If you favor a western that moseys rather than gallops, you'll like this TV movie about a quintessential cowboy whose way of life is threatened by progress.
Tall-in-the-saddle Tom Selleck plays the title character, a cattle drover, broncobuster and rugged individualist. With corporations buying up ranch land in the Wyoming territory in the 1890s, men like Monte and old buddy Chet Rollins (Keith Carradine) are a dying breed. Chet eventually bows to economic reality and turns shopkeeper. As for Monte, he has four words for the coming 20th century: "Well, I ain't changin'."
Monte Walsh, which reworks a worthy 1970 film starring Lee Marvin, spends too much time restating its theme of freedom vs. modernity and establishing the cow-punchers' esprit de corps. But Selleck is strong and comfortable in the lead, and the fine supporting cast includes Isabella Rossellini as Monte's patient lover, William Devane as a wise ranch boss and CSI's George Eads as a hotshot with a tragically short fuse.
BOTTOM LINE: Mount up
CBS (Fridays, 10 p.m.)
Despite the dynamic presence of Oliver Piatt (Deadline, The West Wing) as a determinedly unorthodox judge, this seriocomic show about a disorderly courthouse in the New York City borough of Queens gets off to a stuttering start Jan. 10.
Part of the problem is that CBS elected to set aside the pilot, which contained helpful background on the characters, and go with a frantic first episode in which a gun-wielding juror takes over the courtroom of Judge Jack Moran (Platt). In the second episode Moran is again in danger, this time from Irish mobsters. I'd have greater concern for his survival if I got to know him first. Judge Kim Vicidomini (Annabella Sciorra from The Sopranos) is even more of a question mark. She draws a potentially interesting racial-profiling case in the opener, but it comes to a contrived and trivial conclusion. I find myself wishing this promising series would recess till it gets its act together.
BOTTOM LINE: The jury is out
Sunday, Jan. 19 GOLDEN GLOBES NBC (8 p.m. ET)
Gene Hackman gets the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the 60th annual bash.
Monday, Jan. 20 MEET MY FOLKS NBC (9 p.m. ET)
The dating-reality show returns, with eight gals vying to join one guy on a European vacation.
Tuesday, Jan. 21 AMERICAN IDOL FOX (8 p.m. ET)
Check out the talent contest's two-hour season premiere to see if Simon Cowell has mellowed.
Wednesday, Jan. 22 CHAPPELLE'S SHOW Comedy Central (10:30 p.m. ET)
Comic Dave Chappelle launches a sketch-and-standup series.
Thursday, Jan. 23 THE OFFICE BBC America (10:20 p.m. ET)
A British workplace comedy opens for business.
Friday, Jan. 24 PRESIDIO MED CBS (8 p.m. ET)
Jack Klugman guest stars as a man who opposes an autopsy on his son.
Saturday, Jan. 25 SUNDANCE AWARDS Sundance Channel (9 p.m. ET)
Maggie Gyllenhaal and Steve Zahn emcee the film festival's finale.
Saved by the Bell Reunion
The hookups, the meltdowns, the memoires
The case reveals what was really going on what they think of each other now!
