What was on TV? Sun, Jan 2, 2005
Law and Order: CI goes all Only Murders in the Building, plus American Dreams
20 years ago, Myspace was the largest social networking site in the world. Let's see what was on TV
8:00 American Dreams on NBC
3x10 "Home Again"
Available on YouTube
There are a lot of storylines in this episode, most of them very good. But the one I'll remember concerns the mom, Helen. Helen joins an anti-war group with great enthusiasm and is immediately asked to help a man escape to Canada and desert the army. And she's not sure if she's ready to do this, to break the law, and to do something that her husband would definitely not approve of. I feel like a lot of people will be facing similar choices in the coming years.
This episode was written by Rama Laurie Stagner. She wrote the screenplay for Blue Sky, which (in)famously won Jessica Lange her second Oscar, as well as for several other tv movies and tv series.
This episode was directed by Mark Piznarski. He has directed episodes of Gossip Girl, NYPD Blue, and My So-Called Life.
9:00 Law and Order: Criminal Intent on NBC
4x10 "The View from Up Here"
Available on Peacock
Criminal Intent was the twisted branch of the Law and Order franchise, full of cults and serial killers and other things that go bump in the night. Very much not my bag. But I wish I had the opportunity to watch more episodes, since the New York Theater energy in this show is off the charts. On episode earlier in this season featured Carrie Preston and Arian Moayed! This episode confirms the show's new York bona-fides by setting the twisted crime at a set of co-op apartments. So in addition to sexual deviance and religious delusions, we get drama at the co-op board and scandalous revelations about deferred maintenance and pest infestations. This show airs in the same time slot as Desperate Housewives and HBO's Sunday lineup (plus the CBS Sunday movie, which I sometimes like to watch). But if it were in a less crowded timeslot, I may just watch semi-regularly.
This episode was written by Jim Sterling. He also wrote the indie movie Gunplay and worked on Nunb3rs and Bronx is Burning.
This episode was directed by Alex Chapple. He has directed several episodes on various Law and Orders and FBIs.
What Else Was On
ABC aired Dynasty: The Making of a Guilty Pleasure.
TiVo Status
Just the three-hour Masterpiece Theater miniseries The Lost Prince. One day I'll watch it.
