What was on TV? Wed, Jan 26, 2005

20 years ago, everyone took a stroll on the Boulevard of Broken Dreams. Sometimes it feels like we never left. Let's see what was on TV!

9:00 Alias on ABC

4x05 "Welcome to Liberty Village" (record Project Runway on Bravo and The West Wing on NBC)

Available on Disney+

Sydney and Vaughn go undercover as married Russian spies. It's like a reverse Americans. And it is so, so fun. It pulls from the pulpiest and most classic tropes of spy fiction, and it does so with panache. We get lots of development in the Sydney and Vaughn relationship, some of it sexy, some of it emotional, some of it a little bit of both. There are tons of twists and turns and lots of silly suburban cosplay. If you ever wished that The Americans were just a little sillier, watch this episode.

10:00 Project Runway on Bravo (recorded)

1x07 "Design a Collection"

Available on Tubi

The moment when Betsy Johnson (by far the most high-profile guest judge to date) destroys Wendy Pepper's design in the Q&A and then the editor of Elle prompts her to throw Kevin under the bus was probably constructed in post. I don't care. It is pure reality television gold. And I must confess that I won't miss Kevin. He kind of stressed me out. At least Robert is good for a laugh.

What Else Was On

• A new season of The Simple Life premiered. This time, Paris and Nicole were interns. They worked on Wall Street, in an airport, and in a funeral home. Being in an airport, not to mention a funeral home is bad enough without having to deal with Paris and Nicole, especially when they're mugging for the cameras. But the people responsible for the impending financial crisis? I hope Paris and Nicole brought their A-game that day and gave them all hell.
• Another starlet reality show returned to the airwaves: MTV's The Ashlee Simpson Show tackled the infamous SNL incident.

TiVo Status

The Masterpiece Theater miniseries He Knew He Was Right and The Lost Prince, one episode of The West Wing, and two episodes of Carnivale. 11 hours total.