TV critics are really irritated by Maria Bello's fedora in the new NBC drama Prime Suspect and they're doing everything in their power to get it to go away.
First, they went to NBC's head of entertainment Robert Greenblatt, who said:
"I like the hat. It’s iconic and, you know … [1970s Kojak star] Telly Savalas, didn’t he have a hat? … I hope you all write about the hat."
Not happy with that answer, they moved on to executive producer Alexandra Cunningham and told her it's both distracting and outdated. Her response?
"It’s very accurate in terms of NYPD detectives. They all seem to wear hats. I don’t know whether it’s a weather thing or whether it’s one of the only fashion statements they can make, considering how buttoned down they all have to be. But I was surprised by the number of fedoras, especially given it’s 2011. So it’s Maria’s iconic idiosyncrasy."
Alright, and what about Maria Bello. Does wearing the hat bother her? Nope! Not even close. Bello says:
"I was obsessed with the hat. Yes. I feel like it’s my magic hat. When I put it on, I was this character. It felt right to me. It felt like this is who Jane is. And I got it from my friend Claire. The first night I ever met her, she handed me the hat. She said, ‘This belongs to you.’ And I put it on, and for me, it’s Jane Timoney."
And there you have it.
Remember critics, there's a reason why you're writing about TV shows and not fashion.
[Image courtesy of NBC.]
Tags: distracting, fedora, hat, maria bello, prime suspect, robert greenblatt
