What was on TV? Sun, March 20, 2005

20 years ago, 10,000 people attended a rally in Tel Aviv, supporting plans for Israeli forces to leave Gaza ASAP. Let's see what was on TV.

7:30 Malcolm in the Middle on Fox

6x14 "Ida Loses a Leg"

Tonight's episode tried to do way too much. Cloris Leachman returned as Grandma Ida, ready to win yet another Emmy. We had a borderline body horror storyline involving Dewey, Ida's lost leg (Cloris Leachman becomes an amputee in this episode!), and a dog. The Grandma Ida storyline is somehow not about her LOST LEG, but rather involves Lois and by extension the the show itself atoning for her poor parenting decisions with Francis. Meanwhile, we get a parable about mutually assured destruction and psychological warfare involving Malcolm, Reese, and super glue. It's too much, and only the super glue storyline proves satisfying.

8:30 Arrested Development on Fox

2x14 "Immaculate Erection"

Jeffrey Tambor has been hiding in the attic like Rochester's wife for at least 10 episodes. It's getting old. And because it's getting old, I have lots of time to think about it. Is Jeffrey Tambor in the attic because he's an abusive nightmare to work with? Notice that almost all of his scenes are with Jason Bateman, the actor who most voicifeously defended him in that now infamous post-Me Too interview. His scenes with other actors...they didn't have to be on set together. You could work around it.

But maybe Jeffrey Tambor in the attic because the writers are running out of ideas. It's probably both. Either way, it doesn't reflect well on the show. Anyway, this is a pretty good episode that proves once and for all that Michael Bluth is a terrible father, and I appreciate that.

9:00 Deadwood on HBO

2x03 "New Money"

In this episode, capitalism comes to Deadwood in the person Garret Dillahunt. He Plays Francis Wolcott, who in turn represents very rich person George Hearst and his mining interests. He immediately gets Cy Tolliver, the cruelest person in camp, on his side. And with everyone in Deadwood cheating and lying fighting and resenting and drinking and ailing, it looks like he'll have the chance to really mess things up.

This is all very Relevant To Our Current Moment. And I appreciated that. But what I mostly appreciated was the chance to just listen to this splendid show. It's truly such a privilege to hear some of our finest actors say likes like "I wish I was a fucking tree" and "Does this hat make my head look big?" and "No, it makes your head look just the right size." It seems like everyone who's ever written a Deadwood recap struggles not to make it a list of quotes. I understand that impulse. this is the only TV show that I ever finish and wish I could read the transcript.

10:00 Carnivale on HBO

2x11 "Outside New Canaan"

This is the episode that most clearly illustrates the differences between seasons one and two. Season one was slow as molasses, but we got to spend a lot of time at the titular carnival. That world and those people had real texture and specificity. Season two has moved like a freight train, but the carnival feels much less vibrant as a result.

In this episode, the members of the carnival try to stage a rebellion and reject their place in this whole war of good vs. evil. This kind of stuff was my favorite part of season one, but here it's streamlined and simplified and I just...didn't care. But by the end of it all, the stage is set for the big Ben vs. Brother Justin confrontation we've all been waiting for, so I'm okay with it, even if I miss the Carnivale of season 1.

What Else Was On

• This week's CBS Sunday Movie was the MTV production Spring Break Shark Attack, starring Justin Baldoni and Lindsey from The OC. This schlocky teen flick did not fit in with CBS's regular programming but they promoted it heavily during March Madness with ads like this one (spring break...is gonna bite!). But they also cut this hilarious promo to run during their regular, older-skewing programming (every parent worries when their daughter goes on spring break...but this year, it's not the boys they have to worry about!). This promo promised Kathy Baker and Bryan Brown from Cocktail and The Thorn Birds.
• Desperate Housewives fever continued to sweep the nation. They ran a repeat this week (it was the second highest-rated program of the night) but Housewives also showed up in Spring Break Shark Attack. A quartet of women who bore a suspicious resemblance to the ladies of Wisteria Lane got eaten by the titular sharks. Later, a headline declared "Desperate Search for Missing Housewives Continues!" Subtle.
• Boston Legal was supposed to go on hiatus while ABC previewed their new medical drama in the cushy post-Desperate Housewives slot. But Grey's Anatomy proved a huge hit and it stayed in that timeslot, making tonight's episode of Boston Legal an accidental season finale.
• Tonight's victims on Punk'd: Serena Williams, Zach Braff, and Zoe Saldana.
• Before they were famous: Sterling K. Brown was on Boston Legal. He was on death row and James Spader was trying to stop his execution. On Arrested Development, Armie Hammer was student #2 (sorry), and Phyllis Smith was a lady in the conference room a mere four days before her proper acting debut in The Office.

TiVo Status

A Frontline documentary and the TV movies Sucker Free City, Their Eyes Were Watching God, and Ladies Night. 9 hours total.

Figure skating, 20 years ago

Carolina Kostner won the bronze medal at the 2005 World Championships. In doing so, she kicked Michelle Kwan off the podium (this was the first and only time Michelle ever finished off the podium, and thus a very big deal). In the gala she displayed all the qualities that won her that medal. Carolina is fast, and powerful, and she has extraordinary technique in all aspects of her skating. She is very tall, and creates gorgeous striking shapes when she skates. But here, you see that she's a budding artist. The program is a little girlish, but that's okay, she's a girl. She skates to Celine Dion and you can tell she loves and feels this music. She creates a magical moment here, and she would go on to create many more in a very long career, especially for a female figure skater. Perhaps the most magical moment of her career came at the world championships in her home country of Milan, a full 13 years (!) after this. She skated to Celine Dion there too. She, a woman in her thirties by that point, won the short program, but the moment was way bigger than any number or medal.