Hall's Dexter rattles and bobbles

Sep 30, 2008 (The News & Observer - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- TWX | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- He didn't win a well-deserved Emmy two Sundays ago, but Raleigh homeboy Michael C. Hall has received an honor nearly as cool: his own bobblehead doll.

Hall, whose Showtime series "Dexter" began its third season this past Sunday at 9 p.m. with a brilliant first episode (Jimmy Smits has joined the cast!), was immortalized in this wobbly way by the fine folks at Bif Bang Pow! (and of course, anonymous artisans in China).

The company created by TV producer Jason Lenzi in 2005 is dedicated to producing action figures, toys and collectibles to a massive cult audience and "kids of all ages."

The bobblehead depiction of Hall as serial killer Dexter Morgan (check it out at bifbangpow.blogspot.com) doesn't quite capture the quiet, furrowed-brow psychosis of Hall's great performance, but it makes up for that with some dark humor (you gotta love those blood droplets on the face and shirt).

And what's that he's hiding behind his back? Oh, it's a bloody butcher knife! The little scamp!

Hall, who was raised in Raleigh and attended Ravenscroft School, was nominated this year for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. The award went to Bryan Cranston of AMC's "Breaking Bad."

It was the second Emmy nomination for Hall, who was recognized in 2002 for his lead role in HBO's "Six Feet Under."

A show about Shaw

If you didn't catch Monday night's premiere of "Shaw University Roundtable" on Cooperating Raleigh Colleges Channel 18, you'll have many more chances during the coming week.

The half-hour news and public issues program produced by mass communications students at Shaw University re-airs today at 12:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3 p.m., rand 11 p.m. It also airs throughout the week.

Hosted by Charleitta Herring, the first episode features reports about outside agitators provoking violence on Shaw's campus, and the effects -- good and bad -- of rising tuition costs.

Then Herring conducts a discussion on campus safety with Raleigh Police Chief Harry Dolan, N.C. State Police Chief Tom Younce and Meredith College Police Chief Frank Strickland. The program also features interviews with WRAL anchor Gerald Owens, and Jane Stancill, an editor at The News & Observer.

Shaw University is one of five area colleges and universities participating in a rotating TV schedule, much of which will consist of distance learning and campus events.

David Marshall, the executive producer of "Shaw University Roundtable," is an associate professor and department chairman of mass communications at Shaw University and a former reporter at NBC-17 in Raleigh.

Shaw decided to stand out by offering student-produced content, Marshall says, because of a belief that young people should use public access television more often as a vehicle for their voices to be heard.

On a pragmatic note, he says that producing such professional-looking content is good for a budding journalist's resume.

"When I got here, I discovered that a lot of students had good academic knowledge, but they didn't have any media products to put on their portfolios," he says.

The CRC channel is available to Time Warner Cable customers in Wake, Johnston and Franklin Counties.

Dole part of movie

Elizabeth Dole, the North Carolina Republican defending her seat in the U.S. Senate from Democrat Kay Hagan in a heated race, appears Monday in the premiere of a Sundance Channel film that showcases female senators elected in the 21st century.

As director Mary Lambert's "14 Women" points out, the first two election cycles raised the number of women in the U.S. Senate from nine to 14, a tally that includes the first female senators from North Carolina (Dole, elected in 2002) and Alaska (Lisa Murkowski, a Republican appointed in 2002 and elected in 2004).

Lambert, the sister of Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), presents an intimate portrait of these senators, in scenes from their offices and homes, the campaign trail and the floor of the Senate.

The documentary, narrated by actress Annette Bening, airs at 9 p.m.

danny.hooley@newsobserver.com or (919) 829-4728

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