Washington        It was pure luck.  I had spent the day running around DC in different meetings and then catching the end of the Hillary speech and the whole Edwards stemwinder at the SEIU Member Political Action Conference before schlepping up to the Days’ Inn in the far reaches of Connecticut Avenue.  The television was on as I answered email and all of sudden I realized I was watching some cop show set in New Orleans, and I didn’t hate it.

    This was “K-ville” with Anthony Anderson in the lead and his white-cop buddy, Cole Hauser, as his new partner.  The show was spiced with allusions to what had really been and some of what still is that helped establish some authenticity.  Anderson, as Boulet, lives in the 9th Ward and really wants the neighborhood to come back and is committed to it.  He’s trying to convince his wife and daughter to come back as well from Atlanta.  The plot included some swipes at a “Black River” security operation of semi-thugs that is reminiscent of the Iraq and post-Katrina real security mercenaries, Blackwater.  And, more powerfully, they are dealing with the “shrunken footprint” rebuilding issue since the plot hinged on the mysterious buying of houses in the 9th Ward by shadowy concerns trying to prevent the repopulation of lower income African Americans.  In other words some of this, both fact and fiction, was way too close to home!

    Obviously the filming was set in New Orleans so for those of us who live there, it was nice to see the bridge, street scenes, and other signs of home.  It actually was a pretty fast paced and exciting show, so I found it much more engaging than email.  I don’t know that that’s a rave recommendation, but this sure is a show I would like to make it with someone besides those of us fighting the aftermath of the storm.