Producer’s Monthly
By Kelso Husky
Questions for LT. Steve Sloan (Martha Kuhn):
Lieutenant, if you were offered a job as a technical advisor on a
cop show or a reality show, to
one of the studios, which one would you pick and why?
ME? A technical advisor? Sorry, Mr. Husky, but I didn't become a
cop to get into show biz. I'm too busy trying to keep real bad
guys from preying on the innocent citizens of LA to get involved
with a TV show. Besides, I don't even know what's on these days
in the way of cop shows. It's been decades since I had time to
sit down and watch enough TV to actually get to know a show. I
did like Hill Street Blues, and CHIPS was one of my favorites,
but I guess it's a little late to be tech advisor to them! And
reality shows? Well, if Red Asphalt is a sample of those, I'll
pass.
Hey, you know, if you're serious, I think I have someone who
could help you. He's a good cop, over twenty years on the force,
in homicide and sex crimes and a few other juicy areas, and he's
kind of a media guy, too. Can't imagine how he finds time, but
he's written a couple of books and even dabbled in TV. Name's
Paul Bishop--I'll get you his phone number after the interview.
Hollywood gets the blame for most of the violence on the streets,
and even in schools, these days. What is your point of view in
this discussion, and depending on your answer, do you have any
suggestions?
That's a tough one. I don't think there's one simple answer to
the increase in violence that's happened in the past forty years.
Sure, TV and movies show a lot more graphic violence and casual
murder than they did when I was a kid. I've had to walk out of a
few movies lately, because I just couldn't take it. When you see
real murder on a daily basis, it's hard to find any entertainment
value in people being blown away on a movie screen. The theatres
were full of people who seemed to be enjoying it, though, and a
lot of them were kids. Who knows. If I had to lay blame, I'd
point to drug and alcohol abuse as the biggest contributor to
violent crime in our city. But maybe murder as entertainment has
an influence, too.
You can't totally blame Hollywood, though. When I was a kid, the
news was a lot more reluctant to show graphic stuff. They
wouldn't even show a dead body being wheeled out of a house on a
gurney. That would be too tame for the news cameras now. They'd
have to at least get in the face of the victim's grieving family
and ask them how they feel. How the hell do you think they feel?
Reporters like that make me want to wrap my hands around their
necks and squeeze real hard and then ask how THEY feel.
Oh. Sorry. I'm sure you're not that kind of reporter.
Lt. Sloan. If you ever make it to be Chief of Police in LA, what
would be your first action?
To resign! Seriously, I'm not the Chief type. I've had enough
dealings with the upper echelons of the force to know it's not
for me. I like investigating, digging into the details and trying
to make a picture appear out of them. Nothing is more gratifying
to me than finding those bad guys, cuffing them, and Mirandizing
them. "You have the right to remain silent..." Ah!
Music to my ears.
The chief has to be at least as much a politician as a cop, and
that just ain't me. Besides, helping me with investigations is
the joy of my dad's life. I couldn't deprive him of that.
One final question: If I offered you a job right here, right now
to be my leading man in my new show… would you stay on the
force?
I would run as fast as I could back to the precinct house! Me? An
actor? I am no performer, as my Dad can tell you. I still wake up
in a cold sweat when I dream about the time Dad wangled me into
helping him with a telethon. <shivers in horror> It was my
worst nightmare come true. I'd rather face a street gang or
organized crime, or even Amanda when she hasn't had any sleep,
than ever get up in front of an audience again!
<pager goes off> Sorry, Mr. Husky. Duty calls. Nice talking
to you.
<Steve Sloan has left the building....>
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