|  So,
seeing as the new season’s shows are starting to trickle onto
screens, we thought we’d see if we could come up with an entire
evening of brand new programming.
Which we
did. (Well, except for The 39 Steps, obviously. But who
could resist that?) The problem is it’s all pretty much…dross.
Let’s hope things will improve.
And while
we’re on the subject (and because this column takes a well-earned
rest over the weekend), what about the much touted Jack &
Bobby, which debuted on the WB on Sunday? Was that a tedious
load of predictable, sentimental twaddle, or what? The idea of
a series following the younger years of two brothers, one of whom
will become president, sounds fairly interesting. But they revealed
which one it was at the end of the first show! So much for suspense.
And the truly appalling, predictable writing did little to help.
What would
Hitchcock say?
8:00pm
Last Comic Standing – NBC – Yes, you’re right.
This show will never end. Now it’s season one’s fabricated winners
versus season two’s equally illusory champs.
Repo Men: Stealing for Living – TLC – Watching
people steal cars. How fun is that? And all in the name of law
and order too. Remember when TLC stood for “The Learning Channel”?
9:00pm
Next Great Champ – FOX – After months of legal
battles, Fox was first on the air with its boxing “reality” show
last week. Unfortunately, the first week’s ratings probably weren’t
enough to pay for their lawyer’s secretary’s coffee. This week
the would-be champs start to get snarky with each other. Does
somebody know why it’s necessary for all the contestants on reality
shows to live together?
The 39 Steps – TCM – This is the film that made
Alfred Hitchcock’s career. Based on the John Buchan book, this
British film starred Robert Donat as a man who becomes embroiled
in a spy ring. The film is much better than the book (which is
a tad fascist), and much better than the subsequent three remakes.
And let’s face it, it’s better than what’s on over on Fox by several
orders of magnitude.
10:00pm
Rides – TLC – Ever wonder what goes into building
a $165,000 car? Come along for a visit to the Lamborghini Automobili
factory in Italy and watch them make (sorry, “handcraft”) a couple
of cars. This is one of those shows that is guaranteed to make
certain blokes drool over the coffee table.
Holiday Showdown – BBCA – We all know that one
person’s vacation may be another person’s visit to the ninth circle
of hell. Well, this BBC America show sets out to prove it in a
rather convoluted take on the reality genre. It works like this:
two families whose ideas about what makes a good vacation are
polar opposites are forced to go on vacation with each other;
one family in week one; one in week two. Then they all get together
in week three in a big ol’ gripe-fest. Sounds like far too much
work – to watch, that is.
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