thursday
Clark Gable was born on this date in 1901, what better excuse to watch some of his movies? He’s one of my favorite movie stars of all time, with good reason (watch any of these films and you’ll see what I mean).
Turner Classic Movies celebrates with nothing but Gable today, including: Test Pilot (TCM, 11:30am), San Francisco (TCM, 1:30pm), Mutiny on the Bounty (TCM, 3:30pm), and the special Clark Gable: Tall, Dark, and Handsome (TCM, 6pm).
The less I say about the “Between the Darkness and the Light” episode of Babylon 5 (Sci-Fi, 6pm, letterboxed), the better– especially if you’ve never seen it before. I can’t wait to see it again.
Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe in their final film roles in The Misfits (TCM, 7pm). Directed by John Huston. More Gable in The King and Four Queens (TCM, 9:30pm, letterboxed), Mogambo (TCM, 11pm), Command Decision (TCM, 1am), and The Hucksters (TCM, 3am).
Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable in Frank Capra’s It Happened One Night (AMC, 12:45pm, 7pm, 1:45am). One of my all-time favorite films, it’s terribly funny and charming. Followed by Gable in It Started in Naples (AMC, 9pm) and The Tall Men (AMC, 11:30pm, letterboxed).
If it’s February, it must be sweeps time. Which means the networks will be hauling out new episodes of most shows and specials and just plain doing their darndest to earn your eyeballs. Um. Or something.
There’s a new episode of Survivor II (CBS, 7pm), but then you know that.
And it’s up against a 40-minute episode of Friends (NBC, 7pm) that features guest star Jason Alexander. It’s followed by a 20-minute installment of Saturday Night Live (um, but it’s on Thursday? um . . . ).
Alas, Gilmore Girls isn’t on tonight or I’d have an easy time picking it over those options, that’s for sure. (A rerun of Charmed (WB, 7pm) airs in its place). Or you could watch two episodes of Whose Line Is It Anyway? (ABC, 7pm, 7:30pm).
C.S.I. (CBS, 8pm) moves out of it’s Friday night timeslot to it’s new Thursday-following-Survivor slot. Yeah, CBS hopes the show will pull in even more viewers than it already does (and I bet it will, too).
Patrick Dempsey guest stars on Will & Grace (NBC, 8pm).
Mark is still feeling the aftereffects of brain surgery (I should think so!) and the ER (NBC, 9pm) is filled with victims of a nasty fire.
Two more of the very best episodes of Sports Night (Comedy Central, 9pm and 9:30pm; will air again Friday at 5pm and 5:30pm). “Six Southern Men of Tennesee” never fails to move me (and I’ve watched it at least 20 times by now) and “Sally” is pretty darn good, too.
Tim Blake Nelson (of O Brother, Where Art Thou?) on The Daily Show (Comedy Central, 10pm).
Crosetti’s old cases are handed out in the “Nothing Personal” episode of Homicide: Life on the Street (Court TV, 10pm), which puts Kay’s 100% clearance rate in jeopardy.
Keanu Reeves on The Late Show (CBS, 10:35pm).
Brad Pitt, Beck on The Tonight Show (NBC, 10:35pm).
Dolly Parton on Late Night (NBC, check your local listings).
Another half hour of SCTV (NBC, check your local listings).
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