Ever since the 20th anniversary of the CBS news magazine 60 Minutes in 1988, it has been the network's policy to issue, at five-year intervals, a retrospective of the program's most memorable moments. The 2003 edition, 35 Years and 60 Minutes, is like its predecessors, a fascinating mosaic of filmed and taped excerpts from past 60 Minutes installments. Hosted by the indefatigable Mike Wallace, the special is divided into four segments: "Superstars and Celebrities" (Bette Davis, Charles Schulz, Jackie Gleason, Tom Hanks, Nicole Kidman, and virtually all presidents from Nixon to George W. Bush); "Asking Tough Questions" (featuring the surprise and outrage of the rich and famous as they are confronted with questions they either can't or don't want to answer); "Crooks and Con Men" (the liars, mountebanks, corrupt officials, and foreign despots who make life so interesting); and, inevitably, "Andy Rooney: Happy 35th Birthday" (Didja ever notice that Andy Rooney never really said "Didja ever notice?"). While many of the clips seen in this special had done yeoman duty in earlier retrospectives, some of the highlights in 35 Years and 60 Minutes are shown for the first time in -- well, in nearly 35 years.
by Hal Erickson
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