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Showbiz Tonight
Celebs Respond to Nelson Mandela`s Death; Lane Garrison Shines in `Bonnie and Clyde` TV Movie; Secrets of TV Crime Shows
Aired December 05, 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: Right now on SBT, celebrities react to the death of a tremendous global hero, Nelson Mandela. From South Africa`s own Charlize Theron to American stars touched by his life, SBT has the very latest outpouring from Hollywood and beyond.
Also this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... (UNINTELLIGIBLE) without them.
LANE GARRISON, ACTOR: We`re living at your father`s house, and he orders me around like a lap dog.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He`s giving you an opportunity.
GARRISON: And so is Clyde. Besides, he`s my brother and needs me to look out for him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Lane Garrison`s return. Taking on an iconic role in "Bonnie and Clyde" in an almost unprecedented TV movie event. Lane Garrison is right here, and he`s telling me all about the pressures and rewards of Hollywood.
SBT starts right now.
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer. Thank you for watching. Tonight, Hollywood and the rest of the world reacts to the sad news that Nelson Mandela has died. Now, early this evening, we learned the man who led South Africa out of its dark days of apartheid died at the age of 95. Everyone from Samuel L. Jackson to Morgan Freeman talking about how much this has effected them.
Morgan Freeman was, of course, nominated for his role as Mandela in the movie "Invictus." He says, "We have lost one of the true giants of the past century, but in our loss is the realization that, thanks to him, we have all gained something."
Mandela`s death comes just as the movie "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom" just hit theaters, reminding us of his struggle for freedom in South Africa.
With me right now is my friend Larry King, who has interviewed Mandela many, many times over many, many years.
It`s always good to speak to you, Larry. I`m sorry it`s under these circumstances. But what are your initial thoughts on hearing this news?
LARRY KING, FORMER CNN ANCHOR (via phone): He was a giant. I regarded him as the greatest figure of the 20th Century. He overcome incredible difficulties, fought against apartheid, spent 26 years in prison. He shouldn`t have spent one day. Came out and forgave his captors. He -- at his inauguration as president, he invited three of his captors to attend the inauguration.
I had the honor of interviewing him three times, and also I had the great good fortune of having lunch with him at his home in Johannesburg. And that same night had dinner with de Klerk, the president who had freed him. On that same day, I met with Mandela in the afternoon and de Klerk at night.
And I will never see his likes again. He lived a long and important life, and the world is a better place because he was president in it. And, had he had a different attitude when he left that prison, the world would be different and South Africa would still be in upheaval.
One quick story: de Klerk told me that night at dinner that he called Mandela to tell him that he had been freed and would be released the next morning from that prison in Cape Town, and that they wanted to fly him up to Johannesburg and have him address the legislature. Mandela declined and said he would walk out of the prison and walk among the people, which is what he did. De Klerk had tremendous respect for him. What can you say?
HAMMER: Wow. Wow. And that really speaks to the character of a person who obviously had to be an exceptional human being to endure, No. 1, and accomplish what he was able to accomplish in life. Something that I`ve seen, Larry, is a resounding theme. In fact, Samuel L. Jackson just tweeted that he had never met a better person in his life. I`ve heard President Clinton say that. I`ve heard many people say that about him, that if they had come across Nelson Mandela, there wasn`t a single person they`ve ever encountered since or even before that that was bigger or better to them.
KING: And for a tough leader -- and he was a tough leader. And there was no doubt. He fought hard for [SIC] apartheid, occasionally involved in violence. Yet he was a very gentle man: soft-spoken, very easy to be around. I remember, I was so thrilled, because when I went to his home, he came to the door and he wore suspenders that day.
HAMMER: I`m sure in your honor, Larry. I`m absolutely certain of that.
KING: Yes. He was a -- A.J., he was just a really special, special person. And I`m glad he lived as long as he did.
HAMMER: Yes.
KING: Apparently, he died peacefully and without pain. And that is good to hear.
HAMMER: Can`t ask for better than that.
I do want to bring in CNN digital wire -- writer Alan Duke, who is with us in Hollywood right now, where so many celebrities are tweeting about this right now.
What are people saying, Alan?
ALAN DUKE, CNN DIGITAL WRITER: The Twittersphere is going on fire with the reaction about Nelson Mandela. Some of my favorite, I think, would have to refer to Morgan Freeman, who very famously made a movie about Nelson Mandela. In fact, just a strikingly amazing portrayal of Mandela by Nelson -- by Morgan Freeman.
He recounts, in a statement he put out, that when he met him in the early `90s, it was after Mandela was asked in a news conference, "Who would you like to play you in a movie?" And he said he would like Morgan Freeman. And that`s when their 20-year relationship began.
And eventually, of course, he did the great movie "Invictus," when he portrayed him. And he said that, after Nelson Mandela saw that movie, he said, "Now perhaps people will remember me." That`s what Morgan Freeman has to remember today about Nelson Mandela.
HAMMER: And I mentioned, Alan, that "Long Walk to Freedom" is just hitting theaters right now. Idris Elba stars in that movie about Nelson Mandela. I want -- I want you to see what he just told us about watching Mandela`s release on TV then and portraying him now. Let`s look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
IDRIS ELBA, ACTOR: I remember that same moment, as well. I was back in London, and my dad had it on the TV. And it was a celebration that day. Nothing else was going on. The music was blasting. We was all watching the TV as this -- this moment was happening. You know, it was an incredible, incredible moment. Yes, I will never forget that.
And unbelievable that we got to recreate that. I remember when we shot that scene. I was like, wow, this is so weird. Because I remember being at home watching this, and here I am doing it.
HAMMER: Yes. Imagine being in Idris Elba`s -- in his shoes, going through that, having seen it and then getting to portray that.
Larry King still with me. Larry, we`ve seen...
KING: Got to leave, A.J., because I`ve got other calls coming in from your sister network.
HAMMER: Oh, OK. Well, I will let you go then, Larry. And I`ll thank you very much for being here and sharing your personal thoughts...
KING: Thank you, A.J.
HAMMER: ... on the great Nelson Mandela with us.
As we leave Larry King, back to Alan Duke in Hollywood. So Alan, as we`ve seen the incredible amount of reaction all over the world, of course, but specifically from Hollywood. And we`ve always seen this as far as Nelson Mandela was concerned. There was always such a strong connection between Hollywood and Mandela. Why do you think that was?
DUKE: Well, first of all, a lot of Hollywood celebrities could make money in South Africa. Before the days of apartheid, before it became unpopular, they`d go down there. It was a big place for them to perform. And very famously, in the 1980s, it became the place not to perform. And of course, there were songs about that. Stevie Wonder did one.
One of my reactions that I just got a few moments ago is from singer/songwriter Paul Simon, who also -- you know his album "Graceland." He incorporated the African, especially South African, elements in "Graceland," with a South African tribe. He says, "He conceived a model for mortal enemies to overcome their hatred and find a way, through compassion, to build a nation based on truth, justice and the power of forgiveness." That`s what singer/songwriter and, really, poet Paul Simon has to say.
HAMMER: And when you look back at the history of Hollywood and the amount of treatment that Nelson Mandela`s life has gotten, obviously, it`s no surprise. I mean, talk about a made-for-Hollywood life or screenplay. It just -- it was always such a natural fit. And the movies not only taught us a little something, but they almost seemed so dramatic that there`s a part you that can`t believe all of this actually happened.
DUKE: I`m telling you, "Invictus," if you haven`t seen it, you should go and see it or perhaps even today or this week, see it again. Because the story that Morgan Freeman delivers to us is just incredible. You know, the story of how Nelson Mandela brought the country together from that place that it was at, after apartheid, used sports to do it. And, you know, Clint Eastwood directed that movie, and it was quite remarkable.
And it is, as Nelson Mandela says in -- after watching, he says, "Now, perhaps, people will remember me." If they remember him based on that movie, "Invictus," I think it would be a fond one.
HAMMER: Yes. A man -- what a fantastic movie. And I have a feeling a lot of people will be going to revisit that. Myself included. I`ve said, actually, since the first time I saw that a few years ago, when it was first released and got all of its accolades, that I will revisit that one day. Maybe now is the time.
There`s some more sound I`d like to listen to from Idris Elba, along with his co-star, Naomi Harris, talking about how Nelson Mandela`s family reacted to seeing "Long Walk to Freedom," the movie they star in. Let`s look at that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELBA: Zenani and Winnie saw it. In fact, the -- the whole Mandela family saw the film at the premiere. And man, you know, it was a really tense watch, you know, because you know, this is real life for them. You know?
NAOMI HARRIS, ACTRESS: Yes.
ELBA: This is not just some movie. This is their lives. And details and feelings and emotions, I`m sure, were all brought back to the surface. And it was a very special, you know, -- they loved the film, by the way. But it was beyond that, you know. They were just thankful that this had been done.
HARRIS: They had tears at the end.
ELBA: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Again, sad news tonight, that an amazing life has come to an end as the great Nelson Mandela has passed away at the age of 95. My thanks to Larry King.
Alan Duke, thank you, as well.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will continue in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: As SBT continues we move to the incredible resurgence of Lane Garrison, the breakout star from the hit FOX show "Prison Break." Well, Lane is now starring in a brand-new TV movie event. It`s the retelling of the story of Bonnie and Clyde, with Lane playing Buck Barrow, whose gang teams up with the infamous bank robbers, in a role that was made famous, of course, by Gene Hackman in the "Bonnie and Clyde" movie more than 40 years ago.
Lane joining me right now from Hollywood.
It`s good to see you, Lane. Thanks for being here.
GARRISON: Thanks for having me, A.J. It`s great to see you.
HAMMER: Yes, my pleasure. And look at what you`re doing here. This is almost unprecedented as a TV event. You`ve got A&E. You`ve got the History Channel. You`ve got Lifetime, all putting this thing on simultaneously at the same time over two nights, starting on Sunday. Are you feeling the pressure, man?
GARRISON: I`m not feeling the pressure, because the project is so good. You know, it first started out for one network. And I think once the head of the networks saw it, they just -- they figured all three needed it.
It`s directed by Bruce Beresford, who directed "Driving Miss Daisy" and "Tender Mercies." And he just did a phenomenal job with it. We`ve got a stellar cast: William Hurt, Holly Hunter, two Academy Award winners. Obviously, Emile Hirsch, Holliday Grainger, myself and Sarah Hyland. And I couldn`t be more thrilled about this project.
HAMMER: Well, I`m happy to hear that you`re confident, that you`re smiling about it, because let`s face it: it`s not lost on you that you stepped into some pretty big shoes in the role that, of course, Gene Hackman made famous all the way back in 1967 in the original movie. Let`s flash back, shall we?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GENE HACKMAN, ACTOR: Take a good look, Pop. I`m Buck Barrow.
(ALARM)
HACKMAN: To the Barrow board (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Come on!
HACKMAN: Happy birthday, hon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: OK. Now, obviously, that`s just a taste. But look, there`s only one Hackman. However, we have high levels of confidence in you, Lane. How do you go about making Buck Barrow your own?
GARRISON: Well, you know what? Gene Hackman obviously is one of the great American actors of all time, and stepping into those shoes was a big, big thing for me. But you know, these are two totally different films and two totally different characters, obviously playing the same man. But the scripts are different.
And this film is a bit darker. There`s a lot more blood; there`s a lot more bullets. And it really explores who these characters were and what drove them to do the things that they did.
HAMMER: Well, let`s take a look at how you did Buck Barrow on your own. Let`s roll that out, Charles.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GARRISON: You want a taste of this? That`s it. That`s it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You son of a bitch!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Get him, Buck! Get him, Buck!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Nice. I think you could have taken him. What`s amazing is you do have, I learned, this actual connection to Buck and Bonnie and Clyde from when you were a kid?
GARRISON: Yes, I grew up in Dallas, Texas, and Dallas is where Bonnie and Clyde were originally from. So I`ve known this story since I was 6. My grandfather actually would take me by the Barrow filling station as a kid, and the barn behind my elementary school was a hideout for Bonnie and Clyde. This was a story I`ve known well, I was fascinated by. And it couldn`t have worked out better that I get to be part of this project.
HAMMER: But now, I was happy to see how much you`ve dedicated yourself to anti-drunk driving. And you`re a real advocate for that now. Share that experience with us.
GARRISON: Yes. I mean, obviously, I chose to foolishly drink and drive one night. And it cost a young man his life, and I found myself going from "Prison Break" to prison.
And now I`m really focused on teaching other people the dangers of drinking and driving. And hopefully, they can see, in what has happened to me and everybody else that`s been involved, that this is the real deal and it`s serious.
I`m an active member of MADD, and I go around the country. I speak to a lot of youth around the country. And, you know, I think I`m having a really big impact. And you know, one thing that I`m really thankful about is that I get a second chance where someone else didn`t. So I`m making the most of it now.
And it`s great that I get to be back to work, because it only gives me a bigger platform to speak to people about the dangers of drinking and driving.
HAMMER: Lane, I do know it`s something you obviously still deal with and live with every day, and you probably always will. But I give you a lot of credit for really authentically dedicating yourself to this. It`s a big deal.
GARRISON: Yes. Yes, thanks.
I want to say one thing. You know, you brought up doing time, and we lost a great figure today, a great leader and a great man in Nelson Mandela. I actually read his book while I was doing time. And I did two years in eight institutions. And there were obviously a lot of dark days in there, but after reading his book, you know, this was a man who did 27 years and came out on top. And, you know, that`s something that inspires me in any daily life and my daily walk.
HAMMER: Lane, can I have you stick around and talk to us on the other side of the break about your thoughts on Nelson Mandela?
GARRISON: Yes, absolutely.
HAMMER: OK. And of course, I want to make sure everybody knows they can see Lane in "Bonnie and Clyde," starting at the same time on A&E, the History Channel, Lifetime Sunday and Monday.
SBT will continue in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: SBT continues. We`re back now with "Bonnie and Clyde" star Lane Garrison in Hollywood, who was just sharing with us his thoughts about the passing of the great Nelson Mandela earlier today at the age of 95.
And Lane, you mentioned that you read the book "Mandela" while you were in prison. You did two years, where he did 25 years...
GARRISON: Yes.
HAMMER: ... under obviously very different circumstances. But what was the connection that you did feel and what inspired you about him while you were in there doing time?
GARRISON: Yes, I mean, here was a man, you know, doing 25 years that was unwavering in his beliefs, that was willing to sacrifice himself and his own freedom for the beliefs and the better of his country. And I just thought that unselfish act -- you know, once again, I was in there for making a terrible decision. And I deserved to pay the consequences for my actions. This was a man who was in there for his beliefs and for his heart.
And I thought that, if this man could make it through 25 years, I could make it through anything that any guard threw at me. And, you know, there -- obviously, it`s prison, so it`s not a fun place. So there`s a lot of hardships and a lot of pain inside. I saw the inside of eight different institutions in California. And they`re not pretty places, but you know, they still were not as bad as a South African prison system.
And this man was a true leader. And he was an inspiration to me that I can turn my life around and I can make this tragedy, I can triumph through this tragedy just like he did.
HAMMER: Yes, and something to carry with you through your entire life.
Obviously, millions of people read the best-seller "Mandela." If you`re in prison while you`re reading it, you obviously have a much different connection to that book. What was your biggest takeaway from reading it?
GARRISON: Yes. Well, I mean, once again, you know, it`s interesting, because that book was passed along to me by -- it was read by most of the inmates around me. So I think I got it towards the end. And, you know, it was just -- once again, it provided me with hope. There`s not a lot of hope inside there, and you don`t think you`re ever going to leave those prison walls. And that book provided hope for -- for a lot of men and myself included.
HAMMER: We`re seeing such an outpouring, obviously, around the world. But a great deal of outpouring from Hollywood right now, out in social media, people`s thoughts on Mandela. Why do you think Hollywood feels such a connection to this man?
GARRISON: Well, I think -- I think not just Hollywood. I think it`s people across the world, because any time a man lives from his soul and from his gut and from his heart and follows his dreams, he`s an inspiration to millions of people. So I think it`s not just Hollywood. It`s the world that`s really connected.
HAMMER: Well, Lane, I really appreciate you being here. Unfortunately, under these unpleasant circumstances with the loss of great man, but who lived a tremendous life and at 95 years old. We have a lot to be thankful for.
Best of luck with your new projects. And again, I appreciate your being here.
GARRISON: Thanks for having me, A.J.
HAMMER: Absolutely.
All right. As we move on, get ready now for a must-see SBT special. It`s "Secrets of TV Crime Shows" as we reveal how real-life headlines have influenced your favorite TV shows like the smoking hot "Burn Notice."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEFFREY 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: He`s got me nervous. So gritty, so real. "Burn Notice" star Jeffrey Donovan in the SBT hot seat. And I`m going to make him talk.
Also, we`ve got more crime secrets as SBT blows the lid off the CBS show "Person of Interest." Is the government really watching you? The exec producer of the hit show right here with surprising answers.
This is SBT on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Right now on this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Secrets of TV Crime Shows." We are counting down the 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)
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: 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 to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. 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 right now. They`re going to 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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