabilitate his, you know, reputation and show that he`s, you know, just a great dad, just an average guy that`s always wanted to be a father.
CURRY: Yes.
MARTIN: You know, the courts are going to be looking at what`s in the best interests of these kids...
CURRY: Yes.
MARTIN: ... and who`s the best dad.
CURRY: And no one wants to see a family break up.
Areva Martin, thanks so much.
MARTIN: Thanks.
HAMMER: And as we move on tonight, if you are a crime TV addict, you`ve got to listen up. We have a blockbuster "SHOWBIZ Countdown," "TV Crime Myths or Truths." You`ve got to see when we count down the top five things that we always see on TV crime shows.
We see the speedy detective work, the trigger-happy cops. Well, our experts are right here to separate myth from reality tonight. Plus, the "Secrets of TV Crime Shows" revealed, including the red-hot hit, "Burn Notice."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEFFERY DONOVAN, ACTOR: It`s not a good idea to lie to people with this much gas around.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are you doing? You`re going to kill both of us.
DONOVAN: Yes, I am, unless you answer my question.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: How real is the show`s portrayal of an outed CIA agent? Well, "Burn Notice" star Jeffery Donovan is in the "SHOWBIZ Hot Seat" with all the answers.
This is SBT, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Hand in your resignation and pack up your dog and your things and get in your car and go. Because in this town your career is over.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Meanwhile, in in Hollywood, Kerry Washington`s career is on fire. The star of "Scandal" has won a legion of loyal fans. And on Sunday, she`s poised to win something else: a spot in Emmy history. Kerry is nominated for her first Emmy, and if she wins, she would become the first black woman to ever win for "Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series."
Here`s CNN`s Nischelle Turner for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on Kerry`s crowning moment.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WASHINGTON: Are you seriously going to stand here and suggest that divorcing your wife and bringing me into the White House in the midst of an election is not a tiny bit of a problem?
NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It`s those jaw-dropping moments that have made "Scandal" one of the most buzzed-about series on television and made star Kerry Washington one of the most in-demand women in Hollywood.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I feel like watching her have this moment right now is so exciting. She`s so deserving of it.
WASHINGTON: Governor.
TURNER: The actress is up for her very first Emmy for playing high-powered D.C. fixer -- and presidential mistress -- Olivia Pope...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kerry Washington, "Scandal."
TURNER: ... marking the first time an African-American has been nominated for the "Lead Actress in a Drama Series" Emmy in 18 years.
MAGGIE FURLONG, WEST COAST EDITOR, HUFFPOST TV: It`s really such a landmark that -- to have an African-American female lead be acknowledged in this category. It has not happened in decades. This is a huge, huge milestone.
TURNER: The last contender was Cicely Tyson in 1995 for the short-lived "Sweet Justice."
CICELY TYSON, ACTRESS: What I really want to know is what can you tell us (ph)?
TURNER: And if Washington wins, this will mark the first time a black female has won this award. Other celebrities are acknowledging what this means for diversity on TV.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s disturbing, isn`t it? It feels really odd that it`s been that long.
TAYE DIGGS, ACTOR: Caught in between rejoicing and celebrating but acknowledging being reminded one of the reasons we`re so happy is because it hasn`t happened in so long.
TURNER: A scandalous oversight Washington is helping to change. Will the star snag Emmy gold? Tune in Sunday to uncover the ending to this cliffhanger.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, I love Kerry Washington, Natasha. And clearly, all of Hollywood does, too. I think it`s going to be a fun night no matter what happens Sunday.
CURRY: Yes. She`s just a lovely young woman. She`s gorgeous, but she`s such a talented actress. I kind of want to see a Halle Berry kind of moment. You know, that would be so awesome to see in Hollywood.
And A.J. I understand that you`ve got a couple of Emmy predictions up your sleeve, don`t you?
HAMMER: I do. In fact, you can see them. I will be honest: I did not pick Kerry to win in this category. I picked Claire Danes for a repeat, because she`s that good.
CURRY: Yes.
HAMMER: But I`d be thrilled if she won. And you can check out all my Emmy predictions by going to GoldDerby.com.
Well, "Scandal`s" Olivia Pope certainly gets the bad guys her way. Right? But tonight, we are getting the secrets of how they get the bad guys on your favorite TV crime shows. Tonight, it`s "Secrets of TV Crime Shows" revealed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Recording my private conversation, without my consent.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please. Suddenly Mr. I-Make-Reality-Cop-Shows doesn`t remember that there`s no right to privacy in a police station.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: TNT`s "Major Crimes" is getting major ratings. Tonight, I`m getting the real truth behind the hit. Two of the crime show`s creative forces right here. I`m going to give them the third-degree interrogation.
We are counting down the top five things we always see on TV crime shows. Our experts will separate myth from reality.
This is SBT, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: "Show your mind. Not your behind." That is the over-the-top message from a Memphis businessman who put his money where his mouth is. He`s paying $6,000 a month for a billboard to get young men to ditch those baggy pants.
His name is Fred Davis. He`s a civil rights activist and a long-time insurance agent.
CURRY: Yes, and A.J., he was anything but subtle, obviously, to convince young black men to get a hold of their pants and get a hold of their lives. And here he is, Fred Davis, with us tonight from Memphis, Tennessee, for a "SHOWBIZ Newsmaker" interview.
Thanks for joining us. And Fred, I`ve got admit, I was a fan of the saggy pants back in the day. But now that I`m a mom, all I want them to do is pull them up. So what`s your issue with them?
FRED DAVIS, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST/INSURANCE AGENT: I understand.
CURRY: What`s your issue with them? The pants down and the booty hanging out?
DAVIS: Well, I think they demean the individual wearing them, and I think they demean black men in general. And I have some concern about that.
CURRY: That`s certainly understandable. And the billboard has been up a little while. You must be getting some really memorable reactions, I would imagine.
DAVIS: All of the reactions I`ve gotten have been very positive, except for one newspaper columnist, who took a slight swipe at me. And the letters to the editor the following two days were very firm and very stern and very critical of the person who took the swipe at me. So...
CURRY: And it takes guts to do something like that. But we`ve also seen Justin Bieber, other stars running around with their pants down, so to speak. What would you say to Justin, if given that chance?
DAVIS: I would say, "You`re sending the wrong message to impressionable people." That shows, in my opinion, a state of mind, a low-level state of mind. And those people who are rich enough already to do anything they choose and get away...
CURRY: We`ve got to leave it there, Fred Davis. Thank you so much for -- for sharing that and for having the guts to speak your mind.
HAMMER: All right. I cannot wait to bring you a must-see SHOWBIZ special, "Secrets of TV Crime Shows." We`re revealing how real-life headlines influence your favorite TV show addictions like the smoking hot "Burn Notice."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONOVAN: It`s not a good idea to lie to people with this much gas around.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are you doing? You`re going to kill both of us.
DONOVAN: Yes, I am, unless you answer my question.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes, I see that, and I get a little nervous.
It is so gritty; it is so real. And I`m so pleased that "Burn Notice" star Jeffrey Donovan is right here in the "SHOWBIZ Hot Seat" tonight. I`m going to make him talk.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is there no other moneys? What do we become?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You might even have full access.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s very bad news indeed. We go to contingency one. No cell phones. Avoid all cameras.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And we have got more crime secrets. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT blowing the lid off the CBS show "Person of Interest." So is the government really watching you? The executive producers of the hit show are right here, and they`ve got some surprising answers for us.
This is SBT, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Right now, on this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Secrets of TV Crime Shows." We`re counting down top five TV crime show myths or truths. Do the cops really use their guns as often as we see on TV, and just how fast does evidence really get analyzed?
Also we are taking you behind the police tape and revealing the stunning secrets of TV`s biggest crime shows.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s not a good idea to lie to people with this much gas around.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are you doing? You`ll kill both of us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I am, unless you answer my questions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: So what are the secrets to making the drama behind shows like "Burn Notice" look so real? "Burn Notice" star Jeffrey Donovan reveals all the secrets of the nail-biting CIA drama. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT continues right now.
Welcome back. I`m A.J. Hammer. This is a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the secrets of TV crime shows. Get ready for us to investigate the TV investigators. Sometimes our favorite crime dramas feature brave, dedicated good guys. Sometimes of course they feature murderous meth making bad guys. But how realistic are they? We have with us tonight two real life crime solvers who are the minds and inspiration behind two of the biggest crime shows on TV now. They`ll tell us what TV crime shows get right and what they get wrong. But first, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is counting down the top five myths and truths about TV crime shows.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: As we watch the gang from "NCIS" solve crimes, or Walter White from "Breaking Bad" commit them, it`s easy to wonder how much of what we see on TV crime shows is fact and how much is fiction. Crime show producers do try to get it right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Writers in this business are doing themselves a disservice if they don`t attempt to try to find out what the reality is.
HAMMER: Still, just like criminals on CSI--
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sometimes we have to wait for a killer to make a mistake.
HAMMER: TV crime shows make some factual mistakes too. So, in our SHOWBIZ countdown, we`re investigating. TV crime shows, myths or truths.
No. 5, cops using their guns often. Cops on TV crime shows tend to get in a lot of shootouts. Even the forensic investigators on CSI. On "Criminal Minds," the lawmen and women are able to follow up a tense shootout with humorous bickering.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you out of your mind? You blew out my eardrum.
HAMMER: And now at no. 4 on our countdown, TV crime shows myths or truths.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Talk about death by chocolate.
HAMMER: Cops making jokes at gruesome murder scenes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So that red stuff is not raspberry sauce.
HAMMER: Castle is a writer, not a cop, so we`ll excuse his corny crime scene jokes, but what was Horatio Cain`s excuse on "CSI: Miami."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is cold as ice.
HAMMER: Do real cops make crime scene jokes, and are they really followed by a song by the Who?
And now at no. 3. on our countdown, TV crime shows myths or truths. Extremely prolific murderers. In "Breaking Bad`s" first few seasons, Walt White`s body count soared well into the double digits. And Dexter? We stopped counting at 30. Do Dexter and Walt even have police in their hometowns?
No. 2 on our countdown, TV crime show myths or truth.
Crime scene evidence is always found, collected and analyzed quickly.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There`s something in here.
HAMMER: On CSI, technicians can locate crucial clues after only seconds at a crime scene.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you notice, for a female (inaudible) was missing an earring?
HAMMER: While back at the lab, fingerprint matches.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got prints?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Victim`s partner.
HAMMER: And complex lab analysis take about as long as it does to get a pizza delivered.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The results of the tissue reveal fluid loss from damaged blood vessels.
HAMMER: And speaking of CSI, here is No. 1. on our countdown, TV crime shows myths or truths.
Forensic labs are modern and well equipped. The gleaming TV crime labs like the one we see on CSI are certainly very high-tech and sleek. But that`s one of the things we see on TV crime shows all the time. Are they myths or truths? Only the real cops know for sure.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don`t leave now. The verdict is in.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Fortunately, my guests tonight have worked to crack hundreds of real-life criminal cases. They are with us tonight to separate fact from fiction as we count down the top TV crime show myths and truths. With me tonight from Hollywood, Jim Clemente, who is a retired FBI agent, now a consultant for CBS`s "Criminal Minds." From Las Vegas, crime scene investigators Yolanda McClary, who solves real cold cases on TNT`s "Cold Justice." Yolanda also inspired Marge Helgenberger`s character on CSI. So great to have you both here.
I want to get right to it with one of those classic shoot-em-up scenes, because it seems most TV crime shows, they just can`t do without a big gun battle. This one comes from "CSI Miami."
Pretty typical on TV. We get the gun toting bad guy really risking it all to battle it out with the law. Yolanda, the first secret we want you to reveal is this. Is it a myth or the truth? Do the cops really use their guns as often as we see on these TV crime shows?
YOLANDA MCCLARY, CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATOR: I would say that`s a myth. They do not. They would age 20 years every day of their life if their days actually went like that all the time.
HAMMER: I was going to say, I had a feeling about that, because it seems like it`s such a dramatic and traumatic thing obviously when guns are pulled and gunfire is exchanged. That`s good to know. A myth. It allows us to move onto our next TV crime show secret. When have we not seen this scenario, playing out on a TV crime show. A serious crime is going on and somehow humor gets mixed in. This scene is coming from "Castle."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How does it look?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Like you waited too long.
She was strangled but she went down with a fight. Prelim suggests a sign of a struggle. She took one to the face.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well dressed attractive woman in a seedy motel and a guy who flees the crime scene. This might have been a one night stand gone wrong.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are we talking about the victim or Castle?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: OK, sometimes a serious situation does require a little levity, but Jim, I want you to take this one. We do see it all the time. Myth or truth, do real cops make crime scene jokes?
JIM CLEMENTE, RETIRED FBI AGENT: Absolutely. That`s not a myth at all. Actually, it`s a psychological mechanism they use to defend themselves from the horrors they have to live with every day. It`s very common to have a lot of dark humor in the middle of a crime scene. It`s actually refreshing to see some of that on TV, because a lot of shows won`t show that.
HAMMER: It does seem a little untoward, but of course you should expect that. OK, when there`s a serious situation like that, people do have defense mechanisms. Everybody also seems to love the TV serial killer. We see the likes of Showtime`s Dexter, we see "Breaking Bad`s" Walt White on AMC, just sort of going about their business, almost without a care. This myth or truth for you, Yolanda, do most murders go unsolved?
MCCLARY: Do most murders, no. I think the ratio to them being solved to unsolved is definitely higher than your cold cases. But people like Dexter are serial killers. And as we know from the past, we have serial killers that definitely got away with what they did for a while, but they eventually get caught. I don`t think they ever get to the numbers Dexter has or ever will.
HAMMER: Fortunately. But yes, it does seem if you watch and pay attention to only TV crimes, and not what goes on in the real world, you would think these guys get away with it all the time. Let me move to the next secret. It comes from another classic cop scene. They walk into the room, right away somebody knows exactly what happened just from looking around. Watch this from "Criminal Minds."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Position of the body suggests he was one of the last ones killed. He tried to escape and almost made it to the exit. Jane Bernie (ph) and Vinnie Adev (ph) were here. Jane tried to run and Vinnie didn`t.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How do you know?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She is half under her desk, which means she tried to hide, and the unsub found her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I realize they have to cram it all into a one-hour TV show. But Jim, let me go to you on this as a consultant on "Criminal Minds." Myth or truth. Are investigators really able to analyze the crime scene that quickly?
CLEMENTE: Well, in "Criminal Mind`s" case, they`re talking about crime scene behavior. This is a process called crime scene reconstruction. It`s not actually the forensic science. That takes days and weeks and sometimes months to do, but the behavior exhibitor at a crime scene, you can walk in there and you can see how they got in, how they got out, what the different movements were. It`s very easy for somebody who is very sophisticated and experienced at this actually to tell what`s going on. The behavior that occurred at a crime scene in a very short period of time. That`s actually not a myth.
HAMMER: Really cool to get your perspective on all of this. Both of you, Yolanda and Jim, thank you for separating fact from fiction. Thanks for being here.
MCCLARY: Thank you.
HAMMER: Now that we have busted the myths about TV`s hottest crime shows. I can`t wait to reveal the biggest secrets to you. Get ready, I`m taking you right behind the crime scene tape to reveal just how much real-life drama is actually represented in your favorite TV shows addictions, like the smoking hot "Burn Notice."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s not a good idea to lie to people with this much gas around.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are you doing? You`re going to kill both of us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I am unless you answer my question.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: What a great show, seven amazing seasons of crime fighting in that show. And tonight, I`m putting the star of "Burn Notice" in the SHOWBIZ hot seat. He`s got to reveal all of his behind the scenes secrets. This is a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, secrets of TV crime shows, and now the secrets of ABC`s "Castle."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m wondering if my character`s police buddies might have any resources.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, if your hero`s fictional cop buddies are anything like your real cop buddies, then they`d have real work to get back to.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Seamus Dever and Jon Huertas play detectives on "Castle," and I asked them, how they make their performances seem so real.
JON HUERTAS, "CASTLE": First, the pilot episode we got to ride along with some homicide detectives from the NYPD, which was great, gave us great insight. But now we use kind of cops that are local, and homicide procedures I think across the board in most agencies are kind of very similar, and we stick to the procedures as much as we can.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stay down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Oh, yes, "Burn Notice" knows how to bring the drama, and tonight we`re blowing the lid off of one of prime-time`s hottest shows. Welcome back to the special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, secrets of TV crime shows. Right now, it`s "Burn Notice," revealed. We are getting the real story behind USA`s hit spy drama, "Burn Notice," coming straight from its star, Jeffrey Donovan. Donovan played Michael Westin for seven incredible seasons, and he revealed some true shockers about the show and real-life spy games.
HAMMER: Here is the first secret I need for you to reveal for us tonight, and maybe you can`t, but how often has real-life drama found its way into your scripts? Obviously there is a great veil of secrecy over--
(CROSSTALK)
DONOVAN: We have a consultant that the show has worked loosely on. This former intelligence officer, named Michael Wilson, very close to Michael Westin, and he gave us a lot of the first two seasons spycraft, how to bug an enemy`s phone. How to create an X-ray machine out of a taser. All of these things he actually does.
HAMMER: Based on reality?
DONOVAN: Based on reality. You can look it up. And then when it comes down to any kind of explosive device, which we talk about that we built, we always made some false ingredients, some made-up names.
HAMMER: Thank you for that.
DONOVAN: It was inert. Nobody would be hurt by that.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: I don`t want anybody to learn from that. I look at your credentials. You`re a Black Belt. You speak Russian and you even lived in Russia. It`s almost like you`ve been training to be a spy your entire life. So here is the next secret I need for you to reveal, and that`s what makes you so believable on the show. But how closely have you worked with agents or former agents to inject that realism of your own portrayal into the drama?
DONOVAN: Well, I`ve corresponded with this ex-operative over emails for many years. I have hung out with homeland security. Got, you know, the inside on what they really do. And what`s interesting about today`s media coverage of what NSA is doing, it`s been going on. It`s really been going on. And I think it`s a little naive of our country to think that with the technology we have today, that they`re not listening to more.
HAMMER: I have always said that.
DONOVAN: And a little quick thing, because only because I played a spy and I researched it, there`s this thing called the ASA. It`s no longer in existence, it`s predated NSA, it`s American Security Agency. They were built to spy on Americans. It was just -- it was during World War II, we did not know who to trust.
HAMMER: And that was the gig.
DONOVAN: And that was the gig. So it`s just an old story that`s getting new blood. So it`s fascinating.
HAMMER: I have one more very important secret I got to ask you, because on the show we see so much action. We`ve seen you jumping out of a helicopter, tumbling over a bridge. Plunging into the depths of the water. Hanging off the side of a building. Big fun. So the next secret you must reveal, how much of your own stunt work do you do? So many actors like to do it themselves.
DONOVAN: I love doing it. I didn`t think you could be believable as a spy, a James Bond type guy, if it wasn`t your face going through that. You don`t want to see the back of your head running through flames. I remember in the teaser you`ll see me jumping out of flames. That was me. That was me in a small explosion and I burned hair on my arms. The stunt guy comes, they did the bigger explosion, they burned his hair and his eyebrows. So my rule was, I will do the stunt right up until there is an ability for me to die. That`s when I stop.
HAMMER: Gives a whole new meaning to "Burn Notice." Congratulations again on an incredible series. We look forward to what`s next from you, but congratulations on this again, thanks for being here.
DONOVAN: I appreciate it.
HAMMER: Our incredible TV crime show secrets are just heating up. So I got to know, how closely does reality match the drama on the huge CBS hit, "Person of Interest?"
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re concerned (inaudible) might be compromised and she might even have full access.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is very bad news indeed. We go to contingency one. No cell phone. Avoid all cameras.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Is the government really watching your every move just like on the show? The masterminds behind "Person of Interest" have the answer. They are not afraid to tell. This is a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, secrets of TV crime shows. And now TNT`s "Major Crimes" revealed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Someone shoots at us I want to get out of the car and maybe jump out of the way. Seatbelts can get you killed.
Don`t do that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why not?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you hurt yourself through a crash, we have liability insurance.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But if you get shot, we are off the hook because you signed a release.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: "Major Crimes" creator James Duff and technical adviser Mike Berchem, a former LAPD detective, told me how they make all that drama look so real.
MIKE BERCHEM, CONSULTANT: I mean, my head is 28 years of murder and mayhem in L.A. in there. And this man here --
(CROSSTALK)
JAMES DUFF, CREATOR: He is being very modest. We have some cases -- some details that you just wouldn`t get on any other show, and that`s because Mike brings all that experience with him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Northern lights might be compromised. She might have full access.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is very bad news indeed. We go to contingency one. No cell phones. Avoid all cameras.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: This show makes me so paranoid. It`s so wild. The huge CBS hit, "Person of Interest," is all about the government using that elaborate high tech system that you`re looking at to track your every move. So are you really being watched?
Welcome back to the special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, secrets of TV crime shows. Right now it`s "Person of Interest" revealed. I went one-on-one with the masterminds behind the hit TV crime drama. And of course, I had to ask the show`s executive producers the secrets of how true to life their terrifying world of total surveillance really is.
Let`s get some behind the scene secrets from you guys, because "Person of Interest" is such an amazing show. It`s doing so incredibly well. One of the reasons we love it is because we see this mind-boggling technology that`s used to stop criminals before they actually act. Let`s take a look at a little of that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Your machine is telling me about all these people, Harold. Their secrets. I`m beginning to understand how you acquired such a dim view of humanity. How rude of me. I can see for the first time and you`re blind.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That`s so spooky. It`s hard to imagine we`re being watched and tracked everywhere we go and everything we do to the extent that we see in "Person of Interest." You guys did a lot of research developing this show. So I need this first secret revealed from you tonight, and Jonah, it`s to you, is there really some version of this elaborate high-tech system out there?
JONAH NOLAN, CREATOR, PERSON OF INTEREST: Yes, it`s called PRISM. We know that now. Greg and I have been kind of patting ourselves on the back all summer for getting our research right. The key difference with our show is that on our show, it actually works. From everything we`ve heard, PRISM is still very much in a nascent stage, where you have all of this information kind of spewing into offices somewhere, whether they are in Bluffdale, Utah or NSA headquarters, and sorting through all that information, that is the tricky part.
Where we started with the show was this premise if we have all this information, they`re really just looking for terrorists, but what do they do with all the rest of that information? What do they do with information they have about much lower profile crimes that may happen? If they had a chance to stop, would they take advantage of it?
HAMMER: Exactly. That`s why you can`t help but kind of be paranoid when you watch "Person of Interest." You`re very paranoid if you use a smartphone or a computer. You live in a big city, which I guess pretty much covers all of us, but we do need to know how you make the magic happen on the show, and Greg, this question to you. Are you using actual surveillance cameras for your show? It certainly looks like it.
GREG PLAGEMAN, CREATOR, PERSON OF INTEREST: Absolutely. We have what we call our machine view, our surveillance unit which achieves those angles. When the show started, and we were looking for surveillance footage, we actually were able to use some of the Department of Transportation`s actual surveillance footage in New York City. Fortunately, everyone is pretty much familiar with those angles now. It looks like a fish eye lens or high angle, and the entire city of New York now, the mayor has what he calls his domain awareness program. I think everybody is well aware that there are license plate readers and cameras on every corner.
HAMMER: Yes, this is why I walk around like this all the time. I always have something in front of my face. I can`t avoid it.
NOLAN: You got to put duct tape over the cameras.
HAMMER: Exactly. Keep looking over your shoulders and keep putting out great TV, guys. Thank you so much for being here, Jonah and Greg, I really do appreciate it.
Thank you for watching this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, secrets of TV crime shows. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. You can catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Monday through Thursday, 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific.
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