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'Wire' Producer OK With Little Recognition

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 7, 2008

HBO's "The Wire," which opened its fifth season Sunday, has gotten little recognition in Tinseltown. Executive producer David Simon says that's fine with him.

The series has been acclaimed by critics and has a cult-like following - but has earned just one Emmy nomination in four seasons. Simon and George Pelecanos were nominated for writing in 2005 but lost.

"I don't give a expletive if we ever win one of their little trinkets," Simon told Newsweek. "I don't care if they ever figure out we're here in Baltimore.

"Secretly, we all know we get more ink for being shut out. So at this point, we wanna be shut out. We wanna go down in flames together, holding hands all the way."

Each season of "The Wire" has focused on a different aspect of the grit and blight of an American city in decline. Simon feels the show doesn't get credit for its diverse cast, nearly all of whom had no high-profile prior credits.

"Let me indict Hollywood as much as I can on this one," Simon said. "We have more working black actors in key roles than pretty much all the other shows on the air. And yet you still hear people claim they can't find good African-American actors. That's why race-neutral shows and movies turn out lily-white."

Leno, Kimmel To Visit Each Other's Shows

For one night, Jay Leno and Jimmy Kimmel will solve the problem of booking guests during the writers' strike by appearing on each other's shows.

The swap comes Thursday, with Kimmel traveling to Leno's studio in Burbank, Calif., and Leno returning the favor in Hollywood. Both shows are taped on the same day they air.

"There are only a few people in the world that know how tough this job is," Leno said Sunday. "Jimmy is one of them. It will be fun to discuss who's a good guest, who's a difficult guest and everything else that comes with sitting behind these desks."

Joked Kimmel: "If Jay and I can come together and guest on each other's shows, then surely there is hope for peace in the Middle East."

Kimmel came to Leno's defense on the air Wednesday, urging picketing writers to back off the "Tonight Show" host.

Black, Wife Expecting 2nd Child

Funnyman Jack Black has another reason to smile.

His wife, Tanya Haden, is pregnant with their second child, he said.

"Yes, she's expecting," Black said at a Beverly Hills hotel during a media day for his latest project, "Be Kind Rewind," People magazine reported Saturday on its Web site.

He declined to offer more details.

Black and Haden, a cellist and the daughter of jazz great Charlie Haden, were married in 2006. They have a 1 1/2 -year-old son.

Today's Birthdays

Country singer Jack Greene is 78. Pop musician Paul Revere is 70. Singer Kenny Loggins is 60. Latin pop singer Juan Gabriel is 58. Actor Sammo Hung is 56. Actor David Caruso is 52. "CBS Evening News" anchor Katie Couric is 51. Country singer David Lee Murphy is 49. Rock musician Kathy Valentine (The Go-Go's) is 49. Actor David Marciano is 48. Actor Nicolas Cage is 44. Singer-songwriter John Ondrasik (Five for Fighting) is 43. Actor Dustin Diamond is 31.

Source: The Associated Press

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