12 - The Michigan Daily - Monday, June 11, 2001 A
Journalistic ethics pervade "The Beast"

--

By Jennifer Fogel
Dy Arts Editor
It's amazing what the networks can
pull off when their
backs are to the
wall during the
e Beast summer, or what
ABC people like to
at 10pm. affectionately call
Wednesdayat "rerun hell." Ironi-
cally, ABC has
turned the camera
on itself and
decided to break
all the rules with its new addition "The

Beast" premiering Wednesday.
"The Beast" depicts the on and off
camera dealings of the World News Ser-
vice, an upstart CNN-type news organi-
zation. Combining voyeurism and
sensationalism into one grand scheme
of a higher purpose, "The Beast" mixes
live television with web casts from hid-
den cameras documenting every move
of the staff. "The Beast" allows us to
take a perspective on the news business
that many of us have taken for granted.
In an age of 15 minutes, where even a
reporter from a minor local network can
gain national celebrity, "The Beast"
forces us to look past appearances and

see the truth. Of course, this truth can
only come out with a camera in your
face.
Introducing us to the "Beast" is Alice
(Elizabeth Mitchell, "Frequency") a
somewhat innocent and naive journalist
immediately inducted into the backward
dealings of WNS and its master Jackson
Burns (Frank Langella), a media mogul
educated on modern technology - he
made his fortune off selling violent
video games - striving to find the hon-
esty and vivacity that journalists have
lost in the age of celebrity. In an attempt
to win her over, Jackson sends Alice on
a mission to capture the last moments of
a death-row inmate setto die. Instead of
getting a last minute confession, Alice
ends up promising a televised execution,
landing in the middle of a heated death
penalty debate.
Meanwhile, hotshot reporter Reese
(Jason Gedrick, "The Last Don") finds

himself alienating mad bomber Bobby
James, who believes that the media are
"the black hole of Western culture."
Refreshingly, Reese dismisses Bobby on
air every chance he gets, throwing
Bobby's own need for celebrity right
back in his face.
From the start, you could look at
"The Beast" as a new "NYPD Blue"
trying to attract viewers with a new look
and style (i.e. the swish pan), but "The
Beast" puts a new spin on the capabili-
ties of television. Smoothly moving
from live to taped footage, it feels as
though we are watching from the perch
of Harry, the man behind the curtain of
WNS, carefully logging all the footage
before us.
The writing is also surprisingly fresh
and a bit intimidating. News producer
Ted (Peter Riegert) puts forth one of the
best lines on TV when talking about air-
ing a live execution Tim McVeigh-style:

Receive $2 for a one-time,
4 two-and-a-half hour session.
Volunteers should he UM students
between ages 18 and 29.
Phone #936-0640 for more Informatlon.

The cast of "The Beast" is hungry
"This is extreme reality. If yo
something like this on TV ... It
TV" Can you image Barbara W
feeling bad about airing out Nicol
man's dirty laundry or Peter J4
giving the finger to the camera
cast of "The Beast" makes it their
make you look at the world diffe
not just in black and white.
Created by a team of Hollywoo
shots like Mimi Leder ("Deep Im
and Kario Salem ("Don King: 0
America"), and backed by the pt
ing team of Ron Howard and
Grazer, "The Beast" looks to gol
what little summer competition it1g
If you take up one new thin
summer, don't let it be watching i
of your favorite show. "The Bet
waiting for you, and it's always hut

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