Tuning In With Betsy  

They plan to make the classic show—laid to rest five years ago—attractive to network buyers, through major reconstructive surgery.

HBO began knocking on doors last week, offering an all-cash deal for 175 refurbished episodes of the documentary-style series about unsolved crimes and paranormal occurrences.

During its 1987-97 NBC run, the program, with its overly dramatic narrative by the late Robert Stack, helped give rise to the ripped-from-the-headlines reality (America's Most Wanted) and scripted (Law & Order, CSI) crime procedural formats still the rage today.

HBO is taking out the series without a host, believed to be a first, and will leave it up to the acquiring cable network to choose Robert  Stack's replacement, according to Scott Carlin, president of HBO's distribution wing.

Work is under way to expand the number of unsolved evergreen stories from four to five per episode, each cut down to a maximum of seven minutes. Cosgrove/Meurer and HBO are choosing their material from 900 hours of footage shot for the original 255 episodes.

They also plan to add newly produced updates—the most popular segments of the original series—that will focus on the solving of crimes and shedding new light on cold cases, which make up 60% of the stories, according to Executive Producer John Cosgrove.

Other additions include a new set, logo, music and, most important, the computerized effects needed to bring the stories up to current standards.

Carlin and Cosgrove say that new weekly original episodes are also a distinct possibility and could come as part of the initial deal or at some point later.

And Carlin trumpets the new-media possibilities provided by the show's shorter stories, which he says “perfectly lend themselves” to appearing on a revenue-generating Website. Cosgrove is looking toward the Internet as a way to get text-messaged tips from viewers.

The sales campaign for Mysteries marks the first time HBO's distribution unit has joined with outside producers on a basic-cable or syndication project. But it won't be the last: Carlin's group is negotiating to distribute other fare that he declines to disclose.

With HBO's model of providing short runs to original primetime series, Carlin says, “we don't have the same at-bats [as broadcast networks do], so we're looking at opportunistic improvisation” to keep the distribution pipeline full.

The idea of putting an entirely new wrapping on Mysteries proved attractive to Carlin and Cerio,with most of the segment production already complete

-

The unusual document issued Tuesday by the Vatican's Office for Migrants and Itinerant People, also urged people to pray while behind thewheel.

Among other things it warned about the effects of road rage, saying driving can bring out "primitive" behaviour in motorists, including "impoliteness, rude gestures, cursing, blasphemy, loss of sense of responsibility or deliberate infringement of the highway code."

The document also urges motorists to obey traffic regulations and drive with a moral sense and to help victims of accidents.
Renato Cardinal Martino, who heads the office, told a news conference that the Vatican felt it necessary to address the pastoral needs of motorists because driving has become such a big part of contemporary life.

He noted that the Bible is full of people on the move, including Mary and Joseph, the parents of Jesus - and that his office is tasked with dealing with all "itinerant" people - including refugees, prostitutes, truck drivers and the homeless.

"We know that as a consequence of transgressions and negligence, 1.2 million people die each year on the roads," Martino said. "That's a sad reality, and at the same time, a great challenge for society and the church."

The document, "Guidelines for the Pastoral Care of the Road," extols the benefits of driving - family outings, getting the sick to the hospital, allowing people to see other cultures.

But it laments a host of ills associated with automobiles. Among them:

- Drivers use their cars to show off.

- Driving "provides an easy opportunity to dominate others" by speeding.

- Drivers can kill themselves and others if they don't get do regular maintenance on their vehicles.

- Drivers can also kill if they drink, use drugs or fall asleep at the wheel.

It also pointed the finger at traffic problems particular to Rome.

"Danger also derives from city cars, which are driven by youngsters and adults who do not have (full) driving licences, and the reckless use of motorbikes and motorcycles," it said.

It called for drivers to obey speed limits and to exercise a host of Christian virtues: charity to fellow drivers, prudence on the roads, hope of arriving safely and justice in the event of crashes.

And it suggested prayer might come in handy - making the sign of the cross before starting off and saying the rosary along the way.

The rosary was particularly well suited to recitation by all in the car since its "rhythm and gentle repetition does not distract the driver's attention," it said.

The document is intended for bishops conferences around the world, and as such offered recommendations for their pastoral workers, including setting up chapels along motorways and having "periodic celebration of liturgies" at major road hubs, truck stops and restaurants.