THE DAILY NEWS WATCH-O-RAMA HIGHLIGHTS AND LOWLIGHTS OF THE COMING TV WEEK.Byline: David Kronke ``American Family: Journey of Dreams'' (KCET KCET Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo (Japan) KCET Kamaraj College of Engineering and Technology ; 7 tonight) Think: For the new season of the series about a contemporary Latino family, creator Gregory Nava crafts an ambitious story structure incorporating both the Mexican Revolution of 1910 and the current war with Iraq to lay out the Gonzalez family's entire history. Don't think: What's up with the magical realism? Isn't that for art films and cult novels rather than family TV dramas? Oh, it's PBS PBS in full Public Broadcasting Service Private, nonprofit U.S. corporation of public television stations. PBS provides its member stations, which are supported by public funds and private contributions rather than by commercials, with educational, cultural, ; it must be OK. In a nutshell: Tonight's episode focuses on the wedding celebration of Esteban (Esai Morales) and Ofelia (Kate del Castillo This article or section needs sources or references that appear in reliable, third-party publications. Alone, primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject of this article are not sufficient for an accurate encyclopedia article. ), dazzlingly told through gracefully fluid extended takes reintroducing all the characters. Next week, Conrado's (Yancey Arias) service in Iraq affects the entire family. Nava is taking the show into a whole new realm: It's early in the season's run, but it could prove to be one of the year's most rewarding viewing experiences. ``The Winning Season'' (TNT TNT: see trinitrotoluene. TNT in full trinitrotoluene Pale yellow, solid organic compound made by adding nitrate (−NO2) groups to toluene. ; 8, 10 and midnight tonight; 8 and 10 p.m. Wednesday and noon Saturday) Think: Loser kid (Mark Rendall) finds a magic baseball card that transports him back to 1909, where he befriends baseball great Honus Wagner (Matthew Modine) and his fiancee Mandy (Kristin Davis) during the World Series against the dreaded Detroit Tigers and the villainous Ty Cobb (William Lee Scott). Don't think: Beware films in which overpaid o·ver·pay v. o·ver·paid , o·ver·pay·ing, o·ver·pays v.tr. 1. To pay (a party) too much. 2. To pay an amount in excess of (a sum due). v.intr. To pay too much. stars are forced to recites lines such as ``Money's not the answer - it never is.'' Especially when the film itself comes perilously close to malarkey ma·lar·key also ma·lar·ky n. Slang Exaggerated or foolish talk, usually intended to deceive: "snookered by a lot of malarkey" New Republic. , which is certainly not the answer. In a nutshell: ``Jumpin' catfish! I got some explainin' to do!'' Honus declares in a scene that almost dares to be less than chaste. Wholesome hokum - certainly a change of pace for Davis - but no ``Field of Dreams.'' ``Coast to Coast'' (Showtime; 8 tonight; 12:30 p.m. Saturday) Think: A couple (Richard Dreyfuss, Judy Davis) about to split up take a cross-country road trip. Self-discovery ensues. Don't think: It's directed by Paul Mazursky and co-stars Maximilian Schell, Selma Blair and Fred Ward - how bad can it be? In a nutshell: This bad: It's written by Frederic Raphael (``Eyes Wide Shut''). As Dreyfuss' character is a sitcom writer, there are lots of quippy insults, but the characters aren't terribly empathetic. ``Sesame Street: The Street We Live On'' (KCET; 8 tonight) Think: 35th-anniversary prime-time special of the legendary kids' show. Don't think: Grover doesn't look a day over 27. But Elmo sure seems like the show's jump-the-shark moment. In a nutshell: Modest retrospective, with guests including Norah Jones and Julianne Moore. ``Peep and the Big Wide World'' (TLC TLC total lung capacity; thin-layer chromatography. TLC abbr. 1. thin-layer chromatography 2. ; 8 and 11 a.m. Monday through Friday) Think: Animated birds teach preschoolers science concepts, as narrated by Joan Cusack. Don't think: This just barely qualifies as animation, but preschoolers just barely qualify as discerning viewers. In a nutshell: For preschoolers, not parents, unless they've been lobotomized. ``Cecil B. DeMille Noun 1. Cecil B. DeMille - United States film maker remembered for his extravagant and spectacular epic productions (1881-1959) Cecil Blount DeMille, DeMille : American Epic'' (TCM (1) (Trellis-Coded Modulation/Viterbi Decoding) A technique that adds forward error correction to a modulation scheme by adding an additional bit to each baud. TCM is used with QAM modulation, for example. ; 8 and 11:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday) Think: Two-part documentary on the iconoclastic i·con·o·clast n. 1. One who attacks and seeks to overthrow traditional or popular ideas or institutions. 2. One who destroys sacred religious images. master of grandiose cinematic cheese, with Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese offering appreciations. DeMille films will be shown through each night. Don't think: Hasn't everyone from Hollywood's golden age been described as a domineering, larger-than-life genius? In a nutshell: Wednesday's installment includes cool footage of how special effects parted the Red Sea in 1956's ``The Ten Commandments.'' DeMille helped created Paramount Pictures; the stingy, shlocky regime in charge today might learn a thing or two. ``Gacaca, Living Together Again in Rwanda?''/ ``In Rwanda we say - The family that does not speak dies'' (Sundance Channel; 9 and 10 p.m. Monday) Think: On the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Rwandan genocide, in which at least half a million people were slaughtered in a matter of months, documentaries examine survivors, the killers and the massive judicial task facing the country. Don't think: More than 100,000 were detained as suspects in the massacres, providing enough material for Court TV for the next millennium. In a nutshell: The first film examines the monumental legal challenges; the second follows one suspect who is released and returns to his hometown. If it's difficult for us to process such savagery, consider the benumbed be·numb tr.v. be·numbed, be·numb·ing, be·numbs 1. To make numb, especially by cold. 2. To make inactive; dull: "The anesthetic afternoon benumbs, sickens our senses" , shell-shocked faces of those in these films. ``Tribute: A Rockumentary'' (Showtime; 9 p.m. Monday) Think: Documentary on the oddly impassioned members of tribute bands who mimic the look and sound of KISS, Judas Priest, the Monkees and Queen. Don't think: When someone told these guys to get a life, they probably didn't mean someone else's. In a nutshell: Is someone out there really clamoring for a Monkees tribute band? We also meet Superfan, a Queen addict who flew to Italy just to buy a Freddy Mercury clock for his shrine. Intriguing look at an eccentric subculture. ``24'' (Fox; 9 p.m. Tuesday) Think: The virus outbreak intensifies at the hotel; the president (Dennis Haysbert) negotiates with terrorists; Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) tears frantically around the city, variously shooting and getting shot at. Don't think: The ``real time'' gimmick only exists during each episode; between episodes, characters seem to be able to transport themselves great distances. And if the bad guy knows how dangerous the virus is, why is he still in L.A.? And why would he order the death of a CTU CTU Colorado Technical University CTU Czech Technical University in Prague CTU Counter Terrorist Unit CTU Clinical Trials Unit CTU Catholic Theological Union CTU Chicago Teachers Union CTU Computer Training Unit CTU Control Unit flunky flun·ky also flun·key n. pl. flun·kies also flun·keys 1. A person of slavish or unquestioning obedience; a lackey. 2. One who does menial or trivial work; a drudge. 3. when he knows Jack is his worst enemy? And why is Kim (Elisha Cuthbert) still around? And ... In a nutshell: Quit picking it apart, for heaven's sake - minute for minute, it's still compelling TV. Though after watching Michelle (Reiko Aylesworth) kick butt, it'd be a shame if she succumbed to the virus. (Odd, though, isn't it, that even though she was one of the first contaminated, everyone but her starts showing symptoms - stop! Quit analyzing!) ``My Family'' (BBC America; 8 p.m. Wednesday) Think: British sitcom about a beleaguered be·lea·guer tr.v. be·lea·guered, be·lea·guer·ing, be·lea·guers 1. To harass; beset: We are beleaguered by problems. 2. To surround with troops; besiege. dentist (Robert Lindsay) and his typically loopy family. Don't think: If it feels familiar, perhaps it's because the creator is American Fred Barron, who is doing to British comedy what NBC NBC in full National Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. commercial broadcasting company. It was formed in 1926 by RCA Corp., General Electric Co. (GE), and Westinghouse and was the first U.S. company to operate a broadcast network. usually does - mainly, flatten it out. In a nutshell: Pretty generic. ``Rocked With Gina Gershon'' (IFC (Internet Foundation Classes) A class library from Netscape that provides an application framework and graphical user interface (GUI) routines for Java programmers. IFC was later made part of the Java Foundation Classes (JFC). See JFC, AFC and AWT. See also ICF. ; 10:30 p.m. Friday) Think: The actress hit the road with a band to promote her film ``Prey for Rock & Roll.'' The film tanked, but she got this six-episode reality series out of it. Don't think: Remember how Roseanne Barr did a reality show about creating a reality show and the former was canceled and the latter never aired? The same sort of fatalistic fa·tal·ism n. 1. The doctrine that all events are predetermined by fate and are therefore unalterable. 2. Acceptance of the belief that all events are predetermined and inevitable. synergy seems at work here. in a nutshell: From the press notes: ``She's DARING. She's WILD. She's CAPTIVATING cap·ti·vate tr.v. cap·ti·vat·ed, cap·ti·vat·ing, cap·ti·vates 1. To attract and hold by charm, beauty, or excellence. See Synonyms at charm. 2. Archaic To capture. . She has SEX APPEAL.'' And so on. To which we add: ``She's SELF-INDULGENT.'' CAPTION(S): 3 photos Photo: (1 -- color) MATTHEW MODINE, ``THE WINNING SEASON'' (2 -- color) ``PEEP AND THE BIG WIDE WORLD'' (3) REIKO AYLESWORTH, ``24'' |
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