Showtime (Sundays, 10 p.m. ET)
Anyone who sampled Hank Azaria's short-lived Imagine That in 2002 probably thought no good could come of it. But now we see the bright side: If that NBC sitcom hadn't tanked, he might not have been available to star in this remarkable new Showtime series.
The versatile actor, winner of three Emmys for his voice work on The Simpsons, portrays an L.A. shrink who's not so handy at solving his own problems. Such a premise could lend itself to comedy à la the '70s Bob Newhart Show, and indeed an easy laugh comes early in the Nov. 7 premiere when a patient passes out at the sight of her bill. Further on, however, a teenager's suicide shakes Dr. Craig "Huff" Huffstodt to the core, and this shocking death casts a shadow over the first half-dozen episodes. Huff must face himself as a psychiatrist who's admittedly "tired of listening" yet unable to tune out his patients, his loved ones—including his schizophrenic brother Teddy (Andy Comeau)—or his conscience.
Azaria ably conveys the intelligence and deepening self-doubt of a skilled therapist with a need to be reassured of his usefulness and decency. Huff looks for emotional support at home, but too often he's caught in the crossfire between his wife, Beth (Paget Brewster), and Izzy (Blythe Danner), his tart-tongued, manipulative mother. Though Izzy comes dangerously close to caricature, Danner plays her so vividly that you wouldn't want the writers to tone her down.
The same goes for Huff's friend Russell Tupper (Oliver Piatt), a glib, cynical, fast-living lawyer who's way too big for his britches. Platt's bravura performance threatens to pull the focus away from the main character, but it's far better to see him on this series than not at all. Among the guest stars, Annie Potts is superb as the dead teen's bitter, guilt-racked mother, and Bob Saget, shredding his Full House image, plays the coke-addled star of a family TV show. Our advice: Schedule multiple sessions with Huff.
REALITY
FOX (Tuesdays, 8 p.m. ET)
In the first of the two episodes that launch this series Nov. 9, a pompous-looking imposter with Donald Trump hair emerges from a stretch limo just before British mogul-adventurer Richard Branson steps out of a humble taxi. If s a good gag, but it underlines an inescapable fact: The Trumpster got to this territory first: The derivative Rebel Billionaire mixes Trump's The Apprentice with Fear Factor and The Amazing Race. Branson, founder of Virgin Atlantic Airways and other enterprises, puts job seekers through a global contest that features extreme challenges like walking a plank between hot-air balloons at 10,000 feet. He says he'll make the ultimate winner president of his empire, though it's unclear why a sedentary person wouldn't do equally well in the office. Branson is more likable than Trump, but what does it say for a tycoon's judgment when he turns the executive-search process into the X Games?
DRAMA
PBS (Sun., Nov. 7 and 14, 9 p.m. ET)
Ray Winstone goes a tad over the top occasionally in this forceful Masterpiece Theatre two-parter, but then he's playing a man whose lack of restraint was legend. "I can do anything I want—I'm the King of England," says Henry, and the actor leaves no room for argument.
Winstone, a gangster in Sexy Beast, gives the mercurial monarch the touch of a 16th-century Tony Soprano. Watch Henry hug longtime ally Cardinal Wolsey (David Suchet) before having him arrested—all that's missing is the kiss of death. Though his wrath can shake a palace, it's possible to sympathize with this ruthless king, because sexy, spirited women make him weak in the knees. Watch Henry with second wife Anne Boleyn (Helena Bonham Carter) and fifth wife Catherine Howard (Emily Blunt). The king is gaga, and therefore human.
Dallas Reunion (CBS, Nov. 7, 9 p.m. ET)
J.R. Ewing's back—the dirty dog. Larry Hagman joins Linda Gray, Victoria Principal, Patrick Duffy and other members of the original cast for two hours of Southfork nostalgia.
My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss (FOX, Nov. 7, 9 p.m. ET)
"You're fired" meets "You've been punk'd." An actor posing as a mogul puts job applicants through ridiculous tests in the debut of this reality series.
CMA Awards (CBS, Nov. 9, 8 p.m. ET)
Brooks & Dunn host the country music event, featuring Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw and a Shania Twain-Billy Currington duet.
The West Wing (NBC, Nov. 10, 9 p.m. ET) Jimmy Smits joins the cast as a Texas congressman with White House potential.
Last Letters Home (HBO, Nov. 11, 9 p.m. ET) A Veterans Day special looks at 10 families and the final letters they received from loved ones who lost their lives in Iraq.
The O.C.: The Complete First Season(Warner Bros., $69.98)
[Series: 3 stars] [Extras: 1 star]
If you managed to miss FOX's sexy hit last season, consider this seven-disc set pre-Season 2 homework. From the moment James Dean-like Ryan (Benjamin McKenzie) moves from Chino to sunny Newport Beach, you'll be hooked on every step Marissa (Mischa Barton), Seth (Adam Brody), Summer (Rachel Bilson) and their juvenile parents make. Already a fan? Don't bother. Watching these episodes in order reveals a woeful descent from Dawson's Creek-style drama to Melrose Place histrionics (Marissa held hostage by gun-toting admirer!). Extras: Pointless music trivia, dull commentary
That '70s Show: Season 1 (FOX, $49.98)
[Series: 4 stars] [Extras: 1½ stars]
Who knew we'd get a kick out of perms and shag carpeting again? This introduction to a motley crew of groovy Wisconsin teens in the era of sex, drugs, and rock and roll is as fresh and funny as when it debuted in 1998. Even a marathon of all 25 episodes won't give you lava-lamp overload, just laughs. Extras: A bummer. The cast rap about their characters and offer too-easy trivia questions followed by a montage of promos. Booooring.
Arrested Development: Season 1 (FOX, $39.98)
[Series: 3½ stars] [Extras: 3 stars]
Watch all 22 episodes of the first season and you'll see why this irreverent comedy about the dysfunctional Bluth family won the Emmy this year for Best Comedy. The plot centers around the Bluth patriarch (Jeffrey Tambor), who is jailed for shady accounting practices, and his middle son (Jason Bateman), who tries to keep the clan afloat amid a host of shenanigans (like his brothers playing chicken with bulldozers and his brother-in-law's fear of being nude). Extras: Commentaries from the cast are enlightening, but do we really need to see the TV promo again?
Dream On: Seasons 1 & 2 (Universal, $59.98)
[Series: 3 stars] [Extras: 2 stars]
In this wry 1990-96 HBO sitcom, a horny Manhattan book editor (Brian Benben) keeps falling into bed with the wrong women (one turns out to be a former porn star, another a homicidal maniac).The show is bawdily amusing. But Dream On goes one hilarious step further by inserting cheesy dialogue from vintage TV dramas ("It's not a nightmare—it's a daymare!" screams John Cassavetes) to underscore its hapless hero's emotions. Extras: Executive producer John Landis provides a breezy intro.
- Contributors:
- Terry Kelleher,
- Mark Dagostino,
- Natasha Stoynoff,
- Amy Bonawitz,
- Mike Lipton.
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!
