Discovery Channel, Trae Patton/NBC• The Discovery Channel’s deep-sea fishing reality show The Deadliest Catch found itself caught in a maelstrom of controversy when it was reported that last Tuesday’s season premiere may have employed some “staged footage” to boost the episode’s excitement level. The tip-off came when observant viewers noticed the sudden addition to the crew of 26 silver-briefcase-toting models.
• A lawsuit filed last week in Los Angeles alleges that a toy fingerprint identification kit based on the CBS show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation may contain traces of asbestos, which is almost as dangerous as encouraging children to play with a recently murdered corpse.
• There’s a Hallmark made-for-TV movie premiering this week about the relationship between a deaf mother, her hearing husband and their deaf son. The movie is sensitively titled Sweet Nothing in My Ear. This follows the success of their previous film about spinal meningitis: Hey, Get Off My Back.
• Cindy McCain, wife of Republican presidential candidate John McCain, was a cohost on The View this morning and first lady Laura Bush will be guest hosting the last hour of The Today Show tomorrow morning. It’s all part of a new Republican plan to boost the nation’s economy by driving people out of their homes.
• Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee said this week that touring with his 25-year-old band has changed. "When the house lights go up these days, everybody leaves and goes back to their hotel room or bus or airplane or whatever. It's different now. People have families and kids." The main difference, of course, seems to be that now the band’s members are actually acknowledging their children.