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).

Spike TV has begun airing CSI:NY’s first season late on Sunday nights (11 pm ET/PT). Check your local cable listings for details, or visit Spike TV’s website.

• Reviews of the season premiere of CSI:NY — at Blogcritics (hee: “I’m impressed with one thing. Gary Sinise can kiss!” and TV Squad.
• There really aren’t any yet, but reviews for Open Season will start appearing here (Rotten Tomatoes) and here (Metacritic) over the next few days.
• Gary will be in Washington, DC this week for the USO’s annual fundraising gala.
• Next new episode of CSI:NY — tomorrow night, entitled “Not What it Looks Like.” There’s a preview at the CBS web site.

• Hey! It’s finally here! The season premiere of CSI:New York can be seen tonight on CBS, 10 pm EDT/PDT. We’ve heard whispers that it’s not to be missed!
• Mission to Mars is discussed in a New York Times article on Brian De Palma (free reg. required).
• There’s a new Lt. Dan Band performance scheduled — on November 4 at the Crystal Palace in Bakersfield, California. Tickets go on sale Saturday.
• Reminder: the animated feature Open Season premieres next Friday, September 29, in both conventional theaters and IMAX 3-D. Gary is among the cast of voice talent which includes Martin Lawrence, Ashton Kutcher, Debra Messing, and Billy Connolly.

It’s been a quiet time as we wait for the new fall TV season to steamroll over our heads.

A couple of quick items:

– Mac Taylor is mentioned among other TV portrayals of 9/11 in this article

– Truman is mentioned among other historically based DVDs here.

Let us know if you have any hot news items! (Please!)

Potential spoilers follow! Look away now or forever hold your peace!

Are you sure?

Okay…

Several sources are reporting that 34-year-old actress Claire Forlani is joining the cast of CSI: New York for at least four episodes as a love interest for none other than Mac Taylor. She is listed in the IMDB as “Dr. Peyton Driscoll.”

Let’s hope this bodes well for a greater emphasis on character-driven stories this season.

The release date has been bumped to October 17, but you can now pre-order CSI: New York season 2 at Amazon.com. The preorder price is $45.99, discounted from the retail price of $64.99.

(Using our link helps keep this web site ad and popup free. Thanks!)

Our friends at TV Shows on DVD have a list of extras that will be featured on the DVD release of CSI:NY season 2. Check it out here.

We’ll post a pre-order link just as soon as it’s available.