Chicago Tonight; Gary Sinise

WTTW (Television station : Chicago, Ill.) · November 7, 1996

This episode is "Gary Sinise" as described above. Begins with a report from correspondent Rich Samuels on Sinese's life and career. He interviews filmmaker Dan Andries; Gary's father, Bob; high school classmates Barbara Fabbri Terrell, Steve Kiefus; and Ruth Esserman, former chair of Gary's high school fine arts department. Next, Gary Sinese joins John Callaway in the studio for a long conversation about his work. "'Chicago Tonight is to local broadcast news what "Nightline" is to the evening network newscasts-- a show that picks up where the headlines stop.' --The Daily Herald. "For more than a dozen years now, Chicago area viewers have turned to Chicago Tonight for in-depth reporting. One of the very few prime time news analysis programs in the country, Chicago Tonight regularly tackles the kind of news that television increasingly avoids. Politics, the economy, urban planning, and the arts are among the bread-and-butter issues that Chicago Tonight regularly devotes a full half-hour to four nights a week. "With a small staff, tight budget and shot deadlines, Chicago Tonight consistently goes after complex stories and succeeds in producing balanced, compelling, intelligent television. "Our entry includes a brief summary of the 203 programs produced last year, as well as tapes of five programs that demonstrate the quality and range of the series. 'Interest Rates' looks at the impact of a recent Federal Reserve Board decision to hold the line on interest rates. 'Civility and Political Correctness' is a good-humored examination of the state of our moral compass in the wake of the Roberto Alomar spitting incident. 'Gary Sinise' is a different kind of celebrity interview. 'Welfare Reform' assesses the state of welfare reform in Illinois. 'Property Transfer Tax' chronicles a local tax revolt brought on by attempts to push through a record-breaking increase."--1996 Peabody Awards entry form.