Doing 'LAX'

In a package tied to the new Heather Locklear-Blair Underwood series "LAX," USA Today's Chris Woodyard writes about the complexities of filming at the airport in these high-security times. L.A. International is a popular location, of course, with as many as five filming projects some days. It's deemed worth the inconvenience to travelers because of the political desire to stem runaway production. But background checks can be required of crew members, a cop is assigned to each weapon used, and any stray equipment stands the risk of being tagged suspicious and forcing an evacuation. The USA Today piece opens, in fact, with a traveler being rushed out of Terminal Six during a bomb scare last week and asking, "Is this real or part of the TV show?" As for the NBC show, the paper's review this week calls "LAX" overly familiar: "pretty much 'Las Vegas' in an airport." Also: USA Today raises its price to 75 cents, which founder Al Neuharth calls "still a steal!"