Join ‘Drew Carey’ In His Zany World
There is something so deliciously absurd about “The Drew Carey Show” (ABC at 9) that makes you want to go shopping for new friends:
Wacky, screwball friends with quick wits, a skewed view of the world and a knack for getting in and out of trouble. And a knack for drinking cheap beer like it’s lemonade.
With Valentine’s Day approaching, Oswald (Diedrich Bader) tonight surprises Drew (Drew Carey) and Lewis (Ryan Stiles) by announcing he’s moving in with Kate (Christa Miller).
Drew proclaims that Oswald and Kate are incompatible. Why, even he and Nicki (Kate Walsh) are better suited.
OK. They’ll find out by discreetly slipping questions from a magazine compatibility test into dinner conversation. The hilarious results lead to a shocking development.
Just as funny is an opening segment in which Drew administers lie-detector tests to Mimi (Kathy Kinney) and Mr. Wick (Craig Ferguson) and a running gag about Lewis’ new girlfriend, who has a part-time job testing drugs, including one for cats.
“Drew Carey” is an escape to a place where nutty is normal. Tonight proves that you never know what Drew and his pals will do next.
Highlights
“Olympics,” CBS at 8: Freestyle skiing (men’s and women’s moguls, finals); alpine skiing (men’s combined slalom); luge (women’s singles); speed skating (women’s 3,000 meter); figure skating (men’s preview). Late-night coverage begins at 12:35.
“The Living Edens,” KSPS at 7: This outstanding nature series tops itself in “Etosha: Africa’s Untamed Wilderness,” an eye-popping journey to a vast dry lake bed that is transformed into an inland sea during the rainy season. The exotic wildlife include wildebeest, springbok, zebra, jackels, cheetahs and lions. Parents take heed: The documentary includes brief animal sex scenes and not-so-brief kill footage that could upset young children.
“Dharma and Greg,” ABC at 8:30: To celebrate their first Valentine’s Day, the newlyweds (Jenna Elfman, Thomas Gibson) head off to a romantic bed and breakfast Greg discovered in the Internet.
As is so often the case on sitcoms, it turns out to be a dump. But the lovers find a way to make the most of the situation.
“Playing to Win, A Moment of Truth Movie” (1998), NBC at 9: This unavailable-for-review movie is about a young woman (Lisa Dean Ryan) who becomes addicted to gambling. Predictably, she hits bottom before seeking help.
Though its heart may be in the right place, this movie sounds like any number of unrewarding “affliction-of-the-week” TV movies.
“The Art of Magic,” KSPS at 8: This heady history of magic features some of the world’s greatest magicians as it ties the practice of magic to history and human behavior.
Says writer-narrator Greg Palmer: “Often, without a word, magic speaks to our hopes and our fears. It can be as big as a Las Vegas showroom or as small as your Uncle Bob pulling a quarter out of your ear.”
Cable Calls
“TNN Celebrity Wedding Album,” TNN at 7: In the first episode of what TNN calls a “limited series,” fans get a peek at the weddings of some of country’s biggest stars.
Trace Adkins and his bride, Rhonda Forlaw, talk to host Jennifer O’Neill (“The Summer of ‘42”) about their fairy-tale wedding at Nashville’s Belle Meade Plantation. Also featured: Alan and Denise Jackson, Kix and Barbara Brooks, and Daryle and Kerry Singletary.