THE DAILY NEWS WATCH-O-RAMA HIGHLIGHTS AND LOWLIGHTS OF THE COMING TV WEEK.Byline: David Kronke ``Mighty Times: The Legacy of Rosa Parks'' (HBO Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) A form of oxygen therapy in which the patient breathes oxygen in a pressurized chamber. Mentioned in: Ozone Therapy ; tonight at 7, Wednesday at 10:15 p.m.) Think: Montgomery's famous bus boycott, begun by an unlikely if brave young woman, is revisited. Don't think: Why would anyone even want to live in Montgomery back then? Even Rosa's brother reasonably fled Alabama. In a nutshell: Stylishly executed - its music and editing suggests this could be shown on MTV MTV in full Music Television U.S. cable television network, established in 1980 to present videos of musicians and singers performing new rock music. MTV won a wide following among rock-music fans worldwide and greatly affected the popular-music business. - but it still hits all the cogent facts and issues with undeniable power. ``Sisters in Cinema'' (Black Starz!; tonight at 8) Think: Director/narrator Yvonne Welborn traces the admittedly threadbare world of African-American female filmmakers. Don't think: So this thing should run about five minutes, right? In a nutshell: That Welborn has so little to report is a serious indictment against Hollywood, but, alas, doesn't make for much of a documentary. Her lack of access to significant film clips is problematic, as well. ``Red Cap'' (BBC America; Monday at 8 p.m.) Think: A British ``JAG:'' Tamzin Outhwaite stars as a member of the Special Investigations Branch, which looks into crimes committed against or by members of the British Army. Don't think: Outhwaite's encouraged to use her ``feminine wiles'' to solve the crime - why didn't this originate here in the States? In a nutshell: Tonight, a Bosnian war criminal is sought, and our hero has gotten cozy with a traitor - the sort of convenient dramatic folderol fol·de·rol also fal·de·ral n. 1. Foolishness; nonsense. 2. A trifle; a gewgaw. [From a nonsense refrain in some old songs.] Noun 1. we'd expect from American TV. Yet it's brought off with a smidgen more grit and panache than we'd ordinarily see here. ``Tupperware!'' (KCET KCET Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo (Japan) KCET Kamaraj College of Engineering and Technology ; Monday at 9 p.m.) Think: A kitschy, archival-footage-rich ``American Experience'' documentary on the economic and social revolution afforded by the polyethylene burping containers, created by the same guy who devised the ``fish-powered boat'' and made famous by an ambitious single mother. Don't think: How did they sell a product aimed at adults on its ability to burp burp n. Noisy expulsion of gas from the stomach through the mouth. v. 1. To expel gas from the stomach through the mouth. 2. To cause a baby to expel gas from the stomach, as by patting the back after feeding. ? That is, a product that isn't a novelty fish on a plaque? In a nutshell: Given the subject matter, it's surprisingly entertaining and informative. ``Everwood'' (The WB Channel 5; Monday at 9 p.m.) Think: Ephram (Gregory Smith), Amy (Emily VanCamp) and Dr. Brown (Treat Williams) all consider getting busy - no, not with one another; with their significant others (Sarah Lancaster, Paul Wasilewski and Marcia Cross, respectively). Don't think: Wager among your friends as to who gets busted - or busts - first. In a nutshell: It's helpful to have such sensitive, articulate teen characters to explicate the pros and cons pros and cons Noun, pl the advantages and disadvantages of a situation [Latin pro for + con(tra) against] of making such a big move for young viewers. Thoughtfully rendered fodder for more realistic parent-kid discussions. ``Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property'' (KCET; Wednesday at 10 p.m.) Think: ``Independent Lens'' re-enactment of the bloody rebellion led by the enraged en·rage tr.v. en·raged, en·rag·ing, en·rag·es To put into a rage; infuriate. [Middle English *enragen, from Old French enrager : en-, causative pref. slave. Don't think: Hundreds of well-armed whites took on a couple of dozen slaves? Whites must be so proud. In a nutshell: Alternately cheesy cheesy (che´ze) caseous. and grisly re-enactments can't dilute the power of the reportage. ``Crank Yankers'' (Comedy Central; Tuesday at 10:30 p.m.) Think: Jimmy Kimmel's program of puppets re-enacting prank phone calls returns. Highlights: Complaining about obscene stuffed animals; a hotel concierge annoys a patron who shares his religious beliefs with him; Kimmel even recruits his daughter to annoy a professional tutor. Don't think: You can get a TV show doing this? I should've explained that to my parents when I was a kid. In a nutshell: Funny stuff, if oversold Oversold In technical analysis, it is a market in which the volume of selling that has occurred is greater than the fundamentals justify. Notes: It is the opposite of overbought. by the visuals. But someone definitely needs to find Sarah Silverman (who plays the affronted teddy-bear patron) a project worthy of her talents. ``The Medici Medici, Italian family Medici (mĕ`dĭchē, Ital. mā`dēchē), Italian family that directed the destinies of Florence from the 15th cent. until 1737. : Godfathers of the Renaissance'' (KCET; Wednesday at 8 p.m.) Think: ``Sopranos, The Early Years'': Italian cutthroats ruthlessly seize power yet somehow manage to cultivate a cultural revolution. Don't think: Couldn't the narrator NARRATOR. A pleader who draws narrs serviens narrator, a sergeant at law. Fleta, 1. 2, c. 37. Obsolete. , with his melodramatically accented whispers, dial down the histrionics a notch or two or five? In a nutshell: Overheated o·ver·heat v. o·ver·heat·ed, o·ver·heat·ing, o·ver·heats v.tr. 1. To heat too much. 2. To cause to become excited, agitated, or overstimulated. v.intr. re-enactments lead to a less than credible presentation of genuinely intriguing material. ``Without a Trace'' (CBS (Cell Broadcast Service) See cell broadcast. Channel 2; Thursday at 10 p.m.) Think: Malone (Golden Globe winner Anthony LaPaglia) and his crew investigate the disappearance of a middle-schooler - was he bullied or a bully? Don't think: This episode's depiction of high-school hierarchies is even weirder and nastier than I recall, and it was pretty awful then. In a nutshell: Competent, bizarre crime-procedural drama distinguishes itself amid a prime-time schedule awash with same. The over-under for ``Without a Trace's'' overtaking ``ER'' in the ratings - fall 2004, if not this spring. ``The Perfect Husband: The Laci Peterson Story'' (USA Network; Friday at 8 p.m.) Think: Dean Cain stars as Scott Peterson, notorious - yet, at this point, unconvicted - lousy husband, in a slapdash slap·dash adj. Hasty and careless, as in execution: slapdash work. adv. In a reckless haphazard manner. re-enactment of the tabloid case; even the title doesn't make sense if you think about it. Don't think: This is only the second-worst thing that has been done to Laci. In a nutshell: The rush job is evident everywhere, not least in the lame performances. Would it kill filmmakers to wait until all facts are in before hacking out their sleaze-ploitation flicks? David Kronke, (818) 713-3638 david.kronke(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: ``CRACK YANKERS'' |
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