'BEHIND BARS' IS A NOT-SO-GOOD THING.Byline: David Kronke Television Critic NBC NBC in full National Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. commercial broadcasting company. It was formed in 1926 by RCA Corp., General Electric Co. (GE), and Westinghouse and was the first U.S. company to operate a broadcast network. AIRED the snark-fest teleflick ``Martha, Inc.,'' which concluded with the beginning of notorious domestic diva Martha Stewart's legal problems. Now, however, NBC is deeply into the ``Martha business'' - Stewart's daytime talk show is seen mainly on its affiliates, and she's hosting the network's ``Apprentice'' spinoff. Odd that Stewart would ally herself with a network that took such gratuitous potshots at her - but, hey, business is business. Now, CBS (Cell Broadcast Service) See cell broadcast. has boldly assumed the duties of sticking it to Stewart, with ``Martha Behind Bars,'' essaying her brief incarceration Confinement in a jail or prison; imprisonment. Police officers and other law enforcement officers are authorized by federal, state, and local lawmakers to arrest and confine persons suspected of crimes. The judicial system is authorized to confine persons convicted of crimes. for obstruction of justice A criminal offense that involves interference, through words or actions, with the proper operations of a court or officers of the court. The integrity of the judicial system depends on the participants' acting honestly and without fear of reprisals. . Stewart (Cybill Shepherd, who also starred in the earlier movie) was convicted for lying to the Securities and Exchange Commission about her role in insider trading involving a stock, ImClone, which she dumped after receiving an early tip that its price would soon plummet. Stewart's sin was far less brazen than those of other corporate crooks who actually destroyed people's lives - say, Enron's brain trust - and the fury of her saga's coverage, not to mention her subsequent TV comeback, speaks volumes about the cult of personality Noun 1. cult of personality - intense devotion to a particular person fashion - the latest and most admired style in clothes and cosmetics and behavior in America. But the filmmakers have no interest in exploring anything interesting or provocative. Instead, there's a lot of boring courtroom folderol fol·de·rol also fal·de·ral n. 1. Foolishness; nonsense. 2. A trifle; a gewgaw. [From a nonsense refrain in some old songs.] Noun 1. . And though the film's title hints at a campy frolic turning the prison-chick genre on its head, Stewart's worst indignity comes when fellow inmates taunt her for being punished by being forced to rake leaves. The only remotely curious moment comes when Stewart compares herself to South African hero/martyr Nelson Mandela. Shepherd's Stewart is far less of a harridan har·ri·dan n. A woman regarded as scolding and vicious. [Possibly from French haridelle, gaunt woman, old horse, nag. than she was in NBC's film; she's denatured de·na·ture tr.v. de·na·tured, de·na·tur·ing, de·na·tures 1. To change the nature or natural qualities of. 2. here to the point of tedium. The filmmakers, fearful of offending Martha's cult of fans - are they or Stewart's detractors the target audience? - lack the courage to offer anything resembling perspective to their work. It's a mediocre thing. David Kronke, (818) 713-3638 david.kronke(at)dailynews.com MARTHA BEHIND BARS - One and one half stars What: Docudrama about the domestic diva's recent legal woes, starring Cybill Shepherd. Where: CBS (Channel 2). When: 9 tonight. In a nutshell: It's a mediocre thing. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Cybill Shepherd plays the domestic diva serving her prison sentence for obstruction of justice in ``Martha Behind Bars.'' |
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