WATCH-O-RAMA THE HIGHLIGHTS AND LOWLIGHTS OF THE COMING TV WEEK.Byline: David Kronke ``Henry VIII'' (KCET KCET Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo (Japan) KCET Kamaraj College of Engineering and Technology ; 9 tonight and Nov. 14) Think: ``Masterpiece Theatre'' presentation essaying the life of one of England's randiest royals (Ray Winstone). Helena Bonham Carter co- stars as Anne Boleyn, who lost her head over Hank. Don't think: ``I can do anything I want - I'm the king of England Noun 1. King of England - the sovereign ruler of England King of Great Britain king, male monarch, Rex - a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom ,'' the guy frequently brags. You know, for a king, he's pretty much what Jon Stewart called Tucker Carlson. In a nutshell: Frequently brutal, finely burnished bur·nish tr.v. bur·nished, bur·nish·ing, bur·nish·es 1. To make smooth or glossy by or as if by rubbing; polish. 2. To rub with a tool that serves especially to smooth or polish. n. but otherwise conventional costume drama. ``Girlfriends'' (UPN UPN User Principal Name (Microsoft Windows 2000) UPN United Paramount Network UPN Unión del Pueblo Navarro (Navarrese People Union) UPN Umgekehrte Polnische Notation Channel 13; 9 p.m. Monday) Think: 100th episode finds Joan (Tracee Ellis Ross Tracee Ellis Ross (born Tracee Joy Silberstein on October 29, 1972, in Los Angeles, California) is an American actress. The daughter of singer/actress Diana Ross and Robert Ellis Silberstein; she is best known for her role on the UPN/CW network series, ) bickering about her restaurant with her mother and Maya (Golden Brooks) discovering that her adolescent's education in the reproductive sciences comes via pay- per-view. Don't think: Remember that ``Seinfeld'' episode where everyone wagered on their ability to restrain from a certain activity? This episode has more - and far more graphic - jokes about the same subject. Kudos to UPN's standards and practices department! In a nutshell: Milestone episode for UPN's smoothest, sharpest sitcom, with a surprise twist at the end. ``They Made America'' (KCET; 9 p.m. Monday and Nov. 15) Think: Series on influential American entrepreneurs. Tonight offers a peculiarly disparate slate: cable innovator Ted Turner, hip-hop impresario Russell Simmons, and the creators of the steamboat steamboat: see steamship. steamboat or steamship Watercraft propelled by steam; more narrowly, a shallow-draft paddle-wheel steamboat widely used on rivers in the 19th century, particularly the Mississippi River and its tributaries. and revolver. Don't think: When I think of who made America, my mind tends to wander to Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin more than toward the inventor of the Barbie doll (profiled next week). But that's just me. In a nutshell: OK biographical portraits gathered under an awkward thematic umbrella. ``America's Stone Age Explorers'' (KCET; 8 p.m. Tuesday) Think: A ``Nova'' production crew makes a startling star·tle v. star·tled, star·tling, star·tles v.tr. 1. To cause to make a quick involuntary movement or start. 2. To alarm, frighten, or surprise suddenly. See Synonyms at frighten. discovery: a travel boondoggle boon·dog·gle Informal n. 1. An unnecessary or wasteful project or activity. 2. a. A braided leather cord worn as a decoration especially by Boy Scouts. b. taking them from New Mexico to Chile to the south of France South of France south n the South of France → le Sud de la France, le Midi , all in search of a certain style of 13,000-year-old spear point that will lead us to insights about North America's first inhabitants. Don't think: At an ancient archaeological dig in Pennsylvania, the documentary reports, a screener of the ABC ABC in full American Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. television network. It began when the expanding national radio network NBC split into the separate Red and Blue networks in 1928. series ``Rodney'' was unearthed, suggesting sitcom gags are even older than we ever expected. In a nutshell: Archaeology buffs will be interested, but there's not much here to hook anyone else. ``I Hate My Job'' (Spike TV; 9 p.m. Tuesday) Think: Since the Rev. Al Sharpton failed in his presidential bid to improve the lives of all Americans, he opts for a more modest goal, to improve the life of one of a group of assorted blue-collar workers (and an attorney) who want gigs, naturally, in sundry entertainment-industry outlets. Don't think: When, in the future, these participants apply for jobs, will they include their appearance on ``I Hate My Job'' on their resumes, thereby forever branding them malcontents? In a nutshell: Despite the obvious hook, it's fairly generic reality fare with a less-than-inspired opening salvo. ``The Club'' (Spike TV; 9 p.m. Wednesday) Think: More Sin City reality, a la ``The Casino'' or ``American Casino,'' behind the scenes at a trendy, mildly decadent dance club - or is it a struggling night spot? It's presented as both in the first three minutes. ``Behind the scenes'' here means that people yell at each other. Don't think: Promoter Allison Melnick was hired to make the club a hit, so no doubt she recruited the show's producers - but the entity she seems most interested in promoting in Allison Melnick. In a nutshell: The owner somewhat inexplicably describes a sterile, chilly dance area as boasting ``a unique and warm feel.'' Like the club itself, the show works too hard to impress. ``King of Queens'' (CBS (Cell Broadcast Service) See cell broadcast. Channel 2; 9 p.m. Wednesday) Think: Doug (Kevin James) is still a stupid fat slob; Carrie (Leah Remini) is still impatient with him. She enrolls him in a program for overeaters and, oaf that he is, he winds up in a seminar for male victims of spousal abuse. Which he, naturally, believes is more up his alley. Don't think: People complain that these fat-slob/cute-wife sitcoms are unrealistic, but the characters are constantly seen as being contemptuous of one another, which seems fairly realistic. In a nutshell: Serviceably funny premise, wanly humorous dialogue. ``Last Letters Home: Voices of American Troops From the Battlefields of Iraq'' (HBO Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) A form of oxygen therapy in which the patient breathes oxygen in a pressurized chamber. Mentioned in: Ozone Therapy ; 9 p.m. Thursday; repeats on Nov. 14, 17, 22, 23, 27 and 30) Think: The largely unadorned, affectless prose written by soldiers who have been killed during the war with Iraq, read by surviving family members who also recall those that they and the country have lost. Don't think: Don't expect this to turn up on any Sinclair Broadcast Group The Sinclair Broadcast Group (SBG) NASDAQ: SBGI is the operator of the largest number of local television stations in the United States with a total of 59 stations across the country in 38 primarily small and medium markets, many of which are located in the South and station anytime soon. In a nutshell: Sober, sad and almost punishingly heart-wrenching, but it's just as hard not to watch. ``ER'' (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. Channel 4; 10 p.m. Thursday) Think: Ray Liotta guest stars as a dying alcoholic whose tragic life is unveiled while the medics tend him. Don't think: This can't be ``ER''; there are no gurneys banging through doors. In a nutshell: A good performance in an atypical episode. CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1) ``LAST LETTERS HOME: VOICES OF AMERICAN TROOPS FROM THE BATTLEFIELDS OF IRAQ'' (2) RAY LIOTTA IN ``ER'' |
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