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Alzheimer’s series is the best of TV
Published: May 07, 2009, 12:30 am
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As a television critic, I almost feel like I’ve been to medical school after watching shows like “ER,” “House,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Private Practice.”
Those series attempt to stir human emotions at the same time they deal with medical science. When those fictional shows are at their best, they tell stories so well that it is easy to believe the actors in the frequently exaggerated cases are real people.
Think of the deepest emotional connection that those dramas have provided.
Then, you’ve got the HBO documentary series “The Alzheimer’s Project.”
Part One premieres at 9 p.m. Sunday, and subsequent episodes air starting at 7:30 p. m. Monday and 7 p. m. Tuesday.
The series, which is presented by HBO and the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health, will be available to nonsubscribers of HBO on Time Warner Cable through free preview days for digital customers from Sunday through Tuesday and also on HBO.com.
Watching five hours about dementia over three consecutive nights probably isn’t most people’s idea of must-see TV. But with a proper balance of emotional human stories and explanations of uplifting and promising scientific advances, this series is heartwarming, fascinating and inspiring and should serve as a national counseling session.
It surely will inspire people who watch it to look differently at a disease that is so widespread that more than half of the U.S. population is touched by someone with it.
The series opens Sunday with a poignant 90-minute film, “The Memory Loss Tapes,” which introduces several people suffering with the disease from the earliest stages to the late stages. A few of the interesting characters provide the most poignant moments.
At the head of the class is 63-year-old Joe Potocny, a brilliant, humorous computer programmer who has created an honest, descriptive “Living with Alzheimer’s” blog. Then there’s sweet 78-year-old Woody Geist, who can’t remember his wife or daughter but remembers the lyrics to old songs when he performs with his old singing group. It’s lump-in-your-throat stuff.
On Monday, Maria Shriver, a co-executive producer of the series, is the anchor of a half-hour film, “Grandpa, Do You Know Who I Am?” It is based on her book, “What’s Happening to Grandpa?” Her father, former Peace Corp leader and political activist Sargent Shriver, has the disease.
“Do You Know Who I Am?” features several loving and helpful grandchildren who express how they are affected by seeing the decline of their grandparents. Their stories provide lessons on how to cope with witnessing the decline.
The short film — which addresses the benefits of talking about the disease rather than keeping it secret — is followed Monday by Part I of “Momentum in Science,” which along with Part 2 on Tuesday features some of the leading researchers in the field. They explain what has been learned about the disease and what the future looks like at the same time the human faces of Alzheimer’s continue to be displayed.
It is an amazing medical story, with brilliant scientists explaining in a simple way what causes brain abnormalities that lead to Alzheimer’s. Scientists aren’t the only heroes. There also are families like the DeMoes. Five of the six DeMoe children have a genetic mutation that causes the early onset of the disease and have volunteered to be studied for the benefit of future generations. The DeMoes illustrate one of the advances — that Alzheimer’s now can be diagnosed and studied before an autopsy.
This may all sound like a downer. But by series end, there is incredible hope that a pill may eventually be manufactured to immunize people against the disease so the sad songs and stories will end.
People are talking
Now on to ABC’s “Private Practice,” the spin-off of “Grey’s Anatomy.” It had a very disturbing ending to its season a week ago. Here’s a quick summary of the cliffhanger: Dr. Violet Turner (Amy Brenneman) is pregnant and unsure if the father was one of two men she was dating — her colleague, Pete (Tim Daly) or a fellow psychologist, Sheldon (Brian Benben). She also hasn’t been sure if she wanted to be with either man.
In the finale, Violet and Pete finally decided they belonged together and she returned home happy for the first time in — well, forever. Then a psychologically disturbed patient, who had just had a miscarriage, came to Violet’s home, paralyzed her with a drug and prepared to cut the baby out of her stomach with instructions from the Internet.
It was horrifying. I immediately blogged my disgust Friday on “Talkin’ TV” and was hit with a response that normally only happens when I address local news. By my count, twice as many of the thoughtful people who responded were “disturbed,” “mortified” and “appalled” by the ending as were “riveted.” Several people wrote they would never watch the series again and one wrote she didn’t expect “Private Practice” to turn into “Criminal Minds.”
But there’s no arguing with the sentiment of one reader. “The writers accomplished exactly what they were looking to do. People are talking about the episode and the series.”
Optimistic outlook
At 10 tonight on Channel 7, the “Private Practice” time slot is filled by “Michael J. Fox: Adventures of an Incurable Optimist.” The underlying message that the charming, self-deprecating actor relays is simple: “Don’t worry, be happy.”
Fox, who in 1998 revealed that he has Parkinson’s disease, interacts with his wife, actress Tracy Pollan, friends Lance Armstrong, Bill Murray and Bonnie Hunt, and ordinary people who hand out newspapers and milk cows with a smile.
He also travels to the happy country of Bhutan, declaring it is “amazing” when he sees the Himalayan Mountains and other breathtaking sites. During his travels, Fox discovers that the same things that make fictional TV characters on shows like “Private Practice” and “Grey’s Anatomy” happy — strong relationships — lead to happiness in real life.
The lessons of “Incurable Optimist” are hardly amazing, but only the nation’s biggest cynics won’t be touched by its positive, uplifting and hopeful spirit. 2 1/2 stars
Imagining things
There seems to be an epidemic of characters hallucinating on TV these days.
Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl) of “Grey’s Anatomy” and Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) on “House” have already communicated with dead people.
At 8 tonight on “Bones,” Booth (David Boreanaz) joins the Hallucination Club.
The promos reveal that Booth believes the animated Stewie Griffin of “The Family Guy” is talking to him. Ridiculous? Sure. But at least that bit of silliness matches some of the comedic spirit of the Fox show.
It’s a mildly amusing episode, that gets a little too serious for my taste by hour’s end. 2 1/2 stars
TV Review
“The Alzheimer’s Project”
★★★★
(Out of four)
Premieres at 9 p. m. Sunday, on HBO and Time Warner Cable Channel 201
apergament@buffnews.com
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