What was on TV? Sun, Nov 21, 2004

20 years ago today, peace talks were breaking down in Jerusalem and Russia was interfering in Ukranian elections. So that inspires...nausea, but let's see what was on TV.

7:30 Malcolm in the Middle on Fox

6x03 "Standee"

It always inspires a particular sense of dread when I press play on an episode for this project and realize that the show decided to do an episode about racism. This week, it’s Malcolm in the Middle’s turn.

Lois returns to work at the Lucky Aide supermarket. Except she’s on probation because of something she did last season (I jumped in this season, so it’s up to my imagination). Worse, she’s working alongside her son Malcolm.

Lois objects to a standee of “Slappy,” a Black man smiling and holding a 6-pack and a mop. Malcolm, eager to assert his independence at work, disagrees. They eventually turn to dad Hal’s entirely Black poker night buddies to legislate this dispute. The poker guys rightfully have no patience for this, and the debate is revealed to be all about Lois and Malcolm and their relationship. The debate about racism was just a proxy for their own issues. That rings very true.

According to the show’s fan wiki, this episode originally had a totally different ending in which Malcolm fully reckoned with the racism of the standee and the ways in which it harmed his friends and community. I can’t find proper sourcing for this, but I would have loved to see that ending, and I’m curious why it was removed.

This episode was written by Rob Ulin. His tv writing and producing credits encompass Dinosaurs, Roseanne, The Middle, and Ramy.

This episode was directed by David D'Ovidio. This is his only solo directing credit, but he has done lots of second unit and assistant directing work, including on the movies The 'Burbs and Death Becomes Her.

8:00 American Dreams on NBC

3x09 "Tidings of Comfort and Joy" (record Arrested Development on Fox)

Part of American Dreams' legacy is the way it embraced product placement. The first few episodes of this season included a subplot in which Sarah Ramos' Patty competes in an essay contest sponsored by Campbell's Tomato Soup. Meanwhile, Campbell's Soup was sponsoring an essay contest in real life. This was revolutionary at the time, since no one was trying to hide the product placement. It wasn't subliminal. It was right there, out in the open.

You can see why American Dreams might be attractive to advertisers. A family drama set in the '60s, advertisers could use the show to appeal to people of all ages and to portray their brands as not just products, but integral parts of American history and culture. Series creator Jonathan Prince continued his embrace of product placement throughout the season, and he claims it allowed him to make more episodes of this very expensive and low-rated show. American Dreams walked so Chuck and Sunbway could run.

Tonight's episode arguably represents the peak of the show's product placement strategy. The cable-length 52-minute episode aired without commercials, brought to you by the Ford Company. It's a wholesome episode in which the family's eldest son finds his way back home from Vietnam in time for Christmas. Pandering to nostalgic boomers and teens is at an all-time high, as Kelly Clarkson reprises her role as Brenda Lee to sing "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" and Jojo makes a cameo as a young Linda Ronstadt.

This is not my favorite episode of American Dreams. The best episodes of American Dreams challenge the viewer, diving head-first into the turmoil, contradictions, confusion, and racial tensions of the 1960s. That all takes a backseat here. I don't think that Ford and I want the same things from television. But the closing moments of the episode make me hope that the kinds of episodes I like will return. Heroine Meg's anti-war activities put her in conflict with both her boyfriend (Milo Ventimiglia) and her cop uncle. Meg's brother JJ does come home from Vietnam and is reunited with his wife and new baby. But you can tell that the transition to life back home will be fraught.

And even in an episode like this, the show can deliver moments of real power, especially in the storylines involving the Black characters. Here, Nathan, a conscientious objector, has been assigned to community service at the VA hospital. He bonds with a racist WWII vet, and the man even amends his will to give him a painting he treasures. It's exactly the kind of feel-good storyline the Ford Motor Company would love. But the conclusion of this storyline proves why I love the show. The veteran's son comes to deliver the painting to Nathan, stunned that his father gave a Black man the time of day, let alone a treasured possession. Nathan accepts the gift, but he also puts his foot down. He tells this condescending man that he let his father call him "boy" because he was ignorant (and, you know, dying). But he won't tolerate that from him. American Dreams aired seven more episodes before it was canceled. Had it not been for the product placement, there may have been fewer. I hope they used the extra time to give us more moments like this one.

This episode was written by series creator Jonathan Prince.

This episode was directed by David Semel. His tv credits include Buffy the Vampire Slayer, American Horror Story, Watchmen, and Silo.

9:00 The Wire on HBO

3x09 "Slapstick" (record Desperate Housewives on ABC and The Wool Cap on TNT)

I'm eight episodes and eight reviews into The Wire season three, and I have yet to discuss the season's major new setting, City Hall. That should tell you how I feel about it. I don't like it much better than last season's storyline at the docks, though it takes up less time, thank goodness. My complaints are the same as in season two: it feels like a storyline driven by ideas, rather than characters. I don't care about Carcetti. I don't care about D'Agostino. The show is full of amazing assholes, including the marvelously sleazy State Senator Clay Davis. But these people are boring assholes (I do feel bad for Carcetti's poor office mate though).

However, I've spent the past month thinking about how elections are portrayed on TV. I wrote over 5,000 words about it! So it was fascinating to see this show tackle the 2004 election (especially since America just experienced a real-life election with serious 2004 vibes).

McNulty watches election news, then turns to a World War II documentary. Then he talks about the election on his date with political strategist D'Agostino, he confesses he didn't vote and ultimately concludes that he's not fancy enough for her. Much like the opening of the season, which deliberately evoked 9-11, these scenes are designed to situate the show within the current moment and the national discourse. The Wire comes up with a very The Wire answer, and it's one that I find pretty satisfying, especially this week (the 2024 election was less than a week ago, as I write this).

McNulty concludes that these guys are unlikely to touch Baltimore or address the problems that torment the city, and he's right, to a point. Season two made it plain that something like the war on terror trickles down and makes life in Baltimore worse. But those scenes on the tv were filmed months before the election, and the creators knew that people would be spouting the same talking points no matter who won. They were right. Elections matter, national politics matters, but they only change so much. D'Agostino, Carcetti, Clay Davis, Stringer's decision to break the Sunday truce, Prez shooting that plainclothes cop, all represent bigger problems that go beyond one presidential race and continue to plague our country today.

This episode was written by series creator David Simon.

This episode was directed by Alex Zakrzewski. He has directed episodes of Cold Case, Bosch, and Blue Bloods.

10:00 Desperate Housewives on ABC

1x07 "Anything You Can Do"

Y'all, I'm so pissed that they took Lupe Ontiveros off the board.

The great Lupe Ontiveros (Real Women Have Curves, Selena) has been a bright spot in these past few episodes as Carlos' mother. Her speech in which she tacitly admits to killing his dad was the highlight, but she hasn't gotten anything really good since. In this episode, her most exciting moment involved using a flip phone. In a better show, she would have stayed around and caused trouble. But she learns the truth about Gabrielle and the teen gardener, and the show remains wedded to that terrible storyline, so Bree's son hits her with his car.

This will probably become a recurring theme in these reviews, but I often fantasize about a Desperate Housewives knockoff I jokingly call Desperate Golden Girls. Just imagine, all your favorite elder actresses backbiting and gossiping and being gloriously passive-aggressive. Lupe Ontiveros would have killed on that show, as would many other older actresses who've graced Wisteria Lane. None of the Desperate Housewives knockoffs really took off. But I think this was the winning pitch, and it was so obvious. The talent was right there, on the show.

This episode was written by John Pardee and Joey Murphy. A writing team, they previously worked with Marc Cherry on his show Some of My Best Friends Are.

This episode was directed by Larry Shaw. An executive producer on Desperate Housewives, Shaw also directed the Disney Channel Original Movie Cadet Kelly.

Later Arrested Development (recorded)

2x03 "Amigos"

This episode is less than the sum of its parts, it doesn't quite come together. But when those parts include the debut of Lucille's Gene Parmesan reaction, leaving poor Ann in Mexico, and the reprise of Gob's chicken dance, that helps. Though the show's treatment of Mexico is really icky and that's a black cloud that hangs over this episode set largely in Mexico, and the jokes aren't quite funny enough to cancel that out.

This episode was written by Brad Copeland. Recently, Copeland has written the screenplays for several kids movies, including Ferdinand and Spies in Disguise.

This episode was directed by Lee Shallat Chemel. Chemel began her career in theater before transitioning to tv in the 1980s. She has directed several episodes, including on Murphy Brown, Gilmore Girls, and The Middle.

What Else Was On

• This week's CBS Sunday Movie was Back When We Were Grownups, an Anne Tyler adaptation starring Blythe Danner.
• Tonight's special sweeps guest star: James Marsters on WB soap The Mountain.

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 of Peep Show. 8.5 hours, with 19.5 hours of space left.