Posted on: Thursday, November 4, 2004
Tube Notes
By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service
Tonight's Must-See
"The O.C.," 7 p.m., Fox. The first thing people notice here is the physical beauty. Splendid faces and sleek bodies cavort amid the oceanside beauty in Orange County, Calif. Beyond that, however, "The O.C." has layers of humor and human concern. It also remembers to include the parents in the story lines that focus on the kids. Last season's detour came from Ryan's ex-girlfriend Theresa, played by Navi Rawat, the gifted actress from "Thought Crimes" and "House of Sand and Fog." She was pregnant; Ryan moved in with her and took a construction job. That meant leaving the lush Cohen home. Teenaged Seth Cohen was so bummed about losing his only friend that he got into his sailboat and left.
Now the summer is ending and things are crumbling. Seth's mom is forlorn, his former girlfriend, Summer, is bitter. Ryan's former girlfriend Marissa is drinking. There are some strong scenes tonight between Ryan and Theresa and between Seth and his dad. There also are some laughs; "The O.C." keeps surprising us. Of Note
"Joey," 7 p.m., NBC. Kelly Preston plays the beauty Joey had a crush on in high school. She visits his sister and is divorcing, thus stirring his interest anew. Meanwhile, Michael is startled to learn he was once good at baseball. "Will & Grace," 7:30 p.m., NBC. Karen works for Jack at the gay TV network. Meanwhile, Will learns that his boyfriend Vince has a female companion, sort of like Grace. She's played by Kristin Davis of "Sex and the City." "The Apprentice," 8 p.m., NBC. This week's project is a tangible one: renovating some Long Island homes. That requires bringing back four of the fired candidates. "North Shore," 8 p.m., Fox. This summer show is back, providing a blue-sky companion for "The O.C." The setting is a Hawai'i hotel, seemingly staffed only by the taut and gorgeous. Shannen Doherty has taken over, quickly making life difficult. Also, there are some soap-style surprises. "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," 8 p.m., CBS. The killings at a college are similar — partly — to others over the past 17 years. "Without a Trace," 9 p.m., CBS. Here is the start of a two-parter: A woman arranges for a baby sitter for her 3-year-old, then disappears. "ER," 9 p.m., NBC. Pratt nudges the interns — Abby, Ray and the newly returned Neela — into a contest to see who can handle the most patients. You might be guessing that this will lead to a mistake.
