You're only as good as your last picture

Guess what movie the NBC publicists chose to "identify" Donald Sutherland on their website page for Crossing Lines? (Hint: It ain't M*A*S*H.)

Louder than words

I can't blame the folks at NBC for wanting to hype their exclusive. But why do I have the horrible, horrible suspicion that this image -- clearly a pose inspired by action movie iconography -- soon will be seen on T-shirts everywhere?

Long form or short blasts? Blue skies or 'Raines'?

Peter Lauria reports: "Underlying the online video joint venture between NBC and News Corp. is a risky gamble that the Internet audience will evolve from watching short clips to a long-form viewing culture. While the as yet unnamed venture will feature shorts and clips, the primary driver of the site is the full-length television episodes and movies that make up both companies' content libraries."

NBC and News Corp. "appear to be betting that the next wave of online video viewers will want professionally produced, long-form video rather than user-generated, short, frenetic blasts of entertainment.

"Others, however, are willing to lay serious odds that they won't."

Want to decide for yourself if you're up for long-form entertainment on your computer? Then check out an episode of Raines, a very promising new series staring Jeff Goldblum. The pilot, directed by Frank Darabont (of Shawshank Redemption fame), is particularly clever -- with a twist that, I must admit, I didn't see coming.