Politics gave Hal Holbrook a memorable series
Q: I was sad to read of the passing of Hal Holbrook. I know he appeared on “Designing Women,” but did he ever have a series of his own? – Julie Carr, via e-mail
A: The celebrated actor – who made a virtual second career out of his frequent performances as Mark Twain – also was a regular cast member on “Evening Shade” and had recurring roles on “The Event” and “Sons of Anarchy.” In terms of a show in which he was the top-billed star, though, that would be “The Senator” ... one element of the rotating anthology “The Bold Ones.” Though that drama lasted only one season (1970-71) on NBC, it cemented Holbrook’s television cred by earning him a Primetime Emmy Award for his portrayal of a political newcomer to Washington, D.C. The show might seem dated and almost quaint by the standards of current politics, but it also gave its star the image of an authority figure that would serve him well in numerous other roles on TV and in movies.
Holbrook also had considerable TV-movie and miniseries credits on his resume, including the groundbreaking 1972 drama “That Certain Summer” and such projects as “Lincoln” (in which he played that iconic president, a part he reprised in two “North and South” sagas), “George Washington” (Holbrook was John Adams), “The Awakening Land” and “Celebrity.”
Q: I enjoyed the Lincoln series “The Bone Cutter.” Any chance there will be more of it in the near future? – Doris Swearingen, Weirton, W. Va.
A: In a word, no, if we’re correct in suspecting that the show you’re talking about “Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector.” Though we don’t often say a definitive “no” about such things, there was no activity in terms of a continuation of the show being ordered elsewhere after NBC canceled it a year ago.
With “Grimm” alum Russell Hornsby in the Rhyme role Denzel Washington played in the 1999 movie “The Bone Collector” (based on a novel by Jeffery Deaver), the series lasted 10 episodes. Its fate hasn’t put a damper on other shows being developed from popular books turned into movies, as is being proven currently by CBS’ “Clarice.”