What was on TV? Sun, March 27, 2005

20 years ago, Shonda Rhimes was just a shy lady who wrote movies about Britney Spears and the Princess of Genovia. But not for long! Let's see what was on TV.

7:00 King of the Hill on Fox

9x10 "Arlen City Bomber"

Another King of the Hill episode with a lot going on. Peggy and Luann join the local roller derby team, and things get crazy! There's predatory credit cards, unionization in sports, pay equity in sports...it's too much for 20 minutes! I liked the idea of this episode in theory. In practice, it just made me want to rewatch the great film Whip It and reread the great graphic novel Roller Girl.

7:30 Malcolm in the Middle on Fox

6x15 "Chad's Sleepover"

Most of the time, you can't see Walter White in Hal, the sweet Dad from Malcolm in the Middle. That's why Bryan Cranston's transformation into Walter White was so exciting. But in this episode, you can see a bit of Walter White. Dewey invites his weird friend over and Hal gets all controlling and begins yelling a lot. Dewey has to do what he says, Lois contradicted him, there will be hell to pay! You can see shades of conversations Walt has with Jesse and Skylar. Of course, in the end it's revealed that Hal used to be a lot like Dewey's weird friend, he just learned to deal with it. In the end he stops being afraid of this kid who reminds him of himself and shows him some compassion, and it's very sweet. But before that, it was cool to see a preview of Walter White.

8:30 Arrested Development on Fox

2x15 "Sword of Destiny"

Much of this episode concerns the fact that the Bluth company was going to build 22 houses but the order was cut back to 18 houses. Because Arrested Development's episode order was cut from 22 to 18 episodes. This, coupled with the recent departure of Fox programming head Gail Berman (always the show's biggest champion) had cast, crew, and critics fretting about cancellation. Many pined for a move to cable, and prayed for mercy from Fox. Years later, scheduling head Preston Beckman said that Arrested's early departure from the schedule was actually helpful, since it allowed higher-ups at Fox who weren't wild about the show's politics to forget about it, so it squeaked by for another season.

Anyway, this episode isn't one of the show's best. Ben Stiller is a magician. Dan Castalanetta is a terrible doctor. There's a good Buster hands gag and the George Michael Star Wars video makes a glorious return.

9:00 Deadwood on HBO

2x04 "Requiem for a Gleet" (record Desperate Housewives on ABC and Fingersmith on BBC America)

Deadwood made a very bold decision when it sidelined breakout character Al Swerengen with horrifying kidney stones. For two whole episodes, Ian McShane doesn't really talk! Like it said, bold!

But boy does it ever work. First of all, McShane's physical performance is spectacular, and you don't miss the speeches that much. And second, Al's absence from daily life in Deadwood shows you that he really is a pillar of this community. Everyone is adrift, everyone is making bad decisions, the town is falling prey to Powers Boothe and Garrett Dillahunt and I need Al to get better so he can stop it.

So the end of the episode, in which Al finally passes those kidney stones, isn't just a triumph of historical realism and shocking grossness. It's a triumph, full stop. Out hero battled horrors of 19th century medicine and lived to tell the tale. Now he can return to the community that needs him.

10:00 Grey's Anatomy on ABC

1x01 "A Hard Day's Night" (record Carnivale on HBO)

This pilot is very pilot-y. The sets are temporary, and feel totally foreign when you've watched over a hundred episodes of this show. There's the 48-hour gimmick (which we left behind) and the voiceover (which I wish we left behind). But still, Grey's feels fully formed. Rhimes' dialogue already has a distinct voice. Meredith and Cristina are already the most interesting relationship on the show. Izzie, Alex, and especially George and Miranda Bailey get some nice moments of characterization. And the twist at the end of the pilot, when it's revealed that Meredith's mother has Alzheimer's, is still great. I'm terribly excited to go back to Seattle Grace, one week at a time.

What Else Was On

• On Saturday, the revival of Doctor Who premiered in the United Kingdom. The Sci-Fi Channel considered airing it but opted not to. It wouldn't premiere in the US for another year, after they'd hired a whole new Doctor.
• The CBS Sunday Movie was some sort fo James Patterson adaptation starring Christina Applegate.

TiVo Status

A Frontline documentary and the TV movies Sucker Free City, Their Eyes Were Watching God, and Ladies Night, the miniseries Fingersmith, and one episode each of The Starlet, American Dreams, Carnivale, Desperate Housewives, and The West Wing. 14 hours total.

Music, 20 Years Ago

Promos for Grey's Anatomy were scored with the groundbreaking 2000s classic "Such Great Heights." I think these promos honestly boosted the song's profile. This is a song that peaks in its first 30 seconds, but who cares? They're a gorgeous 30 seconds.