What was on TV? Mon, Nov 22, 2004

20 years ago today: Harvey Weinstein received a Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for his contributions to British film. Let's see what was on TV.

8:00 One on One on UPN

4x09 "Who Brought the Jive Turkey?"

I'd never even heard of One on One before starting this project, but the episodes I watched were such a pleasant surprise. Not this one.

I was excited when the show's father and daughter pair were split up into two different friendsgivings. TV needed more friendsgiving representation in 2004. But Dad Flex's friendsgiving is hosted by his hot therapist, and it's entirely populated with women he has wronged. All the jokes are at their expense, aren't they just sad losers, and it's mean! And the other storyline is about how daughter Breanna needs to chill and let her boyfriend hang out and be a dude. But he should have appreciated the effort she made to cook Thanksgiving, even if the meal did look bad! Especially because he didn't lift a finger to help.

All in all, a bummer.

This episode was written by Susan Watanabe. She wrote for One on One and Girlfriends, and was heavily involved in progressive politics and fundraising in Los Angeles. She died of a brain tumor in 2018.

This episode was directed by Maynard C. Vigil I. He started out as a stage manager, working in that capacity on The Cosby Show, Silver Spoons, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and more. He has also directed 28 episodes of television.

8:30 Half and Half on UPN

3x09 "The Big Thanks for Nothing Episode" (record Listen Up on CBS)

Now that's more like it. Half and Half is about two women who discover they're half sisters in young adulthood, so it's tailor-made for a chaotic Thanksgiving episode. And they deliver: lots of tension, sick burns, a cameo by a real life TV chef, and people drinking the cooking wine. I had fun.

This episode was written by Temple Northup. Half and Half is their only tv writing credit on IMDB.

This episode was directed by Ellen Gittelsohn. Her directing credits include episodes of A Different World, Roseanne, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Living Single.

9:00 Girlfriends on UPN

5x09 "Who's Your Daddy" (record Everwood on the WB and Everybody Loves Raymond on CBS)

Lynn is the best. A few weeks ago I said that Maya was my favorite girlfriend but it might be Lynn. She's definitely the funniest. And once I realized that her constant stream of strange jobs was a real part of her character and not a gimmick or a stalling tactic I fell in love. Girlfriends is an aspirational show at its core and Lynn's life is the one I want to emulate, even if only a little bit.

But as the show's most comedic character, Lynn is usually regulated to b-plots. This isn't bad, I love watching her smuggle kangaroos and chase after C-list celebrities. But it's still so, so, nice to see her get a more dramatic a-story this week. Lynn's birth father is visiting from New Jersey, and she wants it to be perfect. Which is going to be hard since her adoptive father is also in town. And her birth father's wife keeps on cramping her style. Lynn's anxiety as she struggles wot communicate and connect with her birth father is moving. Her victory, when she manages to achieve a real connection with her birth father and to stop being so hard on herself, is lovely and hard-earned. I'm sure that Lynn will be back to her usual hilarious b-stories soon. But after this episode, those stories will mean more.

This episode was written by Tim Edwards. Tim Edwards worked on Girlfirends and its spin-off The Game. Then there's a big fat gap in his IMdB profile until 2019's Mixed-ish. Insert big sigh here.

This episode was directed by Mary Lou Belli. Belli's first directing credit was on Charles in Charge, she has directed episodes of One on One, Hart of Dixie, NCIS: New Orleans, and Elsbeth.

9:30 Everwood (recorded)

3x09 "The Reflex"

Ah, the lose your virginity episode. A staple of teen dramas since...90210, I guess? Anyway, this is Everwood's entry into the canon. And it's a good one! Amy and Ephram had a Big Discussion about sex two episodes ago, but then they...didn't do anything. Refreshingly realistic! They're struggling to communicate and making a lot of dumb assumptions. Even when Amy decides to be direct, it doesn't fix everything right away. Only when they achieve something like true intimacy: learning that one of them snores, sharing childhood memories, and experiencing awkward erections, only then do they go all the way. It's truly lovely. And the scene when Dr. Abbott quietly accepts that Amy's going to do this and that's okay, without any of them coming out and saying that's what's happening? Exquisite.

Amy and Ephram prove their ability to communicate and be attentive and brave in their storyline, so the rest of the episode tests everyone else's relationship skills. Delia decides she doesn't want a boyfriend, Dr. Brown decides to maybe have an affair with Anne Heche, Nina decides that Dr. Hartman is a pretty cool guy, and Hannah provides an explanation of her personal decision to abstain from sex, and it's kind of beautiful? All these developments promise juicy storylines to come (well, maybe not the Delia one. But it's still great). Oh, and that Dr. Abbott and Rose kiss was so great. To see them kiss like that after two whole seasons! I love them so much.

This episode was written by Rina Mamoun and Anna Fricke. Mamoun was the showrunner of Girls on the Bus and the creator of the CW's Privileged. Fricke got her start on Dawson's Creek. She later developed the US version of Being Human and the Walker, Texas Ranger reboot.

This episode was directed by Michael Lange. Lange was a producing director on Greek and has directed episodes of Northern Exposure, The X-Files, The OC, and Bones.

Even Later Everybody Loves Raymond (recorded)

9x07 "Debra's Parents"

I'm jumping in in the ninth and final season of Everybody Loves Raymond. And so far it's been going great! The show is still in tip-top shape, and the stories are so episodic that I don't feel like I'm missing too much.

This is the first episode where I feel poorer for not having seen the previous eight seasons. The story concerns the arrival of Debra's parents for Thanksgiving, and the subsequent revelation that they're having casual sex post-divorce. The episode is hilarious, and builds beautifully to a gut-busting climax. But a lot of the jokes depend on your assumed familiarity with Debra's parents and their tension with Ray's parents. And the episode's emotional core is about Debra wishing her parents would get back together. And I'm sure that would hit a lot harder if I'd seen her heartbreak when her parents divorced.

This episode was written by Leslie Caveny. She has written episodes of Mad About You and Newsradio. She also wrote the very charming Christina Ricci and James McAvoy rom-com Penelope.

This episode was directed by Gary Halvorson. Halvorson was a director and producer on Friends. Like a lot of directors of multicamera sitcoms, he has found success as a director of live events, including several episodes of Great Performances, The Metroplitan Opera Live!, and The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

What Else Was On

Tonight's special sweeps guest star: Charlie Sheen's real-life wife Denise Richards stopped by Two and a Half Men.

TiVo Status

The three-hour Masterpiece Theater miniseries The Lost Prince, one Frontline episode, and The Office Christmas Special from across the pond (I’ll watch that one closer to the holidays after I’ve rewatched the series), the TNT movie The Wool Cap, and one episode each of Listen Up and Peep Show. 9 hours, with 19 hours of space left.