Tuning In to TV

Bias’ legacy

More than 20 years after Len Bias’ cocaine overdose, the legend of the University of Maryland basketball star’s life — and his death — lives on.

A new ESPN documentary, “Without Bias,” premiering at 8 p.m. Tuesday, looks at what happened that night in June 1986, as well as how Bias’ death changed the lives of his teammates, the Maryland basketball program and how America looked at casual drug use.

Bias died on campus two days after he was the Boston Celtics’ top pick in the NBA draft. Questions still linger: What kind of pro player could he have been? How could he go on a cocaine binge? Was he a habitual drug user, or was this a random post-draft celebration?

His former teammates’ nerves were raw that night — the movie plays the tape of the 911 call — and are still raw 23 years later.

“The whole atmosphere changed in the room,” his friend Brian Tribble, who called for help that fateful night, says in the movie. “It turned from everyone’s celebration to ‘Len Bias. What’s going on? Why is he having a seizure? Healthy, strong Len Bias. We worked out together. I know this is not going to end in a tragedy.’”

It did end in tragedy, and director Kirk Fraser uses dozens of interviews with Bias’ closest teammates, friends and family in an effort to determine exactly what happened.

— Karen Goldberg Goff

‘Southland’ saved

Cable network TNT says it has rescued the shot-down NBC cop drama “Southland” and will bring it back in the new year, Associated Press reports.

Beginning Jan. 12, TNT will broadcast all six episodes that were shot by NBC for its aborted second season, as well as the first season’s seven episodes.

Produced by John Wells of “ER” fame, “Southland” won good reviews but not-so-good ratings when it premiered in spring on NBC. It was renewed for this fall, but NBC canceled it before its scheduled October return.

Set in Los Angeles, the gritty drama stars Ben McKenzie, Regina King and Tom Everett Scott, among others.

Back on ‘24’

You haven’t heard the last of former President Charles Logan on “24.” Fox announced Monday that actor Gregory Itzin will reprise his role as the disgraced chief executive on the eighth season of the TV action drama, according to AP.

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