Jeanne Jakle: Eva's 'E!' story tribute-like

[SAGA]

Web Posted: 05/20/2009 12:00 CDT
Jeanne Jakle: Eva's 'E!' story tribute-like


San Antonio TV viewers may be especially interested in Wednesday night's "E! True Hollywood Story" as its subject is a celebrity with a special connection to the Alamo City, Eva Longoria Parker.

Her hubby, Spur Tony Parker, also plays a sizable role in the hour-long profile, which premieres at 9 p.m. on E!.

Right off the bat, we see footage of the couple enjoying a New Year's 2009 party in Longoria Parker's restaurant, Beso. We watch as, in the half-darkness, Eva and Tony share a midnight kiss.

What doesn't play much of a role in the documentary is the city of San Antonio. Executive producer Suzanne Ross explained that most of the profile was filmed in the actress' other home city, Los Angeles, where dozens of stars, friends, TV producers and others weighed in on Longoria Parker.

Though "Housewives" co-star Ricardo Chavira makes his home in San Antonio, he, too, was interviewed in Los Angeles.

So, how juicy does the hour get? Will we get deep, dark revelations about the smiling beauty?

Not really. As Ross emphasized in our interview, the E! series didn't "go into dark alleys."

"The title throws people off," she said. " 'True Hollywood Story' is not as sordid as it's sometimes made out to be."

The majority of this piece, in fact, plays like a love letter to the "Desperate Housewives" star, who's lauded for her drive, commitment to causes, hearty laugh and, of course, her sex appeal.

Neither Parker was interviewed for the special — because of scheduling problems, not because Eva wanted to distance herself, Ross said. In fact, her publicist, Liza Anderson, does participate.

There's certainly no shortage of interview footage of Eva, from her early days on soap "Young & the Restless" to her present status of A-list star of "Desperate Housewives." And the visual treats are plenty — photos and clips capture just about everything from her childhood in Corpus to her crowning as Miss Corpus Christi USA to her $1.5 million Paris wedding.

Some highlights: To pay for her own quinceaÒera, the young Eva worked at Wendy's.

And did you know that she ran to Vegas to marry her first husband, fellow soap star Tyler Christopher?

I particularly enjoyed footage of Longoria Parker at a Lakers-Spurs game in the Staples center, where, because she's such a staunch Spurs supporter, she's regularly booed.

The hour doesn't shy away completely from scandal. We hear again about that incident in San Antonio on Christmas Eve 2005 when Tony was stopped by a bike cop and issued a couple of citations. As for the police report's statements that the actress hurled insults at the officer, publicist Anderson rejects them once again as inaccurate.

Considering how positive the majority of this profile is, however, I'd be surprised if Eva raised one objection to what comes across as more tribute than exposé.

Jeanne Jakle: Eva's 'E!' story tribute-like