Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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Getting Away With Murder The Poisoner's Handbook recalls the heyday of cyanide and arsenic TV by DEAN ROBBINS You might not think you want to watch a two-hour documentary about chemicals. But The Poisoner's Handbook tells a fascinating tale about pioneers in the use of toxicology for criminal investigations and public health (Tuesday, 8 p.m., PBS). Charles Norris and Alexander Gettler began working in the New York City medical examiner's office in the early 1900s, when the public knew little about the chemicals suddenly flooding into American life. Sinister bartenders or hotel managers could easily poison someone and avoid detection. And corporations had no limits on what they could put on grocery store shelves. Take Radium Spray, advertised as a furniture polish, disinfectant and bug killer. Ah, the convenience! With single-minded zeal, Norris and Gettler used science to expose the dangers of such substances, leading to life-saving regulations (over the strenuous objections of industry and its political benefactors, of course). More colorfully, they used science to solve crimes involving arsenic, cyanide and other then-common tools of the murderer's trade. The documentary reenacts a series of such cases, featuring a rogue's gallery of evildoers. The crimes are gleefully explicated by Deborah Blum, author of the bestselling book version of The Poisoner's Handbook. In the most gruesome one, a man allegedly poisoned his family by mixing thallium into their cocoa tins. Norris and Gettler's investigations of this and other crimes were so successful that poisoning all but disappeared; murderers realized they couldn't get away with it anymore. The Poisoner's Handbook is guaranteed to keep you glued to the TV for two hours. It is also guaranteed to put you off cocoa and furniture polish for quite a while. Kim of Qeens Wednersday, 10 pm (Lifetime) I'm no fan of TV beauty pageants, but I'm a huge fan of this new reality series. Kim Gravel is a fierce, funny pageant coach from Georgia with an irresistibly down-toearth style. She's a natural-born TV star, what with her supreme confidence and salty pronouncements. Lord help you if you're a young lady in her program who's not trying hard enough. After watching her charges go through the motions during a practice session, Kim explodes: "I'm sick to death of seeing teenage girls so BORING! Where are the people with action and life and fabulousness and la-cucaracha-ness?" I'd never heard the phrase "la-cucarachaness" before, but I have no doubt what it means when delivered Kim of Queens in Kim's thick Georgia accent. She's trying to help immature girls make the transition to vibrant womanhood. You might doubt that beauty pageants are the best way to accomplish that goal, but it can be hard to argue with Kim's priorities. "I'm not trying to build little Barbies," she says. "I'm trying to build future leaders here." Rarely has the process of building future leaders been so much fun to watch. Kim spends most of the hour in a cynical mood about her girls, then bursts into pure, innocent joy when one of them wins a pageant. If this woman doesn't have "lacucaracha-ness," I don't know who does. Blood, Sweat and Heels Sunday, 9 pm (BRAVO) Bravo starts 2014 by sinking to the depths of reality TV. This new series gathers a random group of crude women in New York City (a realtor, a model, a blogger, etc.) and encourages them to snipe at each other. The activities include screaming, boozing, twerking and name-calling. "I can stop drinking whenever I want," model Mica snarls at another woman, "but you're gonna always look like Wesley Snipes!" This is what passes for a bon mot on Blood, Sweat and Heels. The good news is that 2014 TV can only get more classy from here. I mean, it couldn't get any less classy. (Please don't hold me to that.) For more information 910-486-5323 www.aatrnc.com unwaaynza R ag Extrav Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014 Crown Coliseum Ballroom Doors Open 6:00 p.m. Show Starts 7:00 p.m. $10 In Advance Can be purchased at An Affair To Remember $15 At The Door Prize drawings during event! 5407-A Ramsey St. • Across from Methodist University LIKE US ON FACEBOOK The Hair Villa 16 UCW JANUARY 1-7, 2014 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM