What was on TV? Thurs, Feb 17, 2005

20 years ago, Survivor winner Richard Hatch was awaiting trial for tax evasion. Let's see what was on TV!

8:00 The OC on Fox

2x13 "The Father Knows Best" (record Survivor on CBS)

People claimed that Marissa's romance with Olivia Wilde's Alex was just titillation for February sweeps. But episodes like this prove that wrong. This episode isn't about sexy girls kissing. It's about Marissa being afraid to come out and intimidated by Alex's cool queer friends. By the end of the episode, she finds the courage to come out to Summer, and it's truly sweet, as is her reunion with Alex. I certainly liked this better than the rest of the episodes, which saw Seth, Sandy, and Caleb all behaving like total dipshits. Get it together boys!

9:00 Survivor: Palau

10x01 "This Has Never Happened Before!"

I have never seen a single episode of Survivor. But one episode in, and I'm hooked. I've heard so much about all the complicated gameplay and psychological warfare. But this episode is mostly just high school nonsense on bath salt. The show turns a gym-class style picking of the teams scene into high drama, and the centerpiece of the episode. And even when I don't understand all the gameplay, the gorgeous location and gorgeous people go a long way. I believe those two things cannot be underestimated when you talk about the popularity and endurance of the one reality series that rules them all.

10:00 ER on NBC

11x15 "Alone in a Crowd"

In November sweeps, ER dedicated an episode to the last hours of a homeless alcoholic (Ray Liotta). The episode earned tons of praise and Liotta ultimately earned a richly deserved Emmy for his work. So in February sweeps, ER tried to make lightning strike twice. This time around, Cynthia Nixon plays a mom who finds herself unable to speak as she gradually loses all her motor functions.

I felt bad for Cynthia Nixon. She can't move, and much of the episode is shot from her point of view, so she's asked to convey all her character's inner turmoil through voiceover. It gets annoying quickly. Meanwhile, the Ray Liotta episode stayed with him the entire timel here, we're still dealing with Carter's romantic problems, Pratt becoming chief resident, and Abby's fling with the intern. It's not the same.

Late Night

Conan has Roger Ebert on the show, and god bless Conan, he gets Roger to talk about porn. I love horny Roger so very much, and hearing him talk with such intelligence and authority about the conventions and artistry of porn warms my heart. He also came on national TV and said he hated Alexander because it wasn't gay enough. Rest in peace, man.

What Else Was On

• Martin Bashir did a big Primetime Live special on the "secret world of Michael Jackson" for ABC, capitalizing on his ongoing child molestation trial.
• Tonight's special sweeps guest star: Luke Perry on Will and Grace.

TiVo Status

The Masterpiece Theater miniseries The Lost Prince, the Frontline documentary House of Saud, the TV movies Sucker Free City and Lackawanna Blues, and one episode each of Monk and Without a Trace. 12 hours total.

Music, 20 years ago

The best needle drop on tonight's The OC is Stars' "Your Ex-Lover is Dead," which plays in the closing minutes of the episode. I love that song (expect to see a lot more Stars in this space).