Posted on: Thursday, November 25, 2004
Tube Notes
By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service
Tonight's Must-See
"The 'Seinfeld' Story," 9 p.m., NBC. When "Seinfeld" left in 1998, TV comedy seemed to collapse. Now we get a reunion, complete with clips and reminiscences from the cast and co-creator Larry David. "The 100 Greatest TV Characters" (7, 10 p.m., Bravo) and "TV's Greatest Sidekicks" (8 p.m., Lifetime). This is a night for TV memories. In addition to NBC's "Seinfeld," two cable networks offer specials. Both have great clips, but there's a difference: Lifetime tries much harder and gets less. It does "Sidekicks" as a big bash with an audience and two hosts (Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams) and onstage interviews. Alas, the format seems to strip away any content. Guests — great actresses from "Golden Girls," "227," "Mary Tyler Moore Show" and more — have little to say; Marshall and Williams are saddled with some truly awful introductions. Bravo, by comparison, taped interviews individually. It gets lots of sharp observations, ranging from "NYPD Blue" producers to Kermit the Frog to Marshall and Williams — whose IQs seem to have doubled when they moved to Bravo. This hour zips from No. 40 to No. 21; the series concludes Friday. Of Note
"Spider-Man" (2002), 7 p.m., Fox. On the big screen, this movie was sheer delight, flawed only by occasionally excessive violence. Director Sam Raimi gave it sprawling visual excitement, alongside the warmth of Tobey Maguire as the vulnerable hero and Kirsten Dunst as his love interest. On TV, it will retain all of its humanity and some of its excitement. "Samantha: An American Girl Holiday," 7 p.m., WB. If you missed this movie Tuesday, here's a quick rerun. AnnaSophia Robb plays a 9-year-old a century ago, living with her wealthy grandmother (Mia Farrow), and she fights to help the poor kids working next door. It all works out too easily and conveniently; still, this movie has good intentions and a lush look. "Will & Grace," 7 p.m., NBC. It's time for Thanksgiving dinner with the family of Will's boyfriend, Vince. His brother gets cozy with Grace and Karen. His sister (Jamie-Lynn Discala from "The Sopranos") needs advice on breaking some news. And his mom can't cook the dinner, so Will must take over. "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving," 7 p.m., ABC. Here's a return of the moderately entertaining cartoon from 1973. "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (2000), 7:30 p.m., ABC. The wonderful little Dr. Seuss tale was spread into a large-scale movie with Ron Howard directing Jim Carrey, alongside offbeat sets.
