Olmos portrays one more role model in 'Judge'

The battle of blockbuster legal novels can be fought on the bestseller list, but in the meantime Steve Martini's "The Judge" will enjoy its high-profile debut on NBC at 8 p.m. tonight.
   The four-hour miniseries tells of sloppy police corruption, and Judge Acosta (Edward James Olmos) is about to expose it in a grand jury investigation. Before he can, Acosta is framed and jailed by the crooked cops, and the judge is forced to ask a longtime rival lawyer, the passionate Paul Madriani (Chris Noth), to defend him.
   Even though Acosta had recently jailed Madriani for contempt of court, the lawyer accepts the case and pushes forward into an underworld of bribery and deceit. Helping him is his ex-girlfriend and lawyer buddy Catherine (Lolita Davidovich).
   "The Judge" marks the second time Olmos has played a judge (he portrayed one in an episode of "West Wing"). He also played a juror once in the recent TV adaptation of "12 Angry Men." Still the role of role model is nothing new to Olmos.
   "I've been a role model since the age of three," said Olmos on the telephone from Los Angeles. "I was crossing a street, and it was the main thoroughfare in East L.A., and I was following my brother. The light changed, and I panicked. We were so small that we shouldn't have been out there in the first place. I saw my sister, who was 11 months younger than I was - she was two and I was three - and then I grabbed her hand and started back.
   "I didn't know if I would have made it back across the street, but I know that my younger sister wouldn't have made it. Ever since then I realized that I was a model of behavior for my younger siblings. There are seven of us altogether."
   Public responsibility
   The fact that any Latino actor has shown so much public responsibility and portrayed such characters of authority with consistency says something about Olmos and the respect he's garnered over the years. While the representation of ethnic minorities on network TV and in film continues to be a problem, it's encouraging to see Olmos in a leading role in a major May sweeps miniseries.
   "Because of the delicacies of working with TV and motion pictures, and the lack of (ethnic) representation we've seen, and the kinds of feelings people have about working with minorities in this country, you have a different feeling on how to treat characters of ethnic descent," Olmos said about casting minority leads carefully - and not in an always-negative light.
   Olmos grew up in a neighborhood similar to that of "American Me," the 1992 film he directed and starred in about growing pains in East L.A.
   As a youth, Olmos got into sports instead of gangs, and he continued to stay away from trouble. Today his busy schedule includes speaking engagements to Boys and Girls Clubs across the country, and he stays closely in touch with world news - which plays a big part in his investment in "The Judge."
   The code of silence
   "I think Martini was really right on time with his concept of trying to deal with what's going on in the real world today," Olmos said. "This really is a story of what happens when two powerful entities collide - one is the judicial system and the other being the police department. Both are on the same side, but when they're at odds, it gets really difficult.
   "This is where Martini is really digging into what is happening today. It tackles years and years of internal affairs and breaking the code of silence."
   Although Olmos is well-versed in current affairs, he's not so familiar with pop culture. When shooting first began, Olmos was clueless as to why everyone on the set was calling his co-star Chris Noth "Mr. Big."
   "I had never seen his show ("Sex and the City"), so I couldn't understand why people would call him Mr. Big," said Olmos. "It would always be a little joke, and so I asked him why they were calling him that. I'd seen him on 'Law and Order' but never on 'Sex and the City.'"
   Other shows Olmos isn't watching are the ever-popular court shows. When asked which illustrious judge he preferred - Judge Joe Brown or Judge Judy - Olmos admitted being unfamiliar with either one.
   "I've never really been able to spend that much time on that kind of programming," Olmos said. "Judy is very strong, and I hear she has a lot of good programming."
   But some Olmos-related pop culture tidbits will never go away. He confessed to recently prodding on a new "Miami Vice" film.
   Dramatic portrayals
   "I tried to convince Universal that we should do the film," he said. "Something unusual happened with that program. Not only was it an interesting change of dramatic portrayals at the time, it really brought about a bunch of the changes (in TV). Not only did it do that, but today it is running more than anticipated - twice a day in the U.S. and Canada and all over the world. The program has found a new group of younger people who have found the program."
   Other highlights this week include:
  
   Sunday
   5 p.m. on Showtime: ORSON WELLES: THE ONE MAN BAND While Welles' career didn't involve a lot of movies, it did include several remarkable ones. The new documentary profiles the Hollywood wonder, possibly best known for directing, cowriting and starring in "Citizen Kane" at the tender age of 25.
   7 p.m. on CNBC: NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER "Surviving K2" takes viewers to K2, considered a more dangerous mountain to climb than Everest. Why do people try, even though many explorers have died trying? "Because it's there" just isn't a good enough explanation.
   8 p.m. on CBS: FOLLOW THE STARS HOME What does it take to recognize a true soul mate? A woman falls for a man who bolts when it becomes clear their daughter will be disabled. Is a better partner already in her life? Stars Kimberly Williams (far right, with Amanda Fein) and Campbell Scott.
   9 p.m. on HBO: BELLEVUE: INSIDE OUT The America Undercover documentary shares scenes from a year in the psychiatric emergency room of Bellevue Hospital in New York City.
  
   Monday
   8 p.m. on Lifetime: SEX, LIES & OBSESSION The stars of the teleflick about sex addiction are married in real life. Harry Hamlin and Lisa Rinna portray a couple trying to save their marriage after alarming news about his private life.
  
   Tuesday
   7:30 p.m. on NBC: 3RD ROCK FROM THE SUN The arc that concludes the season begins. The three-part episode involves the return of John Cleese as Dick's alien nemesis and admirer of Mary. The series ends an award-winning six-season run with a one-hour show on May 22.
  
   Wednesday
   7 p.m. on CBS: THE 36TH ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS LeAnn Rimes hosts the celebration of excellence in country music, shown live from the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles. Look for about a zillion big names in country music to sing their favorite ditties.
   9 p.m. on E!: CELEBRITY PROFILE Judge Judy Sheindlin wasn't born shushing the sassy. Learn the life story of the big personality that makes "The Judge Judy Show" work.
  
   Thursday
   7:30 p.m. on NBC: THE WEAKEST LINK Contestants from Survivor appear on a different kind of survival show. Richard Hatch, Susan Hawk, Sean Kenniff, Ramona Gray, Gretchen Cordy and Joel Klug face quizmaster Anne Robinson.
   8 p.m. on PBS: ISLAM: EMPIRE OF FAITH The first thousand years of Islam are explored, from the life of Muhammad through the growth of the faith to the Mongol invasion.
  
   Friday
   8 p.m. on ABC: WINGSPAN Observations by Paul McCartney provide the structure for the documentary about the early years of his relationship with Linda and their band Wings. Was it hard for him when his new, post-Beatles band started out modestly?
  
   Saturday
   8 p.m. on Fox: AMERICA'S MOST WANTED: AMERICA FIGHTS BACK As the nation prepares for the execution of terrorist Timothy McVeigh, the bomber is profiled.
  

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