Variety reports that Gary will narrate Discovery Channel’s six-hour miniseries  ”When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions.”  (Some of you may recall that Gary previously narrated ”Inside the Space Shuttle” for Discovery in 1998.) 

This special series marks NASA’s 50th anniversary.  John Ford, Discovery Channel’s prexy general manager, is quoted in the Variety piece: “The story of NASA is really America’s story — people coming together with grit, audaciousness and determination. Gary’s stirring but straightforward narration conveys that perfectly.”

“When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions” airs Sunday, June 8, at 9 p.m. and continues over the following two Sundays (June 15 and 22).  

It’s been rather quiet in the wake of the writer’s strike, but now that it’s over, you can look forward to CSI:NY returning to your screens for new episodes. The Futon Critic reports that seven new episodes will air this spring, starting on April 2. CBS has already renewed the show for season 5, which will start in the fall.

TV Guide has reported that Jessalyn Gilsig (Nip/Tuck, Boston Public, Heroes) will be joining the cast for three episodes as a new love interest for Gary’s character, Mac Taylor.

There’s a new CSI:NY Wiki — be sure to check it out!

In addition to season 3 on DVD, which is coming out on October 9, on the same day a three-season pack will be released. You can pre-order both now at Amazon.com.

Season 4 premieres in the US on Wednesday, September 26.

CSI Stuff:

• Season 4 of CSI: New York will be premiering on CBS on Wednesday, September 26 at 10 pm ET/PT.
• The third season of CSI: New York is now available for pre-order at Amazon.com.
• The UK’s Daily Mail has an interview with Gary. (Thanks to Bettina for the link.)
• Gary will apparently appear on CSI mothership this year on a night of crossovers.

LDB Updates:

• Pictures from the band’s recent European trip are available in the LDB’s gallery.
• Two current dates are scheduled in July and August:  July 21 in Catingy Park, Illinois, and August 11 in Brooklyn, New York.

Gary is also scheduled to return to Epcot Center this year for the Candlelight Processional, December 23-25.

Finally, even though we haven’t been blogging about it, we’re well aware of the persistent Star Trek rumors… you can stop emailing us about them, honest!   We’re told that official announcements will be made at Comic-Con next week, so that should settle the matter one way or the other.  (And just for the record, I’d personally be thrilled if it were true.)

Our friends at tvshowsondvd.com posted today that CBS/Paramount has announced that season 3 of CSI:NY will be released on DVD on October 9.  It’s not available for pre-order at Amazon yet, but we’ll let you know when that changes.

Amazon.com now has a service called Unbox, which allows you to download video content, like movies and TV episodes, directly to your PC or TiVo. CSI: New York is among the TV shows they’re offering.

I haven’t tried the PC version, but I have used it with my series 2 TiVo, and I was quite pleased with how simple it was. The quality is at least as good as my cable TV, it’s commercial free, and I can keep the episodes for as long as I want. (Please note that some items are “rentals,” meaning you can only keep them for a certain amount of time. Most TV shows seem to be for “sale,” meaning you can keep them indefinitely, but read the information provided.)

I wouldn’t use this service instead of purchasing a whole season on DVD, but for $1.99 each, it’s a good alternative to waiting for reruns if you miss an episode.

If you are a TiVo user, you’ll need to go to here first to connect your TiVo and Amazon accounts. If you use a PC, follow the instructions for downloading the software you’ll need.

In the interests of full disclosure, yes, we’re an Amazon affiliate — it helps pay for this site and keeps it ad-free. If you use our links, we do get a small commission at no cost to you (and believe me, 3-5% of $1.99 is quite small). Mostly, I’m posting about this because I think it’s a cool service, especially if you have a TiVo.

TV Week is featuring an interview with CSI:NY creator Anthony Zuiker after each new episode.  It’s available through audio download or to read via transcript.  Click here for more information.

An AP article on the distinctiveness of CSI:NY includes an interview with Gary.

Gary talked with Andrea Roane of WUSA Channel 9 earlier today about Fisher House and the Lt. Dan Band concert Saturday at the Washington Auto Show to raise funds for that organization. He also talked briefly about OIC. Video of that interview is on-line here.

Photo from www.wusa9.com

Note: Not sure how long the video will be available so check it out soon.

CBN News will broadcast an exclusive interview with Gary next week. We’ll post the date and time once we have it. In the meantime, click here for a short piece and video clip from today’s broadcast including a snippet of Gary’s speech earlier today.

Also, Into the Fire, the 90-minute documentary funded and presented by Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company, will have an encore presentation on Feb. 11 at 1 p.m. EST on The History Channel.

Greetings and happy 2007! We hope you all had a great holiday season. Now that the last carol has been sung, the final champagne cork popped, etc., we’ve got some news to catch you up on.

• A New Year’s message from Gary, as well as new concert dates, have been posted on the Lt. Dan Band web site.
  
• You might remember that Gary and the LDB performed for Operation Support Our Troops Illinois back in July. A chunk of the funds raised at that event have gone to help provide internet access to wounded veterans at the Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital in Maywood, Ill. (If any of you are visiting — a very special hello!)
  
• Kim Basinger and Gary are officially the new ambassadors for Swiss watchmaker Baume & Mercier. They participated in a photo session with celebrity photographers Jeff Lipsky and Black Little. The proceeds from the rights to the images have been donated to charitable organizations - environmental protection and the education of underprivileged children, two causes supported by Baume & Mercier’s charitable campaign. You can see one of the photos of Gary here.
  
• Open Season will be released on DVD on January 30.
  
• Gary was mentioned in an article about celebrity philanthropy in the Ottawa Sun.
  
• In an article about the CSI franchise from the Independent (UK) (via tvgrapevine.com) Gary’s character is referred to as “the most modern and complex and the least archetypal of the trio, his greyness suiting the post-September 11 Manhattan location.” And the National Post (Canada) has a Q&A with CSI creator Anthony Zuiker.
  
• Finally, OMG, are people really still asking this question? (At least they are asking someone who isn’t me.) Did this guy miss the first hour of Forrest Gump? Really, I want to know.

Here’s a (hopefully permanent) link to the TV Guide story on CSI:NY. Don’t miss it! And be sure to buy the December 4 issue from a newsstand while there are still a few around.

If you aren’t a subscriber, grab a copy of the December 4 TV Guide at the supermarket this week! Gary and Melina Kanakaredes are on the cover, and there’s a nice story about CSI:NY inside.

You can see a preview of the article and a small version of the cover here (this link will only work for about a week).

A one-hour program featuring actor Gary Sinise and his Lt. Dan Band will be broadcast at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. today on Naperville Community Television Channel 17.

The program was recorded July 22 at Cantigny in Wheaton, where the band performed a benefit concert for Operation Support Our Troops of Illinois. The program also features Naperville Mayor George Pradel singing the national anthem.

The program will be sent to Wheaton’s adopted 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division stationed in Iraq. Operation Support Our Troops of Illinois will also be shipping the program to its troops.

For information on air dates and times, visit NCTV17.com.

On Wednesday, November 15th, Gary is scheduled to appear on CBS’ “The Early Show”.

If video becomes available, we’ll post it here.