Bravo”s ”Recipe” comes out overdone
The two-hour documentary “Million Dollar Recipe” (8 p.m., Bravo) follows seven contestants as they vie for the prize at the Pillsbury Bake-Off, the country’s most prestigious and lucrative cooking contest.
For the past 41 years, thousands of amateur chefs have sent in recipes in hopes of the grand prize. Only 100 entries are considered worthy enough to participate in the finals, considered by some to be the Oscars of the oven.
“Recipe” mixes vintage clips of contests past with stories about the seven participants.
The contest has reflected the changing nature of American domesticity. Once the exclusive province of stay-at-home mothers, the Pillsbury contest is now dominated by working women and attracts a considerable number of men.
The film’s subjects hail from suburbs and cities, farms and fancy subdivisions. They include two men entering the finals for the third time. The women include a militantly proud mother and self-described “CEO” of her home; a New Age chatterbox who gets entirely too much screen time; a devout single mom counting on providence to pull some strings with Pillsbury; a camera-shy woman who hasn’t changed her hairstyle in 26 years; and a former corporate vice president who decided to slow down after giving birth to triplets.
Despite rich ingredients, the film is simply too long. As any cook knows, timing is everything. This “Recipe” should have come out of the oven after 60 minutes.
A provocative and disturbing film, “Victory in the Pacific” on “American Experience” (9 p.m., KSPS) commemorates the 60th anniversary of the battles and bombing raids leading up to the end of World War II in the Pacific.
“Victory” includes first-person interviews with soldiers and civilians on both sides of the war. Convinced that Americans would rape and kill all civilians, thousands of Mariana Islanders threw themselves off cliffs before they could be captured.
One boy, now an elderly man, who was saved from certain death by a tree branch, reflects on the attitudes that led to these mass suicides. A surviving Japanese kamikaze pilot does the same.
The refusal of Japanese soldiers to surrender and the decision of their civilians to choose suicide over captivity only hardened the attitudes of American fighting forces, and many began to regard their Asian foe as less than human.
Complete with rare color footage of the gruesome fighting on Iwo Jima and Okinawa, “Victory” recalls a time when Americans feared a yearslong invasion of Japan that might cost hundreds of thousands of American lives.
Other highlights
Crisis counseling on “Nanny 911” (8 p.m., Fox).
Behind the drywall on “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition: How’d They Do That?” (8 p.m., ABC).
On two episodes of “Everybody Loves Raymond” (CBS, TV-PG), Frank and Marie have an agenda (8:30 p.m.), and bedroom one-upmanship (9 p.m.).
A guest (Dave Foley) loses his wedding ring on “Las Vegas” (9 p.m., NBC).
Bauer works on the slim new lead on “24” (9 p.m., Fox). I’m still trying to digest Chloe’s Rambo moment last week.
Lou Diamond Phillips, Victoria Pratt and Jason Priestley star in the true-life mystery “Murder at the Presidio” (9 p.m., USA).
A custody dispute erupts in gunfire on “CSI: Miami” (10 p.m., CBS).
New information may free a jailed killer on “Medium” (10 p.m., NBC).
Cult choice
Burt Reynolds, Sally Field and Jackie Gleason reunite for the 1980 good ol’ boy sequel “Smokey and the Bandit II” (10:30 p.m., AMC).
Series notes
A meddlesome Mother’s Day on “Still Standing” (8 p.m., CBS) … Joe Rogan hosts “Fear Factor” (8 p.m., NBC) … Left behind on “One on One” (8 p.m., UPN) … Family secrets on “7th Heaven” (8 p.m., WB).
Strange side effects on “Cuts” (8:30 p.m., UPN).
Roses and thorns on “The Bachelor” (9 p.m., ABC) … A fling festers and love blooms on “Girlfriends” (9 p.m., UPN) … Jake’s brother has questions on “Everwood” (9 p.m., WB) … A funeral insight on “Two and a Half Men” (9:30 p.m., CBS) … Mona mulls her options on “Half & Half” (9:30 p.m., UPN) … Two brats are no match for “Supernanny” (10 p.m., ABC).