Melinda’s ‘Magic’ Largely Showbiz
What’s “Disney’s Melinda: First Lady of Magic” (CBS at 8) doing on CBS instead of Disney-owned ABC?
Maybe it’s a secret plot to hammer CBS in the ratings. Or maybe Disney didn’t keep this special in the family simply because after all the huffing and puffing about Melinda breaking down barriers of the male-dominated magic profession, her illusions aren’t that spectacular.
They’re mostly variations on stunts that have been seen many times before.
The tricks, which are tied together by a bedtime chat by actress Shelley Long (“Cheers”) and young Kelsey Mulrooney (“The Christmas Box”), are performed at a showy pace and include dancers, music, bright lights, flash powder and lots of smoke.
Several of the tricks are the same - a horse vanishes, a car vanishes, a motorcycle vanishes.
The amusing thing about this special is that most of what Melinda does in her assault on the man’s world of magic is strut around in revealing costumes.
Give her credit for a levitation illusion in which she first makes Mulrooney float and then gently rises herself. Haven’t seen that one before. Overall, however, this hour is about 90 percent theatrics and 10 percent magic. Melinda is charismatic, but she’s neither innovative nor mystifying.
Highlights
“Family Matters,” ABC at 8: Friday night’s favorite odd couple, Urkel and Carl (Jaleel White, Reginald VelJohnson), are called for jury duty in a robbery case. Order in the court? No way in this fun repeat.
“Sliders,” FOX at 8: Robert Englund, of “Nightmare on Elm Street” fame, guest-stars in an episode from December in which the sliders land in a world where humans have been replaced by robots controlled by a mad scientist (Englund). The robots get their smarts from transplanted human brains.
“Sabrina, The Teenage Witch” ABC at 9: Hilda and Zelda (Caroline Rhea, Beth Broderick) turn themselves into teenage tagalongs when Sabrina (Melissa Joan Hart) refuses to be chaperoned to a rock concert. Also, Sabrina gets her first flying lesson. The rock band Violent Femmes guest-stars. Repeat.
“Nash Bridges,” CBS at 10: In a repeat from October, Bridges (Don Johnson) is pitted against a former best friend (William Russ of “Boy Meets World”) who has gone from good to bad.
How many times have we seen this?
Nash’s pal is in town to assassinate a well-known heroin dealer. That puts Bridges in the position of protecting a drug dealer and possibly facing his old buddy in a deadly showdown.
Let’s hope for more original scripts next season.
“Profiler,” NBC at 10: Sam (Ally Walker) tries to stop a vigilante killer (Ron Kuhlman) who carefully videotapes his murders and sends the evidence to TV newsrooms. The suspects: former law students with strong views on crime and punishment. Repeat.
Cable Calls
“Kids in the Hall: ‘Brain Candy”’ (1996), MAX at 8: The Canadian comedy team, which includes Dave Foley of NBC’s “NewsRadio,” stars in this madcap caper about its involvement with an anti-depressant drug that does more than lift spirits.
These guys are always outrageously funny. But it’s asking a lot for them to stretch their skit mentality into a feature-length film.
This movie may test the patience of all but the Kids’ hard-core fans.
“Twilight Zone - The Movie” (1983), USA at 8: John Landis directed this quartet of tales, three of which are adapted from original “Zone” episodes. None is as good at the short, shocker of a prologue starring Dan Aykroyd and Albert Brooks.
Though entertaining, Landis’ effort never measures up to our memories of the Rod Serling series.
Talk Time
“Tonight,” NBC at 11:35: Actor Richard Lewis, actress Peta Wilson and dancer Michael Flatley.
“Late Show With David Letterman,” CBS at 11:35: Actor Danny DeVito, Brett Butler (“Grace Under Fire”) and singer John Michael Montgomery. Repeat.
“Politically Incorrect With Bill Maher,” ABC at 12:35 a.m.: Paul Theroux and Jamie Foxx.
“Late Night With Conan O’Brien,” NBC at 12:35 a.m.: Radio personality Howard Stern, actress Lolita Davidovich and musical guest Freedy Johnston. Repeat.