Monday
Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (Bravo, noon) is about Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley, and the Algonquin Round Table. As you might expect, it’s packed to the gills with clever and acidic dialogue. Jennifer Jason Leigh is Parker and Campbell Scott is Benchley.
Breaking Away (ESPN Classic, 2:30pm) is a great movie about four Indiana high-school graduates, one of whom dreams of being an Italian bicycle racer. It’s got a young Dennis Quaid and Daniel Stern, and watching it will make you very sad that Stern’s career eventually deposited him in Home Alone 2.
Babylon 5 (Sci-Fi, 6pm) is back from its brief hiatus. I haven’t seen tonight’s episode (”Moments of Transition”) yet, but I can tell you that it involves Bester. I like Bester.
In the midst of all these reruns, I think the most important reason to watch television is to remind yourself of all the schedule changes. Because if you don’t get used to it, it may seem weird and off-putting to have 7th Heaven (WB, 7pm) be about Valentine’s Day and the twins’ birthday, and then have Angel (WB, 8pm) be about Harmony trying to be properly evil when she infiltrates a vampire pyramid scheme. That’s two hours of show that’s going to take some time to get used to.
David E. Kelley shows also take awhile to get used to. Generally, by the time I’m warming up to a Kelley series, it’s reached its third season and has gone dramatically downhill. Also, I’m not sure I like his affinity for guest stars. Boston Public (Fox, 7pm) has special guests Gina Phillips and Camryn Manheim; Ally McBeal (Fox, 8pm) has Fred Willard and Taye Diggs. Incidentally, Camryn Manheim is playing Ellenor Frutt, her character from The Practice. She’s also played this same character on Gideon’s Crossing, Ally McBeal, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Doesn’t that seem like a lot of shows to guest on, always playing the same character?
Hey! A Junkyard Wars (TLC, 7pm) I haven’t seen! It has something to do with missile launchers and a rugby football. Oh boy!
On RAW (TNN, 8pm), the WWF goes to Atlanta and tries to recover from the bad, bad treatment the crowd in Tacoma gave the “WCW Invasion” angle last week.
The Late Show (CBS, 10:35pm) has Reese Witherspoon pushing Legally Blonde. The Late Late Show (CBS, 11:35pm) has Lou Diamond Phillips and Yancy Butler.
The Tonight Show (NBC, 10:35pm) and Late Night with Conan O’Brien (NBC, 11:35pm) are both reruns. So to them, I say “phooey!”
