Pick to click "Investigative Reports" (10 p.m. Monday, A&E) does not live up to its name with this superficial and largely uncritical look inside Alcoholics Anonymous. AA has helped millions cope "one day at a time" as the familiar mantra goes, and it has served as the model for countless other self-help groups. But critics of AA and its kin have been around for a generation. Many have argued that moderation in drinking, rather than abstinence, is a workable goal for many alcoholics. Many women who have tried AA and AA-like programs have detected a gender bias in their approach that favors men. And within the medical community, there appears to be great dissension about AA's labeling of alcoholism as a disease. Yet tonight's documentary only touches on these matters, and that after more than half an hour of boosterism for AA. By contrast, ABC devoted an entire hour of "20/20" last week to questioning AA's approach. Looks like cable TV cut corners on this one. With tonight's program, the Bill Kurtis-anchored "Investigative Reports" moves to 10 p.m. on A&E's nightly schedule.

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Nostalgia on the Net It happened again. In Kansas City, another niche radio format was cruelly banished from the local airwaves. But this time the niche was nostalgia — a mixture of big-band sounds and famous crooners that have proven popular with the over-60 crowd. Many radio advertisers shun that demo, and after years of limping along, station KFEZ-AM pulled the plug on the "music of your life." There's a lesson here for all of us, not just the Tommy Dorsey fans: If you want radio done right, sometimes you need to turn off your radio and turn on something else. In this story for the Kansas City Star, I consider the options — thousands of 'em — for listeners bored with their local radio scenes. They range from commercial-free audio on their cable-TV system to Internet radio to the next big thing, satellite radio in your car. Read my article from Monday's Kansas City Star

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On this date... in 1995, "Late Show with David Letterman's" home office moves to its second location under CBS management, from Sioux City, Iowa, to Grand Rapids, Michigan. It happens after a suggestion from a caller to "Larry King Live" on the night Letterman is a guest. -- Tom Heald

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Previously at TV Barn:

• "Clerks" checks out; Sam Donaldson goofin' on Ellen (6/9/00)
• "Survivor": Bye bye, B.B. (6/8/00)
• "Clerks: The Animated Series" (6/7/00)
• "Sports Night's" future (6/6/00)
• Brian Unger (6/5/00)
• "King Gimp" (6/5/00)
• COMPLETE COVERAGE: The 2000 Upfronts (5/15-18/00)

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On the wires:

• (Wire stories coming)

 

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Ratings: Broadcast | Cable | Explained TV Barn archives | Late-night lineups Other TV critics | Critic's Toolbox E-mail Barnhart | About TV Barn Copyright © 2000 Aaron Barnhart Redistribution prohibited.

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