HBO follows up on ‘Gang Wars’
Back in 1994, filmmakers Marc Levin and Daphne Pinkerson showed us what for many viewers was a surprise — that high-profile gangbanger places like New York and Los Angeles have plenty of counterparts in the so-called heartland.
Their award-winning HBO documentary “Gang War: Bangin’ in Little Rock” included a drive-by shooting in which one of the targets was Crips leader Leifel Jackson.
Now, a decade later, the filmmakers return to Little Rock, Ark., to look up the “playas,” in a follow-up movie called “Back in the Hood: Gang Wars 2,” debuting on HBO at 10.
They find that Jackson and others have turned into community activists who try to keep kids from following them into the seductive dead-end life of drugs, gangs and guns.
But even for Jackson, it’s a struggle; this ex-con may be an award-winning activist, but that’s not a lucrative business. And the temptations for kids are even stronger today.
Another serious documentary airs tonight at 9 on “Wide Angle” on KSPS. “The Suburbs of Islam” are outside Paris, where many Muslim immigrants — France’s largest minority — are feeling particularly unwelcome these days. France’s decision to ban the wearing of traditional Muslim headscarves in public schools is seen by them as an anti-Muslim gesture and puts young Muslim women in a difficult position as final exams approach.
Olympic Update
NBC’s prime-time festivities start at 8. Tonight’s events include track and field gold-medal finals in the men’s long jump and the men’s 400-meter hurdles, plus diving, triathlon and volleyball events. Bob Costas hosts.
There’s also hour upon hour of other events coverage on NBC’s corporate siblings, MSNBC, CNBC, USA, Bravo and Telemundo. Detailed schedules for all these stations are at nbcolympics.com.
One final note: “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” are both pre-empted for late-night Olympic coverage.
Highlights
“Big Brother 5,” CBS at 8: One of the gang gets a shot at acting on “The Young and the Restless” — which would have, like, totally happened anyway, right? Plus, another eviction.
“The Simple Life 2: Road Trip,” Fox at 8: Four back-to-back repeats. The horror, the horror.
“Blue Collar TV,” WB at 8: Married life gets a working over. Followed by a “Reba” repeat, which more or less gets the same description.
“Charlie’s Angels” (2000), ABC at 9: The pointless but action-packed flick with Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu.
“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” CBS at 9: Repeat with a car bomb.
“Without a Trace,” CBS at 10: Repeat. College football coach is fired after a dismal season, then disappears.
Family Fare
“Principal Takes a Holiday,” Family Channel at 8: A teenager recruits a bum to take over for his injured principal in order to clean up his record in time for graduation. Zachery Ty Bryan and Kevin Nealon star.
Cable Cast
Football, ESPN at 5: Preseason NFL game offers an intra-Pennsylvania rivalry, with the Philadelphia Eagles hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” (2003), HBO at 8: Sean Connery as Allan Quatermain leads an all-star posse of fictional heroes — Capt. Nemo, the Invisible Man, Tom Sawyer — battling an evil genius in this comic-book — excuse me, graphic novel-based tale.
“Penn & Teller: Bull!” Showtime at 10: This week, the diet industry takes a kick in the pants.
Late Night Talk
“Late Show with David Letterman,” CBS at 11:35: Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Carla Gugino.
“Jimmy Kimmel Live,” ABC at 12:05 a.m.: Josh Hartnett and musical guests the Cure.
“Late, Late Show with Craig Kilborn,” CBS at 12:35: Jon Voight and Cole Hauser.