THE DAILY NEWS WATCH-O-RAMA HIGHLIGHTS AND LOWLIGHTS OF THE COMING TV WEEK.Byline: David Kronke ``The Remarkable Journey: A Change is Gonna Come A Change Is Gonna Come may refer to:
(KNBC KNBC Kings Norton Bowling Club Channel 4; 10 a.m. today) Think: The landmark Supreme Court decision desegregating schools and the men who championed it - Oliver Brown and Thurgood Marshall - are recalled on its 50th anniversary. Don't think: What's up with host Nicole Ari Parker's shoes? This is a serious documentary, not a fetishist's ball. In a nutshell: Solid overview of the history of the case, including a reminder of the court's earlier - and, obviously, less-celebrated - decision (Plessy v. Ferguson Plessy v. Ferguson, case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1896. The court upheld an 1890 Louisiana statute mandating racially segregated but equal railroad carriages, ruling that the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth amendment to the U.S. ) that in fact did rubber-stamp Jim Crow laws Jim Crow laws, in U.S. history, statutes enacted by Southern states and municipalities, beginning in the 1880s, that legalized segregation between blacks and whites. The name is believed to be derived from a character in a popular minstrel song. . ``TV Revolution'' (Bravo; 9 tonight) Think: Documentary series exploring landmark moments in TV history; tonight's installments examine gays on TV and the evolution of television's depiction of women. Don't think: Younger viewers may be surprised to discover that network television actually used to be bold. In a nutshell: Solid overview of how the television industry responded to society and its mores. ``Everybody Loves Raymond'' (CBS (Cell Broadcast Service) See cell broadcast. Channel 2; 9 p.m. Monday) Think: Ray (Ray Romano) and Robert (Brad Garrett) consider the grim prospect of dispensing care for Marie (Doris Roberts) in the future in the eighth-season finale. Don't think: Ray tells Robert, ``Bring it on!'' Remember what happened when George W. Bush told the Iraqis that. In a nutshell: The members of ``Raymond's'' creative brain trust have been battling a lack of inspiration all season; here they're not terribly successful. Here's hoping they re-energize over the summer for their ninth and final season. ``A Certain Kind of Death'' (Sundance Channel; 9 p.m. Monday) Think: The sorry ends of corpses with no next of kin The blood relatives entitled by law to inherit the property of a person who dies without leaving a valid will, although the term is sometimes interpreted to include a relationship existing by reason of marriage. Cross-references Descent and Distribution. is detailed in this understated documentary about coroners and other city workers who investigate the lives of the lonely. Don't think: Squeamish? You will want to be anywhere else but near the Sundance Channel at this time. In a nutshell: Quietly, grimly compelling in its depiction of the procedural minutiae mi·nu·ti·a n. pl. mi·nu·ti·ae A small or trivial detail: "the minutiae of experimental and mathematical procedure" Frederick Turner. of the probes - a policewoman over a bloated naked corpse cheerfully takes a cell phone call: ``Wrappin' up a body, what are you doing?'' - and the lives they unveil, with an elegantly solemn, almost rueful tone (in one sequence, a decedent's apartment is duly packed up during his nearly unattended graveside grave·side n. The area beside a grave. ceremony). ``And Along Came a Spider'' (Cinemax; 7 p.m. Tuesday) Think: Iranian Saeed Hanaei's God tells him to kill 16 women (all but one of whom were prostitutes) in a year, and who is he to argue? His actions are in accordance with Islamic teachings, he suggests, so what's the problem? Don't think: If God was really interested in luring unbelievers into the fold, wouldn't he tamp down a bit on fundamentalist crackpots like this? In a nutshell: A truly chilling documentary about an unapologetic serial killer and his family and supporters. ``The 39th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards'' (CBS Channel 2; 8 p.m. Wednesday) Think: Reba McEntire hosts the trophy-dispensing shindig shin·dig n. 1. A festive party, often with dancing. Also called shindy. 2. See shindy. [Probably alteration of shindy. , held, somewhat inexplicably, at a Las Vegas resort. Don't think: Any awards show that seriously considers honoring a song called ``Beer for My Horses'' is all right by me. In a nutshell: Alan Jackson (eight nominations), Toby Keith (who did the beer song and got five nominations for his trouble) and Brooks & Dunn (also five nominations) are among the performers. But if they ever gave out a trophy for trophy design, this one would not be in the running. It's one stupid-looking award. ``Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire'' (KCET KCET Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo (Japan) KCET Kamaraj College of Engineering and Technology Channel 28; 8 p.m. Wednesday) Think: Samurai warriors, the occasional geisha geisha Member of a professional class of women in Japan whose traditional occupation is to entertain men. A geisha must be adept at singing, dancing, and playing traditional musical instruments (e.g., the samisen) in addition to being skilled at making conversation. and an Occidental tourist or two populate this three-hour documentary on the Japanese ``renaissance'' between the 16th and 19th centuries. Don't think: The empire wasn't a secret to itself. And using Richard Chamberlain to narrate just because he starred in ``Shogun'' is kind of cheesy. In a nutshell: Exquisitely photographed and intermittently fascinating; largely for those already interested in all this Nipponese. ``Justice League'' (Cartoon Network; 7:30 p.m. Saturday) Think: Final 90-minute episode finds Earth in dire peril - as usual - when an army from Hawkgirl's planet attacks. Hey, isn't she supposed to be one of the good guys? Don't think: Don't get all misty a la ``Friends'' or ``Frasier'' about its departure - ``Justice League Unlimited'' is coming in August. In a nutshell: Things blow up quite niftily, with plenty of plot twists that will surprise the fans. In its way, it's a more spectacular finale than ``Friends''': 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. promos suggested the end of ``Friends'' meant the end of the life as we know it Life As We Know It is an American television drama on the ABC network during the 2004-2005 season. It was created by Gabe Sachs and Jeff Judah. The series was based on the novel Doing It by British writer Melvin Burgess. , while here there are serious attempts to bring that about. ``Elaine Stritch at Liberty'' (HBO Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) A form of oxygen therapy in which the patient breathes oxygen in a pressurized chamber. Mentioned in: Ozone Therapy ; 8 p.m. Saturday; also June 2, 6, 9, 12 and 17) Think: The saucy Broadway legend reflects on her outsize out·size n. 1. An unusual size, especially a very large size. 2. A garment of unusual size. adj. also out·sized Unusually large, weighty, or extensive. life both behind the scenes and on stage in her Tony-winning revue. Don't think: Show people sure are endlessly fascinated with themselves. In a nutshell: Fans will be delighted; casual viewers, bored silly. ``George Lopez: Why You Crying?'' (Showtime; 9 p.m. Saturday) Think: The comic/ABC-sitcom star mines his rough childhood for more laughs. Don't think: Mexicans mistreat their kids and like beer. Unless you're Lopez, who can think that all he likes. In a nutshell: Funny, if familiar stuff. David Kronke, (818) 713-3638 david.kronke(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- color) ``JAPAN: MEMOIRS OF A SECRET EMPIRE'' (2 -- color) ``JUSTICE LEAGUE'S'' HAWKGIRL |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion