Television

Late night talk show host David Letterman underwent heart surgery last Friday. CBS, the home of Letterman’s “The Late Show” will run reruns until Letterman recovers. Our TV critic David Bianculli has another idea for what to do in the interim.

TV critic David BIianculli reviews “The Sopranos.” It begins its second season this month.

Writer Alan Ball. His first feature film screenplay was for this year's critically acclaimed movie, "American Beauty." He's also creator, head writer, and executive producer of the new TV comedy "Oh Grow Up." Previously, Ball wrote for the TV shows "Grace Under Fire," and "Cybill."

Actor Liev Schreiber. The 32-year old's film credits include "The Daytrippers," "A Walk on the Moon," and the "Scream" movies. He's currently starring in New York in the Public Theatre's new production of "Hamlet." And he plays Orson Welles in the HBO drama "RKO 281" about the clash between Welles and William Randolph Hearst over the making of Welles's masterpiece, "Citizen Kane." It premiered last night.

TV critic David Bianculli reviews the new hit game show "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?"

Pokemon (POH-kay-mahn) is the latest kid craze and worldwide phenomenon. It hails from Japan, and began as an Nintendo game, featuring the superpowered animals called Pokemons. There are 150 characters in all. After the game came the trading cards, comic book series, and weekly cartoon. Now there's the Pokemon movie. We meet the American translator of the Pokemon characters, Gerard Jones.

TV writer, director and producer Marshall Herskovitz. With his partner Edward Zwick, Herskovitz created "Thirtysomething," "My So Called Life," and the new show "Once and Again."

Violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg. Born in Russia, she emigrated to Philadelphia with her family when she was eight so that she could attend the Curtis Institute. Later her unorthodox playing, and unconventional attire on stage earned her a reputation as the "bad girl" of classical violin. In 1994 she nearly sliced the tip of her finger off chopping onions, and after surgery and painful practicing, she returned to the stage. Sonnenberg has played with just about every major orchestra and has recorded 15 albums.

Documentary director Dean Ward. His new film, "Let Me In, I Hear Laughter: a Salute to the Friars" is about the Friars club, the place where show business entertainers meet and then roast each other. Such comic luminaries as George Burns, Groucho Marx, Bob Hope, as well as entertainers Will Rogers, George M. Cohan, and Irving Berlin were members. Then we meet two current members of the Friars. The documentary premieres on Cinemax tomorrow, Tuesday, October 26th. Also Comedy Central features the Friars' Club roast of comic Jerry Stiller, Wednesday, October 27th.

Dean of the New York Friars' Club, Freddie Roman, and comic Jeffrey Ross, are both featured in the documentary, and the roast of Jerry Stiller.