TV Tidbits

• Tonight at 10pm, HBO’s Real Sports investigates the phenomenon of the legendary Honus Wagner baseball card.

• Speaking of HBO, I caught up on Entourage last night and was beside myself with Martin Landau’s depiction of the out-of-touch, over-the-hill film producer. I am absolutely positive the character was a parody of Robert Evans, youngest ever head of a studio and producer of Chinatown, The Godfather and a number of other smashes in the late 60s/early 70s. His memoir The Kid Stays in the Picture is an outrageous insider’s look at Hollywood, and the business, sexual & drug-laden exploits of one of its legends.

• Details are slowly emerging with regard to 24’s next season. Jack’s back (although a little worse for wear), there’s another President Palmer in the White House, and a new bad guy is cast (terrifically, imo):

"TV Guide’s tireless Michael Ausiello reports Eric Balfour will return to his pre-Chloe season-one role of computer geek Milo Pressman on “24” - reminding us all of those early days of Nina Myers, Jamey Farrell, Alan York and a bat-wielding senator David Palmer.

"Chloe’s foreigner ex-husband will return from last season, according to Ausiello, who also says “Deep Space Nine’s” Alexander Siddig will play a bad guy.

"The current print edition of TV Guide, meanwhile, offers some plot points. Producer-director John Cassar tells the magazine the season begins in the aftermath of a successful terrorist act that will likely remind viewers of the early hours of Sept. 11, 2001. Jack Bauer, apparently, couldn’t prevent the attack because he’s been a mess, having undergone two months of torture at the hands of the Chinese.

"If Jack was in Chinese hands only two months, this suggests he’s probably been back in the states for quite a while as season six begins. For those who haven’t heard, the White House of season six is in the hands of the Democrats, with David Palmer’s brother Wayne the commander-in-chief.

"Fox begins broadcasting new episodes of "24" in early January."