Elvis
CBS (Sun., May 8, 9 p.m. ET and Wed., May 11, 8 p.m. ET)
Asked in 1992 which Elvis Presley they wanted on a stamp, Americans said skinny, not fat—simple as that. But this workmanlike miniseries tries to be more balanced, celebrating his sensational ascent without ignoring his creative stagnation and personal decline. Too bad Elvis lacks the stomach to follow him all the way down.
Irish actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers plays Elvis from 1952, when he's bursting with energy and ambition, to 1968, as anxiety grips him moments before the taping of a comeback TV special. Though he overdoes the patented Presley sneer, Rhys Meyers sustains the seductive drawl and projects the animal magnetism that drives girls wild. He remains believable when the King turns bored, petulant and jealous of usurpers like the Beatles.
Women figure prominently in Elvis's life, particularly his fretful mama (a convincing Camryn Manheim) and young love Priscilla (Antonia Bernath). But the key relationship here is with manager Tom Parker, portrayed as a greedy gasbag by Randy Quaid. When the story cuts off nine years before Elvis's death, we're left with the impression that his inability to escape Parker's clutches made the superstar's sad end inevitable. Maybe so, but I wonder if the filmmakers just wanted to keep Fat Elvis out of the picture.
COMEDY
HBO (Sat., May 14, 9:30 p.m. ET)
It must have seemed like a good idea: Abundantly talented Tracey Ullman goes onstage and presents an autobiography of sorts, showing how experience inspired many comic characters she created for her series and specials.
So why isn't Live & Exposed more entertaining? The theatrical format has a distancing effect on the viewer, and the direction makes it worse. Sometimes Ullman plays roles in costume and makeup; sometimes she doesn't alter her appearance but performs in front of large photos of the fully realized characters. Such bet-hedging betrays a fear that the audience's imagination can't be trusted. A more substantive problem is that Ullman's past isn't always a reliable source of laughs. She could skip her dancing days, and the special wouldn't suffer. You'll be touched and amused by Ullman's memories of doing one-girl shows for her widowed mother, but on the whole this is a letdown.
WEIRD SCIENCE
Discovery Channel
(Sat, May 14, 8 p.m. ET)
It's a jungle there—way, way out there.
Based on Wayne Barlowe's book Expedition, this wildly speculative special uses computer animation to depict a 24th-century mission to a planet called Darwin IV. Instead of intrepid astronauts, birdlike robots Leo and Ike survey the territory and find it's populated by exceedingly strange creatures like the nasty Arrowtongue, the fleet Gyro-Sprinter and the fearsome flying Skewer.
Alien Planet would be fun if it were just an excuse for animators to let their imaginations roam. But a crew of scientists is on hand to give the program a theoretical underpinning and play along with the idea that there's a far-off place where the deadly Daggerwrist preys on the poor Trunk-Sucker. This is a show for all who say, "Hey, why not?"
DOCUMENTARY
PBS (Wed., May 11, 9 p.m. ET)
What becomes a '50s legend most? In 2001 TNT offered a James Dean biographical drama, with James Franco doing his best to imitate the fascinating star. This impressionistic documentary subtitled Sense Memories, is more fitting than an attempted reproduction of Dean. It's a moody collage of images and anecdotes colored by the passage of time.
When he died at 24, Dean left a slim but rich body of work. Clips from. East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant attest to his unique talent while raising the question of where his career might have gone once his tortured-youth days were behind him. Friends and colleagues such as Martin Landau and Lois Smith reminisce thoughtfully, and Dean's Giant dialect coach says he told the actor how to steal a scene by fiddling with a rope. That's his little piece of the legend, and it's still worth something.
The Bachelor: The Women Tell All (ABC, May 9,9 p.m. ET)
It's the Night of the Rejects. Some of the women nixed by Charlie O'Connell return to dish the dirt.
The Amazing Race 7 (CBS, May 10,9 p.m. ET)
Will Rob and Amber prevail? The global scramble reaches its two-hour conclusion.
Star Trek: Enterprise (UPN, May 13,9 p.m. ET)
The Next Generation's Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis reprise their roles as Riker and Troi as Captain Archer (Scott Bakula) and crew return to Earth.
Classical Baby (HBO, May 14, 7:30 p.m. ET)
Get some culture, kid. A soothing special offers a medley of music, dance and art aimed at infants and their families.
Genesis Awards (Animal Planet, May 14, 8 p.m. ET)
Desperate Housewives' Nicollette Sheridan is a presenter at an event honoring coverage of animal protection issues in the news and entertainment media.
DAWSON'S CREEK: THE COMPLETE FIFTH SEASON Series:
The gang's moved to Boston. Fortunately they didn't leave all the drama behind in Capeside. These 23 momentous episodes make a smooth transition to the college years with one exception—a standalone hour in which Joey (Katie Holmes) is robbed at gunpoint. Even more criminal is the absence of extras in the four-disc set.
THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON Series:
Their bubblegum pop is still catchy ear candy, but what's truly timeless in this 70s ABC sitcom about a mom-and-kids band is Susan Dey's ethereal beauty. Extras: Fun features on the show's history and music; two episodes from an ugly cartoon spinoff.
STAR TRK ENTERPRISE: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON Series:
Scott Bakula does a capable job of helming the pre-Kirk Enterprise in this fifth Trek series. The rest of the cast, however, barely makes an impression—except when they cut loose in the outtakes featured on disc 7. Extras: Episodes with text commentary make for stellar viewing.
JOAN OF ARCADIA: THE FIRST SEASON Series:
CBS's surprise hit about a 16-year-old who has conversations with God. Despite a bit too much teen angst, Joan stays watchable with subplots about her police-chief dad and wheelchair-bound brother. Extras: They include an intriguing "God Gallery"—showing God in all his forms, at least as he appears to Joan—from a punk teenager to a slick news anchor.
ENTOURAGE: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON Series:
This HBO series is a ringside seat on hipster Hollywood. When megastar Vince Chase brings three buddies from Queens, N.Y., to LaLa Land, the posse takes on agents, the club scene, groupies, and too much money in too little time. Extras: Executive producer Mark Wahlberg says the story isn't exactly his, "but close."
- Contributors:
- Terry Kelleher,
- Chris Strauss,
- Tom Gliatto,
- Cynthia Wang,
- Charlotte Triggs,
- Maureen Harrington.
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!
