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Thursday morning

Featured picks:

Some episodes of Homicide: Life on the Street (Court TV, 8pm, 11pm, 2am) have it all: drama, comedy, plot-driven stuff and character-driven stuff. "Hate Crimes" is one of my favorite episodes because of the multiple plots which involve plenty of people and draw on events from the previous three seasons. Frank (Andre Braugher) and Tim (Kyle Secor) work what seems to be a hate crime and in the process discuss homosexuality, father-son relationships, and other issues. Mikey (Reed Diamond) and Meldrick (Clark Johnson) deal with a case that was mentioned during previous seasons-- and they end up interviewing Tom Marans (Dean Winters) even though Kay (Melissa Leo) thinks the case is hers and she should be more involved. Meanwhile, everyone's trying to make plans for Thanksgiving. There may be other episodes that I consider better-done, but this is probably the episode (outside of the pilot) that I've watched the most times. Written by James Yoshimura & Tom Fontana, directed by Peter Weller. Featuring the song "What A Good Boy" by the Barenaked Ladies.

More picks:

Darren McGavin guest stars as Mad Buck Gibson on Magnum, P.I. (A&E, 10am and 4pm).

"A depressed man hires a hit man to kill him after his wife dies, then desperately seeks Dave and Maddie's help to call him off when he sees his supposedly dead wife alive" on Moonlighting (Bravo, 11am and 6pm).

James Stewart in Harvey (TCM, 7pm), The Man from Laramie (TCM, 9pm, letterboxed), Anatomy of a Murder (TCM, 11pm), and The FBI Story (TCM, 2am).

Well, TV Guide claims this week's episode of City of Angels (CBS, 7pm) is the best yet. I've gotta say, the show hasn't really grabbed me. Honestly, I almost started writing about last week's episode of Chicago Hope here because it was memorable, had plenty of black characters in it, and seemed more like what I thought City of Angels was shooting for than City itself. If this show gets canned, it'll be for poor writing, not 'cuz of the racial makeup of the cast.

I think I might rather watch Don Franklin alongside Anthony LaPaglia in 7 Days (UPN, 7pm) rather than Blair Underwood's snoozy doc on City of Angels.

Just what the world needs, another expose type show like On Thin Ice: The Dark Side of Skating (FOX, 7pm). I've seen the dark side and it was Oksana Bayul (which I probably spelled wrong) this past weekend, clearly high as a kite . . . wearing a hideous outfit. My favorite moment was when the commentator commented on her routine: "That was different."

Danny's father dies and Norm (ABC, 7:30pm) has to face his fear of death as Danny learns about his Dad's double life.

Crewmembers on Star Trek: Voyager (UPN, 8pm) are tormented by memories of a massacre on an alien world, they experience guilt and post-traumatic stress and eventually return to the planet to try to find out what really happened. Did they wipe out an alien race? Or is it all some sort of mind trick? I've gotta say, Voyager has been pretty darn good this year-- it's no Deep Space Nine, but it's been interesting and fun.

Find out why the Sheriff in Roswell (WB, 8pm) is so obsessed with aliens and watch as an alien hunter attends a UFO convention hosted by Jonathan Frakes. I really really really keep meaning to check this show out, I'm intrigued based on commercials and synopsis and stuff. Anyone out there watching it? Thumbs up or thumbs down? Pity it's opposite Voyager and The West Wing or it'd probably get a bigger audience. Or at least I'd've tried it by now. Perhaps tonight, as The West Wing is a rerun and I can always catch Voyager later in the week (check yer local listings).

The West Wing (NBC, 8pm) is a rerun of the one where Leo's wife leaves him as our West Wing gang works long hours trying to get a gun bill passed when they're "Five Votes Down."

Scott Bakula, Richard Thomas and Amy Madigan star in In the Name of the People (CBS, 8pm) which is a made-for-TV movie that deals with the death penalty.

Not long after Scully's Mom picks out a gravestone for her daughter, Scully is mysteriously returned to a hospital in the "One Breath" episode of The X-Files (FX, 8pm). What happened to her? Will she survive? Should they pull the plug? And why are Scully's breasts so huge? (Oh wait, that's 'cuz in real life Gillian Anderson had Just Had A Baby). It's a gorgeous episode, actually.

"After a near-miss encounter with a hit man, Chance decides to stand and fight Calder" on Eighteen Wheels of Justice (TNN, 8pm). Lucky Vanous, G. Gordon Liddy, and Billy Dee Williams star (a.k.a. hunky, chunky, and funky) alongside a talking semi-truck. No, I don't make this stuff up.

Cary Grant and Sophia Loren in Houseboat (AMC, 9pm and 2:45am).

Searching for the Promised Land (ABC, 9pm) chronicles the last days of Martin Luther King, Junior.

Another first season episode of Tom Fontana's OZ (HBO, 9pm). Great cast and so forth, but it ain't for the squeamish.

Law and Order (NBC, 9pm) is a rerun of the one where a 15-year-old girl is murdered and it creates a big scandal for two wealthy families. A strong, even clever episode that keeps you guessing.

Alec Baldwin and Andre Braugher in Thick as Thieves (HBO, 10pm). "A career thief with a soft spot for his aging dog clashes with a flashy local gangster." Supposed to be really good, I wanna see it already (I know, I know, it's about time I broke down and got HBO).

The Daily Show: Focus on New Hampshire (Comedy Central, 10pm) looks at ye olde presidential race. Bob Dole is on hand to help out (really!). Should be fun.

Another pick from the viewers of The Late Show w/ David Letterman (CBS, 10:35pm): John Travolta, director John Sayles, musical group Presidents of the USA, and Dave Works The Taco Bell Drive-Thru (from June 21, 1996)

Kelsey Grammer, Amy Brenneman on The Tonight Show (NBC, 10:35pm).

David Arquette, S. Epatha Merkerson (of Law & Order) on Late Night w/ Conan O'Brien (NBC, check local listings).

More TV stuff (links, quotations, commentary, news) in my weblog.

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