BY TOM GLIATTO
REALITY
Despite the polarities implied even in the title's punctuation, the six-week Black. White. is at its best in murky gray areas. The gimmick—white and black families undergo elaborate makeup to exchange complexions—is surefire provocative. As the now-disguised Sparkses (the black family) and the Wurgels (the white family) test racial roles outside a temporary shared home, the tensions of prejudice and potentially being "unmasked" are sharp as piano wire. Yet things are most explosive back home, where the makeup comes off but issues are subtler: The Sparkses are upset that their 17-year-old son says he's never experienced racism. Mrs. Wurgel, who can't quite balance poetic effusion and political correctness, keeps saying the wrong thing. After she calls a visitor a "magnificent black creature," Mr. Sparks observes, "The only creatures I know are the Thing, the Blob, Jason, Freddy—you know, creatures." Mrs. Wurgel has a meltdown. This isn't reality TV—it's a powerfully entertaining documentary.
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ABC (Tuesdays, 9 p.m. ET)
COMEDY
Using a touch of improvisation to loosen up the usual rhythm of sitcom dialogue (which can come off like badminton played by robots), Sons is more like Curb Your Enthusiasm with fretful, well-meaning suburbanites instead of the invigoratingly hostile Larry David. It might be nice, in fact, if David passed through from time to time with a leaf blower. But the show's naturalness, enhanced by being shot outside the studio and without a laugh track, at least gives a viewer the sense that here's a show with room to breathe and grow. This is in contrast to another ABC family sitcom, the now-on-hiatus Crumbs. Crumbs at times could feel like a vase inserted over the head.
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>After a great run producing genial comedies (including Showtime's Barbershop), Ice Cube might have been wary of executive-producing something as dicey as Black. White. Nope. "Once I knew the makeup would work, I knew the show could not miss." And if the show ends with the families still not getting each other, "that shows there is a difference, there is a divide."
>The 78th Annual Academy Awards (ABC, March 5, 8 p.m. ET) Jon Stewart should be an interesting host, no? High wattage presenters will include Jennifer Aniston, Uma Thurman and Nicole Kidman.
America's Next Top Model (UPN, March 8, 8 p.m. ET) Season No. 6 kicks off with 32 Pretty Young Things arriving in Pasadena. Host Tyra Banks runs the whole shebang, as always. Twiggy'll be a judge.
The Unit (CBS, March 7, 9 p.m. ET) New action series about a special squad tackling terrorists and others. Stars Dennis Haysbert and Scott Foley.
The Queen's Sister (BBC America, March 5, 8 p.m. ET) British TV movie about the messy, marginalized life of Princess Margaret. Lucy Cohu stars.
Barry Manilow: Music and Passion (PBS, check local listings) Yes, he's back.
>SOUNDS OFF
On March 6, former CTU analyst Kim Bauer, daughter of Kiefer Sutherland's Jack, returns to FOX's 24. Elisha Cuthbert, 23, talks about the role and what she's been up to while away from foiling terrorists.
ON KEEPING UP WITH 24 It was a little hard for me to do because as it was airing I was shooting films. But I definitely kept in the loop. I got ahold of the DVD sets and got to see what was going on, which helped me.
ON RETURNING TO THE SHOW There had been a lot of talk about it. We discussed when it was going to be right for both of us. We worked quite extensively on making sure that the scripts were great and the character didn't come back in her usual panicky running-through-the-forest way.
ON GETTING BACK INTO CHARACTER Being away for so long, I was really afraid I would've lost her along the way. But as soon as I got back on set, it was amazing to just put on the wardrobe and see Kiefer again. It came back without any hesitation.
ON HER ONSCREEN RELATIONSHIP WITH KIEFER It's nice because Kim brings the oh-so-tough Jack back down to earth. You see a lot of heart shine through him even in tough moments. And for me to think he's been dead for this long, it's important for them to find a relationship again.
ON WHAT'S NEXT I'm doing a film called He Was a Quiet Man with William H. Macy and Christian Slater. I play a quadriplegic, so it's a lot different from my action-packed adventures on 24.
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!
